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They have the info on the old paths of power in the old 2e wizard spell compendiums. For interest, I've included them here.
Path magic (also called pattern magic or web magic) allows a mage or specialist wizard to choose an area of concentration for further development. This increases the chance of developing a given set of spells, while limiting development in other ways. Paths of magic are fragments of knowledge that may cut across many disciplines. They are supported by colleges of magic, where the chains of related knowledge are passed down from master to student. Access to paths can be limited by limiting where they can be learned, and which colleges have certain types of knowledge can be a tool of campaign development.
A path is a group of related spells that must be learned in a particular order. Beginning with the lowest level spell on a path, the wizard learns each spell in turn. If a path contains more than one spell of a certain level, the wizard only needs to learn one of those spells in order to proceed along that path.
A wizard who becomes a path mage can only learn spells to which he can trace a path , and can only research new spells that connect to a path of spells that he already knows. Even a greatly desired spell found on an adventure cannot be mastered unless a path to it can be developed. Paths that contain 1st-level spells are called greater paths, those that do not contain 1st-level spells are called lesser paths.
Generally, spell levels cannot be skipped; if a path contains 2nd, 3rd and 4th-level spells, then the wizard must learn a 3rd-level spell before learning any 4th-level spells on the path, and a 2nd-level spell before learning any 3rd-level spells.
A wizard on a path will always be drawn along it; when sufficient experience levels are gained to open a new spell level, the wizard on a path can make the requisite “to know” roll for the next spell on the path immediately, provided he does not skip a spell level to do so. If failure of a “to know” roll would close a path, the wizard can try again once another experience level has been gained. The wizard receives a maximum of one roll per experience level, regardless of how many paths he is on (this can be supplemented with spell research).
A wizard who has learned two consecutive steps on a path can skip one step on the path. Only one
step on a path can be skipped and the wizard can try to fill it in at a later time.
A wizard can follow multiple paths, depending on his level and Intelligence. Specialists can follow fewer paths and cannot access opposition schools while following a path, this may halt their progress along certain paths. The basic number of paths based on level are given on Table 1, to these are added bonus paths for Intelligence from Table 2. Thus a 10th-level wizard with Intelligence 16 can learn spells from 12 different paths.
Once a path is completed, it no longer counts against the maximum number of paths a wizard can have.
If the same spell is on two paths, it is a nexus. If a wizard reaching a nexus knows that there are two paths, he can continue with the current path, switch to the new path, or pursue both (this is called a forking path). While this gives the wizard additional choices, each fork counts as a separate path, and no spell beyond the nexus spell can be skipped. A wizard on a forking path can work down the new path, filling in missed steps.
A path master is a wizard who has mastered every single spell in a path that is of a level he can cast. A wizard cannot be a path master of more than one path at a time. A wizard eligible to be a path master in several paths can choose the path mastered, and can change this whenever a new spell is added along either path. The benefit of being a path master is a -1 penalty to opposing saving throws, a +1 bonus per die of damage, and range, duration, and area of effect as if the caster was one level higher for all spells of the mastered path.
Creating New Paths: The DM has final approval of whether a path is feasible. The creator must be able to cast all the spells on the path. The cost of “path research” is 1,000 gp times the number of spell levels in the path. The chance of success is the wizard‘s level plus Intelligence, minus twice the number of spells on the path. Thus, an 15th-level wizard with an Intelligence 18 trying to create the Path of Ice, consisting of Snilloc's snowball (I), Snilloc’s snowball swarm (2), ice storm (4), wall of ice (4), and cone of cold (5). would have to invest 16,000 gp and 16 weeks, and would have a 23% chance of success(15 + 18 - 10 = 23).
Generally, a path should contain at least five spells divided across three levels. Most paths have 10 spells or less. A group of more than 20 spells probably should be configured as a school, rather than as a path.
Path magic (also called pattern magic or web magic) allows a mage or specialist wizard to choose an area of concentration for further development. This increases the chance of developing a given set of spells, while limiting development in other ways. Paths of magic are fragments of knowledge that may cut across many disciplines. They are supported by colleges of magic, where the chains of related knowledge are passed down from master to student. Access to paths can be limited by limiting where they can be learned, and which colleges have certain types of knowledge can be a tool of campaign development.
A path is a group of related spells that must be learned in a particular order. Beginning with the lowest level spell on a path, the wizard learns each spell in turn. If a path contains more than one spell of a certain level, the wizard only needs to learn one of those spells in order to proceed along that path.
A wizard who becomes a path mage can only learn spells to which he can trace a path , and can only research new spells that connect to a path of spells that he already knows. Even a greatly desired spell found on an adventure cannot be mastered unless a path to it can be developed. Paths that contain 1st-level spells are called greater paths, those that do not contain 1st-level spells are called lesser paths.
Generally, spell levels cannot be skipped; if a path contains 2nd, 3rd and 4th-level spells, then the wizard must learn a 3rd-level spell before learning any 4th-level spells on the path, and a 2nd-level spell before learning any 3rd-level spells.
A wizard on a path will always be drawn along it; when sufficient experience levels are gained to open a new spell level, the wizard on a path can make the requisite “to know” roll for the next spell on the path immediately, provided he does not skip a spell level to do so. If failure of a “to know” roll would close a path, the wizard can try again once another experience level has been gained. The wizard receives a maximum of one roll per experience level, regardless of how many paths he is on (this can be supplemented with spell research).
A wizard who has learned two consecutive steps on a path can skip one step on the path. Only one
step on a path can be skipped and the wizard can try to fill it in at a later time.
