How Guardian Spirits Work

A guardian spirit is bought as an Edge for 1 to 5 points. For each point in the guardian spirit Edge, you may store 1 Appeasement point for later use. As the hero spends these points, he must replace them through rituals later on. You can combine the guardian spirit’s points with additional points earned with rituals. In either case, the shaman always has to ask for the favor first and provide the points second. A character can always have a 1 point Guardian Spirit if he is a native, either by birth or if he has gone native. However, you can’t put spend more than 1 point on your character’s guardian spirit unless he also has the arcane background: shaman Edge.

The guardian spirit gives your character a song when it reveals itself to him. He uses this song for a unique spirit song ritual. Each guardian spirit description has several important parts:

Associated Medicines: Guardian spirits are also associated with one or more medicine ways (see Chapter 5). When your hero uses her guardian spirit’s Appeasement points for it’s associated medicine’s favors, the points count double. You’re allowed to track half-points in these cases. Also, the guardian spirit’s associated medicine is considered a favored medicine way when picking favors. Don’t worry, we’ll explain everything about medicine ways and favors below.

Special Abilities: Guardian spirits can also impart special abilities with the expenditure of a Fate Chip, as if they were a special kind of knack. These abilities are revealed as more points are put into the Edge: a 1-point guardian spirit only imparts the first ability listed, a 3- point guardian spirit imparts the first three, and a 5-point guardian grants access to its fourth and final ability (which is activated by spending a Legend Chip). You can always use a higher chip for a lower ability.

Spirit Oath: Finally, guardian spirits have oaths attached to them. If your character breaks this oath, make a Hard (9) Faith roll or lose one point in the guardian spirit Edge.

Selling Guardian Spirits

A guardian spirit can be “sold” to a pathetic soul who has not been granted one through a vision. In game terms, this is easy. The person with the guardian spirit Edge deletes points in that Edge and gives them to another member of the same tribe (including whites who have gone native). That person now has the guardian spirit Edge of the same type as the person who sold the spirit.

Socially, it’s a bit more complicated.

Guardian Spirits aren’t easy to come by, and there is great value attached to them. There must always be something of value exchanged for the spirit, or the spirit decides the exchange has no value and refuses to impart its wisdom to the recipient. The points in the guardian spirit Edge are still lost, though. It’s up to the Chief to decide if a gift is of sufficient value to appease the spirit.

The Guardian Spirits

Bear

Associated Medicines: Earth

The bear is a healer and nurturer, the maternal beast that walks upright like man and raises its young. Medicine men hope to see bears in their visions, for this foretells powerful healing medicine.

White: The spirit grants the strength of the bear favor with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement points are spent. This is just to determine the effect of the favor.

Red: The spirit grants the healing favor with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement points are spent. This is just to determine the favor’s effect.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool to its maximum.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase your character’s guardian spirit Edge by one.

Oath: Always help anyone whose health or life is in danger, even if they are not of your character’s tribe.

Buffalo

Associated Medicines: Visionseeking and blessing

The buffalo is the animal of the Creator himself. The White Buffalo Calf Woman taught the Lakota all their rituals and medicines, and the birth of a white buffalo is said to signal the return of the Creator to this world. The buffalo is a central symbol of the Ghost Dance movement. The Buffalo guardian spirit Edge costs twice as much as a normal guardian spirit. For example, it costs 6 points to buy a 3-point Buffalo spirit during character generation. All members of your tribe know the Buffalo is your character’s guardian spirit, and you get +2 in all social rolls involving members of your character’s tribe.

White: Your character does not anger the spirits by requesting a favor more than once a day. This lasts until the next sunrise.

Red: Your character may immediately request any single visionseeking way or blessing way favor he does not normally know.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by one.

Oath: Never kill anyone, even in anger. There are better ways to resolve disputes than warfare.

Butterfly

Associated Medicine: Trickster

This spirit embodies elusiveness and agility. Warriors seek to gain its favor to help them dodge their enemies’ attacks. Some Southwestern tribes even teach that man and all the other animals were made by the Great Butterfly

White: The spirit grants your hero the misdirect favor. This costs him no Appeasement points.

Red: Butterfly grants the confusion favor, with an Appeasement point value equal to the number of points currently stored in the guardian spirit.

Blue: Cancels a ranged attack made on a target within 10 yards of your hero that requires the attacker to make an Aptitude roll to actually strike the target. Guns, bows, thrown weapons and even some spells fall under this description.

You can spend the chip after the attacker has already made her roll.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase your hero’s guardian spirit Edge by 1.

Oath: When given a choice between a peaceful resolution and fighting, your shaman must always choose peace.

Your hero must always try to avoid confrontation rather than seek it when solving her problems.

Coyote

Associated Medicines: Trickster

Coyote is the trickster and teacher, making fun of fools and educating those who need it. Coyote fooled the Creator into undercooking the first men and sending them across the great seas, then overcooking the next batch of men and sending them away, thereby filling the world with many colors of humanity. The Creator would never have thought to create anything but Indians had Coyote not taught him otherwise.

