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Old 10-23-2018, 08:18 PM   #1
Malleg
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Default round pacing vs music powers

Hi, i'm currently working on something similar to a modern bard, and well i have some problem

a bard song is cast in a second and i know thats its magic and all that but a second is too short to express something with no words, and i would like to associate meaningful samples of real music to my characters songs.

i could take, takes extra time but it would hinder the character flexibility and being the only healer in a somewhat low level campaign i would like to not be an hindrance to the party.

so i thought that it could be some kind of medley, where i need to play my instrument for a certain number of uninterrupted seconds to achieve certain effects but the previous songs mix in the new and counts towards that number.

as an example i have a song of heal that requires 1 second and a song of haste that would require 4 seconds, i could play non magic songs for 3 second and cast haste at the end of the fourth one or i could play non magic heal non magic and then cast haste at the end of the four uninterrupted turn of playing.

is there a limitation like this in the handbooks?
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Old 10-25-2018, 11:44 PM   #2
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Default Re: round pacing vs music powers

What’s up!

I have been wondering, how did you build your bard? The solution might depend on your build.

Notably, bard builds I have worked with, have a combination of “bard skills” which include afflictions and magical attacks.

The most important part here, is the fact that afflictions usually start immediately, but are only “on” while you are attacking (i.e. while playing the song). While magical attacks such as fireball, basically strike you and enact their effects right after you end casting the skill (and here, casting involves playing a song).

You could try looking at these books to help you fine-tune your bard:

A bard as suggested in the book GURPS Fantasy... This one might have magery.
The bard made as of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Adventurers 1, which might not require magery.
The enhanced bard from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11 - Power ups.
You might find other ideas if you look for Chinese Thaumatology, this is “powers as magic”, but that requires further tweaking.

If you want many effects at once, using the basic affliction guidelines and some adjustments to launch them through a musical instrument…

IMO, you could then get to work several of your bard abilities using the "combination" optional rule, from MA80. Here, you will play a medley of songs which evokes each of your intended effects, in a medley of afflictions.

The way you arrange the songs depends on the characteristics of the buffs/de-buffs you want to provide. You could start with an “Etude” of fast-regeneration (Musical Instrument), then follow with a “Dirge” of Stun (Rapier wit - Public Speaking) and end with the “Alarum” of Striking Strength (Musical Instrument). Since they are afflictions, all of them are continuously working in the battlefield as you keep rolling each turn. If they hit you, maybe you are subject to a Will-3 roll in order to keep playing.

Since you are not targeting a specific location, the attack would be the same as large area injury attack.

If you spent at least 20 points in bardic talent, I would allow it as a “Weapon Master” for the sake of lowering the penalties mentioned in MA80. Or you could have an unusual background with the same cost, for the same purpose.

Once you launch the combo, everything begins to work in the first turn, for the duration of the composition.

If one of your abilities has “takes extra time”, it might start working once you fulfill the required casting time, while you keep the other songs in your medley going on. If you play the medley combo for 4 turns, then haste will start working. And you will cast it again on your eight turn if you kept playing the same medley, etc.

On the other hand, you could also talk to your GM and create new advantages under the "combine" feature from B117 and call it “medley” you could even add more complexity making this medley the result of several advantages allocated as “modular abilities”.

Finally, GURPS Fantasy discusses taking extra time under "Ceremonial Casting Only" (-40%) and "Solitary Ceremonial Casting" (+10%). This gives you a different approach to magery and casting times (which is 10 turns).

So, as you can see, there are many options for you.
Hope this helps you in expanding your horizons.

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Old 10-26-2018, 04:31 AM   #3
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: round pacing vs music powers

Immediate Preparation Required is the usual choice when you need longer than Takes Extra Time (though you're still talking about a few seconds).

The mismatch is that the limitations is that the preparation is a hindrance because you can't do anything else during that time when you're doing your ritual, or in this case, song. If you could do other things, then it wouldn't be a limitation. In this case, the bard can do other things, but only of a particular kind -- just playing other songs. That's still plenty useful, but it's still a small limitation. I might start with halving the value of Takes Extra Time / (Immediate) Prep Required, at least if the medley sequence is declared in advance or fixed. And I wouldn't let the accumulated time overlap for multiple spells. (That is, imagine casting a 1-second spell, a 2-second-spell, a 3-second spell, and a 4-second spell... it's a bit much to say that takes only four seconds. That's an Enhancement, not a Limitation!)

For the stated goal (meaningful samples of real music), though, I'd just ignore how long the real samples were. It sounds like fun, so just don't insist they be 1-second snippets. Much like you can say more than one second's worth of speech in one turn (as long as you're being reasonable), just let more than one second worth of sample represent the spell. You don't have to act out your turn in real time.

Last edited by Anaraxes; 10-26-2018 at 05:05 AM.
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Old 10-28-2018, 05:03 PM   #4
Malleg
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Default Re: round pacing vs music powers

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hide View Post
What’s up!

I have been wondering, how did you build your bard? The solution might depend on your build.
The campaign was put on hold so my work on th character came to an halt due to a combination of dead hype and other campaigns to manage as gm.

The character as been build losely on powers i worked hard to keep it simple since the gm is new i have 3 key musical abilities all with gadget limitations.

a soundblast that is a cone shaped innate attack that sounds like the "hello" of a mine turtle and drains all the battery life of my instrument this is conceptualized as the raw form of the power dumped all at once on the instrument to the point of risking damaging it.


an healing skill that is the healing advantage with the song modifier,area effect 2(selectivearea), emanation,trigger(1hour of battery life).

an haste skill built as a beneficial affliction with malediction, the song modifier, based on per ,reduced duration 1/60,selective area and takes extra time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hide View Post
IMO, you could then get to work several of your bard abilities using the "combination" optional rule, from MA80. Here, you will play a medley of songs which evokes each of your intended effects, in a medley of afflictions.

The way you arrange the songs depends on the characteristics of the buffs/de-buffs you want to provide. You could start with an “Etude” of fast-regeneration (Musical Instrument), then follow with a “Dirge” of Stun (Rapier wit - Public Speaking) and end with the “Alarum” of Striking Strength (Musical Instrument). Since they are afflictions, all of them are continuously working in the battlefield as you keep rolling each turn. If they hit you, maybe you are subject to a Will-3 roll in order to keep playing.

Since you are not targeting a specific location, the attack would be the same as large area injury attack.

If you spent at least 20 points in bardic talent, I would allow it as a “Weapon Master” for the sake of lowering the penalties mentioned in MA80. Or you could have an unusual background with the same cost, for the same purpose.
this is really interesting i'll take a look at it
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