Lilt
Apr 2 2004, 07:26 PM
Using centering requires a character to use a free action, and free action may be taken once per combat phase (one on your own and one on each other person's combat phase). Besides this having the odd effect that you can talk faster if there are more people in the combat (indeed, in a combat involving 1000 people, the person who rolled the highest initiative can speak 333 or more words per second! Now how do you enter stuff into murphy's rules?) this also means that if a mage is prepared then they may use centering in a variety of interesting manners.
For a Mage:- Centering on Spell Defense
(are there more?)
For an Adept: - Centering on a Counterattack
- Centering on a Ranged Combat Dodge (probably not, see * below)
- Centering on a Crash Test
and numerous others.
* I'm not sure about the ranged combat dodge. It dosen't technically involve the rolling of a ranged combat skill but it involves a test in the area of ranged combat, and if it's allowed for melee combat then why-not ranged? That and dodge is far less offensive than a counterattack where you can damage the attacker. I left it in as a point of discussion.
Now: Onto the rest of the post!
This really just concerns Physmages. Here we go:
- If a Physmage learns Centering; does he need to learn it seperately for magical skills and Physical Skills (athletics/Stealth)?
- Can they choose to learn it for magical skills first?
- Can they choose to go on to learn it for other aspects before they buy it for Physical Skills?
- As adepts can always center for drain with their powers, does a physmage adept need to learn to center on magical skills before they can center against sorcery/conjuring drain?
RedmondLarry
Apr 2 2004, 09:15 PM
| QUOTE (Using Centering MitS.73) |
| The centering Free Action must be taken in the same phase as the operation the centering is intended to augment. Make a Centering Test before making any other tests to perform magic. |
The above are basic rules for Centering from MitS. Since a Free Action taken on someone else's Initiative Phase comes after the other person's action, I don't see how you can Center, either as a Magician or a Physical Adept, for the things you describe which happen in response to someone else's action. (The order of Free Actions also doesn't let you pop out Retractable Spurs to use in countering another character's attack.)
When a Magician's Way Adept initiates, she can either gain a Power Point OR learn a Metamagical Technique. When learning Centering, she can learn it either as a magician (only allowed once) or as a physical adept (possible multiple times). Either way, they follow all the rules for the chosen type of Centering. (MitS p. 24, third and fifth paragraph.)
You can learn Centering as a Magician or Centering as a Physical Adept in either order, but only the Magician's form of centering helps you with the drain from Magical Skills. Either form of centering doesn't give you any benefit till you learn two or more levels of "Centering" (an Active Magicial skill linked to Willpower), which can never be higher than your Creative Skill.
blakkie
Apr 2 2004, 09:37 PM
| QUOTE (OurTeam) |
| QUOTE (Using Centering MitS.73) | | The centering Free Action must be taken in the same phase as the operation the centering is intended to augment. Make a Centering Test before making any other tests to perform magic. |
The above are basic rules for Centering from MitS. Since a Free Action taken on someone else's Initiative Phase comes after the other person's action, I don't see how you can Center, either as a Magician or a Physical Adept, for the things you describe which happen in response to someone else's action. |
"My Adept is a very intensive individual who is ALWAYS Centering."
Lilt
Apr 3 2004, 02:43 AM
| QUOTE (OurTeam) |
| QUOTE (Using Centering MitS.73) | | The centering Free Action must be taken in the same phase as the operation the centering is intended to augment. Make a Centering Test before making any other tests to perform magic. |
The above are basic rules for Centering from MitS. Since a Free Action taken on someone else's Initiative Phase comes after the other person's action, I don't see how you can Center, either as a Magician or a Physical Adept, for the things you describe which happen in response to someone else's action. (The order of Free Actions also doesn't let you pop out Retractable Spurs to use in countering another character's attack.) |
That dosen't seem to be how it works by [edit] the 2nd paragraph on [/edit] P105 of SR3. The only time that you couldn't center during another character's action is prior to the first phase in the first initiative pass. The only restriction is that it must be declared (at the start of their combat phase). Indeed declaring it requires a number of things, such-as knowing the mage is present, but declaring that you are using centering for successes on spell defense during the enemy mage's action is probably valid.
Is it possible that the stuff about taking a free action after the other character in a different location? If so: where?
RedmondLarry
Apr 3 2004, 09:02 AM
From the book
| QUOTE (Free Actions @ SR3.105, 3rd paragraph) |
| Free Actions taken by characters during Combat Phases other than their own always take place last in the Combat Phase. |
Am I missing something here?
Lilt
Apr 3 2004, 12:02 PM
Meh. Dammn them and their 3rd paragraph. I suppose it could possibly still be used for some crash tests though.
Lilt
Apr 3 2004, 06:49 PM
One more question. If I am centering on a roll where I have both bonuses and penalties: Is it possible to reduce the target number to below the base, but within the 'bonus' area? I thin it is, as you're not technically lowering the base TN, but I thought I should check.
IE: A Physad is attempting to fight 3 girl-scouts using his dikoted no-dachi. He has a +2 reach bonus, but the girl-scouts have him surrounded (+2 from friends in melee). He chooses to apply his reach as a bonus for him, and centers himself using his Centering skill (Linked to his Cussing Skill). The question is; Does that count as attempting to lower the TN below the base TN?
Zeel De Mort
Apr 3 2004, 11:40 PM
Yep he could center away the +2 they get for friends in melee, thus leaving him with a target number of 4-2 = 2 for his melee test. Assuming no other modifiers of course. Effectively you're centering the target number back down to the base (4) and then applying any remaining modifiers (hopefully just the -2 for reach, having centered the rest away).
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