Wash my car!, Will a spirit do anything? |
Wash my car!, Will a spirit do anything? |
Oct 27 2004, 06:30 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 292 Joined: 24-September 04 Member No.: 6,701 |
This is something that came up whimsically during our last game, but it's now piqued my curiosity.
Most of SR understandably revolves around combat or other hostile situations. But even the most aggressive runners aren't running 24/7/365; everyone needs downtime. Most campaigns just don't talk about those times because it's usually going to be boring to roleplaying your Chromed Sammy or Combat Mage picking up groceries and dry-cleaning from the local supermarket. I was thinking though whether or not any of these chars ever used their "abilities" to help out in day-to-day life. The topic I was thinking was Spirit services (equally applicable to Elementals, though much more costly in nuyen). In my last game, my character's (Shaman) new sports car got vandalized and I jokingly said to my GM that I'll just conjure a City Spirit to wash it for me. But is it possible for a Shaman who wants to be lazy to burn a service asking the spirit to do something menial (but albiet far safer)? Usually when we think of services, we talk about adding casting dice, sustain that spell, confuse that enemy, etc. Could I have had a Spirit burn 1 service to physically manafest, then another service to do physical labor? Would it have consequences? Do spirits "harbor a grudge"? For that matter, when I conjure in general, do I necessarily get the same poor spirit over and over? I mean, could you envision a Sammy using his retractable claws to skirt a steak for fajita prep over a grill? Or having a Rigger dispatch a drone to pick up his dry-cleaning through a drive-through cleaner? |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:37 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 485 Joined: 25-October 04 Member No.: 6,789 |
Well let's see do spirits harbor grudges. Never know any spirit except a fee one to do that. Even when we've let Elementals die, Mist Spirits get killed, and watcher cannon fodder by the dozen.
the average spirit might look at the Shaman and go something like "Is that all you wanted? Man, you had me worried." |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:41 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
The Services listed in canon are only examples given for specific game effects. There is no reason Spirits could not be asked to perform a wide variety of other types of services for their summoner.
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:42 PM
Post
#4
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 392 Joined: 18-October 04 From: Tujunga, CA Member No.: 6,768 |
LOL, that was great. I fully agree with that last coment. I think the spirit would be happy it was only being asked to clean a car or the house.
And for the record, I have use my cyber spurs to eat my stake. The GM said the fork was dirty, and I just cleaned my spurs the night before. |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:47 PM
Post
#5
|
|
Technomancer Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,638 Joined: 2-October 02 From: Champaign, IL Member No.: 3,374 |
Aren't cyberspurs on your feet?
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:48 PM
Post
#6
|
|
Immortal Elf Group: Validating Posts: 7,999 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,890 |
And why would you be eating a stake? Or is that some hip new way of saying you're a vampire that was being attacked or somethin'?
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:48 PM
Post
#7
|
|
Technomancer Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,638 Joined: 2-October 02 From: Champaign, IL Member No.: 3,374 |
Yeah tag team harassment. we take this too seriously :grinbig:
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:50 PM
Post
#8
|
|
Jesus Freak Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,141 Joined: 23-April 04 From: Anaheim, CA Member No.: 6,274 |
You people must live sad sad lives.
... Crap, so do I! :( |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:55 PM
Post
#9
|
|||
Avatar of Mediocrity Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 725 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle, WA (err, UCAS) Member No.: 277 |
Well...have you read Threats? [ Spoiler ]
|
||
|
|||
Oct 27 2004, 06:57 PM
Post
#10
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 292 Joined: 24-September 04 Member No.: 6,701 |
When I said skirt steak, I meant that most fajita steak is scored with groves to make it more tender, then sliced into strips after it's off the grill. I would think that Dikoted Claws (the ones from your hands/knuckles) would be ideal for going through steak with minimal effort.
If my GM agrees with this line of thinking, then hey, I'm going to start having my spirits do all sort of things around the house...:) |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:58 PM
Post
#11
|
|
Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Note that he did say any Spirit except a Free one. ;)
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 06:59 PM
Post
#12
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
Sigh... I suppose professors of thaumatology prefer high level air elementals/spirits to grad students. They work harder, don't take off lunch, have comparable intelligence, and cost about half as much.
