Sorcery: Machine Spells

Sorcery: Machine Spells

Technomagic is a fascinating way of blending the worlds of magic and technology. Machines are a prime example of technology, so machine control spells are crucial for technomages. Glitch causes something to go wrong. Malfunction disables a machine. Machine Possession and Permanent Machine Possession allow the caster to transfer his consciousness into a machine. Seek Machine allows the caster to detect machines.

Glitch

Keywords: Resisted (HT).

Full Cost: 28 points.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Instantaneous.

This spell causes something to go wrong for a moment with the subject machine. It may drop whatever it was holding, eject a part, miss a cog in its drive train, or garble a data packet. Ingenious casters will find all sorts of uses. The game effects can be anything from a trivial annoyance (if cast on a flashlight, for instance), to potentially deadly (if cast on an automedic in the middle of laser surgery).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Machines Only, -20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; No fatigue loss from Seizure, -20%; No Signature, +20%; Seizure, +100%; Reduced Duration, 1/180, -40%; Sorcery, -15%) [28].

Machine Possession

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 20 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Touch.

Duration: 1 minute.

The caster moves his consciousness to a machine. Should his current body be destroyed, he will die! Thus, he must keep his current host alive.

To possess a machine, the caster must concentrate for one second and physically touch it. The machine resists at +5 if it is in combat with the caster or otherwise wary of him.

If the caster loses or ties, he is mentally stunned for 1d seconds. In addition, he may never attempt to possess that machine again – the machine is “immune” to him. If the caster wins, he takes over the machine, completely suppressing its personality (if it exists). His previous host regains control of his body (if sentient) after 1d seconds of mental stun, and “comes to” with no memory of the possession.

The caster gains his new host’s ST, DX, and HT (and secondary characteristics calculated from these scores), as well as his physical advantages and disadvantages. He keeps his own IQ, Perception, and Will, and all of his mental traits. The caster’s social traits may apply, depending on the laws and values of his society. The caster’s IQ-, Perception-, and Will-based skills are unchanged. Other skills remain at the same relative skill level.

The caster can freely access the memories of a sentient host at any time. To recall a specific fact from the subject’s memories requires a straight IQ roll, at no penalty for the time since takeover.

Statistics: Possession (Accessibility, Machines Only, -20%; Full Memory Access, +10%; Maximum Duration, 1 minute, -65%; Sorcery, -15%) [20].

Malfunction

Keywords: Resisted (HT).

Full Cost: 30 points.

Casting Roll: Will. Use DX or unarmed combat skills to hit.

Range: Touch.

Duration: 1 minute.

The caster must touch the subject. If the subject machine fails to resist, it ceases to function (treat this as being paralyzed p. B428) for one minute (an airplane falls, a sensor is “blind,” and so on). After that the subject is stunned (p. B420) and may roll vs. HT once per second to recover.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Machines Only, -20%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Malediction 1, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Paralysis, +150%; Reduced Duration, 1/3, -10%; Sorcery, ‑15%) [30].

Permanent Machine Possession

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 75 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Touch.

Duration: Indefinite.

The caster can move his consciousness from his body to a machine. In theory, he could live forever this way, moving from dying bodies to healthy ones. However, he cannot survive outside a living host. Should his current body be destroyed, he will die! Thus, he must keep his current host alive.

To possess a machine, the caster must concentrate for one second and physically touch it. The machine resists at +5 if it is in combat with the caster or otherwise wary of him.

If the caster loses or ties, he is mentally stunned for 1d seconds. In addition, he may never attempt to possess that machine again – the machine is “immune” to him. If the caster wins, he takes over the machine, completely suppressing its personality (if it exists). His previous host regains control of his body (if sentient) after 1d seconds of mental stun, and “comes to” with no memory of the possession.

The caster gains his new host’s ST, DX, and HT (and secondary characteristics calculated from these scores), as well as his physical advantages and disadvantages. He keeps his own IQ, Perception, and Will, and all of his mental traits. The caster’s social traits may apply, depending on the laws and values of his society. The caster’s IQ-, Perception-, and Will-based skills are unchanged. Other skills remain at the same relative skill level.

The caster can freely access the memories of a sentient host at any time. To recall a specific fact from the subject’s memories requires a straight IQ roll, at no penalty for the time since takeover.

Statistics: Possession (Accessibility, Machines Only, -20%; Full Memory Access, +10%; Sorcery, -15%) [75].

Seek Machine

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 machine of any sort. 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 machine, and may make a follow-up IQ roll (at no penalty) to learn basic details about it (e.g., “it’s a pump” or “it’s a laser rifle”).

Any known machines of machine types may be excluded if the caster mentions them before casting.

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