The Shape [Material] spell does not put any limits on what the material may be. For this reason, it seems very tempting to create a spell such as Shape Skin or Shape Bone, not only because these spells mimic classic ED Horror powers, but because they're just so terribly gruesome.

But, I must wonder exactly how this spell should be treated. If I were to move Mr. annoying guy's face to his butt using my Shape Flesh spell, how must damage would he take? Should he just get one resistance test and be at my mercy or would he get a resistance test every round that his skin is shaped? What would stop me from digging a hole into his chest big enough for a person to walk through just as other magicians might dig a hole in a wall large enough to walk through?

Shape (Material) is based on an Object Resistance test and may therefore only be used on objects. Shape Flesh or Shape Skin would not work on living targets, but they may be useful for some odd fetishes or the preparation of zombies.

Here is a thought though - you could shape their armour in such a way that it causes injury. Guys show up in full body armour? Just shape the collar to strangle them, grin.

if i was going to allow manipulation spells to damage someone, i would just follow the guideline of those manipulation spells that damage people. in this case, most likely ignite. but that's just me.

You may shape but as long as it doesn't say damage, there's no damage. Your armor sure look painful in that shape, but there's no damage done.

I don't think you would be able to harm the person because all you are doing is shaping not forcing the material into a shape. The person already occupies the space you would have to shape the material into so you couldn't force the material to go there. You wouldn't be able to shape a metal bar through someones chest so you wouldn't be able to force their armour to get tighter around their neck.

You could most certainly shape the armour so it was much too big and then fell off, then drop your spell and blast at the troll with your guns.

I could see Shape Armor into Tutu or noose with rope.

You could always just shape their armor around their head and over their gun. So they're blind, and have to shoot through their own armor in order to hit something.

I am fond of shaping their sleeves and shoes to each other and the wall.

An immobile enemy is even better than a dead enemy.

-Frank

You could shape their gun into a useless chuck of steel and their armored jacket into zip tie manacles. Or you could shape their glasses into orbs that distort their vision. Or the door over there into a coffin. All kinds of things that you can do that don't damage them but almost instantly take them out of the fight. Of course everyone would know you used magic but with no deaths in your wake people might like you a little better.

I doubt it'd be really be worth the effort. Even a pretty generous interpretation would leave the spell as merely comparable to your average combat spell, although the spell's flexibility would be quite admirable, despite the ridiculous drain that'd be attached.

Agreed, at best, you could tie them up with their clothing, incapacitating them. You might even manage to gag them while you're at it. But then you've got a naked, angry security guard, instead of an unconcious one like stunbolt gives you.

and as soon as you're done sustaining all the items go back to normal.

Yeah, I think that this application of the spell would be better served as being used by a Trickster shaman as one of his pranking spells than as a combat spell. To take a quote from a Star Wars novel, it's like using a lightsaber to trim loose threads from a garment--it'll do the job, but there are far more economical means of doing it.

Hmm... trickster shaman that uses Shape spells for pranks... NPC concept!

Hmm, personally I'd allow it but like another poster said, use Ignite as an example of how it would work.

I've always liked the shaping of someone's eyeglasses (goggles, etc.) into opaque globs of plastic. Who needs cover when they can't see. If nothing else it'll cause them to take an action to remove their glasses.

Edit: whoops, someone added that one already. oh well.