Pyramid 3 - #115 Technomancer
Pyramid 3 - #115 Technomancer
Editor-in-Chief z STEVE JACKSON Executive Editor z MIRANDA HORNER Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED
GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH Production Artist & Prepress Checker z Chief Creative Officer z SAM MITSCHKE
Assistant GURPS Line Editor z NIKOLA VRTIS Chief Operating Officer z SUSAN BUENO
JASON “PK” LEVINE Page Design z PHIL REED Marketing Director z RHEA FRIESEN
GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH & JUSTIN DE WITT Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
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The world of GURPS Technomancer has seen many ben- This is where the brave souls of GURPS Monster Hunters
efits from the magic that suddenly appeared in 1945: healing come in. Merlin offers an intriguing alternative to the stan-
spells cure wounds and diseases, technological magic allows dard Monster Hunters campaign. Magic and supernatural
sapient computers, and affordable enchantments bring the creatures are openly known here, meaning that the champi-
wonders of the arcane to the common person. But magic ons can be a lot more open about their activities – no skulking
has its dark sides. Vampiric leukemia causes its victims to about after a successful mission, trying to avoid police ques-
waste away in agony – and then rise to prey on their friends. tioning. And it can feel pretty cool to be an open member of an
Botched spells, accidents at mana-active nuclear plants, official monster-hunting organization. How many people can
and deliberate invocations summon demons. And “black” put “Special Agent in Charge, FBI Anti-Vampire Task Force”
government programs have made terrible mistakes, creat- on their business cards?
ing creatures like rogue dragons and the dreadful atomic Besides the refreshing openness, the setting also offers
liches. Technomancer, in short, is a world with monsters. some nice toys for hunters to play with. Assault rifles enhanced
And a world with monsters needs people willing to hunt with magical scopes that sense the undead through walls are
those monsters. just the tip of the iceberg. Depleted necronium bullets, mana
disruptors, and ghost-dynamic lasers (GURPS
Technomancer, p. 46) are all welcome addi-
tions to the team’s arsenal. Combined with the
M erlin lack of secrecy, you can really go all-out on the
cinematic action scenes, charging down Main
“Merlin-1” is the name given to the world of GURPS Street in your levitating ghost-breaking van firing
Technomancer by the Infinity Patrol of GURPS Infinite Worlds. Its anti-spectral lasers at giant shades!
inhabitants don’t refer to their world by this name; they just call it Several dramatic opportunities become avail-
“Earth.” For a capsule description of Merlin-1, see GURPS Infinite able when the hunters are operating openly. If
Worlds, pp. 134-135. the group is part of an official government orga-
nization, politics and ambition on the parts of
Technology Level their superiors can make their missions more
The Technomancer world is TL(7+1)^ with magic serving as a difficult. Private operations might have to deal
way of enabling superscience, but otherwise closely paralleling with public scrutiny, red tape, or competing
Earth’s technology. Magic does not replace TL7 and TL8 technology, firms. And while the heroes might enjoy seeing
but interacts with or enhances it. themselves hailed in the news, they’ll probably
regret giving all those interviews when the next
batch of monsters takes notes.
How to Hunt
Since people know monsters are real, keeping their exis- corpses. Even government-sponsored champions have rea-
tence quiet is obviously unnecessary. For some groups, sons to keep quiet. While the fact that monsters are real
operating openly is part of the charm of Monster Hunters might not set off a panic, learning a pack of them are prey-
on Merlin! There are still good reasons to maintain tacti- ing on locals certainly can. And many creatures are smart
cal secrecy, however. Hunters might not be acting strictly enough to use information the hunters release against the
legally – if you don’t have official backing, attacking crea- team. A group that finds itself ambushed by vampires after
tures in broad daylight can get you charged with endanger- openly advertising their whereabouts is going to be more
ing the public, unlawful discharge of firearms, or desecrating cautious in the future.
Updated Weapons
For a description of the manpack necrolaser, see Technomancer, p. 46. For information on the Dragonfang “machine pistol,”
see Technomancer, p. 79.
Weapons Table
Terms and notation are as defined on pp. B268-271.
TL Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC
BEAM WEAPONS (RIFLE) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4, or Guns (Rifle)-4)
7+1^ Manpack 2(∞) tox* 12+2 550/1,650 20/4p 3 75(3) 10† -8 1 $120,000 1
Necrolaser
* Manpack necrolasers inflict 2 points of toxic damage, ignoring DR with the exception of ectoweave or depleted necronium
armor.
TL Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC
Monsters of Merlin 20 if Very Hard. Other spells are known at 17, or 16 for
Very Hard.
