Gem Use for Fatigue/Boosting Skill

[Mysterio]

Hey, folks. I'm a bit confused on gem use as it relates to being able to cast a spell. According to the manual:

• only 1 gem can be used to temporarily boost a mage's skill by 1 to cast a single spell
• 1 gem is needed for every 100 spell fatigue
• a mage can not use more gems for skill boosting and spell fatigue than his native skill in a path

Are these all true, and is the gem limit based on the mage's native skill or his current skill prior to casting the spell (i.e., increased via Summon Earthpower, Summon Storm Power, etc.)? I have an example:

I have an E2 mage that wants to cast Earthquake. I use Summon Earthpower to get him to E3 for the battle, and then an earth gem to get him to E4 to be able to cast the spell. Since Earthquake has 300 fatigue, he needs an additional 3 earth gems, bringing the total number of gems for skill boosting and spell fatigue to 4, which is two more than his native skill in earth (E2). According to the manual, he would not be able to cast Earthquake in this manner. Is that correct?

Also, assuming he could cast Earthquake in this manner, would he have to use an additional 3 earth gems, since the spell description says the spell requires 3 earth gems?

I feel like I'm not reading the manual correctly. TIA for any help!

[Frozen Lama]

I THINK that he cannot cast it since with earthpower he only has E3. (i think that lets him use another gem) but then he still needs 4 to cast the spell. either way, he can't cast it

[Shadrach]

Testing confirms that an E2 mage casting Summon Earthpower will not cast Earthquake (he will happily spam Summon Earth Elemental at three gems a pop, however). Adding Boots of Earth, the mage will cast Earthquake with four gems, if available, three for Earthquake and one which cuts fatigue in half, giving himself 150 fatigue + encumbrance.

[Psycho]

Originally Posted by Mysterio

Hey, folks. I'm a bit confused on gem use as it relates to being able to cast a spell. According to the manual:

• only 1 gem can be used to temporarily boost a mage's skill by 1 to cast a single spell
• 1 gem is needed for every 100 spell fatigue
• a mage can not use more gems for skill boosting and spell fatigue than his native skill in a path

Are these all true, and is the gem limit based on the mage's native skill or his current skill prior to casting the spell (i.e., increased via Summon Earthpower, Summon Storm Power, etc.)?

Everything here is true. Gem limit is based on the current skill prior to casting the spell.

In the example, the mage has E3 after summon earthpower and needs 4 gems to cast earthquake (1 for boosting his level to E4 and 3 for the spell itself). He cannot do it because he can use up at most 3 gems in one casting with his current skill of E3.

[Mysterio]

Originally Posted by Psycho

Everything here is true. Gem limit is based on the current skill prior to casting the spell.

In the example, the mage has E3 after summon earthpower and needs 4 gems to cast earthquake (1 for boosting his level to E4 and 3 for the spell itself). He cannot do it because he can use up at most 3 gems in one casting with his current skill of E3.

So any spells (not gems) that boost a skill also boost the number of gems that can be used to cast the spell?

I guess I'm confused by spell descriptions and the manual stating that one gem is needed for every 100 fatigue. Looking at the description for Earthquake, it says it needs 3 earth gems and has a 300 fatigue. Assuming I have an E4 mage, does that mean it takes 3 earth gems + another 3 for the 300 fatigue (1 gem per 100 fatigue), or is the "Requires 3 earth gems" in the spell's description a result of the spell's fatigue cost (so only 3 gems are required instead of 6)?

[Psycho]

Originally Posted by Mysterio

So any spells (not gems) that boost a skill also boost the number of gems that can be used to cast the spell?

I guess I'm confused by spell descriptions and the manual stating that one gem is needed for every 100 fatigue. Looking at the description for Earthquake, it says it needs 3 earth gems and has a 300 fatigue. Assuming I have an E4 mage, does that mean it takes 3 earth gems + another 3 for the 300 fatigue (1 gem per 100 fatigue), or is the "Requires 3 earth gems" in the spell's description a result of the spell's fatigue cost (so only 3 gems are required instead of 6)?

Yes, any spell that boosts a path also boosts the number of gems that can be spent on later spells.

The gem cost for a spell is what the description says and it's a result of the spell's fatigue. So, for earthquake it's 3 gems, not 3+3.

[FAJ]

How much fatigue would a natural 4 earth mage accrue from casting Earthquake with just 3 gems? 38+encumberance?

[thejeff]

Earthquake is E4, 3 gems, 300 fatigue, right?
He's casting it with the minimum requirements, so he'd take 300 fatigue + encumbrance, which will get capped at 200.
Gems for the spell's cost don't reduce fatigue.

[chrispedersen]

The formula is rather simple btw.

1/(Mage Path +1 - Path Required) * listed fatigue + Enc Fatigue.


So if your mage is e4, with enc 3, casting an e4 spell

1/((4+1 -3) * 300 = 150 + 3 = 153 fatigue

If you cast Summon Earthpower...so you are now an e5:

1/((5+1) - 3) * 300 = 100 + 3 = 103 fatigue.

[thejeff]

Except it's an E4 spell so wouldn't that be:

1/((4+1 -4) * 300 = 300 + 3 = 303 fatigue -> capped to 200.

153 after Summon Earthpower or with a gem.