spells, gems and fatigue
 

Master Enslave is spell level Astral 8, costs 8 astral gems and causes 800 fatigue.

If I have an Astral 7 caster, can I cast the spell if I use 9 gems (i.e. 1 gem to up the level from 7 to 8)?

If yes, will my caster end up with 200 fatigue?

Do I need and extra 6 gems to lower the fatigue from 800 to 200 as well? If not, what's the point of 800 fatigue?

Re: spells, gems and fatigue
 

Yes, and yes.

The extra fatique is there because:
1) fatique and gem costs are related
2) once is bad enough; you don't want a mage being able to cast e.g. Master Enslave and then coming up with something else, especially as they could cast it second time. Big guns fire slowly.

Re: spells, gems and fatigue
 

Gem use should be limited to your level, so you might need a level 8 mage to cast the spell in the first place (I'm not sure if 7+1 would work). It also means a level 8 mage should not be able to lower the fatigue cost by spending more gems, as he has already reached the limit of gems to be used (8 to cast the spell).

In any event, fatigue higher than 200 doesn't matter, so don't give your mage extra gems after that: 800 will go down to 200 on its own. You should only use extra gems if that will bring your fatigue low enough to cast another spell; *very* high level Astral mages will be needed to pull that one (or a Communion).

Re: spells, gems and fatigue
 

Oops, I forgot that mage couldn't use more gems than their power in the path in one turn... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif

So I'd quess you would have to use an Astral booster, or battle booster. Any S3 mage can boost the S7 mage with Light of the Northern Star.

Re: spells, gems and fatigue
 

Ummm... Not too sure about this, but it seems to me (according to my experiance and I think it may also say so in the manuel) but don't you take fairly substantial damage if your fatigue ever exciedes 200? If so on any mage that can you might want to go beyond the 8 astral pearls minimum. I don't know for sure, someone might want to correct me here...

Re: spells, gems and fatigue
 

You do, but fatigue gained from spellcasting is capped at 200. The additional fatigue must be the result of sleep vines, lifedrain, Heat From Hell, cold auras, etc.