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

[vicky_molokh]

Greetings, all!

I'm confused about the definition of what falls into the domain of Path of Energy. Specifically, the phrases

Originally Posted by RPM9

It is a versatile Path, offering many potential effects,
but its domain ends where others begin; e.g., disrupting elec-
trical impulses to a subject’s legs requires Path of Body, not
Path of Energy.

Exactly how does that allow the Path to ever be used? The world consists of bodies (Body), zombies (Undead), wires/air (Matter), and so on. So how does one ever disrupt electricity or whatever, except in vacuum? How does one alter the kinetic energy of a moving object? Keep an electrical current going through resistance? Do all sorts of funky stuff with sonic waves?

Thanks in advance!

[Christopher R. Rice]

You're reading to much into it. You couldn't directly disrupt someone's bioelectric field to cause a seizure...but you could hit them with a jolt of electricity to do it.

[Dwarf99]

So Path of Energy in this case refers to ambience, while Path of Body (or Matter, or Whatever) refers to a target.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

You're reading to much into it. You couldn't directly disrupt someone's bioelectric field to cause a seizure...but you could hit them with a jolt of electricity to do it.

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

So Path of Energy in this case refers to ambience, while Path of Body (or Matter, or Whatever) refers to a target.

I still don't quite where you draw the line like that. There's the Halt spell (RPM44), which uses Greater Destroy Energy alone to directly disrupt the momentum of a machine or creature, and that seems to be a case of directly affecting a target. What is ambience in this sense anyway?

Likewise, there's Remove Reflection, which provides very fine control of light on the surface of an object, but works by Path of Energy alone.

Lesser Strengthen Energy alone is used to boost the reception in radios.

[Varyon]

I think it's more a blur than a line, and is just meant to avoid abuse (that is, Path of Energy being able to do virtually everything). The way I'd look at it is simple - if what I'm primarily affecting is energy, it's Path of Energy. Halt is a very indirect effect on the body, stopping it, and makes sense as "negate kinetic energy." Remove Reflection is controlling the light bouncing off a mirror (and I'd allow outright invisibility as a Path of Energy effect as well). Boosting the signal of a radio means just strengthening the light it's putting off, which seems just fine for Path of Energy.

Disrupting the electrical impulses of a body has a very direct effect on the body - Heart Attack, Paralysis, etc. - and should thus use Path of Body instead. An internal blast of electricity is a bit hazier, but is thematically so consistent with Path of Energy I'd allow it (note you'd probably need to tack on Path of Body if you want it to have side effects above and beyond the normal effects of electricity).

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Disrupting the electrical impulses of a body has a very direct effect on the body - Heart Attack, Paralysis, etc. - and should thus use Path of Body instead. An internal blast of electricity is a bit hazier, but is thematically so consistent with Path of Energy I'd allow it (note you'd probably need to tack on Path of Body if you want it to have side effects above and beyond the normal effects of electricity).

For that, you'd just have to buy the dice of damage you want to deal with your Path of Energy.

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I still don't quite where you draw the line like that.

Originally Posted by Varyon

Halt is a very indirect effect on the body, stopping it, and makes sense as "negate kinetic energy."

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.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Greetings, all!

I'm confused about the definition of what falls into the domain of Path of Energy. Specifically, the phrases
Exactly how does that allow the Path to ever be used? The world consists of bodies (Life), zombies (Undead), wires/air (Matter), and so on. So how does one ever disrupt electricity or whatever, except in vacuum? How does one alter the kinetic energy of a moving object? Keep an electrical current going through resistance? Do all sorts of funky stuff with sonic waves?

Thanks in advance!

I think its precision that matters: raw force is path of energy, precise force uses the applicable path.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Greetings, all!

I'm confused about the definition of what falls into the domain of Path of Energy. Specifically, the phrases

This phrasing is intended to prevent you from claiming you can do *anything at all* by manipulating energy. A Path of Matter (or Chance, or Changes, or quite a few other words you can claim cover everything that exists, or can happen) would need a similar one. All it means is that if it fits better in another path, you can't do it with the Path of Energy just because there is energy involved.

[PK]

Originally Posted by malloyd

This phrasing is intended to prevent you from claiming you can do *anything at all* by manipulating energy.

Bingo. This, and nothing more, is the reason behind the stated limits on all Paths when it comes to entering another Path's domain.

"Energy" is such a broad term that this needed to be addressed explicitly. Otherwise, you'd get people casting mind control spells with Control Energy ("I'm controlling the neurons in his brain!"), gate spells with Transform Energy ("I'm altering tachyons so we can travel through time!"), speed-buffing spells with Strengthen Energy ("I'm enhancing how quickly his motor impulses travel!"), and so on.

Where exactly is that line drawn? That's up to the GM. But this warning/limit gives him ammunition to shut down rules lawyers who complain if he says spells like those above won't work.