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tisoz
MitS gives an example of a free spirit using Astral Gateway (Exclusive Complex action) on a mundane in order to use Possession on them. Possession is at least a complex action as one must defeat the target in astral combat. If the Astral Gateway is not maintained, the mundane dies.

How do you perform an exclusive complex action and a complex action simultaneously?

Or is this example only good for shedim. smile.gif
Zazen
QUOTE (tisoz)
How do you perform an exclusive complex action and a complex action simultaneously?

That's a good question, and the best answer I can muster is that the rules specifically say that it can be done, and thus it is an exception.

It might also be true that activating an Astral Gateway is exclusive complex but maintaining it is not, so that the spirit can then freely engage in astral combat and possess. I don't like the feel of that, though, and would probably not play it that way if it ever came up in my game.
snowRaven
well, it says specifically that free spirits with both powers can force anyone into astral combat, stating it can't suck unwilling victims into astral space. So firstly, it isn't actually pulling the astral body out of the body; it's more like astral perception. Secondly, although it requires an exclusive complex action to activate the gateway power, it also requires an Exclusive Simple action to activate the Animal Form power - this doesn't mean that the act of being an animal is exclusive; only the changing of forms is. Therefore, it stands to reason that maintaining the astral gateway isn't an exclusive action, although opening it is. Same goes for Human Form - of course, these violate the Critters rulebook description of exclusive action powers.

But, even if astral gateway is an exclusive action to sustain, that doesn't mean that the spirit cannot perform astral combat as long as this doesn't use any of the spirit's other powers. After all, cannot a magician sustaining an exclusive spell also fire a gun or fight? upsidedown.gif
mfb
yes, but can a magician sustaining an exclusive spell use his sorcery dice to attack a manifested spirit?
snowRaven
no, he can't - because Sorcery is a magical skill - no use of spells or magical skills while sustaining an exclusive effect. However, spirits are native to the astral, and do not use any 'magical skill' when attacking. Exclusivity for them simply means they cannot use any other powers or cast spells - astral combat is perfectly viable, and thew possession power doesn't take effect until the spirit 'wins' the astral combat, and can safely drop the astral gateway.

I am bothered by the suggestion that spirits cannot use powers or cast spells when in human or animal form, however (this although it specifically states that while in animal form the spirit retains all it's powers and skills) - and in MiTS Materialization for allies is listed as Exclusive...this means that Ally spirits cannot use their powers or spells when materialized... (the general description for this power does not include exclusive, though - onlt the ally spirit version)
mfb
materialization requires an exclusive simple action. it takes no effort to maintain a physical form, according to SR3 p. 265
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