Okay, so I was thinking about writing some villain. And this idea came to my mind. Toxic Shinto Shaman. I never wrote toxic magicians, so this is my firs one, bear with me.
Urban legend of The Grinman
Nobody know his original name, in bustling Neo-Tokyo is very easy to lose your name, even your face. Legends say, that he used to be Shinto shaman, taking care one of the many shrines in Neo-Tokyo.
He was kind-hearted, humble and gods favored him. But, darkness was circling around his wife, and he wasn’t able to stop it. He failed to notice change in her behavior. One day, when he came to their humble home, he had strange feeling something terrible happened.
His beloved wife, haunted by dark thoughts jumped under the train. Crushed by sorrow, humble priest descended into the the madness.
It is said that he now wanders the city’s forgotten stations, maintenance shafts and flooded tunnels. He summons vile spirits, sends them to haunt people. Other say, that with different faces he waits on Railway stations porches and with power of suggestion, lures poor souls to jump under the trains. Where he appears accident happens, and most likely tragic.
Many claim, that his most favorite spirit are The Hands. Haunting stories tell tales, those hands are hands of his deceased wife. That he corrupted her innocent spirit and now calls her hands to do his biding and torment people.
Rumors
“If a smiling man asks whether you hear the train, don’t answer.”
“People who see wet handprints near the tunnel walls should leave immediately.”
“Construction deaths spike whenever someone reports laughter in sealed shafts.”
“The Hands don’t kill first. They herd.”
“He can’t make you jump if you never meet his eyes.”
Mentor Spirit (Doom): Provides bonuses to destruction-based magic; embodies the desire to end life and hastening an “apocalypse” for those he targets.
Bad Rep: Known as a malevolent urban myth inhabiting the city’s tunnels.
Guts: +2 to resist fear and intimidation.
Focused Concentration 3: Allows him to sustain mental suggestions without penalty
Spells
Influence: Used for his “whispered suggestions,” implanting post-hypnotic commands that victims carry out as their own ideas.
Control Thoughts: Nudges people toward fatal movements or losing their grip.
Chaotic World: Induces hesitation and confusion, causing victims to falter at critical moments.
Pollutant Stream: A specialized toxic spell that blasts targets with a concentrated stream of filth.
Physical Mask: Maintains his calm, polite appearance to hide his true, warped nature.Silence: Used to move through maintenance shafts and tunnels without sound
In many campaigns, Astral Projection is overlooked, or it is only used as scouting tool. We all know it. Magician will use astral projection to get close to the target, and scout area and then it will give information to the team.
But, when you think about it, isn’t it too narrow minded, or too little? This power is unlocked only to full mages, and there should be some more utility to it, right?
Through years of playing magician in Shadowrun, I encountered several situations, where astral projection was more just scouting tool, and in some cases completely turned tide of battle. Let’s look into those!
Breaking stalemate aka Astral “Boo!”
I rank this one up, because it was most funny one. Our group was pinned down by very competent killer, and they couldn’t move. Trying to advance would mean serious injuries as killer was holding the stairs. Situation was dire and grim, as fast response team was on the way, and something had to be done.
Magician of the group got an idea, they ran into toilet on bottom floor, locked themself in it and declared astral projection. As shoot out continued, the mage manifested behind the killer and did “Boo!”.
How would professional killer react in such manner, they know there shouldn’t be anyone behind them. They looked over over startled and saw astral manifestation of the mage. This little opening gave rest of the party enough time, to make breakthrough and take the killer out.
Simple, effective, no rolls, just RP. It can be done in many more situations. Especially if astral form of mage is well described to GM. You see, NPCs are not masters of magic most of the time, so they might confuse mage form for a spirit and focus fire on the form, instead of party. Until, they realize that it does nothing. But, even one round can give enough opening to change course of battle.
Also this is perfect opportunity to use Intimidate skill, as target can hear you and see you.
