Subject: RE: Mana-Tech
From: "Geoffrey E. Fagan" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 03:01:45 -0500

Joinson wrote:
>Has anyone made up items that combine technology and magic?

The following material is Copyright (c) 1998 Geoffrey E. Fagan

Yes, the section on cyberware is a little tedious; I'm trying to streamline
it.

Magic and Technology
--------------------
        Prior sections of this handout have elaborated upon the effect of
increasing tech level with respect to the field of magic itself, but this
chapter will examine the interaction of magic and technology at high tech
levels. Some of the interactions are obvious, like the benefits of an Expert
System computer program for Thaumatology or Alchemy, or a laser sight and
head-up display for a Missile spell. Others will be described below.

Psitech
-------

        Many psychotronic devices have application for magic as well.
Technology which senses or affects astral presences, for example, does not
discriminate between psionic and magical projection.
        A mage can manipulate teleswitches (p. P61) with the Mind-Sending or
Telepathy spell, and he can impress a memory crystal (p. P63) or open a
psychic lock (p. P65) as well; he could cast Reveal Owner [house rule -
forensic
spell list] instead of Signature Sniffer in preparation to pick such a lock.
        Kinetic bubbles (p. P68) affect weight for the purpose of
Apportation
and Manipulation, as Actuality Shields (p. P69) affect it for the purpose of
Teleportion (and analogous spells which translocate through dimensions other
than space).
        Each level of power of a Jump Beacon (p. P69) imposes a -1 penalty
to
magical teleportation spell skills. A magical teleporter trying to reach a
jump beacon does so with a decreased skill penalty and fatigue cost of 1 per
5 levels of beacon power.
        A psionic shield (p. P73) imposes a penalty to any use of mental
communication or Mind Control magic, the same penalty which it would impose
upon Telepathy.
        A catalyst drug (p. P79) can raise latent Magery to Magery 1, and a
_power_ proteus virus (p. P81) can impart Magery.
        A variation on the watchdog psiborg (p. P83) senses active spells
and
enchantments, using Electronics Operation (magic) skill.

	[The follow seems to require inclusion of the psitech from my campaign
	as well:

	[Detection Equipment
	[-------------------

	[Ghost Detector
TL8
	        [This device, similar in appearance to a Geiger counter, detects
flux
	on the astral plane such as that generated by a projected consciousness.
	When an astral character comes within detection range, roll a quick contest
	between his Astral Projection skill and the Electronics Operation skill of
	the ghostbuster (or controlling software). The greater the margin by which
the operator wins, the more he learns of the astral presence of direction,
bearing, and power. A basic hand-held unit weighs 10 pounds, costs $5,000,
and has a range factor of «; i.e., it senses astral entities at a range of
1/2
times their Astral Projection power in yards. Larger models such as might be
mounted on vehicles or in installation security systems cost more and have
greater range. Complexity: Complex. Legality 6.

[Astral Visor
TL9
        [This more sophisticated detector actually allows the operator to
"see" into astral space, projecting a ghostly image onto a transparent
visor.
The resolution is equivalent to Astral Vision power (TL-6). A dedicated
computer (Complexity 3 at TL9) controls the sensor with Electronics
Operation
(i.e., Astral Vision) skill 12, plus 1 per tech level above 9. $15,000, 10
pounds. Complexity: Complex. Legality 6.
      	  [Astral Visors are available as modifications for bionic eyes (5
points) for characters with Implant Computers of Complexity 3 or higher to
run the controlling software. $30,000 (plus base hardware and surgery),
weight negligible.

