Ritual Path Magic for Dungeon Fantasy

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Langy

Sleep
Paths: Path of Mind
Cost: 165

Statistics: Greater Control Mind (+5); Affliction, Sleep (+30); Area of Effect, 10 yards, excluding 6 targets (+11); Subject Weight, 1000 lbs (+4); Duration, 6 hours (+5). One Greater Effect (x3).

I don't think you need to include Subject Weight here, since the effect is mental rather than physical. Also, this example shows that the cost of Affliction is much higher than that of Side Effect, using either of our Enhancement models. You could make a similar spell causing FP damage with Side Effect: Sleep, and while it wouldn't last as long (20-HT minutes instead of 6 hours) it would be cheaper. (Though in that case you would need to include Subject Weight, since FP loss is a physical effect; it would probably need to be Body instead of Mind, too.)

Weariness
Paths: Path of Body
Cost: 114

Statistics: Greater Control Body (+5); Area of Effect, 10 yards, excluding 6 targets (+11); Subject Weight, 1000 lbs (+4); Damage, 2d FP (+8); Enhancements, Side Effect: Sleep, Hazard: Missed Sleep (+10). One Greater Effect (x3).

Actually, that's not so bad. It has enough additional limitations (such as rolling at an average of HT -3 instead of as a Malediction, and the greatly reduced duration) that it's not really unbalanced.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

I don't think you need to include Subject Weight here, since the effect is mental rather than physical. Also, this example shows that the cost of Affliction is much higher than that of Side Effect, using either of our Enhancement models. You could make a similar spell causing FP damage with Side Effect: Sleep, and while it wouldn't last as long (20-HT minutes instead of 6 hours) it would be cheaper. (Though in that case you would need to include Subject Weight, since FP loss is a physical effect; it would probably need to be Body instead of Mind, too.)

You're probably right that I don't need subject weight; forgot that subject weight isn't used if it's mental.

You could also do something like it as just a pure FP attack; knock someone down to 0 FP and they need to roll against Will to do anything, and if they're knocked down to -1xFP they're automatically knocked unconscious. Would probably be significantly cheaper:

Sleep
Paths: Path of Body
Cost: 120

Everyone, aside from the caster and five adventuring companions, must roll a Quick Contest of HT versus the caster's effective skill. If they fail, they immediately take 6d FP damage - an average of 21 FP, enough to knock any normal human down to below 0 FP, or to immediately and without fail knock an average human with 10 FP unconscious (past -1xFP) and deal them significant HP injury. This FP can only be recovered by rest. This spell is cheap enough that someone with effective skill 17 could reasonably cast it in a charm, but there'd be a 40% chance of it backfiring on the caster.

Statistics: Greater Control Body (+5); Area of Effect, 10 yards, excluding 6 targets (+11); Subject Weight, 1000 lbs (+4); Damage, 6d FP (+24). One Greater Effect (x3).

EDIT: Make it just 3d FP on a single target, and it might qualify as a Lesser effect. This would make it cost merely 17+Range energy.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Langy

EDIT: Make it just 3d FP on a single target, and it might qualify as a Lesser effect. This would make it cost merely 17+Range energy.

My rule-of-thumb on this has been that Direct Damage spells are typically Greater Effects, while Maledictions may be Lesser, especially if they aren't long-ranged or wide-area.* So to make a Lesser Sleep-inducing spell, you could do something like:

Sleep Touch
Paths: Path of Body
Cost: 21

Statistics: Lesser Control Body (+5); Subject Weight, 1000 lbs (+4); Damage, 2d (+8), Enhancement, Cyclic, 4x1 second cycles (+4).

It's slower-acting, but that should be enough for it to qualify as a Lesser effect. And at an average of 28 FP damage, it should be enough to knock out most humanoids, including those hardy HT 13-14 PCs.

