Alarm
- The caster determines the nature of the alarm when the spell is cast. In any event, only the subject will respond to the alarm. For double cost, the alarm can be set up to a month in advance. For triple cost, it can be set for up to a year in advance. Item: (b) Jewelry. Allows subject to cast this spell. Alarm type is set by the enchanter. Energy Cost to Create: 100 points.Analyze Magic - If the GM is feeling merciful, he can allow attempts to crack Name or Password spells once a year or even once a month. Only a critical failure or a very powerful item should keep the mage from trying again.
Ancient History - The GM should lower costs for this spell. 2 for a year's history, 4 for 10 years, 6 for 100 years, 8 for 500 years, and 10 for 1,000 years. Each millennium beyond that costs 2 extra points. If the mage pays double costs he can get a detailed history, including a detailed insights into the item's previous owners, but names are still kept secret. A detailed history takes at least double the normal time to cast and could take hours.
Aura - Aura will detect aspected magery for what it is. The caster will know that the mage's Magery is aspected, and if he can make an IQ or Thaumaturgy skill roll (whichever is better), he will know what sort of Aspect the mage has.
Demons and people who have their souls stolen can only be sensed as being such on a critical success like other "secret magical traits". Source: Sean Punch.
For triple cost "secret" traits such as possession or undead status can be known.
Divination - Author: David Pulver (GURPS Technomancer)
Divination (Crystal Gazing) - Crystal gazing allows the mage to temporarily view the subject of his query. To do this the mage asks, "What is so-and-so doing right now?" If the spell is successful, he will get a vision of what the subject is doing at the moment.
Find Direction - This spell is an "always on" enchantment. Source: Sean Punch.
The mage will also know which way is "up" should that be important to know. Alternately, the mage can determine a direction other than north and/or up. For double cost, this spell can also be used to point the direction to a place that the mage has visited or with which he is familiar. If that place doesn't exist or if the mage gives ambiguous instructions, then the spell will return confusing results. For example, an Islamic mage could use this spell to know in which direction Mecca lies, but unless he specifies the proper Mecca, he could get some little town named Mecca instead.
Glass Wall - Each multiple of cost multiplies the distance the mage can see. For example, doubling cost doubles the distance he can see. Each doubling of cost also allows the mage to look through another distinct barrier. These costs are cumulative. Therefore, for example, if the mage wanted to look through two eight foot thick walls; he would have to pay eight times the normal cost!
History - The GM should lower costs for this spell. 2 for 1 day's history, 4 for a week's history, 6 for a month's history, and 8 for 3 month's worth of history. If the mage pays double costs he can get a detailed history, including a detailed portrait of the owner's personality, but names are still kept secret. A detailed history takes at least double the normal time to cast and could take hours.
Identify Spell - For double cost, the mage can know details - the college of magic a spell is from, its general effects, and the approximate amount of power that went into the spell. This applies even to completely unknown spells. Information gleaned can include the spell's college, type, duration, base cost, prerequisites, etc. as well as if it is a "standard" spell (i.e., in GURPS Basic, Magic or Grimoire).
If cast on other types of magic, it will reveal similar "game mechanics" details, like what sort of magic was used (voodoo ritual, improvised magic, rune magic, etc.), level, etc.
If cast on a spell that the mage is casting, it allows detailed study and analysis of the spell's inner workings. This gives +4 to effective Thaumaturgy or spell skill rolls to detect problems with spells, to understand how they work, and to develop variants of them. This spell also reduces the amount of time required to master a spell. Time spent improving spell skill is doubled if the spell is practiced with this spell on.
Mage Sight - For double costs the mage can know rough details - the college of magic a spell is from, its "aura" and its approximate power.
Measurement - This spell can also be used to give an accurate count of a group of identical (or similar objects).
Author: David Pulver (GURPS Technomancer)
Pathfinder - The mage can exclude known routes to his destination if he specifies them before casting this spell. For double cost the mage can ask for a certain type of path - the most scenic, the easiest, the most direct, the least traveled, etc. If the criteria he asks for doesn't exist or two or more routes are equally acceptable he will know this fact.
If Detect Danger is cast immediately before this spell is cast the mage will know if a given route is dangerous and if so, how dangerous it is. The exact nature of the danger is not known. The mage can also use these spells to choose the least dangerous route or the most dangerous route. If Detect Foes or Divination is cast immediately afterwards, the mage can use that spell to get some insight as to the nature of the danger (i.e., bad roads, blizzards, motorcycle gangs, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.)
See Secrets - If the mage pays double cost accidentally or naturally hidden items can be seen.
Seeker - This spell can also be used to identify the person who recently cast a spell, but there is a -5 skill penalty for no associated item. In addition, any long distance modifiers must be taken into account. Source: Sean Punch.
If this spell is cast on an unwilling subject they get a resistance roll vs. Will to shake off the spell.
Tell Time - This spell is an "always on" enchantment. Source: Sean Punch.
The mage will also know the "local" time for any place that he has heard of or has seen even if he has never been there. Two applications of this spell will allow the mage to determine the difference in the rate at which time passes in his current location and his "home". Item: (b) Jewelry which will always give the correct time for a location set by the mage when the time is cast. Energy Cost to Create: 100 points. (c) Jewelry. Allows user to cast this spell. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
Trace - If this spell is cast on an unwilling subject they get a resistance roll vs. Will to shake off the spell. This spell can be made permanent for 100 points plus 5 points per pound of object. It is common for valuables, keys, eyeglasses, livestock and pets to be enchanted with this spell to keep them from being lost or stolen. The spell interprets the "owner" as the person to whom the spell is keyed when the spell is cast. If the item is sold or given away or the owner dies, the item senses this and the spell ends.
Detect Poison
- This spell will detect any poison sources within 3 hexes of the caster and their general nature and toxicity. If the mage specifies before casting, he can exclude known sources of poison or exclude toxic substances below a certain threshold of danger. Poisonous materials will glow with a blue light. The brighter the light the more deadly the poison. Note that many common household items, including some sorts of food, are poisonous to some degree or another!Homeseeker - The caster will recognize any item with this spell cast on it, even if it is otherwise "generic". Hidden objects with the spell on them remain invisible to the mage, but magic of the spell makes the object try to "escape" from confinement. For example, a stolen ring would somehow fall out of the thief's pocket when the wizard was nearby.
A Homeseeker tagged object is noticeably "tagged" to a mage's eyes. Magically aware thieves will attempt to dispel the Homeseeker spell using Dispel Magic.
Memorize - This spell can be extended for the same cost as it took to cast the spell. For double base cost the time until the memory starts to fade can be doubled.
Seek Magic - The mage can also search for a specific type of object (i.e. items from a specific college of magic, one sort of magical creature, etc.). If the mage is searching for a specific magic item or magical creature, he is at -5 to cast this spell.
Test Area - This spell can be used to determine how much force or energy a given object or area can stand before it fails. It can determine maximum amperage a fuse can take, how much force is needed to break a wall, and so forth.
Alarm
Analyze Magic
Ancient History
Aura
Detect Magic
Divination
Find Direction
Glass Wall
History
Identify Spell
Invisible Wizard Eye
Mage Sense
Mage Sight
Measurement
Pathfinder
See Secrets
Seeker
Tell Time
Trace
Wizard Eye
Air Vision
Astral Vision (VH)
Divination (Additions)
Echoes of the Past
Far-Feeling
Far-Tasting
Images of the Past
Know Location
Know Recipe
Know True Shape
Memorize
Plant Vision
Projection
Recall
Remember Path
Scents of the Past
Seek Magic
Small Vision
Tell Position
Test Area
Wizard Hand
Wizard Mouth
Wizard Nose
Accurate Scribe - Communication & Empathy
Analyze Isotopes/TL - Technology (Radiation)
Awaken Gei-ryo - Necromantic (Japanese Spirit)
Beast Image - Animal
Constellation - Air (Weather)
Crystal Map - Enchantment
Death's Tale - Necromantic
Detect Beasts - Animal
Detect Demons - Necromantic
Detect Evil - Metaspells (Clerical)
Detect Extraplanar Being - Necromantic
Detect Magic Link - Metaspells
Detect Metal - Earth (Metal)
Detect Possession Wards - Necromantic
Detect Purity - Metaspells (Clerical)
Detect Scrying - Protection & Warning
Detect Traps - Protection & Warning
Detect Undead - Necromantic
Detect Vis - Metaspells
Directions - Movement
Discern Vintage - Food
Expert’s Tool - Enchantment
Find Friends - Protection & Warning
Hunter’s Sense - Animal
Identify Body - Necromantic
Identify Species - Animal
Index - Communication & Empathy
Instant Library - Illusion & Creation
Keen Senses - Body Control
Know Artist - Making & Breaking
Know Mage - Metaspells
Know Mana Level - Metaspells
Know Organization - Making & Breaking
Know Recipe/TL - Food
Know User - Technology(Machine)
Life Token - Healing
Lifetimer - Healing
Locate Powerstone (VH) - Enchantment
Locate Remains - Necromantic
Magic Beacon - Communication & Empathy
Magic Traces - Metaspells
Mana Compass - Metaspells
Message Stick - Communication & Empathy
Mirror Communication - Communication & Empathy
Miscount - Mind Control
Misdirect - Mind Control
Mortal Appearance - Necromantic
Muse - Mind Control
Not Allowing The Heart to Speak The Truth - Metaspells (Clerical)
Peeping Tom - Protection & Warning
Predict Eclipse - Air (Weather)
Predict Flood - Water
Read Ashes - Fire
Read Gem - Communication & Empathy
Recollection - Mind Control
Record Dreams - Communication & Empathy (Dream)
Record Thoughts - Communication & Empathy
Remote Touch - Making & Breaking
Root Sense - Plant
Scan Book - Communication & Empathy
Scripture - Metaspells (Clerical)
Scry Otherworld Gate - Gate
Scry Stargate - Gate
See Magic Link - Metaspells
See Symbolism - Communication & Empathy
See Values - Communication & Empathy
Seek Artifact/TL - Technology (Machine)
Seek Author - Communication & Empathy
Seek Filth - Making & Breaking(Filth)
Seek Genome - Technology (Biotech)
Seek Number/TL - Communication & Empathy
Seek Otherworld Gate - Gate
Seek Stargate - Gate
Sense Djinni - Necromantic (Djinni Spirits)
Sense Health - Healing
Sense Japanese Spirit - Necromantic (Japanese Spirits)
Sense Morale - Communication & Empathy
Sense Nano - Technology (Biotech)
Sense of Perception - Protection & Warning
Sense Plant Magic - Plant
Small Vision - Light & Darkness
Speak with Dead - Necromantic
Thaumaturgic Probe - Metaspells
Time Crystal - Enchantment
Trace/TL - Technology (Machine)
Treespeech - Plant
Unseen Accountant - Illusion & Creation
This spell allows the mage to know when a specific event has occurred in a particular place.
