From: hyatt@owlnet.rice.edu (David Waterman Hyatt)
Subject: Shadowrun Question -- Auras and Spells
Organization: Rice University
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 09:05:57 GMT

I have discovered a blatant rules contradiction that occurs in
both Shadowrun 1st Edition and 2nd Edition.  I am posting my
findings here, because I wanted the net's input as to how this
problem should be resolved or - at the very least - clarified.
It is entirely possible that I am misunderstanding something
here, so bear with me.

My problem concerns the casting of Physical Combat Spells at
inanimate objects.  Let's start by examining what happens when
a spell is cast.  The descriptions differ slightly depending
on which edition you are playing, so I will supply references
from both editions.

FIRST EDITION -- THE GRIMOIRE (Pages 50-51)

	Spells are cast when a magician uses his inherent genetic
ability to contact Astral Space.  He opens a channel between
the physical and etheric planes, configuring it according to his
knowledge of Sorcery and the formula of the spell he is casting.
The result is a spell construct on the etheric plane.
	[Text deleted]
	When a spell reaches its target, it creates the desired
effect by transferring astral energy onto the physical plane.
Because this connects the AURA of the casting magician directly
to the AURA of his target, line-of-sight targeting is the rule
for spells.  Area spells set up a web of energy that connects
the caster and all his targets into a single astral network and
affects all viable targets within its area of effect.

SECOND EDITION -- SR II (Page 149)

	As a spell is being cast, the magician's senses are
opened up partially to the astral plane.  The magician, because
of the working of the astral forces that power the spell, is
able to see the AURA of his target.  This allows him to align
or synchronize his AURA with that of the target, permitting
the astral energy shaped by the caster to leap between them,
through astral space, much as a spark of electricity jumps
between two properly polarized points.

----------------

What happens when a spell is cast is identical for either edition
of the game.  The auras of the caster and the target are
"aligned" or "synchronized."  The spell flies through astral space
at blinding speed, and then "grounds" out through the target's
AURA.

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.

----------------------

So we've established that spells are cast by the synchronization
of auras.  A spell travels through astral space, and manifests
itself in the physical plane by grounding out through the target's
aura.

The rules also - in both editions - explicitly state that inanimate
objects have no aura.

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?  

Ok, ok, so we get a - IMHO bullshit - explanation that allows spells
to affect vehicles.  This explanation is found in the Rigger Black
Book on Page 104 and in SR II on Page 109.  We are told that
vehicles have simple limited auras.  Never mind that this directly
contradicts the passages above.

We also have spells like Urban Renewal and Ram and Wrecker, specifically
designed to affect INANIMATE objects, which have no AURA.  How do they
ground?  

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?  

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?

You get the drift.  What I want to know, especially from anyone who
gamemasters Shadowrun, is how you handle this contradiction.  A spell
has to ground through an aura to affect something, but we know that
inanimate objects (with the exception of vehicles, snort) have 
no auras.  What do you guys do?

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

Let's hear some feedback.

Dave