RPM Rituals: Official, Semi-, Quasi- and Un-official

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Is that legal?

Afflicting Disadvantages with RPM is not meant to Afflict permanent ones, is it, especially not if the Duration/Time-spanning modifier is only for a period which the target has until the effect becomes permanent. At least, I don't think it's legal to use Altered Trait, One Leg with a duration of 10 minutes to represent cutting off a leg that can only be reattached within ten minutes, but is otherwise permanently lost.

Ghostdancer/RPK would obviously be the proper people to tell you if its legit or not; but from my understanding by making the affliciton time spanning you can effectively say 'you have always had one leg' and so the leg will come off- if the leg is not there at duration end, well, its off for good. If it is there at duration end, it goes back on.

YMMV, and your the GM obviously- so in your game your rule is law; but again by the book I believe it is accurate.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Icelander

So, somewhat less energetic than the disembodied Hand in 'Independent Body Parts' in GURPS Horror p. 15?

Yup. That one gets "unnatural vitality" or something like that, whereas this one is working off a somewhat rationalised magic system.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Yup. That one gets "unnatural vitality" or something like that, whereas this one is working off a somewhat rationalised magic system.

Just so.

I think I'll keep the Greater effect, as even a slow-moving disembodied hand is undeniably supernatural, and therefore, blatant magic and hard to perform. I suppose Altered Trait, Independent Body Part is the way to go, with some limitation to account for the fact that not only is the hand weaker than standard for that trait, but the magician needs to Concentrate in order to make it act.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Is that legal?

Afflicting Disadvantages with RPM is not meant to Afflict permanent ones, is it, especially not if the Duration/Time-spanning modifier is only for a period which the target has until the effect becomes permanent. At least, I don't think it's legal to use Altered Trait, One Leg with a duration of 10 minutes to represent cutting off a leg that can only be reattached within ten minutes, but is otherwise permanently lost.

Originally Posted by starslayer

Ghostdancer/RPK would obviously be the proper people to tell you if its legit or not; but from my understanding by making the affliciton time spanning you can effectively say 'you have always had one leg' and so the leg will come off- if the leg is not there at duration end, well, its off for good. If it is there at duration end, it goes back on.

YMMV, and your the GM obviously- so in your game your rule is law; but again by the book I believe it is accurate.

You can heal a lost limb - for as long as the duration lasts. It says that plainly on p. 7 of GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic. If you are afflicting the target with One Leg it lasts as long as the duration allows.

Now, you can get tricky and use Conditional Termination on p. 18 of GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic - I have used a permanent Duration in my own campaigns as worth 60 energy. But that's not RAW.

Originally Posted by Icelander

So, somewhat less energetic than the disembodied Hand in 'Independent Body Parts' in GURPS Horror p. 15?

Maybe, instead of having Move equal to DX/2, it can have Move equal to (caster's DX + target DX) / 5. And ST figured the same way, but divided by 3, as the HP for an extremity.

I'd say it gets the better of caster's IQ or the target's DX.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

You can heal a lost limb - for as long as the duration lasts. It says that plainly on p. 7 of GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic. If you are afflicting the target with One Leg it lasts as long as the duration allows.

Now, you can get tricky and use Conditional Termination on p. 18 of GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic - I have used a permanent Duration in my own campaigns as worth 60 energy. But that's not RAW.

Indeed.

I'm allowing 'enchantments' that are tied to the life force of a person attuned to them, i.e. "until the heart of John Thistlewaite beats no more". Haven't specified the exact energy, as this is background justification for how NPC magicians assisted PCs in making magical items they bought with character points at PC creation, but I want to make it fairly affordable. Of course, most occultists believe that tying ongoing magic to someone's life force will, at minimum, shorten their lifespan by draining vital energy every day (perhaps like smoking), and at worst, embroil those who embrace such magical workings in messy things like Destiny, Weirdness Magnet and supernatural Enemies, by making a person into an anchor or eddy in the preternatural tides of mana flow.

In 'realistic' terms, killing a person is usually simpler than getting royalty to pucker up and kissing amphibians, so while this is undoubtedly useful for adventurers (who tend not to care about their gear once dead), there is a metaphysical justification for making it reasonably energy efficient. Plus, of course, taking up a conditional magic slot and costing character points should serve as adequate balance against player abuses.

