[Senko]

Just something that's been floating around in my head the last few day's. Leaving aside the distance limitation (which since you can give them extended tasks anyway is something I prefer to ignore) what would an allied spirit do with their downtime whlie the summoner is busy, asleep? Do they watch the trid, pop back to the spirit realm for spirit business, sit there and watch you sleep while sustaining an alter temperature spell to save on air conditioning?

[firebug]

I suppose a large part of it would depend on the spirit.  An Ally Spirit should be a fully-fleshed NPC in its own right, and a part of that would be deciding what the spirit likes and dislikes.

Many of them likely would go back to their metaplane, although I'm not certain they can choose to do that (the summoner may be the one who does).  In this case, it doesn't matter...  No one could truly know what goes on in that time.

If they can only materialize, then they may wander around your living space, doing whatever they feel like.  In this case their likes and dislikes would be a big deal.

If they're possession, maybe they remain inside your physical body.  Maybe they do something with it.  Maybe they find another vessel and spend their time in there.

If they're inhabitation, then it depends on their form.  Assuming the stereotypical "cat familiar", maybe they do what alley-cats do and never tell you about it.  Or maybe they knock over random shit in your apartment.

This is of course all assuming they don't simply meditate or do something akin to sleeping.  Who says spirits don't need or desire rest?

[RowanTheFox]

My cat shaman's ally spirit takes the form of a cat (shock, stun, surprise), and in most ways behaves exactly like you would expect. Knocking shit over, singing him the sing of it's people at 2am, and batting him on the nose to wake him up at 6am every. fragging. day.

[Achsin]

Read romance novels and kick of orgies at college campuses. 

I think the last (and only) one that I was in a game with just floated and creepily watched the mage, or in the event that there was someone else there he'd just watch them. Hilarious waking up with a creepy spirit floating about a foot over you looking you in the face.

[Reaver]

Yea, spirits are Sapient, which means they have the full range of human emotions and interests. So a Spirit would do anything it finds enjoyable when not doing something for the mage.


Mine likes to cook (do NOT eat anything she makes!!!) Terrorize the dog, and flirt with security guard to our complex...

[Senko]

Some interesting suggestions there and amusing ones.

Mine tends to go see sporting events because they enjoy them but the mage doesn't and only goes if she drags them along whereas other interests they tend to share and do together (shopping, movies, etc). Big difference between the two is the spirit is actually better at fashion and has an interest in sports which has led to a few deals being struck on who gets to watch the TRID.

Part of why I want to dump that 100 distance limit for an ally spirit at least for their actions of their own choice. Still there if  your giving them a task but if they want to pop down the park and birdwatch they don't need your permission to do it. It opens up a lot more opportunities for a spirit to have its own interests independant of the mage.

[RowanTheFox]

Some interesting suggestions there and amusing ones.

Mine tends to go see sporting events because they enjoy them but the mage doesn't and only goes if she drags them along whereas other interests they tend to share and do together (shopping, movies, etc). Big difference between the two is the spirit is actually better at fashion and has an interest in sports which has led to a few deals being struck on who gets to watch the TRID.

Part of why I want to dump that 100 distance limit for an ally spirit at least for their actions of their own choice. Still there if  your giving them a task but if they want to pop down the park and birdwatch they don't need your permission to do it. It opens up a lot more opportunities for a spirit to have its own interests independant of the mage.

I dumped that rule too, and for the same reason. Rumpus (cat shaman's ally spirit) likes to hang out at the cafe next door and sit on the fence so random passers-by can pet him. The cafe owners know Rumpus is a spirit, but he chases off robbers while asking nothing in return but chin scritches, so they tolerate it.

[firebug]

I dumped that rule too, and for the same reason. Rumpus (cat shaman's ally spirit) likes to hang out at the cafe next door and sit on the fence so random passers-by can pet him. The cafe owners know Rumpus is a spirit, but he chases off robbers while asking nothing in return but chin scritches, so they tolerate it.

Bullet-proof cats are often worth having around for one reason or another.

[Reaver]

you know, I can't find anything that says an Allied Spirit must stay close to the mage.... I can find that for bound spirits - which is tied to their services, but not Ally Spirits... and Ally spirits a NOT bound spirits!

(So, as you can guess, my table has never followed that distance limitation either)

and cats are great. Especially with some salt, pepper and lemon zest!

[Kiirnodel]

First up, I want to point out that Ally Spirits don't have to hang out in the Material world at all. When the master is asleep, or whatever, they can just go to their own native metaplane. So my first response to the "what do ally spirits do in their free time?" is: Spirit Stuff! back in their own realm. Its like asking what the Genie was doing in the lamp for those millenia. Or what that Barbed Devil in D&D was doing before you cast the calling spell.


