Machinations of Doom -the key to strike down the CS for good

[V-Origin]

Simple Invisibility + Aura of Death + Mystic Invisibility=Totally Shielded from everything. It costs 40 PPE, but so what? That will do what is required. Of course, unless you're a Battle Magus or Combat Mage, you have little chance of pulling this combination off, as most LLWs and other wizards frown on casting the Mystic Invisibility spell.

Mystic Invisibility? That is a new one. Where did you find it?

[jaymz]

I think something should be made clear here.

When using Mask ISP you are actually using a psychic power to suppress your ISP by cutting yourself off from the psychic world. Which means you can't use most psychic powers.

However, when using Mask PPE you are using a psychic power to mask your PPE, it does not say anything about cutting yourself off from the magic world or even suppressing your PPE.

To me when Mask PPE says it masks a mystic powers, it is saying that it hides a mystic when he is using his powers including active spell usage. To interpret things in any other manner is simply making a mockery of Mask PPE.

Making a mockery of the sentence "Mystics can easily hide their magical powers through this psionic concealment"

I am doing no such thing. I am interpretting it one way while you are interpretting it another.

I treat it he same as mask ISP because to me Psionics and Magic are two sides of the same mystical coin. If you are cutting off from teh mystical with one you are cutting off from the mystical with the other.

[V-Origin]

I think something should be made clear here.

When using Mask ISP you are actually using a psychic power to suppress your ISP by cutting yourself off from the psychic world. Which means you can't use most psychic powers.

However, when using Mask PPE you are using a psychic power to mask your PPE, it does not say anything about cutting yourself off from the magic world or even suppressing your PPE.

To me when Mask PPE says it masks a mystic powers, it is saying that it hides a mystic when he is using his powers including active spell usage. To interpret things in any other manner is simply making a mockery of Mask PPE.

Making a mockery of the sentence "Mystics can easily hide their magical powers through this psionic concealment"

It says "Mask ISP and Psionics" and as you stated it prevents psi powers from being used.

"Mask PPE" only hides PPE - it doesn't hide it when you cast a spell, ie "Mask PPE and Magic Spells". In this case the "power" is the PPE.

I suppose if one really wants to interpret it the same as Mask ISP then the mage has made a mental block against accessing his own PPE, and as long as the power is in place he can't cast spells of any kind.

Basically the Mask PPE is simply used to hide the PPE and get past a CS style checkpoint. If the mage is stupid enough to use their powers then they get what's coming to them.

Hey if you wanna reduce the definition of a Mystic's powers, if you have a house rule that says Mask PPE only mask the PPE and does not include active spell usage, by all means go ahead. It is just not Canon that's all.

Do you want me to quote the powers of a Mystic from RUE?

[V-Origin]

I think something should be made clear here.

When using Mask ISP you are actually using a psychic power to suppress your ISP by cutting yourself off from the psychic world. Which means you can't use most psychic powers.

However, when using Mask PPE you are using a psychic power to mask your PPE, it does not say anything about cutting yourself off from the magic world or even suppressing your PPE.

To me when Mask PPE says it masks a mystic powers, it is saying that it hides a mystic when he is using his powers including active spell usage. To interpret things in any other manner is simply making a mockery of Mask PPE.

Making a mockery of the sentence "Mystics can easily hide their magical powers through this psionic concealment"

I am doing no such thing. I am interpretting it one way while you are interpretting it another.

I treat it he same as mask ISP because to me Psionics and Magic are two sides of the same mystical coin. If you are cutting off from teh mystical with one you are cutting off from the mystical with the other.

Mask PPE says nothing about suppressing the PPE or cutting yourself from the magical world.

[Dustin Fireblade]

I think something should be made clear here.

When using Mask ISP you are actually using a psychic power to suppress your ISP by cutting yourself off from the psychic world. Which means you can't use most psychic powers.

However, when using Mask PPE you are using a psychic power to mask your PPE, it does not say anything about cutting yourself off from the magic world or even suppressing your PPE.

To me when Mask PPE says it masks a mystic powers, it is saying that it hides a mystic when he is using his powers including active spell usage. To interpret things in any other manner is simply making a mockery of Mask PPE.

Making a mockery of the sentence "Mystics can easily hide their magical powers through this psionic concealment"

It says "Mask ISP and Psionics" and as you stated it prevents psi powers from being used.

"Mask PPE" only hides PPE - it doesn't hide it when you cast a spell, ie "Mask PPE and Magic Spells". In this case the "power" is the PPE.

