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I have an Oracle characters for PFS that is almost level 3. She has taken the Spirit Guide archetype, which means she gains a wandering spirit soon. I'm looking for some suggestions on how to roleplay this. Which form does the spirit take, how do I actually communicate with it?
Some background: The original concept was a half-elf quite in tune with nature, with Lore mystery. However, events at level 1 prompted me to change this. The character swore to Iomedae and I swapped to Metal mystery. I like the fact that she's a devout follower of a deity, but that she does not get her spells from that source. Eventually, I might enter her into the Evangelist prestige class.
However, that leaves me with some questions regarding the wandering spirit. I'm a bit stumped, so I'd be happy with your creative thoughts on how to bind the two aspects of this character together and how to incorporate this into practical roleplay.
The most obvious route would be to treat this wandering spirit as a emissary of Iomedae. It doesn't need to have a physical form, either. It could be the voice in your heart guiding you in times of need.
But dieties do not often interfere with mortals on a whim (atleast not lawful ones). Why were you chosen? Are you perhaps destined to become the next champion of Iomedae, fighting for a better tomorrow? Or does Iomedae sense that you have a time of great peril in front of you, and seeks to protect you from yourself? Even the purest of paladins can still become an antipaladin, given the right circumstances.
To roleplay this would be fairly easy. Before making a decision of moral implications, you could always try to meditate and listen to your wandering spirit. The voice may be so faint that you need to relax your body and mind to hear the advice.
Followers of Iomedae are also expected to pray for an hour a day. You could do this at the evening, as to reflect on everything you have went through that day with your spirit.
Other than a guide of sorts, I don't know how one would interlace Iomedae and the Wandering Spirit class feature.
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I've been trying to write up a guide to Spirit Guide Oracles. Here's what I wrote for the potential roleplay options:
There are many ways to roleplay your interactions with the spirits. Here are some fun options to consider:
Target of Jealous Spirits. This is especially apropos for Oracles with the Haunted or Tongues curses, but you can make this story work with most curses. Each of these spirits is vying for your attention. Each day, they insist that you choose one of them. The one that you chose showers you with gifts, while the others proceed to make your life miserable by messing with your stuff, interfering with your communications, tripping your lame leg, causing smoke to wisp off your burnt fingers... Whatever. You could have active arguments with your spirits (like Whoopi Goldberg's medium in "Ghost") or be the resigned yet snarky pawn of destiny (like Zathras from "Babylon Five".)
Recipient of Mysterious Envoys. The wandering spirits can be different envoys of your deity, pantheon, or "the powers that be." You haven't chosen these messengers. They come each day, bearing your gifts with cryptic hints about the challenges to come. You can be the bewildered seer, respectful of these divine messengers, yet uncertain of what they want you to accomplish with the tools they have provided.
Passionate Petitioner of Divine Aid. Who can forget the moment when Inigo Montoya beseeches the soul of his dead father to help him find the Man in Black? The Petitioner is not merely a tool of fate, but a conscious postulant, who knows what she needs and that her cause is just. Play up your big moment, and beseech the spirit for its aid!
Family Reunion. All those spirits who are helping / advising you? They’re your crazy ancestors. Everyone’s there... Your weird uncle Frank who ran naked through the woods (Nature), your annoying cousin Marge the know-it-all (Lore), your great grandfather Ralph the pyromaniac (Flames). And they all want to reminisce about the bad old days and tell you what to do. “In my day, we walked to the dungeon uphill both ways through waves of goblins this deep!”
Canny Mystic. In exploring your mystery, you’ve become open to the world of spirits. They’re your advisors and friends. You call on them as old friends, perhaps even trading favors or leaving trifles in return for their aid. You could play this wild like a voodoo priestess or serene like the Oracle of Delphi.
Bored Inarticulate or Indecisive Lump. "Yeah, I'll probably go with Lore today. I guess. Do you think that’s good?" Don't be this person.
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In your case, perhaps the different wandering spirits are all former warriors who served Iomedae and have vowed to serve her even after death, each with their own personality?
Hmm
^Looking forward to the full version of your guide. I have read the Channeling the Cosmos Oracle guide (on the Zenith Games blog) and think I understand that class pretty well, but the Spirit Guide archetype mixes in Shaman, which I don't understand very well, even though I read the Spiritual Attunement Shaman guide (being a spiritually unattuned person, I am having some trouble wrapping my head around this class :-P).
I wonder if something to do with wandering spirits (for Shaman or Spirit Guide Oracle) might be a usable way to replicate the flavor of the prestige class (Daivrat) that casts one as a friend of geniekind, but remains robust enough not to be useless in physical combat. I have been trying to put together a build that first with a normal Oracle (but the Cleric/Oracle spell list is just bad for entry into Daivrat, since one of the prerequisites is Spell Focus (Conjuration)) with Sorcerer (or the Eldritch Scrapper archetype thereof) going into the actual Daivrat prestige class, but without an unreasonably high point buy and more feats than reasonable (even with the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list making Spell Focus (Conjuration) potentially useful) it is just going to be too wimpy. So I'm wondering if what the Original Poster is asking about and you are providing might give me a workable alternative.
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I have a Kitsune Spirit Guide Oracle who I play as a "miko" or shrine maiden for those who are unfamiliar with japanese, and it works wonderful. The spirits make very nice "kami" with which to commune, and honestly whike oracle itself is often suggested as the best class to modle a miko I believe that s spirit guide oracle is actually the ideal "miko/shrine maiden" build. Just putting this out there for the guide-writer as I believe this is an interesting and fun RP angle for the spirit guide.
As for the OP's question I personally like the whole "spirits of dead champions of Iomade, and would personally use that one myself if this was my character.
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Thanks for your suggestions. It seems I'm not the only one struggling with this. :)
I think trying to tie in the spirits to Iomedae would be the obvious choice, either as emissaries or the spirits of her deceased followers. Still, I'm worried that this would lead me to become a bit one-dimensional, and doesn't provide any strong 'hooks' for roleplaying. If the interaction with spirits is all in my character's head, and the other players aren't able to perceive them, I will have to provide some meaningful dialogue (just from my side) to be able to convey what's going on. Iomedean spirits would probably do as I'd like, which precludes the need for a lot of dialogue.
Instead, I think the 'jealous spirits' angle might work pretty well, to create some contrast and opposing forces. Consider that the spirits originally chose Mariel (my PC) as a spirit guide, either because they saw potential or because of her elven ancestry. Now, they decide to see how she would develop, before making their presence know. And suddenly they find that their charge decides on a radically different course, pledging her life away to a deity. I suppose they would be miffed. :) That seems to fit in well with how I've been playing her so far, kind of stumbling through her life, trying to keep everyone happy and figure out her way in the world.
I suppose in this case some spirits would be friendly to her (such as a spirit of metal, who has been pleased that she took to wearing heavy armor), while the spirit of air would be most upset: That one was supposed to work with a graceful (half-)elf, who should have liked song, archery and graceful movement. Instead, it's stuck with a klutz who hates singing and is awful with a bow. That would be cause enough to become haunted (her curse). For those in between, Mariel will have to bargain and cajole with the spirits for their services, striving to find a balance between pleasing them and keeping her pledge to the Inheritor.
Thanks again for giving me some inspiration on this. I'm motivated now to hit level 3 and see how it works out in practice!