I can't find any solid info about Spell Stances anywhere. I see a few archived posts in Elanthipedia, but it's scattered and disjointed. Can anyone help explain?
What do these even mean? e.g., what does 130% Potency mean? vs. 130% integrity? Do all spells use these characteristics? When should I bother changing my spell stance?
Thanks!
PHUBB
PHUBB
Re: Spell Stances
12/10/2020 03:03 PM CST
Okay! I found a page that gives a bit more information about the characteristics.
Potency - Affects the raw power of the spell. It directly correlates to the amount of damage, level of protection, degree of skill buff or amount of skill reduction caused by a spell.
Duration - the time the pattern hangs there doing whatever the spell is designed to do.
Integrity - Affects how well your spell can pierce magical defenses and resist dispellation. Once a spells integrity is depleted it ceases to function.
Some new questions:
I can cast Finesse with 25 mana I get +2 bonus to Agility and Charisma. This was the same at a 5 mana cast. Will increasing my Potency to 130% change the stat bonus I get from casting at 25 mana?
I guess I don't understand what how the bonuses work, since I've seen no improvement over 120 ranks of skill. Does Potency affect that at all? Do bonuses scale linearly?
Thanks!
Potency - Affects the raw power of the spell. It directly correlates to the amount of damage, level of protection, degree of skill buff or amount of skill reduction caused by a spell.
Duration - the time the pattern hangs there doing whatever the spell is designed to do.
Integrity - Affects how well your spell can pierce magical defenses and resist dispellation. Once a spells integrity is depleted it ceases to function.
Some new questions:
I can cast Finesse with 25 mana I get +2 bonus to Agility and Charisma. This was the same at a 5 mana cast. Will increasing my Potency to 130% change the stat bonus I get from casting at 25 mana?
I guess I don't understand what how the bonuses work, since I've seen no improvement over 120 ranks of skill. Does Potency affect that at all? Do bonuses scale linearly?
Thanks!
DR-ARMIFER
Re: Spell Stances
12/10/2020 03:11 PM CST
Spell stances are somewhat subdued compared to, say, combat stances, because the net result is any spell that is cast at max mana is gonna be at 100% in all three qualities regardless of your stance.
For skill and stat bonus spells in particular, bear in mind that they're percentage bonuses with a +2 stat or +10 skill floor. If your relevant stat is low it may take a tremendous amount of Potency to see it "lift itself" off the floor due to trying to apply an, albeit growing, percentage bonus to a small number.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
For skill and stat bonus spells in particular, bear in mind that they're percentage bonuses with a +2 stat or +10 skill floor. If your relevant stat is low it may take a tremendous amount of Potency to see it "lift itself" off the floor due to trying to apply an, albeit growing, percentage bonus to a small number.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
GRIM45
Re: Spell Stances
12/10/2020 07:26 PM CST
>I guess I don't understand what how the bonuses work, since I've seen no improvement over 120 ranks of skill. Does Potency affect that at all? Do bonuses scale linearly?
Skill/Stat boosts run the gamut of 2% to 20% buff. (with a min 10 rank boost / 2 point stat boots).
Even if you're casting at cap (which 25 is not near), you won't see anything different if your stats are below 14 (as an example). At 25 mana you're probably near a 4-6% buff. You'd need between 50 and 75 in charisma/agiligy to see ANYTHING other than +2.
TG, TG, GL, et al.
"Disagreement with the fundamental plan at this point is akin to supporting Richard III vs the Tudors." -Raesh
Skill/Stat boosts run the gamut of 2% to 20% buff. (with a min 10 rank boost / 2 point stat boots).
Even if you're casting at cap (which 25 is not near), you won't see anything different if your stats are below 14 (as an example). At 25 mana you're probably near a 4-6% buff. You'd need between 50 and 75 in charisma/agiligy to see ANYTHING other than +2.
TG, TG, GL, et al.
"Disagreement with the fundamental plan at this point is akin to supporting Richard III vs the Tudors." -Raesh
ASTARIN1
Re: Spell Stances
12/11/2020 03:22 PM CST
From what I remember of some more detailed testing I did, a buff spell's potency increases linearly based on the mana above min prep. Being stanced 130% potency is a 30% increase to the amount of mana you are above min-prep.
E.g., min prep for an intro spell is 1, caps at 100. The buff scales from 2% to 20%, so 18/99 means that you need 5.5 mana for every % increase. If you can cast is at 25, you're putting 24 mana (of a possible 99) above min prep. That's enough for about a 6% increase to your stat/skill. Being stanced 130% potencty would increase the extra mana by 30%, so you're effectively casting at 1+24*1.3, or about 32 mana. That's enough to get to a 7% increase. If you aren't over about 150 ranks in whatever you're buffing, the min buff of +10 will be higher than 7%.
