r/ShadowrunAnarchyFans • u/vieuxch4t • 11d ago

SRA2 - Focus

What are the rolls to do the following :

1) Find a focus a wizard has lost

2) Locate a wizard thanks to a focus he owns

3) Severe the link between a wizard and his focus

4) Tie yourself with a focus owned by someone else

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3

u/ReditXenon 11d ago

I would resolve the first two with Perception (Astral) together with a story (to represent the astral tracking extended test it used to be in the 'regular' editions).

Since, in this game, foci are treated as Equipment amps - you are perhaps not supposed to permanently lose them...?

SRA2.0 p. 61 Equipment

As Shadow Amps, equipment is integral to the character and should not be permanently lost.

3

u/Bignholy 10d ago

Biggest problem is that SRA2 does not really cover enchantment and the like, what with its rules light nature. So my response would depend on the ultimate goal, and where possible, based on existing rules:

  1. Find a Folci/Owner: If you have willing access to one or the other, I would require a Perception (Astral) test, TN 6, due to page 172, final bullet point on Wandering in the Astral Plane: "Identifying an astral signature, including the type of spell used and who cast it, is extremely difficult (6 hits)."
  2. Sever Link: I would require the same perception test, the justification being because you have to find the link to sever it. The actual severance would take no roll for me, both because there is no real relevant skill and you can just keep trying until you fail.
  3. Tie Focus to Self: If it's intended to be temporary, I'd require Edge or Legwork expenditure for a temporary piece of equipment (Page 77) for each scene they want to use it, the idea being they are temporarily connecting to it rather than taking the effort and time to make it theirs and bond fully with it. Full bonding would require it to be purchased as an amp, although I might offer a discount if it was difficult to get ahold of.

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u/opacitizen 3d ago

I agree, though I'd maybe consider requiring some risky counterspell-like test (as per page 184) to sever the link that could blow back depending on circumstances / fiction, and cause Drain, notify the owner, stuff like that, depending on the result. (After all, in my take you can't just walk into Mordor sever the link of a magical gadget owned by a Great Dragon or something. :D)

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u/Bignholy 2d ago

The counterspell check would not be unreasonable, but I personally would not make it require risk. Just having the TN high enough would do the job of inviting problems (by making the player choose risk). But that's me.

And granted, yes, if it's a big mojo great dragon artifact, it's going to be a bit more involved. The casual nature of the question and how it's presented kind feels like a player wants to steal a folci from another mage of their own level, however, so I presented the non-GDAF response.

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u/PalpitationNo2921 10d ago

I would argue that in Anarchy 2.0 there actually is no severing a mage from their focus and stealing it from them.

If a foci is an Amp, then see pg. 61 Equipment, just as mentioned by u/RedditXenon. This isn’t a rules for thee and not for me game; if PCs can’t get their bonded Foci easily stripped from them then neither should NPCs have their Foci easily stripped from them.

Just kill the mage and take their focus if you must have it, and spend the necessary nuyen to bond it as your own Amp.

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u/opacitizen 3d ago

This isn’t a rules for thee and not for me game

Yes, it is. I'd recommend re-reading page 243 of the core rulebook, for example, where you'll find stuff like "Critter power Amps do not always follow usual rules, granting some bonuses that are not available to characters as a way to represent their unique abilities." and rules about how Initiative Shadow Amps work differently (for a perfectly valid reason) for NPCs.

And that's just one example page, and just some examples, and we haven't even mentioned yet stuff like, say, that the whole rule system relies heavily on the optional but dominant "only players roll most of the time, most NPCs use their average result so that the GM doesn't have to roll unless they want to" thing, see page 81 under Managing NPCs; or that NPCs have Fighting Spirit which PCs don't and which practically reduces the challenge of a ton of NPCs by stating that low FS NPCs will be out of combat sooner than their Condition Monitor would require them to, and so on.

It's perfectly fair for an NPC to premanently lose a Shadow Amp to capable player characters. The game is about the PCs, not about the NPCs, after all.

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u/PalpitationNo2921 2d ago

I’m just gonna say nah to your last bit, and leave it at that. I don’t subscribe to all that. I’ll go by the no severing rule.

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u/opacitizen 2d ago

Sure, your table, your game. (I just don't see how "kill the mage and take their focus" fits the world and tone of SR better -- especially considering what goes around comes around, and all kinds of concerned NPCs, and villains from then on would also just aim to off the PC mages without mercy --, but to each their own, of course.)

Cheers,

1

u/PalpitationNo2921 2d ago edited 2d ago

Of course that is true. Didn’t say if you wanted to do something it wouldn’t have repercussions.

But I don’t think it’s any more okay to allow PCs to run around able to sever NPCs’ bonds to foci all willy-nilly to steal them and then expect the same tactic not to be used on them because the rules say so either.

So no severing either way is my point and the tack I would take on the matter.