Thumper

Oh, poor you.  You poor unfortunate soul.  You're playing a Story Game that is Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA).  Several years ago Vincent Baker (developer of kill puppies for satan: the rpg) released an utterly garbage post-apocalyptic game called Apocalypse World with a "game engine" called "Powered by the Apocalypse"  It has been since adapted to every genre you can imagine.  It's extremely easy to convert to other genres because, as you've noticed, the mechanics are an absolute joke and have zero substance.  The use of "Moves" and the "2d6+Modifiers to resolve everything" mechanics are the hallmarks of PbtA.  Monster of the Week is one of the more terrible versions of the PtbA system, but they get even worse -- just be glad you aren't playing Monsterhearts, which is basically Monster of the Week but one of your primary "Moves" is to have sex with the villain.
 
There's a popular superhero Story Game called City of Mist that is supposed to be like a Dark Champions, noirish superhero game.  One of the moves is Investigate.  The way the rules are written, you can literally just ask any random person about the case and if you roll high, they tell you the answer to any question you ask.  Arrive at a murder scene, turn to another PC, ask "Who killed them?" and, RAW, if you roll an 11+ the other PC tells you who the murderer is.  There's no Streetwise skill, no Interrogate skill, no Forensic Medicine, no Contacts.  The player doesn't have to put any work into an investigation, doesn't have to think about how they can apply their skills to the solution.  All characters can just roll 2d6, add their Power Modifier, and investigation is over.  The sick thing about Masks is that you can complete an entire adventure with three dice rolls:  Investigate to learn the identity of the villain, Investigate to learn the location of the villain, Kick Some Ass (it's called something else but works exactly the same) to defeat the villain, adventure over.  Three good roles and you win!
 
Story Games are based around the premise that having to learn rules is hard and that all combats are "slogs," and that only old, fat, socially maladjusted grognards could ever enjoy something as arcane and complicated as a "hit location chart."  Story Gamers operate under the assumption that the only part of roleplaying games that is enjoyable (to normal people, like them, as anyone who disagrees with them is mentally damaged in some way) is the collaborative creation of a narrative.  Like they don't want to game out a fight, they want to resolve the fight with one roll and then just described what happens based on the three broad possible outcomes.  Mostly all Story Games accomplish is highlighting how most people aren't really that great of storytellers. 
 
My experience of story gamers is that they really, really hate HERO gamers.  We are their absolute enemy for two reasons, the first of which is fairly obvious.  HERO, with it's rulebooks thick enough to stop bullets,  is basically the antithesis of what they consider a good game.  They can't comprehend why a GM might want a game system that models physics and answers questions like "What happens to Character X if Character Y throws Charter X into Object Z?"  They don't understand why GMs and players want clearly defined powers that are balanced.
 
The second reason they hate us, and us in particular, is more subtle.  Story Gamers love to believe that they invented whole new innovative concepts that rocked the gaming world and completely revolutionized gaming.  They've "introduced" concepts like "Stunts," where players get bonuses to their rolls for creatively describing attacks and actions, and "Metagame Control" or "Director Stance" where players can force add story elements to the GM's game world.  The problem is that Champions introduced all of these ideas 40 years ago.  Hunteds and DNPC?  Metagame Control.  They allow players to create Villains and NPCs and insert them into the campaign.  Stunts?  Yeah, HERO literally invented that, it's called "Surprise Move."  HERO's whole core concept of a combat system that discourages player morality and makes it more likely players will be captured than killed is narrative supporting game mechanics.  Hell, HERO introduced the whole idea of narrative supporting mechanics to gaming.
 
And that's why they hate HERO gamers and HERO System.  Because they can lay all these complaints about how D&D doesn't support narrative focus and encourages hack'n'slash murderhoboing with its arcane rules, but HERO doesn't fit their patterns.  HERO has always cared about story and supporting story, and has always had built in mechanics to support an ongoing narrative.  Which means the only real criticism they can level against HERO is that "reading is hard" and "math is hard," which, uh, doesn't really support their whole "we're the smartest guys in the room" mentality.
 
Tell your friend that you like him and find his setting interesting, but that Powered by the Apocalypse lacks depth and that the game is repetitive and boring, and you're not enjoying yourself.  Make it clear that it's not him or his setting you dislike, but the game system itself.  Then teach him how to play HERO.

You want Accurate, not Selective.

The most recent member to join the Magpies, Kayla Anderson aka Crackerjack, is a mutant with limited control over metals.  Her powers cause metallic objects to warp and distort chaotically, allowing her to easily destroy guns, vehicles and most modern technology. Amelia's mutant talents are very powerful but have very limited utility due to her inability to control the distortions she creates. Her instructors seem convinced that with practice Kayla could control her distortion field and reshape metals with her mind the way a sculptor shapes clay with his hands, but so far she has yet to display that level of control.  She does exceptionally well against conventional criminals armed with guns and reliant on technology, but she has no real ability to attack -- or defend against! -- supers with innate powers, a fact of which her instructors constantly remind her. 
 
Kayla's feelings of inadequacy and general insecurity lead to her agreeing to join the Magpies, who wanted to use powers to crack a safe.  While hesitant to participate at first, Kayla's powers were perfectly suited to the task and made short work of the police who responded, impressing the group and earning her their praise.  Now she is torn. She knows that what the Magpies are doing isn't just harmless fun and is wrong, but she's so good at it, and feeling competent for a change is addictive.

The most recent member to join the Magpies, Kayla Anderson aka Crackerjack, is a mutant with limited control over metals.  Her powers cause metallic objects to warp and distort chaotically, allowing her to easily destroy guns, vehicles and most modern technology. Amelia's mutant talents are very powerful but have very limited utility due to her inability to control the distortions she creates. Her instructors seem convinced that with practice Kayla could control her distortion field and reshape metals with her mind the way a sculptor shapes clay with his hands, but so far she has yet to display that level of control.  She does exceptionally well against conventional criminals armed with guns and reliant on technology, but she has no real ability to attack -- or defend against! -- supers with innate powers, a fact of which her instructors constantly remind her. 
 
Kayla's feelings of inadequacy and general insecurity lead to her agreeing to join the Magpies, who wanted to use powers to crack a safe.  While hesitant to participate at first, Kayla's powers were perfectly suited to the task and made short work of the police who responded, impressing the group and earning her their praise.  Now she is torn. She knows that what the Magpies are doing isn't just harmless fun and is wrong, but she's so good at it, and feeling competent for a change is addictive.

Noir, also known as Amelia Waterstone, is the oldest member of the Stunners and wears a pair of jet black opera gloves that grant her control over the Shadowforce.  This mysterious extra-dimensional "matter" absorbs light and can easily shift from solid to desolid state, allowing Noir to create "solid shadows" that she uses to form barriers, entangle foes and project blasts of force.  Naturally she can create a field of gaseous darkness that blinds her enemies without hindering movement.  Noir can see through her own darkness fields (and all other forms of darkness), pass through her own barriers, and can even "merge with shadows," becoming desolid within her own darkness field.  Because her shadowforce can pass through physical objects, she can use this ability to walk through walls.
 
Amelia is thoroughly addicted to her powers and lives almost constantly as Noir, much to the consternation of her teammates.  Amelia has grown more cold and aloof since gaining her powers, and has disturbing tendency to mock her companions good intentions and suggest the many ways the quintet could use their powers to grow rich and powerful, allowing them to truly enjoy their gifts.  As Noir, Amelia wears her magical opera gloves, a slinky black dress, a black mink stole, and wide brimmed hat with a lace veil.

Noir, also known as Amelia Waterstone, is the oldest member of the Stunners and wears a pair of jet black opera gloves that grant her control over the Shadowforce.  This mysterious extra-dimensional "matter" absorbs light and can easily shift from solid to desolid state, allowing Noir to create "solid shadows" that she uses to form barriers, entangle foes and project blasts of force.  Naturally she can create a field of gaseous darkness that blinds her enemies without hindering movement.  Noir can see through her own darkness fields (and all other forms of darkness), pass through her own barriers, and can even "merge with shadows," becoming desolid within her own darkness field.  Because her shadowforce can pass through physical objects, she can use this ability to walk through walls.
 
Amelia is thoroughly addicted to her powers and lives almost constantly as Noir, much to the consternation of her teammates.  Amelia has grown more cold and aloof since gaining her powers, and has disturbing tendency to mock her companions good intentions and suggest the many ways the quintet could use their powers to grow rich and powerful, allowing them to truly enjoy their gifts.  As Noir, Amelia wears her magical opera gloves, a slinky black dress, a black mink stole, and wide brimmed hat with a lace veil.