Meeting contacts while projecting
This one is more straightforward. Is meeting contact too dangerous? Is it too far? This is good use of astral projection. Meet the contact while manifesting.
There is a catch though. You can’t write down anything, you can’t see screens and what is written on the papers, so every information has to be said verbally to you. Why this matters?
Because as player you can write it down, but your character can’t. In this type of encounters excel Hermetic Mages over Shamans, as their Logic gives them higher chances on Memory tests.
Yes, GMs! If your mage player wants to do legwork through astral perception, make them do memory tests on every piece of information. This punishes dump stats, and makes game more believable.
When someone describes you whole floor plan by words, if you are not genius with trained memory, you will bring back only fragments of it.
Bad day to be Dual-Natured.
Paracritter hunting
This is where you use your Parazoologist contacts, and your Parazoology Knowledge Skill. It can be good easy game session to make money.
Find paracritter, which is dual-natured and has no means to defend itself in ranged combat. Use your spirits to find such critter and tell your team.
You do not have to leave your bedroom, just rest on your bed and go hunting with your friends. While your street sam, rigger friends chase down creature, give it some good bully.
Float above, cast mana barriers, manabolts and other mana spells to slow down and hunt down creature. It will be much easier for your friends to deal with it, when you manage to corner it in mana barrier, or you bring down it’s dices by constant stun damage.
This approach needs bit investment in drain management, but, it’s worth considering. You do not have to be everywhere physically.
Hanging around
Astral space is interesting place. Dangerous, but interesting. In many cases, much more interesting then bubble gum stuck to your ceiling, above your bed, which you observe every night.
Why not utilize it? If you have Knowledge skill: Awakened Hangout, you can actually go out, without leaving your home. You can flow through mysterious astral plane and appear on places where magicians, awakened creatures appear.
You may indulge in astral sex (yes it is possible, and very very intense), you may meet new contacts, magical groups. Heck you may even meet vampires, or other infected! If that is your alluring path of progression, you may even convince them to change you (For service or cash), into infected. Immortality and mages go well together.
NOTE: Be mindful of other players, GM and also meta. Do not spend several hours of game time, just goofing around astral plane, while rest of group is bored. Consult this with your GM. Let them be prepared for this downtime activity. Especially being turned into infected. This shouldn’t be quickie to bypass karma cost in character creation.
GMs: Make astral space dangerous. If someone is hanging around it too much, they should meet encounters. But, fast. Or rest of table will fall asleep.
Actual exploration
This one is more session building. You can help your GM. Sometimes coming up with idea what to do next, can be rather daunting. Search magazines about cryptids, conspiracies, mythical places, interesting historical places.
Aside of your shadowrunning friends, you are the one, which can explore them within a moment and with no cost. Tell your GM about your idea visiting picked place and send them materials. I’m sure they will be happy, that they will get some interesting idea to work with.
When you start the game, go into astral exploration mode and check that place out. Maybe there grow interesting expensive awakened herbs, awakened critters, mysterious glowing runes or unknown mana barrier? Maybe in those ancient Celtic ruins sits some spirit, which notices you and asks you to come to him!
In any way, after scouting convince your team, that some holiday and change of Seattle air, would benefit them. And then, of you go on interesting adventure, where you can change and experiment with different styles of game!
Conclusion
And there you have it! Quick article. I hope it will give you some ideas for usage of Astral Perception in Shadowrun 5, and how to utilize it aside from simple scouting.
If you made this far, I love you and thank you for reading!
So, YouTube or forums are full of questions how to manage spirits by rules, how to use them effectively. Same as most sourcebooks. We will learn from them how to use spirits in game and we will get some basic information about them.
But, how to actually RP them? How we will portray them in our games, so that they are more than just a bunch of generic numbers that we throw on the enemy?
That is a question we get little answers to. And because I love playing awakened characters in Shadowrun, and I love spirits, I did some research on that.
