From: Gregory Littmann Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 14:29:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Magic Points: Alternative Magic Power System Draft 1 *ALTERNATIVE MAGICAL POWER POOLS* *THE PROBLEM* In GURPS magic, magic is powered from Fatigue. In many genre's magic is not. Even in games, supernatural force has been powered by such diverse elements as (will)Power (Call of Cthulhu), Chi (Feng Shui), and Blood Points (Vampire: The Masquerade). G.M.s in GURPS should have a wide range of options for powering magical effects - but we don't. At first glance (at least if you are quick enough), the problem looks simple to deal with. You give the power source a name (e.g. "X points"), and modify the cost of each point in the pool for 1. How many fatigue each X point is worth (this is called Power below). 2. How hard it is to recharge X points. Unfortunately, there is no way to capture the present magic system this way. For 15 points, a mage gains a +1 to spell skill, a capacity to recognize magic, and the ability to tap a power pool worth ST (or HT for the truly enlightened). Regardless of whether the standard system is overpriced, if the more general system is to offer attractive alternatives, it must be competative with this. As a default, I suggest a Power Pool advantage. The Power Pool advantage costs 15 points and works much the same as Magical Aptitude. This advantage gives a +1 to spell skills and an ability to recognize magic (or some other aspect of the supernatural). Morover, it would give 20 character points to be spent on the default size of the Power Pool itself. The default can be raised by adding extra character points to this 20. Yes, this means that for about 5 points, you get 20 points to spend on a certain advantage. If we want these Power Pools to balance with authodox GURPS magic, I don't see any other way. As with Magical Aptitude, further pluses to spell skill, up to a total of +3, may be purchased for 10 points each. With these character points, you purchase X points, where X is whatever sort of power you use to fuel your supernatural effects. Character points convert to X points depending on Power and Difficulty of Recharge. Power: How mighty are your units of power X? The more "magical fatigue" they are worth, the less flexible they will be. After all, it is better to have two points worth one fatigue that can be spent seperately than it is to have one point worth two fatigue. The cost of X in power points is 2 for the first fatigue's worth, +1 for every subsequent fatigue's worth. For instance: Standard Points provide power equal to 1 fatigue each (Power 1), so they cost 2 character points each. A pool of 15 would cost a base of 30 character points. Star Points provide power equal to 2 fatigue each (Power 2), so they cost 3 character points each. A pool of 15 would cost a base 35 character points. Points of Evil Might provide power equal to 5 fatigue each (Power 5), so they cost 6 Power Points for each one in the pool over 10. A pool of 15 would cost a base 90 character points all up. Difficulty of Recharge: The cost of X points is modified by how hard it is to recharge the pool once they are spent. This will largely be the G.M.s call, but here are some suggested guidelines. Obviously, these difficulties will vary widely depending on the setting. Extremely Easy: Rest - one fatigue's worth per 1 minute's rest; Prayer - - one fatigue's worth per 10 seconds of loud praying. Cost x 2. Very Easy: Rest - one fatigue's worth per ten minutes rest; Eat - one fatigues worth per quarter lb. of food. Standard cost. Easy: Sleep - one fatigue's worth per hour of sleep; Simple religious ritual - one fatigue's worth per 30 minutes. Cost / 2. Difficult: Drink blood - one fatigues worth per HT; Perform animal sacrifice - one fatigue's worth per HT. Cost / 3. Hard: Save a stranger's life - one fatigue's worth per IQ, Human Sacrifice - one fatigue's worth per IQ (this will be *much* harder in some worlds). Cost / 4. Very Hard: Elaborate ceremony requiring 10 participants, performable only once a week - one fatigue's worth per hour; Convert someone to your faith - one fatigue's worth per IQ. Cost / 5. For instance: Standard Points can be recharged by 10 minutes of rest (5 with a Recover Strength spell). However, until they are recharged, the character is at -1 fatigue. The G.M. decides that in the world at hand, this is Very Easy. There will be no modifier to cost. Points of Necromancy can be recharged only by sleeping in a crypt, at a rate of one fatigue's worth per hour. The G.M. decides that in the world at hand, this is Difficult (if only because of the social stigma that it will generate). The cost of Points of Necromancy will be divided by 3. Bountious Chi Points can be recharged only by intense meditation - one fatigue's worth per 10 minutes. The G.M. decides that this is Very Easy. The cost of Bountious Chi Points will not be modified. *DETAILED EXAMPLES OF POWER POOL PURCHASING* 1. STANDARDO THE STANDARD GURPS MAGE Standardo will use the standard GURPS magic system. Standard points provide one fatigue's worth of Power each and are recharged by resting for 10 minutes (or 5 with a Restore Strength spell) - one Standard Point (Power 1) per 10 or 5 minutes rest. As a special limitation, until they are recharged, the character is at -1 fatigue. There is no modifier for Power. The G.M. rules tha tin the world in question, the recharge method is Very Easy, so there is no modifier here either. Each Standard Point will cost 2 character points. Standardo buys the Power Pool