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Old 08-10-2020, 02:00 PM   #21
awesomenessofme1
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

Quote:
Originally Posted by Say, it isn't that bad! View Post
As already stated, replacing Surgery, a VH skill, and the surgical tools needed to do the job, as well as the rest of the original write-up, make it not a least spell
That the original write-up allows it to be used as part of efforts to depopulate a region, resulted in a conversation chain I found semi-humorous.

Could it be made into a least spell? Yes. Others have made notes of changes that would help; and I would also add, "requiring the target to be unarmoured."
Thaumatology is also a VH skill, and Thaumatomancy allows you to use an application of it that's far less niche than "removing an intact heart from a person you don't care about the survival of" is for Surgery.
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Old 08-10-2020, 02:04 PM   #22
Say, it isn't that bad!
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

Quote:
Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1 View Post
Thaumatology is also a VH skill, and Thaumatomancy allows you to use an application of it that's far less niche than "removing an intact heart from a person you don't care about the survival of" is for Surgery.
Ritual Path Magic is also a system that has a number of balancing factors.
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Old 08-10-2020, 02:05 PM   #23
awesomenessofme1
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

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Originally Posted by Say, it isn't that bad! View Post
Ritual Path Magic is also a system that has a number of balancing factors.
...OK? That seems like a complete non sequitur to me.
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Old 08-10-2020, 02:08 PM   #24
Say, it isn't that bad!
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

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Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1 View Post
...OK? That seems like a complete non sequitur to me.
We are talking about balancing a heart-ripper spell. You brought up Ritual Path Magic as an example of a VH skill that has a lot more utility than a heart-ripper spell. I pointed out that Ritual Path Magic has a number of balancing factors.
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Old 08-10-2020, 02:15 PM   #25
awesomenessofme1
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

Here's one I just thought of

Anxiety (A)

College: Mind Control

Subject who fails to resist feels a vague sense of unease. No specific game effects, but it can motivate actions, depending on the circumstances and the personality of the subject. Might occasionally cause minor penalties, similar to Ache.

Duration: 1 minute
Cost: 1. Same cost to maintain.
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Old 08-10-2020, 02:17 PM   #26
awesomenessofme1
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

Quote:
Originally Posted by Say, it isn't that bad! View Post
We are talking about balancing a heart-ripper spell. You brought up Ritual Path Magic as an example of a VH skill that has a lot more utility than a heart-ripper spell. I pointed out that Ritual Path Magic has a number of balancing factors.
Thaumatomancy is from The Least of Spells. It answers "one question the Thaumatology skill could answer about existing magic". I haven't said anything about RPM in this thread, I really don't understand at it all and have never used it.
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Old 08-10-2020, 02:20 PM   #27
Say, it isn't that bad!
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

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Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1 View Post
Thaumatomancy is from The Least of Spells. It answers "one question the Thaumatology skill could answer about existing magic". I haven't said anything about RPM in this thread, I really don't understand at it all and have never used it.
Ah; misread which skill you were referring to.

In this case, all Thaumatomancy does is let you use the Thaumatology knowledge skill as an A instead of VH skill by spending FP.

Edit: So, to carry the analogy, ripping out an unconscious victims' heart is more potent, because, as noted:

1) Unconscious people wake up and struggle; the original spell ignores that.
2) The original spell provides a potent spell component on a successful roll.
3) The original spell is very quick to cast; 1 second for the spell, as opposed to 10 minutes for surgery.
4) The original spell does not require surgical tools.

Last edited by Say, it isn't that bad!; 08-10-2020 at 02:23 PM.
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Old 08-10-2020, 02:59 PM   #28
Alden Loveshade
 
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Location: Hmm, looks like Earth, circa CE 2020+
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

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Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth View Post
In some settings, magical charms are a staple product of the least of mages.
Agreed. But these spells can be cast in a normal-mana area by people who aren't mages. That's a big part of the reason why I would disagree with Enchantments being allowed at this level.

The other issue is game balance. In a short story/novel/TV series/movie, the author can simply decide "this character will never do that." But when those characters are played by players with their own ideas....

Frankly, even without enchantments, letting anyone cast spells could be a campaign breaker; it depends on the campaign. Some of the campaigns I've run/played in could be ruined by anyone casting spells; others could be significantly more fun.

But again, as in all things it's the GM's call.
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Old 08-10-2020, 03:04 PM   #29
Overheat
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

My ideas on a couple Trivial Technological college spells-

Borrow Charge/TL (A)

Caster, who is touching two one-handed, battery-powered devices, may use one device but have it drain the battery of the other. The maximum amount of power that can be borrowed from the second device is 360 watt-seconds, or 1/1000 of 1 energy if using the standard power to energy conversion.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 1. Cannot be maintained.


Mainly useful to allow someone to use their own smart phone once theirs dies, but only if they would otherwise have access to a second one. Restrictions on total power and the spell not being maintainable should help curb any shenanigans. Probably useful for other devices too.


Quick Lookup/TL (A)

Caster, who must be touching a wired network connection or be in an area with wireless connectivity, may say one term, either a word or short phrase. This spell returns a relevant tidbit of information that can be found quickly on the network. Examples include the name of a file that includes the term, the title of the first search result of that term, or the first sentence of an article about that term.

Duration: Instantaneous.
Cost: 1. Cannot be maintained.
Time to Cast: 5 seconds.


It returns the title of the first Google result or the first sentence of the Wikipedia article, but trying (and failing) to write in the GURPS Magic style is fun. Works on any network- hence it can return filenames or similar, since the Internet doesn't seem like it should be unique when it comes to magic.
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Old 08-10-2020, 03:56 PM   #30
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: [Magic] New IQ/A Spells

Here is an example of a minor yet useful Making and Breaking Spell/Technology Spell.

Create Loose Change (A)

Time to Cast: 1 minute

Duration: Permanent

Cost: 1 per 0.1% of the starting wealth in currency (minimum 5 energy)

Also known as Create Small Bills, it allows casters to permanently create a small amount of currency from an equivalent weight in similar materials (metal for metallic coins, organic matter for paper money, etc.). Considering that the typical TL3 mage is only able to create the $6 per hour of currency, it is more useful for emergency money than for creating great fortunes. At TL8+, it can create a gift card with a small amount of money on it out of plastic.

Last edited by AlexanderHowl; 08-10-2020 at 04:05 PM.
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