Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Jan 26, 2020 20:55:33 GMT
The one or two of you who may still be reading these things-- you will have noticed that I haven't posted anything else, in spite of having pushed to get my momentum back. Sorry; I've been busy.
Here we go!
Suggestion: The caster may, if he is fortunate, persuade the target to do something that he is on some personal level inclined to do anyway. Essentially, this is a single two pips of Mind Control. While Jedi Mind Tricks aren't remotely possible at this level, the truly weak-willed or very cowed person may well agree to the caster and take him up on his suggestion. Remember that part about being cowed? Like say... recovering from a Presence Attack? Or the household slave of a nobleman who enjoys beating his servants? Yeah, you really need someone who is willing to give in to have any sort of effect from this at all. _However_, if you're up on coordinating attacks, those two pips tossed onto someone else's mind control can tip the scales in the right circumstances. Again: it's just two pips of mind control. That is all. Treat it accordingly. Casters willing to "learn" their target may be better-able to find a suitable suggestion to increase the likelihood that the target will agree.
Mind Control: 3 pts. Caster must make eye contact and (Incantations) strike up and maintain conversations with the target for (Extra Time) five minutes or so.
Rapt Attention: the caster may attempt to become the sole focus of the target. He may not make suggestions or offer commands; the "command" is "don't look away." The target becomes so focused on the caster that minor distractions and the like are less likely to draw his attention. The most common use for this cantrip is keeping a guard's focus while the rest of the party sneaks across the bare room behind the guard. Mechanically, treat these three pips as modifiers against an INT, EGO, or PER roll that may encourage the target to look away. The target, in spite of his normal inclination, will have to make an EGO roll (at the -3 penalty for the pips of MC in play) to avoid being drawn into the conversation.
Mind Control: 3 pts. Caster must make eye contact and (Incantations) engage in conversation with the target for (Extra Time) five minutes or so. Single Command: pay attention to me.
There. That was almost painless.
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Feb 5, 2020 2:25:57 GMT
Been a little while; I can but apologize for that. No; that's not entirely true. I can offer excuses as well, but who wants to hear them, really? Let's just say that while I have the momentum up and going, I have been very, very busy using it in other, more pressing places. So then-- We did Mind Control. A quick flip through the ol' 2e Rules Book says that Mind Scanning is--- oh, _Man_.... :rofl: :rofl: Now _that_ is funny! Those of you (i.e., _all_ of you) here who check out the Official Hero boards know that just an hour or so ago, I put up a post on that board in a conversation where someone wants to build a power that helps his character located people. Better still, I even, mentioned that I had built some years back almost exactly the same thing he seemed to be looking for. It was, of course, based on Mind Scan. However, it was a full-blown spell, and not a cantrip. That is to say, it cost a good bit more, so it got full utility. But let's look at some cantrips (again: House-Bushido-type cantrips: tiny little bits of larger things) derived from Mind Scanning. I am sorry to say that the only examples I readily recall are those in this beat-up old spiral book that I am honestly surprised 1) survived and 2) didn't get tossed out years ago. I just stumbled across it a few weeks ago, and almost threw it out then, but then I sat down to read it, then the cantrip question came up on the official board..... And here we are! Let's go: Lead Me: The caster knows in which direction another person can be found, or at least, he has a chance to detect the direction in which a particular person can be found. Using the Mind Scanning rules, the caster makes his Mind Scanning roll. If his attack roll is successful, then he will roll his die (that's right: Lead Me has only 1 die of effect). On any result greater than 1, he will have a vague sense of the --- okay, let me narrow that down. I don't have diagrams, but let me try to paint that for you: Picture a hex in your mind. Orient it such that the "top" and "bottom" are flat. You are located in that hex, staring toward the "top" of the hex; your target is directly ahead-- straight line through the hex face in front of you, etc, etc, etc. Let's number that particular hex face "6." The exact opposite direction is "1." If the caster rolls a 1 on his die of effect, then he will be unable to determine in which direction his quarry lies; he will only know that "I can feel him...." If he rolls a "2," then he may safely rule out the direction through hex face 1. He will know that his quarry is somewhere in the great arc created by hex faces 2 through 6. Similarly, if he rolls a 3, then he may rule out the arc created by hex faces 1 and one of the faces adjacent to 1 (seriously: just keep a handy numbered hex with you; it helps!). a 4 rules out 1-3, etc. If he rolls a 6, then he will know _exactly_ in which direction his target is located. Two things: Obviously, these make pretty wide arcs. If you (the GM) know the direction of the quarry lies across one of the six vertices of the hex, then number (and eliminate) the vertices instead of the faces. It's not hard. Also: yes; fudge a bit, because even those 12 points miss a large area. If the caster rolls a 6, he _will_ know precisely which direction, period. Second: The caster knows _only_ the direction. He does not know the distance. He does not know the elevation (okay, that was unnecessary, but I was trying to make a point). He doesn't automatically know which roads turn where and he doesn't have directions to get there. Hell, it might not even be possible from where is located to get there. He knows _only_ the direction, in a straight line, from his current position. Why? Well because with 1 die, there's no chance of him getting even x1 EGO on a target, meaning that there is no chance he will discern his target's vague location. However, the vaguest possible direction should be available to anyone making the successful attack roll, and the vaguest direction available of anything is "that-a-way." 5 pts. buys one die of Mind Scan, and what's the simplest way to get directions from a single die on a hex-grid map? Lead Me: Mind Scanning, 5 pts. Concentration (1/2 DV) to Activate. Extra Time (Concentrate for Full Turn) to activate. Spellement: piece of garment worn by target, Lock of hair, an appendage, or small item of personal value to the target. Item is re-usable. Costs END/ Magic to maintain. (yes; it costs 1 END / Magic to cast, per the 2e rules, but it costs an additional END per Phase that the caster wishes to continue to 'feel the thread' or 'respond to the pull' or whatever mumbo he comes up with to make it all magic-y. Sentry: Very similar; at least in the die roll to determine direction bit (hey, we kind of liked the randomness and the feel it gave, and it kept a simple inexpensive cantrip from becoming a plot-buster. Same thing here.) A character under the influence of this cantrip will be aware of anyone approaching his direction from 30" away (roughly 200'. Very roughly.) He will not know the identity of the intruder; he will not know the purpose of the intruder. He will only know that they intend to come to or near to his location. This one was a bit more complicated, as while the caster is using the cantrip, the GM will roll the caster's "MCV Attack" against anyone entering the perimeter _only_ if their intentions are to travel near enough to detect the caster and / or his party. The person using the cantrip will not have any special knowledge of anyone else, even if they are on the other side of a door, inches away. Once the caster is aware that someone is approaching, the "die of direction" is cast to determine if the caster is able to sense from which direction the trespasser will be moving. As with Lead Me, eliminate the most-incorrect directions first. Many years ago, I didn't think I would have to point this out, but my time back on the Official Boards and some of the questions and insistences there have made me question just what should be left up to common sense, so I feel like I really _have_ to put this into words. Forgive me if it insults you-- I mean, it _should_! It really, really _should_ insult you that I wrote this as if you needed it, but understand that I am not doing it to offend; I am doing it because it has been proven to me that someone out there will be unable to accept that you are allowed to do this if it isn't spelled out: You can automatically rule out directions from which the intruder could not possibly approach. Seriously. If there's a wall, you can rule that particular direction out. If there's an unscalable cliff, you can rule that you, too. Same for crashing rapids in the river. The list goes on and on. It is left to the individual GM to assign the numbers 1-6 as fairly as possible to the plausible directions from which an intruder may appear. Caster begins a deep trance and expands his mind to detect the movements of others, and the intentions of those moving nearby. He will remain in a trance, unable to remember anything he may have gleaned from other passers-by, but will immediately revive from the trance should he detect someone intending to pass close enough to discover the caster or his party. While he will not recall who the passerby is, how many, or any other details, he will have a reasonable idea of the direction from which they will appear. Sentry: Mind Scanning 5 pts. Usable by Others. Concentrate Throughout (0DCV). Please note that this is only worth half the normal value of the Limitation, as it's only half as limiting (or even possibly less), since the caster is only in danger from snipers outside the perimeter, who are not too terribly likely to exist in hallways, buildings, etc-- you know: places you might want to use this cantrip. Cost END: costs 1 END per Phase for every Phase in which this cantrip is in use.
