GURPS Magic Notes 26: 2016 Update

So I'm listening to Kenneth Hite's GURPS Cabal using @Voice. I bought the book few months ago and only now had the time to listen to it. Its 93k words so it would be 3 hours with Google's Text To Speech at x3. Its a testament to his writing that the ideas are well understood even with a TTS system is reading it.

So it got me thinking of all the Challenges I had running a complicated Kitchen Sink pseudo Africa setting of The War Under Heaven Campaign.


GURPS Magic, the Orphaned magic system in GURPS because it is in dire need of an update they created Ritual Path Magic System. Like in any complex project without Any Game Design Goals and Documentation - its better to start from scratch and rebegin the Design Goals.

Gaming Card Heuristic. I want the Magic System to be compatible to my Index Card System. This means that a spell or the mechanics is easily hand written to fit an index Card (A7 paper). The Index Card System is my metric for Game Concepts and Character Sheets. If I can fit the description in a Hand Written Index Card - thats good design. This is to pursue more Portable Gaming, for running games in Cafes, Parks, and places of work.

Some Arbitrary GCH.

• A character should be able to fit one side of 7 index cards. 
• the smallest mechanic should fit a hand written index card. Any over all system should fit 3-7 index cards. These systems should be modular and optional, people can physically take it or leave it. The thickness is a tangible reminder of complexity. 

GURPS Basic Set Magic April 14 2014 Spell Sheet this is my cliff notes. It would take me a year to remake all the Spells as well as remake all the Design Goals of the Alternate GURPS  Basic Set Magic System.

Alternate GURPS Basic Set Magic System

I dont know when I can get to do this, but right now this is the first draft of design Goals and its open to comment and revision as I'm trying to figure things out. 

• Rework all the Spells. Following the Index Card principle and the spells are fairly open to imagination and creativity in use. 
• Using a Spreadsheet (Libreoffice Spreadsheet) recreate all the spells to make more sense. F*ck sacred cows and make them internally consistent and well designed. 
• Currently experimenting with scientific values like Horsepower or Watts of work to explain what can be done. 
• Example- what if Move earth was measured in Horsepower of work. moving certain volumes of earth or accelerating a small amount of earth to dangerous velocities. 
• Example - the implications of being able to fuel fire and what energy ratings of fire. What KW of fire means per unit of Fatigue. 
• Example - growing plants and being able to convert X amount  of matter for plants. 
• Its a bit more sciencey but its a great opportunity to understand what goes into the reality we take for-granted. 
• No Spell Roll. You only roll spell skill on Quick Contests, otherwise spells automatically work. 
• This follows the Less Rolls Design Philosophy. 
• Elaborate on Techniques and Manuevers. 1-2pt perks that give a minor bonus to a limited circumstance, or a significant bonus to a very narrow circumstance. 
• Rescale the Spell Skill levels. Instead of Skills of 15 and every 5 (so the rules are for incredible Skill Inflation) leaving an open ended level system of up to 50.
• Making Spells from 8 to 18, beyond 18 is diminishing returns. 
• Make levels Count and recalibrate what each level means. 
• See Changing Skill Threshold.  
• Relevant Write up on the system. Outside the Cards Heuristics there will be the following Notes per spell and School of magic. 
• Doctrine Notes and Spell Design Goals. Opportunity Cost or Strategy guide. How this spell was designed and what was its goals. Aka Best Practice notes. When designing a magic system as to the combat system the design is meant to achieve a particular effect and how closely the system meets its desired goal needs all assumptions present so that outside view can correct for errors. 
• Market Effect. How this affects the Market and the Economics of the Setting. 
• Easily Printable Sticker Layout for all the Spells so the GM running it can easily give it to players. 

Previous GURPS Magic Research and Tools

1. GURPS Magic Notes 01 Initial Review
2. GURPS Magic Notes 02: Basic Set Spells Strategy Guides
3. GURPS Magic Notes 03: Review Basic System Mechanics
4. GURPS Magic Notes 04: Reviewing Enchantment Process
5. GURPS Magic Notes 05: Enchantment, meta spells, and basic magic economics
6. GURPS Magic Notes 06; Doctrine 01 - The Most High Use spells
7. GURPS Magic Notes 07: Doctrine 02 - Magical Defense
8. GURPS Magic Notes 08: Doctrine 03 - Information Gathering
9. GURPS Magic Notes 09: Sample Mages for Haven (Campaign)
10. GURPS Magic Notes 10: Energy Reserves, Extra Fatigue, Modular Abilities, and Magery
11. GURPS Magic Notes 11: Changing the Skill Threshold
12. GURPS Magic Notes 12: Power Inflation (inspired by Fate Zero)
13. GURPS Magic Notes 13; Using Magic Items
14. GURPS Magic Notes 14: Familiar Templates
15. GURPS Magic Notes 15: Earth Spells
16. GURPS Magic Notes 16: Ritual Magic Basics and High Magery
17. GURPS Magic Notes 17: Spirits
18. GURPS Magic Notes 18; Zombies
19. GURPS Magic Notes 19: Ghouls
20. GURPS Magic Notes 20: Darkness Aspect and Shadow Path Mage
21. GURPS Magic Notes 21: Swarm Familiar
22. GURPS Magic Notes 22; Demonic Ally
23. GURPS Magic Notes 23; Ghostly Companion
24. GURPS Magic Notes 24: Side Effects that Affects the Time Stream
25. GURPS Magic Notes 25: Magic Items in Haven (Campaign)

GURPS Magic Notes: Low Tech Long Distance Comm

This is basically looking at the Long Distance Communication Options found in GURPS Magic.

Avian Messengers

Animal Spells create the most sustainable and long term logistics for communications. Animal Handling and Naturalist combined with Beast Soother, Animal Control, and Master can create the foundations for a discipline of messenger birds. This can even go so far as breeding for complete domestication of such. Even when the mage who helped create the breed and techniques is gone its utility in managing much of administration would keep the discipline alive even after several generations. 

Of course the best candidate for such domestication is actually the Raven and Homing Pigeon. If you have magic, then you can prefer the raven because it has less predators. There are other birds of great migratory endurance, like the Bar-Tailed Godwit which has the amazing endurance of 11,000km (6,800miles) that can be bred with a lot of effort for particular purpose. 

In the end you need just One Animal Specialist Mage to get the ball rolling and you would have created a very useful communications network. Merchant would probably get into it, using such to coordinate in their pursuits. 

Special Cyphers and Codes can be used to make communication more efficient and with greater meaning within the text. Specialist cyphers scribes with reading glass (as early as 11C or TL3) can create a large amount of information and detail into a small piece of paper, silk, or cloth. Note that there

Encrypt M135, mind control spell, will be very useful for such purposes.
Self-destruct Messages uses Delay (set some conditions; M131) which has Maintained (M128) with a spell like Ignite. So before reading a secret message, better cast memorize first.  

Spells in Communication

Many communication spells follow the B241 or M14 Long Distance Modifier, which is x3.3 per increment. In Low Magic setting where it would be rare to have a mage with skill-15 in such distances, you would require ceremonial magic and the generous use of energy paying 20fp to cast a spell at 500% the energy cost to send a small message of 1 minute long 100 miles (160km) without risking critical backfire. In such low magic settings, as long as there is a companion or ability to cast ceremonial magic, the mage can Burn extra FP to offset the difficulty of the casting. 

Communication and Empathy is the Diplomat's Specialty college. Not only is the diplomat able to influence social occasions, they can read and search minds, hide their intentions, compel truth, and have the ability to report their efforts to their superiors. 

All such spells are better when you know who you are contacting and know where they are. 

Dream Sending M45, count-4 Long-Distance. Needs subject to sleep, and can have miscommunication. 

Dream Projections M46, count-4, Long-Distance. Clearer, but needs the subject to be asleep. 

Mind Sending M47, count-4, Long-Distance. Clear as thought and can be pretty expensive. 

Telepathy M47, count-5, Long-Distance. Two way communication.
Message M174, count-7, Long-Distance. 15 second message per energy spent. 

Communication M48, count-9, Long-Distance. Tele-conferencing even allowing other senses.

 

GURPS Magic Notes 02: Basic Set Spells and Options Strategy Guide

Lets see what what best practices can we come up with just the options in the Basic Set. The idea is to master the basics and discover all the possible applications and uses of the spells and how they compare to each other with only those found in the basic set. We can also look at point budgets to see how much it can cost to achieve a desired effect.

Overview

In a module as long as Harkwood you will be fine. In fact you can pretty much be fine for an entire dungeon delving campaign with little magic and just full of monsters and traps. 

In overland adventures with magic that is disappearing in the setting, the spell list is fine. If Mages have any influence in the economy of the world (and are not being burned as witches) you will need more rules and spells. 

Shape Air and Water is very much under-powered compared to Shape Earth. I wish it followed the recallibration of the Control Advantage in GURPS Powers p.90. There is a lot of Emphasis (more options) in the Elemental Spells, Necromancy and Healing. Few options but effective for Communication/Empathy  and Mind Control. Light Darkness, Protection and Warning, Knowledge and is pretty useful but takes more effort to be effective. 

