Pick y'er Spell!

[Mack]

So there I was, snuggled up in my bed wearing my Sesame Street pajamas just nodding off into dreamland, when a noise woke me. In my room, I found Thoth hanging about, and he said "When you awake, you'll be in the world of Rifts. But to give you a chance, you may have any one invocation as a natural ability. What do you pick?"


General rules:
- For simplicity, limited to the standard Invocations list (levels 1 - 15).
- The spell ability may be used up to 3 times per day.
- Normal restrictions apply (high level spells require multiple actions, rituals are still rituals...)
- Just another little exercise for fun. Don't read too much into it.

What would you select? And why that spell?


Rules Clarifications:
- When I say "standard Invocations" I mean pages 91 to 154 of the Book of Magic.
- As for spell level, Thoth arbitrarily says it will be at fifth (5th) level proficiency.

[Mechghost]

I don't have my books handy but I would go with something of the Armor of Ithan or Armor Bizarre etc. In a new and potentially deadly world a little built in protection is a good thing.

[Virilitas]

Nothing beats carpet of adhesion!

[drewkitty ~..~]

snip...
- For simplicity, limited to the standard Invocations list (levels 1 - 15).
...snip

Do you mean 1) just the invocations from RUE or 2) just in the invocations list from the Rifts Book of Magic, or 3) all the invocations from the RBoM (thus including the necro list, the ocean list, and the temporal lists)?

[Incriptus]

I'm leading towards Dimensional Portal ... in the words of Eric Cartman "I'm going home" ... although that "Something often slips through" I'm sure that's just fluff ... right Thoth, right?

Ok assuming operation cheat doesn't work

Wards (Ritual) --- Each Ritual creates 3 wards, for 9 wards a day. Duration of 150 years per level, so I can have a lot of them. Despite the time doing the original ritual the spells go off when the other person touches them, so they take zero actions from me. Plus I wounder if "throwing a rock with a firebolt ward" at a person counts as them "touching it". Saving throws (when applicable) stay at the 16 for ritual magic. So in a wilderness setting I should be able to defend myself, and trap prey. If I'm in a civilized area I could very well sell my services.

[eliakon]

This would let me take one of my favorite spells in the game.
Open Pathway from Through the Glass Darkly (Nightbane) and Dream Window from Between the Shadows (Nightbane again) are really fun traveling spells. If neither was available then I would settle for Dimensional Teleport or Dimensional Portal.

The Reason is....if I am going to be sent someplace strange....I might as well be able to see all of it. I can get armor, I can get weapons, I can run from fights....but its hard to just travel.

[Killer Cyborg]

snip...
- For simplicity, limited to the standard Invocations list (levels 1 - 15).
...snip

Do you mean 1) just the invocations from RUE or 2) just in the invocations list from the Rifts Book of Magic, or 3) all the invocations from the RBoM (thus including the necro list, the ocean list, and the temporal lists)?

Necro magic and such isn't "the standard invocations list."

[Killer Cyborg]

I'm leading towards Dimensional Portal ... in the words of Eric Cartman "I'm going home" ... although that "Something often slips through" I'm sure that's just fluff ... right Thoth, right?

Same.
Not sure about the "something often slips through" part. I'd guess that it means that if you go opening up random portals to random places, stuff from the other side comes through... but it could mean that if you open a portal back to Earth, that something from somewhere could go along with you.

If it's the latter, I'd go with Dimensional Teleport instead. 6% chance per try, but nothing bad happens if you fail, and you get 3 tries per day in this scenario.
Should get me home in a week or two.

Either way, I'd probably try to make a profit from importing and exporting stuff from one place to the other.

[kaid]

Oh come on somebody has to give the most obvious one. Invisbility superior! Unless you plan on attacking somebody this makes you pretty much undetectable.

[Glistam]

I think Mystic Portal would be a fun spell to play with.

[Secondhand Smoke]

Teleport: Superior. Without a shadow of a doubt.

[Incriptus]

If it's the latter, I'd go with Dimensional Teleport instead. 6% chance per try, but nothing bad happens if you fail, and you get 3 tries per day in this scenario.
Should get me home in a week or two.

The wording of Dimensional Teleport makes me even more nervous. As the location in that dimension is completely random (unless...). Well our dimension is a big place, full of, lets say ... unhospitable locations ... atleast the portal says I can choose the world if I've been there before



Also what level am I?

[Secondhand Smoke]

Level 1.

You are yourself being transported into the Rifts world with one spell of choice.

As in the start of the adventure.

[Killer Cyborg]

If it's the latter, I'd go with Dimensional Teleport instead. 6% chance per try, but nothing bad happens if you fail, and you get 3 tries per day in this scenario.
Should get me home in a week or two.

