Tattoo Magic: Summoning a Magic (AP) Weapon

[Phantasm]

So, I'm working on a conversion of a kitchen sink setting which I won't name, due to various reasons. This setting has magic, vibroblade, and laser weapons side by side.

One of the original system's key points is what I will call "super-damage", which I have translated into meaning it's armor-piercing by GURPS rules. This makes a laser pistol which does 1d6 super-damage in the original setting translate into 2d (2) damage in GURPS; vibro-blades have +1d (3) cut damage and (3) imp damage, as per Ultra-Tech. So far, so easy, right?

Now we get into one of the types of magic, which are various powers in the form of tattoo that you activate by touching and pumping mana into. One of the things that you can do is summon a normal weapon, which can range from a knife to a greatsword, or a mace, axe, greataxe, club, bow, or anything else you can think of, or a magic weapon which does a super-damage amount.

So.... for cutting and impaling weapons, should I do AD (2) or AD (3)? Also, how would you handle similar crushing weapons?

Hardest part in the descriptions will be figuring out how to write the price for Modified ST-based Damage since it'll obviously vary based on how strong the tattooed guy is.


I should also note that armor and shields are also available to be summoned this way. Thoughts on how to handle this are also helpful.

Thanks in advance.

[Nereidalbel]

Spells that conjure weapons with improved weapon qualities are as simple as "this spell gives you a sw+2(3) sword." Armor is just a DR boosting spell that can be found in Magic, and shields get more DR, but, require a Block roll to use.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Spells that conjure weapons with improved weapon qualities are as simple as "this spell gives you a sw+2(3) sword." Armor is just a DR boosting spell that can be found in Magic, and shields get more DR, but, require a Block roll to use.

Ah, but this isn't a spell in the skill-based sense. It's a Magic-as-Powers approach, similar to Sorcery from Pyramid #3/63, or the system from Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers. I should have made that clear.

[scc]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Hardest part in the descriptions will be figuring out how to write the price for Modified ST-based Damage since it'll obviously vary based on how strong the tattooed guy is.

It's a +100% Enhancement, see Thaumatology, page 114

[Wavefunction]

Originally Posted by scc

It's a +100% Enhancement, see Thaumatology, page 114

The problem he's referring to is the fact that if, say for instance, you add Armour Divisor to a weapon built as an advantage, you have to add it to the Innate Attack, and your basic ST-based thrust damage (treated as Crushing for the purposes of determining cost).

So if I have ST 12, and an axe with an Armour Divisor, without the cost of putting Armour Divisor on basic thrust damage this look like:

Attributes [20]
ST 12 [20]

Secondary Characteristics [0]
Damage 1d-1/1d+2

Advantages [10]
Cutting Attack 0d+2 (Armour Divisor (2), +50%; Melee, Reach 1, -25%; ST-Based, +100%) [10]

But there's an additional cost equal to Crushing Attack 1d-1 (Armour Divisor (2), +50%; Basic Damage is Free, -100%) [2]

In order to list it, I'd assume each +/-2 ST gives +/-1 to damage, which has a cost of +/-0.3*5=+/-1.5, so I'd list the basic cost of the ability at ST 10, then add +/-1.5*(Cost of modifier) per +/-2 ST.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Wavefunction

The problem he's referring to is the fact that if, say for instance, you add Armour Divisor to a weapon built as an advantage, you have to add it to the Innate Attack, and your basic ST-based thrust damage (treated as Crushing for the purposes of determining cost).

So if I have ST 12, and an axe with an Armour Divisor, without the cost of putting Armour Divisor on basic thrust damage this look like:

Attributes [20]
ST 12 [20]

Secondary Characteristics [0]
Damage 1d-1/1d+2

Advantages [10]
Cutting Attack 0d+2 (Armour Divisor (2), +50%; Melee, Reach 1, -25%; ST-Based, +100%) [10]

But there's an additional cost equal to Crushing Attack 1d-1 (Armour Divisor (2), +50%; Basic Damage is Free, -100%) [2]

In order to list it, I'd assume each +/-2 ST gives +/-1 to damage, which has a cost of +/-0.3*5=+/-1.5, so I'd list the basic cost of the ability at ST 10, then add +/-1.5*(Cost of modifier) per +/-2 ST.

Exactly my point... And take a magic small knife that does sw-3 (2) cut and thr-1 (2) imp. How would you build those as innate attacks? Does IA allow for 0d-3 before melee-based ST damage is factored in?

I'm not sure that your assumption works, though I haven't yet run the numbers. I'll have to deal with folks with ST scores of 6 and ST scores of 30 in this setting, after all.


Also, my other question remains unanswered: should these magic weapons have AD (2) or AD (3)? Not sure they'd do extra dice damage, to be honest.

[scc]

This is page 113, you use Alternate Abilities, but you AREN'T restricted to the normal damage values for those weapons

[Wavefunction]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Exactly my point... And take a magic small knife that does sw-3 (2) cut and thr-1 (2) imp. How would you build those as innate attacks? Does IA allow for 0d-3 before melee-based ST damage is factored in?

That's a tricky one, the only thing that occurs to me is to say there's a minimum cost of 0 for the Innate Attack, and just charge for the Armour Divisor on the base ST.

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

I'm not sure that your assumption works, though I haven't yet run the numbers. I'll have to deal with folks with ST scores of 6 and ST scores of 30 in this setting, after all.

It works approximately from ST 6 to ST 30, you do get slightly wonky pricing, but if you're just looking for a quick way of writing it for an ability that won't be used constantly, I'd use that approximation. If it requires more precision, just do the required calculation for each individual case, as normal.

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Also, my other question remains unanswered: should these magic weapons have AD (2) or AD (3)? Not sure they'd do extra dice damage, to be honest.

I'm not sure what you're asking here, surely that's up to you? I'd say perhaps have major and minor versions of the weapon summoning spell, one giving a weapon with AD (3), and the other only giving AD (2). As far as Crushing weapons are concerned, since this is an adaptation of another system's rules, I'd give the Crushing weapons the same Armour Divisor, since it's not that they penetrate because they're somehow sharper, it's that they penetrate because they deal 'super-damage'.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Exactly my point... And take a magic small knife that does sw-3 (2) cut and thr-1 (2) imp. How would you build those as innate attacks? Does IA allow for 0d-3 before melee-based ST damage is factored in?.

I generally just calculate the dice you do (based on whatever your ST is) and charge for that Innate Attack. I suppose this means if something changes your ST you'd still do the calculated damage, but it doesn't seem worth the hassle to try to construct anything more complex.

I suppose the other logically consistent alternative is to price the Innate Attack for the absolute maximum anybody could do with the weapon (i.e. for whatever damage it does when wielded by somebody with 3 x MinST). That considerably overvalues it for most casters, but does guarantee the price is never unfairly low.

[Wavefunction]

Oh, forgot to mention before, there is another option to going down the Innate Attack route. Build the summoned weapons with the Natural Weapons article in Pyramid #3/65 - Alternate GURPS III. It should allow you more than enough flexibility, while solving most of your problems.

It's only semi-canonical, but it's a damn good system.