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Monday, October 25, 2021

Holy Water - a list of what it doesn't do

In GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, Holy Water is all of $15 a vial, $7.50 for clerics. It's expensive for water, even by 2021 standards, but it is cheap as dirt compared to potions and other concoctions. Even a 1d6 healing potion costs $120, and mild poisons - easily resisted and doing minor damage - range from $20 per dose.

Yet, despite that, my players are convinced - half-seriously, half-kidding - that it should do more. Much, much more.

Powers my players have ascribed to, or suggested for, or claimed are logical for, holy water:

- it acts as Paut for clerics and holy warriors

- it acts as a healing potion for clerics and holy warriors

- it's poisonous to evil creatures

- it damages evil creatures on contact, instantly

- it removes curses

- it exorcises evil from anything it is poured on

- it repels evil creatures

- it turns unholy water into holy water

- it neutralizes poison

- it refreshes good creatures, restoring FP and acting as Essential Water

- it turns your mother into a basketball . . . not wait, that's SPACOM.

For my players - anything I have missed?

See also: GURPS 101: Item/Spell Effects or Creature Weakness

5 comments:

  1. Nothing that I can think of…I think a lot of it harkens back to holy water causing damage to undead in Basic D&D (1d8).

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  2. Opposites tend to destroy each other or at least react badly. Matter + antimatter being the classic example. I read your players think holy water turns unholy water into holy water. Let them believe that. In line with my earlier example mixing the two liquids should create a fulminating potion and woe to the naive player who thinks it makes more good stuff.

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  3. Put it on a weapon to negate diffuse, insubstantial etc

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  4. doesn't it only affect things with vulnerability or weakness or dread of holy?

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    Replies
    1. Oh sure, that's what the "rules" and the "GM" will tell you, yeah. :)

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