Well, the Writer's Guidelines used to be posted here on this website for free download, so while Steve, Jason and Co. must no longer think they're worth keeping here because they're not current, I can't imagine they'd object to anyone putting them where interested parties can find them. Heck, I'll just Attach them here.
WritersGuidelines.pdf

This is Arachnoid.  Archanoid is a minor villain who specializes in second-story work, often in the employ of more powerful crimelords.  Archanoid, whose Secret ID remains unknown, is considered low-priority by most heroes due to his well known code against killing.  Archanoid seems to be in it for the fortune and glory, and may be a thrillseeker. Whatever his motives, he is known for only using non-lethal weaponry and has risked capture to avoid causing injuries to civilians.  He seems to have no interest in testing his mettle against heroes, and will flee from any encounter -- a large part of why his identity remains unknown.  Archanoid is assisted in his burglaries by a suite of high tech devices and sophisticated stealth battlesuit.  It is unknown if Archanoid built the suit himself or stole it, though the latter seems a safe bet.  If he did steal it, the original owners have not made the theft public knowledge.  Like most things involving the superpowered thief, the answers are shrouded in mystery.
 
Arachnoid's primary attack is his Web Gun, which he uses both to incapacitate opponents, create web barriers to block his escapes routes and to create a grapple line for quick escapes.  He also uses gas grenades that produce either a thick, obscuring fog (which he can apparently see through) or a mild sedative gas that knocks opponents out, and carries a wide range of useful gadgets for overcoming security systems .
 
His Battlesuit produces an jamming field that disrupts security systems and allows him to avoid detection by cameras and most sensors, as well as providing limited protection from small arms fire.  His helmet includes a suite of sensors, granting him nightvision, the ability to monitor police frequencies, and a "backscatter scan mode" that produces low-level x-rays and allow him to see into the floors and walls of buildings, revealing hidden security systems and the like, as well as respiration system that filters out gases (including his own knockout gas) and filtering lenses and ear protection that protect his senses from flash attacks. Mentalists who have encountered Arachnoid claim his helmet also includes very sophisticated anti-psionic shielding and that his mind is unreadable. His boots incorporates sound-absorbing soles, improving his natural stealth, and -- along with his gloves -- contains retractable nanoscale hooks that allow him to cling to any surface less slick than glass. 

The CHA Max for OCV in my campaign is 9. I base this on the fact that a Noteworthy Normal has a DCV of 3, thus character with a base OCV of 9 will only miss a Notworthy Normal on a roll of 18, which is an automatic miss.  I find that an appropriate benchmark for "the best a person could possibly be without training."
 
The Skill Level Max is 5.  So a character can increase their OCV to 14 with Skill Levels.  A character may have an infinite number of Skill Levels, but cannot add more than +5 to OCV or DCV.  A character with, for example,  +8 Overall CSL could divide the bonus between OCV and DCV as +5/+3, +4/+4, +3/+5, but not as +0/+8, +1/+7, +2/+6, etc.  Combat Skill Levels bought through a Focus or other non-inherent means cannot exceed +5 and do not stack with Combat Skill Levels from other sources.  Instead, the character uses the larger bonus and adds +1 for the first additional source of CSL only.  If Lash Lightning, Space Hero  has the skill +4 OCV with Rifles, an IIF Targeting Computer that provides +3 OCV to all attacks, and is firing an OAF Laser Rifle with a built in +1 OCV,  he would be +5 OCV, not +8. 
 
The OCV bonus from Martial Maneuvers does not count towards the +5 Skill Level cap, because Maneuvers are Skills, not Skill Levels.  Thus a character's maximum possible OCV in my campaign is 17.  This could be accomplished by:
Having a 9 OCV Having +5 Combat Skill Levels Having +1 or more Combat Skill Levels from alternate sources (such as a magic weapon) Using a Counterstrike, Fast Strike, Legsweep or other +2 OCV Maneuvers Combat Skill Levels bought at the 3pt level or higher can be used to negate Combat Penalties to OCV, such as the OCV Penalty for a Placed Shot or narrow fighting conditions, and thus does not count towards the +5 maximum.  So a character with a 9 OCV and +13 Combat Skill Levels using a Fast Strike Maneuver could Placed Shot the Head without penalty, and if your DCV is less than 12 you're basically praying he rolls an 18.
 
I'm not too worried about a character who can achieve a 17 OCV, because I'm willing to bet that character can't hit very hard.  If he can both hit hard and never misses, then it's pretty much a guarantee that he's a) slow and b) can't take hit.  Overspecialization is for insects.

If you need good scenarios for vigilantes, watch a couple of episodes of pretty much any 80's action show -- Magnum PI, Knight Rider, Macguyver and The A-Team are particularly good for inspiration.  There's sort of a formula to these things.  Here is the  basic formula of most Action/Vigilante scenarios:
There is a Villain.  The villain has a Scheme.  The scheme requires a Macguffin.  There is an Obstacle to villain acquiring the macguffin.  The obstacle is an Innocent Person or Group. The villain has Resources that he can use to acquire control over the macguffin. The resources are Armed Thugs, Gobs of Money and Political Cover (hence the need for vigilantes).  The villain Initiates Action by making an attempt to gain control of the macguffin, usually by sending armed thugs, but then...
...the villain destroys the obstacle and takes the macguffin, but leaves a Trail of Evidence. The innocent has an Ally (typically a friend or relative) who is driven to investigate the claim and discovers the trail. This ally is either one of the heroes, or seeks out the heroes for help investigating, or discovers the villain through their own investigation and becomes the new Obstacle to the villain's scheme, which either repeats this option or... ...the villain does not kill the obstacle but gains control of the macguffin.  The obstacle may be left alive, left for dead,  escape the villain's clutches, or be interrupted by the heroes. They then seek the aid of an Ally, who is either the heroes or someone who can lead the obstacle to the heroes.  The heroes must regain control of the macguffin for obstacle/innocent persons.  ...the villain does not kill the obstacle or gain control of the macguffin.  The obstacle either drives the villain off, escapes with the macguffin, or .  They then seek the aid of an Ally, who is either the heroes or someone who can lead the obstacle to the heroes.  The heroes must defend the innocent person and the macguffin from the villain.  Here are some examples of this formula in action:
Dr. Feelgood (Villain) is a drug smuggler. He smuggles drugs into America (Scheme) and sells them for money.  He has hidden a shipment of heroin hidden in a Classic Car (Macguffin), and had it delivered to a Dillinger Motors, small, independently owned used car dealership that specializes in classic cars.  Jack Dillinger, the owner of the dealership, is an Honest Citizen (Obstacle). Dr. Feelgood sends his Feelgoons to steal the classic car (Initiates Action) in the middle of the night, but Jack is in his office and discovers them.  He chases them off with a baseball bat and discovers the heroin.  He knows the heroes and approaches them for help, because he's afraid if he goes to the corrupt police force he'll get caught up in a smuggling investigation and lose his import license, but he can't let the heroin wind up on the streets.  The heroes have to find the Feelgoons, track them back to Dr. Feelgood, and shut down his operation if Jack is ever going to be safe again. Evil Incorporated (Villain) is a corrupt corporation. They'll do anything to cover up their history of dumping toxic waste (Scheme).  David Ortega is a crusading environmental lawyer (Obstacle) who has uncovered proof of their crimes and stored them in encrypted file (Macguffin).  AggroTech's chief of security murders Ortega (Initiates Action), staging it as a suicide, but Ortega has sent copies of the encrypted  to his sister, Martina Ortega (Ally). Martina is dating one of the heroes, and asks him to investigate her brother's mysterious death, refusing to accept the police's conclusion of suicide. Now the heroes have to put together the clues and discover what David Ortega discover that got him killed. Safecracker (Villain) is a safecracking supervillain from the 80's.  In 1987 he stashed $4 million in diamonds in the walls of a suburban home under construction, and now he wants to get it back (Scheme).  He's sure he's found the right cul-de-sac, but he's not sure which of a six houses the jewels are stashed in and needs time to search them all. He's managed to get five of the families out of their houses with fake vacation prizes, but the last family has stayed home (Obstacle). Desperate and running out of funds, Safecracker gathers up his two thuggish nephews  and stages a the home invasion route (Initiates Action).  The problem is that family that lives here is one of the hero's family, and the hero is home...and in their Secret ID.  And the wife and kids don't know daddy is a vigilante.  

I'm with this guy.

I third this, as long as you spell it Action HERO. The name Dark Champions stinks of the Dork Age of Comics.  It's very edgelordy, and Action HERO  better sums up what Dark Champions exceeds at, is an awesome pun, and brings it in line with Pulp HERO, Fantasy HERO, Star HERO, and Post-Apocalyptic HERO.
 
