Got a question for you folks

With all this magic about it seems to me only inevitable that one of the first things people would be doing with it is making things like Carpets and Brooms that fly.


Assuming such a thing is possible, the following questions come to mind...

How fast are they?

What should be their upper ceilings?

How durable are they?

sustaining focus for manipulation spells, used to sustain levitate. next!

Speed is relegated to the Force of the Spellcaster and his succcesses...
Durability: How durable is a Carpet or Broom?

Keep in mind, in a world full of aerial personal mobility vehicles, that's not exactly an idea to get rich with...

'Tis True

I'm thinking that it's the style of the thing that counts.

Hate to use it as a reference but for those who have seen the Brooms in the Potter movies, those actually looked like they had been built for speed and maneuverability and with some aesthetics involved.

I'm thinking of putting a Bayonet on the end of the one my character is gonna have.

So this is what Shadowrun has devolved into... Harry Potter and Bayonet Brooms.

It's almost enough to take up 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons...

Let's not go there, Hartbaine. SR hasn't gotten that bad.

Okay. You made me chuckle with that one.

It'd take an awful lot to mess SR up that badly.

I can see it now...

GM: "You shoot the last Ork Goon... he explodes into nuyen, ammunition, and assorted loot for no reason at all."

Samurai: "We camp here for... um, what's the respawn time on Ork Goons?"

Table Know-It-All: "Fifteen minutes, twenty if it's a PR 5 Goon."

Samurai: "The PR 5 Goon drop anything good?"

TKIA: "1 in 6 chance for a Force 5 weapon focus."

Samurai: "Naw, screw it... we don't need it. We'll continue on with the run I guess."

But seriously dude, have fun with your broom idea. If that's what make your games fun, have at it. Don't take my jibes personally, it's all in fun.

I can't help but think that, if you stuck your broom-mounted bayonet into someone, while it would puncture him/her fantastically, it would also send you hurtling over the top of the victim. Kinda like when you're riding a bike, the front wheel gets stuck, and you fly over the handlebars.

Perhaps attach a scything blade to the end, such as with which to sideswipe victims?

Also, I'd just simplify things and make the broom the focus.

I would rather have a ring that is the sustaining focus and skip the broom. I mean honestly who the heck is going to take a person seriously if they're toting around a BROOM?

I can see the Johnson going: "Do I REALLY want to hire these clowns?"

*Chuckle*

I see your point.

Our GM is pondering what he calls a Ghettopunk plot where we start lower than the game suggests.
Essentially we're Teen Gang Members and so I was thinking what kind of perception would a kid have about magic? Wands and Brooms and the like seemed to come naturally to my mind so I came up with this idea of a punk who found a wand on the still cooling corpse of a wizard and has been muddling his way though learning magic any way he can.

Just don't call him "Dirty Harry Potter".

A broom? What is this, the 20th century? It's the future! We need future variants, like the Ares Carpet Blaster Vacuum with dirt recognition laser designators or the Shiawase Dirt Ninja stealth Vacuum with sound suppression systems and ruthenium casing.

I know someone who built (but didn't use cause he got distracted by a shinier idea) a hedge-witch who was going to use a broomstick as a sustaining focus for her levitate spell. I remember looking at the speeds of the levitate spell and working out with him how powerful a focus we'd need. I forgot the verdict largley because he switched to the ex-yak street samurai idea, but that's another yarn for another time.

I was about to say that.

However, you guys are overlooking Unique Enchantments and Quickening.

Mage casts F6 Levitate, getting 6 successes. Quickens the spell for 6 karma. Sells quickened item for 5,000 /karma spent, or 30k . Spell works as normal, with the slight change of slowing down the more weight you put on it; for example, a human would only use 1 success for the spell, making the speed 30 meters/turn (slightly faster than running). If, however, a troll uses the item, it would require 3 successes, reducing the speed to 18 meters/turn. But, it is 360-degree movement, and not restricted to ground.

the problem here is that a quickened spell is still under the control of the caster, and not anyone else. so unless the mage is *also* going to follow around everywhere the broom goes, and moving the rider according to how the rider tells him to, this idea still doesn't work at all.

Meh. It's a small GM rule-bend. I'd allow it.

I can see a bunch of low-powered mages immigrating to the UCAS from the Middle East, and running a Magic Carpet Taxi Company now. Cheaper than "'Copter Cab"!

*Headdesk* I am so going to hell, and I know it.

Now what kind of license do you need to pilot a flying carpet in the city?

Like the bio-cab drivers in Shadowrun have Hack Licenses to begin with.

But you know what CanRay... It was Funny...

Question:

If you're not the casting mage, how would you control the thing?

Edit: The above rule-bend seems like it would be abused. If you allow it for one thing...

