Creating a Super Mage/Cleric

[Lamech]

Okay, magic as powers: My preferred way to do this is modular abilities. If you have powers or psionic powers you can assemble the slotted version of cosmic: I.E. wish for any ability you want, costs 7+5/cp. Otherwise you'll need to stick with the 10/cp cosmic power one. You'll want physical +50%. You'll probably want some limitations: extra time, pact ("Vow: never used edged weapons" and "DoF: never be too rich" are good ones), maybe a nuisance effect (glowing light radiates from you making you unsteathable and rapidly destroying any metal armor you aren't wearing because it costs too much -10%)

Anyway regardless of the details you should end up with roughly a 0% overall modifier. Then sink a bunch of points into this, say... 150 (it is your main shtick) and you now have a 30 or 15 point modular ability slot! Any physical ability you want is yours.


Now buffing is amazingly effective in GURPS. Even more so if you have modular abilities to back it up. For maximum effectiveness and flavor you'll want the following ability: affliction, malediction, melee range C, increased duration (as much as you can get away with). Costs roughly 32 points. Now something important to note about modular abilities? They can enhance existing advantages. So at 15-30 point modular ability slot you had? Well now it can be used to make your affliction better. Either make it nasty and sleep enemies, or make it grant advantages and buff your teammates.

Congrats now you are an effective fighter (save or die attacks), and an effective support unit (granting luck, serendipity, DR, acute (sense), magery, striking ST, chameleon, energy reserve, unfazable, ect.) makes you all around amazing.

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

As I pointed out the posted Chacter is 150 points... and still has 100 point top spend... the most obvious place spend it is Raising the 15point currently spent

if you were happy spending all 100 point on the modal ability you could have a Total of 35.

Though options like Energy Reserve (Divine) is another good choice.

I would like to again plug the affliction, malediction, increased duration. 32 or less points, and is down right amazing. Your party will love you.

[Edeldhur]

Guys, first of all let me thank you all for the great feedback so far. The board is indeed very active.

An now for the newbie questions, while I try to keep up:

- I seem to have the impression that modular abilities only let me use once ability at a time, isn't that a HUGE disadvantage?

- I see most people using the "Takes extra time" limitation - doesn't it cripple a caster immensely?

- Last but not least, and regarding skills, can someone point me in the direction of where i can find an example of what would be the list for Wizard! or Cleric! Wildcard skills?

Thanks and cheers.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

- I seem to have the impression that modular abilities only let me use once ability at a time, isn't that a HUGE disadvantage?

That depends on if you buy a slotted modular ability like MA: Super Memorization or a pool modular ability like MA: Cosmic

Slotted ones are cheaper than their pool counterparts but you can only have one ability per slot at a time yet. However pooled vertion you can have as many abilities as you can affort to buy with your pool.

An it doesn't really limit you as most of the time you can't use more than one thing at a time anyway.

The real draw back is it takes longer to change between abilites, but the counter is you have more flexibility, Like my pooled example you can fill the pool with anything you can convince you god it's a good idea to give you. The price is having to stop and pray for it. But on the other hand you not limited to thing you though of before hand.

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

- I see most people using the "Takes extra time" limitation - doesn't it cripple a caster immensely?

Only if you get caught by surprise for a fight while you were preparing to do non fight stuff.

People who do the "Takes extra time" fall into either of two main camp they trying to emulate the feel of a different setting or system, like DnD where it took Mages hours to swap out their spells, the emphasize preplanning

The other camp on the other hand are looking to get cheaply enough slots or a big enough pool that will fit the default combat layout, one type of attack plus a little defense and maybe some movement. They only want the extra versatility for non combat tasks where extra time doesn't matter too much.

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

- Last but not least, and regarding skills, can someone point me in the direction of where i can find an example of what would be the list for Wizard! or Cleric! Wildcard skills?

Thanks and cheers.

I'm not sure. but GURPS Thamatology is normally you first place to look after GURPS Magic for alternative magic options.

[Edeldhur]

Thank you roguebfl for the clarifications, and I will take a look at Thaumatology to look for a wizards! wildcard skill set.

I wanted to ask you guys opinion on something else - looking at the "powers as spells" approach it goes somewhat against my idea of the mage with a vast array of spells, offensive, defensive and utility to chose from. It would seem I will always be "stuck" with half a dozen powers/spells to chose from and to improve on, instead of a big pool to chose from and versatility as if, for example, we were using the "classic" GURPS magic system.

In your experience is this so?

I was thinking of creating a starter caster with a much bigger pool of less stronger powers, so that in the future i would have the opportunity to build on a bigger starting basis - and btw, when i mean variety i mean stuff as single attack spells, multiple attacks, shields, armors, anti-magic defenses, fire, ice attacks, utilities such as detecting magic, identifying objects, mass travel, etc. etc.

I have the feeling though that if i chose a very large starting base, none of the powers will be really efficient, and in the long run i will have to focus on but a few anyway... Any thoughts?

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

Thank you roguebfl for the clarifications, and I will take a look at Thaumatology to look for a wizards! wildcard skill set.

