Sorcery: Plant Spells

Sorcery: Plant Spells

In the last game I played my character was a druid who specialized in plant spells. We were using Sorcery as the magic system, and this was my first time seeing it in play. I liked it, what can I say? My druid only had some minor spells, but they were useful nonetheless. One of the spells (Antiplant Shell) was converted from D&D, and all others were based on spells from GURPS Magic and GURPS Magic - Plant Spells. My druid only knew Identify Plant, Heal Plant, Shape Plant, and Razor Leaves initially, but then learned Body of Leaves. Body of Leaves was used not only defensively, but also offensively. Is there a better feeling than transforming yourself into a pile of leaves and then turn the angels that assault you to piles of leaves too and let your friend take care of them?

Antiplant Shell

Keywords: Area (Leveled), Resisted (IQ).

Full Cost: 42 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Self.

Duration: 50 minutes.

Plant creatures become unwilling to enter the area around you; any already within the area leave immediately. You may reduce the area effect if you wish to.

While this spell is technically resisted by each plant’s IQ, in practice the GM should bother only for extraordinary plants. If so, victory allows the plant to remain within the area for three minutes, after which it must roll again.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (IQ; Accessibility, Plants Only, ‑40%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Based on IQ, +20%; Disadvantage, Dread, +30%; Emanation, -20%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Sorcery, ‑15%) [42]. Additional levels add Area Effect (+50%) [+5].

Arboreal Immurement

Keywords: Resisted (HT).

Full Cost: 110 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Permanent.

If the subject fails to resist, he is instantly swallowed by the nearest tree within 5 yards large enough to contain him. He remains in suspended animation (doesn’t need to breathe, drink, eat, doesn’t age) in a tiny cylindrical chamber inside the tree, until rescued by chopping through the tree or the cancellation of the spell.

A mage who casts Arboreal Immurement on himself may elect to stay awake, but this is unwise unless he can create air!

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Suspended Animation, +590%; Environmental, Target within 5 yards of a large enough tree, -40%; Extended Duration, Permanent, +150%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Paralysis, Variant, +150%; Selectivity, Only to remove suspended animation on yourself, +5%; Terminal Condition, Freed by chopping through the tree, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [110]. Note: “Suspended Animation” is Doesn’t Breathe (Magical, -10%) [18] + Doesn’t Eat or Drink (Magical, -10%) [9] + Doesn’t Sleep (Magical, -10%) [18] + Unaging (Magical, -10%) [14].

Bless Plants

Keywords: Area (Leveled), Buff.

Full Cost: 54 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 6 months.

Plants in the area grow more fast and strong: Crops produce twice the usual yield, vegetation grows twice as tall, and any mundane HT rolls made by the plants are at +2. This spell affects only inanimate plants; mobile or sentient ones are immune.

Bless Plants lasts for 6 months. Once the plants die or are harvested, the plants lose this effect.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Sessile plants only, -30%; Advantage, Bless Plants, +190%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Extended Duration, 100,000x, +200%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%; Variable, Area, +5%) [54]. Additional levels add Area Effect (+50%) [+5]. Note: “Bless Plants” is Rapid Healing (Variant; Magical, -10%) [5] + Very Fit (Variant; Magical, -10%) [14].

Body of Leaves

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 33 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 30 minutes.

 The subject’s body transmogrifies into a mound of leaves, roughly hemispheric with an 18” peak. He has the Body of Leaves meta-trait for the duration of the spell. He is inconspicuous in most outdoor environments. Clothes and carried items, up to the target’s BL, are subsumed into the new form. To determine what gets left behind, begin with the heaviest items. Subsumed magic items are temporarily inoperable. The subject may cast any spells that have no ritual requirement. He cannot shift back on his own; he must wait for the spell to expire or be dispelled. (This does not change if the sorcerer is the subject.)

                A body of leaves is useful for sneaking, for hiding, and to survive a fall. The spell is not limited to the caster – it may be cast on someone else to terrify him, slow him down, or injure him using wind attacks and fire. (If this is his first transformation, roll a Fright Check at -6.) This spell is susceptible to Know True Shape, Remove Curse, and Suspend Curse. Likewise, the spell ends if the subject loses consciousness.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Body of Leaves, +170%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [33]. Notes: “Body of Leaves” is Alternate Form (Body of Leaves*; Can Carry Objects, No Encumbrance, +10%; Magical, -10%) [17]. If turned into a “usually on” magical item (Sorcery, pp. 27-28), the wearer can shift at will but it takes 10 seconds to do so.

