Sarkranis's Empath Guide
Role-playing Considerations
Traditionally, Empaths have often been played as cheerful, selfless healers who eschew violence. Even now, many players believe that Empaths are supposed to be that way, and those who stray from that path are flouting the guild's teachings. This belief is the result of several factors:
- a misunderstanding of supernatural empathy: In the everyday sense, when we describe someone as empathic, we mean that he understands another person's feelings by putting himself in that person's shoes -- and usually that he feels sympathetic or compassionate as a result. Supernatural empathy doesn't really have anything to do with people's feelings. It is a breaking down of the barrier that separates two beings, allowing the Empath to sense and manipulate life essences. (As an extreme example, the First Empaths could not tolerate being around other people due to their godlike empathy.)
- a misunderstanding of empathic shock: Empaths who directly cause injury or pain to another living being experience Empathic shock. Many people (including Empaths) misinterpret this as a punishment for violating the guild's moral teachings, similar to the way a Paladin's soul declines when he engages in dishonorable or unchivalrous deeds. Although some Empaths may choose to attach moral significance to empathic shock, it is simply an automatic physiological reaction that arises by virtue of the Empath's heightened sensitivity to the life forces around him. If you lived in a cave for a year, and then wandered out into the noonday sun, the bright light would hurt your eyes, and you would be temporarily blinded. This is much like empathic shock, which is pain followed by a temporary insensitivity that is caused by over-stimulation of one's empathic senses.
- early guild mechanics that limited empathy to the transference of wounds: The Empathy skill used to be called "Transference." This is paralleled by the guild's own belief that empathy should be "channeled only into the transference of injuries, so as to prevent it from growing too great, as it has with [the First Empaths]." In the wake of Jomay, who was accused of spreading an empathic plague that maimed and killed hundreds, the Empaths' Guild attempted to eradicate knowledge of all other empathic powers from the public record. See Shift Debacle for a summary of this history.
Because early PC Empaths were generally helpless and totally reliant on other adventurers for training, protection, and income, a lot of ideas developed about how Empaths were supposed to be treated and how they were supposed to behave. This attitude has largely waned, as Empaths now have ways to train, defend themselves, and make money that don't involve other adventurers.
In short, there is nothing wrong with going the traditional route if you want, but the guild's lore allows for a lot more flexibility in character design. As GM Armifer put it, "Empathy doesn't make people nice."
How to Empath
Here is some recommended reading for those who are new to the guild or returning after a long break.
- Empath Healing: An explanation of how to heal others and yourself.
- Empathy skill: Includes a list of methods for training Empathy.
- Link ability: This ability allows Empaths to temporarily benefit from the increased skill of other adventurers. The persistent link is also required for certain advanced healing techniques. The guild does not teach this ability; you must learn it from another Empath.
- Manipulate ability: Using his empathic senses, the Empath can manipulate the minds of creatures, causing them to fight each other instead of the Empath. This provides the earliest method for killing creatures that are not constructs. It also allows you to train empathy in combat! Once you have about 50 ranks in effective empathy, you can learn this from another Empath.
- Perceive Health: At about 50 ranks (average of empathy and attunement), the Empath can begin to sense the life essences of those around them. This ability is very helpful, as you can sense even the most stealthy of beings. (However, you will not see the names of those who are in hiding, only that someone is there.) With more skill, you can see certain health details, such as disease, poison, or vitality loss. With high skill, you can sense people who are several rooms away. This teaches a small amount of empathy (less than healing or manipulation).
- Shift ability: This ability allows Empaths to permanently alter the appearance of other people. The guild does not teach shifting. Shifting is prohibited by the guild and is illegal in Zoluren and Therengia. Nonetheless, you can undergo a quest to learn this at 30th circle.
- Construct: Unlike living creatures and the undead, constructs are magically animated and have no life force. Therefore, Empaths can hunt them without experiencing empathic shock. To check whether something is a construct, PERCEIVE it. For a construct, it will say, "You sense that a [monster] will not cause shock if you attack it."
