Help with stating some abilities (Psionics, Sorcery)

[DangerousThing]

Hi. I want a couple of abilities. I'd like to use them in a psionics or sorcery background. I'm running the campaign, and I can't stat them out myself.

First:

From the book The Door into Ambermere (series: The Ambermere Trilogy by J. Calvin Pierce; well worth reading).

A witch and her protege are attacked by a mugger. Hana, the witch, does a simple spell that causes each attack by the mugger to karmicly backfire. For example, he goes to hit her, and he trips and hurts himself. He pulls a knife, attacks, and hits himself.

Second

From the same trilogy, but I think the second book. Might have been late in the first book.

Marsha, the witch's protege, now has some powers of her own. A different mugger tries to attack her. She doesn't think she can attack him, and is surprised that he hasn't hit her already. She opens her eyes, and the guy is moving very slowly, so she steps away from the punch and he hits the brick wall behind her. She does this again in one of the later books, against a troll's hammer that was thrown at her.

It's not just increased dodge.

Third:

From the book The Empress of Earth (third in the Roads of Earth series by Melissa Scott; fabulous, fantasy written with the conventions of science fiction).

A captive is bound mentally via magic. The captive cannot move on her own, and even an apprentice mage could read her mind without resistance.

Any ideas about how to write these up?

[Refplace]

1) DR with Absorbtion and No Signature.
2) Why not Enhanced Dodge? Especially with the Cosmic, Defensive +50%
Otherwise maybe a Power Block or Parry.
3) Sounds like Mind Control, probably with One Command and Persistent or Lingering.

[RyanW]

Number 2 sounds like Enhanced Time Sense, which includes a bonus to defenses.

[AlexanderHowl]

Number 1 sounds like Visualization (Based on Will, +20%; Cursing, +100%; Magical, -10%; Reduced Time 6, +120%; Reflexive, +40%; Reliable, +10, +50%) [42]. With Will 20 and Probability Talent 4, the Witch is able to inflict an average of -8 on an attacker in combat every turn, which would likely cause the average mugger to have a bad day.

[Gumby Bush]

1. Affliction (Cursed, but a cheaper version could be made with Total Klutz)
2. Affliction (Decreased Time Rate) seems like the obvious option, but crazy expensive. ATR on oneself, also expensive, is another option. Enhanced Time Sense and Enhanced Dodge, perhaps with some level of Cosmic on it, is probably the cheapest.
3. Binding, perhaps based on Will or with Glamour, Linked with Affliction (Will-5 or, better still, Easy to Read (Psychic Only))

[DangerousThing]

The problem with my first request is that this asks for something that GURPS tries not to give: this is an attack that both damages the target and defends the caster.

In the only example given in the story, the mugger keeps trying to attack and keeps hurting himself.

The main limitation is that the spell only works as long as the caster attacks. If he just stays there and talks, he isn't harmed.

I suppose the defensive part of the spell could be DR that only works for the target's attacks.

The damage part of the spell is my problem. I only want the target to be damaged to the amount of damage he is trying to do, along with the type of damage. The target punched, and got crushing damage. He tried a knife attack, and got cut.

For the second request, I'll just use Insubstantial.

The third, I'll probably go with a modified mind control, I think.

[Refplace]

Sorry I meant DR with Reflection, not Absorption.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Sorry I meant DR with Reflection, not Absorption.

That would do it! I'd forgotten about reflection.

[RedMattis]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Hi. I want a couple of abilities. I'd like to use them in a psionics or sorcery background. I'm running the campaign, and I can't stat them out myself.

First:

From the book The Door into Ambermere (series: The Ambermere Trilogy by J. Calvin Pierce; well worth reading).

A witch and her protege are attacked by a mugger. Hana, the witch, does a simple spell that causes each attack by the mugger to karmicly backfire. For example, he goes to hit her, and he trips and hurts himself. He pulls a knife, attacks, and hits himself.

Super Luck (Wishing, Curses only, -?%) or Visualization (Cursing; Reduced Time 7).

Might want to add some "Resistible by X" stuff in there.

I figure him hurting himself is more a special effect of him critically failing severely due to a curse.

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Second
From the same trilogy, but I think the second book. Might have been late in the first book.

Marsha, the witch's protege, now has some powers of her own. A different mugger tries to attack her. She doesn't think she can attack him, and is surprised that he hasn't hit her already. She opens her eyes, and the guy is moving very slowly, so she steps away from the punch and he hits the brick wall behind her. She does this again in one of the later books, against a troll's hammer that was thrown at her.
It's not just increased dodge.

Altered Time Rate X (Emergencies Only and/or Maximum Duration) + Enhanced Time Sense + Dodge if you need a larger bonus.

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Third:
From the book The Empress of Earth (third in the Roads of Earth series by Melissa Scott; fabulous, fantasy written with the conventions of science fiction).

A captive is bound mentally via magic. The captive cannot move on her own, and even an apprentice mage could read her mind without resistance.

Any ideas about how to write these up?

Affliction (Mental Stun*; Extended Duration, Permanent, Until dispelled; Malediction)

*Or something worse. Compare your desired effect to the current Irritants and Incapacitating conditions on page Basic Set 36.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by RedMattis

Altered Time Rate X (Emergencies Only and/or Maximum Duration) + Enhanced Time Sense + Dodge if you need a larger bonus.

This has been the common suggestion. However, it doesn't fit the books. I would love to hear from a GURPS expert who has read them. It's an ability that is only used unconsciously in self-defense. Even by the end of the series I don't think she could activate it on command. However, when she uses it, it has totally protected her.

I loved the quote that another character used when Marsha was amazed that Suzi caught the mother troll's hammer and threw it back at her, killing her. Suzi said something like "Yes. I used my great strength, the product of muscle and bone. You, you poor weak thing, merely modified the laws of time and space to defend yourself."

Affliction (Mental Stun*; Extended Duration, Permanent, Until dispelled; Malediction)

*Or something worse. Compare your desired effect to the current Irritants and Incapacitating conditions on page Basic Set 36.

I like this. It is something that you can only do to a willing or captive (or both) target.