[Psychotronic Weaponry
[---------------------

[Spirit Sword
TL9
        [This baton projects psychic force into the astral plane, enabling
the
wielder to attack astral entities physically with Force Sword skill for 1d-1
damage (regardless of his physical strength), plus 1 per TL above 9. The
wielder must have a means to detect the astral entity, like the Astral Visor
above, which will depict the baton as the hilt of an astral sword. The baton
can be used with Shortsword skill to affect physical entities as well, or
its
circuitry can be built into the hilt of an actual sword (in which case it
can
be used with skill appropriate to that sword, instead of Force Sword skill,
even when attacking spirits). It can also be implanted (10 points). $30,000.
Complexity: Amazing. Legality: 4.
        [Spirit Bullets: A large-calibre bullet (3d+) can carry a
miniaturized
version of the circuit found in a Spirit Sword, as can a gyroc (with
physical
damage of a chem round). Astral damage is 2 less than a Spirit Sword: 1d-2
at
TL10 plus 1 per TL thereafter. Even if a bullet could be recovered, the
capacitor-charged circuit burns out after one use. $1,000 per round.

[Heavy Bullets
TL9
        [Similar to spirit bullets above, heavy bullets also have a one-use
psychotronic circuit, in this case one that uses null-field technology. The
bullet is "heavy" in the telekinetic sense, and it has an armor divisor of 2
against PK shield. Additionally, the charge from the circuit shorts into a
bodyshield if one is present, disabling the device if it inflicts more than
10 points of damage. Heavy bullets double the normal cost of ammunition, and
at TL9, they are incompatible with other special features which diminish the
usable volume of the round (such as explosives or discarding sabots).

[Ghost Chains
TL11
        [These grenades secrete adhesive to prevent bouncing from their
target
areas, about which they project a strength 15 inward-directed Astral Barrier
(see below). In other words, any astral entity within the target hex must
win
a contest of Astral Projection power with strength 15 in order to leave,
although the barrier is no more than one hex wide, so no further contests
are
necessary. The grenade can be set for a two-hex radius of entrapment with
strength 15, and once it catches a ghost, the size of the field effect can
be
dialed down to pocket size, with ST 20. Once activated, the grenade
maintains
its barrier for an hour. Ghost Chains are available as Tangler ammunition.
$10,000 per round. Legality 4.

	[Anti-Psi Technology
	[-------------------

[Astral Repulsor
TL9
        [This field effect generator repels astral entities, who must roll a
contest of Astral Projection power against the effective strength of the
generator each turn or retreat one yard. That effective strength is equal to
the actual strength, -1 per yard. For a typical model with strength 20,
$20,000, 20 pounds. For a pocket model with ST 10, $10,000, 5 pounds.
Complexity: Complex. Legality 5.
      	  [Astral Barrier:_ An advanced (TL10), modular version of the Astral
Repulsor projects its full strength within a precisely defined border. Any
astral entity which wishes to enter the barrier must win a contest against
its strength and must win another contest each turn to remain within. If it
loses, it must retreat toward the border a distance equal to the margin by
which it lost. A barrier may surround an area and direct inward to act as a
prison for spirits. To install a barrier in a large or oddly shaped area,
roll against the lower of Architecture or Electronics skill. For a typical
model with strength 20, one module per 20 square feet, $20,000 and 20 pounds
per module.]

