Pyramid. Thaumatology II

38 Pages·2011·1.971 MB·English

by  Steve Jackson

Stock #37-2628
C
ONTENTS
COVER ART INTERIOR ART
BobStevlic GregHyland
FROM THE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 I T
N HIS
IT’S PURE CHEMISTRY! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
byChristopherR.Rice
I
YELLOW GOBLIN MAGIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 SSUE
byMarkGellis
CEREMONIAL MAGIC MADE EASY. . . . . . . 19
byW.A.Frick
Everyone can use more magic. With this thaumatology-
themedissue,you’llspiceupyourceremonies,enlightenyour
THE PROMETHIANS:
labs,andmaybedestroytheworldonceortwice.
A META-MAGICAL CONSPIRACY. . . . . . 23 Alchemistsareconstantlylookingfornewwaystoimprove
byJ.EdwardTremlett existing potions or create entirely new ones. It’s Pure
Chemistry! provides expanded guidelines for GURPS Magic
TEN WAYS TO DESTROY
alchemy,including10newelixirs,threenewtechniques,anda
THE WORLD WITH MAGIC. . . . . . . . . . 27 new spell of interest to potion-pushers. GURPS Dungeon
byAndyVetromile Fantasy delvers may find the options for expanding elixir
effectstobeparticularlyhelpful.
RANDOM THOUGHT TABLE:
Goblinsarewell-knownonGURPSBanestorm’sYrthfor
EVERYTHING I KNOW their fascination with magic. Although most are simple
I LEARNED FROM MORDOR. . . . . . . . . 35 hedge mages, a few enterprising enchanters have designed
byStevenMarsh,PyramidEditor theirownbagoftricks.CreatedwiththerulesfromGURPS
Thaumatology: Magical Styles, Yellow Goblin Magic pres-
ODDS AND ENDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 entsitstitularstyleanditsninesecretspells–includingthe
featuringMurphy’sRules awesomelypowerfulSunburst!
Do you want to cast ritual magic, but don’t have the
ABOUT GURPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 patience or pals to make it happen? Ceremonial Magic Made
Easydevelopsamethodforenablingtheaverage–andsome-
timessolitary–GURPSspellcastertotapintothispower.
Somepeoplethinkthateverythingshouldbefreelyavailable
® toeveryone.Ashadowysubsetofthathigh-mindedgrouphas
thepowertomakethishappen.LearnhowThePromethiansare
working to make magic accessible to everyone – whether the
worldwantsitornot.Thisarticleincludeslightgameinfofor
introducingthesepotentialfriendsorfoesintoaGURPScam-
paign,buttheideascanbeportedtoanyparanormalperiod.
Not all magic is beneficial. Ten Ways to Destroy the World
WithMagicexploresvariouswaysthattamperingwithsuper-
naturalforcescanresultindoomforeveryone.Eachofthe10
Article Colors
systemless doomsdays contains ideas for the before, during,
andaftermathofthesearcanearmageddons.
Each article is color-coded to help you find your
Thismonth’sRandomThoughtTableexploressomewaysto
favoritesections.
develop the educational story arc of an arcane academic.
Learnhowtoovercomedelusionsordependencyonexternal
PaleBlue:InThisIssue
tools,andfindouttheprosandconsofon-the-jobtraining.
Brown:InEveryIssue(letters,humor,editorial,etc.)
Doyouknowhowharditistofindagoodmoonwhenyou
DarkBlue:GURPSFeatures
needone?Discoverthislittle-known“fact”withMurphy’sRules,
Purple:OtherFeatures thenuncoverafewothermagicaltidbitsinOddsandEnds.
Withmagic,youneverknowwhatyou’llwitnessnext.With
thisthaumatology-themedissue,believingisseeing!
Editor-in-Chief(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand
ChiefOperatingOfficer(cid:2)PHILIPREED EditorialAssistant(cid:2)JASON“PK”LEVINE JUSTINDEWITT
ArtDirector(cid:2)WILLSCHOONOVER ProductionArtist(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS MarketingDirector(cid:2)PAULCHAPMAN
e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH PrepressChecker(cid:2)MONICASTEPHENS DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON
P M 2 F 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EBRUARY
F
ROM THE
E
DITOR
M I S C butjustoftenenoughit’spowerful,useful,orjustplainweird.
