Binding

Binding

Prerequisite: Conjuring

To learn this metamagic technique a character must first be able to conjure spirits. This technique allows a magician to bind a spirit to a foci known as a Vessel. Before he can do this he must first bond to the Vessel at a cost of 2 x Rating. A Vessel may hold any number of spirits with a combined force equal to its rating (e.g. a force 6 Vessel could hold two force 3 elementals).

To bind the spirit the magician must be in control of that spirit (either by being its summoner or by taking control of it). The Magician then makes an opposed Conjuring Test (Target number spirits force) and the spirit can resist by rolling dice equal to its force against a target number of the magicians charisma. If the magician succeeds by 1 success or more the spirit is bound to the Vessel. If the magician fails the spirit goes free. Bound spirits do no count towards the magicians maximum number of spirits.

Once the spirit is bound the summoner is no longer in direct control of it and can no longer communicate with is at a distance. If fact any person, mundane or magical may command the spirit simply by being in contact with the Vessel. The spirit must remain with in a radius of the Vessel equal to the vessels rating x 10 meters. The spirit can move outside of this area but if order to do so, all remaining services are lost and the spirit returns to its own plane once the command is completed. The spirit will perform a number of services equal to the amount it was initially summoned with. The magician who the Vessel is bound to may at any point cast a ritual of conjuring to add additional services (at normal costs for summonings). Once all the sevices are used the spirit is returned to the metaplanes but if it ever returns (summoned again by someone else etc) it will attempt to track down and kill its binder.

This form of Metamagic is terrible for the entrapped spirit. Spirits left here for a long time will go mad from the experience. While bound to the vessel the spirit is contained within the vessel and may not return to its home Meta Plane. If the spirit is disrupted its essence is drawn back into the vessel and can't be summoned for a number of days equal to 28 - force. If the Vessel is destroyed the spirit is freed. Any magician who attempts to take control of a sprit bound to a vessel does so in the normal way except the vessels rating is considered to be the magic rating of the defending magician. And spirit freed from binding will immediately and without fail attack the summoner, either the magician who bound it or the last person who commanded it. If they are not present the spirit will become a free spirit (a shadow) who will pursue its summoner until it is destroyed.

For free spirits this is a particularly harsh treatment. To bind the free spirit the magician must first control it (and so must know its true name) and then can bind it as above. The vessel must be of a rating equal to the free spirits force or greater and the target number to bind the spirit is equal to its spirit energy plus its force (it also uses this number of dice to resist). The free spirit may still be given karma by characters and if it has enough spirit energy it may raise its force. If it manages to raise its force over the rating of the Vessel it may make an opposed Force/Rating test against the vessel and if it succeeds the Vessel is destroyed and the spirit is freed (at which point it will hunt down its binder). A free sprit bound in this way may be commanded by anyone who holds the Vessel and does not have a limited number of services (the true name of the spirit is not required to control it if it is bound). The bound free spirit may attempt to subvert those orders if they are not worded well.

This Meta Magic technique is feared an loathed by spirits. Anyone who uses it will find all spirits incredible hostile towards them (if found out). Shamans and other totem/idol following magician will never use this technique (except if toxic) and if they do, will immediately loose contact with their totem/idol and all magical ability.

This technique seems ineffective against Shedim, Insect spirits, Ghosts, and other non standard spirits.

Binding Vessel

Availability: Force+6/7 days (although after a time this will drop to 5/48 Hours) Cost: 60,000 x Force Street Index: 5 (although this will drop to 2 after a couple of months)