The idea is to flesh out the shocked empath's path, giving them a way to learn empathy, help others periodically (socialize), and do more spell damage (which would work with TM Foci) since they've given up so much of their healing toolkit.

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Name: Legacy of the Guardian.
Difficulty: Esoteric
Source: Scroll Only
Type: Utility
Description: Essentially the section found here, but slightly reworded to focus on the nature of empaths ( https://elanthipedia.play.net/First_Empaths ).
Use: Think of this as a more social-friendly rite of Contrition for shocked empaths. While up, a shocked empath would regain their ability to heal as if they had less shock than they do, encouraging group utility while still accepting how much of the game is a solo game. Full power = no healing hindrance. Min power = Minimum healing ability possible. This would not allow the spells blocked by shock (notably regen).

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Name: hasil Sari (Harvest Life)
Difficulty: n/a
Source: Scroll Only
Type: Metaspell
Use: Modifies IZ. While up, anything at melee range with you will periodically take vitality damage with a small chance to empower the empath as a result. This is an empathy + TM skill check, and it will contest and teach empathy in addition to TM.

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Name: Emanto (Gift)
Difficulty: Advanced (becomes basic at full shock)
Source: Scroll Only
Type: Debilitation
Use: Temporarily awaken the latent empathic abilities of your target. It's not refined enough to create a transference link, but they can perceive self to see their own wounds and intending to inflict damage on the empath has a chance to cause empathic backlash. (think debilitation flare).

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Name: Heretu Soin (Move Body)
Difficulty: Advanced (becomes basic at full shock)
Source: Scroll Only
Type: TM / Debilitation
Requirements: Compel
Use: Basic TM spell. A two-pronged attack. The first (TM) forces the target's body to attack themselves. The second provides a debilitation that pulses periodically. It will cause the target to attack nearby creatures (think manipulate). Duration is determined by power, and it would contest and teach empathy (same caps apply, same concentration drain). Not usable on non-corporeal undead or constructs.

That was my basic idea as well. Right now, I think shock is enticing for empaths wanting to try a different playstyle without giving up the core of a class that appeals to them. Since so much of this game is and continues to revolve around combat, I'd like to see Empaths being given more choice in this arena.

For an empath to have the same options as a non-empath, they have to give up so much.

- They lose all access to their guild skill and the ability to circle goes with it.
- They lose all of their guild abilities.
- They lose the ability to use 1/5 of their spell book, and another 1/5th operates at reduced power.

From a gameplay perspective, this is overly punitive with how this game encourages its players to play. It's off from an MMO perspective, since you want reasons for players to interact. They are content for each other, and isolating them for playing as the game encourages players to play is counter intuitive. It's also important to point out that a 20 year character arc is huge, and expecting someone to devote so much time to a single character that never changes focus is unreasonable; however, this game also has a heavy time requirement per character. Some of the newer items require 1700 ranks in a skill to actually use.


The lore perspective is a little trickier ( https://elanthipedia.play.net/Post:Shock_Rewrite_-_07/21/2012_-_21:22 ), but not impossible. There's a LOT in the first empaths lore ( Diciple of the Firsts ) that eludes to power available to empaths without costing them their empathic abilities.

> As Salvur (a guild researcher) put it, "Through study and the application of empathy, we can hold more power than any other guild could care to imagine, even the Warrior Mages." However, despite this immense potential, the guild has a propensity "to walk small and quash innovation" due to Jomay's actions.

It would make sense that these would be scroll only, and casting these spells within a guild hall would result in a temporary banishment. It would also make sense to expand this a bit. There's a commitment involved, as these take up spell slots, and ideally it would be a choice an empath makes on which area they want to prioritize. The healbots can continue to be healbots, but the empath mains can enjoy something else in the game once in a while without feeling like they're losing the main reason they rolled an empath to begin with.

> I think it would be inappropriate to spend them on "stuff for Shocked Empaths"

I get it. Development is few and far between these days, and you would rather the limited time be spent on something that is of personal interest to you. I'd also prefer both, but I get the sense that writing a spell is much easier than updating manipulate.