Balancing Issues

There are some annoying Balance issues in Magic. At a certain point, as the Mage of the game advances he may want to bring up his magery. Many can be solved by creating some Magical Demographics. 

• Cap Magery. How much to Cap depends on how frequently IQ above 10 appears in the setting, how much is the Mage expected to spend on Spell (B292, improvement through study skills and techniques), and how high the Spell Skills are supposed to be based on B237 under Magic ritual. 
• If IQ12 (140IQ) is rare, like 1:260+ and IQ14 (180IQ) is 1:20M, the GM expects skills of 15-20 for many spells, and that mages have many spells in Normal Magic System at 1cp in each spell, Magery 6-8.  
• If most heroes have an IQ12, and Smart Heroes IQ14-15 or only Smart People can learn magic, Spells are expected to be Skill-15-19, about 2cp per spell, and they have Tons of Extra FP, then Magery 3-5 would suffice.   
• Cap Extra Fatigue. Many Spells cost a lot ot be useful. When you have 1/2 penalty in move and dodge at being 1/3 FP Extra Fatigue is really important in the mage build. 
• Cap Spell List - since this is just Basic Set then you don't have much of a problem. Unfortunately you will quickly run out of variety with just 100 spells and will find yourself considering buying GURPS Magic for more spells. 

Extra Energy for Basic Set 

Extra Fatigue, dedicated to Spells would have an Accessibility Limitation "Only Spells"* (-10%). You can have the Preparation Required to take 1 hour (-50%) to be able gather this energy, the character still needs time per FP. You can have Limited Use x4/day (-20%), to be able to redraw this power over a day. This basically gives you 5FP for every 3cp (1 hour to recover all the energy). So 9cp would be 15FP (3 hours to recover all the energy).  

Once the "pool" has been exhausted the Mage has to use Preparation again to be able to gather the energy again. After 4x of use in a day, the mage has to wait a day to be able to do again. 

Your mages would benefit spending 15cp for 25FP of energy.

Note that the "Preparation Required" is difficult to come by in an adventure. 1 hour of "alone time" in a stressful day of adventure will prevent players from replenishing. 

*See B110. Only spells is a narrower use of FP than Half of the total options since FP can be used in both mental and physical activities. A conservative GM may make it 10%.

more detail in this post.

Verbal and Somatic Components

If you use "playing a Trumpet" on B110, an example in Accessibility, as a baseline then you can say a use of a skill, keeping both Hands and Breath busy would count as a -20% Limitation. If you want it Half Power then its a -10% Limitation. It gets complicated when you have a skill below 15 because there are other gestures and words. 

It gets complicated when you have a skill below 15 because there are other gestures and words, just grant a bigger bonus in identifying a spell or anyone who sees the character instantly knows he's up to something no-good and or ask for a Performance check to get "Mesh" the gestures and verbal components together. 

Ceremonial Casting

This is what familiars are used to best effect. Since you need 15 to do a ceremonial spell, this becomes best use o prevent critical failures happening 1:52 to 1:216 times. 

Budgeting

Example, 95 points

• Magery 0 [5]
• Magery 8 (Accessibility: Granted by Ally -20%, half power when familiar is killed; Accessibility, Half Power without Verbal AND Somatic Components Mudra, Dance, Kata -10%*; Accessibility - Half Power unless using Aspect College, -20%) [40] 
• Extra Fatigue FP+20 (Only Spells, -10%; Preparation Required, 1 hour of Rituals, -50%; Limited Use, recover it only x4 a day, -20%) [12]
• Ally (50% of mage's point value 2 point; Freq - Constant x4 points; Sympathetic, brings the mage to 0HP when killed, -25%; Dependent, 50% of mage's point value, Freq-6, -2 points) [4]
• Gurps magic notes: Familiar Templates
• Speak/Comprehend Special Language (Fluent) [3]; Special Language Read/Write (Fluent) [3] 
• Meditation (Mudra), Dance, Combat Art for the Gestures [4]
• Ritual Magic (VH) IQ+1 [12]
• College of Specialization (VH) IQ+1 [12]

Body Control Spells

All body spells are resistible by HT checks except death touch. Because this is resistible, the mage will need to rely on a strategy of delivering this spell often to enemies. This spell will very much benefit with a Staff (B481 and B240) so the mage can repeatedly deliver spells using "touch" for melee spells and "pointing". Many of these spells Ignore Armor.

• Itch. 0 count. Powerful against fully armored foes, the DX penalty has cascading results to Move, Dodge, and Attacks. Casting it where they cannot scratch (like the small of their back) would make the effect enduring.  
• Spasm. 1 Count. Too bad you can't use it on a wait maneuver unless you have GURPS magic and use meta spell to make it a "reflex spell", Otherwise its just used to drop important things. If you have an ally you can use this spell to give them a chance to escape a grapple. Lasting an Instant and not being able to Wait to use this spell without meta-spell, makes Spasm very difficult to use to great effect. 
• Pain. 2 count. Lasts a full second which gives it more uses, but not very much. 
• Clumsiness. 3 count. Since it lasts a minute and can have a much bigger penalty this is a very useful spell IF you can overcome Resistance. note how expensive the spell is. Typically penalties from the same source do not stack generally in many RPG games, ask your GM if it applies to this spell.  
• Hinder. 4 Count. Penalizes dodge, and move for one minute intervals, resistible.
• Rooted Feet. 5 count. Some GMs don't anymore have ST checks, you can make this an HT check with Extra Effort reducing the penalty by 2 on each attempt. 
• Paralyze Limb. 5 counts. Legs are typical targets of such spells since mobility can neutralize both combat and defenses. 
• Wither Limb. 6 counts. same as Paralyze Limb but more expensive and permanent until healed. 
• Death Touch. 7 counts. Damage that ignores armor.  

Movement

• Haste. 0 count. Increases Dodge, expensive. 
• Apportion. 0 count. Moves objects
• Hinder. 2 Count. Penalizes dodge, and move for one minute intervals, resistible.
• Great Haste. 1 count. needs IQ12+.
• Lockmaster. 1 count. Does lock master prevent "barred doors". the GM could answer
• Deflect Missile. 1 count.  Causes a Missed ranged attack which makes it powerful. 

Protection and Warning.

• Shield. 0 count. Expensive to be effective. 
• Armor. 1 count. Expensive to be effective. 
• Magelock. 0 count. Needs a good door in the first place and resists lock master spell. If you are concerned with the Lockmaster spell Bolt and Bar the door. 

Water Spells

• Seek Water, Count 0. Annoying requires a dousing rod.  
• Purify Water, Count 1. On long sea voyages this means the mage can convert sea water to potable water, or any water found on land. Far from other water - filter pee, sweat, mud, etc... remove potential poisons and toxins IN the liquid that is mostly water based. this does not prevent a poisoned cup's poisoning. 
• Create Water, Count 2. a great value spell since water is one of the heaviest supplies you will need to carry. So many applications in survival, in combat try drenching someone's arming coat in Freezing temperatures. 
• Destroy water, Count 3. Destroy all the water supplies of a target! this would cause them heat exhaustion if they cannot drink while performing streneous physical activity. 
• Shape Water, Count 3. A narrow wall of water would slow down projectiles and can be clouded with particulates. Controlling 75 liters or 165lbs of water per point. Depending on the GM's interpretation, using Shape water to create a drag effect to propel a ship can only generate 205 kg/m of force or 0.2 tons of thrust. You cannot generate as much force and energy as shape earth.  
• Breathe Water, Count 3. for underwater adventures.  although the PC may not be able to get this spell if he cannot make the requirements.
• Ice Weapon, Count 3. adds +2 dmg, great against creatures with fire vulnerability. 
• Fog, Count 4. Purify air can disperse this depending on the GM's call. Useful for escape 

Mind Control

tricky spells, gets really useful when you have Psychology, Body Language, Acting and other social skills.

• Foolishness. 0 count. Resisted by Will, note that Acting is harder to beat with a lower IQ. 
• Forgetfulness. 1 count. In the heat of combat, cause an enemy which is friend or foe! If there are facts that can be assumed about the target, causing the target to forget certain facts - his boss is X, whose boss Y. "Forget all the guys wearing St. Georges Cross are allies"."Forget that I am a wanted mage". "forget the last orders of your Lord". "forget you know me". "forget you have an oath". If you can figure out motive or objective, you can target hamstring many cognitive efforts with the right application of Forgetfulness. Cause someone to make a faux pas by forgetting their manners. intercept a spy only to cause him to forget his secret. Cover their tracks by causing them to forget who they spilled the means too or if they ever spilled the beans. For more idea check out Social Engineering and Cognitive Biases: Memory Errors.   
• Daze. 1 count. +Peter V. Dell'Orto has some corrections you should consider because as is, its more effective than sleep. If you do use the corrections, than 
• Command. 2 counts. A strategic use of this spell is in order, and can ruin a carefully planned action because unlike many spells this can be used with a Wait maneuver because its a blocking spell. Commanding an enemy to Strike at his nearby ally "Hit him" is a pretty good use of the spell. "Drink This", "eat this" "Kiss him", "take this", "Pinch her", all can be very dangerous and effective in the right circumstance.   
• Sleep. 2 counts. Neutralizing obstacles with Sleep and Stealth hides 
• Mass Daze. 2 counts. IQ13+ as you can imagine, an effect that has an exponential magnitude.
• Mass Sleep. 3 counts. IQ13+ same as mass daze. 

