mixing RPM

[Lameth]

I was wondering if anyone has advice on mixing Thaumaturgy/RPM/Effect Shaping with Path/Book with Effect Shaping? Thoughts?

My thought is that Thaumaturgy is the core skill with Path Skills from RPM, with effect shaping. This is considered "true" magic, as mostly written in RPM book, with only slight changes. Magery needed.

Then as a "hedge" like magic I was thinking of have Books/Paths based on the Occult skill as a lower level of magic. Each Path/book will have defined rituals that can no be broadened or creating new ones. Magery needed. Ritual Adapt is not possible.

This would allow a simple occult book store owner with Magery 0, Occultism skill, and maybe Path of Protection and Path of Cunning. Each requires rituals, components, and tools. He may be that local secret mystic able to perform a few rituals when needed, and perhaps research to find more in the paths he knows, or default other paths. There is nothing stopping that shop keep from learning thaumaturgy and the path skills, or defaulting them if he wanted to take more time to learn them.

Then there could be a seasoned Mage with Thaumaturgy skill, Magery, and a collection of Path skills [renamed to be Spheres to separate them from the Lower magic style]. This would allow him to shape the magic as he sees fit with premade rote spells, or study as inventing for new spells.

Both use effect shaping for unification and many of the pluses and negatives of the world for magic effect both types.

[Refplace]

Your answer may be in Pyramid #3/66 The Laws of Magic.
As for useage I have a system that has 3 tiers of magic for my Chalice World setting.
Tier 1 Book/Path not ideal for venturing but used by peasants and serf class as it does not require magery and collaboration is allowed.
Tier 2 Originally RPM with unique Paths but is now more a cross between Ritual Magic and RPM.
Tier 2 based on Realm Magic.

[Lameth]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Your answer may be in Pyramid #3/66 The Laws of Magic.
As for useage I have a system that has 3 tiers of magic for my Chalice World setting.
Tier 1 Book/Path not ideal for venturing but used by peasants and serf class as it does not require magery and collaboration is allowed.
Tier 2 Originally RPM with unique Paths but is now more a cross between Ritual Magic and RPM.
Tier 2 based on Realm Magic.

Hey would you be willing to share your notes on option two rpm ? You can direct email me or direct message me if you want

[Lameth]

Does anyone else have any input into this combination?

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by Lameth

Does anyone else have any input into this combination?

I'm thinking about doing something similar, except Book magic for the lesser path. Thus, high magic is powerful and flexible, while lesser magic is limited and more characterful, but occasionally rather useful. Using Books instead of Paths allows me to more carefully control what lesser spells are available. And I feel it has more character.

[Lameth]

Originally Posted by Apollonian

I'm thinking about doing something similar, except Book magic for the lesser path. Thus, high magic is powerful and flexible, while lesser magic is limited and more characterful, but occasionally rather useful. Using Books instead of Paths allows me to more carefully control what lesser spells are available. And I feel it has more character.

ohhh I very much like that idea. So a lesser magic is more based on dozens or hundreds of arcane lore in the world in various tomes. Grimoires, books of shadow, etc. And each book or fraction of a book may only have a single spell or a few spells.

[dataweaver]

Another possibility for “Low Magic” would be a variation of the “Path/Book Ritual Magic as Religious Ritual” box in Thaumatology, p.133, inspired by “Mysteries of the Trade” (Fantasy, pp.162–163): where that box centers around the idea of defaulting appropriate Rituals directly off of Religious Ritual to represent clerical magic, the notion can be expanded to other professions, such as bards getting Rituals from Singing, courtesans getting Rituals from Sex Appeal, doctors getting Rituals from Physician or Esoteric Medicine, scribes getting Rituals from Writing, blacksmiths getting Rituals from Smith, and so on.

Basically, with an appropriate Advantage (like Clerical Investment for priests, or a comparable Unusual Background for the others), you get an assortment of Rituals pertaining to a particular occupation defaulting directly off of that occupation's primary skill as if it were a Book — but without the need for a core skill. The lack of a need for a core skill is offset by the fact that you need to buy a separate enabling advantage for each occupation; and people almost never have more than one.