The Mechanics of Spell Casting

[JeniLinsky]

If you watch the animations for the spells, you can see the aether drawing into the focus (my sword, as a paladin, which is interesting for being in no way natural) and then the caster physically hurls the aether out, letting it assume its spell form as it flies.

[Wolfandre]

If you watch the animations for the spells, you can see the aether drawing into the focus (my sword, as a paladin, which is interesting for being in no way natural) and then the caster physically hurls the aether out, letting it assume its spell form as it flies.

It could be that one doesn't really need a focus to use magic, it just helps (stat bonuses). Therefore, really anything could be used to focus it, including man-made weapons.

So, in a way, the Armoury system doesn't really do much of anything for our spellcasting other than allow us to mechanically access our spells in the game.

[Nahara]

It could be that one doesn't really need a focus to use magic, it just helps (stat bonuses). Therefore, really anything could be used to focus it, including man-made weapons.

I've actually thought about this quite a bit. My end conclusion is that you need a focus in order to cast most of your spells. Think about the spells you get access to through cross-class abilities and they're actually pretty simple stuff: Cure, Aero, Protect, Blizzard II, Ruin. These are spells that could be dirt simple and easy to pull off without any kind of special focus. However, if you wanted to cast the more complex or powerful spells like Shadowflare, Medica II, and Thunder III, then you need a legitimate focus. And if you wanted to cast some really powerful spells, like Tri-Disaster, Sacred Soil, Holy, and Flare you'd need the power and knowledge granted by soul crystals, on top of the normal focus.

[Wolfandre]

I've actually thought about this quite a bit. My end conclusion is that you need a focus in order to cast most of your spells. Think about the spells you get access to through cross-class abilities and they're actually pretty simple stuff: Cure, Aero, Protect, Blizzard II, Ruin. These are spells that could be dirt simple and easy to pull off without any kind of special focus. However, if you wanted to cast the more complex or powerful spells like Shadowflare, Medica II, and Thunder III, then you need a legitimate focus. And if you wanted to cast some really powerful spells, like Tri-Disaster, Sacred Soil, Holy, and Flare you'd need the power and knowledge granted by soul crystals, on top of the normal focus.

I'll agree to that, in a way. I'd say it's more of a personal focus than a material one. If I'm focusing on thaumaturgy, an aetherial sport, maybe I can remember how to strike without garnering attention, but not the more complex stuff like poisoning the tip of my weapon. However, if I were practicing my martial abilities with a sword and shield, I might be able to apply that poison somewhere, but not have the aetherial state of mind to litter the area around me in frost.

However, I just think that Soul Stones are cheating. Have one of those in hand and you have a bit of power from every previous owner. I imagine the older they are, the more powerful you get, which is why they are often heavily sought after in the job quests. But that's not even your power or your experiences, it's other summoners, paladins, etc. That may be also why we cannot use as many actions from other classes; our brains are too addled with knowledge that isn't ours to remember everything we know and apply it to battle.