[Sorcery] Questions about Warp and Ally

[VariousRen]

Hello there!

Sorcery has become my groups go-to magic system for a number of fantasy games, and we've greatly enjoyed creating new spells for the numerous wizards to play around with. Two particular cases have come up recently and I was hoping the hive-mind could help out.

1) We have made a Blink spell based on Warp (Blink Only). Blink specifies that you warp in a random direction up to 10 yards when you use it, ending up in a safe space. Who determines what qualifies as "Safe"? An unlucky roll on a Blink may place a wizard in an empty hex behind the enemy line, separated from their allies. The hex is clear, but certainly doesn't seem safe. Additionally, is the blink direction restricted by obvious barriers, or when backed into a corner will most Blinks fail because there is no other free space 10 yards past the wall?

2) We have made some summoning spells based on Ally, and we're looking for the proper way to represent the ally themselves being magical and vulnerable to instant dispelling. Dependency seems close, but most dispelling effects are instant and don't have a duration. What would be the appropriate way to reflect that the creature is killed (or at least banished) by a dispelling? Is this included in the summonable enhancement already?

[weby]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

Hello there!

Sorcery has become my groups go-to magic system for a number of fantasy games, and we've greatly enjoyed creating new spells for the numerous wizards to play around with. Two particular cases have come up recently and I was hoping the hive-mind could help out.

1) We have made a Blink spell based on Warp (Blink Only). Blink specifies that you warp in a random direction up to 10 yards when you use it, ending up in a safe space. Who determines what qualifies as "Safe"? An unlucky roll on a Blink may place a wizard in an empty hex behind the enemy line, separated from their allies. The hex is clear, but certainly doesn't seem safe. Additionally, is the blink direction restricted by obvious barriers, or when backed into a corner will most Blinks fail because there is no other free space 10 yards past the wall?

That is up to the GM to design how it works in their world. I use "random space that seems empty" in my games.

2) We have made some summoning spells based on Ally, and we're looking for the proper way to represent the ally themselves being magical and vulnerable to instant dispelling. Dependency seems close, but most dispelling effects are instant and don't have a duration. What would be the appropriate way to reflect that the creature is killed (or at least banished) by a dispelling? Is this included in the summonable enhancement already?

Add magic to the modifiers for ally: Ally(Magic:-10%, summonable...)

[VariousRen]

Originally Posted by weby

Add magic to the modifiers for ally: Ally(Magic:-10%, summonable...)

That was my first thought, I just wasn't sure if Magical on ally would cause them to disappear when dispelled, or just prevent someone from summoning them in an area with no mana.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

Hello there!

Sorcery has become my groups go-to magic system for a number of fantasy games, and we've greatly enjoyed creating new spells for the numerous wizards to play around with. Two particular cases have come up recently and I was hoping the hive-mind could help out.

1) We have made a Blink spell based on Warp (Blink Only). Blink specifies that you warp in a random direction up to 10 yards when you use it, ending up in a safe space. Who determines what qualifies as "Safe"? An unlucky roll on a Blink may place a wizard in an empty hex behind the enemy line, separated from their allies. The hex is clear, but certainly doesn't seem safe. Additionally, is the blink direction restricted by obvious barriers, or when backed into a corner will most Blinks fail because there is no other free space 10 yards past the wall?

2) We have made some summoning spells based on Ally, and we're looking for the proper way to represent the ally themselves being magical and vulnerable to instant dispelling. Dependency seems close, but most dispelling effects are instant and don't have a duration. What would be the appropriate way to reflect that the creature is killed (or at least banished) by a dispelling? Is this included in the summonable enhancement already?

Safe is "open space on the ground" Water only counts as open space if you can breathe it. Assuming there is only one safe space in ten yards of you, no need to roll, you'll end up there. The proper way to represent the summonable ally being magical is to put the magic power modifier on the Ally advantage.

[weby]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

That was my first thought, I just wasn't sure if Magical on ally would cause them to disappear when dispelled, or just prevent someone from summoning them in an area with no mana.

Both and more. Basically anything that stops of hinders magic in the setting will effect it, be it supernatural or mundane.

[Refplace]

Also some spirits that can be banished simply have the Feature Vulnerable to Banish, Pentagrams, and such.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

1) We have made a Blink spell based on Warp (Blink Only). Blink specifies that you warp in a random direction up to 10 yards when you use it, ending up in a safe space. Who determines what qualifies as "Safe"? An unlucky roll on a Blink may place a wizard in an empty hex behind the enemy line, separated from their allies. The hex is clear, but certainly doesn't seem safe. Additionally, is the blink direction restricted by obvious barriers, or when backed into a corner will most Blinks fail because there is no other free space 10 yards past the wall?

The GM does. Your power is not under your character's subjective control in this instance. If it were I'd charge a -20% to -30% Accessibility limitation that requires you to make a Perception roll each time. With the full -10 for "instant use" + +10 for "in plain sight". Pricing breaks down as something like: "Requires Per Roll, Own Roll, -5%", "Hard to Use, -10 to rolls (One Particular rolls, -20%), -12%", "No safe spots when blinking, -20%." I'd let Observation stand in for Perception if better. Scanning Sense could be used normally.

Originally Posted by VariousRen

2) We have made some summoning spells based on Ally, and we're looking for the proper way to represent the ally themselves being magical and vulnerable to instant dispelling. Dependency seems close, but most dispelling effects are instant and don't have a duration. What would be the appropriate way to reflect that the creature is killed (or at least banished) by a dispelling? Is this included in the summonable enhancement already?

Treat this as a form of Susceptible (Allergy) (see GURPS Bio-Tech, p. 213 and p. B158) in combination with my rules for Will-based Susceptible disadvantages (Pyramid #3/58: Urban Fantasy II, p. 10). I'd call "Banishment" a a Very Common effect for a flat -4/per -1 penalty. Since you just want them to be affected by it you'd need to figure the cost of the enhancement and then subject the first level. The trait would look something like this:

Banishable: Susceptible 1 (Banishment, +200%; Requires IQ vs. Will roll, Own Roll, +10%) [-12] + No Susceptible Penalty 1 [-4]. -8 points.

So if the target is hit with a banishing spells they must make an opposed roll of the spell's powers vs. their Will. Failure means they leave reality. If any banishment effect works automatically simply figure levels as equal to their HT-2. If they get hit they go poof. This assumes that they cannot easily come back to the reality they were banished from. If that's not the case then I'd treat Susceptible as an Occasional threat worth -1/per -1 penalty, in other words: a quirk or possibly a feature.

[sir_pudding]

I wouldn't give points for susceptibility to banishment, it is always a feature. Most things that are susceptible to banishment spells aren't susceptible to things that affect humans like hypnotism.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I wouldn't give points for susceptibility to banishment, it is always a feature. Most things that are susceptible to banishment spells aren't susceptible to things that affect humans like hypnotism.

I'm sorry, but your wrong. Can be turned is sometimes a feature and yet GURPS Zombies (p. 66) lists it as a possible quirk. Being susceptible to banishment could be a setting feature (as could any trait) worth 0-points or a quirk.

[Leynok]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

2) We have made some summoning spells based on Ally, and we're looking for the proper way to represent the ally themselves being magical and vulnerable to instant dispelling. Dependency seems close, but most dispelling effects are instant and don't have a duration. What would be the appropriate way to reflect that the creature is killed (or at least banished) by a dispelling? Is this included in the summonable enhancement already?

Since it's for Sorcery, the Ally should already have the Sorcery power modifier, and thus be susceptible to this.