Earth Scholars

Focusing on protection, order, and strength, the scholars of this sphere tap into the elemental powers of earth. Resonating with lawful and neutral tendencies, scholars who are chaotic cannot choose this sphere as a discipline.

Earth Scholar Skills Earth Scholar Spells Notes From the Legends

Skills

1 dagger
Daggers are short bladed weapons, most commonly used by the rogueish classes and those of scholarly bent who lack the time to learn more complicated weapons. Dagger attacks usually involve quick thrusting, piercing or stabbing attacks. Daggers offer very little in the way of parrying, but their quick speed makes them hard to dodge.

1 mace
A mace is a blunt weapon, consisting of a block of metal attached to a shaft, occasionally covered with spikes or edges to do more damage. Maces usually attack with crushes or pounds, and are often employed by barbarians, who are known for using their ferocious bludgeoning attacks. Maces are also occasionally employed by footman, or the occasional scholar or templar.

1 recall
RECALL prays to the gods for miraculous transportation from where you are back to the appropriate temple of your hometown.

1 scrolls
RECITE recites a magical scroll. Potions and scrolls have a single charge.

1 staff
The staff is the most common two-handed weapon, most typically made from wood into a long pole. The staff is typically used to pound, strike, or crush an opponent. Its long shaft allows for easy parrying of blows, for which the staff is not primarily as a defensive weapon. Due to its focus on defending against blows, the staff is often a favorite weapon among scholars.

1 staves
BRANDISH brandishes a magical staff. Wands and staves have multiple charges. When a magical object has nomore charges, it will be consumed.

1 wands
ZAP zaps amagical wand at a target. Wands and staves have multiple charges. When a magical object has nomore charges, it will be consumed.

6 meditation
The ability to meditate is a skill which allows for swifter than normal recovery of mana through various mentaltechniques.

7 haggle
The haggle skills allows you to bargain with merchants, lowering their prices.

10 lore
The lore skill is not currently implemented. Expect it soon, but don't ask, as we've got bigger things to worry about.

14 trance
An enhanced version of the meditative techniques prevalent throughout Avendar, the skill of keeping the mystic portion of one's consciousness in a trance state increases like the ability to regain magical potential. Like meditation, the trance skill is automatic.

25 parry
Parry is a skill learned for deflecting attacks, and is succesful more often than dodge. Parry requires a weapon for full success, the hand-to-hand skill may also be used, but results in reduced damage instead of no damage. The best chance of parrying occurs when the defender is skilled in both his and his opponent's weapon type.

30 fast healing
This skill allows you to regenerate hit points faster.

30 second attack
The second attack skill allows one to make two attacks per round. Possessing this skill does not ensure two attacks will be attempted, but it does increase the liklihood of this occuring.

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Spells

Ordinary Spells
Minor Earth Spells
Major Earth Spells
Greater Earth Spells

1 armor
This spell protects the target by decreasing (improving) the caster's defensive ability. ARMOR improves the targets armor class by 20.

1 sandspray
This spell is of the sphere of Earth. It inflicts a small amount of damage on the target, and also has a chance of blind the target.

3 fortify
This spell is of the sphere of Earth, and grants the blessings of the Earth upon the target. It increases their durability as well as their resistance to spells.

4 detect invis
This spell enables the caster to detect invisible objects and characters.

5 giant strength
This spell increases the target's strength for a temporary period of time.

6 create spring
This spell brings forth a magical spring from the ground, which has the same properties as a fountain.

7 earthbind
This spell is of the sphere of Earth, and renders the target unable to fly for the duration of the spell. It has no effect upon those who are not flying.

10 earthquake
This spell inflicts damage on every enemy character in the room. Beware that other characters who are not yet fighting may attack you as a result!

13 smooth terrain
This spell smooths terrain about the caster as he or she walks, making movement on almost any terrain as easy as travelling on a well travelled road.

14 cancellation
This spell removes magical effects from the target. Cancellation can only be used on allies, but is very effective and does not provoke attack. Unfortunately, the spells do not discriminate between harmful and benign spells.

15 identify
This spell reveals information about the object.

15 locate object
This spell reveals the location of all objects with the given name.

15 knock
This spell manipulates the material of a locked door or container, unlocking it. Not all locked doors or containers can be opened with the use of a knock spell, and there even exist spells which may make knocking a door or object more difficult.

15 slip
An elementary magic of earth, this spell attempts to turn the ground beneath a target to mud, causing them to slip and fall.

16 stabilize
The stabilize spell roots the caster in the earth, preventing them from being bashed to the ground. The close connection to the earth can also be used to block other attacks, such as a kick.

16 strengthen
This spell temporarily strengthens an item, making it invulnerable to such the deleterious effects of such spells as shatter orstone shell.

17 shatter
The shatter spell attempts to shatter a piece of equipment worn bythe target.