The mage must specify the event and must be in the location where he wants to place the alert when he casts the spell. Long distance modifiers apply.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 3, 2 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Alarm.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points. (b) An area can be permanently enchanted with this spell for 25 times the base cost.
This is also a Technological (Biomagic) spell.
Author: David Pulver (GURPS Technomancer)
This spell allows the mage to analyze either the strategy or tactics currently in use by a specified military or paramilitary force.
Use penalties for distance, unless the mage is in the headquarters of the force that he wishes to analyze or is touching the leader of the force he wishes to scrutinize. Unwilling subjects resist with the IQ of their leader, although he will be unaware of the spell if he resists, except on either a critical success or a critical failure by the mage.
On a successful roll, the mage either learns something about the force he is observing (as he made a successful Intelligence Analysis skill roll), or he learns something about the Tactics or Strategy the force will use. In the latter case, the mage gets +1 to either his Strategy or Tactics skill roll (or the roll of the commander of the force the mage is advising) for every 2 points by which he made his skill roll, up to a maximum bonus of +5.
Subsequent castings of this spell by the same mage, against the same force, will have no effect unless tactical or strategic conditions have changed significantly since the last time the mage cast the spell. It is GM's option as to how long this will be, but generally, the spell can't be cast more than once a week unless tactical conditions are changing very rapidly.
Note that if multiple mages are casting this spell against the same force, only one mage can provide give a bonus. This will be either the mage who is actually making the Strategy or Tactics roll or only the mage to whom the commander chooses to listen.
Cost: 5 points, can't be maintained.
Time to Cast: 1 second per 10 people in the force to be analyzed (round up), to a maximum of 10 minutes.
Prerequisites: Seek Combat, Divination, and 5 Knowledge spells.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
Author: adapted from Steven Andrew Smith.
This spell allows the caster to judge the quality and value of a given item to within 10% of its actual value. The mage can choose whether the "actual" value represents the current market price, the actual value of the item (based on its price in the appropriate GURPS worldbook), the item's value as an antique or collectable, or some other price.
If the owner of the item is unwilling, he resists this spell with IQ.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: See Secrets, History
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Jeweler's Loupe. Works for user only. Must be held next to the item to be appraised. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
Author: Self, Net.
This spell allows the caster can determine the material components of any liquid or solid compound, within the limits of his tech level's understanding of chemistry. A TL3 mage could ask "Is there sulfur in this water?" or "Is this rock suitable for building a castle?" and get an accurate answer. A TL7 mage could get information equivalent to that revealed by a battery of chemical tests.
At the appropriate TL, the mage will learn chemical names and measurements by approximate weight and volume. However, the caster does not necessarily know the individual properties of the components, nor will he necessarily learn what the compound does.
At the GM's option this spell will give the mage +4 to skills where knowing the contents of a compound would be an advantage, such as rolls to Chemistry, Forensics, Hydrology and the like.
In order to cast this spell, the mage must touch the item to be assayed. If the owner of the material objects, he may roll vs. IQ to resist.
Cost: 5 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Trace.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Beaker, crucible, scales, or other piece of lab equipment. Works for user only.. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
Author: Adapted from Bob Traynor (From "Minor Magics for GURPS").
This spell allows the mage to know if two inanimate objects were ever in contact. For example, a mage could know if an arrow was ever fired from a specific bow or if a gem was ever in a specific chest. If the items were ever strongly linked, for example, if two pieces of armor were both parts of a custom-made suit of armor, then the GM can give a bonus to the die roll.
If the owner of the object is unwilling, he gets a roll vs. IQ to resist this spell.
Cost: 2 points
Prerequisite: Divination.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
This spell allows the mage to consciously alter his (or a willing subject's) aura so that if forms a distinct pattern.
Anyone who views the character using the Second Sight advantage, Magery, or the Aura spell will be able to see the pattern. In addition, other people with the same version of the Badge spell will be able to see the aura of each other's badges, even if they can't normally see auras. Alternately, the mage can allow them to see the auras of a related group of badges.
By concentrating for a second, the subject can temporarily "turn off" the aura, requiring any observers to make a roll vs. IQ-4 in order to see the aura. By concentrating again, the subject can turn the badge back on.
What this pattern means is up to the mage (or the organization he serves). It could serve the same function as a political party campaign button, gang colors, a police or military uniform or anything else that the caster can imagine. This spell is commonly used to allow members of a magically aware organization to identify each other at a glance.
This spell can also be cast on equipment.
Duration: 1 day.
Cost: 1 point per hex the creature (or equipment) occupies, same to maintain.
Prerequisite: Seeker.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Always On. Energy Cost to Create: 150 points if the subject can change his aura at will, or 25 points if it only projects one set aura. (c) For 25 times the base cost this spell can be made permanent on an object or willing subject.
This spell will give a capsule history of a person. The biography will consist of publicly known information; the equivalent of reading an entry abut the person in "Who's Who" or an encyclopedia, including common rumors about the person.
For double cost, the mage can learn personal information, such as the subject would give out to friends or family. However, "secret" or extremely private information cannot be learned using this spell.
Unlike the Character Study spell, the subject need not be present when this spell is cast. The subject gets a roll vs. Will to resist.
Cost: 2, 4 for personal information.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: History.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Book. Works for user only. Energy Cost to Create: 400 points.
This spell turns an ordinary map into a detailed three-dimensional topographical rendering of the area covered by the map.
The diagram includes the precise location of tactically or strategically important objects such hills, houses, bridges, fortifications, trench lines and formed bodies of friendly troops. Enemy troops or unknown formations are only shown on the map if they are visible to the mage when the spell is cast. Otherwise, they appear as a hazy, but still distinct shape in their last known location.
The effect of this skill is to give a commander +2 to his Tactics or Strategy roll if he can make a battle plan based on the map.
If the spell fails, an inaccurate map will be produced that gives -1 to Tactics or Strategy skill. On a critical failure the map will be completely wrong and will give -4 to Strategy or Tactics.
This is also an Elemental Earth spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 points, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery 2, Know Earth, and Seeker
Item: (a) (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 1,000 points. (b) Tacticians Fieldscroll. GURPS Magic Items 2, p. 37. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 2.
This spell allows the subject to know the exact probability that he will be able to perform a specific task and why the odds are the way they are.
In game terms, this means the GM must reveal any die roll modifiers that affect a specific die roll and tell the player what number he needs to roll for the character to succeed.
This spell gives +2 to Gambling skill, or +6 Gambling skill to fixed games (since the character knows the probable winner). Other skills where the subject would benefit from knowing the odds (such as economic ventures or tactical gambits), might get a +1 bonus to skill if aided by this spell.
If the subject has at least one point in Mathematics skill (or is from a culture of at least TL5, where probability theory is taught in school) he will know the exact odds. Otherwise, the subject gets a sense of how good his chances are.
Cost: 2 points.
Prerequisite: Divination.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
This spell grants the subject the Lightening Calculator advantage for the duration of the spell.
Characters who already have the Lightening Calculator advantage get no further bonus.
This is also a Mind Control spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3, 2 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Measurement.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Pen, Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer or user only. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
This spell allows the caster's consciousness to be transported to a place that he wishes to view while his body lies in a trance.
While in the trance the caster can see and hear things in the remote location, just as if he were there in body. While in a trance however, the mage is unaware of what's going on around his body unless he can make an IQ roll. If his body is attacked or threatened, he can break the trance and return to his body at any time before the spell ends. If he cancels the spell, though, he must roll vs. IQ or be Mentally Stunned when he returns.
The caster can move up to 10 hexes from the center of the remote "location" he is observing at his normal Move. His "consciousness" remains invisible while it is observing, but if detected with a spell, it will appear as a rough image of the caster's face.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 points, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Wizard Eye, Wizard Ear.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
This spell allows the mage to use a creature's true name to control the subject.
By casting this spell, the mage weaves an individual's true name into a spell of charming. Like the Command spell, the caster may control the individual with verbal commands, though they are allowed a Will roll to resist.
The moment the victim is released he will flee from the mage in fear. If the caster commands the victim to harm himself or break his ethics, the victim may try to resist the command with a Contest of Will versus the caster's skill.
The subject must know the subject's true name before he can cast this spell.
Duration: Until released.
Cost: Equal to the victim's Will.
Prerequisites: Know True Name.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 1,500 points.
Author: Adapted from J.C. Connors (GURPS Mummy).
Allows the caster to concentrate on a specific task, ignoring all distractions.
For the duration of the spell, the subject gets +4 to Will rolls to ignore distractions that might disrupt concentration or spoil spells, including pain, heat, cold or damage.
This is also a Mind Control spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3, 2 to maintain.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points. (b) Jewelry or Clothing. Works for Wearer Only. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell can only be cast on two or more characters that have just reached an agreement. All subjects must be willing to be bound by the spell. If any character resists, the spell will automatically fail in a way that is obvious to all parties involved.
For the duration of the spell, the subjects and the mage will immediately know if any subject to the spell has broken his agreement. They will also learn whether the violation was intentional or not.
The spell will also reveal violations of the spirit of the agreement, as well as actual breaches of the pact. For example, if two leaders made a peace agreement, the opposing leader would know if the other character was planning a sneak attack even before the attack was launched.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: Permanent (until pact is broken or ended).
Cost: 5 points, plus 1 per extra person beyond the three.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Alert, Truthsayer.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Sacred Book, Altar, Sword, or other object upon which oaths are sworn. Anyone who agrees to a pact and then touches this item has this spell cast on him. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
When this spell is cast, the caster is able to ask questions of a nearly omniscient being that resides on another plane. The type and nature of the extraplanar informant is up to the GM.
