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.

  
Animate Plants
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 15 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 minute.
Range: 10 yards.
Duration: Hours equal to margin of success on the casting roll.
 
You imbue inanimate plants with mobility and a semblance of life. The plants become appropriate plant creatures (some templates can be found under Wood Elementals in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 9: Summoners and awakened tree and shrubbery in Garden of Evil). The plant creatures can follow you, or they can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place, or perform other tasks that their intelligence allows. They remain animated until they are destroyed. (A destroyed plant can’t be animated again.)
Regardless of the type of plant you animate with this spell, the sum of point totals of all animated plants must not be higher than 50% of your point value. Plant creatures with point totals of 0 or lower are considered to have a point total of 1 point for this purpose.
If an animated plant is destroyed, the caster must wait a full day to animate replacements. However, the caster can also dismiss the animating spirit by touching the plant as a free action. In this case, he may begin animating replacements five minutes later.
Unlike most spells with a duration, this spell must be maintained; thus, unless you can cast simultaneous spells, using another spell will immediately deanimate the plants. However, there is no FP cost to maintain this spell, only to cast it.
Statistics: Ally (Animated Plant; Built on 50%; Constantly, no roll required; Adjustable, Plants, +25%; Conjured, +100%; Cosmic, Can be split among many creatures, +50%; Divine, -10%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Maximum Duration, hours equal to margin of success, -5%; Minion, +0%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Requires Plants, -10%) [15]. Notes: The Maximum Duration limitation is priced based on Maximum Duration, 12 hours. As a special effect, this spell breaks sorcery rules by allowing free maintenance, but this is offset by imposing a FP cost to cast.
 
Antiplant Shell
Keywords: Area (Fixed), Resisted (Will).
Full Cost: 27 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 2 FP to cast, 1 FP to maintain.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Self.
Duration: Indefinite.
 
You bring into being a mobile, 4-yard-radius, hemispherical energy field that prevents the entrance of animated or sentient plant creatures. Whenever a plant creature enters the area, it must resist with a Quick Contest of Will versus your skill. If you win, then the creature must immediately leave the area. It becomes unable to reenter it for margin of victory seconds. If you lose, the creature may stay within the area for its margin of victory seconds, after which it must roll to resist again.
This spell may be used only defensively, not aggressively. If you move in a way that forces a plant creature to be in the area of this spell, then the creature does not have to resist until it leaves the area and reenters it again.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Accessibility, Plant creatures only, ‑50%; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Aura, +80%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Based on Will, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Disadvantage, Dread with Cannot Be Trapped, +15%; Divine, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Reduced Duration, 1/60, Only after target leaves the area, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [27].
  
Barkskin
Keywords: Buff.
Full Cost (Self): 14 points.
Full Cost (Touch): 29 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Self – Touch.
Duration: 30 minutes.
 
Barkskin toughens the subject’s skin and covers it in a layer of bark. He has DR 10 against attacks, both physical and energy. Eyes and worn gear are not protected. This DR is ablative - it stops damage once. Each point of DR stops one point of basic damage but is destroyed in the process.
Lost DR “heals” at the same rate as lost HP (including the effects of Regeneration). Even when this spell has worn off, the subject still recovers “virtual” DR at the same rate. Thus, if this spell granted DR 10, and the subject took 4 point of damage, reducing it to 6, then recasting this spell immediately on the same subject would only provide DR 6, because he hasn’t “recovered” yet.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Barkskin, +100%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [14]. Note: “Barkskin” is Damage Resistance 10 (Ablative, -80%; Divine, -0%) [10]. 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].
  
Blight
Keywords: Area (Leveled), Resisted (HT, special).
Full Cost (Short-Range): 35 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.
Full Cost (Ranged): 40 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 minute.
Range: Unlimited (-1/yard) - Unlimited (standard).
Duration: Permanent.
 
Plants in the area grow more slowly and weakly: Crops produce half the usual yield, vegetation grows half as tall, and any mundane HT rolls made by the plants are at -2. This spell affects only inanimate plants; mobile or sentient ones are immune.
This spell is resisted by the plant with the single best HT+SM value in the area. (If a plant’s HT is unknown, assume HT 12.) If it resists, the spell fails and no plants are affected; otherwise, all of the plants are.
Blight is permanent, but it targets the plants, not the area. Once the plants die or are harvested, the soil is fine for growing new plants. (Plants designed to stick around for years, such as trees, continue to suffer.)
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Sessile plants only, -30%; All-or-Nothing, -10%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Disadvantages, Slow Healing 1 and Very Unfit, Variants, +20%; Divine, -10%; Extended Duration, Permanent, +150%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 1, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Variable, Area, +5%) [35]. The Ranged version replaces Malediction 1, +100% with Malediction 2, +150% [+5]. Additional levels add Area Effect (+50%) [+5].
  
