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Old 12-04-2013, 01:03 AM   #31
Anthony
 
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Default Re: GURPS Magic Flavor

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Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
I fully agree that when players have more points to spend, they're more apt to create generalists.
Most character archetypes aren't that much more general at higher point levels -- they're just better at what they do. The changes to mages are different.
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Old 12-04-2013, 02:03 AM   #32
doulos05
 
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Default Re: GURPS Magic Flavor

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Originally Posted by Anthony View Post
Most character archetypes aren't that much more general at higher point levels -- they're just better at what they do. The changes to mages are different.
True, but most characters built freehand become more general the more points you have to build them. Warriors with 250 points done have 100 extra points split between their primary weapons skill and strength. They have tracking, first aid above IQ, backup weapon skills, barehanded skills, etc.
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Old 12-04-2013, 05:38 AM   #33
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Default Re: GURPS Magic Flavor

In my current long-running campaign, I wanted to restrict generalism without putting insane amounts of work into creating Magical Styles, so I simply decided that each college of magic is its own style. Starting characters could have multiple styles, and instead of a perk, style familiarity required a minimum level in a prerequisite skill (see below).
This method helped keep wizards in just a few colleges so that they wouldn't be too generalized, but it also helped to make them "wise" with mundane skills as well, and it gave magic a bit of believability--in order to manipulate some aspect of reality, you have to have some understanding of it!

That said, I still had to prune the spell list a bit to keep mages at a power level where they don't shortcut every plot I come up with. I told them they cannot start with any of: Invisibility, Great Haste, Bless, Delay, Teleport, or any spell that has one of these as a prerequisite.

For reference, here is my list of required skills by college:

Air—Breath Control
Animal—Naturalist
Body Control—Physiology (any)
Communication & Empathy—Psychology
Earth—Masonry or Prospecting
Enchantment—Jeweler
Fire—Smith (any) or Fire Eating
Food—Cooking
Gate—Body Sense
Healing—Physician
Illusion & Creation—Artist (Illusion)
Knowledge—Research
Light and Darkness—Artist (any mundane)
Making and Breaking—Engineer (any)
Meta-Spells—Thaumatology and Research
Mind Control—Hypnotism
Movement—Acrobatics (any)
Necromantic—Expert Skill (Thanatology)
Plant—Naturalist
Protection & Warning—Observation
Sound—Musical Instrument or Singing
Technological—Engineer (any)
Water—Swimming
Weather—Weather Sense

This system has worked out really well, with fun, well-rounded characters who don't threaten to shortcut every plot and don't spend hours deciding what spell to cast next!
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Old 12-04-2013, 06:10 AM   #34
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Default Re: GURPS Magic Flavor

Frankly, why don't you and your player discuss what roles your characters want in the group? Maybe your Mage wants to have elemental and wilderness spells to keep the party alive and healthy in the deep wilds. Maybe they want to be and illusion casting showman with connections to the demi-mode. Find out what kind of game everybody's after then figure out what you can do with that.
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Old 12-04-2013, 07:34 AM   #35
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Default Re: GURPS Magic Flavor

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I know. I totally appreciate that you've got to follow the money. And if I'm honest, I can't buy anything new Until march even though I want to catch up on pyramid. But I can dream. Could you refer me to the pyramid issues and supplements with magical styles in them? I'll use that to write my Christmas wish list...
  • Pyramid #3/04: Magic on the Battlefield has the Six Strengths of Siegecraft, a style for "battlemages" who support their brethren as well as fighting beside them.
  • Pyramid #3/28: Thaumatology II has Yellow Goblin Magic, a style with a bunch of new spells and heavy emphasis on subtlety.
  • Pyramid #3/43: Thaumatology III has Adelphos Dionysos, a wine-based style that maintains an interesting balance between food-related and mind-altering spells.
  • Pyramid #3/48: Secret Magic contains two styles! The Way of the Keepers focuses on confusing onlookers and covering things up -- while First Resistance favors "guerrilla spellcasting," with an emphasis on sneakiness, sabotage, and subterfuge.
  • Pyramid #3/25: Epic Magic gets only an honorable mention here, as it includes a blueprint for creating a style based on the Seven Songs of Apollo, but leaves the grunt work for you (because the article is about how the SSoA can be represented in many different GURPS magic systems).
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Old 12-04-2013, 08:10 AM   #36
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  • Pyramid #3/04: Magic on the Battlefield has the Six Strengths of Siegecraft, a style for "battlemages" who support their brethren as well as fighting beside them.
  • Pyramid #3/28: Thaumatology II has Yellow Goblin Magic, a style with a bunch of new spells and heavy emphasis on subtlety.
  • Pyramid #3/43: Thaumatology III has Adelphos Dionysos, a wine-based style that maintains an interesting balance between food-related and mind-altering spells.
  • Pyramid #3/48: Secret Magic contains two styles! The Way of the Keepers focuses on confusing onlookers and covering things up -- while First Resistance favors "guerrilla spellcasting," with an emphasis on sneakiness, sabotage, and subterfuge.
  • Pyramid #3/25: Epic Magic gets only an honorable mention here, as it includes a blueprint for creating a style based on the Seven Songs of Apollo, but leaves the grunt work for you (because the article is about how the SSoA can be represented in many different GURPS magic systems).
To add to the list there are martial arts that contain spells and function as "light" Magical styles. There's Death Fist in the MA book itself. Besdies being a possible fictional style it can also serve as a strong guide to how to do the "Marma" abilities from the Kalapyarut Style.

Then are also multiple mixed Martial/Magical styles in the new Yrth Fighting Styles pdf.
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Old 12-05-2013, 05:41 AM   #37
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Then are also multiple mixed Martial/Magical styles in the new Yrth Fighting Styles pdf.
Which makes sense. Casting a Lightning bolt only does as much damage as a single stroke from a light blade, so Wizards need weapons. Thus spells either to keep people from hitting the mage or to make sure that a mage's blow counts for much more is obvious.

There should also be team styles were one mage makes a group of fighters more effective.
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Old 12-08-2013, 12:37 PM   #38
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Default Re: GURPS Magic Flavor

Question? Are there any martial arts, real or fictional, that focus mainly on the problems of working as a functional team?
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Old 12-08-2013, 12:53 PM   #39
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Are there any martial arts, real or fictional, that focus mainly on the problems of working as a functional team?
Sounds like X-man-fu, as practiced in the Danger Room. But they don't really present that as a martial art (even if it is one).
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Old 12-08-2013, 12:55 PM   #40
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Question? Are there any martial arts, real or fictional, that focus mainly on the problems of working as a functional team?
Almost all 'soldier' based martial arts focus on this. Roman phalanx (ie shield wall) training coming first and foremost to my mind. There are likely others.

Last edited by starslayer; 12-08-2013 at 05:23 PM. Reason: hehe spell check turned foremost to forklift
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