Physad power of Armor is impact only.

Is the magician spell of the same name for both Ballistic and Impact?

I'm at work and bookless at the moment.

Also

If you were to make a physad who fancies himself a berserker, could he use a wolf skin enchanted as an anchroing focus for the armor spell and use the same wolf skin as a talisman geas for ALL of his abilities?

The magician version gives both balistic and impact, but it makes you glow. I don't know about the other bit.

JaronK

Correct physad power is impact only. and it is called Mystic Armor

'Armor' is the name of the mage spell, and it applies to both ballistic and impact. It also makes you glow blue. (you can argue with your gm to change color, but it's not invisible)

Yes you could use a wolf skin anchoring foci with 'Armor' on it. But remember the Foci needs to be the same force as the spell. and if you ever remove the foci the spell drops and as a physad you can't use sorcery to recast the spell. The Creator of the Foci has to cast it back onto it, AND that foci will always have the creator's signature on it.

And yes you could use your wolf skin as a geas for everything, but remember you lose it or it gets broken and it's useless and you've lost all ability to use any of your physad powers.

Cool

Thanks to JaronK and CH

Could you design an armor spell that did not glow?

There's no reason why you wouldn't as per the spell design rules, though individual GMs would vary on that opinion. It'd have the exact same Drain Level, too. There's no "obvious spell" modifier oddly enough.

Logically, there should be a significant reason since, if it were possible, it'd have been on the market a long time ago.

All armor spells glow, because it helps with game balance. Any GM can allow non-glowing armor spells in his campaign if he wants to (perhaps they smell bad instead?)

you mean like an armor spell that smells like feet and ozone

player A - That guy over there just took a full auto burst to the chest and shrugged it off. Must be an armor spell

Player B - More like an armor smell!!!

An armour spell that stinks(smells like a predater) can be used to great effect to put off sniffer dogs or other paranormal animals.

It's just a game balane thing.
To let sams have an idea of what guage of heavy firepower they should aim at the glowing guy.
Also it's a good way to get that 'GEEK THE MAGE' rule off the mage.
You cast it on your tank sammy, and dress him up in decorative robes.

To the original post: You could make your physad berserker a physmage beserker. Then he could recast the spell as needed.

Now that that's taken care of: I know I should know better but...

How does glowing make the armor spell balanced? Just so you can see it? Why don't the "Increase Attribute/Reaction/Reflexes" spells glow? Its a magical enhancement...

That's like saying Trolls are big and ugly for game balance.

The glow effect of armor spell is game balance, as others have said before me. I would let players design a non-glowing version for extra drain, say, +1 drain level.

Um.... Trolls are big and ugly for game balance.

If you had a person that looked like a human and was the size of a human, but had the strength and innate toughness of a troll it would take away from the downside of being Troll. No one would fear you, no social penalties, no racism, no need for new armor sizes or bigger cars or weapons. You'll have an easier time finding girlfriiends. And why then would anyone pick to be human, when you can be a humanlooking troll?

Anyways.... Back on topic and the questions asked.

Like I said the glowing effect is to give someone a target to shoot for. It is also an energy field that surrounds a person on the outside and protects them.

As for the improved attribute / reaction / reflexes. Those are all internal effects. I'm sure if you cut someone's arm open you would see some nice glowing around their muscles / tendons / nerves.

Meh, whatever.

The "shoot for the glow" mentality has caused me to consider a cruel trick by a mage. Armor the adept, the troll, and (int-2) bystanders. If the opposition takes out the big guns at everything with that armor glow...

Even better, use a illusion spell that duplicates the glow effect of Armor spell. On several people.