Dedicated Healer/Support Character
Suggested Spell and Feat Progression
Coming soon!
Combat Empath
I will continue to expand this, but for now, here is a suggested spell and magical feat progression for combat-oriented Empaths.
Suggested Spell and Feat Progression
The order takes into account spell slot costs and expected (minimum) magic ranks for each circle, indicated in the far-right column. You may be able to use spells earlier than listed here, especially with the mastery feats. I would recommend getting the cyclic spells (Guardian Spirit, Aesandry Darlaeth, and Regenerate) as early as you are able to cast them. (They require 200-250 ranks to begin casting with minimal mana.)
I have prioritized combat-oriented spells and included some spells that improve self-sufficiency/survivability. You may shift the order if you would like to emphasize healing ability more than I have.
How you spend your final slots is really a matter of personal preference. I like the mastery feats, because they let you channel more mana into spells than your skill would otherwise allow, and when you outgrow them, you can unlearn them and re-allocate those spell slots. For PvP combat, the recognition feats may be beneficial in that you can see what your opponent is doing (and try to react accordingly). Some people also recommend the "faster" prep feats, but I have heard that they only decrease spell prep time by a second.
| Circle | Spell | Effect/Comment | Cost | Prerequisites | Magic.Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heal Wounds | 1 | none | 3 | |
| 2 | Heal Scars | 1 | Heal Wounds | 6 | |
| 3 | 9 | ||||
| 4 | Refresh | -fatigue, +fatigue recovery | 2 | Heal Scars | 12 |
| 5 | 15 | ||||
| 6 | 18 | ||||
| 7 | Lethargy | pulsing fatigue damage (prereq) | 3 | Refresh | 21 |
| 8 | 24 | ||||
| 9 | Paralysis | non-damaging immobilizer (to train TM in anticipation of Guardian Spirit) | 2 | Lethargy | 27 |
| 10 | 30 | ||||
| 11 | Iron Constitution | -damage from serious hits (prereq, becomes good at high levels) | 2 | Heal Scars | 33 |
| 12 | 36 | ||||
| 13 | Gift of Life | +stamina, +empathy skill (prereq) | 2 | Refresh | 39 |
| 14 | 42 | ||||
| 15 | Aggressive Stance | +evasion skill, +brawling skill | 2 | Iron Constitution and Heart Link or Gift of Life | 45 |
| 16 | Blood Staunching | stops bleeding (prereq) | 1 | Heal Scars | 48 |
| 17 | 51 | ||||
| 18 | Vitality Healing | can be a life saver; you might want it even earlier | 2 | Heal Scars | 54 |
| 19 | Strange Arrow | prereq | 1 | none | 57 |
| 20 | Lay Ward | potency barrier against spells | 1 | Gauge Flow, Ease Burden or Strange Arrow | 60 |
| 22 | 66 | ||||
| 24 | Manifest Force | ablative physical damage barrier | 2 | Gauge Flow, Ease Burden or Strange Arrow | 72 |
| 26 | Cure Disease | 1 | Blood Staunching | 78 | |
| 28 | 84 | ||||
| 30 | Mental Focus | +intelligence, +concentration/recovery (prereq) | 2 | Heal Scars | 90 |
| 32 | Compel | forces target to leave room (prereq) | 1 | Mental Focus | 98 |
| 34 | 106 | ||||
| 36 | 114 | ||||
| 38 | Nissa's Binding | puts target to sleep (AoE debilitation) | 3 | Compel or Awaken | 122 |
| 40 | Deep Attunement | +harness regeneration | 1 | 100 Attunement, 100 Arcana | 130 |
