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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rasyr" data-source="post: 1862603" data-attributes="member: 2855">It is part of the way that the system is designed. The scaling options cost more PP, which in turn makes casting take longer and provide a negative modifier to casting. The rational being that the more power you attempt to manipulate, the harder it is going to be to cast the spell formed with that power.So, yes, at lower levels (or skill bonus with the spell), using scaling options may not be as effective (depending on the dice roll) or as cost effective as not using them. That is something that the mage has to decide for himself at the time of casting. However, he DOES have the options available to him, which is one of the main things about the design of the magic system.The whole point of the magic system is to be flexible and to give the mage the options. Nobody has said that all the options available will automatically be beneficial, especially as the majority of the options require that the mage makes a choice (higher possible crit for a smaller attack bonus; wear armor in exchange for spells costing more and having a smaller casting bonus for each; etc..). Whether or not a scaling option, or other option (wearing armor, fast casting, etc..) is worthwhile will  be an individual decision on the part of the mage.It is also worthwhile to note that a first level mage may also start with Power Point Adder (by spending DPs on the Special Starting Options list), and that the power points supplied by the Adder do not count when determining the casting modifier for scaling a spell up. Thus, a mage with a +1 PP Adder wants to cast a Firebolt that does a small attack. This costs a total of 6 PP. The Adder supplies 1 PP, leaving 5 for the mage to supply. Since 5 is only 1 higher than the base cost of 4, the mage receives only -5 for his casting roll in exchange doing a Small attack instead of a Tiny attack. That means a -5 casting modifier in exchange for a +10 increase to the Damage Cap. That makes scaling at lower levels much more worthwhile. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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