Here’s another set of ten spells adapted from AD&D to add to my Dungeons & Sorcery system for GURPS. I’m still concentrating on 1st Level spells, though more of these are from Unearthed Arcana/2e Players Handbook, and branch out into illusions.

Chill Touch (C)
Necromancy, Somatic, Verbal
67 points + 66 points/level
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: Innate Attack
Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell tries to drain some of the life force out of a creature. If the caster hits a living creature with a chill touch, it feels a chilling sensation and takes 1d-1 of damage (crushing, DR protects as normal, but there is no blunt trauma or knockback). Assuming the attack penetrates DR, the target makes an unmodified HT roll and loses 1 point of ST for a number of minutes equal to his MoF. Further successful attacks will drain more ST!

If chill touch is used on an undead creature, it takes no damage, but may gain a Dread of the caster (with an 11 yard range) as its link to the Negative Material Plane is disrupted. Do a quick contest of the caster’s Will+Talent vs the target’s HT, and the dread will last for MoS minutes.

This spell has no effect on inanimate objects, nor creatures animated by magical means (such as golems). Each level of the spell adds a -1 penalty to the HT of the target.

Innate Attack, 1d-1 (cr) (Accessibility: Living Creatures, -10%; Link, +10%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; No Blunt Trauma, -20%, No Knockback, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [0.2×4] + Affliction 1 (HT; -1 ST, +5%; Accessibility: Living Creatures, -10%; Cumulative, +400%; Follow-Up, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [4.6×10] + Affliction (HT; Disadvantage: Dread, Caster, 11 yards, +40%; Accessibility: Undead, -35%; Based on Will, Own Roll, +20%; Link, +10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [2.0×10]

Color Spray (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
49 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: Innate Attack
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Instantaneous

The magic-user causes a fan of brightly colored light to emanate from his hand, dancing across everyone in a 10 yard wide, 10 yard long cone. (See Cone Attacks, B413, to determine the area affected.) Everyone in the area who sees the color spray must make a HT roll (at +3 if further than a yard away) or have their senses overloaded and fall asleep for a number of minutes equal to the MoF. After that, the victim is stunned (lightly dozing) until he can make a HT roll (once per second).

Affliction 1 (HT; Sleep, +150%; Cone, 10 yards, +150%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sense-Based (Vision), +150%; Sorcery, -15%) [4.85×10]

Detect Magic (VC)
Divination, Somatic, Verbal
2 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: IQ
Range: Special; use speed/range table.
Duration: 1 minute

This is usually the second spell magic-users are taught; as a lesser divination spell, improvised casting (or research) of this is based off of root Thaumatology or Divination skill. When cast, you can sense most magic items and effects in front of you (in a 60º arc as if you had Tunnel Vision), and you can turn and move about in a search for these effects.

The GM should make a Per roll for you to see anything hidden away (behind a door, under a rug), but this sight will not go through most walls or metal plates. He should also make an IQ roll to get a basic idea of the type of magic involved, but detailed analysis is reserved for critical success and identify.

Detect (Magic; Restricted Arc, 60º, -75%, Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [0.2×10]

Gaze Reflection (C)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
48 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None
Range: None
Duration: 30 seconds

This spell conjures a shimmering, silvery shield directly in front of the caster. It is not opaque, and does not interfere with normal vision, but does reflect all attacks that work through the gaze of the attacker, who may then resist normally.

This does not include attacks that are merely aimed by sight (using Innate Attack (Gaze) or similar), nor effects that just require a subject to see the attacker (such as a medusa), but only those that require eye contact.

Static (Gaze Attacks; Reduced Duration, 1/2, -5%; Reflection, +100%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [1.6×30]

Grease (C)
Conjuration, Somatic, Verbal, Area (Leveled)
20 points +5 points/level
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim
Range: 10 yards
Duration: 30 seconds

Casting this spell coats an area with a slippery layer of grease (the exact area depends on the level of the spell, and is selectable; see T:S9). This makes the entire area effectively Bad Footing, and gives a -2 penalty to all DX related activities. This can be resisted by getting a secure purchase on the original surface by making a resistance roll against DX (the DR of the character’s foot coverings count towards this resistance roll).

Affliction 1 (DX; -2 DX, +20%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Based on DX, +20%; Environmental, Touching Ground, -20%; Extended Duration, x3, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [1.95×10] Additional levels add a level of Area Effect, +50%.