Astral Plane
Before we jump into spirits themselves, let’s first rewind definition of Astral Plane from SR5 Core Rulebook.
While the physical world is the one we interact with every day, there is another world, invisible and largely unnoticed, yet indirectly influenced by everyone living in the material plane. This world is known as the astral plane.
The astral plane is an emotionally charged reflection of the physical world. Only living beings and objects infused with mana truly exist there; ordinary physical objects appear only as faint, intangible shadows.
Mana, the essence of magic, flows through the astral plane, connecting the metaplanes to the physical world. It is sustained by the life force of all living things on the planet. This collective life energy bathes the astral plane in a constant ambient glow.
Objects and events from the physical world can still be perceived from the astral, but they appear blurred and muted. Emotional impressions are far more vivid than physical details such as light or sound, often replacing them entirely.
Places and objects marked by powerful emotions may leave lasting astral echoes. These remnants of the past appear as lingering shadows whose strength depends on the intensity of the emotions associated with them. Such echoes are often more colorful and tangible in the astral plane than the physical objects themselves.
(page 312)
So, Astral plane is this vast vibrant, living, breathing space that bridges our physical world with metaplanes. It’s colorful and full of emotions. Spirits fly and lurk in it freely, as it is their home. Bigger spirits might hunt smaller ones. Trickster spirits might try to trick gullible awakened character into traps, while projecting.
Many tables, put this world on side, and when some Astral Projection scouting is in place, it’s generally skipped. You are there, done.
But, given the Astral world is the foundation of magic and spirits in general, it makes us forget, how strange this world truly is. Let me entertain you.
What might the Astral Plane look like?
You close your eyes in peace of your cramped room, that you call your home. Sounds of Seattle rain meld with sounds of your apartment. The electronics buzzing, shuffling of your blanket and creaking of floors above you, until nothing then just deafening shimmer remains.
Then you open your eyes, but not your true eyes. They remain shut. You stand up from bed, leaving your body behind and you look around the apartment. Everything is dull, blurred filled with unmistakable fog of background count.
Astral is weird and spirits in it, even weirder. And they might be after you.
You move through the wall and you are about to see new side of Seattle, the same side, that spirits living in this strange place see every day. The tall, dark corporate skyscrapers sticking out from ground, like menacing claws trying to grasp the sky. They are all dark, unimportant, but yet they are still there. Above them flocks of colorful dots are blazing through the skies with speeds, that normal eye couldn’t catch. Between streets, strange and formless creatures slither, unbothered by physical world. Some small, some big as whales, with teeth sharp and multiple eyes. They search, they lurk and in many cases they hunt. Among them, ever flowing mass of metahumans and their auras are flowing like a river, leading them to their jobs and to their lives.
Auras, creatures. They are all colorful. Some deep red by hatred, some blue and green filled with peace. You see one spirit, it looks like a man in suitcase. He is following another man, glowing red like hot iron with curiosity and alien intent.
It all feels like vivid dream. Like you would wake up in depths of Mariana’s trench on bottom of the ocean and your wildest imagination would run wild. You look on your hands, they sparkle with bright yellow, fear and anxiety. Six legged woman grasping street lamp notices. She turns her head your direction and starts to walk “air” your direction. She has no face. You do not wait to find out what she wants. Your quickly return back to your body.
Creatures are gone, colors are gone, fog is gone and first thing you hear is sound of your fan. World is normal again.
How to actually RP a spirit
Okay, now to the meat? What we can make out of it? If you are not in combat, where things are fast paced and you wish to interact with spirits, here it how I think it should go.
Cornerstone of spirits is EMOTION. They perceive them, they carry them and for them, it’s the most recognizable thing.
Spirits’ perception of world and you
Spirits will be asensing you the whole time during conversation. For them worded facts are not as important as emotion behind the words. When you try to explain something to them, they will try to read what emotions are behind it. Are you scared when you plead to them? Are you angry, are you anxious? They will make out of it their own truth.
