I tend to get caught out in the open by a failed ambush or an outright search or even sometimes just entering the room....those vesperti love to cast at me.

They have about a 40% chance to hit me with their spells, but that 40% can easily get me killed or cause an itchy curse.

A vesperti enfolds her wings around herself.

>shield mind

(Setting stance to defensive)

You focus deeply upon your inset veil iron shield, pushing all other thoughts from your mind, thereby forcing any incoming attacks against your mind or soul to penetrate your shield first.

Roundtime: 3 sec.

>stance def

You are now in a defensive stance.

>

A vesperti points a clawed finger at you!

Your intense focus directs the magical attack straight into your inset veil iron shield, which blocks it!

Your focus on shielding your mind and soul falters.

As the tendril of swirling gray magic leaves the vesperti, it is deflected away from you and dissipates harmlessly into the air.

This is by far the best use of Shield/Armor/CMAN points I've put into a skill. If I know I'm about to get blasted with a spell here while hunting bats, I can deflect it instead of taking the chance of getting hit if I'm spotted while hiding or botching an ambush.

-Drumpel

>Interesting, I would have said the limitation on stance made it rather worthless most of the time. It basically forces you to sit there and wait for the spell whereas using another maneuver could have neutralized the threat and moved you closer to killing it (ie: feint, tackle, sweep, etc...)

The shield mind guarantees to block the spell as long as it's one of their CS based spells and not their maelstrom.

In this past instance, I came out of hiding on a parry when trying to ambush. At 2 seconds left in my RT the vesperti preps a spell. I had a few options.

1. Run
2. Hide - They might spot me trying to hide or even point me out and cast (90 ranks S&H and they spot me about 10% of the time).
3. Sweep and hope I connect, because if I don't - I'm probably screwed
4. Pray I can ward the spell, but that 40% chance I can't is pretty dangerous.
5. Use SHIELD MIND. I can deflect any CS based spell over 10 seconds. If they cast maelstrom, I go back to option 1 and run out of the area.

It's cost heavy to reach that first rank of Shield Mind, but I find use for it in my hunting areas. It also helps against various casters if I'm roaming the foggy valley taking out mezics.

As for the defensive stance it forces you in, I'm okay with it since I'm probably going to be hiding once the threat is over and I'd like to be defensive in case I'm spotted.

-Drumpel

>I'm going to steal your clip, I hope you don't mind.

Go for it.

-Drumpel

I take it back. It is not anti-magical it is merely a difficulty level in excess of possible when attempting to ensorcell. Guess it will take a merchant to ensorcell.