Sorcery: Meta Spells

Sorcery: Meta Spells

Oh, meta spells, how I love you all. A magical setting always needs magic that deals with magic. Conceal Magic makes the subject harder to detect with magic. Counterspell dispels one spell. Ward is an active defense spell that counters the spell as it is being cast. Reflect is like Ward, but reflects the spell back to the caster. 

   

Conceal Magic

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 63 points.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Five hours.

The subject becomes nearly impossible to detect, sense, or divine with any Information spells, regardless of the magic system used to cast them. Conceal Magic reduces the diviner’s effective margin of success by 10 for these purposes – so a spell that succeeded by 0-9 completely fails to find the subject, while one that succeeded by 10+ provides less information than normal and is at a huge disadvantage if it’s resisted.

Unlike Scryguard, this spell’s presence is completely undetectable by Detect Magic (GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, p. 19) and similar abilities.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Conceal Magic, +430%; Extended Duration, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, -15%) [63]. Note: “Conceal Magic” is Obscure 10 (Information Spells; Defensive, +50%; Low Psychic Signature 5, +25%; Magical, -10%; No Area of Effect, -50%; Stealthy, +100%) [43].

  

Counterspell

Keywords: Resisted (Will or spell).

Full Cost: 43 points or fewer.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Attempts to nullify a single ongoing spell. Counterspell can target either the person who cast that spell or the subject of the spell, which can be a person, object, or area. For areas, calculate range to the center of the area. The sorcerer must state which spell he is attempting to counter. To counter a given spell, the caster must also know the spell (or its close sorcerous equivalent if countering a spell using some other magic system) they are countering, i.e. be able to cast it as a known spell or via normal or hardcore improvisation.

Treat the resistance roll as for Dispel Magic. This spell cannot end Truly Permanent effects, such as the magic of enchanted items.

Statistics: Neutralize Magic (Accessibility, One spell at a time, -5%; Accessibility, Only spells the caster could cast, -5%; Interruption, -50%; Precise, +20%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [43]. Note: The limitation value of Accessibility, Only spells the caster could cast is equal to -5% if the caster’s Sorcerous Empowerment is not limited in scope. If their Sorcerous Empowerment has the Limited Colleges or Limited Scope limitation, increase the value by the same number. Thus, this spell costs 38 points if the caster is limited to four colleges or the equivalent, 33 points if they are limited to three colleges, 28 points if they are limited to two colleges, and 23 points if they are limited to a single college.

Reflect

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 73 points or fewer.

Casting Roll: IQ/2 + 3

Range: Self.

Duration: Instantaneous.

When this spell is active, the caster can attempt to cast this spell as an active defense, when somebody casts a spell that affects them or their personal equipment directly. Thus, Reflect does not protect against missile spells. A successful casting redirects the effects of the spell to target the attacker, who may resist normally. When casting Reflect against an Area spell, the rest of the area is affected normally. To reflect a given spell, the caster must also know the spell (or its close sorcerous equivalent if countering a spell using some other magic system) they are reflecting, i.e. be able to cast it as a known spell or via normal or hardcore improvisation.

The casting roll is modified by Talent and Combat Reflexes. If the caster tries to cast Reflect more than once in a turn, the casting roll takes a cumulative -4 penalty per attempt after the first. The caster rolls at -4 if stunned and cannot cast Reflect in situations where they would not get an active defense. If the casting fails, all future castings cost an additional 1 FP until the next successful casting. If the caster drops to 3 FP or less from casting Reflect, they cannot cast this spell until all FP are replenished. This spell does not count as an active defense for the purpose of cumulative defense penalties.

Statistics: Static (Magic; Accessibility, Only spells the caster could cast, -5%; Active Defense, -40%; Reflection, +100%; Sorcery, -15%; Switchable, +100%) [72] + Rules Exemption (Magical abilities can coexist with anti-magical Static) [1]. Notes: Active Defense being IQ-based is a special feature. The Reflection enhancement is borrowed from Damage Resistance. The limitation value of Accessibility, Only spells the caster could cast is equal to -5% if the caster’s Sorcerous Empowerment is not limited in scope. If their Sorcerous Empowerment has the Limited Colleges or Limited Scope limitation, increase the value by the same number. Thus, this spell costs 70 points if the caster is limited to four colleges or the equivalent, 67 points if they are limited to three colleges, 64 points if they are limited to two colleges, and 61 points if they are limited to a single college.

  

Ward

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 43 points or fewer.

Casting Roll: IQ/2 + 3

Range: Self.

Duration: Instantaneous.

When this spell is active, the caster can attempt to cast this spell as an active defense, when somebody casts a spell that affects them or their personal equipment directly. Thus, Ward does not protect against missile spells. A successful casting nullifies the effects of the spell on the caster. To counter a given spell, the caster must also know the spell (or its close sorcerous equivalent if countering a spell using some other magic system) they are countering, i.e. be able to cast it as a known spell or via normal or hardcore improvisation.

The casting roll is modified by Talent and Combat Reflexes. If the caster tries to cast Ward more than once in a turn, the casting roll takes a cumulative -4 penalty per attempt after the first. The caster rolls at -4 if stunned and cannot cast Ward in situations where they would not get an active defense. If the casting fails, all future castings cost an additional 1 FP until the next successful casting. If the caster drops to 3 FP or less from casting Ward, they cannot cast this spell until all FP are replenished. This spell does not count as an active defense for the purpose of cumulative defense penalties.

Statistics: Static (Magic; Accessibility, Only spells the caster could cast, -5%; Active Defense, -40%; Sorcery, -15%; Switchable, +100%) [42] + Rules Exemption (Magical abilities can coexist with anti-magical Static) [1]. Notes: Active Defense being IQ-based is a special feature. The limitation value of Accessibility, Only spells the caster could cast is equal to -5% if the caster’s Sorcerous Empowerment is not limited in scope. If their Sorcerous Empowerment has the Limited Colleges or Limited Scope limitation, increase the value by the same number. Thus, this spell costs 40 points if the caster is limited to four colleges or the equivalent, 37 points if they are limited to three colleges, 24 points if they are limited to two colleges, and 31 points if they are limited to a single college.