Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-18-2018, 12:21 AM   #1
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Magic, delay questions.

Hello hivemind.

I have come once again with a problem that I am having trouble understanding.

The delay spell, I understand well enough cost wise and duration etc.

What I don't udders tandem however is the how the "deathtouch doorknob" works. And what it would be used for.

Given the -5 to the linked spell to cast, and the "+6 to notice them"

Even something as simple as the "it goes off next turn" seems to me that a doorknob would have issues hurting someone.

I don't know.
Jaware is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2018, 03:00 AM   #2
evileeyore
Banned
 
evileeyore's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaware View Post
What I don't udders tandem however is the how the "deathtouch doorknob" works. And what it would be used for.
Delay may be cast two ways. The first way is to cast it on a person and then it will later activate the delayed spell on the subject.

The second way is to cast it on on object (a doorknob) and then later it will cast the delayed spell upon a preset trigger (someone touching the doorknob).

I what you don't understand is how Deathtouch works. Deathtouch is a damage spell that ignores armor but that requires the victim be touched (or in this case that the victim touches the trapped item).

Quote:
Even something as simple as the "it goes off next turn" seems to me that a doorknob would have issues hurting someone.
Most mages using Delay and another spell are likely to have the other spell high enough that a -5 is trivial. Most Characters will have a 50/50 shot of failing the IQ roll.

And even if they do succeed, the doorknob is now too dangerous to touch. Or maybe the entire door. They won't know. All they'll know is that a spell went off on the door and, well, that tends to be a bad thing.
evileeyore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2018, 12:31 PM   #3
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

I understand death touch.

But if it takes a second to open the door, and then the spell gets case the turn after its opened, there's nobody touching the door anymore.how does a touch spell go off if no one is touching the door?

As for the info roll, rarely have I seen pics without combat reflexes. Making them roll at around a 16. Which is like what, a 98% chance of sucess?
Jaware is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2018, 01:55 PM   #4
evileeyore
Banned
 
evileeyore's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaware View Post
But if it takes a second to open the door, and then the spell gets case the turn after its opened, there's nobody touching the door anymore.
In most adventure settings the door would take more than a second to open. Most adventures aren't just yanking ipen ever dungeon door.

Regardless, if you disagree that having a 1 second delay on a trap makes it useless, then, well, it's useless.

Quote:
how does a touch spell go off if no one is touching the door?
The handle would now be charged is my ruling.

Quote:
As for the info roll, rarely have I seen pics without combat reflexes. Making them roll at around a 16. Which is like what, a 98% chance of success?
I see plenty without Combat Reflexes. Beyond that, does every NPC have Combat Reflexes? No? Then this might be a good trap for the PCs to lay.
evileeyore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2018, 02:44 PM   #5
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by evileeyore View Post
In most adventure settings the door would take more than a second to open. Most adventures aren't just yanking ipen ever dungeon door.

Regardless, if you disagree that having a 1 second delay on a trap makes it useless, then, well, it's useless.


The handle would now be charged is my ruling.


I see plenty without Combat Reflexes. Beyond that, does every NPC have Combat Reflexes? No? Then this might be a good trap for the PCs to lay.
Basic 383, in the table, measures the time to open an unlocked door at 1 second.

That means that the door is already opened by the time the spell goes off though.

What kind of "trap" activates after the trap is sprung and when its safe.

Pc or Npc, if they know how magic works, then they would know that the door will be fine to open. You just couldnt close it.
Jaware is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 12:36 AM   #6
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

It seems to me like setting a mousetrap, and then somone pressing the trigger. And then it snappping shut after theyve safely moved thier hand away.

And then, even if for some reason they hung around touching it, they would still have a 50/50 of them just deciding that, maybe, they should move thier hand.

Seems pretty ineffective for a trap to me.

Maybe im reading it wrong though.
Jaware is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 12:54 AM   #7
Dalzig
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

I'd probably just ignore most of the stuff in Delay about specific timing. If someone is spending the time and effort to create a killer doorknob, then it's going to be effectual. Touch the door knob? Pass the check or get a zap.

Taking one second to open a door is in the combat rules section. That implies a sense of urgency and a certain lack of carefulness. In most situations where your typical trap will come into play, that probably won't be the case. I have no problem with the idea that someone's hand lingers on the doorknob long enough to get zapped.

To me, this is one of those things where trying to follow the exact rules as written is just not a good idea.
Dalzig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 05:49 AM   #8
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

The "takes effect next turn" bit is also one of those holdovers from 3e. 4e spells do take effect on the turn that they're cast.

Not that I find it hard to believe someone still has there hand on a doorknob after one second, even if they're in a hurry in combat time.
Anaraxes is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 12:03 PM   #9
Refplace
 
Refplace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

I just say a Delay Trap goes off right away,though someone has a chance to dodge or otherwise react if they can sense it.
__________________
My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more!
My GURPS fan contribution and blog:
REFPLace GURPS Landing Page
My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
Refplace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2018, 04:46 PM   #10
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Re: Magic, delay questions.

Fair enough.

I figured itd be somenthing along the lines of "ehh, *shrug*, it just works"

Im just used to cardgames and the like that have very defined timing structure which limits what things can, and can not be done etc.

I have a pc that has hangspell and delay and he wants to use it since he bought it. But he is not familiar with gurps magic super well, and neither am i coming from a Sci-fi background.

And the wording on those particular spells seems a little vague.

A couple examples would have done wonders.
Jaware is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
delay, magic

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.