The entity will respond to a simple question once every 10 seconds. Questions that are more complex take longer to answer. After each question is answered, the GM must make a Reaction Roll for the creature. On any result worse than Neutral, the being breaks contact, ending the spell.
While the character is very wise and extremely knowledgeable, it might not know the answer to a given question, nor will its answers necessarily be accurate or truthful. The creature might also have its own agenda and might even seek to harm the caster.
Each plane is a different variant of this spell that must be learned separately. The first contact with a given plane is at -5 to skill. This penalty is worked off at -1 per subsequent contact until the base skill level is reached.
Duration: 1 minute, or until the entity breaks contact.
Cost: 5, same to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Divination, Summon Demon or Summon Extraplanar Being.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell is similar to the Contact Different Plane spell, but this spell allows the mage to commune with a saint, god or other omnipotent or nearly omnipotent being. The willingness of the being to speak and its attitude is up to the GM. The mage might get far more than he reckoned with if he attempts to commune with the wrong higher being!
The caster can ask one question of the higher being. The being will answer to the best of its ability, but the answer could be very well be "I don't know." or "I don't care." Immediately after the question is asked, the higher being must make a reaction roll to the caster. If the result is worse than neutral, the higher being might harass the caster in some way, unless the character is especially attuned to the ethics and goals of that particular power. Repeated use of this spell within a short period of time (as defined by the GM and the power) give penalties to the entity's reaction rolls.
This spell is also a Metaspell (Clerical).
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 10 points, can't be maintained.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery or Clerical Investment, Contact Different Plane.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell allows the caster to find statistical correlation's and trends within a body of data. This gives the mage +1 to skills where such information is useful, such as Scientific skills.
The mage can also see pattern in seemingly random parts of a puzzle or in apparently unrelated events, if there is an underlying pattern to be discerned. For example, the mage could visualize the true shape of a broken pot by looking at its fragments, or he could see pattern in an otherwise random series of bandit raids. In this case, the mage gets +2 to the appropriate skill roll, such as Archeology, Cryptanalysis, Enigmas or Intelligence Analysis.
At the appropriate Tech Level, this spell gives the mage the same sort of information he could get from a detailed statistical analysis of the problem.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Calculator, Calculate Odds.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell allows the mage to intuitively understand one fact about the true nature of his world.
If this spell is cast successfully, the GM must truthfully answer one question posed by the spellcaster's player. The question can be about any aspect of the mage's world or the situation he is in, even if the character would have no reason to know (or even suspect) the truth.
However, the psychic stress of tapping into even a small part of the wisdom of the cosmos completely drains the mage. In addition to the energy cost of the spell, the caster takes 1 point of damage, his ST and Will scores drop by 5 points for 3d hours, and he regains Fatigue at half the normal rate. In addition, he can only regain lost Fatigue by normal rest, use of the Regain Strength spell will not work. On a critical failure, the mage takes 1d damage, permanently loses a point of HT, and falls unconscious for 1d days!
As with other information spells, the GM shouldn't let this spell short-circuit an adventure or spoil a campaign. He should always reveal some information (or give a strong hint about secret information), but he doesn't have to tell the character everything. Alternately, he can rule that the caster is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the information and only remembers part of what he learned. Then, as the game progresses, the mage can recall more information by making IQ rolls.
In addition, the question asked and the wisdom gained through use of this spell is secret - known only to the mage - though of course the mage can tell others what he learned. Of course, just because the mage claims to know the Absolute Truth doesn't mean that others have to believe him! It is also possible that the mage's newfound knowledge will attract the attention of powerful, possibly hostile entities. Omniscience is a power that gods guard jealously . . .
Cost: 20 points.
Time to Cast: 1 hour.
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Divination, Speak Truth, and 10 other Knowledge spells.
Item: Altar or other large immobile item. Anyone touching the altar can cast this spell. This item is extremely rare and valuable. Wars have been fought for the possession of such an item. Energy Cost to Create: 50,000 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
This spell allows the mage to view his surroundings from any position within 30' (10 hexes) of his actual location.
The only limit is that the mage must be able to see the proposed viewpoint with his naked eye from his current location. For example, the mage can't use this spell to look into sealed rooms, through doors, or from inside areas of Darkness, but he can use the spell to look around corners or over walls.
Unlike the Wizard Eye spell, this spell doesn't create an actual "wizard eye" but range is much more limited.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 points, 2 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Tell Position.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points (b) Glass, Telescope or Lens. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 200 points.
This spell will detect dead bodies, undead creatures, or the site of a recent death (within 1 month) within 10 hexes of the caster.
If the mage specifies when the spell is cast, he can exclude known bodies or deaths in the area of effect.
Undead creatures that wish to conceal their presence or their true nature roll vs. IQ to resist.
This is also a Necromantic spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 points, same to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Detect Danger.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell is similar to the History spell, but the caster gets the same sort of information about an item that he would get if he cast the Biography spell on a person.
This spell will tell the mage the name of the item (if any), the date of its creation, its creator(s), its previous owners and their dates of ownership, its previous usage, its provenance, and other information. At the GM's option, this spell will give bonuses to the Merchant skill to determine the quality of used goods or the true value of an antique. It might also give bonuses to the History or Archeology skills.
If the creator or enchanter of the object, or its current owner, is alive they may roll vs. IQ to resist the spell. Note that these people do not have to be present when the spell is cast in order to resist.
Note that this spell will not reveal magic spells on the item, though the spell will tell the mage that the item was enchanted, and the dates when that occurred.
Cost: 6 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: History, Biography.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell allows the mage to determine his altitude above or below sea level, as well as his elevation above or below the surface of the earth or sea. Alternately, it can be used to detect the altitude (or depth) of a location or target within the caster's line of sight.
Unwilling subjects resist vs. IQ.
This is also an Air spell and a Water spell.
Cost: 1 point.
Time to Cast: 2 seconds.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 75 points. (b) Clothing, Jewelry or Scientific Instrument. Works for wearer or user only. Energy Cost to Create: 25 points.
Author: Adapted from Bob Traynor (From "Minor Magics for GURPS").
This spell will detect the presence of spells designed to thwart magical observation on the person or area that the mage wishes to observe.
The spell will automatically detect spells such as Misdirect Scrying, Scrying Guardian, and the like, though it will not reveal their nature. If the mage can a Contest of Skills against the anti-scrying spell and is personally familiar with it, he will learn the exact nature of the spell.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: See Secrets.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell immediately informs the mage whenever any spell is cast in the area, unless the opposing spellcaster wins a Contest of Skills to resist.
Note that this spell will not detect magic items within the area of effect, nor will it detect existing magic spells.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 1/2, same to maintain.
Prerequisite: Detect Magic.
Item: (a) An area can have this spell permanently cast on it for 50 times the base energy cost per hex, (b) Wand, Staff, or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell allows the caster to determine what physical changes have been made to a person, place or thing since he last saw it, even if the changes aren't visible to the naked eye.
Spells that are designed to defeat scrying, including Soul Jar, Mind Control and Possession do not automatically appear when this spell is cast, since this spell only detects physical changes, not psychic ones. The only exception to this is if those changes leave physical or metaphysical residue (such as a change in a person's aura), then the mage must win a Contest of Spell skills in order to reveal the change.
All changes that have occurred since the last casting of this spell on the subject by the same caster will be detected. However, if the subject wishes to hide a change (or many changes), he may roll vs. Will to resist.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery, Detect Danger, and 5 other Knowledge spells.
Item: Staff, Wand, Jewelry or Lens. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
This spell allows the mage to determine whether an item is genuine (as represented by the seller or creator) or if it is counterfeit. It can be used to detect counterfeit counts, forged documents or bogus works of art.
Note that this spell doesn't detect false magical auras, unless the magical aura is an essential part of the counterfeit, such as allegedly enchanted items that actually just have the a False Magic spell on them.
If he is present, the owner of the item may roll vs. IQ to resist this spell.
Cost: 5 points, can't be maintained.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Appraise, See Secrets.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Counterfeit Checker, GURPS Magic Items 1, p. 78. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 1.
This spell allows the subject to detect any crimes currently in progress in his line of sight. If the subject can make a roll vs. IQ, he gets a sense of what sort of crime is being committed. At the GM's option, skills such as Streetwise, Criminology, or Professional Skill (Law Enforcement), can be substituted for IQ.
If the mage specifies before the spell is cast, he can eliminate known crimes or certain types of crimes. If there is no crime in his line of sight, this spell gives the subject a sense of the direction and distance to the nearest crime (or the nearest crime of the sort he specified).
Note that this spell only detects crimes currently in progress. It will not detect the fact that a person has a criminal background or is thinking about committing a criminal act. However, if the person's presence is a criminal act in itself (i.e., he is a fugitive, exile or a wanted criminal) this spell will reveal the fact. This spell will also identify people who are engaged in criminal behavior, even if "the scene of the crime" is not visible. For example, a murderer making a getaway from the scene of his crime would be identified as a criminal, even if he's not carrying the murder weapon. In this case, a person's "criminal" aura vanishes 30 minutes after they have disposed of any evidence of their crime, or 1 hour after the fact, whichever is less.
If a criminal wishes to remain undetected, he must roll vs. IQ to resist.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4 points, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery 2, Sense Danger, Aura, See Secrets.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (c) Lantern of the Night Watch. GURPS Magic Items 2, p. 96. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 2.
This spell allows the mage to detect curses on people, places and things within 10 hexes. A critical success will let the mage know the nature of the curse. Note that this spell will also allow the mage to detect magic items that have harmful or inconveniencing enchantments on them, such as the Hex spell.
If the mage who cast the curse wishes to hide the spell, this spell must win a Contest of Skills.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell and a Metaspell.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Detect Magic.
Item: (a) Wand, Jewelry or Lens. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Knowing Rose. GURPS Magic Items 2, p. 56. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 2.
This spell reveals the ultimate destiny or fate of the subject, as well as their past.
