Imagonem & Target:Part

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Just a random thought tangent...

The base Individual target for Imagonem is... "...the equivalent of an adult human being; whether a visual image about that size, an auditory illusion making that much noise, or whatever." [size=85](emphasis added)[/size]
If "part of a single noise source" were being silenced, that would need "Part". Even if different sounds from the same person, that is not relevant to "Individual Imagonem" - it's the equivalent sound from one, not the actual sounds from one specific Corpus-type individual. So 20 people whispering might still be "one individual", assuming 20 whispering is not more noise than one person shouting. (Or do we disagree on that premise?...)

If two people were talking in low tones, would that take two Silence Spells, or "Target:Group", even if that noise is less than "one individual", as defined above? What if a mage just wanted to silence the voice - would the rest still make noise, clapping or running? Would that require "part", or is the target "the noise of the voice", and not the rest?

What of the other way around? If a mage wanted to make a person's footsteps and clothing silent, but allow them to speak if they wanted to - would that take "Target:Part", or not? They're certainly different noises, not the same, not the same source, not at all. (shoes on the ground vs a voice.)

The spell is not targeting the person, it's just targeting some of the sound they make. And if you're not worried about the sound of a voice, just the rest, why target it?

Or do we apply the assumption that "one person is an individual is an individual is an individual, sound or body or mind", and let it go at that? :confused:

This sprang from the thought to silence only running footsteps. At first I thought: "It's a tiny spell, two feet, two castings, no problem..." - but those obviously create less sound than "the equivalent of an adult human", so why not just silence the "lower half", legs, feet... so why not everything from the neck down? And is that then a "part", or just "one individual lower half", smaller but still individual?

2

I was just thinking T: Part might be a neat way to affect a particular word. For example, PeIm so the target cannot say my name?

3

Now this leads to some interesting possibilities. I'll have to sit down and think on this, as I've made an IMG specialist.

4

I think that would need an "intelligent" spell and therefore not possible. Would have to be a Mentem spell instead wouldnt it?
I think it would be possible to "hide" sounds at a certain pitch or of a certain sort by using target Part, but specific words, i doubt it.

I agree at least. And the next question from this becomes, does the spell stop working if everyone is totally quiet for a while? Ie. that there is no longer a target. If the total gets to loud, the spell fails as its no longer equal to 1 individual worth of sound.

Of course, then there is the question, how is "the equivalent sound from one individual" actually defined?
My brother playing drums? An operasinger going full powered voice? Still "the equivalent sound from one individual"?

1 spell i think. But cast "in between" them so that you target the sound they make rather than them, which would indeed take 2 spells.

Target Part would be my bet. Although i think individual but aimed at noise the person makes.

Target Part, directed at the feet and clothing alone. Or target Individual against the noises the steps and the clothing makes.

That would make illusions not part of something or someone impossible wouldnt it? If you cant target the sound itself, then why should you be able to create sound "anywhere"?

Id say one spell is enough, but that can be argued of course.

On the same basis i think you would need target Part to silence one half of a conversation if you dont want to cast a spell directly on one of the individuals talking.

Far too good questions btw.

5

MuIm

replaces obscene words with a beep

What a beeping beeper came up wih this beeping beep!

spell doesn't need intelligence, just aste: it's magic!

6

A strong argument can be made that a single word is a particular sound - so the word "Perdo" could be banned, and no others, or whatever.

7

Heh. Now that's a nasty one...

An until duration perdo imag with target part. The until is "until the target says kidneys". The perdo imag list of sounds INCLUDES "kidneys" :stuck_out_tongue:

it's an until, and the until goal is valid. It's just impossible to fulfil while the spell is active. (The solution is go sit in a dominion aura powerful enough to stop the spell :stuck_out_tongue:)

8

Or just get some big PeVi to break the spell.

And the best part, a mage wouldn't know it's there until they tried to say the key word - which is probably going to be too late. Nasty indeed.

9

This just struck me as very funny regarding Imagonem & T:Part

The one handed clap

PeIm lvl 5 (Base 3, R:Touch +1, D:Mom, T:Part)
This spell, when cast, eliminates the (auditory)
part of a clap emanating from one hand but not
the other.