SR5:Mentor Spirits

In the search for magical enlightenment, affiliation, or purpose, many Awakened individuals are drawn toward certain animals, mythological figures, or concepts. This may be an idol they grew up with, a tribal totem, or something they look up to achieve in their life. It could also relate to their religious or magical beliefs. So strong are the feelings for this person or idea that once the individual Awakens, the idea takes a life on its own. It becomes what is known as a mentor spirit.

This mentor spirit is much like other spirits in that it has its own personality, but it’s not a spirit in the summon-and-banish sense of the term. It can be seen and heard by those it chooses, and even physically interact with its followers. Your mentor spirit can have significant influence over you, giving you benefits when you remain true or punishing you if you go astray (usually with temporary reductions to your Magic rating).

Magical mentorship can come in different forms. Often you have your own link to your mentor spirit, but an Awakened guild or society can become linked to a mentor spirit as a group.

There is no real understanding of the nature of mentor spirits, but their general goal is clear: They want to keep Awakened individuals on the path that helped introduce the mentor spirit to the Earth in the first place. For gamemasters, mentor spirits can be used as a tool to communicate information to the magician and enhance role-playing. The mentor spirit can provide cryptic clues, riddles, omens, and sometimes even straightforward advice. Any Awakened character can connect with a mentor spirit by taking the Mentor Spirit quality (p. 76). Gamemasters may also choose to award mentor spirits in the course of role playing, provided the player character has done enough to deserve it.

THE DARKER SIDE OF MENTOR SPIRITS Some say that mentor spirits are merely forces of nature. Some say that they are entities in their own right, guiding their chosen Awakened like loving parents. Some say that there is no single Bear or Eagle spirit, but that there are many such spirits who are called the same name by ignorant mortals. Everyone agrees that mentor spirits have no direct control over the physical world.

Or do they? Many report that mentor spirits are more than active in our world. Nearly everyone affiliated with a mentor spirit has heard their voice, or seen them. They sometimes appear like shamanic masks on the faces of magicians and adepts who perform great feats of magic. And they do seem to have an agenda.

It is said that those of the Awakened who dabble with tainted magics—reagents made with human bones, rituals performed in polluted areas, spells laced with negative emotions—may attract twisted mentor spirits or awaken the darker twin of their own mentor spirit. They say these mentor spirits lead the Awakened down a dark path with enticements of power.

Or maybe it’s all just a ghost story. Only your gamemaster knows for certain, and she’d never make life tough for your character ... would she?

MENTOR SPIRIT ARCHETYPES Each of the mentor spirits listed here represents an archetype. These archetypes are idealized as totem animals, deities, and forces of nature by different cultures and traditions. The archetypes listed below serve merely as examples of different archetypes and are not meant to apply to all cultures—a totem animal considered a healer in one culture may be considered a deceiver in another. Additional archetypes will be presented in future sourcebooks, and you can always work with your gamemaster to develop a mentor spirit archetype that best fits your character’s outlook.

Each archetype offers three advantages: one general bonus, one bonus that applies only to magicians, and one that applies only to adepts. Mystic adepts must chose either the adept or magician advantage at the time they accept the mentor spirit and can’t change it.

EXAMPLES

Sometimes magicians seek out mentor spirits, but more often mentor spirits call to their people. Here are a couple of examples.

Kato, an adept with an emphasis in the martial arts, has been relentlessly training to break through the plateau of skill on which she has been stuck. She seeks out Thunderbird to help her increase her abilities. One day as she trains, a brightly colored butterfly flits in front of her and she hears—or feels—the words, “The fastest flight is with the wind.” She understands and uses her surroundings in her training, heeding the advice from her mentor spirit and becoming more skilled in her arts.

Falsey is an agoraphobic magician who has been increasingly homebound, spending more and more time playing an AR fantasy role-playing game. He starts seeing increasing numbers of “special quests” that no one else has heard of, all involving leaving his apartment and going to a nearby beach. He avoids these quests, but at one point he finds himself talking to a graphic game character, water spirit. The next thing he knows, the spirit is in his apartment and physically pushing him toward the door of his home. Falsey’s mentor spirit, the Sea, has decided to stop messing around and bring him to the beach for a good long talk.