In order to cast this spell, the subject must be willing and the mage must touch the subject, or be in contact with the subject through a magic item. If the spell is successful, the mage will learn the subject's ultimate destiny, his past, and as well as any past lives he might have had.
In game terms, this spell will detect the presence of advantages or disadvantages such as Karmic Ties or Destiny. It also reveals general details about the subject's past, and vague details of any past lives the subject might have had. If the subject doesn't have any strong events in his past or in the future, this spell will reveal the sort of information that a clever fortuneteller might provide.
One advantage or past life can be detected per minute.
The caster can exclude known advantages or past events, if he specifies them before casting begins.
Duration; 1 minute.
Cost: 5, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: See Invisible, History, Divination.
Item: (a) Wand, Jewelry or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Crystal Ball, Lens, or Reflecting Pool. The subject and the mage must both touch the item and peer into it for this spell to work. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
This spell will allow the mage to detect flattery uttered in his hearing, be it sincere or insincere. If the flatterer is being insincere, the subject will know it. Other sorts of lies (be they outright lies or half-truths) will not be detected by this spell.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 2 points, 1 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Sense Emotions.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points. (b) Flatterer's Foil GURPS Magic Items 2 p. 47. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 2.
Author:
GURPS Celtic MythThis spell allows the mage to know the motivations that made the subject to perform a specific act or to hold a certain point of view.
If the subject had conflicting motives when he performed the act (or took the position) this spell will reveal them. The subject needs to be present (but not necessarily aware of the casting) when the spell is cast. Unwilling subjects roll vs. IQ to resist.
Note that this spell has the potential to short-circuit some sorts of adventures. If the GM feels that this spell might be abused or interfere with his campaign, he can make it more difficult to cast or ban it entirely.
This spell is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Cost: 4 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Divination, Sense Emotion.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell allows the caster to know whether or not a certain person (or type of person) passed within 10 hexes of a the mage's location, within the period specified by the mage.
There is a -1 penalty to skill for every hour since the subject passed. There is an additional -1 to skill for every person of the same (or similar) type that passed though the area of effect, if the caster is looking for a specific person of a given type. The better the skill roll, the better the information will be.
Unwilling subjects roll vs. IQ to resist.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Trace.
Item: Wand, Jewelry or Lens. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
Allows the mage to determine what form the subject had in his former life (or lives). If the subject was a sentient creature in a previous life, the mage will know something of that creature's life, personality, social status, etc.
A second application of this spell will reveal important events in the life of that person. Multiple castings will reveal multiple past lives, if the subject had more than one.
Past lives will always be revealed from most recent to most ancient. Each new mage must start with the most recent past life. However, there is no time or distance penalty to cast this spell to reveal an ancient past life.
In order to cast this spell, the subject must be present and willing to cooperate with the mage for the duration of the spell.
Cost: 5 points.
Time to Cast: 1 hour.
Prerequisites: Divination, Detect Destiny.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
This spell identifies every character in sight who has the Legal Enforcement Powers advantage, or who is otherwise authorized to act as a law officer.
For the duration of the spell, any lawmen in the mage's sight will glow with a distinctive blue aura that is visible only to the caster. If he can make an IQ roll (or a roll vs. the appropriate skill, such as Professional Skill (Law Enforcement), the mage can determine additional details about the officer. For example, their rank, whether they are on- or off-duty, and with which police department they are affiliated.
Alternately, this spell can be used to detect the location of the nearest police officer, even if the officer is out of the mage's line of sight. The mage can specify officers of a particular rank or department, and he can exclude known policemen from his search if he wishes.
Policemen who do not wish to be identified may roll vs. IQ to resist this spell. They get +2 to their IQ roll if they are specifically working undercover. They get an additional +2 to their roll if the fact that they have Legal Enforcement Powers is a secret or is not widely known. For example, an undercover officer from a secret law enforcement organization would get +4 to his resistance roll.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 points, 1 to maintain.
Prerequisites: Seeker, Sense Danger.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for Wearer Only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
Author: adapted from Net.
If the mage wins a Contest of skills, this spell will tell him whether the subject is possessed, under the effects of Exchange Bodies, or is affected by any similar enchantment.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Sense Danger or Detect Magic.
Item: Wand, Jewelry or Lens. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
Author: Adapted from Bob Traynor (From "Minor Magics for GURPS" )
When this spell is cast, the mage will know whether the author of a page of text considered what he was writing to be true or false.
If the writer knew that the information was false, the mage will know if the author intended the writing to be a work of fiction, or if he was deliberately trying to distort or hide the truth. If the writer believed the information to be true, the mage will know whether the writer could confirm the facts, or if he accepted them as truth.
If the mage specifies when the spell is cast, he can ignore known truths or falsehoods within the text, or can judge the veracity of a specific portion of the text.
If the writer is still alive (but not necessarily present), he gets a Resistance Roll vs. IQ. In addition, spells that block comprehension or true meaning of a text (such as Mage Seal or Illusionary Script) will also block this spell.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Cost: 2 points per page.
Time to Cast: 1 second per point of energy used to cast the spell.
Prerequisites: Truthsayer, Mage Writing.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 2,500 points. (b) Lens. Always on. When a script is read through the lens, written lies will become obvious to the reader. Energy cost to Create: 2,000 points.
Author: Adapted from Tim Morgan and Richard LeDuc.
This spell allows the mage to determine the subject's degree of involvement in a particular event specified by the mage.
In order to cast the spell, the subject must be present and the mage must touch the subject. The mage must also have personally seen the "scene of the crime" or somehow been impacted by the incident. Note that if the caster has been appointed as a judge or a policeman, or if the crime threatens the wellbeing of the mage's culture, he is impacted by the incident. However, for the spell to work, the mage must know that a crime has been committed, as well as the general details of the crime. For example, this spell can't be used to detect a murderer until the body of the murder victim has been found. Of course, the murderer would register as guilty of the person's disappearance.
Unwilling subjects resist with Will, with a cumulative +1 bonus for every day that has passed since the crime occurred.
Spells that obscure lies automatically resist this spell. In addition, this spell only determines the subject's degree of involvement, not his motives or his state of mind when the incident occurred. For example, this spell will indicate that a character that committed murder while possessed by a demon is guilty. It won't detect the possession, or the victim's unwillingness to commit the act.
This spell can also be used to determine credit as well as blame. For example, this spell could be used to reveal a person's involvement with anonymous acts of charity or heroism. It can also be used to determine the creator of a disputed plan or invention.
This spell can completely short-circuit some adventure plots. GMs may choose to make this spell more difficult to cast or ban it outright.
Cost: 5 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery 2, Truthsayer, Detect Danger.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 2,500 points. (b) Pointing Bone. This is the index finger from a murdered person. It will point to anyone who has committed a violent crime. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
If repeated answers are asked on the same subject in the same day, the "vibes" are muddled; -4 to skill roll for the second question, -8 for the third and so on. Questions about the past or future are also harder; use the standard long-distance modifiers again, substituting "days" for "miles."
Arithmancy (Numerology)
Although Pyromancy (divination by fire) is discussed in Magic, the other three elements are not detailed. All of the methods listed below have the same Prerequisites: 10 spells of the appropriate elemental college (Earth for Geomancy, Water for Hydromancy, etc.)
Geomancy
Aeromancy
Hydromancy
Astragyromancy
Arm Measuring
Feng Shui (Geomancy)
The following divination forms might be introduced to a modern or Ultra-Tech setting:
Automancy: Use of this method requires a busy thoroughfare. The caster makes predictions by observing the sorts of vehicles that pass. Prerequisites: 3 spells of each element. Author: S. John Ross (White Wolf Magazine #34)
Bibliomancy: Divination by reading randomly chosen passages in newspapers. Prerequisites: 6 Air spells. Author: S. John Ross (White Wolf Magazine #34)
Cybermancy: Author: David Pulver (GURPS Technomancer)
Genomancy: Author: David Pulver (GURPS Technomancer)
Hyperphotomancy: Divination by observing the hull of a ship while in warp or hyperspace. Prerequisites: 3 Light and 4 Air spells. Author: S. John Ross (White Wolf Magazine #34)
Plutomancy: Author: David Pulver (GURPS Technomancer)
Quantumancy: Author: David Pulver (GURPS Technomancer)
Technomancy: Divination by examining the interior components of broken electronic gear. Prerequisites: 2 spells of each element. Author: S. John Ross (White Wolf Magazine #34)
Videomancy: This is a name applied to two different methods. One involves randomly flipping channels, while the other involves staring at static "snow" and observing the shapes that form. Prerequisites: 2 spells of each element, and 2 Light spells. Author: S. John Ross (White Wolf Magazine #34)
Geomancy
Graveweed Summoning
This spell allows caster to know the quickest way to achieve a single, specific goal.
In game terms, this gives the mage +1d-3 (minimum of +1) to skill rolls to finish long term tasks or for skills that involve organization or logistics (e.g., Administration or Strategy). In addition, the time to complete any task is reduced by 1% for every point by which the mage made his skill roll, as long as the mage is also the person performing or supervising the task.
This spell has less impact on short term tasks that don't involve extensive planning. In this case, the spell is likely to have no effect. However, if the mage makes his skill roll by 5 or more, and the GM rules that there is a truly time-saving way of solving a problem, he can grant the mage a +1 skill bonus for a short-term with a non-combat skill (e.g., Lockpicking, Stealth, Climbing, Boating, etc.)
Alternately, the GM can tell the player the most efficient way about solving a problem, though there is no bonus to skill or time savings if the GM does this.
Multiple castings of this spell, when related to the same task, will automatically fail unless conditions relating to the task have significantly changed. If two or more mages cast the spell on the same subject, only the most beneficial result applies.
Note that the most efficient method of solving a problem isn't the most practical, or the most desirable! For example, a mage who uses this spell to answer the question "What's the best way to avoid the death trap?" might get accurate but useless answers such as; "Disarm it.", "Let someone else trigger it and then go through.", or "Go around it".
In addition, it might not be possible to reduce the difficulty or time required for a task. A given task might also be impossible given the resources at hand. In these cases, the GM can rule that the spell fails, gives a vague answer, or that it tells the mage the truth.
Cost: 4 points.
Prerequisite: Divination.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Clothing, Jewelry, Lens or Scientific Instrument. Works for Wearer Only. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points.
