Astral Flow

* **Obtained:** Summoner Level 1
* **Recast Time:** 2:00:00
* **Duration:** 0:03:00
* **/pet "Blood Pact Name" <t>**
* Since Astral Flow is a one hour special, some people prefer not to make a macro for it to prevent unintentional activation. Since Astral Flow no longer requires a summon to be active, use extreme caution.

## Notes/Description

* **Astral Flow** is a Summoner's Two Hour Ability.
* While active, Avatar Perpetuation Cost (the MP drain a Summoner normally incurs every 3 seconds whenever he/she has an avatar out) is reduced to zero for all summoned avatars and spirits. However, if the Summoner's MP ever remains at zero for any reason while an avatar is out (such as when following one of the below Astral Flow attacks that consumes all MP) and is not immediately restored in some way to an amount greater than zero, the avatar will automatically dismiss itself despite having no perpetuation cost. Be aware of this if you are using an avatar to tank.
	+ Only perpetuation cost is negated. MP is still required (and consumed) to initially summon avatars and invoke Blood Pacts.
	+ Any form of Refresh or Auto Refresh, no matter how slight, is sufficient to allow an avatar to stay active even after all MP has been consumed, and is by far the easiest way to accomplish this. Before the avatar is able to dismiss itself, at least 1 point of MP will always be regenerated, due to perpetuation costs being negated. It is a good idea for Summoners to carry with them at least one juice item, such as Melon Juice, in order to bestow a Refresh effect on themselves, especially at levels below 25 when they still do not possess Auto Refresh (and when other jobs are still too underdeveloped to grant a Refresh effect to the Summoner, as well). If you have a Destrier Beret, this will never be an issue as it grants auto-refresh prior to level 25.
* While active, each avatar gains the ability to perform their special Blood Pacts. They can be found under the Blood Pact: Rage category, and have the following names and effects:
	+ Carbuncle - Searing Light - AoE Light Damage
	+ Garuda - Aerial Blast - AoE Wind Damage
	+ Ifrit - Inferno - AoE Fire Damage
	+ Shiva - Diamond Dust - AoE Ice Damage
	+ Leviathan - Tidal Wave - AoE Water Damage
	+ Titan - Earthen Fury - AoE Earth Damage
	+ Ramuh - Judgment Bolt - AoE Lightning Damage
	+ Fenrir - Howling Moon - AoE Darkness Damage
	+ Diabolos - Ruinous Omen - AoE Darkness Damage. **Note**: The damage dealt is a random percentage of the targets' current HP levels. Ruinous Omen can never directly cause enough damage to defeat its target(s).
	+ Alexander - Perfect Defense **OOE**
	+ Odin - Zantetsuken (ability) **OOE**
	+ Cait Sith - Altana's Favor **OOE**
* In order to use the above Blood Pacts (except Perfect Defense and Zantetsuken (ability)), the user must have MP = (current job level \* 2). For example, a level 50 Summoner must have at least 100 MP available. If the summoner has insufficient MP, the Blood Pact command may be issued and the avatar will ready the attack, but it will not execute. If Astral Flow wears off after issuing the command but before the avatar uses the attack, it will also fail to execute. If either of these events occurs, any MP the Summoner did have is retained and does not drop to zero.
* Upon usage of any of the above Blood Pacts, all of the Summoner's MP is consumed. Despite this variable MP cost, the amount of MP consumed by these Blood Pacts has no effect on how much damage they deal. Any extra MP over the amount necessary to use the special Blood Pact is essentially wasted.
* The special Blood Pacts only usable during Astral Flow inflict magical damage, and can therefore be resisted, but will not miss (as long as its intended target is within range of the attack). They may also be used to perform Magic Bursts, similar to standard offensive magic spells.
	+ Damage inflicted by these attacks can be reduced by Shell and other "magic damage taken -%" effects.
	+ Damage inflected by these attacks can be increased with Magic Attack Bonus gear or Avatar Magical Attack merits.
	+ Damage inflicted by these attacks is not reduced by the number of targets hit, as is the case with Black Magic.
	+ Damage inflicted by these attacks is not affected by TP.
* While active, Elemental Spirits do not obtain any new Blood Pacts, but they cast magic far more quickly, and the AI's chance to use more powerful spells increases.
	+ According to {{Spirit Spell Casting Time}}: it decreases the time by 5 seconds.

## Monsters using Astral Flow

* Generally, this ability behaves differently than the Astral Flow used by players. In most cases, upon usage of the ability, the monster will immediately summon an avatar with zero casting time, regardless of whether or not they already have an avatar out (meaning they can have two avatars out at the same time), and the newly summoned avatar will immediately perform its appropriate special Blood Pact, with little to no charge-up time. Afterward, the avatar will dismiss itself. The avatar summoned with Astral Flow cannot be attacked, stunned or otherwise prevented from using its Blood Pact. The damage done by these Blood Pacts can range from moderate to devastating, sometimes even able to K.O. players at full HP. In addition, the AoE range of monster Astral Flow Blood Pacts is significantly larger than the range they have when players use them; it extends far enough to hit mages in the party that aren't keeping maximum casting distance.
	+ Even though Astral Flow generally lasts long enough for players to perform at least three Blood Pacts, most monsters will generally only use one such Blood Pact, immediately when Astral Flow is triggered, as indicated above. However, some monsters may use more, and some others may even be able to trigger Astral Flow multiple times.
* Other monsters, such as Summoner enemies inside Dynamis areas, behave more like players do, and will use Astral Flow to trigger a Blood Pact with the avatar that they already have summoned (they do not summon a second avatar for Astral Flow). As a result, these avatars can be attacked and prevented from using their Blood Pacts, most commonly done via an attack that inflicts sleep.
	+ Due to the potentially devastating damage these Blood Pacts can cause, along with the fact that the damage done to each target is not dispersed (reduced) with more targets as it is with standard AoE magic, Astral Flow is one of the greatest potential threats to a Dynamis group, capable of wiping out a good portion of the alliance instantly, and in the worst cases, cause a gradual full wipe, if the avatar is allowed to use its Blood Pact. Most groups consider it absolutely vital to keep enemy avatars asleep at all times until their masters have been defeated. It is a team effort; the mages must watch for avatars and sleep them promptly, while the melees must be careful not to attack sleeping avatars and defeat their masters quickly.