Steve Jackson Games GURPS – Generic Universal RolePlaying System

GURPS Places of Mystery – Cover

Additional Ley Spells for Places of Mystery

by Phil Masters


The following are additions to the "Ley Spells" detailed in GURPS Places of Mystery, p.26-27, sidebars.


Ley Running – Regular


Lets the subject run with quite implausible speed (and agility) – but only along a ley line.

This spell can be used to add up to 15 to the subject's base Move score; half the increase (rounded up) is also added to the subject's DX rolls to avoid unexpected obstacles, recover from being tripped, keep footing on slippery surfaces, and so on. However, because the subject must run in fairly straight lines with little regard for distractions, the spell provides less in the way of defense; add 1 to the subject's Dodge for every 3 points of added Move, mostly thanks to the difficulty of hitting any fast-moving target.

  • Duration: 1 minute.
  • Cost: 2 to cast and 1 to maintain, for every 3 points added to the subject's Move score. Double cost for 2-hex subjects, and so on.
  • Time to cast: 3 seconds.
  • Prerequisite: Sense Leys.

Ley Travel (VH) – Special


This spell is the ultimate in rapid travel along ley lines, as the caster can actually teleport along the line for vast distances. The caster must either declare a distance to travel, select a point that they know is on the line and which they have seen in person, or travel to someone with whom they are currently using Ley Communication. (Declaring a distance greater than the length of the line is usually unfortunate, as the caster arrives at the very last point on the line, Mentally Stunned, and many ley lines terminate at the very edge of sea-cliffs or in other uncomfortable places.)

Like the Teleport spell (p. M71), Ley Travel has a higher cost and a skill penalty for greater distances – but the constraints are much less, especially at long ranges. Distances of less than 1 mile have cost 5 and no penalty to the roll; 1-10 miles costs 6 and takes a penalty of -1; up to 100 miles is cost 7, penalty 2, and so on.

This spell is also safer than Teleport, as a normally failed roll has no odd effects – it just doesn't work. (Critical failures are, however, up to the GM.) On the other hand, the caster must take at least one turn to regain orientation on arriving at the chosen destination (although a caster arriving in the middle of obvious danger may make an IQ roll to do something sensibly defensive, such as Dodge). The caster may carry or wear items up to Heavy encumbrance, and take them on the trip, but no living beings can be transported this way – the spell is "keyed" to personal life-forces.

The caster may arrive facing in any direction they desire, but the spell does not change velocity or momentum; a falling or running character arrives falling or running. As the latter usually leads to a fall (ground surfaces are rarely entirely even), the spell is usually cast while stationary.

  • Duration: Instant.
  • Cost: See above (minimum 5).
  • Time to cast: 1 minute.
  • Prerequisite: Magery 3, Ley Communication, and either 10 other spells of any type, or Clerical Investment in a geomantic cult. (GMs may modify the last to suit the campaign conception.)

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