*out of the job* |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 07:02 PM
Post
#13
|
|
Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
Air elementals take some hours to hire, time to teach what needs to be done, and the occasional process to reinforce their work ethic. Desperate grad students are much more adundant and take less upkeep.
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 07:04 PM
Post
#14
|
|
Immortal Elf Group: Validating Posts: 7,999 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,890 |
Air elementals also don't have any Skill.
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 07:06 PM
Post
#15
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
Perhaps true. I'm less worried now. Just double-checked, and INT is set at the elemental's force, so there's still a dead heat between bright grad students and high force elementals.
whew. |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 08:04 PM
Post
#16
|
|
panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
i thought they used force for all skill tests, without defaulting...
|
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 08:12 PM
Post
#17
|
|
Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,065 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Fayetteville, NC Member No.: 3,916 |
I can tell this is the more amusing variant of the "carry this grenade behind that obstacle and pull the pin" discussion.
I dunno - could you order a water elemental to engulf a target and then zap both of them with a lightning spell/power cable? -Siege |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 08:13 PM
Post
#18
|
|||
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
I believe they use their force as the "combat skill" for attacking, but given that some pains are made to differentiate between spirit/elemntal types' attributes, I tend to have them default (with or without penalties) when performing non-combat actions (such as washing the car) |
||
|
|||
Oct 27 2004, 08:19 PM
Post
#19
|
|
Chicago Survivor Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 5,079 Joined: 28-January 04 From: Canton, GA Member No.: 6,033 |
I would judge that on case by case depending on task requested and spirit type. A spirit could probably use it's force without defaulting for tasks that are loosely associated with it's domain, City spirit to clean up your street or wash your car, forest spirit to tend a fire or clean up your camp while on nature holiday.
Just don't ask a Fire Elemental to wash your car :D |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 08:23 PM
Post
#20
|
|
Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,065 Joined: 16-January 03 From: Fayetteville, NC Member No.: 3,916 |
Which raises yet another interesting thought - can you summon the same spirit repeatedly?
"Oh gawd, not the grenade bunch again!" -Siege |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 08:30 PM
Post
#21
|
|||
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 292 Joined: 24-September 04 Member No.: 6,701 |
Have a Fire Elemental to cook your steak. Use the Water and Air Elemental to clean the car. For cleaning up your house, a Shaman would use a Hearth spirit. |
||
|
|||
Oct 27 2004, 08:30 PM
Post
#22
|
|
Avatar of Mediocrity Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 725 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle, WA (err, UCAS) Member No.: 277 |
No, summon a fire elemental. Order it to beat the hell out of "whatever this red light is shining on," pointing to the laser sight on your gun.
Repeat to limit of charisma. Aim your gun at something you hate. Don't bother pulling the trigger. Repeat. It doesn't really offer anything you can't do anyway, but it's got mad style. |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 09:11 PM
Post
#23
|
|||||
Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,088 Joined: 8-October 04 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 6,734 |
I think the only way you can do that is if you know the spirits true name. I could be wrong tho...and it definately would be humorous. By the way, using dikoted knives to eat your food strikes me as a bit wierd - I mean, you'd have to be really careful you didn't cut through the plate...and the table...
Heh...That's a new use of magic "bullets" I hadn't thought of. Altho I'd be careful to word it precisely, or the elemental might start beating the hell out of the laser sight. EDIT: And why the heck would you want a nature spirit to tend to your fire? I would think a nature spirit would want to EXTINGUISH the fire. |
||||
|
|||||
Oct 27 2004, 09:13 PM
Post
#24
|
|
Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,840 Joined: 24-July 02 From: Lubbock, TX Member No.: 3,024 |
Nevermind washing the car, how about washing a person?
Or assigning a weather spirit to water your backyard garden. |
|
|
Oct 27 2004, 09:19 PM
Post
#25
|
|
Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,088 Joined: 8-October 04 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 6,734 |
Heh - a water elemental to clear all that wax out of your ear?
A new way to pick your nose or absorb your odorous farts in social situations? |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 11:17 PM |
Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Dumpshock Forums to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the Dumpshock Forums in any official capacity whatsoever.