Mechanist

This circle is available to Arcanist Mechanists, Channelers, Illusionists, and Wizards.

The Arcane Prime spell circle encompasses all the basic precepts of the Arcane sphere. Generally prime lists have many simple spells that demonstrate the general rotes and rules of the sphere in question. Arcane Prime spells are divided up into two catagories: cantrips and rotes. Arcane Prime cantrips are smaller spells known particularly for flashier effects; while Arcane Prime rotes are simply minor spells which demonstrate Arcane concepts.

Number	Name	Cost	Description
ap01	Essence Twist	1	Using the arcane energy inherit in the aether, the caster converts it into a weapon, causing it to strike at his foe.
ap02	Arcane Shock	1	The caster builds up the essence in his own body and then forcefully expels it towards his enemy, causing damage. This can be invested with extra effort by adding 1, 2 or 3 modifier when cast (e.g. cast <target> 3). Damage will scale accordingly, as will roundtime.
ap03	Motes Cantrip	3	This spell surrounds the user with motes of light that enhance abilities, defense, but at the cost of becoming more susceptible to damage of specific types. The wearer feels the increase in that static that is affected.
ap04	Lesser Instill	4	Slightly and temporarily improves the quality of an item, allowing the item to perform its purpose more effectively. The bonus scales with sorcery skill.
ap05	Rigid Essence	5	Instant-cast spell that allows the mage to disrupt the essence within the target, giving the target round time.
ap07	Arcane Mastery	7	The wizard traces a series of arcane symbols in the air and becomes more in touch with the arcane realm. There is an increase in the sorcery skill. The bonus scales with sorcery skill.
ap09	Elemental Protection	9	This rote is the manipulation of essence into a form that impedes the progression of centralized elemental substances within the barrier. Through essence-bending, or the localized and unstable formation of essence around the caster, an elemental substance such as fire is interfered and thus diminished, although not quite nullified. Unstable is key, for a stable shell of essence in the same form will allow incorporeal substances to pass freely. The amount of resistance scales with sorcery skill.
ap11	Force Field	11	This self-cast spell allows a mage to use his essence to build and maintain a wall that absorbs attacks. While it prevents critical wounds, the wall is not perfect and depends upon the mage's sorcery skill for its defensive capabilities.
ap13	Create Glyph	13	Pure essence, without proper manipulation, is disruptive. If such unrefined essence is made to contact with certain materials – especially metals – on a certain fixed area, the create glyph cantrip will rearrange a tiny fraction of the surface of the substance in tune with the caster's personal essence flow. This coin-sized area on the object is known as a glyph, and is often used to show ownership. It is invisible to the naked eye; however, if the item upon which this spell is cast already has a glyph, this spell will reveal the glyph's ownership. With lengthy study in this circle, the glyph can remain permanent.
ap17	Essence Field	12	This spell gives the wizard a stronger connection to the weave, allowing him to replenish his essence at a faster rate so as not to slow down his procedures and spells.
ap19	Lesser Equilibrium	19	This spell alters the flow of essence within the wizard, increasing its essence reserves. The spell's effect scales with sorcery skill.
ap30	Arcane Grand Mastery	Ultimate	This spell is temporarily disabled pending class revisions.

This circle is available to Arcanist Mechanists.

Number	Name	Cost	Description
vrv01	Lesser Force Enhancement	1	By leveraging his understanding of mechanical forces, the arcanist augments the force of a mechanism with essence. The bonus scales with sorcery skill.
vrv03	Trap Disruption	20	The arcanist manifests a reflective metallic fluid that interferes with traps, making them easier to disarm. The bonus scales with sorcery skill.
vrv08	Lesser Accuracy Enhancement	8	The arcanist creates a lens of air about a mechanical device that seeks out matter before it, increasing the accuracy of the device. The bonus scales with sorcery skill.
vrv10	Skyfire Evocation	2	The arcanist augments the already electric nature of a skyfire topaz or electric prod, evoking a bolt of electricity. The bolt of electricity gains benefit from Force Enhancement and Accuracy spells. This spell can be invested with extra effort by adding 1, 2 or 3 modifier when cast (e.g. cast <target> 3). Damage will scale accordingly, as will roundtime.
vrv13	Pyre Diamond Evocation	10	The arcanist evokes flame from a pyre diamond or fire starting gloves, bringing forth a gout of flame that sets an enemy on fire. The gout of flame gains benefit from Force Enhancement and Accuracy spells. The duration of the flames scales with sorcery skill.

