Arcane Theory

There are several ways how to see spellcasting. As an innate ability, as a gift from the gods, as a mark of power, as an art or many others. Sorcerers who specialize in arcane theory view spellcasting more like sort of science. Arcane theory consists of study of spellcasting techniques, the most efficient ways to perform magical gestures, knowledge of most basic principles of magic. Basically seeking to understand how magic actually works. Study of arcane theory involves deeper understanding of channelling, dispelling, spellcasting in general and overall magic control. Just knowing the basics of underlying arcane theory decreases manacost of all sorcerer's spells by 3% due to better understanting of mana and knowledge of ways to use it more efficiently.

Improved Arcane Theory

Deeper knowledge of arcane theory allows you to use even more efficient gestures and spellcasting techniques, decreasing manacost of all your spells by further 3%.

Extended Arcane Theory

Further study of arcane theory provides sorcerer with additional techniques to increase efficiency of mana spending. Extended arcane theory reduces manacost of all spells by additional 4%, in addition to previous levels of arcane theory.

Enhanced Arcane Theory

Getting more knowledgeable of arcane theory allows you to use even more efficient gestures and mental patterns. When you transform raw mana into a spell, enhanced arcane theory reduces mana requirement by further 4%, in addition to all other manacost reductions.

Advanced Arcane Theory

Advanced arcane theory is the goal of arcane theory studies. Perfect knowledge of spellcasting principles allows you to cast spells for further 5% less mana than usual (in addition to previous levels of arcane theory), and also enables access to more advanced techniques of spellcasting and everything related to it.

Channelling

Manachannel is one of the most often used skills for sorcerers, and also it is one of the most common causes of casualities in ranks of this class. Arcane theory provides a bit of remedy against these problems with this skill. Knowledge of channelling greatly reduces chance of failure of manachannel and also effectively negates chance of collapsing from too big channel, supporting the effect of stable channel skill. More thorough knowledge of channelling can also make channelling more effective, see higher levels of this skill for details.

Improved Channelling

Building on knowledge of principles of channelling, this upgrade makes manachannel more effective, adding 2% more mana from channelled hitpoints than usual.

Extended Channelling

Increased efficiency of channelling provided by this skill adds 3% more mana to the amount gained from channelling hitpoints. This is in addition to bonus from improved channelling.

Enhanced Channelling

Further expanding the idea of efficient channelling, enhanced channelling adds further 5% bonus to mana gained from channelled hitpoints. Enhanced channelling is also necessary to understand the principles of mana flow which are required for higher arcane skills.

Advanced Channelling

Advanced channelling provides understanding of the ways mana flows through time and space and how it can be controlled, directed and focused. Better focusing of manachannel increases its efficiency by further 10%, in addition to previous levels of channelling.

Dispelling

Dispel magic is commonly used spell but it has huge requirements on one's mana reserves, especially when trying to dispel nightblade enchants. Study of arcane theory branch provides you with knowledge of various ways how magic works, and dispelling is one side of arcane theory. This skill allows you to better focus your magic, increasing power of your dispels by 10%. So you can either use less mana to reach the same effect or get stronger effect for the same amount of mana.

Improved Dispelling

Adding 10% to dispel power with dispelling skill is nice, but it is in no way definitive amount. Improved dispelling adds further 15% to it, making your dispels even more powerful, and you can learn even stronger techniques to make your dispels really devastating. Just keep on studying arcane theory in general and dispelling in particular.

Extended Dispelling

Further study of the ways how dispel works bears its fruit. With extended dispelling, your dispel power is increased by additional 25%, cumulative with previous dispelling skills. Note that those bonuses are multiplicative (as most of the other such bonuses, in fact), so with extended dispelling your total bonus to dispel power is +58% on average (1.10 x 1.15 x 1.25).

Enhanced Dispelling

Deeper knowledge of working of dispel allow you to increase power of your dispels to levels undreamed of by other characters. Enhanced dispelling increases your dispelling power by incredible 40%, making your dispel more than twice as powerful in combination with previous levels of dispelling than casters who don't study arcane theory.

Advanced Dispelling

Advanced dispelling is reaching the limit of dispelling powers. Knowledge of this skill increases power of your dispels by further 60%, which means that your dispels are more than three and half as much powerful as those who are not versed in arts of dispelling. Also note that all those dispelling skills not only increase power of your dispels but they also increase resistance of dispel blockers you cast, if you decide to learn them. Talking here about spells like enchant lock and spell lock. Advanced dispelling also provides knowledge required for greater control over spells which can be further extended by highly advanced skills like arcane shield and then arcane vortex, which is sort of holy grail for all practitioners of Arcane Theory.

