[RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

So the question came up in our game how much it would cost to shrink something using RPM. The question turned a little silly when we started to wonder how much it would be to shrink an entire planet.

I did a little math and it seems that the answer is not much at all.

Am I wrong that with a single Greater Transform Matter effect, you could shrink the earth down to nothing for less than 200 energy?

I'm figuring this out as:

Greater Transform Matter (8) + Weight (6,500 quintillion tons, 50 energy) = 174 energy.

Now you could argue that you need an altered trait in there, but size reduction is usually a 0 point feature. You could argue that you'd need 50 levels of Shrinking to pull this off, but even then you're not increasing the cost that much, and it still doesn't change the fact that you can turn the earth into a donut or salt, etc. for cheap.

I might be a little off on my math, but I don't think so, and it shouldn't be more than a few points off.

What have I missed, or is it really this easy?

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

Remember it gets to resist with its HT+SM...so...good luck (see Afflictions and Inanimate Objects, GURPS Powers, p. 40))

Edit: I talk about this a bit on my blog.

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

You want to add shrinking unless it still retains its original hit points, DR, etc. However, if you have a skill of 90 or so, go for it.

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

Curses! I actually ran an adventure in the past based on 'its pretty easy to scale things to the insane', a group of evil cultists was using a Lost Page from Apicius to cast a spell to turn the Earth's oceans into Lemon Chicken Orzo soup in order to attract the Snacker Upon Planets

Oopsie. Oh well, the PCs stopped them before they actually cast the spell

It would have been funny to have them successfully cast the spell and the planet laughs it off

As a note, Technomancer gives good explanations for why 'you cannot have mages ruin everything with whackiness'

'I mind control the president! Whats his Resist?'

'How many states are in the Union?'

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

First, you really need to put some duration on that thing. Otherwise you get a shrunken planet for about a second.

Second, what happens to the animals and people on this shrunken planet? Do they shrink as inventory, or do they fly off into the void.

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

That rule is optional, though. I'd still recommend it for this kind of spell...

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

I recommend it for RPM period.

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

Rolling a 17 or an 18 still results in a failed save, right? So for anything greater then SM+6 the bigger SM doesn't matter. Basically the Rule of 16 applies to the resistance roll.

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

That's a good point. I'll counter with "RPM is a rule zero system." It's hugely part of the magic system - if the GM says "No." then you can't. There is no rules-lawyering possible. That's how it works for the setting. That's why you can theoretically build all sorts of impossible/world-shattering spells - because RPM cannot exist in a vacuum. (I'd argue that GURPS itself can't exist without a GM, but that's a whole other thread I don't have time for.) So yeah, if you want to shrink a planet, go ahead. I'll also point out that the planet's inhabitants get rolls to resist too...

Re: [RPM] Shrinking a Planet?
 

Well unless you rule that they ALL have to fail the roll, that leads to nightmare fuel Ghostdancer