Necromantic Spells

• Death Vision, 1 count. A parlor trick to shake someone up. 
• Sense Spirit, 2 count. typical area is at 6 sq yrds. 
• Summon Spirit, 2 count. A powerful spell that can bring useful information to the game.
• Zombie, Count 4. You will need some templates and skills in embalming  to make a good durable zombie for such purposes. Zombies are pretty useful as you can imagine. they can alter the economic landscape of a game setting - cheap automatons. 
• Turn Zombie. Count 5. damages zombies, and in a 1/6 chance causes them to flee. 
• Summon Demon. Count 11. This will be useful.
• Banish, Count 11. the best way to deal with a powerful alien entity, but note that these things tend to have really high Will. The setting will need some Cosmology notes. 

Light and Darkness

• Light. 0 Count. wow, its underwhelming how much light this spell produces - 1 Lumens. 
• Suggested rule. Cube the Skill level in Lumens. So a 20 skill will be 8000 lumens enough to light up an area like moonlight at a 30 yrds/m radius or 11k sq yrds. 
• A Mage of skill 15 would be 3375 lumens or dim moonlight for 30 m/yrd radius. 
• Continual Light. 1 Count. To be useful in a battlefield, you will cast this spell at about 6FP. Note that being close to the light source can be blinding and ruining the ability to see on the edge of the lights radiance, ask the GM how he's going to resolve this. If it is blinding, then you may need to use Apportion to move around the light source. 
• Check out Lumens/Lux as a measure of Light. 
• Lumens to Lux Calculator
• Lux to Lumens Calculator. A battlefield of 11,000sqm/yrd or 30 yrd radius takes 113 million Lumens to light up. Ideally multiple points of light.  
• Darkness. 2 Count. The description of the spell makes it that it is an area where light does not escape since Light Enters but Light cannot escape to be viewed outside the spells area. ask the GM how he rules the principles behind this, because there is a lot of funny business by the definition of the spell - or if the GM just handwaves it. 
• as an Area Spell the darkness is 4 yrds high per hex or 3.5 cu. yrd of Darkness. You will need shape darkness in GURPS Magic to make better use of this spell. 
• use (3*(N-1)*N)+1 to get the area per increment of spell pas level one.  
• Blur. 3 Count. Expensive to be useful. 

Meta-Spell

• Counter Spell. 0 Count. Nullifies an Ongoing spell. This means the spell has a duration where the the mage can react! If you come from a DnD or Magic card familiarity, this is more like a "dispel magic). The difference with Dispel Magic is that it targets a Specific Magical Effect which may need the mage to analyse the spell in the first place or saw the other mage cast the spell.  
• Dispel Magic. 13 Counts. Dispels ALL the ongoing spells in an Area (very similar to DND SRD dispel magic). 

Knowledge

Knowledge spells need skills to let the mage draw important context 

• Detect Magic. 0 count. A magical yes or no, and if temporary or permanent.   best cast with an angle to capture as many people and targets as possible.
• Aura. 1 count. Information and Instantaneous. This spells gives a lot of information, and like Detect Magic, ideally cast in the best angle. 
• Seeker. 2 counts. IQ12+. A powerful spell, considering how it basically does a lot of problem solving for the PCs. 
• Trace. 3 counts. Basically your Tracking Spells if you can maintain it. Very easy to maintain since it is a spell that is in hour increments. 
• Identify Spell, 1 count. Timing dependent spell, in 5 seconds this spell must be cast or you will need to use Analyze Magic below. 
• Analyze Magic, 2 count. Benefits from high skill because it takes a while to cast and expensive to cast as well. Tedious because it works from the cheapest spell up. Strangely the spell mentions Conceal Magic which is not in the Basic set. 

Healing Spells.

• Lend Energy. 1 count. Already a lot of problems because if there is "Aspected" FP for the mages, will the GM allow this to be converted to FP to the other PC. You will need fit or Recover Energy for this. Brings PC up past 1/3 FP. 
• Lend Vitality. 1 count. Used to bring a character past the 1/3 HP threshold that allows them to be unhindered temporarily. 
• Recover Energy. 1 count. Fastest rate of FP recovery until you get GURPS Powers at 50cp. 
• Awaken. 1 count. Surprisingly useful spell to keep character alert and awake. If the character is suffering from sleepiness or slow riser or lost sleep penalties to Self Control (see B426). This is magical coffee or coca! Counters the effects of Mind Control spells that Daze or make the character sleepy. 
• Minor Healing. 1 count. Heal 1-3HP
• Major Healing. 2 counts. Heal 1-4HP (with minor healing, characters can heal 7HP at 11FP cost)
• Great Healing. 3 counts. restores all the missing HP of the character. 
• Fire Spells
• Refreshing one's understanding of B433 Fire will help a lot in expanding the use of this spell. 
• Ignite. 0 count. Very versatile, especially since you really don't need to "touch" or attack the target. Combined with a Long Staff to extend the Mage's range, ignite can be used to Light up hard to burn and hard to put out materials. Burning the Arming coat found underneath every heavily armored individuals, or ignite the waxes and oils inside heavy leather.
• Create Fire. 1 count. Note again the size of this fire at 4 yrds x 0.866 sq yrds hex. This basically lights up an area like a bonfire. If this fire is not igniting anything or consuming air, then this would be a smokeless fire. In mid air its a sphere with a volume of (3n(n-1)+1) * 3.46 cu. yrds  at 1 energy this is a 2.74 yrd diameter sphere! If you're creative with geometry you can shape just 3.46 cu. yrds or 2.6 cubic meters of fire easily. 
• Shape Fire. 1 count. This can only control a finite amount of fire, but the immediate use I can see is channeling the fire away from the user. Shaping Magical Fire of Create Fire becomes a very interesting exercise since you can distribute the effect of 3.46 cu yrds of flame among your enemies 
• Extinguish Fire. 1 count. An expensive spell and covers only a small area. 
• Deflect Energy. 2 count. A powerful spell, even if it cannot be cast at discount it will basically stop a  lot of direct energy attacks immediately regardless of powerlevel. A caution for mages planning to use direct energy attack missile spells and invested a lot of energy into it, it may be futile. The odds of a deflect energy are better than most parrys.  
• Heat. 2 counts. The description gives good advice in melting points, armed with chemistry this spell can be very dangerous.  
• Fireball. 2 counts. A missile spell that has an interesting FAQ see 4.3.1. Deflect Missile and Energy countermeasures make it difficult to use, especially among other mages. 
• Resist Cold. 3 counts. 
• Cold. 3 counts. like heat spells, a knowledge of chemistry and what happens when things reach their freezing points will be useful. 
• Resist Fire. 4 counts. A powerful Spell, with Create and Shape Fire, such a character is sheathed in a shield of fire. So powerful it can protect from the heat of a Star. So if you cast this spell on a ship  (size and power modifiers apply) and has the acceleration to make an escape velocity you can go into a star.
• Explosive Fireball. 3 counts. The best way to avoid those pesky deflection spells. 

Air Spells

You will really need Extra Energy to use Air-Spells because they are rather expensive. It has such high costs, the player will need skill in timing and creativity to use. Air spells are great to elminate non-magical fires, swarms, and many pesky

Area Spell Notes: Area Spells extend 4 yrds up making it 4 x0.866 sq. yrds per hex.

