Spirit Magic as a psi ability

Author: Prince Charon; Thread Title: (Psionics) 'Spirit Magic' as a psi ability
The presence of Spirit Communication in the Psionic Powers book (and Astral Projection in general) opens the door to psi-based spirit magic of various types. This thread is focused on astral spirits as Allies, and the use of Modular Abilities to allow the sort of adaptability that we tend to see in fictional spellcasters. Using them as Allies also allows for the variability of capability that we sometimes see in comic books and other fiction: Why did Professor Odd not cast the spell he did a few issues ago, that would have seemingly fit this situation better? The spirit-ally that supplies it is not available right nowThis does put some more burden on the GM, but I suggest that for minor effects, there's no need to create a character sheet for the spirit. For anything bigger, the player and GM should create a few templates before the first game you're going to use the character in (and before other games, when you get ideas), and just adapt or modify them to fit. GURPS Horror (4e) has a number of useful templates for this purpose, as does GURPS Spirits (3e), if you're willing to convert them, or found a conversion someone else made. Likewise, non-spirit templates can be adapted with a Spirit meta-trait. Ghostdancer did a helpful chart for ally/familiar/dependent costs in his blog (scroll down a little), which I highly recommend.
==Spirit Magic==
*Spirit Magic (Cosmic Modular Abilities; Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Allies with Summonable and Minion, -50%; Requires <Attribute> Roll, -10%) 1 [3]
Notes: A basic, generic example of this psi ability, based on Astral Projection due to where the spirits are assumed to exist in most psi-based settings (could also be based on ESP like Spirit Communication, or on Telepathy). The required skill might be something mystical like Occultism, Ritual Magic, or Symbol-Drawing, something more scientific like Computer Programming, Expert Skill (Psionics), or Mathematics, or something totally other, like Dancing, Gambling, or Singing (hence not specifying the attribute). Likewise, it might be a language, or some form of Trigger (Basic Set p115) item or condition (like a deck of cards or a smartphone, going skyclad, or using a specific drug or drugs), or a combination of several (e.g. Dancing skyclad around the sacred fire and inhaling the sacred smoke from the sacred herbs, while chanting in the Sacred Tongue).
Of course, you can replace 'Astral Projection, -10%' with 'Magic, -10%,' 'Spirit, -10%,' 'Divine, -10%,' or 'Diabolical, -10%' (though I'd suggest adding 'Corrupting, -20%' to the latter), and have pretty much the same ability, if you want to use it in a non psi-focused setting.
Talents may affect the base skill when used for spirit magic, even if they would not affect it otherwise: Astral Projection Talent would of course count, but so would Psychokinesis Talent, if the effect you are trying to create uses that power. This occurs even if the base skill normally has nothing to do with psionics, such as Dancing or Computer Programming.
Whatever skill or characteristic is used, I recommend that critical failures be rolled on the Spirit-Oriented Magic Table (Thaumatology p260), unless otherwise noted.
== Less Generic Examples ==
Some less generic examples are below, and later posts will include some characters with this ability:
===Applied Parapsychology===
* Applied Parapsychology (Cosmic Modular Abilities; Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Allies with Summonable and Minion, -50%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 1 [3]
Notes: This is what might be called scientific spirit magic. The base skill for this ability is Expert Skill (Psionics), while Autohypnosis and Meditation are Complementary skills. The psi may or may not be aware that he or she is creating thoughtforms, depending on how they interact with them.
===Huckster===
* Huckster (Cosmic Modular Abilities; Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Allies with Summonable and Minion, -50%; Trigger: poker hand, -10%) 1 [3]
Notes: Inspired by the Hucksters from Deadlands and GURPS Deadlands, the caster must draw a few cards from a standard card deck to summon spirits. I suggest using an actual deck, and using the hand to replace Frequency of Appearance rolls.
