Table of Contents
Conjunctional Spell
MtA, pg 111
A spell that requires the use of two or more Arcana to achieve its effect is called a conjunctional spell1). If the effect can be achieved without the use of one or more additional Arcana, it is not a conjunctional spell. The spell descriptions for the various Arcana contain a number of examples of conjunctional spells.
- Obviously conjunctional: Verminous Metamorphosis (Matter 3 + Life 3): turns a staff into a snake
- Not conjunctional: Soul Jar (Death 2 or Soul 2, not both): makes receptacle to hold a soul
- Situationally conjunctional: Speak with the Dead (Death 1): Lets mage see, hear, and speak with ghosts in Twilight. Adding Spirit 1 lets him also see spirits, Mind 1 lets him also see astral projections. Conjunctional if 2+ arcana are used
- Maybe conjunctional: Any non-Space sympathetic spell, since it requires Space 2 in addition to whatever other Arcanum is used? Also any non-Fate conditional duration spell, since Fate 2 must be added?
Spell tolerance
MtA, pg 128
Each spell cast upon the mage (by himself or others) in excess of his Stamina levies a -1 dice penalty to any spellcasting roll made from him. He suffers this penalty for as long as the total number of spells exceeds his Spell Tolerance. The exception to this rule is a spell that lasts for only an instant (one turn); its effect is too fleeting to interfere, so it doesn't count toward the mage's Spell Tolerance.
Enchanted or imbued items that a mage wears or carries count toward his Spell Tolerance, but not as strongly. An item counts as only one spell toward Spell Tolerance for every two spells (or fraction thereof) that are enchanted or imbued.
In addition, multiple spells with the same effect or same target do not 'stack' or accumulate. Only the highest Potency takes place. Example: if space armor (Untouchable) and time armor (Temporal Dodge) were cast on a target, only the higher potency spell takes effect.
There's some confusion here in the book. Potency (page 118): spells have default potency of 1. Spells have have increased effects with additional successes (i.e. affect more targets, a larger area, or have a longer duration) keep default potency of 1 unless the mage witholds dice to improve potency (-2 dice per +1 potency). For spells that don't benefit from additional successes, like mage armor, each extra success increase potency by 1.
From the description, it sounds like a potency 2 rank 2 Temporal Dodge (granting 2 dots of armor) trumps a potency 1 rank 5 Untouchable (providing 5 dots of armor). Makes sense, but rank 5 spell is rolling more dice, so should (presumably) have more successes and thus higher potency.
These spells do not cancel. Both spells are in effect. Only the higher potency spell is used in calculation. Both armor spells would only count as 1 active spell toward spell tolerance. If the stronger potency spell is dispelled, the weaker spell is still in effect.
Combined Spell
MtA, pg 128
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. This result is called a combined spell.
At gnosis 3, a mage can combine 2 spells; gnosis 6, 3; gnosis 9, 4. The mage must have 1 pip of arcana more than the greatest arcana to cast each spell. I.e. combining a Forces 3 and Mind 2 spell requires Forces 4 and Mind 3. The mage casts the spell by calculating the dice pool for each spell, then rolling the lowest dice pool, -2 dice for each spell combined beyond the first.