[RPM] Ritual Path Magic: doing the WEIRD stuff

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Okay! This I can work with...hmmm lemme see.

The first part is going to be a large Range with Extradimensional. The second part is a huge area effect. The only Nazis part is flavor, but important one, I might reduce the final energy cost by -5%. Dissipation = Duration. Remaining because of their own personal power is a flavor thing and would be resolved by the GM.

The counterspells would just be that. Spells that nibbled at the larger spell. Normally, that's not allowed, but this is part plot device and part spell, so seems fine to me.

Interesting by the way!

Thank you! I thought it might work fairly well, RPM is adaptable by definition, the only question is whether Slow and Sure ceremonial rituals can work in RPM, as otherwise the process of casting would be totally different (or it wouldn't be an RPM spell). I'm really not sure how far up the range and area costs would boost the final price, but as I'm not planning to do that in a game outside of the setting's plot, it probably doesn't matter. I doubt the Thule Society will try this again, as even with the advantage of not being located by their opponents, the spell still didn't do much beyond make people who already want them dead even more willing to kill them.

Also, they had to sacrifice some plot devices that they aren't going to get more of any time soon (sure, Dp-Earth is lousy with plot devices, but they're hard to get at, even if you know where to look - it's not like they know which U.S. government warehouse the Ark of the Covenant is in, for example; they don't even know for sure that it is in a government warehouse), in the hope that they could knock most of the Inp-Earth Allies out of the war, so really, they can't do this, again.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Thank you! I thought it might work fairly well, RPM is adaptable by definition, the only question is whether Slow and Sure ceremonial rituals can work in RPM, as otherwise the process of casting would be totally different (or it wouldn't be an RPM spell). I'm really not sure how far up the range and area costs would boost the final price, but as I'm not planning to do that in a game outside of the setting's plot, it probably doesn't matter. I doubt the Thule Society will try this again, as even with the advantage of not being located by their opponents, the spell still didn't do much beyond make people who already want them dead even more willing to kill them.

Also, they had to sacrifice some plot devices that they aren't going to get more of any time soon (sure, Dp-Earth is lousy with plot devices, but they're hard to get at, even if you know where to look - it's not like they know which U.S. government warehouse the Ark of the Covenant is in, for example; they don't even know for sure that it is in a government warehouse), in the hope that they could knock most of the Inp-Earth Allies out of the war, so really, they can't do this, again.

Keep in mind that all you are doing for Slow and Sure casting is spending 200 hours to gain 1 character point which then turns into 25 energy in a reserve that has no upper limit and doesn't refill once gone. That's how I'd do it anyways

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Keep in mind that all you are doing for Slow and Sure casting is spending 200 hours to gain 1 character point which then turns into 25 energy in a reserve that has no upper limit and doesn't refill once gone. That's how I'd do it anyways

Thats one way to do it.
I have been considering a single roll per caster per day as the RPM variant of slow and sure and declaring it more stable to compensate for the increased time.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Thats one way to do it.
I have been considering a single roll per caster per day as the RPM variant of slow and sure and declaring it more stable to compensate for the increased time.

I like that too! Hmmm. Yes. But I'd increase the margin to, lets say, three times. So every point nets you +3 energy. Yes. that works.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I like that too! Hmmm. Yes. But I'd increase the margin to, lets say, three times. So every point nets you +3 energy. Yes. that works.

That's quite a boon to casters of even modest skill, almost tripling the energy they can accumulate before degrading below skill 10. In fact, the effect is much greater for higher-skilled characters. I'd be tempted to have it just be a flat +2 energy on a success, or +1 on a failure. Or maybe no extra energy on a failure, but give the caster a "safety margin", a number of failures they can roll before Quirks start to appear.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

That's quite a boon to casters of even modest skill, almost tripling the energy they can accumulate before degrading below skill 10. In fact, the effect is much greater for higher-skilled characters. I'd be tempted to have it just be a flat +2 energy on a success, or +1 on a failure. Or maybe no extra energy on a failure, but give the caster a "safety margin", a number of failures they can roll before Quirks start to appear.

You might be right. Maybe half the margin. I'd say that there is no chance of quirks, but botches are still possible though. Consider this. A standard Caster can gather energy for a spell in 5 minutes. In the regular spell system, ceremonial magic takes x10 as long so let's use that. That gives us 50 minutes per roll to gather energy. Assuming a 8 hour day, that is 9.6 rolls. For the sake of argument, let's also say that the 3d roll is exactly 10.5 each time and the skill of the caster is 12. That gives us about 6 energy per day (36 per 6-day week). That's way better than just using the study rules to gain 25 energy per 200 hours (takes 25 days, so you gain 1 energy per day). But I think it's balanced by the fact that you can roll badly or not get any energy that day. If we used 3 points of success = 1 energy that makes it about 4 energy per day (24 per 6-day week). I think that might work better. Hmmm. I'm not terribly math-y. My talents lay elsewhere.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Humabout

Without remembering the effects of the spell, I'd just say it's a Greater Transform Matter effect.

Thinking some more, Altered Traits: Create (+50% Essential) is the strictly-RAW way to do it (Powers 94). But it seems extremely roundabout. So maybe +50% energy from the mass table? Or as if conjuring +50% more mass?

Originally Posted by Humabout

Per fluff, I'd say this is a Control Spirit, but mechanically it's just a Lesser Destroy Matter effect would have the same effect. This is where you have to decide what fits your setting. Just remember that you'll need an Area Effect and if you go the Destroy Matter route, you'll need a Weight for the entire weight of all machines affected (a potentially substantial energy cost).

Hmm. This gives me another idea:
An Energy- or Entropy-based spell that makes the laws of physics have a chance of not occurring on a macroscopic scale. Random stuff happening, like momentum failing to transfer in a collision, quantum phenomena inexplicably aligning in myriads of instances to allow a coin to fall through a solid object, chemicals failing to react on a first attempt (but reacting normally on a subsequent one), a calculation of П ending up producing 3.0 instead of 3.14 in this one iteration etc.

[vicky_molokh]

More weird spells:

Zen Archery: how do I afflict someone with the effects of Zen Archery for a duration instead of providing a flat skill bonus?

Lend Energy (M89). I know I can probably see it as a reverse Leech, with the Path of Magic for mana and Path of Body for FP, but that seems slightly off. Or is it?

Share Energy (same page).

Mana Usury. Temporarily gain extra Energy for the next one or more spells. When the duration expires, the caster must return as much Energy as taken, plus some percentage. Failing to do so results in Bad Stuff.

Enforce Blood Magic. Curse an enemy mage such that he can only cast from HP for the spell's duration.

Enable/Enforce Threshold Magic. Afflict self or another to be able/able-and-forced to draw energy from Threshold instead.

Enforce Defiler Magic. Curse a mage to only be able to draw energy from Natural Energy (RPM21).

[Langy]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Thinking some more, Altered Traits: Create (+50% Essential) is the strictly-RAW way to do it (Powers 94). But it seems extremely roundabout. So maybe +50% energy from the mass table? Or as if conjuring +50% more mass?

Naw. I think a more RPM way to do it is to use either Greater Transform Matter or just Greater Create Matter. Fits much better with how RPM does everything else.

[vicky_molokh]

When trying to modify existing weapons, does e.g. making a sword flaming require merely giving it Altered Traits (adding enhancements to its damage for its MaxST) or something else?