Transformation Manipulation
Physical
Sustained
Major Change
Extra Effect
Voluntary/Or not.

Transparency
A percentage of all light-waves pass through the target of a Transparency spell. It adds to the target number needed to spot the target on a perception test by the number of successes up to the spell's force. The threshold is half the target's Body or OR. Note that a person is a target, a gun is a target, ect - meaning that Transparency does not affect the target's external gear. Anything not "integral" at the time of casting is not transparent (unless transparent to begin with). The spell also offers armor against light based attacks equal to Force.

Is the target number of Shapechange Body or 6? What's the drain?
+2M or something right?

Holy cow! It's a suit of armor walking down the streets of Seattle without anything in it! Deadly Spiritbolt! Deadly Spiritbolt! It isn't going down, dammit! Deadly Spiritball! Noooooooooooooooooo..........

~J

Naked mages are fun.

here's a question: how would the subject of a transparency spell see? after all, if they're transparent, the light will pass through the eyes unaffected instead of being flipped and projected against the retina. a mage could still see astrally, of course, but a norm would be blind.

A percentage of the light passes through the retina. I thought of that right off. One would not have too much trouble as the eyes resolution is overly detailed as is.

If you still want more, just make the eyes get a higher portion of the percentage. It only adds TN to a perception test when spotting the character.

is there a reason to use this spell instead of shadow? i don't recall the exact effects of shadow, but it's very similar to this.

Because, IIRC, Shadow merely makes things "darker" around the target. This would effectively make them not exist to most light particles, thusly making them semi-transparent.

right, but the game-mechanics effect is the same--a modifier to perception tests.

Becuase Shadow is not too useful for creeping along a brightly lit wall and has no effect on laser attacks. Otherwise, no. Shadow actually has the advantage of area affect.

eh, yeah. i mean, if you commonly sneak through brightly-lit areas with no clothes on, or get shot at a lot by lasers, then this is the spell you.

Technically Invisibility only adds to perception tests to spot the character, adding a blanket +8.

Besides you're only thinking about using it on people. Cast it on a gun and suddenly they are harder to spot on x-ray machines. Cast it on a satellite dish and see what happens.

Use the Quake I effect. Have everything go transparent but the eyes.

~J

+8 to spot the character, not describe it. You can judge weight, position, ect through sound, smell, ect and other side effects, all at a +8 target number to a perception test.

[edit] We could even argue other things like the male female aspect by breathing sounds and shoe prints, swish of pants, ect.

Interesting interpretation. If an invisible character passed some sentries, I'd always thought to allow the sentries a hearing perception test, or possibly a smell perception test (if they had different diet or grooming habits from the subject), but neither perception test would be at any penalties for the invisibility. Your method is certainly simple and easy to remember.