*Of course, this is ultimately up to the individual GM. Honestly, I feel like the price difference between Lesser and Greater is a bit too pronounced... I could see the argument made that for a DF setting, in which it should be pretty commonplace to see fireballs and major healings thrown around all day, the multiplier for Greater could be reduced. Maybe base it on the Speed/Range table, so 1 Greater Effect is x1.5, 2 is x2, 3 is x3 etc. For a DF game, which is typically more tactical than narrative, I'd also want to establish stricter guidelines for what determines Lesser vs Greater Effects.

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Langy

Customization Notes:
Your most important choices are whether to take Faster Casting or Ritual Adept, and which Path skills to focus upon. As an Adept, you'd be restricted to spells you know or have Grimoires for, but could cast spells much faster and reasonably have a full suite of Pre-Cast spells at hand. As a non-Adept, you'd have much more freedom and flexibility - but it would be more difficult to replenish your spell supply in the field, and you'd have to rely more upon Charms than Pre-Cast spells. It's quite possible to take both Ritual Adept and Faster Casting, allowing you to pull off highly powerful spells at a moments notice. Finally, you could choose to buy off the Must Use Grimoire limitation on Ritual Adept, giving you both flexibility and speed.

I'm a little confused - if you have Ritual Adept with the limitation, can't you just choose not to use the advantage and cast at the slower, non-Adept rate, preserving flexibility?

Also, since you don't need Adept to do conditional rituals or charms, why would you not be able to do Pre-cast spells as a non-Adept?

In fact, a classic DnD Vancian magic-user seems like a non-Adept (no immediate casting in less than multiple minutes at all) who relies entirely on Pre-cast spells. Possibly with a setting rule (no Must Use Grimoire limitation needed except possibly on Magery itself) that all casting must use Grimoires, making Pre-cast spells and other conditional rituals (including charms, which may themselves include things like potions and scrolls) the only way to cast that doesn't involve many minutes of incanting straight out of your spellbooks. Even at that, such users would have more 'spell slots' than most low-level DnD magic-users right off the bat. Still, better make that Grimoire into Signature Gear if you know what's good for you....

[Langy]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

I'm a little confused - if you have Ritual Adept with the limitation, can't you just choose not to use the advantage and cast at the slower, non-Adept rate, preserving flexibility?

Also, since you don't need Adept to do conditional rituals or charms, why would you not be able to do Pre-cast spells as a non-Adept?

In fact, a classic DnD Vancian magic-user seems like a non-Adept (no immediate casting in less than multiple minutes at all) who relies entirely on Pre-cast spells.

If you have Ritual Adept with the limitation, you aren't supposed to be able to cast at the non-Adept rate for flexibility at all - you simply can not cast any spell that you don't know or have a grimoire for. Possibly this should also be a limitation on Magery, or on Magery instead of Ritual Adept. *shrug*

A non-Adept would have to rely more on Charms because Pre-Cast spells expire within 24 hours and it takes a non-Adept a long time to cast any spell - 12 or 24 minutes, for someone without Ritual Adept but with Faster Casting 4. Thus, they can't actually Pre-Cast very many spells every day, because it would take too much time.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Langy

Call Lightning (150 points): Greater Create Energy (+6,x3); Area of Effect, 15 yards, Exclude 5 People (+20); Subject Weight, 1000 lbs (+4); Damage, 6d burn (+20). Instantly calls down bolts of lightning from the heavens to strike anyone SM+1 or smaller within fifteen yards except yourself and four of your adventuring companions.

Whatever method you settle on for adding enhancements, this is a prime candidate for Overhead and Bombardment :)

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Langy

If you have Ritual Adept with the limitation, you aren't supposed to be able to cast at the non-Adept rate for flexibility at all - you simply can not cast any spell that you don't know or have a grimoire for. Possibly this should also be a limitation on Magery, or on Magery instead of Ritual Adept. *shrug*

Since you can cast, albeit at a substantial penalty, without either Magery or Ritual Adept, I'm not sure how this can be enforced without either a Disadvantage or a house rule. Although there already exist limitations on Magery like Ceremonial Only that purport to do this, those are in systems where you need Magery to cast, as opposed to being able to soak a -5 penalty if you don't have it as in RPM.

