Recruiting: The spirits within, Free spirit only game Options

[DireRadiant]

Although I have nothing against morally ambiguous characters, i do not want an evil party. Benevolence is not required, but at some point, I expect you to do the right thing, or at least try.

Updated Opal BG to have a motivation to help other spirits despite an aversion to those ravening enslaving domineering power mad psychotic Mortal beings.

[Karaden]

You could work for a wind-farm.

Yeah, I can see it now, the renewable power source of 2070 isn't solar or wind or natural gas or ethonal... it's SPIRIT POWER!™

[BlackHat]

Renewable until the next time mana recedes, anyway.

[Karaden]

Renewable until the next time mana recedes, anyway.

You really think we'll have managed to not all blow each other up by then?

[BlackHat]

Well, if we'd have a lot less to fight over if spirits could give us infinite free power.

Actually, scratch that. People would find a reason, anyway.

[Karaden]

Well, if we'd have a lot less to fight over if spirits could give us infinite free power.

Actually, scratch that. People would find a reason, anyway.

Exactly, there are still plenty of things to fight over. Land, resources, ideology, money, technology, etc etc etc.

That aside, the backstory for Erzulie

[ Spoiler ]

Erzulie, the Passionate Woman, is what she began existence as, and the name she continues to hold. For years she aided those mages who claimed her as their mentor, but she found that simply watching her followers indulge would not sate her own desires.

For this reason she drew together her followers, got them to research the methods required to break her free of the normal bonds of a 'mentor spirit', to free her. Over the course of months, rituals were researched and performed, eventually resulting in freeing her.

She quickly moved to solidify her power, building her small following into a cult of worshipers. The task was not easy, and required her borrowing large sums, but slowly it grew, providing her with the things that would sate her desires.

Above all other things, the avarice of lust was the one she most enjoyed indulging in, and her ever growing base of followers gives her no shortage of people with which to indulge in it with.

Her most notable power is that of regeneration, the feel of which intoxicates those she possesses, and thus it is viewed as an honor and privilege to be possessed by her. The final initiation ceremony also makes great use of this power.

A postulate who is ready to join the fold proper must stand still, unarmored as they are shot in the chest with a deadly weapon, usually a shotgun, or run through with a sword. Anything that puts them at the brink of death or beyond. If they pass by not drawing away, by not showing fear, by having compleate faith in Erzulie, she possesses them and brings them back from death. A second attack is then made with her possessing the person, the previously deadly blow being turned away harmlessly, as a further demonstration of her power.

Her innermost followers enjoy health pacts, allowing them to survive almost any ordeal.. providing they are willing to give their spiritual energy to Erzulie for their physical health. Membership fees of 500 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) a month allow for the sustaining of a number of expansive compounds in key centers of worship. The bulk of her followers are currently in Seattle, Hong Kong, Tokyo, The Ivory Cost, and Jamaica.

She maintains a permanent room only in the Seattle branch, but has easy access to any space she might need in any of the compounds.

Easily enraged and easily offended, dealings with her must be done most carefully, as even a small slight could find the offender throwing themselves off the nearest bridge.

Her two favorite forms to inhabit when not engaged in any particular activity are a plasteel homonculi, designed to look like an anthroform robot with feminine features, and the corpse of a beautiful female elf. Her regeneration power keeps the corpse looking quite alive, and her resources keep it clothed in very provocative dress, most members don't even realize that the body is a corpse, believing instead that Erzulie has managed to form a body of her own.

The greater spirits of her metaplane saw these acts, from the freeing to forming of a cult in her name, drawing away from the power of the other spirits, as being unforgivable transgressions, cutting her off from her home plane. While being forced to stay on the material plane is hardly a concern of hers, the thought of what happens if banished or overly damaged, normally forcing her back to her own metaplane, is not pleasant, and so she will seek to regain access, though she has no plans on giving up her worldly vices or followers.

