Your experiences with Path/Book magic?

[Hero of Canton]

I currently run two GURPS 4e campaigns. One is a SteamPunk/Castle Falkenstein campaign set on Mars/Barsoom. The other is set in the world of George R.R.Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. With both campaigns we use the 4e Book/Path system along with the 4e Threshold system. It works very well if you want a weak/hidden magic campaign.

Hero of Canton

[Mr_Sandman]

Originally Posted by Hero of Canton

I currently run two GURPS 4e campaigns. One is a SteamPunk/Castle Falkenstein campaign set on Mars/Barsoom. The other is set in the world of George R.R.Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. With both campaigns we use the 4e Book/Path system along with the 4e Threshold system. It works very well if you want a weak/hidden magic campaign.

Hero of Canton

Do you mean that you had two different types of magic - path/book, and standard spells with threshold? Or you applied the threshold mechanic to path/book magic?

If the latter, I'd be interested in knowing how that worked. Did you use effect shaping or energy accumulation?

[Hero of Canton]

Originally Posted by Mr_Sandman

Do you mean that you had two different types of magic - path/book, and standard spells with threshold? Or you applied the threshold mechanic to path/book magic? If the latter, I'd be interested in knowing how that worked. Did you use effect shaping or energy accumulation?

It has worked out quite well. I use it only for "Clerical Magic" in the ASOIAF setting - Power Investiture needed instead of Magery (see pg.133 in GURPS Thaumatology). In the Martian SteamPunk campaign I let the only Mage in the adventuring band, known as "The League of Extraordinary Gentry" use it was well - she is a classic "White Wiccan Witch" of the Willow Rosenberg type.

Thus far no PC has turned inside out and exploded from using too much magic...yet. Because the players know that it in theory can happen when abusing "The Threshold" they are pretty much self-limiting when it comes to the impact on how many spells they cast per day. We use a combination of Effect Shaping AND Energy Accumulating in both campaign.

Hope that helps.

Hero of Canton