Magicians in the Shadows

Shadowrun is rife with extraordinary characters.  Cybered up street monsters, veteran mercenaries possessed of incredible combat skills, deckers and technomancers who command the matrix/net like no one else, riggers who make machines dance to their will, the common folk who just try to make it through the day, and the awakened.

Playing an awakened character in Shadowrun offers a wide variety of fantastic in-game abilities.  Whether you are playing a physical adept, an aspected magician or a full magician, your character's abilities put them well above the capabilities of the common man.  The streets are violent though, and the phrase "geek the mage first" has seen a generation of use.

On the mean streets you're a target for recruitment by gangs, organized crime families and corporations.  In a fight you're a target for the "geek the mage first" line of thought, and flying bullets don't give a drek about how deeply you've explored the metaplanes.  In the shadows of society you'll need your magic to give you an edge in those situations you may find yourself in, and then learn to protect yourself and grow your power to defend against those things yet to come.

Here I want to call your attention to a few things magicians should consider as they continue their career in the shadows.

Who you are and who you appear to be:

Having an identity that is verifiable is important in all aspects of life.  If you have a real SIN, and are using it, keep activity that is traceable to that identity in line with who you wish to appear to be "on paper".   Maintain separate identities and live in them to keep up appearances.  This gives you options for where to run to when something invariably goes wrong.

If your real SIN has you as a convicted magical criminal you can use that to great effect for role playing opportunity.  Set up a residence in a low security zone.  Check in with your parole/probation officer and report on all the places that have refused to hire you because of your past.  Keep up appearnaces with your P/O, who will report your doings and firm up your ID in the system.  Yes, this helps solidify that you're a criminal piece of drek in their minds and that reflects in your identity.  Need a place to hide out for few weeks?   Undertake one of the vocational training programs offered to criminals and disappear into a work training facility for a while.  Need to infiltrate a corporate manufacturing center that still uses metahuman labor?  See above!

If your real SIN doesn't record you as a magician, then you're begging for trouble later on.  This is fantastic as it means that you absolutely, POSITIVELY, DO NOT want to get caught by law enforcement.  Being caught as an unlicensed magician in the commission of a crime is a horrible thing to live under.  This is a great role playing opportunity and one that should encourage you to take every precaution against discovery.  (more on this later).

If you SIN is real, and it does record you as a licensed magician, you're going to get a LOT of spam.  As a game master consider having people send requests for seances, magical healing, business offers, employment opportunities, etc coming in to the magician's electronic communications.  Magic is a hot commodity (even in the 5th edition of the game) so treat is as such.  Going through an airport security check point as a licensed magician? Well then, expect to wait while security gets the awakened officer on duty to come look over your aura.  Out to dinner when a spirit rampages in the street outside?  Expect law enforcement officers to ask you some pointed questions.    Being highly visible in this way means that your shadow work but be closely guarded.  Wipe your astral signature from every area you work magic in.  Make judicious use of invisibility that works for eyes and mechanical devices.

Do it with magic and style 

Regardless of the circumstances of your genuine identity (who you are) the guise you work under (who you appear to be) can be as flamboyant or low-key as you like.  The key to success in living multiple lives is to make sure the two lives don't intersect.  Here are some pointers, for use when you have a group (like mine) that looks for ways to trip up a careless runner:

1) Use separate commlinks for each identity you assume. Keep different contacts, use different social media applications, frequent different bars and restaurants, maintain different tube passes, etc.  Be different and in character in your habits while under each identity.  You're essentially undercover, so act like it!

2) Live somewhere else.  I shouldn't have to say this, but I do.  You can maintain several different identities, and that is a good thing, but each should have a different residence indicated.  Go and live in each of your residences each week.  Pay your bills (lifestyle expense).  Turn the trideo on and leave it running for twelve hours or so.  I also recommend keeping separate gear in these locations.  Spare weapons, clothes, hide credsticks on site and know at least one of your neighbors.  Keep up appearances.  This will give you a nice hideout to use if/when things go wrong.  Is it more expensive? Yes.  But it is also a good way for a professional criminal to avoid capture while planning a way out of town.

3) If you can, use shape changing magic.  Illusions are great, shape changing is better.  Is your character a dwarf shaman?  Well then, shape changing into a burly orc is a great disguise.  Did you draw too much heat and need to disappear?  Learn to quicken spells, and become someone else.   When using shape changing magic (or illusions for that matter) it can be tempting to shape change in a dazzlingly beautiful or physically exceptional specimen.  Don't do that. It's a good way to get people to look at you which is the LAST thing you want when you are hiding out.

Radically different changes, like changing metatype and gender can make for fantastic disguises.  Just remember to watch out for the perils of being identified by your astral signature.

4)  If you use magic, wipe away your astral signature.  This should be a standard operating procedure for all awakened beings.  Clean up after yourself and, hopefully, the people you acted against won't find you from your astral signature.  Now fingerprints and DNA you left behind....

