[FraustyTheSnowman]

Next, just telling the spirit "listen to that guy" isn't going to work for my scenario, as the original conjurer is likely to be dead not long after handing the spirit over, as well as the fact that I think the limitations of that "service" doesn't fit with what I want out of this. So the "heir" is going to need to be a pretty competent conjurer him/herself, and effectively TAKE the spirit away, though the taking will be consensual. So far am I good?

Lastly, for theme, I'm thinking the magicians involved will be part of a christian based group who are supposedly fighting the good fight, but are not terribly politically correct in their practices. They likely don't care for metahumans much, and are quick to label any nonchristian awakened as "tainted by the devil!", and self righteously question the faith of any fellow christian awakened aswell. I don't want to go all out humanis douchbagery with these guys though....as I want the players to not fully dehumanize them and kill without prejudice (yeah I know, high expectations). Pending maturity level of the group (no active group at the moment, but there are murmurings of PbP...) I'd like to present these guys as ultimately bad guys, but bad guys you can at least relate to on some level. Maybe even have them and the party work together on a run or two, fighting against a greater evil (shadim I think could work well for this...)

Now, where I'm really scratching my beard here is angel or devil. I originally envisioned the bound spirit to be seen as an angel by the christiagicians, but I want to present the binding as very forced (something to give any magically knowledged PCs a good clue these guys might not be the friendliest of christian brotherhoods) and demeaning...So I'm coming to like the idea of the spirit being, in the binder's mind's eye, a bound devil. Thoughts?

[Black]

Wow! That felt walking into a conversation half way through.  Think this may be posted in the wrong forum?

[FraustyTheSnowman]

Well crap, when I coppied and pasted from my word processor I lost about two thirds of what I was trying to say...lets see if I can't fix that...

EDIT: Beginning should have read something like...
So in the interest of not opening up a dozen or so different topics as I come into more and more ideas, I’m going to open one and as I come across ideas for scenarios I’ll post them here and see what people think.

First such, I’ve an idea involving a pair of magicians both involved in a magical organization based very strongly around the christian fundamental extremes. In short, I want the older of the two to have summoned a fairly powerful spirit way back when, and bound it. When the original conjurer gets old and “retires” he passes the spirit down to his heir. Now, if I’m understanding the rules right, a character could summon and then bind a spirit, and keep it in waiting for years, just so long as they didn’t use up all of the services, right?

I’ll try and get more later…

[CitizenJoe]

Dunkelzahn did that with several free spirits in his will.  I don't know if there are codified rules or simply the plot says so.

[Mirikon]

If a magician has a copy of the ally spirit's formula, they can summon the spirit and demand services, as with any other spirit. In the case of Dunkelzhan's will, the magicians were given the formula, summoned the spirit, set it on an extended task, and then took a hit of laes so that they forgot the formula, as well as the fact that they'd summoned the spirit.

[Fizzygoo]

One avenue I would explore¹ is the following:

The Venerable Old Leader (VOL) who originally summoned the spirit discovered a ritual that transfers to-what a bound spirit is bound to, specifically the ritual binds a spirit not to a person, or even an object, but to a title/position of power. So at some time the VOL, realizing he/she'll kick the mortal coil like everyone else at some point, gets his cult together (or at least the magically active members) and performs the ritual binding the spirit to the title of "Venerable Old Leader." Now when the original VOL leader dies and the title of VOL is passed on, so does the spirit's services and "bindings."

One could set up that if a new VOL isn't selected in a certain amount of time (original ritual hits times days/weeks/months, or just a static year-and-a-day, etc.) then the spirit is freed.

The ceremony of electing/recognizing/establishing the new VOL is also a ritual that re-attunes the spirit to the cult and it's (new) leader, so as to fortify the spirit against random guys on the street saying "I'm the new VOL" or rival cults using the same names, etc. in addition to replenishing bound services if needed. These rituals, in addition to binding the spirit to a title, create the pattern of the specific cult from which the title emerges. Where there may be many cults who call their leader "pope," performing the ritual binds the spirit to the title of "pope" specific to the believers of a unique group.

A GM could have fun with this and include spirits bound to the draconic "Lore Keeper" or the Catholic Pope or the President of UCAS and so on.

As for devil or angel.

So the "heir" is going to need to be a pretty competent conjurer him/herself, and effectively TAKE the spirit away, though the taking will be consensual.

...I want to present the binding as very forced ... and demeaning...So I'm coming to like the idea of the spirit being, in the binder's mind's eye, a bound devil. Thoughts?

By "consensual" do you mean between the original summoner and the heir and not between the heir and the spirit?

If the group is fundamental Christian (as currently understood) then an angel would be seen as a gift from God, to be honored, feared, and to rejoice over. But brokering with a devil is right out. The Gospels are full of Jesus driving out demons/devils and resisting their temptation and any members of a fundamental Christian group would see that as their only actions towards entities identified as such by them. The "fundamental" part means a strict and literal reading of the sacred texts and as such devils and demons are to be cast out, banished, and destroyed...nothing else.²

This is not to say that some members may do so in secret, only that it would throw out my bind-to-title ritual which would require the acceptance of the group and that using the spirit formula route as suggested by CitizenJoe and Mirikon would be better suited to the task. But you still run into the issue of the individual or people in the group using the devil would be doing so secretly. I would say, if you want to use a "classical" fundamental Christian group then make the spirit an angel, with all the love, honor, and light heaped upon it by the group, and use what the group does to outsiders, unbelievers, etc. as an indication of the group's not-so-friendly attitudes (i.e. they seem to ignore the whole "love thy neighbor" and "turn the other cheek" ideals).

Of course there's lots of room to play here, so you could make the group far enough outside the mainstream Christian thought; allowing within their group the binding and use of devils...but doing so would alienate the group to the vast majority of Christian groups.

¹ "Explore" meaning see if there's any RAW to support it and if not make up a house rule for it.
² In this and the following paragraphs I'm only speaking generally and not attempting to make any judgements on any current real-world religious organizations, groups, or individuals.