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Old 05-05-2018, 04:49 PM   #1
Phantasm
 
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Default [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

One of my players is making a sorcerer for my coming Marvel Reboot Shadowguard game. I've previously defined Reboot sorcerers - such as Dr. Strange - use Realm magic for their castings. However, in figuring out how this works in play, I've identified a few places where Realm magic falls lacking for fast-paced action movie combat: it is rather slow in casting, and the damage output seems geared more for sword-and-sorcery fantasy than it is modern superheroes. This slow time and low output may work for hidden magic/urban fantasy type games - such as the Mage: the Ascension conversion it was originally designed for - but not when facing the modern/ultra-tech mil-spec weaponry commonly found in superhero games.

So, here's a few house rules I cooked up. Thoughts and suggestions for tweaking are appreciated!



Changes to Realm Magic
For ease of reference, the word "energy" is substituted below for all energy sources, be it personal Fatigue Points (FP) or Energy Reserve (ER), energy from relics/objects of power (what GURPS calls a "powerstone"), provided by ancient entities, or Hit Points (HP) of the caster. These can also be provided by willing subjects. Black magic practitioners can draw energy from unwilling subjects.

While six main Realms are defined - Energy, Matter, Mind, Space, Spirit, and Time, all at 20 points per level - each Realm can be divided into a nearly infinite number of "sub-Realms", each of which is half price. For example, "Energy" can be divided into Fire, Cold, Electricity, Sound/Vibration, Kinetic, or any other energy type possible. As another example, "Matter" can have a Body sub-realm that deals with organic (living, dead, or undead) bodies, a Wood or Plant sub-realm, Luck for manipulating probabilities, or Machines for affecting non-organic matter.

Base Energy Costs
Higher skill casters can take a penalty to skill in order to draw power from the surrounding area rather than relying on their own FP/ER. This is generally a -2 penalty for a -1 FP/ER reduction.

Base cost for the spell is 2 energy per level of the highest level of a Realm used, plus 1 energy per additional Realm used. For example, Chelsea has Energy/4, but for a particular casting only requires her to use Energy/2 (a simple energy blast or shield), she spends 4 energy rather than 8.

Parameter Effects
Regular and Area castings have bonuses to range from the Margin of Success based on the Size/Speed/Range table, with up to 2 yards/meters (~6 feet) being at no penalty.

Duration of a lingering spell relies on the Margin of Success, using the Range in Time table on p. 182 of Thaumatology.

For damage effects (from Matter or Energy, or any of their sub-Realms), the base is Realm level used dice of damage per second of build-up, up to three or Magery seconds of build-up, whichever is higher.

Adding an armor divisor to an attack calls for either an additional energy expenditure per level of the Armor Divisor enhancement - 2 for (2), 4 for (3), 8 for (5), 16 for (10), 32 for (100), 64 for (∞) - or a -2 skill penalty per level of the enhancement added.

Armor spells give 10 DR per the highest Realm used.

Casting Time
Realm castings normally take only a single second for simple effects; more involved castings require more time as defined for castings in Thaumatology (highest-level realm involved +2).

Blocking effects done as a defensive action (a "power parry") take a -2 to the Realm skill used. You may only cast one Blocking spell per combat round.
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The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting

Last edited by Phantasm; 05-29-2018 at 06:36 PM.
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:28 AM   #2
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Default Re: [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

Slight revision:

For using the Energy and Matter Realms for power blocks/power parries, use the standard defense calculation of "(Skill/2)+3", using the energy expenditure of the minimum to use Energy/2 or Matter/2 for shaping ambient energy/material to block the attack. This counts as ONE Block or Parry defense your turn.
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991

"But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!"

The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting
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Old 05-29-2018, 09:53 PM   #3
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Default Re: [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

After a test fight, during which the explodamancy specialization sorceress discovered she does less direct damage than the guy with grenades, I'm considering another change.

For damaging effects, Realm level squared dice damage per second of charge-up*.

Oh, what's a good modifier to add explosive to this?



(* In the case of the explodamancer, that'd be 64d burning or crushing damage after 4 seconds of charging, or 16d with a single second of charging.)
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991

"But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!"

The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting
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Old 05-30-2018, 12:04 PM   #4
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Default Re: [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phantasm View Post
One of my players is making a sorcerer for my coming Marvel Reboot Shadowguard game. I've previously defined Reboot sorcerers - such as Dr. Strange - use Realm magic for their castings. However, in figuring out how this works in play, I've identified a few places where Realm magic falls lacking for fast-paced action movie combat: it is rather slow in casting, and the damage output seems geared more for sword-and-sorcery fantasy than it is modern superheroes. This slow time and low output may work for hidden magic/urban fantasy type games - such as the Mage: the Ascension conversion it was originally designed for - but not when facing the modern/ultra-tech mil-spec weaponry commonly found in superhero games.

So, here's a few house rules I cooked up. Thoughts and suggestions for tweaking are appreciated!