Use the descriptions from Technomancer of creatures’
Traits: Appearance (Monstrous); Combat Reflexes; Depen-
creation, lifestyles, motivations, etc., with the statistics from
dency (Mana; Very Common); Doesn’t Breathe; Doesn’t
Monster Hunters. Threats tougher than those described in
Eat or Drink; Doesn’t Sleep; Energy Reserve 30; Immunity
Technomancer can be justified as “advanced,” magically
to Metabolic Hazards; Immunity to Radiation; Indomi-
empowered, or just-plain-mean versions. Other monsters
table; Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2; No Blood;
from Merlin need a bit more work and some may require
No Vitals; Unliving); Magery 3 + Magery 2 (Necromantic
an upgrade to challenge a team of hunters, but well reward
and Radiation Spells Only); Supernatural Features (Body
the effort. What party of heroes would pass up the chance to
Temperature 120°F†; Glows in the Dark†); Unhealing
fight dragons (Technomancer, pp. 57-59), chonchons (flying
(Partial)‡.
vampiric heads, Technomancer, pp. 55-56), or the mysteri-
Skills: Innate Attack (Breath)-18; Intelligence Analysis-15;
ous and sinister seelie (Technomancer, p. 66)?
Intimidation-18; Karate-18; Tactics-16; Wrestling-16.
When using other beasts from Monster Hunters sources,
• Atomic liches have a wide range of other skills. The
give them some Technomancer twist. Creatures that need
original batch were volunteers in a CIA program and have
magic to exist should have Dependency (Mana; Constantly),
skills appropriate for a highly trained intelligence agent.
making them vulnerable to magic-dead areas and anti-magic
Notes: Affected by True Faith and Necromantic spells that
technology. But go beyond that! Intelligent monsters can use
affect undead. Cannot use holy items. Neither has nor uses
magi-tech devices just as well as people can. A master vam-
FP, but can burn HP for extra effort. Sterile.
pire with a ghost-dynamic laser grid in its lair is both an
interesting challenge and one that feels unique to Merlin. * Has 30 points of energy to spend on spells.
“Pure” magic should be used heavily by smart villains, too. † Together, these traits give +4 to determine the lich’s true
GURPS Magic provides lots of options for spells for the nature (or +6 when using a thermographic camera or other
champions’ foes to use against them, both subtle and very, heat sensor) and -4 to reactions when discovered.
very overt. ‡ Can heal only in a radioactive environment (at least 10
rads/hour) or with magic such as Steal Vitality.
Atomic Lich
An atomic lich appears as a human skeleton, charred by
flame, that emits a faint glow in the dark. It is dangerously
radioactive to anyone nearby.
Danger! Highly Radioactive
The stats below represent a potent foe, one who has sur- Radiation is a common threat on Merlin. Atomic
vived for a long time gathering magical power and minions. liches leak it, NEMA reactors go critical and release
It should be a tough fight for any group, or a suicidal one for both demons and fallout, necronium dust escapes
an unprepared band of hunters. from the ghost bomb the techie is building . . . The
For more details on the creation and nature of atomic GM should be familiar with the rules for radiation
liches, see GURPS Technomancer, pp. 54-55. (p. B435). GURPS Disasters: Meltdown and Fallout
offers more rules and ideas. Another option, which
ST: 18 HP: 26 Speed: 7.50 greatly simplifies the rules for radiation exposure and
DX: 14 Will: 14 Move: 7 is more cinematically friendly for long-term recovery,
IQ: 16 Per: 14 Weight: 50-100 lbs. are the rules for radiation found in GURPS After the
HT: 16 FP: N/A* SM: 0 End 1: Wastelanders (Radiation Threshold Points,
Dodge: 11 Parry: 13 DR: 6 (Hardened 1) p. 24), and GURPS After the End 2: The New World
(Radiation, p. 25). Anyone who dies of radiation must
Fright Check: -6 roll at Will-3. If they succeed, they rise again as a toxic
zombie – on a critical success, a vampire.
Atomic Fist (14): 1d+4 crushing + 1d-2(10) burning rad;
Reach C. Made as a Deceptive Attack (-2 to defend against).
The action genre is all about spectacle: big guns, fast cars, items that mix high-tech with high fantasy, and even a few
good-looking stars, and explosions. Unlike Hollywood, role- new spells.
playing games let us add something far more spectacular in Finally, a campaign frame shines the flash of 1980s cop
the form of the fantastic: magic. dramas through the fantasy prism of Merlin, the setting of
This article works the standard GURPS magic system into GURPS Technomancer (see GURPS Infinite Worlds, pp. 134-
your GURPS Action game. This includes magical lenses for 135). The officers of El Paso Vice work undercover to fight
the archetypal templates in GURPS Action 1: Heroes, magic drug runners and other magical criminals in the heart of the
Manabelt, and they look good doing it.
