[Vicious Love]

Alneyan said:
The Smoking Mirror (Mictlan) can get four paths at level 8 (three of them are fixed, of course), with no modding involved, and 138 points left. All scales are at -3, of course, and Dominion is left at basic 2. The Celestial Emperor also enters that category, with a mere 118 points left, but Dominion 3.

The Baphomet does the same thing with Dominion 3 and 224 points left after the four paths, effectively allowing to get two more paths at level 4, so we're almost there. Sadly, the Baphomet cannot reach four level 9 paths; it is stuck at three of them, with the fourth one at 8.

So, you *can* get four paths at level 8, and some more magic on top of that. Of course, it's not because you *can* do it that you should use those designs.

Absolutely. But not with the arch-mage. And even if this were possible, it simply doesn't pay to raise more than one path from zero to seven or above, even if one has some sort of rainbow bless stratagem in mind. Six is reasonably cost effective, affords a good blessing, and can usually be boosted to nine or more by the midgame.