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Ally spirits and energy aura

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dlinch

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« on: <12-11-16/1626:53> »
Energy aura states that it can only be turned off if it says so under the description.
Ally spirits don't have pre-defined stat lines.
Can an ally spirit turn it off if it has the energy aura power?

DeathofVirtue

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« Reply #1 on: <12-11-16/2043:40> »
  We only very recently had this discussion on another thread, im on a console atm so linking is hard but the bottom line we found was:

No it can't be turned off but it's under the spirits controll wether to apply it or not.  Think of it in context of a fire spirit, it has a fire energy aura around it at all times but it can choose not to use that energy to burn anything it touches or that touches it.  If an ally spirit is treated well and taught responsible use of energy aura there is no reason it should become a problem.

  Obviously if it's not treated well or taught responsible use  then yes it could become an issue.
Because if I pass you I wont even leave a breeze.
If you search for me you won't find a trace.
What then do those seeking me say they found?
Nothing.
Zero is nothing.
I am Zero.
What better name for myself?
 -Zero on being asked where he got his name...

Kiirnodel

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« Reply #2 on: <12-11-16/2328:56> »
Well, more specifically, I pointed out that the Energy Aura critter power never says that it deals damage to things that the critter is just touching. The power gives two instances where it deals damage: when the critter is attacked, and when the critter is attacking.

So in the case of spirits, they always have the aura. This means that they potentially have a visible effect going on around them all the time. It also means that if they ever get attacked, it will damage the person who attacks them. It also means that their natural attacks will also deal additional elemental damage. None of those things can be stopped, the power is always active.

But a lot of people seem to think that the Energy Aura power means that the critter would be haphazardly laying waste to its surroundings all the time. For instance, I've seen people saying that a Fire Spirit would just light objects on fire by its mere presence. The power never says that it does something like this, and if it did, it would probably say something about a range that the aura effects, or mention that contact with the critter's body would have some sort of effect. It never mentions either of these things, so it doesn't do any of those things.

TLDR, the spirit doesn't get to choose if it applies the damage from its aura. If it attacks, the aura applies, and if it is attacked the aura lashes back. But those are the only times that a spirit's energy aura does anything dangerous, so it would otherwise be safe to just have around.

DeathofVirtue

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« Reply #3 on: <12-11-16/2357:22> »
  Yeah poor word use on my part apologies.  I meant it's  the spirits choice regarding if it sees something as an attack and so  applies energy aura, ie the difference between hitting an ally out of the way of something dangerous while materialised (Not an attack) and hitting somone away in the same manner and with the same force to get them away with the intent of doing damage (An attack) something for which the only difference is if the spirit considers it an attack, meaning there is some degree of control from a fluff perspective, in terms of crunch yes it's always on and always applied on attacks/being attacked per raw.

  Yeah I'm not sure where people get that idea about energy aura either it's kind of non-sensical when you really sit down and think about it, either the aura is a subconsciously controlled effect the spirit causes per rules all the time, or it's only capable of exerting it's effects through attacks/being attacked due to some quirk in how it's used/generated by spirits/caster in the first place.  Besides, spirits are good enough at collateral damage during materialised combat as it is without throwing in passively damaging everything around them.

  To summarize:  The point I am trying to make in my sleep depraved state is that you dont need to worry about any spirit with energy aura say dealing damage with aura via non hostile actions such as shaking hands, touching items, being touched and the like, although it is always on (unless there is a specific section in raw saying that particular type of spirit can turn it off), it is not applicable in those situations although the mechanism the aura uses to determine if something is an attack/being attacked could use some fleshing out as this seems to be a common mistake.
« Last Edit: <12-12-16/0018:46> by DeathofVirtue »
Because if I pass you I wont even leave a breeze.
If you search for me you won't find a trace.
What then do those seeking me say they found?
Nothing.
Zero is nothing.
I am Zero.
What better name for myself?
 -Zero on being asked where he got his name...

dlinch

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« Reply #4 on: <12-12-16/1800:46> »
Being at work today, I wasn't able to log on to respond to your comments, so I have been thinking of my response instead. I formulated this grand email, citing references and cannon and higher powers. I pontificated. I used examples. I swayed all of you to my way of thinking. I just needed a little bit of research from the books and to pull examples and I was set! My thoughts would be the new meaning of life. I disagreed with the premise that Energy Aura is, in and of itself, benign. I would sway the learned scholars on this forum to my way of thinking.

And then I did the research to find my perfect examples with which to sway you all.
My delusions of grandeur were CRUSHED! crushed I say, by the new description of Energy Aura in Howling Shadows:
"Radiation works somewhat differently than other elemental effects." It goes on to talk about how Radiation works as an AoE. The implication is that other Energy Auras do not work as an AoE. In other words, they do not affect others unless that affect is combat related.

Personally, I still think it is odd and disagree with it (visions of a fire spirit walking down the hallway towards a Mage's fores, burning footsteps left in it's wake dancing in my head), but it does seem to fit the RAW.

Thank you all for the time and effort put into this discussion.