Quick Question: Altering a Gun's Malfunction Number with an RPM Spell?

[Raekai]

Hey, all.

How would one build a spell in RPM that can alter a gun's malfunction number? I didn't know if it would be Lesser or Greater, or how broad/narrow the the Bestows a Penalty effect should be.

Unnamed Malfunction Spell

Spell Effects: Lesser Destroy Matter.
Inherent Modifiers: Bestows A Penalty, malfunction number.
Greater Effects: 0 (×1).

This spell causes the targeted firearm (which must be within 100 yards) to become a lot less stable. The firearm takes a -4 penalty to its malfunction number. If not using Malfunctions (p. B407), treat 13 as an automatic failure and 14 as critical failure when shooting it.

This Casting: Lesser Destroy Matter (5) + Bestows A Penalty, -4 to malfunction number (8) + Duration, 10 minutes (1) + Range, 100 yds (10) + Subject Weight, 10 lbs. (0). 24 energy (24×1).

This is the best that I could come up with. I thought it would be a nice spell to have in a world where both magic and guns exist. I was thinking about both Monster Hunters and Banestorm when I had the idea for this.

Thanks!

[johndallman]

Might this be Lesser Destroy Chance, rather than Matter? That seems like the way to have "coincidental" malfunctions?

The Greater version of that, which would stop weapons functioning entirely should be called "fail-weapons", after the spell of the same name in Mary Gentle's novel Grunts!

[Nereidalbel]

Destroy Matter would be used to foul gunpowder or weaken a spring. If you want to actually affect the Malf value of a gun instead of outright disabling it on the spot, you would need to use Lesser Destroy Chance.

[Raekai]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Might this be Lesser Destroy Chance, rather than Matter? That seems like the way to have "coincidental" malfunctions?

The Greater version of that, which would stop weapons functioning entirely should be called "fail-weapons", after the spell of the same name in Mary Gentle's novel Grunts!

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Destroy Matter would be used to foul gunpowder or weaken a spring. If you want to actually affect the Malf value of a gun instead of outright disabling it on the spot, you would need to use Lesser Destroy Chance.

Oops. Lesser Destroy Chance makes a lot more sense.

Minor Fail-Weapons

Spell Effects: Lesser Destroy Chance.
Inherent Modifiers: Bestows A Penalty, malfunction number.
Greater Effects: 0 (×1).

This spell causes the targeted firearm (which must be within 100 yards) to become a lot less stable. The firearm takes a -4 penalty to its malfunction number. If not using Malfunctions (p. B407), treat 13 as an automatic failure and 14 as critical failure when shooting it.

This Casting: Lesser Destroy Chance (5) + Bestows A Penalty, -4 to malfunction number (8) + Duration, 10 minutes (1) + Range, 100 yds (10) + Subject Weight, 10 lbs. (0). 24 energy (24×1).

Douse Gunpowder

Spell Effects: Lesser Create Matter.
Inherent Modifiers: None.
Greater Effects: 0 (×1).

This spell causes the exposed gunpowder of a targeted firearm (which must be within 100 yards) to become wet. The firearm will fire only on a critical success (as per p. LT90).

This Casting: Lesser Create Matter (6) + Duration, 10 minutes (1) + Range, 100 yds (10) + Subject Weight, 10 lbs. (0). 17 energy (17×1).

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Raekai

Oops. Lesser Destroy Chance makes a lot more sense.

I'd also buy Lesser Destroy Matter as a method. You could damage or alter gun parts to increase the Malf. The main question in my mind would be "why?", since you could just as easily prevent it from firing at all with the same effect.

Chance would at least not be evident to inspection and give you more deniability, if that were a goal. Unusually worn gun parts might also be accepted -- but when it happens to a whole team at once, or keeps happening, it's more suspicious (at least to an enemy that has a clue about magic).

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Raekai

Minor Fail-Weapons

Spell Effects: Lesser Destroy Chance.
Inherent Modifiers: Bestows A Penalty, malfunction number.
Greater Effects: 0 (×1).

This spell causes the targeted firearm (which must be within 100 yards) to become a lot less stable. The firearm takes a -4 penalty to its malfunction number. If not using Malfunctions (p. B407), treat 13 as an automatic failure and 14 as critical failure when shooting it.

This Casting: Lesser Destroy Chance (5) + Bestows A Penalty, -4 to malfunction number (8) + Duration, 10 minutes (1) + Range, 100 yds (10) + Subject Weight, 10 lbs. (0). 24 energy (24×1).

You're only expanding the crit fail range here - not the auto-fail range. So a 13 is still a success if their skill is good enough, but a 14 or higher is a critical failure regardless of skill level.

Originally Posted by Raekai

Douse Gunpowder

Spell Effects: Lesser Create Matter.
Inherent Modifiers: None.
Greater Effects: 0 (×1).

This spell causes the exposed gunpowder of a targeted firearm (which must be within 100 yards) to become wet. The firearm will fire only on a critical success (as per p. LT90).

This Casting: Lesser Create Matter (6) + Duration, 10 minutes (1) + Range, 100 yds (10) + Subject Weight, 10 lbs. (0). 17 energy (17×1).

This looks good.