Ghost Cartels - GM's/Authors only!, ----PLAYERS KEEP OUT!! Options

[pbangarth]

IF you are a player, the information below may seriously affect your enjoyment of the Ghost Cartels Campaign. This information will not improve your chances of survival, or gain you goodies in game. It will just make the game less fun for you, and probably the GM. Do yourself a favour and go away.

[ Spoiler ]

On page 133 of Ghost Cartels, we are told that Tempo sets up a Dream Pact between the addict and the spirits who generated the drug. This is one of the forms of the Spirit Pact defined on page 108 of Street Magic. Now, all Spirit Pacts set up a link between the spirit and the character involved in the Pact. SM says this allows either party to be used to astrally track the other.

So, any PC who can Astrally project will be able to follow such a link from any addict to the spirit(s) that generated the drug and/or possessed the addict. This could happen very early in the campaign, as it is about to happen in mine. One of the PCs contacts is addicted (as suggested in GC) and has sent a cry for help to her 'magic friend' to help her figure out what is happening to her - - blackouts, waking up in strange places, funny effects on her body - - the whole nine yards.

The PC is in the process of Astrally projecting and Assensing her contact. This almost certainly will show her the link, which she could follow. This PC is just the kind of character who might follow it to find out what's what. When she finds it, if she survives, she will know a great deal very early. Any thoughts?

[Ancient History]

[ Spoiler ]

On page 133 of Ghost Cartels, we are told that Tempo sets up a Dream Pact between the addict and the spirits who generated the drug. This is one of the forms of the Spirit Pact defined on page 108 of Street Magic. Now, all Spirit Pacts set up a link between the spirit and the character involved in the Pact. SM says this allows either party to be used to astrally track the other.

[ Spoiler ]

It's not your average spirit pact. You could rule that there isn't a link to any particular spirit.

[ Spoiler ]

So, any PC who can Astrally project will be able to follow such a link from any addict to the spirit(s) that generated the drug and/or possessed the addict. This could happen very early in the campaign, as it is about to happen in mine. One of the PCs contacts is addicted (as suggested in GC) and has sent a cry for help to her 'magic friend' to help her figure out what is happening to her - - blackouts, waking up in strange places, funny effects on her body - - the whole nine yards.

[ Spoiler ]

Well, the immediate problem is looking past the rampant substance abuse - which can explain all of that. If the runners do notice an addict actually being possessed, that makes things more interesting - but isn't indicative unless they see it happen to more than one addict.

[ Spoiler ]

The PC is in the process of Astrally projecting and Assensing her contact. This almost certainly will show her the link, which she could follow. This PC is just the kind of character who might follow it to find out what's what. When she finds it, if she survives, she will know a great deal very early. Any thoughts?

[ Spoiler ]

Even if the player does trace a link, from a addict, it will be to a spirit, who could be anywhere doing anything. You can the rabbit in the hat easy.

[pbangarth]

@Ancient History:

[ Spoiler ]

Your first point is handy. There should actually be many links of equal strength, which criss-cross and confuse a tracker.

The team has a glimmer of the underlying situation through some assiduous legwork and leaps of insight. So they will have earlier experience to which to add this Assensing.

Whatever spirit the magician may find through tracking the link, it will still have to be one of the generators of Tempo, not some Beast Spirit wandering the moors of the UK. I would have to avoid leading her to their metaplane. I need to figure out what that's like first!

I think I will play up the multiple links idea, and see if the magician is good enough to work her way through their confusion. If she is, well then she deserves the info.

Thanks.

[The Jake]

Is there a connection between the tempo and the types of spirits that are possessing people? Or source? Is it the one spirit or many? I know that it is a spirit cabal behind Primeira Vaga but I'm curious what is their composition and would there be anything telling or significant that GMs should keep in mind if the PCs figure out what is going on?

On a related note: why would the PCs even suspect possession? Blackouts are a popular symptom for drug addicts. How would the PCs suspect anything supernatural in the first place? Is it just the astral perception thing?

- J.

[pbangarth]

@Jake:

[ Spoiler ]

In the case at hand, the contact has specifically asked the PC to use her magic to see "what is wrong". The contact is a close frined and knows the PC can heal. The PC magician is capable of healing in different ways, and wishes to Assense to glean information about the health of her friend. A successful enough Assensing Test will show the astral links to the Pacted spirits.

