Hindrance (Major): Possession

[Maximilian]

Rifts aren't the only thing that open to let strange things go from one side to the other. This character's body is an open door for random spirits to pass through. During times of high magic usage and/or encounters with ley lines and rifts, the character may be subject to an invading spirit taking over their body for a time. As an additional penalty for a botched critical failure of a spellcasting or psionics roll, or passing through a ley line, the character's passive soul may take a backseat to another. The player character makes a Spirit check at -2. Failure means a random spirit takes over.
Card draw determines whether it is a good, passive, selfish, or evil spirit. They inhabit the body long enough to accomplish some task or just as a means to escape into the world, and then they move on, leaving the character completely unaware as to what has taken place and what they did while they were possessed. The spirit can be driven off by use of the Banish power, the Holy Warrior edge's repulsion ability, or just allowed to run its course and either find a new host or return forthwith to its place of origin or nearest convenient parallel dimension.

[Pender Lumkiss]

Cool, Alex has this, FYI.

[Venatus Vinco]

This is fun.

Kind of like a toned down version of the Harrowed's manitou.

VV

[Maximilian]

Cool, Alex has this, FYI.

Well....FUDGE. Now I'm sorry I proposed it!

[High Command]

Do we need to vote on this?

[Pender Lumkiss]

Do we need to vote on this?

I am currently usimg it as a hindrence for an allied extra.

[Maximilian]

Should we put this up for a vote, or is it too overpowering to consider sidetracking a primary character for an indefinite length of time?

[Ndreare]

I totally like this, but am curious why something that occurs so infrequently and is fixed so easily would be considered a Major?

I would consider this a Minor as it is only on a critical failure in a limited range of situations it can occur. But as a GM I may use it as a benny farm to get the players permission to use it even when they have not critical failed.

[Jack 'Bullet' Jones]

If Pender is your GM, it occurs more often than you'd think. This could also be applied to resisting a Puppet power. It's a major because if the party doesn't have banish or some other method of driving off the invading spirit, it's loss of control of your character for an indeterminate period. It does create some story opportunities, though, if the GM and player are so inclined. I might suggest that any player who takes this hindrance is open to the idea to begin with.

[Freemage]

Also note that the spirit may very well be skilled at acting--this could prevent the other players from realizing that a banish effect is needed. If it can pose as the PC long enough, it might be able to get into a situation where it can cause some real damage. (And I trust our players enough to let them run with the OOC knowledge of what's going on without squibbing.)