[RPM] Anti-Bullet Wards

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by MechaMage

Perhaps using Control Energy to allow a Path of Energy/2+3 roll to redirect bullets to avoid the caster - if the caster has different specialties, Control Mind/Body could also both be substituted against mortal shooters, etc. Range needs would be higher if using magic to affect the shooter, not their bullets. To overcome the need to know about the shooter, things like Sense Mind (to detect hostile intent) or Sense Energy/Matter (to detect material projectiles) might be used, or maybe Create Mind to automate the defense? Would have to talk to the GM about the specific mechanics.

Alright, so game mechanically what you need is a parrying surface on your body and the ability to Parry bullets. The first is probably a Perk. The second is arguably the Parry Missile Weapons skill, which is going to be too costly for the spell. Substituting a Path skill for PMW might be legitimate, but should cost a decent amount. I'd probably eyeball the whole thing (parrying surface and using Path skill to Parry bullets) as [20] or so. The needed effects are probably Lesser Sense Matter (to detect and locate the bullet) and Lesser Control Matter (curving a bullet slightly should be sufficient to avoid a hit). Bullets are light enough you don't need to add energy to account for subject weight, so you're looking at Lesser Sense Matter (2) + Lesser Control Matter (5) + Altered Traits: Parry Bullets with Path of Matter (20) + Duration, 10 minutes (1) + Subject Weight, 10 lb (0). That's 28 energy, within the Magician's abilities - he may also want to add another 5 energy to make it into a Charm. Witches will want to add Bestows a Bonus (Parry Bullets with this Ritual, Narrow).

Originally Posted by ajardoor

I stated out a ritual that disabled firearms by rendering the bullets loaded inert - basically, causing the ammo to become duds.

A simple ritual can easily make a gun jam.

That's one I thought of as well. Lesser Destroy Matter + Bestows a Penalty (Guns rolls, only to determine if Malfunction comes into play, Narrow) + Range (for a single target) or Area of Effect (to affect everyone nearby).

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Varyon

That's one I thought of as well. Lesser Destroy Matter + Bestows a Penalty (Guns rolls, only to determine if Malfunction comes into play, Narrow) + Range (for a single target) or Area of Effect (to affect everyone nearby).

Don't forget the weight of the ammo and energy for specifying exceptions-- getting rid of all the guns in a supernatural fight could as easily hurt your own side as the enemy.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Don't forget the weight of the ammo and energy for specifying exceptions-- getting rid of all the guns in a supernatural fight could as easily hurt your own side as the enemy.

For the full write-up, yeah, you'd probably want those bits. Weight of ammo can be safely ignored, so long as you aren't needing to jam a cannon or large mortar.


Gun-Free Zone
Effects: Lesser Destroy Matter
Inherent Modifiers: Bestows a Penalty (Guns rolls for determining Malf, Narrow) + Area of Effect
Greater Effects: 0 (x1)

This creates a 70-yard radius around the caster that fouls ammunition - for the next 10 minutes, anybody other than the caster is treated as having rolled 4 higher on every Guns roll, but only for purposes of determining if the weapon suffered a Malfunction. The caster can designate specific allies who will also be unaffected - this is free for the first ally, and costs an additional +1 energy for every 2 additional allies.

Lesser Destroy Matter (5) + Bestows a Penalty 4 (8) + Area of Effect, 2 targets excluded, 70 yards (18) + Subject Weight, 10 lb (0) + Duration, 10 minutes (1). 32 energy (32x1).

This ritual is appropriate for Magicians. It works well for typical close-range firefights, but don't try to rely on it in a sniper situation! Witches will likely use their extra energy to boost the penalty (as it stands, a typical Malf 17 weapon needs the foe to roll a 12 or higher for this ritual to help) and area. The Subject is the ammunition itself, so the bulk of such will be readily affected.

Of course, if the GM allows, you could instead have this deal Burning damage to every piece of ammo within range. The ammo should get an HT roll to resist, but the results would be nasty. You can probably get away with only 1d, but the spell is probably a Greater Effect at this point (and could use Create Energy instead of Destroy Matter), for 72 energy - a Magician would need to drop the Area a bit (every -1 SSR to area is -6 to energy, so a 5 yard radius would be 30 energy). You may need to toss on Selective Area (for +4 to base energy, +12 to final cost) to be able to target the ammunition itself - that's up to the GM.

[oneofmanynameless]

What about using path of crossroads to apply a lateral change in the velocity of the bullets so they miss the caster?

Or just teleport the bullets behind the caster?

[Anders]

Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless

Or just teleport the bullets behind the caster?

Or just behind the shooter.

[oneofmanynameless]

Paths of Matter, Energy, Chance, and even Crossroads are pretty easy to use against bullets. Lots of options there. Ritualists who specialize in the Path of Mind or Path of Body also have a lot of options in terms of using spells to disarm opponents, or force them to miss. Those who specialize in the Paths of Spirit and Undead have to get a little more creative, however!