AGIC S CARY HRISTMAS
Evenifthemagicaleffectisdangerous,there’sagoodchance
Let’ssayyou’reface-to-facewithsomenewtattooedwarrior itcanbeharnessed–ifitcanbesurvived.
wieldinganodd-shapedweaponandfearsome-lookingarmor. Most of the articles in this issue follow the lead of
Ifyou’renotmagicallyminded,yourthoughtsarelikelynotto Thaumatology,PlantSpells,DungeonFantasy:40Artifacts,
extendanyfurtherbeyond,“Uh-oh.” andthelike.Theypresentnewfacetsofarcaneartsandmagical
Or in modern times, let’s say you’re an expert safecracker, mysteries that present danger and opportunity. Maintaining
abouttotackletheVaultMaster6X.Asyouapproach,allkinds thatspine-tingling“scaryChristmas”thrillisadelightforplay-
of lasers start crisscrossing around the VaultMaster, and an ers and GMs alike, each time a new magical effect is encoun-
ominous-looking camera begins turning toward you. Again, tered.Enjoy!
thereisnothingbutdanger.
However, in a world where magic is real, you approach a W H , W N
RITE ERE RITE OW
glowingdagger.Asyoutouchit,itsplitsintothreeindividual
blades, pivoting around an ethereal center. You hear it whis- Speakingofdelightsineverybite,didthisissuecontaina
peringyourname–yourtruename–anditfeelslikeitwants particularlymeatymagicalmorsel?Orwasthereabitofgris-
tobethrown.Yousenseitwantstodrinkdeeplyofblood. tlethatmadeanarticlefizzle?Youcansendyourprivaterunes
Sure, you might be scared, but you’re probably thinking, of reproach or renown to [email protected], or post
“Cool!” yourpublicpointsonlineatforums.sjgames.com.
In this way, magic is like “scary Christmas.” Yes, an unfa-
miliar magical effect often represents a potential new threat,
AdditionalMaterial:PhilMastersandJonathanWoodward
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P M 3 F 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EBRUARY
I ’ P
T S URE
C !
HEMISTRY
C R. R
BY HRISTOPHER ICE
GURPS alchemy can be potent stuff, capable of healing alchemicalenhancements,newelixirs,newpreparations,and
wounds,enhancingbattleprowess,orevenbringingbackthe more detailed rules on how spells can influence the whole
dead!Thisarticleexpandsthesecapabilitiesevenfurtherwith processofbrewingelixirs.
O R
PTIONAL ULES
Thefollowingoptionalrulesaredesignedtoallowmoreflex- Example:A-4toskilland40%increaseinproductiontime
ibilityandvariationwhencreatinganalchemyelixirs–butata and cost would allow a alchemist to add the Extended Dura-
costintimeorresources,sometimesboth.TheGMshouldknow tion ¥3 enhancement (+20%) to his potion of Endurance,
theruleswellenoughtospotpossibleabuseandclearlyforbid allowingittolast3dhours,not1d.Ofcoursethiswouldcost
combinationsthatarestrangeorproduceextremeresults. an additional $120 of ingredients and would take 59 days to
brew,not42.
TheGMshoulddecidewhichenhancements(pp.B102-109)
“I’msort ofascientist,”sherepeated hefeelssuitsagivenelixir.Notalloftheseareagoodfit;inpar-
ticular, Rapid Fire, Side Effect, Symptoms, and most other
wearily,“butpartofmyscienceisold.
“attack” modifiers are explicitly off limits. Especially useful
Ittiesupwithalchemy.” enhancements are Area Effect (for pastilles only), Extended
Duration (to whatever level the GM is comfortable with), and
–MargaretMahy,Alchemy
Delay. Cosmic is permitted; e.g., Cosmic, Irresistible attack
(+300%)removestherollthatthosewithMagicResistanceget
toresisttheelixir.
There is one new enhancement designed to be used with
M A
ALLEABLE LCHEMY theseoptionalrules.
Ever wished that potion of Stealth would last just a bit
Extra Dose
longer? Or maybe you’d like to be able to use that potion of
GamblingwithoutitshowinguponthosepeskyDetectMagic +50%/level
scans?Wellnowyoucan...foraprice.
Thisspecial-useenhancementallowsanalchemisttocre-
Alchemists are experimenting and inventing all the time;
ateanelixirwithadoserestrictionhigherthannormal.Ifall
that’s how new elixirs come about. However, sometimes they
theconsumedelixirshavethisenhancement,itincreasesthe
don’tinventanentirelynewformulabutinsteadvaryanexist-
maximumnumberofdosesthatcanaffectatargetby1(for
ingone,ratherlikeacookingrecipe.Thebasicmethodologyis
elixirsthatstateamaximumnumberofdoses).
simple: Alchemists can add advantage enhancements to
changethepropertiesofagivenelixirbyacceptingadditional Example:Normally, you may only gain the benefits of
penaltiestotheskillroll,aswellasanincreaseinproduction three potions of Speed at a time. If you were to consume a
timeandingredients.Each-1totheAlchemyskillrolland10% fourth nothing would happen. However, if all four potions
increase in production time and ingredient cost allows +5% hadthisenhancement,youcouldgainthebenefitsofallfour
worthofenhancements (+4BasicSpeedandMove).
