Recruiting: The spirits within, Free spirit only game Options

[crizh]

Can I get a ruling on Spirits, particularly Possession Spirits, and non-simsense AR?

The FAQ clearly states, and has for some time, the following.

Can spirits and critters (i.e. dragons) use AR or VR?

Most Matrix technology -- especially simsense -- is designed for the metahuman nervous system, and so will not work on spirits or critters that lack such a system. Matrix accessories that allow interaction with AR and are not neuro-interactive -- such as AR gloves, goggles, feedback clothing, etc -- may be used by spirits and critters, assuming they understand how it works. VR, however, is usually out of the question, as it requires simsense. Numerous rumors circulate that some megacorporations have developed Matrix technology for use with non-metahuman nervous systems, but none have been substantiated.

Unfortunately RC gets all woolly minded and confused on the issue and contradicts this.

Synner has recently stated that the FAQ will shortly be updated to indicate that all Spirits will have normal human senses. Here.

This will, presumably, remove the ridiculous 'electronic displays' restriction (whatever that means) and leave non-DNI AR open to Spirits.

Which version do you favour?

edit -

Would you consider allowing the Martial Arts Quality from Arsenal? As it stands the current rules ban Spirits from using it.

[Cthulhudreams]

Character Concept: Free spirit who was formerly the ally spirit of a mercenary intelligence agent. Agent has disappeared, Rapière is back, no-one knows what is going on.

[ Spoiler ]

Thumbnail history sketch:

Rapière is, was, might still be a former ally spirit of a mage known by the handle 'Gladius' Both were equity partners (Rapière a junior partner, Gladius a competency lead, managing the organisations magical capability) in a mid market private intelligence firm called 'Total Intelligence' - an affiliated partner of a mercenary group called 'Greystone'. Rpaiere was a valued employee as his insight into the future was fairly unique.

Six months ago Gladius and Rapière both went missing, disappearing on the commute to a regional office in africa. Now Rapière has re-appeared - but is claiming amensia for the last 6-9 months or so, and total intelligence is wondering what happened to their other partner, and whats the go with this? Is Rapière ere plotting against them? Is it someone else? Where is Gladius now?

The organization is furiously looking into whats going on, but in the mean time Rapière is taking a 'voluntary' vacation as he's outside the circle of trust, and the firm is still paying him as an equity partner, but he's having an eye kept on him.

Personality:

As an ally, Rapière reflects his masters prejudices - he is a follower of the same humanist tradition, and shares gladius' warm, sharing perspective with friends, and carefully calculated menace with enemies. His grounding in covet operations have also left a mark, he likes to keep things low key and non confrontational - Rapière 's 'creation' and upbringing have in particular reinforced the absolute need to stick by your friends at all times.

Overview of character:

Partnership is simulated by giving him a trust fund - if he was ever to go back to work, I'd switch to a day job with the fame quality - and he's got a high lifestyle with luxury level security - a Total intelligence security team sent to keep an eye on him as much as make sure he doesn't get into trouble. He still has considerable pull with the organization itself, a high loyalty high connections contact, and can get work done by teams on the bench.

Total Intelligence Loyalty: 6 Connections: 19
A private intelligence opeartion with
900 staff
Global Reach
Minority Magical Reseources
Pervasive Matrix Intergration
Rapière and his mage (Gladius) were equity partners in the firm - Rapière and Gladius have been missing for the 6 months, no-one is sure what happened to them -- gladius hasn’t come back and Rapiere is on the beach until he demonstrate his innocence, guilt, orotherwise - however the firm will watch his back

[Cthulhudreams]

Character sheet - spells and spirit powers are WIP stuff, and I have 21 karma and 8k nuyen up my sleeve which I'll probably blow on arbitary knowledge skills.