[Dentris]

About banishment: No spirits were ever banished from their metaplanes before. The fact 5 of them gets banish at the same time is suspicious at best, a universe-wide conspiration at worst. Why you? and what will happens when you'll get banished from the physical plane is unknown, and should be a great source of fear...(Please not, that i'm a midly evil GM, not completly evil, therefore you always have a figthing chance. What that means exactly is left to your imagination)

About contacts: As spirits, it's perfectly understandable that you acquired contacts and even equipment before your banishment (and thus your existence as a free spirit). This is not without limits, though, I will put a limit of loyalty 4 to all contacts (although high connections are fair game with a good explanation). Such loyalty to simple spirits is impossible to achieve. This loyalty may increase in game, though, given enough time and effort.

[Dentris]

Exactly, there are still plenty of things to fight over. Land, resources, ideology, money, technology, etc etc etc.

That aside, the backstory for Erzulie

[ Spoiler ]

Erzulie, the Passionate Woman, is what she began existence as, and the name she continues to hold. For years she aided those mages who claimed her as their mentor, but she found that simply watching her followers indulge would not sate her own desires.

For this reason she drew together her followers, got them to research the methods required to break her free of the normal bonds of a 'mentor spirit', to free her. Over the course of months, rituals were researched and performed, eventually resulting in freeing her.

She quickly moved to solidify her power, building her small following into a cult of worshipers. The task was not easy, and required her borrowing large sums, but slowly it grew, providing her with the things that would sate her desires.

Above all other things, the avarice of lust was the one she most enjoyed indulging in, and her ever growing base of followers gives her no shortage of people with which to indulge in it with.

Her most notable power is that of regeneration, the feel of which intoxicates those she possesses, and thus it is viewed as an honor and privilege to be possessed by her. The final initiation ceremony also makes great use of this power.

A postulate who is ready to join the fold proper must stand still, unarmored as they are shot in the chest with a deadly weapon, usually a shotgun, or run through with a sword. Anything that puts them at the brink of death or beyond. If they pass by not drawing away, by not showing fear, by having compleate faith in Erzulie, she possesses them and brings them back from death. A second attack is then made with her possessing the person, the previously deadly blow being turned away harmlessly, as a further demonstration of her power.

Her innermost followers enjoy health pacts, allowing them to survive almost any ordeal.. providing they are willing to give their spiritual energy to Erzulie for their physical health. Membership fees of 500 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) a month allow for the sustaining of a number of expansive compounds in key centers of worship. The bulk of her followers are currently in Seattle, Hong Kong, Tokyo, The Ivory Cost, and Jamaica.

She maintains a permanent room only in the Seattle branch, but has easy access to any space she might need in any of the compounds.

Easily enraged and easily offended, dealings with her must be done most carefully, as even a small slight could find the offender throwing themselves off the nearest bridge.

Her two favorite forms to inhabit when not engaged in any particular activity are a plasteel homonculi, designed to look like an anthroform robot with feminine features, and the corpse of a beautiful female elf. Her regeneration power keeps the corpse looking quite alive, and her resources keep it clothed in very provocative dress, most members don't even realize that the body is a corpse, believing instead that Erzulie has managed to form a body of her own.

The greater spirits of her metaplane saw these acts, from the freeing to forming of a cult in her name, drawing away from the power of the other spirits, as being unforgivable transgressions, cutting her off from her home plane. While being forced to stay on the material plane is hardly a concern of hers, the thought of what happens if banished or overly damaged, normally forcing her back to her own metaplane, is not pleasant, and so she will seek to regain access, though she has no plans on giving up her worldly vices or followers.

Good,very good, but instead of being already free (as opposed to the others), i suggest your followers tried to free you but up until now, they failed. Your attempts were discovered in your home metaplane and you were banished as punishment. You are forced to materialize in the physical world and the story will start at that very moment.

[Dentris]

Double post

[crizh]

What about Metaplanar Shortcuts?

Presumably as Initiated Magicians we have access to all Metaplanes and could just use a different one to take shortcuts....

[Play]

Good,very good, but instead of being already free (as opposed to the others), i suggest your followers tried to free you but up until now, they failed. Your attempts were discovered in your home metaplane and you were banished as punishment. You are forced to materialize in the physical world and the story will start at that very moment.

Now I'm confused.

