making it so large powerstones don't stop small ones from recharging

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

As the essentiual difference between Powerstones and Manastones is that Powerstones can be used more than once Paut is not at all like a Powerstone.

Also, what do you think is the "classic" version of Paut? It's first mentioned in Gurps Egypt but while it's mentioned as "sort of liquid powerstone" (this mention probably predates Manastone)it's emphasized that it can't be recharged and is made by secret rituals rather than Alchemy. It also costs $700 an ounce. It's next mentioned in Gurps Cabal and the only real difference there is that the secret is specified as being limited to Cabalists of Practioner Rank or higher.

I double checked and Manastone existed in Classic (Grimore, 1994) way before Egypt (1998 and 2004) and Cabel (2001) came out. So I have no idea why they used "Powerstone" rather then Manastone Also except for the change to Manastone and the addition of the "Treat it as an alchemical elixir" part Thaumatology's Paut is is very close to that Egypt and Cabal (parts of it are nearly verbatim):

"This inky fluid, made from silver, pure water, Western emmer, ibis blood, and other, less savory ingredients, is a sort of liquid Powerstone (see p. M47). The ancient Egyptian magicians developed it, and Erasmus Rooke aided in redeciphering the formula in 1872..." -Cabal

"Paut, described in ancient Egyptian texts, is a fluid that functions as a kind of “liquid Manastone". ... Paut is made from silver, pure water, Western emmer, ibis blood, and other, perhaps less- savory ingredients.” - Thaumatology

Besides when you think about it how else would Classic Paut be made other then Alchemy? The way it was written in Classic is strongly implied it was made this way in Classic and all Thaumatology did was fix the Manastone/Powerstone glitch and made the alchemy connection clear.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Oh, I also could find no mention of Talisman's recharging twice as fast in High Mana and half as fast in Low. The half as fast in Low can be jsutified because elixers take 2x as long to make in Low.. They don't take half as long in High.

I meant Very High (oops): "In areas of very high mana, elixirs take only half as long to make, but any failure is critical."

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by maximara

Besides when you think about it how else would Classic Paut be made other then Alchemy?

"Secret rituals" as specified. Particularly apt as ancient Egypt was TL 1 and classical Alchemy doesn't pop up before TL2.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

"Secret rituals" as specified. Particularly apt as ancient Egypt was TL 1 and classical Alchemy doesn't pop up before TL2.

I double checked and the term "Secret rituals" appears nowhere in the the Egypt or Cabal text on Paut I have.

In fact, that phrase appears only once in the entire Classic: Egypt book - "Some Egyptian priests were scholars and teachers, others treated the sick and injured, while yet others were aloof and mysterious, devoted to their gods’ secret rituals."

Move over, Classic: Cabsl expressly states "The ancient Egyptian magicians developed it, and Erasmus Rooke aided in redeciphering the formula in 1872..." Formula not ritual. In fact, Erasmus Rooke's biography in the same book states "In Rooke’s early days at Edinburgh, he developed a number of simple but amazingly effective magical instruments for laboratory work, alchemy, and enchantments." This suggests Alchemy for Paut. The only ritual aspect is in regard to how Cabal Alchemy is performed as "Astrology roll to determine the precise stellar influences on the process." is required. So any ritual aspect would in how alchemy is done by the Cabal not, as you suggest, an alternative method to alchemy.

As far as alchemy itself is concerned it existed before the Classic Period (Circe in the original myth uses what is clearly an alchemic potion). Never mind that Alchemy exists in both the Egypt (the Magican, Priest, and Physician templates) and Greece (sorcerer) books.

Heck, Classic: Greece expressly states "The guidelines below will help the GM to recreate the tone of the Greek myths – full of artifice, herbalism and alchemy, rather than the kind of magic usually presented in fantasy campaigns."

In fact, Classic: Greece goes out of its way to spell out that the Greek Heroic Age (when the myths supposedly happen) is TL1 (pg 17, 77) and then talks about several of these characters having alchemy:

"Circe, a skilled alchemist, had only one real magical power: that of changing men into animals." (pg 34); GURPS Adaptations confirms the TL1 of the story (Odyssey) she appears in.

Medea (Jason's wife, pg 34): "She was primarily an alchemist, preparing potions and elixirs for her companions and husbands." and her page 92 write up has Alchemy-15 as one of her skills and that she has "Equipment: Alchemist’s tools, various alchemical preparations." The write up reminds us "She is primarily an alchemist rather than a spellcaster."

More over Classic: Greece lists Gorgan's Blood, Heracles Arrows, Heracles lionskin, and Medea fire resistance ointment as '"Alchemical" preparation'

I should also mention that for some bizarre reason Classic: Egypt lists Embalming as the "TL2 equivalent of the Mortician skill in GURPS Undead" even though the practice goes back all the way to Bronze Age (TL1 by definition) Egypt.

In fact, Ramesses II's body is a Bronze age mummy and the process is known to have been formally practiced as far back as about 2800 BC. Our oldest embalmed Egyptian mummy was around 4,000 years old when Classic Egypt was written. That changed in 2018 with the discovery of embalmed Egyptian mummy that clocked in at 5,600 years old.

TL;DR: Classic: Egypt and Classic: Greece expressly have alchemy existing at TL1 and at best the "Secret rituals" is how alchemy is done not an alternative to alchemy.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

"Secret rituals" as specified. Particularly apt as ancient Egypt was TL 1 and classical Alchemy doesn't pop up before TL2.

Not if you asked a medieval alchemist. They'd tell you their science came from thousands of year old Egyptian tradition.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Not if you asked a medieval alchemist. They'd tell you their science came from thousands of year old Egyptian tradition.

Nevermind Classic: Egypt and Classical: Greece both have alchemy at TL1 likely reflecting this view.

Originally Posted by Celjabba

About Hex :

So by my reading, moving in a no-mana zone would suspend (suppress) the Hex enchantement, allowing to remove the hexed item.

Ok that addresses the Hex in no-mana area issue but Hex still slams headlong into the Power 15 in a low mana/Very Low Mana area issue.

The way Hex is written it should still function at a Power 10 (low) or Power 5 (Very Low) which shoots the whole 'enchanted items below Power 15 due to less then normal mana don't work' to blazes. Heck, the spell itself states that it isn't logical on how it behaves and the only exception we are given is for no-mana not low or very low mana - so you can't go back to the logical way enchanted items reduced to below Power 15 due to mana level should work.