I can still address that...

Tripod... would use heavy weapons. (technically the tripod is an attachment to the weapon... and you're possessing the weapon... so no reason the spirit couldn't use the mechanical T&E mechanism).

Smart firing platform (which is just a tripod with drone addiitions, allowing either A. remote control, or B. autonomous operation). Heavy weapons if being manually fired... gunnery if firing it as a drone remotely. Though again, spirit would have no access to smartgun functionality (which the SFP requires for guns mounted in it). (see edit... this now strikes me as incorrect).

Edit: actually rethink here... technically a SFP turns the relationship around... a SFP is an immobile drone w/ a reinforced weapons mount (it can mount HMG's and the like)... In which case, the gun is in the weapons mount... so if the gun is possessed it couldn't move the mount. But if the mount was possessed, it could move and use the gun the same as a possessed drone could use a gun in it's mount... but it would do so as a drone and use Gunnery.


Again, IF it was mounted on a pickup truck or other vehicle on a pintle mount... then it switches to gunnery for all uses. But it must be permanently mounted as a weapons mount. You can't just duct tape a weapon on. (well you could... then have the spirit possess the gun, but not the vehicle... but that's a different can of worms).


Duct taping anything to the golem or vehicle DOESN"T make it part of it... for example one trick I like is outfitting a vehicle w/ a drone rack. Then sticking a smart firing platform in the drone rack... (instant weapons mount which I can quickly remove and avoid problems w/ the fuzz). However, even if I possessed the 'carrier' vehicle.. the drones in the mounts (even though attached) would not be possessed (and the spirit would be unable to use them).


On the other hand, if you had a guardian spirit inhabit a golem, I would see zero issues with it picking up and using a normal gun especially if it had the proper skill from it's power and the golem had functional hands. (granted no smartlink or other such bonuses). This would be no different whatsoever from a materialized guardian being handed an assault rifle and using it.

Possession power specifically says to roll double the spirit's force against a threshold of the object resistance.

Hmm. I'm glad you asked that. It made me reread it. I thought it was double the object resistance. It is possible for a F6 spirit to roll five hits on a possession test. Still kind of a long shot, though.

A spirit's edge is not a player's edge. Only GM's should be deciding when a spirit does or does not use edge. (generally I'd say a spirit would only do this when it feels it's 'life' is on the line... and then only for defensive tests).

Abusive mage should occasionally (not always) have spirits using edge to resist the caster.

Also remember that spirits don't get to make repeated tests to possess something in a short time frame. If their first attempt fails, generally they won't do another check (in combat at least, as it takes too long). Though in this case, generally you would use a more generalized order... possess one of the gaurds. (make one check against each one, until one fails... even if you don't get any of them, it still eats up a service. (possession is a little wierd since the act of possessing is technically also an attack power on par w/ the mental manipulation attack spells). IIRC, timeframe is a day.

Possession is a complex action and only if the spirit is banished after successfully possessing the vessel he cannot possess this vessel until the next sunrise/set. Unsuccessful attempts have no time limit.

If the possession fails, or the spirit is banished, the critter may not attempt to possess that vessel again until the sun next rises or sets.

Incorrect... guns in weapons mounts are not fixed. They're not special in any way (though I often wish they were). There's no difference between an ares alpha in the street sams hands, and in the weapon mount. The gun could be removed from the mount and used by another character in a reasonable period of time.

Think of it this way... a vehicular weapon mount is more like specialized vehicle hands/arms which can only hold and use a weapon. What you're saying, is if the spirit possesses the 18wheeler, it also possesses the cargo in the back, even though it's only held and not technically part of the truck.

How 'bout an ally spirit inhabiting a vehicle? When inhabitation happens to a person, the spirit gains the ability to access the cyberware of the person as well as being able to use a data jack. If it inhabited a vehicle, would it be able to electronically target?

How 'bout an ally spirit inhabiting a vehicle? When inhabitation happens to a person, the spirit gains the ability to access the cyberware of the person as well as being able to use a data jack. If it inhabited a vehicle, would it be able to electronically target?

You misunderstand... for turreted weapons like guns. I don't see an issue. Provided the gun hasn't had a trigger removal mod.

The vehicle has no meat for the spirit to interface through.

No, inhabitation allows it to access DNI interfaces it doesn't allow it to use any computer system w/o it's living host. (EG: it can use the meat to interface w/ the cyberware. So where a normal possessing spirit would get no benefit from MoveByWire... an inhabitation grade one would get the full effects through it's DNI interface).

The vehicle has no meat for the spirit to interface through.

Jaid: yeah it's called an inhabited Rigger... (in which case it's the rigger and not the vehicle which is possessed...).

The entire point of the rule is that spirits CANNOT interface w/ technology, EXCEPT through DNI and stolen memories and biological systems.

Stop and think... you have something which is already an alien intelligence... an insect spirit, shedim... (remember inhabitation power is abnormal and isn't found on a PC's spirits). You're saying that w/ no experience or ability to even read a computer screen, it's going to have the radar and other systems mastered?

Implanted cyberware is equipped w/ DNI. Normal equipment is not. A datajack is literally the interface between the DNI and the electronic world). A vehicle w/ a fiber port doesn't have DNI, it has an interface which plugs into the datajack.


Jaid: yeah it's called an inhabited Rigger... (in which case it's the rigger and not the vehicle which is possessed...).

You could always go whole hog and have both the rigger AND the vehicle possessed using two spirits.


Maybe this is just me, but I find one of the more interesting aspects of shadowrun the whole incomparibility between technology and magic. And the conflicts it sparks.

Perhaps your spirits CANNOT interface w/technology, but I follow the totem of Deception. And my spirits blend in with society by inhabiting themselves into technology. They have a mutable form. One looks just like the -lets say- vehicle that they inhabit, and the other is humanoid. This hybrid form lets them operate as a perhaps a jet or manipulate as a man. Indeed their deception is so perfect that they are the icons of my totem. They are technology. They could hack the national defense firewall in less than seven seconds. They can learn any of Earth's languages from the world wide web. Indeed, my Deception icons are more than meets the eye.