QUOTE (Bearclaw @ Apr 12 2012, 12:49 AM)

But really, a box or a cyberdeck can't be shapechanged into a dolphin.
Technically it can, Bearclaw. When a Spirit possesses something inanimate, that something becomes a gestalt creature, which is a valid target for spells that target creatures, IE, Shapechange.
I think I'm going to rule that Shapechange is ruinous to electronics, though. They shapeshift back
completely wiped, and I'm not even talking about 'factory settings,' I'm talking about everything from the processor on up is a tabula rasa of zeros, putting it beyond repair without a facility and an uneconomical expense of nuyen to get the programs and equipment needed to flash it back to factory specs, and
completely beyond any hope of data recovery. (Anything paid for with Essence is exempt, of course. Hey, now you have a
reason to take implanted commlinks!)
QUOTE (Midas @ Apr 12 2012, 01:47 AM)

True, but at least the AI has some Data Search to bring to the party, and the spirit alone isn't the InstaWin button ... and that's only if the PCs think of doing it.
"What mental image of Nabu's commlink are you giving the spirit?" is a valid GM question, and arguably something not closely matching the mental image provided would result in failure, as in "Sorry, I couldn't find anything like the image you gave me.", or net the PCs a groupie's commlink which happened to match the mental image better than Nabu's commlink.
Yeah, but as was said, this is the kind of thing that they can overcome simply by looking up an image of Nabo using his commlink to get a crystal-clear idea of what it looks like; he's an up-and-coming rockstar and Horizon have been sucking his dick, probably literally, for weeks now, so you bet your ass they bought him a brand-new commlink blinged out the wazoo, so not only is going to be physically unique, he likely still has that "my new toy" emotional attachment to it. Or, they can just tell the spirit to scoop up
every commlink-shaped device in the room.
QUOTE
ShadowDragon, remember that rock concerts are one of the examples of things that generate temporary BGC, so for On The Run mages, adepts and spirits should be nerfed a little at the venue while the concert is in progress and for a few hours afterwards ...
The problem I have with that is that a rock concert will
inconvenience my mages and their spirits, but it will
annihiliate my Adept back into being an unaugmented mundane, and her mundane stats are pathetic.
Unless I rule that PhysAds are immune to background count (which is not an unappealing notion, I'm of a mind to concede,) background counts as a means of inconveniencing the mages administer a wholly unfair message of "sit in the truck and masturbate so you don't get hurt or give us away" to the PhysAd.
QUOTE (kzt @ Apr 12 2012, 01:51 AM)

A spirit sees the world as is is on the astral plane. It's all emotion. Everything not living and not bearing a really strong emotional ties is a generic grey shape, with no color or texture. A spirit cannot read anything and cannot see any images produced by electronics.
A spirit cannot "search" for something unless it has seen it before or the summoner can supply a mental image of the commlink. Has the summoner seen THAT comlink? What exactly does that comlink look like on the astral plane? How does it differ from every other comlink in the building?
A Commlink is a highly-personal device. People keep it on them nearly at all times, so it's not remotely a stretch to say it has an empathic link to its owner. Additionally, as I mentioned above, Nabo's commlink is likely to be of a distinct shape as well.
QUOTE (Psikerlord @ Apr 12 2012, 06:42 AM)

For your particular group, I think you're going to have to tailor every module to challenge them a little more - and by that I mean adding in magical security more often than it might usually be. Adepts guards. paracritters. glossmoss. wards. watchers as alarms to trigger proper spirits. And drones - lot of wiz drones to challenge the spirit herd.
Oh, god no. Paracritters? The possession mage is a paracritter trainer with animal empathy, he'd be able to coax them into letting him walk right past. Glowmoss and biofiber boards might work for some places, but not this one. Though I guess someone could have thrown up a ward.
*sigh* I need to reread the magic rules. Again.
I hate trying to come up with stats for mages to oppose my PCs.
QUOTE
This thread is also a good example of why possession mages should not be allowed as PCs. They make great bad guys. But too much headache as PCs.
If I had bloody realized that
BEFORE he had asked for it, I would've said no!