New Spell: Fire Darts

I've been working on my campaigns so I haven't done as much rules-tinkering or worldbuilding as I normally do, but here's a spell I wrote to add a high rate of fire option to a mage's arsenal.

Fire Darts

Missile

College of Fire

Creates a collection of darts of flame that can be shot in rapid succession.  Each dart does 1d burning, and should the caster also know Essential Fire he may double the base casting cost for darts that do 1d+2 burning.  The caster may create up to his Magery darts each turn, for up to three turns.  The darts have 1/2D 15, Max 30, RoF=number of darts, and Rcl 2.

Cost to Cast: 1 per dart created.
Time to Cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1, Create Fire, and Haste.

Notes

I'd change the prerequisites to Great Haste instead of Haste, but I really don't want to give a spellcaster any more excuses to take it...

Magical Style: Illusionism

The Illusionists

Rivals: The Grey Philosophers.

Illusionists teach that all life is an illusion, that there is no objective reality, and that therefore the highest form of good is in the pursuit of pleasure. They believe the purpose of life is to enjoy oneself and to help others have a good time. Many Illusionists are seekers after enlightenment, but in Illusionism this is no object of quiet meditation, but is rather a drug-soaked, alcohol-powered, and frankly naughty affair.

This has earned them a reputation as abusers of drugs, as well as for sexual excess, and they are considered unserious at best by many other schools of magic. The Grey Philosophers, in particular, hate them.  The Illusionists believe this is sheer jealousy as an Illusionist is almost guaranteed an invitation to the sort of party a Grey-robe is never invited to, and return the hate with mockery.

Illusionists have no real structure to their group, and teach in a master and student relationship much more casual than in most other magical traditions.  The teacher holds himself as more of a guide than an overseer.

Illusionism

13 points

Prerequisites: IQ 11 and Magery 1.

Illusionism teaches that the Material World is but the dream of a sleeping god, and doing magic is doing no more than changing the environment of a dream. Thus, all magic is inherently illusionary, and a student can exceed the limitations of the physical by embracing this. At its core, Illusionism is a philosophical Hedonism school, teaching that pleasure is the utmost good.  In their view, they cannot be certain that we are real, but they can be certain that we feel.

Illusionists are also skilled masters of dream magic, and they also have knowledge of the less supernatural techniques of dream manipulation. The "lesser dreams" of the night are held to be most instructive.

There is some controversy over several spells in the standard repertoire; for example, many Illusionists will neither learn nor teach Emotion Control, as they feel forcing someone to feel "joy" or "happiness" runs counter to authentic experience, while others are of the opinion that since everything but sensation is illusory spell-initiated happiness is just as valid as any other form. Such arguments among practitioners are seldom settled quickly.

Required Skills: Carousing, Dreaming, Pharmacy (Herbal), Philosophy (Illusionism), Teaching, Thaumatology.

Required Spells: Complex Illusion, Control Illusion, Detect Illusion, Dispel Illusion, Perfect Illusion, Simple Illusion.

Perks: Area Spell Mastery (Any Illusion), Improvised Items, Intuitive Illusionist, Kill Switch (Any), Mystic’s Stupor, Reduced Footprint (Any), Secret Knowledge (Hidden Lore: Dream Lore), Secret Material (Soma), Secret Spells (Initiative, Journey to the Dreamlands, Zimbardo's Simulated Prison).

Secret Spells: Initiative, Journey to the Dreamlands, Zimbardo's Simulated Prison.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Increased IQ and HT.

Advantages: Allure, Charisma, Energy Reserve, Illuminated, Recover Energy.

Disadvantages: Alcoholism, Compulsive Carousing, Impulsiveness, Reputation (Sexually Excessive or Hedonist).

Skills: Area Knowledge (Dreamlands), Artist (Illusion), Astronomy, Autohypnosis, Body Language, Erotic Art, Hidden Lore (Dream Lore), Knot-Tying, Mathematics (Applied), Meditation, Sex Appeal.

