The Wrestling Troll
Mar 1 2012, 08:08 PM
I want to create an ally spirit for my mage to support him a little with spellcasting, resisting drain but also with combat etc.
So here are the stats for my Ally spirit:
Karma costs are:
5 x 8 Karma = Force 5
3 x 5 Karma for skills = Spellcasting, Counterspelling, Flight
Total Karma cost = 55 Karma
[ Spoiler ]
== Info ==
Movement: Fly: 15/75
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 0
Public Awareness: 0
Ally Spirit Spirit Age Unknown
Height 1.80m Weight 70kg
Composure: 10
Judge Intentions: 10
Lift/Carry: 10 (75 kg/50 kg)
Memory: 10
Nuyen: 0
== Attributes ==
BOD: 5
AGI: 5
REA: 5
STR: 5
CHA: 5
INT: 5
LOG: 5
WIL: 5
EDG: 2 (My mage got Edge 2)
MAG: 5
== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6
Initiative: 10 (5)
IP: 1
Astral Initiative: 10
Astral IP: 3
Matrix Initiative: 5
Matrix IP: 1
Physical Damage Track: 11
Stun Damage Track: 11
== Active Skills ==
Assensing : 5 Pool: 10
Astral Combat : 5 Pool: 10
Counterspelling : 5 Pool: 10
Dodge : 5 Pool: 10
Flight : 5 Pool: 10
Perception : 5 Pool: 10
Spellcasting : 5 Pool: 10
Unarmed Combat : 5 Pool: 10
== Spells ==
(Tradition: Christian Theurgy, Resist Drain with WIL + CHA (10))
Heal (Health) DV: (Damage Value)-2
Manabolt (Combat) DV: (F÷2)
== Critter Powers == per Force point I can choose 1 additional critter power (Streetmagic)
(free) Astral Form
(free) Banishing Resistance
(x) Binding
(x) Energy Aura (fire)
(free) Immunity to normal weapons
(x) Innate Spell (Manabolt)
(x) Innate Spell (Heal)
(x) Psychokinesis
(free) Realistic Form
(free) Sapience
(free) Sense Link
== Weapons ==
Unarmed Attack
DV: 3S AP: - RC: 0
Tanegar
Mar 1 2012, 08:57 PM
Honestly, I think forcing an ally to rely on a spell for combat is a waste of a power. For 22 karma more,
Corvina (bottom of the spreadsheet for her stats, or scroll to the far right for karma-cost breakdown) has a broad suite of powers useful both in and out of combat, and when pressed can hurl lightning bolts all day long with no Drain. Conjuring an ally is high in the running for the most awesome thing you can do with a magician; why limit your ally to just resisting your drain and spamming Manabolt?
The Wrestling Troll
Mar 1 2012, 09:08 PM
I was thinking that manabolt would help blasting other spirits instead of going into astral combat. But since I'm not an experienced magician yet, I can be wrong about that thought.
Also elemental attack lightning for example is resisted with half impact armor + body with base damage = force
While the manabolt maybe has drain but can be overcasted and is resisted only with willpower.
That means a force 5 ally spirit does 5P + nethits with elemental attack against body and half impact armor. Lets take a standard grunt that has 8 ballistic armor and 4 body, that adds up to 8 dice to resist the damage, while the manabolt spell can be overcasted to force 10 doing 10P + net hits from spellcasting and is only resisted with willpower (and counterspelling if another mage is around) while only doing 5P drain (Force / 2) that can be easily resisted with 10 dices down to maybe taking 1-3P damage. Normally a grunt has only about 3-5 willpower to resist a 10p + nethits damage. Seems like manabolt seems the better choice with the additional risk of taking drain when overcasted.
What would you suggest for powers instead of manabolt?
I didn't think about the drain issue and the "free" elemental attack. But casting heal could still be usefull. I just took "innate spell" to save Karma since it costs a lot to create an ally spirit.
Tanegar
Mar 1 2012, 09:45 PM
An ally costs a lot because it's worth it. My advice is to accept the cost and drop the karma for a really kickass ally.
As far as what to replace the Manabolt spell with: Accident, Confusion, Fear, Engulf, Concealment, Influence, Movement... really, any of the more useful powers. Your ally's fire aura already makes it pretty dangerous in a scrap. If you really want it to have a ranged attack, you can give it Elemental Attack, but really, there are almost always better uses for a spirit's time than blasting.
Your point about Manabolt versus Elemental Attack is mathematically sound, but consider this: will your ally be willing to regularly overcast and suffer injury? Obviously, the question of how much independence your ally has will depend heavily on your GM, but you should expect to treat your ally as a character in its own right.
Finally, as an aside, I'm curious how you gave your ally the Innate Spell power in the first place, since Christian Theurgists can't conjure any spirits that have that power normally.
The Wrestling Troll
Mar 1 2012, 09:50 PM
About the innate spell, our GM is very open minded in that aspect and let's us summon almost any spirit.
Also my character uses christian theurgy but a custom version of it.
I asumed my ally spirit would act like my mage .... he's known for overcasting whenever he can hehe
Rarely I get injured by enemys, most of the time it's overcasting like crazy that fills up my damage meters

