Request

By means of this spell, the shukenja is able to ask for some service or deed from a spirit. The shukenja must know the identity of the spirit before casting the spell and must be in the area the spirit occupies. The request must be within the powers of the spirit. The lesser nature spirit of a stream could be asked to change its course slightly or bring fish within it to a certain area, while the Lord of the Sea could be asked to summon a great storm, return some item from the depths, or ensure the smooth sailing of a vessel.

In all cases, the spirit is allowed a saving throw vs. spell. Success means the spirit need not honor the request. Likewise, if the request is outside the powers of the spirit, the spell fails. The DM can, under special circumstances, rule that the request is automatically followed, especially in cases where refusal would result in great harm to the spirit. The request must be carefully worded, for the spirit follows the literal wording, not the intent, of the statement. Asking for a great storm without specifying where and when won't give the desired results, for example. Furthermore, the spirit will try to harm to the caster (or place the caster under some obligation), usually by twisting the intent of the request, because the shukenja is bothering the spirit.

Casting this spell is extremely taxing; when finished, the shukenja is mentally and physically drained. All spells currently memorized are forgotten and cannot be regained until the shukenja has had a complete week of rest. During this time, the shukenja can still travel but cannot take part in combat except to use magical items that do not require concentration or physical exertion. Furthermore, the shukenja's hit point total is reduced to I. Lost hit points can be regained thought cure spells (cast by someone else) or magical items.

The material component is an offering of appropriate value to the spirit, anywhere from 5 to 100 chi'en in value (25 gp to 500 gp). In addition, the offering must have some meaning to the spirit – usually a piece of art or an item of fine craftsmanship. Simple cash is seldom a sufficient offering. The DM decides the nature and value of the offering required.