Spell List

Spell	Prerequisites
Analyze Magic	Identify Spell
Aura	Detect Magic
Body of Air	Shape Air
Cloaking	Complex Illusion and Illusion Disguise
Complex Illusion	Simple Illusion
Control Illusion	Perfect Illusion
Counterspell	Magery 1
Create Air	Purify Air
Create Animal	IQ 12, Magery 2, and Create Object
Create Mount	Create Animal
Create Object	Magery 1 and 8 Illusionism spells
Create Servant	IQ 12, Magery 3, and Create Object
Cure Hangover	Minor Healing or Resist Pain
Daze	Foolishness
Detect Illusion	Simple Illusion
Detect Magic	None
Dispel Creation	Control Creation
Dispel Illusion	Control Illusion
Displacement	Complex Illusion and Illusion Disguise
Divination (Oneiromancy)†	History and six Illusionism spells
Dream Projection	Dream Sending
Dream Sending	Sleep
Dream Viewing	Sleep
Emotion Control	Mental Stun
Ethereal Body	Magery 3 and Body of Air
Foolishness	IQ 12+
Forgetfulness	Magery 1 and Foolishness
Glamour	Six Illusionism spells
History	Trace
Identify Spell	Detect Magic
Illusion Disguise	Simple Illusion
Illusion Shell	Simple Illusion
Images of the Past	Magery 2, History, and Simple Illusion
Independence	Simple Illusion
Initiative*†	Magery 1, Independence, and six Illusionism spells
Journey to the Dreamlands*	Magery 3 and fifteen Illusionism spells
Know True Shape	Magery 1 and Aura or Detect Illusion
Lend Energy	Magery 1
Mass Sleep	IQ 13+ and Sleep
Mental Stun	Daze
Perfect Illusion	Complex Illusion
Phantom Wall	Perfect Illusion
Planar Visit (Dreamlands) †	Dream Projection
Presence†	Eight Illusionism spells
Purify Air	None
Resist Pain*	Magery 2 and six Illusionism spells
See Secrets	Seeker and Aura
Seeker*	IQ 13 and six Illusionism spells
Shape Air	Create Air
Share Energy	Lend Energy
Simple Illusion	IQ 11+
Sleep	Daze
Trace	Seeker
True Seeing	Magery 3 and six Illusionism spells
Ward	Magery 1
Zimbardo's Simulated Prison*	Magery 3 and twelve Illusionism spells.

*: This is a Secret Spell.

†: This spell’s prerequisites have been altered.

Unique Spells

Cure Hangover

Regular

Does what it says on the tin: instantly cures any pain or nausea from excessive consumption of alcohol.  This isn't exactly a Secret Spell, but only Illusionists tend to know it.

This is ordinarily a Healing spell, but Illusionists learn it as if it were a Body Control spell.

Duration: Instant.
Cost: 3.
Time to Cast: 5 seconds (a.k.a. "Oh, God, why so long I'm gonna be sick this sucks I can't concentrate why didn't I learn Delay").
Prerequisites: Either Minor Healing or Resist Pain.

Displacement

Regular

As Blur but shifts the subject's image in space a bit as opposed to blurring his outline.

This is an Illusion and Creation spell.

Duration, Cost, and Time to Cast: As Blur.
Prerequisistes: Illusion Disguise and Complex Illusion.

True Seeing

Regular

The subject gains the See Invisible advantage with the True Sight enhancement: his vision can penetrate all magical deceptions, camouflage, disguises, and illusions.  This is resisted by any affected spells.

This is an Illusion and Creation spell.

Duration: One minute.
Cost: 8, half to maintain.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Detect Illusion, and Perfect Illusion.

Secret Spells

Journey to the Dreamlands

Special; Automatic Resistance

As Plane Shift and Plane Shift (Other), but only directly to the Dreamlands. Note that this transports the caster's physical body, and can thus be considerably more dangerous than Planar Visit.  Note that this spell may be used as a basis for casting Create Gate.

This is a Communication & Empathy spell.

Cost: 12.
Time to Cast: 5 seconds.
Prerequisites (Standard): Magery 3, the Dreaming skill, and fifteen Communication and Empathy spells including Dream Projection.
Prerequisites (Illusionism): Magery 3 and fifteen Illusionism spells.

