The D&D/d20 Spell Conversion Thread

[Jürgen Hubert]

As mentioned elsewhere, I like D&Desque fantasy - even though I prefer GURPS as my rule system. And D&D - plus its assorted d20 variants, including Pathfinder - have come up with an amazing variety of spells over the years. While the GURPS spell list for the standard GURPS Magic system is not exactly small, more variety is always good, and there are some conceptual holes that could be filled by conversions of D&D spells.

The goal, as usual with conversions, is not to attempt a 1:1 conversion of the mechanics of the original spell - that way lies madness. Instead, the goal is to translate the overall feel of the original spell while still being true to the GURPS mechanics. Here is my first example:


Burning Hands
Regular

A cone of fire shoots from your fingertips in a 120 degree arc in front of you. This attack requires a DX-4 or Innate Attack roll to hit a specific target (see Cone Attacks on B413), but can still hit targets caught in the cone.
College: Fire
Cost: 3 to 9 points. Does 1d damage for each three point put into the spell. The cone's range in yards is equal to the number of dice.
Prerequisite: Flame Jet

Item
Jewelry. Energy cost to create: 1,200; must include a ruby worth $500. Usable only by mages.


Of course, we could easily come up with further variants for the different elements used in GURPS (such as an "Acid Wave" spell spraying a cone of acid, based on Acid Jet instead of Flame Jet).

What do you think? And what other D&D spells would you want to be converted?


(Note: If you don't object, I will eventually put all spells created for this thread into the [url=http://gurpswiki.wikidot.com/spells]Spells Section of the GURPS Repository.)

[simply Nathan]

That's a pretty costly, energy-inefficient attack spell but I can see its uses and of course it's a low-level spell so that makes sense in a way.

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by simply Nathan

That's a pretty costly, energy-inefficient attack spell but I can see its uses and of course it's a low-level spell so that makes sense in a way.

I had thought of making the base energy cost 2, but on the other hand this can do a fairly high amount of damage automatically to multiple targets. I am still not entirely sure which cost would be more appropriate.

[Jürgen Hubert]

True Strike
Regular

You get a brief glimpse into the future, showing you the best possible vector of attack. If you make an attack roll in the next round, you can reroll it twice and take the best result.
College: Knowledge
Cost: 4
Prerequisite: Seeker and one Divination spell

Item
(a) Any weapon (including magic items that can produce spells which require an attack roll). True Strike can only be used when attacking with this weapon. Energy cost to create: 800. Jewelry. Energy cost to create: 1,200.



This is another classic D&D spell, and the fact that it adds a useful combat spell to the Knowledge College is an added bonus (I think all Colleges should be able to contribute something to a fight). Being able to reroll an attack twice is incredibly useful (I modeled this on the Luck advantage), especially since it increases the chance of critical successes. Its utility for snipers is counterbalanced by the fact that casting it disrupts an Aim action. 4 energy points as the cost seemed to be about right to me.


Your thoughts?

[Phantasm]

Quick question: Have you given any thought to the Summon Creature I-IX and Summon Nature's Ally I-IX spell trees?

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Quick question: Have you given any thought to the Summon Creature I-IX and Summon Nature's Ally I-IX spell trees?

Quick answer: Yes, but to make them work we would have to convert many if not most of the creatures you can summon with these spells, and that's a separate thread.

[JMason]

I've been running some D&D/Pathfinder material converted to GURPS lately (thank you for the D&D conversion section, I always check there for monsters!).

For spells I generally go with what fits the general idea or effect closest using the existing spells. I'm not super familiar with all the D&D spells so sometimes I just guess based on the name. (Burning Hands has always been converted as Burning Touch).

Some spells that I've had issue with (and just kept them more or less as written and just give a "what feels right" cost, time, ect. values. So far these have been limited to NPCs.

Now one thing that I have wanted to figure out and haven't gotten a satisfactory conversion is Magic Missile. I know there is a "Power Up" ability in DF Power Ups, but I'm not sure this feels right... and doesn't really fit for a "wand of magic missile". So far I've just translated this to the lightning spell.

[Phantasm]

Here's my "magic missile"

Force Missile
Missile
Prerequisites: Magery 1.
College: Meta-Magic (for want of a better college)

This spell creates a single projectile made of solid magical energy, which is then fired at its target, up to a range of 50 yards. In all other respects, it follows the standard missile spell rules.

Cost: 1-3, can be held for up to Magery seconds. Double cost to create a second missile, triple cost to create three missiles, etc., up to a total of five missiles. The missiles do 1d burn damage per point of energy.

Item
Wand, staff, or rod: 200 energy.


Basically, it's a missile of pure magical energy, which is why I put it in Meta-Magic. Part of me wants to put it in the Energy sub-college, but that didn't seem to properly fit. If you can find a better college for it, I'm open to suggestions.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Here's my "magic missile"

Force Missile
Missile
Prerequisites: Magery 1.
College: Mega-Magic (for want of a better college)

This spell creates a single projectile made of solid magical energy, which is then fired at its target, up to a range of 50 yards. In all other respects, it follows the standard missile spell rules.

Cost: 1-3, can be held for up to Magery seconds. Double cost to create a second missile, triple cost to create three missiles, etc., up to a total of five missiles. The missiles do 1d burn damage per point of energy.

Item
Wand, staff, or rod: 200 energy.


Basically, it's a missile of pure magical energy, which is why I put it in Mega-Magic. Part of me wants to put it in the Energy sub-college, but that didn't seem to properly fit. If you can find a better college for it, I'm open to suggestions.

I'd suggest calling it a Meta-Spell, because it's a bolt of magical energy. I'd also suggest removing the prerequisite, but that may be a matter of personal taste (it's a low-level enough spell in D&D that it seems like the sort of thing that could be cast at Magery 0).

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

I'd suggest calling it a Meta-Spell, because it's a bolt of magical energy. I'd also suggest removing the prerequisite, but that may be a matter of personal taste (it's a low-level enough spell in D&D that it seems like the sort of thing that could be cast at Magery 0).

Using the standard Missile Spell rules at Magery 0 leads to casters who are able to pump 0 pts of energy into the spell for 3 rounds to end up doing 0 pts of damage.

So a prereq of Magery 1 for Missile Spells is sort of baked into the system basics.

My own analysis tells me that the ability to use any Missile spell at 1 pt for 0 cost at Skill-15 leaves a specialized Magic Missile without any unique tactical role.