[Sorcery] "Physical Projection" spell

Crystalline_Entity · 01-10-2021, 02:49 AM

I'm trying to stat a spell which enables the caster to:

Create a duplicate body
Keep the original healthy (no food etc required)
Inhabit the second body and use it as normal
When they cancel the spell (or the duplicate is killed) the duplicate vanishes, their consciousness passes back to the original which is then woken up, with memories intact (but not necessarily equipment)

I can see a few ways of doing this:

Duplication - A build based on Duplication with the Construct enhancement (P48). This likely requires Possession (what is "duplicated constructs only" worth?) and some sort of Mindlink too. Plus whatever advantages are needed for the original body (Doesn't Eat or Drink, Doesn't Breathe, etc).

Extra Life - Practically speaking this ability gives you extra lives, so it's like an Extra Life which doesn't get used up. This might be modelled by a high level of the Cosmic enhancement, but I'm not sure I like using Cosmic to effectively give a character free CP.

Unkillable - The fluff might be different, but functionally this is like a Lich with a phylactery which IIRC is based on the Unkillable advantage (possible with Achille’s Heel for attacks on the original body?), maybe paired with Regeneration. This doesn't seem to allow the caster to terminate the spell themselves though, just protects them against death.

Jumper - Using Jumper (World) with the Projection (creates physical body) limitation from Powers (P44 and P58), and then borrowing Death-Snap from Infinite Worlds (IW176). Again, this would then require additional advantages to keep the original body healthy.

All options are expensive, which is fine as it's a very powerful ability, but I'm unsure what is best here.

How would you build this spell? Does anyone have any thoughts as to which of the above is most reasonable (or a better build)?

Thanks!

JulianLW · 01-10-2021, 08:12 AM

I think the most straightforward way of making this is Duplication with the Construct +60% enhancement (and Sorcery -15%) [51], with a few add-ons.

You have Telesend (Sensie +80%, One Dupe Only -80%, Sorcery -15%) [26] and Mindlink (Sorcery -15%) [5]. The One Dupe Only limitation is based on the "Master Only" limitation that familiars have on their Telesend. I don't know if it's standard to use Sensie +80% with Telesend, but that seems the most straightforward way of being able to share experiences.

Also, depending on how inert the original body is, I'd base all the advantages for that on the Astral Projection limitations from Psionic Powers. Only in Astral Form is -30%, and Only while projecting is -10% - which applies to both the original and the projected form. So I'd put a limitation for an advantage that only applies to the original form and only while projecting at -20%. So you'd end up with Doesn't Breathe (Original form, while projecting only -20%, Sorcery -15%) [13], Doesn't Eat or Drink (Original form, while projecting only -20%, Sorcery -15%) [7], and Doesn't Breathe (Original form, while projecting only -20%, Sorcery -15%) [13].

The whole package comes to 115 points. For 10 FP, you have a dupe that can go adventuring indefinitely while your original body lies inert like a statue - or has adventures of its own and reads books, for that matter (though without having to eat or drink or breathe or sleep). When you end the spell or your Dupe dies, you wake up having experienced everything the Dupe did. The big problem with this Sorcery spell is that you'd have to buy it at full cost in order to be able to use any Sorcery powers while this spell was active.

(If you wanted the original body to have to be unconscious while your dupe is active, then I think you could apply a "Temporary Disadvantage" limitation to this entire package. Because "Unconsciousness" is a +200% enhancement to Afflictions, that would be comparable to -20 points, so I'd set the Unconscious Only limitation at -20% and apply it to everything individually and then add it up again: 88 points. I think there's an argument to be made that the "Temporary Disadvantage: Unconscious" limitation should be larger than -20%.)

JulianLW · 01-10-2021, 08:33 AM

Two more ideas:

You could make this spell CP-Powered. You sacrifice 1 to 3 CP (depending on how appropriate your GM thinks this spell is) and get the cheaper (Unconscious) version for 18 CP. Not bad for what is essentially a renewable (10 FP and 1 CP) Extra Life with some added liabilities.

Or you could have this be a Gadget-limited thing, like a sarcophagus you put your body in that magically creates a projection of yourself - i.e. a phylactery for your whole body. This is only a good option if your GM just lets you buy the thing with CP rather than having to enchant the item yourself - because in order to enchant the thing, you'd need to know Enchant and the spell you're putting into the item.

One more thought: if your Dupe goes into a No-Mana Zone, he disappears and your original body wakes up in its Tower of Solitude. This is a pretty major drawback.

Crystalline_Entity · 01-10-2021, 11:33 PM

That's great! I think that combination of advantages does what I need it to, thank you!

It does suggest an "Improved" version of the spell which can create more than one duplicate (by increasing Mindlink to 2-9 people and adding more levels of Duplication), but that would be even more expensive.

Ideally this would be a magic item stored in the character's sanctum, but as you say enchanting it themself would mean the character would need to the know the spell anyway. Maybe they could commission it from an enchanter. Hmm.

