I wanted to know if it is possible to bind a specific Spell to a Weapon that has been made into a Foci.

For example take a walking cane as a club and then bind the spell "punch" to it, so that when you whack someone he gets hit by the spell also.

Any ideas if that is possible in Shadowrun?

I would say yes it is possible, but depending on how the effect was supposed to play out in game is how hard I'd make it for you to pull off. I don't know the exact rules though so I'll be happy to see what the rules lawyers let us know!

By the rules in the book, it is possible. For a one shot effect, and costs Karma. The way to do that is to use Anchoring metamagic to anchor the spell to the weapon (it doesn't need to be a focus), with the trigger "when this object forcefully strikes something, unleash the spell". However, as I said, it is a one shot deal, so it won't be much use in the long term.

Any permanent effect like this would need to use the unique Focus rules in street magic, which basicly means "If the GM allows it".

Another way to do it would be to have a bound spirit cast the spell on the wielder's behalf (loaned service). I'd call each casting a service to create a limit. Oh, and I have absolutely zero doubt that the spirit (and probably others who 'hear' of it) would be unhappy. But it's a technique.

True. I was assuming they wanted a way to do it that only involved members of the mortal coil (and spirits I generally don't think of first as the go-to option.)

NM

It might be interesting to introduce an "Enchant Weapon" spell. Sustained, maybe adds some damage, but most importantly the weapon is sufficiently magical to ignore ItNW.

Sure, it's another way for mages to whack spirits, but it can also be used to help the Sam smack the spirit with hardliner glover or a sword.

Very nice ideas you all got here.

Would be really fun playing a mage with a walking cane that whacks people away like a troll punch would hehe

Actually... SM 86, preparing an inanimate vessel:


So... is a weapon prepared as an inanimate vessel a magic weapon, thus satisfying:


I'm going to ask this on the other list as well.

It isn't. The enchantments that make it a preperation aren't inherantly offensive, much as a Spellcasting focus in a sword can't over come ItNW

I don't think so. A vessel is "open" to a spirit, but I don't know if that makes it magical. And in the list of things that bypass ItNW, it doesn't figure (it's not a focus, it's a vessel).

A supplemental question, then.

If a weapon became a possessed vessel, would it then become magical per ItNW?

('a focus')

Except for the two methods mentioned (Anchoring, Possession), it is not possible.

No, it's just a sword with a spirit in it. You can't (RAW) even use the spirit's Element Aura.

I'm going to say yes:

AFAIK, anything that's possessed is automatically dual-natured. ItNW is a Physical power, which means that it doesn't work on the Astral plane. Since the spirit-blade is dual-natured, it hits on the astral as well as the physical plane, and so bypasses ItNW on at least one plane. Obviously, this only works against dual-natured entities with ItNW (spirits...), not on entities that only exist on the material plane.

This question will be answered in an upcoming sourcebook.

If that were true, Ascalaphus, you could use any active focus to beat up a spirit.

You can't? I mean, can't I use a focus as an improvised weapon?

It's not impossible, but it'd be a totally mundane improvised weapon (and depending on the object, a useless one). The effects of hitting things with Dual-Natured objects (including entities) are not in the rules.

So basicly if i make a sword into a power focus (that helps me cast spells, but doesn't give me melee bonus), I would be able to whack spirits around?

It's kind of already there. The [Element] Aura spell does exactly that, but its targets are people. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to change the valid target to weapons and anyone using them would get the bonus. You should restrict it to melee weapons used in melee though. We do't want magic bullets/throwing axes.

@The Wrestling Troll: No. It is a weapon with magic in it, not a magic weapon. For once the FAQ is spot on there. If it worked that way, everyone with any sustained spell on them would bypass ItNW.

depending on the aura, trying to cast it on a bullet can lead to all sort of fun :

* fire - if you're lucky, it will merely shoot the instant the spell is cast. If you're not, the whole clip might explode in your hand.
* electricity - the electronics bits in the gun won't like that one. You can have the same kind of problems as with fire to boot.
* cold - frozen weapon grease and oil aren't going to help with a smooth shooting. Go cold enough and the gun's steel will get brittle and blow up in your face when you shoot.
* sound/blast - even if the gun doesn't rattle iself into parts, it won't help accuracy
*acid - acid-soaked gunpower won't work well. Which might come handy to prevent the sort of gunbolt-in-you-face problem you're risking with cold.

It'd be awkward for an Elemental Aura on a bullet yeah. But would a Magic Bullet spell really be bad? It mostly enables non-mages to fight spirits, but with a little help from the mage; spotlight-sharing.

I'm thinking that maybe it's better to rework the spell a little, to make the Force of the spell matter. What about:

Enchant Weapon
Sustained, [Manipulation or Combat], Physical, Drain: F/2+(some appropriate amount), Touch

The enchanted weapon ignores ItNW with a rating no greater than Force*2. It can be cast on bullets, but each casting enchants only a single bullet. If a burst of bullets are used, use the least-enchanted bullet to determine if the burst ignores ItNW.

While this is suitable real world logic applied to the spell, the standard spell does not obey real world logic either. [Element] Aura does not burn/electrocute/etc. the target nor does it burn the environment unless the target attacks it.

another way to do this is to get a Stacked focus (from Street magic), use a stacked Weapon Focus/Anchoring Focus. The Anchoring Focus works the same way as Anchoring Meta Magic, except If I Recall Correctly, does not use Karma to bind the spell each time you want to do it.. only karma cost is to bind the focus (one time cost). but Stacked Foci or expensive (worth it, but expensive).

EDIT: both, stacked foci and Anchoring Foci can be found on page 84 of Street magic. You still need Anchoring Metamagic to use the Achoring foci, but it does not cost karma to "anchor" the spell to the foci. it is still single use, but is rechargeable. It is only good for 1 category of magic (Combat, illusion, Manipulation, etc.) so choose wisely. Unlike Sustaining Foci, and Anchoring foci remains active even if the focus leaves the owner's possession.

See Anchoring Foci, SM 84. grin.