[Ethan]

Problem is as soon as the Character is possessed, the Character himself has no control anymore...
He'ld need channeling for that...
So why not create it's own mechanic that get's rid of all the problems you would have otherwise?
Make it work like possession on himself but more directly and get's rid of all the problems.

Yep, which was a deliberate choice. I was thinking along the lines of "let the force flow through you" and submitting to it but guiding as well. I thought the Possession mechanic was a good translation of that relationship--more mature members, the Knights and Masters, all would have Channelling (as said in the OP).

Do all Spirits act the same way regardless of their tradition? I thought that the summoner's tradition was the lens with which all their spirits were summoned?

Much like Psionists, though they consider spirits to be mental constructs there is room for benign possessors.

[Unahim]

There are central rules. For instance, all spirits dislike being summoned, and especially bound. They are not, in essence, your best buddies and great pals. What you describe as "letting the force flow through you" would, as a possession mechanic, be grabbing the force by the balls, smacking it in the face and then forcing it to obey.

Adept powers/spells do not have any kind of personality or behavorial codes, though. An adept power can be easily explained as the "force flowing through you', as can a spell.

I'm afraid I just have to ask: Are you trying to find the right fit for this tradition, or are you starting from a mechanical position you want to achieve (this being: the use of possession spirits, which does make for a powerful boost to stats) and then trying to wrestle with the fluff until you arrive at something passable? I'm havign the feeling it's the second, and if so, just make a possession mage and forget about the jedi fluff for now, imo.

[Reaver]

<snip>

Do all Spirits act the same way regardless of their tradition? I thought that the summoner's tradition was the lens with which all their spirits were summoned?

Much like Psionists, though they consider spirits to be mental constructs there is room for benign possessors.

Spirits are affected by a host of things, not just the summoner's perceptions (but that is a factor as well) tradition, environment, history of the summoner, and of course the spirits own attitudes/attributes all play a role in it's personality matrix.

If we look at two textbook traditions (Mage and shaman) and look at how they interact with spirits it gets interesting (and murky!)

Mage's are usually very text book and acedemic in the way they view magic. When they summon a spirit, the spirit is usually 'flat' in it's personality, but it still has a personality! it is believed that this is caused by the Mage's desire and will to see magic in a forumlialic view point.

A Shaman, who usually has a very flowing, interactivity view to magic (it is all around us, part of us, in us, through us, hippie flower-power type views) summon spirits with very viberant personalities. Again this is believed to be because of the shamans view that magic is a living thing....

Now, you have to look at the environment that the spirit is being summoned into... areas that are filled with negative emotions, toxic substances, and other pollutants are generally more hostile, and 'angry' then ones summoned in happy-go-lucky places, or natural, clean surroundings. it is believed this is caused by the fact that the summoner is pulling them from the 'astral' (or where ever the spirit was) and forcing it to inhabit the polluted environment.

Lastly, spirits are actual beings... they may (or may not) be life forms as we understand them but they express all the characteristics of a sapient.... including some very distrubing qualities! by this I mean, they instinctivly know who has summoned it, even is a room of mages. They seem to know the history of the summoning mage in regards to spirits (has he used them as astral traget bombs? abused them? sent them to be destroyed?) and seem to have their own wants, desires, objectives, views, and knowledge! spirits at times have shown knowledge of subjects that they shouldn't know about, and also the inverse of that. Some spirits have been extremely hostile when summoned, others extremely helpful. Some spirits will obey they LETTER of the command, but not the intention. Others will obey the intention of a command, if not the letter....

However, what is NOT known about spirits is more then IS known... Is there only a handful of spirits? Or are their endless amounts? Is a mage summoning the same spirit over and over again, just 'wrapped' differently everytime (IE: is that guardian, fire elemental, and water spirit in actuality the SAME spirit, just repuposed by the will of the mage?)

also, the more powerful the spirit (force) the more personality it has! so while a force 2 Guardian spirit may seem like an automiton, a force 10 guardian spirit is a whole different animal! Not to mention smarter, stronger, and more willful then it's summoner (so BEWARE!!!)


Spirits are  powerful, and mysterious beings that possess GREAT powers and abilities. Only fools and madmen make light of spirits and what they can do, what they are, or that they are in 'control' of a spirit at all times. There are all sorts of fluff out there of rampaging spirits that have broken free of summoners to run amok on the world (and the mage!!), or of mages who thought they had a spirit under control, only to find out at a very inoportune time that that wasn't the case... or that what they meant with a command and what the spirit interprets are two vastly different things!!!
 

[Ethan]

There are central rules. For instance, all spirits dislike being summoned, and especially bound. They are not, in essence, your best buddies and great pals. What you describe as "letting the force flow through you" would, as a possession mechanic, be grabbing the force by the balls, smacking it in the face and then forcing it to obey.

Adept powers/spells do not have any kind of personality or behavorial codes, though. An adept power can be easily explained as the "force flowing through you', as can a spell.

I'm afraid I just have to ask: Are you trying to find the right fit for this tradition, or are you starting from a mechanical position you want to achieve (this being: the use of possession spirits, which does make for a powerful boost to stats) and then trying to wrestle with the fluff until you arrive at something passable? I'm havign the feeling it's the second, and if so, just make a possession mage and forget about the jedi fluff for now, imo.

Actually it's just a thought experiment. Not really making a Jedi from this tradition, just posted this for comments/discussion.

For instance, I now understand Spirits a bit better. I always understood them to be... as sapient and sentient as their summoner's tradition allows.

Great post, Reaver.

[Stonefur]

I like the idea, but I think fluff wise, a possession mage is a bit of a reach.  But, it would be awesome if you made a mystic adept and custom "Light Side" and "Dark Side" mentor spirits...That would help the fluff side if the "Force" acts like a totem/mentor spirit.

[Kat9]

Jar-Jar and Mickey as mentor spirits, brilliant!

[Reaver]

Jar-Jar and Mickey as mentor spirits, brilliant!

"oh great and powerful lord of Sith, what is your will, my master?"

"Mees'a thinks dat da Jedis needs'a lesson in greeeeaaat hummilidies. Goes'a kill der masta"

•••••

"Tell me master, what insights has the Force given you?"

"Oh, Boy! I sense a great disturbance in the Force. That's all folks! Ha-Haa!!"