Free Spirit Powers
In addition to the standard powers for spirits of their class, free spirits have special abilities of their own. When creating a free spirit, the GM may choose the spirit’s powers or determine them randomly as described in the Free Spirit Generation section below.
A free spirit automatically receives 1D3 of these powers when it goes free. It may gain additional powers when it increases its Force. To determine such a gain, roll 2D6. If the result is greater than or equal to the spirit’s new Force, it gains another power. The more powerful the spirit becomes, the more fixed its manifestation and the more difficult it is to gain new powers. Free spirits that start at lower Force and grow gradually have the potential to possess more powers than those that are very strong when they go free.
In addition to the powers listed below, free spirits may also have the power of Possession.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Animal Form |
Physical |
Exclusive Simple |
Self |
Special |
Astral Gateway |
Mana |
Exclusive Complex |
LOS |
Sustained |
Aura Masking |
Mana |
Auto |
Self |
Always |
Dispelling |
Mana |
Complex |
LOS |
Instant |
Hidden Life |
Physical |
Auto |
Special |
Always |
Human Form |
Mana |
Exclusive Complex |
LOS |
Sustained |
Personal Domain |
Physical |
Auto |
Special |
Always |
Possession |
Mana |
Complex |
LOS |
Sustained |
Sorcery |
Mana |
Varies |
Varies |
Varies |
Wealth |
Physical |
Exclusive Complex |
LOS |
Permanent |
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|
Animal Form
A free spirit can materialize in the form of a non-magical animal. In animal form, add the spirit’s Spirit Energy to the critter’s normal physical Attributes and use the spirit’s Force in place of the critter’s mental Attributes. The animal form also has the power of immunity to normal weapons, based on its Spirit Energy rather than Essence. While in this form, the spirit retains all its other powers and can speak if it wishes. It also gains the +10 materialized Initiative bonus when in this form. Killing the animal form disrupts the spirit.
Creating this animal form to inhabit on the physical plane requires the spirit to make an Exclusive Simple Action, but maintaining it takes no effort. Returning to the astral plane requires another Exclusive Simple Action.
Free nature spirits usually appear in the form of an animal native to their domain. On the rare occasions when elementals appear as animals, they use a large, powerful animal form.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Animal Form |
Physical |
Exclusive Simple |
Self |
Special |
Astral Gateway
A free spirit can use the Astral Gateway power to bring the astral and physical planes into closer contact. The power permits anyone, magician or non-magician, to project into astral space, either to the astral plane or to the spirit’s native metaplane. As long as the spirit maintains watch over the traveler’s physical body, it does not suffer Essence loss.
Should the spirit leave off guarding the traveler’s body, however, the gateway closes. A full magician can try to find a way back to his body in the standard way, but others die instantly. Non-initiates abandoned on a metaplane also die instantly.
Normally, a spirit uses this power on willing subjects. However, a free spirit with this power and the power of possession can force anyone, even mundanes, into astral combat so that it may possess them. Free spirits cannot, however, use this power to suck victims into astral space and then abandon them to die.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Astral Gateway |
Mana |
Exclusive Complex |
LOS |
Sustained |
Aura Masking
This power allows a free spirit (and some unique critters) to mask its aura in two ways. It can match its aura to its present physical form (animal or human) or it can make its aura look like that of a normal spirit (or critter) of its type.
This power has an effect similar to metamagical masking. Use Spirit Energy in place of grade. Only an initiate can determine the true nature of a masked aura. In order to do this, the initiate must make a Magic Test against a target number equal to the spirit’s Force. The initiate needs a number of successes equal to the difference between his grade and the spirit’s Spirit Energy to see through the masking.
If the test is successful, the initiate knows the spirit’s aura is masked and on which metaplane its true nature can be learned. If the initiate wants to view the spirit’s true aura, she must undertake an astral quest to the spirit’s native metaplane with a Quest Rating equal to the spirit’s Force plus Spirit Energy.
An initiate who completes the quest can view the spirit’s true aura. The character automatically learns the spirit’s true name and gains the usual information from assensing.
Free spirits with aura masking can also perceive the true nature of masked auras. The GM makes a secret Force Test to see if this occurs. Alternatively, the GM may simply decide to let the spirit pierce the mask without effort. A free spirit with this power can also deliberately mask their aura in the same manner as an initiate with masking.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Aura Masking |
Mana |
Auto |
Self |
Always |
Dispelling
The spirit can break spells via dispelling. The spirit does so according to the standard rules, using its Force plus Spirit Energy as its effective Sorcery Skill.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Dispelling |
Mana |
Complex |
LOS |
Instant |
Hidden Life
With this power, the spirit permanently places its life force in some place or thing. Destroying the hiding place destroys the spirit. As long as the hiding place remains safe, however, the spirit can never be permanently banished or destroyed by any means, and all its physical forms possess the power of regeneration. Even when this power fails, however, the spirit is not destroyed, merely disrupted for a time. Even someone who knows its true name cannot destroy the spirit if it has hidden its life.
