What optional rules and tweaks I use for Sorcery and other powers
Sorcery and other powers-based systems are very flexible and customizable, and that's one of the reasons I like them so much. I've played with them a lot, adding more and more little tweaks and options here and there. Perhaps, sharing them will be helpful to some other people. This is the list of general options - specific spellcasting traditions may change, add, or remove some of them.
- Talents and Talent-like advantages (such as Magery or Power Investiture) are capped at level 3 normally. Each additional level requires Unusual Background [10].
- Unofficial Sorcery Errata is in use.
- Banish, Hellspawn, and Summon Demon for thematic reasons belong to the Gate college.
- Plane shifting spells that transport subjects to a conterminous or a separate plane transport the subjects to the destination they must visualize clearly, but with a deviation of 1dx100 miles.
- Fungus spells from GURPS Magic: Plant Spells form their own Fungus college.
- Metal college as described in Pyramid #3-91 is in use. Metal effects of Earth spells are removed as per Optional Rules: Superseding Previously Published Spells (Pyramid #3-91, p. 24).
- Mind Control spells and similar abilities of other power sources (for example, Telepathy) work only on subjects with sapience (racial IQ 6+) and free will (free will is hard to define, but any being with the Automaton meta-trait (p. B263) doesn’t qualify). Thus, they will not work on most animals, golems, robots, zombies, etc. As a rule, if there’s a specific spell for the purpose of controlling a creature (Control Zombie, Control Elemental, etc.) it cannot be affected by Mind Control spells. This calls for the Accessibility, Only on sapient creatures, -10% limitation.
- Magic Resistance affects only arcane spells. Magic Susceptibility typically only affects arcane spells, but variants of the disadvantage that affect other kinds of magic can be taken.
- Imbuements are allowed. Keep in mind that there are new imbuement skills in Pyramid #3-4, Pyramid #3-13, Pyramid #3-36, Pyramid #3-60, Pyramid #3-71, Pyramid #3-102, here, here, and here. If a character possessed both the Imbue advantage and Sorcerous/Clerical/Divine Empowerment of the same power source, he can (and usually should) take them as alternative abilities.
- Psionic imbuements are based on IQ; incarnum and chi imbuements are based on HT.
- Corruption (GURPS Horror, pp. 22, 146-148) is tweaked as described in this post.
- Trading Fatigue for Resistance (GURPS Powers, p. 169) is in use.
- The GM should be careful with temporary supernatural effects that make subjects better at using their supernatural abilities. For example, while a spell granting a bonus to IQ may make casting easier, once Cumulative, +400% enters the scene, things become much more abusable. Extra care should be devoted to granting Sorcery Talent and Sorcerous Empowerment. Supernatural effects that add HP or FP to a subject should not allow the subject to use these to power supernatural abilities. In any such case, the GM has the final say.
- Power source combination is possible via Theurgy.
- When using Sorcery-based casting, “switching” to a new spell may be considered a part of casting it. It cannot be separated from the casting and must be performed consecutively. This is a quite vague matter, but I prefer not to use this ruling.
- When using Sorcery-based casting, the subject SM limit is removed, because the definition of the “subject” is very vague in many cases.
- Perk-level spells that are taken as learned spells can be maintained indefinitely for free without needing to cancel other active sorcery effects.
- Spellcasters can use spell components as described in Simple Spell Components (Pyramid #3-113, pg. 13-14). This does not apply to chi, psi, and incarnum powers. The components can be gathered from slain monsters as per this post.
- Ritual casting is possible with the Extra Option (Ritual Casting) perk.
- Spells and other effects may be made permanent as described in this post.
- Spellcasters that do not have power techniques may use Metamagic.
- For Sorcery-based casting, when the most expensive spell is bought at full price to allow maintaining two spells, the second maintained spell must not be more expensive than the full cost of the spell that was bought at full price to allow this second slot. Same applies to cases when more than two slots are available.
PSIONICS
- Use GURPS Psionic Powers when making psionic characters.
- The psychotronic part of the power modifier is replaced with Psychobotanics (GURPS Psionic Campaigns, p. 5).
- Characters are allowed to take both psi and anti-psi abilities.
- Optional Crippling Rules (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 7) are in use.
- Telekinetic Control (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 54) is not in use.
- Telepathic abilities that affect minds must have the Accessibility, Only on sapient beings, -10% limitation, with the exception of Telecontrol, where it is optional. The costs are recalculated as described in this post.
- Telespeak (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 59) is in use, but does not replace Telesend and Telereceive.
- RL Exoteleport (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 70) is in use.
- Spirit Communication (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 43) is not in use.
- Animal Telepathy power (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 71) is not in use, and the Animalism technique for Emotion Sense and Telecontrol does not exist.
- Dream Control power (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 73) is in use.
- Psychic Healing is split into Biokinesis and Psychometabolism as per GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 72. However, Biokinesis loses its ability to heal others in any way (by using Healing or afflicting Regeneration, etc.)
- As per GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 26, Psidar and Psi Sense can be taken as Anti-Psi abilities.
- Additional Powers: Chronokinesis (Pyramid #4-3, pg. 24-27), Metacreativity, Necrokinesis (Pyramid #3-99, pg. 4-11), Psionic Enchantment.
- Additional Psychometabolism Abilities: Adapt Body; Body Equilibrium; Breath of the Black Dragon; Chameleon; Dissolving Touch.
- Additional Ergokinesis ability: Electricity Ray.
- Additional Psychokinesis abilities: Cold Ray; Fire Ray; Sonic Ray; Expanded Psychokinesis and Sonokinesis (Pyramid #3-29, pg. 4-9); Psi-Shield and Psi-Sword (Pyramid #3-69, pg. 17-19); Stomp.
- Additional Biokinesis ability: Control Limb (Pyramid #3-9, p. 15).
- Additional ESP ability: Clairosmia (GURPS Aliens: Sparrials, p. 10).
- Additional Psychoportation abilities: Pyramid #3-20, pg. 4-7; Pyramid #3-63, pg. 14-16.
- Quantum-Jumping ability from Pyramid #3-20 is used as a psionic plane shift. At level 1, the user may shift only to a different layer of the same plane. At level 2, the user may shift to an adjacent plane (for example, from the Prime Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane). At level 3, the user can shift two planes away (for example, from the Prime Material Plane through the Astral Plane to the Abyss). At level 4, the user can shift to any plane.
- Plant Telepathy and Worldsinging (Pyramid #3-49, pg. 11-18) are in use. Karilan has IQ 4.
- Additional psionic perks: Pyramid #3-69, pg. 4-11, 16-17.
- Additional psi techniques: Pyramid #3-69, p. 14.
- New skill: Psychic Recovery (Pyramid #3-97, p. 6).
- Epic Techniques: Pyramid #3-97, pg. 7-11.
- Psionic characters can get psicrystals, unless they use godmind worship to gain their powers.
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