Are indirect combat spells visible before they hit their target?

Question

I am trying to understand what mundane characters see when a Magician casts an indirect combat spell.

Looking at the rules (core rulebook), I can find the following snippets (p. 283):

All indirect combat spells originate near the magician’s body (most magicians use their hands or eyes, but some use their feet for “power kicks” or emanate power from the entire body for a kind of an aura-throwing effect). The spell then is launched […] kind of like shooting a gun (in this case with bullets made of acid, or fire, or something equally unpleasant to be hit by).

And further down the same page:

Area indirect spells travel from the magician to the point of detonation and then go boom.

Now if a Magician casts for example Fireball on a group of people a bit down the road, what do they see before they are clouded in a ball of fire? Is there like a compact flame which travels to them? Or is it a colourful blob of energy which only at the target converts to fire? Or is it entirely invisible?

Answer 1

Yes, spells are visible to anyone who can see

Under "Perceiving Magic" on pg. 280:

Magic is rarely subtle. Any form of magic (conjuring, spellcasting, enchanting, magical lodges, spirits, etc.) changes the world around it. Sometimes it’s obvious through a magician’s gestures or incantations (magicians seen by non-Awakened people are sometimes called “twitchy fingers”). Spirits sometimes cause the air to shimmer, even from astral space. People have reported feeling chills, dread, or other unnatural sensations they can’t quite put their finger on when magic is in the area.

And just after on the next page:

Obviously, if a magician is throwing fire from his fingertips, you’re probably going to notice without making a test. But if the magic is subtle, then you have to pick up some dice.

That fireball you're tossing around isn't stealthy...it's a burning ball casting off heat and light, and any fragger's going to notice your mojo if it takes that form.