Adventureidea:Aclimacticbattletakesplaceinanalchemist’sstockroom.Iftheheroescanresolvethebattlewith
minimalcollateraldamage,they’llberich.Ifthere’stoomuchdamage,thentheentirelabmightexplode...
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Techniques M A
AGICAL LCHEMY
TheGMmightallowanalchemisttoimproveeachcombi-
While GURPS Magic doesn’t go into detail about using
nation of elixir and enhancement as a Average technique,
magicwithalchemy,itdoesgivevagueguidelinesaboutcer-
withamaximumlevelbeingtheunderlyingelixir’sskilllevel.
tainspellsthatmighthelpwithbrewingelixirs.Althoughuse-
Improving a technique doesn’t affect the cost or production
ful, it doesn’t offer any concrete numbers. The GM should
timeatall.
decidehowmanyspellsthatamageknowsthatmightapply
Example: A potion of Gambling with the No Signature to a given elixir; e.g. Create Water, Essential Air, and Distill
enhancement(+20%)isatechniquethatdefaultstotheelixir could be used in a potion of Water Breathing, but Essential
techniqueforGamblingat-4.RaisingGambling/NoSignature Earthcouldnot.Whileyoudon’tneedtocastthespells,you
toskill-1wouldcost3points,andcannotexceedthebaseelixir doneedtomakearollagainstyourbestoneduringthebrew-
technique.However,nomatterhowmuchyouraisethetech- ingprocess.
nique,thetimetobrewandthecostforingredientsarealways
40%more.
Some enhancements come in levels, in which case the
I will give you a fundamental
alchemistmaychoosehowmanylevelsheusesbeforebrewing
hiselixir.However,hiseffectiveskillcannotexceedthatofthe axiom, that unless you turn the
basicelixirtechnique.
aforesaid copper into white, and
Example:Analchemistwith8pointsinEndurance/Extended
DurationcouldbrewapotionofEndurancewiththeExtended make visible coins and then
Duration,¥3enhancement(+20%,-4)or¥10(+40%,-8)athis
afterwards again turn it into
fullskill;onewith¥30duration(+60%,-12)wouldbeatanet-4,
onewith¥100duration(+80%,-16)wouldbe-8;andsoon. redness, until a Tincture results,
verily, ye accomplish nothing.
Requirements
TheGMcouldgiveeveryonewiththeAlchemyskillaccess – Arthur Edward Waite,
totheaboverules,butthiswillmakethemmuchmorepower-
trans., Alchemy:
ful for no actual point cost. A better idea might be to charge
alchemists a perk apiece for each elixir they can apply these The Turba Philosophorum
rulesto(“ElixirVariation”)oroneperenhancementthatthey
canapplytoanyelixir(“ElixirEnhancement”).Thelattermay
beabetterfittomostcampaigns,asitallowstheGMtodecide
which enhancements are available in his campaign ahead of
time.TheGMcouldalsobemorerestrictiveandchargeaperk Belowisachartexpandingtheoptionsawizard-alchemist
for each combination of elixir and enhancement: “Enhanced mighthave.
Elixir (Endurance, Extended Duration).” If any of these
options are too restrictive, the GM might instead offer an
Discounts for Spells
Unusual Background (Alchemical Prodigy) allowing an
alchemist any enhancement on any elixir, charging whatever Name TimeReduction CostReduction
hefeelsisappropriatetohiscampaign. EssentialSpell* -15% -15%
perapplicablespell perapplicablespell
Example: In a modern-day secret magic campaign that
Distill -10% –
requiresoneperkperelixir,AnnaliseSloanehastheperkElixir
Mature -5% –
Enhancement(ExtendedDuration).Afterfailingtogetpasta
Cook – -10%
guard earlier in the week, she decides to brew a potion of
CreateSpell† -5% -5%
Drunkennesswiththreetimesthenormalduration.Thiscosts
perapplicablespell perapplicablespell
morethannormal(anadditional$40),takesanextra29hours
SpecificSpell‡ -15% -15%
to brew, and is at a -4 to her Alchemy roll, but will last 3d
hours,not1d. *SpellssuchasEssentialFlame,EssentialAir,etc.Thisis
notcumulativewiththeCreatespellsreductions.
Ramifications † Spells such as Create Fire, Create Air, etc. This is not
cumulativewiththeEssentialspellsreductions.
These rules can put alchemists on par with spellcasters,
‡Ifagivenelixirmimicsaspecificspell,andyoualsohave
with pastilles that can affect huge swathes of a battlefield or
thatspell,yougetadiscountforbrewingthatelixir.Forexam-
potions of battle lasting longer than normal. The GM should
ple,amagewhohastheFearspellandisbrewingapotionof
takethisintoaccountifhechoosestousetheserules.
Fearcangainareductionof15%ontimeandcost.
