I have an evil plot idea that I was hoping to revolve around spider spirits, however I do not recall there ever being spider spirits other than the Spider mentor spirit. The "Secrets of Power" novels had the big baddie and her 'followers', but I am not finding anything for specs across all four editions. Just the regular bug spirits.
Unless I am overlooking something. Anyone have any guidance they can toss my way?
Full Version: Spider Spirits?
Don't recall were I've read it but seem to remember Spider spirits being a solitary spirit. It's network and schemes forming its "web" to further its alien goals. Sort of a unique spirit with mindset different then other insects along the lines of the mantis spirits.
Don't remember there being any real additions to the spider lore outside of mentor and that trilogy.
Don't remember there being any real additions to the spider lore outside of mentor and that trilogy.
QUOTE (Chrome Tiger @ Mar 5 2008, 04:25 PM) 
I have an evil plot idea that I was hoping to revolve around spider spirits, however I do not recall there ever being spider spirits other than the Spider mentor spirit. The "Secrets of Power" novels had the big baddie and her 'followers', but I am not finding anything for specs across all four editions. Just the regular bug spirits.
Unless I am overlooking something. Anyone have any guidance they can toss my way?
Unless I am overlooking something. Anyone have any guidance they can toss my way?
One of the spirits freed in the Find Your Own Thuth (Secret of Power #3) novel is in the 1st edition adventure Total Eclipse. The spirit is called Twilight.
Lars
QUOTE (Larsine @ Mar 6 2008, 08:16 PM)
One of the spirits freed in the Find Your Own Thuth (Secret of Power #3) novel is in the 1st edition adventure Total Eclipse. The spirit is called Twilight.
Lars
Lars
Actually, no, Twilight was not specified as a spider spirit.
Spider spirits have never been statted out in any SR product, nor made any appearance outside the Secrets of Power trilogy.
I was going to mention Twilight and Total Eclipse but Larsine beat me to it darnit. As a side note I really liked the description of the decor at the Pink Pitbull as "late neo-tacky." Heh, still love that.
Twilight may not have been a spider spirit but it sure as hell looked like one in the module.
It looks like I will be making my own for this particular adventure. I will probably end up making a hybrid of the Spider mentor spirit and Twilight. Thanks, everyone.
...you know how ridiculous that sounds, don't you? Just rip the Mantis spirit stats and change the name.
ill have to look into that, then. when i take over GMing for our group, the current GM wants to play a spider shaman.
QUOTE (Ancient History @ Mar 6 2008, 10:01 PM)
Actually, no, Twilight was not specified as a spider spirit.
Spider spirits have never been statted out in any SR product, nor made any appearance outside the Secrets of Power trilogy.
Spider spirits have never been statted out in any SR product, nor made any appearance outside the Secrets of Power trilogy.
Never said so, all I said (and what is written in the Total Eclipse adventure), was that Twilight was one of the spirits set free by Sam Verner in the Find Your Own Truth novel.
Lars
Slightly off topic but Spider Shamans were mentioned in Bug City.
Yes there are "regular shamans" who have a Spider Mentor. In addition there are Bug Spirits who happen to be Spiders, and they don't have specific stats in this or any other edition of the rules. As Ancient History says, you can just grab your choice of bug spirits from Street Magic and use their stats for Spider Spirits and no one will know the difference (unless you choose one of the flying ones, which would be weird).
-Frank
-Frank
QUOTE (FrankTrollman @ Mar 10 2008, 04:23 AM)
Yes there are "regular shamans" who have a Spider Mentor. In addition there are Bug Spirits who happen to be Spiders, and they don't have specific stats in this or any other edition of the rules. As Ancient History says, you can just grab your choice of bug spirits from Street Magic and use their stats for Spider Spirits and no one will know the difference (unless you choose one of the flying ones, which would be weird).
-Frank
-Frank
I was mostly concerned with any of the traits the flesh-forms might have. I just grabbed another spirit and used that. I think it will do nicely.
