Sorcery: Lightning Spells

Sorcery: Lightning Spells

Lightning spells are the only ones left unconverted in the colleges of Air and Weather. Let's tackle them to get done with those colleges. Explosive Lightning and Spark Cloud are area attacks. Lightning Whip and Shocking Touch are lightning melee attacks.

Explosive Lightning

Keywords: Area (Fixed), Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 16.5 points/level*.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You fire a coruscating discharge of electricity that expands to cover an area; it is not technically an explosion, but the term has long since entered common use. Use Innate Attack (Beam) to hit, applying normal range penalties, but at +4 for targeting an area. Everyone within four yards of that spot takes dice of burning surge damage equal to your level of this spell. The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.

 Metallic armor counts as DR 1 against this attack, but nonmetallic armor protects normally. Targets stuck by this attack must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of penetrating damage, or be physically stunned. On subsequent turns, they can roll HT to recover. Explosive Lightning behaves unpredictably around conductors; see Lightning (GURPS Magic, p. 196) for more details.

Statistics: Burning Attack 1d (Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Nuisance Effect, Behaves erratically around conductors, -5%; Sorcery, -15%; Surge, Arcing, +100%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%) [16.5/level*].

* Calculate the total cost and then round up.

   

Lightning Whip

Keywords: Obvious.

Full Cost: 19 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Force Whip to hit.

Range: Self.

Duration: Instantaneous.

While this spell is active, the caster has a whip of lightning in his hand. It is wielded like a normal whip (p. B404), except that it always takes only one second to ready, and it cannot be used to parry or entangle. The whip has Reach 1-4 (changing Reach requires a Ready maneuver) and inflicts swing burning surge damage every time it strikes. Metallic armor counts as DR 1 against this attack, but nonmetallic armor protects normally. Targets stuck by this attack must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of penetrating damage, or be physically stunned. On subsequent turns, they can roll HT to recover.

Statistics: Natural Weapon (Burning; Cannot Parry, -40%; Destructive Parry, +40%; Extra Reach, 1-4, Ready maneuver necessary, +90%; Intangible, +50%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%; Single, -20%; Sorcery, -15%; Surge, Arcing, +100%; Swing-Capable, +20%) [19].

Shocking Touch

Keywords: Obvious.

Full Cost: 10 points/level.

Casting Roll: None. Use unarmed combat skill or DX to hit.

Range: Touch.

Duration: Instantaneous.

This spell charges the caster’s hand with electricity. The caster must touch the subject to trigger this spell. The touch deals 1d burning surge damage per level of this spell. Metallic armor counts as DR 1 against this attack, but nonmetallic armor protects normally. Targets stuck by this attack must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of penetrating damage, or be physically stunned. On subsequent turns, they can roll HT to recover.

Statistics: Burning Attack 1d (Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; Sorcery, -15%; Surge, Arcing, +100%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%) [10/level].

Spark Cloud

Keywords: Area (Leveled).

Full Cost: 7 points for level 1 + 1 points/additional level.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 10 seconds.

Creates a cloud of electrical sparks. It does not block vision, but it inflicts burning surge damage to anyone standing in it. To place the effect at a distance, use Innate Attack (Gaze), with normal range penalties, but at +4 for affecting an area. The initial attack roll places the effect. It then drifts from that point with the wind.

Every creature in the area takes 1d-2 burning surge damage per turn. Metallic armor counts as DR 1 against this attack, but nonmetallic armor protects normally. Targets stuck by this attack must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of penetrating damage, or be physically stunned. On subsequent turns, they can roll HT to recover.

Statistics: Burning Attack 1d-2 (Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Drifting, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Sorcery, -15%; Surge, Arcing, +100%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%; Variable, Area, +5%) [7]. Further levels add Area Effect (+50%) to the advantage [+1].