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Feb 9, 2020 20:33:43 GMT
We are at 250 views for this thread, and thus far, only one other player (thank you, Chris ). So either this is just terrible, or it's terrible in that "I can't stop watching" kind of way like when a guy is trying to justify a mistake to his wife. (That's _always_ worth watching! HA! ) Fortunately, my enjoyment of something has never once depended on the validation or even the opinions of others (it used to be called "strength of character," but in the days of the internet I think it's called "being a dick"), so I will happily soldier on, if only because I promised at the outset that I would. And who knows-- perhaps one day there will be someone who finds even a tiny suggestion of inspiration here to do something in their own game. Anyway, I got my momentum back, but I've got a million other things pulling at it right now, so I've been away from here for a bit. We're on a lunch break (well, ice cream break) from the game right now, so I've got a few minutes while the crew finishes up and gets ready to play some more. We left off with Mind Scanning, so up next is Missile Deflection. Here we go! Planar Disconnect: The caster can has located his absolute position in one or more alternate realms, and with a successful roll can briefly divide his existence between these realms and the current one. Thus, only a portion of him exists on the current realm to suffer damage. This is physically exhausting (costs END _in addition_ to whatever Magic is used in your campaign; costs additional END if your campaign uses END as Magic Fuel). Enough of the caster's physical trace remains in this realm to allow him to interact with the world normally, meaning that while he has gained some sort of protection (really more of a preservation), he can still be injured. When attacked, the caster will roll his Disconnect roll of (7+Magic/10) or less. If your campaign does not use a Magical ability Characteristic, then use the Characteristic that governs magical ability in your games (usually INT, but not always). First: Yes; this is a generally lower roll than the deflection roll. However, this cantrip is generally less expensive than Deflection. What do you want for less, really? Second: if your Magic is a "damage stat"-- that is, it can be reduced by situational occurrences (as STUN is reduced by damage), then use the current value. Third: Regardless of boosting, Aid, etc, no value higher than the character's starting value may be used for this stat without explicit GM say-so. Modifiers may affect the roll for good or of ill; again: GM say-so. A handy suggestion for AoE attacks is to take a -1 penalty for AoE, and an additional -1 for each "doubling" or "level" of AoE the attacking spell is using; GMs may rule that this is excessive or insufficient. Either way, the GM's word is final. If the caster's roll is successful, then the attack will still and and will still do damage. The attack will do only 1/2 the damage it would have done had the caster not been able to disperse his existence across different planes. _However_, as the caster has spread his existence to other planes, he will only have 1/2 of his DEF available. Yes: this isn't how Missile Deflection works at all. But Missile Deflection costs 10 points; this costs 2. What do you want for that? To calculate: Roll the damage of the attack. Roll the Planar Disconnect. If successful, remove from the damage pool the equivalent of 1/2 the appropriate Def; remove them from both STUN and BODY, as normal. Apply 1/2 of the remaining damage (STUN and BODY) to the character. If the caster is successful, he may continue to attempt additional rolls versus additional attacks until either his next Phase (at a cumulative -2 penalty in addition to any other situational penalties assed by the GM) or he fails a roll. When he fails a roll, he may attempt no further rolls until his next Phase. When he fails, he is considered to have been distracted or otherwise "knocked out of synch" with his multi-planar location and the spell is broken until cast again. Planar Disconnect is considered to be a 1/2 phase Attack Action and will end the caster's phase, though he may continue to maintain his disconnection (attempt further rolls) until his Phase comes around again (or he fails). Planar Disconnect must be "activated" in advance and kept running as if it were a persistent spell at the rate of 1 END / Magic Fuel per Turn. This is because the caster is maintaining contact with his location across the planes in preparation for dispersing himself at a moment's notice. Each attempted roll costs personal END, whether it is successful or not. Planar Disconnect: Missile Deflection versus spears and thrown objects 2 pts. Concentration (0 DCV) to Activate; Extra Time (one Turn) to Activate. Costs END: costs 1 magic fuel /Phase to maintain. Costs END: costs 1 personal END _per roll_ to use. Automatic (The new editions call this "Trigger." ): character gets to roll so long as the spell is in use, even if attacked from behind. * Note: "Automatic" was derived originally from the idea of "no conscious control." We fine-tuned it a bit to create "automatic." Planar Disconnect II : Misslie Deflection versus spears, thrown objects, sling stones, arrows, other mechanical-proppelled projectiles: as above, but 5 pts. Further: Costs END: additional rolls against "fired" missiles costs 2 personal END, as the shift must be done more quickly, which requires more personal energy. Ethereal Guardian: An Etherial Guardian is essentially an Ethereal Servitor (see that particular cantrip for details) that has been contracted exclusively to defend the caster. This other-planar spirit will attempt to use its limited ability to interact with this realm to block attacks directed at a target designated by the caster. The Guardian is contracted for a very short term, and, as its release depends only on the completion of this one contract, will do its absolute best to defend the target. The caster first summons a Guardian, then creates the contract by stipulating a length of time for the contract (which may never exceed one year) and setting aside an amount of Magic Fuel (pays END up-front for a given number of defense attempts). Note that any number of casters can contribute to the Magic Fuel set aside (only one of them must be able to contract the Guardian-- i.e., have this spell), and in fact longer contracts often require large amounts of Magic Fuel to ensure that the contract does not expire prematurely. Recovery of Magic fuel donated to this pool is at the discretion of the GM, but just for reference, I have done it a couple of ways: Caster(s) recovers as normal. Caster(s) recovers this fuel only as the Ethereal Guardian spends it. Please note that this gets tedious in bookkeeping when there are multiple contributors. Caster(s) recover as normal _after_ the time determined for the contract has elapsed. Caster(s) recover as normal once the Guardian as spend the entire pool _or_ the contract time has expired; whichever is first. All of these have radically different feels and place radically different controls on the use of magic in general and this catnip in particular. They also result in very different actions and decisions by your magic users, so I would suggest you really think about how you want to handle this in your games before just picking something. Never feel afraid to call a Mulligan if your first choice is causing problems. Any attempted missile attack at the target will prompt the Guardian to attempt to intervene (using fuel from the allocated pool created by the caster(s)). The Guardian will continue to protect the chosen target until either the magic Fuel is used or the time has expired. (the GM is left do decide what happens to unused magic fuel, should time expire first). Ethereal Guardian: Missile Deflection versus thrown items, spears, sling stones, arrows, and other mechanically-propelled items: 5 pts. Useable as Attack (caster can select target to be defended, including himself). Only one target per Guardian (Spell can be cast multiple times to run simultaneously, but only one target per casting. Each casting requires its own fuel reserve). Concentration (0 DCV) to Activate; Extra Time (1 Turn) to Activate (Caster contacts and contracts an entity able and willing to serve in this capacity). Time Limit (determined at time of casting). Uncontrolled/Automatic (Guardian reacts based on its own perception and abilities without interference from caster or target). Costs END: Caster must determine how much magic fuel he will contribute to the Guardian's pool. This total must be paid up-front, before the spell takes effect. Costs END: Each defense the Guardian attempts (makes a deflection roll) costs 1 magic fuel from the pool. Shiny: As the guardian is always active and vigilant until the end of the contract, any person protected by an Ethereal Guardian will suffer a +2 against anyone attempting to "Detect Magic." Ah-- perfect timing! Ice cream break is over, and we're ready to play again. You folks have fun!
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Feb 10, 2020 1:55:42 GMT
Power Defense is next, and honestly, I supposed I could have done this one while I did Missile Deflection. Like a couple of other items up-thread, this is already a one-for-one costing, and using our default cantrip guidelines, having just one or two points of Power Defense would technically be a cantrip. But that's not really a "magic" feel, so we jiggered with it a bit until it felt like something special. First up: we added an END cost. Why? Because that's the fastest way to make it stop being some permanent quality of the character: it's not something that "just is" anymore; it has to be turned on and off. And of course, now it requires Magic Juice. Titanic Resistance: the caster's chosen target is temporarily imbued with an ancient and powerful magic akin to that which once drove the demigods themselves, making him more resistant to spells which alter his nature or weaken his attributes. Titanic Resistance: Power Defense: 3 pts. Usable as Attack _Only_ (caster may not use this on himself). Costs END (Caster pays END / Magic cost of 1/Phase (user's Phase; not his own) as long as the spell is running. May be cast on multiple targets; caster pays Magic / END for each recipient on each of their phases). Ritual Blessings to Activate (combination of Incantations and Extra Time: two Phases; multiple recipients may be blessed). Requires and attack roll (minor, as one would not ever cast this on an unwilling target, but any roll of 18 means that particular target did not receive the blessing and will not enjoy the benefits of the spell). Concentration to maintain (minor: caster suffers -1 DCV for each person currently enchanted, up to a maximum of 1/2 DCV. Additional targets may be blessed (up to campaign maximum for number of spells running at once, of course), but caster will suffer no additional penalties. Trickster's Blessing: This quirky cantrip was a gift from a spirit of the last Age known only as the Trickster. It's origin is lost to antiquity. (It's also a bit Meta, so be prepared to be annoyed). The Trickster's Blessing provides resistance against any magic which weakens the native attributes of the caster. However, it doesn't protect all of them at once. The original build of this cantrip stated that it would protect every third Characteristic, and every time the caster's Phase came around, the protection moved down the characteristics list one spot. It worked, but it proved annoying to keep track of. To that end, it was eventually re-written such that it gained an Activation roll of 9-, which gave something like 37.5%, or close-enough-to-1/3 of the time. If you'd prefer to not go so meta as to move markers on the character sheet, then by all means, use the Activation roll of 9 or less. If you're doing this the hard way, then note that the Trickster's Blessing will change as a zero-Phase action at the very start of the caster's Phase, and will not change again until the start of his next Phase. Trickster's Blessing: Power Defense: 5 points of Defense. Costs END: 1 magic /end per phase that the spell is in use. Costs END: costs an additional point of Magic / End per point of defense provided when the Defense is actually used. Gestures and incantation to activate; Gestures to dismiss (yes: if you fail to dismiss it, it will bleed you into a dry, magic-less corpse. "Trickster," remember?). Activation: 9 or less. I generally recommend you pop on one or two campaign-normal additional limitations, whatever it takes if, in your campaign, these limitations alone are not enough-- to get that to a cost of 1 pt, because it's really a mixed bag. It's _great_ defense for costing only a single point, but it's got a real nasty backbite....
