Fresh GM questions (sorcery)

[Locke_5]

I'm currently in the process of converting my groups D&D 5e game into Gurps. The character creation process has been quite delightful so far and I have them all made in Gurps with the exception of magical talent.

I got the powers book a few days ago and I feel I have an adequate grasp of how to build powers to tailor to my needs. My problem however has been the issue of me converting the currently known spells of the group using Gurps sorcery. In the beginning I liked the standard magic system and its fluff but found that I vastly prefer magic as powers using the sorcery system. Its not so much a problem with me building the power to emulate the spells so far as its a problem of me building the spells and then trying to figure out how to turn them into sorcery spells.

Where I really hit the problem was in trying to make buff spells. I can't figure out if a buff spell would be an affliction based power or just built up as the power itself with the sorcery limitation slapped on it. It seems like it differs in the examples I have seen. With that I also had a few more problems creep in. Exactly how long would the spell last? Maintaining a spell can be done at 1 FP per minute if the spell is indefinite or a spell can have a fixed duration and be a fire and forget spell. What decides the fixed duration? From what I can tell it seems to be a base of 3 minutes modified to different times but why is that mechanically?

For an example I tried to build blink as a buff spell 2 different ways and I am fairly sure both are inaccurate.

Blink
Keywords: Buff
Full cost: 255
Casting roll: None
Range: self
Duration: 3 minutes

Warp (Blink +25%, Extra carrying capacity extra heavy +50%, Fixed duration +0%{not really sure why this I just saw it in example spells with 3 minute durations}, No strain +25%, No signature +20%, Reliable +10 +50%, Sorcery -15%)

Building it that way would mean it has no range and could only be used on the caster itself. I assumed if I take off the Fixed duration it would have a duration of indefinite and would be maintained at 1 FP per minute but this looks wrong to me.

Blink
Keywords: Buff
Full cost: 129/level
Casting roll: none, use innate attack (gaze) to aim? Or Will roll?
Range: 100 yards
Duration: 3 minutes or take off fixed duration and let the margin of success decide minutes?

Affliction 1 (Will; Advantage, Warp +1,000%, Blink +25%, Based on a different attribute Will +20%, Extra carrying capacity extra heavy +50%, Fixed duration +0%, Increased range 10x 1/2D only +15%, No signature +20%, No strain +25%, Reliable +10 +50%, Sorcery -15%)

I'm fairly certain affliction is the way to go and building it this way means it can be cast on others.

I am not all the way through the powers book yet and perhaps this is where some of the confusion comes from but I think it is less of a powers problem and more of a sorcery problem. I wanted to at least get some input as to how I was building powers and sorcery spells so that I can know I am on the right track before building everything wrong.

[lvalero]

You might want to look at theses blogs where other people has created their own spells using the "spells as powers" approach.

http://islandsofwar.simulatoralive.n.../colleges.html

https://enragedeggplant.blogspot.com...ell-index.html

I don't completly agree with some of the builds, but they are great sources. I really appreciate their job!

I recommend you giving a try.

[Anders]

If you want others to be able to use the ability, Affliction is the way to go.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Locke_5

I am not all the way through the powers book yet and perhaps this is where some of the confusion comes from but I think it is less of a powers problem and more of a sorcery problem. I wanted to at least get some input as to how I was building powers and sorcery spells so that I can know I am on the right track before building everything wrong.

It's not quite clear what sources you have apart from Powers. Do you have the PDFs of Thaumatology: Sorcery, and Sorcery: Protection and Warning Spells? Those have a lot of examples, and are available from Warehouse 23.

[Locke_5]

Originally Posted by johndallman

It's not quite clear what sources you have apart from Powers. Do you have the PDFs of Thaumatology: Sorcery, and Sorcery: Protection and Warning Spells? Those have a lot of examples, and are available from Warehouse 23.

Yes I have both of those books! Outside of those I have the basic set, low tech, magic, and fantasy.

Thanks for those links lvalero They look like they will be helpful to dissect :)

[Anders]

Here are my builds. I translated a Swedish RPG's spells into Sorcery. Warning, builds are very idiosyncratic.

[A Ladder]

Originally Posted by Locke_5

Blink
Keywords: Buff
Full cost: 129/level
Casting roll: none, use innate attack (gaze) to aim? Or Will roll?
Range: 100 yards
Duration: 3 minutes or take off fixed duration and let the margin of success decide minutes?

Affliction 1 (Will; Advantage, Warp +1,000%, Blink +25%, Based on a different attribute Will +20%, Extra carrying capacity extra heavy +50%, Fixed duration +0%, Increased range 10x 1/2D only +15%, No signature +20%, No strain +25%, Reliable +10 +50%, Sorcery -15%)

Quick helpful hint when building buff spells with afflictions: You have to apply the enhancements to the base advantage being afflicted, not the affliction power itself. So in the above case you effectively built the power incorrectly to what you want it to do.

Based off of what your original Blink Spell was made, this is the below correct way to make it an affliction:
Affliction 1 (Will; Advantage, Blink Warp +2,600%, Based on a different attribute Will +20%, Fixed duration +0%, Increased range 10x 1/2D only +15%, No signature +20%, Sorcery -15%) [274]
Note: Blink Warp is built as Warp (Blink +25%, Extra carrying capacity extra heavy +50%, No strain +25%, Reliable +10 +50%, No signature +20%, magical -10%) [260]

[ericthered]

Looking at the description of the D&D spell blink, you don't actually want warp. You want a rather unpredictable insubstantial coupled with invisibility. that's what the spell actually does. That's a package of about [130] points at its base (invisibility is 40, but you've got to make it selectable). I'd also use a custom limitation that says you can't control if the advantages are on at any given moment. This is probably worth at least -50%, enough to cancel out your carrying capacity.

If you insist on going by strictly RAW, works only 50% of the time is -20% and uncontrollable is -10%, but that doesn't take into consideration that the uncontrollable fires every five seconds or so. Which might be a -20% nuisance effect, maybe more.

[MrTim]

A Ladder, Blink Warp woukdn't get the Magical limitation because the Affliction as a whole is getting Sorcery. No double-dipping!

[A Ladder]

Originally Posted by MrTim

A Ladder, Blink Warp woukdn't get the Magical limitation because the Affliction as a whole is getting Sorcery. No double-dipping!

Sorry MrTim, you're incorrect in this situation. See Sorcery page 9 "All Buff-granted advantages should have the Magical limitation (p. 13), to reflect that they stop working in no-mana areas and can be dispelled. This isn’t “double-dipping” – the Affliction itself is magical and it grants a magical advantage."