Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-19-2019, 12:45 PM   #1
Nose66
 
Nose66's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Atlanta, GA
Default Magic System from Modular Abilities

I've read many (many) of the posts about creating a Vancian magic system using Modular Abilities, and I want to try something like that (but not "full blown D&D Vancian").

The world I am building currently has 4 types of "magic" users, using 2 different ("Magic as Powers") systems.

Powers - Divine Favor
Clerics - Gain power from their God
Druids - Gain power from Mother Nature/Father Sun and the holy Void

Thaumatology - Sorcery
Sorcerers - Bend elemental forces due to the strength of their will. No formal training.
Wizards - think Hogwarts-style, dependent on wand.

But I wanted to create a Magician, someone who could read a scroll and learn a new spell, independent of character points.

Hence my interest in Modular Abilities. However, I do not want to use the limitation "Spells Only", because I do not want to use GURPS Magic. Instead, I want to use "Powers as Magic", so that I could build the spells (as I am doing for the other magic types). So instead, I chose the "Limited: Advantages only (no skills)" limitation.

I would like the price out the abilities (as I have seen others do on the forums) as such:

Modular Ability (Super memorization 5,3)
Limited: Advantages Only (no skills), -10%
Physical & mental, +100%
Immediate Preparation Required (1 hr), -75%
Requires Thaumatology Roll, -10%
Magical, -10%
So here is my question, I would like to add another "Trait limited" limitation (Powers p64) called:
Limited: Only able to learn spells from grimoire, -40%
But it occurred to me that possibly "Super memorization" has already factored in such a limitation (since it is cheaper than other types of Modular Abilities).

Do you think that would be an allowable limitation to the Modular Ability?
Nose66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2019, 12:53 PM   #2
Mr_Sandman
 
Mr_Sandman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: L.I., NY
Default Re: Magic System from Modular Abilities

Super memorization requires a "suitable reference work", so if the mage can memorize spells from any scroll or another mage's grimoire, I don't think it should get any further limitation. If the spells have to be in a grimoire prepared and bound to the caster in some way, then I'd add a limitation.

To emulate vancian magic, should it also include limited use, so that spells are forgotten after they are used? Or is that an aspect you don't want to copy?
Mr_Sandman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2019, 02:40 PM   #3
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Magic System from Modular Abilities

Are you sure you want Immediate Prep Required? That means you can "memorize" one spell, and must immediately cast it upon memorization. You can't prep and hold. It's really more of a long ritual cast time modifier. Regular "Preparation Required" lets you memorize a spell and then hold it as long as you like before casting it (activating the ability, that is) -- so, more like the D&D style of memorization your spells when you wake up, then casting them throughout the day.
Anaraxes is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2019, 05:54 PM   #4
Nose66
 
Nose66's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Atlanta, GA
Default Re: Magic System from Modular Abilities

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_Sandman View Post
Super memorization requires a "suitable reference work", so if the mage can memorize spells from any scroll or another mage's grimoire, I don't think it should get any further limitation. If the spells have to be in a grimoire prepared and bound to the caster in some way, then I'd add a limitation.

To emulate vancian magic, should it also include limited use, so that spells are forgotten after they are used? Or is that an aspect you don't want to copy?
It is the second option. The grimoire is specific to the user. Thank you, you helped me see another way of pricing this out. Treat the grimoire as a gadget. It can be stolen (but not usable by the thief, etc.). I shell investigate.

And yes, I did not want to implement the true Vancian nature of old D&D magic, where you forget the spell after casting.
Nose66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2019, 05:58 PM   #5
Nose66
 
Nose66's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Atlanta, GA
Default Re: Magic System from Modular Abilities

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
Are you sure you want Immediate Prep Required? That means you can "memorize" one spell, and must immediately cast it upon memorization. You can't prep and hold. It's really more of a long ritual cast time modifier. Regular "Preparation Required" lets you memorize a spell and then hold it as long as you like before casting it (activating the ability, that is) -- so, more like the D&D style of memorization your spells when you wake up, then casting them throughout the day.
My understanding of the limitation is that it is being applied to the function of swapping out the modular ability, not the modular ability (spell) itself.

So it will take an hour for the spell caster to rearrange their spells, but the spells themselves will NOT have the immediate prep required limitation.

In fact, I plan to have all magician spells be built with:

Cost Fatigue 1, -5%
Requires Thaumatology Roll, -10%
Magical, -10%
Words (softly spoken -5%, loudly pronounced -10%)
Gestures (1 hand -5%, 2 hands, -10%) (optional)
Nose66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2019, 06:14 PM   #6
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Magic System from Modular Abilities

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nose66 View Post
My understanding of the limitation is that it is being applied to the function of swapping out the modular ability, not the modular ability (spell) itself.
That's true, if you apply the modifier to the slot cost, but not the abilities that go into the slot.

(In that case, you do want Immediate Prep, to force the choice of the new spell as soon as the prep is completed, before you know what spells you need. Regular Prep would just give you a slot with a pending choice that you could select later. That would work out to be more like the later sorcerors' points or the 5e warlock slots - the MA slots would be "uses" waiting to be specified.)
Anaraxes is online now   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:57 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.