[Forrest]

Under summoning it expressly states that you can use teamwork, but it doesn't say anything of the sort in regards to binding.  Can you use teamwork for binding?  If so, that could become rather unbalanced.

[Namikaze]

I would say no, but that's my initial response to a lot of the things that aren't in the book or seem like edge cases.  The problem I would see is this: who is the spirit/homunculus/etc. bound to?

[firebug]

Hmm.  It might be possible, honestly.  I could see a group of mages working together to bind one very powerful spirit that they'd task to protect their lodge.  Really it's not more unbalancing than teamwork summoning (take that as you may) and has a lot of drawbacks...  A powerful spirit can kill the binder very easily (a lucky roll for a Force 8 spirit could easily end up causing 10 or 12 Physical drain) and that doesn't get any less dangerous for the others involved--  Having three people try to bind a Force 10 spirit, for instance, would be an easy way to get all three of them killed at once and an angry F10 spirit on the loose.

For players, it's only so exploitable...  Unless they get a contact who's willing to risk life and limb helping them, they probably won't find many chances to get a group binding happening, unless you're running a game where multiple players are magicians.

[Namikaze]

Actually, Firebug, you brought something to mind.  The Great Ghost Dance.  There's no way we'll ever get rules on what actually went down there, but it was clearly teamwork involved and there were a LOT of spirits that were summoned as a result.

[firebug]

If it is possible, which I think it is, I imagine wizgangs probably do that at the behest of their leader--  Get like four lieutenants to assist he leader to bind a high-Force spirit.  That's probably gonna come up in the game I run at some point...

[Forrest]

Yeah, the team leader would have to be the one the spirit is bound to just like the spirit summoned by teamwork.

[ZeConster]

If this is possible, everyone would has to resist the same amount of Drain, just like with rituals. So with a high-Force spirit, you still run the risk of someone dying.

[Reaver]

Actually, Firebug, you brought something to mind.  The Great Ghost Dance.  There's no way we'll ever get rules on what actually went down there, but it was clearly teamwork involved and there were a LOT of spirits that were summoned as a result.

All we know of the Ghost dance is that is was blood magic. We don't even know who taught Daniel Howling Coyote the ritual.

[Namikaze]

Was it blood magic?  From what I remember of the description in 2nd edition, there were a lot of shamans that died while trying to keep the ritual going, but nothing about blood magic springs to mind.  Was this information that the world learned later?

[Reaver]

Was it blood magic?  From what I remember of the description in 2nd edition, there were a lot of shamans that died while trying to keep the ritual going, but nothing about blood magic springs to mind.  Was this information that the world learned later?

No, it's the sacrifice of life that is the first hint. Under traditional magic (even ritual), you get your "bang", THEN you get your naptime (or grave time, depending on drain). But the Dancers, they were dropping dead during the tempo of the ritual, long before drain. They were willing blood sacrifices to power, fuel and magnify the ritual.


It has been suggested (and not supported) that this is also the reason Daniel disappeared after the NAN was under way (taking the secrets of the rituals with him). At the time, there was a large vocal minority in the NAN that wanted to continue the war, be damned the consequences, but Daniel saw the Rituals for what they were, corrupted and twisted magic and feared the rituals would corrupt and twist the NAN.... (like I said, this is rumored, but not supported)

[Namikaze]

Makes sense - I got the impression that Daniel Howling Coyote was against war.  This was supposed to be his Hiroshima, one giant atrocity that prevents the deaths of millions of people.