Best way to use my spirits, Eclectic Neopagan (Wicca) Options

[Tyro]

This is not a thread for the debate of this vs. that tradition. My character is an Eclectic Neopagan like myself, using the rules for Goddess Wicca. I have very little knowledge of the practical use of spirits. Wicca's spirits are fire, water, plant, air, and earth. I want to know what I can do with them. I have only the barest concept of what can be done with them; please assume zero knowledge.

[pbangarth]

There are broad categories of function for spirits. Summoning and Binding are Opposed Tests between the Conjurer and the spirit, and the net hits the Conjurer gets determine how many services the spirit owes the Conjurer. Summoned spirits stay till their services are used up or till the next dawn/sunset. Bound spirits stay on call till their services are used up, no matter how long it takes. The higher the Force of the spirit you try to Summon, the better it resists, and the more dangerous the Drain is, but the more useful and powerful it is. This trade-off between services/safety and power is one of the more difficult balancing acts of Conjuring. Sometimes a little one will do, and sometimes you need the monster.

Extra Bodies

Spirits are extra troops that can be called up as needed at a moment's notice. Even low Force spirits provide extra bodies to do things like fight, search, delay, block, etc. Any spirit type can perform these functions, but in certain circumstances one spirit power or another may be particularly handy. For example a fire spirit can set fire to a building or other obstacle. This can also open pathways. Spirits of medium to higher Force can be hard to kill because of their Hardened Armour when materialized in the physical plane. You can Summon spirits, and can also Bind a spirit you have Summoned. Bound spirits are linked to your character for a longer term than Summoned ones, and whereas you can have only one Summoned spirit on call, you can have as many Bound spirits as your Charisma Attribute. You can also Summon Watcher spirits, which are short-term, weak spirits useful for quick searches, guard-duty/warnings, delays of the enemy, etc. and are less Draining.

Augment the Abilities of the Party

Spirit powers are cool and can give you and your team capabilities beyond the normal. Faster movement, undetectability, and protection from magic are just some of the things they can do. These vary from spirit to spirit, and some environments lend themselves more to one spirit type. So, for example, if you are infiltrating a ship, and are approaching underwater, a water spirit is more appropriate for speeding up your swimming (or your submarine) than an air spirit.

Bolster the Personal Power of the Summoner

Summoned spirits have the above capabilities. Spirits that are Bound stay around longer and also can beef up the summoner's ability to learn spells, cast spells, and sustain spells. Each spirit within your tradition is linked to a class of spell, which is the one it can aid in this fashion. In the case of Wicca, a bound air spirit can add its Force in dice to your dice pool when casting an Illusion spell such as Invisibility.


Look up the rules on Conjuring in the main book, and in Street Magic, as there are examples of spirits doing some of the things mentioned above. Check out the individual powers of your five spirit types, maybe tabulate your spirit types with their powers so you can look them up as you play without having to check the rule-book pages.

[Tyro]

Are there any particularly useful tricks with the spirits I have access to? Which are best for typical combat? I'm thinking of specializing in Air spirits for both summoning and binding skills. Thoughts?

[Summerstorm]

Engulf... really. In my sessions i've got a pixie magician specialized in spirits especially air. They are damn near unstoppable with engulf. Only two people ever got out of that, one a magician and the other a vampire (who is imune against the toxic crushing of a air spirit). A force 6 air spirit throws what 15 dice to attack with that and does 6+net hits stun EACH ROUND, while the captured dude can only try to escape... no chance for nearly everybody.

And some of the mind-altering powers are too mean too: Spirits normaly throw double their force and it gets resisted by will only. That means that even a Force 3 spirit can use these powers nearly without fail, and a force 6 or higher can dominate even specialized humanoids with ease.

Just beware background count and always remember: To manifest the spirit needs an action. Don't let it do it in sight of the foes who can maybe get an attack for free. (But they need firepower to take down a spirit)

[Kovu Muphasa]

My Cyote Shaman has started to paint grenades in odd coloers and then uses her spirits to give out "Easter Eggs"

[Dakka Dakka]

I agree with Summerstorm. Engulf is nasty. Even more so if the Fire Spirit uses it on one target and fires his Elemental attack at another.

The Power of Innate spells of the Spirits of Man is nice too. Unfortunately SR4A nerfed it in that spirits can no longer overcast.

[Tyro]

And if I'm reading correctly, air spirits given the elemental attack power can throw lightning!