Questions

[thejeff]

Yes.

A mage can spend up to his path level in gems on a single spell. This includes 1 gem that may be spent to increase his effective level. (Path level includes boosters, levels from communions or previously cast path boosters spells, but not the level from the gem.)

So your level 3 mage could cast level 4 spell that cost 2 gems. He would use 3 gems to do it. 2 for the spell and 1 to boost him to 4th level. If it cost 3 gems, he couldn't do it because he can only use 3 gems and has none left to boost his level.

I'm about 95% certain of this. I swear I've seen exceptions mostly involving blood mages using up slaves faster than they should, but I haven't been able to replicate it.

[Redeyes]

Alright, I went with Dimaz assumption that the gem spent on increasing your level also allowed another gem to be spent, I had no idea if it was true or not. Thanks for extrapolating.

[Kobal2]

Originally Posted by thejeff

So your level 3 mage could cast level 4 spell that cost 2 gems. He would use 3 gems to do it. 2 for the spell and 1 to boost him to 4th level. If it cost 3 gems, he couldn't do it because he can only use 3 gems and has none left to boost his level.

I'm about 95% certain of this. I swear I've seen exceptions mostly involving blood mages using up slaves faster than they should, but I haven't been able to replicate it.

Confirmed the hard way in a recent game of mine. And no, the gem used to temporarily raise a mage's path does not let him crack one more gem, either.

A D3 Fomorian king with a Staff (4D total) and 5 gems in his pockets refused to cast Dance of the Morrigans (D5, 4 gems) and went with Undead Horde instead. The exact same King with a Skull Helmet on top cast DotM just fine.

I got confused, then figured that D4 = can snort the 4 gems the spell requires anyway, but can't use the fifth one to raise his effective level to cast it in the first place.