[RPM] Ritual Path Magic: doing the WEIRD stuff

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Humabout

Check out Ghostdancer's response, too, Vicky. He's got a different take on those than I do, and he's probably closer to the mark (I usually defer to him unless it really goes against the grain of the setting).

I did, thanks.

More weird stuff:

Draw Power, RPM Style: As the one on p. 180 of GURPS Magic, but instead getting a stream of GURPS Magic energy, get a stream of RPM energy.

Essential Fuel. Same as the one on M180.

Scare the tech spirit / 'Gremlins': based on the Gremlins Gift of Ragabash Werewolves had in oWoD: Disrupt or scare away the spirit of a technological item, making it stop working. Computers don't compute, guns don't shoot, phones don't call, knives don't cut, ropes don't bind, levers don't multiply force, writing doesn't convey meaning.

Thieving Talons of the Magpie (ditto WW): steal a supernatural ability / skill from another and temporarily use it for oneself.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Draw Power, RPM Style: As the one on p. 180 of GURPS Magic, but instead getting a stream of GURPS Magic energy, get a stream of RPM energy.

I wouldn't. That spell is wonky enough to begin with. But if you must, I'd do what Dwarf99 suggested in the other thread: use subject weight and read lbs. as kW, then find the number of energy it would cost to do that and reverse it. So a device whose output was 30 megawatts would give +1 energy per second. Your HT-based Path of Energy skill or Magery+HT would cap how much energy you could draw. I have no idea if that's balanced, again, Draw Power is not exactly a forthcoming spell.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Essential Fuel. Same as the one on M180.

Essential spell effects aren't very RPM-like (so says PK from a emal a lonnnggg time ago). That said, the exact effects of this spell would be a Greater Transform Matter effect using Duration.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Scare the tech spirit / 'Gremlins': based on the Gremlins Gift of Ragabash Werewolves had in oWoD: Disrupt or scare away the spirit of a technological item, making it stop working. Computers don't compute, guns don't shoot, phones don't call, knives don't cut, ropes don't bind, levers don't multiply force, writing doesn't convey meaning.

Lesser Destroy Matter, Lesser Control Chance, or Lesser Control Spirit to Bestow a Bonus, Malfunction number -5 (32). Since most objects don't have a malfunction number, you'd start at 19 (no malfunction possible) and then penalize the roll. In this case, -5, so the device goes AWOL on a 14 or higher on the operation roll.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Thieving Talons of the Magpie (ditto WW): steal a supernatural ability / skill from another and temporarily use it for oneself.

Greater Transform Body + Greater Transform Body (or Undead, Spirit, etc.; whatever it takes to affect the target). Use altered traits to replicate the ability if it's more than a single use (i.e., it has a Duration).

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Greater Destroy Matter or Lesser Control Spirit to Bestow a Bonus, Malfunction number -5 (32). Since most objects don't have a malfunction number, you'd start at 19 (no malfunction possible) and then penalize the roll. In this case, -5, so the device goes AWOL on a 14 or higher on the operation roll.

Why a Greater Destroy Matter? I was going with the thought that "if it can happen without magic, then it's a lesser effect," and I've known people that break everything mechanical or electronic they touch. And they aren't even wizards or in Chicago. I do like the lowering of the Malf. rating, though. I'm totally stealing that.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Humabout

Why a Greater Destroy Matter? I was going with the thought that "if it can happen without magic, then it's a lesser effect," and I've known people that break everything mechanical or electronic they touch. And they aren't even wizards or in Chicago. I do like the lowering of the Malf. rating, though. I'm totally stealing that.

Yeah, it's Lesser, damn post also ate my Lesser Control Chance effect. See above. I was trying to respond to multiple threads at once. While I can read and type simultaneously on two different computers - doing that while also catching up on Haven is hard. ;-) I edited it while you were responding.

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Yeah, it's Lesser, damn post also ate my Lesser Control Chance effect. See above. I was trying to respond to multiple threads at once. While I can read and type simultaneously on two different computers - doing that while also catching up on Haven is hard. ;-) I edited it while you were responding.

Cool, I thought I was missing something. :)

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Humabout

Cool, I thought I was missing something. :)

Negative. :-)

[ajardoor]

I like how RPM rituals tend to have cooler names than the standard magic spells (although the bland names for Magic serve a purpose - the standard system means a long spell list while a RPM-er just has a few solid and regular rituals fully written up in advance).

