From: esper@cs35b.cs.umn.edu (Dave Sherohman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR many magic questions (semi-long)
Date: 22 Nov 92 16:19:06 GMT
Article-I.D.: news2.1992Nov22.161906.20993
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Minnesota

In article <lward.722401427@husc8> lward@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward) writes:
>flindholm@mta.ca writes:
>>In article <1992Nov21.213103.28036@oswego.Oswego.EDU>, ma_ind07@oswego.Oswego.edu writes:
>>>	-If you are a mage and you're knocked unconscious while projecting 
>>>	onto the astral plane during-:
>>>		1-Do you return to your body automatically?

I was just saying that you should return automatically, but then it struck me -
if your body was moved and you couldn't find it, just KO yourself and you're
safe at home...  This is not acceptable!  On that consideration, I think you'd
have to hope that you wake up before your Essence runs out.  Of course, since
your physical body mirrors astral wounds, anyone standing watch over it would
likely know you're out ("Geez, a second ago the wizboy was holding a perfect
lotus, but now he just slumped.  Wonder why...") and could, if things got tight,
slap a stimpatch on your body.  And hope you don't fry 'em if you lose Magic
from it.
>
>>>	-What spells can I cast at an astrally projecting mage (mana/phys)?

Mana or physical, either one works.  However, I'd rule that you can't cast
manipulation spells from the astral for the same reason they can't be
targetted around a corner with mirrors - in a manipulation spell the spell
energy crosses the distance from caster to target on both the astral and the
physical plane, so if you're not on the physical, you can't cast it.  (Now,
I'd let you use them if you're only astrally perceiving instead of projecting,
though, since you'd still be in your body.  But then, again based on the mirrors
thing, the spell would go off at the magician's astral location instead of
grounding back to his body - and it wouldn't hurt him (see my rationale on
non-manifesting spirits not being affected by physical spells below))
>
>>>	-Can I cast a physical spell at an astrally projected person and 
>>>		ground the effects were the body is?

Actually, that's the only time a spell will ground out.  Mana spells will
directly affect the astral form without having to ground to the body.
>
>>>	-Can you ground a fireball down a spell lock?
>
But of course...  Note that though it _is_ a physical combat spell, fireball
is _not_ a manipulation - the fire magically appears at the point attacked
rather than actually radiating from a central point (like, say, a thermite
grenade or a flame bomb spell).
>
>>>	-Is mana the only type of spell you can use against spirits or 
>>>		elementals that are not manifesting?
>
I don't think physical spells would affect a non-manifesting spirit, as it has
no physical form to be affected (just as mana spells have no effect on walls,
since walls have no astral form to be affected).  More clearly, walls are
intangible on the astral, non-manifesting spirits are intangible on the
physical; either way, one class of spells will just pass through them
harmlessly.
>
>>>	-Can you ground a spell down a spirit/elemental if you are projecting
>>>		and it is manifested?
>
If you're astral (projecting or perceiving), it's astrally active, it has a
physical presence, and you're using a physical (non-manipulation) spell, you
can ground down it.  (Unless someone's done an astral quest that says
otherwise...)
>
>>>	-If you hang a spell on a condition, does it automatically go off
>>>		or can you stop it?
>>>	-Can you hang a spell to go off if some astral form comes near you?
>>>	-To hang a spell do you have to sustian it (and take +2 to target#'s)
>>>		or can you make a temporary circuit of astral energy (like
>>>		in quickening) to sustain it.
>
Check out SRII and use delayed actions instead.  Much cleaner, much simpler,
and more flexible (you can choose the spell at the time it goes off instead
of having to pick it in advance, or you can even do something nonmagical
instead).

esper@ima.umn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce