Spicing up Combat Spells, Or "How to blow more stuff up" Options

[Marwynn]

We have a nice selection of spells that go largely ignored by many Magicians. High drain is the largest complaint and the fact that it's easier to shoot a gun than throw a Flamethrower spell.

It seems a bit restrictive. Though many of the combat spells with their elemental effects are hard to reproduce mundanely a similar enough effect can be achieved without drawing on magical resources. The larger array of Illusion and Manipulation spells are a lot more preferrable than a Mage that can cast Lightning Ball real well.

Most of the time only two spells are taken; Powebolt, a low drain, high efficiency spell, and Stunball the "sleep" spell. For flavour, a few take the Touch-range spells for their "cast all day at twice your Magic" capability.

So how about some more ways to blow stuff up? These are just fun ideas that aim to do the following:
- Minimize drain
- Offer an alternative to firearms
- Provide flexibility
- Not be "overpowered", might fail there though.


New Combat Spell Types


Spell Slinging (Indirect, Elemental)
Type: Physical (Elemental)
Range: LOS (Thrown Grenades - Standard: Force as Strength)
Duration: Sustained
Drain Value: (F/2) +3

The lance of fire, the coil of electricity, the whip of sound, even the toxic breath, all are fundamentally the same basic spell. The Magician draws and shapes mana and acts as a 'capacitor' for discharging it. The spell manifests itself differently for each mage, but all operate it in the same manner.

Note: Eyes glow, fists sparkle, mouths reek, etc., while the spell is sustained.

Each casting of the spell adds the Force of the spell plus the net hits as ammunition or 'charges'. Only one net hit is necessary for the spell to succeed and always has a minimum of Force + 1 charges. This is the number of times the caster can attack with one casting of Spell Slinging. The caster can attack in the same complex action when the spell is first cast. The -2 modifier applies as normal, except when attack with the spell.

Sustaining the spell automatically ends when the last charge is used. The mage can choose to end it any time before then as normal.

To attack with the spell, use the Indirect Combat Spell rules for single targets each time the caster wants to use a charge and attacks with a Simple Action. This is similar to using Agility + Pistols, for example, and incurs no additional rolls for Drain (apart from the initial casting to sustain the spell) and does not suffer from the -2 sustaining modifier.

However, unlike its one-shot cousins, Spell Slinging has a limited range, using the Thrown Grenades (Standard) for distances using the Spell's Force as the Strength. No other grenade rules apply. The dice pool modifier for range does not apply to the actual "attack" test but rather is removed from the Spell's damage value (which is the spell's Force, and net hits to the attack test, Magic + Spellcasting, add to it).

This spell cannot be sustained through a focus and cannot be boosted using any other focus. Must choose one Elemental effect when learning the spell.

Advantages
- Multiple uses through one moderately high drain spell.
- Simple Action to 'sling' the spell.
- At Force 3-4, Spell Slinging mimics the range of a Heavy Pistol.
- Indirect, so it's not just one chance to damage spell.
- Elemental effects are always fun.
Disadvantages
- Limited range. As long as you can see something naturally (or through non-electronic means) with a Powerbolt you can hit it. Not so here.
- Trackable; a stunball is invisible, but a shearing band of raging sound isn't so subtle.
- Even a Force 12 spell can't reach an Assault Rifle beyond 120 metres.
- Cannot be used with a Focus of any kind. The caster himself must sustain the spell, and that means a -2 on everything but attacking with this spell.


Elemental Trap (Indirect, Area, Elemental)
Type: Physical
Range: LOS (A)
Damage: Physical (Elemental)
Duration: Permanent (Lasts Force x 10 minutes)
Drain Value: (F/2) + 5

A twisted take on an old Manipulation favourite, Elemental Traps are 'delayed' Spells that combine the Elemental Wall spell archetype with the direct application of a Combat spell. However, instead of applying the Wall's effect vertically the spell is lain on the floor or draped across a wall or any other surface as long as the total square area is less than or equal to twice the spell's Force.

The area must be contiguous.

The caster specifies a simple condition to activate the trap. Movement near it, moving over it at a specific point in the area, voices ringing down the hall, a specific time (within the spell's time limit), etc. Nothing too fancy like waiting for a specific person, voice, or phrase. Can be remotely triggered or activated by a friendly Spirit astrally.

The spell is quite visible astrally even after it has been made 'permanent'. Can be dispelled like a sustained spell.