EssentialMagicfromPyramid#3/25:EpicMagicoffersadditionalspellsthatbuildoffthefoundationoftheEssential
elementalforcesfromGURPSMagic.Theycanalsoformthefoundationofaworld-endingboom(pp.27-34).
P M 5 F 2011
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Otherspellsmightnotprovideareductionintimeorcostbut
arestilluseful.Forinstance,theKnowRecipespellwouldallow
Both the preparation and the
thepreparationofanyalchemicalelixirwithoutknowledgeofit
byhavinganexamplepotionto“reference”withthisspell.This ingestion of external alchemical elixirs
ignoresthe-6penaltyfortryingtobrewanelixirwithoutafor-
equally depend on the guidance of
mulary (GURPS Magic, p. 211). The GM should feel free to
devisenewwaysspellslikethismightapplytoalchemy. an enlightened teacher with a great
Regardlessofhowmanyspellsapplytoagivenelixir,neither
deal of experience.
thecostnortimemayeverbereducedbelow80%.Inadditionto
theAlchemyskillrollthatmustbemade,arollagainstthelow-
– Chen Kaiguo and
estskillofthespellsusedduringthebrewingprocessmustbe
made,withamodifierof-1perspellusedafterthefirst. Zheng Shunchao,
Example: Annalise Sloane is brewing another potion of Opening the Dragon Gate
Drunkennessbutneedsitfastthistime,soshedecidestouse
the Mature, Distill, Cook, Essential Food, and Drunkenness
spells.Thisresultsinanet45%reductionontimeand40%dis-
Usingtheserules,alchemistswhoalsoknowmagicbecome
countoningredients.ShestillhastomakeherAlchemyskill
much more effective than others who do not. The GM could
rollat-1,androllagainstthelowestskillamongthespellsshe
usetheserulessettingwideorrestrictthemtothosewithan
usedat-4.
appropriatetrait,thoughheshouldn’tchargemorethanaperk
If using the optional rules under Malleable Alchemy ormodestUnusualBackgroundifhedoes.
(pp.4-5),thisbecomesslightlymorecomplex.First,applyall
theenhancementsthataregoingtobeaddedtotheelixir,then
F ! B !
ASTER ETTER
subtractallthediscountsgivenforusingspellsabove,usethe
resultingnumberasthecostandtimemultiplier. W H T !
E AVE THE ECHNOLOGY
Example:AnnaliseSloanedecidestobrewathirdpotionof
AcommoncomplaintaboutAlchemyishowmucheffortit
Drunkenness, but she needs it as potent as the first and as
takestoproduceanelixir,sincerecipesareusuallymeasuredin
quick as the second. Since she has the perk Elixir Enhance-
weeks.Still,thebenefitcanfaroutweighthetimespentifyou
ment (Extended Duration) and several useful elixir brewing
maketherightelixirs.Forinstance,apotionofHealingisalways
spells, she sets to work. She decides to make her potion last
goingtobeuseful...buthowoftenwouldyouuseapotionof
three times as long; this increases the cost and time by 40%.
Music?TheremightbeatimewhenyoureallyneedthatMusic
However, she also has the Mature, Distill, Cook, Essential
potion,andyouneeditnow.BarringadvantageslikeGizmoor
Food,andDrunkennessspells.Thisresultsina45%reduction
Gadgeteer, this could prove a problem for an adventuring
on time and 40% discount on ingredients. Totaling the two
alchemist.TheGMcouldallowtherulesforLongTasksorTime
modifiers gives +40% for both time and ingredients from
Spent(p.B346)tobeappliedtoAlchemybrewsforshortercre-
increasing the duration, but -45% (for time) and -40% (for
ation times (minimum of one working day). Alternatively, by
ingredients) for using additional spells. This results in a net
takingmoretime,analchemistcanensurethatagivenelixiris
modifier of -5% for time and +0% for ingredients. Annalise
successful,especiallyifhehasthetimetospare.
thusdevisesapotionthattakes68.4hourstobrewbutcosts
thesameasanormalpotionofDrunkenness.
D R
IMINISHING ETURNS
Anotherwaytocreateanelixirinashortspanoftimeisto
Going Green createalesspowerfulversionofit,reducingitineveryway.For
every10%bywhicheitherthebrewingtimeorrequiredingredi-
Most of these options pertain especially to the ents cost are reduced (up to a maximum of 80%), the value,
Alchemy skill, but that doesn’t mean Herb Lore can’t duration, and all effects of the potion are reduced by 10% as
getinontheaction!Forinstance,maybetattooelixirs well. Forinstance,apotionofFetchingandCarryingcouldhave
(p.7)areonlyavailabletothosewithHerbLore,orthe thebrewingtimereducedby50%,beingmadeinonlythreeand
Elixir Enhancement (Extended Duration) perk (see ahalfdays,butwouldstillcost$200,wouldonlylast1d-2hours
p.5) can only be taken by a Taradashar witch who (minimumof1),andwouldletyoucarryupto2timesasmuch
knowsofsecretherbsthatcanlengthenthedurationof asyournormalencumbrance.TheGMhasthefinalsayonwhat
agivenbrew.Withalittleimaginationandsomework, elixirscanbereducedinthismannerandhowmuchtheycanbe
thepossibilitiesareendless. reduced.AlsoifMalleableAlchemy(pp.4-5)orMagicalAlchemy
(pp.5-6)areused,thisruleisappliedlast.
