[John Q. Mind]

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

[Crunch]

It's more or less a fundamental rule of SR magic that magic weapons for mundanes aren't achievable for contemporary magic.

[John Q. Mind]

It's more or less a fundamental rule of SR magic that magic weapons for mundanes aren't achievable for contemporary magic.

Why Not?

[Michael Chandra]

Because the mana cycle isn't high enough yet for that.

[Crunch]

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.

[John Q. Mind]

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.

[Medicineman]

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

[Mirikon]

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.

[Maimakterion]

So ... How long until we quad-wield monofilamentchainswordchucks?

They are, at least, something a sufficiently insane fabricator could make in the setting after all.

[ImaginalDisc]

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.

[Anarkitty]

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!?

[ImaginalDisc]

That's a bit like asking, "Before that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"

[Rallen12]

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.

[eviltikiman]

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.

[Unahim]

The Frost Hammer topic seems relevant to this discussion.