Wizardry: Shadowcaster Spell List

Wizardry: Shadowcaster Spell List

There is another spellcaster that requires its own spell list along with an alternative college structure. I decided against writing up unique shadowcaster spells because they usually are more or less just renames wizard spells. The prices listed below are NOT adjusted (at least not yet) - these are wizard spell point costs. To derive the shadowcaster spell cost, do the following:

o Remove Requires Magic Words, -10%.

o Replace Requires IQ Roll, -10% with Requires DX Roll, -10%.

o Replace Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20% with Based on DX, Own Roll, +20%.

The Wizardry GCS library will get a new tags just so that the spells could be easily filtered.

Wizardry: Hexblade Spell List

Wizardry: Hexblade Spell List

There is another spellcaster that requires its own spell list, because its scope of powers doesn't really fit into the GURPS college structure. Thus, here's a quite short list of spells appropriate for hexblades. The prices listed below are NOT adjusted (at least not yet) - these are wizard spell point costs. To derive the hexblade spell cost, do the following:

o Remove Requires Gestures, -10% and Requires Magic Words, -10%.

o Remove Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%, Requires IQ Roll, -10% or, in case of self-only buff spells, replace it with Requires Will Roll, -5%.

The Wizardry GCS library will get a new tag - Hexblade, just so that the spells could be easily filtered.

Gatekeeping Problem #1

Gatekeeping Problem #1

As a fun exercise, I wrote a problem. Using only rules from GURPS Basic Set, how many mistakes can you find here?

D&D Taint/Corruption Revisited

D&D Taint/Corruption Revisited

A long time ago, I tried to adapt the D&D Taint/Corruption system from Heroes of Horror and Oriental Adventures based on the corruption system from GURPS Horror, but it didn't really work well in practice. The rate of corruption accumulation was too slow, and the countermeasures were absolute and relatively cheap, making the entire system questionable. However, doesn't GURPS have something that ruins your characters gradually, depending on exposure time, rarely has absolute countermeasures, plays well with powers, and isn't really used in fantasy games? Yes, I'm talking about radiation. That framework seems perfect - you'd just have to adjust the effects.

Morale Rules in GURPS

Morale Rules in GURPS

As I’ve been on an AD&D and ACKS binge lately, I noticed some mechanics that rarely are present in the more modern systems. Well, ACKS is modern, but you get my point. One of such mechanics is morale. Not long ago, I wrote a post about Fright Checks where I actually managed to miss something important from DFRPG, and fear is somewhat related to morale. Generally speaking, one of the complaints about combat being too long in any system is that many GMs seem to insist that all fights must be fights to the death, and that NPCs or monsters never flee or surrender. PCs never fleeing also is a thing. Thus, I would like to explore the morale rules in GURPS.

Wizardry: Warmage Spell List

Wizardry: Warmage Spell List

I'm currently reworking my "Powers of Karilan" setting document and encountered the issue of certain spellcasting traditions having vaguely defined scopes of powers. Thus, to fix the issue, I will have to write down separate spell lists for them. This one is for the warmage. The prices listed below are NOT adjusted (at least not yet) - these are wizard spell point costs. To derive the warmage spell cost, do the following:

o Remove Requires Gestures, -10% and Requires Magic Words, -10%.

o Add Accessibility, Requires simple ritual, -5%. 

The Wizardry GCS library will get a new tag - Warmage, just so that the spells could be easily filtered.

Wizardry: Scribe Spells

Wizardry: Scribe Spells

I got a simple request - write a spell that creates a writing of whatever the caster dictates. However, D&D has some spells of a similar nature, so I will convert them too.

Amanuensis animates a quill pen to transcribe an existing text, providing its own ink.

Copy instantly copies a writing without needing a quill pen or ink.

Write writes whatever the caster dictates without needing a quill pen or ink.

Musical Scribe is a musical version of Write.

Rule Zero, RAW, and GURPS

Rule Zero, RAW, and GURPS

In the past couple of weeks, the online RPG discussion was focused on a contentious topic – Rule Zero and playing RAW. Walls of text were written, videos recorded, feelings hurt, etc. Even Rob Kuntz got involved. From observing it all, I found out that people have very strong opinions about Rule Zero and playing RAW, that many people are incapable of logic reasoning, and that there is a lot of dishonesty and arguing in bad faith. However, the discussion was mostly in the context of D&D, and when it comes to GURPS, things works slightly differently. That’s why I’d like to explore the gamemastering chapter of GURPS Basic Set and some other GURPS books to show you what the books say on this topic, and, of course, provide my own opinion.

GCS Libraries and Compilation Documents

GCS Libraries and Compilation Documents

In the sidebar on the right side of the page, you can see the link to my Boosty page where you could subscribe for an exorbitant sum of money to gain access to compilation documents of Sorcery spells, GCS libraries of Sorcery spells, Wizardry spells, psionics, and some other stuff.

