Soul Traders

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Soul Traders are a rare breed. They possess the bizarre ability to buy, sell, rent and lease souls.
Unlike the devils or religious lore, however, they do not amass this collection for Hell. Instead, they use them themselves or grant others the use of these souls, for a price. A Soul Trader usually has a display shelf of small figurines (typically one inch tall), which are in reality souls the Trader has acquired. The figures look errily lifelike, and psychic senstitives will hear their voices in their heads.

Special Abilities:
1) Soul Taking: Soul Traders can take a person's soul if they agree to the trade. This must be done knowingly, and the Trader must fulfill any promises he makes for the soul. Basically, the Trader offers the person something, and they agree on a timeframe for the Trader to take the soul. This may be done upon death, or during life. Also, the duration may be perpetual (actually only untilt he death of the Trader) or temporary (usually the length of duration is related to the quality of the favor granted). Agreements may be written or verbal. Upon reciept of a soul, the Trader has a little figure which resembles the victim and possess his soul. If the person is still alive at the time, his body vanishes. If the duration elapses (or if the Trader releases the soul early), then the soul goes on to its final fate (or, if the victim was still alive, soul and body are restored to the condition they were in prior to being taken. In fact, one good Trader was rumored to have taken an accident victim's soul, transported him to the hospital, and then reconstitued him in reach of assistance. But this kind of benevolence is very rare, and most likely, the Trader asked for a big favor later.)
2) Body Usage (living only): The Undying can make use of a living soul's body (dead souls cannot grant the body). The body will have all physical attributes/abilities that it had before being taken (including super powers, psionics, and integral bionic systems!). When making use of the soul's body, the Trader's own body is replaced. Any damage done to the soul's body does not affect the Trader's body (however, if the soul's body dies, the soul gets the Trader's body and Trader status. It does not gain the Trader's soul, however). To do this, the figure for a living soul must be clasped in the palm of the hand.
3) Soul Usage: The trader can also make use of the soul itself. In this case, the character retains control over his faculties, and his normal body, but has access to any magic knowledge or psionic power (except those gained through cyber implants) possessed by the soul. In addition, the character gains any skills pertaining to the "focus" (OCC) of the soul. For example, a rogue scholar's soul would grant lingual knowledge and science and technical skills, while a man-at-arms' soul would grant WP, combat, physical skill (but not SDC and PS bonuses) and military type skills.Also, the soul can offer counsel, converse, or nag and berate teh Trader. NOTE: If a combat skill is derived from a soul, it cannot be used along with the Tradder's own skill. Treat them as two separate forms (as in Ninjas and Superspies).
NOTE: Traders (and their assigns) may only bond with one soul at a time.
4) Soul Recall: The Trader can summon any of the souls he currently possesses. This takes five minutes of concentration, at the end of which, the figure containing that soul will appear in the palm of the trader's hand. 5) Soul Assignment: the Trader can grant usage of a soul to any non-magical being for a set period of time, or until a task is done. During this time, all of the Soul Trader's abilities regarding that soul are transferred to the client for a specified time period (determined through negotiaitons usually).
6) Immortality: Soul Traders do not age once they have reached adulthood.
7) Immunity to possesion and mind control

SKILLS: Most Soul Traders are not particularly versed in the arts of the occult. Select a non-magical OCC. In Rifts, use a Scholar/Adventurer. In HU jsut roll for education and do not assign a Power Category.

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