You can hit spirit with scientific facts, and it will listen to you, it will try to think about it. But, it will also read your emotions, how much you believe in what you say. Whole magical world is based on my belief, my world. That’s the reason, why spirits take shape and form based on caster and his tradition.
Carried emotion
As you can see in examples of spirits Carngull and Eileen I wrote, they carry certain emotions in them. For Carngull, it’s hunger, survival. For Eileen it’s sorrow and wish to live life.
Therefore when you are creating concept of spirit, try to think about emotion, which resonates with them. It gives them form, and it gives them something players can attach to.
Things that used to be
A good way to link those emotions is written in core rulebook. It’s kind of hidden, but when you will pay attention, there is written:
“These remnants of the past appear as lingering shadows whose strength depends on the intensity of the emotions associated with them. Such echoes are often more colorful and tangible in the astral plane than the physical objects themselves.”.
Which is kind of cool when you think about it. In astral space might be things, that are no longer in physical world, and can be explored. Those things can be linked back to certain spirits. In case of Eileen, it can be wreck of S.S. Clara Barton, or the ship might be still floating around. Or it may be locket in some house, which children of passed away mother still remember.
Make them weird
Do not be afraid to use these references. They might play into spirit weirdness. Spirits might even reenact certain events of history, just for sake of it, just because emotions on that place are still present. Bunch of fire spirits might reenact in astral plane Gettysburg battle, just for sake of it.
Some other spirit might prepare for players dinner, because it’s reenacts or represents certain aspect, like grandmother. Some spirit might reenact Sioux pathfinder out of joy of it.
Another take you can make, you can surprise caster player, by spirit returning back, without summoning. Maybe spirit enjoyed time with caster so much, it starts to linger in it’s space. Watches the caster from astral. It can be quite hilarious to see shaman getting rid of clingy spirit, they summoned a while ago >:D
What do spirits like to do when you summon them?
I was trying to piece together some information about how to RP ghosts, and I stumbled upon amazing post on Reddit about this topic. It was written by Hammaer96, and he proposed this table of spirits and what they might like as task, and what not.
Man: likes people tasks, hates non-people tasks
Beast: likes chasing/hunting/guarding, hates being summoned and given nothing to do
This is interesting take and I really like it. It can also correlate with existing Astral Reputation, which has quite few ways how to move. You summon spirits to wrong tasks, and they get annoyed and tell among themselves.
I do not say, give bad reputation for every bad task, but if you conjure fire spirit every day, to guard bottle with bee inside? He might get pretty mad. He expects fight, he wants that thrill and juice of emotion of thrill. No, he watches fucking bee.
Players, write your own spirits!
Shadowrun is collaborative storytelling, that means, story you are experiencing shouldn’t come only from your GM. You as player can contribute to story, I dare to say, with 35%.
Consult with GM possibility to write your own spirits. When you summon spirit it comes from SOMEWHERE and goes SOMEWHERE, when it fulfilled your wishes. Why not summon the same spirit again?
If you write your own spirits, which are most aligned with your magician, it will add depth to your own character and to story overall. If you summon same spirit again and again, GM will learn it’s personality, party will learn to recognize that spirit and its quirks. It will stop being stat blob, which you throw on enemies.
How to design your own spirit?
As I pointed up, I made so far two for my character Sha. When you think about the concept of calling the same spirit again, it makes sense you need to learn it’s habits. For example, what it represents? Is it former human, or just memory of a human? Does it represent hunt, battle, anything really.
The Location
Set its location. Every spirit will have some location it favors, is it sea? Alleyways, coffee shop, hospital? Any place where your character actually has to go, to summon this specific spirit.
The Offering
Set its offerings. Being on a place is not enough to lure specific spirit. What is it, that tells spirit you are calling them? Leaving hot coffee on table, while you sit in stuffer shack? Footprint in dirt, driven through with nail to lure Sioux tracker? Splash of cider on roots of the tree? Something unique.
