Things for a fantasy game

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Kolikeos

Binding: The mage shoots magic plants that entangle the enemy.
This is a level 15 binding, with the following limitations: One shot, Costs 2 FP per use, Trigger (very common, flowers), Reduced range (1/5). 15 points.

Is the intention with the Trigger that the mage carries flowers that she uses to cast her spells, or that she manipulates flowers that are growing in the vicinity? If the latter, that would be better represented by the Environmental limitation.

Innate attack: The mage shoots plants that either cut everyone in the effected area or poison them. This is actually two different attacks, I used the "alternative attacks" rule to combine them.
Cutting plants: 1d+1 damage. Area effect (4 yards). Limitations: Costs 2 FP, Trigger (very common, flowers). 16 points.
Toxic plants: 1d damage. Area effect (2 yards), Contact agent, Cyclic (3 cycles after the first, resistible). Limitations: Resistible (HT-3), Trigger (very common, flowers), Costs 2 FP. 13 points, but only 3 as "alternative attack".

Looks good. The damage per FP is nicely in-line with existing spells.

Affliction: The mage shoots plants that either strangle or blind the enemy. This is again two different affliction combined with "alternative attacks". I noticed that those afflictions are very much "save or die" effects, and I don't like that. The chance of them taking effect is small because enemies can both dodge the initial ranged attack and then resist with HT (and DR) easily. But if it does work it effectively eliminates that enemy from the fight because the effect remains for one or more minutes, with chocking that nearly assures death.
How would I go about making it more likely to work, but at the same time give the enemies a chance to fight it like with binding?

Healing: As it is in the book, it's way too likely to fail and just waste away the mage's FP. How would I go about making it more useful? Can I have its rolls based off HT instead of IQ? That would make it way more likely to work.

The Healing power can be affected by Talents, either Healer Talent or a particular Power Talent (see GURPS Powers for in-depth coverage of that subject). I'm pretty sure that you can also add the Reliable enhancement to Healing, which can give up to +10 to the rolls (at +5% per +1). If you want it based off HT instead of IQ, that's an application of Based on (Different Attribute), which is a flat +20%.

Utility plants: She can use plants as animated ropes, this can be used to fetch items from a few yards away, or to make climbing easier. I really don't know what to use here.

Just having a "normal" rope that she can summon at any time is the perk Accessory: Rope [1]. If she can use it to manipulate objects at a distance, I'd add Telekinesis with the Visible (-20%) limitation. It would make sense to set it as an Alternate Ability to Binding, and probably have equivalent ST. You could potentially even replace both Binding and Choking with this "physical Telekinesis", since those are both things that can be done with grappling. Might want to add Increased Range to TK in that case, since it's normally limited to 10 yards.

[Kolikeos]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Is the intention with the Trigger that the mage carries flowers that she uses to cast her spells, or that she manipulates flowers that are growing in the vicinity? If the latter, that would be better represented by the Environmental limitation.

Yes, the mage carries flowers with her.

Looks good. The damage per FP is nicely in-line with existing spells.



The Healing power can be affected by Talents, either Healer Talent or a particular Power Talent (see GURPS Powers for in-depth coverage of that subject). I'm pretty sure that you can also add the Reliable enhancement to Healing, which can give up to +10 to the rolls (at +5% per +1). If you want it based off HT instead of IQ, that's an application of Based on (Different Attribute), which is a flat +20%.

Talents only affect skills. The Reliable enhancement is only available for Warp. Based on (different attribute) is only for which attribute is used to resist an attack.

Just having a "normal" rope that she can summon at any time is the perk Accessory: Rope [1]. If she can use it to manipulate objects at a distance, I'd add Telekinesis with the Visible (-20%) limitation. It would make sense to set it as an Alternate Ability to Binding, and probably have equivalent ST.

I think I'll use Gizmos for this utility stuff. It'll probably be used rarely, and each time it'll probably be used for something else.