Each also has a disadvantage and some alternate names or concepts for the mentor spirit, if you don’t feel the given name really fits your tradition. Advantages and disadvantages apply at all times.

Bear

Source

Core

This mentor symbolizes strength and protection. He is a healer and cannot turn down those in need without good reason, and he defends those under his care. Bear is more than a gentle healer; he is a ferocious protector, disregarding his own safety in combat if wounded or if someone he is protecting is injured.

Similar Archetypes

Strength, Protection

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice for tests to resist damage (not including Drain)

Magician

+2 dice for health spells, preparations, and health spell rituals

Adept

1 free level of Rapid Healing

DISADVANTAGES

You might go berserk when you take Physical damage in combat or if someone under your care is badly injured. Make a Simple Charisma + Willpower Test (wound modifiers apply). You go berserk for 3 turns minus 1 turn per hit, so 3 or more hits averts the berserk rage entirely. If you’re already going berserk, increase the duration. When you’re berserk, you go after your attacker(s) without regard for your own safety. If you incapacitate the target(s) before the time is up, the berserk fury dissipates.

Cat

Source

Core

Cat is honored in cultures around the world. Cat is often seen as the guardian of mystical secrets, including those involving the afterlife. She certainly knows many secrets but rarely decides to share them, and never with anyone who is not worthy. She is stealthy, sly, and arrogant. Cat toys with her prey—threatening, taunting, and confusing her targets—rather than going directly for the kill.

Similar Archetypes

Mystery, Stealth

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice to either Gymnastics or Infiltration Tests (choose one)

Magician

+2 dice for illusion spells, preparations, and illusion spell rituals

Adept

2 free levels of Light Body

DISADVANTAGES

Cat magicians toy with their prey. Unless you succeed in a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test at the start of combat, you cannot make an attack that incapacitates your target. If you take any Physical damage, all this playing around stops.

Dog

Source

Core

Dog is a loyal friend. He fights ferociously to defend his home and those under his protection. Dog protects people from harmful magic and dangerous spirits. Dog is loyal, generous, and helpful to those who show him kindness. He is single-minded, often to the point of stubbornness.

Similar Archetypes

Friendship, Loyalty

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice for Tracking tests

Magician

+2 dice for Detection spells, preparations, and rituals.

Adept

2 free Improved Sense powers.

DISADVANTAGES

A Dog magician is stubbornly loyal. You can never leave someone behind, betray your comrades, or let another sacrifice themselves in your place without making a successful Charisma + Willpower (3) Test.

Dragonslayer

Source

Core

This most heroic of mentor spirits is also the most fun loving. Though he fights to protect his own against all dangers, he loves a good party even more. He is a big brother who takes a friendly interest in everything his family does. Though sometimes naïve, he makes a staunch friend and a deadly enemy. The dragons he slays have changed with the times: current beasts include crime, pollution, corruption, and of course, actual dragons. Dragonslayer fights hard and plays hard. Once he has given his oath, he never breaks it. A Dragonslayer magician behaves with honor and respect, and demands the same from those around him.

Similar Archetypes

Heroism, Adventure

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice pool modifier for one social skill of choice

Magician

+2 dice for Combat spells, preparations, and rituals.

Adept

1 free level of Enhanced Accuracy (skill) and 1 free level of Danger Sense

DISADVANTAGES

If you break a promise, whether by choice or by accident, you take a –1 dice pool modifier to all actions until you make good on your promise.

Eagle

Source

Core

Eagle is the highest-flying bird in the sky, considered the most noble by many cultures. He is proud and solitary, and sees everything happening in the world below. Eagles are noble defenders of the purity of nature. They are intolerant of those who do not share their views and have a strong distrust of technology and its tools. Those who damage nature are Eagle’s enemies, and Eagle will brave great danger to defeat polluters and other evildoers.

Similar Archetypes

Nature, Warding

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice to Perception Tests

Magician

+2 dice for summoning spirits of air

Adept

1 free level of Combat Sense

DISADVANTAGES

You get the Allergy (pollutants, mild) quality (p. 322; no bonus Karma for this negative quality).

