POSSESSING This technique allows an astrally projecting initiate to take control of another being’s body for a period of time. Only astrally active beings (including dual critters) can be targeted by this power. Taking Control To use possession, a character must fight the target in astral combat, inflicting only Stun damage. If the character wins, his 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 initiate leaves the host. The character can only stay within the body for a number of hours equal to his grade. A character can also possess any willing host, but they must be astrally active. Non-sentient beings are never willing hosts, but unconscious dual beings cannot resist. A character cannot possess a being that has no physical body or that has a body created through use of the Materialization power, such as a spirit. To possess a body, the character must be at that body’s location along with the astral form of the body. Astral Projection A character cannot possess the body of a magician who is astrally projecting because at that point the body is not dual-natured. A character can possess the body of an astrally projecting magician if he beats them in astral combat and their body is within line of sight; the character must possess the body immediately after defeating the magician. Riggers and Deckers Characters who are rigging and 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 initiate may attempt to rig or deck, if so inclined. In the Saddle While in control of a host body, the character is a dual being. He can use all the host’s physical abilities and any innate magical abilities (including adept or physical critter powers). If the host has geasa on his powers, the character must fulfill the geasa to use the powers. A possessing character has no access to the victim’s skills, spells, or memories. Use the host’s normal Physical Attributes, and the possessing character’s Mental Attributes. A character can use magic while in possession of another body, but all Drain inflicts Physical damage on the possessing character’s astral form, not the host body. In addition, if the subject was unwilling or unconscious, add +2 to all target numbers while possessing the body to represent the victim’s subconscious resistance. Any 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 initiate. 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 initiate. If the possessing initiate is capable of masking (see p. 76), they can attempt to deliberately mask the astral form of the being they are possessing in the same manner as masking foci and spells; treat the host as a focus with a Force equal to their Essence. An initiate possessing a character can travel through astral barriers created by the initiate, as the initiate’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. Dismounting An initiate can be driven out of a possessed body in several ways. First, if the host is killed or knocked out, the possessor is disrupted (p. 176, SR3). The possessing initiate can also be driven out through the use of banishing or astral combat. If successfully banished (using an Opposed Magic Test) the initiate is disrupted. Astral combat may kill or disrupt a possessing initiate according to the standard rules. If the possessing initiate attempts to stay in the body longer than a number of hours equal to their grade, they are disrupted. When the initiate’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 Drain, with Drain Power equal to the possessing initiate’s Magic plus his grad, and a Drain Level of Deadly. 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.