Mysticism Amendment - Spiriting

[The King Of The Moon 5122]

Purpose

As currently written, spiriting is arguably the least practical spell in all of mysticism. A screenshot of the ability as it stands in current mystic blade lore, coupled with an explanation of why this ability is so lacklustre to the point of near uselessness is detailed in the spoiler below. I strongly recommend reading it before the revised version, in order to fully grasp the incentive behind this overhaul as well as the justifications for the buff this amendment intents.

Spoiler

Making up one of the four mystic blade exclusive spells (which requires dedicating a full additional magic slot to mysticism), spiriting's current functionality boils down to allowing a mystic blade to strike incorporeal ghosts and wights in a less effective manner than an aurum. 
 

This comes at the cost of one liturgy, of which mystic blades have five.

It should come as no surprise then that in the two years I have RP’d a mystic blade, the mass accessibility of aurum has made it so that to date my character has yet to have use for this spell. I have not yet heard of another mystic which has. Coupled with the realistically rare circumstances in which a mystic actually encounters an incorporeal spectre that they have reason to fight with, and do not have aurum, magic items or spells from other sources handy to do the job without wasting a liturgy slot, I think it is safe to assume the spell as written will not be missed. 

Acknowledging that in roleplay aesthetic and form can at times be just as important as function, I should also stress that the spell offers very little in terms of flavour to mystic blades as is; well surmised in the words of Barrowlord Dreikhâr:
  

As is stands, the only style points the spell have been able to offer are from its ability to make a weapon look hindered. Something which can already be achieved at no cost with another mystic spell... Hindering.

An important aspect of this rework is not only to give the spell more functionality, but also what I hope will be a far superior aesthetic tool to mystic blades than the current form of spiriting: a spectral toolkit that can be employed both in combat and in other scenarios where mystic blades can shine (or, gleam) now equipped with ghostly hammers pounding metal in blacksmithing forges, phantasmal chisels hacking away at menhir sculptures, spectral arrows sent whirring across training ranges and so on.

In addition, the piece hopes to encourage further adoption of mysticism's 'amputation' rite, wherein a wight replaces a mystic's limb with a meek ghostly mimicry. Such is also presently underused for a slew of other reasons, chiefly because the costs outweigh the benefits - especially for the more 'physical' users of mystic blades - thanks to the '10 pound' limit on spectral limbs' strength. This piece means to allow mystic blades a way to supersede to overcome that uselessness without needing to compensate with an added prosthetic from other lore (as is universally deployed right now). By adding a unique benefit to such, this addition hopes to make ceremonious flesh-sacrifices (wherein a character's day-to-day life is irreparably changed by mysticism) more widespread for knightly members of the synod.

 

Spiriting

Ever prepared for their duty as Ebritean knight-errants, a mystic blade is capable of blessing their weapons and, if amputated, even forming solid tools of ectoplasm in a less refined mimicry of Walling. These weapons are corporeal and damaging, readily capable of battling men and phantoms alike.

 

- Mystics may channel one liturgy worth of ectoplasm around a touched weapon or similar object, ‘blessing’ it and allowing it to hold a presence within the Elysian, over the course of two emotes in which movement must be halved and the object uncovered. This would allow the weapon to make physical contact with phantoms even should they be intangible, bearing to it a dim gleam alike to that of a hindered object. The effect will last for ten turns following the blade's imbuement without requiring concentration or touch, not burning the phantom upon contact as aurum does, but only damaging them like a normal weapon damages a mortal. Should a killing blow be struck on an undead creature, spiriting would also allow a mystic blade to either recuperate one liturgy of ectoplasm or one soul fragment (mimicking saturation on living targets) as they prefer. If handled by an amputated limb, these 'blessed' objects ignore the usually restricted strength imposed on ghostly appendages, able to be handled by the mystic blade with the same competence as a limb made of flesh.
 
- Those that bear an amputated limb are able to utilise spiriting to a greater extent, able to funnel one (noncombat) to two (combat) liturgies worth of ectoplasm in their empty grasp to form a spectral tool with the same applications as a ‘blessed’ weapon, over the course of two emotes in which they must keep perfectly still with their phantom limb outstretched. This glassy implement can take the shape of any non-complex solid object, always tangible and of a similar density to ferrum. It cannot be heated, oiled, enchanted or otherwise ‘enhanced’ in any fashion. In that regard complex or flexible mechanisms like crossbows and bows cannot be functionally replicated with spiriting, though sharp or blunt tools and weapons such as knives, swords, hammers and even arrows could be. This object will last for ten turns following the tool’s creation without requiring focus, unless willingly dismissed earlier or hand contact is broken with the object - causing it to disappear after two emotes unless picked up again - or if the tool is shattered by any kinetic blow that would feasibly shatter ferrum. 

 

• The tool will never become invisible/intangible, only adopting a ghost-like aesthetic or gleam similar to an object that is hindered/saturated. 
• Spiriting can only 'create' temporary objects should the mystic blade have undergone Amputation at the hands of a wight. 
• A weapon blessed or made from spiriting has no effects upon mortals beyond what it would do normally.
• Whilst there is no minimum size for tools, implements made from spiriting may be of no more mass would be found in a polehammer or similarly sized object that the mystic blade could feasibly wield (objects can be made proportional to the mystic blade's race).
• Whilst a buckler or kite shield is also possible, tower shields or any form of worn armour or clothing are not; the tool must explicitly stay in-hand lest it dissipate after two emotes from being let go. This also applies to the 'blessing' variant of this spell, which can only be done to held items.
• Tools made from spiriting weigh the same as their mundane counterparts and obey the laws of physics as normal, thus requiring the strength to wield effectively.
• Only one tool can be made at a time from spiriting. 

[christman 2303]

yeah i agree with this plsplspls

[TheWhiteWolf 1028]

Yes 100%

[Carson 936]

this... would be massively useful

[squakhawk 7887]

Amendments/Additions implemented into main lore post. 

 

-Specified ghostly/spectral undead rather than undead-undead in regards to the killing blow.

-changed turns to emotes.

-clarified summoned objects are dispelled by aurum.

-removed line regarding blessed objects ignoring restricted strength on ghostly appendages.