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Feb 16, 2020 23:25:38 GMT
Well today's game got cancelled for rain (we play outside, at the picnic table), so that leaves me a few minutes to catch up on home maintenance and this thread. It's been nearly a week, after all. still no new players.....Ah, well; such is life, I suppose. We left off with Power Defense. Next is Power Drain. Diving in: First off, note that these are some of the most expensive "cantrips" in the House Bushido Grimoire, if only because of the way 2e handles Drain and it's pricing. Yes; mathematically, the changes 4e wrought mean the costing / effectiveness ratio is _roughly_ the same using the new methodologies. However, there are two substantial differences that kept us from adopting the newer methods. First, because of the way they are applied, the new method becomes effective at lower price levels, particularly considering the addition of the "Time Chart" step-downs on Recovery. Second: we had already come up with a "Time Chart" option by the time that rolled around that we were happy with, with the "added bonus" that it became very, _very_ expensive to deprive someone of their abilities for a long period of time. Do-able, but grossly expensive. Unfortunately, there is a bit of reading before we get to the spell itself, because this spell makes no sense if you're not familiar with 2e, and even then, there's a house rule that we applied to Power Drain about the third time someone wanted to buy down the recovery rate. You'll need to know both of these things to appreciate the cantrip: Looking at the construct for 2e Power Drain, we see it costs (10 pts x Characteristic Cost Multiplier) points for 1d6. Granted, that 1d6 is taken directly from the actual _value_ of the Characteristic Score, and not the points that it cost, but still: it's an expensive buy-in to drain a die of, say, Constitution. The second part of the costing allows a character to pay "2 pts x (Characteristic Cost Multiplier)" to move the recovery down 1 additional Segment. NOTE: This became more effective than it sounds owning to a House Rule that this applied to _every_ Recovery. Given the cost of, say, Drain: DEX (30 pts per die!), it cost 6 points to delay the recovery one single segment; 72 pts to delay it for a full Turn! Then, by the rules, it would return one point per Segment, once it began to return. Seemed like characters paying to reduce the recovery were kind of getting screwed.... Thus, we House Ruled that characters would get one recovery per X Segments, where X meant the number of Segments of "delayed return" the attacker had paid for. If a Character had paid 72 points to move the recovery to begin after a full Turn, then he got one point back after that Turn, then waited another Turn to get another one, etc, etc. I am so certain that you can follow this that I am not going to do two more examples. After reaching a full Turn, each additional (2 pts x Cost Multiplier) bought additional Turns. I don't think anyone ever went past 1 minute, but after 1 minute, each additional 2 pts bought an additional minute, up to an hour, then days, then weeks, then months-- you get the idea. Still, I think one minute between _recovering a single point of the Characteristic_ was the "record" for anyone in any of our groups. Oh-- it was a Power Drain: INT, if you were wondering. So look at Drain: END, a character buys 1d6 to be able to drain _up to_ 12 pts of END (average roll of 3.5 on 1d6 means he can reliably expect to drain an average of 7 END per 6d). Amusingly enough, because of the costing structure of "10pts x (cost multiplier of the Characteristic)" means that die costs only 5 pts. 5 pts for the potential to drain 12 END maths out to roughly 2.4, or 2-and-a-half END per pt. Given this is only on a roll of a six, and I don't like cantrips being overly powerful, we rounded this to 2 END for one point of Power Drain. We start the build for this cantrip from there. Like many other cantrips, Weariness is built on the idea of being able to buy a single pip of effectiveness; we have already figured out that this single pip is good for draining 2 END. What we have done here is to create another version of that machine where you flip a switch to turn on a machine whose only purpose is to turn itself off: you drain 2 END; the next Segement, the target recovers 1 END, then another the next, and by the time you have another Phase, he's right back up to full. So let's look at moving the recovery down a bit. A cost of (2x cost multiplier) means 1 pt per additional Segment, what with END having a multiplier of 1/2. We're going to spend 4 additional points here, meaning that the target will only get to recover 1 END every 5 Segments ("the next segment" plus the four additional ones). Total base cost of this cantrip is 5 pts, making it one of the pricier cantrips, considering he could have bought a full die of Power Drain: END for the same cost (though recovery would have begun immediately). Of course, the next thing we are going to do is put Based on EGO Combat Value on it, we're already at 10 pts. I'm sure you get it; let's move on: Weary: This cantrip causes the target to tire more quickly under exertion, and find himself fatigued much more quickly than normal. Weary: 3 pts. Power Drain: END. ( 1 pip /2 END). Recover 1/5. Must touch target to activate. Must maintain Line of Sight throughout; must attack continuously. If caster should lose LoS or fail to attack / fail an attack upon the target on all subsequent rounds, he will have to touch the target again in order to recast the Spell. Concentrate (1/2 DCV) Throughout. Shiny (visual variant of Noisy): caster is aglow with energy, leaving no doubt that he is using magic of some sort. ------------------------------------------------------------- Leaden: The caster enchants a small river stone, which he will then throw at a target. If he is successful, the target will feel his Strength being sapped. While in itself not a terrifying spell (the Power Drain is finite and it recovers quickly), it can cause even the mightiest warriors to become temporarily unable to heft their weapons. Leaden: 5 pts. Power Drain (1 pip/ 1 STR): recover 1/3; Range (Equal to throwing/ sling distance) Autofire (10 shots/ Magic Fuel: 20, to be paid before attack roll is made ). Incantation and Extra Time: 1 Phase (must bless stone), Gestures: Must throw or sling cast stone. Spellement: smooth river stone picked from under clear water. Note that this is a bit meta, as the attack roll is made by using the normal ranged attack rules for Power Drain: Ranged. The maximum range is determined by the caster's ability to throw the stone or his access to a sling. The sfx of a successful hit is having thrown the stone or cast it from the sling. HOWEVER-- if someone else is throwing or casting the stone, then use their characteristics to determine the maximum range and their to-hit roll, at the normal -1/3 range penalty, to determine the success of the hit and then the caster's "to hit" roll (with his +4 OCV and -1/2 range penalty) to determine the success of the auto fire. Yes; it's a bit meta; roll with it. Anyway, those are our two cantrips for Power Drain. Seriously. We only had the two. The rest were full-fledge spells.
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Feb 22, 2020 3:17:28 GMT
Next up is Power Transfer: Not sure if I can give you two for this, as we only really ever did _one_ cantrip with this: a little practical joke that young sorcerers might have learned to play on each other while studying. In fact, it is quite simply a de-powered version of a full-fledged spell that I'm sure we _all_ had at least one version of. Belittle: This cantrip allows a magic wielder to increase his potential power by tapping into the magical essence available to another character. Unfortunately, the target character will temporarily be "cut off" from whatever resources the caster is using: sharing doesn't mean doubling, after all. Belittle: 8 pts. Power Drain: Magic Fuel (cost as END in our campaigns: 1 pip / 2 Essence). Recover 1/10. Ranged (30", or 200-ish feet). Concentrate (1/2 DCV). Shiny: +4 to anyone attempting to Detect Magic or Identify Spell (in today's parlance, that would probably be "analyze spell," but who knows?). Costs END (personal END: caster pays 15 END up front, placing them into the Spellement (He will only have to do this once; it is sufficient for the remainder of the day or night). He will get these back only only via natural recovery; he cannot claim them back from the Spellement. Spellement: River Stone dried in the sun atop a large stone under a summer sun. Side Effect: creates Cursed Item: After the sun changes (day to night or the reverse), the stone will "Detect Magic" or "Identify Magic" as a Blessed Charm (good luck charm). It will in fact bequeath to the bearer 2d6 unluck. The item will return to anyone who discards it. The only way to break the curse is to sell the stone or have it stolen. After the first change of sun with its new owner, the curse will be broken and it will be a mere stone again. --------------------- I want to apologize that there was only one. I even raced home this evening, excited about putting up another post, only to remember that "Power Transfer" was the next thing in line. Anyone wanna buy a lucky rock?
