The Concept: an ex-insect shaman.
When the insect shaman's queen dies, the insect shaman loses all magical abilities and becomes mundane thereafter.
Such a character may or may not regain what passes for sanity, but they'd have a good background in magic which would make them a good excuse for a magic-savvy if secretive PC or NPC. Bonus: they still have a chance to summon and bind free spirits, especially free insect spirits.
Which brings The Question(s):
If an ex-insect shaman manages, somehow, to bind a free Queen Spirit, do they get their magic back?
If an ex-insect shaman joins the Aleph Society, can they regain their ability to use magic? If so, what type of spirits, if any, can they summon?
Full Version: Ex-Insect Shamans
First, you are insane. But I like that.
| QUOTE |
| If an ex-insect shaman manages, somehow, to bind a free Queen Spirit, do they get their magic back? |
No. The bound must be two ways. The shaman could command the Insect Queen to bound with him, and thus regain his magic. However, the shaman would now be subject to her influence as she replaces his Totem void.
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| If an ex-insect shaman joins the Aleph Society, can they regain their ability to use magic? If so, what type of spirits, if any, can they summon? |
Interesting question. I don't recall the Aleph section even mentioning Spirits, but I don't have time to look. I know Sphynx's group had the Aleph making use of minor Gaf spirit clones, and I really like the idea. I would think these spirits similar to thought forms with added powers and such depending on the Potency of the summoner. I think the Gaf connection is identical to the Insect Queen and shaman connection... which brings up the question of what type of being Gaf is, but I digress.
A powerful ex-insect shaman NPC might deserve a special exception. A special permanent variant of channelling so that the shaman can steal the power from the queen.
As for Aleph, I am undecided.
As for Aleph, I am undecided.
| QUOTE (Kanada Ten) |
| First, you are insane. But I like that. |
Heh.
| QUOTE | ||
No. The bound must be two ways. The shaman could command the Insect Queen to bound with him, and thus regain his magic. However, the shaman would now be subject to her influence as she replaces his Totem void. |
Say, for the sake of arguement, that the Queen is of the same type the insect shaman was. And say again, theat she either wanted to give him his magic back or he commanded her to do so.
Well, in MiTS it does say that if the Queen is banished or destroyed "all of the shaman's magic departs with her, making the character mundane forever after."
I'd say this indicates that he cannot gain his magic back. If she goes free, the Queen has the choice though. In this case I'd say another Queen can 'take pity' on the shaman and enter into a spirit pact with him (or if he commands her). But I'd say the prerequisite is that the Queen went free instead of being destroyed/banished.
I like the idea though, and I've done something vaguely similar in a current game, to an amnesiac PC.
He started the game with magic loss, and cruel as I am I made him a Roach Magician's Way adept - the point lost was his only point of Magic Power, and so now he is a Roach Adept who is going to be plagued by his Queen to conjure spirits he has no ability to summon...
I'd say this indicates that he cannot gain his magic back. If she goes free, the Queen has the choice though. In this case I'd say another Queen can 'take pity' on the shaman and enter into a spirit pact with him (or if he commands her). But I'd say the prerequisite is that the Queen went free instead of being destroyed/banished.
I like the idea though, and I've done something vaguely similar in a current game, to an amnesiac PC.
He started the game with magic loss, and cruel as I am I made him a Roach Magician's Way adept - the point lost was his only point of Magic Power, and so now he is a Roach Adept who is going to be plagued by his Queen to conjure spirits he has no ability to summon...
| QUOTE (snowRaven) |
| I like the idea though, and I've done something vaguely similar in a current game, to an amnesiac PC. He started the game with magic loss, and cruel as I am I made him a Roach Magician's Way adept - the point lost was his only point of Magic Power, and so now he is a Roach Adept who is going to be plagued by his Queen to conjure spirits he has no ability to summon... |
That's not cruel. That's amazingly cruel and devious and, to be blunt, absolutely hilarious. I love it.
Thank you for giving me a late night chuckle.
| QUOTE |
| Ancient History Say, for the sake of arguement, that the Queen is of the same type the insect shaman was. And say again, theat she either wanted to give him his magic back or he commanded her to do so. |
Regardless of whether the shaman and she were of the same original alignment (ha), one could see the argument for allowing her to become the new Avatar. And damn if I didn't just figure out the Aleph connection. Gaf must be a corrupted Totem like the Insects. Now the question is why don't more Queens connect with forsaken insect shamans? Perhaps they don't like dealing with failures, or maybe the original connection between the shaman and Insect alters the shaman permanently in such a way as to prevent normal reconnection through dream or vision contact. Instead, the Shaman must somehow make a physical connection with an Insect Queen and have his *mind* reprogrammed. I would think the resulting creature wouldn't be metahuman in any sense. Think about it, with the vision connection the shaman slowly falls further under the Queen's power and deeper into insanity. How much quicker and greater would the Queens power be if the shaman allowed (even demanded) her to mold his mind? The shaman best be careful how he asks as well...
