Game in the Brain

With an Open ended spell skill level, GURPS Spells should not be bench marked against skills. When skills have so much gains and rarity as you move from Skill-12 to 15, GURPS Spells have many requirements hinged on Spell Skill-15. Note that there are Range and Long Range penalties that come with

What if you calibrated spells more like Skills, where 12 is a professional and 15 is an expert. So basically as a general rule what was 15 is now 12.

Magic Rituals (B237)
Skill 9 or Less – Ritual: both hands and feet free for an elaborate ritual, and speaking at a normal conversational level. Time: Doubled. Cost: Same.
Skill 10-11- Ritual: some verbal and somatic components. Energy Cost: Same
Skill 12-13 – Ritual: a couple of verbal and slight somatic components. Energy Cost: -1.
Skill 14-15 – Ritual: none! Just stare inwardly and magic happens. Time: Half. Energy Cost: -2
Skill 16-17 – Ritual: none. Time: Quarter. Energy Cost: -3
Skill 18-19 – Ritual: none. Time: One-Eighth. Energy Cost: -4
Skill 20+ – Like above and every two levels (22, 24, 26, 28… etc) Energy Cost: -1 and Half casting time.

Ceremonial Magic (B238)
Mage must have Skill-12
Each Mage with Skill-12+ can spend any amount of FP.
Each non Mage with Skill-12+ can spend up to 3FP
Each mage with skill-11 or below can spend up to 3FP

Magic Item Power (B481)
Instead of 15, it can now cast at 12.

Mana Levels (B235)
Low Mana, reduces Skill by 2 instead of 5.

Recover Energy, Healing Spell (B248)
Skill 12-13, 5 mins per 1FP
Skill 14-15, 2 mins per 1FP.

Spell Skill penalties.
Keep them, but allow Hard Techniques to buy them off.

Consequences.

• Simpler because you don’t have to get tons of magery and taking on a lot of to be effective and the cost of magic. 
• The impact of Maintaining additional spells are more detrimental, every 1 point counts by a lot!
• Both Normal or Standard Magic System and Ritual Magic System skill levels appear like all the other skills. 
• More Average Intelligence but Talented Mages (Magery 3). 
• In games like Dungeon Fantasy mages will be more powerful but it really depends on the GM in how he treats spells and magic in the game.