Ethereal Censer (320)

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Ethereal Censer (320)
Mnemonic [CENSER]
Duration 30 seconds
Attack Magic - Damage  
Subtype Maneuver (SMRv2) 
Target(s) Single 
Damage Type Health 
Critical Type Disintegration 
Cleric Base Spells
Prayer of Holding (301) Attack
Smite/Bane (302) Attack
Prayer of Protection (303) Defensive
Bless (304) Offensive
Preservation (305) Utility
Holy Bolt (306) Attack
Benediction (307) Defensive
Well of Life (308) Utility
Condemn (309) Attack
Warding Sphere (310) Defensive
Blind (311) Attack
Fervent Reproach (312) Attack
Prayer (313) Defensive
Relieve Burden (314) Utility
Remove Curse (315) Utility
Censure (316) Attack
Divine Fury (317) Attack
Raise Dead (318) Utility
Soul Ward (319) Defensive
Ethereal Censer (320) Attack
Holy Receptacle (325) Utility
Sanctify (330) Utility
Divine Wrath (335) Attack
Symbol of the Proselyte (340) Offensive
Miracle (350) Utility

Ethereal Censer shapes mana into a smoky haze that invigorates the caster and may optionally be targeted to ensnare a single enemy in a maneuver-based attack. The strength of the attack is determined by Cleric Base spell ranks, Spell Aiming, and Spiritual Lore, Religion. 1x Cleric Base spell ranks and 2x Spell Aiming ranks are expected for normal like-level performance. Cleric ranks above level help but have diminishing returns.

The lingering effect of the smoke provides a replenishment effect to the caster for 30 seconds which reduces the mana cost of subsequent spells and restores 20 mana over the full duration. This effect occurs even if the initial maneuver misses.

The base mana reduction benefit for subsequent spells is 20% and increases once a cleric has more than 200 skill bonus (i.e. 100 skill ranks) in Spirit Mana Control (up to 30% at 3x SMC). In addition, there is a spell rotation bonus for casting different spells. Every time the cleric casts a different spell than the previous few spells, the bonus is +5%, up to +25% after 5 spells. If at any time the cleric recasts any spell they had already cast since starting the rotation, the spell rotation bonus resets to 0%.

Ethereal Censer has a 30 second cooldown between recasts. There is a base 0.3% chance every 2 seconds for the cooldown to end early, increased by Spiritual Lore, Religion.

Mana Reduction

The base mana reduction benefit for subsequent spells is 20% and increases once a cleric has more than 200 skill bonus (i.e. 100 skill ranks) in Spirit Mana Control (up to 30% at 3x SMC, using the formula of 20% + ((SMC skill bonus - 200) / 20)). In addition, there is a spell rotation bonus for casting different spells. Every time the cleric casts a different spell than the previous few spells, the bonus is +5%, up to +25% after 5 spells. If at any time the cleric recasts any spell they had already cast since starting the rotation, the spell rotation bonus resets to 0%. Subsequent casts of 320 have no effect, positive or negative, on the rotation.

The mana reduction effect does not apply to spells above level 19 but those spells will count towards the rotation bonus.

The rotation bonus does not apply to any spells that do not use mana (i.e. wands, scrolls, 1700, etc.).

The spell also tracks partial mana savings over time and refunds the mana when a full mana point of savings is reached (i.e. if you save 0.4 mana on each 302 cast, you would receive 0 mana reduction on the first two casts and 1 mana reduction on the third cast, with an additional 0.2 mana savings to be applied later).

Lore Benefits

Spiritual Lore, Religion

Religion Lore increases the effectiveness of the maneuver attack. It uses a seed 1 summation with each threshold being equal to 2 cleric spell ranks (up to level, since past level, there are diminishing returns). Estild's example: 55 ranks = 10 thresholds = +10% maneuver effectiveness.
Religion Lore increases the base 0.3% chance for the cooldown to end early by 0.1% per seed 1 summation of ranks.
Spiritual Lore, Religion ranks 0 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36 45 55 66 78 91 105 120 136 153 171 190
Reset Chance Every 2s .3% .4% .5% .6% .7% .8% .9% 1.0% 1.1% 1.2% 1.3% 1.4% 1.5% 1.6% 1.7% 1.8% 1.9% 2.0% 2.1% 2.2%
Cumulative Reset Chance % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % %

The base chance for the cooldown to end early is 1 - .997^14 = 4.1% (over 14 ticks, every 2 seconds for 30 seconds). With 28 ranks of Spiritual Lore, Religion this is increased to 1 - .99^14 = 13.1%. The value of the cooldown resetting early goes down with each 2s tick as the natural end of the cooldown approaches.

If the cooldown ends early and you recast while the original effects are still active, the mana return effect will stack but the 30 duration on the mana reduction effect is simply reset to 30 seconds.

Self-Cast Messaging


>prep 320
You chant a reverent litany, clasping your hands while focusing upon the Ethereal Censer spell...
Your spell is ready.
>cast
You gesture.
Mana swirls into the visible spectrum and manifests as an ethereal, emerald green censer swinging pendulously through the air beside you.  A bronze haze of incense smoke trails in its wake, quickly spreading in sinuous tendrils through the area.

As the fragrant haze settles over you, you feel revitalized.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Cooldown Messaging

Your ethereal censer fades away, leaving only a faint lingering scent of incense.
>
You sense the flows of mana around you are once again strong enough to support the manifestation of an ethereal censer.

Combat Resolution

Successful cast:

>prep 320
You chant a reverent litany, clasping your hands while focusing upon the Ethereal Censer spell...
Your spell is ready.
>cast rolt
You gesture at a rolton.
Mana swirls into the visible spectrum and manifests as an ethereal, emerald green censer swinging pendulously through the air beside you.  A bronze haze of incense smoke trails in its wake, quickly spreading in sinuous tendrils through the area.

[SMR result: 581 (Open d100: 179)]
A rolton becomes enveloped in the incense smoke!
   ... 50 points of damage!
   Vicious attack begins at base of neck and moves upwards, leaving only a fine mist above the rolton's shoulders!
The rolton collapses to the ground, emits a final bleat, and dies.

As the fragrant haze settles over you, you feel revitalized.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Origin Story

GS4-ESTILD

320 on 10/12/2018 02:29 PM CDT

I'm wanting to address the boring/repetitive nature of hunting as a Cleric (i.e. 302/317 ad nauseam). However, I don't just want to introduce another new spell/ability when in terms of actual effectiveness, Clerics are in a pretty good spot. That's not to say there couldn't be enhancements in other areas (bolts, AoE crowd control/damage, etc), but my goal is the aforementioned issue. So how can that be accomplished without tipping the scales too much?

I see the 320 spell slot as a potential solution. As a rough idea, it could be a maneuver attack with a secondary effect when successful. It could have a 30 second cooldown, but also have a random chance to come off cooldown early. That accomplishes a few things. First, as a maneuver attack, it gives Clerics a new tool to fall back on when other attack methods are ineffective, but it's also limited due to the cooldown which also prevents it from just replacing one spell number with another in their hunting tactics. Second, with a chance to randomly come off cooldown early, it breaks up some of the monotony as you could then choose to use it immediately or save it for the next target.

If that idea was pursued, what interesting secondary effects would be worthwhile?

  • There's no guarantee any of this would actually be implemented, but I am interested in feedback and suggestions on it.

GameMaster Estild

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