[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Moneval

Thanks for the reading list! I've been diving into Powers here and there, but I've been having trouble figuring out which sections to pay extra attention to.

Yeah, its hard to read it as carefully after you go through pages and pages of example powers. Someone had to point out those sections to me as well.

The "styles" I mentioned are still kind of in the air in regards to whether or not they're used. I was envisioning kind of martial arts-like, but it's still fuzzy.

I should have mentioned in my first post, the system I'm trying to build here is one of several types of "quick magic" in that it doesn't typically require lengthy rituals or trappings, being powered solely by connections to creation. It's sort of what I'm offering up for people who want a combat caster, though I'm forbidding overtly offensive spells such as fireball, lightning bolt, etc.
I guess for this system I want study and practice to be important, but I want it to retain a mystic feel. Sorta Force-ish if I had to compare to a well known system.

You could have some sort of base requirement like being "in touch with" or "balanced" to a specific primal power that provides raw magic. This requires mystical activity to maintain. For example, they might have to meditate on their power source every morning to maintain their connection. Or draw a ritual shape on the ground and go through a series of exercises. And certain foods or stimulants may help the process along or delay it. This is part of your power modifier.

That just gets you the energy though. Then you need to study and practice the techniques for channeling it into something useful. If you want a martial arts feel, require the magic to use full sweeping body motions, and occasionally formless shouts (this is a limitation built into a power modifier).

Different schools could have different power sources, or they could simply have different exercises to access the same power source.

Although, I did see the Alternate RPM article in Pyramid 3/66 include a Ritual Powers section. Does anyone have any experience running that variant? It seems like it might accomplish a lot of what I want from the magic as powers system.

Its just a fancy expression of the rules in alternate abilities, plus some additional restrictions. Additional restrictions are great, and a fully fleshed out power is brought alive by them, but I can't say this is my favorite set of them.