* A meta-trait from p. 11 of GURPS Magic: Plant Spells: ST -10 [-100]; HP +10 [20]; Chameleon 6 (Limited to locations where a pile of leaves could be found, -60%) [12]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Double-Jointed [15]; Fragile (Combustible) [-5]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) [100]; Mute [-25]; No Legs (Slithers) [0]; No Fine Manipulators [-30]; Numb [-20]; Reduced Move -4 [-20]; Silence 5 [25]; Vulnerable (Wind Attacks, x2) [-20]. Affected by Plant spells [0]; Taboo Trait (Fixed ST) [0]. 2 points.

  

Body of Slime

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 85 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 30 minutes.

The subject gains the Body of Slime meta-trait; see the footnote below for details. Clothing and gear weighing no more than his BL change with him. He cannot shift back on his own; he must wait for the spell to expire or be dispelled. (This does not change if the sorcerer is the subject.)

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Body of Slime, +690%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [85]. Notes: “Body of Slime” is Alternate Form (Body of Slime*; Can Carry Objects, No Encumbrance, +10%; Magical, -10%) [69]. If turned into a “usually on” magical item (Sorcery, pp. 27-28), the wearer can shift at will but it takes 10 seconds to do so.

* A meta-trait from p. 165 of GURPS Magic: Amphibious [10]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous) [40]; Bad Smell [-10]; Disturbing Voice [-10]; Invertebrate [-20]; Affected by Plant spells [0]. 60 points.

Heal Plant

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 26 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Touch.

Duration: Instantaneous.

By making physical contact with a plant, you may immediately heal it 1d HP.

You can also cure a diseased plant. This requires an IQ roll at a modifier determined by the GM. Some particularly strong diseases (with a modifier of -5 or lower) cannot be cured with this spell.

Your casting roll is at ‑2 if the subject is unconscious (in case of some sentient plant creatures). In addition, if used more than once per day on a given subject, you are at a cumulative ‑3 per successful healing. Failure costs you 1d FP instead of the usual 1 FP!

The plant must still be alive for the spell to work.

Statistics: Healing (Accessibility, Plants only, -40%; Affects Self, +50%; Cannot restore crippled limbs, ‑10%; Capped, 2 FP, ‑25%; Magical, ‑10%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 1, +20%) [26]. Note: The 4 HP of healing has been converted to dice per p. B269.

Identify Plant

Keywords: Information.

Full Cost: 14 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Determines the type and species of any one plant. The GM will secretly roll against the caster’s IQ minus range penalties (p. B550) to the subject, which the caster must be able to see or touch. If the sorcerer is familiar with the plant in question, this will reveal it. Otherwise, the GM will use the margin of success to determine how much information to give the sorcerer.

Statistics: Detect (Plants; Sorcery, ‑15%; Touch- or Vision-Based, ‑15%) [14].

Razor Leaves

Keywords: Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 2 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to hit.

Range: 20 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You fire a stream of razor-sharp leaves that does 1d(0.5) cutting damage. This attack deals no blunt trauma or knockback, and can be blocked, but not parried. You must hold leaves in your hand to cast this spell.

Statistics: Cutting Attack 1d (Armor Divisor, (0.5), -30%; Blockable, -5%; No Blunt Trauma, -20%; No Knockback, -10%; Reduced Range, x1/5, -20%; Requires Material Component, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [2].

Seek Plant

Keywords: Information.

Full Cost: 41 points or 51 points.

Casting Roll: Per. Use IQ for analysis.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Instantaneous.

After casting, the GM rolls against the sorcerer’s Per, with a penalty based on the distance to the nearest growth of plants, or of one specific plant type. The basic (41-point) version of this spell takes standard range penalties. The improved (51-point) one uses long-distance modifiers. If successful, the caster knows the exact distance and direction to the growth of plants, and may make a follow-up IQ roll (at no penalty) to learn basic details about it (e.g., “it’s a tree” or “it’s a berry bush”).

Any known plants may be excluded if the caster mentions them before casting.

Statistics: Detect Plants (Precise, +100%; Selective Effect, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [41]. The improved version adds Long-Range 1 (+50%) [+10].

Shape Plant

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 25 points/level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Indefinite.

You can shape and move a particular dead plant matter (wood, but not fossils, oil, etc.). The higher your level of Shape Plant, the larger the quantity you can affect. You can affect up to 10 x (level squared) lbs. of dead plant matter in the form of a single object or amorphous mass. For example, Shape Plant 3 would let you affect a 90-lb. wooden cabinet or even 90 lbs. of wooden shavings in a heap . . . but against a foe with a 3-lb. spear and a 4-lb. shield, all wooden, you could only affect one target, even though the total weight is much less than your limit.