Arcane Mastery

This skill invokes the idea that it is one of the most powerful skills in Arcane Theory, but this is actually a misunderstanding. It should have been named "arcane power mastery" or something like this but current name stuck, for it sounds so powerful and intimidating to those not versed in Arcane Theory. Arcane mastery reduces the damage you take from hits when you are using your arcane power. Basic version of arcane mastery provides 10% reduction.

Improved Arcane Mastery

Upgrade to arcane mastery skill, improved arcane mastery reduces additional damage caused by arcane power by further 20%, in addition to reduction from arcane mastery.

Extended Arcane Mastery

Deeper knowledge of arcane power allows you to better handle all the drawbacks of this skill, so that when you get hit while you use your arcane power, the increased damage caused by arcane power is reduced by additional 20%, cumulative with previous levels of arcane mastery.

Enhanced Arcane Mastery

Enhanced arcane mastery is fourth upgrade to arcane mastery, providing additional 20% reduction to increased damage caused by arcane power. Of course cumulative with previous levels of arcane mastery.

Advanced Arcane Mastery

Arcane power caused countless deaths among sorcerers. But those who study Arcane Theory thoroughly enough to reach this skill do not need to fear any further. Previous levels of arcane mastery reduced the damage from arcane power pretty significantly but still it can hurt a lot. With advanced arcane mastery, damage increase from arcane power is completely eliminated.

Detect Enchantments

As much as most spells are cast at enemies or friends, there are some spells that cause long-term effects in an area, regardless of who may or may not be in that place. Many of those have clearly visible effects but plenty are hidden. With detect enchantments spell the sorcerer can see all such magic for what it really is and how long is it going to remain there.

Dispel Area

When there is some bad enchant active in the room, it may cause quite a lot of troubles. Until invention of this spell, it was mostly impossible to get rid of such enchant, only way was to just go away. Dispel area attempts to destroy all enchantments in the room.

Dispel Item

Deep insight into the principles of dispelling allows you to modify dispel magic to work not only on characters but also on items.

Arcane Attunement

Knowledge of deepest principles of arcane theory allows you to attune yourself to the arcane energies permeating the universe and tapping to their power occasionally. This connection increases your manaregen rate by 5% initially as you are able to capture small part of the arcane energies flowing through your body.

Improved Arcane Attunement

This skill improves the abbility to attune yourself to flow of arcane energies, providing additional 5% boost to your manaregen rate.

Extended Arcane Attunement

Even deeper knowledge of arcane energies. Understanding of extended arcane attunement increases your manaregen rate by additional 5%, cumulative with previous levels of arcane attunement.

Enhanced Arcane Attunement

Enhanced arcane attunement provides nearly perfect understanding of arcane energies and thus allows to capture even more of them to boost your manaregen rate. With this skill your manaregen is 10% faster, of course cumulative with previous levels of arcane attunement.

Advanced Arcane Attunement

Perfect understanding of arcane energies allows you to support your manaregen from the arcane flows permeating the whole universe, increasing your manaregen rate by additional 25%. This knowledge is also required to twist and warp arcane flows to form an arcane vortex.

Dispel Direction

When combatants start using chaos blast, quite often it causes really bad effects like firewall or deathwall. Other branches of legendary skills have some ways how to deal with them, usually turning these enchants to their own benefits. Arcane Theory provides a way how to just clear the way regardless of the effects present there.

Channel Mastery

Combining knowledge of channelling with arcane mastery gave rise to another skill, known as channel mastery. While manachannel allows the sorcerer to continue casting even when normal mana reserves are exhausted, it delays the spellcasting. With channel mastery the sorcerer is able to cast spells sooner after manachannel.

Improved Channel Mastery

Improving upon the basic channel mastery the sorcerer can recover from manachannel even faster.

Extended Channel Mastery

Deeper knowledge of the principles of channelling provided by extended channel mastery reduces the manachannel delay even further.

Enhanced Channel Mastery

With enhanced understanding of channel mastery the sorcerer can resume spellcasting even sooner.

Advanced Channel Mastery

Knowledge of even the most obscure aspects of mana channel is highly desirable for all those who want to use mana channel very often. Advanced channel mastery is the final advance and with all the previous upgrades it can reduce delay after manachannel to half.

Arcane Shield

Knowledge of arcane energies allows you to even start shaping those energies to some degree. Arcane shield shapes the arcane fields around you so that every incoming magic damage is partially dissipated before hitting you, reducing all magic damage dealt to you by 10%. It is not without cost, however. When you activate your arcane shield, your spells need to overcome it as well, forcing you to spend 5% more mana for every spell.

