Advanced Metamagic: Conjuration

   For today, it’s another bit of the expanded list of  metamagics for Shadowrun Penumbra. In this case, it’s the list for Conjuration.

   Aegis allows the user to provide his or her astral creations with secondary defenses – essentially “armor” against magical disruption. Each level of Aegis negates one success on each test made to banish one of the users conjured spirits, to dispel his or her spells, or to get through his or her barriers. Additional improvements allow structures that do not normally repair themselves (such as spells) to do so, can harden this protection against the piercing metamagic,

   Awakening allows the user to upgrade the astral patterns of a nonsapient animal or living, but unoccupied, body in a fashion similar to the summoning of a watcher spirit – granting the target notable intellectual, and sometimes even modest physical, enhancements. Such an upgrade can be made permanent with the expenditure of karma. Further improvements allow the user to temporarily bestow some portion of his or her skills, to grant other spirit powers (see: Spirit Shaping), to enforce long-term loyalty on previously nonsapient creatures, to to affect sapient targets, and to imbue targets with full spirits rather than simply enhancing their own patterns. Awakening will not work on dual-natured creatures, and sometimes causes normal targets to become dual-natured.

   Greater Binding allows the user to attempt to bind uncontrolled spirits instead of simply banishing them, although the user must be able to summon the type of spirit in question. Further upgrades allow the user to twist the spirit to his or her own purposes, such as by tainting or purifying it.

   Great Summoning allows a group of conjurers to work together to conjure a spirit, much like ritual sorcery. Such spirits may be bound to either the service of the group or to the service of the leader, depending on the desires of the group leader – who must be the one possessing the Great Summoning ability.

   Infusion allows the user to temporarily charge objects with astral energy: charging bullets, knives, or arrows to give them an astral presence requires one success each, charging a wall requires successes depending on the area charged. Unlike a conventional ward, such effects simply render the charged item dual-natured for the moment. Advanced versions allow the user to simply create missiles of pure astral energy, to charge living creatures, to “fuel” vehicles or “charge” batteries, or to combine infusing living things and fueling systems to allow a creature to survive without normal metabolic sources of energy for a time.

   Roleplaying allows the user to summon popular “roles” into his or her own body, granting him or her-self temporary skills (and, unfortunately, magic/2 points worth of personality traits and flaws) appropriate to the chosen role. Oddly enough, practitioners have only a limited range of roles available at first, and gain only modest bonuses. Over time, such roles tend to strengthen – eventually beginning to include minor attribute modifiers and physical changes. If a role is banished (their effective strength is equal to the user’s magic rating), the user will suffer a serious shock, having to resist (Magic)S physical damage.

   Spirit Shaping lets you give the spirits you summon additional powers. Each level of Spiritshaping gives you access to two powers, and lets you give the spirits you summon one extra power from among those you have selected. Note that the user is NOT restricted to the base list of abilities: unique talents – inhabiting vehicles, providing a sensory link and the ability to remote-direct them in the use of your skills, carrying spells, and many other powers are entirely possible. Another advanced power allows the user to bestow extra powers on any spirit that you gain control of.

   Tolling makes the various uses of Conjuration into non-exclusive magical actions. Advanced versions allow the user to infuse other magical effects with an intelligence of their own, rather like a watchers – but any dice devoted to such a purpose must be subtracted from whatever other magical skill is in use. Intelligent effects can locate targets and deliver themselves, just as watchers can. Rumors of magicians able to bestow intelligence and mobility on mana storms, background counts, and natural magical phenomena are hopefully just that – rumors.

Advanced Conjuration Abilities:

   Blessing; is normally used to enhance the targets karma pool or (traditionally) to offer slight benefits across a lengthy period of time. Upgrades include the ability to reduce target numbers, to increase target numbers, to extend the duration of the effect, to guard the recipient against accidents, and to allow the user to spend karma to obtain minor strokes of good fortune.

   Circle Casting allows the user to create and sustain temporary astral barriers and filters. Upgrades include (1) the ability to maintain and repair such constructs more readily, (2) to generate and sustain purely astral foci, (3) to create structures that draw energy from the things inside them, and (4) to create constructs that can be reinforced with physical energies.

   Cleansing allows the user to remove signatures, dampen magical disturbances, and wipe away psychic traces. Upgrades allow the user to create false evidence, to remove astral trails, and to remove permanent magical effects other than healing.

   Compelling allows the user to attempt to command spirits with bodies – including people – although the duration is short and the effects are limited. Upgrades include the ability to lay post-“hypnotic” commands, to exorcize possessing spirits more easily, the ability to (1) command normal animals, and (2) to command swarms and flocks.

   Gathering allows the user to summon a power pool before spellcasting that can be used to either aid the spell, briefly sustain a successful spell, or reduce the drain. Upgraded versions can be used to (1) upgrade the force of the spell, (2) to enhance the number of dice rolled in casting it, (3) to upgrade the force or successes of an already-cast spell, (4) to expand a single-target spell to a small area effect.

   Hosting allows the user to let a common spirit inhabit his or her body and enhance its abilities, whether or not it normally has such a power. Upgrades include the ability to (1) maintain control in the face of more powerful spirits, (2) to restrict spirits attempting possession or inhabitation to simply being hosted, (3) to attempt to force nearby spirits into your body temporarily, and (4) to restrain them there for lengthy periods.

   Invoking allows the user to conjure “great form” spirits. It must be taken separately for each basic type of spirit the user can summon.

   Naming is the ability to deduce, or bestow, true names. Upgrades include the ability to alter true names, to enchant by naming, and to create nymic items.

   Oathbinding allows the user to either call on “higher powers” to enforce an agreement or to bind magical energy to the auras of a willing set of participants in such a way that disrupting the link it creates between them will cause it to ground through the disruptive element, possibly gravely harming them. In practice, it simply adds a bit of mystical enforcement to an agreement. The basic version covers two people and simply inflicts damage on the one who violates the agreement. More advanced versions can cover larger groups, inflict lasting injuries, (1) burn away magic rating/force or other attributes, or even (2) essence. While there are rumors of actual spell effects, or even of being visited by nightly spirits determined to wreak ghastly vengeance, these are presumably just rumors. It is possibly to escape from a forced oath without harm, but it is never easy. Willingly-given oaths are inescapable.

   Pacting allows the creation of a link with a willing free spirit that enhances the abilities of both parties. It must be taken once per spirit to be pacted with.

   Tolling is the ability to contact major magical beings using simply names. It can be upgraded to contact personifications of natural forces, but each such force to be contacted requires a separate upgrade.

   Transcending is the ability to summon a new spirit type. This may be taken repeatedly until the user can summon every known kind of spirit – and presumably as often as new types can be found.