Immovable rod in GURPS?

[Rothis]

What's the best way to recreate the classic D&D Immovable Rod?

I'm playing around with stealing a campaign setting that relies on the Immovable Rod, but I want to run it in GURPS rather than D&D or Pathfinder.

I'm going to use a combination of GURPS Magic and RPM. Still working on the final mix, but all enchantments and collaborative spells will be done through RPM. Any tips on this part of things will be welcome as well.

[khorboth]

Unless you need details like energy cost, I'd just move it over and say it does the same thing. No translation required.

[Rothis]

I've learned that if I introduce anything into a game my players will want to mess with it,

Thus it's best to be prepared for the inevitable.

[Anaraxes]

How about TK (Self Only; Only to keep self in place)?

[Rothis]

I'm really more of a mind to make the rod via RPM...

Maybe mix path of energy, transform kinetic into, path of matter, strengthen matter...

Crossroads would be my choice for fixing an item in place, but it doesn't read like that in RPM.

[Rothis]

Ok, so playing around with this a bit

Greater Transform Energy (8) + Greater Transform Matter (8) + Greater Strengthen Crossroads (3) + Lesser Control Magic (5) + Duration, 1 years (22) + Subject Weight, 5 tons (6). 364 energy (52×7).

This transforms kinetic energy into mass up to 5 tons. It uses crossroads to maintain it's position relative to the planet. and is triggered by a command word.

As a thought, you could not damage the rod by attacking it unless you apply more than 5 tons of force. Melting the rod would be possible, but the molten rod still might not move...

[mehrkat]

Instead of defining it in GURPS define it in real terms.

Define the circumstances it could move. GURPS by design doesn't handle absolutes.

An example from comics: Thor's hammer you would define how the hammer defines worthy. Then you would define what happened if they tried to move something it stood on. If the thing it was on was destroyed then you have all the answers you need for PCs fiddling with it.

[Anaraxes]

Why so many RPM effects? RPM rituals generally don't need a lot; often, one is sufficient. It's an improvisional system, so the difference in the effects is in the description.

I'd think it's just Greater Control Matter -- moving (or in this case, not moving) in unnatural ways.

Originally Posted by RPM 11

Lesser Control Matter can make an object move in any natural way (e.g., rolling a bowling ball across a hallway or knocking something over), slow the speed of a river, prevent hail from hitting a particular object, or force a toaster to hold its bread long enough to catch fire. Greater Control Matter can move an object in impossible ways (e.g., making a bowling ball fly), cause water to flow uphill, or shape soft matter into any form desired.

[Rothis]

Basically, the rod stays put in space relative to where it's activated. it takes about 5 tons of force to move it.


If you place one and tie a cable to it, then get a few dozen people to pull on that cable, the rod will move.

The rod would have all the same uses as the D&D equivalent. Most importantly it can be made into a harpoon and shot into a giant unkillable monster.

[Rothis]

Ok, another try at this.

Greater Control Matter (5) + Lesser Control Magic (5) + Duration, 1 years (22) + Altered Trait (500). 1596 energy (532×3).

Greater control matter to make the rod float in mid air, altered trait to give it +50 ST to resist moving.

This allows for contests of ST to move the rod.