Topic: Target of spells aware or unaware ?

[Warl]

That is a use of PP that I had not hear of before. I do not think that I would use it in my game unless the person had PP active at the time of casting.
MDC

RM2's Spell User Companion has a section on magical flourishes that we use for this type of thing. Essentially Power Perception allows you to get a sense of power being used over space and time.
"There was a great ritual cast here centuries ago"
"You feel a tingle up your spine as magic is cast nearby."
It is a great resource and has led to more than on PC going completely mundane to avoid detection.

I use this part as well... you may not See the power with out actively concentrating, but if it is powerful enough, or you are sensitive enough, (developed your perception high enough) you might feel old energies, or even sense places of great power, or even feel some one using spells down the street.

MERP used this type of power sensing, warning that anytime power was used, it might attract unwanted attention, and at the same time, a Spell user had a chance to sense spell use nearby as well.

[Cory Magel]

Generically speaking, if someone is the target of a spell which they get a RR roll for then I simply rule if they save by certain degrees of success they learn more about the action.

Barely save?  You know nothing.
Save by 20 points?  You know someone cast some kind of spell on you, but not who.
Save by 50 points?  You know a spell of some kind was cast on you and by who.
Save by 100 points (or possibly an UM100)?  You know roughly what kind of spell was cast on you and by who.

[Peter R]

A tv advert tries to influence my behaviour even if I am not actively watching.  I could be reading in the room with the tv. Am I aware of the moment when the advert grabs me? I would say not.

So, you are not aware of that moment when you say to yourself "hey, I want one of those"? I seem to know when that happens.

But, we are also talking about Power, and energy even if we cannot see it, its effects may be felt (like wind, we don't see the wind itself, but we can certainly feel it pushing/pulling us). Magic is a power that can have a physical affect on us, even if it isn't the one described in the spell. Why can't it be that an individual gets goose-bumps when magic is used on them? Again, I think it boils down to the type and source of magic. If it is devised to be stealthy, then it is likely not going to be noticed if done right, otherwise it just might be felt even if it is a mental spell.

Yes, that I would be aware of but what about the 'brand awareness' and 'brand image' type advertising. There are adverts for a brand of Vodka where the ads are kind of dark, slightly surreal and would not be out of place being inserted into the midst of Moulin Rouge by Baz Lurman. My reaction when I see them is along the lines of "Really?!?". I don't drink vodka and I will never buy their product but the imagery of their advertising has stuck with me.

Did I make or fail that RR?

[Peter R]

Generically speaking, if someone is the target of a spell which they get a RR roll for then I simply rule if they save by certain degrees of success they learn more about the action.

Barely save?  You know nothing.
Save by 20 points?  You know someone cast some kind of spell on you, but not who.
Save by 50 points?  You know a spell of some kind was cast on you and by who.
Save by 100 points (or possibly an UM100)?  You know roughly what kind of spell was cast on you and by who.

I quite like Corys solution.

[markc]

  Yes I remember the text of PP being used in such a way now, the skill being passively activated in a high magic area or area of intense magic such as a mana node or earth node.


 In Middle Earth, I think that from the books and the RPG you could get a different interpretation as there were very people using magic so the Demi-God like and God like beings on the planet could sense you. To me it is sort of like seeing a candle on a very dark night, the less dark it is the harder time you have seeing it and the more dark it is the easier time you have seeing it farther away.
MDC

[RandalThor]

Generically speaking, if someone is the target of a spell which they get a RR roll for then I simply rule if they save by certain degrees of success they learn more about the action.

Barely save?  You know nothing.
Save by 20 points?  You know someone cast some kind of spell on you, but not who.
Save by 50 points?  You know a spell of some kind was cast on you and by who.
Save by 100 points (or possibly an UM100)?  You know roughly what kind of spell was cast on you and by who.

I can totally see this as an option, and one I might have actually used in the past.

Did I make or fail that RR?

Well, since you consciously say "Really?" I would imagine you know what's up.

A better example would be subliminal advertising; the hidden image type stuff and/or the more subtle imagery stuff. You may not consciously register the image, but your subconscious does and it subtly places a thought, or the beginnings of a though really. The goal there is to make it seem like you came to the realization/concept yourself. That is the difference between the realms and sources of the spells as I see it: Calm from the essence realm, cast by a magician is like the booze commercial that blatantly tells you "DRINK THIS AND YOU WILL BE COOL!!!!" Whereas a Calm spell being cast by a mystic (mentalism) is more like the subliminal advertising, you aren’t even sure what the commercial is about but for some reason you want to call your friends and have a get-together later.

[Tamans]

Sorry to resurface an old thread but is so specific I didn't feel like opening a new one.
I recently ran a short adventure about a miller who was being sort of bullied and blackmailed by dark entities attired by the components he was working which they used for demonic magical rituals. The miller just made littler alabaster animals like the images that used to work as charms people kept in order to attract some kind of blessing and the sort.  One of those was a ship and it was one of the components that let the monsters make the ritual allowing them stay in the real world. Well the question was, ¿could people feel somewhat what was going on inside the mill from outside? The PC's asked and got to try a very difficult PP check. But the interesting thing they made realise at that moment was that the common people, the neighbors might also have a chance at feeling. Even with 0 degrees I felt the should have a change of partial success over the weeks that this had been happening (very near some of the villager's homes). I didn't throw all the dices but gave some of them a partial success. They would then be gossiping about the miller doing evil things (which was in part true). This became an important ruling to support how magic works in my game universe and to present it to the players. Magical sensibility wasn't totally unatural, specially with enough time...

[RandalThor]

That sounds entirely possible/plausible.