Spirit combat and movement

[Manu]

In another topic, Joerg described how he played spirit attacks : the spirit is totally enveloping the target (making it very difficult to be hit by physical weapon)

It make me think : can spirits pass through walls, ceiling, floor? Can it pass through living object? When it is visible? Can it do what Joerg said? I didn't see anywhere a description of how spirits moves.

 

[Pheres]

I have no answer based on rules, but in Glorantha, all things can be linked to a kind of spirit, so perhaps we can say that a spirit can pass through walls, or other things, but if the wall is linked to a spirit, the both have to fight if the first one want to pass through.

[Manu]

1 minute ago, Pheres said:

I have no answer based on rules, but in Glorantha, all things can be linked to a kind of spirit, so perhaps we can say that a spirit can pass through walls, or other things, but if the wall is linked to a spirit, the both have to fight if the first one want to pass through.

Then a spirit attacking a human must defeat the human 'spirit' before going into it... it make sens. But the spirit can easily 'surround' the victim while attacking it (as it has no precise shape)

 

I like the idea so far

[Bill the barbarian]

28 minutes ago, Manu said:

Then a spirit attacking a human must defeat the human 'spirit' before going into it... it make sens. But the spirit can easily 'surround' the victim while attacking it (as it has no precise shape)

 

Good answer,

Now this is also based on what I think is common sense, To go through something or act like a spirit I would imagine the critter would have to be insolvent and that means in the spirit plane and invisible and immune to creatures that can not see it on the spirit plane, without magics to make it visible again or see it where it is. 

Unfortunately as is the case with a good question it leads to another. What happens to a spirit that against its will becomes corporeal in an item as a really of magic? I am guessing no damage, and of course it can always go bask to the spirt plane after the magic is gone, but that is only guess work.   

[Joerg]

5 hours ago, Manu said:

In another topic, Joerg described how he played spirit attacks : the spirit is totally enveloping the target (making it very difficult to be hit by physical weapon)

Not exactly. I described how you can play spirit attacks to make the Humakti Iron Truesword less of a Spirit Screen.

But it is congruent with how Fire, Darkness and Moon elementals attack.

Spirits associated with dangerous beasts will use the beast's natural attacks as their first choice in spirit combat. (Where "swallow" is of course an enveloping attack.) Spirits associated with plants may send out tendrils wrapping around the victim - an enveloping attack, but with different visuals. Spirits associated with elements may copy the attack pattern of the elementals (again enveloping effects).

 

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It make me think : can spirits pass through walls, ceiling, floor?

This is what ghosts are notorious for, isn't it?

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Can it pass through living object?

Depending on its nature, yes. A plant spirit should be able to hide in trees, roots, foliage. A beast spirit might not. Plant spirits can (and should) hide in the ground, attacking with tendrils.

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When it is visible?

While it is not visible, a spirit can change its location unless the target location is warded off. If the intercepting ward is just a wall, the invisible spirit may take a detour, possibly delaying its arrival in the desired position.

When visible, I'd use what I said above. If the spirit/ghost is bound to the location, then the location becomes its extended abode, and it (including the spriits of plants in it, unless plants with special spirit blocking abilities) should be permeable even when visible.

There could be a special weed or flower that (while alive) makes passage for spirits impossible or painful to the effect of the spirit losing an MP. Popular with ghost-hunting Humakti, I would guess. Elder (the berry-bearing bush) might have that property, too. Possibly even when dead.

Another variant could be a mold that traps a spirit inside a corpse if applied soon after or even before the body's demise. Might be a nasty Black Elf surprise, and one of the things that saves them from troll predation.

 

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Can it do what Joerg said? I didn't see anywhere a description of how spirits moves.

I left some of those remarks as a question. I wouldn't hesitate to run an RQ3 spirit encounter the way I wrote, but I am not yet as familiar with RQG.

Edited December 30, 2019 by Joerg
added link to the referenced post, rather than quoting it.

[Bill the barbarian]

1 minute ago, Joerg said:

Spirits associated with dangerous beasts will use the beast's natural attacks as their first choice in spirit combat. (Where "swallow" is of course an enveloping attack.) Spirits associated with plants may send out tendrils wrapping around the victim - an enveloping attack, but with different visuals. Spirits associated with elements may copy the attack pattern of the elementals (again enveloping effects).

 

Yes, add a little effect to your mechanism.

Manu, the powers that be have said they will not be adding sensory effects to the spells, but that the individual GMs would be able to shape the look and feel (best expression I could think of  quickly) of what the observers perceive. For example, if you wish lightsaber sounds on your bladesharped blade, make it so. If it has no impact on game play they are leaving it in your capable hands. What Joerg is saying would be sensible to any, has no impact on game play and adds flavour,  have them appear as tendrils or an enveloping maw if it gets the feeling across better.  Beats the hell out of generic roleplaying to me.The added effects are like seasoning a meal, completely unnecessary, but oh, so much better.

[Shiningbrow]

16 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Yes, add a little effect to your mechanism.

Manu, the powers that be have said they will not be adding sensory effects to the spells, but that the individual GMs would be able to shape the look and feel (best expression I could think of  quickly) of what the observers perceive. For example, if you wish lightsaber sounds on your bladesharped blade, make it so. If it has no impact on game play they are leaving it in your capable hands. What Joerg is saying would be sensible to any, has no impact on game play and adds flavour,  have them appear as tendrils or an enveloping maw if it gets the feeling across better.  Beats the hell out of generic roleplaying to me.The added effects are like seasoning a meal, completely unnecessary, but oh, so much better.

They DO have significant in-game effects that should be sorted out before the game starts. 

E.g., if Bladesharp has that effect, then it's going to change the way the player uses it, or what they'll do if the NPC enemy comes towards them with a vibrating buzzy sword.

If spirits can move through walls, then it changes the way some combats will work... 

I do agree that it's ultimately up to GM.