Elemental attunement
Attunement is a character's innate tie to a particular elemental energy. These include the prime elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, as well as the composite element of Lightning. It is a one-time permanent decision made via the use of the ATTUNE command. Once you have chosen an element via ATTUNE SET, you still have to use ATTUNE ELEMENT in order to focus on the specific element, and can use ATTUNE RANDOM to temporarily release your focus.
Elemental Damage Types
Each element has an inherent damage type that can, when unleashed, cause critical injuries associated with that damage type.
- Ex. Chest decompresses violently and explodes in a shower of bone and lung!
- Ex. Every bone in the left arm shattered and scattered about!
- Fire: Fire critical damage
- Ex. Fire completely surrounds [target]. Blood boils and heart stops.
- Water: Cold/Ice critical damage
- Ex. Head freezes solid and the [target] topples over, shattering skull on impact.
- Lightning: Lightning/Electric Shock critical damage
- Ex. Hideously bright electrical bolt sends left leg into another universe. Happy traveling.
Benefits
Attunement affects the elemental damage type for a handful of spells including:
- Elemental Blade (411)
- Elemental Strike (415)
- Major Elemental Wave (435)
- Chromatic Circle (502)
- Cone of Elements (518)
- Weapon Fire (915)
- Energy Maelstrom (710)
- Corpse explosion effect of Animate Dead (730)
For Wizards, attunement also provides cosmetic effects with Thurfel's Ward (503) and Floating Disk (511) and allows them the opportunity to summon a wyrdling as a Familiar.
Attunement is also highly beneficial in the Elemental Confluence. Being attuned allows a character to sense the locations of elemental instabilities where they may enter the confluence safely and protects against some of its environmental hazards.