But considering your points, it really makes sense that I won't force my ally spirit to endanger itself with overcasting etc.
KeyMasterOfGozer
Mar 1 2012, 10:27 PM
My votes would be for Movement and/or Concealment. Those 2 can save your butt a lot more often than an extra manabolt or two.
Irion
Mar 1 2012, 10:58 PM
I do not want to be called a downer or a powergamer, but just but 24 Points more in it and take a force 8 spirit.
It is just around 3 times as good...
Second, spells which are gaind as a spirit power have RAW no sustaining penalty..... I do not think I have to say more.
The Wrestling Troll
Mar 1 2012, 11:00 PM
Having a force 8 ally spirit would be nice, but don't forget I need to summon, bind and convert it to an ally spirit while surviving the heavy drain of it ... I think a force 8 could be the end of my mage if I roll dices without a lot of nethits ...

- First I need to make a logic + arcana (force x 5, 1 day) test for the ally formula.
Force 5 threshold = 25
Force 8 threshold = 40
-Then I would need access to a magical Lodge equal or higher the ally spirits force.
- Summoning + Magic against the spirits force . The spirits hits x2 is the draindamage I need to resist.
- Binding the spirit is binding + magic against Force x2 and drain is 2x the hits the spirit made with the dices
- Doing this without taking a break and eating all the draindamage + modifiers.
- Force of the spirit exceeds my mages magical attribute so draindamage would be physical
This sounds like suicidal to me
darthmord
Mar 2 2012, 01:48 PM
I'm fairly certain that Allies like other spirits CANNOT overcast spells.
The Wrestling Troll
Mar 2 2012, 03:06 PM
I just checked and there seems no mention in RAW that spirits wouldn't be able to overcast.
Only thing I found is the following:
Innate Spell (any one spell known by the summoner, Force is limited to the spirit’s Magic)
But by RAW that would mean that if you teach your ally spirit a spell, it can overcast it. But when the spirit has the power "innate spell" it wouldn't be allowed to overcast it.
Irion
Mar 2 2012, 06:21 PM
@The Wrestling Troll
Yes, but given the benefits that those innate spells have...
QUOTE
- Summoning + Magic against the spirits force . The spirits hits x2 is the draindamage I need to resist.
- Binding the spirit is binding + magic against Force x2 and drain is 2x the hits the spirit made with the dices
- Doing this without taking a break and eating all the draindamage + modifiers.
- Force of the spirit exceeds my mages magical attribute so draindamage would be physical
Depends on what you bring to the table.
Edge?
Aspected BC? (At least 2 you may get out of lifestyle) (+2 dice for Magic and Drain)
Centering Initation? (+iniate dice for drain)
Power focus? (+ (mostly) 4 dice to magic)
Bound spirits helping resist drain? (Spirits of man keeping increase Attribute X sustained?)
(For maximum cheeze: Just bind the spirit in a place with BC (not aspected). You will loose 1 Point of Magic and 1 Point of your drainpool per raiting, but the spirit will loose (temporaly) one point of foce. Lets say you have magic 6(spellcasting 6) and he has magic 8. Aspected BC 2 would mean you get 14 dice and he gets 16 dice. Regular BC 2 would mean that you have 10 dice and he has 12 dice.)
Tanegar
Mar 2 2012, 08:35 PM
QUOTE (The Wrestling Troll @ Mar 1 2012, 04:50 PM)

About the innate spell, our GM is very open minded in that aspect and let's us summon almost any spirit.
Your GM must be extraordinarily lenient. The fact that any given magician can only summon five predefined types of spirit is one of the principal balancing factors on magic.
KarmaInferno
Mar 3 2012, 12:09 AM
At which point all the cheese-weasels take Voodoo*.

