lucky for you i burned some notes onto a CD when I left town. give me a second

>What are they exactly

They're WM abilities intended to increase WMs in their mastery of TM.

>and how are they used?

They are fueled by manipulative resolve, like spells use mana, and dances use inner fire. However, if you keep a pathway going continusously, you will likely soon run out of Manipulative resolve. When they came out I was around 70th? circle and got around 5? minutes of continuous use.

However, they don't take any time to start going. So basically, start one right before you cast, cast, then stop it.

They're not as strong as Thief khri or barb dances. When they came out I tested a few of them. I had around 350 TM at the time. Using AP Power against a barb, I was able to hit him with my attack stance 10% lower while using the pathway. About 35 ranks. Not bad. Not great. Especially considering how specific they are. And that while useful while training/scripting (where you can have your script start it and end it right before/after you cast a spell) they're not that useful in PvP (because you can't run them continuously, and often the window to act on a hiding target is quick so the extra command slows you down too much). Yes, I understand there are some situations where they can be useful in PvP.

The said, I copy/pasted my atherpathway.txt notes below. Hope it helps.

Player of Tessaa

_________________________________________

Now on to the first ability. The first of these abilities which we're looking at is called 'Pathway Focus Damage'. This one is fairly straightforward. It provides a damage boost to TM spells if they hit the target. The reasoning behind Pathway Focus Damage (PF Damage) being the first ability of AP is that we'd like to help the younger folk in learning TM. A boost to TM damage should help add some experience to the TM pool and hopefully make it a bit easier to learn the skill. The best part is wreaking more havoc upon your enemies by adding some extra oompf to you spells.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram




Today we highlight the second of the Aethereal Pathway abilities! Pathway Focus Quick! This handy little ability lets the mage speed up the targetting process, letting a mage reach the state of fully targetted in less time than it would normally take. It should arrive somewhere around 8th circle where it will greatly aid mages of that age (where targeting time is longest). At any age, a mage can utilize reduced targeting time so is also something useful throughout a mage's career.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram




The third in our series of Aethereal Pathway abilities is Pathway Focus Complexity[Tessaa Teh Editor note: Renamed Ease]! PF Complexity[Ease] is gained at 12th circle and decreases the difficulty of casting TM spells so that the mage is able to put more mana than they are usually able to harness into the spell matrix. This nifty ability is the third as it will let the younger mages put a bit more power behind their spells than they normally would, and at this point in their career a mage should be able to sense more mana than when they begin, increasing the usefulness of this ability. Thus younger mages get more use out of it than they would at lower circles and are able to make use of it while they are still young. It will also help the older mages to get those more difficult spells off more easily.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram




Well in general it's for Targetted Magic spells, and two I don't believe it will completely eliminate leaking or backfiring. Basically it will let you put a bit more mana into your spell than you usually do. If you go over how much you can handle with the ability up you will most likely leak or backfire still.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram

I suggest 'Ease' for the name for this one.
Kalyn [Editor's Note: Accountholder: Zurai...GMs took person's suggest dead on...always fun to see]

No, caps will still be intact where they were.
It will most likely be duration based.
Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram



Next in our series of Aethereal Pathway abilities is Pathway Focus Power! PF Power allows one to overcome the Magical Resistance of an opponent with a bit more ease than one normally would. It helps give a bit of an offensive boost to the Targetted spell as well. This comes at about 16th circle. It will help younger and older mages alike to better cast their targetted spells on those targets which give resistance problems.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram


Hey there folks, sorry I missed posting the next in the series last night. I'm going to make the missed one up and we'll be learning about the next two abilities instead.

The fifth in the series of abilities comes at 20th circle, called Pathway Focus Accuracy. PF Accuracy, as the name implies, increases the accuracy of your spells as if you had more skill in Targetted Magic than you really have. This, in effect, increases the power of the spell and the likeliness that you'll actually hit something (nifty, huh?). This comes fifth as it basically incorporates some of the earlier PF abilities (though not as powerful as say Damage alone) and lets a mage grow into it as he or she gains skill.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram


The sixth ability is called Pathway Focus Secrecy. PF Secrecy will increase a mage's ability to remain concealed while they target a spell (yay for stealth!). It will happen some time after PF Accuracy. This comes sixth as hopefully a mage by this time will be a bit more skilled in the arts of hiding (let's face it, it's not the easiest thing to train for us), thus allowing mages to be able to use this.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram


Tonight we're featuring the last two abilities in the first series of abilities belonging to the Pathway Focus group.

Next up! Our seventh ability in the Aethereal Pathway series is called Pathway Focus Precise! PF Precise allows a mage to reduce the penalty that is normally associated with finely targetting a creature, such as targetting an arm or a leg specifically. This ability is seventh, coming some time after PF Secrecy, and hopefully at this point a mage will be able to make use of precision targetting and thus making this ability useful to some of the older mages.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram



The eighth ability, is called Pathway Focus Defend. PF Defend, happening after PF Precise, allows a mage to manipulate aether, making it harder for targetted spells to hit them. This nifty ability comes eighth as by now the mage is pretty experienced. This ability allows these more experienced mages to defend themselves from incoming targetted magic attacks.

