Daenks/Meridian59_103 — pull request #168 by M59Gar (2014-01-04 19:27:11+00:00)
Title: Crystalize Mana interface fix

Crystalize Mana is a very difficult to use spell. The fact that it's an
Area Enchantment song makes it conflict with other CM users, and it's
also easy for enemies to disrupt. It also takes a long time to fill a
crystal, and the whole process almost becomes not worth it. As a player,
I can't even count the number of times I just skipped making a crystal
altogether because it was too annoying or not feasible due to the presence
of discording enemies. That seems like a silly reason not to employ
a Level 6 flagship spell. So, I came up with this.

This change will make Crystalize Mana into a mana-based equivalent of
Second Wind. Crystalize Mana will give its caster 100% of his max mana
when cast, but the spell can also trigger automatically at low mana for
the same effect. Triggered activations do not cost vigor or reagents.
A spell cast triggering a mana surge will succeed and take mana from
your new amount. A jala song will trigger a surge just before it runs
out of mana, and then continue being sung without a hitch.

The caster receives 100% his max mana from a surge, but his maximum mana
becomes equal to his initial mana (15 - 25) for between 3.3 and 6.6 minutes
depending on his ability in the spell. This means that mana will degenerate
and run out quickly in combat, and then the mage will be out of commission
for a short time, so he better plan wisely. Circlets and other mana raising
effects will not alleviate the mana fatigue effect.

Current Crystalize Mana gives 130% of max mana, but I've lowered it to 100%.
The spell will instead add up to 20 base max mana exactly like how
Second Wind adds up to 20 base max vigor. That means a mage with
20 mana will have 40, a mage with 128 will have 148, and so on.

Crystalize Mana ignores equipped Circlets when calculating max mana,
but the full bonus (40 mana) of a circlet is given to all casters in the equation.
This means you get mana as if you are wearing a circlet, whether you're
wearing one or not. This is to mirror old CM's behavior, which let you
increase the mana in your crystal by wearing a circlet, and then let you
use that same crystal later whether you had a circlet or not.

Crystalize Mana also no longer requires a lute, and cannot fizzle.

These changes are intended to remove the interface limitations of a
spell that was hampered by Jala song restrictions. At Level 6 in a
poorly filled out school, Crystalize Mana deserves to be simple,
awesome, and good at what it is supposed to do. This new design should
give it those qualities.