This circle is available to Arcanist Mechanists.

Number	Name	Cost	Description
vvg01	Alchemical Arcana	1	This spell allows the alchemist to gain greater insight into the weave, opening up alchemical feats that would be otherwise impossible.
vvg02	Metal Essence Infusion	50	This spell allows the alchemist to infuse generic powder with the essence of a metal ingot or ore the alchemist is holding.
vvg03	Lesser Metal Control	15	This spell allows the alchemist to modify his internal chemistry, unlocking the defensive benefits of metal essence elixirs.
vvg15	Osmosis	12	Casting this spell on a potion, the alchemist receives the effects of drinking the brew without actually consuming it. He does incur a chance of destroying the potion.

So, you want to be a mechanist? Really? All right, let me give you a taste of what you have got in store. Spells, gadgets, weapons, flying, potions, lock picking and traps.

Sure, all that stuff sounds neat and fun, but trust me, it is more of a pain than it is worth. Pinch your fingers in a gyrocopter, or blow your hand off with a wrongly mixed potion and you will see what I mean. Well, lets get into the nitty gritty, maybe I can dissuade you there.

Spells, ahh, spells. Magicks (I detest them for the most part) are not critical to a mechanist, but they are fun to have around. Mechanists can learn four circles. That is all, four. Arcane Prime, Via Teg, Via Min Vadis, and Via Vas Glym.

Arcane Prime and Via Teg are probably the two best circles to take as a beginner, offering basic offensive and defensive spells with only a few minutes of learning.

Arcane Prime is basic cantrips of the arcane sphere, offering mostly building blocks and basic knowledge that will help greatly with the more advanced spells and circles.

Via Teg is earth magicks, an elemental circle that manipulates the ground itself.

The more advanced circles are Via Min Vadis, lesser enchanting and Via Vas Glym, the mechanist spells. I would recommend picking up Via Vas Glym when you can, and Via Min Vadis later on. Via Vas Glym offers spells that are more advantageous over Via Min Vadis. At least in my opinion.

Besides magic, mechanists tend to be a sort of mechanical geniuses, able to figure out the workings of intricate devices and repair them.

There are several devices that are available over Thrael which fall into two basic categories, those for combat and utility machines. Combat devices are such things as retractable claws, called brrragas by rehar, automatic crossbows, prods and wrist launchers. Only a few of those are real weapons, but each can help you in combat. Utility mechanisms include spyglasses, lock blasters, gyrocopters, alarms and cameras obscura. Some of these may also be used in combat, in a non-hostile way, for instance, the gyrocopter can help you avoid the blows from a hostile opponent, and spyglasses can tell if a jealous husband or hostile enemy is on their way. Alarms are wonderful way to keep uninvited guests out of your inn room while you are napping.

Important to remember if you choose to use the devices is that they will break and you will need tools to repair them. For the most part, what you need is just your basic lock smithing tool kit: wrench, screwdriver, and pliers. Those three are the most commonly used for repairs.

Mechanists are also clever with the most common device – locks. Lock picking is an entirely different animal than most things, for locks on boxes exist from the intricately complex to the infinitely simple. The main tool in lock picking is, of course, the lock pick. One essential part of lock picking to remember is that most locks resist being opened without their key. Their original owners put traps in the mechanisms to dissuade the smithy from opening them without permission. Therefore, the mechanist or thief must show the proper amount of caution.

There are certain tools used for disarming, but you can use many that you have already purchased for repairing. The additions are the file, rod and snips. There are toolboxes available to carry your precious instruments, and they help you make yourself look like you know what you are doing.