The wording of Dimensional Teleport makes me even more nervous. As the location in that dimension is completely random (unless...). Well our dimension is a big place, full of, lets say ... unhospitable locations ... atleast the portal says I can choose the world if I've been there before

Good point.
I do have a "personal sanctuary" in this dimension, by my standards. Not sure if it's near a Ley Line or Nexus, though, and I'm pretty positive that I don't have a dimensional Rift circle.

"Dimension" seems to generally refer to a specific planet within a dimension, though, so I'd expect that worst case, we'd end up somewhere random on Earth.
Also, I think we could expect to not pop up under water somewhere.

A good suit of EBA, some supplies, and a jetpack might help out a LOT, but getting that kind of stuff would mean hanging out in Rifts Earth for a while longer.

Also what level am I?

Presumably, first level, as far as the Spell Ability is concerned.

[Whiskeyjack]

It's all going to depend on what level I'm considered. At my age and experience I'd say I'm at least a level 5 Wilderness Scout or a level 9 vagabond (I've worked in a whole mess of industries).
So, if I go with level 5, then Armour of Ithan gives me 50MDC protection, Impervious to energy will protect me from laser fire for 10 minutes, Invis:superior gets me out of trouble for 15 minutes, Invincible armour get me 125 MDC for 15 minutes (far superior to AoI), Restore Life would make me invaluable to a community and get me protection.
Decisions, decisions.
I think I'd go for Restore Life. Get in with a good adventuring group, keep my head down, and collect lots of magical items for protection (traded for bringing people back to life).

[Mack]

Rules Clarifications:
- When I say "standard Invocations" I mean pages 91 to 154 of the Book of Magic.
- As for spell level, Thoth arbitrarily says it will be at fifth (5th) level proficiency.


My submission:
Charismatic Aura (BoM p99-100) - probably the most utilitarian survival spell I could hope for. As an outsider just "plopped" in to Rifts, I'll quickly find myself dependent on others. This spell keeps me alive by not getting into combat in the first place, and by influencing the locals to help me find a place in the world. The key is to use it subtlety, and not that often.

[Athos]

IMO, Talisman is the most important spell for a mage.

For a non-mage though, Mend the Broken might be a good spell to know.

[flatline]

Ley Line Restoration.

--flatline

[Mack]

Ley Line Restoration.

Could you explain that a bit? Tomorrow morning you wake up in Rifts (still wearing the Sesame Street pajamas) and the one spell you want is Ley Line Restoration?

Just trying to see where you're going with that.

[flatline]

Ley Line Restoration.

Could you explain that a bit? Tomorrow morning you wake up in Rifts (still wearing the Sesame Street pajamas) and the one spell you want is Ley Line Restoration?

Just trying to see where you're going with that.

Best healing magic in the game (unless you're a whale). If I'm going to survive, I'll need to make friends. Being able to restore missing limbs and such isn't such a bad way to do that. And if I ever make it back home (assuming there are ley lines here), I'll be able to heal people. Not a bad gig if you can get it.

Alternatively, being able to make 3 magic weapons a day with Enchant Weapon would probably work as well.

--flatline

[Alrik Vas]

you could probably get the same millage out of a teleport spell as you get higher level if you're thinking of providing services, flatline.

its a longer game, but I think the payoff would be higher.

[Nightmask]

Ley Line Restoration.

Could you explain that a bit? Tomorrow morning you wake up in Rifts (still wearing the Sesame Street pajamas) and the one spell you want is Ley Line Restoration?

Just trying to see where you're going with that.

Best healing magic in the game (unless you're a whale). If I'm going to survive, I'll need to make friends. Being able to restore missing limbs and such isn't such a bad way to do that. And if I ever make it back home (assuming there are ley lines here), I'll be able to heal people. Not a bad gig if you can get it.

Alternatively, being able to make 3 magic weapons a day with Enchant Weapon would probably work as well.

--flatline

I would think Reconstructive Restoration would be the best healing magic, given it can restore just about anyone from anything even from being a Juicer.

Then again Weep Beans of Life you get at least 2 beans a casting that can heal completely and give you an extra 25 healthy years of life after eating or if planted provide a meal for thousands of people for a day.

[flatline]

Ley Line Restoration.

Could you explain that a bit? Tomorrow morning you wake up in Rifts (still wearing the Sesame Street pajamas) and the one spell you want is Ley Line Restoration?

Just trying to see where you're going with that.

Best healing magic in the game (unless you're a whale). If I'm going to survive, I'll need to make friends. Being able to restore missing limbs and such isn't such a bad way to do that. And if I ever make it back home (assuming there are ley lines here), I'll be able to heal people. Not a bad gig if you can get it.