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Feb 23, 2020 0:25:38 GMT
Holy Carp, I just found another Power Transfer! It's the only other one in our little raggedy book here, but I'll put it up (found it under "Healing Spells", which is where tonight's other entry comes from-- (yeah; that's how I found it).). Anyway, one more Power Transfer: My Life is Yours: The caster, upon determining that there is a chance that this magic can save the character, will immediately lay hands upon him-- one hand on the dying character's heart (no; not literally), one holding the character's dominant hand to the caster's heart, and the caster will touch his forehead to the that of the dying character (no; they don't have to be eye-to-eye, but these three points of contact must be maintained throughout the cantrip). The caster will begin an incantation to allow his soul to contact that of the dying character, and offer up his own health to stop the slide into death. If accepted, the spirit of the dying character (i.e, the _player_ of the dying character ) will immediately roll 1d6 of Power Transfer: Body. The appropriate amount of BODy will be transferred from the caster to the dying character. Note that his spell, once cast, is controlled entirely by the spirit of the dying character! The caster cannot decide to use it upon the target, nor can the caster break the spiritual contact he shares with the spirit of the dying character. The caster's spirit is entirely submissive to the magic (this is the price to be paid) any cannot be contacted, even by the target, once the decision to accept the transfer is made. In meta-terms: the caster's life is entirely in the hands of the dying character's player; the choice to stop or continue draining BODY is in the hands of the player whose character is dying, and the caster's "spirit" may not intervene. Accordingly, it is entirely possible that a character being pulled from death in this fashion may inadvertently kill his rescuer. Note: By House Rule (and eventually by actual rules, but it would take some time before it became official), any BODY received via Adjustment Powers / Spells will "fade off," _but_ the fading will _stop_ one point above the "dying" threshold of the game in question. (I realize that the official rules these days state "stop fading when you get to your normal starting value," but this is a simplified cantrip, and not so powerful as to be able to actually restore someone to perfect health, thus it fades to "just before dying.") Note, however, that there is nothing but the dying character's sense of right and wrong to stop the Transfer. If at any time the ritual is broken, the caster is again in control of himself and no further Transfer of BODY is possible without reestablishing the ritual and spiritual connection. I'd like to give a bit of backstory as to just how this cantrip came to be: I had a player who _usually_ plaid a healer of some sort: all different personalities, backgrounds, types of magics, whatever-- he just liked to play healers. No one has ever really complained about that as a character preference, so it didn't bother me. Over the years, he got, to quote him "sick to death" of healing noble spirit two-faced dicks:" referring to both particular character types and particular player types whose role-playing of these scenarios was always self-sacrificing and along the lines "oh, you shouldn't have put yourself in danger for me!" or "I'm not worthy; you must continue on!" or "I can't ask you to use your precious resources on me; no-- save it for the others!" So he approached me with this idea for a healing spell where the player being healed was completely in charge of the process, even at the expense of the healer. This is what we came up with, and it only took a couple of recriminations after the healed character would state his "oh, you shouldn't have" to kind of stop that sort of self-serving clap-trap. :lol: Was it unfair? No; I don't think so. If it was _truly_ the character's personality to find himself not worth saving under the circumstances, he had the option to say no and end the ceremony nigh-instantly. Having decided to heal himself through harming the healer, it was a lot harder to "lie" about your noble soul. :lol: Anyway: My Life is Yours: Power Transfer, 1d6 BODY. Usable by Others _only_ (caster cannot use this cantrip on himself, mostly because it just doesn't make sense) Body drains back to caster at 1/Turn (in this case, that was considered a substantial Disadvantage, but you do you). BODY that remains with target to keep him above threshold does _not_ return to caster and must be restored either by normal recovery methods or outside Healing. Ceremony, consisting of Concentration (0 DCV), Incantations throughout, and Gestures throughout (detailed above). While this cantrip doesn't require Extra Time to begin, if any one part of the Ceremony is interrupted, the ritual cannot be attempted again until the caster's first phase on the next Turn due to the shock of being thrown out of spiritual intimacy. Lastly: Costs END: Costs 3 Magic Fuel _and_ 3 personal END per Transfer; costs 1 magic Fuel per segment to maintain the spiritual connection. Regeneration: Yep. We did one for Regeneration. Honestly, who didn't? Fear Not the Harvest: This is almost a healing cantrip. It isn't, but it almost is. When a character has been reduced to "bleeding to death / dying" levels of BODY, the caster may use this spell in an attempt to bind the target's spirit to his flesh, preventing him from actually dying. It doesn't always work, but such are the risks at cheating death. In game terms, this cantrip allows the caster to sacrifice his own post-12 Recovery in order to restore 2 BODY to the target. He may continue to do this for as long as he is able, but will never be able to increase the target's BODY above 0 (or 1, if that's the life / death threshold in your game). Regeneration: 20 pts base (recover 2 BODY per post-12 recovery). Usable on Others _only_ (caster may not use this on himself). Caster may be no further than the adjacent hex from the target character, though he need not be touching him. Cannot increase BODY above life/death threshold (on the life side, of course). Ritual: Extra Time (Regeneration begins to occur only on the first post-12 recovery after beginning the healing ritual, and so it must be begun before that, and continued until target has recovered enough BODY to be out of danger of dying. Cantrip will not regenerate target to more than 1 BODY above the dying threshold). Incantations Throughout, Concentration (1/2 DCV). Side Effect: Caster may not take any recoveries, Post-12 or otherwise, until he has completed the healing of the target. If the ceremony is interrupted for any reason, the caster may not attempt to heal the same target for one hour. Target will regain 1 BODY after the first Post-12 recovery and after that again at the end of segment 6 and 1 BODY after post-12 recoveries are taken. Costs END (4 pts END / Magic Fuel per BODY pip restored, paid when a BODy pip is restored). Note: This cantrip can only restore BODY. While it is capable of "stabilizing" a bleeding or otherwise physically damaged character, it will not counteract poisons, curses, or other magical attacks; it will not stop those things which continue to inflict damage. For example, a character who has been shot with a poison arrow will continue to take damage as per the build of the poison until the poison is countered or has run its course. This cantrip only heals BODY damage. NOTE: This is an iffy-at-best methodology. While it's better than nothing, it's entirely possible that the dying character will lose BODY faster than the caster can heal it. Them's the breaks. And as far as I can tell (scanned the booklet twice this time ) that is the only cantrip version of Regeneration. I know I promised 2, but my entire family is home tonight for the first time in I don't know how long, and if it's all the same, i'd like to postpone just whipping one up in favor of spending some time with them. You folks have fun, and for the love of little fishes, someone please-- feel free to toss up something of yours!
