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GM Notes
on Adeptology
|
| Adeptology (AY-dep-TOL-oh-GEE), practitioners
of which are properly called Adepts (AY-depts), is flexible
Magic System of staggering breadth and flexibility, but at the
expense of raw power. |
| However, often the ability to effectively
will reality to bend to their whim makes up for the lack of
overall potency and Adepts can work
powerful magic. |
| Adeptology has a strong central concept, and
can handle different nuances and flavors by setting some simple
parameters, allowing for some customizability. |
| Casting Model |
| Adeptology requires a
custom Talent called "Magical Adept" that can only be taken at Character
Creation to allow access to the Magic System. This is described more fully
under Restrictions below. |
|
A character with the Magical Adept Talent can at any point in their careers
start purchasing an Adeptology Variable Power Pool defined as follows: |
- 0 Phase Change (+1)
- No Skill Roll Required (+1)
- *Only Arcane Magic (-1/2)
or Only Divine Magic (-1/2)
- Variable Limitation (-1/2; each Spell must take -1 of Limitations
from Extra Time, Gestures, Incantation, Limited Range,
Increased Endurance in
any combination at a MINIMUM)
- All Arcane Spells Must Take Concentration (-1/4)
and Delayed Phase (-1/4)
- All Divine Spells Must Take "Only In Service Of
Patron Deity"; -1/2
- Spells May Not Have Any Other
Limitations
- All Spells Must Cost END
- (Spells may cost END only to Activate
where allowed)
|
| Control Cost per 10 Pool =
6 Real Points |
| Total Cost per 10 Pool = 16 Real Points |
| *NOTE: ARCANE & DIVINE
MAGIC IN THE
SAME MAGIC VPP |
| With GM Permission a Character could
buy off -1/4 of the "Arcane Magic" or "Divine
Magic" Limitation, allowing them to have both "Arcane" and "Divine" Spells in the same
Magic VPP. This would
only be appropriate if the character met the criteria for being a Divine
Spellcaster (i.e. worships some entity or deity which grants Divine Spells). This
might be allowed in the case of a Adept that is also a Priest of a God of
Magic (or vice versa) for instance. However, the potential for abuse is very
high with this option; a high level
Adept could
buy off the Arcane restriction and suddenly also be a very powerful Priest
and vice versa. |
| Despite the risk of abuse, the cost involved and the
limiting factor of how many Spells the character could have in their Magic
VPP at any given time both help minimize the abusiveness of this option. To
help preserve verisimilitude a GM may require such a character to do
a partially limited buy off on the Control Cost 10 Pool
at a time,
preventing an Adept with a 100
Pool VPP going from knowing absolutely zero Divine Spells to
suddenly knowing all Divine Spells up to
100 Pool by simply buying off a -1/4 Limitation. |
| It is worth adding extra stress to
the idea that this particular option should be heavily controlled by the GM.
It is perhaps the single easiest way to make an Adept instantly too
powerful if not strictly curtailed to only-when-it-makes-sense occasions. |
| SPELLS |
| Adept Spells
are simply Power Constructs (including Compound
Powers) with sufficient Limitations to comply
with the mandatory Limitations applied to the Control Cost of the Adept's
VPP. |
| The Adeptology VPP
functions normally as indicated in the HERO System Rulebook; thus an Adept
may have any number of Spells currently "active" in their VPP with an Active
Point total equal or less to the Pool size and with a total Real Cost for
all "active" Spells equal to or less than the Pool size. |
| Spells may be of any sort with any intended
effect not otherwise proscribed by a GM, but the GM as always has final
approval of all Spells. |
| LONG TERM ENDURANCE LOSS |
| However, as a Campaign Groundrule worth no points, Limitations, or Disadvantages,
Adepts suffer some fatigue when using their abilities at the
higher end. Essentially, when an Adept activates a Spell with
Active Points greater than half their total Pool size they
suffer Long Term Endurance (LTE) loss as indicated in the chart
provided. This is in addition to normal END
costs for a Spell. |
|
91-100% |
5 |
|
81-90% |
4 |
|
71-80% |
3 |
|
61-70% |
2 |
|
51-60% |
1 |
|
| EXAMPLE:
Sharn, who has a 150 Pool Adeptology VPP, uses a Spell with 76 Active
Points, and thus suffers 1 point of Long Term Endurance (LTE)
loss because 76 is between 51-60% of 150 Pool. |
|
| Later Sharn
uses a Spell with 140Active
Points, and thus suffers 5 points of Long Term Endurance (LTE)
loss because 140 is between
91-100% of 150 Pool. |
| Long Term Endurance is
discussed at length in the HERO System Rulebook, but essentially it can be
thought of as a Drain vs. END against which Power Defense does not work that Fades back after 5 hours of rest. The net effect in this case is to cause
