Nerve staff

Nerve staves were created by GM Reidyn and released during the inaugural run of Duskruin. They were sold in The Old Farmhouse, which was closed after the June 2018 Duskruin run. In 2026, the script was updated by GM Xynwen with a new Tier 5, and an auction-level Tier 6. Their effectiveness relies on tiered affinity with their user. Until full affinity is achieved, the user will suffer backlash affects along with its benefits. Nerve staves are one of the few items that can provide a "get out of jail" button with the BERSERK verb available at Tier 4. Enhancives are associated with the Muscle Memory flare. Adding the scrip to existing runestaffs is available though HESS certificates, as are the unlocks. Tier 1 The CLENCH and TOUCH verbs are available at Tier 1. It also has the baseline defensive flare. Analyze This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Usage Verb First Third CLENCH Gripping your <runestaff> firmly in hand, a powerful tingling sensation travels up the length of your arm. At first only mildly painful, the pins and needles penetrate deeper into your flesh, forcing you to summon all your willpower to maintain your hold on the <runestaff>. <name> grips his/her <runestaff> and visibly stiffens. TOUCH No sooner than your fingers graze the surface of your <runestaff>, is your mind filled with hazy fragments of memory both foreign and familiar. One memory bleeds into the next, boundaries lost and meaningless. Gradually they begin to fade and allow your mind to still. <name> idly trails his/her fingertips over the surface of his/her <runestaff>, momentarily lost in thought. Tier 2 Tier 2 unlocks the STARE verb. A second offensive flare is available on Tier 2 and above runestaffs that share a full Affinity with their wielder. Usage Verb First Third STARE Chaos, in the form of swirling red, black, and white motes of light, momentarily occludes your vision. The kaleidoscope of color fades in and out of focus, each hue embodying a raw, primal emotion that evokes a near visceral response, before your vision finally clears. <name>'s gaze grows distant, fixed on something distant and unseen. Tier 3 Tier 3 unlocks the LISTEN verb. Usage Verb First Third LISTEN Opening yourself to the full force of your <runestaff>, a distant and indecipherable whisper teases the dark corners of your mind. Powerful emotions -- rage, joy, sorrow, and love -- fill your consciousness as you realize you host fragments of a psyche not your own. Felt no less deeply for not being your own, the cacophony of feeling swirls within and rocks you to your core before quietly fading, leaving you your mind as your own once more. <name> enters a near trance like state, a host of emotions ranging from anguish to rapture playing out in rapid succession across his/her face. Tier 4 Tier 4 runestaffs gain the benefit of a 1x/day Adrenal Surge(ish) effect with the BERSERK verb. This effect will ease 'popped' muscles, break webs, stuns, and binds, and return you to your feet. In addition, at T4, you will gain/lose affinity at 2x the rate, making it easier to burn off someone else's affinity and then build yours back up when changing runestaff ownership. Analyze You analyze your stormcloud-hued runestaff and sense that the item is largely free from merchant alteration restrictions. The creator has also provided the following information: SCRIPT DETAILS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The runestaff has a mechanical (combat) script which provides three basic types of functionality that can be broken down into the following categories: AFFINITY - A special, custom 'bonding' like mechanism. Any given item can share an Affinity with only one person at a time. Affinity is gained by wielding the item and landing successful hits against like level foes. BACKLASH - Potential negative effects, including immobilization, stuns, and nervous system damage, that can occur at random. As the wielder's Affinity with the item grows, the chance of a Backlash occurring are reduced. FLARES - Off-the-Shelf, this item comes with a 'Muscle Memory' flare that, when triggered, will temporarily enhance the wielder's Combat Maneuver Ranks. The magnitude of the enhancement is based on the degree of Affinity shared with the wielder, while the frequency of the the flare is determined by the item's tier. Unlocked items also possess the potential for an offensive 'Misery Unleashed' flare. This flare can ONLY be triggered when the the item is wielded against like level foes by someone with whom a COMPLETE Affinity is shared. ITEM DETAILS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a tiered item that is currently Tier 4 of 4, which results in a 35% chance for the Muscle Memory flare to trigger when used against like level foes. It also has the following verbs available: CLENCH, TOUCH, STARE, LISTEN, and BERSERK. The stormcloud-hued runestaff shares a complete Affinity with you! This will result in a bonus of 10 to Combat Maneuver Ranks being applied when the Muscle Memory flare is successfully triggered. ALTERATION GUIDELINES ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This stormcloud-hued runestaff may be freely altered by any merchant who is comfortable doing so, with the following caveat: The runestaff was formed of special saplings that were trained to grow around one another. In order to reflect this, it should always contain the word 'twisted', 'braided', 'helical', or something similiar in its TAP description. Usage Verb First Third BERSERK Tapping into your <runestaff>'s power, a raw and primal force fills you with borrowed strength. You struggle with an uncanny degree of strength and shake off the stun! The surge of power radiating from your <runestaff> courses through you carrying you to your feet! <Name> struggles with an uncanny degree of strength and shakes off the stun! <Name> springs upright with