By S. John RossRevised Version, January 1997, © Steve Jackson GamesReprinted from Pyramid magazine #9 with permission of Steve Jackson Games. GURPS is a registered trademark, and Pyramid is a trademark, of Steve Jackson Games, Inc.
Standard GURPS magic is "tactical;" mages can create dozens of small effects in a given day -- but very few (if any) world-shattering miracles. Manipulations of mana, the force behind spells, leaves sorcerers drained and weak. Thus, GURPS wizards are limited by their knowledge (which determines their flexibility) and their physical stamina. "Powerful" wizards are wizards that know more spells at higher levels than others. Absent from this basic structure is the concept of Raw Power - wizards that can crack a castle in half or drown an army in flames. Fantasy novels that feature such levels of power rarely have mages that get ``tired out'' by magic. Instead, extreme effects threaten the fabric of the universe, creating a situation in which wizards can create true miracles in times of need, but do not use their powers frivolously. When their companions ask for more magic, they will drone cryptically "To draw too deeply on my Gift can lead to madness and death. Do not demand of me what you do not comprehend." Fantasy writers need character balance as much as GMs do. While it's exiting to establish that a sorcerer can wreak serious havoc when needed, it's boring to let him overshadow the rest of the characters. That cryptic doubletalk exists as a handy plot device, no less than the wizard himself. This approach to magic has been left untouched in gaming, and for good reason. It's easy for a writer to create a wizard that will be prudent with his arcane wisdom. Trying to get an ambitious fantasy gamer (even a well-meaning one) to do the same is risky at best. GURPS has no such bounds, however. The magic system is flexible enough to permit Unlimited Mana that will balance in ANY fantasy campaign, even the lowest of "low fantasy!"
The Power Tally"Unlimited" isn't a mana level, it's a mana TYPE. In an Unlimited Mana (Umana) campaign, spells do not cause fatigue.When a mage casts a spell, he should record the cost in a running tally, instead of taking the cost from his ST score. All normal rules for costs (skill reduction, etc) remain in force. Example: Magus Wiltshire finds himself caught in a besieged city. He has not used magic in a while, and feels that the present emergency justifies it. In his attempts to escape unnoticed, he casts a huge (cost 21) Mass Sleep spell on a group of guards. Three guards are unaffected, and Wiltshire, furious, casts an Entombment spell on one of them, which increases his tally by 10 points to 31. Two guards remain . . .
Threshold and CalamitiesEvery mage has a Threshold (THRESH) score -- this defines the safe limits of his magic. If his tally remains at or below his Thresh, everything is fine. If his tally exceed his Thresh, Bad Things can happen, and the mage must roll on the Calamity Table. The "default" Thresh score is 30."Calamity Checks" are made by rolling 3d, and adding 1 for every full five points by which Thresh has been exceeded. The spell that first brings the mage's tally over Thresh triggers a check. After that, ANY spell cast by the mage (even those that cost no energy), will also trigger new Calamity Checks at the current level of excess. Calamities take effect immediately, but their nature may not always be apparent to the mage (see the table for details). Calamities do not normally cause the spell to fail (but see results 29+). Example, Part II: Magus Wiltshire, a normal (Thresh 30) mage, exceeded his Thresh when he cast the entombment spell. This requires a calamity check. Since Wiltshire exceeded his Thresh only by 1, there is no modifier to the roll. If he decides to entomb the other two guards, each new casting will trigger a fresh calamity, and modifiers will begin to apply.
The Recovery RateOnce per day, the mage's Tally is healed by an amount equal to his Recovery Rate (RR). The "default" RR score is 8, with recovery occuring at sunrise.
FiddlingThe numbers above create an overall power level equivalent to the current rules. Mages can't cast nearly as many smaller spells, but they can (in emergencies) cast some very LARGE spells. Area spells, in particular, become more of an option in combat, and more "strategic" levels of magic become possible.These basic numbers, however, are open to change. Thresh and RR defaults are a campaign decision for the GM. A Thresh of 50 and a RR of 1 per day would allow mages to cast REALLY powerful spells safely, but would cripple them on a day-to-day basis. A Thresh and RR of 40 each would make for a world where mages are godlings that walk the soil - Unusual Background would be appropriate to keep them balanced! At the other extreme, Thresh and RR of 5 each would create a distinctly low-magic world, where mages could still use relatively mighty magic in times of dire need, and at great personal risk. The third assumption -- that Recovery occurs daily at sunrise, is also variable. Even with a standard daily rate, wizards might have their own ``hour of recovery'' chosen at play. Alternately, a campaign might feature recovery every hour, or every week, or every (gasp!) month. The latter would lead to a dramatic thinning-out of magical activity just before "payday," but some GMs might like that idea~!
New Advantages, Further Ramifications
Each of these effects can also be purchased individually for 5 points/level, as the Increased Thresh and Rapid Recovery advantages. Mages may not purchase decreased levels of Thresh and RR; the campaign default defines the weakest levels of personal power.
