Oh! I have a question! Well, I have a crap-load of them, but thinking coherently is a chore, so I'll keep it down. Oh, and Hi, I'm new. So, without further ado:
MAGIC BARRIERSBecause I forget if both sorts are called 'mana-barriers'.
Now, to my understanding barriers cannot be moved. It's either a spell, a fricking room (magic lodge) or an anchored ward. They prevent things from passing through (only the astrally active, in the case of mana-barriers). Only a little confusion so far.
However, we also have Biofiber. It is a Dual-Natured, living thing, that
acts like a mana-barrier (because of the 'always-on' aspect of D-N, I guess).
So.. what happens when barriers collide? It wouldn't happen with just Wards and such that are immobile, but with Biofiber... Say I have a piece of Manatech, such as a manacase, and try and walk through a Ward - What happens?
Is it considered:1. As just a barrier, acting like a +/+ magnet? (Two Wards cannot touch)
2. As an active Foci, Astrally-percieving/projecting Awakened or Dual-Natured critter?
* And if so, how does that take effect? People can try and 'push-through' barriers with a test, but Biofiber isn't self-aware, nor does it have any mental attributes. Say we use the rules for being forced through a barrier - does the biofiber die? Have it's Dual-Nature'dness go down for a few rounds?
3. As any other living Mundane?
Now, you might hand-wave this off with an indifferent 'mage did it' ~ because really, it's rarely applicable, and how often would it matter? Only... I had a fair few ideas that were stimied by this question.
[ Spoiler ]
Sante rose through the floor smoothly, catching sight of the intruders his security cameras had told him of. There were only three - 'hunters' no doubt, after that irritating bounty - and at first he thought all three were mundanes. But as he 'squinted' - an imprecise term in the Astral, but his assensing ability was shortsighted - he detected that although the ork walking around blindly with some contraption on his head lacked the talent, the human woman rifling the shelves had one of those so-called 'spirit pacts', explaining the Watcher spirit he'd originally taken as it's manifest form of a malformed, floating baby - and putting his mind at ease.
"I'm telling you, I can't see shit!" Muttered the ork, travelling drunkenly through the room.
He reared up behind the trog and prepared to have some fun, when the Watcher 'baby' gurgled something - and the female whirled around and gasped. "Behind you!"
Sante couldn't prevent a high-pitch giggle that echoed oddly through the mirror world as the ork flipped up his opaque goggles and hefted a monogrammed black baseball bat. 'He can't even see me, and he thinks that will help him?' He chanted a few words of Latin, starting the gesture that triggered his Stunbolt, ignoring the weapon swinging impotently towards -
"Oof." Sante grunted, doubling over. He caught a glimpse of the monogram - 'PeeperPopper' - as the bat was swung back and up, into his face. Again, and again. Sante whimpered and curled into himself as he began fading.
"Alright, you got him. Now let's just go and find the corpse. How come you didn't see him?"
"Carla, the goggles don't work."
"Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board for the SageSight!"
"I still don't think you should be naming these things.."
FiberTech Product line
Spell-Stomper boots ~ "Poltergiest tripping you up? Not anymore!"
PeeperPopper bat ~ "Guaranteed to give your average astral pervert one upside his head."
SageSight goggles (defunct) ~ "Not Awakened? No problem! Put these on and see what all the hype is about!"
I confess the fiction was spontaneous, but I did think harder about the rest. So we can see the use of biofiber in...
~ Your armour!
"Laugh at the manifesting Mage as his 'direct' manabolts bounce off! Teach him to respect the sweet science with your Mana-liner Gloves accessory!"~ Your concealed holster!
**~ Vehicle
~ Etc (I'm too tired for more right now)
So have I blown your minds, made paranoid your players? Or just shown a sad (mis)understanding of the rules?
*Which raises the question of other D-N's, like Ghouls, Dragons, etc. Do they have to tear down a barrier to pass through?
**If there were no gaps, then it should reduce the Force of any spell, including Detection. Yes?