Give the flesh forms the venom power. Hmm...flying spiders, that reminds me of an early episode of sliders. Can't remember which one, but some idiot crossed spiders with wasps and the results were not good.
EDIT: proofreading
EDIT: proofreading
Can I bump this thread and ask why Spiders as insect spirits were never statted out? It seems like they would be unique, given their web-spinning and other unique predatory habits.
I was chatting with a drunk lady I walked home from a pub a few nights back and we started talking about human sized spiders. I mentioned that if they were huge like that, exterminators with big guns would be needed, especially if one day you got home, opened your door, and your house was full of thick webbing. Obviously, you'd take out your phone and call the exterminators. The scarier spiders would be hunting spiders, that actually hunt their food rather than laying traps for them, because you'd open your front door and everything would seem normal, until a huge fucking spider was right on top of you and it was too late.
So where's the paydata, chums?
I was chatting with a drunk lady I walked home from a pub a few nights back and we started talking about human sized spiders. I mentioned that if they were huge like that, exterminators with big guns would be needed, especially if one day you got home, opened your door, and your house was full of thick webbing. Obviously, you'd take out your phone and call the exterminators. The scarier spiders would be hunting spiders, that actually hunt their food rather than laying traps for them, because you'd open your front door and everything would seem normal, until a huge fucking spider was right on top of you and it was too late.
So where's the paydata, chums?
I have a wolf spider mystic adept in my game, and he's playing it a bit differently.
The concept he came up with is that while a spider myst-ad would be odd and alienating, it would also exist to hunt insect spirits. So my team has a supremely creepy woman who uses magic to climb up walls, spit venom on things, and uses a mono-filament whip to "ensnare" people. As far as the spider mentor spirit, when it communicates with her I use something similar to the way the Weavers spoke in Perdido Street Station. Sort of a sibilant hissing, stream of consciousness rambling.
The concept he came up with is that while a spider myst-ad would be odd and alienating, it would also exist to hunt insect spirits. So my team has a supremely creepy woman who uses magic to climb up walls, spit venom on things, and uses a mono-filament whip to "ensnare" people. As far as the spider mentor spirit, when it communicates with her I use something similar to the way the Weavers spoke in Perdido Street Station. Sort of a sibilant hissing, stream of consciousness rambling.
QUOTE
Patient and savage in her hunt, Wolf Spider patrols for prey with cold vigilance. She pounces quickly and lethally when the moment presents, aware that quickness is all that might preserve her frail life. Wolf Spider is wise but often misunderstood, and Wolf Spider magicians tend toward self-preservation and tend to work alone.
ADVANTAGES: +2 to combat spells; +2 to Perception checks
DISADVANTAGES: (Here's where you pick one...) Willpower + Charisma (3) to work with others to accomplish a task; to avoid running away in combat; to avoid a -2 penalty on Charisma based checks.
Regarding Lesyeux's spirit mentor, Voire, here's how I see things. Lesyeux developed adept powers during adolescence in France. Being young and independent, she took off to see the world instead of completing university. After some time in Germany and around Europe, she found herself sneaking through the North American continent. After a near miss in Aztlan and another in Tier Tangier, she opted to settle for awhile in Seattle, where she found her adept powers (and the economy here) were suited towards shadowrunning.
She worked for awhile with a few people, but after a few runs she had an encounter that would change her life. While sleeping one afternoon, she was visited by a humongous ethereal spider. The spider's name was Voire, and she spoke to her about her latent powers, about how she'd been watching Lesyeux for several months, and about preparing her for the Hunt. In the next few days and months, Voire taught Lesyeux how to cast magic and how to attune her natural affinities for wolf spider methods--stealth, speed, and savagery. All of this was in preparation for something called The Hunt--a desire Lesyeux could feel growing in her soul, but something she did not yet comprehend. After several more months of training (mostly during runs with her crew), Voire told Lesyeux about insect spirits, insect shamans, and about the location of a hive forming in a suburb outside the city. This would prove to be Lesyeux's only participation in The Hunt, as she was captured by Lonestar after destroying the hive and the story from there is known. Neither she nor Voire got to "feed" on the hive they destroyed.
