Sorcery: Zeno's Paradoxes

Sorcery: Zeno's Paradoxes

These three spells are based on Zeno's paradoxes. The first one makes victims unable to reach the caster. The second one immobilizes the victim in space. The third one nullifies ranged attacks.

Zeno’s First Paradox

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

Full Cost: 200 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Self.

Duration: Indefinite.

In a race, the quickest runner can never overtake the slowest, since the pursuer must first reach the point whence the pursued started, so that the slower must always hold a lead. The caster must take a Concentrate maneuver and make a Will roll to bring up the aura that imposes this belief on an area around him. If successful, then the aura is active for the next minute. The caster may roll a Quick Contest of Will vs. the target’s IQ (as a free action) when someone he wants to affect enters his area of effect. Success means that victim suffers the effects for seconds equal to the caster’s margin of victory. On a failure, he may continue to roll once per second (again, as a free action) with no penalty or cost, until successful in affecting that subject.

Negative effects of the aura depend on the distance between the victim and the caster. Whenever the victim enters a band of the area of effect that imposes a penalty of a different severity, the caster must roll a Quick Contest to affect the victim again. The following table sums up the exact effects.

Distance Band	Effect on Basic Move in all mediums (round down)
32 yards	Basic Move x0.8, minimum 1
16 yards	Basic Move x0.6, minimum 1
8 yards	Basic Move x0.4, minimum 1
4 yards	Basic Move x0.2, minimum 1
2 yards	Basic Move drops to 0

The caster must make a new Will roll each minute to keep his aura up. If he fails, the aura drops; on any subsequent turn, he may pay 1 FP, take a Concentrate maneuver, and make a Will roll to bring it back up. He may also turn it off voluntarily at the beginning of his turn (as a free action).

The caster can omit any targets from the area of effect, but the spell affects victims the caster is unaware of.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (IQ; Area Effect, 32 yards, +250%; Aura, +80%; Based on IQ, +20%; Does not overlap with the smaller distance band, -50%; Link, +10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/60, Only after the target leaves the area, -30%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Selective Area, +20%; Slower Move, 0.8x, +10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [47] + Affliction 1 (IQ; Area Effect, 16 yards, +200%; Aura, +80%; Based on IQ, +20%; Does not overlap with the smaller distance band, -50%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/60, Only after the target leaves the area, -30%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Selective Area, +20%; Slower Move, 0.6x, +20%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [43] + Affliction 1 (IQ; Area Effect, 8 yards, +150%; Aura, +80%; Based on IQ, +20%; Does not overlap with the smaller distance band, -50%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/60, Only after the target leaves the area, -30%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Selective Area, +20%; Slower Move, 0.4x, +30%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [39] + Affliction 1 (IQ; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Aura, +80%; Based on IQ, +20%; Does not overlap with the smaller distance band, -50%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/60, Only after the target leaves the area, -30%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Selective Area, +20%; Slower Move, 0.2x, +40%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [35] + Affliction 1 (IQ; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Aura, +80%; Based on IQ, +20%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/60, Only after the target leaves the area, -30%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Selective Area, +20%; Slower Move, 0x, +50%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [36].

Zeno’s Second Paradox

Keywords: Resisted (IQ).

Full Cost: 56 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: 1 minute.

That which is in locomotion must arrive at the half-way stage before it arrives at the goal. Travel over any finite distance can neither be completed nor begun, and so all motion must be an illusion. This spell drops the victim’s Basic Move in all mediums to 0, makes him unable to use the Warp advantage, and makes him immune to knockback.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (IQ; Advantage, Zeno’s Second Paradox, +140%; Based on IQ, +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; Negated Advantage, Warp, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/3, -10%; Slower Move, 0x, +50%; Sorcery, ‑15%) [56]. Note: «Zeno’s Second Paradox» is Immunity to Knockback (Magical, -10%) [14].

Zeno’s Third Paradox

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 16 points for level 1 + 4 points/additional level.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Three minutes.

If everything when it occupies an equal space is at rest, and if that which is in locomotion is always occupying such a space at any moment, the flying arrow is therefore motionless. The subject gains a form of all-or-nothing DR against ranged attacks, including energy weapons. If the damage dealt by the attack would’ve been stopped by this DR fully, then the projectile or energy stays motionless and inert right after beginning its motion for 1 second, then drops to the ground or dissipates. An arrow, a crossbow bolt, or a thrown weapon can be snatched by anyone within reach before it falls to the ground. If even a single point of damage would’ve penetrated this DR, then the spell has no effect against this attack.

This spell provides DR of this kind equal to the level of this spell.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Zeno’s Third Paradox 1, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [23]. Additional levels add further Zeno’s Third Paradox to the Advantage enhancement [+4]. Note: Each level of “Zeno’s Third Paradox” is Damage Resistance 1 (All-or-Nothing, -10%; Force Field, +20%; Limited, Ranged Attacks, -20%; Magical, -10%) [4].