Empath
The Empath profession is a hybrid pure spellcasting profession, drawing on both the Mental and Spiritual spheres of magic, and possessing the natural ability to transfer wounds from other adventurers.
Empaths have access to the Minor Spiritual, Major Spiritual and Empath Base spell circles, the latter containing spells designed to heal wounds and scars on the empath's own body.
Professional Highlights
- TRANSFER
- Empaths naturally gain the unique ability to transfer wounds from others to themselves as they level.
- CURE
- Empaths can target specific locations on their own body to heal, provided that they already know the appropriate healing spell.
- MEDITATE
- Empaths can meditate to accelerate regeneration of health, spirit, mana, and stamina.
- Heal (1101), Limb Repair (1102), System Repair (1103), Head Repair (1104), Organ Repair (1105),
- Limb Scar Repair (1111), System Scar Repair (1112), Head Scar Repair (1113), Organ Scar Repair (1114)
- These nine spells offer Empaths the unique ability to heal any physical wound, scar, or blood loss. Spiritual Lore, Blessings gives a chance for a scar to be healed when a minor wound is cured, and Mental Lore, Transformation reduces healing roundtime. Note that moderate and major wounds and scars cost additional mana (and spell ranks in Empath Base) to heal, and healing them simply reduces their severity.
- Bone Shatter (1106)
- The primary hunting spell of most empaths, this spell offers high crit death potential, high damage rates, and an instant death effect increased by training in Mental Lore, Manipulation. At lower levels there is a massive TD pushdown which aids the less experienced empath. Slender ivory wands embedded with Bone Shatter can be made through alchemy.
- Empathic Assault (1110)
- This spell is made lethal with training in various Mental lores. The initial attack is a plasma bolt, and the subsequent waves are TD-based. Faceted amethyst wands embedded with Empathic Assault can be made through alchemy.
- Wither (1115)
- Wither is a particularly lethal spell. It attacks an area of the target until it is destroyed. If it manages to wither the first area, it will move to an adjacent area if the spell has not yet expired.
- Troll's Blood (1125)
- A strong spell which gives benefits to both the caster and their party. At every 20 second interval, which can be reduced by training, the caster and their party will have some blood loss healed, a single minor wound healed (but only on every other interval) and if stunned, have a chance to break the stun.
- Regeneration (1150)
- A once-per-day ability that greatly amplifies natural recuperative ability, fully healing the Empath every 6 seconds for 30 seconds and conferring protection against critical damage. Can be activated while stunned, webbed, or immobilized by using the REGENERATE verb.
Training Styles
Balanced spellcaster
Balanced spellcasters pick up a wide variety of magical skills, and can be excellent healers and rescuers. They are not as efficient as either pure warders or weapon swingers in combat, but still have enough tools to hunt well in many different environments.
Important skills for a balanced training style:
- Training in core magical skills to increase runestaff defense
- Training Physical Fitness 2 or even 3 times per level early on to increase maximum health for healing, after which it may taper off
- Training Harness Power at least once per level for increased mana
- Training in Spell Aiming for Empathic Assault (1110), Fire Spirit (111), and Web (118)
- Training in Mental Lore, Transformation to reduce the time it takes to heal
- Research spells to reach Transference (225) and Spirit Guide (130) early for rescues
Further information: Empath training suggestions (saved post)
Pure warding caster
These empaths specialize in offensive warding spells like Bone Shatter (1106), and usually wield a runestaff. They will need to be selective in what they hunt, as not all creatures are vulnerable to empathic warding spells. Against the right targets, their spells can be extremely deadly.
Important skills for the warding caster training style:
- Training in core magical skills to increase runestaff defense
- Training Harness Power at least once per level for increased mana
- Training very heavily in Empath Base to increase casting strength, with a target of raising the number of spell ranks to at least 21 above character level
Weapon swinging
These empaths will rely heavily on weapons, oftentimes specializing in heavier types such as polearms or two handed weapons. Melee combat may or may not be supplemented with offensive magic spells. Training in peripheral magical skills is usually kept to a minimum to spend more on skills that will aid in combat.
Important skills for the swinging training style:
- Training once per level in a weapon skill of choice
- Depending on chosen weapon style, training in Shield Use may also be an option
- Training Physical Fitness at least 2 times per level to increase maximum health and stamina
- Maintaining a 1 time per level training in Empath spells to increase offensive AS from Empath spells
- Training heavily in the Major Spiritual circle early on, to learn Bravery (211) and Heroism (215) quickly
- Training to fit into higher armors is an option for this training style, due to the less regular use of spells
- Training in Combat Maneuvers as often as possible
Further information: Tsalim's two-handed empath guide
Available Combat Maneuvers
- Combat Movement
- Combat Mastery
- Cunning Defense
- Dirtkick
- Disarm Weapon
- Feint
- Multi-Fire
- Precision
- Side by Side (prereq: Combat Movement at rank 2)
- Subdual Strike
- Trip
- Unarmed Specialist
Empath Casting Strength
Casting strength for empathic warding spells, such as Bone Shatter (1106) and Wither (1115), is calculated as follows:
- Where:
- Empath Base Bonus is equal to
- Ranks to and including current level = * 1
- Ranks 1-20 above current level = * .75
- Ranks 21-60 above current level = * .5
- Ranks 61-100 above current level = * .25
- Ranks 101 - ? above current level = * .125
- And:
- Minor Spiritual and Major Spiritual Bonus are equal to
- Ranks to and including 2/3 current level = * .333
- Ranks from 2/3 - current level = * .1
- Ranks above current level = * .05
Mana
Mana is calculated for Empaths as follows:
WIS and INF bonuses are calculated according to level 0 stats (INFO START).
Empath Statistic Growth Rates
For more information see the page on statistic growth rates.
| Profession | Strength | Constitution | Dexterity | Agility | Discipline | Aura | Logic | Intuition | Wisdom | Influence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empath | 10 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 30 | 25 |
Note: The table above is the baseline statistic growth rates. These values are actually modified for every race in GemStone IV, including humans.
See Also
- Empath Guild
- A beginner's guide to playing an empath
- Empathic Linking (saved post) - 03/05/2015
- Empath Design Direction - 11/14/2007
- Empath training suggestions (saved post)
- Tsalim's two-handed empath guide
- Ellie's (very old) Empath Guide
| Empath Profession - edit |
|---|
| Spell Circles: Empath Base Spells | Minor Spiritual Spells | Major Spiritual Spells |
| Professional Highlights: Healing |
| Popular Archetypes: Healer | Pure Warder | Weapon User |
| Profession - edit |
|---|
| Squares: Rogue | Warrior | Monk |
| Semis: Bard | Paladin | Ranger |
| Pures: Cleric | Empath | Sorcerer | Wizard |