ADVANTAGES: +2 to combat spells; +2 to Perception checks
DISADVANTAGES: (Here's where you pick one...) Willpower + Charisma (3) to work with others to accomplish a task; to avoid running away in combat; to avoid a -2 penalty on Charisma based checks.
Regarding Lesyeux's spirit mentor, Voire, here's how I see things. Lesyeux developed adept powers during adolescence in France. Being young and independent, she took off to see the world instead of completing university. After some time in Germany and around Europe, she found herself sneaking through the North American continent. After a near miss in Aztlan and another in Tier Tangier, she opted to settle for awhile in Seattle, where she found her adept powers (and the economy here) were suited towards shadowrunning.
She worked for awhile with a few people, but after a few runs she had an encounter that would change her life. While sleeping one afternoon, she was visited by a humongous ethereal spider. The spider's name was Voire, and she spoke to her about her latent powers, about how she'd been watching Lesyeux for several months, and about preparing her for the Hunt. In the next few days and months, Voire taught Lesyeux how to cast magic and how to attune her natural affinities for wolf spider methods--stealth, speed, and savagery. All of this was in preparation for something called The Hunt--a desire Lesyeux could feel growing in her soul, but something she did not yet comprehend. After several more months of training (mostly during runs with her crew), Voire told Lesyeux about insect spirits, insect shamans, and about the location of a hive forming in a suburb outside the city. This would prove to be Lesyeux's only participation in The Hunt, as she was captured by Lonestar after destroying the hive and the story from there is known. Neither she nor Voire got to "feed" on the hive they destroyed.
QUOTE (Ancient History @ Mar 6 2008, 03:37 PM)
Just rip the Mantis spirit stats and change the name.
Might I suggest giving them the two powers of Venom and Innate Spell (Mana Net)?
QUOTE (Ancient History @ Mar 6 2008, 10:01 PM)
nor made any appearance outside the Secrets of Power trilogy.
Not true, a spider spirit is driving one of the gang leaders mad in sprawl sites. I believe its gang encounters 1 #3, but I don't have my book on me.
edit: as i re-read the thread Ancient may be right, the spirit in sprawl sites may be a spider mentor spirit.
QUOTE (Sir_Psycho @ Feb 9 2009, 08:48 AM)
Can I bump this thread and ask why Spiders as insect spirits were never statted out?
Because spiders aren't insects.
At least I recall that being one of the reasons prefacing the introduction of the Spider totem in Bug City and other later references.
I'm quite sure that the matters of spirit supercede the pitful taxonomics of us human beings.
Spiders aren't Insects, but they seem to dwell in a place similar or near Insect spirits. ruleswise: Why not making them Insect Spirits or at least wild Spirits.
Spiders aren't Insects, but they seem to dwell in a place similar or near Insect spirits. ruleswise: Why not making them Insect Spirits or at least wild Spirits.
QUOTE (Sir_Psycho @ Feb 9 2009, 02:48 PM)
The scarier spiders would be hunting spiders, that actually hunt their food rather than laying traps for them, because you'd open your front door and everything would seem normal, until a huge fucking spider was right on top of you and it was too late.
thanks, now im going to check the roof of every room i enter for the next couple of days or so...
check out p. 157 magic in the shadows. it's sr3, but spider isn't an insect spirit, she's a 'regular' totem.
QUOTE (GreyBrother @ Feb 9 2009, 06:28 PM)
I'm quite sure that the matters of spirit supercede the pitful taxonomics of us human beings.
Spiders aren't Insects, but they seem to dwell in a place similar or near Insect spirits. ruleswise: Why not making them Insect Spirits or at least wild Spirits.
