[Sorcery] Utility Spells

Crystalline_Entity · 05-18-2016, 12:13 PM

I was looking through GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery recently, and felt inspired to try statting up a few utility spells. I thought I'd share them so I could get some feedback, and in case anyone else found them useful. The general idea was I wanted spells useful to a beginner with Sorcerous Empowerment 2, so no ability cost over [30]. I've added my comments below each one.

Recall

Keywords: None
Full Cost: 30
Casting Roll:IQ. Special casting time. Range modifiers for Warp apply.
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous

After concentrating for twenty seconds and making an IQ rolls, you immediately teleport to a pre-specified location within 2 miles. You can change this location by concentrating in a new location for one minute. Note that the range modifiers for Warp apply to the IQ roll, but you get a +4 bonus (which helps cancel out the range penalty) and Sorcery Talent does add as well.

Statistics: Warp (Anchored: Single site, changeable with concentration, -50%; Improved, +10%; Magical, -10%; Range Limit, 2 miles, -30%; Reliable 4, +20%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [30]

Comments:
Intended as a useful starter spell for beginning sorcerers and sorceresses in the Gate college. Further development along these lines may involve reducing the casting time (by removing “Takes Extra Time” and then adding “Faster Concentration”), buying off the range limit, or removing more of the range penalty by adding Reliable (though if a caster has many sorcery abilities, Sorcery Talent may be more cost effective). Various combinations of Range Limit and Reliable are possible here, it is probably worth tuning this spell based on the caster's IQ and the expected range limit required.

Borrow Language

Keywords: Buff
Full Cost:30
Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: 90 minutes

The subject can communicate in the spoken and written forms of a specified language spoken in the local area (within one mile) for the duration. The subject cannot gain a language with more fluency than the most fluent person with that language within range.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: Borrow Language, +120%; Extended Duration (x30), +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [30]. Borrow Language is Modular Abilities: Telepathic Learning 6 (Single Language Only, -50%; Magical, -10%) [12].

Comment: Compare with “Gift of Tongues” in GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery. That costs only slightly less, but this version lasts for longer and also includes both spoken and written forms of a language. The limitation here is that there must be someone who speaks it within range – unlike “Gift of Tongues”, it can't help you speak Dwarvish unless there's someone who already knows it close by.

Weather Ward

Keywords: Buff
Full Cost: 28
Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: 90 minutes

This spell protects the subject from inclement weather. It gives DR 1 against water-based effects to shield from rain, sleet and snow, it adds HTx5 degrees Fahrenheit to the subject's temperature tolerance zone, and it also protects against sunburn.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: Weather Ward, +100%; Extended Duration (x30), +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [28]. Weather Ward is Temperature Tolerance 5 (Magical, -10%) plus Damage Resistance 1 (Force Field, +20%; Limited (Precipitation), -40%; Magical, -10%) plus the perk “Immunity to Sunburn” (with Magical, -10%, if it matters).

Comments: The perk for immunity to sunburn feels right (“Immunity to a specific hazard” is a published perk), and it costs the same as a level of Radiation Tolerance (PF 2) with a -80% accessibility. The Damage Resistance feels quite expensive for what is essentially a glorified umbrella though. If the GM is generous maybe they'd let it work against “environmental effects” and include small insects and wind in there too.

Alter Self

Keywords: Buff
Full Cost: 27
Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: 9 minutes

Allows the subject to appear as somebody else for the duration. The spell affects all senses (including touch), but is only cosmetic – it cannot change the subject's mass, nor add abilities which cost points to the racial template. The form is chosen at casting time by the caster.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: Disguise Self, +150%; Extended Duration (x3), +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [29]. Disguise Self is Modular Abilities: Slotted Cosmic Power 6 (Single Alternate Form specified at casting time, -50%; Magical, -10%) [15]. The single alternate form is Alternate Form (Cosmetic, -50%; Magical, -10%) [6].

Comments: This was quite complicated to derive. Afflicting Alternate Form by itself seems to only give the ability to take a single form, so you'd need to learn a separate spell for each disguise. Afflicting Morph would presumably allow the subject to assume any form as many times as desired within the duration. This spell seems to be a sensible way of allowing someone to take a form specified at casting time (rather than the time the spell was learned) without giving them access to full-blown Morph.