Magicitem:DeepBottle.Thiscontaineristhesamesizeandshapeasaregularpotionbottle,butitcanstoreuptosix
doses.Unfortunately,it’simpossibletotellhowmanydosesremain;it’sonlypossibletotellifit’s“full”(oneormoredoses)
or“empty”(nodoses).It’sreusable,thoughcarelessheroeswhofindonemaynotknowthat!
P M 6 F 2011
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XPANDED LCHEMY
ThesmallsectioninGURPSMagicleavesalotofroomfor gun! Or it can simply be uncorked and splashed on a target;
expansion,givingfairlygoodexamplesofhowtomakecustom useThrowingat-2tohit,withRange1.Allofthesemethods
elixirs, charms, and so on. GURPS Thaumatology further areeffectiveagainstunarmoredvictims.
expandedthisbutdidn’thavemanyready-to-useelixirs,prepa- Grenadeelixirscost1.5timesnormaltocreate,butdonot
rations, etc. for game play; the following expands the elixirs increase production time. Only elixirs that have potion listed
availabletoalchemists. asoneoftheirformscanusethisoption.
M E F Tattoo Elixirs
ORE LIXIR ORMS
Anewformofpreparationthatmightbeavailableinaset-
Somevariationsonthestandardelixirformsexist.
ting, especially to primitive tribesmen or other nature types
(seeGoingGreen,p.6),tattooelixirscantaketheformofany
Combination Potions
beneficialelixirtype.Ratherthandrinkingthem,rubbingthem
Thisisn’treallyanewelixirsomuchasmultipleelixirscre- on,orthelike,theyareinsteadtattooedontotheskinofasub-
atedinsuchawaythatalloftheireffectsoccuratonceandlast ject. While the preparation cost doesn’t change, there is an
foraslongastheshortestdurationofallthecombinedelixirs. additional $50 worth of inks, needles, etc. that are needed to
IfoneormoreofthecomponentshasandurationofInstantor tattooagivenelixir.
Permanent, the effects of the other components last for the These accoutrements must all be prepared along with the
shortestnon-instantduration,halved. potion and are as integral to the process as the elixir itself,
thoughtheymaybereusedforthesamepotionlater(reducing
Examples: A Combination potion of Endurance/Fetching
thecostoffutureapplicationstoamere$10).Aftertheprepa-
andCarryingwouldallowasubjecttofeelnofatigueandmul-
ration is created, the alchemist (or someone else) must then
tiplyhisencumbrancelevelsby4;itwouldlastupto1dhours.
useArtist(BodyArt)tocreatetheactualtattoo;thetattoomay
ApotionofHealing/Celerity(seep.8)wouldinstantlyheal1d
takeanyform,butit’susuallyindicativeofthetypeofelixirit
damageandgivethebenefitsofCelerityfor3dminutes.
is.Toactivateatattooelixir,youneedonlythinkaboutitand
ACombinationretainsitspowerforhalfaslongasitsnor- takeaReadymaneuver;theelixirtakeseffectimmediatelyas
maltype(seeGURPSMagic,p.213),soapotionwouldlast12 thetattooglowsbrieflythenfades,leavingbareskin.
hoursifleftopenormixedwithsomethingelse. Youmayonlyhaveonetattooelixirperlimb,withoneon
Combinationsarehardtomake.Rollagainsttheaverageof thehead(faceistypical),twoonthetorso(oneonthechest,
your skill (round down) with the elixirs involved, with a -2 oneontheback).
penaltyperelixir.Youmayonlycombinetwoelixirsifyouknow Tattoocharmsusethesamerulesasabovebutcost$500for
AlchemyatIQorless.AtIQ+1,youmaycombinethree,atIQ+3 theinks.Theyareotherwiseidenticaltoregularcharmsasfar
youmaydofour,atIQ+5youmaycombinefive,andsoon.The asrechargerates,cost,etc.EveniftheGMdoesn’tallowHerb
cost of a Combination elixir is equal to the sum of the elixirs’ Loretocreatealchemicalcharms,it’sanexcellentskilltoper-
costs,multipliedby1.8.Thetimerequiredtocreateoneisequal mitthecreationoftattoocharms.
tothesinglelongesttimerequiredamongalltheelixirs,multi-
pliedby1.2fortwoelixirs,1.4forthree,1.6forfour,andsoon. N A T
EW LCHEMY ECHNIQUES
Grenade Potions SomenewtechniquesforAlchemistsmayproveuseful.
