Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => Gear => Topic started by: John Q. Mind on <10-28-13/1528:51>
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Working on a non-magical character who has 4 arms and who I want to use flaming swords. I would prefer the swords to be magical so that I don't have to replace any kind of fuel, as well as being able to turn the flames on and off when needed.
Are there rules for such a thing, and if so where?
4th ed. in case it matters
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It's more or less a fundamental rule of SR magic that magic weapons for mundanes aren't achievable for contemporary magic.
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It's more or less a fundamental rule of SR magic that magic weapons for mundanes aren't achievable for contemporary magic.
Why Not?
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Because the mana cycle isn't high enough yet for that.
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It's one of the things SR magic hasn't figured out how to do yet. Magic R&D departments are trying to figure out a way to do it, but so far efforts have failed. It's not in the SR magic doesn't do that at all category (Teleportation and Ressurection) but it's in the "Not acheivable at the current state of the art" category.
As to why not Out of Universe? Magic in Shadowrun tends to focus on the caster rather than the object. The only "Magic Items" are Foci, which are all about enhancing the users capacities, but don't do anything by themselves, and alchemy preparations which are very limited.
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Hmm dang. I was going to use those as his unique weapons since I planned on taking the inept flaw for each type of gun skill, but I suppose I'll have to come up with something else instead.
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it might be possible with a Spirit Pact and aFire Spirit with possesing Powers , that possesses a Sword
But thats only 1 Spirit and one Sword, not 4.
If You want to have 4 such Spirits / Swords your char shold be awakened and summon those Spirits by himself.
with a Summoner's Dance
Medicineman
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Working on a non-magical character who has 4 arms and who I want to use flaming swords. I would prefer the swords to be magical so that I don't have to replace any kind of fuel, as well as being able to turn the flames on and off when needed.
Are there rules for such a thing, and if so where?
4th ed. in case it matters
Actual flames? Not happening. Magic? Also not happening. But you can get a Custom Look on the blades to give them an AR 'skin' of being on fire while drawn.
As for why there aren't magic items that work for mundanes, just remember that magic in SR is different from magic in D&D. In D&D, if you make a +1 Rapier, then it is a +1 Rapier, no matter who holds it. But in SR, magic flows from the energy of living things. Enchanting an object allows someone awakened to direct the flow through that object, shaping it in new ways, like putting a sprayer head on a hose. Without being hooked up to the hose (the mage), the sprayer (the focus) is useless.
Magic that works for mundanes is one of those holy grails of magical R&D, to the point that there's even a major bequest in Big D's will about it.
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So ... How long until we quad-wield monofilamentchainswordchucks?
They are, at least, something a sufficiently insane fabricator could make in the setting after all.
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So ... How long until we quad-wield monofilamentchainswordchucks?
They are, at least, something a sufficiently insane fabricator could make in the setting after all.
Read the glitch rules, chummer. That is literally an accident waiting to happen.
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So ... How long until we quad-wield monofilamentchainswordchucks?
They are, at least, something a sufficiently insane fabricator could make in the setting after all.
Read the glitch rules, chummer. That is literally an accident waiting to happen.
But how awesome would it be before you cut off your own leg!?
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That's a bit like asking, "Before that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
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it might be possible with a Spirit Pact and aFire Spirit with possesing Powers , that possesses a Sword
But thats only 1 Spirit and one Sword, not 4.
If You want to have 4 such Spirits / Swords your char shold be awakened and summon those Spirits by himself.
with a Summoner's Dance
Medicineman
That actually sounds do-able i dont know if rule wise it is but definetly sounds do-able a spirit possessing the weapon and the weapon gaining that atribute such as fire.
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So ... How long until we quad-wield monofilamentchainswordchucks?
They are, at least, something a sufficiently insane fabricator could make in the setting after all.
Read the glitch rules, chummer. That is literally an accident waiting to happen.
If you are referring to critical glitching on that taking essence away, couldn't you just summon a spirit with the Guard power and have them protect you from a glitch? Though to avoid excessive abuse i would mandate that the spirits force must be equal or greater than that of the foci you are making.
