Basically, it adds "extra punch" but doesn't replace your normal attacking.

I rule the same way if the Adept has bone lacing or replacement limbs. They get the extra oomph because they have harder hands in some way, shape, or form.

Now, if the Hardliners gave a completely different damage code (either one not based on Str, L, S, or D instead of M, or physical instead of stun), then I'd ignore the idea.

As Weapon Foci.

As would I, as I thought I stated in my last post, given that they add a plus rather than having a specific Damage Code.

I disallow Distance Strike, so that's not really an issue for me. That being said, if I allowed it, I still wouldn't allow it to be used in conjunction with Weapon Foci of any kind. Out of curiosity, would you also disallow Bone Lacing when using Distance Strike?

Of course! I see Distance Strike as a purely magical attack, and physical aspects of the attack would have no effect. I would also allow Enchanted items to add their bonus. Enchanted items are, well, magical so I would think that enchated gloves would help with distance strike.

-UPTD

I as well. If an adept wants to do something so obviously *not* under the purview of an adept's powers, they can be a physical mage and cast the Clout spell.

I'm not sure it's a good thing to start setting a precident for Weapon Foci to be used in Ranged Combat of any sort. Next comes Enchanted Arrows and Bullets. Where do you draw the line?

(Fortune)

For what's in contact with your body. Arrows are not in contact with the person and can't be activated at that point. Yes, the picture on the cover of SRcomp looks cool, but doesn't fit in with the rules.

"Though rumors of magical missiles abound, no one has yet found a way to enchant any kind of magical missile weapon. The problem is that a weapon focus, like any other focus, functions only in the hand of its owner. As soon as the focus is no longer in contact with its owner, it deactivates. This makes the enchanting of missile weapons problematic, to say the least." Pg. 191 SR3

On Weapon Foci:
"To the mundane, foci are ordinary objects with n magic at all. To the awakened, they are a source of power, assisting in the use of magical skills." pg. 189, SR3

"Weapon Foci are magical melee weapons...An active weapon focus adds its force to its owners appropriate combat skill when wielded in combat." Pg. 191 SR3. You all knew that.

"A weapon focus inflicts its base damage in both physical and astral combat." Pg. 191 SR3

On distance strike:
"This power allows an adept to "transmit" an unarmed attack over a short distance and strike a target without physically touching them." Pg. 149 MITS

"The power has a range of the adept's magic and inflicts the standard damage for an unarmed attack. The adept makes an Unarmed Combat Test as normal, ignoring reach modifiers." Pg. 149 MITS

"Targets on the other side of an astral barrier cannot be affected by this power, on either the physical or astral planes." pg. 150 MITS

All this together tells me that you can "transmit" what would normally be a hand-to-hand attack over a small distance. Its implies you use everything as if it were the actual physical attack. So I think that since a glove weapon focus a) works in astral space, meaning its magical (we all knew that) and b) is an unarmed attack that it should work with distance strike. I would give the glove bonus to damage too, though since that is a bit of a stretch to justify within reality, GM decision on physical glove bonus.

-UPTD

The problem with this is you now open the path to magical bows (or worse, magical guns), rather than magical arrows. Previous to this the weapon focus had to be in contact with both the attacker and the target; now it only has to be in physical contact with the attacker, who transmits the power of the focus along with the attack.

If magical arrows and bullets are a problem, magical bows and guns are an even greater one, because players might actually be tempted to use them. Noone would pay 100,000 + for one extra die for one shot, but many would pay that for extra die on every shot.

For what it's worth I've always considered that the character on the cover of SRComp was a magician (possibly a physical magician) using Flame Aura or some similar spell.

Actually, I've just always told myself that the cover-pic is someone casting Manabolt or something, with geasa and/or centering techniques that revolve around drawing back a bowstring and taking aim. Though I've never actually seen it or even seriously considered it for one of my own characters, it struck me as a fairly decent, stylistically appropriate, way for a spellcaster to get some distinctive style/centering/focus/geasa all rolled into one.

Magic? (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

It fits perfectly. It is entirely legal to have an arrow as a weapon focus, so even if that is a focus and not something else, the cover of SRComp is legal.

Of course, the focus deactivates immediately upon cessation of contact with the bonded person's body, so it doesn't actually do much good, but it still fits.

~J

Two words: Fishing arrows.