Verb:RENEW

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Renew is used to cause one or more of a Bards SpellSongs to update their renewal period, or to effectively re-cast the spell before the renewal period rolls around. The Bard can

  • "renew <mnemonic|number>", in order to cause just one specific spell to be renewed (but at the end of the renewal period, all spellsongs will still renew as usual)
  • "renew all" in order to manually cause the renewal period to end immediately (spellsongs that do not "roll over"--see the list of "Type 2 renewing SpellSongs", below--will end, just as though the renewal period had expired)

Many SpellSongs that a Bard uses work identically to other spells: the Bard must first prepare the spell and then cast it, either at a specific target or "in general" (affecting the whole room).

However, other SpellSongs behave unlike most other spells and have no fixed duration; instead, they are added to a Bard's medley and will renew automatically at a fixed interval of time. This can happen even in areas where spells may not normally be cast, such as in front of the bank teller or standing in the locker. Renewable SpellSongs are of two basic types:

1) These SpellSongs continue to roll over indefinitely: All of the "Sonic Equipment Songs" (Sonic Shield Song (1009), Sonic Weapon Song (1012), Sonic Armor (1014)) have this regular renewal, as well as the AS boosting Kai's Triumph Song (1007), the defensive Fortitude Song (1003), Song of Valor (1010) and Song of Mirrors (1019), and the utility/defense Song of Luck (1006).
Song of Power (1018) is within this group--it will remain in the Bard's medley and renew automatically--but most Bards recommend that extreme caution be taken with use of this SpellSong, due to side effects (up to and including death) that occur after it has renewed more than once.
2) These SpellSongs last only until the end of the renewal period (either automatic, or when the Bard forces it with a "renew all"), and take effect only upon being cast or upon a manual renewal (e.g. "renew holdsong"/"renew 1001"). Most of those that are offensive in nature are in this category: Holding Song (1001), Song of Unravelling (1013), Song of Depression (1015), Song of Rage (1016), and Song of Sonic Disruption (1030) are some of the most commonly used.
Note that Song of Unravelling (1013) differs from the remainder of this type of SpellSong in that there is a limited time period (approximately 30 seconds after the most recent cast/renewal) in which the Bard can renew the spell. If no renewal command is issued during that time, then the SpellSong ends immediately even if there is still mana remaining in the target.

Calculating the renewal period

All factors adding to the renewal period have been determined, either through investigation or through GM revelation. The sum of all factors is the duration of renewable SpellSongs.

Factor Type Duration (seconds) Notes
Being a Bard Base 120 minimum
INFluence Stat bonus 3 per point
LOGic 1
1-25 Training 4 per level
26-50 3
51-75 2
76-100 1
Lore Skill 2 per rank