Story Hooks
Designing your own spirit doesn’t only give your party some other memorable character to interact with, it also gives your character things to do and GM story hooks to develop. Here are some examples.
Increase of Force: When you set your spirit on specific force, it might ask you, or you might get idea to raise it. You might embark on adventure to its metaplane to help it get higher force. Sure, it will be harder to summon it, but at some point, spirit might stop being summon, and become powerful contact.
Memory: You might want to learn more about spirit, and you decide to travel to location linked to it. Visiting wreck of ship, family which might remember that person, forgotten track in Apalachian mountains. Those are powerful stories, which you may be part of.
Ally spirit: If you like certain spirit you designed, you also might choose to make it your ally spirit. Gathering karma, materials so you can match it’s strength, convincing spirit to give you it’s true name.
Conclusion
The next time your magician summons a spirit, ask yourself one question:
“Who answered?”
If the answer is more than “Force 6 Air Spirit,” you’ve already started telling a better story.
This is Shadowrun 5 Critter designed by me, numbers you see are applicable in this game.
The Terror of the Alleys. Carngull is representation of nature’s adaptability, strength and relentlessness even in midst of plastic jungle.
Similar to Eileen, this spirit could fall into category of city spirits, as it is drawn to those shamans, which are living within plastic jungle. It might reveal itself even to wilder shamans, but it’s rather unlikely.
Summoning
Carngull can be summoned anywhere in Seattle, where presence of city wildlife was recent. Which is quite broad. Carngull will not respond to calls in clean and sterile corporate facilities, as Sha discovered, it is place where he can’t hear the prayers.
Carngull is lured by daily ritual, which keeps animals on street fed and thriving, and that’s waste of food. Yes, something which would be seen as “anti-nature”, actually keeps devil rats, seagulls, pigeons, stray cats and dogs alive.
To summon this avatar of street beast, shaman needs to have some food on themselves, throw it on ground and step on it. Inside their mind, they have to clear their mind and forget it.
After this is done, Carngull is allured by offering and standard summoning can begin. If successful, filth, street debris, organic matter will start to form into horrific creature with blood red glowing eyes. Ready, to sate it’s hunger.
Force
Carngull comes in various strengths. He is more of manifestation of hunger, survival on streets and struggle. It could be said it’s not only one spirit, but that would be far from truth. Carngull many forms, are part of one whole. Sha suspects, that smaller summons of Carngull are just shards of Big Form of this spirit. She believes that these shards listen to shamans calls and once hunt ends, they return back to Big Form, lurking somewhere in Astral Plane or on some Metaplane.
Personality
Carngull is a beast. Or should we say THE BEAST. He is not stupid though, in higher forms it can outsmart most humans. Most animals which are living on the streets wouldn’t survive long if they wouldn’t be smart.
Carngull is just not aligned with metahuman thinking or customs. He understands, he has thoughts, but rarely finds need to express them. Yes, he can talk.
He loves chasing, he loves hunt, chasing and tracking down the prey. But, also he is patient, not getting bored waiting and guarding till he is said otherwise.
Behavior towards Summoners
Respectful, obedient. Sadly for all, which would want to have conversation or deeper interaction, this is probably not the one. Sha was never able to convince this spirit to hang out with her outside of confines of huntsman/hound. Carngull will obey every command with ferocity and determination, until forced to return back from where he came from.
The City
The city is ecosystem, strange one, but it is. From small bugs to big awakened critters, that stalk the alleyways. Sewers, backstreets, abandoned buildings, cracks in skyscrapers, open cloudy skies. All this is inhabited by creatures of sorts.
Carngull is part of all of them, and he will not abandon them. He made clear to Sha, that he will never cross borders and leave Seattle. Why? Hard to tell, this spirit doesn’t do reasoning, it might be something he chose to.
Distinctive behavior
Never leaves Seattle
Never stays longer then needs to
When banished, services end it switches to Astral Form and runs away. Can be chased.
