Foci, A few questions Options

[Karoline]

Okay, so, I'm making a mage for the first time in a while, and going over foci I'd like, and I'm having some trouble finding a few rules that I know exist, and remembering some rules that I think got changed. So:

1. Where does it say that only one focus can contribute to a pool (And what exactly does it say)? Edit: I'm reasonably sure this is a rule, but I'm having trouble finding it.

2. Can foci still be used to help with drain instead of the actual skill roll? I seem to recall hearing that that had been changed between SR4 and SR4A

3. If foci can still be used for drain, is it possible to have one foci contribute to the casting of a spell and another to fighting the drain?
3a. What if you have a power foci? Can you use the magic boost from that for extra spellcasting dice and then the spellcasting foci to deal with drain?

4. If multi-casting, can the same focus apply to multiple spells, or can multiple foci be used on seprate spells? (Ie. You have a spellcasting 3 focus, can you use it on both castings of stunbolt, or would you need two foci, one for each casting, or would you only get to apply a single foci to your base spellcasting pool that you have to split?)

Rules quotes would be great, especially for things that have changed between 4 and 4A.

[Achsin]

1. On page 199 SR4A under BONDING (p191 SR4 says the same)

2. The only foci that I can find that helps with drain is the Centering Foci p. 85 SM. Page 184 SR4A under step 6 doesn't list any other foci that help resist drain. I can't find any reference of it being possible, but I might have missed it.

3. /\

3a. p.200 SR4A under power foci states that the focus adds it's dice only to tests in which Magic is applied, minus Counterspelling (specifically when the spell is being cast, no mention of dispelling a sustained/quickened spell) so, no.

4. SR4A p. 183 says that the bonus dice from foci are added after the pool is split. And since they are different pools at this point, I don't see why a singl foci wouldn't be able to be applyed to them all - but I would probably house rule that the bonus dice from the foci have to be split as well, or that the bonus can only apply to a number of spells = force of the foci, just to prevent abuse.

Hope this helps.

[Karoline]

Thanks. Like I said under #2, I was fairly sure they'd changed that from SR4 to SR4A.