[ Spoiler ]

Body 5
Agility 5
Reaction 5
Strength 2
Charisma 2
Intuition 5
Logic 2
Willpower 5
Edge 5
Magic 6

Initiation x 6

Spirit Powers

accident 0.5

Concealment 2

Movement 1

Mutable Form 1

Weather Control 2

Realistic form 0.5

Divining 1

Aura Masking 3

Athletics (Group) 4
Assensing 4
Automatics 4
Influence (Group) 4
Stealth (Group) 4
Perception 1
Spellcasting 6
Counterspelling 4

Intelligence Operations 4
Magical Organization 2
Chinese History 2

Erased (24 hours) (rc)
Trust Fund (High) (rc)
Allergy (Uncommon, Moderate)
SINner (Standard)
Geas
Geas

English N
Chinese 4
Spanish 3

Spells: Still being finalised

Heal
Turn to Goo (Physical)
Trid Phantasm (Realistic, Multi)
Stunball (Direct)
Manabolt (Direct)
Detect Life (Active)
Physical Mask (Realistic, Multi)
Mind Probe (Active, Directional)
Mana Static (Environ.) (sm)
Control Thoughts (Mental)


Equipment
Chameleon Suit
Ingram Smartgun X 5P BF only RC 2 (3) Silenced
FN-HAR + Shockpad + Smartgun 6p SA/BF/FA RC 3

Translink Avalon w/Novatech Navi 4/4/3/4
Area Jammer Rating 4
Goggles of Flare Comp, Smartlink, and Thermographic
Mage Sight Goggles

Fiat Tiburon

Maximum Starting Money
Skinlinks all round
5 Spare Clips for EACH gun
5 Tear Gas Grenades
200 Regular SMG Rounds
50 Stick-n-Shock
100 ADPS Assault Rifle Rounds
100 Regular Assault Rifle Rounds
Rating 4 Fake SIN
Attached Rating 4 SMG License
Attached Rating 4 Concealed Carry License

Rating 4 Fake SIN
Attached Rating 4 SMG License
Attached Rating 3 Concealed Carry License

Rating 3 Agent
Attack Rating 3
All programs except reality Filter rating 3

Trust Fund! - Macao Corporate headquarters
Lifestyle Type High
Comforts 3
Entertainment 6
Necessities 2
Neighborhood 4
Security 6
<< Positive Qualities >>
Aspected Domain 5

<< Negative Qualities >>
Network Bottleneck -1
Ambusher's Delight -3
Lax Security -2

Seattle Safehouse
Lifestyle Type Low
Comforts 2
Entertainment 4
Necessities 0
Neighborhood 4
Security 6
<< Positive Qualities >>

<< Negative Qualities >>
Lax Security -2
Network Bottleneck -1
Ambusher's Delight -3

[BlackHat]

Did Dentris say we could use karma for things post-char-gen? Otherwise, your force/magic is limited to 6, and all of your other attributes are limited to your force. Initiation twice would raise your force-maximum to 8, but it would take post-char-gen karma to get up there with force/magic and edge.

Of course, I suppose spending karma on initiation is post-char-gen karma too, so its probably all good.

[crizh]

He certainly said we could initiate but that we were still to leave Force at a max of 6.

I'm pretty sure that means that our Magic is therefore capped at 6 because we don't actually buy Magic we buy Force instead.

[BlackHat]

That also capps everything else, since the other attributes are capped by force (and, you can only have one attribute at maximum - so they're really all capped at 5)

[Cthulhudreams]

Yup, I bollocksed that - just noticed that in his orginal post!

[Cthulhudreams]

Fixed it. 6 initiations hahah.

[crizh]

That also capps everything else, since the other attributes are capped by force (and, you can only have one attribute at maximum - so they're really all capped at 5)

Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. In karmagen Stats above 5 get real expensive real quick...

[crizh]

Fixed it. 6 initiations hahah.

Nice.

Diving? That's a funny Spirit Power...

[BlackHat]

Would you consider allowing the Martial Arts Quality from Arsenal? As it stands the current rules ban Spirits from using it.