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Mar 1, 2020 16:23:03 GMT
All righty.... Lots of views; no new players.... Such it is to be, then! Let's go froth some Sallies! Running: Harm's Way: This seemingly backwards-named cantrip grants the caster the ability to remove himself _from_ danger, though many an adventurous or foolhardy sorcerer has used this spell to move himself into the way of considerable danger. while his stride appears to neither lengthen nor quicken, the distance covered in a single step is significantly further than it should have been. The magics involved are difficult, but most scholars explain it as deciding the earth under each footfall should be located elsewhere, thus, as the caster moves upon that earth, he is in fact elsewhere. For non-magical sorts, this makes little sense; for those steeped in the mysteries of the universe, it is clearly a simple thing to understand it, as most magic users at some point early in their studies learn to cast this staple bit of magic. The caster's stride neither quickens nor elongates; he is simply covers ground more quickly than his movements suggest, and the effect can be quite unsettling for observers. Harm's Way: Running +3 Inches: This one is a bit different from the other examples I've posted, but if I try to just do the laundry list of modifiers it's going to come off like a 5e character sheet, so let's go long-hand with this: This cantrip must be pre-prepared and has a limited duration that depends on that preparation. This spell has Increased END: x2 END (more on that in a bit). In our fantasy campaigns, we quite often had spells that had to be prepared ahead of time. To prevent abuse of "Oh, I did that already" and to make it impossible to simply decide "Oh, I prepared like sixty doses of it," we had mandatory requirements for spells that had to be prepared in advance. Keep in mind that these only applied should the caster wish some sort of cost reduction for having to prepare it ahead of time; if it was just a special effect that really didn't affect the utility of the spell, the so be it. These rules included things like "pre-prepared spells must cost END (usually magic fuel) _and_ this END could not be recovered until after the spell was spent. This provided an actual limiting factor in play: a smaller magic fuel pool from which to draw. The thing is, most spells are "preprepared" out of combat, where there isn't really a time crunch to begin with, so what does it matter? Unless it takes a week or longer, no one is really put out. If a build didn't usually cost END, it had to take "Increased END: costs END" to get any value from "must be pre-prepared." The second equalizer of "must be pre-prepared" was that the caster set the duration _at the time he paid the END /magic cost_. Yep: he would decide how many of his Phases he wanted the spell to run and paid in enough END to run the spell for that length of time. When the END was used up, the spell dissipated on its own. Further, if the caster voluntarily dismissed the spell, the spell was _dismissed_. He couldn't "save some for later." And finally, well-- the spell must be pre-prepared. He would be unable, even where he to pre-prepare it at that very moment, to cast it again for a bare minimum time that was determined as the _longer_ of 1 full minute per Segment (no; I did not say "Phase." We tried per Phase once; we got less "interesting cantrip" and more "magic movement on the cheap!") that the spell was in play. (this tends to encourage early dismissal, but at no time is the character _forced_ to choose early dismissal). _or_ twice the length of time of the preparation ritual, should the spell have "Ritual" or "Extra Time to Activate" as limitations. Note that the pre-paid END burns every Phase, whether the caster actually uses the spell that phase or not! This, just as with early dismissal, is to prevent getting around the pre-preparation time limit by "saving some for later." You know, I need to tidy that up: To determine the minimum length of time that must pass before the spell can be activated again (though it may be prepared at any time), look at two lengths of time: 1) The number of Segments that comprised the duration of the spell's last usage. The minimum length of time determined by this duration is an equal number of minutes (6 Segments becomes 6 minutes). 2) The length of time the pre-preparation ritual requires. Multiply that by two to determine the minimum "reset time" demanded by the ritual. Even if re-prepared immediately, the spell may not be cast again until the longer of those two periods has elapsed. Okay (Damn; who'd have thought "magic track shoes" would get so fiddly? Honestly, it's mostly because of how hard it is to turn the feeling of superpowers into the feeling of magic, but that's a real digression, and I've been pretty good thus far. ) One again: Harm's Way: 1 pt. Running +3 Inches. Must be pre-prepared (with all that entails, above). Increased END: x2 END (caster pays magic fuel when he pre-prepares the cantrip, but pays it again as he uses the additional movement.) Extended re-cast intermission: ten minutes per Segment of duration must pass before cantrip can be recast. Command Word (set each time by the caster at the ritual of preparation: Command Word was a "lesser" version of "restrainable" or "Incationations," as it was just a single word, and much more difficult to stop someone from saying a single word than it is to grab or otherwise disrupt a complex series of gestures of chants. There. Damn I wish I'd picked a different one. :lol: ------------------------------- Rush: This cantrip, derived from the more powerful spell "En Masse," allows the caster to enchant any group of people moving toward a similar target or destination. It momentarily folds time around them, causing a blurring rush forward as displaced time folds back to our reality. The effect does not last long, but can be used by a skilled caster to move a large number of people across a failing support structure and even to move a band of infantry men suddenly into range of a target, taking it by surprise. Rush: 2 pts. Running +4". Usable as Attack, Usable at Range (5"). Area of Effect (5 contiguous hexes, chosen by caster at time of casting). Gestures & Incantations to cast; Gestures throughout. Ritual (1 Turn) & Spellement:hairs from the mane and tail of a trained charger, blown from the caster's open palm into the air in front of his eyes. The hairs drift through the caster's field of vision; he may enchant any group of moving people he can view through the field of horse hairs. Concentrate ( 1/2 DCV) . Spell may be cast only once between midnight and noon; once between noon and midnight. Spell lasts two of the caster's phases. Caster must pay END / Magic fuel for all those enchanted. Only those who are already running will be enchanted. Those enchanted will find themselves unable to stop running until the spell has dismissed itself. Generally, no one complains. ----------------------------------------------------------------- All right: I'd like to back up a bit and edit this in, but I'm not going to. I found it under "movement spells" in our book, but do you know what it is? I didn't. I mean, I did when we came up with it, but over the years, this home brewed house rule had become an official one and we never thought anything else about it: we just started thinking "well this is how they're doing it now, so let's just run with it." Sadly, we forgot where it came from. :lol: This is it: This is a cantrip based on FTL. That's right. We did have one! :rofl: To explain: way back when, the only thing for non-combat multipliers was the rules saying "you can go twice as fast if you start and finish out of combat." (Didn't take long before Davien was trying to work it so that he started out of combat, passed through combat for a move-through, and finished out of combat.... ugh; that guy.... Oh, and "No." That was the official answer. The less formal answer was "&*)@ you, Davien! ) Anyway, FTL had this neat little "for 5 pts, you can double your movement" rule. We'd been playing for a couple of years, we'd started using Champions for other genres, and were getting more comfortable with house rules to fill in gaps as we ran across them. Even to this day, though, we tried to base our house rules as closely as possible to examples and parallels and similarities from the actual book. Yeah: honestly, it wasn't until the early 2000s that we began to realize that it doesn't take special arcane black magic to create a functional game: it takes attention to detail and an eye for consistency. We really thought there was special science behind games back then (except for pretty much everything TSR ever did), so we went out of our way to stick as closely to them as possible. At this point, it's just a habit. anyway, we glommed that from FTL: +5 pts for a x2 movement that couldn't be used in combat. Sounded like NCM to us! 3e didn't give us anything special for NCM except for that weird formula for Flight that almost always ended up in NCM = x3. We tried "+x movement, only for non-combat," but that got screwy if you wanted to more than double your NCM, and the 3e flight formula broke down for heavily-modified movement builds-- sometimes returning an NCM that was slightly less than your actual movement. We gave up and kept on rocking with our "borrowed from FTL" build. Then 1990 happened, and 4e gave us a way to increase our NCM. Better still, at 5pts for x2, it looked like they had done the same thing we did: yanked it wholesale from FTL. :lol: All that being said, here: have Celerity (Derived from the greater spell "Breath of the Gods") Celerity: the caster gives his desire to travel over to the flow of magic, and is able to travel as though the magic itself wished him to be elsewhere. Celerity: 2 pts. +2 levels NCM (total x8 NCM) 10 pts. Ritual (Extra Time: one minute. Caster enchants spellement and plunges it through his chest into his heart.). Incantation to activate (throughout ritual). Concentration (0 DCV) to maintain. Spellement: the head of a message arrow that has both missed it's mark and landed without piercing a target or the earth (rather rare item). Increased END: caster pays his normal personal END for his full movement and pays an equal amount of magic fuel per Phase as he uses Celerity. Spell persists so long as caster continues making Full Moves. Once dismissed or movement is stopped, Caster is unable to cast this spell again until the next noon after twenty four hours. Absolutely cannot be used in combat or for any combat maneuver. Okay, that's three. Goodbye for now!
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Mar 2, 2020 1:36:15 GMT
Shrinking:
yes; there are a couple of rather pricey "cantrips" thus far, but not many, and they are heavily limited. And now we are back to peeling elements from powers to build cantrips of limited abilities.
Cat's Luck: The caster uses magic to fool the laws of physics, resulting in a universe that thinks him as agile and quick as as a cat, allowing him to duck and twist is way from danger, and to move with a stealthy grace so long as he moves no faster than 1/2 his normal rate. In game terms: One level of Shrinking with the Limitation "does not alter size or mass." This grants +2 DCV and inflicts a -2 to the PER rolls of characters attempting to detect him by sight or sound. To keep things reasonable, the character will suffer the +3 Knockback (should that rule be in play). The universe believes him to be a cat, after all.
Cat's Luck: 2 pts: 1 level Shrinking (does not alter size or mass). Limited Duration: 1 minute. Gestures and spellement (the dander brushed from a cat is rubbed between the hands, then one streak brushed down the bridge of the nose; Spellement is lost). Delayed Effect: spell takes effect on the second Phase after which it is cast. Spell is instantly dismissed if the caster exceeds 1/2 his normal inches of running.
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Unfetter: This spell allows the caster to slip free of most any bonds near instantly, as if the shackles were meant for someone half-again his size.
Ufetter:1 pt. Shrinking, 1/2 level: no bonuses, no mass reduction. Incantation to activate. Does not work against self-tightening knots or weighted ropes. Does not work in direct sunlight. Time Limit: two Phases. Side Effect: character will retain +3" Knockback / knockdown for a full hour.
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The third one is simply a "usable by others" version of Unfetter. The cost is 2 pts, all else (including the side effect) is the same. (all upon whom this spell is used will suffer the side effect.)
