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Old 09-05-2018, 07:38 AM   #11
Extrarius
 
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Psionic Ward
Default Re: Radioactive Magic

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
Realistic radiation makes any magic a slow killer. You might have to go low enough to make magic no more common than modern dental x-rays (i.e. carefully controlled and once per year) to keep the effects in the negligable category.

So no wise old wizards. They all got cancer before the got particularly old.

Now, unrealistic radiation might do whatever you wanted but you'll need to be careful in calibrating things.
Alternately, maybe some people are more resistant to radiation (either the effects or the radiation itself), and that is what determines who can be a wise old wizard. Some people might even have some kind of regeneration(radiation) that means they can easily handle above-average lifetime doses but perhaps not high acute doses. Or, if it fits your setting better, only the academic wizards live long because they don't do much actual casting.
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Old 09-05-2018, 10:40 AM   #12
John_A_Tallon
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Default Re: Radioactive Magic

A friend of mine used a similar concept of magic accumulation in a game he ran. Later, I tried converting the effects (which were mostly assessed on an ad hoc basis by the GM) into a consistent ruleset based on the same sort of approach that was taken with the Radiation Threshold Points rule from p. 24 After the End.

Our setting had some interesting features: True mages were effectively immune to the side effects of accumulating magic, but normal people and non-mages dabbling with rituals or magic items and tools would be vulnerable. There were good reasons in the setting for trying to maintain magic as a secret, namely that the amount of belief-based power an individual person could generate and allocate toward a divine being would be dramatically affected by how much existing magic contamination they already had. Untainted followers are much better for a god than ones exposed to a lot of magic, and actual mages were not worthwhile sources of worship (but could make very effective field agents).

These rules aren't fully finished or adequately tested. In particular there's no direct relation between the level of magic contamination a person has and their value to a god as a worshiper outlined in these rules, though that was an acknowledged part of the setting. I haven't actually made the Former Human lens, either, but it was primarily a suite of social disadvantages in our setting.

Quote:
Magic Contamination Points (MCP)

Inspired by the Radiation Threshold Points rule from p. 24 After the End

Everyone has a new secondary characteristic, Magic Contamination Points (MCP), the maximum value of which is equal to (ST + HT + Level of Magic Resistance if any)/2 rounded down, plus 1 MCP for every 10 points in skills (total).

The MCP score is used to track magic absorption. Characters with Magery, a suitable Power with the magic origin, Sorcery, a machine template, or a template that is explicitly a creature of magic origin are immune to these rules, though their MCP can still be tracked for flavor (i.e. a Summer Court bloodline mage who was exposed to a great deal of contamination from a Winter Court source may confuse observers about what his actual power origin is until he's cycled enough energy through himself to shake off the contamination). Levels of Magic Resistance provide a bonus to all HT rolls. If the GM is using the Enchantment Through Age rules (p. 110 GURPS Thaumatology) then characters with machine templates should track exposure to determine the significance of particular events with a suggested rate of -60 MCP to 1 EP for acquired enchantments. With exposure of -1 MCP daily, the character would earn 6 EP toward an enchantment yearly.

As your MCP drop, you suffer from the following effects:

Less than 1/3 of your MCP left – You are in a giddy state from elevated mana levels. Suffer the effects of the Tipsy affliction (p. B428) until your MCP recover above 1/3 total or you progress to the next level of illness.
0 MCP – You are suffering from the Moderate Pain affliction due to mild mana poisoning (see p. B428). If you lose further MCP, each point you lose also costs you 1 FP. Remember that once your FP goes below 0, you begin losing HP as well; if you cannot safely rest and recover, this will eventually kill you. Lost HP will heal naturally.
-1×MCP – You are experiencing systemic magic contamination. In addition to being in Severe Pain from your body's immune system going crazy, make an unpenalized HT roll every day. On a failure, lose 1 HP. This injury will not heal naturally until you are above -1×MCP. Magic healing can heal the HP loss and temporarily relieve the pain... but it still inflicts MCP loss.
-5×MCP – You are in the throes of severe mana poisoning and suffer the Terrible Pain affliction. If you weren’t already unconscious from FP loss, make an unpenalized HT roll each second or fall unconscious (recovery depends on your current HP; see p. B423). Once you are unconscious you will not wake up unless you can heal your MCP above this threshold or successfully acquire an advantage, template, or lens that provides protection against magic contamination.
Exception: You do not have to make this roll if you are walking no faster than Move 1 and do not attempt any physical action or defense roll; in combat, this requires a Do Nothing maneuver each turn.
-10×MCP – Make an unpenalized HT roll. On a failure, you are treated as mortally wounded (p. B423); on a critical failure, you gain a magic creature template or character lens of the GM's choice! On a success or critical success, roll again every hour until you fail. GMs are encouraged to pick templates which reflect the character's nature: this can be heritage from a non-human ancestor activating, a spontaneous mutation reflecting the character's personality, influence from the original source of the contamination, Belief shaping from the character's reputation, or any other justification.