• Purify Air, Count 0. Cast this spell to dispel not just poison or toxins or disease in the air, but smoke and dust. As an Area Spell it has a Volume of effect equal to (3n(n-1)+1)*4 * 0.866 sq. yrds (*0.76 to get cubic meters), where N is the increment amount of energy spent. Ask your GM if it affects gaseous beare Cings. Ask the GM if you can target the air in your lungs as part of the spell, per casting. If he allows this, purify air allows the character to hold "his breath", getting a new breath every casting. Other uses is breathing through a wineskin or waterproof container with Purify Air - you can imagine a character jumping into water with a wineskin full of air. A weigh down boat capsized and this spell allows a party to walk beneath the sea floor.
• Create Air, Count 1.  the ability to instantly negate a vacuum is very useful and if you check B437 it is a very painful experience and the absence of Air as a "heat sink" has other side effects. You may rarely use this spell, but it is definitely a lifesaver.
• No Smell, Count 1. The kinds of game where the sense of smell comes into play is rare, but for those games this is a very important spell. Consider social occasions where the character has not bathed or has an odius personal habit or Bad smell disadvantage. Process of elimination of who "dealt it" lolz.
• Shape Air, Count 2, this is a very subtle spell where the GM makes a call if he will allow some creative freedoms. Taken note of the detail that it creates a stream of air that can directed and "shaped". A stream of air does not have to be on direction, it can spiral and have a tighter or looser rings.
  Shaped as a ring, it can create a vortex or a barrier against missile weapons or for concealment raising up particulates. Its up to the GM to give free reign how the air moves because the spell is very weak to be used any other way. If the GM allows the stream of air to spiral it can channel particulates or other gasses.
• At 1Fp you can create a small whirlwind to keep the air of "stench" within a particular confine or allow the player to bring up dust, leaves and particulates as concealment.
• Stench, Count 1. A powerful spell damage over time spell, 1d6 per inhalation if you can keep the target in one place. With Shape air you can "move" the tiny vortex of bad smell to follow your enemy. This is a powerful spell against swarms. The most powerful use of this spell is causing the subject to move, if you have traps or you don't want that target in that space, Stench is your go-to spell.
• Breathe Water, Count 3. for underwater adventures.  although the PC may not be able to get this spell if he cannot make the requirements.
• Walk on Air, Count 3. Many adventures can be overcome with the ability of flight. Walls become trivial obstacles.
• Predict Weather, Count 4. Rarely does bad weather factor in games, but when it does it has very powerful consequences. A Wizard casting this spell, with farmers and their families all pitching in as part of a ceremonial spell can alter an entire economy in the next 50 days! Note that a planting season is  People will plant more efficiently, choosing grains that can withstand drought or dry weather or can survive wet weather. 50 days allows an entire economy to mobilize to correct or take advantage of the surplus. If the Farmers get together every 30 days to get the next 50 days forcast you can imagine the efficiency in a low tech environment. As soon as there is a disruption, reports of magical disruption will be important to rulers.
• Earth to Air, Count 4. At 28L or 1 cu.ft. per energy spent this spell can be very useful applied strategically. If the GM allows the player to convert mortar to air instead of whole sections of the wall it gets more work done. If the GM allows for selective transformation, like all the X stones are transformed into air leaving behind Y (imagine panning for gold).  
• Lightning, Count 6. A powerful missile spell and effective if you can get it up to skill-15. 1d-1 burning per energy or 3 dmg per energy cubed *0.27777778  to get the KWh. In a low tech game this can be meaningless but in TL6+ and the right tools, this can power a lot of things.
  Some useful benchmarks - Tesla Roadster has a 53KWh battery, a Car battery is 7.2KWh, a police car battery is 14.4KWh, a smartphone with a 5400ma 4.5V is 0.0243KWh,

Enchantment Spells

Enchantment Spells have a cost per energy point suggested in B482-483. There are suggestions given but it boils down to those made by the GM. If mages were as rare as Pyromancers in Byzantium, Clockwork machinists in Roman era, or Engineers in the Ancient world. Note the tactical opportunity costs given some enchantment and how cash poor a low tech setting may be. The funny thing about enchantment is that the cheaper it is, the more variety there will be and the more you will need GURPS magic and various other rules - while the more rare it is the lower the benefits and in opportunity cost it just becomes something fancy example - Greekfire was legendary in Byzantium but in the end it was not enough to prevent the empires fall - Gun powder is pretty much magic but when technology allowed it to be cheap and mass produced did it alter the landscape of war. 

• Accuracy. Since the "Balanced" quality is not available in Basic Set accuracy. At just plus 1 it costs the equivalent of 5 heavy warhorses. 
• Deflect. Relatively Cheap among the enchantments, ancestral armors or lighter metal shields can benefit. While shields got lighter in Low Tech, note that B438 gives you the rules to create Lighter but lower HP shields. Half to 1/4 of the weight of shields in B287 and just recalculate the HP based on B438. 
• Example: Large Metal Shield of 1/4 the weight is 18HP with same DR and a much lower Over Penetration Score. 
• Fortify. Relatively cheap and in the absence of armor quality and tailoring rules the only way to increase the upper limit. 
• Power. Many magic items need power to be used and enduring. really expensive and only useful for a few spells 
• Puissance. Weapon Quality makes this obsolete. Note that a +2 to damage is cheaper by quality than by Puissance.
• Staff is pretty useful. Consider using it with a long spear to add more reach and since long Staff is not in the Basic Set, you can pretty much guess the stats based of long spear. 

Communication and Empathy Spells

• Sense Foes, Count 0. Hostile Intent is tricky so you gotta clear it with your GM first. Are mindless automatons "Foes". Also pretty expensive and a small area. 
• Sense Emotion, Count 1. Since it can detect loyalty you may use this to screen NPCs. Combined with Psychology, Body Language, and Interrogation this spell can be very effective. Note Ask the GM if it will let you find out tells - the particular expression a person uses for a particular emotion. Even after the spell effects are done, you can detect their moods by your intimate knowledge of all their tells. 
• Truthsayer, Count 2. Combined with Interrogation, Psychology and Body Language there are many ways this can be used to gather information and to "push" NPCs to talk. 
• Mind-Reading, Count 3. Don't get carried away using this spell, its best used when the subject does not know this capability is present. Combined with Sense Emotion, you may have an intimate mastery of someone's thoughts - ask the GM if translates to anything because if it doesnt then whats the point lolz. 
• Hide Thoughts, Count 4.  Protection against magical manipulation - while - the spell is on. Social engineering is about putting the target in a position unable to use their defenses. 

Earth Spells 

this is covered already here

Tweaking Notes

If Water and Air, are in the same amount of Energy (Mass*Vel) being manipulated as in Earth 2.55KW (Metric Tons/ m/s or Tons/ yrds/s). 

GURPS Magic Notes 11: Changing the Spell Skill Threshold

With an Open ended spell skill level, GURPS Spells should not be bench marked against skills. When skills have so much gains and rarity as you move from Skill-12 to 15, GURPS Spells have many requirements hinged on Spell Skill-15. Note that there are Range and Long Range penalties that come with

What if you calibrated spells more like Skills, where 12 is a professional and 15 is an expert. So basically as a general rule what was 15 is now 12.

Magic Rituals (B237)
Skill 9 or Less - Ritual: both hands and feet free for an elaborate ritual, and speaking at a normal conversational level. Time: Doubled. Cost: Same.
Skill 10-11- Ritual: some verbal and somatic components. Energy Cost: Same
Skill 12-13 - Ritual: a couple of verbal and slight somatic components. Energy Cost: -1.
Skill 14-15 - Ritual: none! Just stare inwardly and magic happens. Time: Half. Energy Cost: -2
Skill 16-17 - Ritual: none. Time: Quarter. Energy Cost: -3
Skill 18-19 - Ritual: none. Time: One-Eighth. Energy Cost: -4
Skill 20+ - Like above and every two levels (22, 24, 26, 28... etc) Energy Cost: -1 and Half casting time.

Ceremonial Magic (B238)
Mage must have Skill-12
Each Mage with Skill-12+ can spend any amount of FP.
Each non Mage with Skill-12+ can spend up to 3FP
Each mage with skill-11 or below can spend up to 3FP

Magic Item Power (B481)
Instead of 15, it can now cast at 12.

Mana Levels (B235)
Low Mana, reduces Skill by 2 instead of 5.

Recover Energy, Healing Spell (B248)
Skill 12-13, 5 mins per 1FP
Skill 14-15, 2 mins per 1FP.

Spell Skill penalties.
Keep them, but allow Hard Techniques to buy them off.

Consequences.

• Simpler because you don't have to get tons of magery and taking on a lot of to be effective and the cost of magic. 
• The impact of Maintaining additional spells are more detrimental, every 1 point counts by a lot!
• Both Normal or Standard Magic System and Ritual Magic System skill levels appear like all the other skills. 
• More Average Intelligence but Talented Mages (Magery 3). 
• In games like Dungeon Fantasy mages will be more powerful but it really depends on the GM in how he treats spells and magic in the game. 

Example. 

Telepathy Spell, M47. If you manage to get it at Skill 30 you cast the spell at no cost, at 35 you can add as many as 4 other people linked up at no cost because of the -1 penalty.  

In this system, Skill-18 you cast it at no cost. At 20 you can cast it and add 1 other person before you start paying. You pay much more per person you add.  

In the New Season of War Beneath Heaven, I'm experimenting of using these rules for mages. 

GURPS Magic Notes 13: Using Magic Items

A review of magic Items and some notes about how it affects a setting.

Rules in Review

The rules for using Magic Items in B482 or M21.