I suppose if one really wants to interpret it the same as Mask ISP then the mage has made a mental block against accessing his own PPE, and as long as the power is in place he can't cast spells of any kind.

Basically the Mask PPE is simply used to hide the PPE and get past a CS style checkpoint. If the mage is stupid enough to use their powers then they get what's coming to them.

Hey if you wanna reduce the definition of a Mystic's powers, if you have a house rule that says Mask PPE only mask the PPE and does not include active spell usage, by all means go ahead. It is just not Canon that's all.

Do you want me to quote the powers of a Mystic from RUE?

No need to. You are in the minority here.

And actually if I really wanted to nerf them - since only 1d4 PPE is available then they couldn't cast spells at all while this power is up.

[jaymz]

I think something should be made clear here.

When using Mask ISP you are actually using a psychic power to suppress your ISP by cutting yourself off from the psychic world. Which means you can't use most psychic powers.

However, when using Mask PPE you are using a psychic power to mask your PPE, it does not say anything about cutting yourself off from the magic world or even suppressing your PPE.

To me when Mask PPE says it masks a mystic powers, it is saying that it hides a mystic when he is using his powers including active spell usage. To interpret things in any other manner is simply making a mockery of Mask PPE.

Making a mockery of the sentence "Mystics can easily hide their magical powers through this psionic concealment"

I am doing no such thing. I am interpretting it one way while you are interpretting it another.

I treat it he same as mask ISP because to me Psionics and Magic are two sides of the same mystical coin. If you are cutting off from teh mystical with one you are cutting off from the mystical with the other.

Mask PPE says nothing about suppressing the PPE or cutting yourself from the magical world.

It is called interpretation look it up Crys. You have your way I have mine, and neither of them are canon. It says it hides thier powers. To me that means it hides the fact they HAVE powers.

It says nothing about them being able to use them or not use them. That is interpretation and to interpret it any other way is applying your own iterpretation on it period.

So do us all a favour and stop trying to make your interpretation the ONLY interpretation that is valid.

[Dustin Fireblade]

Mask PPE says nothing about suppressing the PPE.

What?? That's EXACTLY what it says!

"completely mask all but 1d4 of this personal PPE base"

[jaymz]

Mask PPE says nothing about suppressing the PPE.

What?? That's EXACTLY what it says!

"completely mask all but 1d4 of this personal PPE base"

Actually Dustin it masks it not supresses it. Those are two seperate things. Mask is hide suppressing it would denying access.

Like i said above to me it hides that they have powers. They use them they will get found out but apparently Crys' interpetation is theonly one that is valid as we are all making a mockery of the psionic power.

how it is an army of mystics hasn't walked in and destroyed chi-town yet by just using this power is beyond me since it apparently allows them to cast spells and never get found out....

[Dustin Fireblade]

Actually Dustin it masks it not supresses it. Those are two seperate things. Mask is hide suppressing it would denying access.

Eh...

Suppress/Suppressing -
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/suppresses

tr.v. sup·pressed, sup·press·ing, sup·press·es
1. To put an end to forcibly; subdue.
2. To curtail or prohibit the activities of.
3. To keep from being revealed, published, or circulated.


Mask/Masking
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mask

v. masked, mask·ing, masks
v.tr.
1. To cover with a decorative or protective mask.
2. To make indistinct or blurred to the senses: spices that mask the strong flavor of the meat.
3. To cover in order to conceal, protect, or disguise. See Synonyms at disguise.
4. To block the view of: Undergrowth masked the entrance to the cave.
5. To cover (a part of a photographic film) by the application of an opaque border.
6. Chemistry To prevent (an atom or a group of atoms) from taking part in a normal reaction.

[jaymz]

Actually Dustin it masks it not supresses it. Those are two seperate things. Mask is hide suppressing it would denying access.

Eh...

Suppress/Suppressing -
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/suppresses

tr.v. sup·pressed, sup·press·ing, sup·press·es
1. To put an end to forcibly; subdue.
2. To curtail or prohibit the activities of.
3. To keep from being revealed, published, or circulated.


Mask/Masking
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mask

v. masked, mask·ing, masks
v.tr.
1. To cover with a decorative or protective mask.
2. To make indistinct or blurred to the senses: spices that mask the strong flavor of the meat.
3. To cover in order to conceal, protect, or disguise. See Synonyms at disguise.
4. To block the view of: Undergrowth masked the entrance to the cave.
5. To cover (a part of a photographic film) by the application of an opaque border.
6. Chemistry To prevent (an atom or a group of atoms) from taking part in a normal reaction.

ok ok so its a toe-may-toe vs toe-ma-toe arguement

[Balabanto]

Simple Invisibility + Aura of Death + Mystic Invisibility=Totally Shielded from everything. It costs 40 PPE, but so what? That will do what is required. Of course, unless you're a Battle Magus or Combat Mage, you have little chance of pulling this combination off, as most LLWs and other wizards frown on casting the Mystic Invisibility spell.

