1) Magic affects natural laws (including physics and chemistry). Human body (including the brain) based on the natural laws. How the great mages stay alive? 2) Why many magic spells take account the target's tech aptitude, but not the caster's? 3) Why tech needs IN, but magic needs WP only? I mean, making a platemail can be sometimes easier than learning Disintegrate... 4) What are those "mystical vibrations"? And how comes that dwarves have mystical vibrations with technical aptitude? This sound like a magickal thingy...
Because you're thinking about it on human terms. Who's to say that you don't lose your human features when you become a (great) mage? After all, you are certainly less proficient at technological matters, and if you're a human, you are not naturally inclined to any of these in particular, but when you embrace one, you are led away from the other. The caster's technological aptitude is taken into account when it comes to fatigue. Look at the penalty for dwarves. Because once you choose a college of magick, the only thing that prevents you from learning higher levels is your willpower. You don't become more intelligent for learning more levels. Magick as a force requires willpower in order to be maintained. But, if you want to cast different spells at the same time, you require concentration, and that's why you need intelligence for that. This I can't say, because I didn't know dwarves could vibrate. I've never played a dwarf.
To use magic a mage has to use his willpower to bend reality. As long as they don't concentrate on turning their flesh into fire then they will stay alive just fine. I'm not sure how true that is, but if it is then it is probably more to do with the game mechanics rather than the world itself. Mages "bully" reality into obeying them. This does not require great intellect. It could be argued that being ignorant actually makes you a better mage. If you know about the laws of physics then you know the reasons why they cannot be broken. You believe they cannot be broken. So if you want to bend reality you must first overcome your own beliefs. If you don't know the laws then it is easier to change reality as you don't have to convince yourself first. Mystical vibrations are left over from when a race is altered by magic. Dwarves evolved naturally so they lack these vibrations. Sierra: "Dwarven tissue have shown them to be almost completely devoid of any mystical vibration"
