Communicating with spirits, How, exactly? Options

[Ted Stewart]

There's something I've been hunting for and been unable to find in the BBB. When a magician summons a spirits, it's assumed they are able to communicate with said spirit in order to command it.

However, how does a character communicate with a free spirit or spirit of another type? Is there a separate language for spirits, does the spirit and character need to share a language, or is there some inherent mechanism a spirit can use to communicate with a character?

As much to the point, does it matter? From my understanding, spirits aren't usually very communicative, so it might just be a moot point.

[TonkaTuff]

I'm not sure if the mechanism was ever explained anywhere (except maybe in one of the novels - and then, any explanation is still canonically questionable). Most spirits lack any sort of vocal apparatus in the first place, so any sounds you hear them make would most likely be either a direct telepathic experience that the observer just interprets as speech, or something akin to an illusion spell that makes sounds. Both of which would allow them to bypass the need for a common language.

Though it's completely up in the air, so you can choose to have culturally-appropriate spirits who can't speak or understand foreign languages at all. Like a Wu Jen who's ancestral Guidance spirits only speak Mandarin or a Sioux shaman's Wakinyan air spirit who only understands requests phrased in Lakota.

[hyzmarca]

English and Japanese are the languages of commerce. A Free Spirit active in the real of mortals is likely to be versed in one or the other language. So long as the spirit and the individual are fluent in the same language, communication can be verbal.

If the Free Spirit is bound, things are much easier, as it has a natural telepathic link with its binder.

[Ravor]

Two things that every wouldbe globe trotter and spirit hunter should have are a datajack and a stat uplink so the laguage barrier is far less likely to be a problem. (Assuming that you have a decent credit balance of course.) :cyber:

[Adarael]

I second Hyz's take - nothing bars a mute character from learning and using the conjuring and binding skills just as effectively as a character who can speak, so I'm inclined to assume that communication is mental and "telling a spirit what to do" is really "enforcing your will upon it".

[deek]

Actually, the conjurer maintains a telepathic link to spirits...regardless of where the spirt is (home plane, astral, wherever). No need for speech or LOS, its all in the telepathy.

[Fortune]

[deek]

Ahhh...I reread OP and now see what is being asked.

Yeah, I'd have to agree that spirits accustomed to interacting with metahumans would simply use common language.