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Old 05-26-2016, 10:33 AM   #1
Crystalline_Entity
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: England
Default [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

Hi all,

I'm trying to write up a summoning spell using the rules in GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery and getting a little stuck. The spell should summon an elemental (worth 50% campaign starting points) chosen from a list of potential summons at casting time for say 30 minutes.

So far I've got an ability:

Ally (Based on 50%; Summonable, +100%; Constantly, x4) [16]

If I made that into a sorcery spell though, it would only summon a specific elemental (or template of elemental if I swap Summonable for Conjurable as per DF5: Allies). So I think I want some sort of Modular Ability to give the character the ability to swap between many different types of elemental:

Modular Ability (Slotted Cosmic Power) 16 (Specific Type of Elemental decided at casting time, -50%; Magical, -10%) [35]

Am I right so far? This would appear to give the summoning a duration of indefinite rather than 30 minutes, and paying 1FP/minute sounds rather expensive. The examples in the book tend to rely on Affliction, but that doesn't seem appropriate here. I think I'm missing something about the duration of a Power when there's none specified in the advantage and there's no margin of success to use with Extended Duration. How do I give this a 30 minute duration?
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Old 05-26-2016, 10:44 AM   #2
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

I don't have Sorcery. Can't you use Alternate Abilities with it?
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Old 05-26-2016, 10:51 AM   #3
PK
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

The way I plan to handle this in sorcery is the same as in GURPS Magic -- each type of elemental should require its own spell, so Create Earth Elemental is a different spell from Create Fire Elemental.

The trouble is that keeping an Ally around isn't like the lingering effects of damage or a buff. Specifically, whether you use Modular Abilities or just a straight Ally, you have to keep that spell active to keep it around. Personally, I'm okay with that.

That said, Summon <blank> Elemental could arguably be a long-distance Mind Control rather than Ally, after which you would use Control <blank> Elemental to command it. That would be simpler; it would only be Create <blank> Elemental that had to stay active.
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Old 05-26-2016, 10:52 AM   #4
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
I don't have Sorcery. Can't you use Alternate Abilities with it?
In fact, all sorcery spells are Alternative Abilities to a larger base advantage.
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Old 05-26-2016, 11:06 AM   #5
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

How would you do if you want to cast, say, Summon Wolves - the call goes out but it may take some time for them reach you?
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Old 05-26-2016, 11:31 AM   #6
Varyon
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
I don't have Sorcery. Can't you use Alternate Abilities with it?
Sorcery lives on Alternate Abilities. Yes, you can.

And that's what you should do here. Instead of a generic "Summon Elemental," you'd have "Summon Fire Elemental," "Summon Wind Elemental," etc, as separate spells.

That said, ISTR something called "Wildcard Powers" from either Powers or Supers. That's 4x price to get the power and any one other power that's appropriately related to it that's worth as much as it, with the second power being something you can switch out freely. The example was of Winged Flight, and the character could have the secondary ability be Enhanced Move (Air), some sort of IA representing pushing a gust of air at the foe with the wings, or similar. With that framework in mind, double cost for a generic "Summon Elemental" ability doesn't seem like it would be far off. Heck, I'd argue that doubling the cost is probably appropriate for a generic "Summon Monster" spell, and restricting this down to Elementals Only might reduce total price to 1.5x or so.

Alternatively, you might be able to munchkin out and have the elemental you summon be built with a once per day Alternate Form or similar so that it's actually the same conjuration, but it changes its form to whatever you need when you actually summon it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PK View Post
The trouble is that keeping an Ally around isn't like the lingering effects of damage or a buff. Specifically, whether you use Modular Abilities or just a straight Ally, you have to keep that spell active to keep it around. Personally, I'm okay with that.
For those who aren't OK with it, you might be able to convince the GM to let you build an Affliction that gives the target a summonable Ally. Essentially, you summon the elemental and bind it to a target, who it serves. If the target is unwilling and successfully saves, you fail to summon the elemental at all.

Last edited by Varyon; 05-26-2016 at 11:36 AM.
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Old 05-26-2016, 11:32 AM   #7
A Ladder
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

This is how I make Summoning spells in my games.

Statistics: Ally (Built on 50%, Constantly available x4; Summonable +100%; Fixed Duration +0%; Sorcery -15%) [15]. This summons the specified elemental (or other conjured ally) for a duration of 1 minute. But, you can also switch to other spells if you want without your summoned buddy vanishing. If you want to make this last 30 minutes add the Enhanced Duration x30 enhancement. Then you only need to pay 1 FP per 30 minutes to keep your ally around. To make sure that they don't die and you lose that spell forever, I give all my allies the "conjured servant" metatrait from this article Making Friends and Conjuring People.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PK View Post
The trouble is that keeping an Ally around isn't like the lingering effects of damage or a buff. Specifically, whether you use Modular Abilities or just a straight Ally, you have to keep that spell active to keep it around. Personally, I'm okay with that.
This is an interesting way to also keep summons around while making sure the Sorcerer is nerfed in doing his other spellcasting. I'll have to keep that in mind.
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Old 05-26-2016, 11:39 AM   #8
Crystalline_Entity
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

Quote:
Originally Posted by PK View Post
The way I plan to handle this in sorcery is the same as in GURPS Magic -- each type of elemental should require its own spell, so Create Earth Elemental is a different spell from Create Fire Elemental.
I'm having second thoughts about allowing one spell to summon a multitude of creatures now, each type of elemental may well be better off having its own spell. By my reading of the rules it might be within the letter of them to use Slotted Cosmic Power in that way, but it does feel a bit like gaming the system.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PK View Post
The trouble is that keeping an Ally around isn't like the lingering effects of damage or a buff. Specifically, whether you use Modular Abilities or just a straight Ally, you have to keep that spell active to keep it around. Personally, I'm okay with that.
I suppose that sounds sensible; apart from the FP cost, the other reason I was wanting to put a finite duration on the spell was so the character could have more than one active at once without falling foul of the rules on simultaneous maintained spells. Maybe using "Ally Group" to summon a group of identical elementals would be reasonable though.
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Old 05-26-2016, 11:42 AM   #9
Crystalline_Entity
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Default Re: [Sorcery] How to write a summoning spell

Quote:
Originally Posted by A Ladder View Post
This is how I make Summoning spells in my games.

Statistics: Ally (Built on 50%, Constantly available x4; Summonable +100%; Fixed Duration +0%; Sorcery -15%) [15]. This summons the specified elemental (or other conjured ally) for a duration of 1 minute. But, you can also switch to other spells if you want without your summoned buddy vanishing. If you want to make this last 30 minutes add the Enhanced Duration x30 enhancement. Then you only need to pay 1 FP per 30 minutes to keep your ally around. To make sure that they don't die and you lose that spell forever, I give all my allies the "conjured servant" metatrait from this article Making Friends and Conjuring People.
I hadn't thought of doing it like that, adding "Fixed Duration" and then being able to Extend that duration to pay fewer FP. That does make longer-duration summons more affordable in FP cost. Hmm, I'll have to think about that for a while I think.
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