This is an offensive form of elixir, similar in nature to a
Batching
potion. However, instead of being drunk, it only needs to hit
the target’s bare skin, making it a contact agent. Typically, a Hard
grenadepotionelixirisputinasmall,breakablebottle(DR1, Default:Anyelixirtechnique.Seebelow.
HP2;$2,0.5lbs.).Theresultant“grenade”weighs1lb.,istar-
Whenmakinganelixir,analchemistmayaccepta-1penalty
getedat-5,andbreakson1-4on1donafall.Hurlingitisan
to his skill to brew another elixir of the same type, making a
attackwiththeThrowingskill:Acc0,RangeST¥2,andBulk-2.
“batch”ofthatelixir.Withthistechnique,youmaybuyoffthis
It shatters on striking DR 3+, such as armor (affects wearer,
penalty for making larger amounts of a given elixir. You must
unless Sealed), a shield (affects shield), or the ground (area
specialize by elixir type and form, which defaults to the base
effects, if any, only). It will bounce off unarmored (or more
elixir technique; for example, Batching (Endurance/Potion)
lightlyarmored)targets.
wouldbevalidbutBatching(Endurance)wouldnot.Whilethis
Despite the name, a grenade elixir can be used in many
techniquehasnoactuallimit,youwouldusethelowerofthis
otherways.Forexample,inamodernsetting,itcouldbedis-
technique or the unmodified elixir technique when making
persed with a handheld sprayer, a squirt gun, or a paintball
elixirbatches(youcan’tgetabonusformakingfewerpotions).
Plotidea:Theheroesfindalchemicalformulaethatdon’tdescribewhattheydo–onlyhowtomakethem.
P M 7 F 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EBRUARY
In our opinion, Alchemy is the single most powerful skill in
GURPS. With the Alchemy skill, you can create any of 68 different
magical elixirs, many of which have extremely powerful effects.
– Adam Griffith, Bjoern-Erik Hartsfvang,
and Stuart J. Stuple, GURPS for Dummies
Identify Magical Item AlchemicalInkcomesintwoparts:Thefirstistheactualink,
whichfunctionsexactlylikeregularinkuntilaspecialdustis
Hard
pouredoverit.Atthatpoint,theinkgainstheaboveproperties.
Default:Alchemy-2.CannotexceedAlchemy+2. (See GURPS Low-Tech for more information on writing,
scrolls,andbooks.)Onedoseisenoughtowrite1,000words’
WhenidentifyingapossiblemagicalitemthroughAlchemy
worthofinformation.Itmayalsobeusedasameansofper-
ratherthanmagic(GURPSMagic,p.212),usethistechnique
manentlymarkingsomeonebywritingonthem;however,the
instead.
victimmustbeeitherhelplessorwilling.
When used with the Tattoo Elixir optional rule (p. 7),
Identify Elixir
Alchemical Ink automatically counts as reused materials; the
Hard artist need only retrace the tattoo that is already there. This
Default:Alchemy.CannotexceedAlchemy+4. reducesthecostbutnotthetime!Youmuststillbrewtheelixir
toreapplyit.
Whenidentifyinganelixir(GURPSMagic,p.212),usethis
techniqueinsteadofyourAlchemyskillifhigher. Duration:Permanent.
Form:Special.
Cost:$100/$150.
Recipe: $50; 3 days; defaults to
Less Boom, More Cowbell
Alchemy-1.
Because Alchemy is so closely related to Chemistry, a GM might allow a
Animal Friendship
alchemist who knows both skills to use the Salvaging Critical Failures (GURPS
Thaumatology,p.40)rule.ThiswouldpermitaalchemistwhoknowsChemistry AlternativeName:Pan.
at15+tomakeaskillrolltoavoidblowinghimself(orhislab)upbyturninga
The subject gains the Animal
CriticalFailureonhisAlchemyrollintoaregularfailure.
Empathy advantage (p. B40) for the
WhileHerbLore(seeGoingGreen,p.6),doesn’tusuallyproduceexplosions,
duration.Ithasnoeffectonthosewho
Naturalistmightserveasimilarpurposeinavoidingothercatastrophes.
alreadyhavethisadvantage.
Duration:2dhours.
Form:Anybutpastille.
N E
EW LIXIRS Cost:$250/$400.
Recipe:$50;1week;defaultstoAlchemy-1.
An alchemist can always use more elixir recipes! Not all
elixirs are useful all the time, but in a pinch, an alchemist
Celerity
might know how to brew something that could save the day.