I half think Champions should be renamed Super HERO, but I know that would never fly with the HERO diehards.

I would think that an Obvious focus that generated an Inobvious power would only Obvious to someone capable of sensing the Inobvious power.  Consider the following scenario involving four people, Allen, Bob, Charles and Dave, standing in a room:
Allen is wearing a Helm of Telepathy, an OIF that grants Telepathy, and is using his Telepathy to read Bob's mind. Bob is the target of Allen's Telepathy attack. Charles possess the Mental Awareness enhanced sense. Dave is an ordinary human with no enhanced senses. In such a scenario:
Bob, as the subject of the attack, would be aware that Allen was attempting to read his mind, and that the power originated from the Helm of Telepathy. Charles would be aware that Allen was targeting Bob with a Mental Power, and that the source of the power was the Helm of Telepathy. Dave would be unaware that Allen was attacking Bob or that the Helm of Telepathy provided Allen with powers.

A solemn group of adventurers gather around a human pincushion.
 
"I guess Bob should have specified that the arrows appear in a hex he wasn't standing in."

One item that might be fun that I am completely stealing from Pathfinder:  Greensight.
 
Basically, X-ray vision only to see through plants.  Allows the ranger to navigate clearly and spot prey & enemies trying to hide behind trees or in dense foliage.

That strikes me as an oversight.  It's certainly not an explicit statement that Inobvious powers become Perceptible when bought through a Focus, a claim I can't find anywhere in the books.  If that's the case, then Obvious should be worth a greater limitation when applied to Inobvious powers.
 
Also, your theory has a significant problem in that it means Steve Long doesn't know how to write up Champions characters.  Look at all these completely useless powers taken from the published books:
Cornelius Liefield's Invisibility Potion: Invisibility to Sight and Mystical Sense Groups, Trigger (open or smash bottle; +¼), Usable By Other (+¼); OAF Fragile (potion and bottle; -1¼), 2 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Minute each (stopped by striking user with a magical attack; -¾). Total Cost: 15 points. Eclipse's Shadow Stealth: Invisibility to Sight Group, No Fringe 0 Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OIF (Shadow Crown, -½), Only In Darkness/Shadows (-¼) Total cost: 26 points. Ultrasonique's Stealth Enhancer: Invisibility to Hearing Group; OIF (-½). Total cost: 7 points. Utility's Cloaking Mesh: Invisibility to Sight Group, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OIF (-½). Total cost: 20 points. If you're correct, then buying Invisibility through an Obvious Focus is self-defeating, because "opponents know where the power comes from and can attempt to disable the Focus or take it away."  Which apparently means that if you look at Utility while he's using his cloaking mesh, you can -- without making a Perception roll -- know where he is and target him with attacks.  What an incredible waste of 20 points.  How silly of Steve to write it up like that.

Aid without advantages should probably target and affect a man-sized object (i.e. 2m x .5m x .5m, 100kg), which means a Harden Stone spell without AoE would only affect a man-sized area.  I think it would be fair to adjust the size to 2m x 2m x .125m, which would be sufficient to stop Tunneling.  If you want the spell to affect all material in a large area, I would require it to be bought with an AoE.
 
Though really, I'd just build the spell like this:
Harden Stone: Change Environment (-10m of Tunneling), Area Of Effect (32m Radius; +1) (20 Active Points) Then add any appropriate limitations.  

Here is an example of one the schools of magic and a few spells.
 
ASTROLOGICAL MAGIC

 
Astrological Magic is a form of White Magic that requires significant training and education to master.  Practitioners of Astrological Magic are called Astromancers.  Astromancers call upon the power of the stars themselves to create magical effects.  When casting, the Astromancer must call out complex strings of astrological correspondences, binding the powers of the Moons, Planets and Zodiac and causing them to converge on, while tracing their corresponding signs in the air with their fingers.  Astromancy is famous for its powerful divinatory abilities, and many people are unaware that these stargazers can call upon cosmic energies to vanquish the most powerful of foes.  The signature ability of Astromancers is Astrology.
 
Astrology 
By spending an hour studying the relative position of Rhûne's moons and stars, the Astromancer can perform any one of the following divinations:
Fate: The condition or general whereabouts of any once individual may be divined. The Astromancer may divine if the individual in question is "safe," "in great danger," "nearby," "faraway," etc. If desired, the general direction in which an individual may be found can also be discerned. Wisdom: The wisdom or advisibility of a single course of action may be determined in advance; i.e. "is it safe to cross the swamp by day," "is it wise to offer a bribe to the city magistrate," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Destiny: The caster may determine whether a given event or circumstance will occur in the near future; i.e. "will the wizard be in his tower tomorrow night," "will we encounter goblins as we pass through the forest," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Use of this ability requires a clear night sky, telescope and astrolabe and one hour.  Astrology is a form of magic but is not a spell, rather it is is a magical talent.  Spellcasters who choose Astrological Magic as their free School gain the Astrology talent for free, but must still purchase the Astrology skill.  Otherwise, Astrology costs 5 points.
 
Astrology: Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group) (40 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour, Only to Activate, Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 3/4), OAF Bulky Fragile (Telescope and Astrolabe; -1 3/4), Precognition Only (-1), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Conditional Power: Stars Must Be Visible (-1/4), Limited Power: Fate, Wisdom, Destiny Only (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2); Real Cost: 5
 
SPELLS
All of the following spells have the standard spell limitations (Requires A Roll (Skill roll, -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Real Spell (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4)) in addition to any listed Limitations.  Constant powers and Skills bought as spells also have Cost Endurance (Only to Activate, -1/4) limitation and Time Limit (varies) advantage.
 
Astral Bolt
This spell allows the Astromancer to hurl a shimmering bolt of silver light crafted from pure cosmic energy from his hand.  This astral energy affects all forms of intangible and ethereal creatures, whether they be ethereal, air elementals, spirits, etc. 
Apprentice: Blast 2d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m Journeyman: Blast 4d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m Master: Blast 6d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m Grandmaster: Blast 8d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m Archmage: Blast 10d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m  
Fortune
This spells allows the Astromancer to protect her allies from magical attacks for 24 hours.  While under the influence of this spell,  the target gains a bonus to their DCV against any Real Spell that requires a To Hit roll.
Apprentice: +1 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -1, END 1, Range Touch Journeyman: +2 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Touch Master: +3 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -4, END 4, Range Touch Grand Master: +4 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Touch Archmage: +5 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -7, END 7, Range Touch *The Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2) limitation may seem excessive, and for some campaigns it may be,  however I rarely use villainous spellcasters as enemies.  In my last campaign, less than 3% of enemies used Real Spells in combat.
Lesser Incantation of Mars
The Astromancer calls upon the martial power of the planet Mars to grant himself proficiency with melee weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self Lesser Incantation of Sagittarius
The Astromancer calls upon the unerring aim of the Zodiac Sagittarius to grant herself proficiency with missile weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self  
Air Sign
Mastery of the Air Sign allows the Astromancer to call upon the powers of Zephyrion, the Air Moon, to summon and control winds, bending them to a number of purposes:
Wild Wind creates a swirling ball of winds that the caster can hurl at targets, where it explodes in a powerful burst of intensely strong winds that will hurl every human-sized targets in a random direction.  Depending on the terrain, this can deal devastating damage as targets are thrown into walls or each other. Wind Wings creates miniature tornado around the caster, lifting them off the ground and propelling them through the air. Dispel Barriers counters and dispels magical barriers of earth and stone. The Astromancer may only activate one of these 3 powers with each casting of the spell.
 
Apprentice (Multipower, 15-point reserve); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 1d6, Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 6m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 5d6 Journeyman (Multipower, 30-point reserve); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 2d6, Area Of Effect (6m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 12m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 10d6 Master (Multipower, 45-point reserve); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3d6, Area Of Effect (8m Radius; +1/2), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 15d6 Grand Master (Multipower, 60-point reserve); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3 1/2d6, Area Of Effect (16m Radius; +3/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 20d6 Archmage (Multipower, 75-point reserve); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 4d6, Area Of Effect (24m Radius; +1), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m,  x8 Noncombat, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 25d6

BACKGROUND
On August 14th, 1983 Antoni "Tony" Biagiotti, a 17 year old heavy metal enthusiast and avid AD&D player, stepped off a curb and into the path of an oncoming car while leaving the Richfield Coliseum after attending a performance by the band Iron Maiden.  Critically injured, Tony was rushed to the Community Hospital of Bedford and stabilized, but his injuries left him in a coma, hovering in the liminal space life and death.  This internal struggle, the choice to live or die, gave birth to World of Rhûne.  
 