| 42 | Efficient Harnessing | -harness cost | 1 | 100 Attunement, 100 Arcana | 138 |
| 44 | Innocence | forces target to disengage; prevents facing/advancing (prereq) | 1 | Iron Constitution | 146 |
| 46 | 154 | ||||
| 48 | 162 | ||||
| 50 | Tranquility | +discipline, +defense against vs. will/fortitude attacks (prereq) | 3 | Mental Focus | 170 |
| 52 | Vigor | +agility, +strength | 1 | Gift of Life | 178 |
| 54 | Utility Mastery | allows you to channel more mana into utility spells | 1 | 100 Utility, 100 Arcana | 186 |
| 56 | 194 | ||||
| 58 | Awaken | -stuns/unconsciousness | 2 | Mental Focus | 202 |
| 60 | Raw Channeling | power cyclics directly from attunement | 1 | 100 Attunement, 100 Arcana | 210 |
| 62 | Efficient Channeling | -cyclic cost | 1 | 100 Attunement, 100 Arcana | 218 |
| 64 | 226 | ||||
| 66 | Guardian Spirit | summons combat "pet" (cyclic, trains TM) | 2 | circle 20, Innocence and Compel or Paralysis | 234 |
| 68 | 242 | ||||
| 70 | 250 | ||||
| 72 | Aesandry Darlaeth | +reflex, +recovery from balance/immobilization/webbing (cyclic) | 3 | circle 20, Aggressive Stance | 260 |
| 74 | 270 | ||||
| 76 | 280 | ||||
| 78 | Perseverance of Peri'el | ablative vitality barrier (ritual) | 3 | circle 30, Tranquility and Iron Constitution | 290 |
| 80 | 300 | ||||
| 82 | Heal | heals most severe wounds/scars (prereq) | 2 | Vitality Healing | 310 |
| 84 | 320 | ||||
| 86 | Regenerate | gradually heals wounds/scars (cyclic, great for hunting) | 2 | circle 30, Heal | 330 |
| 88 | 340 | ||||
| 90 | Dispel | dispels one magical effect | 2 | two AP spells | 350 |
| 92 | Flush Poisons | especially after Poisons are released for alchemy | 1 | Blood Staunching | 360 |
| 94 | Magic Theorist | learn spells designed for other mana types | 1 | 100 Scholarship, 50 Arcana | 370 |
| 96 | Improved Memory | memorize a second spell scroll | 1 | 100 Scholarship, 100 Arcana | 380 |
| 98 | Sorcerous Patterns | -sorcerous backlash | 1 | 100 Sorcery, 100 Arcana | 390 |
| 100 | Targeted Mastery | allows you to channel more mana into TM spells | 1 | 100 TM, 100 Arcana | 400 |
| 102 | Debilitation Mastery | allows you to channel more mana into debilitation spells | 1 | 100 Debilitation, 100 Arcana | 410 |
| 105 | Augmentation Mastery | allows you to channel more mana into augmentation spells | 1 | 100 Augmentation, 100 Arcana | 425 |
| 108 | Warding Mastery | allows you to channel more mana into warding spells | 1 | 100 Warding, 100 Arcana | 440 |
| 111 | Legerdemain | easier to conceal spell preps | 1 | 50 Stealth, 50 Arcana | 455 |
| 114 | Alternate Preparation | prereq | 1 | 100 PM, 100 Arcana | 470 |
| 117 | Silent Preparation | can learn spell preps that are easy to conceal | 1 | Alternate Preparation, 100 Stealth, 100 Arcana | 485 |
| 120 | 500 | ||||
| 123 | 515 | ||||
| 126 | Fountain of Creation | heals all wounds/scars | 3 | circle 30, Heal | 530 |
| 129 | Burden | -strength | 1 | Gauge Flow, Ease Burden or Strange Arrow | 545 |
| 132 | Adaptive Curing | allows preemptive casting of Flush Poisons and Cure Disease | 1 | Cure Disease or Flush Poisons | 560 |
| 135 | 575 | ||||
| 138 | 590 | ||||
| 141 | 605 | ||||
| 144 | 620 | ||||
| 147 | 635 | ||||
| 150 | 650 |