Okay, I like the new versions I'm working up. It's not a really major change- more like the same text from a different perspective. This lets me clarify a lot of stuff and recognize some things that don't make as much sense as I thought.
I really like the addition of the "What it can do" and "What it can't do" sections. That makes it very clear that these are open-ended powers. And while I didn't end up splitting up the spells into sub-powers, seriously thinking about those divisions gave me a better grasp of what I want each power to be able to do and what things each entry should mention.
General spell mechanics...
Compare caster's roll to target's resistance skill. If a Small Magick, it can only work against indirect resistance.
Magic that inflicts damage does 1d3+Magic damage, plus crits. Trivial and Small Magicks cannot inflict damage.
Compel:
Lethargy
Fear
Rage
Attraction
Spark:
Inflict damage with a burst of fire at close range. Crit is On Fire.
Too specific. Give someone a list of 10 abilities and no discussion of other things and they'll assume that the 10 abilities are it.
So... more rough guidelines. TK is Brawn Magic-5 if Small Magick, Brawn equal to Magic if Large Magick or High Sorcery.
Describe what sort of things are possible (and what's not) first, then go into specific examples. Ideally there should be less need for detailed, spell-specific rules.
Example character- priest of Zakarvus with Whispers magic instead of regular sight. Blind would probably be a -2 Flaw, -4 if you don't have Whispers magic.
The simply named art of Tug encompasses what humans might call telekinesis. The mage tugs at physical objects with invisible tendrils of mystic energy, moving them with their magic alone. Wizards have also experimented with the art of animating inanimate objects by insinuating a tendril into them, which makes the effect more limited in scope but stronger.
If you need to know the effective Brawn rating of a Tug spell, it's normally equal to the caster's Magic rating and their effective Feats of Strength check is the spell-casting roll. For Small Magicks, apply a -5 penalty to this rating; Small Magicks can't exert much force.
Delicate Manipulation: the caster's effective Brawn rating is Magic-5 and their effective Agility rating is their Magic rating. Delicate spells are Small Magicks.
Brute Force: the caster's effective Brawn rating is equal to their Magic rating, while their effective Agility rating is their Magic-5. These spells cannot exert any kind of fine control and are Large Magicks.
Animation: animating an inanimate object requires the mage to touch it and spend at least one round pouring magical energies into it. Thereafter the object moves as they direct so long as they remain in contact within arm's reach of at least one part of it. The object moves with a Brawn rating of the caster's Magic-5 and an Agility equal to their Magic+2 for Small Magicks, Magic+2 and Magic-5 for Large Magicks.
The object does not become any more flexible than normal, so animating a rock won't really do anything. The best targets are flexible things like water, rope or jointed dolls. The object animated must be something that you could lift with its effective Brawn rating.
The art of Compelling others involves manipulating their emotional states along two axis. Lethargy to Rage and Fear to Attraction.
Compel: Lethargy, Rage, Fear and Attraction.
Guise: Phantasm, Disguise and Concealment.
Shaping: Healing and Sculpting.
Spark: Fire and Light.
Tug: Motion and Animation.
Whispers: Divination, Spirits and Thoughts.
Hm. Healing & Sculpting always seemed like a poor mix. How about putting it in Tug? Eh. No, fixing wounds seems much like Sculpting.
I'm not sure Compel really needs the restrictions. I like the High Sorcery level having access to actual compulsions like Geas. But those four make good example emotions.
To use a simpler, more basic system:
There are six magical arts, each of which has a separate skill.
Trivial Spells: tiny demonstrations of your power. Limited to working within arm's reach, easily disrupted by any serious opposition. EASY difficulty and does not cost Focus or Fatigue.
Small Magicks: useful but minor spells. Easily defeated by any active opposition and even unsuspecting foes still get a resistance roll. TYPICAL difficulty and does not cost Focus or Fatigue. They can be subtle, but not complicated or powerful effects.
Large Magicks: more powerful spells. These can overcome even active resistance but cannot be subtle or refined in effect. TYPICAL difficulty and costs 1 Fatigue.
High Sorceries: particularly complicated and difficult spells. HARD difficulty and 1 Fatigue or VERY HARD and 2 Fatigue for 2-point Powers.
Compel: mental compulsions laid upon others. Resisted with Courage.
Guise: Resisted with Alertness.
Shaping: Resisted with Endurance.
Spark: Resisted with Dodge.
Tug: Resisted with Feats of Strength.
Whispers: Resisted with Leadership.
Hm. How about...
Compel: Resisted with Leadership (Cleverness & Perception)
Guise: Resisted with Insight (Perception)
Shaping: Resisted with Endurance (Brawn)
Spark: Resisted with Speed (Agility)
Tug: Resisted with Feats of Strength (Brawn)
Whispers: Resisted with Sixth Sense (Magic)
Add a Resolve skill for withstanding temptation as opposed to Fear?