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

I'd say it gets the better of caster's IQ or the target's DX.

While I'm not inherently opposed to using caster IQ, I categorically do not want to allow a caster to rely on it instead of the ST, DX and HT of the body that 'donates' the hand (or other body part).

It's a lot creepier and more flavourful for the caster to covet the beatiful hands of a concert pianist, for their delicate touch in performing surreptious sleight of hand, than to be essentially indifferent to donor Attributes and just as happy to take any old arthritic hand from a dying addict.

Either an average or the lower of caster's IQ or donor's relevant physical Attribute.

[Icelander]

Oh my God, I just realised that the amputation ritual and the independent body part rituals in the grimoire Al-Risalah al-Mawt were obviously the research toward a certain goal, the ability to heal someone who had lost a limb, with a necromantic prosthetic!

That's Restore or Transform Body, Altered Traits, Remove One Hand (One Arm, One Leg, etc.) and... well, would we use Duration?

It seems like it could count as Healing, once the donor limb or extremity has been attached. Of course, it's a hell of a lot creepier if it has a Duration and the potential for the limb to be controlled by the caster and not necessarily the subject...

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Indeed.

I'm allowing 'enchantments' that are tied to the life force of a person attuned to them, i.e. "until the heart of John Thistlewaite beats no more". Haven't specified the exact energy, as this is background justification for how NPC magicians assisted PCs in making magical items they bought with character points at PC creation, but I want to make it fairly affordable. Of course, most occultists believe that tying ongoing magic to someone's life force will, at minimum, shorten their lifespan by draining vital energy every day (perhaps like smoking), and at worst, embroil those who embrace such magical workings in messy things like Destiny, Weirdness Magnet and supernatural Enemies, by making a person into an anchor or eddy in the preternatural tides of mana flow.

In 'realistic' terms, killing a person is usually simpler than getting royalty to pucker up and kissing amphibians, so while this is undoubtedly useful for adventurers (who tend not to care about their gear once dead), there is a metaphysical justification for making it reasonably energy efficient. Plus, of course, taking up a conditional magic slot and costing character points should serve as adequate balance against player abuses.

Cool.

Originally Posted by Icelander

While I'm not inherently opposed to using caster IQ, I categorically do not want to allow a caster to rely on it instead of the ST, DX and HT of the body that 'donates' the hand (or other body part).

It's a lot creepier and more flavourful for the caster to covet the beatiful hands of a concert pianist, for their delicate touch in performing surreptious sleight of hand, than to be essentially indifferent to donor Attributes and just as happy to take any old arthritic hand from a dying addict.

Either an average or the lower of caster's IQ or donor's relevant physical Attribute.

That's fair, but the guidelines to do something like this for RPM/RPM-like systems is p. 20 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 19: Incantation Magic..

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I

While I'm not inherently opposed to using caster IQ, I categorically do not want to allow a caster to rely on it instead of the ST, DX and HT of the body that 'donates' the hand (or other body part).

It's a lot creepier and more flavourful for the caster to covet the beatiful hands of a concert pianist, for their delicate touch in performing surreptious sleight of hand, than to be essentially indifferent to donor Attributes and just as happy to take any old arthritic hand from a dying addict.

Either an average or the lower of caster's IQ or donor's relevant physical Attribute.

Providing a discount or penalty to the final cost of spell for the appropriateness of the reagent used can achieve this as well.

Master thief's dexterous hand give -50%, arthritic mummy hand +15%. The caster can then choose to either just enjoy the easier casting, or instead put 'gives a bonus' into the spell with the saved energy.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by starslayer

Providing a discount or penalty to the final cost of spell for the appropriateness of the reagent used can achieve this as well.

Master thief's dexterous hand give -50%, arthritic mummy hand +15%. The caster can then choose to either just enjoy the easier casting, or instead put 'gives a bonus' into the spell with the saved energy.

That's a good idea - I'd probably use that instead for the flavor you are attempting to achieve.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Oh my God, I just realised that the amputation ritual and the independent body part rituals in the grimoire Al-Risalah al-Mawt were obviously the research toward a certain goal, the ability to heal someone who had lost a limb, with a necromantic prosthetic!

I'm glad you were the first to spot it. I was actually working towards necromantic composite bodies for brains whose own body was dead, but prosthetics come out of that.