an Adept to grow heavily fatigued if they use their Magic to it's fullest
potential. |
|
Available Spells |
| By default Adeptology is a wide-open
Magic System,
but a GM should consider placing
some restrictions on what Spells are
available by producing a set list of Spells
for both Arcane and Divine Adepts. |
| SET SPELL LIST |
| The following is not in effect in my campaigns. |
| A GM could produce set lists of Spells
available for both Arcane and Divine Adepts. There might even be many set
lists for different varieties of Divine Adepts, appropriately tailored to
various deities or the like. |
| BROAD GUIDELINES |
| The following is in effect in my campaigns. |
| Instead of taking the time to produce
a finite list of Spells available a GM might
instead lay down broad guidelines such
as the following sample restrictions: |
| ARCANE ADEPTS |
| Arcane Adepts may only use up to half the total
Active Point maximum in their VPP for Spells based on Adjustment,
Mental, and Sensory Powers. |
| Arcane Adepts may not build any Spells based on
Healing, FTL, Summon, or any Special Power. |
| Spells built with any Stop Sign Power require prior GM
Permission on a case by case basis (and GM's are encouraged to heavily
restrict or effectively forbid the use of such powerful destabilizing
effects in a Cosmic VPP). |
|
Example: Borlen has 60 Pool in his Arcane Adeptology VPP allowing him to
cast Attack, Body Affecting, Defense, Movement, Sense-Affecting, and Size Powers
(that are not also Special, Adjustment, Mental, or Sensory Powers). |
|
He may only use Spells involving any Adjustment, Mental, or Sensory Power (if
they are not also Special Powers) if they have 30 Active Points or less. |
|
He may not use any Spell built with Healing, FTL, Summon, or any Special
Power like Duplication. He must have the GM's prior express permission to use
any Spell built on a Stop Sign Power like Transform, EDM, Desolidification, or
Clairsentience. |
| DIVINE ADEPTS |
| Divine Adepts may only use up to half their total Active
Point maximum for Spells based on Attack, Body-Affecting,
Movement, and Size Powers. |
| Divine Adepts may not build any Spells based on FTL,
or any Special Power. |
| Spells built with any Stop Sign Power require prior GM
Permission on a case by case basis (and GM's are encouraged to heavily
restrict or effectively forbid the use of such powerful destabilizing
effects in a Cosmic VPP). |
|
Example: Yendosh has 60 Pool in his Divine Adeptology VPP allowing him to
cast Adjustment, Defense, Mental, Sense-Affecting, and Sensory Powers (that are
not also Special, Attack, Body-Affecting, Movement, or Size Powers) with up to 60
Active Points. |
|
He may only use Spells involving any Attack, Body Affecting, Movement, or Size
Power (if they are not also Special Powers) if they have 30 Active Points or
less. |
|
He may not use any Spell built with FTL, or any Special
Power like Duplication. He must have the GM's prior express permission to use
any Spell built on a Stop Sign Power like Transform, EDM, Desolidification, or
Clairsentience. |
| Restrictions |
| There are a number of
restrictions which apply to this type of Magic Use, as follows. |
| ACCESS
TALENT |
| As mentioned above an Adepts must take a special Magical
Access Talent at Character Creation to use this type of Magic. This prevents
characters from later spontaneously deciding to buy into a Cosmic VPP for
some cantrip type effects, which if ungoverned could seriously unbalance a
campaign. |
| Some of the Variants described for Adeptology override
this behavior and define their own version of a Magical Access Talent. |
| Some GM's may opt to waive this requirement. |
| A Magical Adept is born with the
capacity to use Adeptology Magic. This ability may only be taken at character
creation. |
| Magical Adept Cost: 5
Points |
| SPECIAL EFFECTS (SFX) |
| Magic Spells have very broad Special Effects. In
addition to any specific SFX that a particular Spell might have such
Electricity for a Lightning Bolt Spell or Fire for Flamebolt Spell, all
Magic Spells also automatically have the additional SFX of Magic, plus either Arcane or Divine, the type of
Magic (Adeptology), and finally
in the case of Adeptology the
caster themselves have signature that becomes part of the SFX. These
mandatory SFX cannot be altered by any means, including Variable Special
Effects. |
| NOTE: An Arcane Magic
Adeptology Spell is always Magic, always Arcane,
and always an Adeptology Spell. Additionally all of the
Spells cast by a particular Adept have a "signature" that identifies the
Spell as theirs and can be interacted with by other Spells. |
| EXAMPLE: Borlen the young
new Arcane Adept casts Jolting Arc: RKA 2d6 (vs. ED), AOE (3" Any Area; +1) (60
Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Extra
Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Incantations (-1/4), (uses END Reserve). This Spell as cast by him has the following SFX:
Magic, Arcane, Adeptology,
Electricity, and Adept Barlen. A character with appropriate detects could
determine all of this information either directly or secondhand if observing
the effects of the Magic later. |
| ARMOR |
| Adepts can use Armor,
but suffer Spellcasting penalties for
doing so as indicated by the following table. In addition to any relevant
non-proficiency penalties, Adepts are able to use only a percentage of their
full VPP Pool while wearing Armor as indicated by the following chart. Note
that a Adepts available Active Points are reduced while wearing Armor, but
not the Real Cost limit of their VPP. |
| Light |
-25% |
| Medium |
-50% |
| Heavy |
-75% |
| Shield |
-15% |
| Tower Shield |
-50% |
| Gauntlets |
-15% |
| Fully Enclosed Armor |
-30% |
|
| EXAMPLE: Findros
the Magnificent has a 80 Pool Adept VPP. While wearing Heavy Armor he can
cast Spells of 20 Active Points or Less (25 % of 80), but may not cast
Spells of 21 or more Active Points; if he also carried a Shield, he would
only have -75% + -15% = -90% = 8 Active Points available -- not enough to
cast much of anything with. Conversely if wearing Light Armor he would have
60 Active Points available. |
|
REQUIRED/FORBIDDEN MODIFIERS |
- Spells May Not Have Any Limitations
Other Than Those Cited In The VPP Control Cost
- All Spells Must Cost END
- (Spells may cost END only to Activate
where allowed)
|
| NO UNSPECIFIED LIMITATIONS |
| Since Adeptology is essentially a "Cosmic VPP" style of
Magic, most Limitations are much less limiting to an Adept. The only
limitations that may be taken are those mandated by an Adepts VPP Control
Cost. |
| Just to be clear, the Limitations required to comply
with an Adepts VPP Control Cost are: |
- Variable Limitation (-1/2; each Spell must take -1 of Limitations
from Extra Time, Gestures, Incantation, Limited Range,
Increased Endurance in
any combination at a MINIMUM)
|
- All Arcane Spells Must Take Concentration (-1/4)
and Delayed Phase (-1/4)
|
- All Divine Spells Must Take "Only In Service Of
Patron Deity"; -1/2
|
| No other Limitations are allowed. The only exception to
this is that Powers that normally don't cost Endurance must take a
Limitation that makes them cost END, even if only to Activate. |
| COSTS ENDURANCE |
| The single greatest restriction on this Magic System is
that all Spells must cost Endurance to activate. This
serves to restrict the frequency of Magic Use over a short term period, such
as combat scenes. It also prevents or discourages certain Power Constructs
from being used by Adepts due to mechanical conflicts or inefficiency.
Note however that Adepts that have END Reserves can get around many of
the inconveniences of Spells costing END via the use of
Uncontrolled. |
|
ENDURANCE RESERVES |
| Adepts may have an END Reserve to power
their Spells with, but if they have one all Spells must draw their END from
this Reserve. |
| The Standard "May Use Either Personal END or END
Reserve" +1/4 Advantage may be used in this case on individual Spells where
desired unless forbidden by the GM. |
| By default an END Reserve of this
sort Recovers in the normal fashion, but some GM's might want to place
Limitations on the REC to model various flavors of Magic, such as 1
REC per Day
(a Charge),
or some increment of Extra Time. |
| CONTINUING EFFECTS |
| It should be noted that Adepts can
"float" Spells that
have been cast by making them Uncontrolled and paying
sufficient END to keep them going, or
by keeping a Constant Spell "active" in their VPP and paying END
as normal to maintain them (with the commensurate impact on the available
Real Cost for other Spells in the VPP). |
| In the case of Costs END Only to Activate Uncontrolled Spells, some
reasonable termination must be defined as normal for such Power Constructs. |
| SPELL RESISTANCE |
| The
Spell Resistance
concept is not applicable to Adeptology Magic. |
| SPELLCRAFT |
| Adeptology does not
interact with the Spellcraft ability. A character can not use Spellcraft to
learn Adeptology Spells. |
|
SPECIALIST ADEPTS |
| Due to their "Cosmic VPP" nature, all Adepts are broadly
capable and do not have a concept of
"Specializing". |
|
|
| MAGIC ITEMS |
| If an Adept were to create a Magic Item they would use a
Major Transform based Spell to change an Item into a Magical version of
itself with whatever abilities they are trying to add to it factored into
the difficulty using the rules for Adding Abilities given under Transform. |
| GM's might wish to curtail potential abuse of this
method by applying a restriction to it as a Campaign Groundrule. A possible control factor is to require very common
"Heal Back" criteria, such as contact with a Dispel Magic effect
with equal or greater Active Points. |