From: apearlma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Pearlman)
Subject: Re: Why have street samauri? WAS: SRUN magicalness
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 17:21:36 GMT

In article <NIGEL.92Apr6132458@rs733.GSFC.NASA.Gov> nigel@rs733.GSFC.NASA.Gov writes:
>Hmmm...I tend to agree in that mages tend to unbalanced compared to
>mundanes but they do state everywhere in the SR rulebooks that magic
>is where it's at.  Mostly it is the increased attribute spells that
>make things munchkin...so long as the multi-million dollar samauri
>gets to react first he has a chance and a reason to exist.  In stock
>SR there is zero reason to have samuari...mages can be faster and
>tougher and the nonsense of mages being some sort of rarity go out the
>window when you find gangs of the little suckers roving through
>Seattle.

Mages are actually rare.  Also, going first isn't necessarily as useful
as it looks.  Especially if it isn't permanent.  Have your mage reach
over and yank the spelllock off the offending mage.  Watch deathmage
do something bizarre, as now he has no speed to compensate for low
attributes.

>Because they got to shoot back?  Not likely...and even if they did
>personal bullet barriers are available to the mage...not to mention
>spirits and elementals.  How do you fight a fire elemental that
>chooses to strafe a team that has no magical cover?  You can't melee
>if you can't reach it and shooting it only wastes bullets. 

Teams will have magical cover.  You're looking at this in the wrong light.
Mages are useful.  Tech types are useful.  If you make an all mage team,
watch the 2 mage, 4 tech-types geek them so fast it isn't even funny.
To fight the fire elemental, take cover.  Kill the controlling mage.
Retreat.  

>If you have a corp with some wage mages (and spare karma) why spend
>400,000 nuyen for wired reflexes when 45,000 (and karma) will do?  The
>increased reactioned trooper is just as deadly to mundanes and just as
>dead to anyone with magic...plus you get all sorts of interesting ways
>to control the little bugger if he or she got out of line.  The only
>I guess my main point is that mages can (and often are) faster and
>impervious to the best that samurai can dish out but sammis have no
>defense against magic.  Why have them around?  Expensive magic fodder?

You can't lose wired reflexes in the middle of a deadly battle.  I zip into
astral space, go over to you, and aim a small spell at your lock.  It dies
a horrible death.  Or if I want to be really cruel, grapple it in astral
space and walk off with it.  Zoom, mage loses speed, I have a ritual lock on
the mage, and his character is probably committed to some action requiring
a 20+ reaction.

Sammis have a significant attribute or skill advantage.  Having
a 5-6 Willpower means you generally tend to survive manabolts.  That nice
reaction plus a smartgun link means multiple fired shots.  Physical
movement can often hit 50 kmph with ease.  Decking, cybereyes, rigging,
skillwires, and replacement limbs all give a distinct edge.

Trying to kill a Sammi with a 6 willpower means with a Force 4 spell and 6
sorcery, you get about 1 success on the average.  A light wound.  Not all
that impressive.

Andy Pearlman


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