You get extra dice for surprise situations, unlike the spell of the same name.

Oops, we were talking about the same thing.

So why call it the combat sense spell at all? It doesn't do what the combat sense spell does, but does all kinds of other things. Maybe you like the stable TN 4 and can't be resisited? Or you just like the name, even though a spell already exists with that name and an adept power by the name.

Then why have all the detect _______ spells? Everyone would just learn this one terrific spell. It would be like creating an Increase Attributes spell with a TN of 4 that increases all 6 attributes, reaction, and initiative. This isn't intended to be a strawman, but an analogy.

There should be drawbacks to having magic constantly on.

But you want to use it for anchoring. You are not making much sense.

This spell would surely make it a bargain for detecting attacks. It wouldn't affect any other types of anchors unless you use the principal and had something like a Increase All Attributes anchor.

But I think this is one of the reasons you want this spell, to circumvent the cost.

What if this spell existed and worked how you want? Why wouldn't every Lone Star cop, security guard, mercenary, soldier, border guard, etc. have it in a focus? It would have to be cheaper than paying insurance claims, hospital bills, training expenses for replacements, and disability benefits. Plus the grief it would save to friends and relatives.

No it doesn't. Only your munchkin version with the same name does this, only you don't understand or won't accept that it is a too good to be true spell.

the lack of a resistance roll on the part of the target is worth thinking about, but it's not enough to make combat sense by-the-book invalid for a linked detection spell.

I was probably unclear here. I meant it replaces all detect __________ (bullet, grenade, enemy, arrow, knife, caltrop, etc.) spells. Why should one spell replace virtually dozens. How about the Incr. All Attr. spell? Or in the same exact way as yours the Feel I'm being watched spell: detects camara's, microphones, anyone watching, anything watching, any critter watching, any drone sensors, any ultrasound, any detection spell, etc. and give it a TN 4 and say it can't be resisted.

no, it provides the normal benefits of the combat sense spell to your anchoring focus. obviously, the anchoring focus can't make use of the combat pool--but it's still able to make use of the sensory data provided by the spell.

i don't see combat sense replacing detect X, for mages who want to be able to find item X at any given time. detect explosives, for demolitions mages; detect firearm, for security mages; detect fat booty, for clubber mages.

i'm trying to keep the costs of anchoring down. surely you can see that if you have to make a unique spell for every seperate form of attack you want to protect yourself against, that increases the cost of anchoring.

now you're the one not making sense. a detection spell linked to an anchoring focus doesn't provide the holder of that focus with any benefit. the only thing the linked detection spell does is set off the anchored spell. the obvious reason why every LS cop, security guard, mercenary, soldier, and border guard doesn't have one is that anchoring foci cause drain for their creator every time they're used.

so... despite the fact that the spell description says that the subject can sense things, they actually can't sense those things? that's an interesting interpretation, there.

besides all which? MitS says "detection spells". it doesn't say "detection spells, except combat sense". the logical conclusion is that combat sense is a valid trigger spell for anchoring foci.

Which is nothing. If it bestowed all these other benefits you grant it, they would make some note of it. It is fluff text. It isn't a tactical computer complete with targeting sensors and full compliment of detect ______ spells.

Why can't it do anything else? Because it is not directed outward like vision or an area spell like Detect ___________ spells. It just happens to be the only detection spell that has no outward sense.

Exactly. If you want protection from every form of attack, you need to pay.

It would only cause random drain when combat sense triggered another spell. It would cause controlled drain when the combat sense spell was cast. Mage casts spell puts it on security guy. Shift ends without incident, pass anchor on to guy on next shift. If it does get triggered, it could activate an armor spell, or whatever. Mage takes drain, at worst has headache. Hopefully guard survives, but mage can alert the rest of security that anchor got triggered.

It's the hair on the back of your neck rising. It's the little voice in the back of your head. The spell isn't directional or area, how is it finding outward targets?

Because it is the exception to the detection class of spells? Because they meant detect _______ spells? For the same reason you shouldn't even be able to use Catalog to target things; it is a detection spell. How about analyze device? It's a detection spell.

that's fluff text. the spell locates targets the same way it provides combat pool: analyzing the situation, peeking into the future.

18 karma plus 180,000 nuyen plus finding a mage willing to take drain any time of the day or night, and then compensating him for doing so? that's paying.

i really don't see why your anchoring focus idea is a bad thing. you could do the same thing with detect enemy for the same cost; in the limited application of security work, the chances of it randomly going off when you spill someone's coffee are greatly reduced. why does linking it to combat sense make it suddenly broken and scary?

catalog and analyze device are both valid detection spells for anchoring foci. a catalog-linked anchoring focus would be a handy-thing to give to mundane inspector: if there aren't 100 optical chips in the case he's checking, the anchoring focus hits the chips with a low-end entertainment spell, making them glow so that the inspector knows something's up. analyze device could check your deck for malfunctions, and trigger a fix spell if any part is broken.

Yes you are by giving them an area effect. Unless they are detecting the subject/target of the spell, they have no more range.

I thought it was an explanation of how the spell worked while conforming to the constraints in the description and the mechanics. Saying it somehow does all the things you want to claim it does from the same description overlooks the mechanics and the limits of the spell.

One too many zeroes because it doesn't need to be reusable. That cuts down on the karma, too. Pass part of the cost on to the employee and probably get a break on insurance premiums for reasons previousely cited.

Because it will not operate the way you are claiming.

Notice the TN is now 6 and that this actually has a range, unlike combat sense.

Catalog would count the number of chips. How is it determining that it doesn't match a specific number? Magic is mindless.

Notice a harder to hit TN of OR and that the sense is directed similar to field of vision for range.

Would trigger a fix spell for any non-living thing within range of the spell whether it needed fixed or not.

no idea. but if someone came up with one, can you find a book explanation to deny them that use?

you've got a good point, with the range thing. i'll revise my stance: since combat sense has no range beyond the subject it's cast on, you can't use it target anything besides the subject. that makes my original example from the dragons thread invalid--the dragon couldn't use combat sense as a trigger spell for an anchored manabolt.

i still contend that combat sense could be used to trigger a barrier spell, or flame aura, or even a manabolt directed at the holder of the focus. combat sense may not detect attackers, but it certainly detects attacks--at least, those directed against the subject of the spell.

it's not my version of combat sense. moreover, since combat sense is S drain and detect (object) is +1M, combat sense should do more than detect (object). as far as i can tell, detect (incoming bullet) would be an even more limited version of detect (bullet), which means the drain gap would widen even further.

Combat Sence simply adds Combat Pool dice. Detect Enemies would be the Spidey sence you are looking for.

It know it's easy to do in SR, but don't try and extract to much extra information out of things, it's not worth the headache.

I was trying to point out that the spell is designed for a very specific purpose: to add to combat pool. If they wanted a spell to do something beyond adding to combat pool, then they'd need to get a different spell.

You could always house rule it, but I don't see anything in Combat Sence, outside of a roleplaying element, that would grant you additional in game bonuses.