[Black]

Spell locks are a rule thing, so I suspect that sort of stuff wont come back... but I would like to see colour coded matrixes with 4th ed rules.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Spell locks are a rule thing, so I suspect that sort of stuff wont come back... but I would like to see colour coded matrixes with 4th ed rules.

spell locks were basically a force one sustaining focus.  So they could come back in that sense.  Just cap sustaining focuses at force 1 as a setting rule.  Spell locks past that force just have not been developed yet.  Kind of like how there wont be bioware until what 2052?  Now I don't expect grounding to come back, though I think a updated version is needed to help balance mages a bit. 

[Morg]

ya I miss beating a mage in astral combat and then grounding a spell into a room through him. good times

[Mirikon]

Now I don't expect grounding to come back, though I think a updated version is needed to help balance mages a bit.

Yes, because mages are definitely lacking for sheer power. </sarcasm>

[Crimsondude]

That's not what he meant. Grounding is a way of keeping mages in check.

[Lacynth40]

Erm... I didn't delve into the magic rules much when I was younger. What is grounding, and why does it sound like a way to cast from astral?

[Mirikon]

IIRC, in earlier editions, if someone astrally projected, was dual-natured, or had active foci, you could send AoE spells down the link from their astral form to the physical world. Meaning that the mage who is checking out that facility? Suddenly a fireball erupts from his body.

[Bull]

That's not what he meant. Grounding is a way of keeping mages in check.

Not the way we used it.  Bull used to jump into the middle of a group of insect spirits, and Johnny would ground an area DDT (Slay insect Spirit) spell through him.  Broken as DREK.

But more to the point, the effect that allows grounding opens up a huge can of worms regarding Astral vs Phsyical that results in a rather nasty paradox,thanks in part to things like FAB.

[Shinobi Killfist]

That's not what he meant. Grounding is a way of keeping mages in check.

Not the way we used it.  Bull used to jump into the middle of a group of insect spirits, and Johnny would ground an area DDT (Slay insect Spirit) spell through him.  Broken as DREK.

But more to the point, the effect that allows grounding opens up a huge can of worms regarding Astral vs Phsyical that results in a rather nasty paradox,thanks in part to things like FAB.

That might not be how you used it but I think it was the intent of the rules.  A simple mod so the only things effected by grounding are targets linked to the circuit and it stops being abusable.  For example a mage with a spell lock active, his focus would get fired, he would get fried, nothing around him would get fried.  Simple easy and it places a nice check on the balance of mages.  Personally I'd also add an active link between a spirit and its summoner so you could ground spells through spirits into mages or the other way around. 

[CanRay]

How did Bull become Dual Natured?

[beowulf_of_wa]

when wasn't he?

[CanRay]

when wasn't he?

Well, considering the cyber that was in him at various times...

[beowulf_of_wa]

turn to goo makes all cyber fall out,,,,,

a major advantage for cyberleggers,,,

[CanRay]

turn to goo makes all cyber fall out,,,,,

a major advantage for cyberleggers,,,

How to slot someone up bad:
1.  Turn to Goo.
2.  Slowly pull out Datajack.
3.  Let the spell go.
4.  Profit from the vid of the guy with the hole in his head twitching on the ground.

[beowulf_of_wa]

variants:

rigger

sammy with any MBW or WR