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The Frost Hammer topic seems relevant to this discussion.
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One possible way to do either a frost hammer or flaming sword would be an alchemical preparation with a flame or frost aura spell (have it add a secondary elemental effect and do a small damage boost). It gives a similar effect to an enchanted weapon, but fits into the rules of the system and adds the element of the weapon wielder needing a supplier for the preparations to add some flavor (and possible adventure hooks) to the game.
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What's keeping the wielder from being unaffected by the aura? Also, damaging the lynchpin apparently ruins the preparation, so the first little chip out of the blade during melee combat would have it fizzle out.
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What's keeping the wielder from being unaffected by the aura? Also, damaging the lynchpin apparently ruins the preparation, so the first little chip out of the blade during melee combat would have it fizzle out.
Use a potion that casts the spell on the drinker (ie, the weapon wielder) so the aura is really around the person so it wouldn't harm them, but you can make it thematically look like it's around the weapon, or is flowing from the wielders hands to cover the weapon.
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Fluids are usually not accepted as lynchpins, for a few reasons. Making a lynchpin involves lifting, handling and manipulating it, and that's hard in a fluid. A "damaged" lynchpin also stops functioning, so how do you define this in a fluid? It constantly evaporates, leaves parts of itself behind on surfaces, etc... other lynchpin can work to the same effect though.
So yes, I suppose you could do this. As long as Energy Aura does not exist in SR5 it remains a house rule, but other than that...
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You can lift, handle, and manipulate a fluid, you'd just need to make it a contact vector and held in a glass container till you touch it (drink it). Rather then carving runes or such, you would brew it, kinda like a witches caldron. It would probably be up to the individual GM on the specifics but it doesn't sound too far fetched to me at least.
Would have to come up with an elemental aura spell till a magic book makes it way to the shadows. Shouldn't be too hard to come up with a good and balanced one.
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Fluids are usually not accepted as lynchpins, for a few reasons. Making a lynchpin involves lifting, handling and manipulating it, and that's hard in a fluid. A "damaged" lynchpin also stops functioning, so how do you define this in a fluid? It constantly evaporates, leaves parts of itself behind on surfaces, etc... other lynchpin can work to the same effect though.
So yes, I suppose you could do this. As long as Energy Aura does not exist in SR5 it remains a house rule, but other than that...
That's super not true. Potions are one of the examples of what a lynchpin is. Like wise, I'd also assume magic powders would also be a valid lynchpin too.
p305
On a critical glitch—well, we wouldn’t recommend drinking whatever the end result is
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What's keeping the wielder from being unaffected by the aura?
Insulation / Fire Resistance. :)
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That's super not true. Potions are one of the examples of what a lynchpin is. Like wise, I'd also assume magic powders would also be a valid lynchpin too.
p305
On a critical glitch—well, we wouldn’t recommend drinking whatever the end result is
Not the first example in the book that ends up being overtaken by the rules, chummer. After they came out and said lynchpins don't work when damaged, I really don't see how a fluid could ever work.
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That's super not true. Potions are one of the examples of what a lynchpin is. Like wise, I'd also assume magic powders would also be a valid lynchpin too.
p305
On a critical glitch—well, we wouldn’t recommend drinking whatever the end result is
Not the first example in the book that ends up being overtaken by the rules, chummer. After they came out and said lynchpins don't work when damaged, I really don't see how a fluid could ever work.
How so? you can still damage a fluid by adding other chemicals to it. Or if you can't keep enough of the fluid together that'd probably also break the lynchpin.
I fail to see how game breaking a potion would be, and its a magical trope, so it makes sense that such an archetype should exist, that being the magical chemist that creates a potion for every situation.
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I think when we discussed fluids before, there was the convincing argument that if you use a special recipe (like Grandma's Chocolate Milk, for example), it's possible to be creative enough with a magical potion that it'll work and not get destroyed if you shake the container a bit.