• Hidden Lore or Expertise. In game knowledge of Magic Items may be useful. Since magic items have limitations on what form they can take and how they work, such a skill would help in a game of analysis and deduction (if the player likes to play that game or want to boil it down to a roll). 
• Power Rating (B481 or M17). under the title "Power of a magic Item". A powerful mage, who has high enchantment and prerequisite spell, transfers this level to the Magic Item. It needs to be at least 15 to work, and is affected by Low Mana zone, bringing it down by -5. So in a Low Magic Setting you need a PR of 20 or the user is a mana enhancer 1. 
• Two Specialists and a... Since Enchantment is a Ceremonial Magic process, you can rule that one specialist enchanter (with high enchantment) and the other specialist 
• Power Levels are important for the resistant rolls against the magic item. A spell that is Resist-HT/Will will roll against the Items Power (note rule of 16). 
• Inspired Creation (M115) makes fine and very fine equipment for 5fp. It says in any ONE craft work. it doesnt say if it has to be magical or mundane (which gets to be a really messy a distinction as magic becomes a science). Its big deal is that it adds +5 to the mage's effective skill in making the item if the skill matters. So that translates to +5 power rating. GMs call (my call is why not; if it doesnt give me an additional head ache, and it makes sure ALL magic items are made on Fine/Very Fine Items). 
• Using Magic Items (B482 or M21).  
• Magical Items are used by Will. But...
• ...You still have to Roll (using the PR) to activate a magic Item. Note that distance penalties apply, you would want to have a magic greater than 15 or else you will have to touch all that you wish to affect. 
• No ritual means no special activities or actions
• Which means you can make it as part of a ready action to activate. Ex. You can activate it while you reflexively drawing a weapon if the spell does not require you to target it on anyone but yourself.
• It also means that you cannot benefit from the meta-spells, since its really not casting of a spell.   
• It is as though you're casting a Spell (see describes the paragraph before the bullet points) but this is not "Spell casting".  So that means critical fail tables will come into play. So you might as well get a high power.
• Normalization. This means 1 out of 46,656 castings will result in a DEMON summoning. Here is your campaign Profession: Demon Hunters because of the wide spread use of magic items. Actually you can have an entire Campaign premise of a magical setting where characters all have to kill demons for a living that result in a botched roll. 
• Its really up to the GM what the Demons do. It can be they are amassing or plotting or they stir up a ruckus enough for the farmers to call the Demon Hunters. (i find it a great use if I 'Hoard up' the demons for some grand purpose later in the game). 
• Same Casting Time. As the spell, no modifiers from Power Rating. 
• Same FP cost as spell, The Item just takes FP from its user, if the user has no FP to grant it will not work. (So undead with no FP cannot use magic items that require FP). High Power does not discount the cost of FP, so in a way Magic Items are great for Non-mages to participate at great FP cost. Power Spell (M57 or B480) powers a magic item (note it provides half as much in low mana zones).
• Tons of FP! Its weird that if you have low upper body strength doing a push up takes more effort than running 200yrds. Ask the gm if he allows Aspected (Accessibility) FP that works related to the magic item. 
• If you want High Power makes it more expensive. If 15 is the minimum, so for every point greater square * 10%. (lets use a TL3 Shape Earth of $6600). 
• Power 15
• Power 16 +10% (example shape earth; $7260)
• Power 17 +40% (example shape earth; $9240)
• Power 18 +90% (example shape earth; $12,540)
• Power 19 +180%  (example shape earth; $17,160)
• Power 20 +250%  (example shape earth; $23,100) 
• * assuming $33 per 
• Which Items are always on? The easiest way to tell is just looking if its clothing or jewelry. Spells always one or maintained are the ones with out worry of critical spell failure. 
•  Innate Attack Skill (B201) will be needed for certain spells. Artist (Sculpt or Illusion) will also be needed for certain spells. 

Item Creation Notes

• Found in these pages. B481-482 or M16-18 
• Magic Item Power Rating (discussed above). 
• 483 or Price of per FP is calculated as Average Monthly Income divided by Number of Work Days per month. Note that this can be very different per setting, depending on what mages are in the Economic Order of things.   
• If they are sufficiently rare, like the Byzantine Empire's Pyromancers who supplied Greek Fire to the navy or Archimedes or the very valuable specialists that provided the best technology available at the time: Shipwrights, Engineers, and Masters. The cost of the items would reflect a station of such creators. In such cases, an Empire or Kingdom would have such a guild made up of very valuable specialists of incomes of Wealthy (x5 starting wealth) plus price modifiers (x2). So it wouldn't be a surprise if each work day would cost to create would reach  or x10 more than the prices in gurps magic or B483.  
• Price per FP is recommended at $1 and price of time is based on Income. In the end of the day the GM will just rule on the price and it tends to be on the inflated size because if there are a lot of magic items in the game, then the mages know how to milk profits. Encouraging more creative means to get magic items is an option. 
• The GM has to make up the cost and kind of materials. 
• $10 per FP plus $20 per prerequisite count in basic material like papers, inks, chalk, silver dust, salts, candles, etc..  Each attempt ideally costs something. 
• Quick and Dirty. 
• Drawback - risks. Do this if your skills are at 16, so you don't suffer critical spell as often. From 1:53 rolls to 1:216 rolls.
• Energy requirement. Unless you have the mages present then you cannot do it. Since Contributors who are not mages can only give up to 100fp then you need a lot of mages as you reach FP of over 100. Disposable magic Items using Temporary Magic Item will be possible with such limitations. To build a Cult Following you just get the playbook of real world cults.   
• If you are a undead able to burn HP at no penality with immune to pain or numb (numb should not allow you to tell how much HP you burn) you can draw on more power. 
• Benefit - speed. 
• Slow and Sure Method. 
• Note - Its more suited for Modern Settings or Normalized Magic in a setting. 
• Benefit - depending on your assumptions (mine are in here) this can allow for very powerful magical Items (over 100FP) . 
• Drawback - time consuming and man power intensive. 

Low Magic Games and Economics

• At $33 per energy point a Very Fine Balanced Sword is $15,000 vs $8,250. It kinda disrupts the economics of it but if the setting has a lot of magical items this may be the cost. Of course the GM rolls randomly what magical items are on the market.  
• Note that a Low population low tech world will find magical items showing up if these items are more indestructible than regular technological wonders of metal at the time.
• At x10 more expensive magic items, a Very Fine Balanced Penetrating Sword would (M43) be the same cost as a Mercenary Poor Medium Footman Squad (10 men; TS2.25) for a year of full time inclusive of overland logistics cost. 
• Warmachines that will allow Lords (Mage Lords) to more effective than squads or divisions of men would an example of what a Lord would spend for. The best example of such spending is when Mehmet spent for the creation of the Dardanelles Gun, or when the Romans used Greek Fire, or Siege engines by Archimedes. 
• Truthsayer, Persuasion, Sense Emotion, Mind Search or Mind Reading combined with various Mentalist Techniques can allow a mage to filter participants. A well paid mage can have a lot of apprentices and participants, pretty much similar to the household of a clergy in a Fief or Imperial Palace. He can probably have the population of a monastery with its attached Village holding as part of his 
• Such Spells can be Enchanted on Icons

Wizardry Tools

• Powerstones are very important. A casting of a powerstone spells by a very skilled enchanter would be worth while. Only high powered mana, magery, or powered games would allow more powerful power stones. Dedicating a powerstone
• Mana stones is going to be common in a low magic and low powered game. They may not be rechargeable but a mage with nothing better to do and has Manastone at 16 or better will be able to make use of his free time creating back up mana stones. A mge would be charging the stone 1 per hour. On an 8 hour day, where he does light duties he can cast the spell 19 times. 
• Scrolls. They are so hard to use that in most games that the opportunity cost is making one is reserved to games where magic is very rare but sufficiently low tech that technology would not out-class a spell. 
• Scrolls still require FP to cast, like magic items.  
• Powerfull spells take a lot of time to make, compared to making a magic item through ceremonial magic or quick and dirty method. Also unlike the scroll, these items are not consumed.  
• That economic conflict that the more powerful the scroll is made by a mage who has a very high skill, high skill that makes it a waste of his time to make a scroll compared to other pursuits.
• Scrolls would create artificial scarcity for magic, if the magic producers act like a cartel. Still since its DAYS instead of hours, its just too expensive. 
• Staff, its cheap enough that most mages can enchant and make them. Since spears are one of the most versatile weapon skills (with form mastery, grip mastery, default to staff at -2, great on horseback, a ranged weapon etc.) 
• Limiting enchantments are Expensive compared to making Staffs. 
• Staffs are limited to your imagination and GM permission. The Tesubo which is bascially an Iron-Staff can be made into a Staff, pole arms can be made into a staff, Bokken, Rattan sticks, cudgels, etc... its all up to the GM. Nothing like a powerful damage dealing touch spell on a staff-spear or staff-cudgel. 
• Usually at 1000+ points of power, especially in low tech periods these items get incredibly rare. The coordination and the specialization needed to have such is at an annoyingly high degree. Its better for high Mana settings. 

GURPS Spells that deal with Magic Items

• Many Meta Spells that affect spells cast with a magic item. 
• Countermeasure spells like: Counter-spell, Suspend Spell, Ward, Reflect, Seek Magic, Dispel Magic, Scryguard, Magic Resistance, Spell Shield/Wall, Steal Spell, (and all their variations) etc
• Charge Power Stone will come in very useful.  
• Typically cast a Ceremonial Spell for lower level mages (if they can meet the Skill-15) and non mage character can contribute energy (up to 100!). 
• Make and Break Spells. 

Mana Setting

• In a Normal Mana setting, specializations where mages and rulers control the production of magical items that increase the productivity of their holdings from this can allow for magical Items to proliferate. 