Changes to Realm Magic
For ease of reference, the word "energy" is substituted below for all energy sources, be it personal Fatigue Points (FP) or Energy Reserve (ER), energy from relics/objects of power (what GURPS calls a "powerstone"), provided by ancient entities, or Hit Points (HP) of the caster. These can also be provided by willing subjects. Black magic practitioners can draw energy from unwilling subjects.

While six main Realms are defined - Energy, Matter, Mind, Space, Spirit, and Time, all at 20 points per level - each Realm can be divided into a nearly infinite number of "sub-Realms", each of which is half price. For example, "Energy" can be divided into Fire, Cold, Electricity, Sound/Vibration, Kinetic, or any other energy type possible. As another example, "Matter" can have a Body sub-realm that deals with organic (living, dead, or undead) bodies, a Wood or Plant sub-realm, Luck for manipulating probabilities, or Machines for affecting non-organic matter.

Base Energy Costs
Higher skill casters can take a penalty to skill in order to draw power from the surrounding area rather than relying on their own FP/ER. This is generally a -2 penalty for a -1 FP/ER reduction.

Base cost for the spell is 2 energy per level of the highest level of a Realm used, plus 1 energy per additional Realm used. For example, Chelsea has Energy/4, but for a particular casting only requires her to use Energy/2 (a simple energy blast or shield), she spends 4 energy rather than 8.

Parameter Effects
Regular and Area castings have bonuses to range from the Margin of Success based on the Size/Speed/Range table, with up to 2 yards/meters (~6 feet) being at no penalty.

Duration of a lingering spell relies on the Margin of Success, using the Range in Time table on p. 182 of Thaumatology.

For damage effects (from Matter or Energy, or any of their sub-Realms), the base is Realm level used dice of damage per second of build-up, up to three or Magery seconds of build-up, whichever is higher.

Adding an armor divisor to an attack calls for either an additional energy expenditure per level of the Armor Divisor enhancement - 2 for (2), 4 for (3), 8 for (5), 16 for (10), 32 for (100), 64 for (∞) - or a -2 skill penalty per level of the enhancement added.

Armor spells give 10 DR per the highest Realm used.

Casting Time
Realm castings normally take only a single second for simple effects; more involved castings require more time as defined for castings in Thaumatology (highest-level realm involved +2).

Blocking effects done as a defensive action (a "power parry") take a -2 to the Realm skill used. You may only cast one Blocking spell per combat round.
I like what you have going on here! I too have been playing with realms of power as an idea for my games. Where did you hear about these six realms? Were they mentioned in the Doctor Strange movie?
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Old 05-30-2018, 05:14 PM   #5
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Default Re: [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

Quote:
Originally Posted by knightgoblin View Post
I like what you have going on here! I too have been playing with realms of power as an idea for my games. Where did you hear about these six realms? Were they mentioned in the Doctor Strange movie?
The six Realms were chosen several years before the Dr. Strange movie made it into pre-production, based in part on the Infinity Gems. (Remember, I've been working on my Marvel Reboot project since '07, maybe even late '06, which puts a lot of my design choices before Downey was cast for Tony Stark.)

The six Infinity Gems are Mind, Power, Reality, Soul, Space, and Time. For making the Realms I altered things so that Power became Energy, Reality became Matter, and Soul became Spirit, both to more accurately define what the Realms cover and to make them somewhat distinct from the Gems.

Note that Marvel magic (in the comics) commonly has three flavors of "white" magic: Egocentric (personal powers of the mind and spirit), Ecocentric (magic that manipulates ambient energy for affecting the world around you), and Exocentric (magic that draws upon extradimensional energies or involves traveling between dimensions). Black magic in Marvel commonly means drawing energy from unwilling living beings or enslaving demons for their power (and Strange has dabbled in that from time to time). And that's not covering other types of magic such as the chaos magic manipulated by Wanda Maximoff/the Scarlet Witch.

Clear as mud? :)
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991

"But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!"

The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting
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Old 05-30-2018, 06:37 PM   #6
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Default Re: [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phantasm View Post

Note that Marvel magic (in the comics) commonly has three flavors of "white" magic: Egocentric (personal powers of the mind and spirit), Ecocentric (magic that manipulates ambient energy for affecting the world around you), and Exocentric (magic that draws upon extradimensional energies or involves traveling between dimensions).
I know the marvel breakdown but never heard that terminology.
Eqocentric, Ecocentric, and Exocentric

Might use those terms, not sure.
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Old 05-30-2018, 07:14 PM   #7
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Default Re: [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

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I know the marvel breakdown but never heard that terminology.
Eqocentric, Ecocentric, and Exocentric

Might use those terms, not sure.
I got those terms off an entry I found for Aggamoto, which looked like the issue that invented his backstory also invented the terms there, although the Handbooks going back to '85 or so described the split between the three sources in detail.
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"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991

"But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!"

The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting
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Old 08-18-2018, 11:49 PM   #8
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Default Re: [THM] Realm Magic House Rules for Superhero Game

I suggest you look at my 'rune magic' rules from the #ouswclub game.

They marry realms to the RPM energy calculations which makes deciding on power much easier (at least in my opinion).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...x.1okrg9o6pv5s
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