[RPM] Help me tweak the basic RPM system

[Qhaysh]

So, as I mentioned in another thread, I've been reworking the RPM system to fit my fantasy setting, and I would really, really appreciate the hivemind's help in doing it. I know my writing and ideas can be a little convoluted at times, but please, please bear with me for a few paragraphs.

Basically, I want to emphasize the casting roll a little more. I'll do it by making the act of shaping the collected mana a little more detailed. I also want spells to be more important to mages, overall (but I'll leave this for later).

In the MH version, there is no distinction between the effect's scope (area affected, number of targets, intensity, damage, etc.) and complexity (transforming a rock into mud is easier than transforming it into a flock of birds). If an effect is more complex, it requires more energy, if it's bigger, it also requires more energy. So we have a single mechanic for two distinct things.

While this is all nice and fine for a MH game, my game will feature magic and mages more prominently so I'll have ample space for a more complicated magic system. What I'd like to do is to associate the amount of necessary energy to the effect's scope (and thus the gathering mechanics) and its complexity to the casting roll. In essence, the more mass/energy created by the spell, the higher its energy cost. And the more sophisticated/complex it is, the more shaping it'll require.

This means that a highly-damaging fireball spell should require a considerable amount of energy but not a large amount of "effect shaping", seeing as you'd just have to conjure up a big ball of flames. Conjuring up a single homing ice dagger, on the other hand, would be less energy-intensive and more shaping-intensive.

I was able to come up with two ways to do it:
1) Import part of the "Effect Shaping" mechanics into RPM. Modifiers closely related to scope (such as number of targets and area of effect) require more energy, as usual. Other elements more closely related to complexity (such as adding a bunch of advantages or complex triggers) affect the casting roll according to a modified version of the Effect Shaping Modifiers tables at the end of Thaumatology. Since Energy Accumulation and Effect Shaping are both possible mechanics for the Path/Book systems, I don't think it would be much of a problem using the aforementioned tables. So the casting roll is a single roll, but it has more modifiers affecting it.

2) Use a variant of the Energy Accumulation rolls for the Shaping rolls. The casting roll is now a series of casting rolls. Throughout these rolls, the caster accumulates "Shaping Points". The amount of "Shaping Points" generated with each roll is equal to the caster's margin of success. These accumulate over the series of Shaping Rolls until the caster has enough of them to actually cast the spell. The amount of Shaping Points required for each spell depends on how complex it is.


Hopefully my gigantic rant was at leas barely comprehensible. Feel free to ask for clarification and further information.

Thanks in advance for any and all input. Hail the hivemind!