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Old 06-16-2017, 08:06 AM   #551
ajardoor
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

That's really more of a Transform effect, not a Control effect.
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Old 07-05-2017, 02:48 PM   #552
Beini82
 
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

First time poster here. I Need some help with a classic shapeshifting ritual. I want to emulate the shapeshifting spell from the vanilla magic system which transforms the clothing as well (the result should be that the wizard can shift into a raven without leaving the stuff she's wearing on the ground). With RPM I believe I would need both greater transform body and greater transform matter to do that. I hope I am wrong because a x5 multiplier would result in a pretty expensive ritual for an otherwise moderate effect. Can someone explain WHY a lesser transform matter effect would or could be enough? Thank you.
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Old 07-05-2017, 04:44 PM   #553
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

It would be that expensive by design. RPM was originally meant to favor the urban fantasy setting where subtle magic is more the norm.

A lot depends on the GM and the kind of game it is. If it is a more high fantasy style campaign and if wizards turning into animals was relatively common, I might suggest that instead of considering the clothes a separate effect, calling it a Can Carry Objects modifier.

Its in the Basic Set for advantages like Invisibility but it's listed more generally in PU4. And then model the cost same as for an Affliction, which is 1 point for every +5% it's worth. (No Encumbrance is +10% so that would give a spell modifier of +2) Many would argue that it goes against how the system should work but it has the benefit of cutting down on the number of naked wizards in the game.

It's entirely the GM's call of course.
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Old 07-05-2017, 05:20 PM   #554
ericthered
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

There are a few ways I might handle it:

1) say "look, this is a shape-shifting genre conversion. Just cover it with the single greater effect. Or I will run around naked, and no-one wants to see that!"

2) split up the effect into separate rituals. often this means that your clothing won't appear when you transform back, but that its transformed into something different you carry with you. Like a feather. Do undo both at the same time, you may need a sense magic effect on the clothing transformation.

3) Count the greater effects separately from the lesser effects. This is a "single greater effect" spell, and thus the transform magic is lesser, because its essentially the same effect.
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Old 07-05-2017, 09:40 PM   #555
starslayer
 
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

So long as your clothes are organic as well the single greater transform body can cover you and your clothes. You become a bird your clothes your feathers.

Helps explain why druids might like leather, fur, and leaf clothes.
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Old 07-06-2017, 01:59 AM   #556
Beini82
 
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

The thing is that a lot of times in RPM it's easy to overcomplicate stuff because the ritual costs are sometimes separate from the actual result. Small things can be super costly and sometimes large things are cheap as hell. People here were discussing elaborate solutions in a ritual formula when out of the blue Ghostdancer or even PK showed up and were like "just use this or that as a lesser effect and youre good". Invisibilty? lesser destroy energy...becoming (more or less) immortal? just use lesser restore body and "heal" your aging.
I guess I was hoping for something like that :)
I could prepare a small pocket dimension in advance and add a crossroads effect to the shapeshifting ritual which stores all clothing in the pocket dimension as long as the char is shapeshifted. Would probably work but feels a bit clunky und cumbersome.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:21 AM   #557
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

Quote:
Originally Posted by Beini82 View Post
The thing is that a lot of times in RPM it's easy to overcomplicate stuff because the ritual costs are sometimes separate from the actual result. Small things can be super costly and sometimes large things are cheap as hell. People here were discussing elaborate solutions in a ritual formula when out of the blue Ghostdancer or even PK showed up and were like "just use this or that as a lesser effect and youre good". Invisibilty? lesser destroy energy...becoming (more or less) immortal? just use lesser restore body and "heal" your aging.
I guess I was hoping for something like that :)
Agreed. I think energy costs are mean to be GM-tweaked in many instances. After all, RPM is flexible and fully improvisational magic lives and dies by GM fiat. As written, changing someone's hair to feathers costs more than setting it on fire, supposedly because one effect is "more involved" but really, one is aesthetic and the other has actual combat utility.

In your case, I'd say "transforms with clothes" is a genre convention, not a discrete magical effect, and its inclusion is free.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:12 PM   #558
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

While on the subject of overpowered cheap magic, I thought I'd add an enchanted item I've been tweaking for my space-opera-western-with-magic campaign.

The Timepiece
Spell Effects: Greater Create Crossroads.
Inherent Modifiers: None.
Greater Effects: 1 (×3)

This authentic, centuries-old Colt Single Action Army carries a peculiar time-travel enchantment on its cylinder and ammunition. Whenever the revolver is twirled, its cylinder is reloaded to full capacity; any and all effects its bullets had achieved in the past 24 hours are undone - holes unpoke themselves, victims spring back to life on the exact spot where they bit the dust, and damaged objects are made whole again. Every day, at noon, the effect happens automatically, regardless of the twirling.

Typical Casting: Greater Create Crossroads (6) + Range, 1 day (18). 72 energy (24×3).

Now, I haven't seen any elucidation on how to apply "bound spells" (i.e. conditional rituals slapped onto items that can be fired repeatedly), but let's say the revolver has the condition of "twirl or 24 hours pass." I suppose the effect, as universe-breaking as it "feels," might be justified in its low cost by the fact that it forces a status quo, and thus cannot be used to break anything. Still, it's a neat gadget for faking your own death and stuff.
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:57 PM   #559
sir_pudding
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

FWIW, in most (all?) settings that I would use RPM in, I would just assume that shape-shifting is a skyclad (or animal skin only) ritual, since RPM is supposed to be a more "real-world" magic system.

Last edited by sir_pudding; 07-10-2017 at 11:26 PM.
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Old 07-07-2017, 02:22 AM   #560
Beini82
 
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Default Re: [RPM] Post your rituals here

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
FWIW, in most (all?) settings that would use RPM in, I would just assume that shape-shifting is a skyclad (or animal skin only) ritual, since RPM is supposed to be a more "real-world" magic system.
Fair enough but I don't see a real connection between RPM being a real-world or realistic magic system and a shapeshifting effect that can or cannot change your clothes as well. With RPM ANY effect should at least be theoratically possible and changing your clothes with your body is easily achievable (though costly).

They should look like this:

Shapeshift (including clothes)
greater transform body (8), greater transform matter (8), weight 300lbs (3) Duration 30Min. (2).
Multiplier (x5)
(21x5) = 105 energy (130 if conditional)

Shapeshift (without clothes)
greater transform body (8), weight 300lbs (3) Duration 30Min. (2).
Multiplier (x3)
(13x3) = 39 energy (54 if conditional)

Since the energy requirements have such a big gap between them...I was hoping for somebody telling me that that I've made a mistake and it's possible to do it cheaper :)
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