05-18-2016, 12:13 PM	#1
Crystalline_Entity Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: England	[Sorcery] Utility Spells I was looking through GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery recently, and felt inspired to try statting up a few utility spells. I thought I'd share them so I could get some feedback, and in case anyone else found them useful. The general idea was I wanted spells useful to a beginner with Sorcerous Empowerment 2, so no ability cost over [30]. I've added my comments below each one. Recall Keywords: None Full Cost: 30 Casting Roll:IQ. Special casting time. Range modifiers for Warp apply. Range: Self Duration: Instantaneous After concentrating for twenty seconds and making an IQ rolls, you immediately teleport to a pre-specified location within 2 miles. You can change this location by concentrating in a new location for one minute. Note that the range modifiers for Warp apply to the IQ roll, but you get a +4 bonus (which helps cancel out the range penalty) and Sorcery Talent does add as well. Statistics: Warp (Anchored: Single site, changeable with concentration, -50%; Improved, +10%; Magical, -10%; Range Limit, 2 miles, -30%; Reliable 4, +20%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [30] Comments: Intended as a useful starter spell for beginning sorcerers and sorceresses in the Gate college. Further development along these lines may involve reducing the casting time (by removing “Takes Extra Time” and then adding “Faster Concentration”), buying off the range limit, or removing more of the range penalty by adding Reliable (though if a caster has many sorcery abilities, Sorcery Talent may be more cost effective). Various combinations of Range Limit and Reliable are possible here, it is probably worth tuning this spell based on the caster's IQ and the expected range limit required. Borrow Language Keywords: Buff Full Cost:30 Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim. Range: 100 yards. Duration: 90 minutes The subject can communicate in the spoken and written forms of a specified language spoken in the local area (within one mile) for the duration. The subject cannot gain a language with more fluency than the most fluent person with that language within range. Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: Borrow Language, +120%; Extended Duration (x30), +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [30]. Borrow Language is Modular Abilities: Telepathic Learning 6 (Single Language Only, -50%; Magical, -10%) [12]. Comment: Compare with “Gift of Tongues” in GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery. That costs only slightly less, but this version lasts for longer and also includes both spoken and written forms of a language. The limitation here is that there must be someone who speaks it within range – unlike “Gift of Tongues”, it can't help you speak Dwarvish unless there's someone who already knows it close by. Weather Ward Keywords: Buff Full Cost: 28 Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim. Range: 100 yards. Duration: 90 minutes This spell protects the subject from inclement weather. It gives DR 1 against water-based effects to shield from rain, sleet and snow, it adds HTx5 degrees Fahrenheit to the subject's temperature tolerance zone, and it also protects against sunburn. Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: Weather Ward, +100%; Extended Duration (x30), +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [28]. Weather Ward is Temperature Tolerance 5 (Magical, -10%) plus Damage Resistance 1 (Force Field, +20%; Limited (Precipitation), -40%; Magical, -10%) plus the perk “Immunity to Sunburn” (with Magical, -10%, if it matters). Comments: The perk for immunity to sunburn feels right (“Immunity to a specific hazard” is a published perk), and it costs the same as a level of Radiation Tolerance (PF 2) with a -80% accessibility. The Damage Resistance feels quite expensive for what is essentially a glorified umbrella though. If the GM is generous maybe they'd let it work against “environmental effects” and include small insects and wind in there too. Alter Self Keywords: Buff Full Cost: 27 Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim. Range: 100 yards. Duration: 9 minutes Allows the subject to appear as somebody else for the duration. The spell affects all senses (including touch), but is only cosmetic – it cannot change the subject's mass, nor add abilities which cost points to the racial template. The form is chosen at casting time by the caster. Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: Disguise Self, +150%; Extended Duration (x3), +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [29]. Disguise Self is Modular Abilities: Slotted Cosmic Power 6 (Single Alternate Form specified at casting time, -50%; Magical, -10%) [15]. The single alternate form is Alternate Form (Cosmetic, -50%; Magical, -10%) [6]. Comments: This was quite complicated to derive. Afflicting Alternate Form by itself seems to only give the ability to take a single form, so you'd need to learn a separate spell for each disguise. Afflicting Morph would presumably allow the subject to assume any form as many times as desired within the duration. This spell seems to be a sensible way of allowing someone to take a form specified at casting time (rather than the time the spell was learned) without giving them access to full-blown Morph.