A wizard can follow multiple paths, depending on his level and Intelligence. Specialists can follow fewer paths and cannot access opposition schools while following a path, this may halt their progress along certain paths. The basic number of paths based on level are given on Table 1, to these are added bonus paths for Intelligence from Table 2. Thus a 10th-level wizard with Intelligence 16 can learn spells from 12 different paths.
| Table 1: Wizard Maximum Number of Paths | ||
| Level | Mage | Specialist |
| 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 7 | 6 | 5 |
| 8 | 7 | 5 |
| 9 | 8 | 6 |
| 10 | 9 | 7 |
| 11 | 10 | 8 |
| 12 | 11 | 9 |
| 13 | 12 | 10 |
| 14 | 13 | 11 |
| 15 | 14 | 12 |
| 16 | 15 | 13 |
| 17 | 16 | 14 |
| 18 | 18 | 15 |
| 19 | 20 | 16 |
| 20 | 22 | 18 |
| TABLE 2 BONUS PATHS FOR INTELLIGENCE | |||
| Wizard’s Intelligence | Bonus Paths | Spells/ Level | Chance to Learn |
| 9 | +0 | 6 | 35% |
| 10 | +0 | 7 | 40% |
| 11 | +1 | 7 | 45% |
| 12 | +1 | 7 | 50% |
| 13 | +1 | 9 | 55% |
| 14 | +2 | 9 | 60% |
| 15 | +2 | 11 | 65% |
| 16 | +3 | 11 | 70% |
| 17 | +3 | 14 | 75% |
| 18 | +4 | 18 | 85% |
| 19 | +5 | All | 95% |
| 20 | +5 | All | 96% |
| 21 | +6 | All | 97% |
| 22 | +7 | All | 98% |
| 23 | +8 | All | 99% |
| 24 | +9 | All | 100% |
| 25 | +10 | All | 100% |
Once a path is completed, it no longer counts against the maximum number of paths a wizard can have.
If the same spell is on two paths, it is a nexus. If a wizard reaching a nexus knows that there are two paths, he can continue with the current path, switch to the new path, or pursue both (this is called a forking path). While this gives the wizard additional choices, each fork counts as a separate path, and no spell beyond the nexus spell can be skipped. A wizard on a forking path can work down the new path, filling in missed steps.
A path master is a wizard who has mastered every single spell in a path that is of a level he can cast. A wizard cannot be a path master of more than one path at a time. A wizard eligible to be a path master in several paths can choose the path mastered, and can change this whenever a new spell is added along either path. The benefit of being a path master is a -1 penalty to opposing saving throws, a +1 bonus per die of damage, and range, duration, and area of effect as if the caster was one level higher for all spells of the mastered path.
Creating New Paths: The DM has final approval of whether a path is feasible. The creator must be able to cast all the spells on the path. The cost of “path research” is 1,000 gp times the number of spell levels in the path. The chance of success is the wizard‘s level plus Intelligence, minus twice the number of spells on the path. Thus, an 15th-level wizard with an Intelligence 18 trying to create the Path of Ice, consisting of Snilloc's snowball (I), Snilloc’s snowball swarm (2), ice storm (4), wall of ice (4), and cone of cold (5). would have to invest 16,000 gp and 16 weeks, and would have a 23% chance of success(15 + 18 - 10 = 23).
Generally, a path should contain at least five spells divided across three levels. Most paths have 10 spells or less. A group of more than 20 spells probably should be configured as a school, rather than as a path.
Bigby’s Path: spectral hand (1), flying fist (2), Caligarde’s claw (4), Bigby’s interposing hand (5), Bigby’s forceful hand (6), Bigby’s grasping hand (7), Bigby’s clenched fist (8), Bigby’s crushing hand (9)
Greater Fire Road: affect normal fires (1), burning hands (1), Agannazer’s scorcher (2), pyrotechnics (2), fireflow (3), fire aura (4), fire charm (4), fire gate (4), fire shield (4), wall of fire (4), Forest’s fiery constrictor (6), Malec-Keth’s flame fist (7), meteor swarm (9)
Lesser Fire Road: fire burst (1) flaming sphere (2), fireball (3), shroud of flame (S), delayed blast fireball (7), meteor swarm (9)
Frozen Road: bind (2), hold person (3), hold undead (3), hover (4), hold monster (5), statue (7), temporal stasis (9)
Wizard's Road: cantrip (1), copy (1), read magic (l), deep pockets (2), wizard lock (2), dispel magic (3), secret page (3), Rary’s mnemonic enhancer (4), wizard’s eye (4), contingency (6), geas (6), Mordenkainen’s lucubration (6), Elminster’s evasion (9), Mordenkainen’s disjunction (9)
Greater Fire Road: affect normal fires (1), burning hands (1), Agannazer’s scorcher (2), pyrotechnics (2), fireflow (3), fire aura (4), fire charm (4), fire gate (4), fire shield (4), wall of fire (4), Forest’s fiery constrictor (6), Malec-Keth’s flame fist (7), meteor swarm (9)
Lesser Fire Road: fire burst (1) flaming sphere (2), fireball (3), shroud of flame (S), delayed blast fireball (7), meteor swarm (9)
Frozen Road: bind (2), hold person (3), hold undead (3), hover (4), hold monster (5), statue (7), temporal stasis (9)
Wizard's Road: cantrip (1), copy (1), read magic (l), deep pockets (2), wizard lock (2), dispel magic (3), secret page (3), Rary’s mnemonic enhancer (4), wizard’s eye (4), contingency (6), geas (6), Mordenkainen’s lucubration (6), Elminster’s evasion (9), Mordenkainen’s disjunction (9)