Zimbardo's Simulated Prison (VH)

Regular; Resisted by Will

The soul of a victim who fails to resist is imprisoned in a prison in the Dreamlands.  The subject's body falls into a coma (see Incapacitating Conditions, p. B429) without getting the initial HT roll to come out.  The Awaken spell and similar countermeasures cannot restore the subject unless the soul is in some way restored to the body first, which will probably involve an extra-planar prison break.  If the subject's body dies, the soul remains imprisoned and he cannot be Resurrected until the soul is freed.

This is a Communication and Empathy spell.

Duration: Instant, but the soul is imprisoned permanently.
Cost: 20.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisites (Standard): Magery 3, Dream Projection, and Nightmare.
Prerequisites (Illusionism): Magery 3 and twelve Illusionism spells.

Secret Materials

Soma

Soma is a herbal concoction, gathered using Pharmacy (Herbal) or Naturalist.  It helps the user attain mastery of his dreams as well as facilitating dream-magic.  Make a roll against either of the required skills at -3; you gain one dose of Soma per degree of success.  A dose gives +2 to Dreaming skill for a night's sleep, or may be used as a Manastone providing 2 FP per dose to a dream-related spell.  Only the preparer can use it to power spells, but anyone may take a dose for the skill bonus; note that it's mildly psychologically addictive and normally legal.

Magical Style: Gideon's Lessons

It's Sick Daughter Week here at Southern Style GURPS so posting is sparse.  Here's a magical style created in memory of an NPC who was very important to my earliest GURPS fantasy campaigns.

The Fraternity of Gideon

The Fraternity of Gideon evolved from the teachings of the legendary Archmage Gideon.  The Fraternity itself came into being on the grounds of the University of Citadel at the hall of the College of Mind Control.  In the year 697, a century after Gideon’s death, a student near graduation came across Gideon’s grimoire and diary in the College library, and decided to found an order of mages in his memory.  He ably managed to convince a number of his peers to join him.

Membership in the Fraternity of Gideon is arranged in five ranks: Probationary Scholar, Scholar, Gentleman (or Lady), Dean, and President.  The Fraternity is arranged in numbered Chapters.  The founding chapter at Citadel is I Citadel, the second chapter at the Guild of the Mind in Torona is II Torona, etc.  Each chapter sets its own membership rules and meeting places.

Rank in the Fraternity costs 5 points a level. There is no Honorary Title equivalent; members of this Fraternity must pay the full cost.

Fraternity of Gideon Ranks

Rank	Cost	Title
0	0	Probie
1	5	Scholar
2	10	Gentleman
3	15	Councilman
4	20	Dean
5	25	President

• Probationary Scholars are the students of the style.  When they have learned the basics of the style, their teacher brings them to a meeting of the Gentlemen of the local Chapter for a black-ball induction vote.  Rejected candidates are forbidden from instructing others in the style.
• Scholars are those fully inducted into the Fraternity.  They must hold at least one office (Secretary, Treasurer, Herald, etc.) in their chapter for no less than two years before they are allowed to advance.  A Scholar may not take on his own students, but they can aid a Gentleman in instructing others.
• Gentlemen (or Ladies) are elevated when they are permitted to take on a student.  A Gentleman (etc.) can have as many students as he chooses.
• Councilors make up the leadership pool of a Chapter.
• Deans are the elected leaders of the local Chapters. This is a lifetime appointment and may be unofficially hereditary in some Chapters.
• The President is the leader of the whole Fraternity.

The Fraternity is nominally part of the Brotherhood of Mages, but it’s not especially keen on advancing the Brotherhood agenda.

Gideon’s Lessons

15 points

Style Prerequisites: IQ 12+.

The style is named for Gideon’s Lessons, a multi-volume work consisting of Gideon’s journals, grimoires, notes, and letters collected by the university and annotated by past Deans and Presidents.  Each Chapter of the Fraternity has a copy, and new annotations are sometimes passed around between them. Discovering a new book or writing to add to the Lessons is a great accomplishment for any Gideonite.

A Gideonite studies the mind almost obsessively, in an effort to understand the nature of Mind in general and the subject’s mind in particular.  A Gideonite will always try his non-magical skills on a subject before moving to his spells.  Most members of the Fraternity consider it a personal failure to being forced to resort to casting a spell.

