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Here’s another set of ten spells for my GURPS Dungeons & Sorcery project. Many of them are from later sources, but we headline with the old classic, Blink, and something of an emphasis on getting away.

Blink (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
35 points
Casting Time: 3 seconds
Casting Roll:
Range: none
Duration: 10 seconds

Casting this spell causes the magic-user to randomly teleport, or “blink”, once a second for the next ten seconds. Since it is random, it becomes hard for opponents to target the caster, as he may well shift out of range between attacks, and no amount of mind reading or analysis will predict where the caster will go. Of course, the same problem can inconvenience the caster.

Because this is happening without the caster’s control, he may try to perform other actions while blinking, but he must make a DX roll if he wants to perform an action before he blinks out of his current location. He must make this decision before he finds out the destination of his current blink (Wait maneuvers may be handy here, though casting a self-buff spell is still reasonable). Once an action is decided (or performed), roll for scatter (B414) with the distance halved, and the magic-user blinks to the nearest hex to that spot that is not obstructed (i.e., does not contain a wall, or other bulky object, such as a barrel; blinking into close combat with someone is possible) facing the same direction as when he started.

Note that actually performing any actions after the spell effect starts will depend on the caster making Body Sense rolls (B181) to keep from being disoriented/distracted. Finally, while the caster can take up to medium encumbrance worth of equipment with him (anything over that amount being left behind in the first blink), he will never take another creature with him. (e.g., if grasping a fairy in his hand, it would be left behind when he blinked. This is also handy for getting out of a grapple, if the caster can manage three seconds of gestures.)

Warp (Always On, -20%; Cosmic: No Die Roll Required, +50%; Extra Carrying Capacity, Medium, +20%; Range Limit, 3 yards, -50%; Requires Gestures, 10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Reduced Duration, 1/6, -15%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%; Uncontrollable, Random, -15%) [0.35×100] Note: “Uncontrollable” is boosted from its normal 10% for ‘harmless power’ as there is no Will roll to gain control.

Cat’s Grace (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal, Buff
47 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: None
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 1/2 hours

The caster must Concentrate while touching the subject of this spell (which could be himself) for two seconds, and at the end of this time the subject will gain +2 DX for the next one and a half hours. This increased DX is magical, and therefore subject to detection, dispelling, etc., but while it lasts will grant all the usual bonuses of increased DX (increased skill levels, +0.5 Basic Speed, etc.)

Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: +2 DX (Magical, -10%), +360%; Extended Duration, x30, +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%) [4.65×10]

Displace Self (C)
Alteration, Verbal
66 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: None.
Range: None.
Duration: 3 minutes

The caster uses this spell to make himself appear 2-3 feet away from his actual location, in a manner similar to that of the displacer beast. This affects only vision, and anyone targeting the magic-user by another sense (including most animals, which use smell as their primary sense) will not be fooled, but might be confused by the contradictory information. Anyone using only vision will have a hard time, especially if they have not encountered this effect before.

Someone with Blind Fighting can ignore what he sees and use that to grant the normal chance to attack or defend, without the normal -2 to hit a specific hit location; also background noise penalties are halved (round up). If an attacker is not aware of what it going on, he cannot do this, but will still hit on a critical hit. Ranged weapons always miss, but roll to see if they strike someone else instead (Hitting the Wrong Target, B389), with the magic-user being the first victim checked, and then moving to the normal ‘closest target’.

Invisibility (Can Carry Objects, Heavy, +100%; Extended Duration, x3, +20%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%; Visible, -20%) [1.65×40]

Expeditious Retreat (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
25 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None
Range: None
Duration: 10 seconds

This spell enables the caster to move at great speed, possibly allowing combat to be avoided, but there is a substantial downside. For the duration of the spell, the caster cannot take a Step during a normal maneuver, and any movement action cannot be accompanied by any other action. Instead, any movement taken, because of the extra speed, consumes the magic-user’s full attention for that turn.

