[Path/Book Magic] Monsters as Magicians... or vice versa

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Anastacios Tsakonas

Ritual Magic (Hermetic) [IQ/VH] [8] 17*
Path of Cunning [IQ/VH] [2] 15*
Path of Dreams [IQ/VH] [1] 14*
Path of the Elements [IQ/VH] [2] 15*
Path of Form [IQ/VH] [8] 17*
Path of Gadets [IQ/VH] [1] 14*
Path of Health [IQ/VH] [2] 15*
Path of Knowledge [IQ/VH] [4] 16*
Path of Luck [IQ/VH] [2] 15*
Path of Nature [IQ/VH] [8] 17*
Path of Protection [IQ/VH] [4] 16*
Path of Spirit [IQ/VH] [8] 17*

*Includes +3 from Magery.

Techniques

Cloud Memory (H) Path of Cunning-7 [8] 15
Guise (H) Path of Cunning-1 [2] 15
Obscurity (H) Path of Cunning-5 [6] 15

Dream Visitor (H) Path of Dreams-2 [2] 13

Conjure Flame (H) Path of the Elements-4 [2] 12

Reversion of Form (H) Path of Form-5 [2] 13
Skinchange (Crocodile) (H) Path of Form-7 [6] 15
Skinchange (Raven) (H) Path of Form-6 [7] 17
Skinchange (Wolf) (H) Path of Form-6 [6] 16

Slumber (H) Path of Health-2 [2] 14
Succor (H) Path of Health-4 [2] 12
Warrior's Blessing (H) Path of Health-6 [5] 13

Read Memories (H) Path of Knowledge-7 [6] 14
Read Thoughts (H) Path of Knowledge-7 [5] 13
Scry (H) Path of Knowledge-6 [4] 13
Veil (H) Path of Knowledge-3 [4] 16

Loyal Item (H) Path of Luck-4 [5] 15

Mist (H) Path of Nature-3 [2] 15
Thunderbolt (H) Path of Nature-7 [8] 17
Weatherworking (H) Path of Nature-5 [4] 15

Dispel Ritual (H) Path of Protection-6 [6] 15
Ghost Shirt (H) Path of Protection-7 [8] 16

Embody (H) Path of Spirit-5 [6] 17
Fetish (H) Path of Spirit-8 [9] 17
Ghost Sword (H) Path of Spirit-3 [4] 17

Subtotal: 121

Thoughts?

If you do the math, this turns out to be a quite inefficient design.

Rituals are bought as techniques, and as a matter of arithmetic, it's seldom efficient to buy up multiple techniques. Take Path of Knowledge, for example. After buying the first level of each technique, additional levels cost 1 point each. If you subtract 2 points from each technique (buying them down two levels), you get 8 points. You can spend those 8 points on buying up Path of Knowledge skill two levels, which raises each technique two levels, for no net loss; and in addition you gain two levels in the base value of every other ritual of that path!

The case gets stronger if you apply the same reasoning to the first level of each ritual. On Path of Protection, for example, you started out with Dispel Ritual-10 and Ghost Shirt-9. Putting 2 points into each gave you Dispel Ritual-11 and Ghost Shirt-10. But if you put that same total of 4 points into Path of Protection, raising it to 17, you would have raised the rituals to Dispel Ritual-12 and Ghost Shirt-11 . . . and raised every other ritual of that path one level also. Buying up two rituals of the same path is inherently inefficient.

In general, the most efficient strategy is to pick a ritual that is both inherently difficult (has a large default penalty) and frequently useful, and buy that up, and to put the rest of your effort into buying up the underlying Path skill.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

I believe I used the Leyden jars for the lightning and the Benjamin Franklin reference. A voltaic pile would be more reliable, but not as mystically significant (not that Dr. Frankenstein would be consciously aware of that). Of course, the Leyden jars are mentioned as not only being charged by lightning, so voltaic piles could be involved.

I think I would read the symbolism otherwise. Remember, the starting point for the Voltaic pile was Galvani's discovery that when two different metals were placed in contact with the leg of a dead frog, the leg twitched. This suggests that the mystical vital energy of the tissues is being turned into electricity. Even when you substitute a vat of acid for the dead tissue, there is still a remnant of that symbolism: by the Law of Similarity, the acid is a symbol or analog for the living tissue. So it's a perfect magical ritual for calling up the vital force that animates the constructed body.