Compel: either subtle emotional manipulation (resisted with Insight/Psychology) or outright attacks (resisted with Bravery).
Guise: resisted with Alertness for subtle disguises and Insight for psychic attacks?
I'd like for each art to have exactly one resisting stat BUT that may make those stats/skills that much more important.
Feats of Strength: used to resist Tug, obviously.
Compel: resisted with Bravery or Insight.
Spark: light vs fireball
Compel: suggestion vs paralyze
Guise: alter self vs invisibility
Tug: weak TK vs powerful shove
Shaping: sculpt material vs shatter things
Whispers: short range telepathic messages vs long-range broadcasts.
6 spells vs 6 combat ratings sounds cool but doesn't work so hot. What's resisted with Brawn+Perception (Throwing)?
4 non-magic stats.
Spark resisted with Dodge. Speed?
Tug with Feats of Strength.
Compel with Insight/Psychology. Get rid of true paralysis-style effects.
Guise with Alertness.
Shaping vs Dodge? Parry? Or just Endurance? (get rid of the touch requirement for Shatter).
Whispers: Sixth Sense.
Hm. Effects I need:
Hm. 1 point powers?
TK: weak but controlled or powerful shoves. [levitation, paralyze]
Spirits: speak with spirit or try to drive it away. [bind into object to animate it or perhaps command it instead]
Healing: speed up healing or save a dying character. [revive a "dead" character if fast enough, cure illness?]
Shaping: sculpt material or shatter it.
Senses: sense surroundings or see through an object [see invisible creatures/spirits]
Emotions: manipulate emotions subtly or powerfully but obviously. [geas]
Guise: hide while immobile or turn invisible momentarily [turn invisible maintainable]
Disguise: make object appear as something/someone else or distract a foe with a sudden illusion.
Fire: light a fire, throw a burst of flame [aura of fire]
TK2: animate rope weakly, animate something powerfully but briefly. [animate doll]
This basically has 2 per existing art except for Compel and Spark.
Disguise I'm iffy on, anyway. Looking like someone else isn't very Conan-esque except for dark sorcerers. Hm. Could add a dark god of illusions/phantasms.
Could also throw in a terror power that's spirit based, like Fiver.
Y'know, emotional manipulation is somewhat iffy, too. I like lull to sleep and possibly paralyze as mental effects and maybe make-target-angrier. Could split emotions somehow. Like Lassitude vs Choler. Could also add a mage-light split off for Spark.
Lassitude: lull to sleep or paralyze with weakness [lull to trance]
Choler: make target subtly angry or unleash brief rage. [rage at X?]
Light: conjure mage-light, flare of mage-light. [enchanted lights]
Hm. 12 single column powers instead of 6 full-pagers? Maybe I should try it. Put a 1-point and a 2-point HS each?
Paired powers? Buy either and you get the skill which is used for both, encourages anyone who has power X to also have power Y.
Scrying: none? Seer trait instead?
Emotional effects: lassitude, choler, fear. I could even see dropping choler- it's useful to be able to make people angry sometimes, but still... instead, we could do lassitude/alertness and fear/anger as it can push you either way.
Perhaps keep it simple at first.
Lassitude: lull targets into sleep or even momentary paralysis [trance]
Fear: make targets hesitate or flee in terror. [oppressive, ongoing terror]
Telekinesis: move objects gently or shove them away [levitation]
Animation: make object animate slowly or strongly but briefly [permanent]
Spark: start small fires or create a fire-burst [electricity]
Mage-light: conjure light or make a dazzling flash [permanent]
Healing: speed healing or revive dying [revive recently dead]
Spirits: communicate or drive away [dark bargain]
Senses: see without sight or see through objects [borrow senses]
Shaping: sculpt or shatter [shape metal]
Invisibility: hide or vanish [full invisibility]
Disguise: disguise as something similar or terrify with images [hallucination]
Lassitude: help target sleep, lull unsuspecting target into sleep, paralyze alert target [they can't act until you release the spell, dispelled if they get attacked], lull unsuspecting target into hypnotic trance.
Fear: frighten away bugs, make unsuspecting target hesitate, make alert target flee, conjure ongoing feelings of dread.
Tug: levitate tiny object, telekinetically move object weakly, sudden strong push/pull/catch, levitate self.
Animate: make tiny object dance, animate rope or other object touched weakly, animate touched object strongly, animate doll as enchantment.
Hmph. Do I really want mages to be able to throw around Fire but not conjure light? Or instill fear but not sleep? Healing but not Shaping makes sense...