Hmm.. how about these (off the top of my head, so maybe a bit rough):

T3 (human), R1 (touch), V1 (skull), D0, L0 (Growth 2, -2 for formulisation).

Total CTN5, targets skull shrinks to a tenth of it's former size, crushing his brain and killing him instantly. Of course, you have to touch him. Far better to make it CTN6 and then it's line of sight and still only takes 6 seconds to cast (less with gestures etc).

Or:

T1 (inanimate object), R1 (touching it), V1 (small stone), D0, L0 (movement 2, -2 for formulisation).

Total CTN3, stone flies out of casters hand and drives itself through targets skull at a speed of 1 mile per second (or thereabouts). Insert squishy sound effect here. In this case I would make the caster use his MP to actually hit with, but if you added say vision 2 (making the CTN5) it could be guided to its target. Of course then it's a spell of three so it takes 50 seconds to cast, so it's not as useful.

Then theres:

T3 (human), R1 (touch), V0, D0, L1 (Conquer 3, -2 for formulisation)

Total CTN5, targets mind is instantly and irrevocably wiped. Hope you have some nappies handy. By making the TN6 you can make it be line of sight and thus negate the need to actually touch him.

and finally:

T3, R1, V0, D0, L0 (Conquer 2, -2 for formulisation)

Total CTN4, target stabs himself in temple. He's not happy about it, but he does it. Make it TN5 for line of sight, yadda yadda yadda.

Brian.

Ah, my favorite use of the 1st level Reduce spell from D&D that pissed off more than a few people.  Also good for boots, belts and codpieces depending on the gear and your viciousness.

Chris

Then there's a few self-conquer spells.  CTNs 1,2, and 3, respectively.  Good for a sorceror who needs to be really brave for a few moments, or simply doesn't want to remember something.

Banishment is also usually really low in terms of CTN.  A Banishment shield around the sorceror is CTN 3, to drain someone else's magic is CTN 5 at most.

Conquer spells (when done on someone else) are always high target numbers (range 2, target 3 = 5 + Level), because they effect another person directly.  Glamour, on the other hand, can be very easy.  A simple illusion of an empty corridor is TN 3 if you can touch the area of the illusion.  A more complicated illusion is only 1 TN higher.

Vision spells, of course, can be *REALLY* easy.  Looking into one's own future or past is only TN 1-3, determined by how far you need to see.

Very true, although I think part of the appeal of wizard type characters is using innovative tactics to acheive goals, as opposed to the brute force method.  Although I think in the case of ROS this kind of thinking fits perfectly with the style of play intended.

Chris

Define constructive. i.e. in what manner?

Do you mean like this:

T3, R1, V1, D0, L0 (Growth 2, -2 formulisation) = CTN5, target plate of food (up to 20 pounds of meat, say) grows tenfold, feeding a great number of people. Maybe this is what Jesus did to the wine and fishes...

Or

T2, R1, V1, L0 (Growth 1, -2 for formulisation) = CTN4, target door grows just enough to wedge itself in its frame, meaning that the baddies on the other side can't force it open (and whatever size you don't use can increase the thickness, making it harder to chop through).

Or

T3, R1, V0, D0, L0 (Repress 2, -2 for formulisation) = CTN4, target loses all memory of a traumatic event in their past. Primative psychology at work.

Those kinds of things?

Brian.

T:0 V:0 R:0 D:0 L:4 (Conquer 3 + Summoning)

You summon a Demon into yourself.  Now THAT'S gonna be felt by a lot of people!

I think that Mike's posed an excellent question. I want to hear more on it. Answer, monkeys!

;-)

Jake