FASA Games, Inc.

1) Easy question (I think) - Does the Unlock spell work on doors sealed with a Security Terminal?

2) Harder question (I think) - Magicians can use magic theory to create KAVs for spells from other Lodges that they find, right? So they have to create a new KAV. Not from scratch, but new to their Lodge. It feels like that should be harder than learning from the same Lodge, but there's not a mechanic that makes that so, is there? I feel like there should at least be a time requirement, like 1 week per Tier (1 week for Initiate, 2 for Novice, 3 for Journeyman, 4 for Warden, 5 for Master or something like that.) After all, you are translating it to your tradition, with potentially new characteristics and fluff.

3) The Spell Learning Cost Table on page 268 says that learning a new Novice spell costs 800 SP, a new Journeyman spell costs 1300, etc.
What is the cost of learning a new Initiate Tier spell?
The same as a Novice spell? or 500?

500, following the Fibonacci progression.

(Edit: Added to Errata for next release)

Any word on the first two questions?

1) Yes, but you have to beat the same TN as if trying to hack it with Engine Programming.

2) This is handled in the spell creation mechanic, which is in the Players Companion (awaiting layout). We address creating new Base Spells and new KAVs. It's easier to create a new KAV than a new Base Spell, since you're adapting known magic theory to your Lodge's style. Creating a new KAV for your Lodge from a KAV found in another Lodge is about the same as building a new KAV from a Base Spell. In the one case you're engineering from raw theory, in the other you're reverse engineering from a known product. Hang in there, the book is enqueued and there will be a KS for it soon.

What is the Effect Step for Illusion (Physical)?

Rank + WIL

Can Shamans learn Mage Spells?

No. Shamans would have to redevelop the Mage spells to base them in their own Faith, like Priests do. It may be useful to think of Mage, Priest, and Shaman as the three spell-casting Disciplines. Wizards cannot use Nethermancer spells, but can engineer a spell that produces the same effect, more or less.

I seem to recall reading that magical tomes helped Weird Scientists get inspiration for their scientific devices, and I seem to recall hearing that it was easier to make a KaV if you could study a grimoure that had a variant than to develop a new KaV from scratch. So I thought that there was some touch-stones of communication between the disciplines.

So if a Shaman (or whatever) who did not know any Kav of a spell wanted to learn/develop one, would he have to do so totally and completely from scratch, or (assuming the grimoure or teacher had a KaV of the spell) which of the following might be of some use to him and which would be totally useless? (a) a shamans from the same lodge grimoure, (b) a shaman from some other lodges grimoure, (c) a shaman from some other lodge trying to teach him, (d) a mages grimoure, (e) a mage who knew a KaV trying to teach it to him?

I had thought that all 5 were useful to some degree or another. Specifically that a, b, and c were useful to help him learn a KaV, and All 5 would be useful in helping him to develop a new KaV. This is not correct? So what is correct?

Or maybe the question could be best rephrased as "What activities (as far as learning or designing spells) can a spell-caster make use of a teacher of their discipline, a grimour of their discipline, or a teacher or grimoure of a totally different tradition.