Manipulate ability
Manipulation is an Empath guild ability which causes most critters to regard you as a friend or non-threat. Influenced creatures will cease hostile actions towards you, and may even attack other creatures, particularly those with which you are engaged in combat. Evil or undead creatures, on the other hand, will become enraged and focus on you as an enemy.
History
For several weeks, Empaths began receiving visions of various things whenever they entered the dying state: the back of a turtle, the feeling of tossing waves, an oddly shifting figure moving toward them with concern. These visions culminated in Empaths being called to the island of Aesry where they met Trylaine, who was one of the First Empaths. Trylaine taught the ability to several of the Empaths that arrived and taught them how they may pass the ability along to others.
Learning to Manipulate
The manipulate ability must be taught by a fellow Empath who is able to teach it.
Requirements
Teacher
- Must be an Empath.
- Must be at least 40th circle.
- Must have at least 200 ranks of effective Empathy (can be boosted via a LINK, Constellation Jewelry, or any other Empathy booster).
Student
- Must be an Empath.
- Must have at least 50 ranks of effective Empathy (can be boosted via a LINK, Constellation Jewelry, or any other Empathy booster).
Syntax for Teaching
- Teacher and Student enter combat.
- Teacher: MANIPULATE FRIENDSHIP <STUDENT>
- Teacher: MANIPULATE FRIENDSHIP <CREATURE>
- Wait for the following message:
Teacher: You sense that {student} has suddenly grasped the basics of manipulating friendship.
Student: You suddenly grasp what {teacher} has done and comprehend the general method whereby you might be able to manipulate friendship yourself.
How to Manipulate
The syntax is MANIPULATE FRIENDSHIP <CREATURE>.
There are four possible outcomes:
- You will exhaust yourself trying. No RT, no change in critter behavior, and concentration drops to 0. This means your concentration pool isn't currently large enough to successfully manipulate this creature.
- You will fail to get the creature's attention. No RT, no change in critter behavior, full concentration hit as per a successful attempt. This means you have enough concentration, but lack in some other aspect (see below).
- You will succeed versus a manipulatable creature. RT (around 10 seconds or so), the critter is immediately removed from combat engagement with you, full concentration hit plus you pay a concentration maintenance cost every few seconds. The creature will then either leave the room, attack another creature (usually one threatening you), or attack a PC in the same room. Concentration costs vary from creature to creature based on difficulty.
- You will succeed versus an undead/evil/cursed creature. No RT, the creature notices you, full concentration hit as per a successful attempt.
What Can be Manipulated
In general, only huntable creatures can be manipulated. Spell-summoned creatures such as shadowlings and other Moon Mage constructs, Ranger companions, and Warrior Mage familiars cannot be manipulated. Most constructs cannot be manipulated. Horses might be included in this, as well. Of course, "townie" NPCs such as guards, wandering friendly faces, shopkeepers, and guild leaders cannot be manipulated.
Factors in the Success of Manipulation
- Concentration: ability to initiate and maintain the manipulation link
- Empathy skill: determines which creatures you can manipulate
- Magic ability (average or raw?): used to overcome the creature's magic resistance
- Creature's Magic Resistance
- Stats (Intelligence, Charisma, and possibly others)
- Type of creature: The undead cannot be manipulated. Evil or cursed creatures can sometimes be manipulated.
Empathy Hard Caps
You can learn a decent amount of Empathy from manipulating a creature, provided that there is some challenge. (The amount of experience is somewhere between health-walking and healing.) If your empathy grossly exceeds the combats of the thing you're manipulating, the act will not be sufficiently challenging to teach empathy. The range is very generous.
Below is a chart of the hard caps that have been determined by player Empaths. The hard cap is defined as the rank (in empathy) at which MANIPULATE FRIENDSHIP stops teaching Empathy. (Note: the experience timer is delayed, similar to the way appraisal experience is earned.)
| Creature | Empathy Cap |
|---|---|
| Silver-tipped Mature Forest Gryphon | 747 |
| Nipo Oshu Tier 2 | 455 |
| Elder Red Brocket Deer | 334 |
Notes
- More than one Empath can manipulate the same creature at once. This will cause the creature to be friendly to both Empaths, and will teach empathy to both (if each Empath would otherwise learn from that creature.)
- Once successful, the manipulation will remain active for several minutes, or until the creature dies or de-gens. It can be be stopped early with MANIPULATE STOP <creature/all/everything>
- You can manipulate up to two critters at one time, based on your skill.
- Creatures that you have befriended will show in the ASSESS combat messaging as "friendly".
- The concentration price can add up quickly if you manipulate several creatures at once. Low concentration will severely impact your ability to cast spells, so watch your concentration!