[ED4] Astral Sense and Astral Targeting

[Razan_GM]

Baravakar is right. So to give some examples:

Astral Sight - if you roll at least a base Difficulty Number of 6, modified
by the local conditions of astral space, you see (which means you sensed) all imprints in your line of sight in astral.

Astral Sense - is like a radar, you do not see exactly what you sensed unless its in your line of sight in astral. If you make another test, this time against MD of target, you see its Pattern/True Pattern so you can tell what it is. Or you can turn around to see what is this dot on your "astral radar" (line of sight).

To sense something astrally all you need is to see its imprint (test of base Difficulty Number of 6, modified
by the local conditions of astral space).

[Dougansf]

[Baravakar]

[Panda]

The only test that does not have a single target is the initial test to see if the adept can see through the local corruption. Every other usage is against a single target. The initial test gives you an idea of what is around you, but it will not suffice for the purpose of Astral Targeting, which (I assumed) was the primary intent of the line of questioning.

[Panda]

[kosmit]

Could someone sum up what we discussed here and in the ethereal darkness thread? That's kinda important

[Baravakar]

[Telarus_KSC]

From my reading of the responses, sensing the astral "imprint" is not enough to "be sure of their location". Locking onto their Pattern by beating their Mystic defense would count, in my opinion. (And from my reading, this is the assumption Panda made when replying, that you wanted to lock onto a target Pattern by beating it's Mystic Defense.)

If using Astral Sight, the sensed Pattern must be within "line-of-sight" to target it with a spell. I guess I'm still unsure on the Astral Sense spell, though....

[Mataxes]

Astral Sense doesn't allow a caster to get around other targeting/casting requirements. Just because Astral Sense allows you to detect someone hiding behind a hut, it doesn't overcome other targeting restrictions, as the hut may be blocking that line. A Mind Dagger (for example) can't go through the hut's imprint/pattern. It doesn't matter that you can "see" the person on the other side. The spell is not going to arc up and over the hut. Even as a "mystic" spell, physical objects block it.

If we replace the hut with an area of darkness (magical or otherwise), once the caster is sure of the target's location -- which a successful Astral Sensing test against their Mystic Defense can do -- there isn't anything to actually block the spell.

So, whether a spell or power can be cast on a target detected by Astral Sensing depends on the spell or power in question.

[kosmit]

I like what they did in Shadowrun with Direct and Indirect spells. Maybe some clarification like this is needed?