Magic Perks
Energy Reserve See GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks and GURPS Thauma-
Few action heroes will want to burn through their FP cast- tology: Magical Styles for the full rules on these perks. Any
ing too many spells. To encourage spellcasting, the GM should mage may take one magic perk for every 20 points in spells.
allow heroes to take levels of Energy Reserve. Mages who
Attribute Substitution: Assassins, infiltrators, shooters, and
study a magical style would benefit from the Limited Energy
wheel men will benefit from basing spells on DX. Investigators,
Reserve perk (GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles, p. 27).
shooters, wheel men, and wire rats get a boost from Per-based
spells.
Powerstones
Powerstones are the best solution to the energy prob-
lem in an Action game: cheap, portable gear that extends New Perk: Trademark Spell
the hero’s abilities but doesn’t eclipse them. Groups may You’ve practiced casting a single spell that has flexible
set aside part of their starting budget for shared stones. effects in a formulated way. Write down specific values
Individuals can also buy their own Powerstones as for every variable element of the spell: energy cost, area,
Signature Gear; one level buys a 20-point stone. time spent charging a Missile spell, etc. For example, if
you have Magery 3, you could buy a Trademark Spell of
Heroic Fortune “6-energy, 2-second Fireball.” You do not need to specify
variables that apply a penalty to skill, such as range or
Luck can be applied to spells, as can Daredevil in appro- long-distance modifiers. In return for spending a point
priate circumstances. Interesting moments of Serendipity on such a specific casting, you get +1 to skill and +1 to any
might include stumbling into an aspected mana zone that Will rolls to maintain concentration while casting your
suits your favorite spells, or a ley line or other static power Trademark Spell.
source to refresh FP. The GM may allow you to “update” your Trademark
Spell if limiting factors change – for example, if your
Magical Improvisation skill (before the Trademark Spell bonus) becomes high
enough to reduce energy or casting time; or if your
Action heroes are always trying new things. The magic Magery increases, allowing you to exceed the spell’s nor-
rules make this difficult by requiring prerequisites for most mal limits.
spells. The GM may permit Wild Talent 2 (Emergencies
Magical Heroes
Just as different mundane action heroes have different rifle. Instead, he learns spells that aid in stealth and mobil-
mundane skills, different mystical action heroes will focus ity, enhance vision, or help erase evidence after he has made
on different spells. Each template from Action 1 now has the kill.
a magical lens that enhances or complements its area of
Spells: One of the following 10-point spell packages. Each
expertise. Each lens lists three spell packages which are
spell is (H) IQ-1 [1]‑11, including the +1 from Magery.
self-contained with regard to prerequisites. Some spells
may require non-spell prerequisites that already appear in 1. Avoid, Fear, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Hide, Hide Emo-
the template. tion, Insignificance, Persuasion, Sense Emotion, and
To make a magical hero, take the following lens plus the Sense Foes.
lens for the character’s template. This increases the cost of 2. Balance, Boost Dexterity, Clumsiness, Dark Vision, Grace,
your template by 25 points. The GM can simply raise the Infravision, Itch, Keen Vision, See Invisible, and Spasm.
starting point budget for protagonists in a magical cam- 3. Clean, Complex Illusion, Illusion Disguise, Imitate Voice,
paign (see p. 18 for an example of this), or require additional Perfect Illusion, Restore, Silence, Simple Illusion, Sound,
disadvantages to offset these extra points. and Voices.
Spells: One of the following Technomancer Spells: One of the following 10-point spell pack-
10-point spell packages. ages. Each spell is (H) IQ-1 [1]‑14, including the
Each spell is (H) IQ-1 +1 from Magery, unless otherwise noted.
[1]‑14, including the +1 from Magery. 1. Alertness (VH) IQ-2 [1]‑13, Dark Vision, Hawk Vision,
1. Borrow Language, Illusion Disguise, Imitate Voice, Lend Infravision, Keen Hearing, Keen Vision, Rear Vision, See
Language, Persuasion, Sense Emotion, Sense Foes, Simple Invisible, Sense Foes, and Small Vision.
Illusion, Sound, and Voices. 2. Aura, Conceal Magic, Detect Magic, False Aura, History,
2. Colors, Copy, Dye, Illusion Shell, Independence, Inscribe, Identify Spell, Seek Earth, Seek Magic, Seeker, and Trace.
Know Illusion, Light, Restore, and Simple Illusion. 3. Daze, Dream Viewing, Foolishness, Hide Emotion, Mind-
3. Daze, Fascinate, Foolishness, No-Smell, Odor, Perfume, Reading, Mind-Search (VH) IQ-2 [1]‑13, Sense Emotion,
Persuasion, Purify Air, Sense Emotion, and Sense Foes. Sense Foes, Sleep, and Truthsayer.
