Changes to Realm Magic ====================== For ease of reference, the word "energy" is substituted below for all energy sources, be it personal Fatigue Points (FP) or Energy Reserve (ER), energy from relics/objects of power (what GURPS calls a "powerstone"), provided by ancient entities, or Hit Points (HP) of the caster. These can also be provided by willing subjects. Black magic practicioners can draw energy from /unwilling/ subjects. While six main Realms are defined - Energy, Matter, Mind, Space, Spirit, and Time, all at 20 points per level - each Realm can be divided into a nearly infinite number of "sub-Realms", each of which is half price. For example, "Energy" can be divided into Fire, Cold, Electricity, Sound/Vibration, Kinetic, or any other energy type possible. As another example, "Matter" can have a Body sub-realm that deals with organic (living, dead, or undead) bodies, a Wood or Plant sub-realm, Luck for manipulating probabilities, or Machines for affecting non-organic matter. Base Energy Costs ----------------- Higher skill casters can take a penalty to skill in order to draw power from the surrounding area rather than relying on their own FP/ER. This is generally a -2 penalty for a -1 FP/ER reduction. Base cost for the spell is 2 energy per level of the highest level of a Realm used, plus 1 energy per additional Realm used. For example, Chelsea has Energy/4, but for a particular casting only requires her to use Energy/2 (a simple energy blast or shield), she spends 4 energy rather than 8. Parameter Effects ----------------- Regular and Area castings have bonuses to range from the Margin of Success based on the Size/Speed/Range table, with 2 yards/meters (~6 feet) being at no penalty. Duration of a lingering spell relies on the Margin of Success, using the Range in Time table on p. 182 of Thaumatology. For damage effects (from Matter or Energy, or any of their sub-Realms), the base is Realm level used dice of damage per second of build-up, up to three seconds of build-up. Adding an armor divisor to an attack calls for either an additional energy expenditure per level of the Armor Divisor enhancement - 1 for (2), 2 for (3), 3 for (5), 4 for (10), 5 for (100), 6 for (∞) - or a -2 skill penalty per level of the enhancement added. Casting Time ------------ Realm castings normally take only a single second for simple effects; more involved castings require more time as defined for castings in Thaumatology (highest-level realm involved +2). Blocking effects done as a defensive action (a "power parry") take a -2 to the Realm skill used. You may only cast one Blocking spell per combat round.