This spell creates a book, or the appropriate volume of a set of books, that contains the answer to one general, factual question.
Detailed questions about specific problems (such as "How do we steal the Sacred Eye of Ygolonac?" or "How do we win this battle?") will produce unhelpful general and historical information. Philosophical questions will produce scholarly treatises on philosophy. Secret or obscure information will never be revealed outright, though the text might give hints.
For general information, the book will have an effective skill of 12 in the appropriate skill. Alternately, the mage can make the book specialized in one area of skill or for one part of the world. In this case, the book only gives detailed information about one skill or area, but it has skill-15. For example, the mage could use this spell create a specialized cookbook with Cooking-15 skill, that would only suggest recipes for ingredients that the mage has on hand, or can easily acquire.
If the mage wishes, and if he knows the Magic Mouth spell, he can have the book give him instructions or speak its information aloud. In this case, some books have distinct personalities that make their advice harder, or easier, to use. For example, a book on Tactics or Guns skill might have the personality of a drill sergeant.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Cost: 5 points, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Magery 2, Mind Reading, Lend Skill, Divination, Manual (and optionally, Magic Mouth).
Item: (a) How-To Book. GURPS Magic Items 2, p. 36. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Cookbook of Tacia the Renowned. GURPS Magic Items 2, p. 36-37. Energy Cost to Create: 1,000 points. (c) A book can be permanently enchanted with this spell for a base cost of 250 points, plus 50 points for every level of skill above 12 (or 15 for a specialized text) or a cost of 5,000 points if it is knowledgeable in all areas at a skill level of 12.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 2.
This spell erases the true name of any one animal, vegetable, mineral, ore, or metal from reality's memory, causing any material or creature of that type to vanish within the area of effect. Man-made objects can also be affected by this spell, as long as they are made from natural animal, vegetable or mineral materials. Magic items and synthetic materials can't be affected.
Note that while the mage could theoretically cause the extinction (or, rather, the non-existence) of an entire species, the high cost to cast this spell makes it prohibitively expensive to do so. The mage must also know the true name of the object or creature. Since each sentient creature has its own true name, it is nearly impossible to use this spell against a large number of sentient beings.
If a sentient being is "erased" using this spell, the effects are identical to the Gate spell, Nonexistence.
Living creatures get a roll vs. IQ to resist.
Duration: Permanent.
Base Cost: 6 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Know True Name
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 15,000 points.
Author: Adapted from J.C. Connors (GURPS Mummy).
This spell makes an object or area reveal any "history" that the mage specifies. This will fool scrying spells and similar powers, such as the Psionic Psychometry power.
For the duration of the spell, unless the reader wins a Contest of Skills, the object will give him false "memories." The reader is at a penalty to the skill roll if the mage who cast the False History skill created an exceptionally detailed or plausible false history. In order to do this, the GM might require the mage to make a successful skill roll against skills such as History, Disguise, Acting, Performance, or Illusion Art. If the mage also casts spells such as Illusions before he casts the False History spell, the reader might be at an additional bonus, up to a maximum of -4.
If cast on an object that belongs to another person, they get a roll vs. IQ to resist. This spell can also be canceled by spells such as Dispel Magic.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: Permanent.
Cost: 3 points for a small object (up to 1 lb.), 4 points for a large object (up to 50 lbs.). If cast on an area, the Base Cost is 5 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery 2, False Image, Ancient History.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points (b) Any Item can be enchanted so that it doesn't absorb any "history" when used. Information spells cast on the item will automatically fail. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (c) This spell can be made permanent on an item or area for 50 times the base cost.
This spell is similar to the False History spell, except that it works on people. The spell will fool scrying spells and similar powers, such as the Psionic Psychometry power.
For the duration of the spell, unless the reader wins a Contest of Skills, the person will reveal false "memories" or "facts" about him, his aura is also changed according to his "new" personality. The reader is at a penalty to the skill roll if the mage who cast the False Identity created an exceptionally detailed or plausible false history for the character. In order to do this, the GM might require the mage to make a successful skill roll against skills such as Psychology, Area Knowledge, Disguise, Acting, or Illusion Art. If the mage also casts spells such as Illusions before he casts the False Identity spell, the reader might be at an additional bonus, up to a maximum of -4.
Alternately, rather than having this spell return false information, the mage can have readers receive random information or no information at all.
In order to see the true information, the person doing the reading must win a Contest of Skills against this spell.
If cast on an unwilling person, they get a roll vs. IQ to resist. This spell can also be canceled by spells such as Dispel Magic.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 3 points, 2 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: False Image, Change Aura.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for Wearer Only. Always On. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points if the item imbues its wearer with a set, false "personality", no results, or random information or 450 points if the item returns a false image set by the wearer.
This spell presents a false "scene" to scrying spells and psionic powers such as Clairsentience. The scene create is entirely up to the caster, but unless he creates a relatively simple, repetitious scene, he must pay an increased energy cost.
Simple scenes will have enough variation or detail in them to seem realistic for the first hour of the spell. When the spell is maintained, the sequence starts over again, unless the mage pays the full casting cost of the spell again. For example, a false image of the mage working at his desk would show him shifting his seat, leaning forward, making notes, and turning pages in a book he was reading on a seemingly random basis for up to 1 hour. After that, the spell would "loop" unless the mage paid the full casting cost to maintain the spell.
If the observer has a reason to be suspicious, he may attempt a Contest of Skills between his skill and the mage's False Image spell skill. If he wins, he penetrate the false image and sees the real image.
Note that if a character is given a false image of his target location and subsequently uses as spell such as Teleport in attempt to move to that location, he gets the appropriate penalties to skill as if he had never seen the place before.
Duration: 1 hour.
Base Cost: 2 points for an almost unchanging scene, double cost for scenes of simple repetitive movement, triple cost for scenes with complex repetitive movement, quadruple costs for complex, random movement, half to maintain as a "repeating loop" or same to maintain at the same level of randomness as when initially cast.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Misdirect Scrying.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) An area can be permanently warded for 25 times the base cost.
This spell will "transfer" the Seeker spell, and similar spells to an object of a similar type.
In order to cast the spell, the mage must touch the object to an item of a roughly similar sort to transfer the connection. If the owner of the item would object to the transfer, he is allowed an IQ roll to resist, even if he is not present or is unaware that the spell is being cast.
If the spell is cast successfully, the "arcane connection" to the object on which the Seeker spell focuses is transferred to the object. Any locating spells cast on the item for the duration of the False Seeker spell will "home in" on the object to whom the connection was transferred, rather than the object the spell was intended to find.
This spell can be cast on objects that have spells such as Seeker or Homeseeker cast on them. In this case, the mage must first win a Contest of Skills between his False Seeker spell and the mage's skill with the locating spell.
This spell can also be cast on a person to defeat spells such as Seeker or Trace. In this case, the mage must touch the subject with one hand, and he must touch a person of a roughly similar type (i.e., same general appearance, race or profession) with his other hand while casting the spell. If either the subject, or the person to whom the spell focus is transferred would object, they get a roll vs. IQ to resist.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 1 day.
Cost: 5 points, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: False History.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 1,500 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Transfers the owners "connection" to another person when the spell is cast. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell is identical to the Misdirection spell, except that the caster can define the image or information that scryers detect.
The scrying mage can attempt a Contest of Skills to overcome this spell.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 12 hours.
Cost: 4 to cast, 2 to maintain.
Prerequisites: Misdirection.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) An area can be permanently enchanted with this spell for 25 times the base cost.
Author: Adapted from Keith Bisset (Revenant).
This spell temporarily enchants two identical objects to act as a transmitter and a receiver of images. The objects to be enchanted must weigh at least 1 pound each and they each must have a flat surface at least 6" square, to act as a "view screen" and a "lens", respectively.
The "lens" will transmit any sights within its field of view to the "view screen". The lens's "field of view" is a 60 degree cone and is static, unless someone physically moves it. It has the same depth of field as a human eye. By concentrating, a viewer can have the lens focus on a particular area within the field of view, just as if he were looking at it with his own eyes. Note that this means that the lens can't "zoom in" on an object. The maximum range between the transmitter and the receiver depends on the energy used to power the spell.
This spell can be used in a number of ways. The transmitter can be hidden, and the mage (or someone else) can retain the receiver, allowing him to eavesdrop on conversations or to detect enemies at a distance. Alternately, the mage can retain the transmitter and give the receiver to someone else, allowing one way communication with that person at a distance.
Four identical objects (or two objects with two separate flat surfaces) and two castings of this spell allow two-way communication.
This spell can be combined with the Far Speaker spell to allow sound and vision to be combined.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 points, plus 1 point for a 100 hex range. Each doubling of the range cost doubles range. Half to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Wizard Eye, Far Speaker.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points (b) Two identical screens of crystal or polished metal. Energy Cost to Create: 200 points, or 400 points if they allow two way communication. (c) Any suitable item can be enchanted with this spell for 50 times the base cost.
This spell gives the distance in feet (or another unit of measurement, if the mage prefers) to an object within the mage's line of site.
At the GM's option, this spell will give a bonus to skills where accurate measurement would be an advantage, such as Gunnery, Forward Observer, or Surveying.
See also the Measurement spell.
Cost: 1 point.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 50 points. (b) Spyglass, binoculars or surveyor's tool. Works for user only. Energy Cost to Create: 25 points.
Author: Adapted from Bob Traynor (From "Minor Magics for GURPS")
This spell locates the safest place in the caster's immediate area, as defined by the mage.
A successful skill roll gives the mage a quick visual image of the haven, and tells him its direction and approximate distance from the mage's location. The haven will always be accessible with the means the character has at hand, but it is likely to be well hidden. The exact nature of the haven is up to the GM, though he is under no obligation to reveal magically concealed places to the mage.
This spell is typically used to find refuge from pursuers, or to place campsites that cannot found by predators. It is useless in places of uniform danger or security. For example, if this spell were cast while the mage was inside an empty house, no one spot will stand out as safer than any other. However, if the house is structurally unsound, this spell will help the mage locate the least unsafe part of the building. If he were being pursued, the spell might reveal a secret hiding place within the house. If the house is haunted, there may be a place where ghosts fear to tread . . .