White: The spirit grants the clumsiness favor, with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement points are spent. This is just to determine the effect of the favor.

Red: Spend a red chip to automatically win your next roll opposed by Cognition or any Cognition-related Aptitudes. It doesn’t matter what the other side rolls: they always lose.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: At least once a week, teach somebody something through trickery.

Crow

Associated Medicines: Trickster

The Crow is the mean-spirited counterpart to the better-natured Coyote. While Coyote teaches through trickery, Crow punishes the wicked. Its caw-caw voice mocks the self righteous, reminding them that nobody is too important in this world.

White: Spend a white chip to compel the target character to speak only the truth the next time he is asked a question (by anyone). This ability does not force the target to answer the question however.

Red: Spend a red chip to compel the target to speak only lies for the next hour.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: Use your character’s powers of trickery to punish those who act self-righteous, brag about their parentage or social status, or who are too full of themselves.

Dog

Associated Medicine: Earth

Dog holds an odd place among Indian cultures. Its namesake is a beast of burden, guardian, and hunter—but occasionally a source of food. As a spirit it is a protector and helpmate to the tribe, perhaps not as fierce in battle as Wolf, but more reliable and trustworthy as a defender.

White: Your shaman can cancel the effects of a failed surprise roll by spending a white Fate Chip.

Red: The spirit grants your hero the earth speak favor with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit.

No points are spent; this is just to determine the favor’s effects.

Blue: Automatically and instantly replace all your shaman’s lost Wind. This won’t take your hero above his starting total.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase your hero’s guardian spirit Edge by 1.

Oath: Your shaman must always obey the dictates of his tribe. All Indians with a Dog guardian spirit are loyal. If your hero no longer has a tribe for some reason, he bows to the wishes of whatever leader or group to which he has attached himself. Dog is not a leader.

Eagle

Associated Medicines: Visionseeking

The Eagle is spirit medicine incarnate, the father of all other spirits save the white buffalo. The Eagle soars high above the Hunting Grounds as it soars over our world, seeing everything. Shamans guarded by the Eagle spirit see deep into the future and past, as the Eagle itself sees deep into the worlds.

White: The guardian spirit guides your character’s soul into the nearest raptor per the animal possession favor, giving the favor 3 Appeasement points.

Red: The guardian spirit summons a spirit guide.

Blue: While in the Hunting Grounds, the character and any of her companions are instantly transported to their desired destination without encountering any other spirits along the way.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: Your character may speak no lies, and she offers truth even when it is not asked.

Elk

Associated Medicines: Blessing

The Elk foretells prosperity and peace for the tribe. It is rare in the deserts because life is so hard where there is no water. Only tribes from the Northwest can take this powerful guardian spirit.

White: The next time the shaman invokes the luck favor, add a number of dice to the favor’s faith roll equal to the number of points in the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Red: The spirit grants the call wealth favor, with an Appeasement point value equal to the current points stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement points are spent. This is just to determine the effect of the favor.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: Automatically refill somebody else’s guardian spirit Appeasement point pool.

Oath: Your character must share any prosperity that comes to her.

Owl

Associated Medicines: Ghost

The Owl foretells death. It is a mighty hunter, but its favorite prey is much smaller and weaker than itself. Some brave Owls take on rattlesnakes or Gila monsters. Ironically, white men mistakenly associate this portent of death with wisdom.

White: The spirit grants the horned owl’s fury favor with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement points are spent. This is just to determine the effect of the favor.

Red: Everybody in sight of this character is prohibited from spending chips to avoid taking damage. The effect lasts for the entire scene. It’s up to the Chief to decide when a scene ends.

Blue: Add one to your character’s Grit. Record this point in a different color, because it only counts for the purpose of coming back Harrowed.

Legend: Automatically drain somebody else’s guardian spirit Appeasement point pool.

Oath: Kill an enemy at least once each month.

Raven

Associated Medicines: War and ghost

The Raven, once associated with knowledge and wisdom, now foretells war and the end days. It was the Raven who drew the shamans of the Last Sons into the Reckoning. It is this same Raven who directs the followers of the various Raven Cults, and the spirit for whom the infamous shaman Raven was named. To say the Raven is evil is not accurate. Wise people know war is inevitable, sometimes even necessary. The spirit is not evil, although its followers sometimes can be. The spirit’s current crop of followers are bad news. The Raven guardian spirit Edge costs twice as much as a normal guardian spirit. Also, others who have the Raven as their guardian spirit can immediately detect this in your character, as your hero can in them. Due to the fear many have of the Raven Cult, those who have this spirit as their guardian are often treated with suspicion—even by members of their own tribe. There have been a number of instances where innocent people with the misfortune to have gained the Raven as their guardian spirit have been driven from their tribe by this fear. This has actually given Raven some new recruits. Many of the hurt and disillusioned outcasts actually sought out members of the cult. Raven has turned this to his advantage. To encourage those who have been mistreated to look to his cult for safety, he has proclaimed a death sentence against anyone known to have harmed a person with a Raven guardian. This sentence is normally carried out by local members of the cult.

