[RPM] "Path of Energy ends where others begin". Huh?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

That's what I kind of meant. Basically, Path of Body affects things that are directly related to the body and distinguish it among other bodies. Path of Energy affects things where the body distinction is not necessary. You don't need to target a body to cause a thunderstorm. Likewise with halt, you don't need to target the body to affect the kinetic energy it exerts. You target the energy, because you can have kinetic energy without having organic bodies.

But you can also have electric energy without organic bodies. If you can completely stop a fire from burning with Lesser Destroy Energy (without using Path of Matter) by disrupting the flow of chemical energy. So how is it possible to disrupt the flow of chemical energy with Energy alone, but not of bioelectrical energy with Energy alone?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

But you can also have electric energy without organic bodies. If you can completely stop a fire from burning with Lesser Destroy Energy (without using Path of Matter) by disrupting the flow of chemical energy. So how is it possible to disrupt the flow of chemical energy with Energy alone, but not of bioelectrical energy with Energy alone?

Because RPM is not organized around physical logic, of course. Everything is really energy and matter, but from a less reductionist perspective (and magic is downright anti-reductionist in general) some energy and matter is special.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

But you can also have electric energy without organic bodies. If you can completely stop a fire from burning with Lesser Destroy Energy (without using Path of Matter) by disrupting the flow of chemical energy. So how is it possible to disrupt the flow of chemical energy with Energy alone, but not of bioelectrical energy with Energy alone?

The major distinction here is "living thing." Path of Energy is anything that isn't a living thing (Halt just cancels out current momentum, without causing any harm).

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

But you can also have electric energy without organic bodies. If you can completely stop a fire from burning with Lesser Destroy Energy (without using Path of Matter) by disrupting the flow of chemical energy. So how is it possible to disrupt the flow of chemical energy with Energy alone, but not of bioelectrical energy with Energy alone?

Because the bioelectric energy is required for neuron function and so forth? i.e Path of Body.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Because RPM is not organized around physical logic, of course. Everything is really energy and matter, but from a less reductionist perspective (and magic is downright anti-reductionist in general) some energy and matter is special.

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

The major distinction here is "living thing." Path of Energy is anything that isn't a living thing (Halt just cancels out current momentum, without causing any harm).

I don't have a problem with dividing Body vs. Matter. I have a problem with dividing Energy (alone) and Energy (with Body/Matter/Spirit/Undead).

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

Because the bioelectric energy is required for neuron function and so forth? i.e Path of Body.

And chemical energy is required for fire to function, i.e. Path of Matter.

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

And chemical energy is required for fire to function, i.e. Path of Matter.

Chemical energy within the body so still Path of Body.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

Chemical energy within the body so still Path of Body.

I don't think a dead firewood counts as Body anymore.

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I don't think a dead firewood counts as Body anymore.

I would have counted it as matter when it was both alive and dead personally.

In any case, what I should have said was 'that the body requires to function'.

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

And chemical energy is required for fire to function, i.e. Path of Matter.

I just realized that I confused your misdirection of my statement. You attribute the change to Path of Matter that involves energy affecting matter, but why do you not attribute the same change to Path of Body for energy that is required for the body to operate?

[Dalillama]

The thing is that the Paths owe as much to a kind of averaged metaphysics as they do to actual modern physics, and the merging can produce some funny results. Path of Energy is used for fire because you're basically putting heat in directly, or removing it as the case may be, so you'd use Path of Energy to light wood on fire or make someone spontaneously combust. If you wanted to give someone a fatal fever, though, that would be a Path of Body effect. To create a block of ice around someone, use Path of Matter; to freeze flesh, use Path of Energy; to cause hypothermia or frostbite, you could probably use Body or Energy; Energy would cause the air around the target to get bitterly cold, and thus cause effects of said cold in the usual way, while Body could cause the effects of hypothermia or frostbite by acting directly on the body.