You could potentially even replace both Binding and Choking with this "physical Telekinesis", since those are both things that can be done with grappling. Might want to add Increased Range to TK in that case, since it's normally limited to 10 yards.

I read about Telekinesis, but it doesn't seem right for the binding or choking attacks.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Kolikeos

Talents only affect skills. The Reliable enhancement is only available for Warp. Based on (different attribute) is only for which attribute is used to resist an attack.

All of these are expanded upon in the Powers book. I'd highly recommend that one, finances permitting.

[Kolikeos]

As I said, I don't want to buy new books just yet.

[Lamech]

If your doing spells as powers, and want versatility similar to Magic, or DnD mages you can use modular abilities to get a similar effect. Spells only -20%, Magical -10%. You can add more limitations to make it really good. Only while dancing -40%, nuisance effect: makes you obvious -1 reaction -10%. Only things based on [theme] -X%. And so on. Use cosmic modular and now you can cast any "spell" with a point cost of half what you paid. (Use super memorization and you can stick super memorization in your super memorization so you can memorize while you memorize.)

Originally Posted by Kolikeos

The Reliable enhancement is only available for Warp.

You can stick it on other stuff too if you want.

[Kuroshima]

First, you must understand that the basic set, while enough for 90% of what you need, is well, basic ;). Other books expand on what you ask for, but you have stated that you want to use only the basic set, so I'll try to explain things in terms of the basic set

Originally Posted by Kolikeos

Yes, the mage carries flowers with her.

Ok, so that's the Trigger limitation.

Talents only affect skills. The Reliable enhancement is only available for Warp. Based on (different attribute) is only for which attribute is used to resist an attack.

Take a look at the Psionics chapter of the basic set: This chapter offers you a number of "powers". This is the system that gets really expanded in GURPS Powers. A power is defined by a focus (Antipsi, ESP, Psychic Healing, Psychokinesis, Telepathy and Teleportation are the examples in the Psionics chapter, but ANY reasonable focus can serve), a Power Modifier (for Psi Powers, that's Psi, -10%, but Magic -10%, meaning that it suffers from the same limitations as spells regarding countermagic and mana levels, is equally valid), a Power Talent (like the Psionic Talents in the Psionics chapter, but in your case, you could have either Plant Magics as a 5/level talent, assuming that the effects are quite focused, or simply use Magery as your power talent, and make the choice to specialize in plant spells just that, a choice, meaning that the character can broaden his horizons in the future), and a list of abilities covered by the power. Here's where you would have to work a little, and either build a list of what's acceptable, in the vein of what's in the psionics chapter.

Within this framework, for example, you could have Healing, and your talent would add to the activation roll. You could have an innate attack, and the talent would add to the innate attack skill roll. It would not add to innate attack skill, if, for example, you had another innate attack that was not part of the power, only for those innate attacks that were part of the power.

As for Reliable, yes, it was born for Warp, but it was found that it worked well enough to be made into a general enhancement. This has happened a number of times, where an enhancement that was specific for a single advantage has been made (sometimes with a percentage change) into a general enhancement. Based on (different attribute) was a similar case, where it was converted from an attack only thing, that applied to resistance rolls only, into a general enhancement that also serves to change what attribute you use.

I think I'll use Gizmos for this utility stuff. It'll probably be used rarely, and each time it'll probably be used for something else.

Gizmos is ideal for this, and you can change the focus, from "something small" to "something explainable as plants" easily enough.

I read about Telekinesis, but it doesn't seem right for the binding or choking attacks.

It can model that. Binding is more cost effective for binding (doh!), but for choking, if it's not a choking venom, TK representing the vines constricting the target can work much better. Powers introduces Constricting (the binding attacks every turn with Constriction Attack) and Suffocating (Bound victims can not breathe) as new enhancements for binding, but given that you prefer to work only with the basic set, TK with appropriate limitations to make it visible, and damageable might be enough for you.

[Kolikeos]

I've rewritten the character's abilities with some of your suggestions, and got rid of the afflictions.

