Note that the Q&A for Rune Priests also applies to Rune Lords.
Rune Priests – Allying a Spirit (page 277)
Correction
To determine whether the attempt works, the priest must persuade the spirit by defeating the spirit’s (POW+INT)/2 with their (POW+CHA)/2 as a resistance roll.
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Allied Spirits & DEX
Allied spirits don’t have DEX.
Those in animals have DEX.
Do we use the Adventurer DEX SR to calculate when a spell can be cast by an allied spirit ?
Allied spirits in animals, use the animal’s DEX, an allied spirit in an object uses the Ally’s DEX (uses the ally’s senses)
Allied Spirits & POW
If the POW of the animal is different to 3D6, does an allied spirit have the POW of the animal?
No, it uses the allied spirit’s POW. As before:
Allied spirits are spirits sent by the deity to inhabit animals or sacred cult objects.
Allied Spirits, page 277
POW varies depending on who the allied spirit is for. The two main sections for allied spirits are:
Rune Priests – Allying a Spirit, page 277.
Rune Lords – Allying a Spirit, page 280.
Can Allied Spirits improve their POW in between adventures like adventurers do ?
My initial response to this is that only when they get POW experience rolls.
I would not give them automatic POW improvement rolls between adventures or at Sacred Time, however.
Disembodied spirits can increase their POW by successful use of it, but their POW gain roll is only 5%.
RuneQuest Bestiary, page 164
So the same goes for Allied Spirits?
No. Allied Spirits inhabit animals or sacred cult objects (RQG page 227) and are not disembodied. Treat them as normal.
Allied Spirits & CHA
Can Allied Spirits improve their CHA by training/learning like adventurers do ?
Maybe only in certain circumstances, but it would vary wildly from cult to cult. Are spirits literate? Can they read scrolls of training? Who is going to do this training?
If I had to rule, I’d say either the adventurer gets to do their training/learning and their spirit just remains static or the adventurer is spending their entire time coaxing their allied spirit through the process and cannot do the training/learning themselves.
Disembodiment
Is the allied spirit disembodied ?
No. Allied Spirits inhabit animals or sacred cult objects (RQG page 227) and are not disembodied.
Allied spirit elementals
What size is an allied spirit elemental?
Check the maximum elemental size that can be summoned in the cult write-up. Eg
| Deity | Elemental |
|---|---|
| Argan Argar | Darkness elemental (small or medium) |
| Babeester Gor | Earth elemental (small) |
| Engizi | Water elemental (small or medium) |
| Ernalda | Earth elemental (any size) |
Now choose which size you want.
Is it permanently incorporated or does it spend time discorporate or in an object?
Allied spirits are spirits sent by the deity to inhabit animals or sacred cult objects.
Allied Spirits, page 277
In this case an elemental.
However, some spirits (such as elementals, dryads, nymphs and other genius loci) can incorporate in the Material World, taking physical substance from their chosen matter.
Bestiary, embodied spirits, page 176
What are it’s stats? Does it have the normal 3D6 POW of an allied spirit?
Yes and No.
Rune Lord & Rune Priest Allied spirits are different
Yes, so a large Earth Elemental would have:
For a Rune Priest: STR 3D6+18, INT of 2D6+6, CHA of 3D6 & POW of 3D6.
For a Rune Lord: STR 3D6+18, INT of 2D6+6, CHA of 3D6 & POW of 3D6+6
if it is ‘killed’ through hit point loss, is it permanently dead and you need to do something heroic to gain a new allied spirit, or does it just need to be resummoned?
When an elemental has been reduced to 0 hit points, it dissolves. Its spirit returns to its realm, from where it may be summoned again to inhabit another volume of material.
Bestiary, General properties, page 176
It returns to the divine realm it came from (as it’s a divine companion).
If an allied spirit is killed or destroyed, a new one may be obtained, but this is a matter for heroic deeds on the part of the priest.
Allied Spirits, page 277
Is the allied spirit the elemental itself or does the allied spirit take the control of the “body” of the elemental like an allied spirit takes the control of an alynx or a sword “body”.
per RQG 277: Allied spirits are spirits sent by the deity to inhabit animals or sacred cult objects.
