Casting Total w/ Supernatural Abilities

[callen]

I cannot find anything explicit in the core book on this. Do Supernatural Abilities normally have a Casting Total?

This matters in some core-book things like Weak Magic Resistance and Aegis of the Hearth. It makes sense for both of those. This is backed up by the comments in RM:

@RM p.90

The Casting Total for an utiseta effect is calculated in the same manner as for any Supernatural Ability, except that the score in the Ability is multiplied by a Power Modifier.

But maybe this is saying for Muspelli the normal use is still via a Casting Total rather than for everyone in general. Maybe traditions that use Supernatural Abilities generate Casting Totals, while those without a Tradition do not.

Meanwhile, if AotH treats Supernatural Abilities as using Casting Totals, why is Heartbeast treated differently?

@HoH:MC p.22

As the actual process of changing between shapes is a magical act, a magus affected by spells which would nor- mally suppress his magic (such as Aegis of the Hearth) must also make a Stamina + Heartbeast roll against an Ease Factor of (3 + magnitude of the spell) to effect the transformation.

While this does agree AotH should oppose it, the "+ magnitude" doesn't match. So maybe this is addressing that Casting Total isn't used while showing how to adjust AotH. Or maybe Heartbeast has been worked into Hermetic magic enough and is enough a part of the Bjornaer's essential nature that it takes less penalty.

I have doubts both ways. AotH gets pretty weak against some Supernatural Abilities if they're not treated as having a Casting Total, providing nearly no protection that cannot be overcome with just a little Penetration. But there are other things that boost Casting Totals that would seem overpowered if Supernatural Abilities have Casting Totals.

Thoughts? Things I haven't found? Thanks!

[InfinityzeN (Troy)]

HoH:S, p 104
Clearly states it out as Casting Total for Supernatural abilities is "Characteristic + Ability + aura modifier + die roll".

Characteristic is given in the description of each Supernatural Ability, with Sta being the most common.

Aura interaction is based on the source, with most Supernatural abilities being granted by the Magic or Faerie realms of power. Sense Holiness and Unholiness (which is Divine) is the exception in the Core Rules. Infernal can grant "most" Supernatural abilities.

[callen]

Thanks. I figured there was a more explicit comment somewhere, but there are a lot of books to search.

[InfinityzeN (Troy)]

Easiest way I find things is the HoH book about the House most known for what you are looking for. Failing that I check the appropriate RoP or lifestyle (A&A, LoM, etc) before looking elsewhere. The HoH books are surprisingly rules dense and are often referred back to by later books.

Supernatural abilities? House Ex Misc. Illusions? House Jerbiton. Research? House Bonisagus. Sure later books all cover them, but they build off of what is in the HoH books.

[callen]

Yes. I use a similar approach. I'd gone right to HMRE and RM, though, since they've got a whole pile of things with Supernatural Abilities. But Folk Witch and the Muspelli both left room for it being just them with statements like "when a Folk Witch uses..."

[InfinityzeN (Troy)]

It is always those times you do not follow your standard search patterns that things get weird and you think you are losing your mind because you know there was a rule for something.