Discussions/Thaumaturgy

Okay, I've been re-reading the Thaumaturgy section of the Player's Guide, and the more I try and make sense out of it, the more my head hurts. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. I mean it. Hell, whoever is the best at clarifying this stuff for me can get a guest role in my campaign!  ;)

1) Arts: if you don't have the minimum Occult score given for an Art, you can attempt to use it with the -2 penalty for unskilled use, right? Does the Power Combat rule about unskilled use apply here, allowing Exalts to use any of the Arts without paying heed to the Occult minima?

2) Sciences: are there any prerequisites on raising Sciences, or can you get, say, Alchemy 5 even if you have no dots in Occult? If you have a Science at a given level, can you immediately begin creating/using any effects you want from the appropriate list, or do you have to plan it out first, as you do with Craft projects (core book, page 245)?

3) Formulas: these confuse me most of all. Do you need formulas to use the Sciences, or are they only of any value to someone who lacks the appropriate level of a Science? Do you need to know any Occult to use them, or can any schmoe with money and time use a formula to turn lead into gold?

I would greatly appreciate any help, and I expect that many other Wiki readers would appreciate it as well.

- Eric

1) You need at least the minimum stated at arts at Players Guide, for example Art of Warding needs 1 dot in occult and so on.

2) No pre-requisites besides enough experience or bonus points.

3) Formulas are not need to use science, they are just a effect that you learned. Just like a very restrict charm. For example turn lead into gold not iron to gold and so on.

- Shiki