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Mar 3, 2020 0:54:45 GMT
Superleap (2e, remember? ) Okay, right up front: this is quite possibly the most ignored power in any of my games. No matter what you do, it's just damned hard to make superleap cool. Even Wonder Woman and the Bionic Man couldn't do it. It's a seriously hard sell for players in any genre. I only say that to explain why I didn't have much to choose from. So, just to make sure the numerous silent viewers happy, I'll put up a couple of cantrips and a really fun full-on spell. Deal? Vault: This cantrip can is cast on a mount and will briefly double it's leaping. Generally, the caster will cast this on his own mount, but he may cast it on any mount he can reach while riding. The caster draws upon the movement energies of the mount and infuses them with magic, dramatically increasing the amount of energy the mount may release when he next jumps. Vault: Superleap (X2 multiplier; NCM still applies): Usable by others (on mount only) Rider must make Riding or Animal Handling roll to persuade mount to leap beyond what it knows to be its limits. Mount must be moving at full speed. Incantation. Caster must touch bare palm, fingers splayed, against unprotected ("bare," save for natural hair, fur, feathers, etc that the mount many possess) neck of mount to activate cantrip. Duration: Cantrip may be used during any of the mount's next six Phases, but may be used only once per casting. If mount balks or slows (other than to maneuver), then spell is dismissed, even if it has not been used. Caster pays END / magic fuel at the time the mount is enchanted. Mount pays END for all movement used, including the superleap element. Mount my be enchanted repeatedly, so long as the caster has magic fuel and the mount has END; Riding / Animal Handling rolls must be made for each Superleap. Vault: 1 pts. There is a 5 pt Spell version of this cantrip (Vault II, because we had the D&D methodology stuck in our heads when we first began trying to play Fantasy with Champions. :lol: ) that provides Superleap x4 multiplier (NCM still applies) and does away with the Skill roll. Just so you know. So... two cantrips and a spell-and-a-half? ---------------------------------------------------- Ascend: Superleap (x4 Multiplier). Vertical leap only (though user may still move forward his "regular" leaping distance). Delayed Effect. Gestures and Incantations to activate; Gestures throughout: Caster stands erect, feet together, and raises both arms to his sides, palms down and elbows turned so that he reaches slightly forward (seriously: I had _one_ player that ever wanted this built as a cantrip, and that's what he came up with. I guess you had to be there... in his head.....). On the first Phase after the cantrip is invoked, the caster will then rise quickly into the air, moving to half height (x2 his regular vertical leap height) and 1/4 the distance he intends to move forward. On his next Phase, he will rise the rest of the way up and 1/4 the distance he intends to move forward. If he intends to light at this point (perhaps he is "leaping" to a high platform, he will land on this Phase and the cantrip is dismissed. If he is continuing to make the full leap, the next Phase he will move forward the remaining distance and touch feet back on the ground. I have no idea what to call that as a single modifier, so I'm going with "Delayed Effect" and "Extra Time: 3 Phases." Ascend: 3 pts. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now the spell I promised. It has a Spellement: a lodestone affixed to the bottom of a stout hardwood staff, cane, or walking stick. it must also be pre-prepared (see a couple of posts up for what that entails). It's a bit bizarre, and a _lot_ of fun. Away! (exclamation point mandatory): Superleap x8 multiplier (NCM applies by default, meaning a total of x16 Leaping distance). This spell (not a cantrip: too effective, and too pricey to just say "here's a neat little thing I can do for a couple of points!) allows a caster to clear a path through any crowd, and to do so in a hurry! There is a Ritual, but it's brief, so I priced it similar to Delayed Effect: 1 Phase. For special effects and dramatic purposes, the ritual: The caster internalizes his anger or frustration, then draws forth considerably magic, and uses his frustration to restrain the magic itself, even as he continues to draw more magic into the bottle of anger. One the Phase after he begins this process (there is a soft chant to keep the magic flowing and contained), he will focus the magic through himself and his staff, strike the staff with all his might (seriously: pay END for your STR-- _all_ of it) while shouting "AWAY!" loudly and angrily. The strike of the lodestone on stone or steel will release the magic through the earth, where it will instantly pull the caster's rage with it and travel until the magic is spent and the caster's ire is safely dissipated into nature. The initial force, however, is truly impressive, and will cause anyone in its path to recoil instantly, even in spite of their own wishes, pulling magic energy with them, which, fueled by anger, forcibly pushes aside those in the way. The end result is harmless to the victims (part of why "superleap" instead of "telekinesis" or "energy blast," but the chaos and confusion are truly impressive, and will leave a two-meter wide path free of any living soul up to the point that the magic and the anger dissipated. The leap will always be directly to one side or the other of the Area of Effect (Line); vertical leaping is not possible. Leapers may (and most likely will) crash into those behind them, both arresting their movement, tangling legs and fouling movement, and potentially even doing Move Bys and Move-Throughs, assuming enough distance to get momentum up (at least one empty hex between them and those they crash into; STR "bonus" will not apply to such Move-Through or Move-By attacks). This spell requires an attack roll using STR: the caster must physically "attack" the ground in front of him in such a way as to direct the line. Use 2e scatter rules if the attack roll fails-- the spell _will_ take effect even if the attack roll fails, and the energy is going somewhere. Away: 12 pts. Superleap (x8) 30pts. NCM applies automatically (This is a -0 / +0: as the crowd is compelled to move away, they are considered to be taking out-of-combat, full-out "movement."). Useable as Attack. Area of Effect: (Line); double Area of Effect (Length of line is 24"). No Range ( Line begins in hex adjacent to caster where he "attacked" the earth beneath him). Extra Time (1 Phase). Ritual. Incantation to Activate (throughout ritual). Concentrate (1/2 DCV) throughout Ritual. Caster Pays all END for the Leaping; when caster is out of END, the line ends. Caster may, at GM Option, pre-determine the amount of END he wishes to spend; without such permission, caster will either have END /magic fuel to create the entire line or will spend _all_ of his END / magic fuel creating as much of the line as he is able, and will burn personal END thereafter until either he is at 0 END and the line stops , or the line is fully completed.(I've been using "Side Effect" for that one). Caster must be frustrated / angered to use this spell. Spellement: hardwood staff or walking stick with a lodestone affixed to the bottom. Noisy (x2) Shiny (x2). There should be two things you notice right away: The visuals for this are awesome. This spell gets really, _really_ effective for powerful casters with access to lots and lots of magic fuel. Season to taste. Now back to cantrips; I just put up the one spell because 1) it amuses the Hell out of me and 2) the cantrips were a bit "wanting" this time around. You folks have fun!
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Mar 4, 2020 2:04:07 GMT
Egad-- I just noticed I missed Stretching. It's all good; I can post up one of the perineal favorites. This one has survived in one incarnation or another across several fantasy campaigns:
Stretching:
Phantom Blade: 2 pts. The caster is able to bless a combatant and his weapon, temporarily binding to them the fighting spirit of a dozen great heroes of the previous ages, when gigantic men of incredible power walked the earth. The mystical and spiritual merger creates a shadowy figure, darting in and out of perception across the warrior's own image, and his own weapon is concealed by a light-consuming shadow shape of the weapon of the ancient warrior bound to him. The sheer spiritual energy of this ancient warrior is so strong that it amplifies the essence of the fighter's own weapons, causing even it's very sharpness of edge (for swords) or crushing weight (for hammers), etc to be felt even beyond it's natural reach.
Each of these ancient warriors was a master of his craft, and fights with the courage and skill he expects of all who stand beside him. Accordingly, they will not abide those who run or shirk from combat, and those who are not skilled with their weapon. Should a wielder of a weapon charmed with this spell break away from combat, the spirit will leave, disgusted, and may not return if called upon later. Should the wielder of the charmed weapon miss two consecutive attacks, the spirit will deem his skills unworthy, and will leave, dismissing the cantrip immediately. The cantrip will dismiss itself when the pre-paid magic fuel is expended. To use this cantrip, the caster must take possession of the weapon and will spend a full Phase holding and consecrating the weapon (consider saying "blessing" or "Charming" the weapon if you think you might have a player who doesn't know the difference between consecrating and consummating. it's an awkward thing to know about your friends) and learning the identity of the deceased ancient he has bound to the weapon. He will then return the weapon to the wielder, and only _after_ returning the weapon will he give the wielder the name of the ancient warrior bound to it. Note that calling the warrior's name while holding the weapon activates the spell! ( might want to mention that to the wielder straight-away!) Further, once the spell is active, transferring the weapon to another wielder will dismiss the spell immediately.
After the spell is dismissed for any reason, the weapon may not be enchanted again with the same spell until it has been polished in the moonlight (doesn't have to be a full moon, but there has to be a moon out). If the cantrip was dismissed due to either weapon mishandling (two consecutive misses or changing wielders) or due to "perceived cowardice" (breaking away from combat prior to achieving victory or death), the spell will take on a Burnout Roll for that particular weapon (it will always be the same spirit that returned to a weapon, once the initial bond is made) of 8 or less. Every such premature dismissal will raise that number by +1. Once the spell "burns out" for that weapon, it may not be blessed again with this spell until it has been broken and re-forged and has changed owners.
In game terms, the wielder of the charmed weapon may use melee combat at targets up to 2" away (adjacent hex, plus one more) or +1" beyond normal range of characters using longer weapons. Yes; there is a curious lopsidedness in this, as melee opponents with traditional melee weapons will have an extremely difficult time counter-attacking.