Jump (VC)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
20 points + 1 point/level
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 minute

Casting this spell on someone gives them the ability to jump up to four times their normal distance (high or broad jump, B352) once. This can be done at any time in the next minute, and is activated by the person consciously deciding to jump. While this spell does not guarantee a safe landing spot, any fall equal to or less than the maximum high jump allowed by the spell will cause no damage.

Additional levels of the spell increase the number of jumps allowed, with 4 jumps at level 2, and unlimited jumps at level 3.

Affliction 1 (HT; Super Jump 2 (Magical, -10%), +180%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Limited Use 1 (Fast Reload), -20%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; Reduced Duration, 1/3, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [1.95×10] Note: You ‘reload’ the Limited Use by re-casting the spell. This can break the 3-5 second rule, but costs fatigue. Extra levels buy off Limited Use.

Mending (VC)
Alteration, Somatic, Verbal
20 points
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll:
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent

This spell can be used to repair small breaks and tears in objects. It “heals” up to 4 HP of damage to a single item, possibly a puncture in a bag, or a cut rope. Larger objects are often beyond the limits of this spell, but it could be used to mend 4 HP of damage to an item that has not actually broken.

Healing (Capped, 2 FP, -25%; Injuries Only, -20%; Magic, -10%; Reduced Fatigue Cost, -1 FP, +20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Xenohealing: Inanimate Only, +20%) [0.65×30]

Mount (C)
Conjuration, Somatic, Verbal
28 points +28/level
Casting Time: 129 seconds (2 min, 9 seconds)
Casting Roll: None
Range: None
Duration: 100 minutes

Use of this spell conjures a loyal mount for the caster to ride. This is a normal, non-magical animal, other than the fact that it appears from… somewhere… when the spell is cast, and it disappears back to where it came from when the spell is over, or it is slain. As a special note, it always dies (and disappears) when injuries reach -1xHP; if this happens, it cannot be re-summoned for 2xHP minutes. The mount is an Ally with no equipment, who will only obey the caster, and will have the skill Mount-12.

It is up to the GM to decide exactly what mounts are available (and will need to determine their character points), although this description provides the most common options. Almost any riding animal suitable to the caster and setting can be conjured by this spell, i.e., an orc magic-user may well conjure up a wolf to ride. If the setting has riding birds instead of horses, only those will be available to conjure. (A magic-user visiting from a more ‘standard’ world will still conjure horses for himself.)

This spell only conjures more-or-less average (base template) examples of the species. The caster cannot specify ‘a strong horse’, or ‘a fast camel’. However, for species with a great deal of variation (horses, for example), a general type can be specified. Any mount type commonly used for combat should have appropriate fighting skills (such as Brawling), but may have some appropriate disadvantages.

This spell is available in three levels, which allow for 25%-power, 50%-power, and 75%-power Allies respectively. What mounts exactly can be conjured by this spell depend on the spell level and caster’s Character Points.

The main stats of each of the normally available conjurations are in the following table:

Type CP Lifting ST HP B. Speed Land Move
Pony -2 17 17 5 7/14
Horse -10 19 19 5 8/16
Destrier 0 26 23 4.75 6/12
Mule 8 20 17 5.25 7/14
Camel 52 18 18 5.25 8/12
Elephant 157 35 35 5 5/7
Gryphon 118 27 17 6 6

Ally point values on this table are derived from the GURPS Animalia site (except the gryphon from B460), and include the Conjured Servant advantage from “Making Friends and Conjuring People”. Land move numbers separated by a slash are its base move, and its Enhanced Move top speed.

The destrier has Brawling-11 and Intimidation-12, but is also Bad Tempered (12-). The gryphon has Brawling-14 and Flight-12 and a base Air Move of 12 with a top speed of 24.

For an increase of 25 points to the ally value (to buy off Dead Broke), the mount will also appear with appropriate tack and harness. (A standard 150-point character can do this immediately for everything through the mule.)

Cosmic Pool: 7 points (Limited: Only for Summonable Riding Allies, -50%; Magical, -10%; Social: +0%) [0.4×70] Note: This allows for a 25%-power Ally. Further levels increase this to 50% and 75%. The pool itself is configured as follows: Ally (25% Power, Constantly Available; Extended Duration, x100, +80%; Minion, +0%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Summonable, +100%; Takes Extra Time, x128, -70%) [1.75×4] Note: Casting time is 128 seconds for the Ally, plus one second to configure the Pool to the particular Ally.