advantage for 15 points, and two more levels of Standard Magical Aptitude, for a total of 35 points. For his Power Pool, Standardo has 20 character points to spend, as provided by the Power Pool advantage. He has 10 Standard Points in his pool, and each provides the same power as one fatigue. This is, in fact, not quite the standard GURPS magic system, since the Power Pool is not *based* on ST, but it is near enough for me. 2. PEACHFUZZ THE FAE Peachfuzz the Fae will use Fae Points to power her spells. Fae points provide one fatigue's worth of Power each and are recharged by romping gayly in the forest - one Fae Point (Power 1) per ten minutes of romp. There is no modifier for Power. The G.M. rules that in the world in question, the recharge method is Easy, so cost is halved. Each Fae Point will cost 1 character point. Peachfuzz buys the Power Pool advantage for 15 points, and two more levels of Fae Magic Aptitude, for a total of 35 points. For her Power Pool, Peachfuzz has 20 character points to spend, as provided by the Power Pool advantage. She has 20 Fae Points in her pool, and each provides the same power as one fatigue. 3. DREAMING TIGER THE MYSTIC Dreaming Tiger will use Mystic Points to power his spells. Mystic Points provide five fatigue's worth of Power each and are recharged by self-mutilation - five fatigue's worth to be replaced by each HT taken. Binding, First aid, or magical healing on this damage will result in the loss of all Mystic Points for a month, and the signs of mutilation must be publically visable. The Power modifier indicates that each Mystic Point will cost a base 6 character points each. The G.M. rules that in the world in question, the recharge method is Hard, so cost is divided by 4. Each Mystic Point will cost 1.5 character points. Dreaming Tiger buys the Power Pool advantage for 15 points and spends another 15 points to pump it up. The Power Pool advantage gives him 20 character points in the pool, which becomes 35 from the added 15. At 1.5 character points per Mystic Point, Dreaming Tiger has 23 Mystic Points in his pool. 4. BROTHER CADMIUS OF THE FLAME Brother Cadmius of the Flame uses Asura Points (Asura is his God's name). Each Asura Point provides 10 fatigue's worth of Power and is recharged by prayer before a fire - one Asura Point (Power 10) per hour of prayer. The Power modifier indicates that each Asura Point will cost a base 11 character points. The G.M. rules that in the world in question, the recharge method is Very Easy, so there is no modifier for difficulty. Each Asura Point will cost 11 character points. Brother Cadmius of the Flame buys the Power Pool advantage for 15 points and spends another 13 points to pump it up. The Power Pool advantage gives him 20 character points in the pool, which becomes 33 from the added 13. At 1.5 character points per Asura Point, Brother Cadmius has 3 Asura Points in his pool. 5. PROFESSOR THANATOS Professor Thanatos uses Points of Oblivion. Each Point of Oblivion provides fatigue's worth of Power and is recharged by goading someone into suicide without the use of mind magics - one Oblivion Point (Power 2) per 2 points of IQ the victem possessed. The Power modifier indicates that each Point of Oblivion will cost a base 3 character points. The G.M. decides that in the world in question, the recharge method is Very Hard, so the cost is divided by 5. Each Oblivion Point will cost half a character point. Professor Thanatos buys the Power Pool advantage for 15 points and spends another 7 points to pump it up. The Power Pool advantage gives him 20 character points in the pool, which becomes 27 from the added 7. At half a character point per Point of Oblivion, Professor Thanatos has 54 Points of Oblivion in his pool. *DETAILS, DETAILS* Question: High skill reduces the fatigue cost of spells. Does high skill reduce the X point cost of spells? Answer: Yes, but only not always so efficiently. Note how much fatigue would have been saved by high skill. That is the fatigue's worth of power that is saved, rounded down. For instance, let us say that 1 fatigue is saved. That means that any X point that provides 1 fatigue's worth of power could also be saved. If the fatigue saving is 2, any then 2 X points with a power of 1 fatigue or one X point with a power of 2 fatigue could be saved. To use the above characters as examples, Peachfuzz will have the cost of her spells reduced by 1 Fae point at skill 15, and by 2 Fae Points at skill 18. Professor Thanatos will have the cost of his spells reduced by 1 Point of Oblivion at skill 18, and 2 Points of Oblivion at skill 30. Brother Cadmius of the Flame would have to wait until skill 70 before *his* costs were reduced. Question: What if I can't provide exactly the fatigue's worth of Power needed to cast a spell? Answer: Then you need to spend more and lose the difference. Flaming Weapon costs 4 fatigue to cast. Peachfuzz could spend 4 Fae Points (Power 1) to cast it. Professor Thanatos could spend 2 Points of Oblivion (Power 2) to cast it. Dreaming Tiger would have to spend 1 whole Mystic Point (Power 5), even though he wastes a fatigue's worth of Power. Brother Cadmius of the Flame would have to spend a whole Asura Point (Power 10), even though he wastes 6 fatigue's worth of Power. Question: What if I only want to spend a lesser amoung on a spell that has a variable cost. For instance, Destroy Air has a base cost of 2. What if I only want to destroy one hex of air, but my the Power of my X points is 6? Do I have to destroy 3 hexes? Answer: No. You can detroy one hex and waster 4 points of Power if you prefer.