-k
* - plays a voodoo-type caster
Neraph
Mar 3 2012, 05:33 AM
QUOTE (Tanegar @ Mar 1 2012, 02:57 PM)

Honestly, I think forcing an ally to rely on a spell for combat is a waste of a power. For 22 karma more,
Corvina (bottom of the spreadsheet for her stats, or scroll to the far right for karma-cost breakdown) has a broad suite of powers useful both in and out of combat, and when pressed can hurl lightning bolts all day long with no Drain. Conjuring an ally is high in the running for the most awesome thing you can do with a magician; why limit your ally to just resisting your drain and spamming Manabolt?
Energy Aura + Psychokinesis = ranged energy punches, out to LoS.
QUOTE (SR4A, page 294, Energy Aura)
Melee attacks made by the critter gain and additional +4 modifier to the Damage Value.
Psychokinesis references the
Magic Fingers spell:
QUOTE (SR4A, page 211, Magic Fingers)
The caster can use skills remotely with Magic Fingers... The caster can fight... using the Magic Fingers as if they were real hands.
Tanegar
Mar 3 2012, 06:07 AM
Please show me where it says the Magic Fingers share the spirit's energy aura.
Midas
Mar 3 2012, 06:50 AM
QUOTE (Neraph @ Mar 3 2012, 05:33 AM)

Energy Aura + Psychokinesis = ranged energy punches, out to LoS.
Psychokinesis references the Magic Fingers spell:
Please don't pass on your twisted rules lawyering bad habits to the OP.
The clue is in the name. The spirit has an energy aura, it's psycokinetic punches don't.
Neraph
Mar 3 2012, 07:18 AM
QUOTE (Tanegar @ Mar 3 2012, 12:07 AM)

Please show me where it says the Magic Fingers share the spirit's energy aura.
I did. Energy explicitly states that any melee attack you do has its benefits.
Magic Fingers (and by extension, Psychokinesis), allow you to perform any action with any skill you have while using their effect as their origin. Therefore, your melee attacks are benefited from your Energy Aura regardless if they are from your physical body or your hand-like projections.
QUOTE (Midas @ Mar 3 2012, 12:50 AM)

Please don't pass on your twisted rules lawyering bad habits to the OP.
The clue is in the name. The spirit has an energy aura, it's psycokinetic punches don't.
No, the clue is in the exact wording of the abilities. My "twisted" rules-lawyering is simply direct reasoning.
The real question is: "How RAW do you want your game?"
Yerameyahu
Mar 3 2012, 07:31 AM
Hehe, I love this one. It probably means you can wear shock gloves and deliver that hit via Magic Fingers, too.
Neraph
Mar 3 2012, 07:40 AM
Almost. Their description states that their contact delivers the pulse of electricity. You could place the "magical invisible hands" inside shock gloves, of course. Or better, tesla gloves, and have the gloves out at LoS using the arcing ability to hit people 1 meter further.
Irion
Mar 3 2012, 10:11 AM
Questionable. The attack is performed by the magic fingers, not by you. They have their own agility and strength raitings....
QUOTE ("Energy Aura")
. Melee attacks made by the
critter gain an additional +4 modifier to the Damage Value.
It does not talk about skills, it tells you, you need to make a melee attack.
QUOTE ("Magic Finger")
Magic Fingers creates a psychokinetic effect like “invisible
hands” that can hold or manipulate items.
QUOTE ("Magic fingers")
The caster can use skills remotely with
Magic Fingers, but all tests receive a –2 dice pool modifier
due to problems of fine control. Even simple actions like
picking up a coin may require an Agility Test, at the gamemaster’s
discretion.
The caster can fight, pick a lock, or perform any other
action, using the magic fingers as if they were real hands.
If anything, the melee attacks are made by the magic fingers.
So no, energy aura does not apply.
Or it would also apply if you jumped into a drone and hit somebody with the drone a thousand miles away.
And thats really the lower end of the scale.
You say that using the skill, everything should be treated as if you used your own hands. (You know that this would mean that if a failed test means damage, you would also get this damage using magical fingers?)
The Jake
Mar 3 2012, 10:42 AM
The level of retardation is strong in this thread. Why would you do this - even if it DID work (which it doesn't) when you could use Elemental Attack all day long and with no drain??
- J.
Irion
Mar 3 2012, 11:03 AM
@The Jake
Several issues. This magic finger trick is more for the adept types.
With killing hands you than may choose to inflict stundamage or not.
Not to mention, that the hands are INVISIBLE. So defty modifiers to defend against.
(And the spell elemental aura does increase it by HITS, so probably more than just +4)
And you may use martial arts...
For an ally spirit it is not that great, true.
But still your base damage might be higher. If you go for the ultimate cheese you may stick SEVERAL elemental effects on top of that. Just taking two elemental auras or the innate spell.
So your damage is very fast, very high.
(And nobody will be able to touch you in melee combat either...)
Lets put it like that: If you build a melee monster allly spirit, magical fingers just add a ranged attack!
Yerameyahu
Mar 3 2012, 03:14 PM
My question was this: why is "as if they were real hands" being interpreted as "as if they were *your actual* hands"?
Neraph
Mar 3 2012, 03:40 PM
QUOTE (The Jake @ Mar 3 2012, 04:42 AM)