E.g., min prep for an intro spell is 1, caps at 100. The buff scales from 2% to 20%, so 18/99 means that you need 5.5 mana for every % increase. If you can cast is at 25, you're putting 24 mana (of a possible 99) above min prep. That's enough for about a 6% increase to your stat/skill. Being stanced 130% potencty would increase the extra mana by 30%, so you're effectively casting at 1+24*1.3, or about 32 mana. That's enough to get to a 7% increase. If you aren't over about 150 ranks in whatever you're buffing, the min buff of +10 will be higher than 7%.
GRIM45
Re: Spell Stances
12/11/2020 06:39 PM CST
> From what I remember of some more detailed testing I did, a buff spell's potency increases linearly based on the mana above min prep. Being stanced 130% potency is a 30% increase to the amount of mana you are above min-prep.
> E.g., min prep for an intro spell is 1, caps at 100. The buff scales from 2% to 20%, so 18/99 means that you need 5.5 mana for every % increase. If you can cast is at 25, you're putting 24 mana (of a possible 99) above min prep. That's enough for about a 6% increase to your stat/skill. Being stanced 130% potencty would increase the extra mana by 30%, so you're effectively casting at 1+24*1.3, or about 32 mana. That's enough to get to a 7% increase. If you aren't over about 150 ranks in whatever you're buffing, the min buff of +10 will be higher than 7%.
All of this is correct.
TG, TG, GL, et al.
"Disagreement with the fundamental plan at this point is akin to supporting Richard III vs the Tudors." -Raesh
> E.g., min prep for an intro spell is 1, caps at 100. The buff scales from 2% to 20%, so 18/99 means that you need 5.5 mana for every % increase. If you can cast is at 25, you're putting 24 mana (of a possible 99) above min prep. That's enough for about a 6% increase to your stat/skill. Being stanced 130% potencty would increase the extra mana by 30%, so you're effectively casting at 1+24*1.3, or about 32 mana. That's enough to get to a 7% increase. If you aren't over about 150 ranks in whatever you're buffing, the min buff of +10 will be higher than 7%.
All of this is correct.
TG, TG, GL, et al.
"Disagreement with the fundamental plan at this point is akin to supporting Richard III vs the Tudors." -Raesh
PHUBB
Re: Spell Stances
12/13/2020 09:26 PM CST
AAAAH. Okay, this is very helpful.
So Potency doesn't necessarily make me better at casting the spell, it just gives me more oomph for my mana?
Also, yes. I'm around 150 ranks in things and all my stats are below 30, so that makes sense why I'm just getting the bare minimum now.
Thank you for the explanations!
So Potency doesn't necessarily make me better at casting the spell, it just gives me more oomph for my mana?
Also, yes. I'm around 150 ranks in things and all my stats are below 30, so that makes sense why I'm just getting the bare minimum now.
Thank you for the explanations!
TEVESHSZAT
Re: Spell Stances
12/13/2020 09:47 PM CST
>>So Potency doesn't necessarily make me better at casting the spell, it just gives me more oomph for my mana?
In the case of spell stances, you don't get more overall oomph as much as you're prioritizing your mana toward helping with A instead of B. You're also still limited to the mechanical caps in the system.
In other words, if you're giving yourself a buff, a potency stance may have you hit your 20% bonus faster, but you won't surpass it. Similarly, if you stance yourself to prioritize duration, you won't get a longer duration if you cast at cap.
For example, a capped cast of Obfuscation with my spell stance at 130% potency/100% duration/70% integrity gives me +130 stealth (20% of my skill) with a 40 minute duration. A capped cast with my spell stance at 70% potency/130% duration/100% integrity also gives me +130 stealth with a 40 minute duration.
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.
In the case of spell stances, you don't get more overall oomph as much as you're prioritizing your mana toward helping with A instead of B. You're also still limited to the mechanical caps in the system.
In other words, if you're giving yourself a buff, a potency stance may have you hit your 20% bonus faster, but you won't surpass it. Similarly, if you stance yourself to prioritize duration, you won't get a longer duration if you cast at cap.
For example, a capped cast of Obfuscation with my spell stance at 130% potency/100% duration/70% integrity gives me +130 stealth (20% of my skill) with a 40 minute duration. A capped cast with my spell stance at 70% potency/130% duration/100% integrity also gives me +130 stealth with a 40 minute duration.
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.