18 stone skin
This spell protects the target by decreasing (improving) the caster's defensive ability. STONE SKIN provides a resistance to physical attacks.

19 earth elemental summon
This spell calls an elemental to aid the caster. Elementals summoned underground have more power, due to their close proximity to the earth. Earth elementals cannot be summoned in the air, or in water.

20 meteor strike
This spell of earth calls forth a bit of earth from the skies to strike at a target. This spell can only be cast outdoors.

21 dispel illusion
Calling on the opposition of forces present between earth and air, a scholar of earth may attempt to dispel the illusions present in a room. This invocation will remove both illusionary creatures and illusionary exits, if successful. The caster must be on the ground for the spell to take effect.

22 brittleform
This spell makes the target's body more brittle, making them more vulnerable to blunt attacks. At the same type, this harder form is resistant to slashing types of damage.

23 call upon earth
Calling upon the strength and power of the earth, a skilled earth magi may attempt to use this power to heal his or her wounds. This spell can only be cast underground, near to the heart of the earth.

24 rune of earth
The rune of earth spell locks a given door or container, and magically prevents attempts to physically unlock the door or container, as well as attempts to pass through the door through the use of spells such as pass door.

25 word of recall
This spell duplicates the built-in RECALL ability. It is provided solely for Merc-based muds which wish to eliminate the built-in ability while still providing the spell.

25 density
This spell of the element of earth drastically raises the density of a target. Dense targets will find their ability to stand up, move, and maintain their balance in combat adversely affected.

26 stone shell
The stone shell spell encases the caster in a protective carapace of stone, greatly improving his or her armor. The spell greatly increases the cost of movement for the caster, but there is a small chance that weapons which hit the caster will sometimes splinter and break.

27 shape armor
This spell of the sphere of earth attempts to make an item more durable, giving it an (effective) bonus to the wearer's health. Continual attempts to strengthen armor may result in failure, or the armor being destroyed. The spell is unlikely to succeed on armor that already increases one's health.

28 metal to stone
This spell from the element of earth attempts to transmute a metal weapon to stone, greatly increasing its weight. The target can either be an opposing player, or a weapon in the caster's inventory. The effects of the spell are temporary.

29 stone to mud
This earth spell reduces the surrounding ground of the room completely to mud. Those not flying will find motion barely possible, even should wading through the mud be prove possible. Those mired in mud will also find themselves unable to initiate combat.

30 shield
This spell protects the target by decreasing (improving) the caster's defensive ability. SHIELD improves the targets armor class by 20.

30 wall of stone
The wall of stone spell calls up a great wall of stone to block off a given room's exit. The wall is of temporary duration, and the spell can only be cast once a day.

31 voice of the earth
This spell attempts to divine the location of another person through the use of the intermediary of the power of earth. If the target is on the surface of Avendar, the spell will reveal the type of terrain the person is in. If the person is underground, the spell will reveal the precise location of the target.

32 meld with stone
This spell allows the caster to blend into the earth, disappearing completely from sight. As long as the caster does not move in any way, he or she is completely undetectable, and protected from various offense area spells by the earth. The spell is taxing, however, and requires a constant flow of mana to maintain. Should the caster be unable to provide this mana, the spell will cease.

33 shape weapon
This spell attempts to shape a weapon into doing more damage. One of the byproducts of the spell is an increase in the weight of the weapon. Casters should be wary of this spell, as repeated attempts to shape a weapon may result in its destruction.

34 crystalize magic
One of the most powerful spells of the sphere of earth, crystalize magic allows an earth scholar to create a shell of magic. The first spell to target the earth scholar thereafter is absorbed by the magic, and stored in the form of a magical crystal. The crystal can then be evoked once to reproduce the spell which targetted the earth scholar. Such is the magnitude of crystalize magic that there it may only be cast periodically.

35 flesh to stone
This spell temporarily changes a target from flesh to stone. Targets encased in stone are immune to damage, but are incapable of action.

36 stonefist
This spell is of the sphere of Earth, and it conjures a large granite fist from the earth to pummel the victim.

37 diamond skin
The most powerful of scholars of earth may learn the diamond skin spell, which covers their skin in a hardened layer of diamond. While under the influence of this spell, physical damage will have no effect on the scholar. The spell is extremely short-lived, however, and so taxing is it that it cannot be cast in rapid succession.

40 gravity well
One of the most wide-ranging spells of the element of earth, gravity well changes the nature of gravity within a localized region of Avendar. All flying creatures immediately tumble to the ground, and flight becomes impossible. Movement costs treble in the affected region, picking up and otherwise moving items becomes more difficult, and large combatants will find it difficult to keep their footing in combat.

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Notes From the Legends

Sidaleth the Archmage of Earth, Son of Jolinn, Champion of Avendar:

          So, you are interested in learning about the magics of the Earth, are you? Ah, that is good to hear. I have found so very few of like mind in my travels, although for what reasons I was never able to discern. In any case, I digress - you came here not to here me babble, but for information on my art.

