Sorcery: Power Spells

Sorcery: Power Spells

I really did not want to do tackle these spells, but I forced myself to do it. What technomage is complete without spells to manipulate the flow of energy? Well, actually, they do not come up that often. Nonetheless, I find them interesting, but hard to use, because of the energy-power converstion rate and the power values of the various devices. And clever players will probably find a way to abuse these spells. Seek Power located the nearest source of power. Stop Power prevents all powered devices in an area from functioning. Lend Power powers a device with the caster's personal energy. Steal Power lets the caster draw power from a stored power source to regain FP. Propel uses the caster's energy to propel a vehicle (blimey, this spell is very inefficient!). Conduct Power powers a device by taking energy from an active energy source, and Draw Power drains power from an active energy source to empower the caster.

Conduct Power

Keywords: Area (Special).

Full Cost: 23 points for level 1 + 13 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 30 seconds.

Powers a device in the area of effect by transferring power from an active power source that also must be in the area of effect.

This spell affects an area with a radius equal to (9 + spell level) yards.

Statistics: Control Power 10 (Accessibility, Only to conduct power, -60%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 3x, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [23]. Additional levels add Control Power (Accessibility, Only to stop the flow of power, -60%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 3x, +20%; Only to increase area, -50%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [13/level].

Draw Power

Keywords: Resisted (HT).

Full Cost: 81 points for level 1 + 3 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You can steal power from an active power source (such as a battery) to gain energy. You gain an ER pool equal to (5 x spell level) that can only be recharged with this spell and that bleeds away at a rate of 1 point/second. Energy from this pool can only be spent on spellcasting.

Each casting of this spell grants this ER pool 3 energy points. The power source must produce at least 0.3 kWh to be eligible for draining. Some settings may have different assumptions, however.

You cannot cast this spell using its own ER.

Statistics: Leech 3 (Mechanical; Accelerated Healing, +25%; Accessibility, Only active power sources, -40%; Based on HT, +20%; Malediction 2, +150%; Only Heals FP, -20%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%; Steal FP, -25%) [78] + Energy Reserve 5 (Magical; Special Recharge, Leech, Bleeds away 1 point/second, -80%) [3]. Additional levels add 5 additional levels of the Energy Reserve advantage [+3].

Lend Power

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 13 points/level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Touch.

Duration: Instantaneous or until depleted.

This spell allows you to magically power a device using your own energy. To do so, touch the device, take a Concentrate maneuver and roll vs. IQ. Success means the device is successfully powered by you. Failure means nothing happens. Critical failure means the energy creation happens, but in a way that’s inconvenient or dangerous – the GM should be creative!

The spell cannot be used to directly charge batteries or other storage devices. It could, however, power a machine designed to recharge them.

The spell provides 1,000 x (level squared) kJ of useful work (divide by 3,600 to get kWh). The flow of power stops as soon as the caster breaks contact with the device.

Statistics: Create Electricity (Accessibility, Cannot directly charge batteries, -10%; Accessibility, Only to power devices, -30%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Breaks if the caster breaks contact, -5%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 1, +20%) [13/level].

  

Propel

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 10 points/level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Touch.

Duration: 1 hour.

This spell allows you to magically power a vehicle using your own energy. To do so, touch the vehicle, take a Concentrate maneuver and roll vs. IQ. Success means the vehicle is successfully powered by you. Failure means nothing happens. Critical failure means the energy creation happens, but in a way that’s inconvenient or dangerous – the GM should be creative!

The spell provides 1,000 x (level squared) kJ of useful work (divide by 3,600 to get kWh). To calculate the amount of power (in kWh) required to propel a vehicle, multiply its Lwt (in tons) by the desired Move (up to its Top Speed) and by the free fall acceleration.

Vehicle	Lwt	Move	Required Power	Required Spell Level
Sedan (B464)	1.3 tons	10	1,3 x 9.8 x 10 = 127,4 kWh (458,640 kJ)	22 (484,000 kJ)
Sedan (B464)	1.3 tons	30	1,3 x 9.8 x 30 = 382,2 kWh (1,375,920 kJ)	38 (1,444,000 kJ)
Scooter (B464)	0.3 tons	10	0,3 x 9.8 x 10 = 27,6 kWh (99,360 kJ)	10 (100,000 kJ)
Business Jet (B465)	9.2 tons	250	9.2 x 9.8 x 250 = 22,540 kWh (81,144,000 kJ)	285 (81,225,000 kJ)

Statistics: Create Electricity (Accessibility, Only to power vehicles, -60%; Magical, -10%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 1, +20%) [10/level].

Seek Power

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 significant source of power. 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 source of power, and may make a follow-up IQ roll (at no penalty) to learn basic details about it (e.g., “it’s a C-cell” or “it’s a power outlet”).

Any known sources of power may be excluded if the caster mentions them before casting.

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

Steal Power

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 7 points.

Casting Roll: None.

Range: Touch.

Duration: Indefinite.

You can steal power from a stored power source (such as a battery) to restore your FP. There is no resistance roll, but the power source must be either willing or completely helpless (this way you can’t drain a magically animated battery). You must touch it constantly while stealing power. Every second, it loses 360 kW and you recover 1 FP. The default assumption is that one kilowatt-hour (kWh) is equal to 10 energy; 360 kilowatts (kW) is equal to 1 energy/second, and 360 kilowatt-seconds (kWs) or kilojoules (kJ) is equal to 1 energy. Some settings may have different assumptions, however.

The caster cannot draw more power from a source than (IQ + Talent)% of its power capacity. If the caster steals power from a source, he cannot steal power from that same source ever again.

Statistics: Leech 3 (Mechanical; Accessibility, Only stored power sources, -20%; Increased Immunity 4, -40%; Only Heals FP, -20%; Nuisance, Limited Maximum Drain, -30%; Sorcery, -15%; Steal FP, -25%) [7].

Stop Power

Keywords: Area (Special).

Full Cost: 230 points for level 1 + 13 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 30 seconds.

Stops the flow of power in the area, causing all powered devices to cease to function. This may or may not cause permanent damage to the devices, depending on their design. Barring this, any affected device works normally when it leaves the area.

This spell stops the flow of power in an area with a radius equal to (9 + spell level) yards.

Statistics: Control Power 10 (Accessibility, Only to stop the flow of power, -60%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 3x, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [230]. Additional levels add Control Power (Accessibility, Only to stop the flow of power, -60%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 3x, +20%; Only to increase area, -50%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [13/level].