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[SR5] Can preparations goes through Mana Barriers?

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belaran

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« on: <04-02-18/0645:32> »
Hi all,

as sustained or quickened spells, along with activated focii, gets "shutdown" by a Mana Barrier, it stands to reason that a preparation would be diffused by a Mana Barrier... However, maybe I am wrong and/or overlook something denying or confirming this...





PiXeL01

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« Reply #1 on: <04-02-18/0705:38> »
Anything that is magically “active” on the plane the mana barrier is raised will be stopped by it, so yes preparations would be stopped too if triggered before the barrier. 

Before that they act like deactivated foci i would say
If Tom Brady’s a Spike Baby, what does that make Brees and Rodgers?

Marcus

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« Reply #2 on: <04-02-18/1242:48> »
I'm not sure if they are considered magically active or not. Gonna have to go look this one up.
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PiXeL01

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« Reply #3 on: <04-02-18/1250:19> »
Looking at p. 304 it appears they only become active once activated
If Tom Brady’s a Spike Baby, what does that make Brees and Rodgers?

Marcus

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« Reply #4 on: <04-02-18/1255:28> »
I would say it does, based upon the wording of astral barrier " impedes spirits, foci, dual beings, and
spells on the plane in which you cast it (physical or astral)." 294 core. I'm not sold that they are foci, but the wording in alchemy on preparations clearly refers to them as spells. As such "And Spells" indicates to me that it does.

But i do think this could be argued ether way. So I would buck it up the chain.
« Last Edit: <04-02-18/1257:42> by Marcus »
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Kiirnodel

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« Reply #5 on: <04-02-18/1432:36> »
Preparations are spells that haven't been cast yet. Once the preparation is triggered it becomes dual-natured so if the lynch pin were to pass through a barrier it could then get disrupted. Before then, it is inert so it can pass through barriers

Marcus

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« Reply #6 on: <04-02-18/1506:52> »
Preparations are spells that haven't been cast yet. Once the preparation is triggered it becomes dual-natured so if the lynch pin were to pass through a barrier it could then get disrupted. Before then, it is inert so it can pass through barriers

So in your opinion a Preparation isn't active until lynch pin is triggered? I'm not sure where I stand on this. But I'm interested in your logic.
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Kiirnodel

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« Reply #7 on: <04-02-18/1636:41> »
Core description of preparations. It mentions several times how the crafting of a preparation stores the spell to be activated later. How it becomes dual-natured while the spell is active, so forth and so on.

Notably, it never refers to the preparation itself (the object) as a "spell" only as preparation or lynchpin. The only times it refers to a spell is when it talks about choosing which spell the preparation will have. Preparations release and cast the spell later, in the intervening time they are not active magic.

And yes, they have the astral signature of its creator, but so do bound foci, even when deactivated. If inactive foci can pass through, logically the same would hold true for inactive preparations.

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« Reply #8 on: <04-02-18/2320:31> »
Not in use preps: Yes, safe to move through
In use preps: No, roll for disruption

Lorebane24

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« Reply #9 on: <04-04-18/1308:11> »
I was wondčing about this myself, because I remeber explicitly designig a run around this once, where the Johnson hired the party to shame a triad talismonger by swapping out a rare plant-based regeant he was goig to present to the boss.  Party had to bring a potted plant with then and make the switch without detection, but the truth was the inside of the pot was inscribed with a fireball preparation on a timer.  Got past bomb scanners and the mana ward on a balcony, and then went off during the meeting with the triad boss.
The power of the Tri-Horse!

Tecumseh

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« Reply #10 on: <04-04-18/1638:16> »
Here's the next hypothetical question:

If we assume that a mana barrier would stop a preparation that hasn't been activated yet (not sure I would rule that way, just laying out the conditions for the next questions) then what if the preparation is being carried in a biofiber pocket (Hard Targets, p. 185)?

Or, similarly, what if one of the runners is a mule? What happens if you pop the preparation in your mouth (or fingertip compartment, or skin pocket, or wherever) and walk through the mana barrier?

Marcus

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« Reply #11 on: <04-04-18/1643:02> »
Didn't we just conclude it wouldn't stop a none trigger preparation?

So you do you mean the other way around?

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Pericles

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« Reply #12 on: <04-05-18/0854:22> »
To me, the rules are pretty clear that they are not dual-natured until activated. There is the aformentioned quote on page 304 of the the core rules,

Quote
Preparations which, when active, sustain a spell, become temporarily dual-natured while the spell is active.

And in the Quick Answers to Questions about Preparations side bar on page 210 of Street Grimoire, 5th bullet point.

Quote
Preparations become dual-natured only when active, so they cannot be triggered from the Astral plane.


Not a lot of interpretation there, as I see it.

Tecumseh

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« Reply #13 on: <04-05-18/1229:49> »
Didn't we just conclude it wouldn't stop a none trigger preparation?

Yes, that was the broad consensus, and I think I agree with it. I was trying to flip things around for the sake of speculation.

I'll reword the question: what if you have a triggered preparation, which is now dual-natured. For the purposes of the question it can be something innocuous, like a pebble with a Light spell. So, just a small, glowing rock, which the preparation will sustain for (Force) minutes.

Can you effectively smuggle that dual-natured preparation through a mana barrier by putting it in something else, like a skin pocket or a smuggling compartment?

I'm going to guess the answer is no, that the mana barrier will stop the dual-natured preparation even if it's within another aura (that wouldn't be affected by the barrier), but I was interested if there were any opinions to the contrary.