Attacks Insect Spirits without command almost like berserker.
Manifestation
The stench is recognizable. Fur, damp street, dumpsters in back alley and mold of cellars. This is first what people say, they noticed, before they encountered Carngull. It’s also reason why Sha never summons it in her own apartment. Carngull is not only summoned, he is presence in the streets. Hiding in alleys, hearing every beating heart. Many met him, many discarded him as another Beast Spirit, not knowing how impressive he is.
Eileen Witkins, second cook on ship S.S. Clara Barton, sank on February 22, 1942 by German U-Boat (U-129). Or at least, this is what this manifestation of spirit says. It might be truly spirit of Eileen, forever tied to water, or playful spirit of water decided to take on her form.
Eileen Witkins Card, also usable to summon her from her watery grave.
Summoning
By observation of Sha, Eileen seems to listen to summons, only close to the seawater. Anywhere else, any other body of water, random other water spirit appears.
It is very much possible, that this is only Eileen preference and she might choose to come to aid in other circumstances, but it never happened before.
To summon this water spirit shaman needs to stand close to the seawater and stare into it’s wave without disturbance. Repeat her name twice—once for each month before her death in February. After that it’s necessary to throw into water any shining object (preferably mirror).
After this small ritual, water will open and a beautiful woman in a vintage sailor’s uniform, with haunting blue eyes in sailor dress emerges from the waves.
Personality
To those who didn’t summon her, Eileen might appear as malevolent water spirit. Her preferred method of killing is anyways drowning. To others then her Shaman she will be rather dismissive (Unless having good Astral Reputation).
That doesn’t mean others can’t reach out to her, though. It is possible to create connection with her even without being her summoner. It might just take a while.
Eileen is interested in: Cooking, Ships (Obviously), Shanties, Beer, Bars.
Relations with summoners
Towards summoners Eileen behaves more cordial. Eileen often lingers long after the summoning is complete. She enjoys sharing meals, listening to old sea stories, or simply sitting beside the water with her summoner in comfortable silence. Unlike many spirits, she rarely disappears immediately after her task is finished unless dismissed.
Spirit affinity
To those with spirit affinity, she might even show up to their rescue if they will drowning at the sea. Fact, she is not summoned, doesn’t mean she is not somewhere out there. It’s slight chance, but still a chance.
The Vat
Something she never speaks of, but it is way how to gain her respect almost instantly. The Vat is ritual tied to ancient sacrifices called Threefold Death.
Core of The Vat is, that practitioner will strip themselves of all gear and necessary clothes and let themselves embraced by water spirit. She embraces the practitioner and silently descends into the black water until neither moonlight nor surface can be seen.
Practitioner is fully at her mercy and she will decide if they will drowned or not. The idea of fully giving yourself to the mercy of the sea is key of this ritual. If the practitioner survives the ritual, Eileen recognizes their bravery and devotion.
NOTE: Eileen will never perform The Vat with anyone she knows, they have gills or any kind of cyberware close to the lungs. She will try to assensing before the ritual. If she fails and finds out later that practitioner cheater, she will be furious.
Distinctive Behavior
She unconsciously hums old merchant navy shanties while waiting.
She instinctively wipes condensation off bottles before handing someone a beer.
She always faces the nearest body of water when sitting in silence.
Manifestations
In the Astral Plane, billions of spirits roam beneath skies awash with impossible colors. Picking out a single one among them would be all but impossible. Yet somewhere in the deepest corners of the Matrix horror threads, old conspiracy boards, and forgotten trideo discussions—rumors persist among Seattle’s dockworkers. They speak of a woman in a vintage navy uniform who appears on lonely piers shortly before a storm. She stands motionless, watching the sea in silence. Then, just as the first rain begins to fall, she vanishes without a trace.
NOTE: Eileen Witkins has to be summoned as water spirit with Force: 5. Table bellow represents her progression if she gains more Force.
