* incomprehensible squealing *

The spell discern and some messaging for anyone interested in such things. Note GOL and ABSOL are apparently not friends.

Absolution is a bitter spell, one which the Khalo refuse to teach. Nonetheless it has propagated in the corners of the Five Provinces for its sheer utility. By undergoing the ritual of Absolution, an Empath may dull his talent. While detrimental to his healing and general bodily health, it has one dramatic advantage: while the dampening effect remains, the Empath is too far removed from the twisted life essence of the Undead to empathize with them. A warrior-empath is thus able to confront the undead hordes and their lich overlords with impunity.

This is a ritual spell, which means that it requires a high amount of mana to use. These mana costs can be alleviated somewhat by invoking the proper ritual focus while preparing the spell. It affects yourself. It requires a minimum of one hundred forty mana streams, and can expand to a maximum of six hundred twenty mana streams woven into it. To begin to be able to cast this spell, you will need to reach the rank of an experienced practitioner. By the time you have mastered this spell, you will be ranked as a master in your abilities as a caster. It requires the Utility skill to cast effectively. Before you can learn this spell, you must know one of Cure Disease or Flush Poisons. It will also cost two spell slots.


Since you're not feeding enough power into the spell pattern to make it coherent, you quickly work your way to the minimum required.
You feel intense strain as you try to manipulate the mana streams to form this pattern, and you are not certain that you will have enough mental stamina to complete it.
With meditative movements you prepare your body for the Absolution spell.

You gesture.
The mental strain of this pattern is considerably eased by your ritual focus.
Your head swims and you feel considerably more numb, as though your mind was somehow disconnected from your body. The world with all its colors and sensual character seems a step removed from you now.

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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Nifty!

<<Note GOL and ABSOL are apparently not friends.

Please say it causes explosions of body parts.

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How cool! Do all healing spells fail when it is up?

So far everything seems to work except GOL (which makes sense). I can still manipulate and use unity as well.

You gesture.
You realize that Absolution's Empathy-deadening effect would completely interfere with the Gift of Life pattern.

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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Just as a note, I have updated the graphical spell tree on elanthipedia with this. Enjoy!

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P.S. I've been informed that there is an issue with seeing some of the spell trees in certain cases. Trial and error testing has revealed this is due to thumbnail scaling at the upper end being cut off sooner for some people than others. If for some reason you can't see this or other spell trees, I'm working on a solution and should hopefully have it ready later today or tomorrow.

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I like the warning message before it expires. That's helpful.

Warning:
A brief spike of raw sensation hits you, taking your breath away. The ritual pattern dampening your Empathy is coming undone.
Expiration:
As the Absolution spell fails, you feel your connection to the world renew and sharpen once again.

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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

>you feel your connection to the world renew and sharpen once again

It would be nice to see this phrasing also linked to no longer being shocked.

Asbhuan

I don't know about Absolution specifically, but ritual spells tend to have durations ranging from around 30 at min prep to around 120 minutes at cap.

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>>This makes me want to start a new empath.

I was lamenting to another GM earlier this morning that my own little Empath needs like 40 more ranks of Arcana to get the spell off. I can't justify making it a Basic spell, but I've never before been so tempted to play with my own toy.

-Armifer
"In our days truth is taken to result from the effacing of the living man behind the mathematical structures that think themselves out in him, rather than he be thinking them." - Emmanuel Levinas

So you went with bless then?

I was wondering what scroll spells people are thinking will be good here. RAGE?

>>I anticipate my biggest problem will be finding an ABSOL scroll once the preview ends :(

This will not be a significant problem.

-Armifer
"In our days truth is taken to result from the effacing of the living man behind the mathematical structures that think themselves out in him, rather than he be thinking them." - Emmanuel Levinas

Yup. One week premium, one week general.

-Armifer
"In our days truth is taken to result from the effacing of the living man behind the mathematical structures that think themselves out in him, rather than he be thinking them." - Emmanuel Levinas

I'm looking forward to next week when everyone can play with it!

It's as if they fleshed out the construct ladder without having to add more constructs.


>>Sophieann: It would be really nice to set some kind of empathic demeanor that would preserve your intended stance by either preventing or allowing attacks on living things. I'm still facepalming myself for accidentally taking a swipe at a skunk near guardians.

Doesn't the BRAWL command toggle whether you will use aggressive maneuvers without specifying a target? If so, you could have a trigger that toggles the brawling mode when the spell ends.

I will also be adding support for this spell to Geniebuff for Geniehunter, which will re-cast the spell when it wears off. (I may instead have it re-cast when the warning message pops up to reduce the chance of empathic shock.)

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"Empathy doesn't make people nice." --GM Armifer

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Hmm, does creature appraisal not take into account buffs/debuffs? I attempted to see a rough estimate of how much stamina ABSOL debuffs by appraising creatures with and without it on, but it's not showing up.

It also feels like the encumbrance difference isn't as bad today compared to last night, but I'm not really comparing a lot of data at this point.

Before: You are certain that it is somewhat less conditioned than you are.
After: You are certain that it is somewhat less conditioned than you are.

Before: You are certain that it is not quite as conditioned as you are.
After: You are certain that it is not quite as conditioned as you are.

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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

>> I attempted to see a rough estimate of how much stamina ABSOL debuffs by appraising creatures with and without it on, but it's not showing up.

>Just look at the difference in maximum concentration. Every point of stamina is a point of concentration.

Oh, clever clever you! BIG difference apparently. -20 versus -2

Min cast -
Before Conc: 556
After Conc: 536

Max cast -
Before Conc: 556
After Conc: 554

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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Cool, thanks. I think I found a bug though...landing a deathblow with MANEUVER PALMSTRIKE resulted in shock. I didn't get shock for merely hitting with MANEUVER IMPALE.

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Dashing in, you attempt to smack your twirling knuckle against a Misenseor resuscitant!

Your palm lands a heavy strike to a Misenseor resuscitant's left leg!
The Misenseor resuscitant shrieks hoarsely and begins to shudder violently, its cries growing gradually softer as its unholy life force fades away.

[You're incredibly balanced]
Roundtime: 5 sec.
>
Pain blossoms within you, your delicate empathic senses singing with agony. You feel the wound to the other life essence almost before it happens, your empathy focusing and magnifying the pain you have caused. You draw back instinctively, your empathy recoiling, leaving you briefly stunned.

Anguish wracks your psyche as your victim's life essence gutters out. Your mind cringes back from what you have done, though you cannot help but share the confusion and torment of your fellow being's final moments.

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Per the original announcement, I've submitted an ASSIST.

Thanks,
-Life Sustainer Karthor

I just wanted to know, as a matter of curiousity, how did the spell name Absolution come about?

When I first read about this (sorry I'm late to this, just got back) I thought it was a cleric spell. See I'm Catholic and absolution is what a priest, standing in for Christ, gives us after confession--he absolves us from out sins. So needless to say, I was really confused on this one.

I just wish I was a big enough empath to actually try this spell. Someday!

Aquanelle

ab·solve
əbˈzälv,əbˈsälv
verb
set or declare (someone) free from blame, guilt, or responsibility.
"the pardon absolved them of any crimes"
synonyms: exonerate, discharge, acquit, vindicate;

Makes perfect sense that the empath is absolving themselves of the shock.

It has nothing to do with Catholicism or other religion at all.

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I kinda keep wondering if there's any intended similarity on a conceptual level to Necro's RoC. RoC being a spell that helps offset "guilt," as well.

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Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.