In the case of elementals, the elemental could be the allied spirit itself sent by the deity or it could occupy an elemental the adventurer already has. Note that in the first case, the elemental will conform to the size available to the deity. For example Orlanth Adventureous is restricted to medium air elementals, while Orlanth Thunderous, large. In the second case it might be possible for an adventurer to acquire a larger elemental than their god provides (via an associate cult or other means), then they can put the allied spirit into it.
Finally with the first case, the god may send a larger (or even smaller) elemental than the maximum available, but that’s a roleplaying hook.
What happens if the elemental, for any reason (destruction, ban, choice, …), leaves the mundane world and its body?
The allied spirit is gone per page 277: If an allied spirit is killed or destroyed, a new one may be obtained, but this is a matter for heroic deeds on the part of the priest.
An allied spirit in a cat is “lost” when the cat dies (leaves the mundane world). The owner needs a DI or powerful ceremonies (not defined by the rules I think) to get back to the mundane world the allied spirit.
They have to get a new one (as above: a new one may be obtained) . They don’t get the same one back.
There is no option (except DI, etc…) to transfer the spirit into another body even if the body is not dead
The only option is heroic deeds on the part of the priest. (or Rune Lord)
Is it the same with elementals ?
Yes.
is it different if the spirit is the elemental ?
No.
do you just have to summon it – you know its name and it is, after all, an elemental like other
In the second case (see above) It’s gone, you only get the same elemental back if it isn’t dead, and even then it’s without the allied spirit
If it’s from the first case, you’ll have to do heroic deeds to get another one sent by the god.
– no need to DI to get it back
At the option of your GM. I wouldn’t personally allow a DI to save an allied spirit, I prefer the heroic deeds on the part of the priest option. (or Rune Lord). You’ve lost the precious gift sent to you by your god, you convinced it to ally with you and now it’s gone – lots to atone for there and plenty of roleplaying options.
Also a question of interest – is an allied spirit in an elemental always present in the middle world,
Yes, it’s not subject to the 15 minute Rune spell limit. If you’ve an appropriate enchantment to put it in, it can go there when it needs to retreat. For first case elementals, I would assume you get a cool storage item. For second case ones, you may need to supply your own or have one already.
or can they retreat to the spirit world when their physical form is inconvenient?
It can do but will need some appropriate element to be available (which may or may not be problematic).
Allied spirits as cult initiates
As allied spirits are cult initiates of their cult do they begin with 3 rune points as adventurers do?
No, those rules are for creating adventurers.
As GM I’d say they begin with the common knowledge Rune spells, and their adventurer “ally” can decide to sacrifice their own or the spirit’s POW for more Rune points and spells. If desired, the GM can decide that the allied spirit comes with a reasonable number of other Rune spells.
This is somewhat moot as the adventurer can cast spells through the allied spirit, and thus it has access to all of the adventurer’s Rune spells.
To me, it would make more sense for the adventurer to learn the new spell, which gives both the spirit and the adventurer access to the spell.
Does that mean an allied spirit can learn a Rune Spell ?
Yes, however it will have access to the same spells as its ally, so only the Rune points are important.
Allied spirits and bound spirits
Is there a difference between allied spirits and bound spirits, as the main difference seems to be rune level access and rune magic access in the spirit.
Yes. Allied spirits are initiates in the cult they are part of.
How do you bind an Allied spirit?
While I understand the enchantment ritual, I couldn’t find the exact way to bind a spirit.
Allied Spirits aren’t bound, they are persuaded.
Pages 277 & 280
Attempting to ally a spirit resembles attempting to bind it, but involves persuasion rather than combat.
But the spell Spirit Binding, when can it actually be used (assuming you have an item or animal ready)? Does a spirit have to be defeated in spirit combat first? Or does the spell require a successful POW vs POW? Or is it automatic success? Seems unlikely to me. Command Cult Spirit seems to mention POW vs POW.
There is no resistance roll, but a persuasion roll:
To determine whether the attempt works, the priest must persuade the spirit by defeating the spirit’s (POW+INT)/2 with their (POW+CHA)/2 as a resistance roll.
pages 277 & 280
Please note that an allied spirit is not summoned:
Allied spirits are spirits sent by the deity
…
When a priest first obtains their office, they can attempt to gain an allied spirit as part of the investment ceremony.
page 277
Sources of animals for Allied spirits
Also, to get an allied spirits you need to be Rune Level as I understand it, does the animals get provided by the cult? Shadowcat, bear, for Odayla?