Note that it is possible that the spell will return a negative result if no safe havens are available. If that is the case, the mage will know this fact.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: Instantaneous. The haven is guaranteed to be the safest place in the area of the casting for the next 12 hours.
Cost: 5 points, can't be maintained.
Time to Cast: 30 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery, Sense Danger.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for Wearer Only. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
This spell allows the caster to detect the direction and distance to the nearest suitable shelter from the elements. The caster can exclude known shelters, or certain types of shelters, if he specifies before he casts the spell.
Note that it is possible that the spell will return a negative result if no shelter is available. If that is the case, the mage will know this fact.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Cost: 2 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points. (b) Clothing, Jewelry or Navigation Instrument. Works for Wearer or User Only. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell lets the mage know where a person or creature ended its journey. If it is sill in transit, the caster will know this fact, as well as where the subject is in its journey.
In order to cast this spell, the mage must touch a reasonably fresh trail left by the subject. The caster is at -1 to skill for every hour since the subject left the tracks. If the subject is unwilling, it also gets a roll vs. IQ to resist.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Trace.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
This spell erases the victim's name from reality, dooming them to fade into oblivion. The victim may resist with Will. If he succeeds, the caster must immediately make her own Will roll or suffer from temporary amnesia. This amnesia can last from several days to several centuries as the GM wishes.
If the subject fails his resistance roll immediately vanishes. He is still alive, but he can't affect the physical universe in any way, nor can he be recognized or affected by anything. Nor can he use (or be affected by) spells. The subject will eventually die of hunger and thirst, unknown and unlamented by everyone. In other respects, this spell is identical to the Non-Existence (q.v.) spell.
In order to cast this spell, the mage must know the subject's true name.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: Instantaneous.
Cost to Cast: 20 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Command True Name.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 5,000 points.
Author: Adapted from J.C. Connors (GURPS Mummy)
This spell allows the mage to know who the subject's parents are. The mage can decide if the spell will reveal the subject's biological or adoptive parents when he casts the spell.
Each subsequent casting lets the mage know the next "branching" in the subject's family tree. For example, so the second casting would reveal the subject's grandparents, the third his great-grandparents, and so forth. The subject must be present when the mage casts the spell, but he need not be willing. Unwilling subjects resist with Will.
If the subject's ancestors are still alive, the mage will mentally know their common name and will get a detailed mental image of what they look like. If they are dead, he will know their names and will get a mental image of them as they appeared in their prime. If the subject's parents have no names (as is the case of most animals) then the mage will just get a mental image of the parents' appearance.
At TL 6+, this spell becomes much more powerful. Each casting allows the mage to determine one genetic trait in the subject (or all the members of a previous generation). Such as blood type, hair color, etc. As a guideline, the mage would be able to identify any genetic trait that a geneticist of the same TL could derive by using lab techniques. At TL8+, this spell will reveal the entire gene map for an individual! It is up to the mage to correctly interpret this information (using the Genetics skill). In this respect, the spell is identical to the Know Genome spell.
This is also a Technology (BioMagic) spell.
Cost: 4 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Ancient History or Seek Gene.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 2,500 points.
To use this spell, the wizard needs an ordinary quill pen and a piece of blank paper. When the spell is cast, the pen will write down any local rumors or bits of "common knowledge" about topics specified by the mage.
The pen will reveal one piece of information per minute. The accuracy of this material cannot be determined by any magical means, but it is a good reflection of what (or who) people are talking about, even if the information if erroneous.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 2, 1 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Divination, Wizard Ear.
Item: Pen or other writing implement. Energy Cost to Create: 200 points.
When this spell is cast on the subject, the mage will know when the subject is in danger, as if the mage was in his position and had the Danger Sense advantage.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 4, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Seeker, Sense Danger.
Item: (a) Wand, Staff or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. When worn by the subject, this item allows the mage to know when he is in danger. Energy Cost to Create: 200 points.
When this spell is cast, the character with the highest character point total in the area is outlined with a visible ruddy glow. The caster can exclude certain people or types of people from the spell's calculation if he specifies them before he casts the spell.
Unwilling subjects resist with IQ.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 1/4 point per hex (minimum 1), half to maintain. For double cost per hex, the caster can get a "ranking" of most powerful to least powerful character in the area of effect.
Prerequisite: See Secrets.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
Author: Adapted from Bob Traynor (From "Minor Magics for GURPS")
This spell allows the subject to remember a fact or to gain an insight.
In game terms, spell allows the mage's player to ask the GM a question or prompt him for a useful fact or bit of advice about the mage's current situation.
This spell will not allow the mage to discover gain insights that he could not logically infer from his previous knowledge, nor will it allow the mage to recall facts that have been magically removed.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Insight.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
There is a further -1 penalty if it has been a long time since it expired; the weaker the original spell, the quicker its traces expire. For a spell that cost 1 point to cast, it is at -1 for every day since it expired. For a spell that cost 2 points to cast, it is -1 for every 2 days, and so on.
This spell can be subverted by spells such as Misdirect or False History.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Aztecs.
This spell is similar to the Reveal Secrets spell, except that it makes a certain thing or class of thing visible to the naked eye if it is not normally visible, and glow brightly in the color chosen by the mage.
In order to cast this spell, the mage must be familiar with the object or class of object to be revealed, and he must be aware of its presence in the area.
This spell will fail if it used to indicate a specific person, unless the mage already knows the subject's identity and is aware of his presence. General classes of people can be indicated with this spell, but unwilling subjects get +4 to resist if the mage is not personally familiar with them. For example, the mage can't use this spell to magically pick out the perpetrator of a murder, unless he already knew the subject to be the murderer. The mage could use this spell to identify all murderers in a group of people, but unless the mage was personally familiar with their crimes, they would get +4 to their resistance rolls.
In order to reveal magically hidden or obscured items, the mage must win a Contest of Skills against the other spell. Likewise, obscured items, such as objects in chests or under water, are invisible until their covering is removed.
Items lit by this spell require a Vision roll to see in bright light. In dim light, they are immediately obvious. Large items (or a number of smaller items in a cluster) produce a glow that is sufficient to cancel 3 points of any Vision penalties within 3 hexes of their location. Smaller objects cancel 1 point of Darkness penalties within 1 hex. These lights can also be seen at greater distances. In most circumstances, an item illuminated by this spell can be seen if an observer makes a roll vs. Vision+2. A large object (or character) illuminated by this spell has a -3 penalty to Stealth, Shadowing, or Camouflage skill in dim light, or -1 in daylight. A small object give a penalty of -1 to skill in dim light and no penalty in bright light.
This spell is handy for quickly locating dropped or spilled items at night, or for revealing traces of a substance that is normally invisible to the naked eye.
If cast on an unwilling subject, or an object carried or worn by an unwilling subject, they get a roll vs. IQ to resist.
This is also a Light and Darkness spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3, 2 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Reveal Secrets, Glow.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) This spell can be cast on any item or area for 25 times the base cost. When a command word is spoken, the class of object specified by the mage when the spell is cast is illuminated.
This spell gives the subject a new insight into how he might solve a problem that has previously frustrated him.
At the GM's option, this spell gives the character a second skill roll for a single task where he previously failed. In order for the spell to work, the nature of the task cannot have change since the character's first attempt, and a second attempt must be feasible. Penalties for cumulative attempts are negated when this spell is cast. For example, a mage could use this spell to get a second attempt to pick a lock or to see an object. He couldn't get a second chance to strike a moving foe or to fast talk a guard, since the nature of the task has changed (i.e., the foe has moved, the guard is suspicious).
This spell can also be used when the subject has successfully completed a task, but wants further improvement. In this case, the character can roll the dice again. If the second result is better than the first, the character can spend 50% more time at the task and get the results of the better die roll. On a failure or a die roll lower than the first roll, no additional insight is gained. On a critical failure, the character ruins his work by trying to improve it. Note that this application of the skill only applies where there is room for improvement, for example, a composition, a poem, a painting or an invention.
For long term tasks, inventions or research, this spell gives +1 to Scientific skills.
Duration: Instantaneous.
Cost: 4, 2 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery 2, Remembrance.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Jewelry or Clothing. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points.
This spell is identical to the Wizard Ear spell, except that the ear that cannot be seen unless an observer can see invisible objects. Characters who can't see the ear, but correctly guess which hex it is in may still attack -but they only hit on a critical success!
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4 to cast, 2 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisites: Wizard Ear, or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points and $750 worth of exotic, aromatic wood. (b) Glass depiction of a human ear. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
This spell combines Invisible Wizard Eye, Invisible Wizard Ear and Invisible Wizard Nose allowing superior long-range viewing. In other respects, it is like the Wizard's Face spell.
The face cannot be seen unless an observer can see invisible objects. Characters who can't see the face, but correctly guess which hex it is in may still attack -but they only hit on a critical success!
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 8, half to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery, Invisible Wizard Eye, Invisible Wizard Ear, Invisible Wizard Nose.
Item: (a) Wand, Staff, or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 1,500 points and $1,000 worth of exotic, aromatic wood. (b) A glass head. Requires $750 in rare materials related to all five senses. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points.
This spell creates a Wizard Hand spell that that cannot be seen unless an observer can see invisible objects. Characters who can't see the hand, but correctly guess which hex it is in may still attack -but they only hit on a critical success!
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 to cast, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisites: Wizard Hand and Invisibility.
Item: (a) Wand, Staff, or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points and $750 worth of exotic, aromatic wood. (b) A glass hand. Requires $750 in rare materials. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points.
This spell creates a Wizard Mouth spell that that cannot be seen unless an observer can see invisible objects. Characters who can't see the mouth, but correctly guess which hex it is in may still attack -but they only hit on a critical success!
This is also a Sound spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 to cast, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisites: Wizard Mouth and Invisibility.
Item: (a) Wand, Staff, or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 1,000 energy and $750 worth of ivory. (b) Glass depiction of a human mouth. Requires $500 in rare materials. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
This spell creates a Wizard Mouth spell that that cannot be seen unless an observer can see invisible objects. Characters who can't see the nose, but correctly guess which hex it is in may still attack -but they only hit on a critical success!
