Channeling
Description
Channeling is the skill used in the casting of spells in order to enchant items. You will need to be a priest and have your god's statuette activated in order to channel. Channeling uses favor.
The mechanism of casting takes into account a number of factors. When a cast is made, channeling skill, alignment, and spell difficulty are used to generate a result. This result can be successful or unsuccessful. As your skills and attributes improve the chance and degree of an unsuccessful cast will be reduced but never completely removed.
If the spell casting succeeded a power rating is generated, if it is a spell that has a power rating.
Spell casting
When you cast a spell on an item there are several possible outcomes. The messages given are different depending on item and spell, so here are some general things that happen to various items.
Successful attempts:
- You succeed to cast the spell and full favor for the spell is drained
- You succeed and the item is updated with a higher power rating than it had before, full favor for the spell is drained
- You succeed to cast the spell, but you frown since the power rating was lower than the previous, full favor for the spell is drained
Unsuccessful attempts:
- The item gives a resonating sound but stays intact, a small amount of favor is drained
- The item gives a resonating sound and takes some damage, a small amount of favor is drained
- The item is shattered, a small amount of favor is drained
Casting mechanics
The successful casts have a value of 0 or higher, and the unsuccessful a negative value. If the absolute value of the unsuccessful cast is lower than a third of the QL of the item then nothing happens. If the cast falls between one third of the QL and the QL then the item takes damage. If the absolute value of the unsuccessful cast is higher than the QL of the item it is shattered. Higher QL items are therefore less likely to shatter than low QL ones.
Some examples of how it works:
- A 30QL item will shatter if the power of the cast is worse than -30 and take damage if the power is worse than -10
- A 30QL item will remain unharmed if the power of the cast is -9 or higher
- A 90QL item will shatter only if the cast is worse than -90 and take damage starting at a power of -30
- A 90QL item will remain unharmed if the power of the cast is -29 or higher
The absolute range of power generated is not actually known, but from observations it is seen to range from at least -250 to + 103. At low skill levels on harder spells it is quite easy to get higher negative casts and unless you use higher quality items you can shatter a significant portion of the items being cast on. As you raise your skills and attributes you will be able to see the median moving.
An important note is that the system is such that it is impossible to guarantee that an item being cast on will not shatter. At higher skills with higher quality items it will be very unlikely but it cannot be ruled out even then.
Notes
- The QL, enchantments, and rarity status of a statuette are not known to affect success chance when casting.
Skills & Characteristics
- Religion > Channeling
- Soul > Soul strength
- Soul > Soul depth
Titles
- Channeler at 50 skill
- Conduit at 70 skill
- Casting Specialist at 90 skill
