Magic: Ritual Magic Paths, Part 1

Magic: Ritual Magic Paths, Part 1

Ritual Magic is presented in GURPS Magic and expanded upon in GURPS Thaumatology. Basically, each college is a separate skill that defaults to the core Ritual Magic skill, and every spell is a technique that defaults to its college skill with a penalty equal to the spell's prerequisite count. This may sound confusing, especially if you are aware of all the other magic systems. Ritual magic, ritual path magic, path/book magic, oh boy! Ritual magic looks like a nice concept, especially if you want to differentiate two magical traditions while keeping the mechanics almost identical. This way you can have scholarly wizards who study spells normally and clerics that use ritual magic representing their more general and less "scientific" grasp of magical powers. It feels like some prerequisite counts should be deliberately altered to prevent ritual mages from abusing their powers, so this system might need some fine tuning. I wish it got some more attention from the writers. If you're used to Dungeons and Dragons, I feel that you can represent clerical magic using ritual magic very well, making each divine domain a separate path.

It's difficult to navigate the spell table in GURPS Magic or count the prerequisites on the charts, especially when there are many new spells released in the newer books. This is why I made these tables.

Abbreviations:

 7S – Spaceships 7 – Divergent and Paranormal Tech

 BS – Banestorm

 BT – Bio-Tech

 D – Dragons

 M – Magic

 MDS – Magic – Death Spells

 MPS – Magic – Plant Spells

 P# - Pyramid 3-#

 T – Thaumatology

 TUM – Thaumatology – Urban Magics

Assumptions made:

1)      Zombie Vehicle belongs to the Necromancy college.

2)      Sense (Ethical Category) belongs to the Meta-Spells college and has no prerequisites.

3)      Seek (Ethical Category) belongs to the Meta-Spells college and has 1 prerequisite.

4)      Protection from (Ethical Category) belongs to the Meta-Spells college and has 7 prerequisites.

5)      Repel (Ethical Category) belongs to the Meta-Spells college and has 4 prerequisites.

6)      Exclude (Ethical Category) belongs to the Meta-Spells college and has 9 prerequisites.

7)      Loyalty of (Ethical Category) belongs to the Meta-Spells college and has 3 prerequisites.

8)      Minor Conduct Power/TL and Minor Draw Power/TL belong to the Technology college.

9)      Awaken Building/TL belongs to the Necromancy college.

10)  Wood Golem belongs both to the Plant college and to the Enchantment college.

Secret spells belonging to magical styles are not present in the tables.

Tables from Air to Illusion & Creation are below.

Tables from Knowledge to Weather are in the next post.

