From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Joe Carl Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Shadowrun Question -- Auras and Spells
Date: 13 Dec 92 16:11:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: jabba.Bz7Gyw.50A
Organization: Harris Corporation - ISD

In <Bz6x9x.5o9@rice.edu> hyatt@owlnet.rice.edu (David Waterman Hyatt) writes:

>The key word that I am emphasizing is AURA.  Now here's my beef.
>How can Physical Combat spells be cast at inanimate objects, when
>it is explicitly stated in both editions of the game that inanimate
>objects have NO AURA WHATSOEVER?

>I will quote where the editions say this.

>FIRST EDITION - SHADOWRUN RULEBOOK (Page 89)

>Inanimate objects are visible because of reflected light, and they
>block the passage of magical energy and emotions, two primary
>elements of the astral form or AURA.  Because such objects block
>the flow of aura, astral beings cannot assense through them.  
>THESE OBJECTS HAVE NO AURA OR ASTRAL FORM THEMSELVES, HOWEVER,
>and so astral beings can freely pass through the astral position
>corresponding to the object's physical space.

>SECOND EDITION - SR II (Page 145)

>Same as above.

I disregard that last quote.  It makes no sense at all for game mechanics
purposes.
All material started from Mother Earth in the first place.  Mother Earth
has an AURA, thus anything from her will too.  If the material is
manipulated by man through technology, then the AURA is twisted and
dampened.  So I say all things have AURAs. The more something is manipulated
then the more complex the AURA is to syncronize or align too.  If an object
is loveling handled like fetishes and such they retain simple AURAs.

This doesn't mean they have a physical representation in ASTRAL space.  Thus
the interpretation that the only way you see them in ASTRAL space is by
reflected light.  Which emanates from all living things,
primarily Mother Earth.

>Which brings us to the Ram, Wrecker, and Urban Renewal Spells.
>How can these exist?  How can they even work, if inanimate objects
>have no AURAS?  

They do have AURAs, just very complex ones.

>Now suppose that we accept the following explanation.  All things
>have auras, maybe limited ones that are hard to cast through.  Then
>how do you decide what constitutes a complete object?  Do auras
>mingle, i.e. items on a person's body are all intermingled with
>that person's aura, and thus don't need to roll when resistance tests
>are called for, say from a Power Ball?  

They only time AURAs mingle is with cyberware.  Then the Owner has paid
Essence to integrate the cyberware into his body, thus melding the two
AURAs together.  Otherwise all AURAs are distinct. The perception of 
a lot of AURA that are close together can get confusing though to an
ASTRAL observer.  

>What about objects in a combat spell's radius of effect?  Say I hurl
>a Fireball centered on a poor slob in the middle of a room.  Do I
>need to make rolls to see if the spell grounds through the Coke
>bottle on the desk, the desk itself, the lampshade, the lamp, the
>lightbulbs, etc.  See my point?  And I suppose if a book is nestled
>behind the lamp it gets partial cover with respect to targeting?
>If I can't see the objects inside of a desk drawer, does the spell
>not ground through them?

The spell caster has aligned his AURA up with one item.  I would say
he could target the coke bottle instead of his real target, but then his
target number is much higher.  So he naturally chooses the easiest
AURA around.  He can choose multiple targets if he splits his dice up.

For spells that have area of effect.  The spell caster is in essence aligning
to multiple AURAs.  He still has to see them to effect them though.  So
the lampshade, the lamp, the bottle on the desk, the desk itself,
the lightbulbs, etc... would all get blasted too.  The things inside the desk
would not though.

Only a Manipulation spell can effect things not seen

>Can a mage hurl a power bolt at a maglock?  Or do you just allow
>physical combat spells to affect things with auras?

Yes, But If if could overcome the target of the maglock then he probable
fused the door together too.

realistically maglocks provide more security than the door itself does.
Blast the door open and ignore the lock

>Let's hear some feedback.

I hope I hit the right questions, at least thats how we handle it in our
gaming group


Joe Carl

--
Joe Carl Jr.               "It ain't what a man don't know that makes him a
jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com   fool, but what he does know that ain't so."
                                                           -- Josh Billings