From:	Dynamite <sl1yv@**.USU.EDU>
Subject:	Conjuring Skills
Date:	Sat, 11 Apr 1998 01:45:45 -0600

Here's my most recent and troubling questions:
The rules state that spirits are to be handled exactly as drones (pg
34 rulebook), where a shaman may hold any number of spirits but may use
only as many spirits equal to his/her conjuring skill at any one time.
This seems pretty straight-forward for riggers but for shamans it seems
that the rule should be different. Here's my argument with one of my
friends about the situation.

He plays Wishbone, who has a conjuring skill of 2. In the following
turns he plays two ally spirits, claiming the advantages of both spirits
(cumulative of +2/+4), and plays two city spirits, and two nature
spirits. Wishbone is now holding 6 spirit cards, two of which are ally
spirits. I have no problem understanding that he can hold the other 4
spirits, but it seems to me that the ally spirit is continually in play
as soon as it is played because of the benefits that it offers. If this
is the case then he is currently using both points of his skill, thus
making it impossible for him to have another ally spirit with him.
This would in effect cancel the cummulative effects of the other ally
spirit because it would be illegal for him to play the card. Or does
the ally spirit card get treated like any other spirit card, where it
must be turned to use it. Is it possible, legal, and fair to allow for
the cummulative effects of ally spirits to add up even when each ally
spirit requires a conjuring skillof 2?
Another question, different scenario.
Wishbone goes on a run with four spirits in his possession, 2 city
and 2 nature, not yet turned. His conjuring skill is two so he can use
two spirits at once (or only 1 ally spirit???). He gets jumped by
pumped Yak Attack 11/1 and to avoid taking damage himself he must trash
one spirit and stack 5 dmg on the other. The next challenge is revealed
and he wants to use his wounded spirit and another spirit. Is this
legal? By the book it seems it would, but thinking about it makes me
wonder if it isn't an overlooked rule. Wishbone has already used one
point of conjure to control a spirit that has already been trashed. Is
this magic skill point expended like it is with Mages, which makes sense
to me (especially in light of the rules for the RPG), or is the skill
like piloting where he can call the use of yet a third spirit, although
only two are currently in play?
Drones I can understand because of their nature, but magic would
seem to me to drain on the user, effectively using up a point of conjure
just like sorcery.

Ideas are readily (hungrily!) welcomed.

Dynamite.