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Old 05-19-2021, 07:09 PM   #11
Michael Thayne
 
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Default Re: [Sorcery] Michael's daily sorcerous spells thread

Cloud of Doom
Keywords: Area (Leveled).
Full Cost: 20 points for level 1 + 3 points/additional level.
Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: 10 seconds.

You can create a cloud of lethal toxic gas. Anyone inside must roll against HT-4 each second or take 1d toxic damage. Because the gas is a contact agent, Doesn't Breathe and Filter Lungs offer no protection—only Immunity to Metabolic Hazards or Sealed protects. If the cumulative damage from this spell exceeds 1/2 of a victim's basic HP, they become nauseated (see Afflictions, p. B428) until the victim is healed above the 1/2 threshold.

Statistics: Obscure 1 (Link, +10%; Ranged, +50%; Sorcery, -15%) [3] + Toxic Attack 1d (Area Effect, +50%; Contact Agent, +150%; Link, +10%; No Signature, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Resistible, HT-4, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Symptoms, 1/2 HP, nauseated, +60%) [17]. Further levels add Area Effect (+50%) to Obscure [+1/level] and Toxic Attack [+2/level].

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Old 05-20-2021, 06:23 PM   #12
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Our first Control (Natural Phenomena) build. I spent a lot of time going through canonical GURPS sources to figure out the game effect of clouds and as far as I can tell, whenever this has been addressed the effects have been quite minor, so I built this on the assumption it would rarely offer a ±1 bonus/penalty. Of course, the spell could have a much bigger impact on aviators, especially early aviators flying by the seat of their pants, but this is tricky enough to pull off that I didn't think it warranted requiring more levels of Control.
Clouds
Keywords: Area (Special).
Full Cost: 59/64/69 points for levels 1-3, plus 19.5 points for each additional level*.
Casting Roll: IQ.
Range: 0.
Duration: 16 minutes, 40 seconds.

You can alter the cloud cover around you in a radius of 0.1 × level miles. This can't darken the sky enough to cause penalties for poor lighting during the day, but can worsen darkness penalties by -1 on a clear night (including twilight hours), or eliminate -1 in darkness penalties from a heavily overcast night.

This is also a Weather spell.

Statistics: Level 1 is Control Cloud Cover 1 (Emanation, -20%; Extended Duration 100×, +80%; Natural Phenomena, +100%; No effect on daytime vision penalties, -15%; Sorcery, -15%) [23] + Control Clouds 2 (Does not increase area, -50%; Emanation, -20%; Extended Duration 100×, +80%; Natural Phenomena, +100%; No effect on daytime vision penalties, -15%; Sorcery, -15%) [36]. Levels 2-3 remove "Does not increase area" from one level at a time [+5/level]. Further levels add Control Clouds (Emanation, -20%; Extended Duration 100×, +80%; Only to increase area, -50%; Natural Phenomena, +100%; Sorcery, -15%) [+19.5/level].
* Calculate the total cost and then round up.
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Old 05-21-2021, 09:53 PM   #13
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Concussion
This has a canonical write up in GURPS Sorcery: Sound Spells, p. 4.

Control Air Elemental
Keywords: Resisted (Will).
Full Cost: 20 points.
Casting Roll: IQ.
Range: Unlimited.
Duration: Special.

You can take control of any single air elemental. In addition to range penalties, your casting roll is at -1 for each other air elemental currently under your control. If you tie, nothing happens, but if you lose the creature is immune to you for 24 hours and can sense your attempted coercion; the GM will make a new reaction roll at -2, using the worse of its existing or new reaction.

This spell has an indefinite duration if you take constant Concentrate maneuvers to keep it active (and pay the usual 1 FP per minute). Once you stop concentrating, it continues to last for a fixed duration (at no FP cost) in minutes equal to the margin by which you won the initial Quick Contest. If you lose consciousness, the spell ends immediately.

Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Air elementals only, -45%; Sorcery, -15%) [20].
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Old 05-22-2021, 07:15 PM   #14
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Cool
A canonical version exists in GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, p. 26. The book actually lists at as a Weather spell and says nothing about it being an Air spell, but I would count it as both since that's what GURPS Magic does.

Create Air
Keywords: Area (Special).
Full Cost: 7.5 points/level*.
Casting Roll: IQ.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: The spell is instantaneous, but the air created is permanent.

You can create ordinary air. Each casting creates enough air to fill with a radius (in yards) up to your level of this spell.

Statistics: Create Air (Ranged, +40%; Reduced FP Cost 1, +20%; Magic, -10%) [7.5/level].

* Calculate the total cost and then round up.
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Old 05-23-2021, 08:17 PM   #15
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I reluctantly skipped over Create Air Elemental, because I was unable to come up with a satisfactory way to do it. The best approach might be Allies (Summonable), but I couldn't come up with a satisfactory way to distinguish it from more typical summoning spells that really do just temporarily pull a creature from another plane. Thus, today's spell is Destroy Air, which is only complicated because of the need to add an Innate Attack for use against air elementals.
Destroy Air
Keywords: Area (Leveled).
Full Cost: 54/74/110 points for levels 1-3.
Casting Roll: IQ.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: Instantaneous.

Destroys all air in the spell's radius. In an airtight chamber, this has all the effects of Vacuum (B437). Otherwise, nearby air rushes in immediately, doing 1d-2 damage to anyone in the area of effect who fails a HT roll. Air elementals and anyone with the Body of Air meta-trait takes 2d toxic damage.