remarkable agility! Tier 5 At Tier 5, the runestaff gains the following mechanical benefits: Muscle Memory enhancement: Toggle your Muscle Memory from a CM effect to a +5 boost to SMR defense via PROD. The chance for it to flare is a standard flare chance and not the enhanced chance you get with Muscle Memory CM. You cannot have both boosts simultaneously, and you cannot PROD while in combat. Eat effect: While under the effect of either Muscle Memory effects, you can RAISE to "eat" the effect (it removes it from you) and gain a one-cast bonus (+25 AS or + 15 CS). There is a 10-second cooldown after using this, and neither Muslce Memory effect can flare during it. Increases the BERSERK ability to 2x/day. Misery Flares enhancement: There are 3 possible Misery Flares. If one flares, you trigger a chance to get one of the other 2, and if you get it, then you have a chance to trigger the third. The runestaff also gains two more fluff verbs. In addition, at T5, you will gain affinity at 3x the rate and lose it at 2x. Once a calendar month, you can POKE your runestaff and reset affinity to 0. Usage Verb First Third BRUSH This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! LICK This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! POKE This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Reset runestaff affinity to 0. PROD This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Toggle your Muscle Memory effect type. RAISE This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! "Eat" an active Muscle Memory effect. Tier 6 Tier 6 is considered an auction-level tier and is not sold off-the-shelf. At this tier, the runestaff gains the following mechanical benefits: Doubles Muscle Memory bonuses (+20 CM/+10 SMR). Doubles the AS/CS bonus for consuming MM (+50 AS/+30 CS). Increases the BERSERK ability to 3x/day. Adds AOE Misery Flares: You can now WAVE {STAFF} to cause AOE Misery Flares. All 3 flavors of Misery will flare. 3-minute cooldown The runestaff also gains one more fluff verb. In addition, at T6, you will gain/lose the same as T5, but you can use POKE to reset as often as you like. Analyze This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Usage Verb First Third TWIST This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! WAVE This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! Activate the AOE version of Misery Flares. Additional Information Affinity A custom sort of attunement and bonding affects the benefits and penalties conferred by the runestaff. The first successful hit against a like level foe while wielding the runestaff will result in the staff attuning to the wielder. For lack of a better term, that person is then the owner of the runestaff. Affinity status can be checked via ANALYZE. Once the runestaff has attuned, Affinity points begin to accrue when further successful hits against like level foes are landed while wielding the runestaff, where one hit equals one point. There are five ranks in total (analyze messaging is in parenthesis): Level 1: 1-199 points (slight affinity) Level 2: 200-999 points (partial affinity) Level 3: 1000-2999 points (moderate affinity) Level 4: 3000-9999 points (considerable affinity) Level 5: 10000 points Affinity can be worked off and works in essentially the exact same way as gaining it does only in reverse. If a successful hit is landed against a like level foe by anyone other than the current owner then an Affinity point will be lost instead of gained. Affinity would only begin to accrue again once all the Affinity for the previous owner had been worked off. It is not meant to be easy but absolutely possible if some one wants to badly enough. If you watch closely enough, messaging is available to indicate changes in affinity: You channel at a huge fire elemental. A single dim, violet globe springs to life in your left hand. With a flick of your left wrist, the globe dances through the air toward a huge fire elemental! CS: +533 - TD: +406 + CvA: +25 + d100: +14 == +166 Warding failed! The orb squarely impacts a huge fire elemental, discharging the violet energy over its entire being for 65 points of damage! The violet energy pulses for an additional 45 points of damage ... ... 27 points of damage ... ... 13 points of damage ... ... 6 points of damage ... ... dissipating with a final discharge of 3 points of damage! You and your staff now enjoy a moderate affinity. A surge of power flows through your fireleaf staff and courses through you, the sensation at once familiar and foreign, and lends an uncanny invigoration to your muscles. Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds. Roundtime: 3 sec. As part of the 2026 updates, affinity gain/loss at higher tiers was adjusted to allow for easier ownership changing of a runestaff: At Tier 4, affinity is gained/lost at 2x the rate, making it easier to burn off someone else's affinity and then build yours back up. At Tier 5, affinity is gained/lost at 3x the rate and lose it at 2x. Once a calendar month, POKE will reset affinity to 0. At Tier 6, has the same gain/lose rate as Tier 5, but POKE can now be used at any time. Backlash Until such a time that a full Affinity is shared between a runestaff and its owner, there will exist a small chance for backlashes to occur. As Affinity levels are gained the likelihood of these backlashes occurring decreases until being eliminated completely at full Affinity. The Backlash timer fires every 1 1/2 minutes while the runestaff is held. The base chance for a Backlash to occur is 4% at Affinity level 1 and decreases 1% per Affinity level gained. Fine Print: Backlashes are much more likely to occur when the runestaff if being wielded by someone other than its current owner. There are three distinct types of Backlashes that can occur: Pain: 5-10 second stun Several thin, fibrous red filaments erupt from your <runestaff> and bore viciously