Favorite GURPS:Magic Spells

[Crispythemighty]

I've got myself a little project to "modify" GURPS:Magic for my games. I've got some of the basic changes down, but I'd like to test it out by converting a few of communities favorite spells. Since I haven't been able to play in a GURPS game with the basic magic system as of yet I really don't have any "favorites" per se.

Just list one spell for each class (regular, melee, missile, area, information, and blocking) and why you like it (don't want to take away the reason people like to use it). :)

Thanks

Note: I'm not looking for an alternate spell system. I like the spells as individuals skills, I just want to play with it a little to see if I can't make it more to my liking.

[Crispythemighty]

An example:

Ignite Fire
Regular (H)
Cost: Every energy used (maximum equal to Magery) ignites lower level of flammable (as per Basic p.433). Once ignited, the fire burns normally.
Example: 1 FP ignites Highly Flammable objects; 2 FP ignites Flammable objects: etc.
Cost to maintain is the same as the original cost to cast.
Time to cast: 2 second per FP spent.
Prerequisite count: 0

The way this works makes it less useful as a combat spell... since it take 10 energy to lite clothing but I believe its still in the spirit of the spell.

[Bruno]

I think it's intended for lighting campfires and stoves as much as pipes, and 3 FP for kindling or 10 FP for carefully cut and dried seasoned wood strikes me as completely not worth spending points on it.

Setting someones clothes on fire only does 1d-3 a turn, and is "fairly" easy to put out.

EDIT: Perhaps instead change the time to cast - making it 5 or 10 seconds would make it utterly impractical for combat while still making it much faster than using matches.

EDIT EDIT: new idea. Keep with the table from the Basic Set, but:
Each point of FP shifts the effects one step up the table (maximum of your Magery). Time to cast is 2 or 3s per point of FP spent on the spell.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I think it's intended for lighting campfires and stoves as much as pipes, and 3 FP for kindling or 10 FP for carefully cut and dried seasoned wood strikes me as completely not worth spending points on it.

Setting someones clothes on fire only does 1d-3 a turn, and is "fairly" easy to put out.

EDIT: Perhaps instead change the time to cast - making it 5 or 10 seconds would make it utterly impractical for combat while still making it much faster than using matches.

EDIT EDIT: new idea. Keep with the table from the Basic Set, but:
Each point of FP shifts the effects one step up the table (maximum of your Magery). Time to cast is 2 or 3s per point of FP spent on the spell.

Heh... you got me watching to make sure you're done with your Edits :)

The general idea of reducing its combat applicability seem OK to me, but I agree that the FP cost change is probably not the best way to do it. Maybe something as simple as making it non-maintainable?

[Crispythemighty]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I think it's intended for lighting campfires and stoves as much as pipes, and 3 FP for kindling or 10 FP for carefully cut and dried seasoned wood strikes me as completely not worth spending points on it.

Setting someones clothes on fire only does 1d-3 a turn, and is "fairly" easy to put out.

True, although create fire is probably better for lighting the camp fire or a wood building for that matter. But I do see your point.

Originally Posted by Bruno

EDIT: Perhaps instead change the time to cast - making it 5 or 10 seconds would make it utterly impractical for combat while still making it much faster than using matches.

Not really trying to make it unworthy of combat. As you pointed out it pretty much already is.

Originally Posted by Bruno

EDIT EDIT: new idea. Keep with the table from the Basic Set, but:
Each point of FP shifts the effects one step up the table (maximum of your Magery). Time to cast is 2 or 3s per point of FP spent on the spell.

This is a great idea.

[Crispythemighty]

In my variant Area spells have two costs. The regular cost that all spells have and area cost. Example:

Grease
Area (H)
Surface becomes slippery. All combat rolls in the area are affected by bad footing (-2 to attacks, -1 to active defenses). Anyone moving through the greased area must roll DX-2 per yard moved or fall prone. If cast on a vertical surface that surface becomes impossible to climb. The Glue and Grease spell counter each other.
Duration: 10 minutes
Cost: 2
Area cost: 1 per yard (not affected by high skill)
Prerequisite count: 1

[Shrale]

Knowing Touch
Communication & Empathy
Regular; Resisted by Will

Allows the mage to impart any information he could speak just by touching the subject. The rate at which he communicates is four times the speed of his normal speech but is still perfectly understandable in the subject's mind. If the mage's link to the subject is broken, the spell is ended. If the subject is unwilling he may roll vs. Will to resist.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4, 3 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Selective Message.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Item: Jewelry or glove. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.

Need to create an "object version"; just wish I could find the Prereq spell list someplace.

>

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I think it's intended for lighting campfires and stoves as much as pipes, and 3 FP for kindling or 10 FP for carefully cut and dried seasoned wood strikes me as completely not worth spending points on it.

Setting someones clothes on fire only does 1d-3 a turn, and is "fairly" easy to put out.

EDIT EDIT: new idea. Keep with the table from the Basic Set, but:
Each point of FP shifts the effects one step up the table (maximum of your Magery). Time to cast is 2 or 3s per point of FP spent on the spell.

I will point out that trying to do other things while your clothes are on fire is at least a -3 penalty. :)

The way I would modify Ignite Fire is to reduce cost to 1 FP/minute but use the chart of various materials to represent _time_ of exposure needed for ignition. I haven't done this in my games because the subject has never come up.

An area I would recommend for special attention is Earth spells, particularly the variants affecting stone. The potential impacts of Shape Stone or Stone to Earth or Stone to Air in a typical fantasy setting are huge.

[TJA]

Originally Posted by Crispythemighty

[font=Verdana][size=2]
Cost: Every energy used (maximum equal to Magery) produces a single point of heat damage.
[...]
The way this works makes it less useful as a combat spell... since it take 10 energy to lite clothing but I believe its still in the spirit of the spell.

Uhh.
And Magery 10?????

[Crispythemighty]

Originally Posted by TJA

Uhh.
And Magery 10?????

Well... not all at one time :)

It would take 4 rds with Magery 3.