Sorcery: Communication & Empathy Spells

Sorcery: Communication & Empathy Spells

The College of Communication & Empathy is a very specialized one, but it is also a very interesting one. In some way, it overlaps with the College of Mind Control, but it is focused on the emotions and senses. Mind-Reading allows you to read the subject's mind, but not to control it. Mind-Search lets the caster to probe minds for deep thoughts. Mind-Sending allows him to send his thoughts far away, and Telepathy allows him to hold a two-way conversation at a distance.

Sorcery: Body Control Buffs

Sorcery: Body Control Buffs

Body control is a college with one of the highest spell count in GURPS Magic, and because of that there's always something unconverted left. Let's make some more buffs.

Martial Art: Meditation of War

Martial Art: Meditation of War

The last style from Oriental Adventures, Meditation of War is a style that incorporates not only unarmed strikes, but also melee weapons and strikes to pressure points. I can imagine this style being used by monks that disable the target with unarmed pressure point strikes, and only if it fails draw their weapons.

Martial Art: The Gentle Way

Martial Art: The Gentle Way

This is a simple style that puts an emphasis on defense and throws. Mostly used by pacifistic monks in self-defense.

Martial Art: Foot and Fist

Martial Art: Foot and Fist

Another simple style that makes an emphasis on both punching and kicking, and includes some acrobatics.

Martial Art: Mighty Works

Martial Art: Mighty Works

Let's continue making some simple styles for monks and other practitioners in fantasy worlds. This time we have Mighty Works, a style that emphasizes strong punches and locks.

Martial Art: Empty Hand

Martial Art: Empty Hand

GURPS does not have many fictional martial arts to use in fantasy games. I've already converted the styles from D&D 3.5 Tome of Battle and Pathfinder Path of War and Path of War Expanded (see here), but most of those styles are intended for melee weapon users. It is time to expand the unarmed martial arts with some simple/generic styles. D&D 3.0 Oriental Adventures presents us 5 martial arts, but their descriptions are very vague and short. Maybe it's a good starting point?

Monster: Grell

Monster: Grell

Grells are aberrations akin to the aboleths or mind flayers. They look like floating brains with tentacles and sharp beaks. Primarily underground dwellers, they pose a grave danger to adventurers that rely on short melee weapons, as ten clawed poisoned paralyzing constricting tentacles are nothing to laugh at.

Magic: Armor Enchantments

Magic: Armor Enchantments

There are very few armor enchantments in GURPS Magic, so I made some new ones, based on D&D special armor qualities.

Sorcery: Lightning Spells II

Sorcery: Lightning Spells II

Let's finish the lightning spells! Spark Storm is a Windstorm combined with Lightning. Wall of Lightning can create a dangerous obstacle on the battlefield. Lightning Stare is another attack spell that comes out of your eyes. Ball of Lightning is a homing projectile that passes through nonmetallic obstacles. Lightning Armor is both an offensive and a defensive buff.

And now I declare the colleges of Air and Weather finished! Finally!

Monster: Cave Locust

Monster: Cave Locust

And another vermin, but this time a weaker one. Having the size of a halfling, this insect is not dangerous alone, but could be scary in swarms, especially in cavernous terrain, where the locusts can jump around and spit goo from inaccessible places.

Monster: Giant Cockroach

Monster: Giant Cockroach

Gross

Cockroaches are notoriously hard to kill, but normal cockroaches are not a challenge for a party of adventurers. Let's make a giant cockroach then! Especially since there is a statblock in D&D 3.5 Underdark. The giant cockroaches are much more dangerous, especially in large numbers. They are hard to kill, and they exude disgusting stench.

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.

Sorcery: Movement Spells

Sorcery: Movement Spells

Some movement (and one Gate) spells. Cloud-Walking is a specialized version of Walk on Air. Cloud-Vaulting is a Weather teleportation spell. Swim allows the subject to move unimpeded in water. Teleport Other and Plane Shift Other can move the subject in space or to another plane, respectively.

Sorcery: Air Spells III

Sorcery: Air Spells III

And here are the last 3 air spells, that have nothing to do with lightning. Devitalize Air is a suffocating area spell. Wall of Wind is a good defense against projectiles. Air Vortex can whisk away multiple creatures.

Sorcery: Air Spells II

Sorcery: Air Spells II

Some more air spell! Stench fills an area with a toxic gas. Destroy Air is useful when you need to suffocate somebody in a closed room or destroy poisonous gases. Shape Air allows you to move air, and Odor allows you to produce specific odors.