The World of Rhûne
 
Rhûne is a fantastic, multi-dimensional world of magic where the forces of Good and Evil are locked in a titanic struggle to determine Tony's ultimate fate.  The World of Rhûne itself exists alongside the four Elemental Planes inside the "multidimensional core" of the Aetherial Plane, with each Elemental Plane manifesting as a moon-like sphere that orbits the World of Rhûne (Rhûne has no sun, it's heat and light are provided by the Fire Moon).  "Outside" the Aetherial Plane, wrapped around it like the layers of an onion, are the Outer Planes of the Celestial Realms and the Endless Abyss, which are themselves contained within the Astral Plane.  This whole "Cosmic Onion" is polarized, with a positive pole (Source) and negative pole (Oblivion). 

A cosmological map of Rhûne
 
If one travels "down" through the dimensional layers from Rhûne, one arrives in the Endless Abyss.  Each successive layer of the Abyss is worse and more inhospitable to life, until one reaches Oblivion itself, which nullifies the existence of anything that comes into contact with it.  In addition to housing the souls of the damned, the Abyss is home to numerous terrifying beings, Demons, that exist to inflict pain and suffering, to bring ruination to the works of man, and to corrupt souls to darkness.  They are lead by the powerful Demon Princes, and their ultimate agenda is to drag the planet Rhûne into the Endless Abyss, causing the world to plunge into Oblivion.  This will result in Tony dying.
 
Meanwhile, if one travels "upwards," one finds oneself in the increasing idyllic Celestial Realms, which is final resting place of uncorrupted souls, as well home tocelestial beings known as Angels. Existing on the uppermost levels of the Celestial Realms requires great purity, and the impure will find themselves burning with holy fire.  The Source itself burns away everything, reducing all who try to explore this realm to beings of pure, motiveless light.  The beings of the Celestial Realms are lead by the wise Archangels, whose ultimate agenda is to raise the planet Rhûne into the Celestial Realms, transforming the world and all the souls who reside upon it into a massive burst of light which will wake Tony from his coma.

An alternate way of mapping Rhûne's cosmology
 
It is also possible to travel into Rhûne's "interior dimensions," known variously as Arborea, Avonlea, etc.  At the very core is the Verdant Place, world where life energy is so abundant that any who travel to it find themselves instantly consumed by the hyper-efficient kudzu that dominates the entire plane.  These Inner Planes Like the humans of Rhûne, and unlike the Angels and Demons, the Fey have moral freedom and are not bound to either good nor evil, and thus are a far more morally ambiguous faction  Their agenda is to prevent the destruction of Rhûne and maintain Tony's coma indefinitely.   
 
Together the Verdant Place, the Source, and Oblivion are the Pure Realms, projecting outward and creating the other planes through the interaction of their cosmic energies. 
 
MAGIC
The cosmic motion of the Pure Realms generates a form of cosmic energy known as Mana.  There are three "colors" of Mana, depending on the Pure Realm from which they emanate.  Mana emanating from the Source is "white," mana from the Verdant Place is "green," and mana (technically anti-mana) from Oblivion is "black."

 
Magical effects are accomplished through the manipulation of Mana, which generally takes the form of spellcasting.  Spells can be divided into categories based on the nature of mana they manipulate, i.e. White Magic, Green Magic and Black Magic.  Regardless of the magic type used, all spells are built with the following limitations:
Concentration (1/2 DCV, -1/4) Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4) Gestures (-1/4) Incantations (-1/4)  Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2) Side Effects (-1/4) Real Spells (-1/4)  
The Real Spells limitation changes how the power interacts with Dispel effects.  A power built with the Real Spells limitation uses it's Real Cost rather than its Active Points when calculating the effect of a Dispel.  Real Spells may also be used in conjunction with Spellcasting Maneuvers.  Spells with the Real Spell limitation may also be identified with a successful Analyze Magic roll.  A successful roll identifies both the Spell, the School the spell originates (see below), and the type of Mana that powers the spell.
 
The Side Effect is determine by the type of Mana used:
White Magic (Spellburn):  Caster takes 3D6 STUN Only Damage for which there is no defense.  If the spellcaster has any Corruption, this becomes 1D6 Killing Damage and deals BODY up to the amount of Corruption the spellcaster has.  Each BODY taken from Spellburn removes 1 point of Corruption. Green Magic (Feycurse):  Caster immediately rolls 3D6 Unluck.  For each one (1) rolled, the spellcaster must roll on the Feycurse Table. Curses last for 1D6+1 days. Black Magic (Corruption): Caster gains 3D6+1 Corruption (Cosmetic Partial Transform Damage) with no defense.   Corruption transforms the spellcaster into a demonic entity. If the spellcasters gains Corruption equal to 2xBODY, they are fully transformed into a demonic entity, however any amount of Corruption will affect a visible transformation in the caster.  Corruption heals as BODY damage (fades at a rate of REC per month).  Roll on the Mutation Table to determine the Spellcasters final form.  
To gain spellcasting ability, a character must first purchase the Spellcaster talent.  The Spellcaster talent is built as a VPP, and may be bought at the following levels:
Apprentice (7 Points):  VPP, 5 base + 15 control cost,  (13 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Journeyman (15 Points):  VPP, 10 base + 30 control cost,  (25 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Master (22 Points):  VPP, 15 base + 45 control cost,  (38 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Grand Master (30 Points):  VPP, 20 base + 60 control cost,  (50 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Archmage (37 Points):  VPP, 25 base + 75 control cost,  (63 Active Points);  all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4)  
This VPP gains the Cosmic (+2) advantage for free, and spellcasters may change their VPP as a free action without a skill roll.
 
In addition, Spells are divided into discrete Schools of magic.  Access to a school of magic requires the Arcane Training (School) perk, which costs 5 Points per school.  Purchasing the Spellcaster talent grants the Arcane Training (School) perk in a single school.  The schools and their associate mana type and Characteristic are:
Astrology (White/INT) Black Magic (Black/PRE) Divine Magic (White/PRE) Elemental Magic (Green/PRE) Enchantment (Green/PRE) High Magic (White/INT) Low Magic (Green/PRE) Mysticism (White/EGO) Sorcery (Any/INT)   
All Spells are bought as individual skills.  Spell Skills cost 3 points for a base roll of 9+(CHA/5), with the CHA determine by the Spell's School.  Spellcasters may purchase Skill Levels with magic at the following prices:
+1 with a single Spell is 2 points. +1 with all Spells of a Single School is 6 points. +1 with all Spells is 10 points.  
Thoughts and feedback welcome.

Here is an example of one the schools of magic and a few spells.
 
ASTROLOGICAL MAGIC

 
Astrological Magic is a form of White Magic that requires significant training and education to master.  Practitioners of Astrological Magic are called Astromancers.  Astromancers call upon the power of the stars themselves to create magical effects.  When casting, the Astromancer must call out complex strings of astrological correspondences, binding the powers of the Moons, Planets and Zodiac and causing them to converge on, while tracing their corresponding signs in the air with their fingers.  Astromancy is famous for its powerful divinatory abilities, and many people are unaware that these stargazers can call upon cosmic energies to vanquish the most powerful of foes.  The signature ability of Astromancers is Astrology.
 
Astrology 
By spending an hour studying the relative position of Rhûne's moons and stars, the Astromancer can perform any one of the following divinations:
Fate: The condition or general whereabouts of any once individual may be divined. The Astromancer may divine if the individual in question is "safe," "in great danger," "nearby," "faraway," etc. If desired, the general direction in which an individual may be found can also be discerned. Wisdom: The wisdom or advisibility of a single course of action may be determined in advance; i.e. "is it safe to cross the swamp by day," "is it wise to offer a bribe to the city magistrate," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Destiny: The caster may determine whether a given event or circumstance will occur in the near future; i.e. "will the wizard be in his tower tomorrow night," "will we encounter goblins as we pass through the forest," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Use of this ability requires a clear night sky, telescope and astrolabe and one hour.  Astrology is a form of magic but is not a spell, rather it is is a magical talent.  Spellcasters who choose Astrological Magic as their free School gain the Astrology talent for free, but must still purchase the Astrology skill.  Otherwise, Astrology costs 5 points.
 
Astrology: Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group) (40 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour, Only to Activate, Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 3/4), OAF Bulky Fragile (Telescope and Astrolabe; -1 3/4), Precognition Only (-1), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Conditional Power: Stars Must Be Visible (-1/4), Limited Power: Fate, Wisdom, Destiny Only (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2); Real Cost: 5
 
SPELLS
All of the following spells have the standard spell limitations (Requires A Roll (Skill roll, -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Real Spell (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4)) in addition to any listed Limitations.  Constant powers and Skills bought as spells also have Cost Endurance (Only to Activate, -1/4) limitation and Time Limit (varies) advantage.
 
