Changes to Existing GURPS Magic

Magic in this world of is similar to the magic system presented in GURPS

Basic, Magic and Grimoire, but with a number of exceptions.
New Basic Attributes
Magery (Mage)Cost: 5 points for a level 0 and 10 points for each level after. (Un
limited)
Mana Pool (MP): This is how much mana you can harness, store and control. Your Ma
na Pool is equal to (Magery + IQ x 5).
Mana Rating (MR): MR determines how fast you can recharge your Mana Pool. MR is
equal to your (Magery + ST) x 3. You acquire this many Mana Points every hour (t
hat is, with MR 5 you recharge 5 MP in one hour). You recharge when you are "not
" using magic.
Example: Max the Magus has a 2 in Magery and a 10 in IQ. His Mana Pool is thus 6
0, (10 + 2) x 5, meaning he can "put in" up to 60 mana energy and hold it, contr
ol it, or use it, at any given time. His Mana Rating is 36, (2 + 10) x 3 (2 in M
agery and a 10 in ST), meaning he can channel mana energy into his pool at a rat
e of 36 per hour. This would be 3 mana every 5 minutes, when calculated out.
Skill/Spell: IQ + Magery.
Easier Enchantment
It seems to be much easier to enchant items mages use enchanted items wi
th the same regularity as muggles (non-magic folk) use electric appliances. To b
etter simulate this, the GM should consider halving the price and energy cost re
quire to enchant mass produced magic items (all M/A spells). For ubiquitous and/or
trivial items the GM should consider quartering cost and energy cost (all M/E s
pells). Powerful items, such as invisibility cloaks can still require the full c
ost to enchant (all M/H-VH spells).
Additionally, mages can take a break from enchanting an object. Halve th
e time required to enchant an object each day and allow the mage to put an objec
t he is enchanting aside.
Easier Spells
The most important difference is that spells are easier to learn. Prereq
uisites Magery 0 = M/E, Magery 1 = M/A, Magery 2 = M/H, Magery 3 = M/VH, if it s
tates VH it stays VH and mages are allowed to learn a spell by putting only char
acter point into it.
This has several effects. First, low-IQ mages (e.g., students) can get r
espectable skill levels in a given spell much more quickly. When combined with t
he Missing Prerequisite rules (below), this allows young mages to improvise spells
with very little practice and still have a decent chance of success. Second, by
reducing the skill cost, it is easier for wizards to get fatigue reductions for
high skill and allows spells to be cast without gestures.
Eye Contact
At least with certain spells, eye contact with the subject of the spell
is vital. The GM can normally assume that a mage establishes eye contact just by
concentrating, but if the mage doesnt have eye contact for some reason, the GM c
an assess a -1 to -10 penalty to skill, based on how familiar the mage is with t
he subject, the object and its location.
For example, if a mage wishes to summon his broom, which is in a familia
r location and which he rides every day, he might only be at -1 to skill. If he
is trying to betwitch an unknown foe hidden behind a wall, he would be at -10 to
skill, if the GM ruled that he could cast the spell at all. If the mage knows t
he subject of the spell well, but cannot see the object on the subjects body that
he wishes to affect, he is at -1 to -4 based on how good his guess is as to the
nature and location of the hidden object. For example, Mrs. Weasley would only
be at -1 to skill to empty Fred and Georges pockets of various mischief-making de

vices, since she is all too familiar with what she is likely to find there . . .
If a mage has already established eye contact and it is subsequently bro
ken, the GM can require a new skill roll, with the penalties described above to
maintain the spell. He can also require a Will roll to maintain concentration if
the mage is jostled, falls or is injured.
Combined Effort
If two or
ly, add the total
tive power of the
ctim is at -1 per

more mages cast the

base energy cost of
spell. If the spell
additional point of

same spell at the same target simultaneous

all the spells cast to determine the effec
is increased to its maximum effect, the vi
energy to resist the spell.