Sorcery: Mind Control Spells

Sorcery: Mind Control Spells

Mind control magic is a traditional thing for the spellcasters, but the printed sourcebooks are lacking in Mind Control spells. Let's look at GURPS Magic and make some more, starting with the easier ones! Berserker turns any person into a mad warrior. Bravery makes the subject brave, but overconfident. Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, and Sleep disable creatures temporarily. Panic makes the enemies run away in fear. Rear Vision lets the subject be aware of surprise attacks from behind. Strengthen Will and Weaken Will increase and decrease the subject's Will score, respectively.

Sorcery: Spells of the Past

Sorcery: Spells of the Past

The following spells are based on Psychometry. They determine an object's or a place's past, or replay past events from the object's point of view. These spells are useful for sorcerous investigators and archeologists.

Sorcery: Sensory Displacement

Sorcery: Sensory Displacement

The following spells all are based on Clairsentience (B42). All of them are very similar, they displace senses outside of your body, allowing you to feel, hear, taste, smell, or see from another "viewpoint". Projection is a little bit different - it displaces your whole consciousness, leaving your body unconscious.

Sorcery: Water Spells II

Sorcery: Water Spells II

And more water spells! Breathe Water is useful for underwater adventures, and Walk on Water helps to avoid such adventures. Snow Shoes is very useful in arctic terrain. Foul Water is a delayed poisonous attack. And Water Jet can come into use against swarms or fire elementals.

Sorcery: Water Spells

Sorcery: Water Spells

The College of Water contains many Weather spells, and some Air and Earth spells as well. I've converted all the Acid and Ice spells already, so let's get to the liquid water spells! Create Water and Essential Water are useful to slake thirst. Purify Water is extremely important when only saltwater is available. Destroy Water can gradually drain even a large container. Shape Water is good for sculpting ice. Seek Water is useful in deserts, and Seek Coastline is a spell for seafarers. Water Vision can reveal hidden places in ice caverns.

Monster: Babau

Monster: Babau

Babaus are weak demons coated in corrosive slime. Their innate magical abilities can disable many unprepared adventurers and allow the demon to escape despite its physical weakness.

Sorcery: Light and Darkness Spells III

Sorcery: Light and Darkness Spells III

More Light and Darkness spells! Blackout, Darkness, and Gloom all decrease the illumination in some way. Glow increases the illumination. Light Jet can serve as a flashlight or to blind enemies in darkness. Mirror is useful when you need to look good, test a person for vampirism, and to ignite things in the wilderness.

Sorcery: Light and Darkness Spells II

Sorcery: Light and Darkness Spells II

All of the following spells affect vision. Bright Vision protects from glare and flashbangs. Dark Vision lets the subject see in utter darkness. Night Vision allows the subject to see if there is any light at all. Infravision allows the subject to see heat rays. Hawk Vision makes the subject see far, and Small Vision makes the subject able to see microscopic things.

Sorcery: Light and Darkness Spells

Sorcery: Light and Darkness Spells

Spells that create or manipulate light or darkness always were one of my favorites. Colors will let you change a light's color. Continual Light is a good spell for dungeon delving or earning money working as an illuminator. Remove Reflection and Remove Shadow grant the subjects supernatural traits of a vampire. Shape Darkness and Shape Light manipulate areas of natural or magically created light.

Monster: Mudman

Monster: Mudman

Mudmen are formed in pools of mud where enchanted waters collect and evaporate. Mudmen resemble short, stocky humanoids, formed of mud. They have a barrel shaped body, and long, thick arms that end in huge, roughly formed hands. Their heads are featureless, though on occasion eyes or a mouth will be formed in the mud.

Once a creature enters the mudman's mud pool, the mudman senses it and assumes its humanoid form. If a creature leaves the pool, the mudmen will not follow, but will sink back down into the pool and assume their dormant state.

A mudman attacks using its fists or hurling mud at its foes (its preferred form of attack).

Sorcery: Air Spells

Sorcery: Air Spells

Since the college of Fire is mostly done, the college of Earth is fully done, let's move on to the college of Air! Here are some basic (and one not so basic) spells of this elemental college. Air Vision allows you to ignore smoke, fog, and other obstructions. Breathe Air lets aquatic creature to breathe air. Create Air and Essential Air create air where non exists. Purify Air removes all toxins and impurities from the air. Seek Air is a useful spell when underwater or in space. Windstorm is a complex spell that causes many hidering effects in combat.

Sorcery: Earth Spells III

Sorcery: Earth Spells III

Oh boy, I wanted to delay these spells for as long as possible, but I forced myself to write them up to fully complete the college of Earth (if you do not count spells from GURPS Magic - Death Spells). Most of these spells were very hard to build, and I am not sure if I did everything right.