[Juxtamon]

Aloha, wise rulez-lurkers.  Gotta question regarding these new rules.

     Is it so that the Object Resistance Table modifiers (20th Anniv. rules p.183) aren't applied to Indirect Combat spells?  The Direct Combat description is quite explicit about it.
 
      As well, the physical manipulations like Fling and Levitation - Object Resistance or no?  The in-spell descriptions are mostly pretty good about what conditions to apply, but, for example, Levitate only states the threshold for weight (1 per 200kg).

     I would like to guess that the table's mods don't apply to Physical Barrier, because that would mean, for example, a drone would just roll through all but the burliest of the Barrier ratings, based on threshold successes.  Unless that *is* the intent of the Resistance Table thing, but the spirit of it seems to be for spells that target something when it is cast.

    Tertially, I'm wondering whichThresholds to use.  The 20th book itself has thresholds of 1 (natural objects), 2 (manufactured/low-tech), 4 (manufactured high-tech), 6+ (highly processed).  The 'SR 4A Changes Document' has the threshold levels, respectively, at 1/2/3/5+.  Which one is meant to be considered The One And True Table?

      Thanks for your suggestions/help/humourous hijacks.
   

[Casazil]

They wrote 1, 2, 4, 6+ then the players got ahold of it and ripped it a good one  on Dumpshock I guess the writes saw that and dropped it a little to the now offical 1, 2, 3, 5+.

As to useing it I myself say that if a spell is going to hit something the spell needs to get past the object resistance reguardless of spell.

If you didn't run it that way things would get beat down in the world too fast everything should have some resistance to magic.

[Mäx]

Indirect combat spells do ignore object resistance IMHO.
A lightning bolt spell creates an actual lightning and it doesn't make any sense what so ever for that to care about OR.

[Lansdren]

Yep the cost of that extra drain pays off for not having to care about object resistance.

Elemental effect spells are fun 

Drains a bitch but the side effects are handy

[Juxtamon]

Hokie-dokie, for the Indirect Combat spells.

For Levitate/Fling?  I can see cases for both reasonings (resistance vs. not), but I s'pose I'll have to see how it plays amongst my group, and see if there's anything scary unbalanced about either judgement.

  Or maybe it says something in the updated 4a book, which I have just gotten hands on.  I'm'a gonna check.

[Lansdren]

for fling and levitate I would say no it doesnt need to get past resistances. Your not trying to damage or change them in anyway just move them otherwise you end up with a silly situation where the mage tries to levitate the sam and his very cool expensive and most inportantly processed armour stays where it was either crushing the same or leaving him naked and floating.

[Mäx]

for fling and levitate I would say no it doesnt need to get past resistances. Your not trying to damage or change them in anyway just move them otherwise you end up with a silly situation where the mage tries to levitate the sam and his very cool expensive and most inportantly processed armour stays where it was either crushing the same or leaving him naked and floating.

Agreed, OR is for when your trying to affect the object, levitating it doesn't really count as such.

[Juxtamon]

Seems reasonable, and jibes with the spirit of the writin'.  I s'pose one might interpret it as not *directly* affecting the target per se ('indirect' manipulations?), but creating a FORCE that can shove stuff around, if it's well-crafted/strong enough.

   Plus, no-one really wants to see that naked Sammy.

   Thanks for input, all.  Much better than just talking out loud to myself.