Default Spell Skills

Unlike standard GURPS spells, M/E spells default to IQ-3, M/A spells def
ault to IQ-4, and M/H spells default to IQ-5 and M/VH spells default to IQ-6 if
the wizard can make a successful Thaumaturgy skill roll or has received some sor
t of formal instruction (which can be simple as hearing the appropriate word of p
ower) from a wizard who knows the spell at level 12 or better. Like normal spell
casting, default spell casting is at a penalty for each missing prerequisite spe
ll or missing level of Magery. Levels of Magery count as levels of IQ when figur
ing defaults.
Spells do not default to other spells, only to IQ + Magery.
Faster Spells
A mage may attempt to cast a spell more quickly, by taking a -4 skill pe
nalty per missing second of time, down to a minimum of 1 turn required to cast t
he spell.
Gestures
While most spells dont require anything more than pointing a finger/wand
and speaking a command word, a mage can get a bonus to skill for using certain g
estures, such as flicking and swishing his wand in a certain way. If the mage ta
kes an extra second to perform these gestures, he gets +1 to skill.
Learning Spells
Spells can be self-taught from books at half the normal rate, as long as
the spell to be learned doesnt have prerequisites, or the reader already knows t
he prerequisite spells. Likewise, a character may learn spells that he has succe
ssfully cast using his default skill, but at half normal speed. Spells can be ta
ught via formal instruction at the normal rate or faster using the rules for Lea
rning Skills Under Pressure from GURPS Compendium I.
Finally, if a character receives formal instruction in a spell or has ac
cess to a book that contains the appropriate spell, they may immediately learn t
hat spell as long as they have at least a character point available to spend. (T
his is a change from the normal GURPS rules that require a character to invest a
t least 1 point in a spell in order to learn it.)
Magic Words
A wizard casting a spell gets a +1 bonus to skill if he loudly speaks th
e word of command used to trigger the spell. If he speaks the word softly or whi
spers it, he doesnt get the bonus, and if he doesnt speak the word at all, he is a
t -2 to skill. This applies to default spell skills, as long as the mage knows t
he magic word. If the wizard doesnt know the spell above level 12, he must always
speak the word of command and cannot cast the spell silently. He does, however,
get the +1 bonus for speaking loudly.
Missing Prerequisites
Mages can learn and cast spells that they couldnt otherwise cast at -3 fo
r every missing prerequisite spell (but not magery) needed to learn the skill. I
f the mages effective skill with the spell is reduced to 3 or less, however, he c

ant cast the spell at all.

In theory this variant allows a wizard to learn a high-level spells quic
kly by bypassing all the prerequisite spells. In practice, the skill penalties w
ill be so huge that mages will find it more practical to put a point into all th
e prerequisite spells.
Partial Spell Effects
Spells that fail by 1 or 2 points might have a partial effect, at the GMs
option. A spell that misses by 1 produces a weaker or less intense effect that
still might have some benefit, for example, a Poltergeist spell to throw a pillo
w across the room might not throw the pillow accurately or it might throw someth
ing other than the target! A spell that misses by 2 will produce some trivial ef
fect, for example, rather than turning the victim into a pig, the victim might j
ust grow a pigs tail.
Ranged Spells
Spells that are not cast by touching the target must be aimed on the turn
they are cast. Apply normal Vision, Cover, Range, Size and Speed modifiers that
affect the target to the mages effective skill to hit the target, and then subtra
ct the PD from shields or natural or worn armor. The mages effective skill to cas
t the spell correctly is only limited by range. If the mage makes his skill roll
by enough to cast the spell, but not by enough to hit the target, the spell is
cast successfully, but misses its target. At the GMs option, it might hit another
target instead.
Characters can use the Dodge and Drop Retreat option to get out of the w
ay of a spell. This gives the caster an additional -3 penalty (for the movement
of the target) to hit the subject. Normal retreats have no effect, unless the GM
rules that the targets retreat protects him somehow - such as by letting him duc
k into cover.
Dueling Spells
If two mages cast spells at each other at the same time, there is a smal
l chance that their beams will intersect, nullifying or deflecting one or both spe
lls. Compare the die rolls for both mages, as if they were rolling a contest of
spell skills. The mage whose roll succeeds by more has his spell take effect fir
st. If the mages tie, both spells are deflected. Roll 1d randomly to determine t
he direction of scatter. If anyone is along the path of the beam they are hit by t
he errant spell on a roll of 9- or the mages adjusted skill, whichever is less.
Similarities
Spells, especially transfiguration spells, work better when there is som
e sort of correspondence between the original object and the desired effect. The G
M can give a bonus of +1 to +2 if the mage is trying to change an object into an
other object with some sort of similarity - either in size, shape, appearance or
name. For example, characters might get a +1 bonus to transfigure a guinea pig
into a guinea fowl, or to turn butter into cheese. If an object has multiple simi
larities the GM can give a +2 bonus, for example, turning a beetle into a button
(similar name, similar size, similar appearance, etc.)
Spell Side Effects
Spells usually have at least some visible or audible effect, such as a l
oud bang and/or a flash of light or swirl of sparks. Failing that, they require so
me sort of prop to produce their effects. For example, Divination spells always re
quire the appropriate tools (a cup of tea, the subjects palm, a crystal ball, etc
.). Knowledge spells often produce some sort of visible effect, such as producin
g a flashing light or making a noise when they are triggered. The exact effect o
f a given spell is up to the GM.
Using Spells Under Stress
At the GMs option, any spell cast when the character is under life-threat

