Elementalism power build

[RogerBW]

I'm working on the details of a White Russian elementalist (volkhv') tradition (careful and paranoid survivors of the Revolution, who by the 1940s have mostly ended up working in the GRU for long and complex reasons). My understanding is that hard data on the tradition in the real world are tricky to come by (they were mostly wiped out by the Christian missionaries in the tenth century, who brought writing but didn't want to write about them), but that they were known for foretelling the future and a certain amount of elemental manipulation.

Comments very welcome!

The build will be updated at http://tekeli.li/wwii/white_russian_elementalism.html as I get feedback but here's my initial draft:

Basics

Everyone expects a volkhv' to have Precognition. He actually achieves this by conversing with elementals, but some points in Fortune-Telling never go amiss.

Elemental Talents

Elementalism in game terms is primarily power-based, and cannot be used without Medium plus at least one Elemental Talent. There are four of these: Elemental (X) Talent, where (X) is Air, Fire, Earth or Water; they apply to rolls made when controlling that element, but having any of them opens up all elemental powers for acquisition. (I.e. if you only have Elemental Fire Talent 1 you can still learn Detect (Earth).)

The first Elemental Talent cannot normally be acquired in play; it's innate, and believed to concentrate in certain Russian families. It can be improved, and other Elemental Talents added, during play.

Power Modifier

The Elemental power modifier is -20%. Not only is this power mana-sensitive, each ability requires a minute's ritual preparation before use, and without it only works at half effect (where this is sensible; where it isn't, it doesn't work at all).

To activate any power that doesn't normally have an activation roll (e.g. Shapeshifting), roll Ritual Magic (White Russian Elementalism); this is subject to mana modifiers (-5 for Low), and to whichever is the applicable elemental talent.

Elemental Powers

Powers are learned with a -15% Elemental modifier. Each power is restricted to a single type of element; if you want to control multiple elements, take multiple versions of the power. (Not all powers are available for all elements; see individual power notes.)

Affliction

(dazzling fire-bursts, irritating sandstorms, etc.)

Allies

(elemental creatures), with Summonable;

Binding

Control

(an element, usually Common);

Control (Weather)

Air, Water or Fire power only.

Create

(forms of an element)

Detect

for elemental phenomena

Doesn't Breathe

Enhanced Move

Filter Lungs

Flight

Infravision

Innate Attack

(elemental blasts)

Medium

This is required for speaking with elementals. It's normally learned
as -50%, elementals only, with the usual power modifier.

Neutralize (Elemental Powers)

Obscure

Permeation

Pressure Support

Shapeshifting

Bestows the various Elemental Meta-Traits; see p. B262. As normally with Alternate Forms, pay for the most expensive body you've learned (90% of the cost difference between it and your standard racial template, +15 points), +15 for each cheaper one.

Individual Bodies may be improved over time, but these improvements aren't switchable: once you've improved your Body of Fire, it continues to be that improved version (which may be recognisable to your elementalist peers).

Body of Air

36 points. Often improved by reducing the ST penalty and HP bonus and removing No Manipulators. May even add Payload.

Body of Earth

175 points. Often increases DR.

Body of Fire

6 points (or more)

Body of Ice

99 points. Learned as a Water or Air effect.

Body of Metal

175 points. Learned as an Earth or Fire effect.

Body of Stone

140 points. Learned as an Earth effect.

Body of Water

175 points

Speak Underwater

Water only.

Telekinesis

(elemental forces)

Temperature Tolerance

Fire (to extend the high end), Air or Water only.

Terrain Adaptation

Earth, Air or Water only. (In the latter two cases, only useful with Walk on Air or Walk on Water.)

Tunneling

Earth only.

Walk on Air

Air only.

Walk on Liquid

Air or Water only.

[johndallman]

Presumably they can buy Precognition, or possibly a Patron who provides information?

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Presumably they can buy Precognition, or possibly a Patron who provides information?

The intended mechanism for that is the summonable Allies, but I'll have to look at point values to see if it's reasonable to build a standard elemental with Precognition.

[johndallman]

Do the Elemental Talents add to reactions from elementals? If so, does, for example, Water Talent improve the reactions of fire elementals?

It would probably help to describe the elementals of this tradition, in terms of their intelligence and personality ranges.

[johndallman]

How useful is Spirit Empathy to this kind of elementalist? Obviously you don't need to persuade elementals to do things that you've bought as powers, but persuading them to do other things as one-offs seems attractive.

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Do the Elemental Talents add to reactions from elementals? If so, does, for example, Water Talent improve the reactions of fire elementals?

Power talents don't normally give a reaction bonus; so, no. (But any reaction modifier that works across species is still valid.)

Originally Posted by johndallman

It would probably help to describe the elementals of this tradition, in terms of their intelligence and personality ranges.

Yes. Will add, when I have time.

[RogerBW]

Originally Posted by johndallman

How useful is Spirit Empathy to this kind of elementalist?

Very.

It's not quite as directly part of the game mechanics, but as colour, gaining new powers involves getting elementals to commit to a long-term contract with the elementalist.

[johndallman]

That suggests they might actually have their contracted elementals with them all the time. One way of doing that is in fetishes/medicine bags, or other foci. Which would allow gadget limitations on powers.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

I'm working on the details of a White Russian elementalist (volkhv') tradition (careful and paranoid survivors of the Revolution, who by the 1940s have mostly ended up working in the GRU for long and complex reasons). My understanding is that hard data on the tradition in the real world are tricky to come by (they were mostly wiped out by the Christian missionaries in the tenth century, who brought writing but didn't want to write about them), but that they were known for foretelling the future and a certain amount of elemental manipulation.

Comments very welcome!

IIRC, there's a writeup of volkhvs in the Ars Magica supplement for the Novgorod Tribunal, titled "The Dragon and the Bear". It'd old material, for the previous edition, and really not sufficiently convertible to GURPS that I'd advise you to pay for it (Ars Magica material rarely gets discounted when a new edition comes out), but if you know someone you can borrow it from, or if you can get it from a library, it might provide inspiration.