Path of Air		Path of Animal
Spell Name	Source	Spell Name	Source
No penalty (0 prerequisites)		No penalty (0 prerequisites)
Purify Air	M23	Beast-Rouser	M30
Seek Air	M23	Beast-Soother	M29
-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)		-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)
Create Air	M23	Animal Control	M30
No-Smell	M24	Beast Summoning	M30
Stench	M24	Master	M30
-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)		-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)
Destroy Air	M24	Beast Link	M30
Odor	M24	Beast Speech	M31
Shape Air	M24	Repel Animal	M31
-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)		Rider	M31
Air Jet	M24	Spider Silk	M32
Air Vision	M24	-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)
Body of Air	M24	Beast Seeker	M32
Devitalize Air	M25	Hybrid Control	M30
Walk on Air	M25	Rider Within	M31
Wall of Wind	M25	-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)
Windstorm	M25	Beast Possession	M32
-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)		Repel Hybrids	M31
Clouds	M194	-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)
Earth to Air	M25	Shapeshifting	M32
Predict Weather	M193	-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)
Wind	M195	Permanent Beast Possession	M32
-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)		Permanent Shapeshifting	M33
Air Vortex	M26	Protect Animal	M32
Concussion	M26	Shapeshift Others	M33
-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)		-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
Breathe Air	M26	Thousand-Legged Demise	MDS10
Breathe Water	M189	-11 penalty (11 prerequisites)
Essential Air	M26	Abominable Alteration	MDS9
Lightning	M196	-12 penalty (12 prerequisites)
Resist Lightning	M196	Partial Shapeshifting	M34
Snow	M195	-15 penalty (15 prerequisites)
-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)		Great Shapeshift	M34
Body of Lightning	M198
Embolism	MDS9
Explosive Lightning	M196
Lightning Weapon	M198
Lightning Whip	M196
Shocking Touch	M196
Spark Cloud	M196
Spark Storm	M197
Wall of Lightning	M197
-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
Ball of Lightning	M197
Lightning Missiles	M198
Lightning Stare	M198
Phlogiston Discharge	P25-15
Sandstorm	M27
Steal Breath	MDS9
Summon Air Elemental	M27
Warm	M195
-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)
Atmosphere Dome	M169
Control Air Elemental	M28
Cool	M195
Phlogiston Arc	P25-15
Phlogiston Detonation	P25-15
Phlogiston Touch	P25-16
-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
Body of Wind	M27
Create Air Elemental	M28
Phlogiston Sphere	P25-16
Phlogiston Stare	P25-16
Storm	M195
-12 penalty (12 prerequisites)
Lightning Armor	M198

Path of Body Control		Path of Communication & Empathy
Spell Name	Source	Spell Name	Source
No penalty (0 prerequisites)		No penalty (0 prerequisites)
Climbing	M35	Sense Foes	M44
Debility	M36	Sense Life	M45
Itch	M35	-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)
-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)		Sense Emotion	M45
Frailty	M37	-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)
Hinder	M36	Hide Emotion	M45
Might	M37	Persuasion	M45
Spasm	M35	Truthsayer	M45
-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)		Vexation	M45
Boost Strength	M37	-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)
Clumsiness	M36	Bedtime Reading	P48-20
Ease Labor	BT31	Compel Truth	M47
Ley Running	TUM19	Compel Written Truth	P48-21
Pain	M36	Dream Sending	M45
Rooted Feet	M36	Dream Viewing	M45
Stop Spasm	M35	Hide Thoughts	M46
Strike Dumb	M38	Illuminated Writing	P48-21
Vigor	M37	Lend Language	M46
-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)		Mind-Reading	M46
Boost Health	M37	-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)
Fumble	M38	Borrow Language	M46
Grace	M37	Compel Lie	M137
Hold Breath	M39	Dream Projection	M46
Hunger	M38	Mind-Search	M46
Perfume	M35	Mind-Sending	M47
Resist Pain	M38	Soul Rider	M49
Stun	M37	-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)
Tanglefoot	M36	Control Person	M49
-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)		Dispel Possession	M49
Accelerate Pregnancy	BT30	Gift of Letters	M46
Ambidexterity	M39	Gift of Tongues	M46
Balance	M39	Lend Skill	M47
Boost Dexterity	M37	Possession	M49
Remove Fetus	BT32	Telepathy	M47
Roundabout	M36	-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)
Sensitize	M39	Absorb Book	P48-20
Strike Blind	M38	Borrow Skill	M47
Strike Deaf	M38	Permanent Possession	M49
Strike Numb	M40	Retrogression	M47
-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)		-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)
Agonize	M40	Message	M174
Cadence	M39	-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
Choke	M40	Insignificance	M48
Control Limb	M40	Presence	M48
Hair Growth	M39	-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)
Nauseate	M38	Communication	M48
Paralyze Limb	M40	-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
Reflexes	M39	Telepathic Overload	MDS11
Sickness	M138	-13 penalty (13 prerequisites)
Thirst	M38	Machine Speech/TL	M176
Transfer Pregnancy	BT32	-17 penalty (17 prerequisites)
Weaken Blood	M40	Exchange Bodies	M49
-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)		-18 penalty (18 prerequisites)
Wither Limb	M40	Accursed Triangle	MDS11
-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)
Deathtouch	M41
Lengthen Limb	M41
Retch	M38
Strike Barren	M41
-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
Alter Voice	M41
Haircut	M39
Warp Fetus	BT33
-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)
Alter Visage	M41
Death	MDS10
-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
Alter Body	M41
-11 penalty (11 prerequisites)
Decapitation	M42
Enlarge	M42
Shrink	M42
-12 penalty (12 prerequisites)
Enlarge Other	M43
Shrink Other	M42
-13 penalty (13 prerequisites)
Transform Body	M43
-14 penalty (14 prerequisites)
Doomtouch	MDS11
-15 penalty (15 prerequisites)
Gauntness	M43
Transform Other	M43
-16 penalty (16 prerequisites)
Corpulence	M43
-30 penalty (30 prerequisites)
Transmogrification	M43

