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Put Some Magic In It

A MEKTON Magical System

(note- This article originally appeared in Protoculture Addicts Magazine no. 16. It is reprinted here without permission of either the author or the magazine publishers. It's appearance here should in no way be construed as a challenge to the authorship or copyright of either of the above parties.)

I needed a magical system to define some characters in Gates of Pandragon. At first, I wanted to adapt an existing system (AD&D, Shadowrun) to MEKTONll (the best rules system for an anime/mangalike RPG: It's simple and realistic enough). I was engaging myself in a big job but it was worth it since several anime or manga are dealing with magic (Outlanders. Aura Battler Dunbine, Bastard! Record of lodoss War. etc.) and that Mekton had no such system. I had just began to put some ideas on paper when Mekton Empire was released. I was really relieved: the psionic system that it cantains was exactly what I needed. Because, you see, in my mind. psionic and magical abilities are two expressions of the same power.The psionic system of Mekton Empire gave me ihe basis to develop magic by establishing correspondance benueen the two kind of abilities and creating new spells. Here is what I propose.

MAGIC and PSIONIC are in fact the same thing. It only depends on your point of view. If you come from a modern civilization with a very rational and scientific basis. you will probably call it PSIONIC (and the chosen one entrusted with the special power will be call esper). If you come from a more primitive civilization, or from a society with strong mysticai traditions. you will call it magic (and the people embodied with the power will be magician. mage, arwizard if you admire them and sorcerer if you fear them.) Magicians and espers uses the same power. It is a power immanent in the universe. It is everywhere and you can explain it as a mystical force linked to the Universe itself (the "soul" of the Universe, the consciousness of the planets or even the Force --as in "May the Force Be with you" ! I or by an extension of the Unified Field Theory (if you are rational). The power is a quinti-dimensional force generated by the resonance of the Universe in its perpetual creation. This force is linked to the structure of the Universe (its lines of force -yes, like the Ley Lines in Rifts but l swear it I had this idea a couple of years ago. even before hearing of the latest Palladium Games) and are concentrated by planet-generated gravity well. The mumbo-jumbo doesn't matter. All we know is that the power is Iinked to planets: nearer you are of a planet, bigger the planet is, the stronger you feel the power. When you move from one planet to another, you must adapt yourself to the specific "wave length" of the new planet before recovering the power.

How can magicians and espers use that power? They channel it more or less unconsciously. The process is a little too complex to explain but only people with the channeling potential can use the power. This potential is innate and cannot be developed aIthough sometimes it is unknown and can be "discovered"). It is your PSI or MAGIC POTENTIAL. They are both determined by the same way: an 11th ten-sided dice when rolling your Character Points (Cf. Mekton Empire. p. 109). From 2 to 4 points of Magic Potential you have no magic, with 5-7 points you have access to one magic skill category, with 8 points you have access to 2 skill categories, with 9 points to 3 skill categories and with 10 points you have access to all 4 skill categories.

Magical skills are "purchased" with Education Points and can be improved by "investing" Character Points. If you have access to a mage or someone with an hiaher level skill vou can also learn a

magical skill. Finally, it can be gained by a wild talent. In fact, it works exactly I ike a psionic skill (Cf. Mekton Empire. pp. 109-120). You use it the same way: stat(Magic Potential)+ skilI level+1 ten-sided dice against a defending roll or a difficulty level.

It is important to precise that a character CANNOT use both psionic AND magic.They are two different conceptions of the same thing. If you are an esper and you want to move a glass of water, you will use your telekinesis skill (if you have it of course!) to change the gravitational vectors around the glass.

An esper will not always be aware of all the mechanics of his/her power but he/she will rationalize better its use, knowing that the laws of physics are at play. A magician will move the glass by invoking magic. He/she doesn't know what happens to the glass but it works lif the roll is successfu I!I. The magician concentrates or recites a form ula(he/she don't know it but the form ula has only the role of helping concentration: "All I know is that Buddha help you if you concentrate"!) to make magic work. That's alI they know. A magician and an esper can work in a same party but they will never admit o r suspect that they are using the same power with a different name. Their conception of it is too far.

