Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

RPM is really designed for high-powered games (~400 CP), so it is not tooled for lower value characters (though it is not bad). A 400 CP character can easily afford IQ 16, Ritual Adept, Magery 4, Alchemy-16, Thaumatology-16, and 9 Paths at 16 (297 CP total). At that point, you have an individual who can maintain 20 conditional spells (plus possibly an additional 20 potions depending on the Alchemy rules), possesses an ER 12, and is capable of tossing down some serious magical firepower (12d fireballs are not unreasonable). A 200 CP character would have difficulty affording IQ 14, Ritual Adept, Magery 2, Thaumatology-14, and one Path at 14 (161 CP total). At that point, they have trouble doing anything beyond basic spells (6d fireballs are a safe maximum).

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

The first few items are not confusions per se . . . but are areas I feel are lacking

A - There are no example spell loadouts to take as an example and to provide grab and go utility. To clarify 'spell loadout' I mean something like
Wendy has Magery 7 and 19 Thaumatology giving her 26 slots. Normally when going about her affairs and ready for whatever slings and arrows of outrageous fortune may result Wendy has 10 fireball charms, 2 mage armor charms, 4 major healing charms, 2 create gateway charms, 2 create dancing shield charms, 2 lightning bolt charms, and a partridge and a pear tree charm. She leaves the other 3 slots empty in case of need.
I can, will, and have done spell loadouts, but it is far and away the most ugly part of RPM to me and is the least supported.

B - A method similar to Schrodinger's Backpack for loadout free casting 'I devote 20 conditionals to my charm bag, let me roll against X to see if I can pull out a Y'. Schrodinger's Backpack is one of the best articles ever and really handles 'do you want to spend an hour pouring over High Tech to decide whether Batgirl should carry a pack of matches or a glowstick in her bat belt, or what really does a Navy SEAL carry?', I love it and RPM sorely needs it.

C - (less important than A and B, since I have a very satisfactory solution myself, but I am curious about other ways of handling) Downtime charm preparation and long duration spells. I don't have confusion on this, I think RAW says you just roll it all out and the DM figures out how to deal with the resulting botches during downtime and whatnot, but passionate deities that is a horrible way to do it in my mind, so I'm interested in others take. (My solution roll nothing until it comes up for reals during the game, then roll it).

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

Yes, this is one of the things I am trying to convey, thank you!

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

The Good Reverend discusses in this post how RPM suits low-powered campaigns just as well as it does high ones.

But I worry that this is all straying from the OP's request for things about Ritual Path Magic we'd all like clarified,

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

Thank you for the post GD.

Forum, please try to stay on point with the posts. If you do not use the magic system, that's cool, enjoy what you use, have fun. But coming here to just complain is not the intention of the OP. This is for those that use it, love it, or want to use it and just need some clarification on rules or the overall system.

thank you

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

Hello I know I am not the Op, but it truly is not. Yes, I do run high level games of 800 and above, but its easily adjustable to fit lower level games. Also its your game, you can adjust the prices at will to fit your world. Yes a 200 CP character would not be the next Merlin or Harry Dresden, but you could make a PI with some spells and the ability to make others when needed and when he has the time, but focusing only on the Paths that fit his field.

PK's post linked above makes some excellent points on this.

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

Ok, so sorry if this has been brought up elsewhere, but one of the things that confused us the most when we started using RPM was that you had to pay for everything. We would do Greater Transform Body (8) + Subject Weight: 300 lbs. (3) + Duration: 12 hours (6) = energy 54 (17x3) to make wings to let us fly somewhere. We didn't realize that all we did was create decorative body extensions that didn't give us flight, that didn't allow us an additional kind of attack, that didn't allow to buffet people close by with a 6d6, double knockback, no wounding blast of air. That in order to get all these you would have to pay for it, including the altered trait to grant us the flying skill as well a bestows a bonus in order to have that skill at more than attribute.

It would be great to see an exploration of the ubiquitous missile spell of the magic genre, the fireball, explored completely. From the simple 3d6 Fireball for 18 energy to the monstrosity 18d6, Homing, Greater 1/2D Range (so faster traveling), Explosive, Double Blunt Trauma, Double Knockback, Fragmentation missile with Cyclic sticky damage that has a Follow-Up, Area Effect cloud that causes an Affliction: Paralysis attack with a Side Effect of 3d6 of Corrosive Respiratory Agent... for 1,831 energy (approximately). Plus a few intermediate steps in between maybe. Plus ways you can't do things, and maybe ways you shouldn't do things because that cool effect will add only a little more damage for four times the cost.

So a full exploration of just one thing. Now this can't be done in print media, page count and all, but it could be done in a supplemental electronic media piece. I also know that RPM is a creative roleplaying magic system and it can be very rewarding to navigate through the rules, flexing them a bit, discovering sweet spots, and creating a ritual that you might not want to share, because it's cool and you made it. That's why I chose Fireball. I'm sure it's been beaten to death by everyone at this point, and no one will be giving away anything that secret. Besides, you can still keep the secret where you were able to gather all the right Correspondences so you can get that 1,831 energy ritual for 95% off and only pay 94 energy for it.

It also might be nice to do the same thing with a Super Soldier ritual, going from all Lesser effects that creates only a Slightly Better Soldier ritual, to the Irressistable Force ritual. I'm sure this one has also been done time and time again as well.

This would give people a great chance to see what can be done, how to do it, what not to do, without giving away every secret.

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

Thank you everyone who replied. This has been most helpful in steering my project. :-)

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

Looking forward to seeing it!
And for those not following the W23 Spec thread we know this is not his current upcoming book, announced as a DF Denizens project since RPM not part of that line and even more importantly its already in the editing queue.
So maybe his next project?

Re: RPM Problems You Have
 

I know about this, but it means you need to tailor the experience and walk an extra mile. You need a set of specific settings to have RPM work smoothly at low CP. It would be nice if I could play with RPM without bending rules and circumstances.