[Desiani]

I've been messing around with a few back up characters for my current SR game and because of you lovely folks I've made two fun looking ones so far. Thank you!

The question I have at the moment is I want to make a Psionic Tradition mage that feels like all these other 'finger wagglers' are doing it wrong by believing in anything other than themselves. The tradition itself is a 'possesion' tradition and after looking at the spell Possession and it's rules within the SG and I've got no idea how it would work within the game RP wise, mainly with the spirit being within an item/person.

If within a person, is the spirit still bound to obey you until the services are used or is free will given? Does the limit of sunrise/sunset still apply? Finally if you successfully posses an individual, does the Binding rules normally? If they do, does the possessed individual stay eternally possessed until the spirit is ordered to leave or all its services are used up?

One last thing before I forget Psionic Tradition Mages are just 'the power of the mind, mana doesn't exist' people right?

Thanks in advance <3

Edit: Is it worth taking Exceptional Attribute (Magic) at character creation? I plan on this mage to use Shape-shifting a lot for flavor and fun. This would be my first Mages character ever xD

[Jack_Spade]

I actually played a psionic mage, so here is what I did:

You aren't conjuring spirits, instead you are creating or recalling fragments of your personality and superimposing them on people and objects. If your force of personality and your will is sufficiently strong you can bend them to your will. But since it is part of your own personality and you at times still have trouble with self control you can't keep that up for ever or you need to perform meditation techniques with focus objects that help to direct your will.

In practical terms: Yes, a possessed person failed their initial defense against possession and stays that way until the spirit leaves because the services are used up or sun goes up/down. Binding works as normal. The spirit can still be banished or disrupted (beating a possessed person into unconsciousness work)

Power of Mind and Mana aren't incompatible. Mana is just a metaphor for energy you manipulate - in that case energy you produce through your conscious mind.

Exceptional Attribute (Magic) can be worth it, especially for shorter campaigns. If you are in a campaign where you can reasonably expect to gain 35 Karma in 7 inplay weeks + at least 1 week for initiation with another 13 Karma (so 48 Karma in 8 weeks - or roughly one 6 Karma run per week) raising your magic normally is the more reasonable thing to do

That said: Being able to safely summon an R7 or R8 (with spirit whisperer) spirit from the start is a tremendous boon.

[Desiani]

What about Foci and other magical items? Are they just your consciousness being absorbed and helping you because you told that Amulet or Knife too?

Also, with me being of the Psionic Tradition are ALL of my casting skill checks based off intuition? Conjuring and sorcery and all that?

[Jack_Spade]

Foci are just that: Objects that help you focus your mind and that you attuned yourself to.
Psionic foci usually have crystals at their base.

No, same rules as with the other traditions: INT is important for your drain and for assensing. Magic is used to cast, conjure and create preparations.