Understanding Spirit Magic

[ThatGuy]

Thanks for the quick response Loz! You guys are the best!

Rurik is correct about my question.

If the spirit binding fails while the Spirit is realeased, the spirit swirling around the shaman but the instructions not understood, how often- and under what conditions, can the free action of repeating the binding be attempted?

Example:

My old buddy Bek is attempting to release "Strong Claw". He has 4 CA.
CA 1: releases Spirit and attempts Binding- the binding fails.
CA 2: parrys an attacker (can Bek use the free action now to attempt another binding?)
CA 3: attack? attack and attempt another binding? Or attempt another Binding ONLY
CA 4: Parry again- leaving any foe with 3CA or better a free attack.

The missed Spirit binding becomes a pretty hefty penalty in a close range battle. Your spirit is left exposed, and unused to boot. Repeated attempts at binding leave you open to attack. The "free action" makes it a little less punitive, but I can see the reasoning for a CA cost since Bek is essentially trying to have a conversation in the otherworld while fighting a battle. Which can be pretty distracting.

 

[ThatGuy]

My other question is about the time it takes to cast Spirit Walking.

The CORE says; Species Maximum POW- Characters POW= minutes it takes

So, for Humans is this 21 or 18?

I'm thinking 21? But I'm not sure so...

 

[Loz]

My other question is about the time it takes to cast Spirit Walking.

The CORE says; Species Maximum POW- Characters POW= minutes it takes

So, for Humans is this 21 or 18?

I'm thinking 21? But I'm not sure so...

It is 21.

 

[ThatGuy]

Thanks for the answer on the Spirit walking minutes...

Now what about the toughie about the Spirit binding as a free action...

 

[Loz]

Thanks for the answer on the Spirit walking minutes...

Now what about the toughie about the Spirit binding as a free action...

There's no hard and fast ruling, but I'd suggest that you cannot attempt the binding again until the next Combat round. If can attempt it again in the same round if you are willing to spend a CA to do it. Otherwise, you have the suffer the invulnerability until the next round. If you do though, you can make a free attempt on your SR.

Does that help?

 

[ThatGuy]

Absolutely helps! Thanks!

 

[daxos232]

1. Could a shaman use his Spirit Binding skill on an elemental that was summoned by another person, or if the elemental was just already there? It says in the MRQ2 book on page 144 that,

"Elemental spirits originate from the Elemental Runes, Air, Darkness, Earth, Fire, Moon, and Water. They are the same beings summoned by such spells as Elemental Summoning, but a spirit magician can invest heir powers within his own body."

So could that mean the shaman could take control of someone else's elemental, and either use it aginst them, or take it into his body, and thus gain its powers?

2. If a shaman is releasing many of his spirits, wouldn't he have a distinct advantage over his enemies, since the spirits are invisible at all times, unless they know a spell that lets them see the spirits?
The spirits can just attack with their Discorporate spell, dealing damage on the material plane or dragging them into the spirit plane for spirit combat, or using a spectral weapon (the nature spirits in the MRQ2 book aren't listed as having the Discorporate skill) on the material plane. Is this correct?

 

[Vatras]

The only thing about other peoples' spirits is the paragraph on pg. 140, which is about binding spirits from other tribal members. The one clear thing is that you cannot go over your limit of bound spirits. At the moment I would say it's in the GMs ballyard how to handle hostile takeovers (not so hard to figure a way out, just reverse the problem: how would you handle it, when someone tries to steal your spirits?).

I think he is. Sending two or more spirits to try to engage an enemy in spirit combat and then slaying their inanimate shells, if a spirit discorporates them seems to be viable. If he is the attacker, and the others don't know what is coming, larger groups of spirits are possible without the possible hindrance in melee.

 

[Loz]

1. Could a shaman use his Spirit Binding skill on an elemental that was summoned by another person, or if the elemental was just already there? It says in the MRQ2 book on page 144 that,

"Elemental spirits originate from the Elemental Runes, Air, Darkness, Earth, Fire, Moon, and Water. They are the same beings summoned by such spells as Elemental Summoning, but a spirit magician can invest heir powers within his own body."

So could that mean the shaman could take control of someone else's elemental, and either use it aginst them, or take it into his body, and thus gain its powers?

I'd personally rule No. A spirit magician commanding an elemental has effectively formed a bond with it, and that elemental won't serve another willingly. However, the two spirit magicians could slug it out on the spirit plane using their respective Spirit Binding skills with the winner taking control of the spirit. However, a sensible shaman in control of an elemental spirit would internalise its powers (and those of any other allied spirits) to boost his own defences. So it could be possible, but certainly not easy and certainly not a done-deal.

2. If a shaman is releasing many of his spirits, wouldn't he have a distinct advantage over his enemies, since the spirits are invisible at all times, unless they know a spell that lets them see the spirits?
The spirits can just attack with their Discorporate spell, dealing damage on the material plane or dragging them into the spirit plane for spirit combat, or using a spectral weapon (the nature spirits in the MRQ2 book aren't listed as having the Discorporate skill) on the material plane. Is this correct?

More or less. Yes, shaman are pretty nasty if they decide to command their spirits to act offensively. All spirit combats happen on the spirit plane although nature spirits are generally not used offensively in their own but to augment the shaman. However, the shaman could drag an opponent onto the spirit plane and leave him to the mercy of his spirits.

 

[daxos232]

Does the spirit actually have to discorporate someones soul and then engage it in spirit combat on the spirit plane?
Or can they just be released from their fetish, and then they are floating around on the material plane, and use their spectral combat or dicorporate skill to deal direct damage to an oppoenent?

 

[ThatGuy]

Does the spirit actually have to discorporate someones soul and then engage it in spirit combat on the spirit plane?
Or can they just be released from their fetish, and then they are floating around on the material plane, and use their spectral combat or dicorporate skill to deal direct damage to an oppoenent?

It is my understanding that the spirit must have a discorporate skill to actually snatch a PC or NPC and engage them in spirit combat. Otherwise, I can't think of how a Spirit could hurt some one directly (other than a released bound elemental). The Spirit's power is essentially channeled through the shaman, so even spells provided by an ancestor spirit are cast by the shaman, not the spirit. A free floating spirit might have some offensive spells I guess, but I don't think a bound one can cast them. I may be wrong though...

Any official words?