The shrub explains, “The fundamentals of reality in this dimension are that you change yourself. External effects like the drums are a tiny portion of what thaums can buy. Indeed, unlike in your prior world, this dimension does not permit the external tool to overwhelm the internal. There are no rapid exothermic reactions at scale, for instance. Nothing that relies on explosive chemistry still operates. And while in the acclimatization area of this dimension, weapons will be powerful, by the fourth barrier, you will need to rely on the strength of the body, rather than the strength of external implements."

I don't know how I'm going to stay awake through this word salad. Talking usually helps, “Fists are stronger than swords, and no guns.”

“That is a surprisingly cogent summary, if inelegant. Beyond that, there are an enormous number of changes one can make to your physiology, your psychology, and even to your thaumic organ."

“We can do magic? Oh. You told me already. What kind of magic?"

"If you can imagine it, there’s probably a magic to deal with it. But the thaumic cost varies as the power increases. If you want to conjure a spark to kindle grasses to start a fire, it is cheap. If you want to summon a fire meteor to destroy a city, it’s rather more expensive. Similarly with any other kind of direct thaumic usage. Also … thaumaturgy depletes one’s internal thaumic reserves rather quickly."

“You gotta be rich to be a wizard.”

“Again, your small words cut to the heart of the matter."

“What kind of body changes can people get?”

“People are able to increase bodily strength, or just improve the legs, for instance, if they are Tae Kwon Do kick speciallists. There’s increases in raw speed, just moving faster like the flash. There’s reflex speed. There’s perception. You’ve improved your perception of time, for instance. You could also improve your vision, your auditory awareness, your proprioception, your equilibrioception. You could ...”

I have to interrupt. "Dude. English."

“You can improve your sense of touch, your balance, or even senses you don’t have at all. You can gain echolocation. You can acquire radar. You can get gravity-senses to determine masses. Snake-like vibration-sensation without hearing. The limits are more your imagination than anything else. Was that clear?"

“Like a window.”

“Besides the senses, and the basic behavior of the body, you can change your look fairly easily. You could get taller, switch genders, change skin color, or any of an uncountable number of options. You can adopt nonhuman body parts as well. Compact bone ridges on the knuckles to aid with punching. Claws like your monkey friend. Fangs. And the jaw musculature to use them. Armored exoskeleton to prevent injury. Spinnerets as per a spider or silkworm. An electricity generation organ, like an electric eel. You can be either venomous or poisonous or both. An armored cranial dome like a pachycephalosaurus. Camouflage like a chameleon or mimic octopus. Regeneration like a lizard or starfish. Porcupine quills. Skunk scent. Venom resistance like a mongoose or honey badger. Otter fur that prevents water from reaching your skin. Actual acidic spit, as per an ant.

Do you want to stay as you are, or are you prepared to pursue internal strength?"