[ORE] [Grim War] Conduits

[Daniel Stack]

Continuing my perusal of Grim War, this one more rules related.

Looking at the section on spirits and the sample characters, it looks
like there are two types of conduits - not so much as a setting issue,
but more a rules one.

Following the general spirit rules, it is possible for a magician to
bind a spirit to himself. This state remains until the spirit is
exorcised or otherwise ended. The character doesn't seem to need to
pay for the spirit powers, just be able to summon and bind it.

However the conduit character type seems different - this seems
intended to represent someone like Ghost Rider, whose whole concept is
the binding. It looks like in this case each power myst be paid for
though such a character seems just as vulnerable to exorcism. Though
instead of being a bummer, it seems that by the book an exorcism
effectively ends the character in question.

Am I reading this right? I'm guessing in game terms the GM would use
some plot device with such a character to later restore powers - just
like Johnny Blaze wound up staying bound despite brief interludes.

[Greg Stolze]

On Nov 9, 2009, at 4:13 PM, Daniel Stack wrote:

Continuing my perusal of Grim War, this one more rules related.

Looking at the section on spirits and the sample characters, it looks  

like there are two types of conduits - not so much as a setting issue,  

but more a rules one.

Following the general spirit rules, it is possible for a magician to  

bind a spirit to himself. This state remains until the spirit is  

exorcised or otherwise ended. The character doesn't seem to need to  

pay for the spirit powers, just be able to summon and bind it.

Yep.

However the conduit character type seems different - this seems  

intended to represent someone like Ghost Rider, whose whole concept is  

the binding. It looks like in this case each power myst be paid for  

though such a character seems just as vulnerable to exorcism. Though  

instead of being a bummer, it seems that by the book an exorcism  

effectively ends the character in question.

Am I reading this right? I'm guessing in game terms the GM would use  

some plot device with such a character to later restore powers - just  

like Johnny Blaze wound up staying bound despite brief interludes. 

The idea is, a sorcerer can park a spirit in himself, or in someone else, and often that occupancy comes along with access to the spirit's powers.  The things that are really going to suck for conduits are Unbinding spells -- an Exorcism just makes them run away or lose WP.  Alternately, the spell that summons that spirit can pry it out of a conduit, but I imagine that's less common (because a spell that can pry out any spirit is more likely to get used to pry one out than a spell that can only pry out that particular spirit).  

And there's nothing saying that if you unbind my spirit, I can't go and repeat the process that bound it in me.

-G.

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