The magical skills are either spells or magical abilities at wilI.The difference does not matter. The skill categories and prerequisites are the same than PSIONIC skills but wear generally different names. I will give the equivalence between them but refer to the "Psionic Skill Table" and "PsiPotential-Based Skills Description" in Mekton Empire for more details Ilike the prerequisites). I will aIso give NEW psionic skilIs with their magical skills equivalents (noted by an *) and description.

GENERAL RULES:

The rules are the same for most spells. unless stated othewise.

Duration. All magic skills last as long as you concentrate (concentration is more orIess easy according to your base roll on a skill: stat + skill. Higher is the base roll, easier is the concentration factor).

Range.The range(in human hex) is eqal to 1 t skill level(e.g.: Fear lvl 2 = range of 3 hex).You can affect a subject that is hidden if you are well aware of its presence. Thick walls can block some spells.

Limitation. In the same day lor a period preceded by at least a six hours rest). you can perform as many spells as your Magic Potential allows (minimum 5, maximum 10) and a spell can be used as many times as its level.

Drain. For every spell casted beyond this limitation, the caster is drained of one hit to the head Ishock & stun rule applicable). At 0 hit to the head (if you're still conscious and have not crumbled under the headache!), you can continue to take drain to the torso. At each loss you must make another shock/stun roll. You can lose as many hits as your Magic Potential. Beyond this amount of hits. any other drain could be fatai. Atth is po int, the shock/stun roll determines if the loss is lethal or not. The automatic drain of some spells ale cumulative with the exhaustion drain.

Recovery. You stay unconscious as long as you haven't recovered one head hit. The drained hits are not real damage and are recovered at a rate of one hit per hour of sleep.

In a future issue we will pubiish an article by Jean Ca rrieres defining optional psionic/magic ru les for concentration and some general modifiers Irange.

number of targets. and mass).

MAGICAL SKILLS DESCRIPTION:

For all magical skills having a corresponding psionic skill, refer to the description of the psionic skill in Mekton Empire.

Here are the descriptions and prerequisites for all new magical skills (and for their psionic correspondent).

PSYCHE SKILLS

Fear: This is a more specific use of Mental Command. You induce fear in the mind of the subject. Mental Command is prerequisite. The effect lasts two complete turns.

Sleep: Another specific use of Mental Command (wh ich is also pre-requ isite). You ind uce the subject to sleep. The effect lasts as long as the recipient is not awakened.

Invisibility: You are affecting the mind of people around you to make them ignoring your presence. You are not really invisible. Mind Probe is prerequisite. A more specific use of Illusion. Concentration needed.Youcannotmakeanyattackanditdoesn't affect any subject whose presence is ignored or shielded.

Glossolalia: This is the ability to speak languages that you don't know. With a m ind link yo u instantly acquire the knowledge of the language spoken by another person or you can make another person learn your own language. The duration is limited to one day (the spell acts only on the temporary memory). Mind Reading and/or Probe are prerequisite. If the recipient is of the opposite sex, a kiss is required. Otherwise, touching is enough.

Animal Talk: You can mentaly talk with any nonhuman creatures. Mind Reading and Probe are prerequisite.

Animal Control: You can make any non-human creature with a low level of intelligence obey your mental command. Mental Command is prerequisite.

PNEUMA SKILLS

Detect Magic: You can feel if magic is being used currently land detect Mind Reading. Mental Blast. Confusion, Projection. lllusion, Possession, any SOMA spell. Strength. Awakening and Shape Change). You can detect if magic has been used for a period of an hour or if someone is a magician (you feel the power in him/her). Detect Psionic works the same way. As Psionic and Magic use the same energy, a magician could have chance to detect psionic (on GM choice) and vice-ver;a. Not a spell but a magical ability.