===Elementalist===
* Elementalist (Modular Abilities, Slotted Cosmic Power)
# Slot 1 (Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Air Aspected Allies with Summonable, -50%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 2 [5]
# Slot 2 (Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Earth Aspected Allies with Summonable, -50%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 2 [5]
# Slot 3 (Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Fire Aspected Allies with Summonable, -50%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 4 [8]
# Slot 4 (Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Water Aspected Allies with Summonable, -50%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 3 [7]
# Slot 5 (Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Æther Aspected Allies with Summonable, -50%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%) 6 [11]
Notes: Each aspect is technically a different power, with a different base skill. All Elemental spirits have PK abilities aspected for their element (often including Body of <Element>), but they also have abilities associated with that element:
The Air aspected spirits tend to have EK and ESP abilities, Defensive Telepathic abilities, and may have Weather Control; flight is almost universal among them, and Enhanced Move (Air) is very common; many have informational abilities from other powers. The base skill is Philosophy (Peripateticism).
The Earth aspected spirits often have PK Shield and EK Shield, and magnetism-related EK abilities; many also have unaspected PK abilities, but very few have Levitation - Tunneling and Enhanced Move (Ground) or (Underground) are fairly common, though. The base skill is Philosophy (Stoicism).
The Fire aspected spirits generally have Offensive Telepathic abilities, as well as Exoteleport (Flammable materials only); some have Autoteleport (Between fires only), and Levitation is common. The base skill is Philosophy (Cynicism).
The Water aspected spirits frequently have Psychic Healing and Psychic Vampirism abilities; very few have Levitation, but nearly all have Enhanced Move (Water). The base skill is Philosophy (Sophism).
The Æther aspected spirits have Telepathic and Probability Alteration abilities, along with Meta-Psi (Anti-Psi plus abilities that enhance or otherwise modify other psi abilities; limitation is 'Meta-Psi, -10%'), and are the only type of Elemental to lack Body of <Element>, as they are made of Æther to start with. The base skill is Philosophy (Neoplatonism).
===Demon Summoning===
# Demon Summoning (Cosmic Modular Abilities; Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Demonic Allies with Summonable, -50%; Corrupting, -20%; Nuisance Effect: Must chant in backwards Latin, -5%) 5 [10]
Notes: This ability is built with the assumption that the user is young and foolish (or just a fool), either believing that summoning demons is 'cool and edgy,' that the demons are 'misunderstood,' or mistaking the demons for angels or other 'helpful/friendly' spirits... or is so arrogant as to think they can deal with demons and not suffer horrific consequences. The Nuisance Effect may be replaced with another appropriate limitation, such as 'Trigger: Ouija board,' but unless the GM waves the '-80%' rule, it won't make the ability any cheaper.
Critical failures should be rolled on the Black Critical Table (Magic (4e) p157) or the Diabolic/Horrific Table (Thaumatology p258).
===Sacred Dance===
* Sacred Dance (Cosmic Modular Abilities; Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Allies with Summonable, -40%; Requires DX Roll, -10%; Triggers: Must be nude (Very Common, -10%) and inhale smoke from sacred herbs (Common, -20%); Nuisance Effect: Must chant in the Sacred Tongue, -5%) 1 [1]
Notes: The extreme example from a few paragraphs up. I'm partially waving the '-80%' rule, setting it to -90%, due to how inconvenient it is. This is a religious or semi-religious act, and thus the spirits summoned are often not minions. The Dancer need only know the Sacred Tongue at Broken; if Accented or Native comprehension were required, the limitation would be -10%.
I recommend using the "Clerical" TableThaumatology p. 257 for critical failures.
===Clouds and Rain===
* Clouds and Rain (Cosmic Modular Abilities; Astral Projection, -10%; Only for Allies with Summonable, -40%; Requires DX Roll, -10%; Trigger: Sex (Very Common), -10%) 3 [9]
Notes: The name is a sexual reference in parts of Asia (and one without the much wider implications that calling it 'tantric' would have), for the base skill of this ability is Erotic Art. Most spirits summoned in this manner will have Psychic Healing abilities (and related powers like Biokinesis, Psychometabolism, and Psychic Vampirism), though other powers are certainly possible, as humans being humans, everything is sexual to someone.
== References ==