From: lward@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SR many magic questions (semi-long)
Date: 22 Nov 92 03:03:47 GMT
Distribution: usa

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?
>>		2-Does your astral self remain unconscious on the astral plane?
>>		3-If your astral self remains unconscious on the astral plane
>>		would you then become victim of the 6 hour limit (from essence)
>>		4-If you were out in the astral plane for awhile and you only
>>		had 5 minutes left and you get knocked out, do you die?

Questions 2-4 are pretty much dependant on question 1: Does the astral form
return automatically.  A case could be made either way.  Because the astral
form of a magician is not native to the astral plane, and act of will must
send it out.  It stands to reason that without a concious will to keep the
astral form in astral space, it returns to its body.  On the other hand, while
the magician is in astral space, everything that .is. that magician is
there with him.  Becasue all of the reasoning ability is already in the astral
plane, when it is knocked out, there is no real reason why it should go back.
I think the first arguement makes more sence, but I'd really base the
decsion on game balance.  Astral space is pretty evil already; better to make
stun damage stun damage at let the magician back to his body...
...just in time for the spirits he had bonded to go free and pound him.

BTW, remember that fighting a spell that is trying to ground into you does
"shadow damage" to both you and the spell; it is kind of like an extended
opposed success test.  Any damage done to the spell does not effect its
effects if it wins, nor does damage to you effect you.  BIG NOTE: This is
different in SRII.  Check out pg 148 for how it works then.  Basically,
instead of fighting the spell, it is series of opposed success tests which
do real damage to you and reduce the spell's force.

>>	-What spells can I cast at an astrally projecting mage (mana/phys)?
>  You can cast any spell you want. Combat, manipulation, health, it dosn't
>matter. They all work principly the same way. (At least I think they do)
>Combat spells are the normal ones of choice because, like their name says,
>they are combat spells which are used for fighting. However, this does not
>prevent you from casting toxic wave (a manipulation spell) at a magician.
>This is because if the spell works it grounds out into the magicians body
>and he'll get a large amount of acid in the face.

Right.  Note though that any mana spells will only affect the mage, even
if they are area spells.  Mana spells cannot under any circumstances ground
from astral space into real space unless they originated from real space
(ie were cast by a non-projecting magician).

>>	-Can I cast a physical spell at an astrally projected person and 
>>		ground the effects were the body is?

>Yes, this is how spells always work

Again, the "physical" part is crucial.

>>	-Can you ground a fireball down a spell lock?

> Sure thing. Also ignite, hellblast, manablast, etc...

Fireball, hellblast yes.  Manablast no, it is a mana spell (it will damage
the person, but won't ground into real space).  Ignite would ground, but
that's a bit odd, since it is telekenisis, and not inherantly damaging-typ
magic (molecule excitation).


>>	-Is mana the only type of spell you can use against spirits or 
>>		elementals that are not manifesting?
>                  
> No, you can cast physical spells as well.

Right, but since the spirits are not manifesting, the spell will not ground
through them.  It will damage them, though.  Anyone want to comment on if
spells that carry elemental effects will get bonuses/penalties against 
elementals in astral space?

>>	-Can you ground a spell down a spirit/elemental if you are projecting
>>		and it is manifested?

> Yes, but lioke any spell grounded through something it won't do anything
>to the area around it unless it is an area spell.

And it also must be a physical spell.

>>	-If you hang a spell on a condition, does it automatically go off
>>		or can you stop it?

I'd say that if you stop it, you still take drain.  Delayed actions work
a bit more cleanly for this purpose, usually, if your GM uses any logic
at all.

>>	-Can you hang a spell to go off if some astral form comes near you?

I'd say not, unless you were astral already.  Even then, things happen fast
in astral space, so maybe not.  On real space, no way; while the idea of an
astral form coming near might be an acceptable condition for the conditional
release of a spell, there is no way you could sence the astral form from
the real plane (solely).

>No. So far in Shadowrun there are no spell traps.

So far...  (heh, heh, heh)

>>	-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.

You'd have to sustain it.  Just out of curiosity, does that original poster
use conditionally relased spells often?  I think FASA may have abandoned them
in SRII, preferring to use delayed actions instead.

Wordman

"A burp is not an answer."
   - The Simpsons