Magical research

This page is about magical research. Follow the link for information about Necromantic research.

Incomplete Article

• This article is incomplete, which means that while it is not a stub, it still lacks certain data or information.
• [[missing:: Needs research/symbiosis messaging.]]
• Please see Category:Incomplete articles for more articles that are incomplete.

There are two types of magical research: Research and Symbiosis. These were introduced as part of Magic 3.1 and use the same base mechanics as APPRAISE FOCUS. Therefore, you cannot do appraise focus and magical research at the same time.

Research projects are completed in portions between 30 and 300 seconds. Each portion is started with: RESEARCH <PROJECT> <DURATION>. When the sum of all completed portions hits the required time, your project is complete.

The scenarios in which you will find yourself needing to use magical research to train are:

• Your guild does not have a high level spell to train a specific magic skill efficiently (e.g. locking a magic takes longer than 15 minutes of chain casting)
• To get the bonus from a symbiosis
• To guarantee of mindlocking a skill
• Training the Sorcery skill without memorizing a spell scroll or using runestones

Research

Research-type projects rely on the use of the Gauge Flow spell and give an instant lock of (or split experience among a group of) any magic skill after completion.

1. Cast the Gauge Flow spell. The amount of mana put into the spell will affect time necessary for researching.
2. Start a Research project by performing RESEARCH <TYPE> <DURATION> (e.g. RESEARCH UTILITY 300).

   Use RESEARCH LIST or see the table below for the types of research.

3. Continue the Research project by doing RESEARCH <duration> until complete. You can use RESEARCH STATUS to see how far along you are on your project.
4. When the project completes, you will receive a message regarding your breakthrough. Experience for research is only awarded upon completion of research.

   Note: Some research projects, marked with an asterisk in RESEARCH LIST, are inherently dangerous and may result in sorcerous backlash upon completion.

Symbiosis

Symbiosis-type projects increase the difficulty of a spell that is prepared with a symbiosis, thereby increasing the spell's learning potential for that cast. This also gives the spell an additional effect which can alter the skills the spell trains. For example, using a symbiosis that adds a skill buff will cause a spell to train Augmentation in addition to any skills it normally trains if it doesn't already.

1. Complete a Symbiosis research project using the steps above.
   • From this point on you do not need to do symbiosis research again unless you die, cancel your research, or wish to change symbioses.
2. PREPARE SYMBIOSIS to start the metamagic.
3. Successfully cast a spell.
4. See your message about a bonus.

Not all symbiosis increase the difficulty of spellcasting equally. In order from smallest to largest increase in difficulty, they are:

• Skill boosting symbiosis
• Chaos symbiosis
• Stat boosting symbiosis (you will not see a + next to the Stat - Prep symbiosis, then prep spell and it boosts the spell when cast)
• Warding symbiosis (unreleased - the most recent proposal is that symbiotically cast spells will grant the caster/target a ward effect in addition to the spell's normal effects)

Note: It is possible to use the Chaos symbiosis without researching it. Every character automatically has access to this as a default. The Chaos symbiosis only increases the difficulty of a spell and does not add any additional effects. This does allow a magic user to cast a spell that would normally be below their current skill level and still learn from it.

Notes

• Putting more mana into the Gauge Flow cast reduces the time needed for a research project, up to 20% at maximum mana.
• Arcana skill is required to learn Research-type options. Fundamental can be researched by everyone. Chaos is free for everyone and does not need to be researched.
• Magical feats unlock Symbiosis. Each feat is tied to a skillset. There is an Arcana skill requirement for each feat. Some Feats have pre-requisite Feats.
• You need to be able to cast a spell above minimum prep to use it with a symbiosis, since the symbiosis will increase the difficulty of the spell cast.
• Research is not designed for very low-level characters. It is primarily used to extend training for very skilled characters when using spells they can otherwise cap, and to manage Attunement costs when training for moderately skilled players.

Options

Name	Shorthand	Backlash Chance?	Feat Required	Skill Required (Arcana)	Minutes Needed*	Result
Fundamental Research	FUNDAMENTAL	false		60	5	Magic/Arcana experience (17/34 each)
Mana Stream Theory	STREAM	false		60	5	Attunement Experience (34/34)
Augmentation Patterns Research	AUGMENTATION	false		60	10	Augment experience (34/34)
Utility Patterns Research	UTILITY	false		60	10	Utility Experience (34/34)
Warding Patterns Research	WARDING	false		60	10	Warding Experience (34/34)
Sorcerous Research	SORCERY	true		250	15	Sorcery Experience (34/34)
High Energy Spellcasting	ENERGY	true		500	7.5	Attunement Experience (34/34)
Mana Field Theory	FIELD	true		750	15	Magic, Sorcery, Attunement Experience (17/34 each)
Plane of Probability	PLANE	false			20	Astrology Experience (33/34) (24 hr cool down)
Elemental Planes	PLANES	false			17	Summoning Experience (34/34) (24 hr cool down)
Spell Research	SPELL	true		1000	20	Augmentation, Utility, Warding Experience (17/34 each)
Strengthen Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS STRENGTHEN	false	Physical Matrices	300	7.5	Strength (stat) Boost
Endure Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS ENDURE	false	Physical Matrices		7.5	Stamina (stat) Boost
Avoid Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS AVOID	false	Physical Matrices		7.5	Reflex (stat) Boost
Spring Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS SPRING	false	Physical Matrices		7.5	Agility (stat) Boost
Remember Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS REMEMBER	false	Mental Matrices		7.5	Intelligence (stat) Boost
Resolve Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS RESOLVE	false	Mental Matrices		7.5	Discipline (stat) Boost
Impress Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS IMPRESS	false	Mental Matrices		7.5	Charisma (stat) Boost
Discern Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS DISCERN	false	Mental Matrices		7.5	Wisdom (stat) Boost
Explore Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS EXPLORE	false	Survivalist		7.5	Athletics skill Boost
Watch Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS WATCH	false	Survivalist		7.5	Perception skill Boost
Harvest Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS HARVEST	false	Survivalist		7.5	Skinning skill Boost
Heal Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS HEAL	false	Survivalist		7.5	First Aid skill Boost
Learn Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS LEARN	false	Scholar		7.5	Scholarship skill Boost
Examine Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS EXAMINE	false	Scholar		7.5	Appraisal skill Boost
Perform Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS PERFORM	false	Scholar		7.5	Performance skill Boost
Cast Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS CAST	false	Symbiotic Research		7.5	Primary Magic skill Boost
Harness Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS HARNESS	false	Symbiotic Research		7.5	Attunement skill Boost
Activate Symbiosis	SYMBIOSIS ACTIVATE	false	Symbiotic Research		7.5	Arcana skill Boost

