Hmm.. I'm thinking of a Health spell... perhaps name it Sunscreen. It should have an effect such that it blocks one level of sunlight allergy per hit beyond the threshold (test based on the desired sunlight level you wish to block, much like the Heal spell varies based on target damage) and be capable of reducing an allergy to sunlight down to nothing (allergy level 0 for lack of a better term). Duration for such a beast should be in days per hit devoted to duration. It would have to be a high force spell for the severe cases and last for days (yes, a reason for high force castings).

I could see practical medical applications for such. Think about those people who are so allergic to sunlight they can only go to Disneyland/World at night AFTER sundown. Normal people otherwise...

Perhaps it goes both ways, and you dont understand my point.

Alleviate Allergy cast at high enough force reduces the effects of an allergy to effectively nothing while sustained. Alleviate Allergy cast at Force 3 or higher means you suffer no ill effects from severe or lower levels of allergy, even though it's still there (alleviate allergy doesnt cure allergies). So my point was that given that the allergy functionally nonexistant while the spell is sustained, I see no reason why regeneration cant function.

From the spell description: "does not remove the allergy, only alleviates its effects."



Emphasis mine.

Make less severe != remove

yes, and making an allergy less severe than mild means what exactly?

But I never said remove.

Actually, that's a perfectly good question: can the spell reduce any allergy below Mild at all (even to a notional 'Negligible' level)? Either side is a viable answer. Does the spell actually say anything about 'functionally nonexistent'?

Unless the spell diverts a small portion of the VL headed towards your face into your eyes, thus diffusing the 2 dark spots that would otherwise appear over a much larger surface area, and making the 'dimming' effect over an area the size of your head undetectable, as it wouldn't cause a 3% drop in illumination.

Not sure why this is such a hard idea for people to come up with....

Because that is an inelegant physics-based solution for magic.

Honestly, personal opinion - magic should never feel like it's pulled out of a physics textbook. Even if some in-game traditions think of it that way.




-k

Initially I'd have said reducing an allergy below mild is viable, but this thread has made me reconsider. A parrallel could be drawn with vision magnification – one can't achieve less than short range (point blank modifier aside) so there will always be a threshold of at least 1 to overcome. The comparison is pretty weak thematically, but quite strong in terms of mechanics IMO.

Then again, other than RAW and game balance, I see no reason why magic shouldn't be able to negate an allergy entirely. It certainly doesn't contravene the big magic no-nos.

Hmm, toughie.

Indeed, KarmaInferno. Mordinvan's solution fails the 'don't be incredibly lame' rule.

Tell that to a Hermetic mage.

No, that's exactly the point. Even hermetic magic doesn't sound like that.

You did read my last sentence, yes?

We're not talking to a hermetic mage. We're talking to player and GM.




-k

So I'll say that I'm with the no regen in sunlight if only because I dont want to trivialize their weakness. Im fine with them being able to bop around the town in the daytime, but there has to be a downside.

Now, supposing there is a spell out there that will reduce your allergy to nonexistent and allow regeneration during the daylight under a noonday sun.

Why the heck hasn't this been seen in the game world before? I mean, pay a magician to quicken a successful casting and bam, no more allergy ever.

until you cross a ward. Which, from my understanding, is fairly commonplace for shadowrunners...

Or a malicious passerby Counterspells the protection just to watch the bloodsucker fry.

And get a hefty bounty.

Well, with an availability of 2R / 100Y and no karma expenditure, no focus, no vulnerability to counterspelling, no problem with wards, one can simply consume one of these just before stripping off in the sunlight:

Are you happier with that mechanic?

So a nosferatu on Zero regenerates but suffers damage?

I'm sorry for having an actual, explicit definition of how a spell should work. I know I should make all spells incredibly vague and nebulous, so no one really knows what they mean, or how they work, and so arguments about what they do can persist for many years to come. Oh wait, that's a terrible idea.

Apology accepted. Invisibility works by magic, done. It was the foolish suggestion that physics was involved ('bending light') that started the mess in the first place.

One thing i've been wondering about, and need a second opinion on...

What about self-possession by a Guidance spirit, to help with sunlight allergy?
They come with Shadow Cloak.

A 'self-possessed' double-rare vampire variant? Oy.

What? You can't counterspell spirit powers.

I don't think so, but I am really prepared to be wrong on this one.

I didn't say it wouldn't work (no idea there). I implied that it's insane. Hehe.

Since Zero's description says it removes "penalties from allergies" (nothing specific to restricting it to dice pool penalties) then perhaps.

Alternatively, a rating 6 medkit (ie 7 dice minimum) hooked up to a biomonitor could spend one combat turn (to heal one box) every minute (the rate at which a severe allergy deals damage) while Zero prevents dice-pool penalties from applying.

Either way, it's cheaper than a focus or spending karma each time you pass through a ward.

or you know maybe just wear clothing that covers everything.

Biker leathers and helmet would handle alot of the issues


or and I'm just going out on a limb here but lots and lots of suncream for the few expose areas not coverable all the time (goggles wil handle the eyes nicely).


"Hey can anyone smell coconut?"
"Yea its Clive he had to go out for a "snack", said he fancied italian for lunch or something"

The Shadow Cloak idea seems like it would work for protection, though the cloaked person would have to be astrally aware in order to 'see' anything. Or, I guess use something like ultrasound.

And he would be kind of obvious, this glob of 'utter darkness' wandering the streets of Seattle.

Insert Order of the Stick reference.