Medium - Page 2

capnq · 06-27-2009, 05:39 PM

ISTM that a Summonable Contact would fit the OP's intent better than Summonable Ally.

Daigoro · 06-27-2009, 11:11 PM

IMO, using either Allies or Contacts is quite the wrong way to go for this- you'd have to write them up as Modular Abilities, One Use, etc, to model the "I call the spirit of Jesse James to the table" type of ghost summoning, which would be far more complicated than necessary.

Medium already says,
"You can also call spirits to you; there is no guarantee that they will answer your summons, but they will hear it";
it just doesn't give a lot of detail about how that works.

Just as TBM/WM, Magery and Gunslinger need GURPS Martial Arts, Magic and Gun Fu respectively to fully describe how those advantages work, Medium needs GURPS Spirits with an expanded explanation of how it works to take full advantage of it.

For calling spirits to you, as we've had a similar discussion in our game, I'd first throw in time and distance modifiers- time to their death, distance to either their place of death or burial. Distance could be using the Long Distance Table, time could use the same table, replacing miles with years, unless there's another table somewhere.

Then add a bunch of bonuses for knowing the spirit's name, true name, for having personal items, bodily remains (hair, blood, ashes), friends or relatives present, etc.

Then you need to know if the spirit can arrive instantly, or needs to physically traverse the distance from their place of death. Does it only work on spirits still haunting the physical world, or can it bring them back from their place in heaven, hell, Valhalla, etc? Obviously such questions depend on the setting.

Once you have a bunch of rules like that in place, then it's useful to talk about enhancements and limitations to the base advantage- such as Extended Range, Ignore Distance Mods, Compel Summoning, Demand Truthful Answers, etc.

Not another shrubbery · 06-28-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celjabba

As for the spirit not having to answer,
Spirit empathy(dead spirits-50%, remote+50%) [10]
along with
detect
and
medium

would allow at least to try to speak to the spirit and convince it.

I was thinking of just Spirit Empathy and a specialized Fast-Talk.

06-27-2009, 05:39 PM	#11
capnq Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pittsburgh PA USA	Re: Medium ISTM that a Summonable Contact would fit the OP's intent better than Summonable Ally. __________________ Cap'n Q When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. -- Mark Twain

06-27-2009, 11:11 PM	#12
Daigoro Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Meifumado	Re: Medium IMO, using either Allies or Contacts is quite the wrong way to go for this- you'd have to write them up as Modular Abilities, One Use, etc, to model the "I call the spirit of Jesse James to the table" type of ghost summoning, which would be far more complicated than necessary. Medium already says, "You can also call spirits to you; there is no guarantee that they will answer your summons, but they will hear it"; it just doesn't give a lot of detail about how that works. Just as TBM/WM, Magery and Gunslinger need GURPS Martial Arts, Magic and Gun Fu respectively to fully describe how those advantages work, Medium needs GURPS Spirits with an expanded explanation of how it works to take full advantage of it. For calling spirits to you, as we've had a similar discussion in our game, I'd first throw in time and distance modifiers- time to their death, distance to either their place of death or burial. Distance could be using the Long Distance Table, time could use the same table, replacing miles with years, unless there's another table somewhere. Then add a bunch of bonuses for knowing the spirit's name, true name, for having personal items, bodily remains (hair, blood, ashes), friends or relatives present, etc. Then you need to know if the spirit can arrive instantly, or needs to physically traverse the distance from their place of death. Does it only work on spirits still haunting the physical world, or can it bring them back from their place in heaven, hell, Valhalla, etc? Obviously such questions depend on the setting. Once you have a bunch of rules like that in place, then it's useful to talk about enhancements and limitations to the base advantage- such as Extended Range, Ignore Distance Mods, Compel Summoning, Demand Truthful Answers, etc.