Required Skills: Acting; Detect Lies; Diplomacy; Fast-talk; Propaganda; Psychology; Public Speaking.
Required Spells: Daze; Emotion Control; Foolishness; Mental Stun; Persuasion; Sense Emotion; Sense Foes.
Perks: Continuous Ritual (Any); Intimidating Curses; Knower of Names; Permit; Rule of 17 (Any); Sanctum;  Secret Spell (Enslave, Gideon’s Fortress, Great Geas, Mind-Search, or Permanent Forgetfulness), Shortcut to Power (Remove Curse); Special Exercises (Charisma); Special Exercises (Mind Control with Suggestion and Hearing Based); Special Exercises (Mind Shield); Stabilizing Skill (Psychology).
Secret Spells: Enslave, Gideon’s Fortress, Great Geas, Mind-Search, and Permanent Forgetfulness.

Optional Traits

Attributes: Improved IQ.
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Improved Will.
Advantages: Allies; Charisma; Claim to Hospitality (The Fraternity of Gideon); Cultural Familiarity; Languages (Modern); Smooth Operator; Status; Voice; Wealth.
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Gentleman’s); Jealousy; Overconfidence; Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents); Proud; Selfish; Sense of Duty (Friends); Stubbornness.
Skills: Brainwashing; Gesture; Hypnotism; Intimidation; Interrogation; Linguistics; Mental Strength; Mind Block; Philosophy; Psionics; Sex Appeal; Streetwise; Teaching.

Spell List

Spell	Prerequisites
Avoid	Hide, Fear, and Forgetfulness
Boost Intelligence	Wisdom
Borrow Language	Lend Language
Borrow Skill	Lend Skill
Charm†	Magery 1and  Loyalty
Command	Magery 2 and Forgetfulness
Compel Lie	Emotion Control
Compel Truth	Magery 2 and Truthsayer
Converse	Magery 1, Garble, and Silence
Counterspell	Magery 1
Daze	Foolishness
Delay†	Magery 3 and 15 spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Dispel Magic	Counterspell and 12 spells
Emotion Control†	Mental Stun
Enslave†*	15 spells of Gideon’s Lessons including Charm
Enthrall†	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
False Memory†	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Fascinate	Daze
Fear	Sense Emotion
Foolishness	IQ 12
Forgetfulness	Magery 1 and Foolishness
Garble	Voices
Gideon’s Fortress†	Magery 2 and Strengthen Will
Gift of Letters†	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Gift of Tongues†	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Glib Tongue	Suggestion
Great Geas†*	Magery 1 and 15 spells of Gideon’s Lessons including Lesser Geas
Great Voice	Thunderclap and Voices
Great Ward	Magery 2 and Ward
Hide†	Forgetfulness
Hide Emotion	Sense Emotion
Hide Thoughts†	Hide Emotion
Insignificance†	Hide
Lend Language	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Lend Skill†	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Lesser Geas†	Command
Link	Delay
Loyalty	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Mass Daze	IQ 13 and Daze
Mass Suggestion	Suggestion
Mental Stun†	Daze
Mind-Reading	Truthsayer or Borrow Language
Mind-Search*	Mind-Reading
Oath	Magery 1 and Emotion Control
Permanent Forgetfulness*	Magery 2, IQ 13, and Forgetfulness
Persuasion	Sense Emotion
Presence†	Persuasion and the seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Reflex	Delay and Ward
Remove Curse†	Magery 2 and 15 spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Sense Emotion	Sense Foes
Sense Foes	None
Silence	Sound
Silver Tongue	Emotion Control and Voices
Sound	None
Strengthen Will†	Magery 1 and the seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons
Suggestion	Emotion Control and Forgetfulness
Thunderclap	Sound
Truthsayer	Sense Emotion
Voices	Sound
Ward	Magery 1
Wisdom†	The seven required spells of Gideon’s Lessons

*: This is a Secret Spell.

†: This spell’s prerequisites have been altered.

Secret Spells

Gideon’s Fortress (VH)
Area

The caster, and anyone included in the area when he casts the spell, gets +3 or +8 to resist spells that affect the mind and all mental Psionic attacks.
This is a Mind Control spell.

Duration: 1 minute.
Base Cost: 3 (min area 2). Increase base cost to 8 for +8 to resist.  Same to maintain.
Time to Cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Strengthen Will.