I wanted to ask you guys opinion on something else - looking at the "powers as spells" approach it goes somewhat against my idea of the mage with a vast array of spells, offensive, defensive and utility to chose from. It would seem I will always be "stuck" with half a dozen powers/spells to chose from and to improve on, instead of a big pool to chose from and versatility as if, for example, we were using the "classic" GURPS magic system.

In your experience is this so?

I was thinking of creating a starter caster with a much bigger pool of less stronger powers, so that in the future i would have the opportunity to build on a bigger starting basis - and btw, when i mean variety i mean stuff as single attack spells, multiple attacks, shields, armors, anti-magic defenses, fire, ice attacks, utilities such as detecting magic, identifying objects, mass travel, etc. etc.

I have the feeling though that if i chose a very large starting base, none of the powers will be really efficient, and in the long run i will have to focus on but a few anyway... Any thoughts?

There is no official (arcane, in D&D terms) spells as powers worked example yet (there is one coming, Chinese Elemental Powers IIRC). There is however GURPS Powers: Divine Favor, that presents divine miracle-workers based on Powers. It is a wonderful book. I wrote Dungeon Saints for the Dungeon Fantasy Pyramid issue to provide some advice and options to adapt it to a dungeonesque game. There is a lens to convert the Dungeon Fantasy cleric, that normally uses spells, into the saint, that uses divine favor. It is a 0 point lens, meaning that the final template is still 250 points.

If you're still getting the hang of the system, I find that you should look at these worked examples. The saint can be built for what you want. Of course you depend on a divine being to grant you your mojo, and that can be a turnoff.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

I was thinking of creating a starter caster with a much bigger pool of less stronger powers, so that in the future i would have the opportunity to build on a bigger starting basis - and btw, when i mean variety i mean stuff as single attack spells, multiple attacks, shields, armors, anti-magic defenses, fire, ice attacks, utilities such as detecting magic, identifying objects, mass travel, etc. etc.

I have the feeling though that if i chose a very large starting base, none of the powers will be really efficient, and in the long run i will have to focus on but a few anyway... Any thoughts?

Well Let's take

Holy Beam 2d (burn) (Affects insubstantial, +20%; Increase Range (1/2D 50, Max 200), +15%; Side effect (Blindness), +100%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Vocalizations, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Power modifier (Divine), -10%; Accessibility (Undead only), -30%; Blockable, -10%;) [15] Notes: counts as Holy Sunlight.

That is one possible "spell" that the 150 point cleric I posts could pray for and get pretty much every time they ask. and unlike most missle spells cost no fatigue, actualy the cleric could get more dice of damage they go a cost fatigue version, but 2d does compare well to most Muscle weapons. Any worse sut as well agasin Ghost as Vampites or zombies, or they could prey for Spell that more effectice agasin just one type of undead.

[Darieltis]

Don't forget perks as well from Power-Ups: Perks. Many of the exotic perks make excellent cantrips and utility spells...all for one point each. You can build your powers from there later as you said.

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

Thank you roguebfl for the clarifications, and I will take a look at Thaumatology to look for a wizards! wildcard skill set.

I wanted to ask you guys opinion on something else - looking at the "powers as spells" approach it goes somewhat against my idea of the mage with a vast array of spells, offensive, defensive and utility to chose from. It would seem I will always be "stuck" with half a dozen powers/spells to chose from and to improve on, instead of a big pool to chose from and versatility as if, for example, we were using the "classic" GURPS magic system.

In your experience is this so?

This is why you pick modular abilities! You get comparatively weak powers, but they can be nearly anything. Want to look for undead? Get detect undead. Want to blast undead? Get innate attack: burning. Need to heal someone? Get healing. Need to find food in the wilderness? Get a talent for that. (Or doesn't eat!) If you took my advice and got the affliction you can buff the party too! Its really great fun.

[mlangsdorf]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

I wanted to ask you guys opinion on something else - looking at the "powers as spells" approach it goes somewhat against my idea of the mage with a vast array of spells, offensive, defensive and utility to chose from. It would seem I will always be "stuck" with half a dozen powers/spells to chose from and to improve on, instead of a big pool to chose from and versatility as if, for example, we were using the "classic" GURPS magic system.

In your experience is this so?

I was thinking of creating a starter caster with a much bigger pool of less stronger powers, so that in the future i would have the opportunity to build on a bigger starting basis - and btw, when i mean variety i mean stuff as single attack spells, multiple attacks, shields, armors, anti-magic defenses, fire, ice attacks, utilities such as detecting magic, identifying objects, mass travel, etc. etc.

My general gaming experience is that I'd rather have 4-5 really good attacks and utility tricks than a dozen poor ones. Spending time in combat using ineffectual attacks is a waste, after all, so I'd rather consistently throw the 4d attack that takes out an enemy than a 1d attack that bounces against his armor. There's also limits on how great you can be at any point level.

The other problem with "lots of minor effects" is that you lose track of what you can do. If you have 10 attacks to choose from, some of which are highly circumstantial, you're going to forget that you even have 4 of them. So simplify your life and don't buy them in the first place.