From: Eric Jablow (jablow@pilot.njin.net)
Date: Mon 23 Apr 1990 - 09:56:33 EEST
I have some comments on the RQDigest, volume 4, number 3.
>From: Jeff Okamoto <okamoto@hpccc.hp.com>
I agree. I suppose that the shaman's spirit gets pushed
back into his body, with the possessing spirit following,
and taking it over. One problem, though--what about the
shaman's fetch? Now, you have three spirits inhabiting the
same body!
>
>Subject: Re: RQ digest 4#2
>
>>From: kenm@ni700.natinst.com
>>
>>I find that the rules regarding spirit plane encounters for shamans are
>>unclear. For example, what happens to a shaman on the spirit plane who
>>is reduced to zero magic points by a spirit? Is his body possessed?
>
>Yes, the body is possessed.
Some spirits will give up first; I don't envision a Healing Spirit bothering to fight off the losing shaman's fetch. I would allow a Spell Spirit to attack; it's mindless anyway, and it wouldn't know any better. A Soul Waste Spirit doesn't have to bother; it may attack if it wants, but the Shaman automatically suffers Soul Waste anyway. An Elemental has two choices; it may manifest around the Shaman's body, evading all protections around the area. Some shamans sleep in a Warding field, for example. Others enchant their tepees, or carpets, or wagons to cast various spells whenever an enemy shows up. The Elemental makes it through the Warding without the possibility of taking damage from it, as it enters the mundane world at the site of the Shaman's body. If this is impractical, because the Element is not present, the Elemental may attack the Fetch in Spirit Combat even though it would not usually do so. If the Elemental wins, it possesses the body, and the body is catatonic.
Perhaps I'm talking through my hat here. A more interesting solution might be for the Shaman's spirit to be lost on the Spirit plane in the same way that a forcibly discoporated adventurer's spirit would be lost. Then, the victorous spirit automatically possesses the shaman's body. The fetch doesn't cooperate with this, and so things do get somewhat tense for the shaman and his fetch. The fetch cannot expel the possessor; perhaps it can Mindspeak a companion, or perhaps a companion will figure out the situation. If the shaman's friends manage to exorcise the possessing spirit, then they can try to recover him. Some exotic magics can help. For example, someone can cast Summon Ancestor; if the summoned ancestor is a relative of the shaman, he will have an affinity to the shaman's spirit. He can be sent to recover him. Another Shaman may try to find him. It helps if he and the Fetch go into a Mindlink. The lost spirit may wander into a safe area of the spirit plane after it recovers; perhaps it meets a friendly cult spirit, or a friendly shaman.
>>What if a shaman binds a ghost or magic spirit which has rune magic?
>>Is this rune magic reusable? How does the spirit regain it?
>>Most spirits don't have Rune magic, except for cult special spirits
>that are HARD to find. Assuming that the Rune spell was compatible
>with your own cult affiliations (remember, some shamans are priests
>as well!) it COULD be reusable. I think an overwhelming majority
>would be one-use. As for the spirit, who knows? Why not ask one?-)
In order for a spirit to have reusable Rune Magic, it would have to be associated to an appropriate cult, and the cult's eschatology must be appropriate to. If the cult of kyger Litor's eschatology is that dead troll's spirits are eventually reborn as trolls, insects, or other (food) creatures, then a shaman would have to find the spirit before it reincarnates. This won't be easy. Suppose the shaman does control the spirit. The Spirit must cast its spells once for the shaman, but regaining them would be a problem. The spirit must be at a Kyger Litor temple, and he must be released from his magic item (thus requiring a Command spell). The trolls there probably won't be too happy!
What if it's a troll shaman controlling a troll ghost. Things become somewhat easier. If the shaman and the ghost are cooperating, then it becomes a matter of temple politics. Perhaps the shaman will have the ghost ally with a new Kaarg's Son. Perhaps this is how shaman-oriented cults get their temple spirits.
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Eric Jablow jablow@pilot.njin.net William Paterson College Well, it has been a quiet week Wayne, NJ at Lake Parsippany, my home town...
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