Mechanists are not really the most proficient in combat, but they can hold their own. The three main roads for mechanists in combat that seem to work best are archery, knives and rapiers, and thrown weapons. I tend to think of these as the mechanist weapon classes because there is a device that fits into each class. For archery, you have the choice to use a longbow, short bow, crossbow or the mechanist variant, an automatic crossbow. The longbow and short bow are easier to use for most, the crossbow being more complex and requiring more time in use. The automatic crossbow offers a faster rate of fire over the standard crossbow, but can jam occasionally which will require time and effort to repair, and is most difficult when running from an enraged orc.

Knives and rapiers are self-explanatory. You try to stab your opponent more than they stab you. However, like most things, mechanists have their own take on this method. Retractable claws, or brrragas, are quite effective and leave your hands free for other things, be it a shield or a crossbow. The claws have a tendency to spontaneously retract, and can jam when you try to extend them. There is a certain risk in using them, but as in all combat, the risk is already present.

Thrown weapons are sort of a challenge. Almost anything is throw-able, so the options open to a pursuer of this art is quite broad. Mechanists have a few weapons that they can use specifically for throwing and they deliver a good effect with success. Recommended thrown weapons would be daggers or knives and the devices available to mechanists.

The final part of combat is the spells we have open to us. With only four circles, our choice is a little limited, but there are some rather good combat spells available.

A few of the direct combat spells would be the first two in the Via Teg circle. Be careful though, the second spell in the circle will only work if there are chunks of rock (created with the first spell) or gems to have any effect on the target. Later on, the Via Teg circle offers stone spear, which is a much-improved version of the basic spells. One defensive spell falls between the two offensive spell, and the always popular petrification spell. Bear in mind though that the guard considers petrifying others as a magik offense and is illegal as such.

Via Vas Glym also offers two offensive spells, one that causes acid to cling to the target and eat away for a period of time, and the other called destabilize. This spell is meant to be used in combination with potions, and as such can be very time consuming. The spell is cast at the vial or flask, which spontaneously explodes hitting most everything present. The effectiveness is based off of the complexity of the potion. Personally I am not a big fan of this spell and do not know a lot about it for that reason. However, it is a personal matter.

There are also many, many tags available to mechanists. Tags are taught by many of the merchants and wanderers in the lands and a way we increase our skills. If you go up to a merchant and ask him nicely to train you (train with ), if he can help you, he will, for a price. Some tags are very expensive, some are reasonable, no learning comes cheap. Some tags we can learn are Academician, which increases our Lore skills, or Apprentice Mechanic, our Mechanism skills. Again, some tags are for combat like Pugalist, True Eye or Fencer.

The last essential facet of mechanists is potions and enchanting. Potions, like gadgets, are mostly a mechanist domain, as we are also called alchemists by some in the know. There are four basic types of potions: neutralizers, catalysts, extenders and modifiers. Neutralizers make mixing potions much easier, but the stronger the neutralizer, the strong the catalyst needs to be. Another important fact is that if you use a neutralizer, you must use a catalyst for the potion to have any effect. I realize that I have been redundant many times about this fact within my dissertation, but be forewarned, if you mess up a potion badly enough, they can react violently and Calan has replaced more than one hand for me as a result of an exploding flask. Try keeping them on the ground when you mix them, you can do much more without your toes.

Lastly, I would like to touch on enchanting. This is probably the most mystical side of mechanists. Mechanists are not great enchanters, but do have some basic skills in the art.

Via Min Vadis is the lesser enchanting circle, and it allows the creation of wands and amulets and the ability to infuse spells into them. However, the caster must draw upon their known spells for the infusion, which limits us much more than the average wizard.

The Via Vas Glym circle offers one spell that can harden the blade of a weapon, making it sharper and easier for the wielder to use. Do remember that payment for such services can be quite rewarding, but the process is time consuming and creating a quality amulet or wand is an immense undertaking.

There! This is mechanists at a glance. Become one at your own risk. The path provides several unique challenges and rewards unavailable to the other professions. I would end this with a statement from The Lord of Ways, otherwise known as Kel, but there really are not that many and I doubt doing so would be very well accepted. He has blessed us with logical minds and for that I, Zylic Naekuit, say, "Amen."