Phantasmal Force (C)/Improved Phantasmal Force (C)
Phantasm, Somatic, Verbal, Area (Leveled), Resisted
44 points + 12.5/level or 52 points + 12.5/level
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None. Use IQ or Artist (Illusion) to determine how convincing it is.
Range: 50 yards
Duration: 10 minutes

This spell allows the caster to create any illusion he wants inside a two-yard radius anywhere within 50 yards of the caster. While it only lasts for 10 minutes and cannot be maintained, it requires constant concentration from the caster, or it will disappear.

This illusion only fools visual senses, and has no sound, touch, smell, etc. It can be used to simply block vision within the limits of the area of the illusion. Assuming it is used to actually try to fool the viewer, the caster must win a Quick Contest of the caster’s Artist (Illusion) (or IQ, if that is better) plus Talent vs the viewer’s Per. Failure means the viewer notices something ‘off’ about the illusion, and there is a +4 to the viewers’ roll if they are alert to illusions (possibly told to be by someone who already made his roll, or just because what the illusion is presenting should make noise, and isn’t), or a +10 if it appears before them from nowhere.

This spell has levels that doubles the radius the area of the illusion. It also has an advanced form, improved phantasmal force, which removes the requirement to concentrate to maintain the illusion, and includes sound in the effects of the illusion. The illusion will even act on its own without further input from the caster. However, it will not react, or act intelligently, but just do whatever action the caster specified. He can concentrate once again to direct the illusion to take a new action. Finally, while the illusion can make a wide range of noises, intelligible speech is too complicated, and cannot be done with this spell, though some inarticulate grunts could be managed.

Illusion (Extended Duration, x10, +40%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/2, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%; Visual Only, -30%) [1.45×25]. Additional levels add Area Effect, +50%. Improved Phantasmal Force removes ‘Visual Only’ and adds ‘Accessibility, General Sounds Only, -10%; Independence, +40%’. [2.05×25]

Protection From Conjuration (VC)
Abjuration, Somatic, Verbal, Buff
42 points + 18.75/level
Casting Time: 1 second
Casting Roll: None
Range: Touch
Duration: 9 seconds

The subject of this spell gains an invisible barrier that will keep all extra-planar creatures, summoned creatures, and magical constructs from getting closer than about a foot, unless they can overcome DR10 (and then they still have to deal with the character’s normal armor and protection). This does not affect weapons, and does not affect ranged attacks (including innate abilities of such creatures), but it will affect any Innate melee-only attacks (for instance, a statue with a sword that has been animated, as opposed to a similar statue holding an actual sword).

Each level adds 5 DR to the protection.

Note: This is a rough replacement for Protection From Evil, which also keeps extra-planar and summoned creatures of whatever type from touching the subject. “vs Evil” spells are being kept for clerics (and Divine Favor), where “evil” can be defined by the god’s precepts.

Affliction 1 (HT; DR 10 (Accessibility: Only against magical beings/constructs, -35%; Force Field, +20%; Magical -10%), +380%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Melee Attack, C, 1, -20%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/20, -25%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sorcery, -15%) [4.2×10]


Chill Touch is too expensive for what it is, but a cumulative -1 ST is +405% (that last 5% is the ST drain itself). Basing Cumulative at least partly off of the price of what it’s applied to would seem a little more fair in what I consider an extreme situation, but I’m sure it would be min/maxed it to death.

Gaze Reflection is based on Reflect Gaze from S:PWS9 (and please see the note in the statistics section of that writeup), while Improved Phantasmal Force is largely the same as Complex Illusion on T:S18. In both cases, reading the description of the original spell may be helpful, as they hit details I didn’t. An important note is that I am avoiding maintainable spells, which keeps these forms from having the indefinite durations of the originals, but also allows the magic-user to do something else with the spell still active (except for poor Phantasmal Force; Illusionists are forced to concentrate on it in the original too). Similarly, Detect Magic is close to the spell of the same name on T:S19, but it does have some significant differences (and uses a modifier from Powers: Enhanced Senses).

Mount was the most work to write up, and another place I owe PK thanks, as I wouldn’t have come up with a good method of doing the spell without his article. Overall, it’s probably my favorite from this set too. I’m afraid I boosted the casting time rather ruthlessly to get the size of the Cosmic Pool down a point.

Protection From Conjuration runs into the problem of absolutes. The first draft was fixed DR 20 (to protect from about 3d), but this version still protects against 2d (most of the time), and the leveling will let it scale up to bigger threats.