I know there is a charisma based test to combat an astral barrier, so why do they have a damage code listed for them in SR3. I was wondering which method everyone uses for this. I emailed them on this and got this responce back:

>Please clarify what rules you use when fighting an astral object, the
book says to use astral combat rules,(skill + astral combat, resolved as melee),
and also lists out damage for things like Wards, but then says that an opposed
charisma to force test is used.

Against astral objects use the Opposed Charisma/Force Test.


:: Rob Boyle ::
Shadowrun Developer for FanPro LLC

Roll Charisma vs TN of Force
Roll Force vs TN Charisma
Compare successes
Whomever has more successes damages the other, staged normaly (every 2 net successes = +1 Damage Level)

It all depends on how you're attacking it in my game.


If you have a weapon foci, or killing hands you attack the Ward with your skill vs 4, and the damage is your strength + weapon force (weapon or killing hands level) against Ward Force M

If you are attacking it with Sorcery and astral combat you attack with sorcery + spell pool vs tn 4 with the damage of charisma M or ward Force M

If you're trying to break it down silently so the owner never knows you do a dispelling test with Magic vs Force and Force vs Magic and whoever reaches 0 first loses.

If you don't have any astral combat, or fighting ability you can combat the ward with Charisma vs force. Force M or Charisma M damage on either side.


thats just how I handle it fairly easy for me to remember in a pinch

Am I the only one who was not sure how to handle this, I expected more replies.

I thought the reply above was perfectly clear, and correct. What else needs clarifying?

I think it is a two stage thing, for wards anyway. Not sure if this applies to spell barriers as well.

First you fight the ward one on one in astral combat (perhaps you can also do the charisma attack as above). If you win you, and only you, can cross the ward at that time, and only at that time.

After defeating the ward you may take a complex action and make a charisma vs force * 2 test to destroy the barrier.

If you don't make that test to destroy the barrier or fail it the barrier remains and is just as strong as it was before. If you make it and succede the barrier is gone.

The implication is that even a force 1 ward takes two complex actions to destroy, though I think you can destroy it in one with an anti-barrier spell.

Listen to me you bloody Vicors. I know the GD rules! I was just asking what everyone else used for this, how clear do I have to be for you to understand that? If I wanted to know a rule, I would look it up, if I wanted clarification, I'd email somone who works on the game, if I want to see how other people do things I would put it on the forumns. So before you go and get an attitude, stop and take a look around your mom's basement taht you proably live in and realize your GD place.

Oh by they way, check out the Rotten Fruit movies on the Cabin Fever DVD to fully get this.

Thank you, thank you.

I like the idea of the different methods of attack against the barrier, based on the mentality of your attack style. The problem is that no one would ever use the charisma based method, except maybe a uber pimped summoner.