Mm. For lack of a better analogy:
Imagine the ultimate, basement-level functioning of magic as machine code for a CPU. The CPU is the multiverse -- all universes of all levels of dimensionality.
Magic runs off a fundamental force not yet discovered by physics, which can be expressed as a related energy ("mana") that living things "distill" out of the fabric of space-time. Beings with the proper genetic gift to perceive this energy and its effects can use it to impose changes on both the physical and spiritual worlds by force of will. However, working directly with raw mana and raw will is like working with machine language on a computer. While it's very powerful, it's hard to learn and use. And the user interface is non-existent -- the caster has to create all his tools and systems from scratch.
A spellcasting system, like Kabbalah, Hermeticism or some shamanic paths, is like a high-level computer language. It acts as an interface between the user and the foundation level of magic. It makes things easier by having predefined methods and tools, and handles the raw magic at one or more removes. But at the same time it may lack some features and focus excessively on others. It may also be inefficient compared to working directly with raw mana, as you spend energy to get the management and ease of handling you wouldn't otherwise have. And it may have cultural biases built into it that affect what you can or cannot do.
There's more to it than that, but that's a good capsule summary.
Doug is like a computer professional who knows machine language and several dozen programming languages -- and can teach them all.
Unless turning Thamatology into a bang skill is necessary for him to have such a range of familiarity with the way spellcasting works in so many different systems, it seems that the basic skill would be more than sufficient.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Imagine the ultimate, basement-level functioning of magic as machine code for a CPU. The CPU is the multiverse -- all universes of all levels of dimensionality.
Magic runs off a fundamental force not yet discovered by physics, which can be expressed as a related energy ("mana") that living things "distill" out of the fabric of space-time. Beings with the proper genetic gift to perceive this energy and its effects can use it to impose changes on both the physical and spiritual worlds by force of will. However, working directly with raw mana and raw will is like working with machine language on a computer. While it's very powerful, it's hard to learn and use. And the user interface is non-existent -- the caster has to create all his tools and systems from scratch.
A spellcasting system, like Kabbalah, Hermeticism or some shamanic paths, is like a high-level computer language. It acts as an interface between the user and the foundation level of magic. It makes things easier by having predefined methods and tools, and handles the raw magic at one or more removes. But at the same time it may lack some features and focus excessively on others. It may also be inefficient compared to working directly with raw mana, as you spend energy to get the management and ease of handling you wouldn't otherwise have. And it may have cultural biases built into it that affect what you can or cannot do.
There's more to it than that, but that's a good capsule summary.
Doug is like a computer professional who knows machine language and several dozen programming languages -- and can teach them all.
Unless turning Thamatology into a bang skill is necessary for him to have such a range of familiarity with the way spellcasting works in so many different systems, it seems that the basic skill would be more than sufficient.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
