If you're creating a positive background count, you're creating a domain (unless you score enough hits to create a mana warp) - according to Street Magic.

So what magical tradition is the BC area created by Mana Static aspected to? One would assume that it would be the magical tradition of the caster.

Mana static doesn't create a domain - it creates a mana anomoly, a temporary disruption to the flow of mana. Given the name of the spell, and that it specifically states that it affects everyone including the caster, I wouldn't consider it aspected to any tradition. You aren't focusing the mana into your paradigm; you are stirring it up and swirling it around to make all spellcasting more difficult.

Well that makes sense.

Apparently in the german edition there is an aspected mana static spell, which is about as broken as anyone could ever imagine.

Conceivably, if you cast a Mana Static that lasts long enough, you could geomancy it after the fact, but it would eventually bleed back into normal BC.

Mana static is already a really powerful spell, even if it completely shuts the caster down, so I can't even begin to grasp how anyone would think allowing an aspected version of it is a good idea.
Sadly, that's about on par what I've heard from the german editors, though, which is why I use the original books despite being german.

Wait, if casting Mana Static would shut down the caster, would the spell automatically stop being sustained, as the caster no longer has the ability to cast spells?

*chuckles* If a troll falls down and breaks his trog neck in the woods and no-one else is around, does he make a sound?



Hmm, is sustaining spells a Magical ability and as such requires a mage is have usable Magic or is it something else entirely...

Aspected mana static was removed from English version of Street Magic but is still listed in the tables in the back at least in the first printing. There was post awhile back that explained it was removed due to being so broken.

Man, aspected mana static would be the most overpowered spell ever. "You take a -2 penalty on all actions to give you something that gives you +4-6 on all actions in your specality"

I'd have me some of that.

Now, if you cast a Force 6 Mana Static and enter the area, it would drop the Force 6 spell you are sustaining (the Mana Static), causing the spell to start dissipating. It wouldn't force you to stop sustaining it, but since the spell itself is the same force of the domain, it would be negated.

Funny, I don't see that as all that overpowering... how often do you stay in one place (say at Force 6... You would have to be relatively immobile to gain the benefits)... a simple grenade will drive you out of the area of effect in most cases at which point you lose the benefits... and it only boosts your dice pool, not your magic rating which would actually be of some use here... how often do you have enough dice as a caster anyways, I often end up losing extra successes due to force limitations anyway, without any additional padding of the dice pool from an aspected domain......

Not as powerful as you might think in play... and yes, it is still in the printing of the Street Magic that I own...

Keep the Faith

It'd be usefull for conjuring spirits and enchanting stuff maybe. Remember, most enchanting will take place in your qigwam or medicine circle or something. which is usually a strong domain for your purposes anyway right? and then add in the aspected mana static too?
other question:
I i throw an aspected mana static, the background count is aspected towards me.
now if i conjour a spirit and it enters that area, does it get stronger or weaker?

Yes, it is useful for static things indeed...
If you are using an aspected mana Static, and you are summoning your aspected spirits, then they are not affected (they might get additional dice for certain actions, but the drawbacks are ignored)... remember, acting in an aspected domain does not increase your magic rating, it only adds additional dice to your dp for magical actions... it does not even add to your drain dice pool as drain does not use your magic rating...

Keep the Faith

Yeah, leftover fromSR3 thinking, where Background Count directly affected your actual Magic Attribute.

Well... BGC Does affect your magic rating in general... it reduces it, unless you are in an aspected Background count, in which case you gain a dice bonus equal to the Background Count...

No Worries

So wait . . negative means you actually lose magic, but positive means you don't actually gain magic?

No, Background count, positive or negative removes magic rating... UNLESS the Background count is aspected to your tradition... then you get bonus dice equal to the absolute value of the Background count...

Keep the Faith