As far as the actual spirits, they wil show as plant spirits, and perhaps I can get away with that info, if the PC doesn't try to figure out more.

[ Spoiler ]

[Ancient History]

[ Spoiler ]

Is there a connection between the tempo and the types of spirits that are possessing people? Or source? Is it the one spirit or many? I know that it is a spirit cabal behind Primeira Vaga but I'm curious what is their composition and would there be anything telling or significant that GMs should keep in mind if the PCs figure out what is going on?

It's a specific group of spirits of no particular type (except of course they're free possession shadow spirits). Use Yajé as an example.

[The Jake]

[ Spoiler ]

It's a specific group of spirits of no particular type (except of course they're free possession shadow spirits). Use Yajé as an example.

Cool. Thanks for that AH.

This same situation will probably come up in my group shortly.

- J.

[wylie]

good question!!

in my own game, the mystic adept hired a mage to astrally watch a target (the accountant) and never call the mage off. so after a .....strange sitaution with the target, the adept rememberd about the mage he hired to watch the guy astrally. The mage mention something about plants possessing the guy and asked never to be hired again.

the adept has started researching, in libraries, and has found info about Voodoo spirits
and now Lone Star is interested in his investigation as well

i have never thought the path/links crisscrossing each other, or what the metaplane looks like (thinking a big garden or jungle now)


any more thoughts?

[pbangarth]

[ Spoiler ]

I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the mage if she decides to investigate the link all by herself. These spirits, whatever type they are, are clearly capable of organized behaviour, and not all loners (except perhaps Yajé). Even if the mage chooses to run, what would intelligent, organized entities do if someone spied even a tiny bit of their operation or nature? Follow and eliminate, I would say.

[HappyDaze]

Eliminate is sooo last nanosecond. Recruiting is a better - and more sinister - option. Besides, perhaps they really are doing their thing for the greater good...

[Chrysalis]

[ Spoiler ]

I would play it as being a perfect opportunity to know that something is seriously wrong, let them meet the spirit. Make it so that the spirit is curious about the human mote. The spirit is pure shadow, impenetrable and very old. Have the shadow ask is the mage there to offer itself to it. Toy with the mage and toy with the addict. Use misdirection say that it wishes to experience the sins of man, have it really sound like Lucifer making an offer you cannot refuse. Worse comes to worse the spirit tries ripping woman's soul into the astral, killing the body and ending the connection.

Don't think of it as a point of trying to hide something, think of it as a roleplaying opportunity to put in a strange twist. A possible nemesis they could then meet at the end of the campaign when the veils have been torn asunder.

[pbangarth]

@Chrysalis:

I have indeed initiated the possibility for all that you suggest. You are scary, in a moth-to-the-flame kind of way, Laurie. Good thing you are half way around the world.

[wylie]

moth in the flame, yeap

i like the idea of "we are here to help"

hmm, maybe you could play it off like "V", the spirits explain how they are there to heal the planet, but there will be a hint of something dark, or it could be we are here to take over the planet and there is nothing you can do about it. we own all these souls. either way, asked to join showing all the "power" the character can gain. maybe neglect to mention about the dream pact part....

[Chrysalis]

@Chrysalis:

I have indeed initiated the possibility for all that you suggest. You are scary, in a moth-to-the-flame kind of way, Laurie. Good thing you are half way around the world.

@Peter:

You say the nicest of things about me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I could gush, but then I would have to spill [someone's] blood.

[wylie]

just a thought I had and one I may need help with
are spirits effected by electricity that possess people? I got the Flipside coming up soon and was wondering if this was a doable way for the Crew to take down the possessed drug dealer

[pbangarth]

@wylie

[ Spoiler ]

The combined entity has Immunity to Normal Weapons. There is some debate here on DS as to whether ItNW blocks elemental effects such as electricity, particularly in the form of stick-and-shock type of charges. What form of electrical attack are you considering?

[wylie]

either one is possible
going by the rules, my understanding is that the 2ndary effects would still effect.

this is based on a 8P Zapper missile vs a 16 armored citymaster. sure, the missle won't penetrate, but the electricity would

sounds like this may be a house ruling