Converting Mistborn Magic into GURPS

 Awhile back on the forums someone asked about converting the magic systems in the Mistborn series into GURPS. I just read the first book and have a better feel for it.

I see two fairly obvious ways to do this. Powers and Ritual Path Magic. Powers is probably the more obvious and easiest but RPM appears pretty straightforward to me as well.

Alumnancy

There are 11 metals or alloys discussed in the first book. Most people can only control one metal, though mistborn can control all of them. Each metal is a different power or path.

Some of the powers would have very few abilities or if using RPM a very narrowly focused path.

Powers would be built using a Power Modifier (PM) that includes having to imbibe a metal to use it and that it is burned up during use. Also a minor nuisance effect  for most metals, such as sense sensitivity for Tin or the mass restriction for attracting or repelling metals using Iron or Steel.

RPM would require Ritual Adept for the speed of casting and most effects could be cast as Blocking - especially Iron and Steel. I would change the path skills from M/VH to M/A, reflecting how easy they seem to be to learn and the very narrow scope.

Dueling with Iron and Steel I would handle as a Martial Style.

Required Skills: Acrobatics, Body Sense, Throwing

Feuromanchy

This might be a bit more complicated but again can be done using either RPM or Powers.

The magician takes a temporary disadvantage and then stores the advantage for the duration. So you could take a penalty to Vision for an hour so that later on you could use that stored hour as a bonus to vision.

Using RPM we just cap the duration of any effects to the time the caster did without to save them up. Most things should be a Lesser Effect, a trade off for having to do without in advance.

Powers would be purchased with Limited Use and a Nusiance effect representing the time without the advantage being stored up.

the only complication is the sheer volume of possibilities, so alternative abilities or Modular abilities is a must.

I would probably go with Modular Abilities and a UB as these guys are rare in the setting.

AEON Season 7, Session 9

 

Cast

• Amie-Belle T. W. Lee aka Whisper (Played by Curtis): Cold War era super-soldier/spy that got put in the Freezer, because she got poisoned. After getting thawed out and cured she tried to back to work, and was given an “adjustment period”. Uncle Sam called 2 years later, with work… because once you’re in, you’re in for life. Tagline: “In and out without a whisper.”
• Beauregard K. “Bo” Ratnam aka Wirerat (Played by Brice): Technopath, inventor, and hacker. He specializes in co-opting enemy systems and tech assets. Tagline: “Nice tech – I’ll borrow that.
• Stainless Steel Rat aka “Sir” (NPC Ally): Bo’s best friend and assistant. A sentient drone in the shape of a stylized shiny metal rat mindlinked to Bo. Specialties are rapid repair construction and modifications. Imagine if K-9 and R2D2 made a baby and it looks a bit like a rodent. Tagline: “Repairs and upgrades in progress”
• Derrick K. Ratnam aka Ledgerdemain (NPC Ally): Spin doctor and media liaison for Project VANGUARD. Twin to Bo. Tagline: “Well, actually that’s not how it happened.
• Rafe Hanlon aka Nyx (played by Chris D.): An umbrakinetic petty thief still on work release several years later, on his way to becoming a true agent and hero. Tagline: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
• Layla A. de Blackburn aka Nox (NPC): CIA-trained child assassin all grown up to be Daddy’s Little Monster. Maybe a little mad. Argues with her shadow often. Tagline: “No, we shouldn’t do that…should we?”
• June B. O'Neill aka Prodigy (NPC): Savant with hyper-intelligence that may have cracked the universal power-dampening conundrum. Fresh out of the Meraki Institute for the advanced and gifted. Extremely intelligent, but young (she's 16).
• Vincenzo L. dePrezzo aka Threshold (Played by Rory): Doctor, Mathematician, and Scientist (yes, capitals) and Spatial Manipulator. Threshold can bend space like a pretzel, teleport, obliterate things, and has extraordinary senses. He’d rather be in a research lab than fight. Better known for his work with Doctors Without Borders, the United Nations, and disaster relief than famous battles. Tagline: “I can be there in a snap!”
• Nawang Sonam aka Wan Shi Tong (NPC): Martial Artist with a mysterious past. Thresholds mentor, experienced and highly capable, indeterminate age.
• Eleanor C. Bulli aka "Bubbles (NPC): Manipulates bubbles of energy, short range teleportation, can fly on the bubbles, use them for shields or attack and even see through them.
• Grant L. Wojcik aka Fridge Boy (NPC): Can control ice/cold, but mostly the ability to create ice that explodes. 16 year old emancipated orphan, Our janitor. 
• Rudy A. Coldwater aka Gimmick (NPC): Mildly hyper-intelligent savant. Stutters. Makes very accurate guesses. Typical nerd, not yet 20. Wants to make a difference, assigned to support duties.
• Summer Stratos aka Chain Jacket (NPC): Ferrokinetic
• Vargas Manwell Tilium aka "Impulse" (NPC): Speedster.

