Since Masking does not have any real effectiveness if you have any active foci, quickened or sustained spells, and Improved Masking doesn't help overmuch unless you are a high-grade initiate, I wonder, is Masking really that useful to the average metahuman magician or mystic adept as some say ? I am rather doubtful that Masking really qualifies in the A- or b-grade usefulness tier of metahuman techniques, since active foci and quickened or sustained spells look far more useful, being subject to assensing is not that much common, and a quickened Physical Mask seems more fundamental to infiltration purposes.

(Improved) Masking seems really useful only to critters.

I house ruled that the foci, active spells, sustained spells and quickened spells signitures are reduced by the casters initiate level after they get masking as a skill. So a level 4 foci being used by a level 2 initiate with masking only looks like a level 2 foci, and once that person reaches level 4 initiate the masking covers up the foci completely.

I feel masking is very useful, specially to a mystic adept.

You want to be able to mask that you can cast spells. If you ever get caught, you don't want to have to wear that nasty mage mask and/or drugs.

A lot of places have sever restrictions on magic users, so generally masking your self as a mundane can make your life a lot easier.

But then again, the players in my campaigns have all decided not to get dependant on foci.

Disguise skill is usually used instead of physical mask spell.

True Masking by itself is only useful to 'go naked' (or to hide initiate status)

You might now Mr. X is a magically active (he has foci) but atleat from my reading, masking could make him appear to be an almost burned out worthless mage, when he is really a high grade initiate, etc.

Likewise it is an interrpurtation but gives masking a little more punch.

the various 'metamaigc' technicque (especially the 'shielding' ones). While not readily apparent until the are used, IMO, it is noirmally fairly obvious that they were used. (something interrfered with your mana) and without masking, to me it is also obvious if anything 'funny' happened (the mage abosrbed some of it, obviously if it is reflected back' that is noticable).

WITH masking, unless you make a perception roll and peirce the masking as normal, all you notice (to me) is standard counterspelling UNTIL somethign obvious is wrong (such as a sucessfull reflect).

A little efffect but still adds a little more bang, but really masking by itself is really only for doing the full pretending to by a mundance, which means not having any magic...

Now by the time you can get improved (grade 2), being a 'mundanne' with 2 'hidden' magic effects active can be quite useful.

So you can smuggle two foci.
A sustain foci and an active spell. (hmm physical mask, go to a meet as a mundance who DOSESNT even look like yourself)
no foci but two active spells (either sustained by you, with penalties) or spirit of Man innate spells.

Being a 'mage' with two hidden 'magics' and the world thinks your jack mundance can be a big benefit if a covert syle.

Heck even being a seen as a 'mage' rather then an initiate with a power foci 6, is a pretty big help.... (if you manage to get yoru hands on one... Extended Masking is the first step in keeping one... you walk around with OUT it masked and every mage is town is going to aiming for it).

I allow Masking Foci to add to initiate grade not only for the opposed assensing test which is mentioned, but also for the number of foci, spells, etc you can conceal, which isn't mentioned but seems reasonable.

This leaves the masking rules intact but lets you get away with a few foci or quickened spells.

For a little nuyen and karma, of course.

Knasser:

You allow masking foci WITHOUT extended masking to hide other stuff.

Or IF you have extended masking?

If not requiring extended masking, I would see it a little high powered. I DO like it if you still require extneded masking to hide stuff besides yourself.

Yeah sounds great and consider it adopted for mine.


Yeah NPC can do it also.


But in general PC will get more milage out of it, and HOPEFULLY should be aware that NPC could be doing it and take a closer look/watch at things to detect it.

The other change I was thinking about doing.

Allowing inactive foci to count as only half. So you could hide (if they stayed on you (to blend into your aura) two foci if inactived per grade.


My reading of the rules says magic items are visible to the perception roll (NOT active), yet active items have an actual presence.

My reading of Extended Masking doesnt limit it to hiding 'inactive' foci so could hide active foci, though it seems it would be easier to blend in something that has a 'certain brightness' to it, but not an actual presence then it would be to hide something with a physical presence.

Inactive Foci should never need to be Masked. It is only when Activated that they have an Astral presence that needs be hidden.

Page 182 of BBB4