Some questions on Parma

Games Discussion Ars Magica
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I just reread the rules on Parma Magica, and I realized they are somewhat less clear than I'd like on some edge cases when a magus is protecting someone else.

  1. The protected party must "consent" for the protection to be shared. But what happens if he initially consents, and then no longer does? Would he immediately lose the protection or not? I'm of a divided mind on this one; it's never come up in our games, but in principle it could.

  2. A magus can suppress the Parma Magica by concentrating, and this also suppresses his Form Resistance. If maga Alice is protecting magus Bob with her Parma Magica, can she suppress her Parma Magica as usual? I'd say yes.

  3. Does this automatically suppress her Parma protection on Bob? I'd say yes (but this would not suppress his Form Resistance).

  4. Can Bob suppress Alice's Parma protection on him by concentrating? I'd say no (but he ought to be able to suppress his own Form Resistance).

  5. The protection sharing lasts while "one [of the two] can see the other". If Bob and Alice are in front of each other, and shut their eyes, does the shared protection immediately end?

  6. Does it end if Bob leaves Alice's immediate presence, but she keeps him in sight via scrying magics?

The reason I was re-reading the Parma rules, was that @ErikT was apparently arguing that the only way for a magus to lower his Form Resistance is to a) have a Parma Magica active and b) suppress said Parma. I wholeheartedly disagree, and see the RAW as saying that the same concentration through which a magus can suppress his Parma can, or will, suppress his Form Resistance.

But that "can or will" (assuming I am otherwise correct) is the rub:

  1. Can a magus with his Parma raised suppress his Parma Magica by concentrating without suppressing his Form Resistance? I'm of a divided mind on this one too, but I lean towards "no".

  2. Can he suppress his Form Resistance without suppressing his Parma? Again, I'm of a divided mind, but I think the answer really should be the same as for the question above.

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My take on this, which may not be supported by the exact text of the rules:

  1. The Parma continues even if Bob no longer consent. Bob has no control over the Parma that Alice initiated.
  2. Yes. Furthermore, she could suppress her Parma over Bob without suppressing her own protection.
  3. Not automatically. Alice can suppress both her Parma and Bob's at the same time, but doesn't have to do so.
  4. No. Bob has no control over Alice's Parma.
  5. No. I'm a bit lenient on this. Even though they are no looking at one another, as long as they have an unblocked line of sight with each other, the Parma remains. Even if they close their eyes or are completely in the dark.
  6. No. They have to maintain a certain proximity.
  7. Yes. Parma and Form are seperate things. Although they can be suppressed at the same time if Alice wants to do so, she gets to choose which protection to suppress.
  8. Yes. Bob has full control of his Form resistance. But he has no control over Alice's Parma which may be protecting him.
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I've always interpreted "one [of the two] can see the other" as requiring being in general proximity - the sharing shouldn't fall off just because you're both looking at e.g. a third person you're both talking to rather than each other.

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People, even magi, blink.
So eyes closed happen regularly, and coincidentally both will blink at the same time.
Also stepping around corners will temporarily break line of sight.

And yet sharing Parma works. I have assumed that in cases where the share conditions fail, it takes as long to disperse the shared Parma as it takes to raise.

You should have framed your question as maga Alice and apprentice Bob. A mage sharing Parma with another mage should only occur during the initial teaching of Parma.