White: This character may learn one of the following items about any shaman in sight: their guardian spirit and its size, their current Appeasement point pool, or one of their favored medicine ways.

Red: For the rest of this battle or scene, any favor with a range of self now has a range of touch, and any favor with a range of touch now has a range of 5 yards per Appeasement point. It’s up to the Chief to determine when a scene ends.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: When given a choice between peaceful resolution and fighting, this Indian must always choose to fight.

Snake

Associated Medicines: Visionseeking

Snakes are bearers of wisdom and speakers to the spirit world. It is said that a snake of stars stretches across the heavens, and that another snake wraps itself around the rim of the world.

White: Add a bonus die to your highest die the next time you roll against Spirit or any Spirit skills. This ability effectively turns this white chip into a blue chip, but only for Spirit-related rolls.

Red: The guardian spirit allows your character to ask the spirits with an Appeasement point value equal to the current points stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement is spent. This is just to determine the effect of the favor.

Blue: The guardian spirit opens a 3-foot wide portal for 1 hour, either into or out of the Hunting Grounds. If the spirit opens a portal out of the Hunting Grounds, you can call the target state but nothing more. See the open portal favor for more information.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: The shaman must spend his guardian spirit’s full Appeasement point pool for the ask the spirits favor on behalf of his tribe’s well- being at least once a week.

Spider

Associated Medicines: Ghost

The Spider is the poisonous spinner of webs. It is both creator and destroyer. The Spider eats its mate and breeds children by the millions. Its webs are beautiful, but they exist only to snare the weak and the foolhardy.

White: The shaman may maintain as many favors that require concentration as his Smarts Coordination. This handy effect lasts for an entire hour.

Red: The guardian spirit places a curse on somebody with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the spirit. No Appeasement points are spent. This is just to determine the effect of the favor. If the subject is inspected, the illness can be tracked to a deadly poison.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: Your character can never act to save the life of someone who is not of his tribe.

Thunderbird

Associated Medicine: Visionseeking and war

Thunderbirds are powerful spirits and protectors of the Hunting Grounds.

They’re also the protectors of humanity. In recent years, more and more braves are being accepted by younger spirits of this sort. The oldest, wisest shamans among the tribes aren’t sure what this means, but fear it foretells humanity faces a terrible battle in the times ahead.

The Thunderbird guardian spirit Edge costs twice as much as a normal guardian spirit. For example, it costs 6 points to buy a 3-point Thunderbird spirit. Due to the power and respect these spirits command, your hero receives a +2 to all social rolls toward any shaman who knows your hero’s guardian spirit is a Thunderbird.

White: The spirit grants the cleanse portal favor to your shaman.

Red: The Thunderbird grants your hero the lightning strike favor. The Appeasement point value of the favor is equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit. No Appeasement points are spent; they merely determine the power of the favor. If your hero’s guardian spirit has less than 2 Appeasement stored, you cannot use this ability.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by 1.

Oath: Thunderbirds aren’t known for subtlety, neither are the shamans they accept. Your hero must choose the direct solution to any problem. He must never avoid fighting an abomination or manitou, even involuntarily (as in failing a guts check and fleeing).

Turtle

Associated Medicines: Blessing

The Turtle is associated with luck and prosperity like its brethren the Elk, but is much more commonly found throughout the Plains and Southwest. Anyone can take the Turtle as their guardian spirit.

White: This character is considered favored by the ancestors (same as luck o’ the Irish, for those slow white people out there) for the next 24 hours.

Red: The next pact the hero creates with the spirits does not cost double the Appeasement points to seal the pact.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: Your character must wear something that symbolizes the Turtle at all times, and it must always be visible.

Wolf

Associated Medicines: War

The Wolf spirit carries with it powerful hunting medicine. Packs of wolves teach young Indians to travel in numbers and select only prey offered by the nature spirits. This is the guardian spirit of powerful war leaders and legendary chiefs. Due to the required oath, yeller characters can never have a Wolf guardian spirit. Many of those who are favored by this spirit have the nerves o’ steel Edge.

White: The spirit grants the speed of the wolf favor, with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement is spent; this is just to determine the effect of the favor.

Red: The spirit grants the spirit warrior favor, with an Appeasement point value equal to the points currently stored in the guardian spirit when the ability is invoked. No Appeasement points are spent. This is just to determine the effect of the favor. You can allot these points any way you want.

Blue: Automatically refill the guardian spirit’s Appeasement point pool.

Legend: On a successful Hard (9) Spirit roll, increase the guardian spirit Edge by +1.

Oath: Never leave the field of battle until you are victorious. Never concede to cowardice (including running away from something, even involuntarily.