Specialization and Channeling

[Haru]

Ghost story reply

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Certainly. Especially the part about building up debt once per spell, since Morty is sort of constantly working for those spirits, either building up credit or working off his debt. Either way, it fits really well. And it allows you to tap into a lot more power every once in a while, if you really need to, since the bonus and debt is negotiable.

[Blackblade]

I would just upgrade to regular Evocation, use the refinement that came with that to specialize, and then assume the high concept prevented you from using additional elements.

[Sanctaphrax]

I still like my old suggestion of letting people have ladderless specializations instead of focus slots.

As for Sponsored Magic, I don't think that the guy in question here does enough Evocation for that.

[Kolat]

So is this wasted? eg. Should I just use the +1 refresh to upgrade to Evocation since that comes with a free Specialiation?

[InFerrumVeritas]

So is this wasted? eg. Should I just use the +1 refresh to upgrade to Evocation since that comes with a free Specialiation?

Yes, or make more powerful focus items.

[UmbraLux]

So is this wasted? eg. Should I just use the +1 refresh to upgrade to Evocation since that comes with a free Specialiation?

That would be my suggestion.  You can also use Sanctaphrax's idea of very similar elements if you want your mage to be thematically limited.  Something like Fire, Smoke, and Ash instead of Fire, Air, and Earth.

[Cowboy]

How about saying that the improvement with earth magic also brings the understanding of how to apply earth magic in nontraditional ways. So upgrade to evocation with elements like this...

1. Earth----Same as it ever was.

2. Optics----Electromagnetic manipulation is earth magic. Light is an electromagnetic wave. Using earth magic to manipulate light allows veils, illusions, and lasers

3. Kinetics----There are only four fundamental forces (Electromagnetic force, Gravitational force, Strong Nuclear force, and Weak nuclear force). Kinetics is the application Electromagnetic and Gravitational force to matter. With this element you can create directly generate force as well as move air around (tornadoes, wind, etc)

4. Fire----The earth is in enormous source of heat energy. Learning how to tap into this allows you to effectively use all trappings of fire magic.

5. Entropy----The earth is also a massive entropy reservoir. Drawing from or adding to it can allow the earth mage to use decay, disintegration beams, Ramirez shields and probability manipulation.

[Tedronai]

Concentrating effects from several elements into one is a dangerous proposition, as far as game balance is concerned.
Tread very carefully.

[UmbraLux]

Concentrating effects from several elements into one is a dangerous proposition, as far as game balance is concerned.
Tread very carefully.

Are you talking about using closely themed elements or are you talking about using just one element and voiding the ladder?  Or something else?

[Tedronai]

It is possible that I may have misinterpreted Cowboy's intent.  I initially interpreted his post as suggesting adding options to an element that would normally not be readily available to it.  On second read, it seems he may have intended it as an optional elements list, which would be quite a bit less precarious for game balance.

[GryMor]

It's more of adapting full up Evocation to still being an Earth Focused Practitioner, aka, an alternate element set.

[Cowboy]

It's more of adapting full up Evocation to still being an Earth Focused Practitioner, aka, an alternate element set.

Sorry I wasn't clear. This is what I was intending.

[InFerrumVeritas]

I feel the need to say that I love the idea of a focused element set.  I think that may be stolen for an illusionist our party has (optics, acoustics, perception or something like that).