01-10-2021, 02:49 AM	#1
Crystalline_Entity Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: England	[Sorcery] "Physical Projection" spell I'm trying to stat a spell which enables the caster to: Create a duplicate body Keep the original healthy (no food etc required) Inhabit the second body and use it as normal When they cancel the spell (or the duplicate is killed) the duplicate vanishes, their consciousness passes back to the original which is then woken up, with memories intact (but not necessarily equipment) I can see a few ways of doing this: Duplication - A build based on Duplication with the Construct enhancement (P48). This likely requires Possession (what is "duplicated constructs only" worth?) and some sort of Mindlink too. Plus whatever advantages are needed for the original body (Doesn't Eat or Drink, Doesn't Breathe, etc). Extra Life - Practically speaking this ability gives you extra lives, so it's like an Extra Life which doesn't get used up. This might be modelled by a high level of the Cosmic enhancement, but I'm not sure I like using Cosmic to effectively give a character free CP. Unkillable - The fluff might be different, but functionally this is like a Lich with a phylactery which IIRC is based on the Unkillable advantage (possible with Achille’s Heel for attacks on the original body?), maybe paired with Regeneration. This doesn't seem to allow the caster to terminate the spell themselves though, just protects them against death. Jumper - Using Jumper (World) with the Projection (creates physical body) limitation from Powers (P44 and P58), and then borrowing Death-Snap from Infinite Worlds (IW176). Again, this would then require additional advantages to keep the original body healthy. All options are expensive, which is fine as it's a very powerful ability, but I'm unsure what is best here. How would you build this spell? Does anyone have any thoughts as to which of the above is most reasonable (or a better build)? Thanks!

01-10-2021, 08:12 AM	#2
JulianLW Join Date: Apr 2019	Re: [Sorcery] "Physical Projection" spell I think the most straightforward way of making this is Duplication with the Construct +60% enhancement (and Sorcery -15%) [51], with a few add-ons. You have Telesend (Sensie +80%, One Dupe Only -80%, Sorcery -15%) [26] and Mindlink (Sorcery -15%) [5]. The One Dupe Only limitation is based on the "Master Only" limitation that familiars have on their Telesend. I don't know if it's standard to use Sensie +80% with Telesend, but that seems the most straightforward way of being able to share experiences. Also, depending on how inert the original body is, I'd base all the advantages for that on the Astral Projection limitations from Psionic Powers. Only in Astral Form is -30%, and Only while projecting is -10% - which applies to both the original and the projected form. So I'd put a limitation for an advantage that only applies to the original form and only while projecting at -20%. So you'd end up with Doesn't Breathe (Original form, while projecting only -20%, Sorcery -15%) [13], Doesn't Eat or Drink (Original form, while projecting only -20%, Sorcery -15%) [7], and Doesn't Breathe (Original form, while projecting only -20%, Sorcery -15%) [13]. The whole package comes to 115 points. For 10 FP, you have a dupe that can go adventuring indefinitely while your original body lies inert like a statue - or has adventures of its own and reads books, for that matter (though without having to eat or drink or breathe or sleep). When you end the spell or your Dupe dies, you wake up having experienced everything the Dupe did. The big problem with this Sorcery spell is that you'd have to buy it at full cost in order to be able to use any Sorcery powers while this spell was active. (If you wanted the original body to have to be unconscious while your dupe is active, then I think you could apply a "Temporary Disadvantage" limitation to this entire package. Because "Unconsciousness" is a +200% enhancement to Afflictions, that would be comparable to -20 points, so I'd set the Unconscious Only limitation at -20% and apply it to everything individually and then add it up again: 88 points. I think there's an argument to be made that the "Temporary Disadvantage: Unconscious" limitation should be larger than -20%.)

01-10-2021, 08:33 AM	#3
JulianLW Join Date: Apr 2019	Re: [Sorcery] "Physical Projection" spell Two more ideas: You could make this spell CP-Powered. You sacrifice 1 to 3 CP (depending on how appropriate your GM thinks this spell is) and get the cheaper (Unconscious) version for 18 CP. Not bad for what is essentially a renewable (10 FP and 1 CP) Extra Life with some added liabilities. Or you could have this be a Gadget-limited thing, like a sarcophagus you put your body in that magically creates a projection of yourself - i.e. a phylactery for your whole body. This is only a good option if your GM just lets you buy the thing with CP rather than having to enchant the item yourself - because in order to enchant the thing, you'd need to know Enchant and the spell you're putting into the item. One more thought: if your Dupe goes into a No-Mana Zone, he disappears and your original body wakes up in its Tower of Solitude. This is a pretty major drawback.

01-10-2021, 11:33 PM	#4
Crystalline_Entity Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: England	Re: [Sorcery] "Physical Projection" spell That's great! I think that combination of advantages does what I need it to, thank you! It does suggest an "Improved" version of the spell which can create more than one duplicate (by increasing Mindlink to 2-9 people and adding more levels of Duplication), but that would be even more expensive. Ideally this would be a magic item stored in the character's sanctum, but as you say enchanting it themself would mean the character would need to the know the spell anyway. Maybe they could commission it from an enchanter. Hmm.