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4 to cast, 2 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisites: Wizard Nose and Invisibility.
Item: (a) Wand, Staff, or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 750 energy and $750 worth of exotic, aromatic wood. (b) Any glass depiction of a nose Requires $500 in rare materials. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
Author:
Thomas M. Kane (GURPS China).This spell reveals the true age of a person or object. Unwilling subjects resist with Will. This spell is blocked by spells that interfere with scrying.
Cost: 1 point.
Time to Cast: 5 seconds.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand, Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 75 points. (b) Clothing, Lens or Jewelry. Works for wearer or user only. Energy Cost to Create: 50 points.
This spell allows the mage to know the relative attribute scores for everyone in his immediate area. If he specifies before he casts the spell, he can exclude some or all characters (or types of characters) from the ranking. By default, this spell assumes that the mage wishes to know the rankings of everyone within his line of sight.
Each casting of the spell reveals the relative scores for all characters specified by the mage in terms of one of the GURPS basic or figured attributes. Unwilling creatures resist with IQ.
The caster's player should never know the exact scores. Instead, the GM should rate all the characters that the mage wishes to compare from highest to lowest. Of course, if the mage includes himself in the group to be ranked, he will know how he compares to the others in the group. In addition, only the mage will know the information gained from this spell, though he can tell the rest of the party.
In the case of Strength and Health, the caster must specify if he wants to know the scores or the scores.
Unwilling subjects resist with IQ.
Cost: 4 points.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Aura, Hero Pointer.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points. (b) Clothing, Lens or Jewelry. Works for wearer or user only. Energy Cost to Create: 200 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
This spell, will tell the mage the subject's greatest weakness, as determined by the GM. This could be the subject's most costly Disadvantage (in character points), a secret from his past, or even a statistical weakness such a low Attribute score, or low DR on a certain part of his body. Note that this spell will never give away the Secret disadvantage, though it might tell the mage that the subject has the Secret disadvantage.
If the mage wishes, this spell will also determine if the subject can be bribed or otherwise corrupted. If the subject is bribable, the spell will tell the mage what the subject is willing do to, what sort of bribe works best, and what the subject's price will be. If the subject can't be bribed, the mage will know this fact. This gives +4 to the appropriate skill, such as Streetwise, Merchant, Politics, or Administration to influence the character.
This spell can also be used to determine what values and traits are strongest in the subject, and what things and values he considers to "non-negotiable."
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Cost: 6 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Aura, Detect Lies.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for Wearer Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
This spell allows the mage to know the last contact the subject had with a specific type of person. For example, this spell could reveal could be the person's last lover, the person they talked to last or something else.
This spell only works on living creatures, and doesn't impart information about what happened between the subject and the other person. It does give a brief version of the person as they were when the subject last saw them.
Unwilling subjects resist with IQ.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Cost: 5 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery, Seeker.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Clothing, Lens or Jewelry. Works for wearer or user only. Energy Cost to Create: 400 points.
This spell allows the mage to know any pertinent laws and customs of the area he is in, as well as the punishments for violations of those laws. The spell will also warn the mage if he has (or is on the verge of) breaking any local laws or customs.
Each casting of this spell allows the mage to learn the answer to one specific legal question, or the general law in one area, as if he were assisted by an advisor with Law-12 and Savoir Faire-12. The spell won't give detailed legal answers or allow the mage to function as a lawyer, but it will allow him to avoid violating local laws and customs, should he choose to do so.
Note that in some cases this spell will return the answer "There is no law here."
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell and a Protection and Warning spell.
Cost: 4 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds
Prerequisite: Magery, Sense Danger, Lend Skill.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Some versions are Always On. Energy Cost to Create: 400 points. (c) Law book of Great Atragius. GURPS Magic Items 2, p. 36. Energy Cost to Create: 1,000 points.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 2.
This spell allows the mage to know who made an object. In order for the spell to work, the mage must touch the item. If the maker wishes to hide his identity, he gets a roll vs. IQ to resist this spell.
This is also a Making and Breaking spell.
Cost: 2 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Know Origin.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell allows the mage to get a brief vision of the subject's master.
Depending on the circumstances, this might be his employer, the leader of his church, political, party, or gang, or something else entirely. The vision is from the subject's perspective, so that the mage's perceptions of the subject's master will be skewed by the subject's relationship with his superior. For example, if cast on a small dog who was afraid of its master, the mage might get a vision of a fearful and awesome individual.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: 10 seconds
Cost: 3, can't be maintained.
Prerequisite: Seeker.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell allows the mage to know the origin(s) of a single part of any object he touches. For example, the mage would know where the a spearhead was forged, where the metal used came from and where the ore used to make the metal was mined.
Unless the mage is personally familiar with the origin, it will appear as a hazy and distinct vision.
Note that this spell will tell nothing about the maker or user of the item. However, if the maker or user of the item would wish to obscure the origins of the item, they can do so by rolling vs. IQ.
This is also a Making and Breaking spell.
Duration: 10 seconds.
Cost: 4 points.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds
Prerequisite: Know Maker
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points (b) Any item. When touched, the holder gets a sense of the origin of the object (or its materials). Energy Cost to Create: 50 points.
This spell lets the mage determine the current owner of an object or creature.
If the owner wishes to hide his association with the item or creature, or if the subject of the spell is an intelligent being who wishes to hide the association with his owner (for example, a fugitive slave), he gets an IQ roll to resist.
If the item or creature is abandoned or discarded, the spell will determine this fact.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Divination, Seeker.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell allows the mage to determine an extraplanar creature's home plane, dimension, or world.
If the creature is unwilling to reveal its origins, it gets a roll vs. IQ to resist.
Note that this spell will also detect time travelers.
This is also a Gate spell.
Cost: 3 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisites: Detect Magic or Detect Gate.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Lens, Clothing or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell is a simple spell commonly taught to "battle" mages attached to military formations. It allows the mage to know the military Rank (if any) of the subject. Unwilling subjects get a roll vs. IQ to resist, and spells that interfere with Information spells protect normally.
A simple modification of this spell can be used to determine other sorts of Ranks, such as Religious Rank, Academic Rank, Merchant Rank, or Administrative Rank, or Social Status.
Cost: 1 point.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 50 points.
Author: Adapted from Pyramid Magazine.
This spell allows the mage to judge the soundness, solidity, and structural integrity of an object. If the object will fail under normal use, is significantly weaker or less stable than it should be, or could cause harm if it malfunctions, the mage will know this fact.
If this spell is cast on an area, the mage will know if a surface, projection, etc. will bear the weight to be placed on it.
If cast on an area where there is the potential for disaster (such as a mineshaft or a building) this spell will tell the mage if what dangers are present and how likely the disaster is likely to occur.
If cast on an item or vehicle, this spell will tell the mage whether the object is mechanically and structurally sound.
Unlike the Sense Danger spell, this spell will only detect existing hazards caused by mechanical failure, sabotage, or existing conditions. It can't predict accidents or potential hostile action. For example, this spell could only determine that an airplane was mechanically unsound, not that it doesn't detect problems such as insufficient fuel or a hidden bomb.
Alternately, this spell can be used to judge the amount of force or stress than a given object could withstand. In this case, the mage concentrates on a single yes-or-no question related to the parameters of object in question. For example, the mage could ask questions such as, "Will the dais support the weight of an herd of mammoths?" or "Will this chamber have enough air to support 10 men for 3 days?"
This spell gives +4 to any Craft, Professional or Scientific skill roll to judge the safety, feasibility or stability of an object or construction.
If cast on person, this spell gives them +2 to Climbing rolls for 1 minute, since they will know which hand and foot holds will support their weight.
If a person has actively sabotaged an object or area and is still alive. They resist this spell with IQ.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 points, same to maintain. If cast as an Area spell, the Base Cost is 4, same to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery, Sense Danger, Test Area, Watchdog.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 400 points. (c) Any item or area can have this spell cast on it permanently for 350 points. When a malfunction occurs or disaster is likely, this enchantment will trigger a warning light, buzzer or some other alarm.
This spell gives the mage the Area Knowledge skill for one relatively small settled area (such as a town or city) at skill level 12. In addition, if the area has a criminal or "underground" element, the mage will get Streetwise-12 to rolls to find (or avoid) dangerous people and dangerous parts of the city.
Finally, by concentrating, the mage will know the location and address of any building in the city that he wishes to find as long as that information is public knowledge. If given just the name of a place, he will also get a short (2 or three sentences long) description of what the place is and what it is like. This spell doesn't give the mage knowledge of locations that are hidden, secret or private. At best, it gives the same sort of information that a well-written city directory or guide book would provide.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 4 points, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Wilderness Guide.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points or 150 points if the item only works for one area.
This spell allows the mage to know the true name of either one sentient being, one man-made object or one class of animal, vegetable or mineral.
The exact effects of knowing a true name depend on the GM and the campaign, but generally this knowledge gives the mage a bonus when casting spells against the target or gives a penalty to the subject's resistance rolls, or both.
Unwilling creatures resist with IQ.
This is also a Metaspell.
Cost: 15 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Divination, 10 Knowledge spells.
Item: Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 2,500 points.
This is also a Metaspell.
Author: GURPS Egypt.
This spell tells the caster the subject's net worth as defined by the Wealth advantage. Alternately, the mage can determine how much wealth the subject is carrying on his person.
This spell does not reveal the subject's exact net worth value unless the subject is carrying everything he owns or unless the mage rolls a critical success.
This spell is commonly used by merchants judge the net worth of a potential customer or by bandits and con men to size up the net worth of a potential victim. Rich men also occasionally use this spell to figure their current net worth.
Unwilling subjects get a roll vs. IQ to resist. Spells that interfere with scrying block this spell normally.
Cost: 4 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisites: Appraise.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) A helm or eyepiece. Works for Wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points.
Author: Adapted from the Net.
This spell gives the subject the Area Knowledge skill of 12 for the area within a 1/2 mile radius. As the subject moves, his Area Knowledge skill changes as well. For extra cost, the area knowledge skill can cover a greater range, though it can never be improved above 12.
