[Runequest] How many spirits can you fit in one body?

[Gerall Kahla]

On Tue, 2009-03-03 at 09:39 +1100, lev at rpgreview.net wrote:
> In my game a local Storm Bull initiate was scouting out Old Sun Dome (Sun
> County) with some friends and decided he'd been hard done by the lack of
> treasure that had been offered to him. So he went back into the library
> and tried to take some items (he picked the cheapest, not the most
> expensive).
> 
> The old librarian had a few things to say about this, one thing led to
> another, and the initiate became possessed by the librarian's spirit - who
> was most grateful to have another body.

I'll agree with most other posters, here - the librarian would probably
have much rather parked his newly-possessed keister among the stacks and
begun reading again...

However, you'd miss out on some really fun roleplaying potential if this
happened. 

> Taking a journey to Pavis with new Yelmalio priest (taking a year's
> training in said city) the Librarian-cum-Storm-Bull went into Balastor's
> Barracks.
> 
> Yes, and became possessed by the axe.
> 
> So now there's three spirits in one body (a trinity!).
> 
> The current dominant spirit is Balastor
> The suppressed second spirit is Acklery, the Librarian
> And the suppressed suppressed third spirit is Zammon, the Storm Bull
> initiate.

I'd immediately rule that the spirit with the highest personal POW took
control. Or, at least, had the chance to take control. And while the
spirits are having their spirit-combat to grab the body, the berserk
would be growling and spitting and lumbering about, speaking in 3
distinct voices alternately.

Possessors do not control the host's bound spirits, and they'd have to
use their personal magic for getting along. When their personal supply
runs too low, (in the old game; when their chance on the resistance
table was 50%/50%) I'd have the others wrestling for dominance.

Spirits in possession of a body (unless they had shaman training)
wouldn't be able to bind spirits like they used to. Their attention
focuses elsewhere, then the sublimated spirit would take over.

Interesting situation, lev! Let us know what you come up with / how this
turns out...

Best -

-- 
Gerall Kahla <games at gkahla.net>