Binding 13 (engulfing +60%, area effect {2 yards} +50%, one shot -10%, magical -10%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, reduced range {1/5} -20%, costs 4 FP -15%, takes extra time {2 seconds} -20%) [32]

Binding 10 (area effect {4 yards} +100%, one shot -10%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%, reduced range {1/5} -20%, costs 2 FP -10%) [6, alternative attack]

Innate attack (cutting 2d+1, area effect {4 yards} +100%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%, costs 3 FP -15%) [27]

Innate attack (toxic 1d, area effect {2yards} +50%, cyclic {3, resistible} +150%, contact agent +150%, costs 2 FP -10%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%, resistible {HT-3} -15%) [4, alternative attack]

Healing (reliable 4 +20%, reduced fatigue cost 1 +20%, limited use {4/day} -20%, preparation required {10 minutes} -30%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%) [21]

What do you think?

"Magical" means that it is like casting a spell, right? So it has all the gestures and magic words as normal spells. And it can be dispelled and will not work in a no-mana area.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Kolikeos

Binding 13 (engulfing +60%, area effect {2 yards} +50%, one shot -10%, magical -10%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, reduced range {1/5} -20%, costs 4 FP -15%, takes extra time {2 seconds} -20%) [32]

Costs FP is -5% per point, so 4 FP should be -20%.

Binding 10 (area effect {4 yards} +100%, one shot -10%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%, reduced range {1/5} -20%, costs 2 FP -10%) [6, alternative attack]

Innate attack (cutting 2d+1, area effect {4 yards} +100%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%, costs 3 FP -15%) [27]

Innate attack (toxic 1d, area effect {2yards} +50%, cyclic {3, resistible} +150%, contact agent +150%, costs 2 FP -10%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%, resistible {HT-3} -15%) [4, alternative attack]

Nice. I'm getting something of a "Bulbasaur" vibe from this stuff. ;)

Healing (reliable 4 +20%, reduced fatigue cost 1 +20%, limited use {4/day} -20%, preparation required {10 minutes} -30%, trigger {very common, flowers} -10%, magical -10%) [21]

What do you think?

Looks good!

"Magical" means that it is like casting a spell, right? So it has all the gestures and magic words as normal spells. And it can be dispelled and will not work in a no-mana area.

Magical doesn't include gestures, just the mana restriction and the magical countermeasures. I'm not sure what the value of gestures would be... probably at most -5%, unless they're really extravagent.

[Kolikeos]

And now for something completely different.

One of the characters has a "contact group" that is the local mafia. I though this also entitles a "secret", since if the authorities find out he'll likely be imprisoned or killed. Or killed by the mafia to make sure he doesn't 'leak'.
But the thing is, it's only applicable in this one city, or maybe a few around it. And since the characters are very likely to be traveling far and wide in my game, I though the point value should be reduced.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Kolikeos

<grand snippage>
"Magical" means that it is like casting a spell, right? So it has all the gestures and magic words as normal spells. And it can be dispelled and will not work in a no-mana area.

Magical means that it is affected by mana levels and by things that dispel or counter magic (Dispel magic, counterspell, magic resistance,...)

If you want to have them use shout-level incantations and extravagant gestures, it's Accessibility, Requires Words of Power, -10% and Accessibility, Requires Magical Gestures, -10%.

Originally Posted by Kolikeos

And now for something completely different.

One of the characters has a "contact group" that is the local mafia. I though this also entitles a "secret", since if the authorities find out he'll likely be imprisoned or killed. Or killed by the mafia to make sure he doesn't 'leak'.
But the thing is, it's only applicable in this one city, or maybe a few around it. And since the characters are very likely to be traveling far and wide in my game, I though the point value should be reduced.

Price the secrets in function of what traits will be lost and gained when they're revealed. You don't need to use the scale in the book. If he's going to lose 20 points when the secret is revealed, then the secret is worth 10 points. For example, if a multimillonaire (100 points in wealth) has secret, that, if revealed, would strip him from his ill gotten gains, the secret would be worth -50 points, even if there was no risk for his person.