Can a technomancer use another technomancers spell cache?

[Santobon]

Can a technomancer use another technomancers (Whether they are alive/dead) spell cache?

This is assuming their spell cache is handheld and not a tattoo/body-mod

I have a player (Level 2 technomancer) who has been taking spell caches, from alive/dead enemies. Now he hasn’t done anything with them nor asked me. But I have the feeling he wants to use them to cast 1 spell he knows per spell cache per day.

To cover my base, I did some digging in the books and couldn’t find anything that limits you from using another technomancers spell cache.

My hot take is:
From a gameplay stance: It is very clever, but I’d say he can’t do it, that would really throw the balance of the game out whack.

From an in-game lore stance: I’d say he can’t do it because everyone’s spell cache is made by the caster and is thus unique. The spell cache has a faint techno-magic aura that is specific to the creator (Think of it like your DNA/fingerprint). Because of that, it won’t active unless the creator uses it.

What are your thoughts?

[The Archon]

Santobon wrote:

Can a technomancer use another technomancers (Whether they are alive/dead) spell cache?

This is assuming their spell cache is handheld and not a tattoo/body-mod

I have a player (Level 2 technomancer) who has been taking spell caches, from alive/dead enemies. Now he hasn’t done anything with them nor asked me. But I have the feeling he wants to use them to cast 1 spell he knows per spell cache per day.

To cover my base, I did some digging in the books and couldn’t find anything that limits you from using another technomancers spell cache.

My hot take is:
From a gameplay stance: It is very clever, but I’d say he can’t do it, that would really throw the balance of the game out whack.

From an in-game lore stance: I’d say he can’t do it because everyone’s spell cache is made by the caster and is thus unique. The spell cache has a faint techno-magic aura that is specific to the creator (Think of it like your DNA/fingerprint). Because of that, it won’t active unless the creator uses it.

What are your thoughts?

Personally I think this is a pretty cool plan. But I do agree that if he is expecting a spell per day from another cache it would make it way too powerful. However, I would let a person take a spell cache to expand their spells known a-la wizard. Probably with a dc engineering/computers check to unlock the cache. Or you could base the check on the spell levels they are trying to decrypt and put a timer on how often they can retry. Perhaps:

Computers/engineer DC 20+min caster spell level once a day. (Eg for level 2 technomancer spells the dc would be 20+4)

Just like wizards in 5e or Pathfinder 1e you could also have a cost and time associated with transferring the spells over to the player's cache. You know X credits for a memory upgrade for the cache, X hours transferring the encrypted data. Or another DC check for mysticism for the player to understand and transfer the spell.

[Wesrolter]

Going from a read in the rules, I would say no.
The idea of 'learning' spells from one is breaking the spell known limit.
Maybe as a way to replace a spell? Using the intel with a check to replace one of your spells with one from the cache.
As for the uses, I would allow a 1 time use. Since you can use your own Cache to cast an extra spell once a day, I would allow a Technomancer to use one he found once before it looses its 'charge'. Since its tied to the specific character, I would say it doesn't replenish the power in it.

[Claxon]

Yeah, letting him use it as a permanent spell reservoir would definitely blow the balance of the game.

It's not in the rules that you can use the spell cache from another technomancer. And to be honest I'm not sure why many technomancers would ever have it as a handheld item rather than an integrated part of their body such as an implant or tatoo.

I think best case scenario 25% of technomancers might have an object that functions as a spell cache rather than something that's apart of them.

And if I were feeling generous, I might allow the player to use the power in the spell cache one time (assuming it wasn't used in the fight) to power one spell of the highest level the enemy technomancer could cast. And after that the power is exhausted and doesn't refresh. So it basically would be a spell gem. After being used once, there is no one to power it anymore (each technomancer can only power one spell cache) and so its power isn't refreshed.

But that's about as generous as I would get. RAW, your player can't even attempt to use the other character's spell cache.

[Santobon]

In the interest of balance, I'll let the player take the spell cache and wipe it, and it's function/value the same as a tier 1 computer.