Cyberware
---------

        When introduced at TL8, cyberware interferes with the spellcasting
process, and Cyber-Rejection is worth just -10 points for mages even if it
is worth -25 for everyone else. Cybernetic surgery entails loss of part of
one's living mass, part of one's nervous system, part of one's identity and
soul. [It's not necessary for game balane, I just like the idea that cyber
interferes w/ magic; in my campaign, the mage's natural body is essentially
his "antenna" for mana, so changings the configuration of his body causes
interference.] A bionic hand imposes a penalty of -1 for spell-casting, a
whole limb
or other large-scale internal modification imposes a penalty of -3 (reduced
proportionately for a partial system), and a Full Cyborg Body imposes a
spell-casting penalty of -20! Implants and dermal mods impose a penalty of
just .2 each (count each eye). Hardwired Reflexes are a special case: -6 for
most systems, but just -3 for Interface Only, and -3 extra for Full
Coordination and/or Enhanced Speed. [House rule: Hardwired Reflexes are
basically
a DX bonus and costs accordingly; Enhanced Speed is basically a level of
Altered
Time Rate w/ FT cost. Interface Only is for a neural interface - basically a
Vehicle control setup.] An implant in a part which is already
bionic, such as claws in a bionic hand, applies no further penalty, nor does
an implant which does not interface or interfere with any biosystem (e.g., a
cortex bomb or unremovable jewelry). The penalty for an arm is not
cumulative
with that for a hand, and the penalty for a full body is not cumulative with
any other modification. A penalty of 0.4 or less may be rounded down to
zero.
        Priests with Power Investiture normally suffer the same penalties,
although some granting agencies have an affinity for cybertech, represented
as additional levels of Investiture, each with the Cybermagery limitation,
sufficient to entirely mitigate the spell-casting penalty. [House rule:
Cybermagery is a level of magery that applies only to the tech college or to
offset penalties for cyberware: -70%.]
        TL9 cyberware is low-impact, with half the penalties listed above,
and TL10 cyberware is managenic, with no penalties whatsoever. Bioware which
is custom-grown from the patient's own tissue imposes penalties as cyberware
a tech level higher, but it may require a waiting period and it costs an
extra ¬ point for every tenth of a point by which it mitigates the spell-
casting penalty. Also, the supplier of custom bioware will be intimately
familiar with the client's genetic make-up.
                                                     Spell-Casting
        Cyberware                                       Penalty
        Implant                                           -0.2
        Bionic Hand                                       -1
        Bionic Limb or System                             -3
          Hardwired Reflexes                              -6
        Full Cyborg Body                                 -20

        A TL8 Ghostcomp cannot cast spells at all, although later versions
have no greater penalty than a Full Cyborg.

Casting Spells on Cyborgs
        Record the spell-casting penalty for your cyberware even if you're
not a mage, because it may affect your resistance to spells.
        Some spells affect biological targets (e.g., Necromancy spells),
some affect inanimate targets (e.g., Making and Breaking spells), and some
don't care. Mind Control spells, for example, do not distinguish between
cyborgs and naturals.
        If a spell which affects biological targets is cast on a purely
mechanical component (like Itch cast on a prosthetic limb), it simply fails.
On the other bionic hand, a spell which affects inanimate objects, like
Weaken, works fine on cyberware. The cyborg uses his Will to resist this
kind
of magic, with a penalty equal to the spell-casting penalty of his
cyberware,
to a minimum resistance of 10.
        If a spell which affects living things is cast on a partially
cybernetic body part, the caster suffers a penalty equal to the spell-
casting penalty of the target's cyberware. This holds true for healing
spells. Regeneration will cause rejection of cyberware in the affected limb.
        Bioware and managenic cyberware is equivalent to the mage's body,
but
other cyberware counts as equipment. Touching a cybernetic limb thus does
not
fulfill the requirement of the mage's touch. On the other hand, a Body of
Air
spell, which only affects 6# of gear (clothing), will leave expensive
cyberware lying in a heap on the ground.
        Alchemy: If a potion affects a meat portion of a cyborg (e.g., a
love
potion which affects the mind), it takes effect normally. If the potion
affects a part of the anatomy which the the cyborg has had replaced with a
prosthetic (e.g., a potion of speed for a cyborg with bionic legs), it has
no
effect. If the potion affects a portion of the anaotomy which the cyborg has
had augmented mechanically (e.g., a potion of Dexterity for a cyborg with
Hardwired Reflexes), it must overcome the relevant spell-casting penalty.

Enchanted Cyberware
        If a cyborg has Hardwired Reflexes, Bionic Reconstruction, or a Full
Cyborg Body, all of his cyberware may be considered a single piece for the
purpose of enchantment. A cyborg must pay character points for enchanted
cyberware, 1 per 200 points of energy in the enchantment. (Powerstones cost
extra: 1 point per casting for the 1st 10 castings, 2 per casting for the
next decade, 3 per casting for the 3rd decade, etc. Powerstores [see below]
cost just 1 point per casting to any level.) A particularly useful
enchantment
is Magic Resisitance (p. M53), cast to increase the resistance of the
cyberware,
not the cyborg.

