03-27-2016, 05:23 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Jul 2013
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[Sorcery, MH 5] Hacking Reality as Sorcery
Hey guys,
I'm going on an idea farming binge. Basically just looking at as many things as possible to trigger ideas then trying to filter them all down to something usable. I'm currently looking for ideas on how to get some of the feel of Technomagic as described in GURPS Monster Hunters 5: Applied Xenology, i.e. making adjustments to the 'code' of reality, using a system akin to Sorcery rather than RPM. I'm not fixated on sorcery though, any similar 'magic as powers' systems will do. It's specifically the feel of accessing some kind of code that underpins reality, then filtering through it and making adjustments, that I'm looking for. Thanks! |
03-27-2016, 10:34 AM | #2 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [Sorcery, MH 5] Hacking Reality as Sorcery
First of all, you need to decide how powerful this is, and why and how it can be resisted. That gets you some idea of what abilities and modifiers can be used. The trappings of the coding style can come later, and are somewhat dependent on what your players will find interesting and work with.
For example, you could construct a set of trappings styled after a real-world operating system's process control API. But not many players would be find that easy to work with (some of mine might) and there would be distinct game balance problems with being able to use, says, UNIX "kill -9" on opponents. (that tells the operating system to kills a process, by depriving it of processor resources, recycling the memory it occupies, closing all its files and windows, etc.) |
03-27-2016, 12:41 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Jul 2013
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Re: [Sorcery, MH 5] Hacking Reality as Sorcery
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However, since I want to use a magic as powers system, the power of the abilities will inherently be limited by the amount players have to spend. |
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03-27-2016, 04:47 PM | #4 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [Sorcery, MH 5] Hacking Reality as Sorcery
Which means you need some rationalisation as to why things that are easy, if your universal code system is at all analogous to present-day computer code, are expensive under the actual power design system, and to make up some modifiers for the GURPS powers design system that implement your rationalisation.
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03-27-2016, 11:21 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Australia WA
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Re: [Sorcery, MH 5] Hacking Reality as Sorcery
Hehe, my sister came up with a similar concept called "Glitchcraft".
I've never really seen any other Magic as Powers systems aside from Sorcery, however based on it's theming, you will want to be careful of some kinds of Limitations, since I think that programming something to be more specific is usually harder than more general (I'm not really a programmer so I'm just working of the limited stuff I do know/guess). As for making it feel right, all you really need to do is build the Advantages that way. For example say an Affliction that grants Basic Speed that works by tweaking their "movement values". Most of it is just changing the fluff of the spells, and building them to fit your needs. Since Sorcery doesn't have that much spells written up yet anyway, you would have to build up most of your own spells in the first place. |
03-28-2016, 04:04 AM | #6 | |||
Join Date: Jul 2013
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Re: [Sorcery, MH 5] Hacking Reality as Sorcery
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03-28-2016, 05:25 AM | #7 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [Sorcery, MH 5] Hacking Reality as Sorcery
You do need to warn players about that kind of thing before they get into character concept development. At that stage, it's quite easy: my Laundry campaign had no Healing or Food spells. They were possible in theory, but the recommended course of action if someone tried to cast one was "shoot them" because such magics were a swift route to possession.
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