[Fate]

What "the people" have apparently concluded (looking at the threads) is that no spell will ADD more than 200 fatigue. So a 0-fatigue mage can cast ANY spell (barring gem/level costs) and come out with only 200 fatigue, without using any communions or extra gems.

However, if your mage has 10 fatigue, and they cast a spell listed as >= 200 fatigue, they will take 10 damage and be at 200 fatigue (or ignore the order if the AI decides it isn't worth it).

To address on final question: the meaning of fatigue cost over 200 is twofold. (1) it effects the minimum number of gems required to cast. Every 100 fatigue points mean that that spell requires 1 gem -not including gems used to increase level/reduce fatigue. (2) it effects how much you have to work to reduce it to a manageable level. For example, say you want the same mage to cast two spells with >= 200 fatigue. You will most likely need to reduce the fatigue caused by the first spell enough to keep your mage conscious (<100) and the cost of the second one enough to not kill them and get the AI to approve it (<200, probably more).

And, to recap the use of gems in battles, the mage may only use 1 gem per level for ANYTHING. A mage may only increase their level by 1 to cast a spell just out of their reach, along with the gems required to cast the spell AND any "fake" levels which reduce fatigue. The equation for fatigue accumulated by any single spell is the Amount Listed / (1 + the EXTRA levels the mage has, including "fake" levels), capped at an INCREASE of 200.