GURPS Magic Notes 15: Earth Spells

I was surprised by the applications of Earth Magic. What I love about it is that its really just the application of science and geometry and you've got a lot of kick ass things you can do with it. If you want to motivate yourself to study geometry and chemistry or earth sciences then this school of magic is for you. Also if your in the engineering (civil works) industry you can really appreciate this since a lot of the bits that is interesting from engineering finds some use in the such a game.

Non-mages. the productivity increase of many earth spells are so powerful its as if you threw in TL6-9 heavy machinery, although it didn't need the infrastructure to support it. Still you will need a bit of a magical infrastructure to create enough to the satisfaction of the patron. Such magical items, like shape earth, will be so useful as a tool an weapon. You may have to rethink the "per energy" cost of $33 in M20 or $25 in basic set. Note that if an economy becomes more productive the values would inflate.

Some Definitions out of the Way

You better be on the same page as your GM with what is stone and what is earth. This because of the wording and high school geology opening up a can of worms with the interpretation. I'm working on the assumption that Earth is soil, clay, loam, dirt, sod, dust, sand, and mud. While stone is Rocks, Granite, Lime, Marble, Slate, Dolomide, Obsidian, etc...  What is the difference between stone and glass? Note that Unlike Air M23, there is no specifics of what Earth is composed. 

• Rock Densities

Balancing Ideas

• Limit the kinds of Stone with Earth to Stone and Shape Earth/Stone. Basically make it the stone version of the soil - typically sedimentary stone. 
• In the uses of Earth below, the GM can just assign a Task Difficulty Modifier to either Artist, Engineer, or the Spell. 

Sample Low Tech Earth Mage, Normal Magic

62 points

IQ 10

Magery (Aspect: Single College (earth)) 3 [24]

Seek Earth (H) IQ-2 [1]-11

Shape Earth (H) IQ+6 [24]-20

Earth to Stone (H) IQ-2 [1]-11

Innate Attack (Earth Spells) (E) DX+2 [4]-12
Feint (H) Innate Attack (Earth Spells)+4 [5]-17
Targeted Attack (Foot) Innate Attack (Earth Spells)-2 [3]-10 

Sample Low Tech Earth Mage, Ritual Magic 

79 points

IQ 10

Magery 3 [30]

Ritual Magic (VH) IQ+2 [16]-15

College (Earth) (VH) IQ+2 [16]-15
Shape Earth (H) College (Earth) [2]-15
Earth to Stone (H) College (Earth) [3]-15
Innate Attack (Earth Spells) (E) DX+2 [4]-12

Feint (H) Innate Attack (Earth Spells)+4 [5]-17
Targeted Attack (Foot) Innate Attack (Earth Spells)-2 [3]-10 

Sample War Beneath Heaven Mage, Ritual Magic 

46 points

IQ 10

Magery 10 (-80% limitation) [25]

Ritual Magic (VH) IQ [8]-25

College (Earth) (VH) IQ-3 [1]-22

Innate Attack (Earth Spells) (E) DX+2 [4]-12

Feint (H) Innate Attack (Earth Spells)+4 [5]-17
Targeted Attack (Foot) Innate Attack (Earth Spells)-2 [3]-10 

Techniques and Skills to be used with Earth Mages

• Innate Attack (Earth Spells) (E) DX+2 [4]-12 
• Targeted Attack (Leg) (H) Innate Attack-1 [2]-11
• Feint (H) Innate Attack (earth spells)+4 [5]-16 
• Wresting or Judo
• you can control your shape earth without concentration while the spell is ongoing, use it to make it your advantage.
• Ground Fighting (H) [5] (grabbing torso and head would be much easier when the mage and the other fighter are on the ground).  

Skills for Talent for Earth Mages

• Engineering (Civil, Mining, or Combat)
• Naturalist or Geology 
• Wrestling or Karate
• Innate Attack
• Artist
• Axe/Mace or 2h-Axe/Mace

Basic Tactics, Basic Set Earth Magic Compatible

Seek Earth 

0 count

if the character has a Miner/Naturalist/Geology skill, he would know the value of the stones and sell them at an advantage. Merchant would also help very much in this.
Non-Mage notes. Very useful to non-mages. Its cheap value will make it a very necessary tool. This will change your setting economics, factor this in. Personally I dont like the aesthetics of a divining rod.

1. The ability to know the amount can be helpful, but it doesnt say. The GM can allow this since it is an information spell after all. The closest to doing the same job is Measurement spell in Knowledge. 
2. Nitrates and Fertilizes! definitly improve food productivity, to TL6-9 levels

Shape Earth, 

1 count

Shape earth allows the character affect the terrain. Note That 1 cu.m or cu.yrd can be a large area if you consider having it only a few inches thick on the floor. 4 inches or 10 cm already covers an area of 100sqm or 1000sqf. Note that Shape earth lasts at minute intervals and at its most basic configuration can be maintained by a 15 skill indefinitely.

Magical Items. This is going to be a valuable tool, if you take note of all things done below. Shape Stone combined with mining and engineering skill means the ability to crack weak points of stone mountains and

Techniques. You can just make everything below techniques that default to Artist, Engineering etc..

