Sorcery: Symbol Magic Revisited
A long time ago I've written a symbol magic framework for sorcery. I've had one short test game, where the framework showed itself to be functional, but a bit too complicated. I understand that it might not be a problem for many, but some other aspects of it were just a little bit off to me. It seemed that it relied on hardcore improvisation too much, making the actual Sorcery Empowerment something of a point fee instead of a useful advantage. So, I decided to rework it a bit. I don't know what the result will look like yet, because I haven't really thought much about it aside of writing this intro.
Runes are spells that are inscribed on a surface or carved into it. It takes no less than ten minutes to inscribe a rune and appropriate tools (ink pen, charcoal, quill, chisel and hammer, etc.). The runecaster must also make a successful Symbol Drawing roll with a specialty that corresponds with his runecasting tradition. Doubling the time required gives +1, while halving it gives -2. Some runes take longer to inscribe, and work on some very complex runic spells might take more than a day. If the caster is significantly interrupted (surprised, attacked, etc.) during the inscribing, all his work is lost and the entire process must begin all over again. While inscribing runes that take more than a single day, the caster is allowed to eat and sleep normally, but any major diversion from his work (such as training, rushing off to adventure, defending his home against attack) is considered an interruption.
The Symbol Drawing roll also takes a -2 penalty for each other active rune inscribed by the caster plus -1 per failed attempt at inscribing this rune. The latter penalty lasts until a full day has passed without inscribing that rune.
A rune must have a set of conditions that trigger its activation. It can be anything from being seen, touched, read, stepped on, concentrated on, a command word - and the condition is set by the runecaster when he is inscribing the rune. Thus, two identical runes may have different triggering conditions.
Valid subjects include:
1. The creature that triggered the rune. Example: A halfling thief touches a runic lock with his lockpicks, causing the rune to deal burning damage ot him.
2. The object/surface upon which the rune is inscribed. Example: A rune of fire inscribed on a weapon sheathes the weapon in fire when triggered with a command word.
3. The wearer/wielder of the object upon which the rune is inscribed. Example: A rune of healing inscribed on the breastplate heals the wearer when he receives injury.
4. The creature/object that was struck by the object upon which the rune is inscribed. Example: A rune of pain inscribed on a weapon afflicts anyone struck with it with terrible pain.
5. Area around the rune. Example: A rune that creates an explosion when triggered.
Thus, you cannot inscribe a rune on a wand that is activated by the wielder to cause affliction in a distant target.
Once a rune has taken effect, it does not disappear. Once its effects are exhausted, however, the rune becomes an ordinary carving or inscription with no magical capabilities whatsoever. To renew the rune’s power, the caster must inscribe it all over again. Unless otherwise specified, assume that all runes may be used one time only, though the rune may stand ready in an activated state for years before its power is called upon.
Obviously, a runecaster cannot inscribe a rune he does not know, and learning a new rune is much more difficult than simply memorizing its pattern. Rune magic does not work without a deep understanding of the essential truths and relationships that the pattern of the rune represents. Thus, runecasters cannot use Using Abilities at Default (GURPS Powers, p. 173), but they learn their rune spells as Alternative Abilities.
A given game world might have multiple runecasting traditions. It is suggested to define scope limitations for them, so they encompass no more than four magic colleges each. Regardless of the scope, it is thematically appropriate to allow the runecaster to take the Rune Enchantment spell (see below)/
BUILDING RUNIC SPELLS
Writing up runic spells is no straightforward matter, so let's discuss it in more details.
1. A runic spell must have a power modifier. By default, this is Magical, -10%, but if, for example, a particular runecasting tradition depends on invoking divine runes created by deities (like rune magic of D&D 3.5, where runecasters are divine spellcasters), then you might want to replace it with Divine, -10%. Speaking of D&D, aboleths are known to create psionic glyphs, so even Psi, -10% would make sense.
2. A runic spell must have a casting time. This represents the amount of time required to inscribe the rune. The exact time may vary, but it should not be shorter than ten minutes. Since multiple instances of the same rune may be inscribed, use Preparation Required, Per Use (Pyramid #3-105, p. 30). To do that, take a value for Preparation Required (p. B114) and halve it. If you'd like more granularity in preparation time, you can find interpolated values in this post.
3. Even though runic spells require preparation, they do not become inert when another instance is prepared. Apply Cosmic, Does not become inert, +100% (Pyramid #3-105, p. 30). Effectively, they are permanent, but can be dispelled with Dispel Magic (or another appropriate abilities for other power modifiers), destroyed physically, or be erased with mundade or supernatural means.
4. Runic spells have variable activation conditions. This applies Delay, Supernatural Trigger, +100% (GURPS Powers, p. 102) to runic spells. Even though you can specify a triggering condition, the maximum range at which the triggering can happen depends on your Symbol Drawing roll made to inscibe the rune. If your roll is successful, look up the margin of success in the “Size” column of the Size and Speed/Range Table (p. B550); the corresponding linear measurement is the maximum radius of the area. You may always choose a smaller area. If the underlying advantage has a shorter maximum range than the one you got from the roll, use the maximum range of the advantage instead. (This is borrowed from Delayed Message from p. 24 of GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery).
5. Runic spells are subject to penalties for repeated attempts that are harsher than those described in GURPS Powers. This applies Nuisance Effect, Repeated attempts, -5% to runic spells.
6. A rune requires a successful Symbol Drawing roll to inscribe. This applies Requires Symbol Drawing Roll, -10% to runic spells.
7. A rune requires some tools to inscribe. This applies Trigger, Writing Implements, -10% to runic spells.
8. A rune can only be inscribed on a firm surface. You cannot "hang" a rune in the air, inscribe it on water, etc. This applies Environmental, Surface, -5%.