into your wrist and palm. Instantly, each nerve and fiber within your being is alight with incandescent pain. Moments stretch into eternity, until a final wave of unbearable suffering crashes over you and leaves you reeling and stunned! Paralyze: 5-10 second immobilization Several thin, fibrous black filaments erupt from your <runestaff> and bore viciously into your wrist and palm. In response, a powerful discordance emerges from somewhere deep within your core and permeates every cell. Suddenly a stranger to your own body, you are quickly overwhelmed and are rendered unable to move! Shock: Nervous System Damage Several thin, fibrous white filaments erupt from your <runestaff> and bore viciously into your wrist and palm. A subtle, almost electric, force ripples through you, the current awakening a vague tingling within. Building rapidly, the faint tingling gives way to intense, wracking convulsions that subside only after the build up is released in a jarring explosion within your very nervous system. Flares There are two basic flare types. The baseline defensive flare is available on Tier 1(OTS) runestaffs. A second offensive flare is available on Tier 2 and above runestaffs that share a full Affinity with their wielder. Muscle Memory Flare: Grants a brief Combat Maneuver ranks enhancive benefit. Baseline chance for flare to trigger is 20%, with each unlocked Tier providing an additional 5%. Baseline benefit is +5 CM Ranks at Affinity level 1, +6 at Affinity level 2, +7 at Affinity level 3, +8 at Affinity level 4, and +10 at Affinity level 5. Misery Unleashed Flare: Offensive flare that essentially redirects the Backlash effects towards foes. The standard flare rate formula is used to determine if a flare will occur, and then a second roll is used to determine which flare effect will be used with some flares being more likely to occur. Pain: 70% - Random Impact Criticals Several thin, fibrous red filaments erupt from your <runestaff> and swirl around each other in a chaotic dance. Straining to reach a <critter>, they unleash a wave unmitigated pain upon the object of their wrath. Paralyze: 20% - 6-12 seconds RT Several thin, fibrous black filaments erupt from your <runestaff> and swirl around each other in a chaotic dance. Straining to reach a <critter>, they unleash an overpowering cacophony of sensation upon the object of their wrath and render <it> unable to move! Shock: 10% - Electrical Criticals to the dome Several thin, fibrous white filaments erupt from your <runestaff> and swirl around each other in a chaotic dance. Straining to reach $X1, they unleash a powerful surge of electrical current upon the object of their wrath! Ambient Messaging The following ambients are available but the tier requirements are not known. A faint hum, felt rather than heard, emanates from your <runestaff> and is echoed from somewhere deep within your core. Nerve Staff Add Automated certificates for this service have been sold in Duskruin's The Annex shop. You analyze the Nervestaff contract and sense that the creator has provided the following information: This Unlock Certificate applies an improvement or service as described below. It may not be changed in any way. Unless otherwise stated, it may be used at any time and does not expire. Additional usage may apply. When applicable, items attuned to someone else are ineligible. Usage: APPRAISE Check eligibility REDEEM Apply the improvement A pristine Nervestaff contract grants the Nervestaff script at Tier 1/OTS to an eligible runestaff. DETAILS: > Runestaves must be unscripted, with the exceptions of Lesser Moods and Rotflares. Nerve Staff Unlock Automated certificates for this service have been sold in Duskruin's The Annex shop. You analyze the Nervestaff flyer and sense that the creator has provided the following information: This Unlock Certificate applies an improvement or service as described below. It may not be changed in any way. Unless otherwise stated, it may be used at any time and does not expire. Additional usage may apply. When applicable, items attuned to someone else are ineligible. Usage: APPRAISE Check eligibility REDEEM Apply the improvement A braided Nervestaff flyer grants a single tier unlock to a Nervestaff up to Tier 4. Grand Auction of 5123 A nerve staff was sold at the Grand Auction of 5123 with additional properties. Information shared about it is as follows: Auction Type: Manual Auction Item: a sinuous runestaff of white-veined spiraling glowbark Current Bid/Cost: 2,500,000 silvers You note the following details about a sinuous runestaff of white-veined spiraling glowbark: It imparts a bonus of +37 more than usual. It has been infused with the power of a strange anti-magical substance (5 dispel attempts). It is an enhancive item: It provides a boost of 5 to Cunning Defense. It provides a boost of 10 to Spell Aiming Bonus. It provides a boost of 10 to Dexterity Bonus. It seems to have more than your average giantman could count enhancive charges remaining. It will persist after its last enhancive charge has been expended. It appears to weigh about 2 pounds. It is estimated to be worth about 17,500,000 silvers. It is predominantly crafted of glowbark. It is a daunting project (992 difficulty) for an adventurer to modify. It has some unknown (scripted) benefit. The runestaff is a rune staff that requires skill in twohanded weapons to use effectively. Tier 4 Nervestaff See Also Saved posts Announcement: Nerve Stave Updates

Nerve staff Information Type Mechanical Item Classification Weapon Item(s) Applied to Runestaff Alterable Yes Light/Deep Yes Original Release Venue Duskruin Original Release Year 2015 Tiered Yes Number of Tiers 6 How to Unlock Certificate Attunement Temporary Attunes to Character Affinity Needed Yes Enhancive Yes Eligible to be Added Yes Item Verbs BERSERK BRUSH CLENCH LICK LISTEN POKE PROD RAISE STARE TOUCH TWIST WAVE