Just a few simple questions (I'm auditing one of Schwartzkopf's classes, and I'm having trouble with the latest take home essay test). He grades pretty tough, and doesn't much cotton to snark, so any help would be appreciated!

In the SR universe:

Why is there magic?
Where does it come from?
What and where are the planes?
What did the Great Ghost Dance really accomplish?
What is the connection between nuclear fission and Magic?
Is there a God?

#1 and #2 are really the same question. Mana is generated by the presence of life. This is why Earth has a manasphere and Luna does not. Magic is the act of shaping mana to accomplish something.

#6 has never been conclusively answered and is unlikely to ever be.

Because that's the name the unenlightened give to any form of power they don't understand

Fear and ignorance

Big buses with wings. They're at the airport

Tired legs

To an aboriginal living in the jungle, nuclear fission is magic

If you have to ask then there is not

1. Mana is like the tides and it's in the part of it's cycle were it's rising again.
2. Essence of life produces mana on the astral.
3. The answers in there name they are another plane of existence. To use the ocean analogy again while mana works its way up the beach, the metaplanes rest at the bottom of the sea. With each of the myriad of planes being it's self contained reality.
4. A means to help break up the USA and add to the dystopia in the setting. In character it helped establish magic and show that one man/team could make a difference.
5. I can't credit this but I'm almost sure it's been mentioned powerful but not perfect magic was used due to the fact radition could breach ancient magical barriers.
6. Lot's of them.

You know the tides come in and go out, right?

The bigger question is: Why not?

Not sure what the exact connection between nuclear fission and magic is, but it does seem unreliable weaponized, at the very least, since the 6th world shifted around. In War! they actually give you the rules for nuclear explosions and then tell you "You, the GM, decides whether or not this even goes off. Even if the players know everything is in working order."

So, odd. But that's all I know.

Well yeah, actually it's a pretty big point in the Sixth World history - magic makes nuclear bombs unreliable (or straight out nonfunctional), which allowed the Awakened forces of various kinds to reshape the world without a fear of nuclear retaliation. Judging by the events of the Second Crash, though, as of late the reliability of the nukes has severely improved.

Oh, I read the events. I know the first 2 nukes dropped after the awakening didn't go off (one against Isreal, one in Europe), and that the nuke strikes by Winternight did succeed, but the first were large ones, and the later were smaller, more "tactical". Which makes them "less likely" to have failed. Still, one kind of has to appreciate (as the GM, at least), that if the plot goes to shit, and the players get a nuke, you have the option of not letting them blow up the world (or more likely, only city, but still)

There's magic because when FASA was working on Shadowrun back in '88, R.Talsorian released Cyberpunk, so they needed something to make Shadowrun distinct.

Oh, did you mean in-game? Um ... well, it all starts with Possibility Energy ...

Hahaha - I recall the first time I saw a Shadowrun book. My very first thought was "oh, Cyberpunk with magic"

Me too. And this is the reason that SR is one of or THE most successful RPG worldwide (ok, world is relative when you say that the main users are located in the USA and BRD). It simply has somthing for everybody. ^^

This is my idea of why magic has returned, if it fits your game great. If not make up you own.

Our world and solar system float through areas of space that have magical energy during some ages we are out side of these waves of magical energy.
The shadowrun world is returning to one of these pockets of magical energy as we get deeper into it dormant magical aspects of life start to awaken.

As time moves along we travel deeper into these invisible magical pockets of space and magic gets stronger and stronger. (Magical inverse square law)


Most of use will not live to see the peaks of these magical storms.
Dragons can hold onto a magical charge and survive non-magical time like a bear that eats then goes into hibernation.

Again these are just my own ideas.

#3: The Metaplanes are near and far... more like alternate dimensions than being physically located anywhere.

#4: The 1st Ghost dance awoke Gaia's magic. It turned some members of the dance into Shamans, and gave the Native Americans the power to wreak all kinds of Havoc across the Americas.

#5: Some people mentioned that magic stopped nukes. Also, it is important to note that Radiation corrodes magic. Highly radiated areas have high Background Counts. (SM.p 121 and 122) This may not be a direct correlation between Magic and Radiation, but perhaps a side effect of the damage radiation causes to Life even at a microbiological level. Magic comes from life, and radiation kills all life.

Still, magic can produce radiation, so they are not exactly opposing forces...

#6: Yes, but his existence is only acknowledged in SR by those who follow his traditions. The impact of Magic on religion is discussed briefly in the Street Magic book. See the section 'Magic and Religion' starting on page 14.

I would liken it to a tree. Fire will consume the tree and destroy it, but the tree can be used to fuel a fire as well.

Yes, there is someone who guides your ways and will punish those who stray from his ways. It's the guy behind the GM screen.

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW???

Getting Pizza.
Both of them.
Mine are benevolent.
And well bribed =^.^=

^*Whimpers*

I want a God...

How come my God doesn't get me pizza?

he means he wants to be a player instead of GM for a change.
and your god does not get you pizza, because my gods are the nordic type.
party people at heart! ^^

If it were that popular you'd think it would be better written

When you die honourably in battle, will you partake in feasts and combat daily until the end of this world?

What honorable battles?

Are there any honorable enemies left in the world at all?

As far as I know teh relationship beween good writing and popularity is a far cry from linear, it can even go backward.

i sure hope so!

I don't think the Edda says anything about pizza
One of my gods makes mead, by the way...not the best meadmaker among us, but a mead-making god nevertheless.

I want a god that brings mead and pizza.

I don't have a god who does this, but I frequent a gamer tavern where this combination is readily available.

Why don't you try and give a shot.

CLG are open to suggestions and input, just shoot them a proposal at info@shadowrun4.com.

Then we can all judge how well you could do it.

I'm looking forwards to seeing your professional writing skills.