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The easiest way to do the flaming sword look would be to have a mini holo-projector built into the hilt and blade (since mini holo-projectors can easily be built into shirts or other clothes per the Attitude sourcebook, it should be able to be applied to weapons... possibly requiring 1-2 mod slots). Flaming swords of this type won't actually do anything except look cool... and since the flames are controlled by a holo-projector, it would be pretty easy to change the color and intensity of the flames by adding "apps" to the weapon.
In the old (V3) days you could use Anchoring to bind elemental spell to weapons, with anchoring links set up to allow the flames to be turned on and off until the spell was exhausted and had to be recast. However, since they nerfed Anchoring for 4th and 5th editions (changing it from the most pursued metamagic in the book to one that NOBODY ever takes) I don't think it's possible anymore to make a useful magic elemental weapon anymore.
Knight
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So ... How long until we quad-wield monofilamentchainswordchucks?
They are, at least, something a sufficiently insane fabricator could make in the setting after all.
Read the glitch rules, chummer. That is literally an accident waiting to happen.
If you are referring to critical glitching on that taking essence away, couldn't you just summon a spirit with the Guard power and have them protect you from a glitch? Though to avoid excessive abuse i would mandate that the spirits force must be equal or greater than that of the foci you are making.
I was thinking more about split die pools, glitches, and the ease with which one can amputate one's own limbs.
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Hmm dang. I was going to use those as his unique weapons since I planned on taking the inept flaw for each type of gun skill, but I suppose I'll have to come up with something else instead.
So, what, it's burning swords or no swords at all? That's where you draw the line with your character?
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Hmm dang. I was going to use those as his unique weapons since I planned on taking the inept flaw for each type of gun skill, but I suppose I'll have to come up with something else instead.
So, what, it's burning swords or no swords at all? That's where you draw the line with your character?
I've seen people where it was "Glowy Sticks Of Death" or "Nothing" in Star Wars games...
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Hmm dang. I was going to use those as his unique weapons since I planned on taking the inept flaw for each type of gun skill, but I suppose I'll have to come up with something else instead.
You were going to take a bunch of negative qualities that weren't going to be likely to have an impact on your character? Shame on your GM for allowing it.
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Now I want to homebrew flamegloves for illegal backroom fights.
They would have to burst flames though to some extend... are there rules in any ed to hit people with a torch?
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There are Goblinstompers in SR4A (Attitude IIRC)
Boots that Burn
with a burning Dance
Medicineman
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well thank you
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I cannot imagine that a hi-tech version of a flaming sword would be harder to make or find than a magic version. I assume you're already adding cyberarms to your character, so that's essence loss to start with. I skipped 4th edition, so I don't know if that's the trick or if there is a new (to me) four armed metatype.
I imagine that you can make a flaming sword with today's technology, although I can't figure out why you'd want to. The wounds would cauterize as you swung, staunching the bleeding immediately. It would be shocking and painful as hell, but much less fatal. Conventional metals would lose their temper, so you'd need to make the sword out of some other material, like ceramic or perhaps monofilament. On the other hand, a glowing hot blade would cut through some armors like butter.
I would stat it out like a monosword with better armor penetration and a battery pack from the laser rifles/pistols.
Then, take a cue from Rurouni Kenshin, and give it a sawtooth jagged blade that traps the blood, fat and meat from your enemies, which combusts when the sword is hot. That would be properly terrifying.
Now wrap that all up in a package at a comparable price to a monowhip.
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I skipped 4th edition, so I don't know if that's the trick or if there is a new (to me) four armed metatype.
As a side note
There is a metaveriant of Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Norm) thats called Nartaki in SR4A
They're mostly from India and have (aside from 4 asrms) a bright red,blue or golden Skin and are considered a kind of Hinduistic Angels
He who dances with Angels
Medicineman
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What about gunblade with a flamethrower... miniflamthrower maybe
Personally I would go with axe or a mace for this.
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You should add a comlink to your Sword/Gunblade.
in SR4A Spycraft they introduced a flamethrower as an Add-on to Comlinks
.....oO( I'm pounding the Idea of an Ares Alpha Combatgun with underbarrel Comlink and Flamethrower Add-On)
with a flaming Dance
Medicineman