QUOTE (Glyph @ May 20 2010, 08:28 PM)
1. Give mundanes the option of actively resisting a spell. They have to expend a complex action to do so, but it lets them double their Willpower to resist a spell.
Interesting idea. I do something similar already to streamline magical resistance into a (mostly) single rules set for combat defense tests, which also underwent a similar revision for multiple reasons. Counterspelling is considered an
Active Defense, adding the Counterspelling dice to the subject's Defense. Full Counterspelling is considered to be a
Full Defense, adding the Counterspelling dice to the subject's Defense.
Active Defense must be declared on each of the character's Initiative Passes, consuming a Free Action, and applies until their next Initiative Pass.
Full Defense is an Interrupt Action, meaning it takes a Complex Action, but does not need to be declared in advance. If declared in response to an attack, it consumes the characters next Complex Action as normal.
Active & Full Defense essentially have the same effect, but different times they can be used and have cumulative effects.
Melee & Ranged defense (in my
House Rules) both use this system; Reaction for passive defense : Reaction + Skill for active or full defense : Reaction + Skill + Skill for active and full defense.
See below for mundane resistance.
QUOTE (Glyph @ May 20 2010, 08:28 PM)
2. They used to have rules for mundane uses of magical skills - I think mundanes should be allowed to take banishing, for the sole purpose of attacks of will against spirits.
Something I never actually thought of, but do like & think I will be using. Mundanes can learn any active magical skill without restriction. They cannot, however, use any application of those skills that requires a Magic attribute (a mundane can use Banishing for an Attack of Will, but not banishing a spirit; a mundane can use Counterspelling for spell defense, but not for dispelling an active spell). They of course must meet all other prerequisites of using a skill as well - one cannot use Assensing if they are not astrally perceiving (something a mundane cannot do barring specific exceptions - usually drugs).
QUOTE (Glyph @ May 20 2010, 08:28 PM)
3. Overcasting should be dangerous and comparatively rare, not a use-all-the-time tactic. I would increase the Drain for an overcast spell by one per point of Force (rather than per two points of Force) once it goes over the normal maximum.
An actually usable variant of the "Overcasting Drain is equal to the Force of the spell, instead of half Force" I commonly seen thrown around. Again, not something I had thought of myself, but I might actually end up using it. The rule that I was using, but never really ever came up in my game, was requiring a Composure Test to overcast, with a Threshold based on one-half the Drain Value. Failure indicates casting at maximum "normal" Force instead of the intended Overcasting.
I think I might actually prefer yours.
QUOTE (Glyph @ May 20 2010, 08:28 PM)
4. Mental manipulations should have (Willpower/2) thresholds to work like they did in SR3.
The problem with this is,
Rules as Commonly Interpreted, Thresholds & Opposed Tests are mutually exclusive. This is false, as described below, but essentially makes it so Mental Manipulation effects under this rule would actually become more powerful overall.
Rules as Written, Opposed Tests & Thresholds are
not actually mutually exclusive, but their are no rules explaining how they interact with each other if they are combined - with multiple entirely viable interpretations of how it works. I suggest the following:
On an Opposed Threshold Test, you determine the Opposed Test as normal. Any Hits in excess of that of the defender (Net Hits) are applied towards the Threshold. If the Threshold is then met, any additional hits are treated as Net Hits as normal.
Under my suggested ruling, your idea of a Mental Manipulation threshold is actually a viable way of limiting those spells - one that I am unsure if I would use, but do kind of like.
Side Note: Using my suggested ruling on Opposed Thresholds, you can do away with the Anniversary bullshit of how Counterspelling works with Object Resistance.
QUOTE (Glyph @ May 20 2010, 08:28 PM)
5. If you are going to have hard caps for everything else, have them for Magic. For example - Magic can not be raised higher than twice your Essense rating, and you can only get up to 6 levels of initiation.
I have said it many times on the forums, & I guess I'm saying it again.
House Rule:A character's natural maximum for the Magic/Resonance attribute is equal to their Essence + Initiate/Submersion Grade, rounded down, with an absolute maximum of 7.
A character's maximum Initiate/Submersion Grade is equal to their Magic/Resonance attribute, with an absolute maximum of 5.
This rule almost never actually affects a character, but in my experience has greatly improved gameplay overall as well as adding consistency to the system. It does not, however, entirely fix some of the issues of RAW "unlimited advancement". As such, I have been toying with an idea of changing the maximum Magic/Resonance to Essence, rounded down (removing Initiation/Submersion influence entirely), and adding another "Lucky" quality that applies to Magic or Resonance.