Improved Arcane Shield

Building on the knowledge of basics of arcane shield, this skill provides some tips and tricks how to make arcane shield more effective, providing additional 10% to its shield, thus reducing incoming magic damage by 20% instead of 10% only.

Extended Arcane Shield

This skill provides further tricks how to shape arcane energies to make even stronger arcane shield. This extension adds 10 percentage points to the power of your arcane shield, reaching up to 30% reduction of incoming magic damage.

Enhanced Arcane Shield

Even deeper knowledge of arcane energies allows you to shape energy flows significantly better, increasing power of your arcane shield by additional 20 percentage points, to a total of 50%.

Advanced Arcane Shield

Advanced arcane shield makes you nearly invulnerable to magic damage. The final upgrade increases strength of arcane shield by additional 30 percentage points, making the final reduction 80% on average. Also the knowledge of the ways how to shape flow of arcane energies allows you to learn arcane vortex, the greatest achievement in magic control.

Dispel Enchant

No more repeated dispels and then re-enchanting all beneficial enchantments. With dispel enchant you can dispel only selected enchant, like curse, decay, death bed or whatever.

Arcane Tunnelling

Knowledge of the flow of arcane energies gave rise to the attempts to harness those energies to deliver spells to the target without those pesky space distortions and similar effects getting in the way. Afterall if you can form arcane fields so that there will be direct line from you to your target, then it should be possible to bypass such defenses. And this research produced arcane tunnelling skill. When you enable castmode arcane tunnelling, your spells will cost 50% more mana to create the tunnel and will have 20% chance to go through this tunnel, bypassing space distortion, blinking and similar effects. Unfortunately this doesn't work against magic mirror and similar reflection effects, it only prevents the target to evade the spell.

Improved Arcane Tunnelling

The ability to bypass blinking and space distortion is quite useful but with 20% chance it not much for half again increase in manacost. Improved arcane tunelling is refinement of tunnelling technique which increases chance of successfull tunnelling from 20% to 40%.

Extended Arcane Tunnelling

Further refinement of arcane tunnelling techniques. With this skill the chance of tunnelling is increased to 60%, so more than half of spells should on average pass through the tunnel, making castmode cost worth its power.

Enhanced Arcane Tunnelling

Enhanced arcane tunnelling allows you to make even more reliable tunnel via shaping the arcane fields, thus increasing chance of spell going through the tunnel to 80%. But there are still some further tricks to be learned.

Advanced Arcane Tunnelling

Advanced arcane tunnelling finally allows creation of stable arcane fields to direct your spells right to the victim, ignoring their blinking and space distortion effects completely.

Spell Lock

Spell lock has been developed as a response against dispelling. When character with spell lock is hit by a dispel, the spell lock intercepts it and tries to block it, losing some of its power in the process. If there is some power left in the lock after dealing with the dispel, the lock continues to hold. Even if the lock is broken, the dispel is still significantly weakened.

Disenchant Item

Combining the principle behind dispel item and dispel enchant, it becomes possible to dispel only specified enchant from an item.

Enchant Lock

Spell lock tries to protect all the enchantments on the target, but unfortunately it is protecting even those you would like to get rid of. If you use spell lock on your comrade and enemy caster hits him/her with something like decay or death bed, you will have pretty tough time removing this bad enchant. Enchant lock is focused version of spell lock, it protects just one enchant. Think of sanctuary or fireshield. Or locking enemy's curse or poison to prevent the enemy from dispeling it. Furthermore, enchant lock comes into action only after spell lock is broken if there is one, so together these two spells can make huge difference. It is possible to lock multiple enchants with multiple use of enchant lock, but you cannot lock another enchant lock. Also enchant lock doesn't protect against removal by dedicated spells, like remove curse or comfort soul, it protects only against dispel.

Disenchant Area

Sometimes destroying all enchantments in the room is not that good idea but still you need to remove some enchant. By combining principles of dispel area and dispel enchant, this spell has been invented to allow destroying only specified enchant.

Tame Chaos

Chaos blast is one of the most destructive spells ever available but it also has the biggest potential for disaster. Arcane Theory provides several ways how to handle unwanted side effects of unleashing chaos: dispelling the chaotic effects, and with this spell, turning the chaos to good use. This spell harnesses the chaotic essence of chaos demon, extracts the energy and converts it to your mana. This way chaos demons can be used as an emergency mana source. Still, great care must be taken with creating chaos demons as they are unpredictable. Now, once the sorcerer tames chaos, she becomes immune to the disruptive effects of manachannel for a while.

Disjunction

Disjunction has been developed as a combination of dispel item and dispel magic. Firstly, it attempts to dispel all enchants on the target, and then it goes through all the equipment the target is using and attempts to dispel the enchants on those items. This is actually the only way to dispel items worn by someone else. Very useful against conjurers or practitioners of Fire Magic (who can cause real mess with flaming orb, flamesword with thrusting flame and active bursting flame).