This is also an Elemental Earth spell, or for watery areas, an Elemental Water spell. In this case, Detect Earth and Detect Water can substitute for the Magic Map prerequisite.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 5 points, 3 to maintain. Each additional point to base cost doubles the radius that the Area Knowledge covers, cost to maintain is unchanged.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Magery, Imbue Skill, Magic Map (or Detect Earth or Detect Water), 5 other Knowledge spells.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 1,000 points. (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
When the wizard casts this spell on a recently dead corpse, he sees whatever the person saw in the moments before he died.
Depending on the circumstances, this could give the mage vital information or an unchanging picture of the victim's surroundings. This spell is at -1 for every 3 days that the victim has been dead and is at a further -2 to skill if the victim's eyes or head have been removed. If the victim was blindfolded or blinded before he died, this spell is at an additional -4 to skill.
If the victim died in a particularly horrible way, the GM might decide that the wizard has to take a Fright Check as if he had the Death Vision spell cast on him. If the victim was killed by a gaze attack (like that of a medusa) then the mage must roll vs. HT+4 or suffer the same effect as the victim suffered.
This is also a Necromantic spell.
Duration: 1 minute
Cost: 3 points, same to maintain. Each doubling of cost doubles the duration of the spell (doubling the amount of time the mage looks through the corpse's eyes.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds
Prerequisite: Mute Witness
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Clothing, Jewelry or Lens. Works for wearer/user only. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell allows the subject to instantly learn a given song or piece of music and remember it for the duration of one performance.
If this spell is cast on a non-living item capable of playing or recording music, the spell will make the item to record or play that piece.
Note that this spell doesn't affect the performance of the piece in any way.
This is also a Sound spell.
Duration: 1 day (or the duration of 1 performance, whichever is less).
Cost: 2 points, 1 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Musical Scribe or Memorize.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 200 points. (c) Song Book or similar item. Anyone who looks at the books page's has this spell cast on him. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell will allow the mage to magically search for books and references on a specific topic, returning a list of known references on a magically inscribed piece of paper.
A successful casting lets the mage to know that certain books on the topic exist, and where they exist if they are held in an organized library. It is up to the mage to actually get them. Books that are deliberately hidden or lost are automatically warded against this spell. In those cases, the mage will get the idea that the book exists, but he will only know that it's not available. Spells that are more powerful are required to figure out where the book might be. Scryguarded books are not detectable using this spell.
This spell gives up to +4 to Research skill rolls if the mage has a library that he can use. The size of the bonus depends on the library and the normal difficulty involved in finding books. If the wizard doesn't have the Research skill, this spell gives him "default" Research skill of 12. For long-term projects, repeated uses of this spell can greatly increase the pace of research, as determined by the GM.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Cost: 4 points.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Text Origin.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points. (b) Book. Works for user only. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points.
This spell allows sound to be transmitted from the spell area to another area specified by the mage. This allows a person in one area to hear what is said in the other area. Two castings will allow two-way communication.
The mage need only be physically present in one location when the spell is cast. However, he must be extremely familiar with the other location and must have visited that place himself within the previous month. The mage also determines which location is the transmitter and which location is the receiver. Multiple castings allow multiple transmitters and/or receivers on the same "network".
This spell is similar to the Talking Horn spell except that no material components are required and an area is enchanted, not an object.
This is also a Sound spell and a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Cost: 4, 3 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds
Prerequisite: Wizard Ear or Talking Horn.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points. (b) An area can be permanently enchanted with this spell for 25 times the base cost.
An improved version of the Sense Danger spell. Not only will the caster know when there is danger in the area, but he will also know its rough location and type, even if it is not an immediate danger.
Furthermore, this spell lasts longer than the Sense Danger spell. For the duration of the spell, the subject has the Danger Sense advantage.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5, 4 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Sense Danger.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Mage Only. Energy Cost to Create: 750 points. (b) Jewelry or Clothing. Works for Wearer Only. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell tells the caster the general direction to the nearest natural portal site into or out of a given crystal sphere. If cast within 100 yards of a portal, the mage will get a general idea of how long it will be before the portal opens. The caster may overlook known portal sites if he desires.
Typically, a portal will be 3d6 days away, and open 4d6 hours after a ship arrives. On a critical failure, true portals will be overlooked, and the caster gets false information. This spell is not modified for range.
This is also a Gate spell.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 2 to cast, 1 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Pathfinder or Detect Gate.
Item: a crystal or glass globe, engraved with longitude and latitude lines. minimum cost $2,000. Energy Cost to Create: 200 points.
Author: Jeff Wilson, Winterchylde, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
This spell allows the mage to accurately find his position or the location of another person on a map.
If the mage cannot see the person, he must have previously cast either the Tracker or Seeker spell on them. If the map is inaccurate, this spell will give the mage's approximate location. If the subject isn't at a location shown on the map, the spell will fail but the mage will know the reason why.
Cost: 2 points.
Time to Cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisites: Know Position, Seeker
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Map that will indicate the user's location as long as he is in the area depicted on the map. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points.
This spell gives the mage a map of all major geographical features in his area. Very small or hidden features will not appear on the map unless the mage already knows about them.
The scale of the map is set by the mage when the spell is cast, and the mage can request that only a portion of an area be mapped. Areas that the mage can't see with his naked eye, which the mage has not yet traveled to or seen (including pictures in books, conventional maps, or TV) appear as blank areas. If the mage subsequently learns about these areas, new castings of the spell will magically "fill in" the discovered areas. Any errors in geography or cartography on the part of the mage (like misnaming of towns or rivers) will be echoed on the map.
The quality of the map will be equal to that of a professionally done map at the overall Tech Level of the mage's culture, with a minimum TL of TL4 (i.e., moderately accurate, but nothing fancy). For double energy cost and time, the quality of the map can be greatly improved. At TL7, a "normal" casting of this spell gets the mage the equivalent of a road map. A double cost casting gives the mage the equivalent of a military ordinance map.
If the mage also has the appropriate skill and has cast the appropriate spells (such as Detect Earth) a double cost casting of this spell will produce an accurate, highly specialized map such as a geological survey map or a nautical chart with depth soundings. It is up to the GM to determine what spells and skills are needed to produce a given type of specialized map.
Duration: 1 minute (effects are permanent).
Cost: 2 per quarter mile of radius from the mage's position, half to maintain. Double cost for a highly detailed map.
Time to Cast: 5 minutes.
Prerequisite: Map
Item: Pen or other writing implement. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
This spell must be cast on a writing implement and suitable writing material.
Then for the duration of the spell, the pen and paper will magically create a map of the mage's surroundings.
The map will update itself, recording everything that the caster sees as long as the spell lasts and there are materials available for mapping. The map can be of any "scale" the mage wishes it to be, but will be sized so that it will perfectly fit on the pages provided.
If requested, the stylus will make notes on the map as requested by the mage, in his own handwriting and style.
The map will only chart things that the mage can see. The quality of the map will only be as good as the caster could create for himself. If the mage is lost or has been fooled by magic, the map will reflect his confusion rather than being accurate.
This spell has several variations:
If the subject already has a map, this spell can either add to the existing map, or it can be used to magically mark the subject's path. However, the map will always start mapping (or tracing) from the mage's perceived location. If his navigation is faulty, or if the map is wrong, the spell will give false information.
If it is not convenient for the mage to use his mapping materials, he can cast this spell on a writing implement. For the duration of the spell the implement will record what the caster sees. When the spell ends, if the implement is placed on a suitable piece of material and is commanded to draw, it will magically draw a map of what it "saw" while the spell was in effect.
In all cases, the quality of the map produced depends on the mage's Cartography skill.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 3, 2 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Draw, Know Direction.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points. (b) Pencil or other expendable writing implement. No cost to user once created. Energy Cost to Create: 150 points. (c) Pen or other reusable writing implement.. No cost to user once created. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points.
Author: Self, Tim Morgan and Richard LeDuc.
This spell is similar to the Measurement spell, except that it returns all the appropriate measurements for any object (or objects) in the area of effect. For example, if this spell were cast on a building, the mage would know all the measurements used to build the building, as well as its mass, volume, cost to build, etc.
If he specifies before he casts the spell, the mage can exclude certain measurements from this spell.
Measurements will be exact to the desired decimal point place, and will return any sort of measurement the mage can name in appropriate units of measurement.
Base Cost: 1/2 point.
Time to Cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite: Measurement.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 250 points. (b) Scales or other measuring tool. Works for user only. Energy Cost to Create: 25 if returns one sort of measurement, 75 if it will measure by any criteria the mage desires.
Author: Adapted from Bob Traynor (From "Minor Magics for GURPS").
This spell improves the subject's mathematical ability and prevents him from making math errors in his calculations.
For the duration of the spell, the subject gets the Math Ability advantage and Ciphering-12 skill. At TL5+, he gets Mathematics-12 instead. He also won't make calculation errors, though his reckoning will be off if he uses incorrect numbers or transposes figures.
If the subject already has the appropriate skill at skill level 12+, he gets +2 to his current skill level.
This is also a Mind Control spell.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Cost: 3 points, 2 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Magery, Measurement.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 350 points (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 300 points.
This spell is an improved version of the Seeker spell. When the spell is cast, the mage can "lock onto" the subject's mental "signature", allowing him to instantly know the subject's current location.
By concentrating for a moment, the mage will get a sense of how close the subject is to him, what he is doing, and which direction the mage must travel to reach him.
Unwilling subjects resist with IQ.
This is also a Communication and Empathy spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 points, 2 to maintain.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Magery 2, Seeker, Mind Track.
Item: (a) Staff, Wand or Jewelry. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points (b) Clothing or Jewelry. Works for wearer only. Energy Cost to Create: 450 points. (c) Judas Coat. GURPS Magic Items 2, p. 53-54. Energy Cost to Create: 500 points.
Author: Adapted from GURPS Magic Items 2.
When this spell is cast, the mage is able to see the location of any object he could perceive by normal means on a "map" in his mind.
For the duration of the spell, the subject gets a mental map of everything in his current location, if he could have seen an object in the area by normal means. Even if characters or vehicles subsequently move, the subject will still know their current location, even if they vanish from his sight. He can't detect objects that are invisible, or which weren't visible to him when the spell is cast, unless he subsequently becomes aware of them by other means.
The subject can visualize objects around t