Like, "Prolong the Suffering" instead of "Minor Healing".

"Crush the Mind" or "Unnerve Adversary" instead of "Fear".

"Awaken the Great Turtle" instead of "Earthquake".

"Dance of Karma" instead of "Bless".

"Dance of the Spheres" instead of "Planar Summon".

"Remold the One" instead of "Shapeshifting".

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I did, thanks.

More weird stuff:

Cool, I'm without books atm, so this may be a bit off (especially to reference Magic for the spells mentioned).

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Draw Power, RPM Style: As the one on p. 180 of GURPS Magic, but instead getting a stream of GURPS Magic energy, get a stream of RPM energy.

I'm not sure about this spell. Getting free energy from a ritual for new rituals sounds too crockish. If its about turning energy from a generator or battery into RPM energy while putting a load on that device, it could be tricky. I'd probably use a Transform Energy effect and a Transform Magic effect. How much energy is gained from the ritual per watt drained is beyond me, though. That'd probably take some number running. Also, due to the potential energy-crock nature of such a ritual, I'd probably make these greater effects. I really shutter to think of what could happen if you got more energy out of a ritual than what went in . . .

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Essential Fuel. Same as the one on M180.

Without remembering the effects of the spell, I'd just say it's a Greater Transform Matter effect.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Scare the tech spirit / 'Gremlins': based on the Gremlins Gift of Ragabash Werewolves had in oWoD: Disrupt or scare away the spirit of a technological item, making it stop working. Computers don't compute, guns don't shoot, phones don't call, knives don't cut, ropes don't bind, levers don't multiply force, writing doesn't convey meaning.

Per fluff, I'd say this is a Control Spirit, but mechanically it's just a Lesser Destroy Matter effect would have the same effect. This is where you have to decide what fits your setting. Just remember that you'll need an Area Effect and if you go the Destroy Matter route, you'll need a Weight for the entire weight of all machines affected (a potentially substantial energy cost).

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Thieving Talons of the Magpie (ditto WW): steal a supernatural ability / skill from another and temporarily use it for oneself.

Destroy Body/Mind (depending on ability) + Create/Control/Transform Body/Mind (depending on ability) + Altered Traits/Bestows a Bonus (depending on ability/skill). Lesser/Greater depends on the ability; skills would probably be lesser effects, in general.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Humabout

Without remembering the effects of the spell, I'd just say it's a Greater Transform Matter effect.

Thinking some more, Altered Traits: Create (+50% Essential) is the strictly-RAW way to do it (Powers 94). But it seems extremely roundabout. So maybe +50% energy from the mass table? Or as if conjuring +50% more mass?

Originally Posted by Humabout

Per fluff, I'd say this is a Control Spirit, but mechanically it's just a Lesser Destroy Matter effect would have the same effect. This is where you have to decide what fits your setting. Just remember that you'll need an Area Effect and if you go the Destroy Matter route, you'll need a Weight for the entire weight of all machines affected (a potentially substantial energy cost).

Hmm. This gives me another idea:
An Energy- or Entropy-based spell that makes the laws of physics have a chance of not occurring on a macroscopic scale. Random stuff happening, like momentum failing to transfer in a collision, quantum phenomena inexplicably aligning in myriads of instances to allow a coin to fall through a solid object, chemicals failing to react on a first attempt (but reacting normally on a subsequent one), a calculation of П ending up producing 3.0 instead of 3.14 in this one iteration etc.

[vicky_molokh]

More weird spells:

Zen Archery: how do I afflict someone with the effects of Zen Archery for a duration instead of providing a flat skill bonus?

Lend Energy (M89). I know I can probably see it as a reverse Leech, with the Path of Magic for mana and Path of Body for FP, but that seems slightly off. Or is it?

Share Energy (same page).

Mana Usury. Temporarily gain extra Energy for the next one or more spells. When the duration expires, the caster must return as much Energy as taken, plus some percentage. Failing to do so results in Bad Stuff.

Enforce Blood Magic. Curse an enemy mage such that he can only cast from HP for the spell's duration.

Enable/Enforce Threshold Magic. Afflict self or another to be able/able-and-forced to draw energy from Threshold instead.

Enforce Defiler Magic. Curse a mage to only be able to draw energy from Natural Energy (RPM21).