While this Path's name implies a similarity to Summoning, it has little relation to that variety of Hedge Magic. Spirit Chasing instead creates a bond between a mystic and his chosen plant or animal. Practitioners of this Path believe, as o werewolves, that within every living creature rests a soul, spirit, animus or whatever. Spirit Chasers try to watch and learn from these beings; unlike the learning of Gifts, however, the animus doesn't necessarily enter into any kind of "bargain" with the mystic. Instead, the practitioner studies the spirit, first by making contact with it, then by asking it questions and mimicking its natural abilities that manifest in this world.
For example, a Spirit Chaser studying bears would begin by watching bears and observing their movements and patterns of life. He would then engage in some sort of private ritual of his own devising, pleading for a particular bear's spirit to appear; sometimes, this process takes years of work. Next, the mystic would explain to the spirit that he'd like to learn the ways of bears in their natural habitat. The spirit might require proof of the mystic's sincerity. But if it agrees, the Spirit Chaser can learn the rudiments of living like a bear. He could, for example, discover how to survive on raw meat, roots, berries, nuts or insects, even those poisonous to humans. As his understanding progresses, the mystic could also learn how to focus his senses like a bear, hibernate, or even grow claws.
Spirit Chasers by no means restrict themselves only to mammals or even the animal world. A number of them choose plants for their Spirit Chasing. This Path is unique to every practitioner. To perform the task requires spending one Willpower point and rolling Manipulation + Occult versus a difficulty of the Path level + 4.
- • This level allows the mystic to learn how to "eat" the food of the chosen spirit. It requires that the proper food be available (e.g., sunshine and water for plants or crumbs for insects). He receives full nutritional value from the meal, as if he were the animal or plant. Rituals might include chewing cud, hiding food to eat later, and so on.
- •• With this level of Spirit Chasing, the character can extend his sensory perception to match that of his chosen animal or plant in one aspect. If the Spirit Chaser has a bond with a lynx, for example, he could see in the dark. Discovering hunters, scenting a trail, or finding food are examples of rituals.
- ••• Animals and plants have an innate understanding of self-preservation. Hurt creatures lick their wounds clean, while plants use energy from photosynthesis to repair torn leaves and roots. When winter approaches and food is scarce, some animals and plants fall into hibernation; they awake when spring comes. This level allows Spirit Chasers the same luxury; they can fall into a healing sleep and recover one Health Level for every success rolled on Spirit Chasing. Each level requires four hours of rest. Thus a person who got three successes could heal three Health Levels after 12 hours of sleep. Rituals include hiding, healing venomous wounds, and childbirth.
- •••• This level of Spirit Chasing grants the mystic keen insight and wisdom. The Storyteller decides, based upon the level of success, what sort of information to provide. For example, if a character has chosen the oak tree as her bonded spirit and rolls three successes, the wisdom that comes to her might involve seeing how an event long ago affected the present. The idea is that the oak has stood for many years and seen much. The Storyteller can use this level of the path to provide cluse or plot hooks for the characters. Possible rituals encompass past visions, detecting lies, or leaps of intuition.
- ••••• Only the most dedicated Spirit Chasers reach this level of mastery. At this point, they may practice a unique ability chosen from their spirit. A practitioner bonded to a deer could run quickly or jump over a high fence. If a character chose poison ivy, anyone who touched him might develop a blistering rash. A minimum of three successes is necessary to invoke this effect; it's perhaps the closest Kinfolk can ever come to possessing the shapechanging skills of their Garou relatives. Acquiring physical prowess (such as great strength), offensive powers (growing claws or fangs) or shielding (sprouting thick fur) are all possible rituals.
(Source: Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes)