Since when do Voodoo Shaman's have lightsabers?, I can't be reading this right... Options

[PoliteMan]

Ok, so I was kicking around the idea of a Voodoo Shaman and looking ways to use the possession power without shattering the game. One of the things that seemed logical was a shaman with plenty of sword skills, melee combat is both cool and underpowered, and I logically started looking into have a spirit possess a weapon.

My confusion comes from the (AFB) Elemental Aura ability, because it seems kinda insane. As I understand it, say I had a STR 4 Voodoo fellow with a sword. He's doing 5DP plus net hits. Now he binds a nice little F4 Water elemental with the elemental aura power into possessing his sword. He know gets +4DP from the spirits force, and additional +4DP from Elemental Aura, and the attacks are now Cold Damage which is resisted by half Impact armor. Now he's swinging for 13DP plus net hits, resisted by half impact armor. Which gives him a decent chance to chop a car in half with a couple strokes. It's basically a lightsaber.

I know it's far from the most broken thing you can do with Possession magic but it seems really weird. I'm sure it's come up before, what am I missing?

[Yerameyahu]

Nothing. The rules are crazy, see at least one thread by Neraph. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Hell, do a search for 'lightsaber'.

On the other hand (and this is in those other threads), there's no particular reason you have to allow the spirit's power to affect the mage's attack. Technically, the power affects the spirit's attacks (and it's now inanimate, ha).

[Game2BHappy]

I understand adding the +4DV for the Elemental Aura, but why do you add +4DV from the force of the spirit?

[InfinityzeN]

I don't see how you can add the spirits force to the attacks. The elemental aura yes, but not the spirits force. That would reduce the sword to 9P.

[pbangarth]

The Force of the spirit would add to the Strength of the vessel, but that would add 4/2 = 2 to the DV.

[Yerameyahu]

… If the vessel were the one making the attacks. And it's not. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ramaloke]

Well, technically I can see a materialization spirit doing this too. Nothing says a spirits form has to be even remotely human looking. A spirits form could be that of say... a katana.

Give the spirit the Natural Weapon and Energy Aura and you would have Force + 4 = DV.

One thing that might keep this sort of thing from working though is: Energy Aura covers the whole weapon, including the grip. How are you avoiding the Energyl Aura damage yourself?

[Yerameyahu]

That's true. Your spirit can be a dog, a man, or a (dancing?) sword, and *its* attacks would be the same regardless. I'm not sure if spirits need to have a physical means of locomotion, but whatever. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ramaloke]

If it doesn't have a physical means of movement (IE: Legs) it would require having the movement power, in which case it just floats.

[Yerameyahu]

I figured. Of course, the sword *can* have legs. Haha. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[zeborazor]

Is The Force a magic tradition? If not, it should be.

[Ramaloke]

Hrrmmmm... Make it you must. Interested I am.

[zeborazor]

Obviously it will need to be a possession tradition...hmmmmm

[Ramaloke]

Actually I just cracked open street magic to page 173. Take a look at the "[Element] Aura (Environmental)" spell, yep, pretty much the same as the spirit power with DV = Spell's force.

With that and levitate you can probably pull off a super saiyan (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) .

Spirits can do it, but so can a magician, and its probably more efficient for the magician to do it anyway.

[Sephiroth]

To Community Projects you must go. DamienKnight's Excel chargen sheet you must seek. Jedi house tradition it contains, possession tradition it is. Like what you see, you may.

[zeborazor]

To Community Projects you must go. DamienKnight's Excel chargen sheet you must seek. Jedi house tradition it contains, possession tradition it is. Like what you see, you may.

Mind=Blown

Thank you, sir.

[Yerameyahu]

Although, they don't really use spirits, possession, etc., even in the games/novels/etc. Meh, whatever. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[phlapjack77]

Jedi creating his own lightsaber = calling an inhabitation ally spirit
Yoda, Vader, Kenobi = manifesting spirits?