Depending on the cult, they will either provide the object or animal, or the adventurer will provide their own specially prepared animal or item:
Many cults provide an allied spirit for their Rune Priests.
Allied spirits are spirits sent by the deity to inhabit animals or sacred cult objects.
These creatures and objects are always appropriate to the cult.
page 277
Allied Spirits and the Mindlink
If I have Shield up, and my embodied Allied spirit is hit by a Befuddle spell, am I also Befuddled? And vice versa?
No, it’s mind-to-mind communication, you are not part of a Gestalt unless your GM rules otherwise .
Can my embodied Allied spirit cast (presumably helpful) spells on me (“through the ally (and vice versa)”) without worrying about defensive magics such as Shield and Countermagic?
Yes, unless your GM rules otherwise.
Would it matter if the Ally is in contact with you (say, in your Sword) or separate (in a bird)?
No, although spell ranges would matter.
In a combat situation, does ann adventurer need to “spend” some ranks when asking/commanding is Allied Spirit to cast a spell ?
No, it’s instant. The spirit can either use the ally’s senses or its own if it has them.
Are the Adventurer and the Allied Spirit fusional and both can use each other’s magical abilities, including spell knowledge, magic points, and Rune points… They can cast spells through the spirit (and vice versa) at any distance, if the adventurer knows Bladesharp and Coordination, Axe Trance and True Axe and the Allied Spirit knows Repair and Strength and Berserker
Yes.
Death of an Allied spirit
Does this mean if the actual spirit is destroyed (i.e. POW reduced to 0) or is this referring to the vessel that the spirit inhabits (e.g. killing the shadowcat or breaking the sword)?
Allied spirits are spirits sent by the deity to inhabit animals or sacred cult objects.
Allying a Spirit, page 277
Once the spirit is in the object or animal, it is the object or animal. It becomes corporate and is no longer a spirit. In the case of elementals, it becomes an Embodied Spirit.
If the animal or elemental is killed or the object is broken, it departs back to the divine realm. Note that a sword at 0 hp is not broken, just unusable:
A weapon with 0 or more hit points can be repaired “in the field” with a suitable Craft roll (see page 185). Like a human limb, a weapon can take damage equal to its normal hit points below 0.
page 200
If someone sent their awakened elemental allied spirit into combat and it was killed, would they lose that allied spirit and have to quest for a new one?
Yes. It’s not a bound spirit.
or could they just resummon the elemental?
Yes. As an aside you don’t just resummon the same elemetal when it dies, you summon a different one. But you can’t just rebind the divine spirit into a new elemental, it’s gone:
If an allied spirit is killed or destroyed, a new one may be obtained, but this is a matter for heroic deeds on the part of the priest.
Allied Spirits, page 277
Allied Spirits & the Relationship to their Rune Level
I would like to know what kind of relationship an adventurer and their Allied spirit has. Are they fusional ?
No they are separate, but are in continual mind-to-mind communication with their Rune level.
Does a allied spirit know or feel when to automatically cast heal on Their Rune Level. Does a allied spirit needs orders or can he act on his own ?
Yes, it has it and should be treated as a separate character controlled by the player.
Allied Spirits & Spirit Magic Spell casting
Is the adventurer’s POWx5 is used if the adventurer is casting the spell. If the spirit or allied spirit casts the spell, its his/its POWx5. Is the statement correct ?
Yes.
- Can the allied spirit cast the adventurers spell on the adventurer: Strength, Coordination?
- Can the allied spirit cast the adventurer’s Coordination on the adventurer using adventurer’s Magic Point Pool?
- Can the allied spirit cast the adventurer’s Coordination on the adventurer using its Magic Point Pool?
- Can the allied spirit cast the adventurer’s Coordination on the adventurer using adventurer’s Magic Point Pool?
- Can the allied spirit cast the adventurer’s Bladesharp or Repair on the adventurer’s sword?