Though the spirit’s life force is protected from most normal harm in this way, much depends on the nature of the hiding place. All hiding places are protected from magical or mundane damage by “armor” equal to the spirit’s Force plus Spirit Energy.
A spirit can also hide its life in an animal, giving the animal the powers of immunity to age, normal weapons, pathogens and toxins, as well as regeneration. The animal’s Attributes increase by a value equal to the spirit’s Force. Such animals become puppets of the spirit.
Rumor has it that free spirits with this power can hide their life inside a metahuman. Presumably, the metahuman receives
the same advantages as an animal serving as a hiding place, but the effects of such a relationship on the metahuman will and mind remain unknown. The GM can give a person hiding the spirit’s life Mental Flaws equal in value to the Spirit Energy. The number of Mental Flaws will increase as the Spirit Energy increases.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Hidden Life |
Physical |
Auto |
Special |
Always |
Human Form
The spirit can assume any metahuman form it desires, in a manner similar to materialization. While in this shape, it has the normal physical Attributes for its type, with a bonus to each equal to its Spirit Energy. Mental Attributes equal Force. In addition, this form has the power of immunity to normal weapons, based on Spirit Energy rather than Essence. The standard +10 materialized Initiative bonus also applies. The appearance of its human form, whether male or female, old or young, beautiful or hideous, is entirely up to the spirit. Killing the human form disrupts the spirit.
Creating this human form to inhabit on the physical plane requires the spirit to make an Exclusive Simple Action, but maintaining it takes no effort. Returning to the astral plane requires another Exclusive Simple Action.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Human Form |
Mana |
Exclusive Complex |
LOS |
Sustained |
Personal Domain
The spirit selects some area where its powers are greater than normal. A nature spirit must choose a site in a domain appropriate to its type. The personal domain has a maximum area of 10,000 square meters times the spirit’s Force.
Within a spirit’s personal domain, its Spirit Energy doubles. This bonus applies to all powers and physical Attributes influenced by Spirit Energy. A spirit with Force 4 and Spirit Energy 3 would have an effective Force of 10 when using powers in its personal domain.
A free spirit with a personal domain and the possession power can attempt to possess anyone, willing or not, astrally active or not, in its domain. It forces the victim to engage in astral combat and can possess him if it wins.
A spirit cannot change its personal domain once it is chosen. If the domain is physically destroyed or drastically altered, the spirit loses its expanded power. For example, if a swamp spirit chooses a particular marsh as its personal domain, turning the marsh into a landfill destroys the domain. A spirit will, of course, fight ferociously to prevent such interference with its domain.
Some people speculate that free spirits whose personal domains are destroyed sometimes become toxic spirits, especially when the domain is destroyed by pollution.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Personal Domain |
Physical |
Auto |
Special |
Always |
Possession
This power allows the spirit to possess a living being, similar to the metamagical technique of Possessing, with a number of differences. Only astrally active beings (including dual critters) can be targeted by this power.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Possession |
Mana |
Complex |
LOS |
Sustained |
To use possession, a spirit must fight the target in astral combat, inflicting only Stun damage. If the spirit wins, its astral form enters the target’s body and assumes control over it. The Stun damage the target takes in this combat is not applied until the spirit leaves the host. The spirit can only stay within the body for a number of hours equal to its Force.
The spirit can also inhabit a willing host, but the host must be astrally active (with the exception of loa summoners and serviteurs, who may be possessed through the magical link they have established with the loa. See Loa Spirit Possession tab). The host invites the spirit to enter, but the spirit decides when it will leave, unless it is exorcised.
Non-sentient beings are never willing hosts, but unconscious dual beings cannot resist. A spirit cannot possess a being that has no physical body or that has a body created through use of the Materialization power, such as another spirit. To possess a body, the spirit must be at that body’s location along with the astral form of the body.
[Note: the Critters book allows spirits with the Possession power to possess any willing host, regardless of whether they are capable of astral perception/projection or not, but Magic in the Shadows was printed at a later date and does not allow this.]
Possessing Astrally Projecting Targets
A spirit cannot possess the body of a magician who is astrally projecting to a distant location because at that point the body is not dual-natured. A spirit can, however, possess the body of an astrally projecting magician if it beats them in astral combat and their body is within line of sight; the spirit must possess the body immediately after defeating the magician.
Possessing Riggers and Deckers
Characters who are rigging or decking may be possessed if they are also astrally active and defeated in astral combat; once possessed, they are immediately dumped from their icon or vehicle. The possessing spirit may attempt to rig or deck, if so inclined.
While in control of a host body, the union is dual-natured and the spirit has access to its own knowledge, skills and powers (but not Corrosive Secretions, Engulf or Materialization) as well as all the host's physical abilities, innate magical abilities (including spells and adept or physical critter powers) and even memories. If the host has geasa on his powers, the possessing spirit must fulfill the geasa to use the powers.
