Spells: moving out of range

[Henchman99942]

Suppose you cast a spell that has an effect on an object or area. And either you or the object move away from each other. What happens to the spell?

For subjects you cast a spell on if they move away from you, the spell should continue. This assume that spell doesn't require your concentration.

But what if the spell requires concentration? Suppose you shape water on a success by 3, then move that water 10 yards from you while you remain stationary. Can you still control that water? Or if you form the water into a long, narrow puddle extending from you by dozens of yards?

Does the distance/range only apply at the time the spell is cast?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Henchman99942

Suppose you cast a spell that has an effect on an object or area. And either you or the object move away from each other. What happens to the spell?

Nothing, unless someone passes through a no mana zone.

Originally Posted by Henchman99942

Does the distance/range only apply at the time the spell is cast?

Yes.

[Henchman99942]

So the very wealthy can pay a bunch of mage circles to maintain a bunch of spells on them regardless of how far they travel from that circle.

[Lup3rcal]

Originally Posted by Henchman99942

So the very wealthy can pay a bunch of mage circles to maintain a bunch of spells on them regardless of how far they travel from that circle.

Theoretically. You can only concentrate while conscious, but if you had a rotating roster then this is a thing that magic lets you do. Its probably how a lot of fantasy castles in GURPS are protected actually.

Hmm, now I want to play a "kill the mages whose spells are protecting the castle" mission...

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Henchman99942

So the very wealthy can pay a bunch of mage circles to maintain a bunch of spells on them regardless of how far they travel from that circle.

Yep. Your typical emperor probably has half a dozen circles maintaining redundant Missile Shield spells, for instance.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Yep. Your typical emperor probably has half a dozen circles maintaining redundant Missile Shield spells, for instance.

At that point it has got to be cheaper to just enchant an item.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

At that point it has got to be cheaper to just enchant an item.

Cheaper? Probably! However, stealing or breaking an item – perhaps even by teleportation or disintegration – is easy. Locating, say, six secret imperial bases, infiltrating them, and killing all the well-guarded mages within who are maintaining multiple different defensive spells on the emperor at some ungodly skill level that's nearly impossible to dispel? A little harder.

It's good to be the king. It's even better to be the god-emperor-wizard who prevails over multiple kings. When you're fielding armies of 300,000 legionaries and auxiliaries, who cares if you're also paying for a couple thousand wizards as your own personal bodyguard? Why, that isn't even a legion!

Of course, you'll still have defensive items enchanted, just in case. You can afford it. Always nice to have a few dozen Wish spells on your bellybutton piercing so you can say "Oh no you didn't!" to would-be assassins (and if you're canny, you'll control or ban Wish spells for everybody else . . .).

And you'll probably also have unremarkable-looking guys named Rat and Weasel who just kind of hang around holding your laurel wreath and bearing your ceremonial sword, but who are in reality powerful wide-area Mana Enhancers intended to protect against the possibility of sudden mana loss. You might "just" have items enchanted for them.

If magic can do it, there comes a point where anyone with the resources of an empire will do it for herself or himself. Damn the cost. When you're Crassus or Pompey with Multimillionaire 3-4 in personal wealth, you'll fund your personal defenses – wizards' circles, magic items, Rat and Weasel, the best concealable armor money can buy – out of your own pocket, because you trust your own judgment more than that of the Imperial Bodyguard Corps.

This is really the only way to make sense of stable kingdoms and empires in settings where enchanting and circles of wizards exist: You have to assume the "defender" (in this case a ruler who risks being assassinated or replaced) enjoys the home-ground advantage against "attackers" not just in terms of military and social might, but also the magical kind. A setting where upstart adventurers with a nice bow and a Lesser Wish spell could just take out the emperor is barely a step removed from a Mad Max-level apocalypse.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Henchman99942

So the very wealthy can pay a bunch of mage circles to maintain a bunch of spells on them regardless of how far they travel from that circle.

Fictional example: Morolan, in Steven Brust's Dragaera books, keeps his flying castle up in the air via a circle of magicians. Yes, he's very confident.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Fictional example: Morolan, in Steven Brust's Dragaera books, keeps his flying castle up in the air via a circle of magicians. Yes, he's very confident.

Yeah he was cocky from the beginning. Loved that series and still trying to come up with a good way to handle the Empire magic.
Eastern magic is Book/Path

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Yeah he was cocky from the beginning. Loved that series and still trying to come up with a good way to handle the Empire magic.

Ritual Path Magic, but if you buy a spell as a Technique, you can pull all the power you need for it from the Orb in one turn?