Alchemical item: Banishment [GURPS 4E]

Banishment
Alternative name: Jack

This alchemical elixir is traditionally usually made by people with the Herb Lore skill, although Alchemy has a variant pastille form. It’s made with pumpkin fibers, beeswax, dandelion, and a couple of obscurer herbs; the resulting goop is shaped into a small candle. When ignited, it summons (range: 50 feet) and puts to rest ghosts; both of these are automatic for any ghost with an IQ of less than 3, and can be automatically resisted for any ghost with an IQ of 3 or higher. Unlike a pastille, a Banishment candle will last about an hour: if produced like a traditional pastille, a ghost affected by Banishment must make a IQ roll to resist both being summoned, and being laid to rest.

Banishment candles are traditionally placed in jack-o-lanterns. Any area that has a local expert in Herb Lore will likely see these items deployed during the local festivals involving ghosts and the dead. The Alchemy version is a bit more weaponized: the pastille form won’t stop a powerful ghost, but it can clear a room full of weak ones.

Alchemy version:
Duration: Instant
Form: pastille
Cost: $120/$250
Recipe: $50, one week, defaults to Alchemy -1

Herb Lore version:
Duration: Instant
Form: candle
Cost: traditionally free
Recipe: $25 (usually donated), one week unsupervised (herbalist may work on other processes freely), defaults to Herb Lore -2

The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the In Nomine andGURPS systems from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

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