High power magic (Brainstorming welcome and requested)

[Lord Mhoram]

I'm working on pulling together one of the extra magic systems for my GH game.

Without going into detail, the minimum active points of a spell are 50, and many hit 100, 150, 200. I've been brainstorming for really cool high power spells, and I am trying to look for things that aren't the normal run of the mill "epic spells".

Infernos that lay waste to entire armies, weather control, death spells, mass healing - those things I can come up with.

The kind of things I am looking for, that I have come up with - and they are mostly noncombat, but combat applications I haven't thought of are nifty too...

A low power transform, with megascale, that turns packed earth into loose tilled earth - something the kings wizard (or the duke's wizard on a smaller scale) does on a day of celebration to make planting easier.

Similarly the head druid does a "heal all plants, but not weeds" kind of thing halfway through the growing season to ensure a good crop.

A 2d6 luck usable on other 2 billion people, megascale to the planet - only affects those that share the same faith, and fades when the reciepient does something he knows is against said faith. Duration is a week (or maybe a month) - the head priest of a religion does this as his special blessing every week (or maybe month).


I know I can come up with some, but I know that there are great creative minds here. (A little sucking up never hurt...). So throw me any really great "flavor" spells you have.

[Doc Democracy]

I know I can come up with some, but I know that there are great creative minds here. (A little sucking up never hurt...). So throw me any really great "flavor" spells you have.

I think that you have the right first path - look for the big annual festivals and look for the spells that would be colour for those. Spring festivals would have an ability to enchant a stone where newly wed couples could concieve and farm animals would bear strong young.

It would be a matter of looking to what festivals your civilisation celebrated and then look at the positive and negative rituals that might go with those.


Doc

[Teflon Billy]

Megascale, gradual, 1-pip transforms that change subjects within a geographic area to ensure societal stability (everyone speaks one language, linguistic drift is eliminated; no one wants to usurp the pecking order, people accept how power is distributed; people like to stay put, transient populations settle-down)

TB

[CourtFool]

I would use Change Environment for something like that.

+1 Overall Skill Level, Usable On Other 2 Billion People

Bless Childbirths - Aid to Constitution and/or Paramedics and/or PS Midwife [or] Change Environment, Megascaled, Only to Survive Childbirth (for both mother and child)

Return Travelers - Detect 'Home', Megascale

Find True King - Summon

Summon Hero - Summon

Sanctuary - Mind Control, Megascale, One Command (Do Not Attack)

Prosperity - Wealth, Usable by Other

[Lord Mhoram]

Ohh, I like what I am seeings.

A couple others I came up with -


Daylight (turns night into day) a megascale images that negates the -4 darkness penalty. Looks like the sum came back up, lasts an hour, and in that hour, the sun travels across the sky as normal, just done in one hour.

and this one, also the kind of thing I am looking for, but isn't nessesarily countrywide.

True Blessings
The kind of thing the head of a church, or a king, bestows upon someone who has saved the realm.
3d6+1 aid standard effect (10), vs all characteristics, fades per 25 years.
A D&D like instant stat boost for the rest of the playing life of the recipient.

[Lord Mhoram]

Sanctuary - Mind Control, Megascale, One Command (Do Not Attack)

Prosperity - Wealth, Usable by Other

Does Switzerland have that first one.

I like the second. 5 pts of wealth, usable on other and it lasts a long time, with extra time. A wandering do gooder comes along and eliminated serfdom.

[Inu]

"You can't hide from the Law." Mind scan activated by Marshall-equivalents to track fugitives..
"Diplomatic immunity." Constant low-level mind control placed on emissaries; couple this with a triggered high-level mind control when attacked.
"Command and Control." Mind link between heralds (placed with the generals) and the sovereign when they are at any distance away from the capital.
"I see you." Scrying device with massive clairaudence and clairsentience. One version megascale, for seeing big features, one version normal, for seeing details -- 'zooming in'.
"Cup of life." Life support: immune to diseases and poisons, usable by other (whole population -- 4 million is only around a +5 advantage, I think. Couple with famine-resistant rations (life support: need not eat) for emergencies.
"Battle-luck." luck, usable by other (leaders in battle).
"Decoy." Invisible teleport with linked duplication (exact copy). Optional trigger: when attacked. The ultimate escape hatch for those lucky enough to be protected.
"The strength of two." Duplication, usable by other (exact copy). Army needs a bit of a boost? Two soldiers for the price of one, just when you need it most. Castle not being built fast enough? Double the workers for the same cost!
"Army of one." Duplication, self, exact copy, x1024. Eat that.
"Domesday." A series of Detects (herd animals, metals, jewels, etc) that keep track of wealth in the kingdom. Link it to the scrying pool to get visual imagery if need be, as well as a nation-wide mind scan. The information outputs itself to a giant book, constantly updated, giving information of exactly who is where and what they own. If the Domesday book was how William truly conquered Britain, this will be even greater. (Possibly requires tax agents in the local area, conducting mundane assessments, using magic to ferret out secrets, and 'uploading' information to the Book.)

