what trait determines a "magical being" sensed by Detect/Seek Magic?

[Flyndaran]

Possibly OT: I can see an interesting adventure seed starting with a hybrid elf born that has every single trait of an elf, good and bad, but just doesn't count as a "magical being".

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

If you insist that something has to be written down, write "Magical Being [0]."

If you wanted to price that as an Affliction would you do that +1% like afflicting a 1-point disadvantage or +10% like afflicting a 1-point advantage?

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by Plane

If you wanted to price that as an Affliction would you do that +1% like afflicting a 1-point disadvantage or +10% like afflicting a 1-point advantage?

Neither. There is no option to Afflict a zero-point feature.

But seriously, how you Afflict detection of being a magical creature depends on your definition of what a magical creature is.

[Kromm]

Right, zero-point features that fundamentally change what someone is aren't advantages or disadvantages you can deliver with Affliction. You would have to afflict them with Alternate Form to change them into something else. Something like this:

Affliction 1 (Advantage, Alternate Form, Magical Being, +150%) [25]

. . .where "Magical Being" is a meta-trait that consists of nothing but that one feature. Typically, though, you'd turn them into an actual magical creature with a racial template that costs 0 or fewer points.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Right, zero-point features that fundamentally change what someone is aren't advantages or disadvantages you can deliver with Affliction. You would have to afflict them with Alternate Form to change them into something else. Something like this:

Affliction 1 (Advantage, Alternate Form, Magical Being, +150%) [25]

. . .where "Magical Being" is a meta-trait that consists of nothing but that one feature. Typically, though, you'd turn them into an actual magical creature with a racial template that costs 0 or fewer points.

OK, you now have me imagining an evil Necromancer (using the Sorcery system, in this case) afflicting people with undead Alternate Forms that he can control for the duration. (The Mummy template is -107 points in GURPS Magic (the others are even lower), and I'm assuming Sorcery uses the same templates most of the time.) Nasty thing to do, especially since the damage normally carries over, and the heroes may not know that the effect is temporary.

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Right, zero-point features that fundamentally change what someone is aren't advantages or disadvantages you can deliver with Affliction. You would have to afflict them with Alternate Form to change them into something else. Something like this:

Affliction 1 (Advantage, Alternate Form, Magical Being, +150%) [25]

. . .where "Magical Being" is a meta-trait that consists of nothing but that one feature. Typically, though, you'd turn them into an actual magical creature with a racial template that costs 0 or fewer points.

Could I maybe just do a "Disadvantage, Disadvantageous Alternate Form, Common Trigger, +20%" instead? from http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=5782

I'm thinking the difference would be if you afflicted Adv:AF that the Afflictor could then control the ability (swap them between the two forms at will) but if you afflicted Disad:DAF then it would have to remain on the entire time?

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by Plane

I'm thinking the difference would be if you afflicted Adv:AF that the Afflictor could then control the ability (swap them between the two forms at will) but if you afflicted Disad:DAF then it would have to remain on the entire time?

That's not how an afflicted advantage works.

"Advantages that can be switched on and off (such as Insubstantiality) are automatically “on” for one minute per
point by which the victim fails his HT roll, and are not under the subject’s control."

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

That's not how an afflicted advantage works.

That quote is for the "attack" form of Affliction, where the target has no control over the Afflicted ability (because it's usually intended as a bad thing). But you can also use Affliction for "grant powers" style abilities, where the target does control the ability, pays the activation cost, and so on.

The designer of the Affliction ability chooses which way it works at design time. The character can't change between the two forms; it's two separate abilities that happen to share a common basis in the build. If you want both, buy both (likely in an AA group).

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

That quote is for the "attack" form of Affliction, where the target has no control over the Afflicted ability (because it's usually intended as a bad thing). But you can also use Affliction for "grant powers" style abilities, where the target does control the ability, pays the activation cost, and so on.

Not in the Basic Set. Powers has "Optional Rules for Afflictions," but these don't include granting the target control over the advantage. Where is this "grant powers" version found, and is it relevant to the topic?

In any case, I'm pretty sure we're talking about forcing creatures or objects to be detectable as magical, not giving them the ability to masquerade as magical when they want. That is, after all, the "problem" that Plane is trying to avoid.

[Black Leviathan]

I think Demons and Spirits are mentioned by name as they're otherworldly characters who exist on this plane because of mana being expended through necromancy or other magical means.

Golems, Zombies and anyone else that's only moving around because of a spell would definitely trigger that alarm just like anyone who has any other spell actively working on them would ping detect magic.

If you have another monster or character trait that is mama-dependant, is affected by magical protections or that consumes mana rather than FP it would also ping, since it's similar to spellcasting in application, but maybe only while the ability is in use. It would depend on how the trait is described.

Ultimately it's the GM's call.