Neurotech: Spells on Chips
        Theory Chips: At tech level 8, true spellchips are not possible.
However, technical data for a spell may be stored. A theory chip contains
the
theoretical background for prerequisite spells so that a mage can master a
complex spell without tedious study. Should a mage learn a spell with the
help of a theory chip and then lose the chip, he casts that spell with a -1
penalty per missing prerequisite. Each spell on the chip has a character
point value of « point and costs $1,000.
        Scroll Chips: Spells may be stored on chips with the Scroll spell,
or stored on disk for use with an implant computer. Casting time for a
normal
scroll is twice the base casting time for the stored spell, but casting time
with a scroll chip is not doubled.
        Enchanted Chips: Chips may be enchanted (as jewelry), with the
normal
discounts for spell engines, as above. The requirement that the chip be
slotted (or implanted) replaces the requirement for Electronics Operation
skill. Chip slots are rated for the point value of the chips they can slot;
every character point's worth of skill or advantage equates to 100 energy
points' worth of enchantment.
        Spell Chips: At TL9, a chip can actually enable a mage to cast a
spell. Although a spell is a mental skill, it does require precise physical
ritual elements, so Hardwired Reflexes are necessary to cast a chipped spell
with a net level less than 18. If a mage slots a chip for a spell for which
he does not know the prerequisites, he suffers a -1 penalty per missing
prerequisite; theory chips can be combined with spell chips. Most chipped
spells incorporate an Accessibility limitation requiring that they be cast
from chips, providing a +1 bonus!

Mana Manipulation
-----------------

        Magic technology at TL10 can concentrate mana, beam it like a laser
to a receiving station, and broadcast it globally to increase local mana
level. The mana level within such a beam (also called a ley line) is very
high, and the level in the vicinity of the broadcast station is high,
dropping off in concentric rings to the normal level for that area. A
typical
operation places a transmitter in a natural mana well, or generates excess
mana with a farm of mana-producing yeast, and beams the mana to a client in
a
no-mana or low-mana zone, such as a mana-poor asteroid. The mana
transmission
may be aspected. A mining operation, for example, will benefit from Earth-
aspected mana even if the local mana level is normal. [Regarding the yeast:
My campaign has mana as a byproduct and necessary ingredient of life; some
lifeforms are net producers and some - the ones you only find in those high
mana fantasy worlds - are net consumers, at least during parts of their
lifecycles. High tech genetic engineers can breed mana-producing yeast.]

Magic Damper
        These TL8 devices interfere with magic in their area of coverage,
imposing a -5 penalty to any spell cast within that area or upon a target in
that area. It does not prevent the operation of enchanted items, but it does
impose a -5 penalty to their chance of successful activation, if applicable.
The penalty does affect fatigue cost and casting time. A mage can sense the
area of a magic damper as he would enchanted items, perceiving it as an
unpleasant sensation.
        Portable Magic Dampers are backpack-sized generators which affect a
5-hex radius, or a 2-hex radius with double penalty, -10. They draw power
from a D cell which endures 48 hours. $10,000, 10#. Complexity: Average.
Legality: 4.
        Pocket Magic Dampers appear at TL9, affect a 2-hex radius, and draw
power from a C cell which endures for 24 hours. $6,000, 2#. Complexity:
Average. Legality: 6.

Augmentation Helmet
        This TL9 device increases the Magery level of the wearer by 1,
provided that he has some level to start with, and it provides a second
level
with which the mage must pay an extra point of fatigue to cast or maintain a
spell. (Effective levels of Magery beyond 3 simply provide a +1 bonus to
cast
spells.) An augmentation helmet runs for 3 months on a C cell. $50,000, 5#.
Complexity: Amazing. Legality: 5.
        At TL10, this device is amulet-sized. $10,000, 1#.

