Converting Liber Ka’s Power Thresholds to Nephilim: Revelation

In Liber Ka, Third Circle Sorcery Spells have a “Power Threshold” ranging from 10 to 90. This is the minimum value that the Sorcerer’s corresponding (and unadjusted) Ka-element and High Magic Technique must meet in order to attempt casting the Spell.

In Enlightened Magic, this was tweaked slightly so that it applied to the Sorcerer’s ratings after accounting for circumstantial modifiers. Thus, Sorcerers could wait for opportune times, places, ritual paraphernalia and other conditions to cast High Magic Spells that were otherwise out of reach.

Similarly, Slaying the Dragon (unpublished) and Enlightened Magic applied a Technique Threshold to Alchemy procedures that the Alchemist had to meet or exceed before he could even attempt the procedure. This didn’t have a Ka-element threshold, fortunately.

Nephilim: Revelation, the third edition of the French version whose rules I’m adapting, uses a different task resolution system. While the Technique Threshold for Alchemy is trivial to convert (official conversion is 1–35% = Apprentice, 36–70% = Companion, 71+ = Master), the dual Ka and Technique Thresholds for High Magic are more… bookkeeping. 

Rather than tracking both Ka-element and Technique Threshold for all High Magic Spells, the simplest option is to take a page from Enlightened Magic: the Power Threshold instead applies to the d20 roll itself. 

To convert a Spell’s Power Threshold, divide the old Power Threshold by 5 to get a value of 2–18. The threshold of the d20 roll—determined by contesting Initiated (Spell’s Ka-element)+High Magic vs Difficult on the Universal Resolution Table, which the player may increase via circumstantial modifiers from favorable astrology, ritual paraphernalia, et al—must meet or exceed this value in order for the Sorcerer to attempt the roll. Otherwise, no roll is made as the Spell automatically fails. In any case, High Magic Spells must still be cast under an Enthronement of the Spell’s Element (including Sundays when that Element dominates).

Alchemy procedures have a Technique Threshold ranging from Apprentice to Companion to Master. This applies to Technique level only. Circumstantial modifiers to the d20 threshold do not allow an Alchemist to qualify for higher ranked procedures than his Technique level.

EDIT 8/13/2023: In retrospect, I think I overestimated the difficulty of adapting Power Thresholds. Alternately, High Magic uses Thresholds like Alchemy does. The Ka Threshold is equal to the Technique Threshold +2. Thus, Apprentice is Enough Initiated, Compagnon is Initiated, and Master is Very Initiated. At the GM’s discretion, modifiers from astrology, participants, and ritual paraphernalia may all temporarily increase the primary caster’s effective qualifications.