This is the same for all the magic types. I view it as not unbalanced, as if you look at the sample common magic abilities they are all quite narrow.
Narratively, you have focussed on understanding spirits, and on stengthening the spirit part of your soul. This lets you call on spirits as active abilities, if they are able to do that sort of thing. Common magic charms call on mundane world spirits that are able to use their abilities this way, and to loan them to you. Tradition charms hold other world spirits, and the way they are bound in a charm doesn't let them give you the ability that way. If you learn enough to be a practiioner, and befriend them and put them in a fetish, then you can use their ability actively.
Yes, that is kind of weak. An alternative is to rule that any _active_ use of a common magic spell, feat, or charm requires that you go and "worship" at the right place to re-fill it.
>
> >Page 134, "Tradition Spirits and Charms" says:
> >"A charm has a single ability with a set rating, which cannot be
> >changed or increased."
> >Page 134, "Common Magic Charms" says:
> >"Any animist who concentrates his magic can use the common magic
> >charms he knows as active abilities. He can continue to increase
> >thier ratings as normal for common magic."
> >Page 138, "Contest: Ally a Friendly Spirit notes:
> >"Any Victory: Pay 1 hero point to make the spirit a spirit ally,
> >keeping all of its ability ratings intact. Like any spirit, its
> >ability ratings cannot be increased."
> >
> >There is nothing specific about fetishes, but by inference the same
> >rule applies there. So common magic charms are alway started at
your
> >common magic key word level, and can be increased as a normal
> >ability. Tradition and practice charms, practice fetishes, and
> >spirit allies come with some set ability levels, and those
abilities
> >cannot be increased. Note however that your relationship with
> >practice spirits in fetishes and with spirit allies can be
increased.
>
> This is very clarifying. Basically, would it make sense to say that
a Spirit
> bound to a Fetish is like a supporting character? The PC only
controls them
> through the relationship ability if at all? So, since they're not
like a
> follower, but again like a supporting character, this explains why
you can't
> add to them? If so, this is all much more clear. The Spirit
is "independent"
> of the character. Listing it's abilities on the sheet is just for
reference,
> not an indication that the PC controls the ability directly at all.
Right?
More or less. Having the spirit in a charm or fetish grants some control over it. It will augment you automtically, it can't help it. If it is in a fetish, you can use its abilities actively, but this is a bit like use a follower's ability when you don't have one. the relationship is mostly for when you release it to do really funky things, like add to your ability.
But yes, the basic logic of: you can't improve it because it is not your ability, it is the spirit's, is correct.
>> This may be the source of a lot of confusion. When the book says
that
> Practitioners get one of each Practice Spirits, that indicates that
they get
> a relationship to one of each which are bound in Fetishes? That
would make
> sense - I've been wondering what it means to "Have a Spirit" when
it doesn't
> indicate whether that means in a Fetish or in a Charm. This would
clear
> things up a lot.
I suppose you could have it in a charm or a fetish, but given my druthers I'd choose fetish.
-Bryan
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