Shear

	Shear
Abbreviation:	-
Prerequisites:	Psychic Shield and Rend
Signature:	No
Spell Slots:	3
Mana Type:	Unknown
Spell Type:	battle / warding
Difficulty:	esoteric
Prep (min/max):	30 / 103
Skill Range (min/max):	260 / 1000
Valid Spell Target:	Self
Duration (min/max):	Unknown minutes /
Justice:	Unknown
Corruption:	Unknown
Description:	The Shear spell envelops you in a magical field that can absorb a spell and reactively lash back at the caster with a blast of mental energy. The drawback is that your own spells are subject to this barrier as well. This is a non-battle spell that can be cast on a single target. Non-battle spells have significantly longer preparation times than battle spells. It can be cast without a target. It requires a minimum of thirty mana streams, and can expand to a maximum of one hundred three mana streams woven into it. To begin to be able to cast this spell, you will need to reach the rank of a 60th degree adept. By the time you have mastered this spell, you will be ranked as a guru in your abilities as a caster. It requires the Warding skill to cast effectively.
Effect:	+{{{buffs}}}, -{{{debuffs}}}, {{{dtype}}}, {{{htype}}}, stunning ward vs. all spells including caster's
Example Messaging:	You gesture. A globe of shimmering blue fire flickers into being around you. Self Cast Blocking: You gesture. The shimmering globe of blue fire surrounding you shudders slightly. The pattern of your spell is torn apart, sending the raw mana cascading back into your body! You are stunned! The shimmering globe of blue fire suddenly extinguishes.
Devices/Tattoos:	Chartreuse verdant heart, Sharp-edged inkpot, Wand of eventide moonstone etched with a kaleidoscope of butterflies

Notes

• The stun is based on spell power vs. spell power.
• Backlash effect works on both beneficial spells as well as harmful spells.
• The backlash effect works on all spells, even those you cast regardless of target. I.e. it protects you from all spells at the cost of losing the ability to cast spells.
• You can RELEASE SHEAR to end the spell prematurely.
• Shear is replaceable and does not trigger the stun when doing so.
• Shear does not trigger on self-cast cyclic spell pulses (e.g. Steps of Vuan) but will still trigger on the initial cast as normal. (Needs verification for non-self cast cyclic pulses or pulse to group effects.)
• Shear will not activate for Area of Effect spells such as Chain Lightning. This is not a bug. (Needs verification for 3.0)
• Appears in the room LOOK as: <caster> who is in a globe of blue fire.
• Will negate the effect of a shadowsilk cloak, but not all the time (Unclear if this is on purpose to allow others to look at you and see the globe in your description, or a bug).

Trivia

• Shear was a sorcery spell originally. The version the Moon Mage Guild teaches is a modified pattern with the sorcerous mix taken out, but it's close enough that the globe still has the appearance of a sorcery: It's a spell that conjures a strange semblance of fire, that violently reacts to spells crossing its interface, and was refined by someone who later turned out to be a very learned Necromancer.