[Icelander]

There have been 21 sessions of Caribbean by Night and in that time the PCs have accomplished a number of things. I would probably call it three or four separate adventures, though with how things are connected, a case might be made for one adventure broken up into distinct chapters. Or one could argue that I've presented only one initial scenario and that PC choices and traits have provided all the needed drama and adventure.

In any case, a lot of opportunities for earning story-award character points, bonuses for extra involvement in the world and the like, as well as the per session awards (which tend to range between 3-5 for me, only going below that for lack of engagement or roleplaying contrary to established characterization).

With the result that most PCs now have lots and lots of points. Some players have made some minor expenditures, but most of them have saved up their points until there was a long enough break in the constant action to provide a plausible period of learning new things.

All the PCs are likely to continue the formal study of Thaumatology and ritual magic under Dr. Lapointe, the Penemue's libriarian. Well, except 'Nonc' Morel, who is probably a lot more powerful as a magician than Dr. Lapointe, for all that he calls himself a 'druid'. Every other PC has gifts for some area of supernatural where they are awesomely powerful, but they don't necessarily have an extensive background in comparative ritual traditions.

In addition, Alice Talbot and Teddy Smith tend to cast their spells (or invoke forces) in different traditions than Dr. Lapointe's preferred syncretic Western Hermetic ritual magic. For cooperative rituals, they need to learn enough to understand the basics for their fellow ritual magicians, and, in fact, it might be good for them to add Hermetic magic to their arsenal. For instance, Teddy's Nommo-based alchemical elixirs have unpredictable effects on people with baseline human physiology and he needs to make his curative elixirs from Grimoires of Earthly alchemy if he wants to avoid that.

Some of the players have fairly mundane plans for how to spend many of their points. Teddy Smith started play with Very Wealthy and a note to the effect that when he could afford the points, he was going to upgrade to Filthy Rich, represented in setting terms by the legal tangles of his long absence being settled and Smith being able to access the long-term investments made in his name while he was gone.

No doubt the player will want a level of Independent Income to go with the Filthy Rich trait, representing maturing stock options in various energy companies that Teddy acquired in the early 90s, now very successful. J.R. Kessler might be a rakish old buccaneer robberz-baron, but no one accused him of not taking care of his people. Teddy Smith really doesn't need to work, but, of course, salary is not his motivation. He can find uses for any and all funds he can get his hands on, as Nommo alchemy and thaumatological craftsmanship aren't cheap.

Alice Talbot is presumably going to be spending some points on improving her odds in Contests of Will, Mental Strength and reducing Mental Disadvantages or at least applying Mitigators. That being said, she already has very close to the setting maximum in Will and related traits and faces sharply diminishing returns there (she can buy more Will, but with a 5 point Unusual Background per extra level, making it effectively double cost as she approaches godlike levels). She might also spend some actual points in the practical use magic, as she has been operating off sky-high academic skills in it combined with massive bonuses from spiritual sources when she allows her Passenger to take the wheel.

'Nonc' Morel's player asked me if he could spend his entire 50+ points on a squirrel (intended as an animal companion) and a racoon (intended as a mystical familiar-type) that he captured during his adventures. Which leads me to ponder what restrictions I need to put on the abilities of a familiar-type critter in the setting, to maintain the feel that even powerful magicians mostly use effects that can be interpreted as coincidence by skeptics.

How do I need to modify the traits of Dungeon Fantasy esque familiars so that they are not walking, (talking?) proof of the paranormal to even firm skeptics?

I'm thinking that I'd lean heavily on empathetic understanding between master and familiar, replacing magical speech or infinite range mind-to-mind Telepathy. But how best to do that in GURPS so as to retain maximum adventuring utility while minimizing possibilities to use the ongoing effect to actually prove the existence of magic?

Then there is Lucien Lacoste. He'll spend a number of points reducing the worst of his PTSD and survivor's guilt complexes to hopefully more functional levels. In game terms, increase Self-Control for On the Edge and Impulsive to 15-. He also has many ideas about new powers, most of which are straightforward (partial possession like a voudon cheval granting physical gifts or increases sensory perception, etc.), but some of which are more involved.

One is an ability to Detect spirits, which the player would also like to work on minds currently in control of bodies, even if they are just living people. After all, Lacoste views spirits as disembodied souls. As the setting is agnostic about whether human minds and spirits are related or identical things, I don't want to give him a power that can confirm or refute it. However, Detect spirits is fine and allowing it to apply to human minds with a much reduced range, precision or analysis should pass muster. Is there any Power like this written up in a supplement already to use as a basis or would anyone care to assay a try at the first level?

Second is an ability to project his mind like a spirit, in the Spirit World, which touches this world during the night, but may also extend into areas which humans don't sense, even with Medium or similar traits. Is this renamed Astral Projection from Psionic Powers, Jumper (Spirit World) or something else?