Spellguns
        This application of the mana transmission technology described above
carries a spell on a beam of mana, giving it range comparable to other guns.
The wielder fires the gun with Beam Weapons (spellgun) skill, using the
statistics below. He suffers the normal ranged attack penalties to this
roll,
but if he hits, the spell takes effect with no range penalty. If the wielder
is a mage, he may fire a spell with the spellgun by accepting a -1 penalty
to
cast it. In addition, anyone can load the gun with a clip of scrollchips
(see
above) and a powerstone. A dedicated computer selects the chip to be
activated by voice or neural command. Spellguns malfunction only on a
critical failure and inflict no damage of their own, hence they have no half
damage range. Spellguns can fire a maximum of once per turn, but may fire
less frequently if the casting time for their scrollchips is greater than a
turn. Legality 3.
        Spell Pistol: SS 3, Acc 4, Max 300, Wt. 3, Shots 6/B, Cost $1,500.
        Spell Rifle: SS 9, Acc 10, Max 900, Wt. 9, Shots 10/C, Cost $2,000.

Drugs
-----

Channel
        This TL9 drug enables a mage to channel more of the energy cost of a
spell from surrounding mana, reducing the cost to cast or maintain each
spell
by 1 FT per dose. As with Adders, roll against HT with a penalty equal to
the
number of doses taken; the effect lasts for an hour times the margin of
success. On a failure, only one dose takes effect, for only an hour. During
the period of effect, the power of the channel may cause the mage to feel
Overconfident with respect to his magical ability. The drug so stresses the
mage's magical connection that when its principle effect wears off, it
leaves
him unable to draw upon surrounding mana without pain. This pain imposes
a -1
penalty to cast spells times the number of doses which the mage took, and it
lasts as long as the primary effect lasted. Channel costs $40 per dose. Hypo
form takes effect instantly; pills take 30 seconds. Complexity: Complex.
Legality: 3.

Sever
        This TL8 drug cuts the subject off from mana if he fails a roll
against HT+Magery-4. In a very high mana zone, he can function as if in low
mana, and in lesser mana he feels no mana. Furthermore, he cannot draw upon
powerstones to cast spells. He can, however, continue to use scrolls and
other magic items and to use powerstones in conjunction with them, for the
items are not affected by the drug. Sever costs $20 per dose. Hypo form
takes
effect instantly; gas or pill form takes 10 seconds. Complexity: Complex.
Legality: 3.

Magic Booster
        An injection of tailored memory RNA can give a character knowledge
of
a spell, at the 1-point level. Roll against Will+4, minus the level of the
spell (q.v.), +1 per prerequisite of the spell which the recipient knows.
The
knowledge lasts for an hour times the margin of success. Failure overwhelms
the recipient with incomprehensible sensations, incapacitating him for an
hour times the margin of failure. However, the knowledge (or incapacitation)
will not appear until 12 hours after the injection. Cost for a dose is $100
times the level of the spell. Complexity: Complex. Legality: 3.

Enchantment
-----------

        TL5+ alchemical science can produce materials optimized for
enchantment, for a 20% markup in monetary cost. However, these materials
reduce the energy cost of enchantment by 10%. The tech level of the material
must equal or exceed that of the enchantment spell.

