Re: Approved Abbreviations
 

What about El for elements and EEl is elements minus earth (like in the IV roman numerals). Ne could be Non-elemental, using the same scheme (so NNe is Astral, Death, or Blood).

Therefore WElBS is elements (El) minus water (W) plus blood (B) and astral (A). We could also use decimals to minimize writing: 1 WElBS is a 100% chance of +1 elemental (sans water), blood, or astral. To save the (outrageous) work of writing periods (an extra character, ugh) we could always assume the first digit is the ones place: 01 WElBS is 10% chance for another fire/earth/air/blood/astral.

Two numbers could be used for more than one random, eg: 2-1 WElBS = 2 100% earth, fire, air, astral, or blood randoms.

If we are willing to get more advanced, it could even extend to accomodate different chances, eg: 2-1 + 1-01 WElBS is 2 100% randoms of fire/earth/air/blood/astral and 1 10% chance for a fire/earth/blood/astral.

*whew* I hope I didn't lose anybody there. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Approved Abbreviations
 

Sorry, that's a bit too confusing. At least use # instead of El for elements, and $ for sorcery. Those were used in some of the fan-made guides.
W#B$ is still confusing. Besides, having SIX random paths is VERY rare nowadays. Most mages have four paths as
randoms, some have three, others five, but I don't think I've seen six yet. There can be, of course, especially in LA.

Re: Approved Abbreviations
 

Late era has more random magic? Can you please elaborate a bit...?
P.S. Sorry for O.T.

Re: Approved Abbreviations
 

Early Age is often very specialized. Pangaea, as an example, has Panii with E1N4B1, 100?EB, 10?ENB - three paths, total! Caelum has strong Air, but other paths at 1, with only 10% randoms raising them. Harab Seraphs have 10?D random, Eagle Kings 10% elemental random.
There are other nations that have more lapse randoms, or more varied magic. Tien Chi randoms are of course inspired by Five Elements, so Masters of the Five Elements have FAWEN.
In Late Age, most nations have quite varied magic. Midgård theme of Vanheim, with Astral and Air naturally, and very interesting randoms of 100?AEDB and 100?EDNB of the Galdermen, Pangaea having N3E2 Panii and N3D2 Panic Apostates but no randoms better than 10% except possibly on the Carrion summons, Marignon and Ulm special themes quite varied now that Diabolic Faith has combined with Conquerors of the Sea and Iron Faith with Black Forest, etc etc.

It isn't as big a difference as I had thought, though. The nations seem to have access to about the same amount of paths, but with (usually) one strong path in Early Age and more balanced (i.e. every path is quite weak) in Late Age. Maybe it's just an illusion of D1, sometimes 2 being weaker when your best mage has Air 4 instead of when your best mage.

There are still powerful mages even in Late Age, but nations start with income of only 4 gems (probably all of them, I'm not aware of any exceptions) and magic sites are less common (unless the settings are changed).