A lot of my past posts on this subject were influenced by my original understanding of a months-old post by Roderick, where he summarized the abilities this way:
> Tradition Knowledge: Which spirits are safe, how do we approach them, what
> do they like
> Spirit Combat: getting a spirit to do what you want
Past posts in this thread has weaned me away from thinking that Spirit Combat is the *only* way to get a spirit to do what you want. I think I like your idea of using Tradition Knowledge, possibly augmented with Bargain or another skill if the shaman has it.
My current thinking on shamanic "bargaining" is this:
If the shaman does not use spirit combat, then the spirit must be enticed or persuaded to cooperate. This might be done by agreeing to observe certain taboos (I think Nick gave the example "Do not butcher frogs" in his spirit cult article in YBoT2). Perhaps it could be done by making a properly adorned fetish "home" for the spirit. Or other techniques could be used.
In any case, a shaman with greater Tradition Knowledge knows more possibilities for persuading a spirit. For example, a novice shaman might only know at a "Do not drink from this stream" taboo, while one with a higher Tradition Knowledge rating (or degree of success, if this was rolled) might also know of an alternative "Do not butcher frogs" taboo. Agreeing to either taboo is enough to gain the spirit's cooperation, but one taboo might be more acceptable to the nomads than the other (e.g. the stream might be a necessary water source for the clan's current camp).
So the more a shaman knows about a spirit, the more "leverage" this gives him, without the whole process degenerating to a haggling contest.
True bargaining ("Surely you don't mean we can't butcher *any* frogs! How about just the blue ones?") might easily be considered dangerous by conservative shamans ("Our clan has always observed the 'no butchered frogs' taboo. Butchering green frogs is a serious trespass against the ancient ways!"), but other more reckless (or desperate) shamans might attempt it. (Bargaining might also be considered acceptable to use with spirits outside the tradition, although still dangerous. Your clan may have an ancient understanding with the squirrel spirit, who is known to your tradition, but you might have to blindly bargain with the boulder spirit outside your tradition.) Augmentations for relevant communication skills would apply if this technique was used.
Thanks for helping me clarify this, Andy!
James
Powered by hypermail