Astral Bolt
This spell allows the Astromancer to hurl a shimmering bolt of silver light crafted from pure cosmic energy from his hand.  This astral energy affects all forms of intangible and ethereal creatures, whether they be ethereal, air elementals, spirits, etc. 
Apprentice: Blast 2d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m Journeyman: Blast 4d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m Master: Blast 6d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m Grandmaster: Blast 8d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m Archmage: Blast 10d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m  
Fortune
This spells allows the Astromancer to protect her allies from magical attacks for 24 hours.  While under the influence of this spell,  the target gains a bonus to their DCV against any Real Spell that requires a To Hit roll.
Apprentice: +1 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -1, END 1, Range Touch Journeyman: +2 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Touch Master: +3 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -4, END 4, Range Touch Grand Master: +4 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Touch Archmage: +5 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -7, END 7, Range Touch *The Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2) limitation may seem excessive, and for some campaigns it may be,  however I rarely use villainous spellcasters as enemies.  In my last campaign, less than 3% of enemies used Real Spells in combat.
Lesser Incantation of Mars
The Astromancer calls upon the martial power of the planet Mars to grant himself proficiency with melee weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self Lesser Incantation of Sagittarius
The Astromancer calls upon the unerring aim of the Zodiac Sagittarius to grant herself proficiency with missile weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self  
Air Sign
Mastery of the Air Sign allows the Astromancer to call upon the powers of Zephyrion, the Air Moon, to summon and control winds, bending them to a number of purposes:
Wild Wind creates a swirling ball of winds that the caster can hurl at targets, where it explodes in a powerful burst of intensely strong winds that will hurl every human-sized targets in a random direction.  Depending on the terrain, this can deal devastating damage as targets are thrown into walls or each other. Wind Wings creates miniature tornado around the caster, lifting them off the ground and propelling them through the air. Dispel Barriers counters and dispels magical barriers of earth and stone. The Astromancer may only activate one of these 3 powers with each casting of the spell.
 
Apprentice (Multipower, 15-point reserve); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 1d6, Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 6m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 5d6 Journeyman (Multipower, 30-point reserve); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 2d6, Area Of Effect (6m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 12m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 10d6 Master (Multipower, 45-point reserve); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3d6, Area Of Effect (8m Radius; +1/2), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 15d6 Grand Master (Multipower, 60-point reserve); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3 1/2d6, Area Of Effect (16m Radius; +3/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 20d6 Archmage (Multipower, 75-point reserve); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 4d6, Area Of Effect (24m Radius; +1), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m,  x8 Noncombat, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 25d6

BACKGROUND
On August 14th, 1983 Antoni "Tony" Biagiotti, a 17 year old heavy metal enthusiast and avid AD&D player, stepped off a curb and into the path of an oncoming car while leaving the Richfield Coliseum after attending a performance by the band Iron Maiden.  Critically injured, Tony was rushed to the Community Hospital of Bedford and stabilized, but his injuries left him in a coma, hovering in the liminal space life and death.  This internal struggle, the choice to live or die, gave birth to World of Rhûne.  
 

The World of Rhûne
 
Rhûne is a fantastic, multi-dimensional world of magic where the forces of Good and Evil are locked in a titanic struggle to determine Tony's ultimate fate.  The World of Rhûne itself exists alongside the four Elemental Planes inside the "multidimensional core" of the Aetherial Plane, with each Elemental Plane manifesting as a moon-like sphere that orbits the World of Rhûne (Rhûne has no sun, it's heat and light are provided by the Fire Moon).  "Outside" the Aetherial Plane, wrapped around it like the layers of an onion, are the Outer Planes of the Celestial Realms and the Endless Abyss, which are themselves contained within the Astral Plane.  This whole "Cosmic Onion" is polarized, with a positive pole (Source) and negative pole (Oblivion). 

A cosmological map of Rhûne
 
If one travels "down" through the dimensional layers from Rhûne, one arrives in the Endless Abyss.  Each successive layer of the Abyss is worse and more inhospitable to life, until one reaches Oblivion itself, which nullifies the existence of anything that comes into contact with it.  In addition to housing the souls of the damned, the Abyss is home to numerous terrifying beings, Demons, that exist to inflict pain and suffering, to bring ruination to the works of man, and to corrupt souls to darkness.  They are lead by the powerful Demon Princes, and their ultimate agenda is to drag the planet Rhûne into the Endless Abyss, causing the world to plunge into Oblivion.  This will result in Tony dying.
 
Meanwhile, if one travels "upwards," one finds oneself in the increasing idyllic Celestial Realms, which is final resting place of uncorrupted souls, as well home tocelestial beings known as Angels. Existing on the uppermost levels of the Celestial Realms requires great purity, and the impure will find themselves burning with holy fire.  The Source itself burns away everything, reducing all who try to explore this realm to beings of pure, motiveless light.  The beings of the Celestial Realms are lead by the wise Archangels, whose ultimate agenda is to raise the planet Rhûne into the Celestial Realms, transforming the world and all the souls who reside upon it into a massive burst of light which will wake Tony from his coma.

An alternate way of mapping Rhûne's cosmology
 
It is also possible to travel into Rhûne's "interior dimensions," known variously as Arborea, Avonlea, etc.  At the very core is the Verdant Place, world where life energy is so abundant that any who travel to it find themselves instantly consumed by the hyper-efficient kudzu that dominates the entire plane.  These Inner Planes Like the humans of Rhûne, and unlike the Angels and Demons, the Fey have moral freedom and are not bound to either good nor evil, and thus are a far more morally ambiguous faction  Their agenda is to prevent the destruction of Rhûne and maintain Tony's coma indefinitely.   
 
Together the Verdant Place, the Source, and Oblivion are the Pure Realms, projecting outward and creating the other planes through the interaction of their cosmic energies. 
 
MAGIC
The cosmic motion of the Pure Realms generates a form of cosmic energy known as Mana.  There are three "colors" of Mana, depending on the Pure Realm from which they emanate.  Mana emanating from the Source is "white," mana from the Verdant Place is "green," and mana (technically anti-mana) from Oblivion is "black."

 
Magical effects are accomplished through the manipulation of Mana, which generally takes the form of spellcasting.  Spells can be divided into categories based on the nature of mana they manipulate, i.e. White Magic, Green Magic and Black Magic.  Regardless of the magic type used, all spells are built with the following limitations:
Concentration (1/2 DCV, -1/4) Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4) Gestures (-1/4) Incantations (-1/4)  Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2) Side Effects (-1/4) Real Spells (-1/4)  
The Real Spells limitation changes how the power interacts with Dispel effects.  A power built with the Real Spells limitation uses it's Real Cost rather than its Active Points when calculating the effect of a Dispel.  Real Spells may also be used in conjunction with Spellcasting Maneuvers.  Spells with the Real Spell limitation may also be identified with a successful Analyze Magic roll.  A successful roll identifies both the Spell, the School the spell originates (see below), and the type of Mana that powers the spell.
 
The Side Effect is determine by the type of Mana used:
White Magic (Spellburn):  Caster takes 3D6 STUN Only Damage for which there is no defense.  If the spellcaster has any Corruption, this becomes 1D6 Killing Damage and deals BODY up to the amount of Corruption the spellcaster has.  Each BODY taken from Spellburn removes 1 point of Corruption. Green Magic (Feycurse):  Caster immediately rolls 3D6 Unluck.  For each one (1) rolled, the spellcaster must roll on the Feycurse Table. Curses last for 1D6+1 days. Black Magic (Corruption): Caster gains 3D6+1 Corruption (Cosmetic Partial Transform Damage) with no defense.   Corruption transforms the spellcaster into a demonic entity. If the spellcasters gains Corruption equal to 2xBODY, they are fully transformed into a demonic entity, however any amount of Corruption will affect a visible transformation in the caster.  Corruption heals as BODY damage (fades at a rate of REC per month).  Roll on the Mutation Table to determine the Spellcasters final form.  
To gain spellcasting ability, a character must first purchase the Spellcaster talent.  The Spellcaster talent is built as a VPP, and may be bought at the following levels:
Apprentice (7 Points):  VPP, 5 base + 15 control cost,  (13 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Journeyman (15 Points):  VPP, 10 base + 30 control cost,  (25 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Master (22 Points):  VPP, 15 base + 45 control cost,  (38 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Grand Master (30 Points):  VPP, 20 base + 60 control cost,  (50 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Archmage (37 Points):  VPP, 25 base + 75 control cost,  (63 Active Points);  all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4)  
This VPP gains the Cosmic (+2) advantage for free, and spellcasters may change their VPP as a free action without a skill roll.
 
