Am I correct in a assuming that a Magus with CrIg 30, not under stress, could light a candle - CrIg 2 - without losing Fatigue, basically with a wave of his hand without making a roll, since there is no way he could fail or botch? The rules imply this, but I didn''t see it stated.
Thanks.
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First lighting a candle would be either base 3 or 4 depending on how flammable the wick is. Then since you are not the wick you need to take into consideration the other elements- target is individual, what is the range? Assuming you are not touching the candle when you light it that will be voice range. At least duration is momentary. So if the base is 3, you have a total level of 5, which requires the wick to be as flammable as dry parchment. If it is as flammable as wood that moves it up to 10.
Non fatiguing spontaneous casting is the casting total divide by 5- so with a parchment level wick you are good unless you are in a divine aura or something. With a wood level difficulty wick however you need a casting total of 50, which will include your CrIg of 30 along with your stamina and aura modifier... so probably not in that case. It really comes down to a SG call.
Now if you have the level 10 spell of starting a fire learned then the exercise is trivial, unless you are in a very powerful divine aura...
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Level 4
Candle Light
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind.
Ignites one ordinary candle under normal conditions.
(Base 2 [Ignite something extremely flammable (like oil or a wick).], +2 Voice)
Variations left as an exercise.
Whether a magus can do this with a wave of the hand (no voice, subtle gestures (depending on the SG)) depends on that mage's Arts, location, and probably a number of other factors I am unwilling to estimate.
CrIg 2 would also make the magus glow like a candle, for a Moment, but without ignition. Appropriate range and duration modifications will make the room or an object glow, including a candle.
CrIg 10 makes the magus glow by setting him on fire. Seems undesirable.
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If you wish to build a magus good with such effects, look at TMRE p.92f Rotes and give him the Minor Mystery Virtue Hermetic Numerology.
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As demonstrated here, most troupes impose a mandatory bickering/not-answering-a-yes-or-no-question-with-a-yes-or-a-no-answer period.
So, really, there is always stress.
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Because rolls are used in most thing, many may assume a roll is required, when the rule book does not mention a die is required. Page 81 Core rulebook.
"NON-FATIGUING SPONTANEOUS MAGIC
CASTING TOTAL:
Casting Score/5"
Someone with a casting total of 25 could spontaneously cast a level 5 spell without a die roll. If after factoring in the penalties for no gestures, no voice, the casting total is 5 times the spell level, yes, they can cast it with no roll, no voice, etc.
Admittedly no voice means the magi is casting the spell at sight range, and that is getting challenging to cast with the casting score divided by 5. A low powered touch or self range spell can be done without voice, and still likely be low enough level a moderately powerful mage could cast it.
If you are casting a non-fatiguing spontaneous spell, there is no roll involved, so no chance of botching. You could still fail, if you don't achieve a high enough Casting Total.
If you are casting a formulaic spell in a situation where there is no pressure, you use a simple die. So no chance of botching there either, but you could still fail if the Casting Total isn't high enough.
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If you are casting non-fatiguing and not under time pressure, I as GM would allow it to succeed without a roll (unless you want to roleplay the chance of failure).
This falls under my general rule of “If the character is capable of doing something and failure is not interesting, allow it to happen and move on.”
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If you are casting non-fatiguing, you can't roll, even if you want to. If you need the boost to casting total, you have to use fatiguing spontaneous magic. If you don't need it, congratulations, you cannot botch. It's one of the things I like most about them.
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BTW, on page 348 of the new core rulebook, it states that level 2 CrIg effects include "Ignite something extremely flammable
(like oil or a wick)." That's where I got level 2 for lighting the wick of a candle, but since lighting a candle is necessarily not Personal, I get that 2 is just a base to add Range to. Still, the basic question is if a roll etc. cannot fail or botch, need one roll at all? If not, then there are a number of effects that a magus could have ready to go to use almost any time (barring Stress and other concerns).
That's in the standard rule book too.
If a given roll cannot fail or botch, is there any reason not to roll? (Other than saving a few seconds of time)
Even if there is no risk of failure, you may still need to roll to figure out just how well you succeeded.
Ultimately the point is that the rules for that are in the book, they are simply "casting total divide by five" not a list of when you can cast which spell spontaneously without rolling or fatigue.
Non-spontaneous sponts never get a roll. Thematically there are a bunch of quality of life stuff magi would likely do with magic. Kill the lice in their laundry; Iron and Wash their clothes; Flavour their food; Create magical light sources; Destroy chamber pot contents; Shave their face; Style their hair.
Other spells, if their is no risk and there is not a harmful aura, it is a simple roll. If the outcome won't change, why bother rolling dice? Remember formulaic spells succeed if one rolls no more than 10 less than the spell level, however, a fatigue is lost.
I imagine you probably meant "If a spell cannot fail, botch or have stamina loss need one roll." No is the simple answer.
I’d say that if the failure or fatigue loss are irrelevant, you also should not roll and just move past that point.
As I said above, I have a general rule that if failure isn’t interesting, I’ll narrate past without needing to roll.
There's always the risk of botching and thus warping, which is part of the reason why non-fatiguing sponts are so good, they don't have that risk.
Unless you roll a simple die, which is the case for a lot of spell-casting and other activities.
Then there is no risk of botching.
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Actually, for added cool factor, i'd make range; Sight, final level5, requiring a Ct of 25. No need for lenghty /loud incantations and all: Look at is, speak a few words, and it in flames
My friend and fellow SG ran up a wealth of variant fire combat spells, many years ago. I am tempted to run up a dozen variants of Light A Candle, but I don't have time.
Personally, I like the idea of a Touch candle lighting spell where the caster blows the flame on. Or, for Ignem specialists, a wordless snap!
IIRC, Fatiguing Spontaneous Magic is always a stress die. The big advantage of formulaic spells is the fact that you're allowed to roll simple dice.
Or am I misremembering?
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You remember correct. Fatiguing spontaneous spells, and ritual spells are always cast with a stress die.