With unlimited mana, mages can now be defined in terms of both versatility and raw power -- a 250-point mage might have a vast grimoire, or a limited, predictable repetoire and earth-cracking mana-resources! This gives players and GMs more freedom, and has many small side-effects that need the GMs consideration. Powerstones, for instance, become less desireable for many wizards, and some spells formerly limited to Ceremonial Casting can be cast by individual wizards! GMs fond of adding new spells to the campaign can add VERY powerful ones, balancing them with costs as high as they see fit, and even Thresh or RR-based prerequisites.
Optional ExpansionsThat's all there is to the basic Unlimited Mana option, but this basic framework can be built on to make all sorts of dramatically different uses of the GURPS magic rules. Consider any of the following:
Emergencies OnlyGURPS Magic rules are standard, and mages may still expend ST to power their spells. However, they may draw additional power ``out of the ether'' via Unlimited Mana, but the campaign Thresh is ZERO, and may not be improved. This means that any ``free lunch'' casting automatically causes a Calamity Check. RR should probably stay in the low range (1-10 daily). A slight (10-point) Unusual Background for mages would be appropriate; this option makes magic more powerful than in the normal rules.
Spending OptionsMages may spend energy to make their spells faster (4 points per second of reduction, which will even affect missile spells and bring spells to ``zero time'' if sufficient energy is spent). They may also increase their odds (1 point of energy per +1, or 3 per +1 if the spell is to be resisted). At the GMs option, even the odds of hitting with a Missile spell can be increased on a +1 per point basis!This option actually works very nicely in play, allowing much greater flexibility for mages at appropriately high energy costs. Players tend to overspend at times, but the rules keep such mages nicely in line . . .
Option to SpendMages may take fatigue to help power their spells, but it costs 4 fatigue to produce 1 point of spell energy. Thus, mages won't bother with using their ST for most castings, but in an emergency they can exhaust themselves for an extra point or two of power.
New TablesThe GM could design an expanded Calamity Table, or have different tables for different races, regions, etcetera (``the universe seems less forgiving in the Dark Lands, Wiltshire . . .'') Perhaps overspending summons hostile entities, or affects only weather.
Partial FatigueEvery spell cast causes 1 fatigue, in addition to the increase of the mage's tally. This limits the NUMBER of spells a mage can cast in a given scene, without limiting their power.
Variable ThresholdIn a Variable-Threshold world (or region), the default Thresh changes like the weather. Mages might or might not be aware of the current level; if they aren't, this will increase spellcaster caution.
Variable RecoveryInstead of RR being a flat rate, it can be a die-roll. 2d+1 averages to a roll of 8, but makes recovery less certain. Increased Power would give a flat bonus to the roll (+2 per level, if the default value is used).
Limited High ManaWith this option, non-mages can cast spells as if the world were High Mana, but spells cost 10 times as much for them. Likewise, mages with Single-College Magery (see GURPS Magic) could cast spells outside of their sphere for the same x10 multiple to cost.
Recovery RitualsThe daily recovery needn't be automatic. Perhaps the mage must burn incense and meditate, or (in a dark fantasy world) perform animal sacrifices or demonic rituals. Likewise, there might be some rituals that will trigger additional levels of recovery beyond the daily standard.
Mutable Thresh and RRMages may choose any starting Thresh and RR they like, provided Thresh multiplied by RR doesn't exceed a value set by the GM (240 in a ``default'' setting). A Thresh/RR of 60/4 balances equally with a Thresh/RR of 30/8 or 15/16 . . . Increased Power is then based on the individual mage's values.These options represent only the tip of the iceberg, and any GM or player will likely have several ideas, from new advantages to strange variations on the concepts of Thresh and RR. Special thanks to Scott Maykrantz, Bill Collins, and the other contributors to All of the Above for their comments on earlier versions of this article. Very special thanks goes to my local gaming group, the Lower Reprieve Generals' Club, for playtesting this with me for the past three years. This revised version is dedicated to Marty Franklin, who played Cormidigar, the first Umana mage to explode in play. Every campaign needs a Marty. We have a really big, blonde one.
REVISED UMANA CALAMITY TABLE (3d + Excess/5)
Casting Time: Equal to the die-roll that caused the calamity, times 2 hours. Thus, a roll of 35 would require casting of nearly 3 days! The casting circle must remain awake; alternate mages can take over ``shifts'' if need be, but at least 3 mages must remain in the circle at all times. Cost: Equal to 1/10 the die-roll that caused the calamity (round up), EVERY HOUR OF THE CASTING. This may be divided among the casting mages in any way they can agree upon. Prerequisites: IQ 15+, Dispel Magic, and a RR of at least 12. This is a meta-spell. EXAMPLE: Mordecai the Necromancer blew himself up trying to turn a dead Leviathan into a Zombie, and his calamity roll was 54, resulting in global ceasing of all rainfall that will last for months! To restore normal weather, a group of mages must work this spell for 4.5 days, spending a total of 6 energy every HOUR. This will require a LOT of powerful mages, all of whom must know this spell at a level sufficient to share the cost . . . When the world is at stake; things aren't cheap. After the casting is complete, the mages will likely want to summon up Mordecai's spirit from the afterlife, and beat the sh** out of it. Fair is fair. |
Background by Infinite Fish |