Technomage
Cost: 4
This edge reduces the OR of non-living objects by 4, for the purpose of being affected by magic.

This would be one of the few times I would suggest adding some kind of hindrance to the edge.

Perhaps at the cost of being more intune with technological devices, the magician has to sacrifice their ability to affect the living. Each level of the Edge lowers OR target numbers by its level but also increases the target number for affecting living beings by one-half its level (rounded up). Or something along those lines.

Makes it a little more interesting in my opinion. I'd also like to recommend renaming it "Technomancer" just because I've always loved that term.

Yeah, the flaw 4 giving a 4 point advantage is too powerful without some limiting factor thrown in.

Maybe just a -2 then? I mean, it's only OR; Aptitude:Sorcery is a 4-point Edge that gives you a -1 to *all* Sorcery TNs, so a -2 seems fair in this case.

-4 sounds like a lot, until you realize that most runner equipment has OR of 8+. and vehicles? forget about it.

I didn't think it was a lot. I simply think it makes it more interesting and that it makes more sense; a magician who is so intune with machinery and technology most likely has trouble with the subtle nuances of the living.

I don't think my suggestion is exactly crippling, especially once you realize that by doing something like that, you can also just decide not to bother with very many mana-based spells and thus learn spells with the Very Restricted Target (technological devices) limitation.

So larger target numbers, lesser drain, and the opportunity to get really creative with your spells. It's pretty much win-win as far as I'm concerned.

And should you need to attack a living being... you're still free to pull out a gun like everyone else. Base TN of 4 there.

All that aside, I don't mind the edge. I'd increase it to +6, though, simply because it doesn't have any drawbacks and it does give a sizable advantage over other magicians.

increasing to 6 pts and creating a flaw seems more reasonable, to me. i try to keep edges wholly beneficial. maybe a 3-pt and a 6-pt version, -2 and -4 OR?

That sounds promising.

I'd make the player tell me about the character before I either approved or disapproved of the edge. It possible that this is a unique and interesting character concept. It's also possible that this is the first step in the creation of a munchkin character.

one suggestion i've had was to have it class objects down by a level. so, dirt and simple stuff would be 3, more processed stuff would be 5, and hi-tech stuff would be 8+.

Am I alone in thinking that "edges" are just that, and requiring a flaw component to an edge is, well, flawed (or worse)?

Well, you could do something completely radical, like:

Technomage Edge
Value: 1

Your magic has an affinity for mechanical things, at the expense of being able to affect natural objects as easily. Reverse the Object Resistence table on page 182 to:

TN Category
3 Highly processed objects
5 Manufactured high-tech objects
8 Manufactured low-tech objects
10+ Natural Objects

In addition, when you are targetting metahumans or other critters, add half of the target's total Essence (round down) to any Sorcery TNs to affect them. Yes, this does mean that you have an easier time dealing with cyberzombies, who have negative Essence.

i like Eyeless Blonds sheet... works very well.

So it's easier for them to destroy a dikoted plastisteel extendable staff than a simple sheet-cut blade? That's... not really what the concept inspires in my mind.

The only problem with it is it's not really an Edge, so much as a complete redesign of how the character casts spells--and an unfavorable one, at that. Now that I look at it again, it might work better as a shamanistic Totem, but it'd need another advantage to balance out adding a target's Essence to Sorcery TNs... but now I'm straying rather far afield.

I really like Eyeless' version, but as suggested I think it should be a completely different magical tradition, and not an edge.

There is the problem A Clockwork Lime pointed out (great nickname you have there by the way - I love it! ), but that can be managed some by rearranging the first two values:

TN
3 Hi-tech
5 Highly processed
8 Low-tech
10+ Natural

Not a perfect solution, but you could make up some pseduscientific magi-technical babel to explain it...

Slightly off topic but I'm hoping this is a good place to get it looked at.

If you increase the TN for living targets can the spellcaster target cyberware instead? If it is easier for me can I Powerbolt your cybereyes, or some equivalent?

On another note can spellcasters do this anyway? TNs might be higher without this edge but can they be targeted like this?

How about just having it so that the edge comes into play when enchanting technological items? The edge doesn't apply to offensive spell use.

It would be very useful for shape spells like SHape:Earth/Metal etc and Powerbolt. Ok, so one can becom a munchkin with it but so can one be with ALL spells and a little imagination.

Here's my idea.

For each 2 point edge you reduce the "level" on the OR table by one and the maximum lvl is 3. Against a vehicle with the base TN of 8 that would become 3+normal modifiers for body and armour.

The ONLY thing this would work for are spells that works against a OR table. so it is very limited. This could open up for those like me who would like to see a load of shape spells like shape metal,wood,fused materials (armoured concrete) plastics, ceramics.