As well as thinking about the spells, it can be cool to think about how they can work in-game. Perhaps it's not as simple as the high mage waving his arms about, and suddenly all the fields in the country are fertile (to go with a previous suggestion). Perhaps the country's fields are first prepared by local priests with rituals designed to draw the magic down; so when the high mage does cast his spell, with all his ritual assistants, the magic goes where it needs. Makes the whole country part of the thing, like you have for your 'blessing of the faithful' idea.

Naturally, much of this also depends on how 'expensive' magic is. If it's running on the basic powers without limitations, then not really a problem. But if magic is difficult at higher levels, or has costs involved, then it might be not worth it to make the WHOLE country immune to poison/disease... just the more important people. There are always more farmers, after all.

[Lord Liaden]

Spiritual Transform, Area Of Effect, Megascale, to people with the "burden of sin" on their souls expunged. Requires a willing human sacrifice.

[CourtFool]

Just a quick hop over to The Gatherer and searched for high cost Enchantments...

• Angelic Chorus - +X BODY, Only Up to 10% of Number of Soldiers in Army
• Angelic Renewal - Healing, Resurrection, Ranged, Megascaled, Trigger
• Aysen Highway - Running, Reduced Endurance, Usable by Other
• Bazaar of Wonders - +5 w/Trading plus Reputation plus Wealth, Usable by Other
• Black Market - Aid all Magic, Only Up to .01% of Treasury
• Beathstealer's Crypt - Xd6 Mind Scan plus Xd6 Ego Blast, X Only Up to 10% of Number of Target's Soldiers in Army
• Caustic Tar - Xd6 Energy Blast, Side Effects (Something Bad to Land)
• Cowardice - Teleport, Usable on Others, Must Pass Through Intervening Space

[Lord Mhoram]

Just a quick hop over to The Gatherer and searched for high cost Enchantments...

Not a bad idea - I have Magic Suitcase, updated to the most recent set. Thanks.

[Lord Mhoram]

Spiritual Transform, Area Of Effect, Megascale, to people with the "burden of sin" on their souls expunged. Requires a willing human sacrifice.

Don't bring up Omelas again, we had a big argument thread about it in the Champs forums a while ago.

[Lord Mhoram]

As well as thinking about the spells, it can be cool to think about how they can work in-game. Perhaps it's not as simple as the high mage waving his arms about, and suddenly all the fields in the country are fertile (to go with a previous suggestion).

Naturally, much of this also depends on how 'expensive' magic is. If it's running on the basic powers without limitations, then not really a problem. But if magic is difficult at higher levels, or has costs involved, then it might be not worth it to make the WHOLE country immune to poison/disease... just the more important people. There are always more farmers, after all.

Interesting ideas. And while I haven't got that far, I do know some of the social impact of this kind of magic system. The minimum Active point cost of a spell is 50 pts. And there are scads of lims, and it is something like (but not exactly) a fire and forget - each spell only has a charge or two.

So the spells are expensive and powerful, and there isn't "small magic" - which makes mages rare, incredibly powerful, and often arrogent. They would have assistant who do their "everyday" stuff for them, as magic can't help.

And yeah, the "help everyone" spells are from the more benevolent types.

A nastier variation of the "get the crops going" is a linked LTE drain on the populace - SFX is that the magic makes the farmers work harder to get the crops healthy. Something for a nasty government type to use.

And when throwing 150 to 200 pts around, you get all sorts of high levels of Mind Control, or Mental Transforms and such.

[Metaphysician]

Actually, if its not inordinately expensive, making the farmers immune to sickness and such is a *good* move. Healthy, happy farmers are more productive, which means the nobles both have more taxes and fewer revolts.

[dbsousa]

Here are the ten plagues:

1. Megascale Major Transform: Water to Blood
2. Megascale Summon: reptiles (frogs)
3. Megascale Drain CON: gnats
4. Megascale Change Environment: Flies
5. Megascale AE RKA, only livestock:Pestilence
6. Megascale Drain BODY: Boils
7. Megascale EB: Fire and Ice
8. Megascale Summons: Locusts
9. Megascale Darkness
10. Megascale AE HKA, First born males only

[Comic]

Bless Childbirths - Aid to Constitution and/or Paramedics and/or PS Midwife [or] Change Environment, Megascaled, Only to Survive Childbirth (for both mother and child)

Special effects can matter.

All spells need limits, conditions, targets, durations or ending conditions, after all.

The nature of how it can matter varies. The following story is in questionable taste, so you may not wish to read it.

Spoiler:

show spoiler

I recall a story posted long ago elsewhere about a spell from another game system that involved specific wording along the lines of, "the cervix of the recipient of this spell will dilate painlessly until childbirth is complete, without complication or distress for child or mother."

For some reason, the GM of the game in question had a vile and ill-tempered queen hire the party to accomplish some target. At some point, courtesy broke down and the queen apparently insulted the party sorcerer.

Who cast the spell on the non-pregnant queen, and then left.