“Elemental” Firearms Base Cost: $1,459 (.40 or 9mm), $2,431 (.45 or 5.56mm),
$2,918 (7.62mm), $4,862 (.50AE), or $19,448 (.50). A given
Elemental firearms use variants of Ignite Fire and Fast Fire magazine will only work in a single model of gun (or closely
to spark a powerful ignition, more quickly utilize the propel- related models, at the GM’s discretion).
lant, and increase projectile velocity. With Power and Speed
enchantments, this effect can be used without concentration,
allowing semiautomatic or full-auto fire. Special Ammo
Each shot fired using these enchantments requires some Several types of magical ammunition are available.
magical energy: 3 energy in a low-mana area, or 1 energy in a Depleted necronium ammunition (above) cannot have any of
normal mana area. In high or very high mana areas, there is no these modifiers, and none of these function in no-mana areas.
PILOTING/TL (CONTRAGRAVITY)
TL Name ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move LWt. Load SM Occ DR Range Cost Loc. Stall Notes
^ Tactical 5 0/1 12 15/15 0.25 0.25 0 1 12/5* – $95K E 0 [1, 2]
Flying Carpet
Notes
[1] Split DR. Use higher value against piercing and cutting attacks; use lower value for all other attacks.
[2] The pilot can only be dismounted if he deliberately jumps off or is knocked off by an obstacle or attack. The carpet
otherwise acts as a stable platform for attacking, etc.
El Paso-Juárez with proper education. Police are trained in a few useful spells
at the academy, and many more are available in specialized
El Paso, Texas, lies along the Rio Grande, across the bor- courses. The officers of the Vice Squad in particular seek
der from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. In 1984, El Paso is home to magical training, as spells give an undercover officer an edge
570,000 people; Juárez, just over one million. Together, they where conspicuous tech cannot.
form the most heavily populated high-mana area on the planet
The Vice Campaign web. The heroes save the day through skill, grit, and flashy
spellslinging.
El Paso Vice is a “Brotherhood in Blue” campaign as
defined in Action 1, p. 5. Face men and investigators mix
with shooters and wire rats. All are active-duty police officers About the Author
with the law enforcement lens (or mageborn mimicking law Paul Stefko is a writer and game designer living in
enforcement) and must take Legal Enforcement Powers at the Pittsburgh with his wife and a very stylish cat. He has written
5-point level. Duty is a required disadvantage. for Evil Hat Productions, Atlas Games, and Pelgrane Press, in
To accommodate magical lenses and the cost of EPPD addition to his work in the current and previous volumes of
Spell Training, characters start at 285 points. A player who Pyramid. He probably wouldn’t do well undercover, but he’ll
refuses to play a spellcaster should spend the additional 35 run plates and fetch coffee like nobody’s business.
points on template advantages, particularly cinematic options
Recent Developments one. If the ball intersects someone, the victim must dodge and
retreat to avoid being hit. Parrying or blocking is useless.
in Magic
Someone hit by the ball will suffer damage as a result of
the tidal stresses and radiation it emits. The ball inflicts 7d
Magic on Merlin is not a static affair. Each year, scores of corrosion damage with an infinite armor divisor, plus 1 rad
additional spells are added to grimoires, many of them declas- per point of basic damage rolled. (See Radiation, p. B435, for
sified after decades of military use. Here are several recently effects of being irradiated.) Black holes in the Technomancer
developed spells; feel free to keep them “secret” if you prefer, universe are sufficiently dense that even oz particles, the stuff
or use them as MacGuffins in adventures. of magic, cannot escape their event horizon. The area sur-
rounding the Ball of Annihilation is a one-yard no-mana area
Ball of Annihilation (VH) (although mana recovers if the ball moves away).
This is a Gate spell and a Movement spell.
Regular
Creates a microscopic black hole that can devour any- Duration: 1 second.
thing (including magic). This singularity is under the cast- Cost: 20 to cast. 10 to maintain.
er’s control. The Ball of Annihilation floats in the direction Time to cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisites: Drain Mana, Pla-
nar Summons, and Pull.
Body of Illusion
Body of Light Meta-Trait
Regular; Resisted by HT
Body of Light: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10];
A product of research into quantum magic, Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Flight [40]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards
this spell transforms the subject and whatever [30]; Nocturnal (Diurnal,* +0%; Permanent Paralysis, +100%) [‑40];
they are carrying into a perfect illusion under Shadow Form (Damaged by darkness-based attacks rather than light,
the caster’s control for the duration of the spell. -25%) [-15]; Supernatural Features (Glows in the dark) [-1]. 64 points.
The subject has neither memory nor volition of
what they did while turned into an illusion. Once * Diurnal means you are paralyzed if your entire body is in dark-
transformed, the subject is treated as the cre- ness (as opposed to in sunlight); with this, Permanent Paralysis
ation of a Perfect Illusion spell (GURPS Magic, requires total darkness, not merely the absence of sunlight.
p. 96) for all purposes – that is, spells such as
Independence and Initiative can be cast on him
with their usual effect.
If the illusion is dispelled (the caster ends the spell, or it Laser Eyes
is dispelled by Dispel Illusion or Dispel Magic), the subject Missile
reverts back to normal.
