[Sorcery] Continual Light

[Dragondog]

In GURPS Thaumatology Sorcery there was a Light spell. I want that, but as Continual Light. Something that can be cast on an item and that lasts for days. Would it just be adding Extended Duration? Or would that clash with the "Limited to lighting a 10-yard radius for one minute, -40%" limitation?

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by Dragondog

In GURPS Thaumatology Sorcery there was a Light spell. I want that, but as Continual Light. Something that can be cast on an item and that lasts for days. Would it just be adding Extended Duration? Or would that clash with the "Limited to lighting a 10-yard radius for one minute, -40%" limitation?

This is a good question. Unfortunately, Extended Duration is prohibited on Create. In general, Create Energy creates 1000 kJ x level squared, at a rate of no more than 15 kW (i.e. 15 kJ per second). So the spell is creating about 15 kW of illumination for 60 seconds (1000 kJ ÷ 15 kW is actually about 67 seconds, but they wanted it to be a nice round minute). The "brute force" way to improve this would be to take higher levels of Create Visible Light, but that only gives you a duration of about level squared minutes. Maybe an Affliction that grants Create Visible Light (Reduced FP 2) to the object is the way to go?

[ericthered]

This is one of the weird places gurps decides it doesn't like infinity.

I think you can buy down illusion a lot to only make fancy lights, make them static, boring, and non-audible, make them ranged (which centers them on something other than yourself) and then make the duration permanent.

[Tymathee]

Originally Posted by ericthered

This is one of the weird places gurps decides it doesn't like infinity.

A lot of the trouble of trying to convert GURPS Magic spells into various other alternative systems, such as Magic as Powers or Sorcery, is that GURPS Magic is a lot of legacy material that lacks any conversion to 4E'isms. For spells like Continual Light you might be better off just admitting it's not very practical to try and convert it; if you want it, you have to use GURPS Magic as is, bugs and quirks and features and all.

Maybe I'm just stating the already obvious or well-known facts but that's my two cents! :P

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Dragondog

In GURPS Thaumatology Sorcery there was a Light spell. I want that, but as Continual Light. Something that can be cast on an item and that lasts for days. Would it just be adding Extended Duration? Or would that clash with the "Limited to lighting a 10-yard radius for one minute, -40%" limitation?

If your GM doesn't mind (always an important consideration), something like Affliction (Perk: Accessory, Lantern) with Extended Duration might be able to do this.

EDIT: Also, the Noisy disadvantage can be altered to Bright as a 0% modifier, and disad Afflictions are generally rules-legal, though I suspect that fewer GMs would accept that, and it probably has issues that I'm too tired to think of (though they might be fixable with additional modifiers).

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

If your GM doesn't mind (always an important consideration), something like Affliction (Perk: Accessory, Lantern) with Extended Duration might be able to do this.

I don't think perk-level light generation normally completely eliminates darkness penalties in a 10-yard radius. I do think Affliction (Create Light) is probably the right way to do this, maybe I'll do a full write-up when I have fewer things distracting me.

[Dragondog]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

If your GM doesn't mind (always an important consideration),

I am the GM. So I "only" need to find the solution I like

Originally Posted by Tymathee

A lot of the trouble of trying to convert GURPS Magic spells into various other alternative systems, such as Magic as Powers or Sorcery, is that GURPS Magic is a lot of legacy material that lacks any conversion to 4E'isms. For spells like Continual Light you might be better off just admitting it's not very practical to try and convert it; if you want it, you have to use GURPS Magic as is, bugs and quirks and features and all.

Yes, standard magic would have been easier, but in this case, standard magic isn't available.

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

I don't think perk-level light generation normally completely eliminates darkness penalties in a 10-yard radius. I do think Affliction (Create Light) is probably the right way to do this, maybe I'll do a full write-up when I have fewer things distracting me.

I was always planning on using Affliction. But the limitation on Create Light only allows for 1 minute of light, so I was looking at how to remove that portion of the limitation on Create Light. Or if there was another way to do it.

But maybe the rules on how long an Affliction lasts overrules that limitation and I can use it as is.

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by Dragondog

I was always planning on using Affliction. But the limitation on Create Light only allows for 1 minute of light, so I was looking at how to remove that portion of the limitation on Create Light. Or if there was another way to do it.

But maybe the rules on how long an Affliction lasts overrules that limitation and I can use it as is.

I think there are more or less RAW-legal ways to do that. You basically just want to figure out how to use a Create build to that would turn the character who has it into a 15 kW light source continuously. Something like Create Visible Light (Accessibility, Only to turn yourself into a giant lamp, -40%; Cosmic, No Die Roll Required, +100%; Magical, -10%; Reduced FP 2, +40%; Reflexive, +40%) [23]. Maybe Always On, but I'm not sure you can legitimately claim that on an advantage to be granted via Affliction. Then it's just a matter of picking enhancements for the Affliction—if it can be used on both creatures an objects, maybe that's a +50% enhancement? But otherwise it becomes a pretty standard buff build.

[Taneli]

As per light, but reduce the custom limitation to about -30% or -20%, remove the bit about duration, add creation pool (although it's normally only for matter) at about 1 point per light that you can maintain?

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Extended Duration is prohibited on Create

P93 has a "but not energy" parenthesis regarding the 10-second duration.

There is however a "Energy dissipates after 10 seconds" disclaimer later for 'hazardous energy'.

P94 does prohibit Extended Duration but it sounds like for non-hazardous energy you wouldn't even need it?