I did not notice Martial Arts on the list of prohibitied qualities (pg 93 of runner's companion). I don't see why that would make any less sense than a spirit knowing about economics, or hacking. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

EDIT: Nevermind, I answered my own question by finishing the paragraph. Lol.

[Cthulhudreams]

Nice.

Diving? That's a funny Spirit Power...

Bah, Divining (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

I agree about stats being expensive, but I wanted the extra magic because the normal boosters that you have for spell casting - power foci and mentors are not avalible. With 8 magic + 6 sorcery, I was still in the butter zone - 6 + 6 is certainly less impressive. I'll spec manipulation obviously, but it still sucks a big one.

[Karaden]

Nice.

Diving? That's a funny Spirit Power...

I'm guessing he meant divining. As in the power of the metamagic of the same name.

[Cthulhudreams]

Yeah - Just made some further changes, its pretty close to complete. I just had a flash of insight and came up with a much better name while I was picking my spirit powers.. and now I've forgotten it. Damnit.

[Karaden]

I just thought of something interesting... can we form pacts with each other? I don't think anything specifically says that spirit pacts -have- to be with metahumans or -can't- be with other spirits.

[BlackHat]

I don't know. Free spirits are forbidden from taking the "Spirit Pact" quality... so, I'd say probably not.

[Cthulhudreams]

The stupid thing is - I'd totally take dream pacts, but..

What the hell is the effect of a dream pact for me? None of the pacts tell you what they do for the spirit, at all! (Except friendship)

[BlackHat]

Well, usually they allow a spirit to gain karma (Free spirits cannot gain karma on their own). I was just going ot ask about this. Did anyone see anywhere that says this has changed for PC free spirits?

Dream-pact's benefit is that it allows you to gain karma like a human.

[BlackHat]

Also, apparently, if these characters have somehow been banished from their home metaplanes... that means that if they ever become disrupted, banished, or either wound track fills up (including stun), they're just straight-up dead and have to burn karma to remain in existence.

The metaplanes are where free spirits go to heal (although, they usually can't return to earth for a month or so, in these cases, baring friendship pact).

That probably puts them at about the level of mortals, except a full stun track, or a magician banishing them seems like it could come up fairly easily.

[Cthulhudreams]

Double post

[Cthulhudreams]

Only while I'm inhabiting someone else, or all the time? Thats the puzzler - and do I have to go inhabit the chumps body? What happens if I'm busy and he goes to sleep while he's at school or whatever.

Damn, you make regeneration sound like a good idea - shame its 5 PP!

Hrm, considering taking fame + Day job, and having him go into the office 10 hours a week to do divinatons etc, but at a measely 5k nuyen, it doesn't seem worth it. Also, how does 'fame' work for someone who can change form at will and can maintain concealment all day 24 x 7

I suspect it doesn't haha.

[Karaden]

Well, usually they allow a spirit to gain karma (Free spirits cannot gain karma on their own). I was just going ot ask about this. Did anyone see anywhere that says this has changed for PC free spirits?

Dream-pact's benefit is that it allows you to gain karma like a human.

You can gain karma if you have a full friendship pact. And yeah, every pact has a benifit for the spirit, or in the one or two cases that they don't, it can be assumed that they're getting paid or something else.

[BlackHat]

Only while you're possessing him (and not normal possession, only through the dream pact).
And, yes, it says WHENEVER he goes to sleep - so if you're in the middle of something, and he nods off... *poof*... but at least you're earning karma while that happens. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Cthulhudreams]

Yeah that doesn;t sound like a good idea, heh. Will just roll out in a karma free zone, though actually that could completely screw me, because it...

Hey wait up, how does this even work

It requires karma to get a new PP to form a pact, and without a pact you cannot get karma.

What the heck? - oh, you're suppose to get that inital boost from people gifting you?

[BlackHat]

Well, all free spirits start with one pact free. I don't know, maybe Dentris plans to have us all earn karma like normal characters - but, otherwise, it seems like you would want to make sure you pick a pact that allows you to gain karma somehow - either through favors, or friendship pacts that let you "adventure" for karma.