House Rules - Metamagics
Anchoring
Difference from MitS
1. Drain is done when linking the spells into the anchoring, not when the spell is triggered.
2. It doesn't cost karma for bonding *expendable* anchoring foci.
3. Drain on linking spells into reusable anchors is always physical.
4. You have to link all the spells into the foci at the same time you're going to put there (wasn't clear in the anchoring rules as written).
5. Sustained spells in reusable anchoring foci do not have to be recast every time you use them.
Centering
You must take a creative skill to use with Centering. Since there are no creative active skills, you must pick out a knowledge skill. You may not use a specialization. You may not use Task Pool on the roll, and you don't get the bonus from mnemonic enhancers.
To get the benefits, you must be actively performing the skill at the time. If you picked Gymnastics, for example, you have to be performing Gymnastics as you cast the spell.
If you're an adept, you still have to be actively performing the skill at the time. This means if you took something like Gymnastics, trying to use it for Stealth will probably be very difficult and modifiers may be applied at the gamemaster's discretion.
To use centering in a queue, you must include justification of how you are applying the skill during the queue task. Staff will review the justification and will decide if you are able to perform these centering skills while performing the queue task.
The book specifically allows using Centering metamagic with a creative skill that has no outwardly visible sign (e.g. Meditation) and doesn't require you to move or make noise. When using one of these creative skills in a stressful (combat-based situation), the Adept/Magician must make a (creative skill) test at TN 4, modified only by wound penalties. The number of successes on this test provide a maximum effect (number of successes gained, # of TN penalties negated, # of drain-successes gained) for the Centering. Since this aspect reflects the character able to focus and concentrate with no external influence, cyberware and bioware and other effects can add to this test on the Creative skill. The Creative skill can also be bought higher than the Centering skill to provide extra dice for this test, and the roll can be karma'ed.
A 'stressful situation' is one where one is having to think and act quickly and urgently and is in clear and present danger. The GM is the ultimate decision-maker with regard to this, with the note that this roll should not /always/ be required, even in combat.
Channeling
Time is limited to 1 minute per success; number of minutes limited by services owed OR successes obtained on the roll; services are consumed in the process.
Cognition
Cognition comes from SOTA 2064. It has the following notes when used on here:
1. The karma cost reduction only applies to Int-linked skills, and does not stack with Mnemonic Enhancers.
2. The added die does not stack with the added die from Mnemonic Enhancers.
3. The reduction in penalty for defaulting from a Knowledge Skill using ME-2 does work as normal, and can be reduced further via Cognition.
Filtering
The Filtering Metamagical Technique is introduced in SOTA:2063. It's nice and powerful. However, we're choosing to implement it as follows.
When Filtering Metamagic is activated, it applies only to spellcasting (including drain resistance). It does not apply to astral combat, conjuring, aura reading, enchanting, or anchoring foci — in other words, the standard effects of background count are in force for all of these abilities.
In addition, remember that background count acts as a visibility penalty on the astral plane. Spellcasting (including drain resistance) gains the benefit of Filtering (reducing or negating the background count) when used on the astral plane, but all other magical actions are affected by the background count.
One additional note: astral combat is affected by background count as a visibility penalty. Therefore, only *half* the background count applies (rounded down) as per standard melee combat rules.
Virtuoso
This metamagical technique first appeared in State of the Art 2064. It needed some minor changes and is implemented as written here:
The base time to create a piece is 30 days. The base time does not benefit from a Sleep Regulator or the Sustenance Adept power, but may be interrupted for a period of up to 1 week without ill effect. The adept may engage in normal activities, provided they spend 8 hours per day working on the piece. If the work is interrupted for more than seven days the composition must be restarted from scratch. If no successes are scored, the composition fails and must be begun again from scratch. Successes must be divided between the Virtuoso piece's rating and reducing the base time. Successes allocated to reducing the base time divide the time by the number of successes involved.
Physical Virtuoso Compositions: If the work completed is a physical artwork, the result is an object that generates background count in the immediate area surrounding it. When displayed, it generates a Background Count equal to it's rating in a radius of it's rating in meters. This BG Count does not affect the artist or interfere with their magical abilities. The BG Count appears the instant the object is displayed, and fades at 1 BG Count per minute once put away. This piece serves as a material link to the artist.
Performance Virtuoso Compositions: A Performance Virtuoso composition takes the form of instructions on how the performance is to be done (dance instructions, sheet notes, or the like) that serves as a material link to the caster (similar to a thesis). In order to create BG count, the piece must actually be performed. This requires the relevant Knowskill against TN 6, with the number of successes equaling the BG count generated (up to the piece's initial rating). This BG count appears immediately, may be maintained for up to 1 minute per rating of the piece, and has a radius of 1 meter per rating. It fades at 1 BG Count per minute once the composition is stopped.
Anyone viewing a virtuoso composition for the first time may be enthralled. For Physical pieces, use the highest die roll plus the Initiate's Grade as the TN for a Willpower test. For Performances, use the highest die rolled for the performance for the TN. Effects are as per Enthralling Performance.
Physical Virtuoso compositions are considered 1 exotic component for enchanting purposes and are the only exotic component where a foci may deliberately be designed to incorporate it at the get-go.
