With Shaman/Mages being able to cast spells at the range of LOS for things like Levitation, and Invisibility(improved as well), when do range modifiers apply and do the spells require LOS during the duration that a spell is maintained or just when the spell is cast? If so where in the rules is this covered?

Thank you in advance.

The only modifiers are for visibility. If you're going behind what you can see clearly, you have to make a perception type roll. SR3 p181.

I also noticed that cover modifiers add to spellcasting TNs from that same section... interesting.

When do range mods apply in spellcasting?
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I think you get the picture.

~J

...or how about when the optional "range modifiers for spellcasting" rules came out in MitS?

Where are those? I'm not finding them.

~J

Don't have a copy on hand, but I recall seeing optional rules for range modifiers in LOS casting. Maybe it was in SRC.

Not finding it there either. Might it have been a third-party publication somewhere or a previous edition of the game?

~J

Range is never an issue with spell casting as mentioned above. You must be able to see the target in full (hence visibility and cover mods) to affect its being with magic. Not yet mentioned is that you do NOT need to maintain LOS to maintain a spell. Once it is cast on a target, the target can move out of LOS and the spell's effects are maintained by the link created at the time of casting (by LOS). The target cannot, however, move through astral barriers, ward, etc. An area effect sustained spell such as Chaotic World will cease to affect individuals as they move out of its area.

I'm not seeing it, either. There are some rules for astral visibility which might come in to play for astrally targeted magic, but nothing I'm seeing about range.

I definitely remember seeing this in a book, but it was casting ovr long distances, like kilometers and was supposed to adjust for air visibility... IE you just can't see 10 km without them getting faded out because of fog and pollutants in the air...