It's odd. They made it so common that I almost can't justify it not being around, but it's still nearly crippling to a lot of builds. The penalty on rolls is nothing, the lowering your Foci and sustained spells and preparations is the part that makes it rough. Oh, and eternally pissing off every spirit you summon... Meanwhile a positive background count is worthless, which oddly enough almost makes the otherwise hilariously bad Geomancy rituals almost seem worthwhile...
"Hmm... Wait a week and roll again to get several reagents? Or get three right now and tap out this mana line for a month..." A permanent, aspected background count shouldn't be the kind of thing you'd get rid of for 60 fucking nuyen worth of shit. Even if it comes back.
I mean, like... Fucking, work at a Stuffer Shack! Ritual takes (Force) Hours to complete. A part time shift is like four fucking hours! You would make enough money to just fucking buy the reagents, I bet. And you'd probably get an employee discount on FizzyFluid or whatever. If working a shitty part time job is easier and quicker and more efficient than a ritual, that's...
Sorry, it's irrelevant but goddamn Geomancy showcases some of the worst mechanics in Shadowrun.