I'd probably remove the capability of casting at -5 if you don't have even Magery 0 as a house rule, and apply the limitation to both Magery and Ritual Adept. If you have bought it off on Magery but not on Ritual Adept, then you can come up with your own rituals, but only when working slowly and with appropriate trappings (connection, consecrated ritual space, etc.), since your Ritual Adept only comes into it with Grimoire-derived rituals.

Originally Posted by Langy

A non-Adept would have to rely more on Charms because Pre-Cast spells expire within 24 hours and it takes a non-Adept a long time to cast any spell - 12 or 24 minutes, for someone without Ritual Adept but with Faster Casting 4. Thus, they can't actually Pre-Cast very many spells every day, because it would take too much time.

And an hour each without Faster Casting. Gotcha - making Ritual Adept much more useful, since you could 'memorize' all your 'spells' in less than a half hour, vice multiple hours spent each day. Trying to remember if TOG had them expire on a daily basis.... I might remove that aspect if not, for an even closer to Holmes feel.

[Bruno]

Writeups created with https://gurps-monsterhunters.appspot.com/

Lesser Flame Shield
Greater Strengthen Body[3](Protects one subject and all his equipment from mundane fires and desert heat.);
Altered Traits: 25 [25] (DR 5 vs Heat/Fire w Forcefield, Temperature Tolerance 5),
Duration: 1 hour [3],
Subject Weight: 300 lbs. [3] (Most SM 0 PCs).
Cost: 102

Flame Shield
Greater Strengthen Body[3](Protects one subject and all his equipment from intense fires and scorching heat.);
Altered Traits: 50 [50] (DR 10 vs Heat/Fire w Forcefield, Temperature Tolerance 10),
Duration: 6 hours [5],
Subject Weight: 1,000 lbs. [4] (Most SM 1 PCs (Ogres, barbarians).).
Cost: 186

Mass Flame Shield
Greater Strengthen Body[3](Protects everyone within 5 yards of the caster, and all their equipment, from supernatural fires and infernal heat.);
Altered Traits: 100 [100] (DR 20 vs Heat/Fire w Forcefield, Temperature Tolerance 20),
Duration: 1 day [7],
Subject Weight: 3,000 lbs. [5] (Up to SM +2 mounts).
Cost: 345

[Langy]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Since you can cast, albeit at a substantial penalty, without either Magery or Ritual Adept, I'm not sure how this can be enforced without either a Disadvantage or a house rule. Although there already exist limitations on Magery like Ceremonial Only that purport to do this, those are in systems where you need Magery to cast, as opposed to being able to soak a -5 penalty if you don't have it as in RPM.

I'd probably remove the capability of casting at -5 if you don't have even Magery 0 as a house rule, and apply the limitation to both Magery and Ritual Adept. If you have bought it off on Magery but not on Ritual Adept, then you can come up with your own rituals, but only when working slowly and with appropriate trappings (connection, consecrated ritual space, etc.), since your Ritual Adept only comes into it with Grimoire-derived rituals.

It's already a house rule, since I created the limitation from whole cloth. But yes, I forgot that you can cast spells without Magery - I'd remove that ability in a DF campaign. You need Magery for casting spells.

And an hour each without Faster Casting. Gotcha - making Ritual Adept much more useful, since you could 'memorize' all your 'spells' in less than a half hour, vice multiple hours spent each day. Trying to remember if TOG had them expire on a daily basis.... I might remove that aspect if not, for an even closer to Holmes feel.

Exactly so.

[Kage2020]

I'm reading through this with interest, but a quick thought sprung to mind and won't go away. You might have addressed this already, in which case I missed it and my apologies, but what do you do about the gathering rolls for these high-energy spells? That could potentially be an awful amount of dice rolling. Could/would you concatenate it into few dice rolls?