Second thread I made here.
Last time I asked information about Shaman, and you all helped out so wonderfully that I thought I could ask another question.
I've heard a rumor about something called 'Possession based summoning', or something.
Recently my shaman summoned a spirit of air, making a thunder storm. When this happened I was fantasizing about my troll being a host for this spirit, which would then conjure the storm and smite his enemies.

Anyhoo, this didn't actually happen. Single bolt of lightning killed half the people I wanted dead, the rest we disposed of ourself.

Now, this got me interested in summoning in general, but more specifically in Possession summoning.

So my question is two fold:

1. Does this fucking exist?
2. If it does exist, can someone tell me the details about it? How does it work, what are the pro's and cons?

Much love,
Tiny Deev

It does exist. It's detailed fully in Street Magic.

However, traditions allow you to summon either Materialisation spirits or Possession spirits. Shamanism is a Materialisation tradition.

Page #34 Street Magic

its detailed in the street magic book. I'm not too keen on the details, but basically choose it when your designing your tradition (or selecting on that has possession spirits) and your spirits can only posess you (no materialization power) and uses its powers through you. It also adds its force to your physicals and your mentals become its force. Theres more too it, like the spirit is the thing thats controlling your body and your just along for the ride (this made things interesting in SR3 when my voodoo shaman summoned what was essentially a spirit of battle. I no stuffs changed around in SR4, but i dont know how specifically). I also think there's a metamagic where you and the spirit are cohabitating the body, but im not really sure how it works.

pros: higher physicals, use of critter powers. I think great form spirits give their host immunity to normal weapons

cons: your spirit isn't fighting/using powers while you sling spells.

The spirit can possess anyone/anything, not just the summoner, with a successful Opposed Test.

My players IGNORE THIS



Digital Grimoire also gives more information on possession and several examples.

I guess I'll have to go and get the Street Magic book. Thanks guys.

The Digital Grimoire, the short online addition to Street Magic, has several examples and clarifications on possession.

Yeah, I just noticed that. I'm getting it as soon as I can.

The BBB (basic),
Augmentation (advanced rules for medtech, cybertech, biotech, genetech, nanotech, biodrones, cyborgs and cybermancy, and related fluf),
Street Magic (advanced rules and fluf for all that's awakened)
Arsenal (Very crunch heavy with some fluf to spice it, tons of weapons, armors, vehicles and various toys, advanced rules for chemtech, demolitions, weapon and vehicle mods, martial arts, combat, hazardous enviroments and whatever I'm forgetting),
Unwired (puts some order into the mess that the wireless world is, if you plan to use the matrix you are going to need this),
Runner's Companion (tons of optional rules, tips and tricks, variant chargen, more faces of metahumanity, infected, sentient critters, free spirits, AI),
this are considered core books (possibly along to the upcoming Running wilds), you should buy them all.