Spiders aren't Insects, but they seem to dwell in a place similar or near Insect spirits. ruleswise: Why not making them Insect Spirits or at least wild Spirits.
In the real world obviously they are.
In the SR world, no they're not.
- J.
QUOTE (Sir_Psycho @ Feb 9 2009, 08:48 AM)
Can I bump this thread and ask why Spiders as insect spirits were never statted out? It seems like they would be unique, given their web-spinning and other unique predatory habits.
I was chatting with a drunk lady I walked home from a pub a few nights back and we started talking about human sized spiders. I mentioned that if they were huge like that, exterminators with big guns would be needed, especially if one day you got home, opened your door, and your house was full of thick webbing. Obviously, you'd take out your phone and call the exterminators. The scarier spiders would be hunting spiders, that actually hunt their food rather than laying traps for them, because you'd open your front door and everything would seem normal, until a huge fucking spider was right on top of you and it was too late.
So where's the paydata, chums?
I was chatting with a drunk lady I walked home from a pub a few nights back and we started talking about human sized spiders. I mentioned that if they were huge like that, exterminators with big guns would be needed, especially if one day you got home, opened your door, and your house was full of thick webbing. Obviously, you'd take out your phone and call the exterminators. The scarier spiders would be hunting spiders, that actually hunt their food rather than laying traps for them, because you'd open your front door and everything would seem normal, until a huge fucking spider was right on top of you and it was too late.
So where's the paydata, chums?
Spider got her butt kicked in Secrets of Power and has never been the same since, or at least never been so ambitious. Currently, she's using her Shamans to form anti-Invae street gangs, among other things, and the use of Invase tactics would severely undermine her moral authority in the war against the Bug Spirits, and would probably cause political problems for her more influential Shamans. And, so far, a combination of metahuman shamans and mundane followers has been sufficient for her needs and sending out actual spider spirits has been unnecessary.
That Secret of Power trilogy is whacked out.
The Sixth World Wiki doesn't cover the Secret of Power trilogy, and my stash of books is 4000 km. away. Would someone please precis the trilogy for me so I can remember the story?
Sam is an orphan. Sam is a decker. Sam works for Renraku. Sam knows Aneki personally and they have sort of a father/son relationship. Sam's sister is an ork. Sam's sister is on Yomi. Sam wants to find he sister. Sam leaves Renraku.
A bunch of stuff happens.
Sam Awakens and is contacted by Dog. Sam follows Dog. Sam does some pretty stupid stuff.
Sam finds his sister. Sam's sister is a Wendigo. Sam murders his sister's boyfriend because Sam is racist against Wendigos.
Sam tries to "cure" his sister, not taking a second to actually consider the fact that immortality is pretty sweet, because Sam is stupid. His efforts to do so are stupid. Sam meets Daniel Howling Coyote. Spider steals a nuclear missile submarine. Howling Coyote teaches Sam the Great Ghost Dance. Spider tries to launch some of those nuclear missiles. Sam dances at Spider. Spider is deafeated. Sam's sister dies in the dance, because Sam is stupid.
I think that sums it up nicely.
A bunch of stuff happens.
Sam Awakens and is contacted by Dog. Sam follows Dog. Sam does some pretty stupid stuff.
Sam finds his sister. Sam's sister is a Wendigo. Sam murders his sister's boyfriend because Sam is racist against Wendigos.
Sam tries to "cure" his sister, not taking a second to actually consider the fact that immortality is pretty sweet, because Sam is stupid. His efforts to do so are stupid. Sam meets Daniel Howling Coyote. Spider steals a nuclear missile submarine. Howling Coyote teaches Sam the Great Ghost Dance. Spider tries to launch some of those nuclear missiles. Sam dances at Spider. Spider is deafeated. Sam's sister dies in the dance, because Sam is stupid.
I think that sums it up nicely.
Thanks. I remember now.
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