Twin Soul - Beast Bonded Witch Archetype

[Memorysquid]

Beast Bonded Witch has a 10th level SU ability to, as if using Magic Jar, take over another creature's body at will, as long as the PC & his familiar are currently sharing a body. The power specifies the Magic Jar like ability requires no receptacle. The spell Magic Jar references the receptacle in over 50% of the sentences in the spell's entry and almost all the mechanics. Removing all references to the soul receptacle from the spell leaves its function completely arbitrary.

In a homebrew, everyone can simply agree how it works, but I'd presume for PFS there needs to be a universally understood function? There is no clear way to determine that from what is left of Magic Jar if you delete all references to the jar itself and the jar's function from the spell.

The flavor text of the spell mentions it is an attempt to possess. The mechanics reference the fact that if a soul has nowhere to go, it dies. Normally the soul of the caster goes in the jar, and is then swapped to the target creature with the target's soul going in the jar.

With what's left of the RAW after removing all mentions of the jar, I'd presume the spell would function like a ghost's malevolence or a shadow demon's own magic jar, which are both described as possessions as well, and which I've never understood to be 'save or [literally] die' powers. I wouldn't have thought twice about this, however, several people including a VC have assured me I am wrong, and variously that only the witch power is fatal for the possessee or that all three would be.

Have I missed an errata, PFS clarification or otherwise on this? If not, can there be an official clarification for PFS specifically?

[Caderyn]

Everything you need to know is already covered in the spell, effectively it allows both souls to exist within the creatures body (as you have no receptacle to move the other persons soul into), and as and when the creature is killed, is in the area of a magic circle against alignment or other effect that supresses control spells, or you leave their soul resumes control over the body

[Memorysquid]

Caderyn wrote:

Everything you need to know is already covered in the spell, effectively it allows both souls to exist within the creatures body (as you have no receptacle to move the other persons soul into),

Thanks a bunch. As I said, that was my presumption too, but everyone around me presumed otherwise and acted as if I didn't understand elementary logic, so I wanted to double check.

[Aureate]

Caderyn wrote:

Everything you need to know is already covered in the spell, effectively it allows both souls to exist within the creatures body (as you have no receptacle to move the other persons soul into), and as and when the creature is killed, is in the area of a magic circle against alignment or other effect that supresses control spells, or you leave their soul resumes control over the body

That isn't covered in the spell. Everything about the spell indicates that when you possess the body the current soul is forced out. The spell indicates that it is in fact forced into a prison. When you use the ability without the prison, there is no reason to think that the soul isn't still forced out.

Further, in the spell Magic Jar, it specifies that "Any life force with nowhere to go is treated as slain."

While I don't think that your interpretation is bad for flavor, there is also no mechanical reason that I see within the spell to indicate that the interpretation is correct. Expect table variation, because the intention isn't clear, and neither is RAW.

Memorysquid, I hit FAQ on your previous attempt to get an answer at this, and am doing so again.

[Memorysquid]

Aureate wrote:

That isn't covered in the spell. Everything about the spell indicates that when you possess the body the current soul is forced out. The spell indicates that it is in fact forced into a prison. When you use the ability without the prison, there is no reason to think that the soul isn't still forced out.

Further, in the spell Magic Jar, it specifies that "Any life force with nowhere to go is treated as slain."

While I don't think that your interpretation is bad for flavor, there is also no mechanical reason that I see within the spell to indicate that the interpretation is correct. Expect table variation, because the intention isn't clear, and neither is RAW.

Memorysquid, I hit FAQ on your previous attempt to get an answer at this, and am doing so again.

Lol. And this is why I was hoping for it to make the FAQ. :)

Like I said, I think the similarity of wording and function between the witch and ghost/shadow demon possession, which I never understood as fatal, certainly leans toward Twin Soul not being fatal. Yes the Magic Jar spell swaps the soul into the receptacle, but I see no reason to presume that a spell which operates absent a receptacle and is mentioned as "possession" would swap the soul into thin air. Still, since the RAW is almost non-existent absent the jar reference, this seems to be a prime candidate for clarification.