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Feathersnow
2013-12-28, 12:23 PM
I am revisiting this system for attempting to faithfully emulate the Magic: the Gathering magic system within GURPS, allowing the actual porting of cards from that game. The original post was, in retrospect, poorly written and edited, so I will attempt to re-touch it in light of new interest.


Planeswalker template:
Like other templates, this is an optional rule for quick and easy character generation that reflects things that virtually all characters that would be identified by the template have in common.

Planeswalkers are being typified by their innate ability to travel and, to a lesser extent, the void between realities, called The Blind Eternities. Physical matter cannot exist in that place, and thus inter-planar travel is extremely difficult, though not impossible by non-planeswalkers. All planeswalkers awakened to their true nature by instinctively calling upon it in a time of overwhelming stress. It is believe that perhaps one in ten thousand sentient beings has this latent capacity, and perhaps, of them one in ten thousand might be pushed to call upon it the first time. The only beings that possess this quality are sentient beings that were born or otherwise created through natural biological processes. There are reports of constructed beings obtaining a "Spark" though transference, or apparently undead beings retaining their planeswalker status through death. All Planeswalkers have the ability to use magic, though some have far greater capability and skill than others.

225 pts
Jumper (world) 100pts.
Six levels of Magic. 60Pts. (special advantage)
Thirty points worth of mana bonds (see below)
seven spells (see below) (35)



How magic works:

special advantages-

Magic 5-30- This advantage comes in six levels and you must choose a specialization (WUBRG) when you take it. Each level allows you to cast a spell with a Converted Mana Cot of your level of Magic, provided it can be cast with mana solely of that color. It also allows you to have that many mana bonds online with places that produce mana of that color without risking manaburn. If you have six levels of magic, colored mana symbols no longer count against the CMC cap.

Versatility- 5/15/30 Requires: Magic This advantage comes in three levels. Level one grants you additional options in learning spells or forging (though not activating) mana bonds with a second color of mana as though obtaining the Magic advantage a second time with a different specialization but the same level.. The second level of versatility allows those same options for a third color . The third level grants all five specializations of magic, removes the possibility of mana burn, and allows you to cast and learn any spell, even those you cannot cast with any combination of lands you have bonded with.

Mana bond- 5 or greater. Requires: Magic. Name a mana producing land card from the Magic: The Gathering. Once per initiative, as a free action, you may choose one of the lands you have bought this advantage for. As long as you are fully engaged in the task you called the bond up for, you may use the mana it provides to cast spells, using the rules detailed further. Cost per bond is at the discretion of the GM, but might range from 5 for basic lands to 20 for truly impressive or hard to find places.





Cards 5 for 3, minimum 9. you may choose access to a set of three spell cards from those sets permitted by the GM for five points. You normally have seven cards in your starting hand, with all other cards in your library. The combination of your cards available to you at the beginning of each encounter is decided by a random card generator the GM will create for the purpose.

The following lists an incomplete set of useful converions for common M:tG effects and their equivalents in GURPS.


A point of damage as referenced on an MtG card is equivalent to 1 HP, for quantities greater than 2, 3 becomes 1d6 with a remainder as per partial dice rules.

Poison Counters represent ST, FP and HT damage of 1 each. This effect does not reduce speed or move.

"Mill effects" cause damage to IQ, Will, and Speed, each to degree to be determined by GM discretion.

Tutor effects can add to your hand any spell effect your character has seen or otherwise directly witnessed, normally, this card is virtual and ceases to exist when it leaves the hand. A player may spend 2 experience points to buy a card tutored this way, in which case it returns to their library in time, as per normal.

Wish effects grant you the ability to tutor or learn any appropriate spell or, possibly, land, as per above.

Scry and other library manipulation effects work as normal, consult the GM for partial knowledge of your card generator.

Resurrection spells target actual corpses. At your discretion, you may either lose access to the spell or pay two build points to learn to summon an archetypal construct of the resurrected creature (GM permitting)

summoned beings are constructs, in most cases, if a creature you summoned dies, nothing is permanently lost, because all that was there was a reified ideal of that creature.

You may use equipment and cast combat buffs on yourself.

Legends are usually not available, except as allies. If you have a Legendary ally, they must meet GM approval, and they are your commander ala EDH. (this would only be allowable for characters of extreme point vlaue) This restricts your color choices, but allows you to have a 75% minion ally without the extra cost for the minion modifier. You must be able to cast the card the legend represents, which allows you to resurrect or transport your general. Any seemingly weak legend may have numerous skills to counteract a seeming lack of utility. Generals may have Magic, and you may give them mana to charge their abilities above their own capabilities. They may affect creatures and spells you use as though they are their own, and vice-versa. Such a legend is not the true being it represents, but a constructed facsimile.

Most artifacts are advantages with the gadget modifier or mundane objects. These objects might have the "costs fatigue" negative modifier to be used. Artifacts can also be temporarily cast as spells, in which case they are temporary mana constructs.


Planeswalker spells cannot be learned under normal conditions, though the characters they represent might be availible as patrons or allies, depending on the campaign.




rules-

Combat with magic- Spells count as a physical attack, and rules and advantages linked to physical attacks may be applicable. The most obvious is extra attack, which would allow PW's like Garruk or Gideon to use their melee skills while casting. Counterspelling is a parry action, as are any instants used during another character's initiative. You may buy extra parry-instants. Activating abilities of permanents that have do not target is a free action.

Full on attack/defense- (usually red blaster types) may use full on attack in conjuction with casting for one of the following effects- increase any save in conjunction with the spell they are casting, Increase damage of a spell, reduce the target's dodge score by 2 if there is a dodge , or generate two additional mana of a color they have active to cast a spell with multikicker or X in its casting cost. These same options are available to parries with a full-on defense. If you have devoted a action to parrying, you may cast spells for until the beginning of your next turn. If you use either full attack OR full defense, you need not pay fatigue to cast multiple spells.

Special actions- When your turn begins you may activate a mana bond as a free action. You may cast a spell as a standard attack, you may cast additional spells at the expense of one fatigue per each previous spell. You may spend fatigue to activate artifacts as a free action.

You do not need to roll to hit with a spell. Most hostile spells allow a dodge attempt, however. Those depicting an attack that cannot be dodged, such a electricity, almost always allow a resistance roll. The save is opposed: your will or HT (whichever is higher) versus the most logical stat of the target, modified by the CMC of the spell and the CMC of the target. A player character's CMC is considered equal to the amount of mana bonds they have active for this purpose.

Other rules

Once activated, a mana bond remains online for sixty seconds. You may not draw on your full power unless you are experiencing a fight-or-flight response.

All summoned creatures, artifacts, and enchantments disappear when you no longer feel a pressing need for them, unless they have been purchased with the Ally advantage.

When a card would be put into your graveyard, it goes to the bottom of your library.



The first time any being uses the Magic advantage each scene, , a d6 is rolled. In that many rounds, each caster draws a card and this process repeats automatically.

If a you have mana available at the beginning of your turn in excess of your level of magic in any color of mana, you lose HP equal to that amount.


At the beginning of each character's initiative, they draw a card if they have no cards in their hand. If they cannot, they must make a will check to avoid becoming afflicted by terror. The maximum effect of the terror and the dififculty of panicking increase each time the check is made.