Guardian Spirit
Spell Effects: Greater Create Undead
Inherent Modifiers: Summoned, Duration
Greater Effects: 1 (x3)

This spell creates a very simple ghostly servitor whose express purpose is to protect the caster for the duration of the effect. The servitor is created by the GM but uses the following template (as a modified version of the ghost/phantasm from GURPS Horror):

Guardian Haunt [100]
Attributes: IQ-4 [-80]
Secondary Attributes: Per +4 [20], Will [20],
Advantages: Doesn't Breathe [20], Doesn't Eat [10], Doesn't Sleep [20], Energy Reserve (10, psionic; accessibility, only within 1 yard of focus {which is determined by caster at time of casting} -80%) [6], Enhanced Parry 2 (telekineses, accessibility: only when making sacrificial parries -60%) [4], Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30], Insubstantiality (Affects Substantial +100%, Always On -50%) [120], Invisibility (substantial only, -10%) [36], Psychokinesis Talent 4 [30], Telekinesis 5 (Costs Fatigue 2 -10%, Psionic: Psychokinetic -10%) [20]
Perks: Sacrificial Parry (Telekinesis) [1]
Disadvantages: Automaton [-85], Compulsive behavior (protect master) [-15], Dread (exorcism, occasional) [-10], Mute (substantial only, -10%) [-22], Supernatural Feature (Cold Spot, Pallor) [-15]
Features: Affected by Path of Undead instead of Path of Body or Mind, Can be detected by sensitive individuals, Affected by True Faith.

When the ritual is first cast the caster must designate an object to be the Haunts Focus. The Haunts "Master" for purposes of its Reprogrammable Disadvantage is whoever holds the focus. While the spell is up the haunt will protect the it's master, the carrier of the focus, to the best of it's ability: it will use it's telekinesis to parry incoming attacks (including parrying ranged weapons, although not their projectiles, as long as those weapons are within 10 meters of the haunt!), disarming opponents, or even striking at opponents (if it has nothing else to do that round!). It will also stick to it's Master's side to the best of it's ability (although it only has move 5.) It is not good with subtle or complex situations and will only defend the Master from direct and overt attacks.

Typical Casting: Greater Create Undead [5] + Summoned, 50% of starting points [8 energy] + Duration, 10 minutes [1] = 14x3 = 42 energy

This spell relies on Ghostdancer's custom "Summoned" RPM modifier which relies on a "Static Point Total" set by the GM. This is typically starting character points for PCs. The above version of the spell assumes a 200 point "Static Point Total" since 200 points is the value of the Magician Template from Monster Hunters. If the Static Point Total is higher (like the 400 points of a MH champion template) then the spirit will be significantly more powerful! Spend the extra character points on Psychokinetic, ESP, and Probability Alteration Psi powers which can be used to protect others such as Force Field Affects Others AOE DR, Luck or Super Luck, Danger Sense, Detect (Hostility), Bad Luck Hexes, etc.

This spell is also just above the comfort range of a Magician. They'll need to use secondary resources like fatigue points, hit points, and sacrificing small animals to cast it without aid from ritual trappings, places of power, and grimoires.
Witch's, on the other hand, can not only enjoy a potentially higher "Static Point Total" which increases the baseline effectiveness of the spirit, but they can also afford to pay for a higher percentage of that point total. Points should generally be spent as detailed above, but also extra IQ, extra FP or ER, and maybe even other psi powers can be purchased as well (some of these may even be more "utility" then defense, e.g. psychoportation so the spirit can keep up with a fast moving caster!) They can also extend the duration, and maybe even strengthen the spirit to have traits like Single-Minded, Immunity to Mind Control, or Unfazeable.

[ajardoor]

Okay, here is the ritual I had created earlier;
----

Disable Firearms
Spell Effects: Lesser Destroy Matter.
Inherent Modifiers: Area of Effect.
Greater Effects: 0 (x1).

All ammunition loaded into any sort of firearm is rendered inert by this area effect (20 yards radius, by default) spell - including the caster's own loaded firearm, if an exception is not made (a caster could simply not load the gun before casting, or attach a charm to the gun that undoes the spell). Loading the gun with new ammo would fix the problem, but NOT immediate action, as the problem is not a jam but a bullet defect. This is a great spell for a charm or conditional trigger, set to go off if the caster is threatened with a gun.

Typical Casting: Lesser Destroy Matter (5) + Subject Weight, 10 lbs. (0) + Area of Effect, 20 yards radius (12). 17 energy (17x1).

[Antiquation!]

Here's a ritual my brother came up with for avoiding nasty deaths:

Ashes to Ashes

Spell Effects: Greater Transform Body + Greater Transform Matter + Lesser Sense Matter
Inherent Modifiers: None
Greater Effects: 2 (x5)

Favored for its utility against assassinations or misfortunes of many kinds, this ritual is most often cast as a Conditional ritual with the trigger "as soon as something hits me" (frequently used on royalty or important diplomats), this spell causes your body to turn to ash just as a deadly weapon, bullet or other physical impact connects with you, allowing the weapon to pass more-or-less harmlessly through you by "clearing" the wound channel via transformation just in front of the impact (your flesh instantly reforming from the ash in its wake). You are considered Diffuse for the purposes of resolving the damage of a single attack or other form of impact only. Note that this spell will not prevent someone from simply grabbing you by the shirt collar! It will, however, work to mitigate a bad fall (though area attacks affect Diffuse foes as normal!).

Typical Casting (Conditional): Greater Transform Body [8] + Greater Transform Matter [8] + Lesser Sense Matter [2] + Lesser Control Magic [5] + Subject Weight (300 lbs.) [3]. 130 energy (26x5).