Full Version: Spirits "On Standby"
Something came up last night about spirits and we couldn't find a good answer. What does a spirit's being 'on standby' really mean? Is it in its home plane, and therefore undetectable by astral sight? If a mage is in a warded space, can he still call the spirit to him?
QUOTE (SR4A, Pg 188.)
The spirit can hang around in astral space awaiting orders, or the magician can instruct it to return from where it came to be called at a later time—as long as it is called before its services expire. Calling a spirit placed on “stand-by� takes only a Simple Action.
It should be in its home plane, or anywhere else it likes to relax, therefore is undetectable. Given the way they travel, I don't see why a ward would stop it from coming to you.
I'm AFB right now so I can't be sure but I seem to recall something about using the metaplanes to bypass a ward costing one of the spirit's services. Will do some searches later to confirm this. (I suspect its mentioned in Street Magic, though I may be recalling something from Magic in the Shadows).
p. 94 SM Metaplanar SHortcut
"Spirits that find their physical or astral movement impeded
by a dual-natured mana barrier may take a quick trip to
the metaplanes and back again to the other side of the barrier.
This “shortcut� may only be taken if the spirit’s conjurer is on
the other side of the barrier (taking up one service) or if the
spirit has been to the location on the other side before (a reason
to never allow a spirit into your private sanctuary). Free
spirits, who are not restricted to any conjurer’s presence, often
use this shortcut for near-instantaneous worldwide travel."
"Spirits that find their physical or astral movement impeded
by a dual-natured mana barrier may take a quick trip to
the metaplanes and back again to the other side of the barrier.
This “shortcut� may only be taken if the spirit’s conjurer is on
the other side of the barrier (taking up one service) or if the
spirit has been to the location on the other side before (a reason
to never allow a spirit into your private sanctuary). Free
spirits, who are not restricted to any conjurer’s presence, often
use this shortcut for near-instantaneous worldwide travel."
From the way that is worded, I would say the spirit comes directly to the conjurer from the metaplanes, and thus doesn't "by-pass" any wards.
QUOTE (Writer @ Apr 28 2009, 11:57 AM) 
From the way that is worded, I would say the spirit comes directly to the conjurer from the metaplanes, and thus doesn't "by-pass" any wards.
Yup. If it's on standby in the metaplanes, and you're inside a ward, you can call the spirit and it just appears as normal.
If you have the spirit called up already (hence it saying "Spirits that find their physical or astral movement impeded
by a dual-natured mana barrier"), and you and it come to a barrier, it can use the shortcut to go around it (by bypassing it through the metaplanes).
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