Shaman: "Make me more powerful than ever!"
Queen: "As you command..."
Two weeks later...
Queen: "Rise my child."
Force 10 Good Merge: "I await your command, Mother."
| QUOTE |
| snowRaven Well, in MiTS it does say that if the Queen is banished or destroyed "all of the shaman's magic departs with her, making the character mundane forever after." |
Threats 2 purposes the idea that all that is lost is not lost forever... But oh the price is never too high for one more hit of Heaven.
| QUOTE |
| Herald of Verjigorm A powerful ex-insect shaman NPC might deserve a special exception. A special permanent variant of channelling so that the shaman can steal the power from the queen. |
Wouldn't one require Magic to Channel? I would think there is a way though... Some kind of Spirit Box that conducts magic from the trapped spirit to the holder... Maybe that is what the Book of Gaf is? Perhaps Gaf itself has no control over the Aleph at all...
| QUOTE (snowRaven) |
| Well, in MiTS it does say that if the Queen is banished or destroyed "all of the shaman's magic departs with her, making the character mundane forever after." I'd say this indicates that he cannot gain his magic back. If she goes free, the Queen has the choice though. In this case I'd say another Queen can 'take pity' on the shaman and enter into a spirit pact with him (or if he commands her). But I'd say the prerequisite is that the Queen went free instead of being destroyed/banished. |
| QUOTE |
| If a character's Magic Attribute ever drops to 0, he "burns out," losing all magical ability and becoming a mundane forever. - SR3, page 160 |
Enter the Aleph Society. Apparently "forever" in the 6th world represents something different than our 5th world concept of "forever".
Yeah, I didn't think it actually used the word 'forever' in any other description of losing your magic.
Then again, it wasn't until Threats 2 you got another chance - while this opens up the possibility of other spirits able to sacrifice their Spirit Energy to 'rekindle' someones Magic attribute, it does say that Gaf's ability to do so is unique, and that means it takes more than just the average Free Insect Queen - I'd say make it a rare Spirit Power available to Free Spirit 'threats'.
Then again, it wasn't until Threats 2 you got another chance - while this opens up the possibility of other spirits able to sacrifice their Spirit Energy to 'rekindle' someones Magic attribute, it does say that Gaf's ability to do so is unique, and that means it takes more than just the average Free Insect Queen - I'd say make it a rare Spirit Power available to Free Spirit 'threats'.
I ran across this again while looking for something else. it still makes me laugh.
Gack, if that there's an ex-insect shaman player character in the group, I'd be looking for any slight excuse to gack him. Yeah, I generally don't want to betray a group member... but...
A character who's gone down the dark path once can do so easily again... Well, that'll be my excuse.
A character who's gone down the dark path once can do so easily again... Well, that'll be my excuse.
| QUOTE (Kanada Ten) |
| First, you are insane. But I like that. |
Agreed, but that 's why we love it when he posts.
| QUOTE |
| A character who's gone down the dark path once can do so easily again... Well, that'll be my excuse. |
Once you give in to the dark side, forever will it controll you're destiny.
| QUOTE (Kanada Ten) |
| Shaman: "Make me more powerful than ever!" Queen: "As you command..." Two weeks later... Queen: "Rise my child." Force 10 Good Merge: "I await your command, Mother." |
LOL!
| QUOTE |
| (snowRaven) I like the idea though, and I've done something vaguely similar in a current game, to an amnesiac PC. He started the game with magic loss, and cruel as I am I made him a Roach Magician's Way adept - the point lost was his only point of Magic Power, and so now he is a Roach Adept who is going to be plagued by his Queen to conjure spirits he has no ability to summon.. |
..........
LMAO!That's cruel. It's, it's inhuman, it's.. one of the most wonderfull ideas ever. If you have any more like this, PLEASE post them. Hmmmm, this gives me an evil idea.
I think even the Aleph society would look twice at a former likely very twitchy insect shaman. As for the binding a free queen if a workable way of binding can be acchieved (likely involving some ancient artifact left over from the 4th age) then why not. However personally I think he'd be better as a renfeld type insane character that might be able to help a party with his insane rantings if they can look past his well insanity.
Aren't most Insect Shamans magically active prior to receiving that late night visit from big momma bug?
Some of 'em. Certainly not all of 'em.
So, out of curiousity, what exactly is the Aleph society? I don't have Threats 2 yet.
JaronK
JaronK
A group that claims to be able to restore magic to those who has lost it, or awaken magical potential in those who never had it. A unique free spirit is involved.
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