          The magics of earth are quite unlike any others that could be learned by studying any of the other spheres, and far more diverse. There are many spells for protection, many spells of offense, and some of the most useful utility spells of any sphere. It is my belief and experience that those who practice the earth magics and have adequate patience to use their skills wisely are among the most powerful adventurers in Avendar.

          Firstly, if you do decide to pursue the arts of the earth, I will share with you my experience in the matters of which skills and spells were hardly worth the time I spent learning them. The spell of 'slip' I always found to be of particular uselessness. It is much like trip in that it is incapable of causing any effect to flying targets, and if your opponent is not flying, those who practice the scholar ways can typically not slay an opponent simply by keeping him from doing anything. As well, I do not believe I ever found use for the spell 'strengthen'. The reasons for this are twofold, in that I only once fought another earth scholar, and even then, I do not believe it would be worth the mana to use it. I personally never used 'dispel illusion', although I imagine if my only encounter with an air scholar had lasted more than two rounds, there would have been use for it. The only other spell worth mentioning is 'gravity well'; it is not truly of any great use as far as I can tell, however, it does cause great discomfort to those races which rely on their wings, namely the nefortu and aelin, if you cast it in the area they are in, and then leave. I would not suggest ever using gravity well to prevent your opponents from flying, as it also casts the same fate upon you.

          As far as the skills you will learn go, none of them are truly useless, although the dagger should certainly be your least used weapon. Nothing can be a staff in combat, and a trusty mace should be your backup for when you need a hand free, as maces work in conjunction with the most important earth scholar spell, brittleform.

          Now, I suppose you would like to hear about the strategies of using earth magics. Well, first I will discuss how to properly equip yourself for the rigors of the profession. At lower ranks, it is perhaps best to equip yourself as any other on the scholarly path does. Wear as much equipment as you can to provide additional health, with that which provides mana being of secondary importance. However, as you approach the higher ranks, and start getting spells such as crystalize magic and diamond skin, this changes. Equipment which provides mana is as, if more not, important than equipment which provides health. It is important that you find a good balance between the two. You need to have enough health that you can survive a few rounds of combat, and enough mana that you can put up stabilize, crystalize magic, and diamond skin, and still mana a good amount to spare. It is also very important that you find equipment that provides resistance to magic in the form of saves, as opposing scholars are one of the few threats a well prepared earth scholar will face.

          As for strategies in using your spells, what I have found will follow. You should always endeavour to keep the spells of armor, shield, stone skin, fortify, detect invis, giant strength, and smooth terrain up at all times. Once you get to a higher level, and have enough mana to handle it, stabilize should also be kept up at all times. In any situation where are you threatened by another adventurer, it is important that you are always, always, and I cannot stress this enough, always flying. A flying earth scholar can be nearly invincible in many ways, especially when properly prepared. There are very few people who can even touch a flying, crystalized, diamond skined earth scholar, let alone avoid dying to them. Keep flight potions in good supply, and remember that bamboo vials are your best friend.

          On the offense, an earth scholar can be a truly frightening force. With crystalize magic and diamond skin, you can easily charge into a group of many and expect to escape with your hide intact. Do not be afraid to take on odds superior to your own, since after a single brittleformed stonefist, the odds will even as people go running. However, it is important to remember that your offense relies on much more than simply those two spells. I did not discover the usefulness of density until later in my life, but it certainly came in useful. Metal to stone is also a very useful spell, especially against the weaker races, swordmasters in particular. Stone to mud can be devastating, in conjunction with earthbind. It is of particular use against gating void scholars, as it works as a trap and will prevent them from executing their normal flee/sleep routine. For taking on a large group of people, nothing can beat the usefulness of flesh to stone.

          In fact, the large number of very, very useful earth spells is one of it's greatest flaws. Earth scholars are very powerful, but it takes a good amount of practice to, firstly, remember all of the different spells at your disposal, and then putting them to proper use in a stressful situation. Meld with earth is an extremely useful spell, especially if you have been blinded but it can be very dangerous to use, as by the time you are ready to come out of the earth, you will be in a very weak state, and need time to recover. Stone shell is useful for ranking, but I have always found the delay it gives to your movement makes it very unuseful for fighting fellow adventurers.

          Crystalize magic can also be used outside of intense combat for a most tactical advantage in the future. Make sure you stock up on high level crystals that will exploit vulnerabilities in other races, and you will be set. The number of times I have struck at shuddeni with high level sunray crystals and killed them with such was extremely high.

          I suppose the moral of this is: earth scholars are all about preparation, even moreso than most other adventuring classes. With crystalize magic, diamond skin, et al, those who practice the earth magics are a truly formidable force, but if you are caught unprepared, you may be in for trouble.

          I hope I have sparked your interest in the earth magics. They have served me well in my travels, and I am glad to pass my knowledge on to others.

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