When triggered the Elemental Trap's effect engages the entire area and damages targets within Force - 1 metres from the edge of the the trap area, dealing Force damage and reducing the damage by 1 for every metre beyond the first from the edge. This spell cannot be overcast. Must choose one elemental effect when learning the spell. The spell dissipates after being triggered but leaves a very colourful astral signature.

Advantages
- Great patrol ambush spell, lay down the magical trap and tell it to blow up when someone approaches the end of its area of effect. Great 'car bomb'.
- Relatively low drain.
- Great distraction; set it to trigger in case an alarm is heard an offer a big explosion to confuse things, or slow down the likely approach of corp security with an Ice Trap.
- Damage area includes the surface it is 'painted' on.
- Probably too strong if extruded to less than a metre square in width; so limit that. You can run a 1cm line through an entire base and blow it up like that. If you could see the entire area that is.
- Beneficial effects possible; detecting fire the Water Trap triggers and extinguishes it.
Disadvantages
- High drain.
- Astrally visible, so much so that it makes other astral signatures look dull. Sets off all those semi-mundane Astral Projection measures.
- Can be triggered by friendlies.
- Laying it on the floor sounds like a good idea until you blast through the floor and cave it all in. Or maybe that's an Advantage?
- Elemental effects are fun but wild.
- Cannot be lain on moving targets.


Bombshell (Indirect, Area, Elemental)
Type: Physical
Range: LOS (A) (Thrown Grenade - Aerodynamic)
Damage: Physical (Elemental)
Duration: Instantaneous
Drain Value: (F/2) + 3

A magical grenade this spell attempts to replicate the mundane but bouncy effects of the common 'pineapple'. Whereas other Indirect Area Combat Spells can affect unseen targets this spell is meant to be thrown blindly across corridors or dropped down stairways unseen.

It has no real summoned form, but is given physical consistency to allow it to roll, bounce, and so on.

In game terms this means the caster selects an area to place the Bombshell, out of line of sight is possible but it must be within Force x Thrown Grenade (Aerodynamic) metres from the caster. The area would also be normally reachable by a normal grenade, GM's discretion. Bombshells do scatter, treated as an Aerodynamic grenade.

Bombshells dissipate the combat turn after they were cast if detonation does not occur. Free action by the caster can trigger it before turn ends. Does not harm a target if hurled into their face, unless that was the condition in which case the spell blows up like a normal Indirect Area combat spell.

Advantages
- Slightly lower drain than other Indirect Area spells.
- Delayed action gives greater flexibility.
- Elemental effects... yep.
- Reach normally unreachable places.
- Moderate drain value.
Disadvantages
- Scatter is a pain.
- Limited range.
- Visual 'trail' as the spell is cast, leaving a big 'shoot here' arrow.


Imbue (Direct, Touch, Elemental)
Type: Physical
Range: Touch
Damage: Physical (Elemental)
Duration: Sustained
Drain Value: (F/2) + 1

Favoured by martially-capable mages, Imbue grants an Elemental effect to a melee or projectile weapon of choice; be they gloves, arrows, or even cyber implants. Like Spell Slinging this grants a limited number of charges determined by the Force + net hits. However, this requires a secondary set of skills for whatever weapon is imbued; Blades, Unarmed, etc.

Even thrown weapons and arrows can be imbued. However, each thrown shuriken or loosed arrow consumes a charge. Bullets, for the sake of balance, cannot. Each time a charge is consumed an appropriate weapons test must be made.

The spell deals Force / 2 elemental damage (round down, yes that's right, round down) to the target on top of the weapon's normal damage. Cannot be reduced by armour but can be resisted as a direct combat spell. If the mundane attack fails the charge is wasted and does no extra damage on its own. The damage is cumulative with other effects.

Imbue does not have to be learned for each type of weapon. It can be applied to up two melee weapons the character is wielding (one in each hand), or Agility / 2 thrown weapons that have been readied. The weapon is imbued at the moment of damaging contact, or in a projectile weapon's case when it is released. Therefore, charges are not consumed when on the defense.

The spell is not learnt for one type of weapon, but for one type of Elemental effect.

Advantages
- Low enough drain for potential extra firepower.
- Extra, but not too extra, damage for normally low-damaging skills.
- Flaming swords. Electric shuriken. Blast Gloves.
Disadvantages
- Must be sustained to use and refreshed.
- Most mages don't like rubbing elbows with the Street Sam due to lower Body and armour.
- Those two combined means the normally squishy mage will have an even worse time surviving; specialist spell.
- The spell is not subtle. Swords are on fire. Shuriken are chittering with electricity, the Blast Gloves are positively howling.