See...flying carpet just makes me think of Aladdin...
"Ultimate Cosmic Power! Itty bitty living space..."

I feel like flying skateboards or something might be more popular in a cyberpunkish setting....but those might be done with hover technology instead....

hmmmm....X-Games...At 20,000 feet!!!!

You see that can you just opened? You see the little worm getting out? He's just a little worm, right? Take a look in the can, see his his hundreds of brothers and sisters wriggling toward you out of the darkness?


All this talk of Quickened / Sustained Levitate spells reminds me of my flying weapon device. It started off as just a Buzz Saw blade under the mental control of the casting magician. Then it became a few buzz saw blades slotted into each other at angles to make it harder to deflect / stop. Then I checked out what weights could be affected with what hits and on went the sword. And the power-drill. Oh, and a Hell-hound. I have a picture of it somewhere.

I haven't played with the SR4 Spell creation yet, but maybe work up a spell that's limited to a specific target (Rugs. Or Brooms.) that allows for a greater speed increase?

I dunno, I like the idea. I think it has some merit. Or at least would be fun!

(I love the Arabic Flying Carpet Taxi Service, I'm stealing that

They already made a movie where witches ride vacuum cleaners instead of broomsticks.



Even worse....

Welcome to the Johnny Carpet!

Hocus Pocus had one of the witches riding a vacuum cleaner because she couldn't find a broom...if that's what you were thinking of...

More Persian than Arabic, though yes - I know it's sometimes called the "Arabic Nights" instead of "1001".

K.

So we got Brooms, Carpets, Vaccum Cleaners... What's next? Air Spirit-Inhabited Motorcycles flying the Jolly Roger doing Drive-Bys on Cargo Zepplins?

I am now compeled to make a mage that flies around on a rhumba (I think they are called). He will be a part time crimefighter. All so I can have him "clean up" the city.

Sign Me Up..... "ARRRRRRGGGHHHHH, Me be wanting the Booty"

I am so playing that game.

That's just a Sustaining Focus that's also a Specific Spell Focus (forgive me if my terminology is off; I haven't played in over a year and honestly have no idea where my books are at the moment) to bolster its effects. Or any other numerous similar methods of accomplishing the same thing such as using the broom/vacuum/whatever as a fetish (which, honestly, would be the most likely way such a thing would be handled in-game). I had a Street Shaman (Rat) once who used a trash can lid as his vehicle using this particular method. Was great fun.

In the end, though, it's really no different than just casting Levitate on yourself. Purely a flavor thing.

So, do the casters hold "car shows" to show off their classic and modified flying toys? Where can you buy mod kits to rice out your flying broom/carpet/vacuum/garbage can lid/bed?

Khyron Posted Today, 01:08 PM
So, do the casters hold "car shows" to show off their classic and modified flying toys? Where can you buy mod kits to rice out your flying broom/carpet/vacuum/garbage can lid/bed? biggrin.gif


BWAHAHAHAHA!
I could actually SEE that happening.
"And here we have the latest in Broom Technology... a reagent Bicycle Seat with hand crafted Iron body, rich corinthian Sand Serpent leather covering, with Dire Sheep's wool between the two for padding. Ideal for those Long-distance flights. This baby is built for comfort."

Here in my home town there is a strip of street downtown that people with classic cars and trucks or 'pimped out' ones, tend to gather on each week in the summer. No doubt they enjoy showing off their hard work or modifications to other enthusiasts.

Perhaps that could be one of those Magical Organizations that the book "Street Magic" has rules for.
The "Honorable Order of Magi-transport Operators" or something.
Not sure what the rules around it would be, but I could see the Metamagic feats would be improved spells for getting their conveyances to fly.

Over Four thousand members globally.
The members usually like the feel of wind in their hair and bugs in their teeth.

Too bad about distances. I'd love to GM that game now...

"Lonestar Dispatch, this is Lonestar car one seven niner niner. Requesting backup. Repeat, requesting backup. Will need all available magic support and flight capable drones."

"We hear you One Seven Niner Niner. What is your situation?"

"I am in pursuit of thirty Joyriders on the Nine Eighty. Major traffic disruptions."

"Please describe the nature of the Joy Riders, One Seven Niner Niner."

"You know you can damn well see them on the trids, Dispatch."

"One seven Niner Niner, you know we have rules in place. Please. In your own words describe the nature of the joy riders."

"Dispatch. I am in pursuit of what appears to be... Ghawd... I can't believe I'm saying this... a BROOM gang."

" *Giggle* All right One Seven Niner Niner. We are dispatching all available units to your Positioning Signal... see if you can get Harry Potter's autograph for my kid."

"Jerk."

Angelone, please report to the nearest Exterminatus facility so that you can be cleansed from this world by fire.


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That was a really BAD pun!