Reactive Reality +

[Coinage]

A question.

Is it possible to combine the "Reactive Reality" rules on 193-194 of GURPS Thaumatology with the Façade rules in Christopher Rice's “Mask of Humanity” article on 13-19 in Pyramid 3-97, and with the "Reality Quake Roll" on pg 78 in GURPS Infinite Worlds

I was hoping to use Ritual Powers rules in “Alternative Ritual Path Magic” in Pyramid 3-66.

The effect I am going for is that, anytime someone uses Ritual Powers (or anything considered "supernatural" or "paranormal"), and is witnessed by a mundane who passes the Façade rules, this triggers both "Reactive Reality" rules + a Reality Quake Roll.

If the transgressor is really unlucky on the Reactive Reality rules, then gets the Reality Warping Table.

Also, there is the Reality Quake roll, with the risk of triggering an Ontoclysm that erases any observable evidence of the paranormal or supernatural from existence.

Does this make sense? Does this violate any rules? Is there anything I should be careful of?

[AlexanderHowl]

That gets very complicated. It is much easier if the inhabitants of a time line instead have perceptive filters that causes them to sense something else than the supernatural or adaptive memory that causes them to remember something else. If the former case, the wolf man might be seen as a homeless man with a knife. In the latter case, the wolf man attack might be remembered as a canine attack.

[Coinage]

I realize that. I wanted to create a mechanism wherein supernaturals were punished for revealing themselves. Otherwise, there would be no incentive to hide in the first place.

[AlexanderHowl]

Well, there are a number of alternative incentives. Here are a few that I often use in combination:

One, there are mundane and mystical hunters track down reports of the supernatural who reveal themselves to mundanes.

Two, obvious supernatural effects suffer a penalty equal to (TL) when used in front of mundanes.

Three, supernatural creatures suffer withering damage equal to (TL) damage per minute when in the presence of mundanes when their true nature is obvious.

With that combination, most obvious supernatural effects do not work in front of mundanes and most supernatural creatures avoid revealing their true nature to mundanes.

[Coinage]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Well, there are a number of alternative incentives. Here are a few that I often use in combination:

One, there are mundane and mystical hunters track down reports of the supernatural who reveal themselves to mundanes.

Two, obvious supernatural effects suffer a penalty equal to (TL) when used in front of mundanes.

Three, supernatural creatures suffer withering damage equal to (TL) damage per minute when in the presence of mundanes when their true nature is obvious.

With that combination, most obvious supernatural effects do not work in front of mundanes and most supernatural creatures avoid revealing their true nature to mundanes.

That's a good suggestion.

What are the stats for "withering damage"? Are there any specific rules for that?

[AlexanderHowl]

Withering damage is my term. It is just a modified form of Weakness, with the entity dissipating from existence when it reaches -HP×10. As enhancements, I would put the value of the TL damage as +(TL-4)% and the withering as +100%. The frequency of the Weakness would be dependent on the nature of the supernatural entity (a dragon would suffer it much more frequently than a vampire).

[Coinage]

By "TL" do you mean "total" or "tech level"?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Coinage

A question.

Is it possible to combine the "Reactive Reality" rules on 193-194 of GURPS Thaumatology with the Façade rules in Christopher Rice's “Mask of Humanity” article on 13-19 in Pyramid 3-97, and with the "Reality Quake Roll" on pg 78 in GURPS Infinite Worlds

I was hoping to use Ritual Powers rules in “Alternative Ritual Path Magic” in Pyramid 3-66.

The effect I am going for is that, anytime someone uses Ritual Powers (or anything considered "supernatural" or "paranormal"), and is witnessed by a mundane who passes the Façade rules, this triggers both "Reactive Reality" rules + a Reality Quake Roll.

If the transgressor is really unlucky on the Reactive Reality rules, then gets the Reality Warping Table.

Also, there is the Reality Quake roll, with the risk of triggering an Ontoclysm that erases any observable evidence of the paranormal or supernatural from existence.

Does this make sense? Does this violate any rules? Is there anything I should be careful of?

What I would do is to use the margin of success vs. the Facade as the number of Distortion gained. Anything over X points causes an ontoclysm to occur.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by Coinage

By "TL" do you mean "total" or "tech level"?

Tech Level. Higher TL people will have less reason to believe in the impossible.

[Flyndaran]

I can see that as gameable short hand.
But I don't think that's a necessary feature. The modern world certainly has its share of obstinate people that are certain what is and is not possible with a degree of certainty on par with any historical person.

There's certainly disagreement over such (im)/possibilities on this very forum. FTL, human level A.I., time travel, parallel dimensions, etc.