Alternatively, being able to make 3 magic weapons a day with Enchant Weapon would probably work as well.

--flatline

I would think Reconstructive Restoration would be the best healing magic, given it can restore just about anyone from anything even from being a Juicer.

Then again Weep Beans of Life you get at least 2 beans a casting that can heal completely and give you an extra 25 healthy years of life after eating or if planted provide a meal for thousands of people for a day.

I'm not familiar with either of those. Where are they printed?

--flatline

[flatline]

you could probably get the same millage out of a teleport spell as you get higher level if you're thinking of providing services, flatline.

its a longer game, but I think the payoff would be higher.

I'm not interested in a spell with a random chance of instant death for the caster.

If Temporal Magic were allowed, then I'd quite willingly take Time Warp: Space & Time since there is no chance of instant death and the range is, apparently, unlimited.

--flatline

[dragonfett]

I am going to say Water to Wine, go to the nearest establishment and setting up a "winery". Get three 55 gallon barrels (a day!), fill it with about 50 gallons of water each, sell the wine for at a price of 1,300 credits a barrel, or bottle the stuff myself and sell it for 10 credits per 750 ml bottle (a 50 gallon barrel can hold 252 bottle, and each 50 gallon cask is worth 100 credits).

And at three times a day, that is pretty easy work for 3,900 credits. Not amazing to an aspiring adventurer, but that would be the easiest, safest damn near 4 grand a day that I will have ever made, and after I get settled and all that, I will start stock piling the money I don't spend to buy armor, weapons, training, perhaps even learn magic myself.

The OP had refined us to spells that could be found in a certain range of pages from the Book of Magic.

[Alrik Vas]

you could probably get the same millage out of a teleport spell as you get higher level if you're thinking of providing services, flatline.

its a longer game, but I think the payoff would be higher.

I'm not interested in a spell with a random chance of instant death for the caster.

If Temporal Magic were allowed, then I'd quite willingly take Time Warp: Space & Time since there is no chance of instant death and the range is, apparently, unlimited.

--flatline

I didn't think Superior had a fail chance. I was referring to that, sorry I wasn't more specific.

[flatline]

Actually, Sustain or Fly As The Eagle would both be handy.

--flatline

[Nightmask]

Ley Line Restoration.

Could you explain that a bit? Tomorrow morning you wake up in Rifts (still wearing the Sesame Street pajamas) and the one spell you want is Ley Line Restoration?

Just trying to see where you're going with that.

Best healing magic in the game (unless you're a whale). If I'm going to survive, I'll need to make friends. Being able to restore missing limbs and such isn't such a bad way to do that. And if I ever make it back home (assuming there are ley lines here), I'll be able to heal people. Not a bad gig if you can get it.

Alternatively, being able to make 3 magic weapons a day with Enchant Weapon would probably work as well.

--flatline

I would think Reconstructive Restoration would be the best healing magic, given it can restore just about anyone from anything even from being a Juicer.

Then again Weep Beans of Life you get at least 2 beans a casting that can heal completely and give you an extra 25 healthy years of life after eating or if planted provide a meal for thousands of people for a day.

I'm not familiar with either of those. Where are they printed?

--flatline

Reconstructive Restoration would be in Through The Glass Darkly if memory serves, and Weep Beans of Life in Mystic China (N&SS not Rifts).

[Alrik Vas]

You could be the ultimate janitor with Cleanse?

[Glistam]

you could probably get the same millage out of a teleport spell as you get higher level if you're thinking of providing services, flatline.

its a longer game, but I think the payoff would be higher.

I'm not interested in a spell with a random chance of instant death for the caster.

If Temporal Magic were allowed, then I'd quite willingly take Time Warp: Space & Time since there is no chance of instant death and the range is, apparently, unlimited.

--flatline

I didn't think Superior had a fail chance. I was referring to that, sorry I wasn't more specific.

Teleport: Superior has a 99-00% chance of screwing up when going to a very familiar place or a place you can currently see - the chance is even higher as familiarity and/or visibility goes down. As far as that "screwing up" goes, there's like a 15% percent chance (or close to it) that the screw up will be instant death. I don't understand why anyone ever uses this spell. Eventually, you're going to roll bad and die.

[flatline]

you could probably get the same millage out of a teleport spell as you get higher level if you're thinking of providing services, flatline.

its a longer game, but I think the payoff would be higher.

I'm not interested in a spell with a random chance of instant death for the caster.

If Temporal Magic were allowed, then I'd quite willingly take Time Warp: Space & Time since there is no chance of instant death and the range is, apparently, unlimited.

