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Thursday, January 12, 2023

Revised GURPS Magic: Blink

We play Blink differently than written. We make the destination hex random. We roll to see what direction the caster shifts, and the caster moves only as many hexes as necessary to end up in an unoccupied hex.

Why?

Because I've been dealing with Blink abuse since way, way back in the day. In my experience:

- it's a hideously abusable spell. Wanna teleport somewhere? Have a friend hit you and pull his blow so it can't hurt you. Blink away to where you want to be, whether off of a pressure plate trap, or out of a pit, or beyond a door, or the other side of a wall.

- limiting it to "hexes you can see only" helps but, hey, Wizard Eye and scrying and Glasswall.

- limiting to places you can walk to without aid helps more, but then makes it fail in weird ways, like being surrounded.

- limiting it by random works better, because it's much harder to abuse.

Ultimately, in DF, it is a Teleport spell in a game world that says Teleport costs 100 points as an ability, and you get a limited version for 99% off.

Casting cost is still 2 because:

Parry-like Blocking spells are 1 (most limited)
Dodge-like Blocking spells are 3 (most useful)

Can't choose location is one limitation, needs Body Sense is another, but a positive is you are teleporting out of the hex you were in. So -, -, + = one -. Having limitations on the effect of the Dodge is -1, so cost is 2.

So that's why it is as it is. Yeah, Phase is better. It's also 3 points, and it does leave you in the hex you are in, making it less potentially useful than Blink.

2 comments:

  1. Added to the bookmarks labeled "Peter's DFRPG house rules" for later mining...

    I like this one, though my normal method is just to remove it (no teleport elsewhere so it's consistent), but leaves the Movement College without a Blocking spell.

    --evileeyore

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  2. I like it and agree. Blink should not be a reliable utility spell when DF says teleportation magic is not otherwise commonly available.

    In my previous DF campaign, I had a wizard player who tried more than once to use the option that says it is possible to cast a Blocking spell normally on your turn as a Regular spell. He was intending that as a loophole in order to use Blink for utility teleportation rather than immediate defence. I said no each time, arguing that it only works as a reflex escape attempt from immediate danger. Otherwise there is no way to justify charging 100 points for a teleport spell ability.

    I had considered a random destination hex previously, as that makes thematic sense in addition to mitigating abuses as you have indicated. I didn't go with it at the time, if only because the player would have argued and complained something awful. Your post reminds me that now would be a good point to introduce such a ruling, before any spellcaster in my DF Novices campaign learns Blink.

    Cheers!

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