Ritual Path Magic versus Classic Spell Lists in Technomancer

[VulpesFulva]

I've been pondering just how RPM would play in-universe as an out of context problem (and the appropriate Unusual Backgrounds for practitioners, etc) for the classic spell list casting of the GURPS Technomancer setting.

This is both using it for the PCs and also having side sessions where the players get to do the rolls for Forensic Thaumatologists who may be dueteragonists to the party.

Points-wise, I'm reasonably sure it should work out roughly equivalent for versatility, even if the prep-work is more onerous for the RPM caster. (q.v., the work put in to make RPM equivalents of the classic spell list)

I'm presuming the CST's (crime scene thaumatologists) would be rolling at a bit of a penalty given the "Magic doesn't work that way!" nature of *how* the effects happen. Scrying doesn't show the "perp" doing any of the well-known techniques for *magibabble here*, instead tearing the head off an origami crane, etc.

Any thoughts or sources of inspiration you'd recommend?

[mburr0003]

Originally Posted by VulpesFulva

Any thoughts or sources of inspiration you'd recommend?

If the Forensic Thaumatologists are analyzing the flow/ripples/impressions/aura of magic already cast in the area before, using spells like History or "of the Past" combined with Identify Spell or Analyze Magic, they should be able to determine magic that does "x, y, and/or z" was done here (or is on this charm) and that the way the spell was cast (enchanted) was like that of "insert most closely matched spell, but weird".

Charms will appear to be a variant of Spellstones or Scrolls, and as above, with "weird variant spells".

If they happen to be able to witness an Adept casting they might think it's a weirdly slow variant of "how you cast spell x" (once they've watched long enough to determine what spell is being built). If they're Identifying a non-Adept or watching a charm brewing session, it would seem like a weirdly very slow way to cast spells or a very fast and unstable way to enchant.

As for penalties to Thaumatology, I'd start at -10. Then every time they either get clues or successfully figure out what spell was cast (using Identify Spell) the penalty decreases by 1 to a minimum or -4. Eventually they'll be able to "work it quicklyish", but it would take a lot of study before they could spend points into Thaumatology (Ritual Magic).

Likewise the PCs should be able to take both Thaum (Ritual Magic) and Thaum (Hermetic*), if I'm reading you right that the PCs will be the RPM Adepts.


* That's what I like to refer to vanilla Magic as in universe if there is more than one type of magic and the campaign world had the Hermetica in it...