Howling shadows v3

HOWLING SHADOWS
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Mentor spirits:

All mentor spirits besides Horse are be permitted. Players should remember that revealing your spider mentor is a good way to get shot by even respectable people. GMs should remember that mentor spirit drawbacks exist to keep things interesting and to encourage PCs to act in the interests of their mentor, not to get them killed, and PCs making sincere attempts to live up to their mentor spirit should not feel too restricted by their disadvantages. Racoon only wants you to take a peek in just one more area, he does not compel you to stay and take everything despite all common sense. Likewise, Whale can and should offer relatively easy redemption PCs who were sincerely trying to live up to their expectations and failed to do so, not send them on a highly lethal spirit quest for every sincere slipup.

The Boar's magician mentor spirit only applies to summoning spirits, and only when successful. It does not aid binding at all.

Animal handler runners:

All mundane animals and genetreatments for said are permitted for PC use. Since they currently lack nuyen and availability costs, they are only available as run rewards, subject to GM division approval, until such a time as Catalyst or Rules Division vets and releases a table containing these things. Such a table is subject to the usual review period if released by Catalyst. At this time if you receive an animal as a reward, you can maintain it with your lifestyle, though an animal's maintenance costs will not be grandfathered in case of future changes and once the rules are released you will have to start providing for them under the same rules as everyone else. At this time, GM Division Approval requires a standard post in the Gear Proposal thread and a chat with a member of the GM team.

Animal augmentations are permitted. All mundane critters become cyberpsychotic with more than 5 points of essence loss from augmentations. All paracritters and technocritters become cyberpsychotic with more than 3 points of essence loss from augmentations, or upon burning their magic score to 0, whichever comes first. Critters are only subject to CI3D at GM discretion when giving rewards, or at player's choice. There is no gain for this decision, but some people are masochists. Critters will be subject to CTLE-X when any STIRRUP system exceeding 4 points of essence cost is implanted. Critter disadvantages otherwise function as listed.

Animal training functions as written in the book, including the modifiers table, but all parties must buy hits while training. It takes the usual amount of time to teach a critter, as per the extended test rules. While training a critter, the critter cannot be used for any mechanical benefit, though you are free to make use of it in fluff. You can run, as normal.

For all animals, note that the GM is free to punch you in the animal if you put them in harms way. Use them in a run at your own - and the animal's - risk. Edge use will be permitted for critters of any kind that are under your direct or indirect control, such as an animal you trained and are commanding, in the same manner as Spirits and Sprites.

Exotic animal classes:

All paranatural animals and critters, including technocritters are currently permitted for GM use only. Player ownership may or may not be permitted upon completion of the nuyen and availability table for critters. Chimerics are currently disallowed for player use, but will may be permitted once the nuyen and availability tables are completed.

All toxic and mutant animals and critters are be permitted for GM use only. Something with Dietary Requirement (Radiation) does not make a good house pet.

Purely cosmetic pets, such as cats, lapdogs, and teacup pigs are permitted, within reason. Don't push it. If you have a pet snake it is not giving you free venom, it is sitting in a glass case at home.


Supernatural entities:

Extraplanar beings will be permitted for GM use. Players may use calling on these creatures if they wish, and subject wholly to GM discretion, but are reminded calling is not a safe way to make friends with a spirit and may result in severe consequences. Remember that a called being can dramatically vary in force and type from what the player wishes and may think it is the boss of the player rather than the other way around, and requires exotic non-standard reagents. Players cannot call upon the Wild Hunt without GM permission.

The Vanishing Power listed in the Pixie's statblock is triggered by their death. It cannot be triggered voluntarily and is permanent.

No additional Infected Strains are made available for player use at this time, but their use by GMs is be permitted.

Edge use is permitted for Sprites, using the same rules as for Spirits.

Drakes are GM only, and will be permitted only with a full run proposal and approval from GM and Lore divisions.