Wizardry: Gravity Spells I

Wizardry: Gravity Spells I

In my games, I use the college of Gravity magic. Gravity is different from Force and Movement because... because it just is, okay? Jokes aside, this is just an "alternative" college that has an overlap with both Movement and Force, but also has some unique spells. Pass without Trace makes the subject leave to visible tracks. Repulsion pushes creatures and objects away from you. It doesn't provide any defensive benefits, such as deflecting arrows. I guess this is closer to something like one-second pulses of force instead of a continuous pressure. Reverse Gravity (for now) is the only unique gravity spell. It is quite expensive, but I think that it should be this way. After all, anything inside doesn't get a resistance roll. Spider Climb lets you crawl on walls and ceilings. Telekinesis is a more universal version of Mage Hand, but still not as universal as its D&D counterpart. I decided to base in on TK Grab from GURPS Psionic Powers. However, I decided to remove ST scaling, as if I were to leave it in, Telekinesis would invalidate pretty much all other TK-based spells and also could cause some balance issues. It do be like that sometimes. Also, with this post, I'm done not only with Gravity spells, but also with Movement spells! I'm making significant progress.

 
    Pass without Trace
    Keywords: Buff.
    Full Cost (Self): 15 points.
    Full Cost (Touch): 30 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 minute.
    Range: Self – Touch.
    Duration: 5 hours.
 
    This spell allows the subject to exert very little pressure when he walks. The subject leaves no visible tracks. Tracking rolls to follow him automatically fail unless they rely on something more than sight; thus, a human tracker would be baffled, but bloodhounds would suffer no penalty at all. The subject can also walk over fragile surfaces without falling through. Maximum Move under such circumstances is 1/3 normal (GM’s decision).
    Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Pass without Trace, +100%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [15]. Note: “Pass without Trace” is Unusual Training (Light Walk, no Stealth bonus) [1] + Light Walk (H) DX [4] modified with Cosmic, No die roll required, +100% and Magical, -10% for a final cost of 10 points. 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].
  
    Repulsion
    Keywords: Area (Leveled).
    Full Cost: 25 points for level 1 + 12.5 points/additional level* (or more).
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: Self.
    Duration: 10 seconds.
 
    An invisible, mobile field surrounds you and prevents creatures and objects from approaching you. The force can move any object it has strength enough to lift, at a Move equal to your Repulsion ST, modified as usual for encumbrance level (see Encumbrance and Move, p. B17).
    Repulsion can only move things directly from you. It simply causes objects to move until they’re in contact with the border of the spell’s area, whereupon they are free to move or they’re held there against a hard obstacle with Repulsion’s telekinetic ST until the duration runs out. Objects and creatures can only move or be moved in the opposite direction if the mover wins a Quick Contest of his ST or TK level against your Repulsion ST.

    The field produces a hum that makes it easy to detect the spell’s effect (base Hearing range of 4 yards), and gives the caster a -1 to Hearing.
    The basic version of this spell has ST 5. For an additional +100% to cost (including any increased area), rounded up, the ST can be upgraded to 10 or more. This is summarized in the table below.

Repulsion ST	2 yards	4 yards	8 yards	16 yards	32 yards	64 yards	128 yards
5	25 points	38 points	50 points	63 points	75 points	88 points	100 points
10	50 points	63 points	75 points	88 points	100 points	113 points	125 points
15	75 points	88 points	100 points	113 points	125 points	138 points	150 points
20	100 points	113 points	125 points	138 points	150 points	163 points	175 points

    Statistics: Telekinesis 5 (Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Emanation, -20%; Independent, +40%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Hum, -5%; Persistent, +40%; Repulsion, -60%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Variable, Area, +5%) [25]. Additional levels add more Area Effect (+50%) to the advantage [+12.5*].
    * Calculate the total cost, then round up.
 
    Reverse Gravity
    Keywords: Area (Special).
    Full Cost: 88 points for level 1 + 4 points/additional level.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: 50 yards.
    Duration: 10 seconds.
 
    This spell reverses gravity in an area, causing creatures and objects inside “fall” upwards. See Different Gravity (p. B350) for detailed rules for different gravity levels. The area of effect has a radius of spell level yards and height of 4 yards. You can “stack” areas on top of one another to make creatures and objects “fall” even higher.
    Statistics: Control Gravity 1 (Accessibility, Only to reverse gravity, -50%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Magical, -10%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/5, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [12] + Control Gravity 19 (Accessibility, Only to reverse gravity, -50%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Does not increase area of effect, -50%; Magical, -10%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/5, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [76]. Additional levels add Control Gravity 1 (Accessibility, Only to reverse gravity, -50%; Cannot concentrate to extend duration, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Magical, -10%; Only to increase area, -50%; Persistent, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/5, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [4].
 
    Spider Climb
    Keywords: Buff.
    Full Cost (Self): 20 points.
    Full Cost (Touch): 35 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 2 FP.
    Casting Time: 4 seconds.
    Range: Self – Touch.
    Duration: 30 minutes.
 
    The subject can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a spider does. The affected creature must have its hands free to climb in this manner. Neither feat requires a roll against Climbing skill, provided the surface is one he can cling to. Move while clinging is half his Basic Move.
    If the subject is falling and tries to grab a vertical surface to break his fall, the GM must first decide whether there is anything in reach. If there is, the subject makes a DX roll to touch the surface, and then makes a ST roll at -1 per 5 yards already fallen. If he succeeds, he stops his fall. Otherwise, he continues to fall – but he may subtract 5 yards from the height of the fall thanks to the slowing effect of the failed clinging attempt. Variations in gravity affect these distances; e.g., in 0.5G, the ST roll would be at -1 per 10 yards.
    Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Spider Climb, +180%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%) [20]. Note: “Spider Climb” is Clinging (Magical, -10%) [18]. 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].
 
    Telekinesis
    Keywords: None.
    Full Cost: 15 points.
    Casting Roll: Skill.
    Components: V, S.
    Cost: 1 FP to cast, 1 FP to maintain.
    Casting Time: 1 second.
    Range: 35 yards.
    Duration: Indefinite.
 
    You can pick up objects and move them from a distance. This requires constant concentration. You can manipulate anything you can see as if you had a distant pair of hands with ST 14. You cannot grab yourself or anything you are holding or carrying. Once you’ve grabbed something, you can pick it up (see Basic Lift, p. B15) and move it, with Move 1, modified by encumbrance. You can also use the object – weapons can be wielded, rocks can be thrown, etc. You cannot hit someone with Telekinesis directly, but you can hold onto any light object (between BL/10 and BL lbs.) and use it to “punch” for thrust crushing damage.
    When you use Telekinesis to grab a foe, he defends as if against an invisible opponent (p. B394). Foes attacked with a Telekinesis-wielded weapon may defend normally.
    Statistics: Telekinesis 1 (Cannot Affect Self, -20%; Cannot Punch, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Increased Range, 3.5x, +15%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [2] + Telekinesis 13 (Cannot Affect Self, -20%; Cannot Punch, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Increased Range, 3.5x, +15%; Lift Only, -20%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [13].