I'm still in the process of deciding on a magical focus for my Verditius (architect-oriented) magus.
This time I'm wondering about when a focus comes in to play.
The Arm 5 rulebook states that it applies when: "..you cast a spell or generate a lab total whitin your focus" p. 45
This obviously includes magical effects dealing with the focus.
E. G: A magus with a magical focus: stone spheres CrTe a huge stone sphere above his enemies.
However, how does this apply when enchanting items? Does it apply only to the spell effect OR also to the target of the enchantment (the device)?
Would my magus from the example above get the Focus Effect when enchanting a stone sphere? Regardless of the effect invested in the sphere?
I apologize in advance if this is plainly stated somwhere in the rulebooks.
For such a focus, I would only give you the bonus if the effect directly affects the enchanted stone sphere itself. I find that to do otherwise would be abusive. On the other hand, and perhaps contradictorily, I would allow it for familiars.
There are foci that relate to lab activities themselves, not effects (I think?). If you have a "vis extraction" focus, conversely you shouldn't allow it to help you cast "Gather the Essence of the Beast" in the field, for example.
If your Major Focus was in Metals or Stone ,
or a Minor Focus in Creating Metals or Destroying Stone ,
then any effect that these would cover , such as inventing a spell ,
or investing an effect into a device gets the Focus benefit.
(as mentioned , it appllies to Casting Totals and Lab Totals)
A Major Focus in Stone would cover all 05 Techniques in combination with Terram effects relating to Stone.
A Minor Focus in Creating Stone would cover any Creo Terram (Stone) spell.
Yes, Ravenscroft, we understand that. But would a metal focus be useful for enchanting a metal cup with a totally un-metal-related Effect?
What about "creating metal"? If that counts when creating an enchanted something made out of metal, isn't that unfair to the guy with the "destroying stone" focus, since that couldn't possibly apply to an enchantment of an unrelated Effect?
Are the Technique and the Form of the enchantment Lab Total related to metal in some way?
If not , then it does not mattter if the item is made of metal , no Focus benefit applies.
You do not get a Focus in Lab Activities (page 45) ,
Enchantment is a Lab activity that may get a bonus to the specific Lab Total involved ,
if the Technique and Form apply to the effect to be invested.
But the actual Enchantment process of an item does not get the bonus ,
just by being made of a substance covered by the Focus.
Really? OK, I didn't think it worked like that.
Guess some foci will still be impossible to apply to the one or the other... for example, applying the Diedne Magic focus to lab work (not that that "focus" is under-powered or anything...).
Diedne Magic covers spontaneous spells , and alas , of little use in Lab Totals.
You want a truly insane Spontaneous caster ,
combine Diedne Magic , Cthonic Magic and a Magical Focus.
For all standard sponts , Lowest Art Score x03 , in the Focus Area x04.
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