ening stress gets +2 to his rolls to cast a single defensive spell, to a maximum e
ffective skill level of 15. The GMs word is law when determining what circumstanc
es count as life-threatening and what sort of spells can be considered defensive.
Modifying Spells (each)
Extended
Duration
Cost
Multiple
Cost
+1
3x
+1
2x
+2
10x
+2
5x
+3
30x
+3
10x
+4
100x
+4
20x
+5
300x
+5
50x
+6
1,000x
+6
100x

Reduced Time to
Cast (min 1 sec)
Divide by
+1

Cost
2

+2

+3

+4

16

+5

32

+6

64

Increased
Range
Multiple

Spell Ingredients
With this option in play, Ingredients (eye of newt, that kind of thing)
provide Power, which is spent just like ordinary power that the mage provides.
An ingredient is purchased by Sphere and Power. "Sphere" means either a
single spell or a whole college. If you have 10 power (10p) worth of Flesh to St
one ingredient, it may only be used for Flesh to Stone, and no other spell. If y
ou have 10 power for Earth College, it can be used for any spell in the Earth Co
llege. All ingredients weigh 1 pound for every 100 power. One point of single-sp
ell power costs $10; one point of Whole College power costs $50.
Ingredients must be readied before use. If you keep fewer than (IQ-5) ty
pes of ingredient in separate pouches, this is a simple Step and Ready maneuver.
If you have more than (IQ-5) types of ingredient, or keep any number jumbled to
gether in one big pouch, it takes 1d turns to find and ready an ingredient. Fast
-Draw (Spell Ingredients) will make a standard draw instantaneous, or reduce the
1d roll to 1d-1. Eidetic Memory (either level) doubles the allowable ingredient
s for normal draw.
The precise nature of the ingredients (or "reagents") is up to you. You
can have black acorns, otter s noses, ocelot s spleens, wolf nipple chips (get
em while they re hot; they re lovely), and so on.
Note, however, that the more powerful the spell (e.g. VH) the less likel
y that an herbmonger/magic shop/merchant/etc. will have it handy in quantity.
Inherent Magic: Knacks (Fixed Magic)
Fixed Magic: Spell X [] = Magery ? (Only Spell X -80%) [] + *Charm (Spel
l X) [1] + skill cost []
Example: I want to be able to have Create Servant (Spell X) as fixed mag
ic (a "knack") rather than as a summonable Ally. It requires IQ 13, Magery 3 (wh
ich I have!). It costs 3 to cast, 1 to maintain, and I want to be able to at lea
st maintain it for free, so I need it at skill 15 or higher.
Magery 3 (One Spell Only, -80%) would cost 7 points. And the cost to buy
the IQ/VH spell at IQ+3 (taking my Magery into account) would be 8 points.
So I write this as Fixed Magic or Knack: Create Servant-16 [15]. I roll
against a skill of 16 to cast it and it costs me 2 to cast, 0 to maintain unless
I m summoning a skilled or brute servant.
If I add 2 points of (Power spell) self-power, add 1% of cost (1,000 x 1
% = 10) to Fixed Magic. (15 + 10 = 25 points) now I can cast it for no cost.
*A Charm is a minor advantage that costs only 1 point. Charm are penny c
andy for your PC.

Charms resemble Unusual Training but bestow supernatural, intuitive (not

learned) knowledge. Each Charm waives the spell prerequisites for one particula
r spell. You must pay points for the spell like any other skill, and Magery give
s its usual bonus.
If Knacks Are The Only Magic . . .
This system totally ignores prerequisites of all kinds. If all magic is
inherent, the Magery advantage becomes meaningless and (in all probability) magi
cal items dont exist.
In such a world, people are likely to find jobs where their knacks are u
seful. The social structure may even be based on the perceived value of various
abilities. Alternatively, knacks may be seen as witchcraft! In that case, their
possessors may have a low Status or a bad Reputation. If someone tries to keep a
knack secret and is found out, he acquires the appropriate Status or Reputation
disadvantage, which lowers the characters point value.