[Charybdis]

Howdy all,

OK, so I made a Free Spirit PC, who is basically Magical Support (Counterspelling) with some minor offense.
Choosing a Shaman tradition (Charisma based), means that he can socially interact better than the Sammies, though, and the Mutable/Realistic form combo (+Magic to disguise) allows for some good infiltration options.

Spending 500 Karma (using Karma build rules) on the race really nerfs the attributes and skills (Most attributes @2, only Sorcery group@4 is the skillset higher than 1...)

Mainly though, in play I've found that it's the 5 Edge when it counts which is the PC's only saving grace.
Even spending the game-karma raising magic to 7 (Hardened Armour 14) is not enough to withstand damage from my taser-wielding comrades (or enemies)

Have any others onboard made a free spirit PC and have some hints/tips on survivabillity?

Note: The Teleport utility option, however, has been absolute GOLD . Leaving commlinks everywhere is a bit of a hassle, though....

[Loki]

Not to be a PITA but how are you interacting with the comlink? Have not read the full PC free spirit rules, so it's prolly a foolish question., but regular spirits are incapable of perceiving technological sources of information. That and the cost are why I didn't bother to read the whole thing.

[Charybdis]

Not to be a PITA but how are you interacting with the comlink? Have not read the full PC free spirit rules, so it's prolly a foolish question., but regular spirits are incapable of perceiving technological sources of information. That and the cost are why I didn't bother to read the whole thing.

Fair call.

Spirits can't perceive AR/VR, but can still hear sound and vocalise normally (especially with Realistic form). Therefore, as long as your commlink is Audio only, you can still talk to people and communicate with your team.

However, you don't get AR menus, tac maps or any other of that handy real-time information, which has put me in a jam on several occasions...

It's a real problem that you can't read files unless you print them out on paper (which has many people calling me a luddite, I'll tell you!)

However, if you're clever with your wording, skills (some social, some stealth, lotta' magic), powers (aura masking, mutable form, realistic form) and backstory (I have an eye stigmatism, so AR makes me dizzy), you can play a Free Spirit where even your team-members don't know what you are. It's a lot of fun NOT explaining how you are now disguised as an ork, where you were a dwarf two minutes ago...

'My magic is just that good, omae. Just shut up about it and be glad I'm on your side '

[Ultra Violet]

I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about communication of spirits via technology, there was something about Magic can't be recorded... I'm not sure, but if it's so, a commlink or radio can't pick up the spirits magical voice, and a camera can't record its image...

But I have another more interesting question for Charybdis.
How did you deal with the holes of the free spirit rules in the RC?
I mean the whole missing skill part. Do your spirit has a native language? The main question about the skills is the limit, because the normal spirit rules give them skills = rating. And there is no limit for free spirits to improve it more and more. Or in other words spirits haven't got a skill cap, like other player characters do.

[Charybdis]

I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about communication of spirits via technology, there was something about Magic can't be recorded... I'm not sure, but if it's so, a commlink or radio can't pick up the spirits magical voice, and a camera can't record its image...

Manifested spirits can be recorded by technology. They're not psychic manifestations (like when an astrally projecting mage manifests). A manifested spirit becomes a Dual natured object, and can therefore interact with, and be recorded by, physical/technological means.

Further, seeing as a spirit with the realistic form power has a measurable heartbeat, they also have a measurable voice.

But I have another more interesting question for Charybdis.
How did you deal with the holes of the free spirit rules in the RC?
I mean the whole missing skill part. Do your spirit has a native language? The main question about the skills is the limit, because the normal spirit rules give them skills = rating. And there is no limit for free spirits to improve it more and more. Or in other words spirits haven't got a skill cap, like other player characters do.

I never realised the lack of skill cap....interesting.

It hasn't been an issue to date, as with the massive racial cost, there just aren't anough BP/Karma handy to raise skills to obscene levels anyway.

Maybe one day, but unlikely in the PC's lifetime.... more than likely he'll be an end-of-campaign-NPC before he reaches a 6+ skill rating in anything