--flatline

I didn't think Superior had a fail chance. I was referring to that, sorry I wasn't more specific.

Teleport: Superior has a 99-00% chance of screwing up when going to a very familiar place or a place you can currently see - the chance is even higher as familiarity and/or visibility goes down. As far as that "screwing up" goes, there's like a 15% percent chance (or close to it) that the screw up will be instant death. I don't understand why anyone ever uses this spell. Eventually, you're going to roll bad and die.

In the best case, you only screw up if you roll 00. If you roll 99, you're still fine.

--flatline

[random_username]

Create Golem (13th, BoMp147-148).
- Due to the casting cost being covered (leniently including any SDC cost).
- If this version includes drawing the materials from the surrounding area or creating the materials then Iron Golems with high enough value diamond component is the way to go.
- If materials don't automatically form as needed then presumably Thoth would drop the individual at the edge of an open pit Onyx mine/equivalent in a relatively survivable area. Further next to large clay deposits (both relatively easy in North America) with at least access to some minor readily available SDC animals (squirrels, lizards, etc). Then your stuck with Stone Golems for the moment.
- Either way: Keep from being noticed and build up as many Golems as possible having existing ones guard while working on remaining ones for that day. Then laboring for shelter, food, water, etc in down time.
- Each day adding 3 more to the growing army.
- If possible make 18 foot tall ones with open top container/backpack equivalent able to hold/conceal a human-sized being (Master Blaster - Mad Max; material transport - particularly small items/liquids, etc).
- If really lucky/bona fide includes Sculpting/equivalent ability.
- Build ambush spots, pit traps, etc.
- Capture MDC materials from creatures/monsters and build implements from them. Carefully obliterate bandits/raiders to acquire gear, armor, weaponry. Headshots to maintain main body for materials/armor, and reverse if a helmet is needed.

[flatline]

I've had a change of heart. Sub-Particle Acceleration would be nice to have for recharging e-clips and, to a lesser extent, self-defense.

--flatline

[Shark_Force]

i've been thinking about it, and i'm leaning more and more towards beat insurmountable odds.

because the simple fact of the matter is i would need a spell that covers a variety of areas. i'd need to have a spell that keeps me fed, sheltered, warm, and hidden. it would need to account for offense and defence and survival. and there aren't a lot of spells that can do all of those things.

but with beat insurmountable odds, i can take terrible chances of success (1 in 1000) and turn that into pretty good probability. i mean, i'd be awful at finding enough food to survive. but i figure i've got at *least* one in a thousand to find food by myself. i'd be awful at hiding from supernatural predators. but again, i'd probably be able to manage at least one in a thousand on my own. i'd have a hard time bartering for necessary supplies or training to stay alive... but again, that benchmark means that beat insurmountable odds puts nearly impossible things right in my reach, 3 times a day.

[Killer Cyborg]

i've been thinking about it, and i'm leaning more and more towards beat insurmountable odds.

because the simple fact of the matter is i would need a spell that covers a variety of areas. i'd need to have a spell that keeps me fed, sheltered, warm, and hidden. it would need to account for offense and defence and survival. and there aren't a lot of spells that can do all of those things.

but with beat insurmountable odds, i can take terrible chances of success (1 in 1000) and turn that into pretty good probability. i mean, i'd be awful at finding enough food to survive. but i figure i've got at *least* one in a thousand to find food by myself. i'd be awful at hiding from supernatural predators. but again, i'd probably be able to manage at least one in a thousand on my own. i'd have a hard time bartering for necessary supplies or training to stay alive... but again, that benchmark means that beat insurmountable odds puts nearly impossible things right in my reach, 3 times a day.

Good thinking!

[drewkitty ~..~]

Fly as the eagle.

So I could fly.

[Mlp7029]

Summon Lesser Being as a natural ability since natural abilities do not generally cost PPE. By picking the right beings I can have them do for me everything I need. I think I'll start with a Cheruu since I could use a Restoration spell to take care of a few health issues. Thank you so much my new friend. Could you summon up something to scout the area and find a nice town for us?
My slightest wish is your command you say? You are too kind. Well my new friend and I are off to explore, cure the sick, feed the poor so forth and so on.

[flatline]

Summon Lesser Being as a natural ability since natural abilities do not generally cost PPE. By picking the right beings I can have them do for me everything I need. I think I'll start with a Cheruu since I could use a Restoration spell to take care of a few health issues. Thank you so much my new friend. Could you summon up something to scout the area and find a nice town for us?
My slightest wish is your command you say? You are too kind. Well my new friend and I are off to explore, cure the sick, feed the poor so forth and so on.

Excellent!

--flatline