All the host's physical Attributes are increased by an amount equal to the spirit's Force. The host’s mental Attributes are replaced by the spirit’s. If the host did not willingly submit to possession, add +2 to all the spirit’s target numbers while possessing that body.
Any physical damage taken during possession is applied to the host body. However, any mana-based magic (including mana spells and mana critter powers) used on the possessed body affects the possessing spirit.
The astral form of the host is not "pushed out" when the body is possessed; it is completely enveloped by the astral form of the possessing spirit. If the possessing spirit is capable of Aura Masking, it can attempt to Deliberately Mask the astral form of the being they are possessing in the same manner as masking foci and spells; for the purpose of Aura Masking only, treat the host as a focus with a Force equal to their Essence.
A spirit possessing a character can travel through astral barriers created by the spirit, as the spirit's astral presence is the dominant astral presence in the body. However, a possessed character cannot be "ridden" through any barriers created by the possessed character. The astral barrier will recognize only the dominant astral form.
Note that spellcasting Drain inflicts Physical damage on the possessing spirit's astral form, not the host body.
A spirit can be driven out of a possessed body in several ways. First, if the host is killed or knocked unconscious, the spirit is unharmed, but is driven back into astral form. The possessing spirit can also be driven out through the use of banishing or astral combat. If successfully banished (using an Opposed Magic Test) the spirit is disrupted rather than killed. Astral combat may kill or disrupt a possessing spirit according to the standard rules. If the possessing spirit attempts to stay in the body longer than a number of hours equal to its Force, it is disrupted.
When the spirit's astral form departs (willingly or not), the host immediately suffers the Stun damage taken during the astral combat at the beginning of the possession. If the host was willing, they must now resist (Force)D Drain. This Drain is Stun damage and is resisted with Willpower. This damage is cumulative with any damage (Stun or Physical) taken by the host’s body during the possession. The possessed party will remember nothing that occurred during the time they were possessed.
The loa spirit can possess its summoner or a serviteur. Using its Possession power cancels any remaining services the spirit owes the houngan. A houngan can only be possessed by a single loa spirit at a time. Other loa spirits vanish when the houngan is possessed, their services ended.
While possessed by a loa spirit, the host’s physical Attributes are increased by the spirit’s Force and their mental Attributes are equal to the spirit’s Force. The spirit is in control of the body: possessed characters are unconscious and do not recall what happened while they were possessed. The loa spirit can use any of its powers through the host body at will, in the same way as a materialized spirit.
A loa spirit inhabiting a living body cannot be controlled by another houngan, but it can be banished by a magician of any tradition who exorcises it from the host body.
The possession lasts until the task the spirit was asked to perform is complete or until 12 hours have passed, whichever comes first.
When the loa spirit departs (willingly or not), the host must resist (Force)D Stun damage using Willpower. Apply loa advantages to this test.
Sorcery
A spirit uses Sorcery Skill exactly like any other magician. Free allies always have this power. The spirit’s Spell Pool is equal to its Force. The beginning Sorcery Skill rating is equal to its Spirit Energy.
Like a magician, a spirit spends Good Karma to increase its skill and learn spells. A spirit, however, does not need the usual tools and props of magicians. Neither does the spirit need a teacher or a spell formula because it is always in tune with mana, the heart and source of magic. It must still spend the same amount of time a character needs to learn the spell. In addition, when casting a spell, the spirit must abide by the following rules:
- Drain does not affect the spirit. The spirit cannot, however, cast a spell at a Force greater than its own Force.
- To use Sorcery on the physical plane, the spirit must materialize. It cannot cast spells that affect the physical plane while it remains in astral space. The spirit is subject to all the normal spell-targeting rules.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Sorcery |
Mana |
Varies |
Varies |
Varies |
Wealth
Wealth gives the spirit the power to create precious stones or metals. A spirit sophisticated in the ways of metahumans may, like a genie from the Arabian Nights, produce exotic fabrics, artworks and so on. Material created shows as magical when assensed and permanently carries the spirit’s astral signature.
The spirit can produce wealth with a base value of 1,000 nuyen times its Force. Roll dice equal to the Spirit Energy and multiply the result by the base value. For example, a spirit with Force 4 and Spirit Energy 3 can produce 3D6 x 4,000 nuyen worth of valuables once every 30 days.
Market conditions vary, of course. The gold, jewels and other precious items a spirit produces may be hard to sell. Even if a character finds a buyer who will waive a fence’s fees, people will wonder where he came up with all this stuff.
A free spirit active in metahuman society often uses this power to bankroll its operations. Other free spirits do not generally use it for themselves and scoff at the excitement humans display when the spirit demonstrates its wealth power.
Free Spirit Power |
Type |
Action |
Range |
Duration |
Wealth |
Physical |
Exclusive Complex |
LOS |
Permanent |
|
|
Free Spirit Generation
GMs can use the following system to randomly create a free spirit. This can be used to create one from scratch for a scenario or to determine what powers a spirit has if it goes free during the course of an adventure.
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