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Old 09-13-2015, 04:30 AM   #1
scc
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Default Partial Fix of Magic: Fire College

OK Magic gets a lot of flack, most of the time it's for having too many spells, others it's for being too cheap in light of Powers (A nonsensical argument) and even people upset about the way it makes you spend only a single point of each spell and pour points onto the core stat. While fixing the whole system is too much for a forum post I can make an attempt at fixing a single college.

At the moment the Fire College consists if the following 31 spells (I'm excluding Phantom Flame, it will be covered by a possible future post on the I&M College):

Seek Fire, Ignite Fire, Extinguish Fire, Create Fire, Shape Fire, Slow Fire, Fast Fire, Smoke, Fireball, Explosive Fireball, Rain of Fire, Fire Cloud, Deflect Energy, Heat, Cold, Warmth, Resist Cold, Burning Touch, Flaming Weapon, Flaming Missiles, Burning Death, Fireproof, Resist Fire, Flame Jet, Breathe Fire, Flaming Armor, Body of Flames, Essential Flame, Summon Fire Elemental, Control Fire Elemental, Create Fire Elemental

I'm going to attempt to cut down on this number by either dropping spells or in the case of weaker ones combine them into a single more useful spell in light of the tendency for later spells to be more powerful. Also I'm putting in the concept of Advanced Abilities, which are more powerful/useful versions of a given spell, made available by having an effective casting skill of at least 20, the GM is free to change this, on a per spell basis if he feels the need or even require other criteria be meet, but one of the break points given under Magic Ritual (M8) is advised and actually knowing the spell and not casting it at default somewhere is always required.

Finder
This replaces not just Seek Fire but all the Seek spells. The individual Seek spells are at best Easy techniques to Finder with a default of 0.
Cost: 1

Ignite Fire
Replaces both Ignite Fire and Extinguish Fire. Allows you to start or stop a fire with a literal snap of your fingers. May also be cast over an area.
Cost: Equal to amount of tight-beam burning damage to set target alight, per Making Things Burn (B433), half to extinguish, minimum of 2 for area version

Control Fire
Replaces Shape Fire, Slow Fire, Fast Fire and Fireproof. Use all stats (Cost duration) as per version of parent spell used.

Fireball
Works the same as normal, but Explosive Fireball is it's Advanced Ability

Smoke
Gains Fire Cloud damage dealing as Advanced Ability, with Smoke's duration

Rain of Fire
No change

Deflect Energy
Either left the same or rolled into Reflect

Stable Temperature
Merger of Heat and Cold

Survive Environment
Merger of Resist Cold and Resist Fire, possibly other similar environmental survival spells, Warmth also disappears into it

Burning Touch
Gains Burning Death as Advanced Ability, otherwise unchanged

Flaming Weapon
Flaming Missiles is rolled into this and gains Flaming Armor as Advanced Ability

Flame Jet
Breathe Fire becomes and additional option, otherwise unchanged (Why was Breathe Fire separate to begin with?)

Body of Flames
No change, or becomes Advanced Ability for Flaming Armor (In which case the later isn't rolled int Flaming Weapon)

Essential Flame
Likely merged with other Essential spells

Summon Fire Elemental
Becomes a Gate spell Summoning ALL Elementals

Control Fire Elemental
Becomes a Mind Control spell effecting ALL Elementals

Create Fire Elemental
Unaffected

So there we go, 31 spells reduced down to 17. Really it's both more, what with the non-Fire spells rolled into others. And yes I didn't cover Create Fire, but I couldn't quite figure out what it did, but it might be covered by the new Area ability of Ignite Fire, at least as long as it does no damage.

I hope this proves to people that it is possible to fix Magic. Please note however that this was just something that I threw together in about 3 hours and should only be taken as a proof of concept and starting point and not a finished version a a fixed Fire College. If this process of merging multiple smaller spells and very similar spells together is applied all across Magic I can see it's spell count shrinking from the 450 it is now to around 250-300, it may even end with Fireball and Lightning become the same spell
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