Sorcery: Artillery Spells X

Sorcery: Artillery Spells X

This post covers Technological and Weather artillery spells.

Death Ray

Keywords: Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 16 points/level.

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

Range: 50 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You fire particle beam that does 1d(5) burning surge damage per level. The spell strikes all targets in a 50-yard line. On a hit, the line is on target; otherwise, use the Scatter rule (see p. B414) to determine a new target point. Once you know the target point, imagine (or trace on a battle map) a line between the attacker and that point. This attack has no 1/2D.

Statistics: Burning Attack 1d (Armor Divisor, (5), +150%; Cone 1, +60%; Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; Reduced Range, 1/2, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Surge, +20%) [16/level].

  

Flammability

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

Full Cost: 31 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.

Casting Roll: Will.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: 3 minutes.

Everything in the area becomes easily flammable. Every affected creature or object must make a HT roll to avoid catching fire whenever they receive a major wound from a burning or explosive attack. They catch fire automatically if such an attack inflicts 10+ HP of injury. Once aflame, they suffer 1d-1 injury per second until you extinguish the fire by immersion in water, rolling on the ground (takes 3 seconds), etc.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Disadvantage, Combustible, +5%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Sorcery, ‑15%) [31]. Additional levels add Area Effect (+50%) [+5].

Ice Storm

Keywords: Area (Fixed).

Full Cost: 77 points.

Casting Roll: IQ. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous damage and 10 seconds of ice.

This spell blasts a 4-yard-radius area with a storm of ice shards, dealing 1d cutting damage. To place the effect at a distance, use Innate Attack (Gaze), with normal range penalties, but at +4 for affecting an area. In addition, it covers the area with a thin layer of ice, making it extremely slippery for 10 seconds. Ice slicks are very difficult to see. Anyone not actively watching the ground for ice must make a roll against IQ-3 to notice an ice slick before stepping onto it. All DX-based activities, including attack and defense rolls, are at -2 in the slippery area. In addition, those moving into or through the area must roll against DX-2 every turn or fall; this roll is at +1 if walking at Move/2, +2 at Move/4, and +3 at Move/8 (round down, minimum 0). Critical failure causes 1d-2 injury to a randomly chosen limb.

An ice slick will extinguish an area of normal fire that it overlaps, and vice versa.

Anyone with Perfect Balance or Terrain Adaptation (Ice) may ignore the effects of this spell. Anything less, including special footwear, doesn’t help. Character on skates can skate (p. B220) on the area of effect.

Statistics: Cutting Attack 1d (Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%) [14] + Control Ground Friction 2 (Accessibility, Only to reduce friction, -25%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Link, +10%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%; Visible, -10%) [39] + Control Ground Friction 2 (Accessibility, Only to reduce friction, -25%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Link, +10%; Only to increase area, -50%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Sorcery, -15%; Visible, -10%) [24]. Note: Based on Control Friction from GURPS Supers.

Improved Explosive Lightning

Keywords: Area (Fixed), Missile, Obvious.

Full Cost: 19 points/level.

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

Range: 100 yards.

Duration: Instantaneous.

You fire a coruscating discharge of electricity that expands to cover an area; it is not technically an explosion, but the term has long since entered common use. Use Innate Attack (Beam) to hit, applying normal range penalties, but at +4 for targeting an area. Everyone within eight yards of that spot takes dice of burning surge damage equal to your level of this spell. The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.

 Metallic armor counts as DR 1 against this attack, but nonmetallic armor protects normally. Targets stuck by this attack must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of penetrating damage, or be physically stunned. On subsequent turns, they can roll HT to recover. Improved Explosive Lightning behaves unpredictably around conductors; see Lightning (GURPS Magic, p. 196) for more details.

Statistics: Burning Attack 1d (Area Effect, 8 yards, +150%; Nuisance Effect, Behaves erratically around conductors, -5%; Sorcery, -15%; Surge, Arcing, +100%; Side Effect, Stunning, +50%) [19/level].