You naturally recover 1 MCP every 24 hours spent in a no or low mana area, whether you are resting or not. Very Rapid Healing doubles this rate, to 1 MCP every 12 hours. This assumes your MCP score is less than 20; multiply your healing rate by 2 for MCP 20-29, by 3 for MCP 30-39, by 4 for MCP 40-49, and so on. Time spent in a normal mana area changes the base recovery time from 1 day to 1 week. MCP cannot recover naturally in areas above normal mana levels.

Spending FP or Energy Reserves to work your own magic heal 1 MCP per 3 FP or ER spent, up to your natural MCP resting point. Certain cleansing rituals such as a properly performed tea ceremony, a purification ceremony by a priest, or a successful esoteric medicine roll will heal MCP equal to twice the margin of success of the ritualist's skill check up to your natural MCP resting point. Exposure to radiation will heal 1 MCP per rad regardless, but do not forget the radiation sickness rules (p. B435).

Example Magic Contamination Hazards:
Contributed to a spell: -1 MCP per ten FP donated to the spell by all participants. In ceremonial magic (p. B238) this includes all unskilled spectators. For unskilled members of a crowd participating in mass magic (p. 51 GURPS Thaumatology) the effect is -1 MCP to all members of the crowd per ten energy points blocked by actively hostile onlookers or participants, or drained by critical failures on the part of the mages.
Ate cooked magical food: -1 to -3 MCP per meal, depending on portions and preparation.
Ate living magical food: -3 to -8 MCP per meal, depending on portions and preparation.
Ate raw magical food: -1 to -5 MCP per meal, depending on portions and preparation.
Contact with a supernatural being: -1 to -3 MCP per day, depending on magical potency and proximity.
Drank a magic potion: -1 MCP or more depending on the magic's potency. Other effects from the potion may cost MCP too. For example, a healing potion would impose -1 MCP on top of the MCP loss for being the subject of a healing spell.
Granted an advantage through a magic power (such as permanent magical cosmetic work granting a level of appearance or a replacement for a lost limb): -1 MCP per character point gained, and lower maximum MCP by 1 permanently per three character points gained. This can be adjusted to a loss of 1 maximum MCP permanently per four character points gained if the work is done by a character with a score of 20 or more in the spell or skill used to impart the advantage. If maximum MCP drops below Level of Magic Resistance + (ST + HT)/4 you gain the Former Human character lens.
Handling, wear, or use of a magic item: 0 to -2 MCP per day, depending on magical potency and proximity, per item.
Intimate contact with a supernatural being: -1 to -6 MCP per partner per encounter, depending on magical potency.
Passed through a Gate: -1 to -6 MCP (roll 1D) per passage.
Spent time in a pocket dimension: -1 MCP per subjective day. Assess an additional -1 MCP per day per level of mana above low mana.
Subject of a healing spell: -1 MCP per three HP or FP healed or affliction soothed.
Target of a beneficial spell: -1 or more depending on the magic's potency.
Target of a magic weapon or magically enhanced attack, or a damaging or hostile spell: -1 MCP per three HP or FP lost, or per affliction imposed. If a long lasting or permanent disadvantage is imposed by the magic attack or magic item (for example a permanent amputation caused by a magic sword, or a curse or geas that remains until certain conditions are met) lower maximum MCP by 1 permanently per five character points lost. If maximum MCP drops below Level of Magic Resistance + (ST + HT)/4 you gain the Former Human character lens.
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