GURPS Magic: Death Spells

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Kromm

A blast furnace is extremely intense, dealing with immense temperatures and pressures, and energies capable of blowing up a large factory if mistakes are made; an ordinary human would be crisped beyond recognition, to the tune of 6d×5 or 6d×6 burn.

I was academically aware of what a blast furnace was, but I think I was thinking far more like medieval smelters. Not towering industrial monstrosities. Consider me edumacated!

Originally Posted by Kromm

A volcano is the natural version of this, and far more destructive than the 8d+2 for mere magma contact.

The scenic magma flows in Hawaii and pyroclastic lava bombs are, sadly, the cold stuff. Basically, as a rule, if scientists are poking it or you can see it on TV, it's the cold stuff. Which is mind blowing.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I was academically aware of what a blast furnace was, but I think I was thinking far more like medieval smelters. Not towering industrial monstrosities. Consider me edumacated!

You can achieve that level of effect in GURPS Magic through the Fast Fire spell (multiplies damage of fire; no upper limit on fatigue which can be spent), but it probably doesn't count as a combat-type spell. Though I do recall using Essential Flame/Fast Fire/Shape Fire to throw persistent fireballs of ridiculous destructive potential about back in 3e.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I was academically aware of what a blast furnace was, but I think I was thinking far more like medieval smelters. Not towering industrial monstrosities. Consider me edumacated!

Those things are scary. Anything that involves tens to hundreds of megawatts of sustained output and a chamber heated to over 2,000°C pretty much has to be. Especially when failure causes an explosion that forcefully ejects hundreds of tonnes of fragments over areas measured in city blocks.

Originally Posted by Bruno

The scenic magma flows in Hawaii and pyroclastic lava bombs are, sadly, the cold stuff. Basically, as a rule, if scientists are poking it or you can see it on TV, it's the cold stuff. Which is mind blowing.

Volcanos are even scarier. Now we're up to gigawatts and explosions that level cities or bury them in ejecta, though the temperatures are a "mere" 1,200°C or so.

Anyway, all this is well beyond "combat-type Fire spells," though as Anthony pointed out, you can abuse noncombat-type Fire spells to achieve similar destructive potential.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Though I do recall using Essential Flame/Fast Fire/Shape Fire to throw persistent fireballs of ridiculous destructive potential about back in 3e.

Had a wizard doing that in 4e. I figure about the point where you're stacking three spells together (which is a lot of spell-casting) you're allowed to be evil. Although our wizard thought of it more as the old druid ball of fire spell from AD&D 2e than as a thrown fireball, since he chased people with it.

[Tyneras]

Loved the book, maybe great ideas. Quick question related to Zombify, p18.

Resistant to Disease adds to HT, slowing the
process, but even Immunity to Disease can’t stop it; that advantage
merely gives +15 to HT, delaying the inevitable.

Why doesn't Immunity to Disease stop it? Are all Immunity advantages just a hidden +15 to resist bonus? Or is this a special case? Earlier on p5 it even says:

This kind of magic, like almost any magical affliction, is
normally Resisted regardless of means of delivery (Melee,
Regular, or even Missile). Subjects who are impervious to
the medical problems inflicted – thanks to traits such as
Doesn’t Breathe, Immunity, and Injury Tolerance – cannot
be affected. The latter constraint makes such spells a balanced
option in campaigns with lots of demons, robots,
undead, and so on, as wizards can’t simply one-shot everything
in their path.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Tyneras

Why doesn't Immunity to Disease stop it?

Because Immunity to Disease is a form of metabolic toughening and Zombify doesn't deliver a real disease that affects the metabolism, but a magical disease – a supernatural zombie curse. GURPS Zombies gets much more into this kind of thing, if you're interested.

Originally Posted by Tyneras

Are all Immunity advantages just a hidden +15 to resist bonus?

No. In general, Immunity means immunity. However, if an effect is merely close enough rather than what's actually covered, then Immunity need not have any effect. This spell is being generous by letting Resistant/Immunity to Disease have any effect at all, and assesses the bonus for Immunity by fiat.

[Tyneras]

Ah, so it's like a Magic Curse [Delayed by Disease Resistance, -%]. Thanks, the clears it up. :)

[RogerBW]

Blog-reviewed today at https://blog.firedrake.org/archive/2...ean_Punch.html .

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

Blog-reviewed today at https://blog.firedrake.org/archive/2...ean_Punch.html .

Thank you very much!

[edk926]

Bump for a couple of questions:

First, how many Death Spells would you put on a character before it feels like too much?

Second, what would be the most efficient way to give a character every single Death Spell in the book? Sure it's definitely overkill (horrible pun intended), but I can now picture some kind of ultimate Death-Bringer gleefully killing people in every way possible. Every day they keep it fresh by doing different spells on different creatures.