Spirit Magic Control Spell

[Ryan Kent]

What use is the spirit magic spell Control (Any Corporeal Entity)?  For corporeal entities, the requirement that you first reduce the magic points of the target to 0 in spirit combat means that it will be unconscious before you can control it. Unlike non-corporeal entities bound in an item, you can't use the control spell to have them come out of the item to do your bidding and then return.

 

[Baron Wulfraed]

Heh... If we were in Haiti, I'd say the spell is used to create (original/classical) zombies.

[tnli]

Unless I'm missing something, the spell seems pretty useless against corporeal entities.

First you need to be able to initiate spirit combat against them, so you need to have some way of discorporating. (So, be a shaman, or use drugs, or cast the Discorporate spell). 

Second, you need to beat your target in spirit combat, that is, reduce them to 0 magic points. 

Third, you need to cast the spell. 

Fourth, you may still need to beat them in POW vs POW, as that is usual for all spells. I would probably rule that the spirit combat is sufficient, and no need for the POW vs POW. 

Fifth, the target is now unconscious, and will not recover until they gain at least 1 magic point, which usually takes (24 / their POW) hours, eg. 2 hours for someone with POW 12. Did I already mention that the spell only lasts for 2 minutes? — That said, if you are a shaman with the spell extension -ability, it's actually not too bad: beat someone in spirit combat, cast the spell, and for the cost of one spell extension slot, you have a new friend for as long as you want. 

For everybody else, it looks like the only useful forms of this spell are ones that control beings such as discorporate spirits or elementals, and even then it's only useful for controlling one's that are already bound! 

[g33k]

I might speculate that when your target hits 0MP and falls unconscious, the discorporate shaman can then virtually possess it, maybe investing 1 MP every hour or so, to animate the unconscious body...?  Once it has an MP, it isn't unconscious anymore... but it's the MP of the "Control (entity)" caster...

But frankly that's just an ad hoc idea, that I made up just now!

I suggest posting this question to the official "Core Rules ii" thread, I think...  https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/13124-runequest-core-rules-questions-ii/

 

[Joerg]

Dominant Possession doesn't seem to require any "Control" spells. The formerly discorporate being enters the host and takes over its bodily functions, with the original owner unable to steer it.

The possessing entity's MP appear to overwrite those of the original owner. No idea whose POW is used for regenerating them, though.

If the possessing entity has left their own body through some form of Discorporation, that body will deteriorate in the absence of the spirit.