From: wntrmute@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (August Paul Yang)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Why have street samauri? WAS: SRUN magicalness
Date: 8 Apr 92 01:05:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: jhunix.1992Apr8.010551.10818
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

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.

>>>>[Okay, take it from an old mage.  Those attribute spells are drek.
The target numbers for them are increcibly high because the targets
are _double_ the existing attribute.  So if you had a strength of say 3
the mage casting the spell would have a target of 6!

>So explain why there are samurai when magic does a much better job?
>If you're worried about spell locks evaporating from magical attacks
>you still have to consider the fact that an unsupported mundane team
>is easy meat...so what if they die because someone blew up their locks
>and killed them or simply slammed a deadly spell directly at them?
>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. 

      Locks are more than just "spell holders".  If someone can astrally
assense they can find out who cast the spell on the lock.  In the shadows,
you might as well point a Panther Cannon to your head.  The key to the game
is screwing over who your paid to screw over (or save your ass as the case
may be) and leave to trace of who they should get even with.

>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
>downside is that there's all these little locks with some mage's link
>to them running about...the question is whether that extra 400,000
>nuyen might not buy sufficient magical materials to counter any ritual
>nasties that show up.  The trade offs between having locks out there
>and having a REAL nice library and alchemy lab might be worthwhile for
>some mages.

       Ah but that is where your wrong.  To a magic user, there is no such
thing as "spare karma".  Magic takes you, body and soul, and forces you
to spend karma and nuyen to pay for your way of life.  Nothing is free,
chummer. Power has its price.  If you play with the Grimore rules, huge
amounts of karma must be spent to initiate and if a Non-initiate meets up
with an Initiate and they fight, wave bye-bye to Mr. Non-initiate.  If you
don't play the Grimore's rules, you still need to pay karma for your
spells and power items.  Anything that give you an "edge" is good and in the
shadows, an "edge" is nessacery.

>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?

      Nope.  Sams are needed because they have the combat skills that
magic-users lack (all that time spent on studying) and casting powerballs
constantly will drain you. (remember, no stimslapping mages. Magic loss!)
Also, Right now I'm playing a Street Sam and I can tell you that there is
no bigger high than hearing your targets scream as you blow them away.]<<<<<
<Wntrmute,4/7/91,9:06:42>