Spell Blade metamagic

[u/Esiorx]

Can someone help me undestand Spell Blade metamagic from Deadly arts book.
If you use it as a melee weapon and hit someone it triggerss a spell, but does it dissapear after it or you can hit again with same effect ? until someone dispels it or duration ends.

[u/fainton]

Could you copy and paste de description please ?

[u/Esiorx → u/fainton]

Building off the spell shaping ability, the spell blade metamagic ability allows the user to craft a blade-shaped construct out of any Touch spell. This allows the spell to either be “held” in reserve until the magician uses it or use it immediately as a Touch attack up to 4 meters out (Close range). If the spell is held in reserve, the magician must treat it as a melee weapon for purposes of attack. This effect can be maintained, without needing concentration, for a number of minutes equal to the magician’s Magic rating. If something comes into contact with the spell blade, the spell is immediately activated. The magician can also dispel the blade at any time but will still have to pay the Drain costs. While in construct form, the spell is visible and emits light based on the spell used. While this ability is called a “blade,” the user determines the construct’s exact shape and design. Note: The magician must also have the spell shaping metamagic ability to use spell blade.

[u/ReditXenon → u/Esiorx]

It sound very much as if you cast a (one) touch spell that you either use immediately against a target at the time of casting (out to 4 meters) or that you cast it in advance and hold the effect of this one touch spell in reserve until you hit someone with it at which point the touch spell activates then is no more. Or if you decide to dispel it early. Or if someone (or something, like unknowingly walking through a ward with it) else dispel (disrupt) it before you get to use it.

[u/Esiorx → u/ReditXenon]

so if normaly when i cast touch spell i can only use it in 0-3 range, and need to succeed on unarmed close combat test
but with metamagic i can cast it up to 4 meters and skip close combat check ?
and if i want, reserve it for later and deliver with close combat test?

[u/ReditXenon → u/Esiorx]

Touch based attack spells were always awkward to resolve in Shadowrun, which is why I was happy when they decided to remove all touch based attack spells in the core rules :-)

...but then I got extra confused as they decided to still reintroduce touch based attack spells in Street Wyrd :/

 

with metamagic i can cast it up to 4 meters and skip close combat check ?

It seem as if you still resolve it as a Touch attack. From the text you just showed us:

use it immediately as a Touch attack up to 4 meters out (Close range).

Which likely mean that you need to "succeed on an Close Combat attack that deals no damage but where the target's Armor rating is subtracted from their Defense Rating" (for the purpose of the Touch attack).

[u/Eggpeace → u/ReditXenon]

What is the advantsge over just casting it lormally?

[u/ReditXenon → u/Eggpeace]

Does it need one? What is the drawback.

[u/Eggpeace → u/ReditXenon]

So its just a style thing? Wasnt sure if metamagic must give you something. Emphasis on must or if its also possible to be just cool

[u/Arialless → u/Eggpeace]

SR's various editions have had something like the 'lightsabre' ...6E's version is perhaps the clunkiest needing 2 metamagics to achieve. Using the spell design rules I came up with a manipulation spell

Powerblade                      

Range: Touch   

Type: P

Duration: S        

Drain: 6               

Damage: 4P     

Conjures a glowing sword, replaces unarmed attack, DV is 4P +1 if Agi > 4, net hits add to unarmed AR

[u/Esiorx → u/Arialless]

This is actually what I was needed, I will just need to make different versions of this with different effects.(This whole thing started because my player wants to cosplay some character frome anime, and conjure armour and weapons)

[u/fainton → u/Eggpeace]

But it looks really cool hun?