Yes, however note that if the Rune level is unconscious and the allied spirit has no senses, it will not be able to see what’s going on.
Can the adventurer cast on himself Bladsharp and in parallel his allied spirit cast Strength on Haloric ?
yes
Allied Spirits & Rune Magic Spell casting
Can an allied spirit casts one of its adventurer‘s Rune Spells ?
Yes
If yes, does it use it’s Rune Points or the Rune level’s Rune Points?
Either
If yes, does it use it’s Runes or the Rune level’s Runes?
The Rune level’s.
If you want a lot more complexity add some. As allied spirits are initiates, you can assume that they have at least one of the cult’s runes at 50%+. Note that most animals in RQB have no Runes listed, so they need training up.
Can an allied spirit cast its adventurer‘s Axe Trance, defined as Self ?
Technically no, but many GMs would allow this.
Can an allied spirit cast its adventurer‘s True Axe, defined as Touch ?
Yes, if an animal, maybe if an object (in this case if the allied spirit is in the axe, yes)
Can an allied spirit cast its adventurer’s Berserker on the adventurer ?
Yes, it’s a ranged spell.
Allied Spirits & Associated Rune Magic Spell casting
Can an allied spirit know spells from an associated cult?
No, but they can cast any Rune spells their Rune level knows.
Note that a GM can have allied spirits learning Rune magic, and also from associated cults if they desire in their games.
Allied Spirits & Sorcery
What’s the intent with Allied Spirits and sorcery,
Allied spirits may not use or learn sorcery.
Allied spirits are divine sent. When they arrive and are allied by a Rune level, their only is aspect is that they are an initiate of the god’s cult. They have no abilities, or any form of magic. As initiates, they may sacrifice for Rune points, but do not begin with any.
However, GMs are free to ignore these limitations in their own games, and have sorcery using allied spirits, by whatever method they wish.
Can an allied spirit cast spells when their Runemaster is incapacitated?
It has INT and could in that case use spells like Dismiss Magic and Heal Wound.
Maybe:
An allied spirit is in continual mind-to-mind communication with the priest. They can use each other’s magical abilities, including spell knowledge, magic points, and Rune points. The priest can see through the ally’s senses (and vice versa). A priest can cast spells through the ally (and vice versa) at any distance.
Allied Spirits, page 277
If the applied spirit in an object with no eyes then it can’t use the Rune master’s senses to target spells. Otherwise animals, birds, etc will have no problem.
Allied spirits & Accessing spells in a Matrix
Can an allied spirit cast a spell that is stored in a spell matrix, assuming the character is in physical contact with the matrix?
No for an allied spirit, per RQG 277 & 280: They can use each other’s magical abilities. A matrix is external and not part of the Rune priest or lord. However if they are in a creature with hands (or equivalent), or wearing the item, they can use the item independently (using their own Magic points for a Spirit Magic Matrix and the integral Rune points for a Rune Magic Matrix).
Allied spirits & Improving their abilities
Do allied spirits have the same chance of improving their skills as adventurers?
- Yes – If they are in animals, and they have appropriately used their abilities to gain an experience check. They may aso receive POW checks if they have appropriately used it.
- Maybe – if they are in objects, and they have appropriately used their abilities to gain an experience check. Note that objects are less likely to have skills, as they gain their perception of the world from their Rune level. They may aso receive POW checks if they have appropriately used it.
- No – the GM can just say no to allied spirit development, sometimes it’s just extra work to develop everything.
If an Ernalda priestess has a snake familiar, should it just start with a decent set of physical skills (hide, search, track, etc.) and be stuck with them,
No, see above.
or does it start with basic skills and improve them over time as usual?
Yes. If they successfully ally an allied spirit, in your example – give them an Esrolian Python (W&E 46), then as it says, use the stats from RQB 160. Rollup the snakes stats from there, using the INT, POW and CHA rolls from the appropriate Rune level section (note that Rune priest and Rune lord allied spirits have different POW). I’d suggest that you assume that the skills include the category modifiers and develop from there.
Rune Lords – Allying a Spirit (page 280)
Correction
To determine whether the attempt works, the Rune Lord must persuade the spirit by defeating the spirit’s (POW+INT)/2 with their (POW+CHA)/2 as a resistance roll.
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