Wizardry: Earth Spells IV

Wizardry: Earth Spells IV

Spike Stones was a difficult spell to stat up. To simulate bad terrain, I decided to reverse the Grease statline. To simulate caltrops-like spikes, I decided to go with Natural Weapon based on ST of the victim. To make it a ranged attack with range independent of ST, I had to first bring 1/2D range in line with muscle-powered range from the Metatronic Generators article, then reverse muscle-powered limitation. Statue is a high-end earth spell that lets the subject shift between his normal form and an immobile stone statue. Wall of Stone is another example of why Create makes better walls than Innate Attack with the Wall enhancement.

    Spike Stones
    Keywords: Area (Fixed).
    Full Cost: 46 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 1 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: 10 yards.
    Duration: 10 seconds.

    Rocky ground, stone floors, and similar surfaces shape themselves into long, sharp points. Spike Stones count as bad terrain (+1 movement point/hex, bad footing penalties). This affects a 4-yard-radius area. Anyone who steps on the spikes takes thr-3 impaling damage to one of his feet, based on his ST. Anyone falling or colliding with the spiked surfaces takes impaling damage from the fall or collision.
    Statistics: Control Ground Friction 2 (Accessibility, Only to increase friction, -25%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Environmental, Rocky surfaces, -20%; Magical, -10%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [18] + Control Ground Friction 2 (Accessibility, Only to increase friction, -25%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Environmental, Rocky surfaces, -20%; Magical, -10%; Only to increase area, -50%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [6] + Natural Weapon (Impaling; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Cannot Parry, -40%; Environmental, Rocky surfaces, -20%; Increased 1/2D, 5x, +10%; Intangible, +50%; Magical, -10%; Non-Muscle-Powered Range, +10%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +100%; Reduced Damage, -3, -45%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Resilient, Unbreakable, +40%; Reversed ST, +0%; Single, -20%) [22].

    Statue
    Keywords: Buff.
    Full Cost (Self): 85 points.
    Full Cost (Touch): 100 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 2 seconds.
    Range: Self – Touch.
    Duration: 5 hours.

    The subject along with all his equipment up to his Medium encumbrance is turned into an immobile statue. He gains a variant of the Body of Stone meta-trait; see the footnote below for details. The subject of a Statue spell can return to its normal state, act, and then return instantly to the statue state (a Ready maneuver) if it so desires, as long as the spell duration is in effect.
    Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Statue, +780%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [85]. Note: “Statue” is Alternate Form (Statue*; Can Carry Objects, Medium Encumbrance, +50%; Magical, -10%; Reduced Time 4, +80%) [33+45]. The Touch version removes Accessibility, Self Only, -50% and Requires IQ Roll, -10% and adds Accessibility, Only nonvolitional or non-resisting subjects, -20%, Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Malediction 1, +100%, Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%, and No Signature, +20% [+15].
    * A variant of the Body of Stone meta-trait from p. 262 of GURPS Basic Set: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; DR 5 [25]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous, No Blood) [45]; Numb [-20]; Pressure Support 3 [15]; Quadriplegic [-80]; Sealed [15]; Vacuum Support [5]; and Fragile (Brittle) [-15]. 50 points.

    Wall of Stone
    Keywords: None.
    Full Cost: 32 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: 50 yards.
    Duration: 10 seconds or permanent; see text.

    This spell creates a wall of rock that merges into adjoining rock surfaces. It is typically employed to close passages, portals, and breaches against opponents. The wall cannot be conjured so that it occupies the same space as a creature or another object. Unlike a Wall of Iron, you can create a Wall of Stone in almost any shape you desire. The wall created need not be vertical, nor rest upon any firm foundation; however, it must merge with and be solidly supported by existing stone. It can be used to bridge a chasm, for instance, or as a ramp.
    A Wall of Stone is 1 inch thick, 1 yard tall, and 1 yard wide. You can double the wall’s area by halving its thickness. Each 1-hex square or 10-square-foot area of the wall has DR 13 per inch of thickness. Repeated impaling, piercing, and large piercing attacks against the same small spot (an area with SM 0 or less) lower DR at that specific point as if it were semi-ablative; repeated burning, corrosion, crushing, cutting, or huge piercing attacks at that same spot reduce DR at that point as if it were ablative. DR never falls below 3. A stone wall 1” thick has HP 40. Each doubling increases HP by 20%. The wall weighs 130 pounds.
    Created stone is unstable. It vanishes in 10 seconds unless you “stabilize” it. You can stabilize created matter by spending unspent character points, with each point stabilizing created matter worth $200. You can spend a fraction of a character point to stabilize a lesser amount, but the remaining fraction cannot be used for anything else, until it becomes a whole number again. Alternatively, if you have the Enchant spell, you can use the enchantment process to create stabilized matter, with each EP corresponding to an amount of stabilized matter worth $40 or less. Shaped stone costs $0.75 per pound. Thus, a typical casting of Wall of Stone costs $97.5.
    Statistics: Create Stone 4 (Accessibility, Only walls adjoined to other rocky surfaces, -20%; Magical, -10%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/2, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [32].