The caster shoots burning light (a visible laser beam) from
Note that the spell is generally more effective if cast on
one of his eyes, using Innate Attack (Gaze) to hit. This works
someone other than the caster himself. A caster who turns
like the Sunbolt spell (GURPS Magic, p. 114), including the
himself into an illusion will simply remain in place, unable to
mechanics for bouncing the bolt off mirrors, with the excep-
do anything, even maintain the spell, until the spell wears off.
tion that instead of the energy forming in the caster’s hand
It is, however, a decent defensive spell for its duration if your
and emitting from a finger, as usual for a Missile spell, his eyes
opponents cannot dispel or control illusions.
glow with power as the spell builds up.
This is an Illusion and Creation spell.
This is a Light and Darkness spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: Any amount up to your Magery level per second, for
Cost: 6 to cast. 3 to maintain.
three seconds. The bolt does 1d-1 burning per energy point.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
The user can spend twice as much energy per turn and fire two
Prerequisites: Control Illusion and IQ 15+ or Magery 3.
bolts simultaneously, one from each eye, at RoF 2.
Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
Item Prerequisite: Sunbolt.
(a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects the wearer. As soon
as it is activated, the item falls through the user’s hand. Energy Item
cost to create: 2,500. (b) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Casts spell;
False eye; the bolt is fired from the eye. Usable only by
mage only. Energy cost to create: 4,000.
a mage with the One Eye or Blindness disadvantage due to
a lost eye, who places the item in an eye socket. High RoF
Body of Light attacks are possible only if both eyes are replaced at double
Regular; Resisted by HT cost. Energy cost to create: 800 energy and an eye-sized sun-
Subject becomes an animated hologram or image, tem- stone worth at least $4,000.
porarily granting him the Body of Light meta-trait (below).
Clothes (up to 6 lbs.) may also become light but lose any Light Speech
magic powers they might have had. Stop Power acts as Glue Regular
and Steal Power acts as Steal Strength on the subject of
You use this spell to communicate with someone by emit-
this spell.
ting modulated beams of coherent light from your eyes.
This is a Light and Darkness spell.
Energy cost to cast: 5,000, plus 1 for every 10 user pages the Cost: Any amount up to twice your Magery level per sec-
community can support. ond, for three seconds. The bolt does 1d-1(5) burning damage
Prerequisites: Communication, Enchant, and Machine per two energy points.
Speech. Time to Cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
Prerequisites: Radiation Jet and either Blackbolt (pp. 20-21)
Item or Penetrating Spell.
May be cast on computer software that can run on a server
or series of servers capable of hosting the desired number of Item
users in the Soulspace. Note: Repeated casting of the spell on Staff or wand; the bolt is fired from the tip of the item.
newly added servers can incrementally expand the capacity Usable only by mages. Energy cost to create: 2,000 energy and
of an existing network rather than creating a new one. Large a chunk of trinitite worth at least $2,000.
E-Magic Companies
The end of the 20th century saw the rise of corporations flying delivery of small packages. Initial experiments used
that merged mobile computing, broadband Wi-Fi access, small rodent-piloted vehicles with possessed mice aboard
GPS, and online commerce with new developments in tech- drone quadcopters. However, these required an operator and
nomagic. These included web-based and wireless magical expensive spells. Current tests have focused on zombie birds
service providers (e-magic), magic-enabled mobile devices, and bats, sometimes operating in formation.
and sociomantic networks such as Goodwitch (below) and
SoulSpace (p. 24). Many failed spectacularly, but an elite few
now number among the world’s most powerful corporations. Goodwitch
This is the most popular of several social network services
Cadaver (Caddy) used primarily for helping mundane users to locate and rate
magical service providers. Today, having a high Goodwitch
Cadaver (or “Caddy”) was founded in 1994 by Internet reputation is considered vital for self-employed mageworkers.
mogul Geoffrey Jorgenson. It was initially an online store that
specialized in scrolls, grimoires, and ordinary books. It saved
money by using zombies to perform deliveries and golems to Wizbook
perform warehousing jobs. Wizbook is the world’s most popular professional magi-
Over time, Cadaver branched out. Although its core gri- cal networking system. It is widely used both by professional
moire business remained lucrative, it expanded to home deliv- mageworkers and individuals who contract their services.
ery of minor magic items. By 2000, its online store soon came Wizbook functions as a mundane social media system focused
to sell everything from electronics to groceries, threatening on magical work. It allows users to post curriculum vitae, map
retail stores. professional relationships, invite or seek connections, find or
Cadaver became an important technomagic developer, list jobs, and follow developments in particular companies.
too. In 2004, Cadaver developed the Codex, a programmable
e-scroll. This was followed by the Brimstone, a magical tablet.
