Wednesday 24 January 2024

Wizardry: Binding

Wizardry: Binding

Finally, there's the Binding spell that is actually a group of similar spells. For the purpose of converting to GURPS, I will makes them separate spells. And now I'm done with Player's Handbook for real.

Tuesday 23 January 2024

Wizardry: Power Words

Wizardry: Power Words

Apparently, I missed some spells for the normal wizards. First up, let's convert all the "power word" spells, not only from the Player's Handbook, but also from other sources.

Monday 22 January 2024

Clerical Spells: Alignment Spells III

Clerical Spells: Alignment Spells III

Consecrate was adapted from GURPS Powers: Divine Favor. Holy Smite/Order's Wrath/Unholy Blight deal irresistible damage in an area around the caster. There's no chaotic version of this spell; I guess the niche is taken by Chaos Hammer. Entropic Shield is a chaotic spell that deflects ranged attacks. Guidance only shares its name with the D&D spell; this version is an adaptation of the Divine Guidance ability from GURPS Powers: Divine Favor. I think it makes perfect sense as a generic divine spell. Undetectable Alignment hides the subject's alignment aura. And I think this is it for the generic divine spells.

Sunday 21 January 2024

Clerical Spells: Alignment Spells II

Clerical Spells: Alignment Spells II

More generic clerical spells. Blasphemy/Dictum/Holy Word/Word of Chaos cause Fright Checks. Dispel (Alignment) banishes outsiders. Magic Circle against (Alignment) creates a mobile barrier. Protection from (Alignment) gives a resistance bonus against moral spells.

Saturday 20 January 2024

Clerical Spells: Alignment Spells I

Clerical Spells: Alignment Spells I

Divine spellcasters in D&D have access to some generic divine spells that do not really belong to any magic school when converted to GURPS. This is why I separate them into an "Alignment College".

Friday 19 January 2024

Clerical Spells: Healing Spells II

Clerical Spells: Healing Spells II

And here we have the final healing spells. Now, onto the alignment/moral spells!

Thursday 18 January 2024

Clerical Spells: Healing Spells I

Clerical Spells: Healing Spells I

Phew, now that druids are done, let's think about the clerics. While gods have diverse portfolios, for now I'm only going to convert the cleric-exlusive spells, i.e. healing and generic alignment/moral spells. For the purpose of all these builds, I will assume that the Pact component of the Divine power modifier is worth -10%. All these spells will have the divine focus component - the need for a holy symbol, and they will haave power skills, just like wizardry spells.

Wednesday 17 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Weather Spells

Druidic Spells: Weather Spells

The college of Weather has significant overlaps with the colleges of Air and Water. D&D's Player's Handbook doesn't really have that many weather spells in it, so eventually I will have to take a look at other books (D&D or GURPS) to expand the list. So, here we have the two final druidic spells. Control Weather is an expensive generic weather control spell. I decided to skip Storm of Vengeance, as it would be way too expensive and I just find it to be a strange spell, so let's have a normal Storm spell from GURPS Magic.

Tuesday 16 January 2024

Differences Between DFRPG and GURPS

Differences Between DFRPG and GURPS

            In this post, I will go over Dungeon Fantasy RPG: Adventurers and Dungeon Fantasy RPG: Exploits and compare them with GURPS Basic Set. I will ignore DF-specific new rules and focus on differences between the books. I will also ignore templates and focus on the rules only. Some of these changes can be easily backported to GURPS and used as errata.

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells IV

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells IV

The final four plant spells! Tree Shape lets you assume the form of a normal tree. I had to create a new "tree" template by combining the Body of Wood meta-trait, tree stats from GURPS Magic: Plant Spells, and awakened tree statblock from Garden of Evil. Tree Stride is the first time I've used Meld 2, +200% on Permeation. Wall of Thorns creates a spiked barrier. Wood Shape lets you shape wood in whatever shape you want (technically speaking, it includes the effects of Warp Wood, so I didn't convert the latter).

Monday 15 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells III

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells III

Snare creates a binding trap from a vine. Speak with Plants allows verbal communication with flora. Spike Growth makes surface-covering vegetation spiky. Transmute Metal to Wood is self-explanatory. Transport via Plants allows you to teleport between plants of the same species.

Sunday 14 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells II

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells II

Diminish Plants reduces the level of vegetation density. Entangle creates an area where vegetation tries to grapple everyone. Both of these spells interact with the vegetation density rules from GURPS Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions. Ironwood makes wood as hard as metal. Liveoak animates an oak tree into a treant. I decided to split Plant Growth into two spells. Overgrowth increases the level of vegetation density, while Enrichment makes plants more healthy and productive. Repel Wood repels wooden objects and creatures.

Saturday 13 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells I

Druidic Spells: Plant Spells I

Let's do the plant spells now. Animate Plants and Changestaff are "summoning" spells. Antiplant Shell is a plant-only Antilife Shell. Barkskin is quite similar to Stoneskin. Blight weakens inanimate plants. Command Plants charms a plant creature, and Control Plants controls it directly.

Friday 12 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Animal Spells III

Druidic Spells: Animal Spells III

Let's finish the Animal college. Hide from Animals makes the subject invisible to animals. Hold Animal temporarily paralyzes an animal. Reduce Animal shrinks an animal. Repel Vermin scares away all the creepy crawlies.