Fire-bringer

Source

Core

The Fire-Bringer stole the secret of fire from the heavens and gave it to metahumanity as a gift and a tool. He is a figure of kindness and concern, but his good intentions sometimes get him into trouble and his plans may fail to work out the way he envisions them. He is a shaper and a creator, forming new things from the primal clay and breathing the fiery spark of life into them. Fire-Bringers devote themselves to the betterment of others, even at their own expense. Most followers of Fire-Bringer throw themselves into a particular cause with great zeal.

Similar Archetypes

Invention, Generosity

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice to Artisan skill tests or Alchemy skill tests (choose one)

Magician

+2 dice for spells, preparations, and spell rituals in the Manipulation category.

Adept

1 free level of Improved Ability on a non-combat skill

DISADVANTAGES

When someone sincerely asks you for help, you can’t refuse without succeeding in a Simple Charisma + Willpower (3) Test.

Mountain

Source

Core

Mountain is rooted in the very heart of the Earth but reaches toward lofty heights. She has limitless strength and endurance, but Mountain’s inflexible nature limits her. Mountain is a stubborn and unyielding force, and Mountain magicians are difficult to persuade once they have made up their minds about something.

Similar Archetypes

Endurance, Stubbornness

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice to Survival Tests

Magician

+2 dice for Counterspelling Tests and anchored rituals

Adept

1 free level of Mystic Armor

DISADVANTAGES

When a Mountain magician makes a plan, she sticks to it. You must make a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to abandon a planned course of action in favor of a new one. If you fail, you must endeavor to continue with your original plan, even if it means going on alone. Similarly, you must succeed in a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to proceed in anything without a plan.

Rat

Source

Core

Rat is found wherever humans and the things they discard are, for what other bounty can sustain him? Rat is a scavenger, a stealthy thief who takes what he needs to survive. He dislikes working out in the open, preferring to stick to the shadows. Rat avoids fights whenever he can when he must fight, he fights to kill quickly and move on.

Similar Archetypes

Survival, Scavenging

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice for Sneaking Tests

Magician

+2 dice to Alchemy tests when harvesting reagents, and you may use reagents of any tradition

Adept

2 free levels of Natural Immunity

DISADVANTAGES

A Rat magician must make a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to not immediately flee or seek cover whenever caught in a combat situation. If there is nowhere to flee, she is forced to fight.

Raven

Source

Core

Raven is a harbinger of trouble in cultures worldwide. He is a trickster and a transformer, dark and devious. Raven thrives off the bounty of carnage and chaos, but does not cause them—he merely knows an opportunity when he sees one. Raven loves to eat and rarely refuses an offer of food.

Raven is cousin to Coyote, who shares trickster inclinations with Raven but lacks his darkness and propensity for carnage.

Similar Archetypes

Deception, Mischief

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice for Con tests

Magician

+2 dice for spells, preparations, and spell rituals in the Manipulation category.

Adept

Free Traceless Walk and 1 level of Voice Control

DISADVANTAGES

You must make a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to avoid exploiting someone else’s misfortune to your own advantage or to pull a clever trick or prank even if it’s to the disadvantage of your friends.

Sea

Source

Core

Sea is the birthplace of all living creatures. She is unfathomable and moody, tranquil and comforting one moment, fearsome and destructive the next. Though she possesses great wealth, she jealously guards what comes into her hands. Sea can be a powerful ally, but she must be courted with great care.

Similar Archetypes

Chaos, Greed

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice for Swimming Tests.

Magician

+2 for summoning spirits of water

Adept

1 free level of Improved Ability on an athletic skill (select when receiving this bonus).

DISADVANTAGES

You must make a Char isma + Willpower (3) Test to give away something you own or be char itable in some way.

Seducer

Source

Core

The Seducer is the incarnation of desire. He has many whims and vices that he must frequently satisfy. He encourages jealousy and greed, and seeks to inflame the wants of others. He avoids direct confrontation but gains pleasure when others fight for his attention or on his behalf. He exists to exploit weaknesses and will not hesitate to sacrifice those who get in his way.