Cadaver also became a major content provider and publisher, Social Magic Networks
encouraging self-publishing Cadaver-exclusive scroll and Social magic networks, or sociomantic media, are
e-book publications that bypassed traditional publishers, and enchanted online social networking platforms (similar to
producing its own mass media. mundane networks like Facebook) that generate a magical
Cadaver continues to innovate. Recently, the company link between members. This can facilitate shared spellcast-
announced plans to use magical technology for door-to-door ing, such as ceremonial magic.
Historical Snippets
The following are elements of Merlin’s history that were and tourists who visited (or sneaked into) the Hellstorm often
not discussed in GURPS Technomancer. acquired a few shards as souvenirs or as trinkets to sell. Some
of it was even made into jewelry.
T
In the years between 1945 and 1950, a small but
rinitite Technology and social growing number of actual mages came into contact
When the first atomic with trinitite jewelry or mineral samples. These
bomb was detonated in media have brought individuals began to suspect it had unusual prop-
1945 at Trinity Site, near power back to the people. erties. A mage who touched trinitite jewelry experi-
Alamogordo, New Mexico, enced sensations non-mages could not feel. Mages
it left a crater in the desert – Mark McKinnon who cast spells while holding trinitite found they
that was 10’ deep and 1,100’ could use it to produce more powerful spells with
wide, surfaced with radio- little or no fatigue. A growing number of ambitious
active glass. This bottle-green colored glass became known as occultists attempted to elude or bribe U.S. military patrols
trinitite. It initially formed a layer averaging about 0.5” thick. around the Hellstorm to allow them to chip away their own
Trinitite was formed from quartz sand, clay, and tiny “Alamogordo glass” samples from the crater. Some of these
amounts of the atomic bomb itself that had been fused people were arrested and confessed their suspicions regarding
together by the intense heat and radiation of the nuclear the value of Alamogordo glass.
explosion. It was radioactive, but not enough to be dangerous Government scientists, themselves researching “para-
(unless you were foolish enough to eat a chunk of it, in which magical phenomena,” had also begun to have similar suspi-
case long-term cancer was a risk). cions. Lab tests showed that trinitite had a complex struc-
Trinitite was originally considered a simple curiosity, of ture with tiny concentrations of various exotic isotopes.
limited interest compared to the raging Hellstorm itself. In Once the first government and military mages began play-
1945, after initial testing, most samples of trinitite glass that ing with it, they discovered it could indeed act as a magical
were retrieved from the Hellstorm were deemed surplus and focus and energy battery. (After oz particles were discovered
were sold by the government to collectors or amateur geol- in the 1960s, trinitite was found to be mana-active, storing
ogists. In addition to the official samples, curiosity-seekers and emitting oz particles.)
With the strategic applications of magic beginning to Mexico tourists is a popular scam for hucksters and gift shops.
come into focus in the early 1950s, from 1952 onward, all More sophisticated fakes can be created by mages using
remaining trinitite in government possession was secured. False Aura (the spell, not an enchantment), followed by expos-
Security was temporarily increased around the bomb crater. ing the imitation glass to a Radiation Jet. (Some con artists
In 1953, the Army Corps of Engineers used earth-moving add Manastone, so it is possible to draw some power from
machinery to scrape all trinitite glass from the crater. It was it.) This sort of fraud can fool casual examination with Detect
stored in government vaults for use in technomagical research Magic and Geiger counters, but not scientific analysis of the
and military applications. At the same time, a law was passed sample’s isotopes at a physics lab (requires successful Physics
making acquisition or trade in trinitite illegal, with exceptions and Chemistry rolls).
of any material that was legally acquired prior to the law’s After the Vietnam War ended, widespread civilian produc-
passage in 1953. tion of Powerstones saw trinitite prices drop to about twice
Until the mid-1960s, shards of trinitite formed the base that of synthetic Powerstones. Samples again became avail-
of the majority of Powerstones used by mages in govern- able from the government stockpile to interested laboratories
ment-funded laboratories or military and intelligence ser- studying the material. This led to the determination that trin-
vice; the term “trinitite battery” was often used. A decade of itite lenses or mosaics were especially useful components in
research into trinitite’s properties underpinned Dr. Michael certain enchantments, especially Light and Darkness spells,
Scott’s famous paper The Mana Accumulating and Storage Radiation spells, some Meta-Spells, and some Protection and
Properties of Enchanted Crystal Lattices (El Paso, 1964). The Warning spells. In some cases, the trinitite component reduces
research provided the theoretical foundation for the develop- the energy required by 50% or more. In other instances, it’s
ment of the modern Powerstone enchantment (which early necessary for the enchantment to work at all.
