[Critias]

What are the effects of Totems/Mentor Spirits?

I'm curious what folks will have to say about those (a few big changes in particular).   

[jamesfirecat]

Have they changed ranged combat defense (it is just Reaction for passive defense in SR4), or is this specific to indirect spells?

It's changed. Your standard, automatic Defense roll is REA+INT.

It seems to be part of the whole rebalancing and streamlining of combat, along with increased DV  for weapons, and Armor ratings. In practice, it seems you will hit your targets less often than in 4th, but you'll do more damage when you do. That means that at the table you will tend to spend less time calculating damage dealt, which speeds up combat by quite a bit.

I woud actually argue against saying you are less likely to hit but more likely to cream someone when you connect.  The removal of narrow bursts and thus the full phase action "if I can hit, you are taking 17p (nine for the burst, one for e-ex ammo and seven for the gun) and net hits" has beena replace do 12 p and net hits but you are at -9 to dodge which seems to have the exact opposite effect.

[Michael Chandra]

You can only pull a -9 twice due to cumulative recoil though, after that you're not hitting anyone.

[jamesfirecat]

You can only pull a -9 twice due to cumulative recoil though, after that you're not hitting anyone.

In 5e yes,  But what you do is get an initiative score that should be in the 20s, (like 10 or 11 and three d6) full burst, then spend your next action just aiming then full burst again on your third action since the aiming gave you a chance to reset your progressive recoil.

At least until more fancy recoil nullifies (like foot anchors) come out.  Possibly also spend that middle action to launch/roll a grenade at somebody you really don't like since I know throwing (but not sure about launching) a grenade would reset your recoil.

(Also you can do two long bursts with some aiming as simple actions on your first and second actions if you expect the fight to end in the first to go rounds before you get to your third)

But in my opinion that is neither here nor there in my thoughts  how likely you are to hit versus how hard do you hit in 5e versus 4e in my opinion.

[Mara]

What are the effects of Totems/Mentor Spirits?

I'm curious what folks will have to say about those (a few big changes in particular).   

Yeah...I love how, we have a thread about this, and people are fixating on something as unimportant as area effect
spells. I want to know about the important stuff!

[Wailer]

What are the effects of Totems/Mentor Spirits?

I'm curious what folks will have to say about those (a few big changes in particular).   

Yeah...I love how, we have a thread about this, and people are fixating on something as unimportant as area effect
spells. I want to know about the important stuff!

Each post after that initial question made me more and more anxious to find out about what's been done with the "feel" of the traditional Traditions and Totems, so I'm right with you Mara. Have to say though, I love the consideration of factored in miss effects of the phys. combat spells!

"Aw man, I just lightning bolted Marvin in the face!"

- Wailer

[Wildcard]

From what I've heard... I love the changes.

Flashy, elemental, and easy to resist magic spells now have a reason for casting them. On top of which, throwing a lane of literal fire down an alley is no longer going to be dodged. I'm very happy.

Here's to hoping that elemental armor isn't ubiquitous as it was in 4th.

Edit : Any word on Fetishes? Those things annoyed the shit out of me in 4th. Practically free, added 2 to drain with practically no drawbacks whatsoever. 

[StarManta]

Edit : Any word on Fetishes? Those things annoyed the shit out of me in 4th. Practically free, added 2 to drain with practically no drawbacks whatsoever.

Not mentioned in the book, except as flavor texts for describing magical lodges.

[Rapier]

What are preparations?

[ChromeZephyr]

The things you do so as not to get filled with lead by the opposition.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[StarManta]

What are preparations?

Alchemy!

There's a new(?) skill called Alchemy where you can imbue an object with a spell. Kind of like Quickened spells, but more short-term and everyday.

[Lysanderz]

And as far as I've read about alchemy (I even started my own rules thread) I don't see anywhere in the book that says a Magician can't make one, pass it to his buddy and say "When you see bad guys, throw this at them and scream "Yohem Nephilem" as you do".

Basically you set how to activate it, you spend some money on the lynchpin (the object) and any reagents (powdered rhinoceros horn for example) and make a test for it. Soak some drain and it lasts for a set number of hours equal to the potency gained. When activated it flings off a spell bound to it and becomes a normal object afterwards.

I'm particularly amused with the example in the book about etching a credstick as a lynchpin and setting it up with a Death spell with the trigger being "Next person who touches it". Makes for a nasty trick for your standard rent-a-cop.

[tequila]

That's how I understand them to work.

[Lysanderz]

I hate the idea of Corpsec getting these things handed to them to throw at runners.

Team Mage "No mages among them.... But I see an astral signature. Weird"
Me "Why did they just throw a stick at us...... OMG FIRE EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!
Team Mage "Oh shit, that ain't cool....."

[StarManta]

I love that idea!