In addition, Spells are divided into discrete Schools of magic.  Access to a school of magic requires the Arcane Training (School) perk, which costs 5 Points per school.  Purchasing the Spellcaster talent grants the Arcane Training (School) perk in a single school.  The schools and their associate mana type and Characteristic are:
Astrology (White/INT) Black Magic (Black/PRE) Divine Magic (White/PRE) Elemental Magic (Green/PRE) Enchantment (Green/PRE) High Magic (White/INT) Low Magic (Green/PRE) Mysticism (White/EGO) Sorcery (Any/INT)   
All Spells are bought as individual skills.  Spell Skills cost 3 points for a base roll of 9+(CHA/5), with the CHA determine by the Spell's School.  Spellcasters may purchase Skill Levels with magic at the following prices:
+1 with a single Spell is 2 points. +1 with all Spells of a Single School is 6 points. +1 with all Spells is 10 points.  
Thoughts and feedback welcome.

Here is an example of one the schools of magic and a few spells.
 
ASTROLOGICAL MAGIC

 
Astrological Magic is a form of White Magic that requires significant training and education to master.  Practitioners of Astrological Magic are called Astromancers.  Astromancers call upon the power of the stars themselves to create magical effects.  When casting, the Astromancer must call out complex strings of astrological correspondences, binding the powers of the Moons, Planets and Zodiac and causing them to converge on, while tracing their corresponding signs in the air with their fingers.  Astromancy is famous for its powerful divinatory abilities, and many people are unaware that these stargazers can call upon cosmic energies to vanquish the most powerful of foes.  The signature ability of Astromancers is Astrology.
 
Astrology 
By spending an hour studying the relative position of Rhûne's moons and stars, the Astromancer can perform any one of the following divinations:
Fate: The condition or general whereabouts of any once individual may be divined. The Astromancer may divine if the individual in question is "safe," "in great danger," "nearby," "faraway," etc. If desired, the general direction in which an individual may be found can also be discerned. Wisdom: The wisdom or advisibility of a single course of action may be determined in advance; i.e. "is it safe to cross the swamp by day," "is it wise to offer a bribe to the city magistrate," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Destiny: The caster may determine whether a given event or circumstance will occur in the near future; i.e. "will the wizard be in his tower tomorrow night," "will we encounter goblins as we pass through the forest," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Use of this ability requires a clear night sky, telescope and astrolabe and one hour.  Astrology is a form of magic but is not a spell, rather it is is a magical talent.  Spellcasters who choose Astrological Magic as their free School gain the Astrology talent for free, but must still purchase the Astrology skill.  Otherwise, Astrology costs 5 points.
 
Astrology: Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group) (40 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour, Only to Activate, Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 3/4), OAF Bulky Fragile (Telescope and Astrolabe; -1 3/4), Precognition Only (-1), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Conditional Power: Stars Must Be Visible (-1/4), Limited Power: Fate, Wisdom, Destiny Only (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2); Real Cost: 5
 
SPELLS
All of the following spells have the standard spell limitations (Requires A Roll (Skill roll, -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Real Spell (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4)) in addition to any listed Limitations.  Constant powers and Skills bought as spells also have Cost Endurance (Only to Activate, -1/4) limitation and Time Limit (varies) advantage.
 
Astral Bolt
This spell allows the Astromancer to hurl a shimmering bolt of silver light crafted from pure cosmic energy from his hand.  This astral energy affects all forms of intangible and ethereal creatures, whether they be ethereal, air elementals, spirits, etc. 
Apprentice: Blast 2d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m Journeyman: Blast 4d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m Master: Blast 6d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m Grandmaster: Blast 8d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m Archmage: Blast 10d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m  
Fortune
This spells allows the Astromancer to protect her allies from magical attacks for 24 hours.  While under the influence of this spell,  the target gains a bonus to their DCV against any Real Spell that requires a To Hit roll.
Apprentice: +1 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -1, END 1, Range Touch Journeyman: +2 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Touch Master: +3 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -4, END 4, Range Touch Grand Master: +4 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Touch Archmage: +5 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -7, END 7, Range Touch *The Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2) limitation may seem excessive, and for some campaigns it may be,  however I rarely use villainous spellcasters as enemies.  In my last campaign, less than 3% of enemies used Real Spells in combat.
Lesser Incantation of Mars
The Astromancer calls upon the martial power of the planet Mars to grant himself proficiency with melee weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self Lesser Incantation of Sagittarius
The Astromancer calls upon the unerring aim of the Zodiac Sagittarius to grant herself proficiency with missile weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self  
Air Sign
Mastery of the Air Sign allows the Astromancer to call upon the powers of Zephyrion, the Air Moon, to summon and control winds, bending them to a number of purposes:
Wild Wind creates a swirling ball of winds that the caster can hurl at targets, where it explodes in a powerful burst of intensely strong winds that will hurl every human-sized targets in a random direction.  Depending on the terrain, this can deal devastating damage as targets are thrown into walls or each other. Wind Wings creates miniature tornado around the caster, lifting them off the ground and propelling them through the air. Dispel Barriers counters and dispels magical barriers of earth and stone. The Astromancer may only activate one of these 3 powers with each casting of the spell.
 
Apprentice (Multipower, 15-point reserve); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 1d6, Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 6m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 5d6 Journeyman (Multipower, 30-point reserve); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 2d6, Area Of Effect (6m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 12m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 10d6 Master (Multipower, 45-point reserve); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3d6, Area Of Effect (8m Radius; +1/2), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 15d6 Grand Master (Multipower, 60-point reserve); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3 1/2d6, Area Of Effect (16m Radius; +3/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 20d6 Archmage (Multipower, 75-point reserve); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 4d6, Area Of Effect (24m Radius; +1), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m,  x8 Noncombat, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 25d6

BACKGROUND
On August 14th, 1983 Antoni "Tony" Biagiotti, a 17 year old heavy metal enthusiast and avid AD&D player, stepped off a curb and into the path of an oncoming car while leaving the Richfield Coliseum after attending a performance by the band Iron Maiden.  Critically injured, Tony was rushed to the Community Hospital of Bedford and stabilized, but his injuries left him in a coma, hovering in the liminal space life and death.  This internal struggle, the choice to live or die, gave birth to World of Rhûne.  
 

The World of Rhûne
 
Rhûne is a fantastic, multi-dimensional world of magic where the forces of Good and Evil are locked in a titanic struggle to determine Tony's ultimate fate.  The World of Rhûne itself exists alongside the four Elemental Planes inside the "multidimensional core" of the Aetherial Plane, with each Elemental Plane manifesting as a moon-like sphere that orbits the World of Rhûne (Rhûne has no sun, it's heat and light are provided by the Fire Moon).  "Outside" the Aetherial Plane, wrapped around it like the layers of an onion, are the Outer Planes of the Celestial Realms and the Endless Abyss, which are themselves contained within the Astral Plane.  This whole "Cosmic Onion" is polarized, with a positive pole (Source) and negative pole (Oblivion). 

A cosmological map of Rhûne
 
If one travels "down" through the dimensional layers from Rhûne, one arrives in the Endless Abyss.  Each successive layer of the Abyss is worse and more inhospitable to life, until one reaches Oblivion itself, which nullifies the existence of anything that comes into contact with it.  In addition to housing the souls of the damned, the Abyss is home to numerous terrifying beings, Demons, that exist to inflict pain and suffering, to bring ruination to the works of man, and to corrupt souls to darkness.  They are lead by the powerful Demon Princes, and their ultimate agenda is to drag the planet Rhûne into the Endless Abyss, causing the world to plunge into Oblivion.  This will result in Tony dying.
 
Meanwhile, if one travels "upwards," one finds oneself in the increasing idyllic Celestial Realms, which is final resting place of uncorrupted souls, as well home tocelestial beings known as Angels. Existing on the uppermost levels of the Celestial Realms requires great purity, and the impure will find themselves burning with holy fire.  The Source itself burns away everything, reducing all who try to explore this realm to beings of pure, motiveless light.  The beings of the Celestial Realms are lead by the wise Archangels, whose ultimate agenda is to raise the planet Rhûne into the Celestial Realms, transforming the world and all the souls who reside upon it into a massive burst of light which will wake Tony from his coma.

An alternate way of mapping Rhûne's cosmology
 
It is also possible to travel into Rhûne's "interior dimensions," known variously as Arborea, Avonlea, etc.  At the very core is the Verdant Place, world where life energy is so abundant that any who travel to it find themselves instantly consumed by the hyper-efficient kudzu that dominates the entire plane.  These Inner Planes Like the humans of Rhûne, and unlike the Angels and Demons, the Fey have moral freedom and are not bound to either good nor evil, and thus are a far more morally ambiguous faction  Their agenda is to prevent the destruction of Rhûne and maintain Tony's coma indefinitely.   
 