Spell Engines
        Advancing technology makes options available which decrease the
difficulty of spell-casting and enchantment. Gizmos which aid spell-casting
but which do not cast spells themselves are simply fetishes which require
technical capability to manufacture and possibly to operate as well. True
spell engines are machines which cast spells like other magical items but
which require less energy to enchant. The physical tech level of the machine
must equal or exceed the magical tech level of the spell. For Gadgeteering
purposes, the complexity of a spell engine which casts a Very Hard spell is
Amazing, and one which casts a Hard spell is Complex (and so forth).
        Spell engines simply combine a variety of limitations (see Chapter
5)
for enchantment, reducing the cost thereof. [That chapter is a slightly
modified version S. John Ross's rules for customizing spells, available
from his web page and from GURPSnet ftp.] Every spell engine incorporates
controls which affect those parameters under a caster's control, such as
range and area of effect. Operating the engine requires Electronics
Operation
(magic) skill, a Ritual Prerequisite worth a 10% discount to the cost of
enchantment. (If the engine has all parameters preset, it requires no skill
roll to activate, but it still receives the 10% discount.) Remote or
computerized operation of a spell engine is possible at high tech levels, as
it is for other machines.
        All spell engines additionally have one of these two 10%
limitations,
unless they are Always On: Either they do not - cannot - require fatigue or
magical aptitude from the operator, or they require a special interface -
another enchantment or Complex gadget in its own right. Either way, the
spell
engine is eligible for another 10% discount. In the former case, the builder
must incorporate a powerstone and/or powering enchantment (Power or Draw
Power). Most spell engines incorporate replaceable exclusive powerstones
prepared with Repair Enchantment. [Yet another house rule:

	[Repair Enchantment
Enchantment
	        [If an enchanted item breaks, the enchantment fails. This spell can
restore it for a fraction of the original cost, after the physical integrity
of the object is restored. The caster must know the enchantment which he is
repairing.
        [Cost to Enchant: Proportion of the original cost equal to the
proportion of new material in the repaired object; minimum 10%.
        [Tech Level: 4. At TL5, this spell can replace a dedicated
powerstone,
and at TL6, it can replace an exclusive powerstone. (Thus, it could be used
to prepare several interchangeable powestones in advance.)
        [Prerequisite: Enchant.]

        In the second case, the builder must supply a technological
interface
which costs $4,000: a throne or closet at TL6 or less, a helmet at TL7-9, a
headband at TL10-11, or a jewel at TL12 or higher. At TL9 or higher, it may
be an implant. As an enchantment, the interface costs 500 energy for
headgear
or jewelry and has Lend FT as a prerequisite.
        An enchantment which is Always On under normal circumstances still
has a -10% limitation as a spell engine, because it is subject to downtime.
The GM will set limits according to the physical technology which serves as
its basis; electronic devices may run longer than cranky steam-tech, but
repairs will be more difficult. As a rule of thumb, necessary downtime is
1/TL; e.g., at TL7, 1 day per week or 1 hour per shift. Whatever the limits,
exceeding them risks damage to the device and therefore the enchantment.
        The final, archetypal requirement for spell engines is a source of
physical power. Between power and maintenance, spell engines cost at least
$5
per casting to operate, an Ingredient limitation worth another 10% discount,
if not more. Engines which are Always On cost at least $5 per day.
        In addition to the -30% package described above, most early spell
engines, the "infernal devices" of the steampunk genre, have a Physical
Effect, clanking and belching steam, good for another 10% discount. Many are
inconveniently large (-10%), perhaps so large that they require a vehicle
for
mobility (-20%) or disassembly for transport (-50%). These large engines
usually have at least a level of the Blatant Magic limitation (-10%);
otherwise, a removable component bears the aura of enchantment, although
that
single component accounts for half of the total cost of the device.
        Example: A hostage rescue team uses a grenade which casts Daze with
an Area effect, a +40% enhancement. The spell engine has the usual -30%
limitations, -30% more because the area is centered on itself, for a net
cost
of 800. As a Temporary Enchantment with one use, the grenade costs just 120
points of energy to enchant. An exclusive Manastone sufficient for a 5-yard
radius costs another 25, so the grenade sells for about $300. [House rule:
High tech level reduces enchanting time, but mages charge more by the hour,
So costs are the same.] The radius of effect is fixed, so the user simply
pulls the pin and throws.