Thursday 11 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Animal Spells II

Druidic Spells: Animal Spells II

Many of these spells are limited variants of other spells. Calm Animal is an area spell that calms down multiple animals. Charm Animal is an animal-specific variant of Charm. Detect Animals lets you detect and analyze animals. Dominate Animal is an animal-specific variant of Dominate. Giant Vermin is a vermin-specific variant of Animal Growth.

Wednesday 10 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Animal Spells I

Druidic Spells: Animal Spells I

Animal spells are not available to wizards (aside from a couple exceptions that also belong to other colleges), so let's convert them with the Nature, -20% Divine, -10% power modifier and without the power skills. Animal Growth is an animal-specific variant of Enlarge. Animal Messenger compels an animal to deliver an item. Animal Shapes is an animal-specific Polymorph. Animal Trance is an animal-specific variant of Enthrall with some minor other changes. Awaken is a spell that imbues an animal with sapience. Baleful Polymorph is one of the aforementioned exceptions that appeared in the Body Control college.

Tuesday 9 January 2024

Druidic Spells: Elemental Spells

Druidic Spells: Elemental Spells

Arcane magic is different from divine and nature magic. To make it easier to make druid characters, I decided to compile the elemental (for now, only Air, Earth, and Water spells, even though some Fire spells are appropriate for druids) spells that I converted before into a single post. All costs and mechanics were adjusted - replacing the Magical, -10% power modifier with Nature, -20% Divine, -10%, and removing power skills. There are no new spells here, but the follow-up posts will tackle the Animal, Plant, and Weather colleges.

Monday 8 January 2024

Wizardry: Mind Control Spells VIII

Wizardry: Mind Control Spells VIII

Mind Fog creates a cloud of will-sapping gas. Modify Memory removes memories or adds new ones. Nightmare sends a nightmare to the subject over a long distance. The final arcane spells from Player's Handbook! This does not mark the end of Wizardry, but it is a great milestone, as I've done the bulk of the work. After this, I'll take on the divine and druidic spells from the same book, but those should not take too long.

Sunday 7 January 2024

Wizardry: Illusion and Creation Spells I

Wizardry: Illusion and Creation Spells I

Now, let's do the leftovers of the Illusion and Creation college. Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound was a difficult spell to build. It conjures a phantom hound that guards that area. Both barks and bites. Phantasmal Killer is an illusory version of Cause Fear that is resisted with IQ instead of Will. Shadow Magic (Spell) is not a single spell, but a category of spells that create quasi-real effects.

Saturday 6 January 2024

Wizardry: Communication and Empathy Spells III

Wizardry: Communication and Empathy Spells III

Here we have the last few Communication and Empathy spells. Rary's Telepathic Bond is a quite powerful spell that establishes a telepathic network. Sending simply sends a message across a long distance. I decided to remove the ability to reply to make it more different from Message. Status lets you track the position and condition of your comrade. Tongues is a spell that destroys language barriers. Zone of Truth prevents lying in an area around the caster.

Friday 5 January 2024

Wizardry: Mind Control Spells VII

Wizardry: Mind Control Spells VII

Rage in D&D is a buff, but here it is a Resisted spell that you really shouldn't cast on your allies. Scare is an area version of Cause Fear. The former is cheaper than the latter, but the latter is a Resisted spell, while Scare simply forces a Fright Check. Sympathy creates a zone that attracts specific creatures. Touch of Idiocy is an IQ debuff.

Thursday 4 January 2024

Wizardry: Creation Spells I

Wizardry: Creation Spells I

Evard's Black Tentacles is an expensive area grapple spell. Leomund's Secure Shelter required me to use Jumper (Pocket Dimension) without an actual pocket dimension. Minor Creation creates objects of nonliving plant matter, while Major Creation expands the repertoire with mineral objects. Summon Instrument doesn't actually summon an instrument, but creates one.

Wednesday 3 January 2024

Wizardry: Gate Spells V

Wizardry: Gate Spells V

Let's finish the Gate college. Gate creates an interplanar portal with an option to make it permanent by spending character points. Leomund's Secret Chest hides a chest on the Ethereal Plane. Maze looks like a difficult spell to build on paper, but in practice, I just decided to simply come up with a new modifier for Affliction. Sometimes, this is the best option. Phase Door was a difficult spell, but I think I got it sort of right.

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Wizardry: Communication and Empathy Spells II

Wizardry: Communication and Empathy Spells II

Let's have some C&E spells. Dream sends a message to a sleeping person. Glibness makes you much more persuasive. Magic Mouth leaves a delayed message with a triggering condition. Message establishes a two-way communication with another creature. Mind Blank protects against mind-affecting effects.

Monday 1 January 2024

Wizardry: Mind Control Spells VI

Wizardry: Mind Control Spells VI

Mind Control is another huge college with many unconverted spells. Fear is a cone attack that causes Fright Checks. The underlying mechanics are a total mess, but I think I got the statline right. Lesser Gear implants an obsession, and Geas/Quest expands the obsession repertoire with tasks that the subject cannot feasibly accomplish. Heroism is a small buff with a drawback. Insanity turns the subject permanently insane.