Ok, so I get this idea for a combat mage named Pele, (catch phrase "wizard? I prefer the term mana cannon.") and I'm doing her spell, and I realize that being an elementalist in fire allows me to cast combat spells, but that Fireball is not a combat spell... it's a manipulation spell... so according to cannon, I cannot cast either fireball or flamethrower, even though I'm specializing in fire? how does that work?

I have houseruled the rule that fire elementalists (and full mages who specialize in fire) can cast fire elemental manipulations too, and get any bonus dice to them. they are, after all, combat spells of a sort.

anyone here see a reason why not?

It is a common houserule that elementalists can cast elemental manipulations that fit their focus. Some even allow a few other manipulation spells that use the same element.

Thus: air elementalist (ooh, detection spells) can cast lightning bolt or a blast effect
fire elementalist can cast fireball
water elementalist can cast ice and water base
and earth elementalist can cast all of them anyway

I have seen other people with house-rules like this. Sphynx's house rules make sense in that matter.

Even with the current rules you can use magic to light a cigarette, it's just really expensive. Sure gets you noticed, though

That would be ignite, right? Whoo boy, Deadly drain. I can imagine a suave face/mage walking up to me and lighting my cig with a flick of his hands in a confident manner, and collapse to the floor a second later

Nah, they can't even use ignite, it's a manipulation spell.

The way to do it is to command a fire elemental to materialize next to you, light your cigarette, and disappear. Always sure to leave an impression

Channeling metamagic!

Channel a fire elemental and you get access to all their powers (and more bonuses)

I can say with almost absolute certainty that allowing Elementalists to use spells related to their element is the most common house rule ever. Not neccessairily to the same degree, but you can probably count on one hand the number of people in the world who honestly think that would unbalance the game.

I'm always going to wonder how those rules were written. The moment anyone tried to create a fire elementalist, they would immediately realize "WTF, I CAN'T CAST FIREBALL!?" and demand it get fixed.

Maybe I didn't notice a change in SR3, but weren't 2nd Ed Elementalists allowed to do that anyway?

Aomeone find the Grimoire... mine's in storage. I'm positive that's the case. Either that or I've accidentally slipped into a quirky non-manipulation for elementalists dimension...

I'm pretty sure that they could cast elemental manips, but can prove it right now. I do know that there were still "Combat Spells with Elemental Effects." Like hellbalst and fireball and firebolt, and fire cloud, and fire missile, and fire dart, etc...