Powerstores and Manastores
        This TL8 technomagical device stores magical energy when enchanted
with the Powerstone (or Manastone) spell. It does not cost less to enchant
than a gemstone, but it can be enchanted reliably for greater storage than a
stone. The only drawback of a powerstore is that it must have a constant
source of physical power or lose its magic. An AA cell can power a 1-point
store for 1 week. Divide this time by the power of the store, but multiply
it
by 10 for each upgrade in cell strength; e.g., a B cell can power a 1-point
store for 100 weeks, or a 5-point store for 20 weeks. Powerstores are built
with capacitors which can maintain the field long enough to replace a cell.
        Enchanting a powerstore requires a successful calibration roll
against Electronics Operation (magic), as well as a roll against Powerstone
spell skill. Failure of the Electronics Operation roll simply delays the
enchantment, as the technician may try again every hour. Failure of the
Powerstone casting roll indicates that the device has gained a quirk, as
normal. However, the technician can attempt to get rid of the quirk by
adjusting the circuitry of the powerstore, at the expense of the last
successful application of the spell, rolling against Electronics (not
Electronics Operation). Failure of that roll indicates loss of the last
successful application *without* getting rid of the quirk, but the
technician
can try again and sacrifice another point. A critical failure indicates that
the quirk cannot be jiggled out in this manner. Also, if the enchanter gets
a
critical failure on his use of the Powerstore spell, a last desperate effort
with Electronics (a critical success) allows him to treat the failure as
ordinary. The net effect is that the chance of producing a powerstore with
no
quirks is about equal to that of producing a powerstone with the expected
number of quirks. However, labor cost is doubled because of the need for a
technician.
        At TL7, protopowerstore technology is bulky, able to do nothing more
than to enclose a manawell (q.v.) within a field that prevents its decay. It
uses building power and costs $5,000 (per hex). At TL8, powerstore
technology
weighs 1 ounce and costs $500 times the amount of magical energy that the
unit can hold. Halve cost and weight at TL9 and again at TL10. A compact
powerstore, with half normal weight, costs 10 times as much, and a cheap
store costs half as much but weighs 10 times as much as normal. Thus, you
could build a 100-point TL8 powerstore for just $25,000 (before
enchantment),
but it would weigh 621/2#.

Magical Miniaturization
        Most mechanical and electrical devices produce heat, and an excess
of
heat limits their efficiency or causes breakdown, so a cooling system
accounts for a large portion of the mass and volume of the device. At TL6,
enchantment with a variant of Cold can eliminate the need for a cooling
system, cutting mass, volume, and price by approximately 25%. This
enchantment costs 10 points per pound of the device's (reduced) weight.
        The use of Hideaway for miniaturization is obvious, but the ultimate
in miniaturization is to place some of the components of an electronic
device
in the astral plane with a variant of TL7 Ethereal Body, at an energy cost
of
200 points per pound made ethereal. The drawbacks of this technique are that
the device is subject to anti-astral countermeasures and that the etheral
component cannot transfer mechanical force to the physical component. The
solution to that problem is to enchant an item as a gate leading to its
other
components; for example, you could enchant a pistol as a gate to a minigun.
        Cyberware: Compute the point cost of a magically miniaturized weapon
implant according to its destructive potential, and add the point cost of
the
miniaturization enchantment as normal for enchanted cyberware (q.v.). [House
rule links cost of implant weapons to damage instead of flat 5.]
Increase the point cost of a computer or cyberdeck implant by 50% per level
of complexity beyond that possible without magical miniaturization, and
likewise add the cost of the enchantment. Most cybernetic systems will not
benefit (in game terms) from miniaturization.

Knack Symbiotes
        TL9 biotech can gengineer magical traits, and those traits in a
benign, symbiotic microbe can bestow abilities equivalent to magical knacks
(even if knacks are not otherwise known). This treatment costs $100 times
the
energy cost to enchant the same spell, and it costs 1 character point per
200
energy points to enchant. [House rule; knacks are too expensive in Magic.]
The microbe reacts to neurochemistry in such a
manner as to give the character control of the ability; otherwise, the
advantage is eligible for limitation discounts accordingly.

	Gef