Your friendly neighborhood GM,
Chakram

Dumb question.

How does one get these abilities?

Aparently I could get them, by Tessaa's notes.

Marvelous. Thanks Rehyln!

~Fyriestorme

I had thought I might wait to see what others would suggest before saying anything, but a thought came to me and I might as well get things started instead.

I personally would like to see something along the lines of:

Pathway Breach
Causing the release of mana into targeted magic spells to be more synchronized and accelerated, allowing for targeted magic spells cast under the pathways effect to have a higher chance of not deflecting off Shields (or perhaps even armor)

Shields are one of the big things that stop TM spells for me (ogres and swampies to name some) and there is not much I can do about it, except tingle and reduce their longevity, or use lightning bolt until it's changed from only contesting evasion.

pathway dance stop: if target is hit they instantly stop all dances/berserks
pathway trueshot: your arrow/bolt follow a target matrix based on TM
pathway BOSS MR: Lets TM spells do damage to GMPCs

---

a black panther comes flying into view! it hits the ground, bouncing once before sliding to a stop.
A black panther is stunned!

>Pathway Recover: Helps you recover your attunement faster.

I like the sound of that.


Maybe we could have different tiered pathways, seperate by the amount of Manipulative Resolve it takes to control. Then possibly we could have multiple pathways set up. Just an idea, be somewhat like how thieves can have more than one khri ability active.

Also how about a pathway related to each element, boosting targeted damage dealed ffrom that element by a great deal?

How about a Pathway to help us cast against the dead, especially the non-corpeal types?

---

"There comes a time in your life, when you must choose between what is easy and what right."

---

Pathway Leach: Anyone not in your group preparing a lethal spell has mana slowly leached out of it, and can leach enough that the spell is below the min prep then thusly can not be cast.


Pathway Web: When used on the room it engulfs the area with dozens to hundreds of lines of aether, and just like a spider casting its web you can snag a target that crosses one of the lines. Once the line is affixed you have a fully targeted matrix and will just need to preare a spell and cast. When active you can not target as normal, but its easy and quick to break the pathway. Even the hidden can cross the lines.

When used on a creature/person it will direct all harmfull spells back towards the creature/person.


Pathway Conditional: This one can change the spell based on whats in your environment. If your in a lava field your fire and earth spells might just grab some lava. If you have rising mist up, and cast frost scythe it might shift the targeting matrix to the mist and make it explode outward from you in a spray of hundreds of frost scythes... etc.


Pathway Concentration: This one will allocate a bit of the mana from your spell to force it straight into the targets brain and tank its concentration for a while.



~Worrclan, Dwarf of the Realms-

So far I've seen a lot of ideas, most of them rather silly and decidedly un-serious. However, even with all the chaff I've obtained kernels for six new Pathway Focus abilities.

Just so you know, most of you haven't even begun exploring abilities that would fall outside of the 'pathway focus' realm. You may want to expand your vision of what you can do with targeted spells and target matrices. :)


- GM Wythor

What goes up
is futile --
unless it goes out

I've always wanted to see something a little bit like splitting up the targeting matrices amongst your foes, a primary targeting matrice and a secondary matrice. Possibly the 'primary' matrice could be weakened slightly when you break it off into another matrice, but not so weak that you wouldn't be able to do conciderable damage.

Or perhaps we could have something a bit like the above though the two matrices would be targeted on the same opponent, both targeting different areas of the body.

This probably exceeds the whole 'Pathway Focus' ability, just throwing my thoughts out here.

---

"There comes a time in your life, when you must choose between what is easy and what right."

---

>Just so you know, most of you haven't even begun exploring abilities that would fall outside of the 'pathway focus' realm. You may want to expand your vision of what you can do with targeted spells and target matrices. :)

For our benefit, could you provide an example of something far outside the "focus" realm?

-Durnil

This is just a plethora of possible pathway targeting expansions.

I'd like to propose a couple of pathways that employ a 'effect' to the targeted spell but with the same additional damage that would normally occur from the spell.

Pathway Stun - No matter how much damage is inflicted, if collison occurs with the targeted spell and the foe, stunning effect will take place, not a long stun but something to 'halt' them from what they were previously doing.

Pathway Impact - A pathway that would cause the opponent to be knocked out of the room by the targeted spell, like they do with such spells... MAB (more like launched) and Shockwave. This pathway is more aimed towards helping with crowd control or removing a annoying person from your sight. You might think that if you had this then why would you get 'Shockwave'? It's more like an individual blast, so Shockwave would still be something viewed as usueful since it's an AoE effect.

Pathway Shock - An added effect that, when collison occurs from the targeted spell the foe would forget any spells they were preparing or holding mana with. (This one isn't concidered a offensive choice but more of a offensive-defensive selection.)

Pathway Strip - An added effect that would strip any magical defenses or barriers around the opponent if the targeted spell indeed makes contact.

