Gems, fatigue and increasing magic levels

[Reay]

What are the rules with using gems to increase magic levels and fatigue?

I know the basic rule is you can use up to N gems (where N is your level) to increase your level by 1 or reduce fatigue.

I scripted the spell Returning (Astral 2) as the first and only spell for an Astral 1 mage with 4 astral gems, and the AI would not cast it.

The spell costs 200 fatigue so I thought it would use 2 gems to cast it, plus 1 to reach Astral 2. Does the 2 gems use to cast the spell affect N or is there some other reason why it would not cast Returning?

[thejeff]

I believe you can use up to N=Level gems to cast a spell.
The purpose of the gems is irrelevant.

Your S1 mage could however use a gem to cast Power of the Spheres, then use 2 gems (Since now N=2) to cast Returning.

[Meglobob]

You can use only 1 gem, NO MORE, to increase level.

You can only use gems = to your magic level, ie...a level 2 mage could use 1 gem to go to level 3 then another gem to reduce the fatigue. Basically any gems used beyond the first just reduce fatigue. You can NEVER raise your mage level by more than 1 through the use of gems, ie a lvl 4 mage could only go to lvl 5, he could however use a further 3 gems to reduce fatigue.

I presume the computer would not cast it because 200 fatigue equals death of mage...

[Reay]

I thought you start losing hp after 200 fatigue? But the mage had 30hp so it would not have died. I guess the AI just tries to minimize the hp loss/unconsciousness?

Otherwise if thejeff is correct then the only way I could cast Returning is to lift my mage's astral level to 2. If Returning costs 2 gems to cast, can I use another 2 gems to increase my level by 1 and reduce fatigue? If I can not then I would still have the same problem with the AI not casting due to fear of death. This does not sound right..

I think what happens is that your astral level 2 mage will only cast Returning if it has at least 3 gems so it could reduce fatigue to 100. When the mage is astral level 1 it can only increase the level to 2 and not reduce fatigue and thus will not cast it.

Oh well time for experimentation.

[Ygorl]

No single spell will ever put you over 200 fatigue. You can cast a spell with a fatigue cost of 700, with no gems beyond those intrinsic to the spell, and you'll still be alive and at 200 fatigue.

[Corwin]

Ygorl said:
No single spell will ever put you over 200 fatigue. You can cast a spell with a fatigue cost of 700, with no gems beyond those intrinsic to the spell, and you'll still be alive and at 200 fatigue.

Are you absolutely sure about it? I thought mage would refuse to cast 700 fatique spell, unless you would give him extra gems(above spell cost) to reduce fatique, or he is much higher than spell's level, or you make him cast it in the communion, et cetera.

I am not sure about it though, haven't tried it for a while.