Real Magic!

[Kallatari]

The really quick adaptation of Mage: The Ascension magic in GURPS would be:

- Use Syntatic Magic: Realms and Power (GURPS Thaumatology, p.188-191), where the Realms are the Spheres. If memory serves, there where 9 Spheres that had 5 levels each. If we adapt that as 9 Realms with 5 levels, then they would be worth (12 x level) points each. I'd personally just stick with the 6 levels per Realms as defined on p.189, in which case the Realms would be worth (10 x level) points each.
- Use Reactive Reality (GURPS Thaumatology, p.193-194) to account for "vulgar" vs "coincidental" magic to receive Distortion points.
- Apply the generic Syntatic modifiers (GURPS Thaumatology, p.180-183, or tables p.242-243) as skills penalties (rather than energy cost modifiers or required margin of success), and you can then buy off those penalties for a pre-determined effect as a Technique which represents a "rote."

From there, you can customize your own variant system by customizing the Realms and the number of levels they have. You could also customize the effects of Distortion Points, and how to get rid of them.

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by Kallatari

The really quick adaptation of Mage: The Ascension magic in GURPS would be:

- Use Syntatic Magic: Realms and Power (GURPS Thaumatology, p.188-191), where the Realms are the Spheres. If memory serves, there where 9 Spheres that had 5 levels each. If we adapt that as 9 Realms with 5 levels, then they would be worth (12 x level) points each. I'd personally just stick with the 6 levels per Realms as defined on p.189, in which case the Realms would be worth (10 x level) points each.
- Use Reactive Reality (GURPS Thaumatology, p.193-194) to account for "vulgar" vs "coincidental" magic to receive Distortion points.
- Apply the generic Syntatic modifiers (GURPS Thaumatology, p.180-183, or tables p.242-243) as skills penalties (rather than energy cost modifiers or required margin of success), and you can then buy off those penalties for a pre-determined effect as a Technique which represents a "rote."

From there, you can customize your own variant system by customizing the Realms and the number of levels they have. You could also customize the effects of Distortion Points, and how to get rid of them.

Most (all?) of the optional rules for Realm Magic that are found in Thaumatology exist to make it more like the system found in GURPS Mage: the Ascension. For instance, there's an option concerning the use of tools when using a Realm, which is basically Mage's (extremely loose) foci system.