Sorcery: Animal Spells

Sorcery: Animal Spells

I've neglected the college of Animal spells for a while, so it's time to get my hands on it. Beast Summoning is an expensive spell that calls the nearest animal to the caster. Beast-Rouser excites an animal, while Beast-Soother calms it down. Hybrid Control takes over a hybrid (a griffin, a manticore, etc.), and Repel Hybrids creates an area avoided by the hybrids.

Beast Summoning

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 114 points.

Casting Roll: Per to detect, IQ to analyze, IQ to assume control.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: 3 minutes.

After casting, the GM rolls against the sorcerer’s Per, with a penalty based on the distance to the nearest animal. This spell uses long-distance modifiers. If successful, the caster knows the exact distance and direction to the animal, and may first make a follow-up IQ roll with the same penalty to analyze the target (for example, to determine its health) and another follow-up IQ roll to call it to himself. It moves towards the caster as fast as it can, until the spell ends or the animal reaches the immediate vicinity of the caster.

Once the animal reaches the caster, it stays nearby, without attacking, until the spell ends. The spell is broken if the caster or one of his companions attacks the animal.

Statistics: Detect Animal (Link, +10%; Lock-On, +50%; Long-Range 1, +50%; Magical, -10%; Precise, +100%; Selective Effect, +20%) [64] + Mind Control (Accessibility, Animals Only, -25%; Accessibility, Only to make the animal travel to you, -80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Independent, +70%; Link, +10%; Long-Range 1, +50%; Sorcery, -15%; Terminal Condition, Broken if attacked, -10%) [50].

Beast-Rouser

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 25 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: 3 minutes.

You can enrage any single animal – or of one square yard of a swarm of smaller animals (including insects). Only creatures with a racial IQ of 1-5 or less can be affected, though the GM may make exceptions for animals with IQ 6 and Bestial.

Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Animals only, -25%; Accessibility, Only to enrage, -30%; Emotion Control, -50%; Independent, +70%; Sorcery, -15%) [25].

Beast-Soother

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 25 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: 3 minutes.

You can calm down any single animal – or of one square yard of a swarm of smaller animals (including insects). Only creatures with a racial IQ of 1-5 or less can be affected, though the GM may make exceptions for animals with IQ 6 and Bestial.

Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Animals only, -25%; Accessibility, Only to calm down, -30%; Emotion Control, -50%; Independent, +70%; Sorcery, -15%) [25].

  

Hybrid Control

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 10 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Special.

You can take control of any single hybrid creature – or of one square yard of a swarm of smaller hybrid creatures. Only hybrids with a racial IQ of 1-5 or less can be affected, though the GM may make exceptions for hybrids with IQ 6 and Bestial. In addition to range penalties, your casting roll is at -1 for each other hybrid currently under your control. If you tie, nothing happens, but if you lose the creature is immune to you for 24 hours and can sense your attempted coercion; the GM will make a new reaction roll at -2, using the worse of its existing or new reaction.

While under your control, the hybrid will follow any general orders you give. You cannot be very specific! “Protect me” is a valid order, but “lead my friend toward the nearest city” is not. When in doubt, the GM will make an IQ roll for the hybrid to see how well it interprets what you’re saying.

This spell has an indefinite duration if you take constant Concentrate maneuvers to keep it active (and pay the usual 1 FP per minute). Once you stop concentrating, it continues to last for a fixed duration (at no FP cost) in minutes equal to the margin by which you won the initial Quick Contest. If you lose consciousness, the spell ends immediately.

Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Hybrids only, -40%; Suggestion, -40%; Sorcery, -15%) [10].

  

Repel Hybrids

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

Full Cost: 46 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: 50 minutes.

Hybrid creatures (GURPS Magic, p. 19) become unwilling to enter the area; any already within the area leave immediately. You may exclude specific, known hybrids or even broad classes of hybrids from the effects. You may also reduce the area effect if you wish to.

While this spell is technically resisted by each hybrid’s IQ, in practice the GM should bother only for extraordinary hybrids. If so, victory allows the hybrid to remain within the area for three minutes, after which it must roll again.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (IQ; Accessibility, Hybrids Only, -40%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Based on IQ, +20%; Disadvantage, Dread, +30%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Selective Area, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [46]. Additional levels add Area Effect (+50%) [+5].