Aside from Ally spirits, were we just spirits and got banished from home plane, or have we all become free spirits, in that we had been summoned/bound to service and then something catastrophic happened to our summoner and we made our roll to become free spirits, thus acquiring free spirit powers/status?

I thought it was the latter. ?

I'll have my 1st draft char sheet in today.

[Dentris]

Now I'm confused.

Aside from Ally spirits, were we just spirits and got banished from home plane, or have we all become free spirits, in that we had been summoned/bound to service and then something catastrophic happened to our summoner and we made our roll to become free spirits, thus acquiring free spirit powers/status?

I thought it was the latter. ?

I'll have my 1st draft char sheet in today.

The banishment caused your existence as a free spirit.


Metaplanar shortcuts are possible, you just can't go to your home metaplane.

[crizh]

I'm at work atm and posting from my phone so I can't finish or upload a sheet.

I'm working seriously on Blackbriar who is going to be a mixture of Jason Bourne and the Agents from the Matrix. I think it's going to work...

Can we spend karma on Quickening or save some to do so in game?

[Play]

Yes, those are the cost in "Edge Power Points" as in, your PC gets one point to spend on Spirit Powers for each point of Edge. A Spirit with Edge = 2 gets 2 Points, and a Spirit with Edge 5 gets 5 Points.

There is a section in Runner's Companion called Creating a Free Spirit Character that gives costs for over twenty-something Free Spirit Powers.

I don't have Runners Companion. I'm going with one power is one point.

Street magic says, on free spirit initiation; --It may initiate as a magician does, though the process grants
one additional free spirit power per grade rather than a metamagic technique.--

How do we, can we, get metamagick? I know they have masking and such, unless they use the spirit power 'aura masking' instead.

Metamagic? On only spirit powers?

[crizh]

I'm pretty sure SM says a Power Point or a metamagic.

PC Free Spirits are massively less powerful than NPC ones. The rules in RC are intended to make them balanced enough to be playable.

[Play]

The line is my above post is a direct quote.

I'm starting to think I need the RC.

Could someone post in brief the karmagen rules? Costs for skills/attributes etc? My costs look different than char sheets posted on here.

[Karaden]

The line is my above post is a direct quote.

I'm starting to think I need the RC.

Could someone post in brief the karmagen rules? Costs for skills/attributes etc? My costs look different than char sheets posted on here.

I will in a bit. Mostly very simple.

[DireRadiant]

On my character sheet in the top right part is the karmegen costs for reference.
Opal

Or

Improvement Karma Cost
Metatype (shapeshifter type, etc.) 0*
Improving an attribute by 1 New rating x 3
New positive quality BP Cost x 2
New Specialization 2
New Knowledge/Language skill 2
New Active skill 4
New Active skill Group 10
Improving a Knowledge/Language skill by 1 New rating
Improving an Active skill by 1 New rating x 2
Improving an Active skill group by 1 New rating x 5
New spell 5
New complex form 2
Improving a complex form by 1 New rating
2,500 nuyen 1
Bond a focus See Focus Bonding Table, p. 43
Contact (Connection + Loyalty) x 2

[Play]

I will in a bit. Mostly very simple.

Thanks.


And elsewhere, it says..."These optional powers can come from the following:..... Any of the metamagic techniques available to metahuman initiates
may be taken as a free spirit power. "

[Karaden]

For a free spirit:

You start with all stats at two, including edge and force. Max for any stat is equal to your force (Which has a max of 6). You start with a number of power points equal to your edge. Initiation raises your max force by 1 and gives you either a metamagic or a power point.