Arcane Vortex

Arcane vortex and associated skills represent the mastery of controlling magic in general. When you activate your arcane vortex (only in group), you shift and twist the flow of arcane energies around your group, so that some (30%) of incoming targetted damage spell aimed at some of your groupmates is redirected and hits you instead. It may not sound like very bright idea, but consider that sorcerers have often very high spell saving so spells do not hurt them that much as other classes (especially warriors), and furthermore knowledge of arcane vortex supposes you also know the art of arcane shield. And with active arcane shield you don't really need to be afraid of incoming spells. If you do not feel comfortable with attracting damage spells for the whole group, seek to learn upgrades to arcane vortex which reduce threat of redirected spells even more. Each redirected spell increases charge of the vortex by around 15% of the spell's manacost. When vortex charge reaches high enough level, the vortex will collapse and release its charge as an explosion of solar gate spells so it is vitally important to keep track of its charge and discharge it regularly to prevent terrible explosion that could wipe out entire party. If there is too much charge when vortex is discharged, the charge will not dissipate harmlessly but will explode as if it collapsed, only not with such power. Knowledge of vortex manipulation skills allows you to control the charge and use it for your own benefit instead of simple dissipating.

Improved Arcane Vortex

When arcane vortex captures a spell and redirects it to vortex controller, there is also some potential to modify the spell before it lands. This skill realizes this potential and reduces power of redirected spell by 50% and increase charge of the vortex by half of the spell's manacost instead of standard 15%.

Extended Arcane Vortex

Better insight into the principle of arcane vortex allows capturing and redirecting more spells than before. With extended arcane vortex you can redirect 60% of combatspells aimed to your groupmates to yourself, instead of previously available 30%.

Enhanced Arcane Vortex

Sometimes even reduced damage from redirected spell can cause problems, so there were always attempts to modify arcane vortex to completely absorb the spell instead of redirecting it to vortex controller. Enhanced arcane vortex skill provides exactly this effect. About one half of all spells are completely absorbed by the vortex instead of redirected. Absorbed spell also increases charge of the vortex by its full manacost. It is highly desirable to learn vortex manipulation too to handle vortex charge.

Advanced Arcane Vortex

The thorough understanding of the principles behind arcane vortex allows the vortex's controller to capture all spells aimed at his/her groupmates and redirect them to himself/herself. Or, if the dice is favorable, let them be absorbed by the vortex completely. Having a sorcerer with active advanced arcane vortex in the group makes the group basically invulnerable to targetted damage spells, only the sorcerer can have some problems now and then if he/she is unable to handle all this incoming damage. The caveat is that sorcerer needs to be very careful about charge of arcane vortex as if it grows too much the explosion would most probably wipe out entire party.

Vortex Manipulation

As arcane vortex increases its charge, it may be desirable to control amount of charge in it instead of just discharging all of it. Or sometimes there is just too much charge in it to safely discharge it at once. The basic vortex manipulation skill allows you to control how much charge to dissipate. The dissipated charge just disappears when discharged this way. You may learn more sophisticated ways to manipulate the vortex to actually extract some benefit from dissipated charge.

Improved Vortex Manipulation

Increased control over arcane vortex allows you to actually harness its charge to some useful effect. With improved vortex manipulation it is possible to convert the charge into mana. If you convert more mana than you can contain, the excess will soon disappear in the similar way as if you channel too much hitpoints into mana, only with arcane vortex you don't need to be afraid of overflowing your abilities and collapsing from it.

Extended Vortex Manipulation

Better insight into the ways how to manipulate your arcane vortex allows you to intentionally discharge the vortex in the form of solar gate effects. You can limit the amount of charge to use for solar gate effects or you can just discharge the vortex completely to launch as much solar gates as possible.

Enhanced Vortex Manipulation

With additional knowledge of arcane vortex principles it is possible to focus the charge in your vortex into a targetted spell instead of just general explosion. For some sorcerers it may be undesirable that enhanced vortex manipulation converts the charge into chaos blasts. Others may actually welcome this as they like to take advantage of some of the chaotic effects produced by chaos blast. Again, you can decide how much charge to convert to chaos blasts. Please note that releasing many chaos blasts at once may create real mayhem, so you should be really careful.

Advanced Vortex Manipulation

Converting charge of the vortex into chaos blasts is quite often a recipe for disaster, so it was just matter of time before sorcerers invented better control over discharging, shaping the charge into different spells. Four spells can be released from the vortex: deep freeze, incinerate, powerblast, and of course chaos blast.