During Spell Design, some spell categories allow for Extended Sense (Detection) or Extended Area (Illusion and Manipulation), but it increases the Drain Level by one. (MITS.56)

Would you be interested in a 'Reduced Area" modifier. Perhaps 1/5th of the normal Radius? And have it too raise the Drain level by one. Would you learn any spells this way? What spells and why? Can you describe a reason not to allow it?

As the aria is based on magic rating I always assumed you could reduce the aria whenever you wanted. Effectively using a lower magic rating than you actually poses for that variable.

Edward

No, to reduce area you must withhold dice. Twice as many as to increase area (1 dice = 1 meter increase, 2 dice = 1 meter decrease), which is why he suggests /5 to match the increase *10. It's harder to contain magic than to let it run wild being the reason given.

I have no problems with the modifier, but I can't think of a spell I'd want like that except maybe Barrier and Foreboding.

Personally OurTeam, I wouldn't want a reduced area.

As a side note, I think Reduced Area would increase, not decrease drain. Based on the last paragraph under Preperation on page 181 SR3.

Sphynx

I'd allow a Reduced Area modifier, with +1 Drain Level for 1/5th area. Not all that useful for low-powered mages, but there are a few situations where it could come in handy - especially at really high magic levels Great Dragons, for instance).

The aforementioned Barrier spells can benefit from it, and spells like Ice Sheet, Phantasm, Silence, Catalog, Freeze Water, Firewall, Light, and Shadow with reduced area could be useful too. And foreboding certainly could.

snowRaven, those are good suggestions. A few combinations of detection / manipulation spells would be good for anchored defenses. Bullet Barrier is too big an area to protect against an assassin 3 meters away, but a Reduced Bullet Barrier, 1.2 meter diameter sphere centered on my belt buckle, wouldn't be bad.

A 1.5m diameter Reduced Glue Strip (MITS.147) that could be cast in a cooridor without affecting my team could be useful, but a +2D drain code might represent a problem.

Yes, Sphynx, I too think the Reduced modifier should increase drain.

Overall, I can think of a few times where it would be useful. The increased drain seems reasonable. I haven't found any way to 'munchkin' it (unbalance the game by having a wonderful benefit at very low cost) yet.

Ok, so reducing the area, as part of the spell design, (not by withholding dice) increases the drain? That's fair. So, the opposite, increasing the area, tshould also drain, da?