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 09-26-2020, 09:19 AM   #1
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
Default Spell categories by Magery

I haven't used magic a lot in GURPS, but once in a while I find myself wondering about the capabilities of wizards by Magery level. It seems like there are several broad categories that emerge.

For instance, the entire field of magic-item-creation (except the Scroll spell) seems to be dependent on Magery 2. So you've got to have Magery 2 to be an enchanter.

I haven't looked at every possibility, but it seems that the traditional offensive spells like Lightning and Fireball require Magery 1. It seems to me like Magery 1 is the threshold for using magic offensively.

Are there any other broad categories that emerge from spell prerequisites, either minimums you need to be in a category or maximums that limit you to a category?

(Not interested in talking about anything but the standard spell system, thanks.)
Stormcrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 09:27 AM   #2
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

Being a generalist requires Magery 3 or more, simply as the most cost-effective way to get a high skill in each spell for the minimum 1 character point investment.
johndallman is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 09:57 AM   #3
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

"Generalist" just means having access to everything. I'm not looking for character-building strategies, just the sorts of broad descriptive categories enabled at various levels.

For instance, besides simply access to everything, is there a particular theme of magic-use that becomes possible at Magery 3?
Stormcrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 10:06 AM   #4
Tyneras
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Kentucky, USA
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

A really quick glance through my Spell Charts PDF gives a theme of shape shifting. Either oneself, like Body of Air or Great Shapeshift, or other things, like Move Terrain or Enlarge Object.
__________________
GURPS Fanzine The Path of Cunning is worth a read.
Tyneras is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 10:13 AM   #5
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

Thanks, Tyneras, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for.
Stormcrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 10:21 AM   #6
Refplace
 
Refplace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

Yeah, M2 is really key to a lot of builds, higher levels help you either as a generalist or just better at your specialty. While level 1 is good enough for utility or most combat builds.
What I found more interesting was college or goal themes.
Many focus on fire for combat, I think Air is often a better choice.
__________________
My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more!
My GURPS fan contribution and blog:
REFPLace GURPS Landing Page
My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
Refplace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 10:35 AM   #7
Ejidoth
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

At a glance, it looks like Magery 3 is necessary for some advanced shapeshifting stuff, most of the temporal manipulation stuff, and most (all?) of the ways to achieve pseudo-immortality. Other than that, it's just a collection of random-looking high powered spells.
Ejidoth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 10:46 AM   #8
Tyneras
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Kentucky, USA
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ejidoth View Post
At a glance, it looks like Magery 3 is necessary for some advanced shapeshifting stuff, most of the temporal manipulation stuff, and most (all?) of the ways to achieve pseudo-immortality. Other than that, it's just a collection of random-looking high powered spells.
And weirdly enough Spit Acid in the Water College. Nothing about that spells feels Magery 3 worthy.
__________________
GURPS Fanzine The Path of Cunning is worth a read.
Tyneras is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 11:29 AM   #9
maximara
On Notice
 
maximara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

Quote:
Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
Yeah, M2 is really key to a lot of builds, higher levels help you either as a generalist or just better at your specialty. While level 1 is good enough for utility or most combat builds.
What I found more interesting was college or goal themes.
Many focus on fire for combat, I think Air is often a better choice.
One of the things I did for the GURPSwiki was to see what you could do with just Magery 0. Surprisingly a decent amount. Of course spell based enchantment is out (but alchemic charms can be an option for such mages(
__________________
Help make a digital reference for GURPS by coming to the GURPS wiki and provide some information and links (such as to various Fanmade 4e Bestiaries) . Please, provide more then just a title and a page number.
maximara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2020, 11:30 AM   #10
Ejidoth
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Default Re: Spell categories by Magery

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyneras View Post
And weirdly enough Spit Acid in the Water College. Nothing about that spells feels Magery 3 worthy.
I think it's indirectly a result of Acid Jet being Magery 2. Most of the breathe/spit spells are +1 Magery beyond their Jet equivalent.

That is, the way to build one of those spells seems to be to take the jet and bump the damage up a bit higher, increase the casting time, have (Substance) Jet and Resist (Substance) as prerequisites, and increase the Magery prereq. by 1.
Ejidoth is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
magery, spells

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 05:03 AM.


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