This is off reading 'Infinite Damage Levels' and just tonight attempting to run my first full combat with mages mixed in with ordinary folk.
Leaving aside Perdo Corpus effects which can just say: 'Poof! You've taken a (Light/Minor/Major) Wound!' let us look at hurting people by creating something with magic such as a bolt of fire or lightning or a Crystal Dart. You make something physical and chuck it at your target.
Now unlike a mundane javelin of rock thrown by normal means, this Crystal Dart here doesn't get an Attack roll, there is no defense roll, so if the spell works and there's no magic resistance to worry about it hits automatically. Right?
So then, I don't treat it like a weapon attack at all but look at the Injuries section (on p181) and treat it like falling into a fire or something. And in this case only soak is not treated as a total but is rolled and can be affected by Wounds. Right?
(And add here Stupid Question 5.1: What is a 'total' which is also affected by Wound penalties (according to p.178 under Wounds) if Soak is not one?)
(And add here Stupid Question 5.2: Are you trying to drive us newbies crazy with so many bloody different systems and exceptions! I found myself muttering tonight as I went for a loo break: 'I wonder if it's too late to try running this with GURPS....')