But, lets go ahead and presume that the Ally spirit is going to stick around in the material world most of the time (for whatever reason):

The only rule that points to Ally spirits staying close to the master is the first line of Ally Spirit Abilities on page 201: "Ally spirits follow standard rules, with the following exceptions:"

None of the exceptions mention lifting the standard spirit range limitation. Spirit Range has its own heading in the Core Rulebook on page 302:

Your spirit can’t move farther away from you than your Magic rating x 100 meters. If forced out of this radius, the spirit will try to return as quickly as possible. If you send a spirit beyond this range, it counts as a remote service.

So, yes, an ally can be sent beyond the standard range, counting as a remote service (of which it has an unlimited amount). But following the standard rules for spirits tells us that the Ally won't want to leave that range if it can help it. Yeah, spirits are their own sapient beings, but remember that Ally spirits are literally created from scratch (usually by the master). Their entire existence is formulated ahead of time by the master. The Street Grimoire goes out of its way to reiterate several times how loyal allies are to their master (at least to start with), even going so far as to call them out as "like a lost puppy willing to do anything for its master" (SG, pg 190).

Not saying they can't (or don't) develop their own personalities, quirks, preferences, interests, etc. Just that their entire world starts out centered around their existence purely for and by the sake of its master. This heavily influences the spirit and what it might want to do. At least initially, an ally spirit probably wouldn't even think about straying far from its master, why would it want to? It has an ingrained need to stay close (Spirit Range).

So while I understand the idea of letting your ally spirit do what it wants and let them develop their own 'character' remember that they aren't people. Sapient, yes; but humanoid, no. They are creatures native to a different plane of existence, they have a whole different set of priorities, and Allies are initially programmed to put their Master at the top of that list.

[firebug]

Not that you're wrong, but keep in mind that shamanic traditions wouldn't say they are created from scratch.  If you go for the "write a spirit formula" then it would make sense, but there's also the "undertake a metaplanar quest" method where you search the metaplanes for an appropriate ally formula.  Especially for the traditions that believe spirits are not tools of humanity, but rather something humanity must listen to and respect.

Those ones would likely have more of their own personality beyond being designed to unconditionally love their summoner.  Not that they wouldn't also begin fully devoted, just that they would be a bit more independent, I imagine, as their summoner sees spirits as "at least equals, if not more in the spirit's favor" compared to a hermetic who sees it more as "a creature from another world I have taken as a partner"

[Kiirnodel]

And those spirits that were formulated through metaplanar quest would probably be even more likely to just pop back to their home metaplane when not otherwise occupied by their master's bidding.

[Rosa]

Not that you're wrong, but keep in mind that shamanic traditions wouldn't say they are created from scratch.  If you go for the "write a spirit formula" then it would make sense, but there's also the "undertake a metaplanar quest" method where you search the metaplanes for an appropriate ally formula.  Especially for the traditions that believe spirits are not tools of humanity, but rather something humanity must listen to and respect.

Those ones would likely have more of their own personality beyond being designed to unconditionally love their summoner.  Not that they wouldn't also begin fully devoted, just that they would be a bit more independent, I imagine, as their summoner sees spirits as "at least equals, if not more in the spirit's favor" compared to a hermetic who sees it more as "a creature from another world I have taken as a partner"

Not only the shamanic tradition I'm pretty sure that most traditions would have another explanation as to where they come from. In fact I think it's mainly the hermetic point of view that they are created from scratch.

Other than that I agree with Kiirnodel that it's more likely that they would either stick around their master or go back to their native metaplane when they are "off duty ", at least until they started developing more of an individual personality.

[Reaver]

(Remember, some of us have had our Ally Spirits for a really LONG time )

[Senko]

There's also the matter of their being an ally spirit in the first place by which I mean they might be interested in the material world for their own reasons. So they don't want to go back to the spirit world and do spirit stuff they want to stay here, get lots of chin scratches and chase mice.

While they aren't human there are entire spirit realms identical or close to our world at various points in its history described in the source books so just because their spirits doesn't necessarily mean their as alien in thought as some like to play them. As also said many traditions especially those similar to the original shamanism would see them as a spirit from the spirit world not something made from scratch.

You're right about no exception for the spirit distance but from my point of view removing that opens up more role-play options for the spirit and affects nothing mechanically because unlike most bound spirits they have infinite services. Still that's a debate for another thread so it's the last I'll say on the subject here.