[Torg] State Path and On-the-Fly

[Phil Dack]

OK, this thread got me thinking about magic, then I looked at the archives and thought about magic some more.
 
I think there's a lot to be said for dropping the state path. It would certainly make spell design and casting on the fly much easier. Indeed, losing state path, casting on the fly could actually become a fairly simple process.
 
1. Decide on effect and pick Skill & AK
 
2. Decide which aspects you want to control. 
 
Pattern Difficulty = Effect + Area (consider banning RP mods for CotFly ... or banning them altogether as too munchkin!!)
Control Difficulty = Disbelief modifier + MoO for Multiple Attributes (consider banning more detailed control aspects) (this aspect is almost always going to be the lowest)
Apportation Difficulty = Range x 2 (assume range = speed for CotF)
Duration = Duration
Define "Bonus Number To"
 
The difficulty and backlash of the casting is equal to the highest of these, with an appropriate MoO penalty.
 
3. If the spell succeeds, any difference should come off the backlash as the difficulty is fixed, as per the spell design process. 
The same bonus should probably apply to the "bonus number to". One difference I might consider is that the spell is always cast - but as the difficulty decreases to meet the value the character rolled, the backlash increases proportionately. And with a pathetic effect, as the element of "Bonus Number To" is clearly going to mutilate the effectiveness of the spell almost as much as that backlash mutilates the caster.
 
This sort of process, while clearly still not as elegant as Ars Magica or Mage, is a lot better just by trimming a few options and getting rid of the clumsiness of the state path.