Together the Verdant Place, the Source, and Oblivion are the Pure Realms, projecting outward and creating the other planes through the interaction of their cosmic energies. 
 
MAGIC
The cosmic motion of the Pure Realms generates a form of cosmic energy known as Mana.  There are three "colors" of Mana, depending on the Pure Realm from which they emanate.  Mana emanating from the Source is "white," mana from the Verdant Place is "green," and mana (technically anti-mana) from Oblivion is "black."

 
Magical effects are accomplished through the manipulation of Mana, which generally takes the form of spellcasting.  Spells can be divided into categories based on the nature of mana they manipulate, i.e. White Magic, Green Magic and Black Magic.  Regardless of the magic type used, all spells are built with the following limitations:
Concentration (1/2 DCV, -1/4) Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4) Gestures (-1/4) Incantations (-1/4)  Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2) Side Effects (-1/4) Real Spells (-1/4)  
The Real Spells limitation changes how the power interacts with Dispel effects.  A power built with the Real Spells limitation uses it's Real Cost rather than its Active Points when calculating the effect of a Dispel.  Real Spells may also be used in conjunction with Spellcasting Maneuvers.  Spells with the Real Spell limitation may also be identified with a successful Analyze Magic roll.  A successful roll identifies both the Spell, the School the spell originates (see below), and the type of Mana that powers the spell.
 
The Side Effect is determine by the type of Mana used:
White Magic (Spellburn):  Caster takes 3D6 STUN Only Damage for which there is no defense.  If the spellcaster has any Corruption, this becomes 1D6 Killing Damage and deals BODY up to the amount of Corruption the spellcaster has.  Each BODY taken from Spellburn removes 1 point of Corruption. Green Magic (Feycurse):  Caster immediately rolls 3D6 Unluck.  For each one (1) rolled, the spellcaster must roll on the Feycurse Table. Curses last for 1D6+1 days. Black Magic (Corruption): Caster gains 3D6+1 Corruption (Cosmetic Partial Transform Damage) with no defense.   Corruption transforms the spellcaster into a demonic entity. If the spellcasters gains Corruption equal to 2xBODY, they are fully transformed into a demonic entity, however any amount of Corruption will affect a visible transformation in the caster.  Corruption heals as BODY damage (fades at a rate of REC per month).  Roll on the Mutation Table to determine the Spellcasters final form.  
To gain spellcasting ability, a character must first purchase the Spellcaster talent.  The Spellcaster talent is built as a VPP, and may be bought at the following levels:
Apprentice (7 Points):  VPP, 5 base + 15 control cost,  (13 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Journeyman (15 Points):  VPP, 10 base + 30 control cost,  (25 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Master (22 Points):  VPP, 15 base + 45 control cost,  (38 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Grand Master (30 Points):  VPP, 20 base + 60 control cost,  (50 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Archmage (37 Points):  VPP, 25 base + 75 control cost,  (63 Active Points);  all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4)  
This VPP gains the Cosmic (+2) advantage for free, and spellcasters may change their VPP as a free action without a skill roll.
 
In addition, Spells are divided into discrete Schools of magic.  Access to a school of magic requires the Arcane Training (School) perk, which costs 5 Points per school.  Purchasing the Spellcaster talent grants the Arcane Training (School) perk in a single school.  The schools and their associate mana type and Characteristic are:
Astrology (White/INT) Black Magic (Black/PRE) Divine Magic (White/PRE) Elemental Magic (Green/PRE) Enchantment (Green/PRE) High Magic (White/INT) Low Magic (Green/PRE) Mysticism (White/EGO) Sorcery (Any/INT)   
All Spells are bought as individual skills.  Spell Skills cost 3 points for a base roll of 9+(CHA/5), with the CHA determine by the Spell's School.  Spellcasters may purchase Skill Levels with magic at the following prices:
+1 with a single Spell is 2 points. +1 with all Spells of a Single School is 6 points. +1 with all Spells is 10 points.  
Thoughts and feedback welcome.

BACKGROUND
On August 14th, 1983 Antoni "Tony" Biagiotti, a 17 year old heavy metal enthusiast and avid AD&D player, stepped off a curb and into the path of an oncoming car while leaving the Richfield Coliseum after attending a performance by the band Iron Maiden.  Critically injured, Tony was rushed to the Community Hospital of Bedford and stabilized, but his injuries left him in a coma, hovering in the liminal space life and death.  This internal struggle, the choice to live or die, gave birth to World of Rhûne.  
 

The World of Rhûne
 
Rhûne is a fantastic, multi-dimensional world of magic where the forces of Good and Evil are locked in a titanic struggle to determine Tony's ultimate fate.  The World of Rhûne itself exists alongside the four Elemental Planes inside the "multidimensional core" of the Aetherial Plane, with each Elemental Plane manifesting as a moon-like sphere that orbits the World of Rhûne (Rhûne has no sun, it's heat and light are provided by the Fire Moon).  "Outside" the Aetherial Plane, wrapped around it like the layers of an onion, are the Outer Planes of the Celestial Realms and the Endless Abyss, which are themselves contained within the Astral Plane.  This whole "Cosmic Onion" is polarized, with a positive pole (Source) and negative pole (Oblivion). 

A cosmological map of Rhûne
 
If one travels "down" through the dimensional layers from Rhûne, one arrives in the Endless Abyss.  Each successive layer of the Abyss is worse and more inhospitable to life, until one reaches Oblivion itself, which nullifies the existence of anything that comes into contact with it.  In addition to housing the souls of the damned, the Abyss is home to numerous terrifying beings, Demons, that exist to inflict pain and suffering, to bring ruination to the works of man, and to corrupt souls to darkness.  They are lead by the powerful Demon Princes, and their ultimate agenda is to drag the planet Rhûne into the Endless Abyss, causing the world to plunge into Oblivion.  This will result in Tony dying.
 
Meanwhile, if one travels "upwards," one finds oneself in the increasing idyllic Celestial Realms, which is final resting place of uncorrupted souls, as well home tocelestial beings known as Angels. Existing on the uppermost levels of the Celestial Realms requires great purity, and the impure will find themselves burning with holy fire.  The Source itself burns away everything, reducing all who try to explore this realm to beings of pure, motiveless light.  The beings of the Celestial Realms are lead by the wise Archangels, whose ultimate agenda is to raise the planet Rhûne into the Celestial Realms, transforming the world and all the souls who reside upon it into a massive burst of light which will wake Tony from his coma.

An alternate way of mapping Rhûne's cosmology
 
It is also possible to travel into Rhûne's "interior dimensions," known variously as Arborea, Avonlea, etc.  At the very core is the Verdant Place, world where life energy is so abundant that any who travel to it find themselves instantly consumed by the hyper-efficient kudzu that dominates the entire plane.  These Inner Planes Like the humans of Rhûne, and unlike the Angels and Demons, the Fey have moral freedom and are not bound to either good nor evil, and thus are a far more morally ambiguous faction  Their agenda is to prevent the destruction of Rhûne and maintain Tony's coma indefinitely.   
 
Together the Verdant Place, the Source, and Oblivion are the Pure Realms, projecting outward and creating the other planes through the interaction of their cosmic energies. 
 
MAGIC
The cosmic motion of the Pure Realms generates a form of cosmic energy known as Mana.  There are three "colors" of Mana, depending on the Pure Realm from which they emanate.  Mana emanating from the Source is "white," mana from the Verdant Place is "green," and mana (technically anti-mana) from Oblivion is "black."

 
Magical effects are accomplished through the manipulation of Mana, which generally takes the form of spellcasting.  Spells can be divided into categories based on the nature of mana they manipulate, i.e. White Magic, Green Magic and Black Magic.  Regardless of the magic type used, all spells are built with the following limitations:
Concentration (1/2 DCV, -1/4) Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4) Gestures (-1/4) Incantations (-1/4)  Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2) Side Effects (-1/4) Real Spells (-1/4)  
The Real Spells limitation changes how the power interacts with Dispel effects.  A power built with the Real Spells limitation uses it's Real Cost rather than its Active Points when calculating the effect of a Dispel.  Real Spells may also be used in conjunction with Spellcasting Maneuvers.  Spells with the Real Spell limitation may also be identified with a successful Analyze Magic roll.  A successful roll identifies both the Spell, the School the spell originates (see below), and the type of Mana that powers the spell.
 
