So if a mage were, say, to have an increased reflexes spell cast on him, granting him multiple IP's, or were to spend a point of edge for an extra IP, could he cast multiple spells a round? Are there any increases to drain for doing so, as with splitting an action for spells?

Basically a spell is a complex action, and that is all that limits you on your spell casting, so long as you have a complex action, you can cast.

Then on a side note, is the ability to split your spellcasting pool and cast two simultaneous spells with one complex action still present in SR4 or is that SR3 seeping through my memories?

Oooo. I have to remember that one.

one can even split the dice pool more then ones if one feel to cast many spells at the same time, but the chance of them all failing increase rapidly...

This gets a little weird when mages have a geas that takes longer than a Complex should take. For example, how much of an action should dancing whille casting take?

Ohh most definately they are able to cast a spell with each complex action they get. Its pretty sick too!.. Our Dwarven mage has a rating 3 Sustaining Focus that he managed to pick off of a ganger shaman after a firefight. He bonded with it, and used to use it to keep a permanant levitate spell on him. Then as he started learning the magic system better he ended up going down to his one of his Arcane Shop owning contacts and put in a search for a Increased Reflexes spell. After about 2 weeks of in game contact he finally managed to find one. Dropped the levitation Sustaining and put the increased reflexes spell in its place. The Group thought he was a sick as hell power hitter before. Now they just shake their head when he goes into combat at what happens to what crosses them.

Levitate is manipulation and increased reflexes is health.
A sustaining focus must be designated for a single spell category at construction.
Your mage friend should not have been able to switch from levitate to increased reflexes on the same sustaining focus.

I didn't catch that one, Demerzel is right.


If the mage runs around with an active focus all the time, he sure is a canditate for focus addiction (street magic). Also, Security can spot it, wards etc. can interupt it, some gang might want the mage to part with it...

Isn't focus addiction in SM just a flaw worth some build points? I don't recall seeing any rules for imposing it on a player due to overuse.

Incidentally, pool splitting for multiple spells is the best way to fry someone using Absorption. Example: assume you're facing an iniate with 15 dice for Absorption tests. Split your pool and cast four force 5 stunbolts at him. Base DV 1 for each, +3 for the extra spells, so you've got to resist DV 4 four times. Painful, but the other guy is very likely to fry and die unless he has a high magic and/or he rolls pretty poorly on his resistance/Absorption test. This makes one on one magic duels very much a rock/paper/scissors affair when one or both have this metamagic.

Any addictive substance (now including foci) are subject to the addiction rules. You may aquire the flaw through gameplay is the essential part of that. There is a chance under certain circumstances that you become addicted, meaning under those circumstances you have to roll for addiction.

For example spending a night with increased reflexes 3 in a sustaining focus may have some interesting effects on your sleep, so spending a night sleeping really quickly may call for an addiction check, depending on GM evilness. (Or just a desire to create balance, the best excuse for evil ever invented, MUAHAHAHAHA!)