Path of Earth		Path of Enchantment
Spell Name	Source	Spell Name	Source
No penalty (0 prerequisites)		No penalty (0 prerequisites)
Seek Earth	M50	Scroll	M57
-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)		-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
Seek Pass	M51	Enchant	M56
Shape Earth	M50	-11 penalty (11 prerequisites)
-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)		Bane	M62
Earth to Stone	M51	Deflect	M67
Earth Vision	M51	Fortify	M66
-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)		Graceful Weapon	M63
Create Earth	M51	Hex	M57
Flesh to Stone	M31	Lesser Wish	M58
Stone to Earth	M51	Lighten	M67
-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)		Limit	M68
Earth to Air	M25	Live Libram	P48-22
Partial Petrifaction	M52	Loyal Sword	M63
Predict Earth Movement	M51	Malefice	M60
Rain of Stones	M53	Manastone	M70
Sand Jet	M52	Name	M68
Stone Missile	M52	One-College Powerstone	M70
Walk Through Earth	M52	Password	M68
-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)		Penetrating Weapon	M63
Dust to Dust	MDS11	Powerstone	M69
Earth to Water	M52	Quick-Draw	M63
Entombment	M53	Remove Enchantment	M58
Heart of Stone	MDS11	Speed	M57
Steelwraith	M54	Spellgraft	BT32
Stone to Flesh	M53	Staff	M70
-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)		Suspend Enchantment	M58
Body of Stone	M54	Temporary Enchantment	M56
Earthquake	M54	-12 penalty (12 prerequisites)
Essential Earth	M53	Attune	M69
-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)		Dancing Shield	M67
Adamant Missile	P25-16	Dancing Weapon	M63
Adamant Hail	P25-16	Defending Weapon	M64
Flesh to Adamant	P25-16	Ensorcel	M60
Orichalcum Edge	P25-17	Impression Blocker	M60
-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)		Power	M57
Mud Jet	M52	Resist Enchantment	M58
Orichalcum Missiles	P25-17	Weapon Spirit	M64
Purify Earth	M54	-13 penalty (13 prerequisites)
Sandstorm	M27	Compulsive Reader	P48-21
Summon Earth Elemental	M27	Cornucopia	M64
-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)		Crystal Ball	M71
Control Earth Elemental	M28	Effigy	M71
-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)		-14 penalty (14 prerequisites)
Create Earth Elemental	M28	Adjustable Clothing	M58
-11 penalty (11 prerequisites)		Defending Shield	M67
Alter Terrain	M55	Ghost Weapon	M14
-13 penalty (13 prerequisites)		Golem	M14
Volcano	M54	Ley Line Creation	TUM21
-29 penalty (29 prerequisites)		Quick-Aim	M65
Move Terrain	M55	-15 penalty (15 prerequisites)
		Accuracy	M65
		Hideaway	M61
		Homunculus	M70
		Puissance	M65
		Wood Golem	MPS13
		-16 penalty (16 prerequisites)
		Leak	M61
		Spell Stone	M60
		-17 penalty (17 prerequisites)
		Spell Arrow	M65
		Wish	M61
		-18 penalty (18 prerequisites)
		Assassin’s Weapon	MDS12
		Blank Spell Arrow	M66
		Great Wish	M62
		Narrative Conveyance	P48-22
		Simulacrum	M61
		Speed Spell Arrow	M66
		-19 penalty (19 prerequisites)
		Lich	M159
		Soul Stone	M71
		-22 penalty (22 prerequisites)
		Mortal Malefice	MDS12
		-24 penalty (24 prerequisites)
		Wraith	M160
		-26 penalty (26 prerequisites)
		Create Chimera	BT31
		-29 penalty (29 prerequisites)
		Doppelgänger	M62
		Varies
		Amulet	M58
		Talisman	M58

