Verb:CHANNEL
CHANNEL is an alternate method of casting various prepared spells, generally enhancing the potency of attack spells at the cost of "hard" roundtime that prevents the caster from moving or changing stance.
Usage
- PREPARE {spell} | CHANNEL {target}
- INCANT SET CHANNEL {spell} to always channel a spell using a simple INCANT {spell #}
- INCANT {spell} CHANNEL to channel a spell using INCANT, overriding any setting
Bolt
CHANNELing a bolt spell imposes a 3 second hard roundtime in exchange for a higher chance of hitting a vital area and subjects the attack to less critical randomization. The critical randomization floor is raised by 1-2 ranks (depending on the actual critical) and the chance to hit every location is the same at 7.7%.
When a bolt is CAST/EVOKEd without CHANNELing, it has a little over 16% chance to hit the eyes, head, or neck. A CHANNELed bolt has over a 30% chance. Most of those locations will also result in a critical kill for ranks as low as 5 or 6, while it will take 7+ against the chest, abdomen, or back. If it is determined to be a rank 9 critical wound, critical randomization can lower that all the way down to a rank 5 (typically non-lethal against vital spots). If the same bolt is CHANNELed for the same rank 9 critical wound, crit randomization will not lower it less than a rank 7 (typically lethal against vital spots).
The roundtime imposed by channeling cannot be reduced by haste effects.
Warding
Most channel-enabled warding spells behave similarly.
- Smite/Bane (302)
- Fervent Reproach (312)
- Divine Fury (317)
- Chromatic Circle (502)
- Immolation (519)
- Mana Disruption (702)
- Bone Shatter (1106)
- Wither (1115)
For these spells:
- Channeling incurs 3 seconds of hard roundtime, which runs concurrent with the 3 second cast roundtime. The hard roundtime portion can be modified by haste/slow effects.
- Channeling gives a benefit if at least one hand is open, but extra benefit is garnered by having both open.
- Channeling garners additional benefit when used from an aggressive stance. The more aggressive the stance, the bigger the benefit.
Channeling adds to the effective warding margin on a successful cast based on the caster's stance and number of open hands. Casters wielding two-handed weapons such as runestaves are considered to have one open hand (as long as they are not also holding another item).
STANCE OFF ADV FOR NEU GUA One Open Hand +20 +16 +12 +8 +4 Two Open Hands +40 +32 +24 +16 +8
Special cases
- Disintegrate (705) - Only factors in stance, not open-handedness.
Other uses
Certain non-attack spells also have a Channel option, which usually exists to differentiate between varying modes of the spell.
- Ensorcell (735) - Channel to permanently ensorcell an item.
- Sanctify (1625) - Channel to break the weapon bond.