Similar Archetypes

Seductress, Temptation

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice for Con Tests.

Magician

+2 dice for spells, preparations, and spell rituals of the Illusion category.

Adept

1 free level of Improved Ability for a skill in the Acting or Influence skill group.

DISADVANTAGES

You must succeed in a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to avoid pursuing a vice or indulgence (drugs, BTLs, sex, and so on) when it is made available.

Shark

Source

Core

Shark is a cold and relentless hunter. His power is known to all who live near the sea. When Shark strikes, he does so without mercy, driven into a frenzy by the blood of his prey. Shark magicians tend to be wanderers, always on the move. They are fierce and deadly warriors. A Shark magician believes the only good enemy is a dead enemy. If challenged, he does not waste time with threats or boasts but strikes to kill.

Similar Archetypes

Hunger, Violence

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice to Unarmed Combat tests

Magician

+2 dice for spells, preparations, and spell rituals of the Combat category.

Adept

Free Killing Hands

DISADVANTAGES

You might go berserk when you take Physical damage in combat. Every time it happens, make a Simple Charisma + Willpower Test (wound modifiers apply). You go berserk for 3 turns minus 1 turn per hit, so 3 or more hits averts the berserk rage entirely. If you’re already going berserk, increase the duration. When you’re berserk, you go after your attacker(s) without regard for your own safety. If you run out of targets before the time’s up, you keep attacking their bodies.

Snake

Source

Core

Snake is wise and knows many secrets. She is a good counselor, but always exacts a price for her advice. Snake characters fight only to protect themselves and others. They are obsessed with learning secrets and take great risks in order to do so. They trade their knowledge to others for whatever they can get in exchange.

Similar Archetypes

Knowledge, Curiosity

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 to Arcana tests

Magician

+2 dice for spells, preparations, and spell rituals of the Detection category.

Adept

2 free levels of Kinesics

DISADVANTAGES

You must succeed in a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to avoid pursuing secrets or knowledge that few people know about when you receive hints of its existence.

Thunderbird

Source

Core

Thunderbird is a majestic creature who is storm incarnate. Her wings are dark clouds, her beak and claws lightning, and her cries the clap of thunder. She is a primal force, often savage but necessary to the survival of the land and the continuation of the cycle of life. Thunderbird is a force to be respected and approached with great care, lest her anger be roused.

Similar Archetypes

Anger, War

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice for Intimidation Tests

Magician

+2 dice for summoning spirits of air

Adept

1 free level of Critical Strike (skill)

DISADVANTAGES

A Thunderbird magician must succeed in a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to avoid responding to an insult in kind.

Wise Warrior

Source

Core

The Wise Warrior is skilled in the art of war, for battle is an art to her, an exercise in the powers of the mind as well as the body. She studies the tactics of her foes and overcomes them through a combination of superior strategy and battle prowess. The Wise Warrior does not act out of savagery or battle-lust, but from a position of knowledge and wisdom. Wise Warriors must follow the warrior’s code of honor and conduct themselves properly or risk the loss of favor.

Similar Archetypes

Duty, Wisdom

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 to dice to Leadership or Instruction skill tests (choose one)

Magician

+2 dice for spells, preparations, and spell rituals in the Combat category.

Adept

1 free level of Improved Ability on a Combat skill.

DISADVANTAGES

If you act dishonorably or without courtesy, whether by choice or by accident, you take a –1 dice pool modifier to all actions until you atone for your behavior.

Wolf

Source

Core

Wolf is recognized as a hunter and warrior worldwide. He is devoted to the other members of his pack. As the ancient saying goes, Wolf wins every fight but one—the one that kills him. Wolf magicians are loyal to friends and family unto death. They do not show cowardice in battle, and their word is their bond.

Similar Archetypes

Hunting, Fellowship

ADVANTAGES

All

+2 dice to Tracking tests

Magician

+2 dice for spells, preparations, and rituals in the Combat category.

Adept

2 free levels of Attribute Boost (Agility).

DISADVANTAGES

You must succeed in a Charisma + Willpower (3) Test to retreat from a fight.