Today, I thought "why?" First of all, I want to do something positive for the hobby, and hiding this stuff behind a paywall is not positive at all. Second, I don't really like sorcery, I think it's a bad system, I discourage its use, and I'm not planning to work on it ever again, then why am I paywalling the libraries? So, everything is free now. The page remains as a repository for the files just so I can update them more conveniently. For those who supported me, I appreciate your support!

Random GURPS Weather Generator

Random GURPS Weather Generator

Remember my post in random weather generation? Now it's automated. You can download it here.

Changelog:

 v1.1 - I messed up badly and all the temperatures were wrong due to mixing up "less or equal" and "equal or higher". It's fixed now.

Wizardry: Magic of Eberron Spells

Wizardry: Magic of Eberron Spells

The next book to inspect for spells for my games is Magic of Eberron (yes, I'm determining them randomly). To my surprise, the spells section of this book is relatively short when compared to, for example, Magic of Faerun. Most of the spells are highly setting-specific, so I will only borrow several more generic ones.

Control Elemental allows you to command an elemental creature of a specific type.

Hidden Ward conceals magic auras on an object.

Leap into Animal lets you physically and mentally possess a willing animal.

Leech Undeath lets you drain HP from an undead creature, but the healing is temporary.

Legion's Magic Weapon is a mass version of Magic Weapon.

Mindburn is a mental attack that deals damage and possibly lowers IQ.

Orb of Dancing Death is an interesting spell that creates a mobile orb that enervates living creatures around it.

Reinforce Construct is a simple buff that makes a construct tougher.

Scry Trap is a protective spell that injures and blinds whoever tries to scry the subject.

Speaking Stones creates a single-use phone.

Wizardry: Miscellaneous Spells II

Wizardry: Miscellaneous Spells II

While I do have plans for converting spells from other D&D books, I'd like to add some miscellaneous spells to my collection, including some Making and Breaking spells from GURPS Magic.

Create Implausible Material creates things like solid lightning, frozen flame, etc.

Dye is a more powerful version of Color. This one is limited by area as for gases and energy and not by mass because... just because, okay? It's already expensive enough.

Lichcraft is a spell that is used to become a lich.

Mana Burn attacks the subject's ER (Magic) and also deals damage if it does burn some ER.

Mana Leak causes the subject's spells to become more expensive.

Soilproof prevents the subject from getting dirty.

Waterproof prevers the subject from getting wet.

Market Class and Equipment Availability

Market Class and Equipment Availability

One concept from ACKS II that I really likes is the Market Class – each settlement is classified as one of six market classes, depending on the population. Market class defines how many goods of different price categories can be bought or sold at this market, among some other things. This is something like the GP Limit for settlements from D&D 3.0, but expanded and perfected. In GURPS, there are some rules for equipment availability in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown (you wouldn’t think to look for them there, would you?), but they are quite barebones and not generic. Surprisingly, GURPS City Stats has nothing about it. Thus, it is time to adapt the ACKS rules. To be honest, there’s barely any adaptation needed, and I really hope I’m not stretching the limits of fair use.

Dungeon Delving Procedure

Dungeon Delving Procedure

I've already adapted the wilderness exploration procedure from ACKS II to GURPS (although I still have to adjust it a bit). Now, one of the other important procedures is the dungeon delving one. It shouldn't be difficult now that I've got Dungeon Exploration Turns down. Yet again, this is more of a checklist than a procedure you should strictly adhere to at all times.

Wilderness Random Encounter Distance

Wilderness Random Encounter Distance

When a random encounter happens, be it in a dungeon or wilderness, how far apart are the party and the monsters? GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 16: Wilderness Adventures is the only book that has something on this topic – the ambush rules. However, they are limited to, well, ambushes and the maximum encounter distance is only 15 yards. This is not generic at all. Let’s expand the surprise rules from DFRPG Exploits with the concept of encounter distance from ACKS II and Terrain Rating from GURPS Mass Combat. I think these rules work, but I may adjust them in the future if I find something off.

Review: How to Be a GURPS GM: Improvising

Review: How to Be a GURPS GM: Improvising

Since I haven’t been following the GURPS news and upcoming releases in quite a while, the new book caught me by surprise. Yesterday, How to be a GURPS GM: Improvising got released, written by Sean Punch a.k.a. Dr. Kromm. The How to be a GURPS GM series of books is a mixed bag with some good ones and some not so good ones, so I decided to check this one out. After all, improvisation is indeed a skill and I wondered how one could even explain in text how to improvise better. These days, when many players seem to try their hardest to avoid reading the rulebooks and GMs learn how to GM from questionable actual plays and numerous even more questionable YouTube videos, there is a shortage of good written material to learn the art of being a GM from. And then people complain about the GM shortage!