Magic in GURPS Troubleshooters

Introduction

While the occult is increasingly popular in America and "books of spells" can be bought retail, actual working magic is hidden in ancient grimoires and its study confined to secret societies. Some individuals manage to eke out the secrets through years of devoted and solitary study (though such lone daredevils often end up destroying themselves).

This aspect of magical talent requires that the spellcaster take -5 points in either Code of Honor (Traditional Secret Society), Code of Honor (Oathbound), or Unusual Background (Solitary Mage).

System

Ritual Magic rules (GURPS 4th edition Magic, p. 200; GURPS 4th edition Thaumatology, p. 72-76).

Core Skill

Thaumatology. This is the academic study of magical theory and the “physics” of mana (GURPS Basic Set, p. 225).

Advantages

Ritual Magery 0 (5 points). Required Represents the basic ability to do magic. Required of all magic users. Limitations on Magery 0 are not allowed.

Ritual Magery 1-3* (10 points/level). Represents ability achieved through training in a ritual tradition. Limitations on leveled Magery are not allowed.

Note that the Magery 3 cap applies only to starting characters. There will be no limit on developing leveled Magery within the campaign. (To learn a new path requires leveling up in Magery, after all.)

Ritual Magery may not be modified, limited, or aspected. No light/sark aspect, no dance aspected... Sorry. 10 points/level. That is all

Paths/Colleges

A magician is limited to the number of colleges/paths he may study/know. The maximum number of colleges/paths available to a spellcaster is (Magery Level) +1. For example, a person with Magery 2 would be able to cast from 3 colleges/paths.

Default spellcasting can only occur within colleges/paths known to the magician. All default spellcasting will be against the path skill, not the core skill (Thaumatology). There will be no default casting outside the paths known/studied by the mage.

All paths, along with corresponding spells and their effects, are available to spellcasters.

Prerequisite Counts

The spell list included in GURPS 4th edition Thaumatology (or second and later printings of GURPS 4th edition Magic) will be considered final for all prerequisite counts.

Rule of 20

Any core skill greater than 20 will be treated as 20 for the purposes of default calculation. Thus, college skills never have a default greater than 14. (See Extending the Rule of 20, GURPS Thaumatology, p. 73.)

Critical Failures

Critical failures in spellcasting will use the Diabolic/Horrific alternate critical failure tables found in GURPS 4th edition Thaumatology.

Extra Time

Extra time (and Extra effort) bonuses are not allowed with spellcasting.

Additional Modifiers

• Sympathy, Name, and Contagion (GURPS 4th edition Thaumatology, pp. 243-246) are available to all Ritual Magery.

• Sacrifice (GURPS 4th edition Thaumatology, p. 246) is only allowed with Ceremonial Magic.

• Significant Dates (GURPS 4th edition Thaumatology, pp. 246-248) may come into play at the discretion of the GM.

No other additional modifiers are available.

See also

• Fire Magic Wars. One of the most significant events in the history of magic, its repercussions are felt to this day.