Shadowrun Play > Rules and such

Random quesitons_Combat spells vs. doors ?

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Tnirb:
After a fun run last night the players and I got some questions. Only 3rd time we play Shadowrun so got a lot to learn yet. :)

1: So the Streets Shaman tried to blow down a rusty iron door in some sewer beneath Seattle. He used "Powerball" as it is the only Physical spell he got at the moment. The doors rating is sat to 12 - something like a reinforced wooden door+. P. 112, "Breaking Through" Doesn't say anything about spells.
Is it even possible? Guess he needs Damage on net hits to be +6 every time to meet/exceed the struture rating?

2: Spells line of sight (LOS): A player asked if a silhouette behind a curtain is "LOS"?

3: And for AoE spells: Can you aim at a corner of a building to make the AoE hit targets in cover? Or do you need LOS to the AoE-area?

Michael Chandra:
Since it's a physical spell which does Physical damage, I'd treat it like a normal weapon attack. So yes, that puts it at needing Amping before you even are allowed to damage it. If you want a dedicated spell, you'd need a variant of Ram. Then again, as a GM you might rule 'since spell effects are a bit bigger than simple bullets, let's rule them as specialized melee' and let them use their net hits.

Line of sight needs a physical line of sight. So no, the silhouette isn't within LOS unless it's an indirect combat spell, then you'd be blasting the spell through the curtain.

AoE: I don't know what the rules exactly state, but I'm used to 'mana needs you to also have LOS on the targets in the AoE, physical you only need the LOS to unleash the spell at its center'.

MercilessMing:

--- Quote from: Tnirb on ---After a fun run last night the players and I got some questions. Only 3rd time we play Shadowrun so got a lot to learn yet. :)

1: So the Streets Shaman tried to blow down a rusty iron door in some sewer beneath Seattle. He used "Powerball" as it is the only Physical spell he got at the moment. The doors rating is sat to 12 - something like a reinforced wooden door+. P. 112, "Breaking Through" Doesn't say anything about spells.
Is it even possible? Guess he needs Damage on net hits to be +6 every time to meet/exceed the struture rating?

--- End quote ---
Powerball is Direct Damage, so the caster rolls Sorcery + Magic.  Since it's a physical object, the barrier rolls Object Resistance (CRB pg 129).  Caster's net hits become damage to the object.  That's how direct damage spells operate.
Here's a caveat for other uses of Powerball from Street Wyrd - "If the Body of the object such as a vehicle or drone is greater than the Object Resistance, use the Body of object instead."

But what does damage to the object mean exactly?
This doesn't get covered until the magic supplement Street Wyrd on pg. 28. 

--- Quote from: Street Wyrd pg 28 ---Damage reduces the Structure Rating of the barrier. If the Structure Rating is reduced to 0, a one-half-meter hole is created in the structure. Additional net hits increase the size of the hole by half a meter in diameter, up to caster’s Magic rating meters in diameter.

--- End quote ---
It seems this is a really inefficient way to blow a hole in something, but a good way to damage and destroy the entire structure.


--- Quote ---2: Spells line of sight (LOS): A player asked if a silhouette behind a curtain is "LOS"?

--- End quote ---
No.  You have to actually see the thing, not just know where it is.


--- Quote ---3: And for AoE spells: Can you aim at a corner of a building to make the AoE hit targets in cover? Or do you need LOS to the AoE-area?

--- End quote ---
AoE spells are actually marked "LOS(A)" in the rules. The book defines it as "the spell has a LOS range and also has an area of effect".  LOS range declares "the caster needs physical line of sight to the target".  This could be clearer, but my take is that only targets you have LOS on in the area are affected, because that's how I remember old versions of Shadowrun working.  I guess you have to ask yourself if the spell is affecting the area, or things in the area.  Some spells (phantasm) affect an area.  When it comes to Powerball, I say that things in the area are the targets.

Tnirb:
Thanks - you guys rock! :)

Xenon:

--- Quote from: Michael Chandra on ---Line of sight needs a physical line of sight. So no, the silhouette isn't within LOS unless it's an indirect combat spell, then you'd be blasting the spell through the curtain.
--- End quote ---
Is this actually spelled out in SR6 somewhere...?

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