The Side Effect is determine by the type of Mana used:
White Magic (Spellburn):  Caster takes 3D6 STUN Only Damage for which there is no defense.  If the spellcaster has any Corruption, this becomes 1D6 Killing Damage and deals BODY up to the amount of Corruption the spellcaster has.  Each BODY taken from Spellburn removes 1 point of Corruption. Green Magic (Feycurse):  Caster immediately rolls 3D6 Unluck.  For each one (1) rolled, the spellcaster must roll on the Feycurse Table. Curses last for 1D6+1 days. Black Magic (Corruption): Caster gains 3D6+1 Corruption (Cosmetic Partial Transform Damage) with no defense.   Corruption transforms the spellcaster into a demonic entity. If the spellcasters gains Corruption equal to 2xBODY, they are fully transformed into a demonic entity, however any amount of Corruption will affect a visible transformation in the caster.  Corruption heals as BODY damage (fades at a rate of REC per month).  Roll on the Mutation Table to determine the Spellcasters final form.  
To gain spellcasting ability, a character must first purchase the Spellcaster talent.  The Spellcaster talent is built as a VPP, and may be bought at the following levels:
Apprentice (7 Points):  VPP, 5 base + 15 control cost,  (13 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Journeyman (15 Points):  VPP, 10 base + 30 control cost,  (25 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Master (22 Points):  VPP, 15 base + 45 control cost,  (38 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Grand Master (30 Points):  VPP, 20 base + 60 control cost,  (50 Active Points); all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4) Archmage (37 Points):  VPP, 25 base + 75 control cost,  (63 Active Points);  all slots Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4), Real Spells (-1/4)  
This VPP gains the Cosmic (+2) advantage for free, and spellcasters may change their VPP as a free action without a skill roll.
 
In addition, Spells are divided into discrete Schools of magic.  Access to a school of magic requires the Arcane Training (School) perk, which costs 5 Points per school.  Purchasing the Spellcaster talent grants the Arcane Training (School) perk in a single school.  The schools and their associate mana type and Characteristic are:
Astrology (White/INT) Black Magic (Black/PRE) Divine Magic (White/PRE) Elemental Magic (Green/PRE) Enchantment (Green/PRE) High Magic (White/INT) Low Magic (Green/PRE) Mysticism (White/EGO) Sorcery (Any/INT)   
All Spells are bought as individual skills.  Spell Skills cost 3 points for a base roll of 9+(CHA/5), with the CHA determine by the Spell's School.  Spellcasters may purchase Skill Levels with magic at the following prices:
+1 with a single Spell is 2 points. +1 with all Spells of a Single School is 6 points. +1 with all Spells is 10 points.  
Thoughts and feedback welcome.

Here is an example of one the schools of magic and a few spells.
 
ASTROLOGICAL MAGIC

 
Astrological Magic is a form of White Magic that requires significant training and education to master.  Practitioners of Astrological Magic are called Astromancers.  Astromancers call upon the power of the stars themselves to create magical effects.  When casting, the Astromancer must call out complex strings of astrological correspondences, binding the powers of the Moons, Planets and Zodiac and causing them to converge on, while tracing their corresponding signs in the air with their fingers.  Astromancy is famous for its powerful divinatory abilities, and many people are unaware that these stargazers can call upon cosmic energies to vanquish the most powerful of foes.  The signature ability of Astromancers is Astrology.
 
Astrology 
By spending an hour studying the relative position of Rhûne's moons and stars, the Astromancer can perform any one of the following divinations:
Fate: The condition or general whereabouts of any once individual may be divined. The Astromancer may divine if the individual in question is "safe," "in great danger," "nearby," "faraway," etc. If desired, the general direction in which an individual may be found can also be discerned. Wisdom: The wisdom or advisibility of a single course of action may be determined in advance; i.e. "is it safe to cross the swamp by day," "is it wise to offer a bribe to the city magistrate," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Destiny: The caster may determine whether a given event or circumstance will occur in the near future; i.e. "will the wizard be in his tower tomorrow night," "will we encounter goblins as we pass through the forest," etc. Only "yes" or "no" answers may be determined through this type of divination. Use of this ability requires a clear night sky, telescope and astrolabe and one hour.  Astrology is a form of magic but is not a spell, rather it is is a magical talent.  Spellcasters who choose Astrological Magic as their free School gain the Astrology talent for free, but must still purchase the Astrology skill.  Otherwise, Astrology costs 5 points.
 
Astrology: Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group) (40 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour, Only to Activate, Character May Take No Other Actions, -1 3/4), OAF Bulky Fragile (Telescope and Astrolabe; -1 3/4), Precognition Only (-1), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Conditional Power: Stars Must Be Visible (-1/4), Limited Power: Fate, Wisdom, Destiny Only (-1/2), Requires A Roll (Skill roll; -1/2); Real Cost: 5
 
SPELLS
All of the following spells have the standard spell limitations (Requires A Roll (Skill roll, -1/2), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Extra Time (Delayed Phase, -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Real Spell (-1/4), Side Effects (-1/4)) in addition to any listed Limitations.  Constant powers and Skills bought as spells also have Cost Endurance (Only to Activate, -1/4) limitation and Time Limit (varies) advantage.
 
Astral Bolt
This spell allows the Astromancer to hurl a shimmering bolt of silver light crafted from pure cosmic energy from his hand.  This astral energy affects all forms of intangible and ethereal creatures, whether they be ethereal, air elementals, spirits, etc. 
Apprentice: Blast 2d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m Journeyman: Blast 4d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m Master: Blast 6d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m Grandmaster: Blast 8d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m Archmage: Blast 10d6, Affects Desolid (Any); Beam (-1/4); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m  
Fortune
This spells allows the Astromancer to protect her allies from magical attacks for 24 hours.  While under the influence of this spell,  the target gains a bonus to their DCV against any Real Spell that requires a To Hit roll.
Apprentice: +1 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -1, END 1, Range Touch Journeyman: +2 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Touch Master: +3 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -4, END 4, Range Touch Grand Master: +4 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Touch Archmage: +5 DCV, Usable By Other (+1/4), Time Limit (1 Day; +1 3/4); Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2); Skill -7, END 7, Range Touch *The Only Against Real Spells (-1 1/2) limitation may seem excessive, and for some campaigns it may be,  however I rarely use villainous spellcasters as enemies.  In my last campaign, less than 3% of enemies used Real Spells in combat.
Lesser Incantation of Mars
The Astromancer calls upon the martial power of the planet Mars to grant himself proficiency with melee weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with HTH Combat plus WF: Common Melee Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self Lesser Incantation of Sagittarius
The Astromancer calls upon the unerring aim of the Zodiac Sagittarius to grant herself proficiency with missile weapons and skill in combat for a few minutes.
Apprentice: +1 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (1 Minute; +1/2); Skill -2, END 2, Range Self Journeyman: +2 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (2 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -3, END 3, Range Self Master: +3 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (3 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -5, END 5, Range Self Grand Master: +4 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (4 Minutes; +1/2); Skill -6, END 6, Range Self Archmage: +5 with Ranged Combat plus WF: Common Missile Weapons, Time Limit (5 Minutes; +3/4); Skill -8, END 8, Range Self  
Air Sign
Mastery of the Air Sign allows the Astromancer to call upon the powers of Zephyrion, the Air Moon, to summon and control winds, bending them to a number of purposes:
Wild Wind creates a swirling ball of winds that the caster can hurl at targets, where it explodes in a powerful burst of intensely strong winds that will hurl every human-sized targets in a random direction.  Depending on the terrain, this can deal devastating damage as targets are thrown into walls or each other. Wind Wings creates miniature tornado around the caster, lifting them off the ground and propelling them through the air. Dispel Barriers counters and dispels magical barriers of earth and stone. The Astromancer may only activate one of these 3 powers with each casting of the spell.
 
Apprentice (Multipower, 15-point reserve); Skill -1, END 1, Range 150m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 1d6, Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 6m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 5d6 Journeyman (Multipower, 30-point reserve); Skill -3, END 3, Range 300m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 2d6, Area Of Effect (6m Radius; +1/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 12m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 10d6 Master (Multipower, 45-point reserve); Skill -4, END 4, Range 450m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3d6, Area Of Effect (8m Radius; +1/2), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (20 Minutes; +1) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 15d6 Grand Master (Multipower, 60-point reserve); Skill -6, END 6, Range 600m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 3 1/2d6, Area Of Effect (16m Radius; +3/4), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 20d6 Archmage (Multipower, 75-point reserve); Skill -7, END 7, Range 750m or Self
Wild Wind :  Blast 4d6, Area Of Effect (24m Radius; +1), Knockback x8 (+1 1/2); Does No Damage (-1) Wind Wings:  Flight 20m,  x8 Noncombat, Time Limit (1 Hour; +1 1/4) Dispel Barriers:  Dispel Magical Earth/Stone Walls 25d6