Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => GM's Toolbox => Topic started by: All4BigGuns on <01-16-15/2210:53>
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Grounding a Spell
Grounding is the method through which an Awakened individual can channel their magic through a dual natured object or being in order to affect the physical world from the Astral Plane. The way this is accomplished is that first, the astrally projecting Magician or Spirit must cast the spell as normal except that they must make a second Magic + Spellcasting test with a threshold of the Magic rating of the target channeling the spell into the physical world. If this test fails, the spell 'fizzles' but the caster must still resist the full Drain value. For this purpose, the Force of a focus is treated as the Magic rating. An Initiate has an easier time performing this feat and reduces the threshold by his grade of Initiation to a minimum threshold of 2. Only so much magical energy can be funneled through any given connection, so as a result, the Limit for the spell becomes either the Force of the spell or the Magic rating of the channel, whichever is lower. Furthermore, the act of forcing magic through this channel in order to cross the boundary between worlds is taxing on the caster imposing a +3 DV to the Drain value of the spell in question. Regardless of the success or failure of the spell or the attempt at channeling it across planar boundaries, the dual natured being (or the bonded owner in the case of a focus) can immediately make an Assensing + Intuition test in order to notice the attempt.
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The +3 DV AND the high threshold make this a bit of dealbreaker, IMHO.
It either needs to be simplified or have only one of them (and then be adjusted a bit).
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The +3 DV AND the high threshold make this a bit of dealbreaker, IMHO.
It either needs to be simplified or have only one of them (and then be adjusted a bit).
I set it up in this way so that it got easier as one Initiated. Hit Grade 4 Initiation and most opponents you'll face will probably be around a 2 threshold.
Edit- I am considering making it half Magic rating (which I considered before I wrote that out), but I'm afraid that the people who really hate Grounding at all will claim "overpowered".
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Edit- I am considering making it half Magic rating (which I considered before I wrote that out), but I'm afraid that the people who really hate Grounding at all will claim "overpowered".
The only people that you should care about with this are your fellow players and/or your GM. The rest of us on here can give you opinions that you should probably feel free to ignore if you don't like them.
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The +3 DV AND the high threshold make this a bit of dealbreaker, IMHO.
It either needs to be simplified or have only one of them (and then be adjusted a bit).
I set it up in this way so that it got easier as one Initiated. Hit Grade 4 Initiation and most opponents you'll face will probably be around a 2 threshold.
Edit- I am considering making it half Magic rating (which I considered before I wrote that out), but I'm afraid that the people who really hate Grounding at all will claim "overpowered".
Nah, upon further thought, you're original formulation is probably best. Even a moderately powered character can reach Initiate grade 2 or 3, making the threshold 3-4 max. (most of the time). At a threshold of 4, you can buy the hits with pools over 16 or get it on average with a pool of 12... both of which are stupidly easy to get, even at CharGen.
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I have two thoughts: shouldn't it be easier to ground through higher magic targets as their connection to the astral is stronger? Make the threshold X-(target's magic) instead.
Would it be too restrictive as a metamagic disciplin?
Don't get me wrong I loved grounding back in SR2 as well as ordering spirits to hover over magicians in the astral and delay their actions until they tried to cast a spell ^^ so I'm all for bringing it back.
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Depends if you think using Foci needs to be punished. If you do, that explanation and ruling works fine.
I don't think they need to be punished for something they paid karma for, so I would change the fluff to be more complex and hardy, not just more attuned magically. That way, I figure it should still be more difficult.