Statistics: Level 1 is Toxic Attack 2d (Accessibility, only on air elementals and beings with the Body of Air meta-trait, -80%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Cosmic, Ignores DR, +300%; Cosmic, No Attack Roll Required, +100%; Link, +10%; No Signature, +20%; Requires IQ roll, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [38] + Create Air 2 (Destruction Only, +0%; Link, +10%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced FP Cost 1, +20%; Magic, -10%) [16]. Level 2 adds Area Effect (+50%) to Toxic Attack [4] and Create Air 2 (Destruction Only, +0%; Link, +10%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced FP Cost 1, +20%; Magic, -10%) [16]. Level 3 adds Area Effect (+50%) to Toxic Attack [4] and Create Air 4 (Destruction Only, +0%; Link, +10%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced FP Cost 1, +20%; Magic, -10%) [32].

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Old 05-24-2021, 06:34 PM   #16
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I'm uncertain whether oxygen-to-nitrogen or oxygen-to-CO2 is a better fit for the rules in Magic for noticing the change, copied below. I ended up going with CO2 because that makes the effects more comprehensible for a society that is just beginning to develop modern science (such as 17th century Europe).
Devitalize Air
Keywords: Area (Special).
Full Cost: 4 points/level.
Casting Roll: IQ.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: The spell is instantaneous, but the effects last until they dissipate naturally.

You can remove the life-sustaining essence from the air within a radius (in yards) up to your level of this spell, rendering it unbreathable. In a setting with scientific chemistry, this spell might be known to convert molecular oxygen into CO2. Until the "dead" air dissipates, any being who needs to breathe begins to suffocate (see Suffocation, p. B436), and flames within the spell’s area of effect flicker and die. Victims may not notice the spell’s effect until they begin losing FP; roll vs. Per to notice the changed quality of the air. Sleeping victims must roll vs. HT to wake up once they begin suffocating.

The spell lasts until living air diffuses back into the affected area. This takes 1 minute per yard of radius in an unventilated area, or as little as 10 seconds on a windy day outdoors. In an airtight room, the air stays devitalized indefinitely! Purify Air reverses this spell’s effects.

Statistics: Create (Ranged, +40%; Transmutation Only, Air to Devitalized Air, -50%; Magic, -10%) [4/level].
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Old 05-25-2021, 06:47 PM   #17
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Diver's Blessing
Keywords: Buff.
Full Cost: 2 or 14 points.
Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim the improved version.
Range: Self or 100 yards.
Duration: Indefinite or 3 minutes.

The subject gains Breath Holding 1. The basic (2-point) version of this spell benefits only the sorcerer; it has an indefinite duration, which means it must be maintained. The improved (14-point) version can benefit anyone, works at a distance, and does not need to be maintained; it has a fixed, lasting duration.

Also a Body Control spell.

Statistics: The basic version is Breath-Holding 1 (Sorcery, -15%) [2]. The improved version is Affliction 1 (Advantage, Breath Holding 1, +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10×, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [14]. Notes: This spell originally appeared in GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells, p. 6.

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Old 05-26-2021, 06:52 PM   #18
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Earth to Air
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 10 points/level.
Casting Roll: IQ.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: Permanent.

You can turn earth or stone into an equal volume of normal air. Each casting transforms up to 10 ⨉ (level squared) lbs. of material. Created air is initially at the same pressure as the surrounding environment, so it will not cause anything to explode or implode.

This is also an Earth spell.

Statistics: Create (Ranged, +40%; Transmutation Only, Earth to Air, -50%; Only to turn earth into normal air, -30%; Magic, -10%) [10/level].
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Old 05-27-2021, 08:21 PM   #19
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I wrote up a version of today's spell awhile ago and then two days ago panicked because my build no longer made sense to me. So I created this thread, which led to me deciding to price "Mortal Wound" as a +250% enhancement on Affliction.
Embolism
Keywords: Resisted (HT).
Full Cost: 51 points.
Casting Roll: Will.
Range: Unlimited.
Duration: Instantaneous.

Creates an improbably huge bubble of air within the subject’s circulatory system. If the target fails to resist, the result is stroke. Treat this as a mortal wound (p. B423): The victim immediately falls unconscious and must roll vs. HT every 30 minutes, with any failure meaning death. At TL6+, trauma maintenance can help.

Natural recovery occurs on a critical success on the HT roll. Otherwise, the only cure is TL6+ brain surgery. A victim who recovers is at -HP or current HP, whichever is worse. Critical failure on the HT roll required after recovering from a mortal wound costs the subject a level of IQ as well as the usual level of HT.

Embolism can harm only living, breathing beings that have blood and brains. Doesn’t Breathe – or any form of Injury Tolerance that includes No Blood or No Brain – grants immunity.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (Feature: Doesn't Breathe, No Blood, or No Brain grant immunity, but a critically failed HT causes a level of IQ loss, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; Mortal Wound, +250; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [51]. Notes: This spell originally appeared in GURPS Magic: Death Spells, p. 9.

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Old 05-28-2021, 10:04 PM   #20
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Essential Air
Keywords: Area (Special).
Full Cost: 10 points/level.
Casting Roll: IQ.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: Instantaneous.

You can create the magical essence of air. Each casting creates enough air to fill with a radius (in yards) up to your level of this spell. Essential Air can be used (breathed or consumed) three times as long before becoming foul. Fire burns hotter (but not faster) in Essential Air, adding an extra point of damage to each die (this will even increase the heat of Essential Flame!). If the air is created in an open area, it disperses quickly. This makes selling essential air difficult, even if it theoretically could have some economic value.

Statistics: Create Air (Cosmic, Essential Element, +50%; Magical, -10%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced FP Cost 1, +20%) [10/level].

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