Shape Plant doesn’t work on complex, manufactured artifacts unless they’re made almost entirely of wood. You could affect a spear or a bow, but not a complex mechanism with only a few wooden parts.

If your target is already under someone else’s direct control, roll a Quick Contest. You roll against IQ; they roll against IQ if using Control or Telekinesis, their skill level if using a spell, and so on. You must win to establish control. Likewise, others can overpower your spell by winning a Quick Contest against your IQ.

After establishing control, you can reshape the target. Forming a simple shape (blob, column, sphere, etc.) requires a Concentrate maneuver but no die roll. If the result is meant to be beautiful or functional, though, the GM may deem the effort a long task (see p. B346) and require skill rolls against Armoury, Artist, Machinist, and so on. You can work without tools, but you must know what you’re doing.

You can also cause the target to elongate or flow at a Move equal to your Control level. This requires constant concentration. You can make a solid wooden object ooze, roll, or seep along the ground or a surface, and even reshape it in ways that defy gravity.

When you stop concentrating, you immediately give up control. Stable forms become permanent, while unstable ones collapse instantly.

Defensively, Shape Plant lets you move or shape wood to obstruct attacks. This requires a Concentrate maneuver. Such barriers give whatever cover the material normally provides. For instance, it might let you shape a wooden table into armor with the DR of wood by making an Armoury roll.

Offensively, Shape Plant is more limited. By concentrating, you can move an existing wooden object to impede your enemy’s movement, like any object of that weight. In all cases, your foe can dodge.

If a foe is standing in an area where you control wood, – or if you can move wood onto him – you may inflict combat penalties on him. This requires flexibility on the GM’s part: Shape Plant 10 might cause a mini-earthquake if your foe is standing on wooden floor good for -10 to attack rolls. Tricks like this require a Concentrate maneuver and an IQ or Tactics roll.

Statistics: Control Wood (Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [25/level].

Tangle Growth

Keywords: Area (Fixed).

Full Cost: 26 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 10 seconds.

You can direct existing vegetation to entangle and restrain everyone within an eight-yard-radius area. On land this requires nearby tree branches, vines, or tall grass; in the ocean it works if there’s dense seaweed. It requires a roll against Innate Attack (Gaze) plus Talent; if you miss, see Scatter (p. B414). The binding has ST 5 and lasts for 10 seconds, continuing to entangle new people who blunder into it. Those already caught grow more tightly entangled, with +1 to the ST of their bonds for each additional second they remain grappled.

Statistics: Binding 5 (Area Effect, 8 yards, +150%; Environmental, Dense vegetation, -40%; Persistent, +40%; Sorcery, -15%; Underwater, +20%) [26].

Wooden Arm

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 79 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 30 minutes.

The subject’s arm (up to the top of the biceps) turns to hard wood. It looks almost normal, able to flex and grip as if it were unaltered. The subject gains the Wooden Arm meta-trait; see the footnote below for details. He cannot shift back on his own; he must wait for the spell to expire or be dispelled. (This does not change if the sorcerer is the subject.)

If cast on a bleeding arm, the bleeding stops. The flow does not resume when the spell returns to its normal state – this spell effectively stanches an open wound and can be cast solely for that purpose. The arm is immune to metabolic hazards, is homogenous, has no blood, has DR 4, and its punch damage is increased by +1 per die.

The spell could be cast on someone else as a curse. He may feel a need to hide his deformity until the spell ends.

The subject’s wooden arm burns more easily than flesh. The subject makes a HT roll to avoid catching fire whenever the arm receives a major wound from a burning or explosive attack. The arm catches fire automatically if such an attack inflicts 10+ HP of injury. Once aflame, the arm suffers 1d-1 injury per second until it is extinguished by immersion in water, rolling on the ground (takes 3 seconds), etc.

Note that you must aim the spell at the arm and hit successfully for the spell to work. It won’t work if you hit the torso or any other body part.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Arms and similar body parts only, -20%; Advantage, Wooden Arm, +650%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [79]. Notes: “Wooden Arm” is Alternate Form (Wooden Arm*; Magical, -10%) [65]. If turned into a “usually on” magical item (GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, pp. 27-28), the wearer can shift at will but it takes 10 seconds to do so.

* A meta-trait: Blunt Claws (One arm, -50%) [2]; DR 4 (One arm, -40%) [12]; Fragile (Combustible; One arm, -40%) [-3]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards (One arm, -40%) [18]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous, No Blood; One Arm, -40%) [27]; Arm can be affected by Plant spells [0]. 56 points.