Wizardry: Ghostwalk Spells I
I'm not dead! Speaking of being dead, one thing that GURPS does differently from D&D is incorporeality. Insubstantiality in GURPS is an extremely potent advantage. In D&D, it's extremely powerful on low levels, but then, when everyone has lost of magic items, ghosts become less of a problem. The 50% chance of a magic weapon not dealing any damage against an incorporeal enemy never made much sense to me. Even when I play D&D-like games in GURPS, I do not emulate the way insubstantiality works in D&D. I still add Affects Insubstantial, +20% to all force spells/abilities, but no 50% chance for magic weapons or anything like that. However, this makes it difficult to actually interact with incorporeal beings, and if they can interact with you, that spells doom for you. This is why I give incorporeal undead disadvantages such as Dread (Religious Symbols) or Weakness (Sunlight) - I want even mundane character to be able to interact with such creatures somehow.
But that aside, I'd also like to expand the magical options of interacting with insubstantial enemies. The most "ghostly" D&D book that I can use for inspiration is a very obscure setting book - Ghostwalk. So, let's take a look at the magic section and see if there's anything interesting.
Anti-Ectoplasm Shell is a variant of Antilife Shell in the original, but I decided to model it after Repel Stone/Metal to make it able to move inert ectoplasm. Incorporeal beings rarely have high ST values, so this spell is pretty good. No, I will model it on Antilife Shell, because I didn't notice that Repel Ectoplasm also exists.
Bonerattle has nothing to do with ghosts, but is a fun Necromantic/Body Control/Sound attack spell.
Charm Ghost is a ghost-limited variant of Charm that is significantly cheaper. After all, you don't have to destroy the ghost, you can befriend it instead.
Create Ectoplasm is... uh, I don't really know. But maybe somebody will be able to come up with a good use for it. Anyway, it's cheap enough to improvise.
Death Armor is a very cheap self-only buff. Something of a necromantic variant of Fire Shield.
Death Lock works somewhat differently than its D&D counterpart. Now, it simply shuts down all kinds of resurrection, reanimation, revivication, undeadification, and prevents liches and ghosts from reforming, letting adventurers kills them for good. Specialized, but powerful.
Detect Ghost is a limited version of Detect Undead. "Undead" already is a rare category, so I added an accessibility to make this spell slightly cheaper.
Disguise Undead is similar to Disguise Self, but affects undead creatures.
Keywords: Area (Fixed), Resisted (Will).
Full Cost: 27 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP to cast, 1 FP to maintain.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Self.
Duration: Indefinite.
This spell may be used only defensively, not aggressively. If you move in a way that forces a living 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, Ectoplasmic creatures only, -60%; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Aura, +80%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Based on Will, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Disadvantage, Dread with Cannot Be Trapped, +15%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Reduced Duration, 1/60, Only after target leaves the area, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [27].
Bonerattle
Keywords: Resisted (HT).
Full Cost (Short-Range): 11 points.
Full Cost (Ranged): 13 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Touch – Unlimited (-1/yard) - Unlimited (standard).
Duration: Instantaneous.
This spell creates a deep resonating vibration that damages bone. The vibration is audible (base Hearing range of 4 yards). If the victim fails to resist, he takes 1d crushing damage, ignoring DR. If the victim takes more than 1/2 of its HP in damage from this spell, its bones become brittle – it is at -2 to HT for the purpose of crippling injuries until it is healed above this threshold. Alternatively, the caster may direct the vibration to a particular limb. In that case, the general skeletal weakening is replaced by normal limb crippling rules.
Bonerattle only affects creatures with bones. It does not affect boneless creatures, creatures with exoskeletons, and creatures with Injury Tolerance (Unbreakable Bones).
Statistics: Crushing Attack 1d (Accessibility, Only creatures with bones, -15%; Alternative Enhancements, +18%; Based on HT, +20%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Low Signature, +10%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Knockback, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [9]. The Short-Range version removes Melee Attack, Reach C, -30% [+2]. The Ranged version replaces Malediction 1, +100% with Malediction 2, +150% [+2]. Note: Alternative Enhancements, +18% is Selective Effect, Limbs only, +15% or Symptoms, ½ HP, -2 HT, only against crippling injuries, +15%.
Charm Ghost
Keywords: Resisted (Will).
Full Cost (Touch): 10 points.
Full Cost (Short-Range): 20 points.
Full Cost (Ranged): 25 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: Touch – Unlimited (-1/yard) - Unlimited (standard).
Duration: 5 hours.