5) Masking and extended masking are your friend.   I've spent most of my Shadowrun game play experience playing magicians.  I had never bothered with masking and extended masking until creating my latest character John Elder.  I relied on being clever, using little magic, cleaning up my astral signature and going through a lot of extra steps to go places that are less than welcoming to the awakened.  Save yourself some trouble and learn the masking metamagic as soon as you can.  Become Joe Normal to the awakened cop on the street.  Hide your true power from Mr. Johnson's gaze.  Conceal your power until you need it.  Let your enemies be surprised by your might.

6) Carry a gun and know how to use it.  Magical mayhem is fantastic in a pinch, and will tire you out something awful in a prolonged firefight.  Learn to use a gun and use it well. If heavy combat is in order, that little polymer projectile thrower can be a real life saver for you.  Get to know your chummers who know guns and get some range time and tactile firearm training from them.  Know what people mean when they say things like "controlling the lane of fire", and the difference between 'concealment' and 'cover'.    Remember that there is a difference between a gunfight and a gun battle.  In a gun battle you have to reload.  Plan accordingly.

People will notice folks using a gun but they will remember a magic wielding terror more readily and with vividly exaggerated clarity.  Keep a low profile, invest in a silencer (or in a suppressor for heavier small arms).

7)  Fingerprints and photographic evidence can identify you just as well as DNA can.  Don't leave any behind.

Magic is what you do, know how to use it well

When you are a magician, people expect the miraculous from you.  Very often it is hard enough to accomplish even mundane tasks, let alone miracles.  Learn spells and metamagic techniques that have common uses as well as those you use in worse case scenarios.  Summon and bind spirits and keep good relations with the spirit world.  There is a ritual of atonement, learn and use it. 

The following are a few key points that can help you grow in power.  Remember that in order to grow more powerful, you have to survive so make good decisions along the way that help prolong your lifespan.

1) Health spells are more than just "Heal".  Spells that enhance your reaction and reflexes serve to make you faster.  Spell enhanced attributes aid you in everything from skill tests to resistance rolls.  The spells "Oxygenate" and "Prophylaxis" can and should be Quickened. This will keep you from drowning, makes you resistant to toxins like neurostun, and can protect you from a number of hazards that are usually resisted with your body attribute.

2) Detection spells are your friend.  Spells like "Detect enemies" and "Detect Explosives" can save your life but only if they are active.  If you are a hunter, detect lifeform spells such as "Detect Ghoul" or "Detect Unicorn" are your bread and butter. There are numerous detection spells that you may wish to consider Quickening to your character. They are well worth the Karma expenditure.

3) Spirits are powerful, be nice to them.  Treat your spirits well.  Don't just throw them at your enemies like disposable drones.  When using spirit abilities, consider how you can best minimize the spirit's risk.  In a car chase, the accident power is amazing.  Powers like fear and influence can be of use in social encounters and make for fantastic intimidation tools.

4) Magic should be magical.  Don't fall into the power gaming trap with your awakened character.  Develop magical abilities that add wonder to the character.  Playing a physical adept?  Add an adept ability that enhances your dancing abilities. Looking for a way to distinguish yourself from your colleagues in your magical group?  Summon a familiar and pay the Karma for it have multiple forms.  Remember that ally forms don't have to be animate.  Your familiar may be a beautiful elf maiden one moment, a towering male minotaur before then taking on the form of a gold ring that fits on your finger.  This versatility comes with more advantages than we can list here, most of them involving how you blend in to crowds or engage in social encounters. 

Quickening is a fantastic metamagical ability that can put spells at your fingertips.  You can build a toolkit of spells to grant you some truly useful abilities while risking only a bit of karma should someone dispel your magic.  Judicious use of Karma to strengthen the quickening is therefore recommended.  In addition to the health and detection spells mentioned above, consider quickening spells such as magic fingers (for fine telekinetic manipulations),  levitation (for when you have to jump off the Space Needle), wall of napalm (to seal in the eldritch horror you accidentally released from its metaplanar prison),  Light (honestly, you can cast this at level one, quicken it for one little point) and keep it on the tip of a pen. Click the pen to expose the tip and give you light.)

There are too many cool things to do with metamagic techniques to list here today.  Take a long look at them and you'll find many cool ways to implement then in play.  In future page releases I'll take a look at interesting builds, character concepts, that can be fun to bring to the game.

Magicians are very powerful in Shadowrun.  They are also each unique in their approach.  Dare to be different with your magicians, whether they are adepts or aspected magicians, wizards or shamans, each brings their own flavor to the game.  Enjoy the diversity of play, savor the experience of playing the part of the magician, and build fun memories with your friends.

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Thank you for reading this entry on magic in Shadownrun. 

I look forward to you joining me next time.