Jedi are mystic ads, of course

[Yerameyahu]

I just saying that those are very crude connections. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) It's a square peg in a round hole.

[zeborazor]

Yeah it is...

but lightsabers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[phlapjack77]

Yeah it is...

but lightsabers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

Why the frown? It doesn't seem like this is really too crazy, and they're not really lightsabers, right? More like magical, flaming swords - so if you don't like too much fantasy in your SR, then maybe that's a problem...

[zeborazor]

Why the frown? It doesn't seem like this is really too crazy, and they're not really lightsabers, right? More like magical, flaming swords - so if you don't like too much fantasy in your SR, then maybe that's a problem...

I was just joking around about the previous statement. Basically arguing for the possession tradition on the sole basis it allows the Jedi Tradition to wield makeshift lightsabers.

[PoliteMan]

Four points of clarification:

#1 I'm adding force to the weapon's damage because, under my understanding (still AFB), possession spirits add their force to most of the objects physical stats (vehicles get bonus to bod but not ease of use stuff like Handling). And a damage code is basically the only stat a weapon has listed (I'm sure you could deduce things like Object resistance but the only thing listed in the entry in damage, AP, and reach). I'd like clarification on this.

#2 The reason Elemental Aura is used instead of something like Elemental Attack is that Elemental Aura literally does not require an action, basically anything that touches the spirit takes damage. Even if the spirit isn't able to attack, Elemental aura should zap anything the sword touches, although technically it might work as two different wounds ie 9DP from sword and then 4DP from elemental aura. My question is: if the spirit possess a sword and then I stab that sword into it, the spirit isn't considered to be attacking someone, even though the spirit IS effectively the sword?

#3 As for how I'm gonna hold the thing, didn't think about it, just went "That can't be right" and posted for clarification.

#4 I don't want to play a Jedi, it's just lightsabers are the defining "cut-thru anything" weapons.

[Udoshi]

Is The Force a magic tradition? If not, it should be.

I was actually playing around with a jedi adept the other day.

Turns out The Force works better as a Contact. After all, when you need some Favors in a hurry, the Force better be with you.

[Udoshi]

Four points of clarification:

#1 I'm adding force to the weapon's damage because, under my understanding (still AFB), possession spirits add their force to most of the objects physical stats (vehicles get bonus to bod but not ease of use stuff like Handling). And a damage code is basically the only stat a weapon has listed (I'm sure you could deduce things like Object resistance but the only thing listed in the entry in damage, AP, and reach). I'd like clarification on this.

#2 The reason Elemental Aura is used instead of something like Elemental Attack is that Elemental Aura literally does not require an action, basically anything that touches the spirit takes damage. Even if the spirit isn't able to attack, Elemental aura should zap anything the sword touches, although technically it might work as two different wounds ie 9DP from sword and then 4DP from elemental aura. My question is: if the spirit possess a sword and then I stab that sword into it, the spirit isn't considered to be attacking someone, even though the spirit IS effectively the sword?

#3 As for how I'm gonna hold the thing, didn't think about it, just went "That can't be right" and posted for clarification.

Under strict rules-fu, it works like this:


Elemental Aura is NOT added to the DV, because the spirit isn't the one making the attacks. (even if it doesn't make sense)
You don't take damage from holding it(you're not Attacking it. Grappling Status is debatable, as is the ability of the spirit to not use it against its mage, since its an Always power).
The damage doesn't go up, because its not a Rating or an Attribute. ( I think)
I'm not sure whether attacks made with a possessed sword gain the Elemental attribute, either.
Lastly, what a possession spirit's Force gets added to is -supposed- to be GM discretion. There comes a time when you should limit it.

Still, its an odd situation, that you need to apply some common sense too. Here's what I'd do
I'd assume that a spirit DOES have control over its powers, and won't have an aura over the handle or something.
You won't be protected by the aura, because people attack you, not the sword (unless disarming it, i guess)
Force isn't added to the weapon's damage.(not an attribute)
But the elemental effect is. DV and AP -half