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Old 09-21-2018, 11:38 PM   #1
lugaid
 
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Default Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

In GURPS Voodoo, one of the powers available to spirits is to hear their own name whenever it is "ritually invoked", with examples being a person remembering them at the graveside of the spirit's previous body, a sorcerous conjuration, or whatever. This seems like a very useful ability for a setting I have in mind, so I set about trying to figure out how to work it up in 4E terms. Unfortunately, it isn't obvious how that would work in game mechanics. Should I just label it a Perk and call it good, or am I missing something that would make the ability worth more than a single point?
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Old 09-21-2018, 11:40 PM   #2
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

Perk: Has a phone number.
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Old 09-21-2018, 11:53 PM   #3
Christopher R. Rice
 
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Default Re: Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

Quote:
Originally Posted by lugaid View Post
In GURPS Voodoo, one of the powers available to spirits is to hear their own name whenever it is "ritually invoked", with examples being a person remembering them at the graveside of the spirit's previous body, a sorcerous conjuration, or whatever. This seems like a very useful ability for a setting I have in mind, so I set about trying to figure out how to work it up in 4E terms. Unfortunately, it isn't obvious how that would work in game mechanics. Should I just label it a Perk and call it good, or am I missing something that would make the ability worth more than a single point?
It's a perk level Detect (see the Ghost template in GURPS Horror, p. 78 if you need a RAW example). If you're adding modifiers too it (and you likely should) it'll be worth a few points at most.

I created this for my own campaign (thought I may have modified it from another source, I can't remember anymore):

Name Invocation
You have a name by which you are known or that others know you as. When this name is said aloud by another sentient being (IQ 6+), you hear it automatically. With a Perception roll you can attempt to locate that person. Success indicates the location of the person that spoke your name and you may follow up with further Malediction-like abilities or spells. Failure means you get nothing, while a critical failure results in a “blind spot” – you can never “hear” that person speaking your name. Critical success allows you to buy the Super-Sympathy perk for the person who spoke your name if you wish. Use the following modifiers for your Perception roll:

Modifiers: -15 if your name was whispered; -10 if used casually or whispered with powerful emotion; -5 if the name was used with powerful emotion; -1 if your name was ritually invoked or spoken through a specific rhyme or verse. Add any levels of Acute Sense (Name Invocation) to your role. You may also add the higher of your ESP, Magery, or Telepathy Talent.
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Old 09-22-2018, 12:05 AM   #4
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Default Re: Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

Yep, its well established as a Perk in Fourth Edition, besides Horror it is also in DF: Summoners. I think I saw it elsewhere too but those are the sources I am sure of.
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Old 09-22-2018, 12:22 AM   #5
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Default Re: Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

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Yep, its well established as a Perk in Fourth Edition, besides Horror it is also in DF: Summoners. I think I saw it elsewhere too but those are the sources I am sure of.
Oh, hey, Summoners is one of the two DF supplements I've picked up. I always forget to look in that folder since I don't have much interest in DF. Too bad they aren't available in print. I might remember to use them once in a while then.
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Old 09-22-2018, 08:24 AM   #6
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Default Re: Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

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Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
Yep, its well established as a Perk in Fourth Edition, besides Horror it is also in DF: Summoners.
"Name Hearing", p25. Also a Quirk, "Name-Bound", which gives a penalty to resist summoning/controlling magic.

If your magic system includes a penalty or bonus for lacking/having a connection to the subject (usually for out-of-sight or unknown location casting), knowledge of a True Name might serve that function, without any need for the subject having particular traits.

Last edited by Anaraxes; 09-22-2018 at 03:51 PM.
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Old 09-22-2018, 02:03 PM   #7
Refplace
 
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Default Re: Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

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Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
"Name Hearing", p25. Also a Quirk, "Name-Bound", which gives a penalty to resist summoning/controlling magic.

If your magic system includes a penalty or bonus for lacking/having a connection to the subject (usually for out-of-sight or unknown location casting), knowledge a True Name might serve that function, without any need for the subject having particular traits.
As long as were talking about True Names my article in Pyramid #3/114 adds some extra bit.
I have a setting that heavily uses spirits and spirit magic and its a favored topic.
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Old 09-22-2018, 12:16 AM   #8
lugaid
 
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Default Re: Spirits Hearing Their Own Name

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Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice View Post
It's a perk level Detect (see the Ghost template in GURPS Horror, p. 78 if you need a RAW example). If you're adding modifiers too it (and you likely should) it'll be worth a few points at most.
Ah, I missed that there. I should probably just use Horror templates, I guess!

I think that I would run this so that the spirit can automatically know where the name was invoked, but it would have to be "ritually invoked", with intention that the spirit hears it rather than just any random utterance of the sound. There are some other useful abilities in the entry in Horror, I see.

Quote:
I created this for my own campaign (thought I may have modified it from another source, I can't remember anymore):

Name Invocation
You have a name by which you are known or that others know you as. When this name is said aloud by another sentient being (IQ 6+), you hear it automatically. With a Perception roll you can attempt to locate that person. Success indicates the location of the person that spoke your name and you may follow up with further Malediction-like abilities or spells. Failure means you get nothing, while a critical failure results in a “blind spot” – you can never “hear” that person speaking your name. Critical success allows you to buy the Super-Sympathy perk for the person who spoke your name if you wish. Use the following modifiers for your Perception roll:

Modifiers: -15 if your name was whispered; -10 if used casually or whispered with powerful emotion; -5 if the name was used with powerful emotion; -1 if your name was ritually invoked or spoken through a specific rhyme or verse. Add any levels of Acute Sense (Name Invocation) to your role. You may also add the higher of your ESP, Magery, or Telepathy Talent.
That seems like a useful way to do things too.
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