*This is the base time with a minimum mana Gauge Flow. More mana will reduce the time required.

Other actions during research

The following states prevent research from being started:

• having an active appraisal focus project
• PLAYing an instrument
• preparing a spell

The following states will be broken upon starting a research project:

• being hidden (N.B.: Invisibility does not break when starting research)

The following actions interrupt research:

• Attacking or being attacked (you can engage and retreat freely)
• Cast command
• Charge command
• Hide command
• Locksmithing in general: both DISARMing and PICKing
• Mine command (although you can still PROSPECT)
• PAYing debt
• Play command
• Prepare command
• Study command
• Swim command

The following actions can be performed during research (although not all are intentional):

• maintaining a cyclic spell
• harnessing mana
• Summoning the different planes (SUMMON ADMITTANCE, etc)
• focusing on magical items
• invoking cambrinth, gaethzen, and runestones
• releasing mana or spell effects
• teaching or listening to a class
• perceiving mana or health
• Empathic healing: TOUCH and TAKE
• tending wounds
• climbing, including CLIMB PRACTICE
• hunting
• Moving through water using cardinal directions (and not using SWIM)
• foraging/collecting
• Braiding grass/vines
• appraising items
• assessing instruments
• juggling
• wiping a wet instrument (and wringing the cloth after)
• Training stats
• Using a sanowret crystal
• Crafting (so long as you don't need to study instructions)

• smelting metal

The following actions cannot be performed at all during research:

• starting an appraisal focus project

Messaging

Start

• [Research] You tentatively reach out and begin manipulating the mana streams, testing their give and the amount of energy coursing through them.
• [Symbiosis] You start to research <option> symbiosis.

Pulse

• [Research] You continue to flex the mana streams.
• [Symbiosis] You continue to research <option> symbiosis.

Portion Completion

• You make definite progress in your <option> <Research/symbiosis project> and decide to take a break. However, there is still more to learn before you arrive at a breakthrough.

Portion Abandonment

If your project is interrupted (see Other actions during research), you forfeit all progress made for that research period. For example, if you were researching Warding for 300 seconds and are interrupted 259 seconds in, you lose all progress made during that period. You can also choose abandon a portion with RESEARCH CANCEL.

• Distracted by your devices, you forget what you were researching.
• Distracted by your spellcasting, you forget what you were researching.

Project Completion (Breakthrough!)

The following messaging appears when you finish a research project.

• [Augmentation Research] Breakthrough! You have woven an Augmentation pattern that had previously escaped your grasp.
• [Fundamental Research] Breakthrough! You have a novel insight into the nature of spellcasting. While it probably won't make you famous, it will surely come in handy with practical magic.
• [Stream Research] Breakthrough! The mana streams dance in front of your magical senses and, at least in their present configuration, you understand the nature of their warp and weave.
• [Utility Research]Breakthrough! You have woven a Utility pattern that had previously escaped your grasp.
• [Warding Research] Breakthrough! You have built a ward with previously unknown cleverness and strength.

Project Degradation

If you go too long between research portions, you will forget some of what you have researched.

• As time passes, you forget some of the finer points about your project about <research project>.

Project Abandonment

If too long passes without continuing your research, you will abaondon the project entirely. You can also abandon a project by doing RESEARCH CANCEL while you are not doing portion research.

• You decide to stop researching Fundamental Research.
• You have abandoned your research project entirely.

Prepare

• [Symbiosis] You recall the exact details of the <option> symbiosis, preparing to integrate it with the next spell you cast.

Spell Cast

• [Skill Bonus] Familiar streams of magic blend with the weave of your <spell> spell, and you sense an increase in your knowledge of <skill>.
• [Stat Bonus] Familiar streams of magic blend with the weave of your Ethereal Shield spell and you feel your <stat> increase.
  

Preparation Loss

• [Symbiosis] You pause for a moment as the details of the <option> symbiosis fade from your mind.