[gurps] Delay spells question

[Zan Lynx]

midnightwind at comcast.net wrote:
> Soliciting opinions on a ruling regarding Delay spell:
> 
> 
> A mage wants to cast Explosive Fireball with the Delay spell linked
> to it on a small amount of clay.  The conditions of the Delay spell
> are that a dolphin (either via Create Animal or Control Mammals)
> swims the clay to an oncoming ship some distance away, leaps,
> attaches it to the (wooden) hull just above the waterline and swims
> away.  The explosive fireball detonates five seconds after
> attachment.

As others have said, Missile spells aren't allowed.  However, my mage 
characters often use Create Fire or Glue and Delay for a very similar 
effect.

In fact, a mage with good skill levels and good mana regeneration 
abilities can cast several useful Delayed spells at the beginning of his 
day and maintain them all day long with short periods of rest each hour.

This results in something almost like D&D memorized spells and is 
*extremely* useful in combat.  For example, a mage is able to spend 9 
fatigue points at the beginning of the day for a large area Glue spell 
cast on a pebble with the condition "When it hits the ground." He can 
then use it in combat for no extra cost and with no distance range 
penalty by throwing the pebble.  That leaves his personal fatigue, 
manastones and powerstones available for combat casting.
-- 
Zan Lynx
zlynx at acm.org

"Knowledge is Power.  Power Corrupts.  Study Hard.  Be Evil."