New Attunement Metamagic Qualities:

Familiar: (Base 5 Karma. +5 Karma for very large animals or swarms, +5 for a Combat capable critter, +5 for a Critter that can perform Magic, +5 Karma for each Power a Paracritter might have)

Over a period of at least a lunar month an Initiate with Attunement can discover and familiarize themselves with an animal or critter. If they are conscious of the process they slowly thread and weave mana from themselves to their familiar and in the process weave part of themselves into the familiar as well in the form of Karma. For most Adepts and many others they simply spend time studying, conversing, playing, hunting, and in general spending time and energy with each other to come to understand each other. This is a willful process the majority of the time and must be wished at least subconsciously by both parties however this kind of attunement can emerge naturally (The GM can offer it happening in game if the player accepts). As the attunement takes hold the Initiate and the Familiar develop an empathic sense of the other in addition to the Sense Link Power once the attunement is finished and the Karma is spent. Combat capable critters could be anything from a Wolf to a Jaguar to an Hellhound. A domestic cat can be scary when angry but isn’t a serious threat to life in most occasions. The smarter the creature the more free willed it is likely to be which means that it can at times disregard the will of the “master”. Various examples of familiars could be a faerie domovoi for an hedge or hearth witch, blackberry cats for hermetics and wiccans, Jaguars for Nahuatls, a Wolf for a Shapechanger Shaman or the most common case is the type of creature the Initiate has as a mentor spirit or that lives in the environment of that mentor spirit like an eagle or a goat for a follower of the Mountain.

The Initiate and the familiar develop a strong connection and often start to take mannerisms and personality traits from the other. As a general rule the familiar will follow the Initiate’s lead.

In game terms they gain an empathic connection with each other giving a general sense of distance and direction, general well being, and their emotional state. The Sense Link Power (see Street Magic 4th edition) is available to either bondmate which can be awkward in certain situations. There is a metamagical ritual that allows an Initiate to perform long distance Sense Linking mimicking Remote Viewing that many ritual sorcerers learn. After an Initiate spends Karma on this Quality should the familiar die or the “bond” be broken through mistreatment the Karma is lost and can’t be recovered. An Intuition + Assensing [Astral] 2 Test will give more specific information about the other unless there is some form of mana barrier between the two. A character may only have as many Attunement Qualities as Initiate Grades. The Initiate and the Familiar are Material Links to the other for the purposes of Ritual Sorcery.

Cherished Item: (The Object Resistance of the Item in Karma, x2 OR for items larger than a Bike or high tech weapons, x3 OR for Vehicles with built in weaponry)

Over a period of at least a lunar month an Initiate with Attunement can discover and familiarize themselves with an item. If they are conscious of the process they slowly thread and weave mana from themselves to the device and in the process weave part of themselves into the item as well in the form of Karma. For most Adepts and many others they simply spend time studying, practicing, and coming to understand the properties of the cherished item. For those with a fanatic appreciation of a specific device this kind of attunement can emerge naturally (The GM can offer it happening in game if the player accepts) but usually it is done on purpose.

In game terms the Initiate gains bonus dice with the item equal to half their Initiate Grade rounded up. Should the item be destroyed or lost the Karma has been spent and doesn’t return. The Cherished Item can be used as a Material Link for the purposes of Ritual Sorcery. A character may only have as many Attunement Qualities as Initiate Grades. Weapons that are cherished items can bypass the Immunity to Normal Weapons Power including ranged weapons as the weapons have become fused with a greater than normal amount of mana and have become part of the Initiate and the Initiate’s will and that energy transfers temporarily to ammunition. Traces of the Initiate’s astral signature remain on the ammo as if the ammo was a spell cast at the bonus dice as Force. For guns and other high tech weapons the Karma cost doubles.

BFF: (5 Karma/10 Karma)

This is an attunement between two metahumans one of which must have the Metamagic Attunement. Over the period of at least a lunar month the Initiate and another must spend a large amount of time around the other and learn about the other person. This kind of attunement can happen accidentally between lovers, best friends, teammates, or parent and child. Bodyguards who have had the Ritual Aegis of the Protector cast on them periodically can also have this quality emerge over time but usually it is on purpose.

In game terms the two individuals develop an empathic sense of the other person’s emotions, a general sense of their well being, and a general sense of their direction and distance. The second level of this Quality grants the two the Sense Link Power. Both characters must spend the requisite Karma to develop this connection and should the other die or should their “bond” be broken the Karma has been spent and doesn’t return. An Intuition + Assensing [Astral] 2 Test will give more specific information unless there is some form of mana barrier between the two. A character may only have as many Attunement Qualities as Initiate Grades. Either person is an Sympathetic Link to the other for the purposes of Ritual Sorcery.

For an Attunement Metamagic Ritual that can be made permanent and is moderately similar in style if not in game mechanics to Cherished Item click on: Magic Staff Ritual

For more Overhaul rules see: Shadowrun Overhaul House Rules