[MH] + [Horror] Corrupt Magery?

[Sunrunners_Fire]

For a nice witch who has some naughty parents, and so is hooked into scary places who really, really, really!, want to turn the nice witch into a naughty witch ...

What advantage, disadvantage or modifier would I apply for the character to be able to (but not be required to) be able to draw on Corruption (as described in GURPS Horror) instead of gathering Magical Energy to power his magic? I don't want it as a universal campaign option, and I do want it to cost. (NPC is intended as an Ally, and so needs an accurate point value.) I may have other characters take the trait as well.

...

I was thinking something like (Magery 8 [85]), (Corrupt Magery 8 [85]), (Ritual Adept [40]) and (UB: Variable Energy Access [50]), as first thoughts, though that strikes me as overcharging for the ability.

Suggestions?

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

Suggestions?

Make one type of Magery an Alternate Ability of the other.

[zoncxs]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

Make one type of Magery an Alternate Ability of the other.

good idea, this makes it so they have to draw from one or the other and not both.

edit:: but seeing as how they are 2 different things (2 different aspects of magery). I think the discount should not be.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by zoncxs

good idea, this makes it so they have to draw from one or the other and not both.

But I want the witch to be able to draw from both at the same time. A "I don't have time for this ... the power is sitting right there ... my friends are dying ... is it worth a piece of my soul?" kind of dilemma. I'm just not sure it is worth 135-points (Corrupt Magery 8 [85] + Variable Energy Access [50]) to be able to do so.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

But I want the witch to be able to draw from both at the same time. A "I don't have time for this ... the power is sitting right there ... my friends are dying ... is it worth a piece of my soul?" kind of dilemma. I'm just not sure it is worth 135-points (Corrupt Magery 8 [85] + Variable Energy Access [50]) to be able to do so.

You could give them Magery (Corrupting, -20%) [8/level] in addition to regular Magery. Whenever they draw upon their pool of energy provided by the Magery with Corruption, they gain two points of Corruption per level.

It would probably work better as Energy Reserve, and then cost 2.4/level, though, since the Corruption-fueled magery probably shouldn't increase your skill with magic spells.

This would very adequately mimic Hellfire from the Dresden Files, I think. Either that, or they'd just be higher levels of Innate Attack with the Corrupting limitation.

[Urkathos]

Perhaps simply use the worked example in horror? Allow a witch to draw on additional energy by adding an equal number of points to his corruption. A cap might in a good idea to prevent magic users from becoming one shot world killers. If this isn’t to be a universally available ability then maybe a 0-point feature or a certain level in Occultism might be a prerequisite.

[aesir23]

I'd definitely go with Energy Reserve (Corrupting -20%). Every time you tap into the Energy Reserve instead of your own Fatigue, you take a little corruption.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

But I want the witch to be able to draw from both at the same time. A "I don't have time for this ... the power is sitting right there ... my friends are dying ... is it worth a piece of my soul?" kind of dilemma. I'm just not sure it is worth 135-points (Corrupt Magery 8 [85] + Variable Energy Access [50]) to be able to do so.

Buy each level separately, so some can go each way. Technically, there would be no cost difference, but maybe there is some analog of [Selectivity or Variable].

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Langy

It would probably work better as Energy Reserve, and then cost 2.4/level, though, since the Corruption-fueled magery probably shouldn't increase your skill with magic spells.

MH Magery doesn't increase your skill with magic. It provides an energy reserve and increases the max-skill cap (but not current skill value) for the RPM "Path of" skills.

Originally Posted by Urkathos

Perhaps simply use the worked example in horror? Allow a witch to draw on additional energy by adding an equal number of points to his corruption.

That would be the intention, yes.

A cap might in a good idea to prevent magic users from becoming one shot world killers.

*grins* The witch would be in good company, if so. For certain values of good that mean "scary things". It isn't like I have a shortage of people, places and things with that capability anywise.

If this isn’t to be a universally available ability then maybe a 0-point feature or a certain level in Occultism might be a prerequisite.

As a PC may choose this option, and I wouldn't let a PC have it for free, I'm not comfortable letting a NPC have it for free. I don't do "NPC only" traits.

Originally Posted by aesir23

I'd definitely go with Energy Reserve (Corrupting -20%). Every time you tap into the Energy Reserve instead of your own Fatigue, you take a little corruption.

It isn't technically possible to price an infinite capacity Energy Reserve, and so I was looking for a different method.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

Buy each level separately, so some can go each way. Technically, there would be no cost difference, but maybe there is some analog of [Selectivity or Variable].

The difficulty with any version of Alternate Ability is that using it (Magery 8 [85] and Corrupt Magery 8 (AA) [17]) would reduce the max-skill cap on the "Path of" skills unless I rule they are cumulative with each other ...

Which is an idea. Hmm.

But if I was going to do that, I'd just buy (Corrupt Magery 0 [5]) rather than levels in Corrupt Magery (or whatever we want to call the magery-or-other-advantage-that-can-access-corruption-as-an-energy-source).

*considers* [135] feels too expensive. [55] though ... Hmm.