Path of Fire		Path of Food
Spell Name	Source	Spell Name	Source
No penalty (0 prerequisites)		No penalty (0 prerequisites)
Seek Fire	M72	Seek Food	M77
-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)		Test Food	M77
Create Fire	M72	-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)
Extinguish Fire	M72	Far-Tasting	M77
Phantom Flame	M73	Season	M77
Shape Fire	M72	-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)
-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)		Mature	M78
Deflect Energy	M73	Preserve Food	M79
Fireproof	M73	Purify Food	M78
Rain of Fire	M74	-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)
Slow Fire	M73	Cook	M78
-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)		Hunger	M38
Fast Fire	M73	Poison Food	M78
Fireball	M74	Prepare Game	M78
Flame Jet	M73	Wizard Nose	M104
Heat	M74	-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)
Resist Fire	M74	Butcher	MDS12
Smoke	M73	Foul Water	M185
-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)		Know Recipe	M78
Cold	M74	-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)
Explosive Fireball	M75	Create Food	M79
Flaming Weapon	M75	Fool’s Banquet	M79
Resist Cold	M74	Thirst	M38
Warmth	M74	Water to Wine	M79
-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)		-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)
Flaming Missiles	M75	Wizard Mouth	M104
-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)		-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)
Burning Touch	M79	Distill	M46
Essential Flame	M75	-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)		Essential Food	M79
Breathe Fire	M76	Scents of the Past	M107
Cremate	MDS12	-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)
Explosive Hellfire Orb	P25-17	Death’s Banquet	MDS13
Hellfire Jet	P25-18	-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
Hellfire Orb	P25-17	Monk’s Banquet	M79
Hellfire Rain	P25-18
Fire Cloud	M75
Flaming Armor	M75
-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
Body of Flames	M76
Summon Fire Elemental	M27
-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)
Control Fire Elemental	M28
Hellfire Breath	P25-18
Snuff Life’s Flame	MDS12
-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
Burning Death	M76
Create Fire Elemental	M28

