Neither is Polaris saying that you pay 24/7 for the Mage. He's saying that

1) There is no listed cost for installing a Ward, and in 90% of most services, the costs for installation greatly exceeds the cost of Maintainance.

2) When there IS a problem, say my character makes reservation with the courtesy to call ahead. The SecMage on call charges to come and 'let' my character in. Most likely, adding the cost of his visit to my bill.

Also, it's a huge inconvenience. I resist (Force*2)Deadly to walk through any Ward. Especially since I have a Charisma of only 3 making it nearly impossible to get the 2 successes needed to get through anything larget than a Force 4. Every Force 5 I've gone through has done Serious Stun to me, and only because Ihave a Trauma Dampener. Dragons would have it easier due to a higher Charisma, if they didn't Mask their way through.

Sphynx

"Maintain" implies that the mage makes sure there is always a ward there. The mage knows if the ward ever goes down without having to go anything to get that info, so why should he have to pay a whole lot of attention to it (and thus charge)? Once the ward is damaged/broken, the mage then comes out to set it back up at the listed cost.

It doesn't say "monitor" which is what you guys are implying.

Being dual natured isn't a protected status like being unable to walk (at least, yet... SURGE hasn't been around long enough for a lobby to form) so you're pretty much on your own. By 2065 or so that might change, depending on how wide spread SURGE gets.

It makes sense for warding to be comparatively inexpensive. It's something that more or less any Awakened can do, and they can do it with little personal effort. Keeping prices low keeps customer base large and futhermore provides job security as a single lost contract won't make a freelance/consulting security mage give up his Luxury lifestyle for a mere High one.

~J

I'm going to go with Polaris on this one, for the most part. I agree that your average mom and pop store won't have wards enire premesis wards, and that few (but there will be some) high class establishments will have them (as well as an awakened individual on staff, or contract out to a "Warding Consulting Company").

However, there is one occurance that may give mom and pop stores a bit of legal sanctuary, and that is Shedim (when they show up). Can anyone tell me if a body possessed by a Shedim is dual natured? If not, then I agree with Polaris pretty much completely. If they are, I could certainly see several startup warding companies that set up a ward, and then charge by the hour (or fraction thereof) if they need to come to the premesis to allow people through, etc, and small places like Joe's Cafe being prime customers.

I still don't buy the idea that the mage has to have LOS to the ward to allow people through it, considering that the mage knows when the ward is breached/attacked without having to have LOS.