gem buff question

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Merry Jolkar:
Where can I find the rules about how many gems I need to be carrying to cast a level greater than my ability? Sorry -- I know this is out there, but I can't seem to find it in the manual or FAQ, and not sure how to find it with the search function.

You need a single gem to raise your ability by one point. You cannot raise your actual skill by more than one point this way. You can also spend more gems to reduce fatigue. These have the effect of an effective skill increase, but will not, for example, allow an astral 4 mage to cast master enslave. The limit here is that the total spent on raising your skill and fatigue reduction must be less than or equal to your magic skill.