>From: Light Castle <light_castle_at_...>
>You know, if it really is just common magic that has this problem, maybe
>it's a non-issue? Anything that can be used as an active ability *is* being
>used the same way, even when used as an augment. (i.e. Your Quick Footed
>ability isn't different when you use to augment vs when you use
it actively.)
This is what I was getting at. Or, rather, vice versa. That is, if you normally use an ability passively, it doesn't suddenly look different because you get to use it actively for defense. Jane's example points this out well. Thus, when the common magic using guy defends with an "Active" use of a normally passive ability, he just gets it at full strength if he wants. Or as an augment if he wants to use something else primary.
If you concentrate your common magic, then I rule that it has that "active look." Meaning that your "Fire Stick Charm" can now burst into flame without rubbing it on anything (example from my Self-Rock character). But then when augmenting when building a fire, it still does that - it doesn't revert to having to be rubbed. This is no different than using a mundane "Strong" ability actively in one case and to augment in another. The ability doesn't change in this case.
Really the key is merely that your narration has to match player expectation here. Which comes pretty intuitively I've found.
Mike
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