MOSH WIZARDS: THE RED EQUATION

 

This is a decidedly Orthodox wizard and it represents one of the most common varieties of magic and one that happens to line up with the Corps' ideologies.  Obviously, it's also adaptable to good old fashioned GLOG -- just change the dice around a little. 

It's not strictly based on Dan's Red Formula -- but it often seems that way.  

THE RED EQUATION 

But it's like we weren't made for this world

Though I wouldn't really want to meet someone who was

-Of Montreal, "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal"

Every self-replicating structure possesses an emergent and innate 'drive' to be fruitful and multiply from the tiniest prion to titanic emergent systems far beyond humanity's feeble understanding.  So too animals, corporations, and ideas.  But all this has an end-state of cold, uniform perfection.  Those who study the Red Equation have mastered this underlying optimizing principle of reality.  Many speak of vast and fecund gods of the Beyond or universe-spanning beings of cold, dead hydrogen stretching past the end of this universe, or idiot-savant algorithms.  

PERK

Weakest Link -- [+] on rolls to determine relative fitness of evolutionary systems.  Not usually useful against people (where fitness is not usually particularly important on a day-to-day basis) but a tremendous asset when picking stocks or optimizing machine learning algorithms.

Recovery can be accomplished in half the usual time.

DRAWBACK

[-] on any reaction roll where you need to present as friendly, caring, and well-adjusted.  You aren't necessarily a sociopath but have internalized the fact that things like cooperation and love are mere  instruments in the service of a greater goal.  You probably aren't very emotionally healthy.

SPELLS

1. KNIT FLESH   --  Derived from HERE
2. PERFECT FORM -- You look like a subjectively ideal member of the viewer's species (changing sex, gender, species, etc.) for [SUM TIME].  [+] on social rolls in most casual interactions unless they catch on to the fact that you look different to each viewer.  On two dice, may pick a single appearance of your choices and effect lasts longer.  On 3, may pick a single permanent appearance and the illusion becomes reality.  
3. SHRIVEL -- Derived from HERE
4. OPTIMIZE -- Add [???] to a one ability score, in addition to usual mishap on doubles or triples target suffers a minor mutation   
5. GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY -- Target takes [???] damage (no save or attack roll) as you displace some of your cells into them.  These cells rapidly grow into a tumor, absorbing nutrients and heat to fuel their explosive growth.  While this tumor is intact, you know the approximate position of an infected creature.  Works on gaunts and plants, but not androids or inanimate objects.  
6. STARVE -- redirect whatever energy creature or thing relies on.  Creatures have disadvantage on physical rolls for [SUM] turns, can extinguish fires, empty batteries, etc.
7. MATERIALS AND ENERGY -- sustain yourself on magical power alone for minutes [1d], hours [2d], or days [3d].  Just because you don't need oxygen doesn't mean your lungs and eyeballs will be destroyed by vacuum.
8. GROUP SELECTION -- advantage on rolls where a small group risks life and limb for others in that group.  Duration of [DICE*2] minutes.
9. TOUCH OF PERFECTION -- [LARGE DAMAGE] as target touched is consumed by tumors.
10. MASTERY OF SHAPE -- change form for [SUM TIME] into an alien creature ideally suited to one unusual or hostile environment (combat is a hostile environment).  Stat increases based on [2 * DICE * 10] points distributed in 10 point increments.  5 dice allows for permanent "resleeving" of a with 30 points to distribute.  All resleeving rules apply (including level loss as applicable). 
11. MUTATE  -- Derrived from HERE
12. HEAL --  Derived from HERE

MISHAPS

HERE

DOOMS

1. You lose control of your cells.  Lose ability to cast for 1d10 days and lose 2d10 HP that can only be healed at a specialized medical facility as benign tumors grow all over your body. 
2. Lose ability to cast for 1d10 weeks.  You will die of cancer in 2d5 months unless you receive (very expensive) medical treatment.
3. You require major and very expensive medical treatment every d5 weeks or will die.  Cryosleep can slow but not stop this process.  If you ever roll doubles again you will die immediately.