I seem to remember there were rules for bypassing wards that did not involve fighting it...now I can't find it...any help?

SR4A, page 194.

Unfortunately, He's talking about SR3...

Yeah...have yet to play 4...my game are mid to late 50's and I prefer the system. I know it could be that I just haven't played it yet, but...

I still keep some of the 2nd ed rules for my 3rd ed game...yeah...I'm old...

In my day, we rolled salt crystals because no one understood how to manufacture a square, let alone a cube. The A in SR4A stood for Alpha.
Young whippersnappers and their magic. We just gave the "mage" a bigger stick to hit people with, and it wasn't a metaphor!

You might be referring to page 83 of magic in the shadows.

No...I'm thinking it might have been even second ed...corp security or something...It was a way that a character could stealth past a ward...by attuning part of the ward with their signature...or something...

I believe what you're looking for is in the rules for Metamagic, under the Masking entry. I'm not sure, but I believe that covers it.

Yes, Masking Metamagics Should Cover it.

Whoops, completely missed that, sorry.

SR4a p 194:
Awakened characters have learned other methods of forcing their
way through an astral barrier, however, and may “press through” a barrier
with a Magic + Charisma Opposed Test against the barrier’s Force
x 2. If the character scores more net hits, she forces her way through
the barrier to the other side.

With Extended Masking, SM. p61:
This technique allows the initiate to extend her Masking
metamagic to encompass her foci and any spells she may have
quickened, anchored, or may be sustaining. The masking initiate
may disguise a number of auras (foci and spells), not counting
her own, equal to her initiate grade.

Houserule: If you have masking, you can add your initiate grade to your Magic + Charisma test to bypass a barrier. With extended masking you can bring your items/masked spells etc through the barrier with you if you pass your Magic + Charisma + Initiate Grade test.

Again, Yes, I know... The OP was asking about SR3, not SR4.

Ah, I thought they meant that the rule being quoted was from 3rd, and I was pointing out it still exists in 4th.

Yeah, in 3rd, magic in the shadows p 83
For an astrally perceiving character, make a Charisma Test against a target number equal to the barrier's Force. If the successes equal or exceed half the barrier's Force (round down), the character passes through unharmed.


The book doesnt actually mention Masking through a barrier, but that sounds familiar to me from 3rd edition days.

I would houserule it in 3rd to let a Masking magician add his Initiate grade in bonus dice to his charsma test for passing through a barrier.

Fooling Astral Barriers, 88, Magic in the Shadows.

You can use masking to sync with barriers.