How many standard actions does it take to fully cast a spell?

Conan: Adventures In an Age Undreamed Of
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I have a question and would love any advice.

The rules on page 170 of the rulebook make it clear that you can use a simple action to focus for a spell, then you use a standard action to cast the spell.

But then it gets really confusing, suggesting that the one standard action won’t be enough. It says that “the spell creates an effect that the sorcerer can attempt to use, but actually using that effect requires other actions and other skills” and talks about using fortune or momentum (presumably 2 momentum i.e. full Swift Action) if you want the spell to “use its effects” in the same turn you cast it via a second standard action.

Does anyone understand the difference between “creates an effect” and “using that affect”? I’m mystified.

For example, if I cast Haunt The Mind to create a swarm of stinging illusory bees for a few turns, in which standard action does my adversary see and potentially believe the bees? And in which standard action can I try to do damage with them?

I’ve tried to get answers on the FAQs and Facebook etc, but it’s a confusing maze. For example, the FAQ section on the Dismember spell implies that the attack happens in the standard action that you cast it, so is Dismember a unique rule exception?: “Q. What is the procedure for Dismember? A. Caster rolls a sorcery test. This can be resisted (see above) Momentum is used to craft damage. Damage is rolled. Soak is calculated, Damage is recorded. This all happens in the same standard action.”

It’s different to how I would have done it, based on my reading of the rules. I’d probably (after focusing) use one standard action to ‘create’ the Dismember spell (finding out how powerful a job I did of it, with momentum etc) then use my next standard action to ‘ranged attack’ with it (potentially adding further damage if I roll momentum). It’s not that I prefer doing it this way - it just seems to be what the rules imply.

I would be really, really grateful if anyone can explain it to me. Or, better still, if you’ve seen any official rewording of those two or three confusing paragraphs in the rulebook.

I’ve only GM’d Conan 2D20 once and my second session will be in a week’s time, and a big baddie is a sorcerer. I also have a player who may be interested in sorcery.

(And thanks to Keith Johnson on Facebook for his valiant effort at trying to help me understand yesterday and today).

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From Benn, our Conan rules guru:

“suggesting that the one standard action won’t be enough. It says that “the spell creates an effect that the sorcerer can attempt to use, but actually using that effect requires other actions and other skills” and talks about using fortune or momentum (presumably 2 momentum i.e. full Swift Action) if you want to the spell to “use its effects” in the same turn you cast it via a second standard action.” This is leeway for the GM to determine, if in thier opinion a spells use would not be immediate, or a spell might require additional actions to lead to the result the caster seeks. Dismember is immediate. It has to be or its just a worse form of Crossbow.

“For example, if I cast Haunt The Mind to create a swarm of stinging illusory bees for a few turns, in which standard action does my adversary see and potentially believe the bees? And in which standard action can I try to do damage with them?” This would be instanteous. A better example would be If i cast fury of the elements to destroy a bridge and I cast the spell and the GM says cool, but you need another action to make a Craft D2 test to recognise where to focus the spell for that effect. And yes, you could do the craft then the spell and thats just fine.

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This sounds like a very good answer to me. Yes, it leaves things a bit ‘not hard-and-fast resolved’ for each instance. But it gives me everything I need as a guide. Thank you!

After my first session GMing at the weekend, my players are asking to play again this weekend. Brilliant - the Conan adventures are slashing into action!

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Good job Rigol. Can’t wait to hit the table with my Conan adventures.
Garrett

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Cheers. I’m running one from the Jeweled Thrones Of The Earth One. And I can never resist adding a few extra plot dimensions to keep players on their toes about who to trust and what their priorities in combat are etc. Is tricky but I love it.

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