or else the -3 above must be filled out by "Increased END". You can not have both "Reduced END" and "Increased END" in a spell. You may not give a spell Reduced END except with the express permission of the GM, which will almost never be forthcoming.
for a total of -3½ worth of compulsory limitations. These basic limitations apply regardless of the style of magician you want to play.
For example, Poon-Tang the Necromancer wants to devise an instantaneous self-protection spell to use against muggers, footpads and tax-collectors. Obviously he wants to be able to keep his wits about him at such a critical moment and he doesn't want to alert the swine with a lot of hocus-pocus. He doesn't want to have to rummage around for a Focus (material components) either, but he's willing to wear the ½ DCV Concentration penalty. All this leaves poor old Poon-Tang with a spell which he has to cast at -2¾ worth of Increased Endurance — a whopping x7 endurance multiplier! (The limitation is rounded up to the nearest multiplier, but you do get credit for any extra limitation.)
If the wizard can decide on the proportioning of the Limitations whenever the spell is cast, then the "Variable Limitations" Advantage must be bought at +½.
The individual limitations may be increased, or in the case of "Extra Time" decreased, but each individual limitation must appear in the spell description or be paid for in "Increased END". That is, increasing the value of "Concentrate" (for example) does not allow another compulsory limitation to be discarded.
Plenty more limitations can be lumped on top to further reduce the cost, but take note that many ranged powers' ranges are calculated from the Character-point cost rather than the Active points. Beware of creating a Fireball with a 20-metre radius Area of Effect if you've added so many Limitations that it only has a range of 10 metres.
You can make some spells more useful in a tight spot by using the "Delayed Effect" advantage, which allows you to store a spell in mind for later instantaneous release. This makes a lengthy and complex casting procedure less of a problem, since it can all be taken care of ahead of time and leaves the spell available until expended, or no longer required. There are a couple of minor differences between the letter of the rules and the way I want to use "Delayed Effect":
Note that in the example given a spell with charges also uses END. This is worth a limitation of -½, since charged powers do not normally use END; I distinguish between POWERS and SPELLS, spells being what mortals do to imitate those beings with powers. Spells always use END, while Powers need not. You almost certainly won't have any Powers, except maybe from some sort of magical item, unless you're some sort of inhuman monster. Such as an elf, for example. Or a man-eating carp.