Sorcery: Earth Spells

Sorcery: Earth Spells

While I have already covered some earth spells in Earth Transmutations, there are many earth spells left! Create Earth and Essential Earth produce raw material that can be shaped with Shape Earth. Seek Earth, Seek Pass, and Predict Earth Movement are useful information spells for wilderness adventures. Earth Vision can be a godsend in dungeons and caves. Stone Missile is a basic attack spell. Stone to Flesh is crucial when fighting medusas or basilisks.

Create Earth

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 22 points/level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Touch.

Duration: 10 seconds or permanent; see text.

This spell allows you to create earth, mud, stone, or sand. To do so, take a Concentrate maneuver and roll vs. IQ. Success means the earth appears in hand or within arm’s reach (for example, within a container you are holding). Failure means nothing happens. Critical failure means the creation happens, but in a way that’s inconvenient or dangerous – the GM should be creative!

The produced earth can weigh up to 10 x (level squared) lbs. – 10 lbs. at level 1, 40 lbs. at level 2, 90 lbs. at level 3, and so on.

Created earth is unstable. It vanishes in 10 seconds unless you use character points to “stabilize” it. Each point spent stabilizes a quantity worth 10% of the campaign’s average starting wealth. (This is just the tradeoff used for Trading Points for Money, p. B26.) The GM determines the cash value per pound of matter.

Points spent to stabilize matter come from your “Creation Pool,” a number of points set aside for the purpose. You can’t apply any modifiers to these points. Points used to stabilize matter are unavailable until reclaimed – which causes the matter to vanish. If the matter is crafted into an object, the item is unmade when the matter vanishes. If the matter is mixed with other materials (e.g., alloyed), you must separate it to reclaim your points; this can be a tedious process. If it’s destroyed (e.g., melts naturally) or transformed (e.g., eaten), you can’t reclaim your points – they’re gone. You can increase your Creation Pool with unspent points at any time.

Statistics: Create Earth (Magical, -10%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 1, +20%) [22/level].

Earth Vision

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 17 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Three minutes.

This spell lets the subject see through solid earth and stone. Each level of this spell allows the subject to see through up to six inches of earth and stone. The subject can just barely see the outline of the substance he is looking through – not enough to impair vision in any way. This spell automatically works in conjunction with all of the subject’s other vision advantages (Infravision, Ultravision, etc.).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Earth Vision 1, +50%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [17]. Additional levels add further Earth Vision to the Advantage enhancement [+5]. Note: Each level of “Earth Vision” is Penetrating Vision 1 (Magical, -10%; Specific, Earth, -40%) [5].

Essential Earth

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 32 points/level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Touch.

Duration: 10 seconds or permanent; see text.

This spell allows you to create the magical essence of earth. Essential Earth is three times as fertile: plants germinate three times faster and grow three times taller or bigger than normal. To create essential earth, take a Concentrate maneuver and roll vs. IQ. Success means the essential earth appears in hand or within arm’s reach (for example, within a container you are holding). Failure means nothing happens. Critical failure means the creation happens, but in a way that’s inconvenient or dangerous – the GM should be creative!

The produced essential earth can weigh up to 10 x (level squared) lbs. – 10 lbs. at level 1, 40 lbs. at level 2, 90 lbs. at level 3, and so on.

Created essential earth is unstable. It vanishes in 10 seconds unless you use character points to “stabilize” it. Each point spent stabilizes a quantity worth 10% of the campaign’s average starting wealth. (This is just the tradeoff used for Trading Points for Money, p. B26.) The GM determines the cash value per pound of matter.

Points spent to stabilize matter come from your “Creation Pool,” a number of points set aside for the purpose. You can’t apply any modifiers to these points. Points used to stabilize matter are unavailable until reclaimed – which causes the matter to vanish. If the matter is crafted into an object, the item is unmade when the matter vanishes. If the matter is mixed with other materials (e.g., alloyed), you must separate it to reclaim your points; this can be a tedious process. If it’s destroyed (e.g., melts naturally) or transformed (e.g., eaten), you can’t reclaim your points – they’re gone. You can increase your Creation Pool with unspent points at any time.

Statistics: Create Essential Earth (Cosmic, Essential Material, +50%; Magical, -10%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 1, +20%) [32/level].

Predict Earth Movement

Keywords: Information.

Full Cost: 13 or 25 points.

