Editing A Place Called Home (section)

====Essence====

You have a number of Essence points to spend equal to the rank you gave to Essence in step 2 above. Each Essence point can be spent on either a Spell Group, a Spirit, or a Cybernetic Implant as described below. Both Cybernetic and Magic-wielding characters will thus find Essence useful, and a magic-wielding character that chooses to have Cybernetic Implants will have less ability with his magic. These are your initial Essence points, not your final limits - you can gain more spells, spirits and cyberware as the game goes on.

Spell Groups

Spells are pretty freeform - if you know the Spell Group, you can cast just about any spell that comes under that category. Combat Spells are ranged, if you want to do Close Combat damage, choose Dervish.

Physical Combat Spells (Can affect anything with a physical element, Powerbolts, Powerballs, etc)

Mana Combat Spells (Doesn't affect physical elements at all (including armour), Manabolts, Manaballs etc)

Detection Spells (Spells that involved detection or analysis to some extent, Hypersenses, Detect Life, Mind Probe, Astral Perception etc)

Health Spells (Spells that heal or cure, Heal Wounds, Reduce Toxins and Diseases etc)

Illusion Spells (Spells that disguise or hide in some way, Invisibility, Mask, Mask Object, Cause Confusion, Silence etc)

Manipulation Spells (Spells to control or otherwise manipulate, Levitation, Telekinesis, Control others' mind or body spells etc)

Transformation Spells (Spells for changing one thing to another, Create Light, Darkness, Create Barriers etc)

Dervish Spells (Spells that affect your own Attributes and body (like Physical Adept powers), Armour etc)
Spells that do harm (combat spells) can either do targeted damage to a particular thing or person, but can miss, or do area effect damage which isn't as powerful, but which is more likely to hit someone in the area affected. Also, the more you want out of a spell, the harder it is to make it work as you want.

Spirits


Spirits can be conjured where they exist. Hermetic Mages can choose Elemental spirits, which exist where that element is represented in some way, but the spirits have to be bound and forced to comply; Shamans can summon spirits where the environment is conducive to the spirits they have a good rapport with, and bargained with - they are easier to persuade than elementals, since Shamanic spirits are on good terms with the shaman, whereas elemental spirits are neutral at best. They are also generally more common than elemental spirits. Each rank spent on spirits grants you one spirit from the list below. The downside for Shamans is that there are more varieties of spirits to choose from (12 in all).

Hermetic: Air, Earth, Fire, Water

Shamanic: (City): Urban, Hearth, Field. (Land): Desert, Forest, Mountain. (Water): River, Sea, Swamp. (Air): Wind, Storm, Fog.

Cybernetic Implants

Choose an implant (R/L Eye, R/L Arm, R/L Leg, Head, Chest) and a power. Use your judgment to choose a suitable power based on the Shadowrun world (See the various books on cyberware for ideas). Describe what the implant does so I know when you're likely to use it. This is bog-standard cyberware (possibly even second hand). A datajack is pretty much free, so everyone can have one (except for mages and shamans) if they want one at no cost.