Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Rules and such => Previous Editions => Topic started by: Hanzo on <06-28-20/1636:59>
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The question is easy:
Can anybody see activation of adeprt powers in the astral world or in the meat world ?
IMHO: as active adept powers don't leave any signs of astral signature - they are "invisible" to anyone who try to assence an adept.
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Unlike spells, adept powers seem to be innate and thus does not have an actual astral form. They are not immediately obvious for an astral observer and they will also not get caught in wards etc.
An astral observer that actually take the time and effort to sense the aura of the adept will probably find out that the adept is awakened (this is as obvious as a neon sign or a running crowed would have been for your regular perception), but not what adept powers he have.
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I'd agree with Xenon, partially.
Adept powers don't have Astral Forms like Spells and active Foci do, that's true. But ultimately all that means for absolute sure is that you wouldn't assense the power itself... if you could assense it at all you'd have to do so through the adept's aura.
However, Adept powers are still "magic" and it stands to reason that they can potentially be seen. I'd be inclined to agree* that something passive like Improved Physical Attribute might be ineligible to be assensed, but on the other hand I feel something "active" like Attribute Boost really should be.
Furthermore, certain powers involve obvious magic energy like Elemental Attacks and whatnot. Surely those can be seen via assensing, since they're physically obvious anyway.
*= while I'd probably lean this way, I totally can see a counter-argument as being equally valid: Even passive powers still utilize magical energies. For example if the only adept power you have is a passive +4 Agility, you still suffer the penalties of a Background Count whenever you use that magic (i.e. whenever you roll Agility). This implies even the passive power interacts with the outside astral plane, and is therefore potentially assense-able. At least indirectly, in a manner comparable to Black Holes that can be "seen" by what they do to space-time around them rather than by being seen directly..
Edit: And of course there's the "Perceiving Magic" rules (see pg. 280, SR5). One might be able to tell you have "something magic going on" even if you use powers like Voice Control or Kinesics, even if the observer lacks benefit of any astral sight whatsoever!
Edit Edit: My bad, forgot that these rules only relate to magic that can be measured in Force. Not many, if any, adept powers have a Force...
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A spell that a magician is sustaining will have an immediately obvious actual tangible form on the astral plane, but that does not mean an astral observer automatically will know what specific spell it is.
Even if an an astral observer spend an action to Observe this specific astral form in Detail the closest it can get is the Class of the spell (2 net hits), the Astral Signature of whoever is responsible for it (3 net hits, this can also be used for Astral Tracking) and the Exact Force of the spell (4 net hits).
Just like you can't sense what specific spell you are dealing with you can also not sense what specific adept powers an adept have.
When an astral observer sense an adept they can learn the fact that the adept is not mundane - but not that the subject is specifically an adept (1 net hit), chance to reorganize if they sensed this living aura before (2 net hits), the adept's astral signature as well as other magician's astral signatures that may or may not also be present on the adept (3 net hits) and the exact magic rating of the adept (4 net hits).