papers sometimes referred to as “synthetic trinitite”). This During the early 1980s, the price of trinitite shot up again
paved the way for today’s ubiquitous Powerstones, created as the U.S. government imposed additional restrictions. This
through the enchantment of common gemstones such as opals, was driven, according to rumor, by the use of trinitite sur-
a hydrated amorphous form of silica. For both trinitite and face mosaics in high-end spacecraft and military vehicles for
opal Powerstones, the formation involves the bombardment of purposes that have yet to be publicly disclosed. Speculation
a silica matrix with oz particles. With opals, the particles are in the open defense industry press has included magical
summoned and focused by the mage. With original trinitite, stealth or defense systems (e.g., integral Invisibility or Utter
the particles came from the radiations of the Hellstorm. Dome enchantments). Variants of composite armor in the
Until the invention of synthetic Powerstones, the large but M1 Abrams, Challenger, and Leopard 2 tanks, as well as per-
limited supply of trinitite was in high demand. Although the sonal body armor supplied to black dragons, are rumored to
military and military-industrial complex acquired the lion’s include composite materials incorporating not just depleted
share, bitter turf wars were fought among military and intel- necronium but also trinitite glass, which provides high levels
ligence agencies, research labs, and enchanters for access to of structural Magic Resistance (10+) along with undisclosed
the highest-quality samples. Many samples also “disappeared” other properties. One leak suggested it might be a system for
into civilian hands. Government attempts to restrict access reflecting back certain combat spells at the caster.
and buy back souvenir trinitite jewelry further created an Today, due to its renewed use in technomagic indus-
underground black market for the material among mages. try, trinitite is roughly five times as valuable as a synthetic
This peaked in the 1960s but persists to this day. After syn- Powerstone of equivalent size, and should be considered LC2.
thetic opal Powerstones became available, the black market Sales of fakes continue to be a problem.
cooled considerably. However, the declining natural supply
and trinitite’s additional utility as a material for Enchantment
spells continue to keep prices high. Some mages swear by Nuclear Fusion
and Technomagic
their original trinitite stones.
From circa 1953 (when its properties were publicly
revealed) through the late 1960s (when Powerstones became In 1920, Arthur Eddington suggested hydrogen-helium
commercially available), trinitite batteries were about 20 times thermonuclear fusion as the energy powering the sun. Even as
as expensive as the later commercial variety. Bits of trinitite the atomic bomb was being developed, scientists in the pro-
hold 1 energy (common) to 10 energy (rare), depending on the gram, notably Edward Teller, theorized that a more effective
proximity of the glass to ground zero, size of the shard, and thermonuclear fusion bomb might be possible. The idea was
its condition. Polishing and cutting it to make it into jewelry to use the energy of a fission blast as a catalyst for an even
could often improve the energy capacity, but might instead more powerful fusion explosion. However, the first atomic
create odd quirks or destroy it if carelessly treated. bombs’ creation of the Trinity and Antarctica Hellstorms,
A significant amount of fake trinitite was (and still is) sold. and the subsequent predictions of global catastrophe if a
Palming off bottle-glass “trinitite” jewelry to unwary New third nuclear detonation occurs, terminated this research.
The world of GURPS Technomancer has a variety of Advantages: Binding (Webbing) 15 (Accessibility, Target must
unusual races that make things interesting. Although some of be grappled, -20%; Engulfing, +60%; Melee Attack, Reach
those denizens are best thought of as “monsters” — such as C, -30%; Sticky, +20%; Takes Recharge, 15 seconds, -15%)
atomic liches (p. 9) or killer penguins (p. 10) — others are bet- [7]*; Binding (Webbing) 10 (Rapid Fire 7, +70%; Retract-
ter served in GURPS Fourth Edition with racial templates. To able, above +100%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Sticky,
that end, here are other entities from Technomancer, which +20%; Takes Recharge, 15 seconds, -15%) [38]; Claws
can be used to bring the setting to Fourth Edition, or added to (Sharp Claws) [5]; Clinging [20]; Extra Arms 2 (Temporary
other Fourth Edition games involving supernatural creatures Disadvantage, Ham-Fisted 2 (Accessibility, Ham-Fisted
(such as GURPS Monster Hunters). only applies to extra arms, -50%), -5%) [19]; Extra Legs
(Four Legs) [5]; Lifting ST 6 (Accessibility, only applies to
Human Chimeras lower “spider” body, -20%) [15]; Night Vision 6 [6]; Speak
With Animals (Specialized, Spiders, -60%) [10]; Teeth
and Halflings
(Fangs) [2]; Toxic Attack 1d (Poison; Cyclic, 1 hour inter-
val, 5 cycles, +40%; Follow-Up, Bite, +0%; Resistible, HT-4,
Perhaps most-suited as heroic options (see Nonhuman -10%) [6].