1. Earthen Bad Footing. Create Selective Bad Footing (B395, B.96, B547). The Mage can just leave the soil to ripple and wave beneath the feet of his opponents to cause them a -2 to hit and -1 to defend.  
2. Quicksand. Cause opponent's feet to sink. Target can dodge. If the target is already in bad footing, this will be harder. 
1. This requires Innate Attack, this is a targeted attack at the feet of the target. There will be range and hit location penalties. Attacking both feet should have another -2 to spell casting. The mage rolls Innate Attack, but the opponent will have a penalty to defend (-2) because he can't see where the attack is originating. Its like the soil or concrete he is stepping on swallows his feet. 
1. Targeted Attack Technique MA68.
2. You can have a Feint Technique B231 can apply to the Innate attack since its really difficult which angle the attack is coming from. 
3. Do not limit it to the Feet, head and hands are targets with Shape Earth but they are much harder to imprison unless you can follow up with an Earth to Stone. 
4. For the Duration of the Spell, 1 minute, you can control earth allowing you to grapple an opponent and allow the Earth to engulf him in key points. Sinking his feet while you have him in an arm lock. 
3. Simple Pit . Create a Pit the size to swallow up the Target, taking the floor right from under him. A big enough pit, 2 cu.m/yrd can only be defended with a retreat if its just 1 hex in size OR Dodge and Drop B377 if bigger than just one hex. 
4. Ready Maneuver to Shape - Shape Earth Shield/Cover. Since maintaining the spell has no concentration requirement, the character can probably use Shape Earth to block or Parry as though he had an unbalanced weapon readied. 
1. Simple Forms. You can make it that every simple form change can be reaction like a block or Parry. By simple its just an extrution of earth. 
2. Complex Form. if Earth or Stone becomes a complex form, particularly since it draws from a Skill like Artist or Engineering, it is definitely a concentrate maneuver. 
5. Shaping Stone. In GURPS Magic, M51, at 1/2 the amount shaped, the mage can Shape STONE. At 1/6 the amount manipulated the Mage can shape Worked Stone, like Reinforced Concrete. The same combos as Earth but with less material with much higher DRs and Strengths. 
1. DR for stone is 1-5 per cm. 
2. Shape "Stone" can manipulate 333 liters of worked stone or 11.7 cu.ft or 0.3 cu. m. Get a Spreadsheet and input all the various geometric combinations. Natural stone, which is not that common a terrain feature, 
1. 2.5m high cylinder covering 1sqm or 10sqf is about 1cm or DR4.
2. 2.5m high cylinder covering 13sqm DR3
3. Shape Stone of 2FP manipulates 0.33 cu.m/yrds thats about 333 L or 12 cu.ft. The human body is less dense than water, so 333Liters translates to 333 kilos. So you can basically mold stone 
6. Shape Stone Caltrops - Stone Caltrops or Pit Spikes. Combat Engineer or Traps allow you to make more elaborate traps with stone.
7. Earthen Cover. Shape Earth is more effective against Gunfire with its Diffuse Properties. Powerful in a Gun fight where attacks can create cover to move towards as they make an attack.  
8. Shaped Dummies. Stone or Earth and use Artistry. Other than art, Dust Clouds and Silhouettes can be used to distract. With magic as a powerful Recon spell,  
9. Shape Stone to Reinforce Structures and Engineering. A mage with Seek earth and Shape earth can possibly filter the necessary ingredients to make Roman Concrete. Combined with Earth to Stone, there are many combinations that can be done in both engineering, art, traps, and communication (milestones and stone signs). The creation of Industrial structures also helps. Glassware as earth becomes Obsidian and Glass-like stones. 
10. Terracotta or Armored Form. Shaping earth to be armor will require concentration (see B238) and Multi-Tasking see Casting Spells while Maintaining Other Spells (B238). So assume if you are concentrating to keep your Armored Form, which means -3 for all other tasks. 
1. As a Tradeoff Given Encumbrance Penalties for heavier and heavier Armor. See LT106 and B46 for ablative. Basically use Light, Medium, to Heavy Scale Stats but multiply by coverage. DR for Terra-cotta Armor is -1 compared to its Stone equivalent. So Light Scale Stone armor is DR3/2 but weighs 48lbs while the Earthen version is just DR2. Heavy Stone Armor is DR5 is 96lbs while the Earth version would be DR4. 
2. You can make this a Hard Technique that defaults the Mage's Artist (Sculpting) Skill. After at least 200 hours of intensive training (2cp) to maintain the spell while doing other things it becomes less a distraction. 4cp allows the negative -3 to be removed. 
3. Use this to misdirect which is the leading mage. 
11. Terracotta Copies. Create a Terracotta Mirror Image. Create another copy for every -3 . Note that enemies can use a quick contest of Observation to tell which is real. 
1. Make it Compartmentalized Mind. Aspected (Artist - Sculpting, Shaping Earth, Puppet -40%). You can limit the duration and how often per day.  
2. You can make it with Ally Advantage but the GM will have more things to worry about - limiting the number, independence of an Ally, how this seems more appropriate for Earth Elementals etc...
3. As a Technique since Every additional Copy 
12. Shape Stone for Stone Armor! Taking it to another level is using Earth as Armor. Note that Shape Stone can grant a lot of DR to the mage. Of course this will require its own casting if the mage will want to do other stuff. It will also encumber the mage and the mage would probably not armor the Joints. 
13. Shape Stone WEAPONS. A huge stone fist, gauntlets, or an Obsidian Broadsword that keeps regenerating as the mage keeps reshaping it as it breaks (see Multi-Tasking see Casting Spells while Maintaining Other Spells (B238) ). 
14. Invisibility countermeasures. See Invisible foes by making the earth soft enough to leave tracks or throw a diffuse amount of earth 2m up.
15. Wrestling Aid. Wrestling while the spell is ongoing will allow you to grab various extremities or the torso. Worsen the enemies surrounding terrain and enclose him with earth while he wrestles you (then use Earth to stone when you break free). 
16. Very Easy Traps . from quicksand, to covered pits, hidden caltrops, ambush holes, 
17. Hidden Passages. Basically only Earth mages can get in because they will use shape earth to make passages. 
18. Rammed Earth Structures. very easy way to build very durable structures and all you do is use shape earth. You can give Rammed Earth a Shape Earth Task Difficulty modifier.
19. Soft Landing. Use Shape Earth to create a very soft landing cushion of earth. 
20. Food production. The ability to mix soil in particular mixures Nitrates and Fertilizes! Definitely improve food productivity, to TL6-9 levels
21. Earth Skate. Use Shape Earth to make earth like snow as you "skate" down hill. 
22. Sand with Sand. Use sand as an abrasive tool (typically used to clean mail).  
23. Running Earth Technique. Every time the caster steps the earth moves the footfalls an additional 2m. It should be a Running or  Technique, -3 since its multi-tasking.
24. Climbing Earth Technique. Every grasp and pull up, the earth aids the movement of the climber. It could be a climbing technique, -3 since its multi-tasking.  
25. Shape Earth KE use Collision Damage, Slam and Shove (B430; Slam B368; Shove B372) to Calculate Knock Back
• Rock Densities
• ( [ Mass(lbs)^(0.33) ] * 8 / 100 ) * yrds/s (2m/s for earth, 1m/s for stone)
• or ( [ Mass(lbs)^(0.33) ] * 8 ) * yrds/s (2m/s for earth, 1m/s for stone)
• Example Sand has a density of 1.5 tons per 1 cu.m/yrd. So 3 tons of sand flowing at 2m/s is a 3d-1 cr  or  6d Knock Back
• 3.4 cu. yrd = 1.7cu.m of Sand or 2.55 tons (71HP * 2 yrd/s) would deal 1d+2 cr or 3d shoving knock back only. 
• 0.56 cu. yrd  or 42 cu.m of Sandstone 0.935 tons (50HP * 1 yrd/s), will create 1d-2 cr or 1d of shoving/knockback only damage. granite would be a negligible density as compared to sandstone to deal more damage unless way more FP is used. 

Earth Vision

2 counts

Earth vision pays for the range you can see. 10 yrds/m is already pretty far. Its freaking X-ray vision and you can imagine how you can have more uses of it than the other vision based spells.

Non-Mages. Again very valuable, and with synergy with the other spells. Your rogue with trap skills will definitely love using this a lot. 

1. Fill the air with Dust Cloud with Sand Jet or Mud Jet and use Earth Vision to see through it. 
2. Attack from Ambush, while behind earth cover - which has escape routes. 
3. Find Traps in stone and earth work. 
4. Analyze Architecture and Structures. 
5. Enclose a Space and Cast Destroy Air (count 2) or Create Air (Count 1). See Vacuum in B437
1. The enclosure would requires a certain thickness and a skill roll to shape. 
2. if you hold your breath you will Non-Magesrisk rupturing your lungs.
3. Explosive Decompression - Take 1d of injury immediately and roll vs HT against the bends (B435). Roll HT+2 for each eye and HT-1 to prevent hardness of hearing. 
6. Use the Earth Elevation to for Recon 
1. Formula for Horizon is ( Height (m/yrd) ^ (0.5) ) * 3.57 = Distance of Horizon in km (or x1,000 yards or x0.63 miles) 
7. Shape Clay so that you have Earth that can be Waterproof and Hold water. Shape something in clay and use earth to stone to make into an ideal Stone that serves its purpose. 

Earth To Stone

2 counts

Since you can maintain Shape Earth without concentration, you can cast Earth to Stone to entomb or solidify the structure you have created. this is WAY cheaper than Shaping Stone. If you used Shape Earth, you would have to spend 12fp for 2 cu.m/yrds as compared to Shape earth and Earth to Stone, you would have had to pay 2fp for 2 cu.m/yrds and 6fp to transform it into Stone (like reinforced concrete which is about ~4DR per 1cm or ~10DR per 1 inch). You saved 4fp.

Non-Mages. very useful for engineers and miners. 

Common Rock Densities will come in handy.

• List of Rock Types
• Make earth into Coal and Shape Coal! Coal is basically earth or stone that is combustible.
• Flint and Steel will allow the mage to ignite coal shaped to be kindled.  
• Make earth into Obsidian, so that it can hold a very sharp edge. 
• Make earth into Pumice, and you have stone that is buoyant.
• List of Gem Stone for the stuff you cannot create with Earth to Stone
• Nitrates and Fertilizes! definitely improve food productivity, to TL6-9 levels

Economic Impact of Earth to Stone (or Earth to Metal)

1. Doubling the cost will make METALS! Why dig many dangerous mines, mages will now produce all the metals! Mages don't need to specialize in Metal Production, Metal Smith will depend on mages creating the tools for metal creation. 
1. it is simple for GMs to remove this option OR add barriers. 
2. Reduce the amount produce to 1/1000 or 1kg or 2.2lbs. x20-x50 the FP cost so that the mage would need apprentices and a larger group to coordinate. You can make it an entire village.   
2. Note it does not say its Iron, its metals which means it can be any metal. 
3. This spell creates Oricalcum with Essential Earth. 

Flesh to Stone 

3 counts
can also be turned into a metalic statue. Subject to the Economic Impact barriers of Earth to Metal. The Risk vs Cost is very poor compared to Shape Earth.

Stone to Earth 

3 counts
Transmutes Metal to Stone at double the cost. Too expensive for combat purposes, but useful in Sieges. Note that you can convert to earth Sliced Sections of Stone. The GM may require an Artistry or Engineering roll. Failed roll is half progress. Great against Stone elemental or Body or Stone. The GM has to rule how much damage it will deal for such. At such a specific use it can be ruled it deals 1d cutting or crushing damage at Body of Stone or Stone creatures. 

Partial Petrification 

4 counts
Again very expensive. The Risk vs Cost is worse than Flesh to Stone, and Shape Stone. the best use of it is to cause a Fear check form the horror of the transformation. 

Predict Earth Movement 

4 counts
Useful in determining where to build, as a preventive measure it is very useful. It can use also the potential for Landslides as a defensive measure for the town if the town is build to avoid it and earthworks are made to channel it towards invaders. 

Rain of Stones 

4 counts
A Harrying spell, cheaper than a Rain of Arrows. You can imagine it being used as a harrying tactic during tactical maneuvers - pinning down a shield wall. It can also be a siege spell, destroying property, supply carts. Since the mage will have to cast it at an enemy unit, he is subject to the range penalty of the spells. The mage will be in close proximity and in a dangerous position. This makes the spell best if the mage is behind a wall, countering a siege or attacking those on the wall. 

Walk through Earth 

4 counts
Needs Earth to Air to be very advantageous. Maintaining Earth Vision and Shape earth would be helpful. Earth Running and Climbing Techniques will be helpfull in moving faster through the limited duration of the spell. 

Earth to Water 

5 counts
If shape earth needs to have a water element, this spell help add that. It creates mud or water. Very useful in basic survival and logistics. Water is a heavy resource, to be able to hydrate without carrying it will change logistics practices. 

