[Beta]

Having caught a wiff of a possible Bug nest, the shaman in my game is suddenly eager to learn the insecticide spell.  I just looked it up, and it seems to be a pretty standard direct combat AOE spell (physical, doing physical damage), except that you need to specify a precise spirit type, and that drain is F+1.  In other words, when faced with a swarm of bugs, it appears to be similar to Powerball, but with one higher drain?  (granted, if your team is mixed in with the bugs, they won't be hurt)

The description of insecticide says that is a specialized version of the One Less x / Slay / Slaughter family of spells.  Which appear to me to be the same as the Poweball spell family, other than the greater restriction on what they hit.  Which kind of makes sense for the AOE version, but less so for the single target ones.

What am I missing that makes Insecticide or Slay better at their job than the more generic  direct damage spells?

[Moonshine Fox]

They messed up the drain. Check the errata for the new drain levels. They are generally one or two points lower then the generic versions of the spells.

[SpellBinder]

Latest errata for Street Grimoire (circa 09/24/2014 via here), here's what I've got on a small battery of spells (note that all are Direct spells):

* Manaball - Type M, LOS (A), Damage P, Drain F; affects all living things indiscriminately, including all spirits and shedim possessed corpses; inanimate objects are left alone
* Stunball - Type M, LOS (A), Damage S, Drain F; same as Manaball, but is gentle about it; inanimate objects are also left alone
* Powerball - Type P, LOS (A), Damage P, Drain F, blasts everything in the area without a care in the world, spirits, ghouls, gangers, your best friend's favorite motorcycle, etc.
* Insecticide [insect spirit] - Type M, LOS (A), Damage P, Drain F + 1; limited to affecting one type of insect spirit only (wasp, roach, ant, etc.); at least you don't have to also include Caretaker, Nymph, Scout, Soldier, Worker, or Queen/Mother
* Slaughter [metatype/species] - Type M, LOS (A), Damage P, Drain F - 2; affects one metatype or species only (orks, centaurs, wolf shifters; arguably includes specific HMHVV infected like ghouls & vampires, and specifically included all spirits in general & all dragons in general as options in the previous edition); note it too leaves inanimate objects alone
* Destroy [Free Spirit] - Type M, LOS, Damage P, Drain F - 3; included for comparison, and an extremely specialized spell as it will work on only one singular free spirit in the whole metaverse; by the pattern of spells, Drain F if you wish to make this an area effect to make it easier to hit your singular prey; this includes Queen/Mother insect spirits as they are specifically noted as being free spirits (tread carefully, as this spell does count as a copy of the spirit's formula).
* Magebolt - Type P, LOS, Damage P, Drain F - 4; also included for comparison (from Shadow Spells), and by patterns of other spells Drain F - 1 for an area version; affects only Awakened and/or the dual natured, so will indiscriminately affect all spirits of all types so long as they're actually materialized or inhabiting/possessing someone/something.  Also useful for those pesky HMHVV infected or blasting dragons (if you're truly looking to kill yourself).

Based on the information I have, Slaughter is easiest on the drain compared to its application, and arguably a much more broadly effective spell against spirits in general than Insecticide as it's usable against all spirits, which would also include blood, toxic, shadows, and shedim as well as insect and your basic spirit.  Maybe even watcher spirits as well ("walks like a duck...").  Of course, this will affect your own spirits at the same time if they're caught in the area of effect.

[PiXeL01]

As far as slaughter goes I would not allow spirits as the species chosen. I would rule that it must be a living creature that is born and exists primarily on the physical plane.

If spirits were to be allowed I would limit the spell to each subclass of spirits (fire, air etc.)

[Reaver]

Yea.. spirits are really iffy with the slay/slaughter spells.

They are not really 'living' in the physical plane, as visiting. With bodies made up of no real anatomy. And the rules clearly state to kill a spirit permenately, you have to do it on the metaplanes....

[Top Dog]

Yea.. spirits are really iffy with the slay/slaughter spells.

They are not really 'living' in the physical plane, as visiting. With bodies made up of no real anatomy. And the rules clearly state to kill a spirit permenately, you have to do it on the metaplanes....

Slay/Slaughter [stuff] don't actually slay or slaughter the targets in question as a direct effect - they just do damage. The name is just that, a fancy name. And since Manabolt and the like work on spirits...

That they're not a metatype or species is a better reason for me not to let that work.

On to the general topic: I brought it up with my GM, and he had a good point - you can use the insecticide line of spells freely on pretty much anything, and only Inspect spirits will get hurt. That means that, if you suspect an insect spirit to hide among a group of people, you can just Insecticide them all and the metahumans will be fine (well, until the spirit starts eating them - but oh well). Is that worth getting such a specific spell? Probably not for most people. Maybe for specialists. But it has its uses.

[Jack_Spade]

Hard Targets insinuated in a fluff text, that an alchemical preparation with those special spells only triggers if the correct species touches them.

I don't think that's how it works by RAW, but it would make a nice house rule.

[Sendaz]

On to the general topic: I brought it up with my GM, and he had a good point - you can use the insecticide line of spells freely on pretty much anything, and only Inspect spirits will get hurt. That means that, if you suspect an insect spirit to hide among a group of people, you can just Insecticide them all and the metahumans will be fine (well, until the spirit starts eating them - but oh well). Is that worth getting such a specific spell? Probably not for most people. Maybe for specialists. But it has its uses.

Yes that could use the spell that way.  So say you are running down a fleeing Insect form and it dives into a crowd to try and lose you, this spell could work well to basically target the Insect hiding among them.

Just keep in mind if you cast in a crowded area you have a good chance someone else may notice the casting, even if they are not being affected by it directly and could react to it.

Which if most of the crowd are just normal joes they may panic a bit, hit the ground or take off running because they don't know what you are casting and wisely chose not to stick around to find out.

But say there is a bigwig with security around him in the crowd, for example a local Don out having just come out of his favourite place to eat lunch and has 4 goons tagging along, said security may default to geek the mage first before asking why you were casting just on good practices.

[Rooks]

Target type specific spells have the advantage of hitting certain types and the reduction of drain say you are fighting infected and surrounded by ghouls just cast slaughter ghouls and watch them fall while your team remains unaffected, or slaughter humans and your team is a bunch of orks trolls dwarves and elves (just make sure your teammates arent one of the infected or taken the poser/human looking qualities XD)