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Message no. 1
From: MC23 <mc23@****.NET>
Subject: Free Spirit Buddies (from Re: Ally Spirits for Phs Ads.)
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 22:57:57 -0500
If one was to allow a PC to buy a free spirit as one of their
buddies from CharGen then how would you build the free spirit?

- MC23, pondering viable options -
Message no. 2
From: "M. Gotthard" <s457033@*******.GU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Free Spirit Buddies (from Re: Ally Spirits for Phs Ads.)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 15:17:25 +1000
> If one was to allow a PC to buy a free spirit as one of their
> buddies from CharGen then how would you build the free spirit?
>

DO NOT DO IT!!

Sorry, but considering how powerful the average free spirit is (A Force 7
average to go free in the first place), you don't want to introduce that
kind of power into the game at the start of a new character.

I've seen a Force 8 Free Spirit shrug off half a clip of assault cannon
rounds fired at it....

That's the biggest reason I don't want a free spirit in itself, because
they have to roll under their force on 2d6 to go free in the first
place. I only want a force 2 ally at the moment.

Free spirits are by nature nasty little critters.

Bleach
Message no. 3
From: James Paulsen <lowfyr@***********.COM>
Subject: Re: Free Spirit Buddies (from Re: Ally Spirits for Phs Ads.)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 00:44:18 -0600
MC23 wrote:
>
> If one was to allow a PC to buy a free spirit as one of their
> buddies from CharGen then how would you build the free spirit?
>
> - MC23, pondering viable options -


I just happened to have done this in my game very recently and it worked
out pretty well. The character (a prairiedog shaman) had it tied into
his background. I made her(?) a spirit of man who more or less has an
infatuation with him.

But in order to keep her from becoming too powerful of a buddy, I
assigned her a few minor powers and left the rest real vague with only
a few notes to guide me. There is almost no way I will ever let her get
into combat for or with the characters, and if that day ever comes,
then I'll bother making her up. Until then I have avoided the problem
by keeping her a mystery. If you come up with any cool ideas on this
please let me know.

Jim-the-hopeless-newbie
Message no. 4
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Free Spirit Buddies (from Re: Ally Spirits for Phs Ads.)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 13:21:53 +0100
MC23 said on 22:57/19 Feb 97...

> If one was to allow a PC to buy a free spirit as one of their
> buddies from CharGen then how would you build the free spirit?

I think I'd probably make the player spend Force Points as if they were
Karma, to construct the spirit according to the rules for ally spirits,
and then add the extra powers for a free spirit, or just roll one up on
the random tables from the Grimthingie. The second one seems the easiest
way for everyone involved...

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
And I wonder what's in a day...
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

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Message no. 5
From: MC23 <mc23@****.NET>
Subject: Re: Free Spirit Buddies (from Re: Ally Spirits for Phs Ads.)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 08:59:25 -0500
M. Gotthard wrote,
>DO NOT DO IT!!
>
>Sorry, but considering how powerful the average free spirit is (A Force 7
>average to go free in the first place), you don't want to introduce that
>kind of power into the game at the start of a new character.

This would not be your average free spirit and the highest force I
would care to give it would be 3. The spirit's whole existance is unusual
and the relationship with a PC makes it more so. I would allow a force 1
spirit if that is what I felt was balanced with existing buddies but it
would be a buddy I would only allow once in my game and only if other
players weren't doing other odd things. I have allowed a cat shaman
before to have a taliscat for a buddy. Felix (the talis cat) mainly ate a
lot of food (there goes the nuyen) and rarely went out with the shaman.
It was just something unusual I liked and the other characters in the
game were straight foward characters.


<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Ancient cultures believed that names held great power, personal names
more so and they were guarded very closely. To protect themselves, they
answered to another name, because if another discovered their real name,
it could be used against them.
History repeats itself.
Welcome to the Digital Age.
I am MC23
Message no. 6
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Free Spirit Buddies (from Re: Ally Spirits for Phs Ads.)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 14:35:17 +0000
|That's the biggest reason I don't want a free spirit in itself, because
|they have to roll under their force on 2d6 to go free in the first
|place. I only want a force 2 ally at the moment.

All you have to do is give him a force 3 one.....
It's weak, very limited and balanced....

--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| "Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?" |
|Andrew Halliwell | |
|Principal subjects in:- | "I think so brain, but this time, you control |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | the Encounter suit, and I'll do the voice..." |
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|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ o+ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ |
|5++ X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! :( |
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