Newbie Sorcery Question

[carrknight]

Okay, I never played a RuneQuest game and I'm studying the RQII book to see how to pitch it to my group.
I'm a bit confused with the combat action stuff especially regarding mages.

Say it is my turn in combat. I have 3 CA and I decide to cast a sorcery spell of magnitude 2, okay? This would cost me 2 CA.
Now when does the spell actually get casted? Immediately? or everybody else in the battle has to spend 2 CA before I actually "release" the magic spell?
What if I want to cast a sorcery spell of magnitude 8 but I only have 3 CA? I can't? I have to cast for 3 turns straight?

 

[Mongoose Pete]

Say it is my turn in combat. I have 3 CA and I decide to cast a sorcery spell of magnitude 2, okay? This would cost me 2 CA.
Now when does the spell actually get casted? Immediately? or everybody else in the battle has to spend 2 CA before I actually "release" the magic spell?

It gets cast on the second CA which you've spent casting the spell, i.e. on your second turn of casting.

What if I want to cast a sorcery spell of magnitude 8 but I only have 3 CA? I can't? I have to cast for 3 turns straight?

First off, casting a sorcery spell depends on the number of manipulations used to cast it, not its magnitude. However, if your sorcery spell takes more CAs than you have remaining that round, then yes of course you can carry it over to the next round.

Hope that clarifies it.

 

[carrknight]

Good.

Does this mean also that while he is casting the sorcerer can't dodge, parry or evade in any way the attacks?

I am just a bit afraid that if somebody wants to play the sorcerer he will feel a bit left out since most of the things he'll do during combat will be cast 1 spell and hope nobody fires at him as the battle rages on around him.

 

[Mongoose Pete]

Does this mean also that while he is casting the sorcerer can't dodge, parry or evade in any way the attacks?

Yep, I'm afraid so.

I am just a bit afraid that if somebody wants to play the sorcerer he will feel a bit left out since most of the things he'll do during combat will be cast 1 spell and hope nobody fires at him as the battle rages on around him.

How about you give your starting sorcerer a Diminish, Palsy, Hinder, or some such spell, and then see what happens when he casts it on an unprepared group of opponents. The player will probably enjoy himself thoroughly... :twisted:

 

[kintire]

First off, casting a sorcery spell depends on the number of manipulations used to cast it, not its magnitude

I think this deserves reiterating. You can get a perfectly acceptable sorcery spell with a couple of manipulations. It will be rare for a spell to take longer to cast than one round.

 

[carrknight]

Thank you both.
I guess we'll just have to try and see