The level of retardation is strong in this thread. Why would you do this - even if it DID work (which it doesn't) when you could use Elemental Attack all day long and with no drain??
- J.
Because the SPIRIT POWERS of Energy Aura and Psychokinesis also have no drain.
The Wrestling Troll
Mar 5 2012, 10:24 AM
Reading all these replies have been a lot of fun and from what I've read, I should drop the innate spells (maybe keep heal since spirits don't have that spirit power) and replace it with elemental aura and elemental strike (?) for a ranged attack.
With elemental aura I would have 2P +5P damage in melee with balistic armor halved. That seems like not such a bad idea since it doesn't generate any drain.
Any other good ideas for spirit powers? somehow I can't decide what I should take and I'm not very experienced with spirit powers ...
And for the part of mages being only balanced when they summon only their basic spirits described in RAW, since my mage is a REALLY bad summoner and I rarely summon any spirits in our sessions, our GM doesn't mind about it since I'm not a spirit heavy user. Also I'm the only magical backup our party has and I need to be able to play different rolls to help out the team.
Irion
Mar 5 2012, 10:50 AM
@The Wrestling Troll
Like said before, it depends on your group. If you play RAW and the innate spells do not cause sustaining penalties a Increased reflexes or combat sense become very, very nice to have.
The Jake
Mar 5 2012, 11:59 PM
Elemental Aura + Natural Weapon is when things start to shine. Throwing in Elemental Attack ontop is just plain overkill. Naturally I like that with Engulf too.

- J.
bobbaganoosh
Mar 6 2012, 02:59 AM
QUOTE (The Jake @ Mar 5 2012, 03:59 PM)

Elemental Aura + Natural Weapon is when things start to shine. Throwing in Elemental Attack ontop is just plain overkill. Naturally I like that with Engulf too.

- J.
Use Invoking to change Engulf's range to LOS(A).
It's not even as questionable as using Elemental Aura + Psychokinesis.
The Jake
Mar 6 2012, 09:42 AM
QUOTE (bobbaganoosh @ Mar 6 2012, 03:59 AM)

Use Invoking to change Engulf's range to LOS(A).
It's not even as questionable as using Elemental Aura + Psychokinesis.
Yup. First thing I plan on doing after summoning my F8 ally is to Invoke it. My dilemma is what greater power will I pick?
BTW I scored 13 net hits on invoking a Force 6 spirit the other day. I don't even know how I did it. Magic 6 + Binding 5 + Power Focus 5 + Edge 3 + Spirit 6... I'm sure there were other dice in the mix, just not sure what...
- J.
Irion
Mar 6 2012, 09:54 AM
@The Jake
Depends... (But I have to say no reasonable GM in his right mind would let you invoke your ally spirit... It is just too freaking good)
Anyway, the power to go is probably endownment. 11 Powers you may give anybody is just a freaking good choice...
QUOTE
BTW I scored 13 net hits on invoking a Force 6 spirit the other day. I don't even know how I did it. Magic 6 + Binding 5 + Power Focus 5 + Edge 3 + Spirit 6... I'm sure there were other dice in the mix, just not sure what...
Good, roll but possible. Thats a bit less than 50% hits.
If things like this happen more often it could be the dice.
Since I guess you are not using casino dice, it is also possible that some of your dice are "less than not ideal". Meaning they have a good chance landing on 5 or 6.
Neraph
Mar 7 2012, 05:35 PM
QUOTE (The Jake @ Mar 5 2012, 05:59 PM)

Elemental Aura + Natural Weapon is when things start to shine. Throwing in Elemental Attack ontop is just plain overkill. Naturally I like that with Engulf too.

