Throughout my time in New Acarthia, I have observed that, in battle, my magic will behave in ways that, as far as I am aware, cannot be explained by what is currently known about magic. Thus I am conducting an investigation into the nature of these anomalies, that we can hopefully find out their cause. Even if we cannot find out their cause, having an understanding of when these anomalies are most likely to occur may be helpful in better preparing us in case they occur.
The following are examples of the types of anomalies that I have observed:
Spell Failure - The spell is cast and the mystic energy hits its mark, yet no effects are observed.
Delayed Effect - The spell is cast and hits its mark, and its effects are not observed immediately; the spell only takes effect after a delay of several seconds.
Tethering Event - This is a term I have come up with for a particularly insidious type of anomaly. When this occurs, after the spell is cast it will not immediately take effect - rather, the caster will feel a invisible "tether" of mystic energy connect him to the target. At this point the caster must verbally channel additional energy through the tether in order to complete the spell and cause the effects. This can be particularly dangerous in chaotic battles because it forces a choice - either "drop" the tether and lose the spell, or attempt to complete the spell and possibly leave one open to attacks from behind while focusing on the target.
I have observed these anomalies even when the effects are from a spell which has been previously cast, rather than cast right then. For instance I once observed a comrade hit by a sleeping gas poison and fall to the ground -it was not until several seconds later that I saw the flash of a poison shield and the comrade get back up. And in another instance I attempted to use an Endow that I had cast earlier to grab a fallen comrade and bring him to safety. I grabbed the fallen comrade and ran, yet when I turned around I saw that she was still lying on the ground in her original location as though she had not been moved at all.
I would encourage anyone who has observed any of these anomalies or others like them to report them to me. As I do not know what causes these anomalies, the only way to find out what is going on is to collect as much data as we can, and begin looking for patterns. Thus, we need as much information as we can about each event to maximize our chance of success. For now, the following pieces of information about each event are useful:
- What spell was cast (or what previously-cast spell's effect was used)
- Who cast the spell
- Who the target of the spell was (if it was a monster, any description of the monster will be useful)
- The circumstances of the battle (large town-wide battle, small group ambushed in the woods, etc.)
- What specifically was observed
Reports of anomalies in which the target of the spell was another adventurer, rather than a monster, are particularly valuable. In such a case, one can both (a) be able to rule out the possibility that it was some hitherto-unknown feature of the monster that caused the anomaly, and (b) be able to talk to the target of the spell directly in order to see what the anomaly looked like from the target's perspective.
Also do not forget that if such an anomaly occurs while using a potion, or alchemical gas, or similar, these are also worth reporting. We do not know whether the anomalies affect only spells per se, or other "spell-like" effects as well.
It is important to note that I am only looking for information on events such as the above which cannot be explained by known facts. For instance, if you cast a spell at an enemy and he dodges out of the way, or phases out so the spell passes through harmlessly, or a spell bounces off a spell shield, or an enemy uses his innate powers to resist your magic, or you cast a command spell at an undead and that does not affect him - these are not anomalous because they are explained by known facts. However, if you cast, for instance, a web spell at an orc and hit him in the chest but he continues on unscathed without seeming to use any special defense - this is the type of anomaly that I am interested in.
-Andrew the Bard
The following are examples of the types of anomalies that I have observed:
Spell Failure - The spell is cast and the mystic energy hits its mark, yet no effects are observed.
Delayed Effect - The spell is cast and hits its mark, and its effects are not observed immediately; the spell only takes effect after a delay of several seconds.
Tethering Event - This is a term I have come up with for a particularly insidious type of anomaly. When this occurs, after the spell is cast it will not immediately take effect - rather, the caster will feel a invisible "tether" of mystic energy connect him to the target. At this point the caster must verbally channel additional energy through the tether in order to complete the spell and cause the effects. This can be particularly dangerous in chaotic battles because it forces a choice - either "drop" the tether and lose the spell, or attempt to complete the spell and possibly leave one open to attacks from behind while focusing on the target.
I have observed these anomalies even when the effects are from a spell which has been previously cast, rather than cast right then. For instance I once observed a comrade hit by a sleeping gas poison and fall to the ground -it was not until several seconds later that I saw the flash of a poison shield and the comrade get back up. And in another instance I attempted to use an Endow that I had cast earlier to grab a fallen comrade and bring him to safety. I grabbed the fallen comrade and ran, yet when I turned around I saw that she was still lying on the ground in her original location as though she had not been moved at all.
I would encourage anyone who has observed any of these anomalies or others like them to report them to me. As I do not know what causes these anomalies, the only way to find out what is going on is to collect as much data as we can, and begin looking for patterns. Thus, we need as much information as we can about each event to maximize our chance of success. For now, the following pieces of information about each event are useful:
- What spell was cast (or what previously-cast spell's effect was used)
- Who cast the spell
- Who the target of the spell was (if it was a monster, any description of the monster will be useful)
- The circumstances of the battle (large town-wide battle, small group ambushed in the woods, etc.)
- What specifically was observed
Reports of anomalies in which the target of the spell was another adventurer, rather than a monster, are particularly valuable. In such a case, one can both (a) be able to rule out the possibility that it was some hitherto-unknown feature of the monster that caused the anomaly, and (b) be able to talk to the target of the spell directly in order to see what the anomaly looked like from the target's perspective.
Also do not forget that if such an anomaly occurs while using a potion, or alchemical gas, or similar, these are also worth reporting. We do not know whether the anomalies affect only spells per se, or other "spell-like" effects as well.
It is important to note that I am only looking for information on events such as the above which cannot be explained by known facts. For instance, if you cast a spell at an enemy and he dodges out of the way, or phases out so the spell passes through harmlessly, or a spell bounces off a spell shield, or an enemy uses his innate powers to resist your magic, or you cast a command spell at an undead and that does not affect him - these are not anomalous because they are explained by known facts. However, if you cast, for instance, a web spell at an orc and hit him in the chest but he continues on unscathed without seeming to use any special defense - this is the type of anomaly that I am interested in.
-Andrew the Bard