However, the caster’s Ground Speed increases to three times its normal value (with no effect on Ground Move); a relatively straight, smooth course is needed to exceed normal Ground Move (see Sprinting, B354), and each turn speed can be increased by an amount equal to Ground Move. But the caster is also capable of jumping twice his normal jumping distance and height (B352), and will always land safely from such a jump, as long as there is a safe place to land.

Enhanced Move 1.5 (Ground; Link, +10%; Nuisance Effect: No Step/Combined Move, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [0.55×30] + Super Jump 1 (Link, +10; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [0.75×10]

Haste (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal, Area (Leveled), Buff
90 points + 5 points/level
Casting Time: 3 seconds
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to hit.
Range: 50 yards
Duration: 3 minutes

All creatures caught in the area of a haste spell find their perception of time altered, such that they experience two seconds for every one that actually occurs. Normal events seem to move slowly, and in combat the character gets an extra action on his turn. However, this does not affect spellcasting, and a hasted magic-user would have to take a Concentrate maneuver for each of his actions in a turn to count towards the time needed to cast a spell.

If cast on someone who is slowed, this spell merely cancels the effect of that one and vice versa; do not attempt to combine the effects. Finally, anyone affected by this spell ages one year (which could cause aging rolls).

Affliction 1 (Will; Advantage: Altered Time Rate 1 (Accessibility: Not Spells, -10%; Backlash, Age One Year, -1%; Magical, -10%), +800%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Reduced Range, 1/2, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%; Variable, Area, +5%) [9×10]

Irritation (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal, Area (Fixed), Resisted (HT)
33 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: 20 yards
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell causes the skin of the target to be irritated, causing a strong itching sensation. If the target is hit, he makes a Resistance Roll vs HT + DR from Tough Skin. If he succeeds, the effect wasn’t enough to be a real problem; otherwise, the subject is at -2 to DX and cannot Concentrate without a Will -2 roll each turn until he spends at least one full turn scratching to relieve the distraction (this may take longer if the character is in full armor, or is otherwise unable to reach parts of his body freely).

Affliction 1 (HT; Irritant: Itching, +10%; Cosmic: Irresistible Attack (Accessibility: Not Tough Skin, -10%) +270%; Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; Reduced Range, 1/5, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%) [3.3×10]

Lasting Breath (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal, Buff
21 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: 10 yards
Duration: 1.5 minutes

A single subject selected by the caster will be able to hold his breath for the next 90 seconds without any effect. After that time expires, the subject can still attempt to hold his breath as normal (see B351), but any time before that point only counts if the subject was already holding his breath before that time, and has been doing so continuously since then.

This is of course handy underwater, but can also be used to avoid noxious gasses that must be inhaled to take effect, but has no effect on contact poisons and the like. Also, this is entirely voluntary, and the subject can still breathe normally as needed.

Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage: Doesn’t Breathe (Magical, -10%), 180%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Reduced Duration, 1/2, -5%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30/; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [2.1×10]

Patternweave (C)
Divination, Somatic, Verbal
9 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: IQ + Talent
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell allows the caster to look at broken objects, scattered puzzles, or confused environments, and mentally ‘reconstruct’ them. With a successful IQ+Talent roll, the caster can look at the pieces of a torn-up paper, smashed vase, or broken column and see what it originally looked like. Similarly, this spell can be used to trace one person through a set of overlapping footprints (A Tracking roll may be needed to perceive these prints in the first place.)

Afterwords, the caster can try to reconstruct the object, but will need to make an IQ roll (no Talent) to remember enough to be successful if it is a complicated task. Otherwise, he still remembers what it looked like, if that is enough, and further castings of the spell could be used to refresh his memory along the way. If at any time the magic-user fails his casting roll, this spell cannot be used on the same (complete) object for a full day.

