I'm thinking of adding Target:Street to our modern setting. The target area is one city block long and specifically the area of road surface including things on it, or the "street" itself. Equivalent to Structure for magnitude calculations.
I vetoed Block because IMO that implies the area the actual buildings are on rather than the roadway. I also didn't want to contradict or create confusion with the (IIRC Faerie Magic) Target: Road. Using Target: Structure along these lines would IMO target the entirety of the street (e.g. continuous length with the same name).
Do any of you see any terrible cons to this target idea? How badly do you think it could be abused?
Lastly, do you have any suggestions for a better target name than Street?
Road, street, what's the difference? If you wanted all magi to have access to that range, you could say there was a hermetic breakthrough that reconciled that part of the Merinata mystery cult with Hermetic magic.
Regarding abuse, in the modern era it can be abused, but nearly any spell can, due to population density.
Some example spells for abuse of power. Just basics, not all spell parameters included.
Razing the Roof
Creo Ignem, Range structure
10 foot flames burst from the walls and everything touching the walls of a building, doing +25 damage.
Do that in a sports stadium or a sky scraper.
Where the Streets have no name
Perdo Mentem Range Road
Everyone on a road forgets their identity.
Use that on any freeway. Use that when cars are arriving for a G20 summit, etc.
Modern Era with magic, Quaesitoris need their remit extended, to include much better protections of mundanes, or the order gets a bunch of cruise missiles heading it's way real quick.
The other option is to put serious limits or range road, range structure, etc.
t city block, and a street, would be clear cases for a boundary in my opinion without any breakthrough, but the need for ritual magic would limit the use. The fact that the target is already available as boundary, does not exclude the possibility of making an easier target.
Road and street are in my opinion very different. A road is mostly empty, leading from one location to another. The street is full of people, being the room where they meet from adjacent buildings. A street is the modern equivalent of a courtyard, not a medieval road.
Viewing the street as a courtyard, one could make a case for using room, without any breakthrough, although most streets would require increased size. Thus a new street target at structure level is not at all controversial, and arguably superfluous.
Sorry, when I say modern, I may be thinking of an 1850-1950 ideal setting. It may need further rethinking.
I deliberately do not conclude. Just a couple of observation to fuel the thought.
What you convey here, the "feel" of the Street, is what I'm going for. I watched Sesame Street a lot as a child and it always seemed to me like the Street was all one block (sets, of course). That feel is why I went with Street instead of Block. Your points on the "courtyard"/Room equivalency are intriguing, I'll also give that angle some thought. I haven't even mentioned this idea to the rest of the Troupe yet. I wanted some more experienced players/SGs to look at it with me first.
Also, to clarify for all, our Troupe is using 4th ed. I don't think it has Size parameters for T: Structure as Jason mentioned.
Lee's concerns about quaesitor power are on our radar as well. Overall modern magi are too obsessed with their research or finding more Vis to go all sociopathic, but House Guernicus has the best paramilitary resources of all the order (including exclusive spells).