Phantom Blade: 2 pt. Stretching 1". Usable on Others (only): weapons. Duration: Caster pre-pays the magic fuel for the length of time he wishes the cantrip to last. Once the duration is set, he may not increase it. Spent magic fuel does not return to caster if spell is dismissed early (thought it will "recover back" by whatever means are normal in the campaign). Extra Time: One full Phase is spent blessing the weapon. Ritual: gestures and incantations during that initial Phase. Concentrate 1/2 DCV during the Ritual. Command Word: wielder must speak the name of the bound warrior to summon his fighting spirit. Misfire: spell may prematurely dismiss itself for various reasons, as listed in the description.. Side-effect: gains a per-item Burnout roll with each misfire, which will continue to increase until the spirit of the warrior will no longer allow itself to be bound to this weapon or serve this master. Weapon must transfer ownership, be broken, and be reforged before any other spirit will willingly bind to it. Lockout: Weapon must be polished in the moonlight before it may receive this blessing again.
Note: caster pays Magic Fuel up front, but said fuel is spent by the wielder's actions-- every melee action is a Phase in which 1 pt of magic fuel is spent. Also note that there is nothing inherent in this spell that prevents the caster from preparing multiple blessed weapons! _That_ sort of restriction is up to the GM, should he decide to enforce one.
I hope you guys like that one; it's been a favorite for almost every group I've let use it. It doesn't do _much_ game wise, but it's great for some cinematic moments, can offer a surprise or two, and it's relatively handy.
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Acquire: Stretching 1" This cantrip allows a character to magically seize items up to 2" away. He simply reaches forth and grabs for them, then mimes drawing his hand back. The item will respond as though the character's arms were two meters than they are. There are a few restrictions on this ability: the item must be something the character could carry with one hand and an outstretched arm: most people might be able to lift a bucket of water, but not may could do so with a single outstretched arm. Further, larger, bulkier items will require some sort of handhold if they are too rigid to simply be squeezed for a grip. This cantrip does not allow the caster to magically grab items that are behind barriers through which his arm would not fit (save for not being long enough-- this spell will act as though his arm is much longer. If his arm is too _thick_ to fit, however, of does not possess enough elbows to navigate a tight path to the item-- then this cantrip will not work. The caster may "grab" the item with 1/4 his STR for purposes of someone fighting his acquiring of the item. Caster need not be able to perceive the item; so long as he knows the item is there (in a bag, behind a cabinet, etc), he may grasp or flail about for it as if he were using his own arm. While his arm has grown no longer, the magic he is using forces the world to react as though his own hand were carrying the item, and any attacks done against the item will affect that caster as though his hand were actually grasping the item.
Acquire: 1 pt. Does not provide additional flexibility or the ability to work through any openings or barrier through which the caster's arm could not fit. No non-combat Stretching is possible. Gestures throughout. Spellement: caster draws a fresh green cutting from a willow or similarly-flexible tree branch down the length of his inner forearm and cosses this mark with the same branch three times. The branch will shrivel, dry, and crumble as he uses the cantrip.
For a two-point version, do away with the Spellement. We originally had it because this spell was written for a druid with sympathetic-type magic. We kept it because this turned into a pick-pocket crime spree the time we let one particular character take it without the spellement. :lol:
Good night, All !
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Mar 6, 2020 3:10:19 GMT
Swimming is up next.
Our views are up, too, but still no one else joining in the fun. The internet: the most equalizing social interaction platform ever devised by man. "I know! We should fill it with introverts!" :rofl:
Drifting Catkin:
Okay, for those who don't know: a catkin is a particular type of tree bloom-- not really a nut; not a seed... it's hard to describe. Many kinds of trees have them-- think like something between a pine cone and a snake's rattle and you'll get sort of an idea. A bad one, but an idea nonetheless. Birch trees are the usual example, as they all produce catkin-type seed thingies, but there are varieties of sweetgum and even scrub oaks that produce these... "fruits?" As a kid, the most memorable fact about a catkin was that it floats. Like _super_ floats-- like almost completely buoyant: only a tiny portion of the catkin lies on or below the water's surface; the rest is high and dry. We'd play with them, racing them in the river or in rain runoffs. Now you know.
So, Drifting Catkin: A caster using this cantrip will float on top of the water-- not float as a swimmer might do, but be able to sit or even lie down on the surface of the water as if it were stone. He is not able to to exert a great deal of control over his movement, as attempting to walk or crawl across the water must be done slowly, and is therefore greatly at the mercy of the current within the water, should it be moving. Even should he be submerged at the time he activates the cantrip, he will immediately pop to the surface like a cork. This cantrip grants 1" of Swimming movement to any character who cannot otherwise swim; this swimming will follow the buoyancy requirements of the cantrip, of course.
In game terms, this cantrip does not grant additional swimming: his swimming speed will still be the two hexes / Phase that all characters have. This cantrip simply makes him impossible to sink or to dash against the rocks in rapidly-moving rocks, etc, as, since he will be standing atop the water, this cantrip will effectively eliminate most penalties for Swimming as an action, allowing him the control he needs to navigate dangerous obstacles, etc.
This cantrip is Usable by Others, but not at range. Any character the caster wishes to grant this ability to must be in physical contact with the caster, either directly or indirectly (such as holding the hand of someone who is holding the hand of the caster). The caster pays the END (via magic fuel) for all who are using the spell. When using this cantrip on a non-swimmer, all who are using the cantrip are limited to 1" of movement, else they will outpace the non-swimmers and would have to lose physical contact to do so. The character will remain above water even when burdened with up to his max STR lift in weight, at which point the cantrip will dismiss (or not work at all, if he is already do burdened).
Drifting Catkin: 1pt. Swimming: 1" Usable on others. Does not add to Swimming movement. Must remain above the water. Concentrate: Requires and EGO roll (yes; that was one of the House Rules: you could use Requires an EGO roll at the same value as Concentrate: 1/2 DCV); the EGO roll is checked for every Phase that the user wishes to do something other than simply drift. All users are subject to the EGO roll
3--------------5--------------------7
Water Skate: Similar to Drifting Catkin in that the user is so buoyant as to literally stand on the water, the caster may slide, glissade, and literally _skate_across the surface of the water at his normal movement speed.
Water Skating: 2 pts. Swimming +4" Incantation to Activate. Concentrate: Requires and EGO roll to do anything other than move. Character must remain moving at a rate of no less than his half-move, or the spell will dismiss itself. Cantrip dismisses itself (or fails to activate) if character's burden exceeds his lift capacity. Duration: Character pre-pays an amount of END / magic fuel into a pool that powers the spell until it is consumed or spell is dismissed. unused magic fuel is "lost," but can be recovered normally as per campaign rules. Spellement: the bark of a silver or paper birch tree must be pressed to the tongue then placed in a pocket. (Spellement is not consumed with use, but _is_ delicate, and can be destroyed through wear and tear).
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There are a couple of others, but they are combined with Life Support and are more "full spells" than cantrips, so they are not appropriate for this thread, I don't think.
Good night, All.
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Mar 10, 2020 23:49:08 GMT
Eight more views. Woo-Hoo! Sorry for taking so long to get back, but work hours, and getting tied up in the goofiest things on the official board..... I think it's time I reeled myself back in from that board a bit. I have less and less time of my own, what with summer production ramping up at work (both jobs), and frankly-- I get involved in too many conversations over there that I don't really enjoy. Where were we? Ah; Swimming. That leads straight to those nifty "T" powers, doesn't it? What's first? Teleport? Telepathy? The alphabet says "telepathy," so off we go--- Insight: The cantrip allows a character to get an understanding of the target's mood. Yes: mood. Not reading his mind, because he's only got 1 die, and the rules say he has to roll INT x1 to read his mind. This cantrip is a single die of Telepathy; if the caster is able to get the target's EGO / 2, he will have a solid grasp of the target's mood. Not useful, you say? I disagree: it's proven quite advantageous to social interactions, allowing characters to get bonuses for knowing just the right thing to do or say, improving their various interaction rolls. It can also help with negotiations, etc. You know what? Never mind all that. Use it as you will; you know what it does. (know that _most_ users of this cantrip buy 2 dice, and know also that you shouldn't really allow more than that without making it a full-blown spell. Telepathy: unable to read thoughts or motivations; only current mood. Extra Time: Caster must meditate on the target for one full minute. Insight: 1 die for 3 pts. --------------------------------------------------------------- Kinship: Caster is able to express good will toward animals. He is not able to read an animal's thoughts, per se, but their intentions ("Harm," "Defend Self," "alert," "afraid," etc). With 2 dice, the caster may, by rolling the animal's INT x1, be able to make his own intentions known to a target animal ("not hurt," "help," "give food," etc). The caster uses magic as a medium of communication, turning his thoughts into expressions of scent, taste, or other important cues to the animal in question (GMs may choose to limit this to "categories of animals," but that's kind of dickish and means that a Druid type will have to by a crapload of this relative staple of his kind). The magic doesn't actually transform thought or desire into scent or such, but simply allows the caster's intentions to be perceived by the target animal(s) in a way that the target is able to comprehend. The caster is able to understand the intentions and feelings of the animal as well, but will not hear words, direct thoughts, or anything else: people are a higher order, and are capable of just "knowing" via the magic. Telepathy: No actual thoughts; intentions and mood only. Only versus non-sophonts (ie, not "people" races; animals). Ritual: Caster must approach the animal / maintain a body language that is non-hostile. Caster must allow the magic to form a bond between himself and the animal (Extra Time: one full minute) before any attempt a Kinship can be made. Kinship: 1 die for 3 pts. (It's suggested that, since there is no greater effect, the die pool be capped at 3 unless the character is attempting to build a serious charm animal spell of some sort, but let's be honest: Mind Control does that much better). That's all for today. I'm damned tired.