Dates: Wednesday May 6th.

Meeting Restarted

We get back to the meeting and go over the news. Threshold kind of pushes everyone for a specific action, seemingly in a hurry. 

Nyx takes Gimmick to Rikers for a follow-up with Fracture and to see if anyone knows anything about her missing father.

Whisper will check on the arms dealer, Dion "Die Die" Crawford.

Bo heads to the lab.

Impulse and Prodigy head out on patrol.

Having mostly cleared the building Threshold goes to the medical lab and gives himself a very though testing. His cells are genetically altered and exhibiting some kind of energy and "hyperactivity". He can regrow tissue, bone, etc in minutes. Also experiences no pain at all and seems to be less vulnerable to exhaustion with little or no need for sleep. He carefully documents everything and decides to test and measure the results daily to see if this state changes, remains stable, or does something else.

Junkyard Dogs

Whisper sets up a meeting for a gun buy and winds up at a junkyard in Brooklyn for the actual deal. Dion has three large dogs guarding the place, the results of an escaped lab experiment. They are highly intelligent and he has explosive collars on them to keep them under control.

While talking a sniper lights up Whisper who then bends a piece of rebar as a means of intimidation. This works really well and Dion gives over some information, though mostly its of little use. the sniper shuts off the laser targeting and vanishes. He also gets and disarms the control to the collars.

Whisper calls Threshold for an emergency exit and he comes through a portal. After a brief conversation Whisper, Threshold, and the dogs go through back to the base.

Threshold recognizes the dogs for what they are, calls Bo to set up a big keyboard for them to use to communicate, and schedules them for a quick medical evaluation. They have been mistreated and need some shots and better food.

Bo happily whips up something for the dogs and gives them speaking collars. Bo also continues sifting data and his pet AI comes up with a nifty search algorithm to help.

Back to Rikers

Nyx, and Prodigy all go to Rikers to talk with Fracture. They get a little bit more information, again using donuts as bribes. Also they some information from the guards on Prodigies father who had been acting weird lately.

Aftermath

Another short session. We broke up after this to discuss ideas for the next campaign and told to post our plans for next session in Discord so the GM can prepare the leads we take up.

AEON, Season 7, Session 8

 