Path of Fungus		Path of Gate
Spell Name	Source	Spell Name	Source
No penalty (0 prerequisites)		No penalty (0 prerequisites)
Seek Fungus	MPS17	Detect Banestorm	BS25
-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)		-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)
Identify Fungus	MPS17	Seek Banestorm	BS25
-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)		-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)
Cure Disease (Fungal)	MPS17	Identify Newcomer	BS25
Fungus Speech	MPS17	-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)
Heal Fungus	MPS17	Teleport	M147
Neutralize Poison (Fungal)	MPS17	-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)
Shape Fungus	MPS17	Beacon	M83
-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)		Blink	M148
Bless Fungus	MPS17	Phase	M83
Fungus Growth	MPS17	Rapid Journey	M82
Instant Neutralize Poison (Fungal)	MPS17	Teleport Other	M147
-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)		Timeport	M81
Blight	M162	Trace Teleport	M84
Create Fungus	MPS17	-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)
Decay	M77	Blink Other	M148
Itch	M35	Dimensional Dissection	MDS13
Spore Cloud	MPS17	Divert Teleport	M84
-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)		Phase Other	M83
Choke	M40	Timeport Other	M81
Foul Water	M185	Timeslip	M81
Mature	M78	-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)
Poison Food	M78	Planar Visit	M82
Ruin (Fungal)	MPS17	Teleport Shield	M170
Sickness	M138	Timeslip Other	M81
Wither Plant	M163	-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)		Create Door	M84
Fungus Control	MPS17	Planar Summons	M92
Fungus Form	MPS17	Seek Gate	M85
Pestilence (Fungal)	MPS17	-11 penalty (11 prerequisites)
-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)		Control Gate	M85
Animate Fungus	MPS17	Plane Shift	M83
Body of Fungus	MPS17	Scry Gate	M85
Body of Slime	M165	-12 penalty (12 prerequisites)
Fungus Form Other	MPS17	Plane Shift Other	M83
Rotting Death	M154	-13 penalty (13 prerequisites)
		Underworld Imprisonment	MDS13
		-16 penalty (16 prerequisites)
		Create Gate	M85
		-20 penalty (20 prerequisites)
		Accelerate Time	M86
		Hide Object	M86
		Slow Time	M86
		-21 penalty (21 prerequisites)
		Sanctuary	M86
		Suspend Time	M86
		Time Out	M87

Path of Healing		Path of Illusion & Creation
Spell Name	Source	Spell Name	Source
No penalty (0 prerequisites)		No penalty (0 prerequisites)
Euthanize	MDS14	Simple Illusion	M95
Final Rest	M89	-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)
Lend Energy	M89	Illusion Disguise	M96
-1 penalty (1 prerequisite)		Illusion Shell	M96
Body-Reading	M88	Independence	M96
Detect Poison	M166	Know Illusion	M97
Lend Vitality	M89	Phantom Flame	M73
Neutralize Poison	M92	-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)
Recover Energy	M89	Complex Illusion	M96
Share Energy	M89	-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)
-2 penalty (2 prerequisites)		Perfect Illusion	M96
Awaken	M90	-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)
Ease Labor	BT31	Control Illusion	M97
Instant Neutralize Poison	M92	-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)
Minor Healing	M91	Dispel Illusion	M97
Relieve Addiction	M92	-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)
Relieve Sickness	M90	Inscribe	M97
Remove Contagion	M90	Phantom	M97
Share Vitality	M90	-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
Stop Bleeding	M91	Create Object	M98
Stop Spasm	M35	Phantom Killer	MDS14
-3 penalty (3 prerequisites)		-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)
Major Healing	M91	Create Servant	M98
Resist Disease	M90	Initiative	M97
Resist Poison	M91	-10 penalty (10 prerequisites)
Restore Memory	M92	Control Creation	M99
Sense Disease	BT32	Create Warrior	M98
-4 penalty (4 prerequisites)		-11 penalty (11 prerequisites)
Great Healing	M91	Create Foreign Body	MDS14
Remove Fetus	BT32	Dispel Creation	M99
Restoration	M93	-12 penalty (12 prerequisites)
Restore Hearing	M92	Create Animal	M98
Restore Sight	M92	-13 penalty (13 prerequisites)
Resuscitate	MDS14	Create Mount	M99
Stop Paralysis	M93	-15 penalty (15 prerequisites)
-5 penalty (5 prerequisites)		Duplicate	M98
Cure Disease	M91
Instant Restoration	M93
Regeneration	M93
Relieve Paralysis	M93
-6 penalty (6 prerequisites)
Healing Slumber	M94
Instant Regeneration	M93
Restore Speech	M93
-7 penalty (7 prerequisites)
Suspended Animation	M94
-8 penalty (8 prerequisites)
Halt Aging	M94
-9 penalty (9 prerequisites)
Relieve Madness	M92
Resurrection	M94
Youth	M94
-12 penalty (12 prerequisites)
Cleansing	M94
Cure Radiation	M182