-25% PM Fickle (Spirits)

[Peter Knutsen]

the -25% Fickle Power Modifer, from GURPS Powers, requires an unmodified Reaction Roll for the Power to function.

Is there any RAW published material that talks about how one can get temporary modifiers to that Reaction Roll? I'd imagine that in many situations, one can placate the Spirit in question by sacrificing to it, or perhaps even by dilligently furthering its cause. But is there any RAW material that deals with this, e.g. by providing guidelines for the magnitude of appropriate modifiers?

And what about purchased permanent modifiers? I'm thinking Charisma +200% Cosmic: Only modifies Fickle rolls, does not modify any other rolls, at 15/lvl CP, might work, but I am not sure. Is there any published material?

Finally, what about variants of the Fickle PM which have a built-in modifier to the Reaction Roll, e.g. to simulate spirits that are very favourably inclined, or very disfavourably inclined? Is there any official material on this? I'm thinking that if -25% PM gives an unmodified roll, then -10% PM might give a roll with a +2 bonus and -40% PM might give a roll with a -2 bonus.

[Kallatari]

Personally, they way I rule it for my Spiritual Power (making it a special effect, if you will), is that it means that there are no modifiers that you can purchase with a trait; Charisma, social skills, etc. None of them apply. However, I allow specific situational modifiers - notably has the player being behaving appropriate - apply to the roll.

As to RAW, I'm going by memory, but I think Divine Powers has something similar, where most traits (like Charisma) don't apply to the roll, but the situational modifier (why is the miracle being called? is the priest a devout believer, etc.) does (as the result of the miracle is based on the Reaction Roll). So there is precedent to the approach. Granted, it's not Fickle specifically, but is is technically an unmodified Reaction Roll.

[Anders]

I think Powers has rules for that. Every +1 to reaction gives +5% to the limitation up to a maximum of +4 (-5%).

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

the -25% Fickle Power Modifer, from GURPS Powers, requires an unmodified Reaction Roll for the Power to function.

Is there any RAW published material that talks about how one can get temporary modifiers to that Reaction Roll?

-20% actually. If there was a way to give yourself a positive modifier, then that value should be reduced. As it stands, the straight reaction roll is as good as you can possibly get when the spirits like you, they really really like you. If you have somehow failed to remain on good terms with the spirits then the result isn't a penalty to the roll. It's getting cut off dead until you make amends. Note, however that a setting that has that kind of magic probably assumes that spirits are a ubiquitous part of the landscape. So if you have Spirit Empathy, and what self-respecting spirit magician wouldn't, even if the spirits who generally help you are aren't handy as determined by the roll, you can try to persuade the spirits that are handy to do you a solid in return for some bribe or by convincing them that you share common opponents.