Duration-related questions (Evocation)

[Cadd]

A couple of questions regarding duration and prolonging spells, mostly blocks but can apply to other stuff aswell.

Exchange 1 - My wizard casts a Air evocation block, described as a column of super-turbulent air that throws off any incoming attacks. I assign no shifts to Duration however.
Exchange 2 - As long as nothing broke through the block, I can prolong it now, right?

Or, If I instead assign one shift to Duration in the first exchange it can go:
Exchange 1: Block, 1 shift to duration
Exchange 2: Attack/Maneuver/whatever
Exchange 3: Prolong the block, assuming nothing broke through

Is that right?
And the above is regardless of if it's a Rote or "normal" Evocation, correct?

For Redirecting spells (like Ramirez Shield-to-Attack) - it needs "unspent" shifts of duration to work, right? So in my second example above, I could redirect the energy in Exchange 2 but not 3?

[Haru]

The examples are correct.

However, you should be able to redirect the spell of your second example in exchange 3 as well. It still cost you your action, and otherwise you'd have spend the casting stress without getting anything for it. Keep in mind though, that you can't have used the block even once, if you want to redirect it. If you use it to block an attack in exchange 1, you can't use it in either exchange 2 or 3, it is only a block now.

[Cadd]

Since redirecting doesn't cost new casting stress (you're not calling new power, you're using what's already there) I figured redirecting in Exchange 3 above would be "cheating", essentially getting the full duration of the block (Exch 1&2) and attacking in Exch 3 without actually casting a new spell.
Also - it's only in the current exchange it mustn't have been used, that much is explicitly clear in the text.

So I read it as:
Exchange 1: Cast block w/ 1 shift to Duration, it is used but not broken.
Exchange 2: Not yet used as a block, can now redirect. It is then no longer available as Block.

[Haru]

Oh, if it says the current exchange, I've had that wrong. Though the spell still goes away completely, if it is redirected, I believe. So in your example, the block wouldn't just stop being a block for exchange 2, you wouldn't have it available for exchange 3, as well. Or if you put more duration into it, it would still go away after being redirected.

[Cadd]

Ah good, then I've got them right

Oh yeah - attacking "through" your own block, that works right? Or is it one of those "if the spell effects make sense" situations? So if you do a solid force shield you probably can't, but if it's turbulent winds you can shoot lightning through it - but then anyone else shooting lightning can go right through it aswell?

I can't find in the rules that you can't attack through your own block, but looking at the books Harry seems to always drop his shield just before attacking...

[Haru]

Well, sort of, yes. But a block doesn't have to be a permanent thing either. When Harry says "I readied my shield bracelet", that can be seen as him doing a block, but it only comes in effect, when there is an attack, otherwise he can shoot without there even being a shield.

Generally though, if you are not sure how to judge things, you can easily say there is an aspect like "turbulent winds", and you can invoke it with a fate point, even if originally it was part of someone else's block.

[Taran]

Usually you specify what the block affects and it should make sense in the context of the spell/description.

So the block affects all attacks aimed at me (or my allies).  If you're using blocks to affect a border, it's going to affect whatever passes the border(friend or foe).

"area" blocks don't work like area attacks.  +2 shifts doesn't affect everyone in the zone, it affects every ALLY in the zone.