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Here’s another ten spells for my GURPS Dungeons & Sorcery project. This set is mostly 1st and 2nd level spells that are non-charm ways to influence or communicate with another person.

Bind (C)
Enchantment, Somatic, Verbal
45 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: none
Range: 10 yards
Duration: 1 minute

Casting this spell allows the magic-user to command any one length of rope (or rope-like object, like vines; yarn, string, and thread also work, but may be less than useful) for one minute. The caster can easily command the rope to neatly coil itself up, or stretch itself taught as a tripline. More complex actions will require rolls. Wrapping around a person is an attack, and will require a DX + Talent roll. Tying a knot similarly requires a DX or Knot-Tying roll.

The rope acts as if being manipulated by a ST 12 person, and heavy lines will move more slowly, though only part of the rope could be manipulated to lighten the load, without giving up the option to manipulate the rest later. The caster must concentrate to order the rope, but it will continue to carry out a task without him (e.g., it will continue to attack and attempt to bind someone without further input).

Telekinesis 12 (Accessibility: Ropes, -40%, Independent, +70%; One Item, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%) [0.75×60] Note: “One Item” is effectively a second Accessibility, covering the fact that you cannot switch from one targeted item to another.

ESP (C)
Divination, Somatic, Verbal
29 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: IQ
Range: 10 yards
Duration: 1 minute

This spell allows the caster to attempt to read the surface thoughts of other creatures for a minute. Each attempt to do so takes a second of concentration, and a Quick Contest of your IQ + Talent vs the subject’s Will. This can be done on anything within sight, but there is a penalty of -1/yard to your subject. You can switch from subject to subject by concentrating for one second, but any further attempts on the same subject are at a -2 per previous attempt (casting the spell again, does not negate this penalty, and even reading the mind of the victim of a successful attempt a second time incurs the -2 penalty).

Once you have succeeded with a subject, you can sense and understand anything they are saying or actively thinking about, regardless of language. The caster can even sense and understand the instinctual thoughts of non-sentient creatures, though non-living ones (undead, golems, etc.) have no thoughts that the spell can pick up on.

Mind Reading (Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Short Range 1, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%; Universal, +50%) [0.95×30]

Flaming Sphere (C)
Evocation, Somatic, Verbal
7 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: None
Range: None
Duration: 3 minutes

This spell creates a 1-yard diameter sphere that will roll about as the caster commands; but only as the caster commands, since it has no will or intelligence of its own. It is made of a stiff, slightly spongy material, which magically burns. Everything within a 2-yard radius of the flaming sphere takes 1d-1 burning damage per second, and anything that touches it takes 1d+2 burning (see B433 for igniting flammable objects).

The caster must concentrate to command the sphere to roll anywhere, and if he cannot see what it is doing, he can only command it to go in certain directions, and can only guess at obstacles, etc. If blocked, it can push at ST 5 to try and keep going (this is unlikely to work against most man-sized creatures, but they may wish to get out of its way anyway).

The sphere takes 1d damage per minute that it is in contact with water. And naturally, its flames can be smothered if there is no oxygen available to burn, which would render it inert. Otherwise, it can be attacked normally (as a homogeneous object, B380), and it will crumble into dust after taking 20 injury, or if it goes into a No Mana zone or is successfully dispelled it will simply disappear. If it any of these happen, it can be recreated after 10 minutes.

Ally (25% Power, Constantly Available; Extended Duration, x3, +20%; Minion, +0%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Summonable, +100%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%) [1.75×4] The Ally has: ST 5 [-50], IQ NA, DX 10, HT 10, HP 10 [10], BS 5, Conjured Servant [20], Dependency: Mana (Very Common, Constant; Instant Death, +100%) [-50], Doesn’t Breathe (Oxygen Combustion, -50%) [10], Flame Aura (Innate Attack 1d-1 (burn; Always On, -40%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Emanation, -20%) + Innate Attack 1d+2 (burn; Always On, -40%, Aura, +80%, Melee Attack, C, -30%) [13], Homogeneous [40], Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30], Mute [-25], No Eyes [5], No Legs (Rolls) [0], No Manipulators [-50], Weakness, 1d/min, Water, [-40] = [-87]

Forget (C)
Enchantment, Somatic, Verbal, Area (Fixed), Resisted (Will)
48 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: 20 yards
Duration: Permanent

Victims of this spell forget everything that happened in the previous three minutes. Persons just met in that time frame are newly met again, combat that happened is forgotten, etc. Charm, suggestion, geas, and similar spells that were cast during the forgotten time are still in effect, but the person may not know why they are driven to do certain things.