All Stat vs. Stat contests would apply to the above.

---

"There comes a time in your life, when you must choose between what is easy and what right."

---

>Pathway Concentrate:(You said think out of the focus box, not sure if this is too far. Maybe a spell or enchanting if it is too far.)
This would concentrate aether lines on an object of your choosing, armor, weapon, inanimate object. Say you have a block of wood you put affix the concentration on, this could transfer your pattern to it so that targeted spells would hit it instead of you, as magically it would be you.

This one seems to me, something that Aether Cloak already does.

---

"There comes a time in your life, when you must choose between what is easy and what right."

---

Pathway Direct: This pathway would allow you to change the way certain spells work, directing the attacks made by spell effects like ball lightning by pointing at a target, for example.

Pathway Compress: Takes the massive energy of an area effect spell and turns it on a single target for devastating effect.

Pathway Theft: Attempts to redirect the targeting matrix of another spellcaster to a different target, maybe even the caster himself, "stealing" the spell.

Pathway Absorb: Attempts to absorb the energies of incoming targeted spells, replenishing your harness.


Actually, I should read up a little bit on the theory behind pathways. It may help, hehe.

What about a Pathway that worked kind of like Moonblades or that cleric spell, but for TM instead of non-combat spells? Precast a few big spells in good mana rooms, and run around with them ready to throw at your whim.

Or Pathway missile-shield uses TM to shoot down any projectile comming your way.


-Tropicalo

>Or perhaps we could have something a bit like the above though the two matrices would be targeted on the same opponent, both targeting different areas of the body.

Commenting on myself here, to make things a bit clear.

In the multiple opponent matrices I was talking about on the above post, I was indeed implying about targeting two different things at once. But specifically on the line I highlighted above, I'm focusing on the same target with two differnt targeting matrices to be employed in a 'Barrage' like fashion. Multiple shot fireballs, lightning bolts, aether lashes. Something that would only work with the more advanced single-opponent targeted spells.

---

"There comes a time in your life, when you must choose between what is easy and what right."

---

Pathway Sever: Severs all pathways currently on the mage, removing the ability to target from those affected by the severing for some duration. (Instant)

Pathway Backlash: Sends a burst of raw mana back through any pathways currently focused on the mage, stunning and damaging the nerves of those targetting her. (Instant)

Pathway Redirect <Target>: Attempts to redirect all targeting matrices formed in the area on the target. (Duration)

Pathway Reflect: Attempts to turn the targeted matrices back on their caster. (Duration)

Pathway Anchor <Target>: Anchors a pathway on the target which stays in place until it is killed or the anchor is released; any snap casted targeted spells will function as though fully targeted on it. (Duration)

Pathway Guidance <Weapon>: Anchors one end of a pathway at the end of the indicated weapon, used in conjunction with Pathway Anchor to augment the mage's weapon skills with her targeting ability. (Duration)

Pathway Aid <Target>: Allows a skilled mage to aid a lesser skilled person by aiding them in forming and shaping their targetted matrices. (Duration)

Pathway Stasis: Holds a targetted spell in stasis over the mage which is unleashed when the mage is stunned or killed. (Duration)

It would be nice to have some of the abilities durational, but only drain manipulative resolve when they are used. This would allow a mage to have something like Pathway Reflect up indefinitely when she is not being targetted since she wouldn't really using her manipulative resolve to do anything at that time, but resolve would of course be drained when the ability is actually being used to redirect the targeting matrices.

-Auri

>>Pathway keep your target: Keep your targeting matrix after casting letting you fire off more full target spells quickly

This


Jaedren says, "Alas, no Khri Ronco (Set it and forget it!). Woe."

>>For our benefit, could you provide an example of something far outside the "focus" realm?

Pathway focus abilities are geared toward enhancing your own targeting matrices, and are duration-based. (Defense is the only exception to this as it affects others' targeting matrices, but I'm willing to leave it in the focus group for the sake of simplicity.)

I'm already seeing a lot of ideas that I have jotted down, plus some additional ones that are pretty good as well. At the moment, the three new pathway groupings I have in mind would be tentatively titled 'perceive', 'matrix', and 'influence'.

Perceive pathways would allow the mage to identify targeting matrices, targeted spells, or aethereal pathways active in the area.

Matrix pathways would deal with the direct manipulation of targeting matrices other than the mage's. I see these pathways as tactical strikes against single casters that will emphasize the guild's mastery of target patterns.

Influence pathways would concern manipulating other mages' Aethereal Pathways, either to their benefit or detriment.

The additional focus pathways I have been inspired with would help the mage customize targeted spells based on the type of enemy being targeted.


- GM Wythor

What goes up
is futile --
unless it goes out

*Pathway Shadow
A proxy "shadow" is placed in the room, targetting spells at the shadow will hit anything in hiding, although the spell will lose its maximum potency. If multiple hiders are in the room, the damage is split up among them.


Axillus - Halfling Warrior Mage
>You charge your steel-toed footwrap at a musk hog.