Power of submerged casters?

[Belial666]

I was just using this interpretation and thus this assignment of foci/specializations;

When using thaumaturgy at the speed of evocation, you use your evocation specializations  -> thus you boost your evocation power to get bigger stuff.

What you are saying is this;

When using thaumaturgy at the speed of evocation, you use your thaumaturgy specializations  -> thus you boost your thaumaturgy complexity to get bigger stuff.

The total bonus in either case is exactly the same. The only thing that's different is how you assign specializations when building the character. What really changes is the side-effects. In the first case, the necromancer also has a decent spirit power with evocations that are not necromantic. In the second case, the necromancer has even higher complexity in ritual necromancy. Thus in the first case (how I interpret it) the mage is more diversified while in the second he ends up a more focused necromancer.

[Becq]

While I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea of being allowed to use your 'complexity' spec as if it was a 'power' spec when engaging in Thaum-as-Evocation, I can't find anything in the mechanics that allows this.  Complexity bonuses allow you to increase your Lore when casting Thaumaturgy, which helps not at all when doing fast Thaum thus requiring a high Conviction.

I think that the better solution, however, would be to allow 'power' as new Thaum specialization choice only useable in conjunction with sponsored magic.  Alternatively, you could argue that your sponsored magic, in effect, creates a new 'element' (kind of like adding a trapping to a skill), that does everything that Thaumaturgy(Necromancy) does.  This would allow you to invest in specialization for your new Evocation element.  Or, at least, for the power aspect of it, since you'd probably want to use your Thaumaturgy(Necromancy) control bonus, which would work for both Thaum and Evocation.

In either case, the above ideas would be house rules.  To my understanding, there is no 'power' spec that applies to Thaum spells, even cast as evocation.

[Belial666]

Actually, no. The explanation of the "thaumaturgy as evocation" specifically refers to the spells' power. So it follows logically that the spells use something as power - especially if "supercharging" is applied.