Cast

• Amie-Belle T. W. Lee aka Whisper (Played by Curtis): Cold War era super-soldier/spy that got put in the Freezer, because she got poisoned. After getting thawed out and cured she tried to back to work, and was given an “adjustment period”. Uncle Sam called 2 years later, with work… because once you’re in, you’re in for life. Tagline: “In and out without a whisper.”
• Beauregard K. “Bo” Ratnam aka Wirerat (Played by Brice): Technopath, inventor, and hacker. He specializes in co-opting enemy systems and tech assets. Tagline: “Nice tech – I’ll borrow that.
• Stainless Steel Rat aka “Sir” (NPC Ally): Bo’s best friend and assistant. A sentient drone in the shape of a stylized shiny metal rat mindlinked to Bo. Specialties are rapid repair construction and modifications. Imagine if K-9 and R2D2 made a baby and it looks a bit like a rodent. Tagline: “Repairs and upgrades in progress”
• Derrick K. Ratnam aka Ledgerdemain (NPC Ally): Spin doctor and media liaison for Project VANGUARD. Twin to Bo. Tagline: “Well, actually that’s not how it happened.
• Rafe Hanlon aka Nyx (played by Chris D.): An umbrakinetic petty thief still on work release several years later, on his way to becoming a true agent and hero. Tagline: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
• Layla A. de Blackburn aka Nox (NPC): CIA-trained child assassin all grown up to be Daddy’s Little Monster. Maybe a little mad. Argues with her shadow often. Tagline: “No, we shouldn’t do that…should we?”
• June B. O'Neill aka Prodigy (NPC): Savant with hyper-intelligence that may have cracked the universal power-dampening conundrum. Fresh out of the Meraki Institute for the advanced and gifted. Extremely intelligent, but young (she's 16).
• Vincenzo L. dePrezzo aka Threshold (Played by Rory): Doctor, Mathematician, and Scientist (yes, capitals) and Spatial Manipulator. Threshold can bend space like a pretzel, teleport, obliterate things, and has extraordinary senses. He’d rather be in a research lab than fight. Better known for his work with Doctors Without Borders, the United Nations, and disaster relief than famous battles. Tagline: “I can be there in a snap!”
• Nawang Sonam aka Wan Shi Tong (NPC): Martial Artist with a mysterious past. Thresholds mentor, experienced and highly capable, indeterminate age.
• Grant L. Wojcik aka Fridge Boy (NPC): Can control ice/cold, but mostly the ability to create ice that explodes. 16 year old emancipated orphan, Our janitor. 
• Rudy A. Coldwater aka Gimmick (NPC): Mildly hyper-intelligent savant. Stutters. Makes very accurate guesses. Typical nerd, not yet 20. Wants to make a difference, assigned to support duties.

Dates: Tuesday, May 5th, to Wednesday May 6th.

To Rikers we a go!

The team is trying to figure out who this guy is and how to deal with him. So far the villains goal is to take out the team, possibly with an emphasis on Threshold since he gets hit the most though as far as he knows he has no real enemies. It could be just Threshold is a target of opportunity since he has the mobility to get to events fast and is not at all stealthy about it. His portals look like the portals from the Dr. Strange movies. he can teleport without a portal but that still leaves a visible heat shimmer effect.

Nyx and Nox can also teleport but they are much more stealthy.

Threshold and Whisper go to Rikers Island to talk with Fracture after determining that she probably duplicated the murder hobo. We have a nice discussion, bribing her with some donuts.

She seems not to have any info we directly need but does provide some interesting bits about duplicating lab rats for someone a year ago.

We finish up and take that back to the group, though Nyx is sound asleep so we wait for a team meeting.

Boom!

Wednesday afternoon were having that meeting and hear a scream just outside the base.

Threshold creates a portal and walks out to see what is going on. He immediately gets shot twice with an anti-material rifle, once in the chest mostly stopped by his trauma plate and his leg which again gets wrecked, almost blown off. However he feels no pain.

Nyx scans the outside and sees the shot came from an ice cream truck just outside. Its empty, robot controlled, and Nyx manages to read the serial number off the rifle. Threshold disintegrates the rifle and the truck blows up. A few civilians are wounded by the explosion but no one is killed or seriously hurt.

This villain does seem to try and minimize the risk to bystanders.

Whisper goes out and takes pictures of everyone, hoping someone might be part of the scheme. Fridge Boy freezes the area around the truck, putting out the fires.

Threshold teleports to the roof to bandage his leg and Nyx follows. She is curious as his leg starts to visibly heal and remarks that Threshold is now kind of cool (she also liked his Singularity in last session) and should test how well he can heal by shooting himself in the head. Threshold pops off to the north pole to work on his leg and think about things with some quiet solitude.

Aftermath

Short game session.