So I'm contemplating making a bounty-hunting adept who specializes in tracking down and neutralizing Awakened threats, either for profit or for personal motive. This thread is for both ways to target and bring down Awakened characters/critters, and ways to protect oneself from magical forms of attack and observation. Here's the list so far:

Astral Perception+Assensing: The entry-level stuff for Mage-huntin'. You can't very well call yourself a witch hunter if you can't identify them from the general populace or track them by their signatures, can you?

Counterspelling: Obvious defense to spells.

Shade: Drug that works well enough for assassin mages, but can also be used by would-be mage assassins in a reciprocal fashion. Even if you can't astrally project to finish the mage off astrally, you certainly can shoot/blow up/run over/toss the mage's body in a woodchipper. (Note that this may not work for certain heavily-armored mages out there)

Astral Hazing: Boo hiss. Boring, but effective. Also comes with the downside that you'll probably never find a mage willing to work closely with you (but if you're going down this path, you might not care too much about that )

Mana Barriers: Available in both standard and Offensive types, this is a basic way to keep the awakened at arm's length.

So, you are an Awakened that hunts your own kind... Why?

Why not? We have a Vampire Vampire-Hunter already after all...

Uh, wait a second. Why would you need Shade? Do you expect mages to summon spirits at you from the Astral or what?
Frankly, you should be more worried about failing a Counterspelling roll once and eating mind control, I figure...

What about a Rigger/Mage, with Astral perception.
You do physical recon to identify potential targets. (assenssing, aura tracking, etc)
You use a combination of Spirits and Drones to take the guy out.

Rigger is very low cost, to be very effective, you don't even need cyber.

Skills:
Electronic Warfare
Computer
pilot(groundcraft)
pilot(aerocraft)
Gunnery

Equipment
Trodes
commlink, with hot simsense module
simsense booster

Programs:
Command, ECCM, Edit, Analyze, Clearsoft,

You have 4 IP in combat, when jumped in, or remote controlling drones.
Drones blow up and you're out nuyen, not dead.
Drones have an OR of 6 or 7 depending how your GM reads the rules.

This means that to target them with anything OTHER than a indirect combat spell, the mage needs to be throwing Force 7 Minimum spells. Drones are immune to mind-control spells.
With Indirect Spells, if you say happen to be in a Horseman with a Rigger Cocoon, and Mage Goggles, you get to add your counter spelling to the response test, (which is already a 6), and then they resist with Armor x 2. For drones, this can be quite nice.

Why do mundane bounty hunters hunt their own kind? For money.
Awakened are not in any way different, they share no special connection.

"You shoot people in the face for money. I just use Mind Bullets, that's all."

You'll have to be a magician or mystic adept if you want to use counterspelling. That's probably better anyway, since it opens up astral projection, summoning, and some metamagics like Shielding.

Mystic Adepts don't get Projection.

Right, but they get the rest. If you're a mystic adept you rely on Shade like the original concept.

You know, that astral hazing is reducing your magic attribute too.

Why do you even need Projection all that much, as a matter of fact? Are you into chinese kung-fu flick styled duels on Astral?

To Track your Quarry. You sense is aura, and then your track it back to his house. Just don't get too close.

You don't need to project for that. Actually, you don't even have to be there in person.

No it doesn't Magical Skills is the one of the types that cannot be boosted by Improved Ability. Resonance skills are obviously the other.

Edited the OP to fix this.

Semi wrong. Mystic adepts that follow the way of the adept can get access to increased counterspelling.

Nope:
As you can see the only types of skills available are Combat, Physical, Social, Technical, and Vehicle skills. Magical skills are not part of that list.

I believe he's referring to this:

Sorcerous Parry
Cost: 0.5 per level
Magician’s Way Adepts Only
Mystic adepts with this power are experts at snuffing out
enemy spells with tremendous ease. It increases the rating of the
Counterspelling skill by 1 per level. Like any skill, the maximum
modi ed rating equals the base rating x 1.5.

Where is this from? Way of the Adept? I don't have that book.

Between that and the Spell Resistance Adept Power, a Mystic Adept on the Magicians Way should be nigh invulnerable to Spells...

All things Way are from Way of the Adept.

How true, especially with a few ranks of initiation and the shielding metamagic. Add in the Reflecting and absorption meta-magics and you won't have to worry about enemies casting spells at you.

If you can stop their magic, then the biggest thing you would need to worry about is their spirits. IMO, the best way to due this via good allocation of foci. A power focus works well for banishing since you don't need to worry if you'll have the right type of banishing focus. You might want to consider a weapon focus as well.

Foci is the plural of focus. Pet peeve.

Fixed. Thanks; I wasn't even thinking.

Also, mana lodges are a dual barrier when active, so invest in that if you can spare the nuyen. In addition, the arcane arrester metagenic quality will help reduce the effects of spells on you if they manage to get through your counterspelling.

I tend to forget about lodges acting as barriers. Handy as protection vs. ritual magic.

Dual Natured Barrier?
So they are tangible barriers on the mundane plane too?

Depends on what you mean with tangible. They stop spells on the physical plane, but they don't stop bullets. You are not forbidden to put your magical lodge into a bunker however.

No; they stop bullets. Dual natured barriers are both a physical and astral barrier.

No, they do not stop bullets. That would be a bit too much.

They're mana only, but mana barriers will stop spells on the physical plane. IIRC they also help against ritual magic.

Indeed: dual means mana barrier on astral and physical at the same time. Not all mana barriers are active on the physical and astral at the same time, after all.

AFAIK, there's nothing that's a physical/mana barrier on both planes at once. Is there?

I know of no single item either. But it could be created, for example the warded container. LOS then is an issue for spells anyway.

Ah, I see that I misread Physical Mana Barrier as "Physical and Mana Barrier". Good to know that I was wrong.

Nudging this back on track, there's also the Mountain Mentor Spirit, who gives +2 Counterspelling at the expense of a bit of operational freedom.

While counter-spelling is good, it's necessary to have high attributes because you won't get counter-spelling to your resistance tests if you aren't on guard. Dwarf is a good option for race since it has willpower boost.


In addition, are you looking for only counter-spelling for yourself or a group? Not all things that help you are helpful for a group. Spell Resistance Adept Power only boosts your resistance test. Absorption Metamagic and Reflection Metamagic only work if you are targeted by a spell. Sorcerous Parry Adept Power and Shielding Metamagic will help protect a group.

I still think my Drone idea is good

The best thing about your idea is that stacks with everything else (unless you run out of bp for skills and nuyen for drones).

Yah, grant huge loads of magic resistance to something that has a high object resistance to begin with and you are golden.

Aspected Domain for an obscure magical group?

Aspected Mana Static?
*runs for cover*

Hey, I like that Spell...

*snickers*
and people call me a twink ^^

Really now? Didn't know that about you Stahl. I always figured you for being more butch.

Huh? O.o
What am i missing here? o.O

Might want to research what "Twink" might also mean, Stahl.

*twitch twitch*
what the hell?
i thought it was only used in rpg's <.<

Just consider that my personal revenge for Germany getting the good Shadowrun stuff. MUH-HA-HA-HA! Mine is an evil laugh!

Astral Hazing + Geomancy metamagic = 4 extra dice for magic tests?

Nope...