Entombment 

5 counts
A powerful first aid spell! Entomb someone until you can get them into better healing. Mages can go on "hiatus" and disappear. I dont know if you can heal someone in suspended animation? If you can kill them then you can probably heal them, since the condition is static. 

Sand Jet

Count 4 

Blinds and Distracts. Good for harassing an opponent for allies to flank. 

Mud Jet 

5 counts
Does what sand jet does, but adds Knockback.

Steelwraith 

5 counts
best use of it is to ignore armor. Read the very short description - you ignore metal! This means you can reach out and smack an armored knight passing through his armor. It is a powerful spell this means the mage can use his fragile obsidian blade into a metal armored foe. It also means his non-metal attacks cannot be parried by metal weapons!

A mage who's prepared all his gear to be non-metal can find this very useful defense. With stone, bone or wooden pics they can manipulate metal locks. In a low metal setting this may not be so useful, and may be better neutralizing a fully metal armored opponent but it has a high risk to cost ratio. 

Stone to Flesh 

5 counts
Reverse Petrified creatures. Its a curative spell. 

Body of Stone 

6 counts
a defensive spell more than a offensive one. Casting it on an ally may make the Tank of the group better in soaking damage. 

Earthquake 

6 counts
Expensive spell to cast. So its typically cast as a ceremony with apprentices. An effective siege attack. 

Essential Earth 

6 counts
Has a lot of economic Impact. increasing the cost when it becomes metal (like converts 1 cu. yrd to 1kg or 2.2lbs of metal) would create some scarcity. Adding the cost modifiers of x10-x100 would also help. 

Purify Earth 

8 counts
Needs preparation - seek earth and earth vision so it wont go to waste. Has an economic impact. 

Sandstorm 

8 counts
Blinding sand storm. penalizes ranged attacks. 

Alter Terrain 

11 counts
takes a lot of energy to be used. better in a High Mana setting. 

Volcano 

13 counts
Takes a lot of energy to be used, better in a high mana setting. 

Move Terrain 

29 counts

Takes a lot of energy to be used, better in a high mana setting. 

Advanced Earth Techniques

1. Maintenance Spell, Initiative, Independence, and Shape Earth. Like Gaara of Naruto, you carry with you 2 cu.yrds / cu.m of Sand or Soil. 
1. Gaara of Naruto carrying sand can be achieved using Maintenance spell. Basically carry 2 cubic meter of sand with you at all times. The sand can carry itself and move 2m/s. Its going to be odd. The only way I can see this work is a Complex Illusion or an Illusion shell where the sand is a body guard.
2. Illusion Shell, the mage maintains Shape Earth into a vague human form finished by Illusion Shell or various other Illusions adn Independence/Initaitive to hide its true nature. 
3. Create a fairly large Enclosure with Shape Earth/Stone, and use Destroy Air for this (What happens to a Human Body in a Vacuum.) to happen. 
4. Use Shape Air to bring Sand and Earth into the terrain of choice.  

Earth Bending

As a fan of Avatar the TV show I'd like also to see the same Kata or Dance or Route martial art moves that would allow a character to manipulate moves like in the use of the Hung Gar Style Kung Fu.  You can basically take the Dance Aspect and make it into Kata (which is Dance in martial arts terms). if the Character can still cast spells without doing Kata, you can just make it Half Power without the Somatic/Dance component. 

Magery (Limitations Earth College Only, -40%; Half power without Kata Component, -20%) 4cp per level. Definitely Dwarves would benefit from this. 

Dwarves with the Stable Footing Perk. They can fight in the bad footing created by their Earthen mage Allies.

Metal as an Expansions of Earth Spells

You can add Metal Spells (M182) to the Earth Spell spell lists.You can have Identify Metal come after Earth to Stone or Seek Earth.

Identify metal,
Seek Metal,
Shape Metal,

Ideas

• Terracotta Warriors and Knights
• Obsidian Knights and Warriors
• Mosiac Armor (mixing small stones and earth). 
• You can have a special perk and background for some low value gemstone to be manipulated. It also requires Jewler instead of Sculpt. 
• Earthen Guard Towers with Obsidian Mirrors. 

War Beneath Haven S02 E11 - the Mountain, end of Season 02

Season 1: 8 episodes May 17 to November
Season 2: 11 episodes Feb to April 26


Summary

1. The party began the adventure in the mountain, having crashed their vehicle in their escape. It was late so they rest. They took a couple of hours to fix things up and went on their watch and sleep shifts at 8pm. Two shifts, on the second shift Eeshu found a silver cord dripping liquid down from a tree. When he alerted everyone another silver cord lashed at him and he freed himself with a knife. Archie and Jack began firing, Archie had NVG while jack had better aim. The creature was hurt, trying to escape it jumped down and it happend to be a 400lb spider. They made sure it was dead and Eeshu was able to collect its poison sac. When they finally began to move, they discovered Dimitri dead from asphyxiation.
2. The party moved on, the objective is to reach one of the last ditch effort safe houses found in the float junkyard beside the container yard. First they had to get out of the mountain, and they could only move east to cross it (thanks to Eeshu's knowledge of the mountain). They proceeded up and saw a ravaged shanty community, tracks could tell a story to those skilled enough to read them. They avoided the tracks, but encountered a 5m/15ft giant.  It caught another shanty dweller, the giant took it and almost caught wind of Jack it waited but something summoned it. 
3. When they crested the mountain they can see the mist escaping the mountain and creatures emerging from it. It took people and consumed them. There were many creatures and they can see the Magus' territories as they prevented the mist from closing in. They all took a rest because it was 2km hike up the mountain. They left when they can see the silhouette of giants climbing up. 
4. They climbed down, and they encountered giants returning from forage. The party was able to ambush them - one giant's head was riddled with 20+ rounds of a P90 (the head was huge) by Archie. The other giant, the larger one, had his brain's blown off when Jack shot a .300 winchester through an eye. The third was stunned with paralytic poison by eeshu and its legs blown off by Fish, and froze just before being able to smash Jack. They made sure it was dead. The shots rang loud and they can see a rush of more giants coming at them. They escape below, Speedy's mobility allowing them to steal a large van to escape. 
5. Tasha drove them and they parked far to observe who was at the scene. Emily and Yasuf (Osman's Son), did not respond in the secret radio signal the group had in place in such emergency. Black SUVs arrived and many armed men came over to the scene. A sedan with Thomas came, it stopped when it saw SUVs and went around. The team tried to follow Thomas. When they found him, he entered through the Container Yard. Constanz was with him, and they were stopped by soldiers. The team assembled in cover and Speedy tried to get Thomas' attention. He answered them, talking down the soldiers, but then walked over to Speedy. There was something terribly wrong, Jeni tried to stop them. Thomas tries to kill speedy, but his spectacular HT saves him. Everyone tried to kill Thomas at this point, a sword appeared from no where and tried to stab Jeni (which the GM rolled 16 for). 
1. Jack shot with his sniper rifle, and blew off his own arm. Archie remembered the encounter with the mage and tried to attack the sword wielding thomas with his carbine. two soldiers, Eeshu and Speedy used ranged with predictable consequences. Eeshu managed to get hit with his own spear, and survives the paralytic on a 7. Speedy goes down when he tazed himself. The two soldiers got knocked down, all simultaneously. 
2. On the next round everyone gangs up on Thomas, and they bring him down. In his Speedy sweeping the legs under him and everyone successfully attacking him. He cripples speedy in his defense. Constanz who has eliminated the other guards creates fire around Thomas forcing everyone to dodge and retreat. Jeni does something to force Constanz to dispel the fire. 
3. When Thomas recovers he makes her pay, just before the other renew their attack. Jeni goes down, Eeshu deals the killing blow to Thomas. 
6. Before Contanz could use magery to escape or harm the soldiers, Dylan takes her down. He approaches the party and points out to them that with Thomas dead he is their new boss, if they would accept him. Thomas dies leaving a large number of ownership reverting to Speedy, who is actually valuable because he is HSS chief engineer. To save Jeni, Dylan asks for Speedys loyalty (a Geas). Speedy accepts. He then recruits Archie, pointing out the murder in the elevator and his protection - they negotiate and come to a price. He then approaches Jack with an offer and the restoration of his arm. Eushu, is also approached with the "opportunity" to help the people of his "empire". 
7. 
   

Limited Aftermath

1. The party gets a huge CP pay out. Enough points to allow characters to round out any deficiencies they may need.  I will help the party establish roles. 
2. The heights need to be retaken, and the Party will be given time and resources to slowly build up forward bases and a presence. Dylan is their Patron, and they will be having mission dealing with mages and other supernatural factions to control more territory. 
1. I plan to see if it is feasible make many adventures set in the african continent - the new frontier! Empire Estates expanding and buying out territory there. 
3. HSS is now a company of Empire Estates, and Dylan means to make a bigger profit from the businesses that operates in the Shadow ISP network. 
4. Enough time will pass that the party's adventures begin again in 2014 Feb. 
5. Season 3: 1st week or 2nd week of June.