World building question

[AllenOwen]

I want to use Threshold Limited magic for a setting I'm building. I also want to allow non mages the ability to work magic, with great personal risk, via ceremonial or ritual magic. I was thinking about Assisting Spirits magic for non mages. GURPS Thaumatology says I can't combine these two variations for the simple reason that using a spirit mean mages can get around their threshold tally.

What if I specified that in order to use assisting spirits, they have to be summoned via a ceremony or ritual? Mages won't always have time for that, since it requires preparation. Would that allow the two variations to co exist?

Is there a way to make an entire school of magic, in this case, Necromantic, ritual or ceremonial only?

[AlexanderHowl]

It may be simpler to restrict threshold-limited magic to mages and spirit-assisted magic to non-mages. Each variation has a terrible cost associated with them, as practitioners will inevitably lose their bodies, minds, and souls to their magic if they are not careful. In any case, you could combine the two options if you ruled that threshold-limited mages are counted as non-mages when using spirit-assisted magic, meaning that they must allow the spirit to pay the full cost (if that is not possible, then the remainder comes from FP anf/or HP rather than adding to tally) and that their effective skill is equal to the greater of their IQ or (Occultism/2).

It could make an interesting dynamic in the magical world. Warlocks could be non-mages who used spirit-assisted magic, Wizards could be mages who used threshold-limited magic, and Sorcerers could be mages who used both. In any case, I would suggest using a third form of magic that would be less powerful but less dangerous, such as Energy Accumulation Path/Book Magic, which could be used by non-mages, at a penalty, and mages.

[AllenOwen]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It may be simpler to restrict threshold-limited magic to mages and spirit-assisted magic to non-mages. Each variation has a terrible cost associated with them, as practitioners will inevitably lose their bodies, minds, and souls to their magic if they are not careful. In any case, you could combine the two options if you ruled that threshold-limited mages are counted as non-mages when using spirit-assisted magic, meaning that they must allow the spirit to pay the full cost (if that is not possible, then the remainder comes from FP anf/or HP rather than adding to tally) and that their effective skill is equal to the greater of their IQ or (Occultism/2).

It could make an interesting dynamic in the magical world. Warlocks could be non-mages who used spirit-assisted magic, Wizards could be mages who used threshold-limited magic, and Sorcerers could be mages who used both. In any case, I would suggest using a third form of magic that would be less powerful but less dangerous, such as Energy Accumulation Path/Book Magic, which could be used by non-mages, at a penalty, and mages.

After I posted, what started thinking about doing is making the threshold low, lower than recommended in GURPS Thaumatology, so that mages can use magic on the fly, but are limited at what they can do unless they are willing to risk their health, but can still use spirits to assist them for greater works.

Another option is that if they summon a spirit to assist them, the spirit will be able to tell they can use magic, they might extract a higher cost from the mage than they would a non mage. "Why are you asking me? You don't need me; it will cost you.."

I'm also thinking about including optional modifiers, such as a form of Hermetic astrology as well. My world is generally low mana fantasy. Magic exists, but mages and other who want to play need to prepare, or be very skilled..

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by AllenOwen

I want to use Threshold Limited magic for a setting I'm building. I also want to allow non mages the ability to work magic, with great personal risk, via ceremonial or ritual magic. I was thinking about Assisting Spirits magic for non mages.

cool, I approve...

GURPS Thaumatology says I can't combine these two variations for the simple reason that using a spirit mean mages can get around their threshold tally.

You can't combine them in the same spell. You can't pay half with an assisting spirit, and half with threshold. I think that's all that limitation really means.

What if I specified that in order to use assisting spirits, they have to be summoned via a ceremony or ritual? Mages won't always have time for that, since it requires preparation. Would that allow the two variations to co exist?

As long as you pay for the entire spell using only one system, everything should work, I'd think.

Is there a way to make an entire school of magic, in this case, Necromantic, ritual or ceremonial only?

I think you just declare it. You say that's the way it works, and that's final. If you feel that's unfair, you can give a bonus to magery for Necromancy, or decrease the cost of casting it by 1 or by 20% or some other amount.

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by AllenOwen

I want to use Threshold Limited magic for a setting I'm building. I also want to allow non mages the ability to work magic, with great personal risk, via ceremonial or ritual magic. I was thinking about Assisting Spirits magic for non mages. GURPS Thaumatology says I can't combine these two variations for the simple reason that using a spirit mean mages can get around their threshold tally.

What if I specified that in order to use assisting spirits, they have to be summoned via a ceremony or ritual? Mages won't always have time for that, since it requires preparation. Would that allow the two variations to co exist?

Is there a way to make an entire school of magic, in this case, Necromantic, ritual or ceremonial only?

The easy way would be:

Everyone uses Threshold magic.
Non-mages must use ceremonial or ritual magic to cast spells.
Non-mages have a separate mishap table that's more dangerous than the one mages use, or perhaps more focused on personal consequences. (Alternately, magery subtracts from the mishap roll, or something similar.)

I suppose it depends on whether you want the differences to be one of quality or if you just want differences in degree.