Been busy with certain unproductive things lately, but I can at least answer these:
- What is the modifier on tearing a bone out of someone's body?
Generally pretty high, since it's a fairly severe, crippling injury with other possible uses. Do note that it depends in part on what you're trying to do it to, though; ripping a bone out of something with crap defenses and 1 hp is going to be easier than intentionally boning one of your teammates, for instance.
- Will using my target's name enhance the aim of my spells?
No.
- I have a theory that fecals, peat, swamp silt and so on respond both to Necromancy, being almost entirely made of dead matter, and to Earth Magic, since they're close to or are a type of soil. Is that theory correct?
Everywhere from somewhat to no. The short but useful answer is that only recognizably dead or earth-like things are affected, but creative or specific uses can benefit from or affect conceptually related things under the right circumstances.
Necromancy generally only affects dead matter if it's recognizably or conceptually dead in some fashion; it wouldn't normally be able to affect coal, for instance, even though it's made of dead things, because the dead things aren't really recognizably dead things anymore, they're just a type of rock.
Conceptual issues can sometimes override this; for instance, the ashes of a dead person could be useful in some fashion, and coal could serve as a reagent or focus for certain things if it was relevant in some way.
Earth is similarly limited to earth-like things; while peat is certainly vaguely soil-like, it might qualify more as plant matter. Silt depends on what it's like and what you're trying to use it for; if it's really fertile soil, it's probably earth; if it's really finely ground plant or animal goo, it's probably not.
- What are the advantages of using Staggered spells as opposed to normal ones?))
I'm not sure Staggered spells are still in or if I'll just be using a knowledge addon mechanic, but generally they're either more powerful than normal, or more commonly, just do things that one school alone couldn't or do them easier. In the case of necromancy and earth, for instance, you might be able to get more use out of grave soil than a straight necromancer or earth mage would. You can also sometimes combine them more overtly, such as by using necrotic earth spikes instead of just earth spikes or necrotic bolts, which wouldn't automatically be more powerful but could be.
Am now suspicious of why I had time to answer this but not run the turn. Time to flee!