Spirit Magic
Spirit Magic is the art of interacting with and controlling the spirits. While it’s a natural born power like The Sight, further study into the Art allows Shamans greater understanding and more power over the spirits and their own bodies.
Spirit Magic is broken up into four major paths:
- Spirit Calling - the ability to summon spirits from the Outer Realms
- Spirit Lordship - the ability to command and control spirits
- Spirit Mastery - the ability to assume some of the powers of spirits
- Spirit Vessel - the ability to let spirits inhabit the Shaman’s body
Each level in a path costs 3 Metaphysics points and grants a unique power. These levels are independent from one another; for example it’s possible to have Spirit Calling at level 5, Spirit Mastery at level 2, and be completely untrained in the other two paths.
All powers require use of the Shamanism skill, which costs 2 Metaphysics points per level.
Using Shamanic Powers
The power level of each shamanic field determines what the character can or cannot do. The higher the power level, the greater range of abilities available to the Shaman.
Most Spirit Magic Tasks use the Shamanism skill and one of the Shaman’s mental attributes.
List of Shamanic Powers
Spirit Calling
Spirit Calling is the power that allows a Shaman the power to see the world as spirits see it, and to call spirits to themselves - even from the Outer Realms.
Level 1 - Essence Beacon
By spending 1 Essence point and using a Perception and Necromancy Task, the Shaman draws the attention of any nearby spirits. This is most often used to call for a parley with an angry spirit, but can also serve as a diversion from anything else the spirit happens to be doing.
Level 2 - Lift the Veil
A Shaman with this power permanently unlocks their senses, and allows them to see as a spirit. This allows the Shaman to easily tell if a given aura belongs to a human, an animal, an elemental, or a spirit, as well as see any invisible spirits (unless they are actively trying to hide, in which case resolve it as a Resisted Task using the Shaman’s Perception and Shamanism against the spirit’s Intelligence and Willpower).
While this power makes spirits visible to the Shaman, it also makes the Shaman more visible to spirits. Some spirits can tell that the Shaman can see them, and some of the lonelier spirits may follow them around, begging for attention or company (this can be negated temporarily with the Spirit Aura power above).
Level 3 - Spirit Ward
The Shaman can create a barrier which spirits cannot cross - either to keep them outside, or trap them within. A ward takes the form of a sphere with a radius up to 2 meters times the Shaman’s Willpower, cutting harmlessly through walls or the ground. For 5 Essence, the created ward has a Strength Level of 10, increased by 2 for every additional Essence spent.
A spirit attempting to cross the ward must roll with Intelligence and Willpower against the ward’s Strength (treat the strength as a static score, not a roll modifier). If the spirit wins, it can pass through the barrier freely for the next hour, otherwise it can’t try again until the sun next crosses the horizon. Regardless of the spirit’s result, the ward’s Strength is reduced by a number equal to the Success Levels that the spirit got on its attempt. A spirit near the ward when it first forms may attempt a Difficult Dexterity Test to cross the border before the ward takes effect.
Level 4 - Summon Spirit
The Shaman can attempt to call a spirit from anywhere in the world, or even from another Realm. Summoning a Spirit on the same Realm as the Shaman costs 15 Essence, while summoning a spirit from another Realm costs 25 Essence. If the Shaman chooses to spend only 15 Essence when the spirit is actually on another Realm, the summoning fails, though the Shaman does not know if it’s because the spirit was on another Realm or because the summoning simply failed.
Summoning a spirit requires a Willpower and Shamanism Task, on which the Shaman must get a number of Success Levels equal to or greater than the spirit’s Willpower Level. If the spirit is unwilling to be summoned, it can attempt to resist with Intelligence and Willpower.
Level 5 - Soul Search
For 15 Essence, the Shaman can accurately learn the location of any soul, be it human, anima, elemental, fey, or spirit - regardless of what Realm they’re on. This requires a Perception and Shamanism Test. If the target tries to hide using some power, treat this as a Resisted Task instead.
Spirit Lordship
Spirit Lordship is the power to manipulate the Essence that forms a spirit’s mind and body. The Shaman can use this power either to reward good deeds (by paying the spirit with Essence) or force spirits to do their bidding. Note that powerful spirits that successfully resist an attempt to assert control over them using Spirit Lordship will likely not take kindly to the Shaman.
All Spirit Lordship Tasks use Willpower and the Shamanism skill, and they all cost Essence to use. Reluctant spirits can resist any of these powers with Willpower (doubled).
Level 1 - Expel Spirit
By spending 2 Essence the Shaman can try to force a spirit to leave an area. If the spirit fails to resist the attempt, it is expelled from the area and cannot return until 24 hours have passed. Before the Shaman can use this power, they must set up an extended ritual taking no less than 1 hour, and must pass a Willpower and Occultism Test.
Level 2 - Enforced Obedience
The Shaman can command a spirit to perform one specific action or task. This activity may not last more than a few minutes. Possible actions include scaring somebody, accepting Communion with the Shaman, or lending them Strength (using the Spirit Vessel Power).
Level 3 - Spirit Rule
The control can be maintained over the spirit for 1 hour, during which the spirit will do anything the Shaman tells it to do, as long as it will not facilitate its destruction (the spirit resists such orders with a +6 bonus). This costs 10 Essence.
Level 4 - Dominion
As level 3, but the control lasts until the sun next crosses the horizon. This costs 20 Essence.
Level 5 - Assume Spirit
As level 4, but the Shaman can perceive the world through the spirit’s senses and control its every action as long as this power lasts. If the spirit is unwilling, the Shaman must reassert their control every hour, with a cumulative -1 penalty each time (the Shaman may choose to end this power early, in which case the spirit is immediately released from their control). If the spirit ever beats the Shaman, they must each make a Resisted Task using their Willpower (not doubled). If the spirit wins this task, the spirit can instead control the Shaman’s body as per the level 1 Spirit Vessel power (see below).