Concentration is needed though.

Intuition: This skill has a power level between Detect Danger (which is prerequisite) and Precognition. Sometimes you can feel that something will happen, not necessarily a threatening situation (as for Detect Danger). but it works only for the immediate future. You don't have a clear picture of the event and may not even be aware of the exact nature of the event. You just have the feeling (without any reason) that an action is right or wrong. Like in "I have a baaaad feeling about this" or "I think we should turn right". Not a spell but a magical ability. Concentration is needed.

Environmental Sense:This skilI g ives yo u a special awa reness in a natural environment. It's a kind of commune with nature: you feel the presence of a beast, know the weather, predict earthquakes, etc. Not a spell but a magical ability. Concentration is needed.

SOMA SKILLS

Light: A variation of the pyrokinesis skill. You can produce a cold fire that only makes light. You can control intensity. Pyrokinesis is prerequisite. Concentration needed.

Fireball: You can ignite a sphere of air and throw it away making damage: ld10 hits in an area of 1 hex.You can't m ake more than one fireball per hour or you will suffer a drain of 1 hit of damage for each extra spell. Pyrokinesis and (invisible) Hand are prerequisite.

Control Energy: This spell (or this psi ability) permits you to gather part of the energy dissipated in your surrounding (you can extract pure energy from atomic, electrical, cosmic energy) and to use it. This ability has little use in itself (you can power an electric device, give a shocking grasp (inflicting 1 hit of damage by touching an adversary), and several other uses you can think of and make your GM approve) but it is an important prerequisite for several powerful spells. Telekinesis and pyrokinesis are prerequisite. Concentration needed.

Energy Bolt: This is an anti-mecha spell. You concentrate a certain amount of energy and throw it on the adversary in the form of a beam, doing 2K of damage. You may have a chance to shut down the engine of the mecha for a short time or to stun the pilot (chance and duration on GM choice). This spell is so powerful that it takes a tremendous amount of your own energy to produce and control it. Each bolt drains you 2 points of damage. Control Energy is prerequisite.

Energy Shield: This is the ultimate defence against projectiles and energy weapons. It raises before you a curtain of energy that will stop any physical attack inflicting damage equal to or less than 2K. It drains you 1 point of damage each time for a small shield (torso/head protection) and 2 points for a complete shield.The duration of the spell is 6 turns (1 minute). Shield and Control Energy are prerequisites.

Disintegrate: This spell allows you to disintegrate permanently any kind of matter. It drains you 1 BODY TYPE point per 50 kilograms of matter disintegrated. If you use it as a psionic ability, you disable the atomic link between molecules and reduce the matter affected to atomic dust. Control Energy is prerequisite.

Shape: This spell allows you to sculpt any kind of matter. giving it any form you want. Only the shape of the matter is aff ected not its nature. If you sculpt iron it will still be iron, the molecular structure is unchanged. It drains you of 1 BODY TYPE point per 50 kgs of matter shaped fora duration of two hours per level. Control Energy is prerequisite.

Transmute: This is the ultimate Soma spell. It is total control of matter. You can transmute air into water. water into wine. rock into mud. lead into gold, anything. You manipulate atomic structure at will. changing Proton and Electron numbers. reorganizing atomic links. It drains you 1 BODY P(PE point per 50 kgs of matter transmuted for an entire day (or you need a full eight-hour sleep recuperation). Duration is one hour per level. Disintegrate is prerequisite

ONTOS SKILLS

Infravision: This skill allows you to see at night. The vision is not perfect but it amplifies very dim light and heat sources. Meditation is prerequisite. Not a spell but a magical ability. Concentration is needed.

