How Do I...? Heat Non-Living Object Over Time

[Black Rose]

The closest things I was able to find that were even vaguely similar:

Boil Liquid (HSG 133): uses Change Environment to raise the Temperature Level of a container of liquid

Multi-Purpose Energy Weapon (*cough*Phaser*cough*; HSEG 191): "project[s] a low-power burst at a rock or metal wall to provide heat in cold climates"

 

Let me make my visualization of the effect clear, this will be easier if you know GURPS Magic (Heat, M74). I want a spell that will gradually raise the temperature of a non-living object up to one cubic meter by... let's say... one Temperature Level (20 degrees Fahrenheit) per Phase. Takes a while to get to really high levels, but it can be held at the specific temperature for as long as the caster maintains END spend.

 

I know that this is several powers in a trench coat -- Change Environment is good, but gets insanely expensive past a certain point; RKA squeaks by with "this is a 'heat beam' and is heating this thing up, though the actual damage done isn't enough to get past DEF" but feels like a kludge; possibly Transform, but isn't everything deep down?

 

Thing is, I feel like this is a not-unreasonable effect to produce for a pyromancer -- "I control fire and heat, I use my power to heat that thingy up." Anyone have any ideas?

[LoneWolf]

If it is not damaging the object it sounds like a change environment.   If you raise the temperature   level too high the item would start taking damage, at which point a killing attack would be appropriate.  A compound power could allow you to raise the temperature up and then damage the item.   Raising a temperature level is only 3 points and you probably don’t need that many before the object starts taking damage. 

[Duke Bushido]

I confess: I am at work, and so can only skim, but is there a reason this cannot be done with a minor t-form?

 

Assuming That heating the metal is the whole purpose of the build, I mean, and not an SFX-related incidental side-effect.

[Black Rose]

18 hours ago, Duke Bushido said:

I confess: I am at work, and so can only skim, but is there a reason this cannot be done with a minor t-form?

 

Assuming That heating the metal is the whole purpose of the build, I mean, and not an SFX-related incidental side-effect.

No, the heating is the actual point, not a side effect. The purpose is to raise the temperature of an object; the Cool spell does the opposite. The source material (GURPS Magic) has it as a gradual increase over time (+20 degrees F per minute) and I was trying to maintain that element. It might be too much fiddling, though. Minor (or Major) Transform with Partial Transform would get the feel of that, right? Cosmetic makes it hot to the touch (but not damagingly hot), Minor makes it... soft?, and Major fully melts it (assuming a solid from the start).

 

I think I will keep the Change Environment at a lower level for minor effects.