Limits on Fast Casting

[ezzelino]

@David_Chart

ArM5 says (page 83):

A fast-cast spell is always cast with a firm voice and bold gestures, and the maga may not exploit any other spellcasting options, as there is not enough time.

Does this mean that a magus shapechanged into an animal cannot fast cast spells? On the face of it, yes. Should it? Does this mean that Mute, for a magus, prohibits fast cast spells? Can Performance Magic be used with fast casting? (Yes and no, as written.)

The basic idea here is that fast casting does not give the maga enough time to mess about with the details — she has to do it the standard way she has always been taught. I think that should be preserved. Does it need to be worded more carefully, though?

For what it's worth, I'll say I strongly dislike this limitation. A magus is already penalized enough when fast-casting, so removing the limitation would not unbalance the game.

On the other hand, removing it makes the rules simpler, and easier to adjudicate, particularly when dealing with obscure options in supplements: for example, it seems that fast-casting is impossible with Holy Magic, because it does not use standard words or gestures (RoP:D, p.67), and it's at least questionable whether it's possible when using Greek or Adamic (see AM,p.29, and SE, p.29).

Removing the limitation also allows some interesting, dramatic scenes that would otherwise be impossible. For example, it is "aesthetically appropriate" that a really powerful mage might scornfully fast-cast a defense without words or gestures. And I can say that a desperate magus fast-casting in anger or desperation the biggest effect he can manage, shouting and flinging three rooks of vis in the process (note that vis-use is a spellcasting option) proved a very satisfying climax or cliffhanger in sagas based on previous editions, where it was explicitly allowed.