If the spirit is reduced to 0 Vital Essence while under the effect of this power, the Shaman immediately takes Essence damage equal to half of the spirit’s maximum Vital Essence.
Using this power costs either 20 Essence or a number of Essence points equal to half the target’s Vital Essence pool, whichever is greater.
Spirit Mastery
Shamans who study Spirit Mastery learn to emulate the powers of spirits and travel the Outer Realms.
Level 1 - Spirit Aura
For 1 Essence per minute, the Shaman can alter their aura to cause spirits and animals to see them as though they were spirits, rather than humans. This form of disguise can be very useful in avoiding unwanted encounters in spirit-ridden areas or the Outer Realms, or to earn an animal's trust.
Level 2 - Spirit Voice
While using the Spirit Aura power, the Shaman can trick plants and animals into believing that they are a nature spirit. As long as the Spirit Aura power is active, the Shaman can spend 2 Essence to give a single-word command to a nearby animal or plant. Treat this as a Resisted Task using Shaman’s Willpower and Shamanism Skill against the animal’s Perception (a plant can’t resist this effect).
An animal that gets multiple commands from different sources, it will attempt to fulfill all of them. If an animal is given conflicting commands, the animal follows the command of the character with the higher Willpower Score (it gets confused and does nothing on a tie). A plant will always follow the most recent command given.
Level 3 - Soul Projection
This power is equivalent to the Projection effect of the Projection Invocation, allowing the Shaman to separate their Essence from their body, and send it forth as a being of pure Essence. Activating this power uses the Shaman’s Intelligence and Shamanism Skill. As with a Sorcerer’s Projection, a Shaman must leave at least 5 Essence within their body, and their projecting self is drained of 1 Essence per hour.
While Projecting, the Shaman can use any Gifted power that has purely mental effects, or that affects spirits.
Level 4 - Necromantic Bolts
A Shaman with this power learns to drain creatures off their Essence, similarly to a power possessed by many spirits.
For every point of Essence spent, the Shaman inflicts Essence damage equal to their Willpower. The Shaman may spend any number of Essence points, up to their levels in the Shamanism skill. The power manifests as bolts of dim red or grey energy, which can be blocked with any effect that blocks the flow of Essence. Living beings struck by the power are affected, though to a lesser degree than the dead. A living creature struck by the bolt takes ½ the Essence damage that would be dealt to an undead, and 1 Life Point damage per Essence spent. This power can be resisted or blocked by any protective magic or power that restricts the flow of Essence (such as the Shielding or healing Invocations, or the Psychometabolism Seer power).
Level 5 - Gateway
Some of the most powerful Shamans can physically enter the Outer Realms, without dreaming or Projecting.
To use this power, the Shaman must first locate a Gateway to the Realm of Dreams. Once found, the Shaman must expend 15 Essence and succeed on an Intelligence and Shamanism Test. If they succeed, they can then pass through the Gateway with their physical body. Unlike normal Projection, the Shaman is not spent by the amount of time they can spend outside the Realm of Life, as they carry all of their Essence with them. Additionally, they don’t leave a vulnerable body behind.
This power carries a major danger: any damage taken by the Shaman in the Outer Realms is taken as Life Point damage - getting shot in a dream usually only drains Essence, but for the shaman who is physically there, they just got a bullet in their guts.
Spirit Vessel
Using this power, the Shaman can voluntarily invite a spirit to temporarily inhabit their body. This allows the spirit to interact with the physical world through the Shaman, and at higher levels lets the Shaman use some of the spirit’s powers and knowledge.
Level 1 - Invite Spirit
The Shaman temporarily surrenders control of their body and allows a spirit to inhabit it. The spirit can only stay in the Shaman’s body for 1 minute per Willpower level it possesses, after which it is forced to depart. During that time the spirit can answer questions and converse with other people.
The Shaman is in a deep trance during this process, and retains no memory of the event. This Task uses Intelligence and Shamanism, and costs no Essence.
Level 2 - Aware Possession
This ability works much the same as the level 1 ability, except the Shaman remains aware of what is happening while the spirit is in their body, though they still have no control during the possession. This power has no Essence cost.
Level 3 - Communion
At this level, the Shaman communes with the spirit inhabiting their body. While the communion lasts, the Shaman “knows” and may use or access any of the spirit’s skills and powers. Weaker spirits often agree to this limited form of possession so that they can feel what it’s like to have a physical body, while stronger spirits may be curious to experience the different kinds of magic that humans have access to.
This costs 10 Essence, uses the Shaman’s Willpower and Shamanism, and lasts for 1 minute per Success Level. If the spirit attempts to overstay this duration or tries to take control of the body, the two must make a Resisted Task, each with Willpower doubled. If the Shaman wins, the spirit is expelled, but if the spirit wins, they take control of the body as with the level 1 power - as in the Shaman becomes unaware of what is happening with their own body. One way to avoid this problem is with the usage of the Spirit Lordship power, to ensure the spirit’s cooperation.
While the Communion lasts, the spirit can speak inside the Shaman’s head, and may give advice, make jokes, or curse the Shaman, at the Director's discretion.
Level 4 - Transferred Communion
The Shaman can perform a Communion on another person. The human and spirit must both be willing, though magic may compel one or both of them into taking part. The process otherwise works as described for level 3, but costs the Shaman 20 Essence.
Level 5 - Spirit’s Strength
The Shaman can use a spirit’s energy to increase their physical attributes. This task works as level 3, though for each Success Level the Shaman may increase one of their physical attributes by 1, up to the level that the spirit has in that attribute when manifested. This costs 20 Essence.