Power Cost Reference
Accident 0.5 p. 286, SR4
Animal Control 1 p. 286, SR4
Aura Masking* 3 p. 98, Street Magic
Binding 2 p. 287, SR4
Concealment 2 p. 287, SR4
Confusion 1 p. 287, SR4
Divining 1 p. 99, Street Magic
Elemental Attack 3 p. 287, SR4
Energy Aura 3 p. 287, SR4
Engulf 2 p. 100, Street Magic
Enhanced Senses 0.25 each p. 288, SR4
(Hearing, Low-Light, Smell, Thermographic)
Fear 1.5 p. 288, SR4
Guard 0.5 p. 288, SR4
Influence 2 p. 289, SR4
Movement 1 p. 289, SR4
Mutable Form* 1 p. 109, Street Magic
Natural Weapon 1 p. 289, SR4
Noxious Breath 1.5 p. 289, SR4
Personal Domain* 3 p. 109, Street Magic
Psychokinesis 0.5 p. 290, SR4
Realistic Form* 0.5 p. 102, Street Magic
Regeneration* 5 p. 109, Street Magic
Shadow Cloak 1 p. 102, Street Magic
Silence 1 p. 102, Street Magic
Spirit Pact* 1 p. 110, Street Magic
Venom 1 p. 290, SR4
Weather Control 2 p. 290, SR4

As for karmagen:
You get 800 karma (GM said so) and you bascially spend karma exactly as you would if developing your character durring play. Couple notable things are that you can trade karma for resources at 1:2500 ratio, and contacts are (Connection+loyalty)x2

There isn't any extra cost for maxing a stat or anything, but the limit of 1 stat maxed, and 1 skill at 6 or two at 5 are still in affect.

Metatype (free spirit in this case) doesn't cost anything. Max you can spend on physical/mental stats is equal to... some massive number you won't reach (Like almost all your karma in this case)

[DireRadiant]

The Free Spirit Metatype starts with Force and Attributes at 2. All metatypes start with their base attributes.

[Play]

Sweet. Thanks to both.

p 105 of street magic says "Additionally, when a spirit becomes free, it gains a number of
new powers equal to its remaining Edge attribute."

So I'm curious, are we using the powers point cost from Runners Companion? As there isn't a cost in SR4 or Street Magic?

Do we get power per point of edge for going free, then buy new ones at cost?

Inquiring minds want to know....

[DireRadiant]

Accident 0.5 p. 286, SR4
Animal Control 1 p. 286, SR4
Aura Masking* 3 p. 98, Street Magic
Binding 2 p. 287, SR4
Concealment 2 p. 287, SR4
Confusion 1 p. 287, SR4
Divining 1 p. 99, Street Magic
Elemental Attack 3 p. 287, SR4
Energy Aura 3 p. 287, SR4
Engulf 2 p. 100, Street Magic
Enhanced Senses 0.25 each p. 288, SR4
(Hearing, Low-Light, Smell, Thermographic)
Fear 1.5 p. 288, SR4
Guard 0.5 p. 288, SR4
Influence 2 p. 289, SR4
Movement 1 p. 289, SR4
Mutable Form* 1 p. 109, Street Magic
Natural Weapon 1 p. 289, SR4
Noxious Breath 1.5 p. 289, SR4
Personal Domain* 3 p. 109, Street Magic
Psychokinesis 0.5 p. 290, SR4
Realistic Form* 0.5 p. 102, Street Magic
Regeneration* 5 p. 109, Street Magic
Shadow Cloak 1 p. 102, Street Magic
Silence 1 p. 102, Street Magic
Spirit Pact* 1 p. 110, Street Magic
Venom 1 p. 290, SR4
Weather Control 2 p. 290, SR4

[Karaden]

Sweet. Thanks to both.

p 105 of street magic says "Additionally, when a spirit becomes free, it gains a number of
new powers equal to its remaining Edge attribute."

So I'm curious, are we using the powers point cost from Runners Companion? As there isn't a cost in SR4 or Street Magic?

Do we get power per point of edge for going free, then buy new ones at cost?

Inquiring minds want to know....

The problem is your looking at other sources. Virtually everything you read reguarding free spirits is for NPC free spirits, only the stuff in RC is for PC free spirits. So ignore other stuff about getting things when becoming free and such.

You get power points equal to edge, you get an addition power point per initiation in which you don't take a metamagic. Stop trying to use the other sources for PC free spirits.

[Play]

The problem is your looking at other sources. Virtually everything you read reguarding free spirits is for NPC free spirits, only the stuff in RC is for PC free spirits. So ignore other stuff about getting things when becoming free and such.

Got it.