Sorcery: Blasting Spells III

Sorcery: Blasting Spells III

Even more blasting spells from D&D/Pathfinder. Flame Strike is a pillar of fire that strikes from the sky. Flaming Sphere is a guided fire attack. Freezing Sphere is a cold attack that freezes waterborne creatures. Polar Ray is a cold ranged attack. Cold damage is underrepresented in GURPS.

Flame Strike

Keywords: Missile.

Full Cost: 24.5 points/level*.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

When outdoors, you can cause a pillar of flame to strike your target, dealing 2d burning damage per level. The target takes damage normally; anything nearby receives “collateral damage” equal to basic damage divided by the distance in yards from the blast. This spell bypasses any cover that does not provide overhead protection, and negates attack penalties to hit crouching, kneeling, sitting, or prone targets. (If you are already above or below your target, adjust this appropriately.)

Statistics: Burning Attack 2d (Environmental, Outdoors, -20%; Explosion 3, +150%; Overhead, +30%; Sorcery, -15%) [24.5/level*].

* Calculate the total cost, then round up.

  

Flaming Sphere

Keywords: Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 5.5 points*.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to «lock on».

Range: 50 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

A sphere of flame flies off your fingertips and bounces along the floor towards your target. A successful hit does 1d burning damage per level of this spell. You steer the sphere to the target using your own skill. This lets you ignore all range penalties to hit! If the target is so distant that the sphere needs multiple turns to reach it, you must take a Concentrate maneuver each turn. If you lose sight of the target while the attack is en route, your attack automatically misses. The sphere can only bounce 1 yard up in the air, so the attack can be evaded by climbing high enough.

The sphere moves 5 yards per second (this is its 1/2D characteristic). The sphere can hit a target at up to its 1/2D range on the turn you launch it. It requires multiple turns to reach more distant targets. Do not halve damage, but defer the attack roll until the attack reaches its target.

For more information, see Guided and Homing Weapons (p. B412).

Statistics: Burning Attack 1d (Environmental, Along the floor, -15%; Guided, +50%; Reduced Range, x1/2, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [5.5/level*].

* Calculate the total cost then round up.

Freezing Sphere

Keywords: Area (Fixed), Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 77 points.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to hit.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You throw a ball of cold that expands to cover an area; it is not technically an explosion, but the term has long since entered common use. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to hit, applying normal range penalties, but at +4 for targeting an area. Everyone within four yards of that spot takes 3d burning damage. This damage comes from extreme cold, not heat, so it cannot set anything on fire. Targets injured by this spell must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of injury, or take a -2 penalty to DX and become Numb (p. B146) for (20-HT) minutes (minimum 1 minute). The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.

In addition, if the sphere’s explosion covers a body of water or a liquid that is principally water (not including water-based creatures), it freezes the liquid to a depth of 6 inches. Creatures that were swimming on the surface of a targeted body of water or were standing in it become trapped in the ice. Treat this as Binding (p. B40) with ST 10.

If your foe is within one yard of you, he may attempt to parry this attack (actually parrying your hand). If such a parry is successful, you must roll against DX to avoid dropping this at your own feet, where it detonates!

Statistics: Burning Attack 3d (Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; No Incendiary Effect, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Dangerous to be parried, -5%; Side Effect, DX-2 and Numb, +90%) [42] + Binding 10 (Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Environmental, Water, -20%; Link, +10%; Sorcery, -15%) [35].

Polar Ray

Keywords: Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 8 points/level.

Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Beam) to hit.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You fire a white ray of cold at a single target. Use Innate Attack (Beam) to hit, applying normal range penalties. It does burning damage with dice equal to your level of this spell. This damage cannot set anything on fire, as it originates from extreme cold, not heat. Targets injured by this spell must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of injury, or take a -2 penalty to DX and become Numb (p. B146) for (20-HT) minutes (minimum 1 minute). The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.

If your foe is within one yard of you, he may attempt to parry this attack (actually parrying your hand). If such a parry is successful, you must roll against DX to avoid hitting yourself with your own polar ray!

Statistics: Burning Attack (No Incendiary Effect, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Dangerous to be parried, -5%; Side Effect, DX-2 and Numb, +90%; Sorcery, -15%) [8/level].