Changestaff
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 14 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Touch.
Duration: Hours equal to margin of success on the casting roll.
 
The caster plants his wooden staff into the ground, and the staff transforms into a twigling (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 9: Summoners, page 31). The twigling can follow you, or it can remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place, or perform other tasks that its intelligence allows. It remains animated until it is destroyed. A destroyed twigling transforms into a broken wooden staff.
The point total of the twigling must not be higher than 50% of your point value.
If the twigling is destroyed, the caster must wait a full day to animate replacements. However, the caster can also dismiss the animating spirit by touching the twigling as a free action. In this case, he may begin animating replacements five minutes later.
Unlike most spells with a duration, this spell must be maintained; thus, unless you can cast simultaneous spells, using another spell will immediately deanimate the twigling. However, there is no FP cost to maintain this spell, only to cast it.
Statistics: Ally (Twigling; Built on 50%; Constantly, no roll required; Conjured, +100%; Divine, -10%; Environmental, Ground, -20%; Maximum Duration, hours equal to margin of success, -5%; Minion, +50%; Requires a wooden staff, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [14]. Notes: The Maximum Duration limitation is priced based on Maximum Duration, 12 hours. As a special effect, this spell breaks sorcery rules by allowing free maintenance, but this is offset by imposing a FP cost to cast.
  
Command Plants
Keywords: Resisted (Will).
Full Cost (Touch): 20 points.
Full Cost (Short-Range): 30 points.
Full Cost (Ranged): 35 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: Touch – Unlimited (-1/yard) – Unlimited (standard).
Duration: 30 minutes.
 
This spell makes a plant creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally. If you or your allies threaten or attack the subject, the spell is broken. The spell does not enable you to control the affected creature as if it were an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You still need to convince it to perform the desired actions normally.
If you tie or lose, the subject can sense coercion coming from you. In addition, you cannot try to affect it again within 24 hours.
Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Only on plant creatures, -50%; Cosmic, Can affect undead immune to mind control, +50%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Divine, -10%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Independent, +70%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; One Emotion Only, Friendship, -80%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [20]. The Short-Range version replaces Melee Attack, Reach C, -30% with Short-Range 1, -10% [+10]. The Ranged version removes Short-Range 1, -10% [+5].
  
Control Plants
Keywords: Resisted (Will).
Full Cost (Touch): 18 points.
Full Cost (Short-Range): 28 points.
Full Cost (Ranged): 33 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Touch – Unlimited (-1/yard) – Unlimited (standard).
Duration: 3 minutes.
 
This spell enables you to command a plant creature for a short period of time. You command it by voice and it understands you, no matter what language you speak. In effect, it temporarily gains the Reprogrammable (p. B150) and Slave Mentality (p. B154) disadvantages, with you as its master. It has no initiative and requires orders.
If you are incapacitated (stunned, knocked out, etc.), or attempt to force the creature to act against its principles (e.g., commit suicide or harm a loved one), roll another Quick Contest. If your victim wins, it breaks free. Roll at the moment of truth, not when the command is given.
If you fail the casting, you cannot attempt to control that creature again for 24 hours, and it feels a sense of mental coercion emanating from you.
Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Plant creatures only, -50%; Cosmic, Can affect undead that is immune to mind control, +50%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Hearing-Based, -20%; Independent, +70%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Puppet, -40%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [18]. The Short-Range version replaces Melee Attack, Reach C, -30% with Short-Range 1, -10% [+10]. The Ranged version removes Short-Range 1, -10% [+5].
 
Detect Plants
Keywords: Information.
Full Cost: 15 or 35 points.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use skill for analysis.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Unlimited (standard).
Duration: Instantaneous.
 
With the basic (15-point) version of this spell, you can immediately sense all nearby plants, sorted by the direction to each one. The GM will roll against your Per (plus Talent), minus the range penalty to the nearest plant, and inform you if you succeed. You may omit any known plants, or make this spell detect only a specific kind of plant. For each detected plant, you may roll a follow-up IQ roll to analyze the plant – to find out its species, condition, etc.
The improved (35-point) version of this spell works as above, except that you know the precise location of each plant. This allows you to cast spells on any of them for as long as each remains in that location – or for the next second, if one is already on the move.
The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Statistics: Detect (Plants; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Blockable, -20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Divine, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Selective Effect, +20%) [15]. The improved version adds Precise (+100%) [+20].