9. You cannot inscribe a rune at a distance. This applies Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35% to runic spells.
If we combine all the following modifiers (using Magical, -10% and Preparation Required, Per Use, 10 minutes, -15% as a default), we get Runic Magic, +110% as a meta-enhancement/power modifier.
Also, spells that are resisted with a Quick Contest or that require an Innate Attack roll should be shifted to Symbol Drawing by applying Based on Symbol Drawing, Own Roll, +20% where required.
SAMPLE SPELLS
Explosive Runes
Keywords: Area (Fixed).
Full Cost: 16.5 points/level.
Casting Roll: Symbol Drawing.
Casting Time: 10 minutes.
Maximum Range: None.
Duration: Instantaneous.
You draw mystical exploding runes on a hard surface. When triggered, the runes explode. Everyone within four yards of the impact point takes dice of crushing damage equal to your level of this spell. This force damages insubstantial beings as well as substantial ones. The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.
Statistics: Crushing Attack (Affects Insubstantial, +20%; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Runic Magic, +110%) [16.5/level].
Icy Rune
Keywords: Weapon Buff.
Full Cost: 20 points.
Casting Roll: Symbol Drawing.
Casting Time: 10 minutes.
Maximum Range: Touch.
Duration: Instantaneous.
Once inscribed on a weapon, this spell causes it to do an additional 1d of follow-up (p. B105) burning damage. This damage is from extreme cold, not fire; it will never set anything ablaze. This discharge can be triggered only once. Usually, this rune is triggered by the wielder or, for example, by the type of the enemy struck.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Only on weapons, -20%; Advantage, Icy Rune, +10%; Runic Magic, +110%) [20]. Notes: “Icy Rune” is Burning Attack 1d (Follow-Up, This weapon, +0%; Magical, -10%; No Incendiary Effect, -10%; Single Use, x1/5) [1].
Rune Enchantment
Keywords: Obvious.
Full Cost: 37 points.
Casting Roll: Symbold Drawing.
Casting Time: Special.
Maximum Range: Touch.
Duration: Truly Permanent.
See Chapter 3 of GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery for details on this spell and enchanting items in general. The Rune Enchantment spell itself cannot be enchanted into an item!
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Only to build magical items, ‑40%; Based on Symbold Drawing, Own Roll, +20%; Cumulative, +400%; Extended Duration, Truly Permanent, +300%; Limited Use, 1/day, ‑40%; Magical, -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, ‑30%; Special Enhancements, see p. 31 of GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, +1,080%; Trigger, Writing Implements, -10%) [36] + Extra Option (Limited access to meditative study for enchanting) [1]. Note: The actual cost of 177 points is divided by five due to this ability being character-point powered.
Rune of Combat
Keywords: Buff.
Full Cost: 39 points.
Casting Roll: Symbol Drawing. Use Symbol Drawing to aim.
Casting Time: 10 minutes.
Maximum Range: 100 yards.
Duration: Three minutes.
When triggered, this rune grants the subject the Combat Reflexes (p. B43) advantage for the duration of this spell.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Rune of Combat, +140%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Increased 1/2D, 10x, +15%; No Signature, +20%; Runic Magic, +110%) [39]. Note: “Rune of Combat” is Combat Reflexes (Magical, -10%) [14].
Rune of Fireball
Keywords: Missile, Obvious.
Full Cost: 11.5 points/level.
Casting Roll: Symbol Drawing. Use Symbol Drawing to hit.
Casting Time: 10 minutes.
Maximum Range: 100 yards.
Duration: Instantaneous.
When this rune is triggered, it launches a ball of fire at the creature that triggered it. Use Symbol Drawing of the caster to hit, applying normal range penalties from the rune itself. It does burning damage with dice equal to your level of this spell. The GM must determine what the maximum level available in the campaign is.
Statistics: Burning Attack (Based on Symbol Drawing, Own Roll, +20%; Runic Magic, +110%) [11.5/level].
Rune of Healing
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 84 points.
Casting Roll: Symbol Drawing.
Casting Time: 10 minutes.
Maximum Range: Touch.
Duration: Instantaneous.
When this rune is triggered, it immediately heals the subject 1d HP. This also automatically stops any bleeding. The runecaster can only inscribe runes that heal creatures of his own race and any “similar” races (GM’s call); e.g., a human can heal other humans but not dogs or plants.
When inscribing this rune, note the margin of success on the Symbol Drawing roll. If used more than once per day on a given subject, an activation is only successful if this margin of failure is at least 3 per successful healing, plus a noncumulative 2 if the subject is unconscious.
Statistics: Healing (Affects Self, +50%; Cannot restore crippled limbs, -10%; Capped, 2 FP, -25%; Injuries Only, -20%; No Melee Attack Limitation, +35%; Runic Magic, +110%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 2, +40%) [84]. Note: The 4 HP of healing has been converted to dice per p. B269.
Symbol of Pain
Keywords: Resisted (HT).
Full Cost: 46 points.
Casting Roll: Symbol Drawing.
Casting Time: 10 minutes.
Maximum Range: Unlimited.
Duration: 1 minute.
You etch a symbol of pain on a hard surface. When triggered, it wracks the subject with pain for 1 minute. He must make a Will roll to avoid crying out. He has a -6 penalty to all DX, IQ, skill, and self-control rolls. High Pain Threshold halves these penalties; Low Pain Threshold doubles them. The caster can decrease the pain penalties to -4 or -2 when inscribing the rune.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Based on Symbol Drawing, Own Roll, +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 2, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/3, -10%; Runic Magic, +110%; Terrible Pain, +60%; Variable, +5%) [46].
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