Belowareafewnewelixirs. AlternativeName:Haste,Quicksilver.
Alchemical Ink Much like Speed, an Elixir of Celerity quickens the user’s
reactions.Whenconsumed,onedosegrantstheExtraAttack
AlternativeName:None. or Enhanced Move (Ground) advantage (user’s choice). Two
dosesgivehimalevelofAlteredTimeRateinstead,whilethree
AlchemicalInkiseasytomake,nearlyindelible,andcheap;
dosesgrantsasecondlevelofAlteredTimeRatebutforcesthe
thusitisascribe’sbestfriend.Itisimmunetobeingleeched
usertomakeaHTaftertheelixirwearsoff;failuremeansthe
outbyliquidsifusedonpaperbutcanbescrubbedoffaharder
imbiberpermanentlyloses1HT.
surface given enough time (usually an hour per 100 words).
Pyramid#3/1:ToolsoftheTrade–Wizardshasgoodadditionalresourcesforalchemists.TheGuildhallofthe
HermeticBrotherhoodhasanalchemicallaboratory,andOutoftheRoughgivesinformationongemsandtheir
propertiesthatmightproveusefultoalchemists.
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Duration:3d¥2minutes.
Form:Anybutpastille.
Under the Hood: Elixir Costs
Cost:$5,400/$10,000.
Recipe: $800; 20 weeks; defaults to
Thenewelixirsinthisarticlemakeuseofthesameconventionthatthosein
Alchemy-4.
GURPS Magicdo:Theyroundtothenearestmultipleof25,anddecreasethe
valueslightlyfor“popular,”easilysellableelixirs.Thismakesthemathmucheas-
Combustion ierwhenbuyingorsellingelixirs,andiseasiertoremember.Still,theremightbe
AlternativeName:Conflagration. thosewhowantamoreaccuratenumber;ifso,simplyfigureouthowmanydays
itwouldtaketomakeagivenelixir,thenmultiplyby$33(orthecampaign’scost
Thisisavitriolicliquidthat,ifdrunk, forSlowandSureenchantment)andaddthecostoftherecipe’singredients.For
causes the imbiber to burn from the “rare”magiccampaigns,simplymultiplyby$66(ordoublethecampaigncostfor
insideout,justasifhehadbeenaffected Slow and Sure enchantment) to get the appropriate cost. Thus, an elixir of
by a Burning Death spell (GURPS Grooming(below)wouldcost$281/$512usingthemoredetailedrules.
Magic,p.76).Ifusedingrenadeformit
does 3d burning to the target until its
durationexpires.Ineitherform,ittreats
the target’s flammability class as if it were one step lower, Greater Healing
allowingittocatchfirequicker.Ifleftexposedtotheair,there AlternativeName:None.
isachance(9orless)everyminutethatitmayburstintoflame,
affectingwhateveriswithinoneyardexactlyasifithadbeen ThiselixirworkslikearegularelixirofHealingbutheals3d
thrown. HP instead of 1d – or if HP is full, restores 3d of lost FP.
Repeateddoseshavefulleffect.
Duration:2dseconds.
Form:Potionorgrenadepotion. Duration:Instant.
Cost:$900/$1,600. Form:Anybutpastille.
Recipe:$200;3weeks;defaultstoAlchemy-2. Cost:$500/$850.
Recipe:$150;3weeks;defaultstoAlchemy-2.
Dream Walking
Grooming
AlternativeName:Oneiroi.
AlternativeName:Glamour.
Thiselixirallowsthesubjecttosendhismindintoasleep-
ing target’s dreams. This functions exactly like the Dream Thesubjectmustrubtheelixirontohisbody,taking1d-1
Projectionspell(GURPSMagic,p.46)except–toprojectyour- minutestodoso(minimum1minute).Thisthencausesthe
selfintoyourtargetsdream–yourollagainstthebetterofyour potionto take effect,givingthe subjecta “make-over”:trim-
IQ,yourDreamingskill,orthealchemist’sskillwiththepotion. mingandstylinghishair,givinghimamanicure,exfoliating
his skin, etc. Outwardly this mimics the Haircut spell
Duration:3d¥4minutes. (GURPS Magic p.39) but also gives a +1 reaction bonus for
Form:Any. thedurationoftheelixir.
Cost:$600/$1,150.
Recipe:$150;2weeks;defaultstoAlchemy-2. Duration:2dhours.
Form:Ointmentonly.
Cost:$300/$500.
Recipe:$50;1week;defaultstoAlchemy-1.
There are many different ways to
Nightmares
obtain the Three Essentials and
AlternativeName:Phobetor.
many preparations for use along the
The next time the subject sleeps, he is affected as per the
alchemical path – each with unique Nightmare spell (GURPS Magic, p. 140), including a resist-
ancerollagainsttheskillofthealchemistwhomadetheelixir.
medicinal and initiatory powers.