When casting the spell, the caster selects a 4-yard radius area within 20 yards to be affected (see Scatter, B414 if the caster misses this target), and can choose who in that area is and is not affected. Each person to be affected makes a Quick Contest of Will with the caster. Those who succeed are not affected, while the rest forget the previous three minutes. This loss of memory is generally permanent, but general healing spells (such as restoration), if cast specifically to counter this effect, will return the memories.

Affliction (Will; Quirk: Cannot Remember Previous Three Minutes, +1%; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Based On Will, +20%; Extended Duration, Permanent, +150%; Malediction 2, +150%; Reduced Range, 1/5, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Selective Area, +20%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%) [4.76×10] Note: Don’t bother writing this down as an actual Quirk unless there is something of long-term importance covered by the spell. “Can’t remember those three minutes” isn’t a character-sheet quirk, “Doesn’t remember being geased to kill the Jabberwock” is.

Friends (VC)
Charm, Somatic, Verbal
6 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Range: None
Duration: 1 minute

This spell plays with the perceptions of everyone the caster speaks to, attempting to make him seem more knowledgeable, attractive, charming, or whatever is needed to convince the viewer to be helpful or accommodating. This causes a +2 to all Reaction Rolls in reaction to the caster. However, anyone who is not convinced of the caster’s charm will find him irritating, and all Neutral reactions are instead treated as Poor.

Charisma 2 (Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Temporary Disadvantage: No Neutral Reactions, -10%) [0.55×10]

Hypnotic Pattern (C)
Illusion, Somatic, Area (Fixed), Resisted (IQ)
38 points + 38/level
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim
Range: 50 yards
Duration: 10 seconds

The caster places a light show of weaving, twisting colors in the air at any point he desires within 50 yards. Everyone within 4 yards of this light show who looks upon it must make a Resistance Roll vs IQ or be stunned. The pattern persists for 10 seconds and, naturally, anyone stunned by it will still be looking at it, and cannot recover from the stun. Once line of sight to the pattern is blocked, or the spell ends, anyone under its influence can make an IQ roll each second to recover. Each further level of the spell adds a -1 penalty to the Resistance and recovery rolls.

Affliction 1 (IQ; Stun; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Based on IQ, +20%; Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; Persistent, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/2, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Sense-Based (Vision), +150%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%) [3.8×10]

Magic Mouth (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
63 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: None
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Special

Casting this spell temporarily enchants an item to deliver a short message (no more than a minute long) to a specified subject. This subject can be a particular person, a particular type of person (‘the next orc who passes nearby’), or just ‘the next person to come through this passage’, or even ‘the next person who tries to pick this lock’.

Once the spell is cast, the magic-user states his message, which will be repeated exactly as he said it (including volume) when the message is triggered. When the message is delivered, the object animates to the extent of having a mouth that moves; once the message ends, the mouth disappears again. If the object (say a statue) has a mouth already, it can be specifically targeted to be animated as the source of the voice. The caster can try to sound imposing or sinister, or imitate another voice, when he records the message; roll against Acting or Mimicry to convincingly do this (without the benefit of Sorcery Talent).

Clairsentience (Clairenunciation, -80%; Delay, Triggered, Subject Entering Area, +50%; Fixed Range, -5%; No Strain, +25%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Second Nature, +70%; Sorcery, -15%; Special Effect, +10%; Takes Extra Time, -10%) [1.25×50]

Message (VC)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
90 points
Casting Time: 15 seconds
Casting Roll: IQ
Range: 20 yards
Duration: 1 minute

This spell creates a temporary link between the caster and a location he specifies (roll against IQ plus Talent with no range penalties to get the right location). Anything he says can be heard equally clearly from him, and from the location of the spell. Similarly, the caster can hear anything he can normally hear, and can hear anything at the target location of the spell.

These two sets of overlapping input can get confusing for the caster, but it is ideal for having a second group of people listen in to (half) a conversation, and possibly offer advice that only the caster will hear.