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Apr 19, 2020 19:59:54 GMT
Let's move on-
Cantrips for Teleport:
Castle: This cantrip is _lots_ of fun, and many thieves have been known to pay top Grickle for a charm that grants this ability, even if only once. If the cantrip is "prepared" (done by crushing the charm required), the caster and any one person who is both turned to face the caster and in an adjacent hex will immediately swap positions. They will not change orientations (which is to say that they will now be back-to-back with each other) and both will retain any momentum they had at the moment the Castle took effect. Thieves are particularly fond of this cantrip as it allows them to charge directly at at a charging guard, instantly swap places with them, and ends with them both running directly away from each other, neither having slowed a bit. Not only is there an excellent head start, it often takes the guard a moment to figure out what happened, often assuming that the thief has simply disappeared.
Castle has come up in my campaigns two ways:
Castle (charm): Teleport: 7 AP. Both teleportees must be looking at each other and in adjacent hexes. Spellement: fragile expendable charm made of four small dried bay leaves, arranged so as to form a hollow "shell" around a dry enchanted powder. (note that this powder leaves a faint but tell-tale scent in the air for three Segments). Spellement is difficult to procure (enchanted during 4-hour creation process, but requires two days to dry). Triggered: if the charm is crushed, the spell _will_ activate the first time the person crushing the charm comes into eye contact adjacent to another character. (there are horror legends about accidentally breaking a Castle Charm while looking in a mirror.... Are they true? It's your game; you decide). User pays END / Magic the moment the charm is crushed. x4 END: if the user has no native magic juice, the charm will draw END instead. In this case, the END cost is quadrupled. Real Cost : 1
Castle (cantrip): Teleport 7 AP. Both teleportees must be looking at each other and in adjacent hexes. Cantrip must be prepared at least two Phases before use (Extra time: 2 Phases) Concentrate: after cantrip is prepared, any time the caster is in a hex adjacent to another character and he is not yet ready for the cantrip to take effect, he must concentrate at the 1/2 DCV level to prevent it from going off unintentionally. Real Cost: 2
There is another version of Castle: a full "spell version" that essentially removed the Concentration conditions of the cantrip for accidentally loosing the spell and replaces it with Delayed Effect. This version, being a full-on spell, can be done at range (though by Campaign Fiat, I tend not to allow a distance of greater than 15 "early editions" hexes between the two characters, and they will still reappear as near as possible to the center of that distance, back-to-back in adjacent hexes. The 15" limit isn't a penalty so much as it's one-hundred feet. I can't help but feel that this is about as far as you can make reasonable eye contact and focus on each other. However, exceptions have been made for operatic levels of high fantasy. (Remember to include the +5 point "can move another person" qualifier, and to add an appropriate amount of the "range" advantage onto that five points when determining your AP).
Mount / Dismount: This is essentially built on a point of teleport. If the magic wielder in question has access to some form of non-spellement teleport spell, I usually just make this a freebie, but if he does not, then it's something I call a "three for one:" there are certain little "magics" that I just don't think are worth mathing out; this is one of them. If he can come up with two more, he can have all three for one point. (Note that three for ones quite often end up being five for ones, maybe six for ones, and in the end: so what? Does the ability to touch his mount and suddenly be sitting astride his mount _really_ have such a massive impact on the game? Originally it was done so that a dwarf-like druid with a twisted leg (birth defect) didn't spend two full minutes mounting his critter. We've used it for really, _really_ old wizards, too. :lol:
Ascend II: Teleport: 1 pt. The magic wielder may simply slide up a wall, tree, fence, stair railing, etc-- to achieve any higher perch that he can touch while standing below it. He must be standing as close to below the perch as possible and directly lay one bare hand upon the supporting structure of that perch. There is no power word or spellement or other requirement; he will simple slide up the surface almost instantly until he is standing (as best that room will allow) on the perch. Ascend II does not grant Clinging, and appropriate DEX rolls to remain on the perch are his own affair. Ascend II does not grant a magical counterpart, and the magic wielder is on his own to get down from the perch. If there is not enough room on the perch for the magic user to end up _on his feet_-- he may stand, squat, or otherwise contort as necessary, but he must be supported on his feet_-- the spell will carry him to the perch, at which point he will immediately slide back down the way he came. Once he has Ascended and gained his feet, he may sit, lie down, etc, as normal and without effect.
Ascend costs 1 pt. For 2 pts, he may Ascend to any perch not more than eight feet above him.
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Duke
Triple Digit Mad Dog
Affable Moron
Posts: 162
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Post by Duke on Apr 20, 2020 0:07:37 GMT
Tunnelling: Okay, two things up-front: first, yes; I know that's misspelled. It's the way it appears in the original 1e book and the 2e book and the 3e book and it amuses me because it reminds me of Traveller and it's double-L spelling. If I'm playing Champions, that's how I'm spelling it. Second: I _kind_ of owe Steve Long an apology. Kinda. No; I'm not waffling on it. I mean _kinda_. I did a small abuse; he did a huge one with his whole "tunnelling to instantly bash open doors because you're so strong!" schtick that can, in fact, be bought by someone with a STR3 and a total body mass of 1 kg. I just made a cantrip to help speed up battering rams just a tiny bit. So yeah; I abuse it a little bit, too. Doesn't mean Steve was right; it just means I was at least as wrong. :lol: Greater Bash: 5 ap This cantrip can be used to increase the effectiveness of a battering ram. It creates a Linked ability to the normal damage of the battering ram, allowing it to become so effective that it strikes blows powerful enough to sink into the wood or stone or whatever material from which the obstacle is created. The cantrip is built on 1 DEF / 1" Tunnelling, Linked to the damage done (if the ram does no damage, no Tunnelling occurs). Thus, the ram could penetrate 2 meters through DEF 1 material, 1 meter through DEF 2 material, 1/2 meter through DEF 4 material, etc (we called this the Desolidification Ratio). This build uses the "leaves a hole" option, as the material is actually destroyed / removed by the action of the battering ram. When the ram has penetrated completely though the thickness of the material, it will leave a ram-sized hole (unless the GM rules that this hole alone, or the hole and the actual damage done are sufficient to have effectively removed the obstacle). Greater Bash: 1DEF/1" Tunnelling; Linked to battering attack, Battering attack must do damage: Increased END: caster pays 1 END per D6 of Battering attack damage. Real Cost: 3 ------------------ Mire: 5 ap. This Tunnelling-based cantrip allows the caster to cause any object stone object to sink into the earth. By laying his hands upon it and calling upon the [whatever you want: environmental mana, deity of choice, pious outrage-- whatever works] the caster may cause any roughly-man-size amount of stone ("roughly," as in a man-sized statue on a very large pedestal still counts) to settle into the earth. The longer he maintains the spell, the deeper the object will sink, to a maximum of sinking until the topmost point of the object is one hand below the surface of the ground. Mire: 1 DEF / 1" Tunnelling. Usable on others only, only on non-living stone) -0. Caster must maintain contact with at least one ungloved hand. Concentrate: 1/2 DCV. Incantations throughout. Increased END x2 (costs Magic Fuel and equal amount personal END*) real cost: 3 * The personal END requirement was added after play testing; this cantrip originally cost magic fuel x2. it was changed from 2x magic to personal Endurance / magic fuel combo to prevent this impressive but relatively minor cantrip from becoming "sapping made easy." Gaia's Womb: This Tunnelling-based cantrip allows a magic wielder to sink directly into the earth to a depth of 2" (12 meters). He may not use it to travel any distance, but (assuming he has some form of life support or is really good at holding his breath) it helps him to get out of sight quickly, and possibly shield himself from damaging things occurring in his environment. Tunelling: 16 ap. 2", 4 DEF. Maximum movement of 2"; vertical movement only. Only through soil and the things that grow within it; cannot pass through rock or manmade materials real cost: 4 ------------------------------------- And that's the entire 2e Champions book, with at least two cantrips for each power. What? did you think we were done?! Ha! There are two more books in 2e! Be vith us negs time--! Just a minute! This isn't the end! No, bud it vont be longg now.... Oh Good Heavens! etc...
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