Or could it be a feature?

Okay, so according to Estild over in the Bard folder, only single-target spells are supposed to be able to get runestaff flares. (I do not call them AoE spells, because apparently the GSWiki makes the distinction between mass-target spells and spells which go off without a warding check [Web, eWave, Fire Storm]. So they're not AoE.)

And okay, I understand that Mana flares are special and can go off on non-attack spells, unlike other flares. (I've gotten them on my own defensive spells, and also utility spells like Purification Song/1004.)

But over the Thanksgiving week while I was off I saw them on offensive [Depression/1015] and even attack [Disruption/1030] spells... and I thought that was a no-no.

Having received no response from my emails to Coase & Wyrom--I included him in because he put the flares on the staff in the first place, from a Duskruin coupon--I decided to bring my query here.

.

The first instance I copied a log, but then didn't send it, because I was thinking that Estild was talking only about sonic runestaves and the mass-spells; but then I remembered that he disabled staff flares from Core Tap/950, so when I saw it happening again, I started making copy/pastes.

Sadly, I can only document three instances (Depression I got a second one to happen), and I only have two (one of each spell) in my emails (second copy of Depression is in my text file at home), so that's all you get.

.

I believe that it happens only rarely for me, because most of the time I am using 'renew' of <whichever Song>, and only using the prep/cast ONE time (every approximately 9 minutes, when my medley renewal stops the attack spells). Since my head gets fried in typically 3 minutes or less--long before a 5-minute Mystic Focus orb runs out--and then there's absorption time, that means as a practical matter I get about 8 chances per hour: 4 hunts, with 2 Songs each getting started.

(And, once again, consider this my reminder to the GMs that both the 'renew' verb (for BardSongs) and <all of the verbs that happen with Stone Fist/514>, should be able to trigger Runestaff flares.)

.

Anyhow, on to the paste-age:

---

Disruption, brand-new cast:

You change your tune slightly, adding the element for Song of Sonic Disruption to your song...
Your spellsong is ready.
>You weave another verse into your harmony.
CS: +281 _ TD: +172 + CvA: +25 + d100: +23 == +157
Warding failed!
A stone giant reels under the force of the sonic vibrations!
Sound waves disrupt for 52 damage!
... 40 points of damage!
One lung bursts in the stone giant's chest!
The stone giant is stunned!
CS: +281 _ TD: +172 + CvA: +25 + d100: +6 == +140
Warding failed!
A stone giant reels under the force of the sonic vibrations!
Sound waves disrupt for 42 damage!
... 35 points of damage!
The stone giant's spinal cord swells, causing momentary paralysis.
The stone giant is stunned!
Your thick rowan runestaff pulses with a white_blue light!
You feel 3 mana surge into you!
Sing Roundtime 3 Seconds.

---

Brand new Depression:

You weave another verse into your harmony.
You begin singing a harmony of depression and lethargy.
A stone troll appears to be struggling with the debilitating force!
CS: +291 _ TD: +198 + CvA: +20 + d100: +26 == +139
Warding failed!
A stone troll appears slower and looks depressed.
A stone troll appears to be struggling with the debilitating force!
CS: +291 _ TD: +189 + CvA: +20 + d100: +55 == +177
Warding failed!
A stone troll appears slower and looks depressed.
Your thick rowan runestaff pulses with a white_blue light!
You feel 3 mana surge into you!
Sing Roundtime 3 Seconds.

---

Like I said in my emails: I'm not complaining about this, at all... I just want it to happen with ALL of my mass spells. (I haven't used Holding Song since, uhhh... since... well, it's been a while.)
AND I want it to happen with non-Songs.
AND I want it to happen when I'm using a Sonic Runestaff.

Okay, so any of the elementals and other stuff (to include Sonics) will still be excluded.

Thanks for the clarification!

KRAKII

Oh, and if the 'mana spellup' was a bug, then consider this your notice that I have had it flare on a cast from an 'invoke'd scroll, too.

That's also okay.

GameMaster Estild

Estild, I wanted to wait until I had one where I knew incontrovertibly that the Song was already running, and the staff still flared, and I finally caught one:

You change your tune slightly, adding the element for Song of Sonic Disruption to your song...
Your spellsong is ready.
>You weave another verse into your harmony, directing the sound of your voice at a stone troll.
CS: +286 - TD: +162 + CvA: +25 + d100: +21 == +170
Warding failed!
A stone troll reels under the force of the sonic vibrations!
Sound waves disrupt for 51 damage!
... 45 points of damage!
Vertebrae swell in the stone troll's neck, thrusting through the skin.

Your thick rowan runestaff pulses with a white-blue light!
You feel 3 mana surge into you!
Sing Roundtime 3 Seconds.

.

So it is NOT an issue with a renewal being a 10-mana reduced cost version. (That's all this cost me.) It's simply an issue of the verb 'renew' not being recognized by the mana flare system.
(I am taking it on faith that 'incant' and 'evoke' do get recognized; I know for a fact that 'prep/cast' do, and I know for a fact that 'renew' does not, and I have it on reputable word that <all of the verbs that activate Stone Fist/514> do not, either.)

.

Since it is NOT an issue to have a 10-mana single-target renewal of Disruption trigger flares, I want to seriously agitate for getting those verb-triggers unBugged. (Before now, it's just been me being greedy. NOW I want all of the mechanics brought into line with each other.)

Because so far as I'm concerned, that's what it is: buggy behavior.

Yup. Prep/cast is perfectly willing to flare on a 10-mana Disrupt (technically a renewal, hence the lower cost).

mony, directing the sound of your voice at a stone giant.
CS: +283 - TD: +184 + CvA: +25 + d100: +59 == +183
Warding failed!
A stone giant reels under the force of the sonic vibrations!
Sound waves disrupt for 59 damage!
... 50 points of damage!
Bones shatter in the stone giant's leg!
The stone giant rumbles in agony as she teeters for a moment, then tumbles to the ground with a thundering crash!


With a loud snap, a blast of energy bursts from your sonic runestaff!
... 50 points of damage!
Hard strike to left arm breaking tendons and bone!
The stone giant rumbles in agony and goes still.
A stone giant seems to lose an aura of confidence.
A stone giant seems to lose some internal strength.
A stone giant returns to normal color.
The air about a stone giant stops shimmering.
Sing Roundtime 3 Seconds.

(And technically, that's the extra, Lore-based flare, I think.)

The limitation is on the 'renew' verb. And it should be CHANGED.