AnelixirofNightmaresmightbetailoredtoaspecificper-
– Robert Bartlett, son to take advantage of the bonuses listed under the spell.
While this increases neither cost nor production time and
Real Alchemy
doesn’tcallforanyextrarolls,itdoesrequirethatyouhavea
workingunderstandingofthesubjectsfearsandphobias(typ-
icallyaPsychologyskillroll)orhaveabloodorhairsample.
Adventureidea:Theheroesawakeninastrangedungeonwithoutgear.Theirbodiesarecoveredwithunusualmagical
tattoosthathavepowers(tattooelixirs).Theydon’tknowwhatthetattoosdo,butcanfigureitoutbytrialanderror.
Goal:Escape!
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Elixirsbrewedlikethismakesitharderforaspecificpersonto Duration:1d+1days.
resist the effects (-2 penalty). All others have a +4 bonus to Form:Any.
resistapotionbrewedforaspecificsubject. Cost:$1,150/$2,000.
Recipe:$150;4weeks;defaultstoAlchemy-2.
Duration:AsNightmare.
Form:Any.
N A -R
Cost:$225/$400. EW LCHEMY ELATED
Recipe:$50;1week;defaultstoAlchemy-1.
S
PELL
Alchemists with access to certain spells can do a lot to
improvetheirproductioncapacityandcheapentheircosts.
Adding Magery to Alchemy
Thereareevenafewspells(suchasKnowRecipe)thathave
MageryaddstoThaumatology,sowhynotAlchemy?If explicituseswhenitcomestoalchemy.Hereisonemore.
Alchemy is a skill that only mages (or those who under-
standtheprinciplesofmagic)canlearn,thentheGMmight Internalize Elixir (Meta-Spell)
allowMagerytoaddtotheskillitself,thoughitshouldthen
require Thaumatology as a prerequisite. This means that Special
talentedmageswouldalsobetalentedalchemists–anout- Thisspellallowsamagetobindthemagicalessenceofa
comenotsuitableinallcampaigns. beneficialelixir(Healing,Battle,andthelike)tohimselfin
anintangibleformtobeusedatalateron.Oncebound,the
elixiritselfbecomesinert,justasifithadbeenexposedtoo
long to air becoming useless. Each elixir bound in this way
Shadow Form may be activated by a Will roll; this takes a Concentrate
maneuver.Successmeanstheelixirtakeseffectinstantly;fail-
AlternativeName:Umbra,Shade.
ure means the elixir is lost and has no effect whatsoever.
ThesubjectgainstheShadowFormadvantage(p.B83)for Critical failures are bad; the elixir has the opposite intended
thedurationoftheelixir.Hemayalsochoosetotransformup effect, or all bound elixirs are rendered inert, or something
tohisMediumencumbranceworthofgearwithhimwhenhe equallydisastrous–theGMshouldbeinventive.
drinks the potion; the gear remains on his person when the
Duration:Permanentuntilelixirisused.
durationends.
Cost:2per$500costoftheelixirbeingbound.
Duration:2dhours. Timetocast:1minuteperelixir.
Form:Anybutpastille. Prerequisites:Magery1,DetectMagic,andKnowRecipe.
Cost:$3,000/$5,200.
Recipe:$600;10weeks;defaultstoAlchemy-3. A A
BOUT THE UTHOR
Sleeplessness Christopher R. Rice is currently working part time as a
computerrepairman.FromPortsmouth,Virginia,heplotsthe
AlternativeName:None.
doom of his gaming group, who manage to thwart his every
This elixir grants the subject the Doesn’t Sleep advantage move with grace and style. He is currently (trying to) earn a
fortheduration.Additionaldosesafterthefirstaddabase+2 degree in electrical engineering and dreams of being able to
daystothedurationuptothreedosestotal,for1d+5days.Any writeforalivingoneday.Havinggamedover17years,helikes
doseafterthefourthrequiresaHTrollvs.thealchemist’sskill; tothinkheknowsathingortwoaboutthesubject.Hewishes
failure causes the subject to suffer 1d FP that can only be tothankL.A.,hisownpersonalmuse,aswellastherestofhis
regainedthroughsleep.Criticalfailuremeansthesubjectgoes gaminggroupandfamily.HealsogivesspecialthankstoJason
intoacoma. Levine and Antoni Ten Monrós for their patience in helping
himwithhisfirstarticle.
As a fact, a strong and determined Will can arrive in a short time at absolute
independence, and we are all in possession of the chemical instrument, the great
and sole Athanor which answers for the separation of the subtle from the gross and
the fixed from the volatile. This instrument, complete as the world and precise as
mathematics, is represented by the sages under the emblem of the pentagram or
five-pointed star, which is the absolute sign of human intelligence.
– E. Levi, Transcendental Magic
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