Sorcery Clarifications

[Rurik]

Ok, a few (more questions) about sorcery. I'd like to post these clarifications to the Wiki so all these answers are in one place. OK, here goes:

1. Chargen

From this post:

If you're a sorcerer, your starting Grimoire (see page 27, boxed section) will have up to 4 spells in there drawn from the master Grimoire of your order. You'll begin the game knowing all of these and casting them at the Grimoire skill.

Additional spells from then on will require the research to gather them and commit them to memory for casting - or to add to the master Grimoire for the good of your order.

It is a little unclear, but the above is the intention.

So it would be correct to say that the intent is something like this:

"A character starting with one or more Sorcery (Grimoire) skills will start with up to four spells total learned from his or her Grimoire(s)."

2. Learning Sorcery

Page 52 States under Learning New Advanced Skills Through Training lists Sorcery and Manipulation as skills needing a teacher or mentor.

Page 129 under Acquiring Sorcery states that:

Characters desiring to learn sorcery must fulfill certain conditions:
- Have access to the grimoire from which the spell originates.
- Be able to read the language of the grimoire.
- Have time to conduct the study in quiet and solitude.
- Possess enough Improvement Rolls to learn the Sorcery (Grimoire) skill for that grimoire.

Which is correct? Or do you need a trainer AND access to the grimoire?

If you CAN train with a mentor do you still need the Improvement Rolls?

3. Concentration Spells (P. 130)

It states that fore spells with the concentration trait the spell effect requires concentration to remain active, but that if focus is lost the spell can be resumed. It also states that a sorcerer can only concentrate on one concentration spell at a time.

So is correct to assume then that a sorcerer CAN cast more than one concentrate spell and switch between focusing on the active spells while the spells still have duration?

4. Combine

Are combined spells treated as one spell or a bunch of different spells once cast?

Specifically:
- Are they dispelled as one spell or does each effect have to be dispelled separately?
- If one spell requires concentration and the another does not do both effects require concentration by being combined, or if focus is broken does the autonomous effect(s) continue?
- If two spells with the Concentration trait are combined can both be focused on (and in effect) at the same time or does the caster have to choose which effect he is concentrating on?

 

[Rurik]

*Bump*

Any answers to these?

 

[dazzah]

So it would be correct to say that the intent is something like this:

"A character starting with one or more Sorcery (Grimoire) skills will start with up to four spells total learned from his or her Grimoire(s)."

Thats how im playing it.

Which is correct? Or do you need a trainer AND access to the grimoire?

Again Im playing it as a yes

So is correct to assume then that a sorcerer CAN cast more than one concentrate spell and switch between focusing on the active spells while the spells still have duration?

I hadn`t really thought about that until you mentioned it, but the rules do seem to read quite clearly that once focus is dropped the effect ceases until concentration can be resumed, so Id say your correct. I play that a sorcerer cannot fly about and have several wrack actively inflicting damage on multiple targets at the same time, so yes he can only "activate" one concentration spell at a time, and it would naturally cost 1 CA to re-focus on an already cast spell.

Are they dispelled as one spell or does each effect have to be dispelled separately?

Although its not clear in the rulebook, from RQ3 rules multispell was considered one spell, so I think it should be dismissed as one spell.

If one spell requires concentration and the another does not do both effects require concentration by being combined, or if focus is broken does the autonomous effect(s) continue?

The autonomous spell would continue. only the concentrate spell would fail.

If two spells with the Concentration trait are combined can both be focused on (and in effect) at the same time or does the caster have to choose which effect he is concentrating on?

This is the power of combine, both spells would be cast as one so all would be in effect whilst the sorcerer concentrates, and if he loses focus, all concentration spells cease to take effect. Dont forget, the spells all have to have the same target.

I also play if a sorcerer want to re-focus on a spell or begin concentrating again on a spell after it has been cast its costs 1CA. ie he cannot be attacked whilst concentrating a wrack miss his persistence roll and so lose focus but refocus straight away.