First, can you do other non-spell casting actions during exclusive actions such as casting an exclusive spell?

Also which Foci helps reduce drain?

1) Can you do other action when casting a non-exclusive spell? Nope, therefore, you can't with an exclusive one.

2) There isn't a type of focus that just reduces drain, however, the bonus dice given by spell(spellcasting), spell category(spellcasting), spirit(summoning) and power(both) can be used to reduce drain instead of giving extra successes in the main action.

1) Exclusive actions are called that for a reason -- you can't do anything else when doing them. You can perform other actions while casting non-exclusive spells (sustain another spell, shout a warning, or another Free action since spellcasting is a Complex Action in the first place). With an Exclusive spell, you can ONLY cast that spell and NOTHING else. Well, breathing may be allowed... ^_-

2) No foci reduce drain directly, but you can use the bonus dice from a focus or fetish (if of the appropriate type) to give you bonus dice to resist the drain. Or you can use them to increase the chances of success when casting a spell.

The Abstruse One

Actually, exclusive spells only prohibit the use of any other magical skill, or maintaining any other magical ability (pg. 160 of the main book). So you can't keep up spell defense or maintain a spell, but you can still move on your turn and take a free action on your combat phase (and on subsequent ones, if you declare them first). You can also use activated foci, since they don't require an action to use (and if this were not so, then spirit foci would be useless, since conjuring is also an exclusive action).


Moonwolf covered the foci. Note that, other than expendable spell foci (which have to be used for Sorcery or for Drain, but not both), you can split the bonus dice from a focus between spellcasting or conjuring and resisting Drain.

If I'm sustaining a spell via a sustaining focus, can I cast an exclusive spell without dropping the spell? For example, if I have invisibility as an exclusive spell, and I'm sustaining Improved Reflexes with a focus, does the IR drop?

JaronK