How to: Spellthief Abilities

How to: Spellthief Abilities

Remember the spellthief class from Complete Adventurer? It's a very interesting class that did not see much play. Let's adapt its abilities to GURPS.

Sneak Attack

Sneak attack in GURPS is just an attack targeting the vitals. On you can go the DF route and treat it as Striking ST (Accessibility, Only on surprise attacks, -60%) [2/level].

Spellgrace

This is just Magic Resistance (Improved, +150%) [5/level].

Spellcasting

Complete Adventurer says that the spellthieves have very limited access to spells, and that their magic is intuitive in nature, but can be trained. So, let's use the following approach.

- The spellthief's scope of abilities is limited. The spellthief can only take Knowledge, Illusion, and Meta-spells in addition to the abilities described below.

- Since we do not allow the spellthieves to improvise, they do not take the Sorcerous Empowerment advantage, and purchase their spells as an array of alternative abilities.

- Alternative Rituals from GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, p. 7, are in effect. Optionally, the GM may allow the additional rituals from Super-Sorcery! (Pyramid #3/105: Cinematic Magic) on a case-by-case basis; note that this is a permanent change to how your character works magic. However, experience has shown that it can be unbalancing for spellcasters to invoke alternative rituals to cast repeated spells with no FP cost in a fight. Because of that, the following rule is in effect: Every spellthief spell with no FP cost takes the longer of normal casting time or (1d+1)/2 seconds to cast (round up). Roll for this when beginning to cast; if you don't like the result, you can abort, wasting your action this turn. In most noncombat situations, you can simply ignore this limitation (PK’s Houserule).

- Trading Fatigue for Skill (GURPS Powers, p. 161) is available.

- Spellthief spellcasting is subject to Repeated Attempts (GURPS Powers, p. 159).

- When rolling a critical failure on a casting roll, use the Critical Spell Failure Table (p. B236).

 
    Arcane Sight – 5/6/16/20 points for levels 1-4
    Skill: Arcane Sight (Per/Hard).
 
    Magic is revealed to your sight.
    At level 1, you must choose a subject that you can see and have the GM roll in secret against your skill. Success means that you sense if the subject has any magical abilities or active magical effects. You will also get a vague sense of power level.
    At level 2, you may follow up success with an IQ roll to discern what kind of magic you are detecting, e.g. what spells the wizard can cast, what buffs are on the subject, etc. This is a free action. If the magic is associated with an unfamiliar spellcasting tradition, the GM will say as much. Critical success on the IQ roll provides details, like the exact level of Sorcerous Empowerment and/or Talent.
    At level 3, basic analysis is automatic, and a success on the IQ roll provides as much information as a critical success normally would.
    At level 4, this ability is active at all times, you do not have to activate it consciously.
    Statistics: Detect (Magic; Cannot Analyze, -10%; Magical, -10%; Vision-Based, -20%) [5]. Further levels remove Cannot Analyze, -10% [+1], then add Analyzing, +100% [+10], then add Reflexive, +40% [+4].
 

    Steal Spell – 48/63 points for levels 1-2
    Skill: Steal Spell (Will/Hard).
 
    A spellthief can siphon spell energy away from his target and use it himself. A spellthief must spend 1 FP, touch an opponent, and win in a Quick Contest of skill against the subject’s Will. The subject gets a bonus equal to his spellcasting Talent. The spellthief then gains the ability to cast one of the subject’s spells for margin of victory minutes. If the spell built as an advantage has a power skill attached to it, the spellthief steals it as well, but uses his own attributes when determining the skill level. The stolen ability must be a spell, not just any magical ability. The victim loses the ability to cast this spell for the duration.
    A critical failure means that this ability is crippled for 1d hours.
    Once the spellthief has stolen a spell from a given subject, he can’t affect him again until his powers recover. If the spellthief steals a spell from a different subject or steals a different spell from the same subject, the current spell returns to the subject. If the spellthief tries to steal the same spell from the same subject, he just resets the duration. Multiple attackers can use Steal Spell on the same target, stealing different spells.
    The point value of stolen spells cannot exceed the total value of this ability. This is rarely important for spells-as-skills magic systems, but it is important when stealing spells built as advantage-based abilities, e.g. sorcery spells. A spellthief can also have a power pool that allows him to increase this amount. Each point in this power pool costs one character point and increases the value of Steal Spell for the purpose of what powers the spellthief can steal. Modifiers never affect the points in the power pool. Thus, Steal Spell 1 allows the spellthief to steal a spell that costs up to 48 points, but Steal Spell 1 (20) will allow the spellthief to steal a spell that costs up to 68 points.
    At level 1, using this ability requires a skin-to-skin contact. At level 2, any touch will suffice.
    Statistics: Neutralize Magic (Contact Agent, -30%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Cannot be used as an interruption, -10%; One Power, Spells, -50%; Power Theft, Weak, +100%) [48]. Level 2 removes Contact Agent, -30% [+15].
 
Precision – Hard
Default: Steal Spell-2; cannot exceed Steal Spell.
 
Instead of rolling randomly, you can choose the power or ability to be affected, if you know for sure that your target possesses it. If he doesn’t, nothing happens; you may try again as a repeated attempt.

 
Prolonged Theft – Hard
Default: Steal Spell-4; cannot exceed Steal Spell.
 
When using this technique, multiply the duration of the theft by 10. If you succeed by 4-7, multiply it by 100. If you succeed by 8-10, multiply it by 1,000. If you succeed by 11 or higher, the duration becomes permanent.

Ranged Theft – Hard
Default: Steal Spell-4; cannot exceed Steal Spell.

When using this technique, you become able to steal spells without touching the subject. You can only use this technique if you have bought level 2 of Steal Spell. Apply standard range penalties (p. B550) to this roll.

 

Steal Energy Resistance – Hard
Default: Steal Spell-2; cannot exceed Steal Spell.
 
When using this technique, you may steal some or all of the subject’s DR against energy attacks.
 
Steal Magic – Hard
Default: Steal Spell-5; cannot exceed Steal Spell.
 
When using this technique, you may steal any magical ability – not only spells.
 
Steal Magic Resistance – Hard
Default: Steal Spell-2; cannot exceed Steal Spell.
 
When using this technique, you may steal some or all of the subject’s Magic Resistance.
 
Steal Spell Effect – Hard
Default: Steal Spell-1; cannot exceed Steal Spell.
 
When using this technique, instead of stealing a spell, you still an ongoing spell effect. You may target either the caster, or the subject of the effect. Duration of the effect does not reset.

    Spell Absorption – 5.8 points/level
    This functions like the Magic Resistance advantage with the Improved enhancement (p. B67), but has an additional feature. Whenever a spell is cast on the spellthief, he can waive his bonus to resist from Spell Absorption and instead roll his unmodified resistance roll. The caster still gets a penalty equal to the spellthief’s Spell Absorption level. If the spell fails for whatever reason, the spellthief gains a number of character points equal to the spell’s final Fatigue Point cost to cast. The spellthief can these points to improve traits (anything but skills) temporarily or heal himself. This functions exactly like Absorption for Damage Resistance (p. B46).
    Statistics: Magic Resistance (Improved, +150%; Magical, -10%; Spell Absorption, +50%) [5.8/level].