Shape Change: With this skill you can change your appearance at will as long as it is a life-form of the same type and weight (if you're human you can change only into a carbon-based life-form as near as possible to the vertebrate order on Earth). As you are only reshaping your matter without changing its nature you must keep the same mass. You must know or have seen at least on-e the shape lin 3D) that you want to take. This transfa rmation drains you 1 BODY TYPE point for a duration of three hours. The effect is permanent unless an other spell reverses it. Meditation and shape are prerequisite.

NOTES

For the soma skills using ControlEnergy I can suggest to GMs a system of Difficulty Levels to scale the amount of energy available: DL10=l0 watts. 15=100 Wa, 20=1,000Wa. 25=10.OOOWa. 30=IOO.OOOWa.

With Energy Shield you can scale the amount of energy that the shield can absorb (5hits, 1 K, 1.5, 2, 2.5).

With Disintegrate and Shape the maximwn weight of matter affected can be determined by this formula: 20 kgs x 2_(DL/5)-2 x 5 hits.

The damage made by the Energy Bolt can be determined with a similar formula: Dam = 2_(DL/5)-2 x 5 hits.

The drain generated by casting an Energy Bolt can also be determined with a Difficulty Level system.

Dam = DL/10 hits, rounded down. In case of Body Type drain. if the caster abuses his power and is drained to BT 0, then he/she falls unconscious. The BT can be recovered at a rate of one per day.

Of course.this is only suggestions and Gms are free to use them or not. Thanx to Jean Carrieres for his advice, to the people ofMordred for their comments. to Guy McLimore & Co. for Mekton Gnpire, ard to Mekton's creator Mike Pondsmih for providing such a cool game.

If you have any comments, ideas. new spell descriptions, or suggestions for any optional rules, don't hesitate to send it to us. It will be a pleasure to share it with all our readers. However. most of the future gaming articles will be published (to concentrate it at the same place) in our mecha/gaming magazine: MECHA PRESS.

This article was first published in the APA Mordred #6.

PSIONIC	MAGIC
TELEPATHY	PSYCHE (MIND)
Telepathic Sheilding	Mind Shiekl
Telepathic Reception	Mind Reading
Telepathic Sending	MindProbe
Empathic Receiving/Sending	Emotion Reading/Probe
Mental Attack	Mental Blast
Telesuggestion	Mental Command
Mind Scramble	Confusion
Telesense	Sensorium Link
Image Projection	Projection
Telepathic Illusion	Illusion
Possession	Possession
*Fear	*Fear
*Sleep	*Sleep
*Invisibility	*Invisibility
*Glossolalia	*Glossolalia
Animal Talk/Control	*Animal Talk/Control

ESP	PNEUMA (SPIRIT)
Danger Sensing	Detect Danger
Aura Viewing	Aura
Psychometry	Identity
Retrocognition	Knowing Past
Precognition	Divination
Clairvoyance	Clairvoyance
Astral Projection	Astral Projection
*Detect Psionic	*Detect Magic
*Intuition	*Intuition
*Environmental Sense	*Environmental Sense

PSYCHOKINESIS	SOMA (MATIER)
Teekinesis	Move Object
Pyrokinesis	Create fire
Telekinetic Punch	(Insvisible) Fist
Telekinetic Shield	(Invisible) Shield
Telekinetic Throw (	Invisibile) Hand
Telekinetic Flight	Levitate
Telekinetic Projectile	(Invisible) Cannon
Psibody Telekinesis	Astral Body
Psychic Healing	Cure
Teleportation	Instant Travel
*Light	*Light
*Enhanced Pyrokinesis	*Fireball
*Control Energy	*Control Energy
*Energy Missile	*Energy Bolt
*Energy Shield	*Energy Shield
*Disable Molecular Bond	*Disintegrate
*Reorganize Molecular Shape	*Shape
*Molecular Manipulation	*Transmute

SELF CONTROL	ONTOS (BEING)
Body Control	Meditation
Mecha Control	Link
Strength Focus	Strength
Self Healing	Self Healing
Reflexes	Boost Awakening
*Night Vision	*Infravision
*Metamorphose	*Shape Change