Clairsentience (Aware, +50%; Clairenunciation, -25%; Fixed Location, -10%; Fixed Range, -5%; Increased Range, x2, +10%; No Strain, +25%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Second Nature, +70%; Sorcery, -15%) [1.8×50]

Push (VC)
Conjuration, Somatic, Verbal
4 points + 4/level
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Instantaneous

Use of this spell allows the caster to push objects away from him. The spell generates 1d of knockback ‘damage’ per level of the spell, which is applied as normal (see Knockback, B378). Note that 1 point of knockback is about sufficient to shove 1 oz about a yard (with a cube-root progression from there; see the Objects Hit Points Table, B558, to figure HP/resistance of objects without a ST score).

No die roll to hit is needed. If the combination of distance, size, and any other modifiers to your Innate Attack (Gaze) skill result in needing at least a 3, the spell works!

To have a chance at actually knocking back a regular human, this spell will need to be at least second level (to get the 8 ‘damage’ needed vs ST 10; halflings and the like are vulnerable at first level). However, it is possible to use Sweep (MA81) by targeting a leg to make it unexpectedly go out from under the target. If this is done, roll a Quick Contest of Sweep (which defaults to Innate Attack (Gaze) -3; Talent does count) vs the best of the target’s ST, DX, Acrobatics, or Brawling instead of a damage roll; if the target loses he falls down.

Innate Attack 1d (cr; Cosmic: No Die Roll Required, +100; Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; No Blunt Trauma, -20%; No Wounding, -50%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [0.8×5]

Taunt (C)
Enchantment, Somatic, Verbal, Area (Fixed), Resisted (Will)
38 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to hit.
Range: 50 yards
Duration: 30 seconds

The caster japes and jeers, causing everyone within 8 yards of his target to become angered and potentially try to attack him. Despite any and all language or species barriers, affected targets will hear meaningful insults and scorn that can drive them into a killing rage. Once the target spot is hit (with Acc 3 inside of 5 yards, and see Scatter, B414, on a miss), everyone affected makes a Will roll, or is affected with Battle Rage (see B124) with a 6- Self-Control Roll for the next 30 seconds.

Anyone affected who misses the Self-Control Roll (and just seeing a spell cast—i.e., this one—can be considered ‘entering combat’) will rush forward, and attempt to engage in melee combat with the source of the taunt. Generally, this is the caster, but a previous use of ventriloquism can make it seem that the voice issuing the insults came from elsewhere. Affected subjects will only engage with other people in the way long enough to get past them, and continue to rush at the caster. Impervious or highly dangerous unavoidable barriers (chasms, wall of fire, etc.) will cancel the effects of the spell when encountered, but the subjects will rush up to it before stopping. The effects of this spell can also be dispelled or canceled by a No Mana area normally, but anyone who has already failed a Self-Control Roll must make a Will roll to snap out of it.

Affliction 1 (Will; Disadvantage: Berserk (Battle Rage, +50%, Magical, -10%), 6-, +28%; Area Effect, 8 yard radius, +150%; Based on Will, +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Nuisance Effect: Aggression is Directed Against (Apparent) Source, -10%; Sense Based (Hearing), 150%; Reduced Duration, 1/6, -15%; Reduced Range, 1/2, -10; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [3.78×10]

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The obvious way to do Push is to just have limited Telekinesis (and there is a purpose-built modifier for the job), but figuring out how much ST does how much work over a second is something of a pain, and I found going over to knockback is actually a bit cleaner to describe. Friends was pretty obviously just a couple points of Charisma, but I avoided writing it up for a long while, as I didn’t have anything to really work with. Once I had the idea of representing the downside as ‘no Neutral reaction’, it became a much more interesting spell to me.

Both Message and Magic Mouth are indebted to Christopher R. Rice’s post about Clairsentience, specifically his Clairenunciation modifier which makes some difficult special effects easy. This also allows a much different build of Magic Mouth than the similar Delayed Message from T:S24, which doesn’t even come close to the feel of Magic Mouth with its Telesend-based build.

I’m not a big fan of pulling out Ally to explain something, especially if you end up with a purpose-built ‘character’ for a single use. Flaming Sphere is a good case of this, with most of the work going into defining the sphere as a ‘character’. But, since it is an independent physical object that interacts with the world, it’s much more appropriate here.