- J.
I've never liked Engulf. No ability to add net successes to damage.
QUOTE (The Jake Posted Yesterday, 03:42 AM)
Yup. First thing I plan on doing after summoning my F8 ally is to Invoke it. My dilemma is what greater power will I pick?
Regeneration. If you don't have plant spirits in your tradition, then Storm.
The Jake
Mar 8 2012, 12:32 PM
QUOTE (Neraph @ Mar 7 2012, 05:35 PM)

Regeneration. If you don't have plant spirits in your tradition, then Storm.
Not that I'm playing that character under that GM but I was looking to get a custom Metamagic approved that allowed me to summon plant spirits (outside of my tradition).
- J.
Irion
Mar 8 2012, 12:52 PM
@Neraph
Why regeneration?
The damage that is dangerous for a force 8 spirit can mostly not be healed by regneration.
I mean short of a gauss rifle this spirit is quite safe from any kind of "normal" damage. And beeing shot at with a gauss rifle kind of defeats regeneration anyway...
The Jake
Mar 8 2012, 01:14 PM
If the spirit is Posession or Inhabitation based, Regeneration becomes... hell, it's just damn useful at anytime - but especially with a Posession or Inhabitation based Ally Spirit.
- j.
Neraph
Mar 8 2012, 04:57 PM
QUOTE (The Jake @ Mar 8 2012, 07:14 AM)

If the spirit is Posession or Inhabitation based, Regeneration becomes... hell, it's just damn useful at anytime - but especially with a Posession or Inhabitation based Ally Spirit.
- j.
That reason. Also, I think the most powerful Power to give it would probably be Endowment. Nearly every tradition has access to Man and Guidance (?) spirits.
EDIT: It's a Christian Theurgy spirit. Endowment or Storm would be my two choices.
Irion
Mar 8 2012, 05:29 PM
QUOTE
That reason. Also, I think the most powerful Power to give it would probably be Endowment. Nearly every tradition has access to Man and Guidance (?) spirits.
Now my world makes sense again.
11 Powers to grasp an Neraph gives it a pass?!
The Wrestling Troll
Mar 8 2012, 10:13 PM
Got a question for you guys:
Ally Spirits get the power materialization and realistic form. I understand from the rules that a spirit can look and feel like a human or a toaster but would it be possible to transform into a motorcycle that is able to drive? Are there any rules or restrictions to materialization & realistic form and ally spirits in size and form?
Would open a lot of possibilities for 2 karma per additional form ..
Just a few thoughts:
- form fitting body armor form that has itnw to wear for my mage
- Motorcycle
- A melee weapon with elemental aura
- Hoverboard if the spirit has the skill flight?
What do the RAW experts think of the limitations?
Yerameyahu
Mar 8 2012, 10:27 PM
There's a big thread about this right now.

But, quick and dirty: your armor would have ITNW, not the wearer. Ditto for the weapon: it has the Element Aura power, not *your* attacks using it.
Neraph
Mar 9 2012, 09:01 PM
QUOTE (Yerameyahu @ Mar 8 2012, 04:27 PM)

There's a big thread about this right now.

But, quick and dirty: your armor would have ITNW, not the wearer. Ditto for the weapon: it has the Element Aura power, not *your* attacks using it.
Right, but if anything strikes the spirit then they are subject to a DV hit also. It's like a +1 Flaming weapon from The Other Game, but I think it's a roundabout way to get it done. Just be careful handling the weapon...
Yerameyahu
Mar 9 2012, 09:41 PM
Not 'strikes', IIRC, but 'attacks'? It only hurts people if they *attack* (or are *attacked* by) the aura'd thing. That's why the aura doesn't burn everything you touch. IIRC.
The Wrestling Troll
Mar 9 2012, 10:56 PM
QUOTE (Yerameyahu @ Mar 9 2012, 10:41 PM)

Not 'strikes', IIRC, but 'attacks'? It only hurts people if they *attack* (or are *attacked* by) the aura'd thing. That's why the aura doesn't burn everything you touch. IIRC.

If the ally spirit would function as a weapon with energy aura then theoretical you would use the strenght of the magician /2 for calculating the damage and then add the force of the spirit as +DV to that. And if you parry with said weapon the attacker would eat the force of the spirits aura as damage aswell.
Only thing that remains is, if you use your ally spirit as a sledgehammer it should get damaged too while hitting something.
I guess not a lot of ally spirits would hang around a magician if they get abused that way
Neraph
Mar 9 2012, 11:04 PM
QUOTE (Yerameyahu @ Mar 9 2012, 03:41 PM)

Not 'strikes', IIRC, but 'attacks'? It only hurts people if they *attack* (or are *attacked* by) the aura'd thing. That's why the aura doesn't burn everything you touch. IIRC.

Eh, you're right. I was working off a remembrance of something I thought of about a year ago without checking my books first. I can't be right all the time, just most of the time.
Yerameyahu
Mar 10 2012, 12:11 AM
Hehe.

That's why we're here. … To catch you!
No, Wrestling, that's the point: unless they're specifically attacking the spirit (or the spirit itself is specifically attacking them), none of it works. That's just the super-RAW, of course; I don't care what you actually do at your table.
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