Hunters, p. 8), chimeras and half-breeds can become Perks: Climbing Line [1]†.
interesting NPCs. Racial descriptions can be found in Disadvantages: Appearance (Ugly) (To humans and other
Human Chimeras, Technomancer, pp. 53-54, and Halflings, non-spider chimeras) [‑8]; Dependency (Mana; Constantly)
Technomancer, pp. 54-55. [‑25]; Lunacy [‑10]; Social Stigma (Minority Group) [‑10];
Vulnerability (Depleted necronium or silver ¥3) [‑30];
Homo Sapiens Arachnae, Weakness (Depleted necronium or silver; 1d/minute) [‑20].
Quirks: Bulky Frame [‑1]‡.
“Spider People”
* Alternative Ability (¥1/5 cost) to other Binding advantage.
30 points † As long as you have “shots” of the Binding advantage
As a special effect, each use of either version of Binding available, you can create a climbing line, allowing you to use
also counts as a use of the other version. Both refresh at the the “rope up” or “rope down” options for climbing (p. B349).
same time with the same recharge as well. ‡ While spider-people are technically SM 0,
their large lower spider-half means they find nar-
row spaces intended for upright humans awk-
New Binding Enhancement: Retractable ward, imposing -1 to all tasks that involve fitting
or squeezing into something.
When you successfully use Binding to entangle someone, you
retain a line to your target. On subsequent turns, you can take a Ready
maneuver to pull the victim toward you (or drag yourself toward Half-Spider
them, if they’re heavy enough). Use the higher of your ST or the Bind- 8 points
ing’s ST. However, if the bound subject’s hands are free, or someone Advantages: Extra Arms 4 (Short, -50%) [20];
else grabs the line, they can try to pull you! Releasing the line is a free Sharp Teeth [1]; Speak With Animals (Spe-
action on your turn. +100%, or +80% if you cannot release the line cialized, Spiders, -60%) [10]; Toxic Attack 1
until the subject breaks free. Reduce the value by -10% if you use the point (Poison; Cyclic, 1 hour interval, 5 cycles,
weaker of your ST or the Binding’s ST to pull the target. +40%; Follow-Up, Bite, +0%; Resistible, HT-4,
-10%) [2].
I hope you’ll forgive me for one of the most obvious sen- “Well, there are guns, swords, fists . . . whatever you can
tences I’ve ever typed, but it’s important to establish the think of in the real world. Of course, in this setting, they’re
groundwork: The GURPS Technomancer universe is a fair bit probably made or powered by magic in some way, but that
like ours, only different. doesn’t change what they look or feel like, or how people react
In other words, the conceptual underpinnings for the world to them.”
of Technomancer feel like our own world, only with magic “Gotcha.”
sometimes standing in for technology. Soon . . .
But it’s interesting to think about this setting from a fun- “Okay; we’re hurt. In this world, are there emergency
damental game-design question: Why? Why is it important services?”
for the world to start from that foundational standpoint? And “Sure! Give them a call. Again, the telecommunications
what can it tell us about trying to craft our own settings? industry may be a bit more magical than you’d imagine, but
it’ll basically work the same . . .”
It’s a huge advantage to gamers if most of what they know
Much of what we are exists or understand about the mundane is completely true, albeit
with a few (relatively) minor tweaks overlaid on top of the
in the mysterious realm called setting. I’d argue it’s one of the big reasons that the Star Wars
memory. Our identities reside there. universe took root in the collective consciousness as eas-
ily as it did; the world felt more-or-less like our own world,
Without memories, what are we? enough so that it was entirely possible to be “grounded” in
– B.V. Larson, Technomancer the setting. Are there guns? Yes, and they more-or-less work
like our guns (and – at least in the first movie – they look
identical to our world’s guns). Farms? Binoculars? Money?
Yep, yep, yep. Are family structures the same? Aunts, uncles,
So You Want to Visit fathers, sisters . . . all identical to our world’s. Well, surely
the vehicles are different, right? Not so much, actually; the
Another World . . . landspeeder pretty much behaves like a dune buggy, large
From my position as an outside-the-loop guy with no spe- spaceships operate like trucks, huge spaceships move like bat-
cial insight into the GURPS creative process but lots of insight tleships and other open-sea vessels, small ships operate – and
into making game worlds that make sense, the biggest reason are shot cinematically – like they’re WWII dogfighting air-
to have GURPS Technomancer feel as similar to our world as planes – and so on. (Zero-g isn’t an issue, and space even
it does is to make it as fast as possible for players to “enter” conveniently allows for helpful “BOOM” noises when stuff
that world and have it make sense in their minds. blows up!) Fixing strange electronics involves tools that look
It goes a lot faster for the group if their baseline assump- and behave like screwdrivers and wrenches. There are bars
tions are – in some way – true: and bartenders, and musicians, and trash compactors, and
pretty much all the trappings of the modern world . . . but in
“We want to cause some serious harm. What kind of weap- space! In fact, the only elements that aren’t more or less “mun-
ons are there?” dane” are all treated with a similar level of awe and disbelief.
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
warehouse23.com
Pyramid Magazine 39 May 2018