This spell makes a sapient (IQ 6+) ghost regard you as its trusted friend and ally. If you or your allies threaten or attack the ghost, the charm is broken. The spell does not enable you to control the charmed ghost 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 ghost can sense coercion coming from you. In addition, you cannot try to affect it again within 24 hours.
Statistics: Mind Control (Accessibility, Only on sapient ghosts, -70%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Independent, +70%; Magical, -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; One Emotion Only, Friendship, -80%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [10]. 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].
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 3 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: Touch.
Duration: 10 minutes.
You create 2 pounds of raw ectoplasm. The ectoplasm forms from your hands, eyes, or mouth, and may be pale gray, light blue, light green, or pale yellow. You may create sticky or slippery ectoplasm. Created ectoplasm is unstable. It vanishes in 10 minutes unless you use an ectoplasmic stabilizer to make it last longer.
Statistics: Create Ectoplasm 0.45 (Extended Duration, 60x, +70%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [3].
Death Armor
Keywords: Buff.
Full Cost: 2 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: Self.
Duration: 18 seconds.
You are surrounded by a crackling black aura that injures creatures that contact it. Any living creature that touches you takes 1 point of toxic damage. This damage ignores DR but treats Magic Resistance as DR, so even one level of Magic Resistance negates it.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Death Armor, +40%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Reduced Duration, 1/10, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [2]. Note: “Death Armor” is Toxic Attack 1 point (Aura, +80%; Magical Defense Only, +250%; Magical, -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%) [4].
Death Lock
Keywords: Resisted (Will).
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Unlimited (-1/yard) – Unlimited (standard).
Duration: 30 minutes.
If the subject creature dies while the spell is in effect, its soul immediately passes on to the true afterlife. The subject cannot be reanimated, revived, resurrected, or raised as any kind of undead. In addition, this spell removes the Unkillable 3 (but not 1 or 2) advantage from the subject for the duration. Most notably, this allows disabling the Rejuvenation ability of ghosts and Phylactery ability of liches.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Advantage, Death Lock, +10%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Based on Will, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Negated Advantage, Unkillable 3, +150%; No Signature, +20%; Nuisance Effect, Doesn’t remove Unkillable 1 or 2, -5%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [42]. The Ranged version replaces Malediction 1, +100% with Malediction 2, +150% [+5]. Note: “Death Lock” is Covenant of Rest (Magical, -10%) [1].
Detect Ghost
Keywords: Information.
Full Cost: 2 or 7 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Unlimited (standard).
Duration: Instantaneous.
With the basic (2-point) version of this spell, you can immediately sense all nearby ghosts, sorted by the direction to each one. The GM will roll against your skill (plus Talent), minus the range penalty to the nearest ghost, and inform you if you succeed.
The improved (7-point) version of this spell works as above, except that you know the precise location of each ghost. 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 (Undead; Accessibility, Ghosts Only, -20%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Blockable, -20%; Cannot Analyze, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [2]. The improved version adds Precise (+100%) [+5].
Disguise Undead
Keywords: Area (Leveled), Buff.
Full Cost (Touch): 32 points for level 1 + 12.5 points/additional level.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 4 seconds.
Range: Touch.
Duration: 30 minutes.
You make one undead—including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment—look different to normal vision and Infravision. You can make it seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change the creature’s body type. For example, a wight could look human, humanoid, or like any other generally human-shaped bipedal creature. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature, such as a mole or a beard, or make it look like an entirely different creature.
The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form. It does not alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of the undead or its equipment. A battleaxe made to look like a dagger still functions as a battleaxe.
The subject must be wholly covered by the spell’s hemispherical area of effect.
You must win a Quick Contest of IQ – or Artist (Illusion), if better – against the Per of anyone you want to fool; otherwise they notice something “off.” Do not apply range penalties to your roll. Their roll is at +4 if they have reason to be alert for illusions or +10 if you made it appear from out of nowhere. However, even if they successfully “disbelieve,” your illusion doesn’t disappear. Thus, even an obvious illusion can be useful to disguise the undead subject.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Only nonvolitional or non-resisting subjects, -20%; Accessibility, Undead only, -50%; Advantage, Disguise Undead, +200%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 10x, +40%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; No Signature, +20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%) [32]. Note: “Disguise Undead” is Illusion (Extended, Infravision, +10%; Independence, +40%; Magical, -10%; Only similar shapes, -30%; Visual Only, -30%) [20]. Additional levels add Area Effect (+50%) to the Disguise Undead advantage [+12.5].
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