I've posted once or twice on alienation a old spirit power from first and second edition. Besides being open to abuse it pretty much becomes obsolete with new means of communication and tech.

So how about reversing the ability instead of target being intangible to those around him. Target can not longer see,hear,smell or acknowledge others or communication from others around him. This would include touch, with Per+Int (3) test to notice the sensation. Being a mental change as opposed to illusion this would affect cyber,sensor and astral senses.

Would it affect spell-like effects such as Mindlink?

The only problem I see with this is that this edition already suffers from massive Manipulation bloat, and this would be another good spell to throw in there.



Chris

Ok, at the risk of hijacking a thread. What is the problem with manipulation bloat? Magic is barely typed. OK, so it broadens what you can do with a specialty, a fetish, and a spirit type. To me that doesn't seem like a big deal at all. Give my current (i.e. new) view of the game, SR just isn't balanced to that granularity. TM > Adept Hacker; Trodes > Implanted Data Jack; Possession can get a 400 BP troll max physicals while cyber-limbs ever; And the meta-magics vary wildly in power. I don't really think that these are necessarily examples of game flaws, but SR just doesn't seem to be balanced in that way. Am I missing what makes manipulation bloat even vaguely problematic?

Plus, and this is important, alienation is a spirit power, not a spell.

Yes Spirit Power from past editions not a spell. Gonna try this version in next game session see how it plays out. Using rules from original version with changes I've posted, for now gonna leave it as free spirit power. If doesnt prove too unbalanced might consider it for great form spirit power.

Ah, well, it should be obvious from my comments I've never played any edition except this one. The first post made it sound like a spell so I assumed.... And it's not REALLY a problem, but I don't see many mages personally who pick anything besides specs in manipulation and almost all foci besides sustaining and some of those are manip as well. Just seems like we could expand other lists some. I dunno, would be hard to do I guess.


Chris