Casting Roll: IQ. Special casting time (see below).

Range: Local or Unlimited.

Duration: Instantaneous.

This spell forecasts any landslides, earthquakes, or volcanic activity accurately for a given area over time. Successful casting tells the sorcerer what the earth movement will be like for the next day, plus a further day for every two full points of success. The GM should sum up each day with a few words: “Tomorrow will be calm; Tuesday, a weak earthquake; Wednesday, a massive volcanic eruption.”

Alternatively, the caster can ask for an hourly forecast, in which case use the rules above but read “day” as “hour.” This provides far more detailed information, but at the cost of a much shorter timespan.

Unlike most spells, Predict Earth Movement takes 10 minutes to cast. The basic (13-point) version only allows the caster to ask about the local earth movement. The improved (25-point) version lets him predict the earth movement anywhere; apply long-distance modifiers (p. B241).

Statistics: Precognition (Active Only, -60%; One Event, Earth Movement, -40%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 1, +20%; Reliable 8, +40%; Magical, -10%) [13]. The improved version adds “Cosmic, Can divine distant subjects” (+50%) [+12].

Seek Earth

Keywords: Information.

Full Cost: 62 points or 77 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 significant amount of any one type of earth or stone. The basic (62-point) version of this spell takes standard range penalties. The improved (77-point) one uses long-distance modifiers. If successful, the caster knows the exact distance and direction to the source of earth or stone, and may make a follow-up IQ roll (at no penalty) to learn basic details about it (e.g., “it’s a chunk of granite” or “it’s fertile soil”).

Any known instances of earth or stone may be excluded if the caster mentions them before casting.

Statistics: Detect Earth (Precise, +100%; Selective Effect, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [62]. The improved version adds Long-Range 1 (+50%) [+15].

  

Seek Pass

Keywords: Information.

Full Cost: 13 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 pass through a mountain range. Use the long-distance modifiers. If successful, the caster knows the exact distance and direction to the pass, and may make a follow-up IQ roll (at no penalty) to learn basic details about it.

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

Statistics: Detect Pass (Long-Range 1, +50%; Precise, +100%; Selective Effect, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [13].

   

Shape Earth

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 25 points/level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Indefinite.

You can shape and move earth, including asphalt, brick, ceramic, concrete, and rock, but not purified metals. The higher your level of Shape Earth, the larger the quantity you can affect. You can affect up to 10 x (level squared) lbs. of earth in the form of a single object or amorphous mass. For example, Shape Earth 3 would let you affect a 90-lb. stone slab or even 90 lbs. of pebbles in a heap . . . but against a foe with a 8-lb. stone club and a 15-lb. stone shield you could only affect one target, even though the total weight is much less than your limit.

Shape Earth doesn’t work on complex, manufactured artifacts unless they’re made almost entirely of earth or stone. You could affect a stone club, but not a complex mechanism with only a few stone 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 Shape Earth level. This requires constant concentration. You can make a solid stone 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 Earth lets you move or shape earth 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 stone slab into armor with the DR of stone by making an Armoury roll.

Offensively, Shape Earth is more limited. By concentrating, you can move an existing stone 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 earth, – or if you can move earth onto him – you may inflict combat penalties on him. This requires flexibility on the GM’s part: Shape Earth 10 might cause a mini-earthquake if your foe is standing on the ground good for -10 to attack rolls. Tricks like this require a Concentrate maneuver and an IQ or Tactics roll.

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

Stone Missile

Keywords: Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 4 points/level.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You throw a ball of stone at a single target. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to hit, applying normal range penalties. It does 1d crushing damage per level of this spell. The missile can be blocked. The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.

Statistics: Crushing Attack (Blockable, -5%; Sorcery, -15%) [4/level].

Stone to Flesh

Keywords: Resisted (Will or spell).

Full Cost: 28 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Attempts to reverse the effects of Flesh to Stone (or any similar petrification spell or ability) and bring the victim back to life (stunned). Cannot be used to animate a statue that was never alive.

Treat the resistance roll as for Dispel Magic (see GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, p. 21).

Statistics: Neutralize Magic (Accessibility, Must target subject, not caster, -10%; Cosmic, Can dispel spells that are immune to Dispel Magic, +50%; Interruption, -50%; One Ability, Flesh to Stone, -80%; Precise, +20%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [28].