03-29-2021, 12:22 PM | #131 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Here's a spell that would have a huge environmental impact:
Charcoal (A) Regular This converts a cubic yard (1/5 cord) of wood into charcoal. This is about seven times as effective as charcoaling (ref), which makes the elves and druids happy (well... less angry). It is exhausting and takes a long time to cast, but still much much swifter than charcoaling the wood the traditional way. This spell belongs to the Fire and Plant colleges. Duration: Permanent. Time to cast: Casting the spell takes 10 minutes, but the actual process takes 1 hour. Cost: 10. Too powerful?
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03-29-2021, 12:24 PM | #132 | |
Doctor of GURPS Ballistics
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Lakeville, MN
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Quote:
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03-29-2021, 03:15 PM | #133 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Kentucky, USA
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Prepare Game (Magic p.78) is a good candidate for demotion to Least spell, maybe with a heavier casting cost, maybe 1 per 10 lbs, minimum 2. Prepare Game, as written, costs the same for a minnow or a deer.
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03-29-2021, 03:27 PM | #134 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
And here I was hoping it would help me prep for the next time I GM. :)
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03-29-2021, 04:54 PM | #135 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Some googling they still make charcoal the old way in parts of Switzerland. To convert 60 ster (3.6 per cord) of wood to charcoal takes 2 men 3 weeks to build the kiln and 2 weeks to burn it. So 17 cords in 5 weeks. Some of that is the piling wood up part but more or less 3 cords of wood a week. So a slight productivity gain and a lot more convenient since you can do one batch on a free day.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-s...29563720080903 Last edited by dcarson; 03-29-2021 at 05:12 PM. |
03-30-2021, 02:40 AM | #136 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
The major gain is efficiency. This converts all the wood into charcoal, whereas the old-fashioned method wastes at least half, but more likely 3/4 to 9/10 of the wood.
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“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius |
03-30-2021, 06:42 AM | #137 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Nobody thought about Create Fuel yet? With the cost of Create Fuel being 1 per TL per pound and charcoal coming into use at TL1 at Skill-15 you can make charcoal with no limit beyond time and whatever risks of crit fails the GM assigns to such use.
A cubic yard at a time is a lot. It's c. 1700 lbs for dense wood like oak but charcoal weighs less than oak so you still don't keep all the weight. On the other hand Create Fuel/TL1:Charcoal doesn't require any wood for a starter. It works on rocks or dirt (and probably garbage). I think only mages planning industrial use would go for this version.
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Fred Brackin |
03-30-2021, 07:42 AM | #138 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Create Fuel requires some prerequisites, though. Charcoal is an easier spell to learn.
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“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius |
03-30-2021, 08:15 AM | #139 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Quote:
Create Fuel's prereqs are only Seek fuel and 2 "transmutation" Spells. I guess that means Blank to Blank and those sorts of spells tend to be highly useful. Actually, I'd not allow a Least Spell that affected a whole cubic yard (11700 lbs of stuff) and cost 10 energy. 1 lb for 1 energy sounds a lot more like the right category.
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Fred Brackin |
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03-30-2021, 08:24 AM | #140 |
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Re: GURPS Magic: The Least of Spells
Prepare Game as a regular spell, so a SM+4 dead Dragon will cost 10
Given a SM+4 dragon is about the size of Shamu and likely weighs 6 tons you won't get far if it's 1 energy per 10 lbs A 1200 lb steer is going to be an issue. |
Tags |
magic, trivial spells |
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