Magic

So this has caught my interest: magic in this system. Two main types is boring, seen it and done it. More importantly, it's too easy to powergame. Arguments to the effect of 'but an 8th ech 6th circle caster won't have many skills or healthpoints' don't hold up- those are in-game arguments/solutions to deal with an out-of-game problem. Not good,

But what about this. Keep as is (6 circles), but have four main types of magic, each with an additional four types it's a pre-req for. The four basic types would be less powerful, i.e., 1-6th circle magic would be like 0-5th level spells, while the four speciality types would be like 4th-9th by D&D standards. Because the cost of purchasing any raw type is so high, and you can only buy one circle of spells really per level, basically, rather than foreshorten level and power advancement, as in the existing system, you expand it and drag it out.

Here's a proposal, although the details can be changed; I think the main types are solid and oppositional, while the subtypes, eh, some are neat, others could go. I like your horology examples, that's what got me thinking this way. Main types and each of their sub-types.

Hedge Magic (e.g., for bards/illusionists: cantrips, basic useful spells, mind-affecting)
-Artifice (golems and constructs)
-Alchemy (potions, bombs, some healing)
-Enchantment (charm and control)
-Illusion (insanely powerful spells)

Ritual Magic (clerics/monks/druids; atonement, purification, healing, blessing, protection)
-Martial (city/imperial/battle)
-Natural (elemental)
-Divination (scrying, pure divine)
-Ascetic (devotional, self-sacrifice, combat, ninja shit)

Hermetic Magic (classic wizards; some blast, some protection, flying and such)
-Evocation (blast magic)
-Astromancy (crazy space magic, weather control)
-Horology (crazier time lord magic)
-Truenames (drawmij's instant summon, er- pause and study for mages)

Blood Magic (black mages/demons/goblin cult shamans; sacrifice/consume to gain power)
-Necromancy (you know)
-Diabolism (the bad shit)
-Summoning (straight up devil summoning)
-Cannabalism (eat your heart and gain your strength, rob grub)

Twenty schools, six circles per schoolis 120 spell lists. Six spells per list should be fine. Another idea that I kind of like would be that one subschool of each (Cannabalism, Truenames, Ascetic, Alchemy) would be skill-based instead of spell-based.

Eh?

...

Apparently Arcana Unearthed has a different spell system for 3E. I've got it, but haven't taken a look yet. Will read and report.