zaffudo said:
1) Create undead says it has a duration of one minute in the spell block, but in the description it says that animated creatures remain so until destroyed.
Later in the description it does mention that the spell can be used to command undead for the duration, so I assumed that is what the duration is used for (though it should be more clear), but then under the sample spells, ‘Call Wraith’ has its duration extended to an hour.
If the Wraith is permanent, why extend the duration?
It appears that the comment about undead remaining until destroyed is in error. The BCCS book treated "create undead" as a form of "animate object" (lacking negative energy and all). I'd be inclined to switch the duration of the create undead spells to permanent, and have the duration only apply to commanding/controlling undead.
Since you make IH references, I'll say that since it didn't seem game-breaking in default
Iron Heroes to let the Arcanist create "permanent" undead, I don't see why that should change with
True Sorcery.
I'd make the same argument about "animate objects."
2) There is no bookmark for Create Matter.
I noticed that too. Call it a glitch.
3) Does the bonus granted by adding components to a spell help to reduce casting time?
I think this needs clarification still. Obviously, spell energy can't count, otherwise, as someone pointed out on the IH boards, Table 2-3 wouldn't go above 20.
In BCCS, you compared the DC to "Ranks in Magic Use" + "Magnitude Bonus." Bonuses provided by props and spell energy didn't count. Talent Focus did. In my game, I'm half-inclined to scrap Table 2-3 in favor of the mana-accumulation system from
Thieves' World (Appendix III, p. 111).
The combination of the systems from
Thieves' World and
Iron Heroes is DAMN close (IMO) to what Mac and I were developing on the IH boards, although the talent system is pretty different.
Again, probably a discussion that should be continued over there.
4) Can you use the same item as a focus for multiple spells?
Yes. It just has to be keyed. And you risk losing the focus for multiple spells if you lose your focus. For example, a character who uses his staff as the focus for all his spells is functionally similar to an AE-style magister.