Mystic Invisibility? That is a new one. Where did you find it?

Rifts Mercenary Adventures. Of course, most people don't have 40 PPE to burn on this outside a combat situation. However, it should be noted at this time that most dogboys are not issued Jetpacks as part of their MOS gear. So as long as you're flying above 1000 feet (Most dogboys don't make it to 10th level), you should be reasonably safe.

[Mercdog]

Hey, just a minor observation, but I don't think that Prof. Roddy knows anything about the omega project. He was key personnel on the cloning of the aishwarra, but nothing he said in the book (admittedly haven't read it in a while,) seemed to suggest that he knew of any projects beyond his own. This would, IMO, be standard practice under Bradford. Each team works on only one part of the puzzle, so none of them see the entire picture. So, much like terrorist cells, even if one team is compromised, the plan can continue with little interruption.

I'd think that the data in the terminal the Lone Star Raiders downloaded it from would be under the same restrictions. It was all data concerning the Alpha-4 (is that right?) project, not the Omegas.

Now this data alone would definitely be enough to get some people riled up enough to start some trouble with the CS, and prod the Emperor into giving Bradford instructions to "come up with something to make them regret @#$@ing with the CS." Little does Prosek know, that Bradford has had just the right project up and running for some time.

If I'm right in assuming that the Omega Beasts are one of Bradford's Black Projects, it would likely not be strictly legal under the laws of the CS. Ah, but if the right circumstances came about...

As for deploying the Omegas, pick an out of the way location with high rift activity, hire a team through a third party that has no idea who they are truly dealing with, and transport some special cargo to the area in a civilian transport. Make sure that the sedation on the omegas won't wear off until the team has dropped them and is well out of range (making sure to take steps to silence them so they don't divulge what little information they have), and the omega beasts become just another creature randomly transported through a rift that preys upon magic. Lucky break for the CS huh?

The data is all genetic data about the Omegas.

This is why an infiltration team is needed to record all the evidence in Lone Star complex.

Finally got to check the book over again, and you are right, the data is about the omegas.

However, I have to point out that an infiltration team going into Lone Star is EXACTLY what Bradford wants. Even if the infiltration team gets in, it will likely be discovered at some point. Once they're discovered, even if they escape, Bradford can now claim that "Yes, I did create them, but I had no intention of releasing them. If those enemies of the States hadn't destroyed the stasis controls the Omegas would still be under lock and key." All he wants is an excuse so he can claim deniability for the Emperor's sake.

Now I'm not arguing that it wouldn't be possible to enter and exit unseen, but it would be difficult and unlikely. At the very least it would be looked at as a suicide mission. If it were so easy to infiltrate the Lone Star Complex using whatever means, it would have been done decades ago. Lone Star is the main producer of the anti-magic measures we all know as dog boys, and sending in saboteurs to destroy this capability would be a major blow to the CS. But it hasn't been done, so it must not be so easy.

But hey, it's your campaign, run it however you like.

[Shark_Force]

except that the omegas are apparently not something that bradford wants to be able to blame on others, it's something he should not have been researching in the first place. he can't tell everyone else "oh, we weren't going to release them", because he's already gone beyond what prosek is willing to accept just by making them at all.

[Mercdog]

except that the omegas are apparently not something that bradford wants to be able to blame on others, it's something he should not have been researching in the first place. he can't tell everyone else "oh, we weren't going to release them", because he's already gone beyond what prosek is willing to accept just by making them at all.

Exactly. He wants to protect the Emperor from being blamed for releasing the omegas. The less the Emperor knows, the better protected he is.

Bradford just wants the excuse to release the beasts with the illusion that he himself was not responsible for their release. Scant protection for a crimes against humanity trial, but better than none.

He'll willingly take the blame for their creation, because he believes that Emperor Prosek is a fellow "God" and any repercussions from his good friend Karl will be little more than a slap on the wrists. He believes that the Emperor will see that what Dr. Bradford did, he did for the good of the Coalition, and all of the human race.

My opinion, he'll be sorely disappointed in the Emperor's reaction. Bradford may be a friend and incredibly valuable resource, but should the Emperor decide that the good doctor has become a liability, Desmond will find himself in front of a firing squad.