This is what I'm thinking...I want to initiate my character and have him learn Masking. Now, in addition to masking himself, he'll now be able to mask one force point worth of spells, foci, or whatever. So, let's say he has a Force 1 sustaining focus, this'll be completely masked (unless the mask is penetrated by another initiate). Okay...so unless there's an initiate around, my mage will look like some regular fellow with no foci. But if he's found out, the focus will be really, really, really easy to dispel.

Is my understanding correct? Any better ideas?

Thats about it.

Okay...and how does Masking impact your astral signature?

That's basically it.

The big mistake your making is the assumption that an opponent is going to bother to waste time dispelling your sustaining focus. When he could much more quickly just "dispel" you. In all the games I've ever played as a player, I've never once saw anyone's focus ever get dispelled as a conscious effort by an attacking magician, whether it was force 1 or force 10. It's just not worth the time and effort even if it's an easy task to do.

I mean, what's the end result? Sure, you just lost a few dice on your Initiative, but now the enemy magician just let his existance be known blowing a perfectly good shot at a Surprise Test that could have caked the entire team. And of course you're still at full strength sans the initiative boost (assuming that's what it is, as there's only one other spell I'd ever consider putting in a Force 1 focus)... so he didn't really gain a remarkable advantage by doing it, either. Especially since you can just cast it again while the rest of the team focuses on the baddie.

Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. Thanks.

You also want to mask the spell sustained in the foci, which would require another level of initiation. Deliberate Masking (exclusive action) can mask a great deal more. Only other initiates with Masking can see through your Mask, so for the most part you'll be in the clear.

It has no affect on Signatures to my knowledge.

Wait, so for a Sustaining focus, you have to mask both the focus and the spell in it?

Sheesh. Really, you'd think that Masking would let you mask a lot more foci and spells and whatnot.

You would think. The rules seem to assume that high grade initiates (Grade 5 or higher) are apparently commonplace, though. Sadly, several of the techniques need high grades to really be useful. Masking, Shielding, and Invoking being the three big ones.

The big one to learn at the beginning is Centering anyway. It helps with just about everything, and is pretty much the only metamagic technique that is pretty much independent of grade (IIRC).

I don't think it's as beneficial as the ability to hide from almost everyone the fact that you're Awakened...

Technically, you can *have* the centering skill at any time. You just can't *use* it until you initiate and learn Centering.

Hey...uhm...so does anyone know how masking impacts astral signatures?

Far as I know, it doesn't.

I play a shaman (Kong) with masking (because masking is my friend!)

I have 3 major "modes"

1) Unawakened human mundane.
2) Awakened non-initiate mage.
3) "FLying your colors" my actual grade III initiate status.

The BEST part of masking is the ability to go dual without it being obvious.

Sunday

Can you use masking to get around wards and the like? I can't read that particular page of this copy of MitS (p. 88).

Rarely have I seen dispelling, but I've sometimes seen a magician tell his low-force spirits to destroy the opponents low-force foci, while the magician and his team heads into battle.