[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

I just got Ritual Path Magic (I still don't have Thaumatology proper), and I had a thought about allowing single-Path controlling skills. For instance, Esoteric Medicine is equivalent to Thaumatology for Path of Body only; Path of Body defaults to it at -6, you can have path of body skill no higher than the lesser of 12+magery or Esoteric Medicine, etc. Linked to this is the idea of allowing certain Talents to function as Magery(RPM) for a single Path (e.g. you can learn Path of Body up to the lower of 12+Healer talent and Esoteric Medicine, etc). Does this strike anyone as likely to be unbalancing? Should there be any additional charge for Talents that function this way? (I'm leaning towards not).

I don't see why you'd want to do this except for flavor and it's going to make magic a much poorer deal. What I would do if I were you is keep the Path cap as is, but allow a secondary skill replace Thaumatology - if better. So for your Path of Body example you could raise it no higher than Magery+12 or the higher of Thaumatology of Esoteric Medicine. As for Talents, if it brings the skill count of the Talent up it should increase the cost. So for Healer it wouldn't increase the cost (Healer encompasses 9 skills - adding more wouldn't break the threshold of a Medium-sized Talent, which is 12 skills or less).

Originally Posted by Dalillama

On a largely unrelated note, and just to make sure that I'm getting this right:
Alternate rituals based on Create Pocket Dimension:
Phantom Apartment:
Spell Effects: Greater Create Crossroads + Lesser Create
Matter.x7 +Lesser Create Energy + Lesser Control Spirit + Lesser Create Spirit
Inherent Modifiers: Area of Effect.
Greater Effects: 1 (x3).
This spell creates a fairly nice apartment in a pocket dimension. The caster and any
being he brings along can access it. It functions identically to
“normal” reality in all respects and has its own self-renewing
supply of air. The apartment is furnished with a bed, a sofa, an armchair, and a coffee table. The kitchen area has a two burner stove and a small refrigerator. The apartment has electricity and running water, and has an invisible servant who takes care of most needs.
Typical Casting: Greater Create Crossroads (6) + Lesser Cre-
ate Matterx7 (42) + Lesser Create Energy (6)+ Lesser Create Spirit (6)+Lesser Control Spirit(5)Area of Effect, 7 yards (6) + Duration, 1 month
(11). 246 energy (82×3).

Why do you have so many Create Matter effects? You only need one plus the Subject Weight - which you're lacking here. You're creating stuff. What I'd do for a fully furnished apartment is figure out how much a given Status costs and then multiple that by 5. So a Status 0 apartment probably has about $3,000 worth of stuff (at most). Then consult the Create Matter chart (p. 16 of GURPS Thuamatology: Ritual Path Magic); in this case it'll require a IQ-5 roll to visualize what you're doing and create properly functioning objects.

Originally Posted by Dalillama

Personal Oasis:
Greater Create Crossroads + Lesser Create
Matter.x3+Greater Create Body
Inherent Modifiers: Area of Effect.
Greater Effects : 2 (x5)

This spell creates an alternate dimensional area that the caster can access and bring others to. The oasis is filled with sand. In the center is a freshwater spring and a date palm. The air is breathable, the spring inexhaustible, and the dates edible.
Typical Casting: Greater Create Crossroads (6) + Lesser Cre-
ate Matter x3(18) + Greater Create Body(6)+ Area of Effect, 10 yards (8) + Duration, 1 month

As above. You can use a single Create effect to make multiple items and you're missing Subject Weight again.

Originally Posted by Dalillama

As I understand it, like the basic pocket dimension, these can both be renewed for 11 energy, is that right?

You can renew them up to the duration for the spell, yes.