Psychometry (Accesibility: Reconstruction/Patterns Only, -20%; Active Only, -20%; Hypersensory, -50%; Immersive, +100%; Mundane, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [0.45×20]

Protection From Vermin (C)
Abjuration, Verbal, Buff
37 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 1/2 minutes

This spell puts an invisible protective barrier around the subject that will keep away all sorts of nonmagical small (SM -6 or smaller) insects, animals, and other unintelligent pests. If such a creature has a ranged attack, it will not be affected by the barrier, but otherwise the subject is has a DR of 7 versus its attack, on top of any other protections (such as armor) it may have.

Affliction 1 (HT; DR 7 (Accessibility: Only Against ‘Vermin’, -35%; Force Field, +20%; Magical -10%; No Signature, +20%), +340%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Reduced Duration, 1/10, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [3.65×10]

Summon Swarm(C)
Summoning, Somatic, Verbal, Area (Fixed)
14 points
Casting Time: 2 seconds
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Range: None.
Duration: Special

This spell summons a swarm of small creatures that will attack anything in a 2-yard radius designated by the magic-user (see Scatter, B414, on a miss). The exact type of creatures, the damage they do, and the damage it takes to disperse the swarm is up to the GM, but typically one of the following types will show up:

Dice Roll	Type	Damage	HP
3-8	Rats	1d cut	6
9-10	Bats	1d cut	8
11-12	Spiders, centipedes, beetles	1d-1 tox	15
13-18	Wasps, hornets	2 points tox	12

If the GM does not feel like any particular type is the most appropriate for the current environment, he should roll 3d6 and consult the Dice Roll column to pick one. Keep in mind that this is Large Area Injury (B400), though rats will act as though only the feet of a standing person were exposed, and spiders, centipedes and beetles will start with the feet, and move up one location per every other second.

The swarm will technically stay in place and keep attacking anything that enters its area forever, but there are several limitations on this. First, the caster must keep Concentrating on the swarm, or it will disperse, with all the creatures departing to return to where they had been before being summoned. The swarm can be attacked, and will disperse after taking the damage listed in the HP column (the swarm is Diffuse, B180, so most non-area attacks will only do 2 damage, or 1 if they are impaling or piercing). Also, while these are natural creatures, their control by this spell makes them susceptible to the effects of protection from conjuration (as well as the normal effects of protection from vermin).

Innate Attack, varies (Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Extended Duration, Permanent, +150%; Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; Nuisance Effect: Affected by Protection From Conjuration, -5%; Persistent, +40%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Takes Extra Time, x2, -10%) Listed Types: Rats: 1d cut (Feet Only, -30%) = [2.5×7]; Bats: 1d cut = [2.9×7]; Spiders, etc.: 1d-1 tox (Takes Extra Time, -10%) = [2.8×3]; Wasps, etc: 1d-1 tox = [2.9×2]. Using the average (instead of Alternative Attacks, as it is not chosen by the player): (18+21+9+6)/4. Note: The “Takes Extra Time” on some attacks is for the large area effect moving up the subject.

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Summon Swarm had me stumped for a long time, since an ‘ally’ swarm was something I couldn’t figure out how to build. Then I realized it didn’t actually move around and attack/follow people, so it was a straight area effect with damage as what makes it not a 300% permanent effect. Haste is pretty obvious (and a classic), and I’m surprised I didn’t think to include it when I posted Slow earlier.

The original Irritation has two effects that the caster chooses between, but I decided to cut out the rash version and not do the alternate ability, as much for my own sanity as the fact that the immediate effect seems to be the much more useful one.

Blink was a bit of a tough write up. GURPS doesn’t go for completely random powers, thus my modified “Uncontrollable” limitation. But the real challenge was the write up of the effects. It’d be nice to have a chance of the blinks randomly happening before or after an enemy’s attempted action, but GURPS combat just isn’t structured that way. On the other hand, trying to chase after the magic-user each turn could be entertaining enough to be worthwhile anyway.

I came across Displace Self shortly after a forum thread had the idea of ‘Invisibility, Visible’ to represent a displacer beast’s ability, and while silly sounding, I liked it.