Sorcery: Space Spells

Sorcery: Space Spells

Bending the very fabric of space is an impressive feat, even for a mage. GURPS Powers suggests building space control abilities based on the godlike 30 points/level version of Control. In this post I have deliberately treid to create a complex space-based spell Portal Architecture, that allows to "stack" two rooms in the same space. Hypervision lets the subject perceive 4D beings. Spatial Awareness is good for space navigators. These two spells are inspired by GURPS Powers - The Weird. Hyperjump is a space travel spell based on the article from Pyramid #3-49. More to come!

Hyperjump

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 50 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: IQ or Navigation (Hyperspace); Special casting time and FP cost.

Range: Self.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Shift yourself into hyperspace, travel at great speeds, and then shift back into normal reality, having arrived at the destination. You can carry up to Medium Encumbrance when you travel. Neither your start nor end point can be within an atmosphere, and you must travel a minimum of one light-second (186,000 miles or 0.002 AU); hyperjumping is intended for space travel.

As a Concentrate maneuver make an IQ or Navigation (Hyperspace) roll, modified by Talent, when casting this spell, modified as follows:

Distance: See the Distance Table (Pyramid #3-49, page 27).

Preparation Time: The amount of time taken to prepare for the teleport affects the IQ roll, as follows:

Preparation Time	IQ Modifier
None	-10
1 second	-5
2 seconds	-4
4 seconds	-3
8 seconds	-2
15 seconds	-1
30 seconds	0
1 minute	+1
2 minutes	+2
4 minutes	+3
8 minutes	+4
15 minutes	+5
30 minutes	+6
1 hour	+7
2 hours	+8
4 hours	+9
8 hours	+10

This table is not open-ended; +10 is the maximum possible bonus.

Removal: If you know nothing, but a name and a description of the destination, you roll at an extra -10. Anything, but a critical failure, counts as a failure with a minimum margin of failure of 10. Critical failures produce bad results.

If you have only basic data on where the destination is, you roll at -5 and all FL costs are doubled.

If you know exactly where your destination is and have star charts, then you roll at -4. This may require a computer or an Astronomy roll at -4.

If you have a hyperjump data file or a detailed description of a way to reach your destination via hyperspace, you roll at -2.

If you have visited the place before, you roll at -2.

If you have visited the place before and have hyperjump data, you roll at -1.

If you can see the destination with your own eyes or sensors, you roll at +0.

Fatigue Points: Apply a bonus of +1 per additional FP spent. You must declare this before you roll, and you lose the FP whether you succeed or fail. You never have to spend FP, but it is usually a good idea if you must travel far or without much preparation.

On a critical success, you appear at your destination and the hyperjump takes less time. Move up one step on the Hyperjump Table to determine your effective speed; if you’re already traveling at one light-year per second, the hyperjump takes 1/10 as long. On a success, you appear at your target destination. On a failure, you pop out into normal space (total distance traveled/10)*margin of failure AU (minimum 1 AU) from your intended destination and strain your hyperjumping ability: you are at -5 to cast this spell again in the next 10 minutes. On a critical failure, you end up somewhere wrong. Multiply the distance you were traveling by 1d+1; that’s how far you end up from your origin. The GM determines the direction, and is expressly allowed to place you somewhere weird, unlikely, and/or unpleasant. Even worse, your spell burns out; you can’t use your Hyperjump at all for the next 1d hours!

On the 1^st level, this spell lets you travel at 1c. Each additional level increases the speed by one step on the Hyperjump Table (see Pyramid #3-49, page 26).

You can cast this spell to evade attacks in combat. Once per turn, you may teleport to any location you can see within 10 yards, instantly. This is considered a dodge. Of course, the IQ + Talent roll will be at -10 for instant use, so you might want to spend FP to improve your odds! Even then, this feat will likely cause more problems than taking damage from the attack.

Statistics: Warp (Extra Carrying Capacity, Medium, +20%; Hyperjump, 1c, -50%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Risky Blind, +10%; Sorcery, -15%) [50]. Each additional level increases the speed by one step on the Hyperjump Table (see Pyramid #3-49, page 26) [+5].

  

Hypervision

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 30 points.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 30 minutes.

This spell allows the subject to see in four spatial dimensions as well as three. The subject isn’t blind in hyperspace (see Hyperspace, GURPS Powers: The Weird, p. 15, and Extradimensionality, GURPS Powers: The Weird, pp. 24-25). He can perceive hyperspatial beings, whether or not he is in hyperspace.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Hypervision, +140%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, ‑15%) [30]. Note: “Hypervision” is See Invisible (Hyperspatial; Magical, -10%) [14].

Portal Architecture

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 75 points/level.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Indefinite, until merging is complete.

You can realign space in such way, that two rooms could occupy the same space, but could be accessed via different portals. The larger of two rooms must have an initial radius (in yards) no greater than your level of this spell. Both rooms must have boundaries from all sides – walls, ceiling, and floor. One of the rooms must have only one access portal – a door, a window, etc. When “stacking” rooms, you must designate a portal that must be identical for both rooms. This will be the access portal for the room with a single access point. The merging process is not instant – it requires (distance between the identical portals in yards)/spell level seconds of active concentration, but the effect does not take place, until the process is complete. The room that had only one access points disappears, leaving empty space in its place. The access portal disappears from the multiple-exit room. If both rooms were part of a building, this could deal serious damage!

Example: The caster has Portal Architecture 3 and decides to “stack” two rooms in space. Spell level 3 is enough to cover the larger of the rooms (Room A). The caster decides that the door will be the access point for Room B, because Room B has no other doors and windows, and both rooms have doors. He casts the spell and concentrates for 2 seconds (distance between the doors is 6 yards). Room B disappears. Now, if the caster walks through the door, he would find himself in Room B with the blue couch. If he does not like the color, he could climb through the window to Room A. He would not see the door in that room, because it became a part of Room B. 

Statistics: Control Space (Accessibility, Only to “stack” rooms, -65%; Extended Duration on Persistent, Permanent, +150%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%) [75/level].

Spatial Awareness

Keywords: Buff.

Full Cost: 25 points or 30 points.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: 30 minutes.

This basic (25-point) version of this spell allows the subject to always be able to retrace a path he has followed within the past month, no matter how faint or confusing. This gives +3 to Body Sense and Navigation (Air, Land, or Sea) and +1 to Piloting and +2 to Aerobatics, Free Fall, and Navigation (Hyperspace or Space). This ability works in three dimensions.

The improved (30-point) version allows the subject to enjoy the same benefits, but in four dimensions – not just three. He can always sense the added direction that’s at right angles to everything else. He has +3 to find his way through four-dimensional mazes and to use skills that involve maneuvering in four dimensions, including Navigation (Hyperspace).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Spatial Awareness, +90%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, ‑15%) [25]. Notes: “Spatial Awareness” is 3D Spatial Sense (Magic; Magical, -10%) [9]. The improved version adds the Cosmic, Extra dimension, +50% enhancement [+5].