Just a question that I want to post to all of you out there in Shadowland. In a recent adventure that I gamemaster, the runners encountered a group of free Water Spirits. The teams sniper decided that she was going to attack the spirits will Jello power and Onion Soup mix. I really was not sure how to handle this, so I decided that there were now Jello and Onion Soup elementals running around the ship that they were on. Fundamentally, would the magical nature of the spirits be compatible with Jello or Onion Soup?

i have no canonical explanation for what i'm about to say...

But i would rule that, by their magical, and more importantly, elemental nature, things no of that type wouldnt really do much to an elemental, unless it has a specified allergy to that substance. In other words, adding a few pounds of jello mix to a water elemental, wouldnt really have any effect, although, maybe, i'd let it change color.

I'm trying to recall the scienctific terminology for what i'm thinking about...something about physical characteristics and secondary properties or characteristics...the first can't be changed (it's fundamentally WHAT the object is) the second can be, and things like color fell into the second group, so i would say that you could change the color of a water elemental, but it would still be a water elemental.

It could just unmanafest and the jello powder would drop to the ground. Then it remanifests all nice and clean. =)

exactly, it can be easy to forget that a water spirit/elemental is still just a spirit. In their native state, they are just an astral presence. You can throw jello powder at them (if you can see them), and it will just fly throgh the space they occupy. Even manifested, I doubt it would even get into their system. They aren't normal water, they are a manifestation of an astral spirit. I suspect it just wouldn't mix in.

plus, you would have to mix those substances into the elemental, and prepare them (jell-o doesn't just harden on it's own, you know, you have to put it in the fridge. onion soup must be cooked, naturally).

i would rule no noticeable effect (although the elemental might get a little ticked off at their attempt to 'pollute' it).

And first of all:

Who said that Water elementals were made of water?!
Who said that Air elementals were made of air?

This is not D&D, this is Shadowrun... Things are not identical.

Spirits of Water are "attuned" to water. That doesn't mean they are made of water...

JesterX is wise.

I think it's in the spirit section that mentions the appearance of spirits is colored by the Tradition and personal beliefs of the summoner. I remember something about a fire spirit potentially looking like flaming angel.

By that token, your water spirit could appear to be made entirely of water. It's not actually water, though, any more than a spirit of man is actually flesh and blood. It's just undefined "astral stuff" with a purely cosmetic appearance.

If not, I'm gonna go out and summon a bunch of earth elementals made of pure platinum.

Thank you. I appreciate all of the input that you gave me about this.

Well, after a night of heavy drinking in an Aztlanian bar the coyote shaman of my team tried to summon a spirit in said bar. What he got was a thing we called a "tequilla-disgusting-beer-spirit" later. It somehow seemed to be a bit toxic. And it used a special power on the group that caused massive headache for a day...

IC

After spending what felt like two weeks trapped on the metaplane of Jell-O, I have new appreciation for what the mangos must be feeling in my aunt Sally's flan.

/IC