Combined Spells

The Arcanum descriptions explain discrete spells and their effects. Sometimes, however, a mage wants more than one of these spells to take place with a single casting. The result is called a combined spell. The chief advantages of a combined spell are that it counts as only one spell toward the total the mage may have active at the same time (see above), and all its effects activate simultaneously.

Mages cannot combine the same spell or spells with the same effects. For example, a mage cannot combine a spell that boosts his Intelligence with a different spell that boosts both Intelligence and Wits. Combined spells are still limited by the normal rules for Spell Accumulation.

For extended castings, the target number of successes is equal to the total needed for all the combined spells. For instant spells, the successes rolled are allocated between each spell’s effect, in any combination the player wishes. (Extended and instant spells cannot be combined into the same casting.)

Combined spells are still limited by the normal rules for Spell Accumulation.^[1]

If the caster knows one of the combined spells as a rote, but the other is improvised, the combined spell cannot be cast as a rote. It must be improvised.

The drawback is that the mage must have a certain degree of expertise in the Arcana used (+1 dot above the rating normally required for the spell), along with increasing degrees of Supernal understanding (Gnosis) for the combining of more than two spells.

Example: Kai has Gnosis 3, Forces 3 and Mind 2. He wishes to combine a Forces 3 and a Mind 2 spell, but realizes — to his frustration — that he can’t do it, even though his Gnosis allows it. He needs Forces 4 and Mind 3, because his Arcana competence in both spells must be one dot higher than normally required for their casting.

Once it’s determined that it is possible for a character to cast the desired combined spell, two dice are subtracted from the spellcasting dice pool per additional spell after the first.

The lowest dice pool of the two spells is rolled. For example, if the mage combines a Forces 3 spell with a Mind 2 spell, not only must he have Forces 4 and Mind 3 to be able to cast the combined effect, but the lowest of the two spell’s dice pools is used.

Example: Zero casts a spell to slow down and turn aside a speeding bullet. He combines the Forces 4 Control Velocity and Turn Projectile spells. He has Forces 5 and Gnosis 5, so he’s capable of achieving the combined casting. Two dice are subtracted from his pool for the additional spell. Three successes are rolled.

Referencing the spell descriptions, Zero’s player applies two successes to the Turn Projectile effect, allowing Zero to turn the bullet 60 degrees from its course, while the remaining success is applied to the Slow Projectile effect to slow the bullet enough to subtract one point of damage from its impact. Both effects take place at once.

If only one success is gained on the casting, it applies to only one of the spells. The other spell does not take effect. The mage fails to juggle the complexities involved and properly account for both spell possibilities.