Full Version: No-astral-signature-guys
On my last run, someone of my group said that there was some mundane that have no astral signature, no aura, nothing, nada on the astral. It's that true ?
If they were an illusion. Every living thing has at least an astral shadow or aura. Even with Masking, you couldn't make the aura dissapear altogether.
I take it like it was true from you.
Wasn't there some virus in Target: Wastelands or something that eats your astral signature?
~J
~J
Mana based Illusions would appear on the astral if Im not mistaken. Also, if it was a spell of any kind causing the illusion that may appear as well. The crazy Alchera type phenomenom *may* have some kinda craziness like that but been a long time since I read it and even then I dont recall this. If it were me Id chalk it up to "gm not knowing the world" and make a trip to the arms dealer for a crate of AV to deal with whatever kinda super threat the GM is trying to pull on ya. Plus Id call my mage buddy to get my safehouse warded and make sure DocWagon was paid up. But thats me . . .
I recall reading a website years ago that had rules for this. They called them "Null Adepts". They have no aura whatsoever and I think they had immunity to mana spells and some other freaky rules.
As far as I know there's nothing in any books, just stuff someone came up with on their own.
As far as I know there's nothing in any books, just stuff someone came up with on their own.
| QUOTE (Zazen) |
| I recall reading a website years ago that had rules for this. They called them "Null Adepts". They have no aura whatsoever and I think they had immunity to mana spells and some other freaky rules. As far as I know there's nothing in any books, just stuff someone came up with on their own. |
It isn't official, but the idea first appeared in Challenge magazine. IIRC, FanPro released some German (only) material concerning Nega Mages, which might be incorporated to some degree in the forth-coming Shadows of Europe, although I rather hope not.
In any case, you can find a write up on Nega Mages and Null Adepts here.
There is a canon example of a mage only capable of spell defense (forget her name, but the old mafia lady in Mob Wars) - that's as close to it you get in (american) canon...
| QUOTE (Aramus) |
| On my last run, someone of my group said that there was some mundane that have no astral signature, no aura, nothing, nada on the astral. It's that true ? |
Yes it is called a corpse.
The Null Adept, if it became canon, would be an interesting topic to consider on the Horrors Vs Humanity threads as I don't think null adepts could be marked by horrors.
NO! NO!
That's all I have to say. Everything living has a signature.
End of story. We don't need any more bizarre magic stuff then we have.
That's all I have to say. Everything living has a signature.
End of story. We don't need any more bizarre magic stuff then we have.
No one else remembers these diseases? Guess it's time to go bookdigging to see whether this is one of my imagined rules...
~J
~J
I played a character with no astral signature.
The rest of the players did eventually figure out that what they were seeing was a humaniform drone, though.
The rest of the players did eventually figure out that what they were seeing was a humaniform drone, though.
This is an urban legend, Shadowrun style.
This is also a great topic to re-explore for a Hawlloween run. Think about the poor mage who checks the person out only to not see an astral sig... *shiver* so fun...
No, there was definately an article about nega mages. Elementals would walk around them and then claim they never changed direction, you can't see them in astral - they just aren't there, not 'don't have an aura', they aren't there - and they cannot suffer the effects of any magic, including healing. Unfortunately, they also took a risk by having any cyber. ANY cyber installed caused a roll, modified by how much essence you would have left. If you fail the roll you instantly become normal, like everyone else, and can never gain the ability back. Its more like a whopping flaw/edge than anything else.
But its not an urban legend. Its just not canon, though I do beleive the article was written by an SR author. I used to have a paper copy. I'll see if I can dig it out.
But its not an urban legend. Its just not canon, though I do beleive the article was written by an SR author. I used to have a paper copy. I'll see if I can dig it out.
If it's not canon then it's a house rule. Since Canon strictly contradicts it (all living things have an astral signature) so really it is an Urban Legend. It is somethign that sounds like it could be real, but in the end is just something someone made up.
Unless they DO refer to in the one of the new books. In which case it is. But of course a non-FASA sanctioned article (if such it be, if i find it I'll let you know) would indeed be a house rule. In-game its an urban legend, but all I was saying was that it wasn't just a unsubstantiated rumour that there had in the past been reference to them, somewhere, and it wasn't just something the player made up.
Coulda been a guy who'd made one of my favorite custom spells, Aura Invisibility. An invisibility spell that only erases one's aura (as well as its' own resonance, as it's contained within the aura it's erasing)...
I forget what rules I came up with for it, but I think you had to be astrally perceiving or projecting to use it, due to the inherent need to cross the barrier between physical and astral. Could be wrong, though.
I forget what rules I came up with for it, but I think you had to be astrally perceiving or projecting to use it, due to the inherent need to cross the barrier between physical and astral. Could be wrong, though.
| QUOTE (KarmaInferno) |
| I played a character with no astral signature. The rest of the players did eventually figure out that what they were seeing was a humaniform drone, though. |
That's a great idea. I'm going to use that.
| QUOTE (Adarael @ Jan 9 2004, 09:04 PM) |
| Coulda been a guy who'd made one of my favorite custom spells, Aura Invisibility. An invisibility spell that only erases one's aura (as well as its' own resonance, as it's contained within the aura it's erasing)... I forget what rules I came up with for it, but I think you had to be astrally perceiving or projecting to use it, due to the inherent need to cross the barrier between physical and astral. Could be wrong, though. |
We've made that a meta magical technique, with a pre-requisite of Masking. Its called simply improved masking and it increases the target number by half the character's grade to 'spot' them in astral space. They just sort of fade into the background.
Just in case you wanted another take on it.
We figure if its something you have to make special rules for (like, having to make the spell invisible as part of the casting for example - it breaks the usual mold as to how spells usually work), it tends to sit better as a metamagic technique. Possession and Divination are prime examples - in SR2 they were spells. With odd target numbers and effects which didn't seem to fit too well with how spells normally work. in SR3 they made them techniques and it works much better.
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