Harmonics
The Harmonics skill is available to members of the Bard class, allowing these adventurers to speed allies, restore health and mana, and protect from various types of damage, all through the use of structured music. The more advanced abilities in this skill require specialisation in one of the bardic instruments.
Abilities in Harmonics
Ability | Description |
Lament | The shadowy lament may cause fear in those who hear it. |
This harmonic regularly attempts to afflict your enemies with fear. | |
Control | Master the manipulation of your harmonics. |
Harmonics Control, one of the fundamental abilities in the Harmonics skill, allows you to review and dismiss your harmonics. HARMONICS DISMISS accepts either an ID or a harmonic type. For example, HARMONICS DISMISS gigue, or HARMONICS DISMISS 12345. | |
Anthem | A mighty defensive harmonic protecting against damage. |
This harmonic protects the bard and his allies by completely absorbing one type of damage. The type of damage absorbed changes rapidly throughout the lifetime of the harmonic. | |
Harmonius | Allows communication in all distinct languages. |
This harmonic permits the bard and his allies to understand all mortal languages (excepting city languages, which are special gifts from the Gods). | |
Polyphony | The ability to maintain two harmonics simultaneously. |
Polyphony is a passive ability. Those with polyphony are able to sustain two simultaneous harmonics in the same location. | |
Andante | Call your harmonics to you. |
With the Andante, the bard calls all current harmonics to his current location, subject to whatever limits there may be on his ability to sustain multiple harmonics in one place. | |
Cacophony | Destroy the reverberation vibration of a magi. |
Destroys one reverberation vibration. This is not a true harmonic: it does not have duration and cannot be moved via Andante or Battaglia. | |
Minuet | Induce a state of extreme gullibility in an opponent. |
Induces a state of gullibility in the target. You will regularly, at intervals, receive the power to ORDER the target. | |
Aeternam | Access the place of eternal song to store harmonics. |
Use of the Aeternam permits the bard to 'store' up to twenty harmonics, no more than two of any kind,in the Place of Eternal Song (also called POES). Each attempt to store another harmonic in the POES has a limited chance to succeed, so many attempts may be required. Not every harmonic may be stored in the POES. The knowledge of which are storable, and which are not, is for the bard to discover. PLAY AETERNAM to get in touch with the Place of Eternal Song to see what is there for you. Two advantages accrue to those who have stored harmonics in the POES: - the bard may now draw a harmonic from the POES in awkward circumstances (not wielding the proper bardic instrument, or webbed, paralysed, transfixed, tied up in ropes, or entrapped by the hanged man); or - harmonics drawn from the POES will disturb the bard's equilibrium slightly less, in other, non-awkward circumstances! | |
POES | Draw on the Place of Eternal Song for emergency needs. |
Harmonics stored via the Aeternam into the Place of Eternal Song may be drawn out via the POES. The bard may draw a harmonic from the POES even if not wielding the proper bardic instrument, or webbed, paralysed, transfixed, tied up in ropes, or entrapped by the hanged man. If the bard is not discomfited in any of these ways, then a harmonic drawn from the POES still gives some advantage: the performance is less disturbing of the bard's equilibrium. | |
Counterpoint | Set up three harmonics simultaneously. |
Counterpoint is a passive ability. Those with counterpoint are able to sustain three simultaneous harmonics in the same location. | |
Rondo | Call out the rats with their favourite melody. |
Attracts increased numbers of rats to your current location for the current Achaean day. This is not a true harmonic in that it does not have a separate duration of its own, and cannot be called or sent away via the Andante or Battaglia. | |
Contradanse | Periodically afflict your enemies' minds. |
This harmonic periodically strikes your non-deaf enemies with a random mental affliction. | |
Paxmusicalis | Declare an intermittent musical peace. |
This harmonic acts to prevent all aggressive acts, but only on an irregular basis, in the place where it has been played. | |
Gigue | Decrease equilibrium recovery time for your allies. |
Improves recovery of equilibrium for all of the bard's allies in the same location as the harmonic. | |
Percussia | Create a sonic explosion. |
Creates a sonic-boom of sorts that stuns the bard's enemies and may knock them off their feet. Can be delayed in execution for 'delay' seconds. If 'delay' is omitted, then the Percussia is nearly immediate. Example: PLAY PERCUSSIA 9 - would play the Percussia and then wait for nine more seconds before exploding on your (hopefully) unsuspecting targets. This is not a true harmonic, in that it cannot be called or moved with the Andante or the Battaglia. | |
Bagatelle | Deliver periodic magical damage against your enemies. |
This harmonic periodically deals magic damage to all enemies who can hear it, and strips deafness from those who cannot. | |
Simpleharmony | The ability to place four harmonics in a room. |
Simple Harmony is a passive ability. Those with Simple Harmony are able to sustain four simultaneous harmonics in the same location. | |
Partita | Protect other harmonics from disturbance. |
This harmonic protects other harmonics in the room against most things which might destroy them, with some notable exceptions. | |
Battaglia | Project your harmonics into neighboring rooms. |
Send harmonics in the direction specified. For example, PLAY BATTAGLIA EAST will attempt to send all harmonics out of your current location towards the east. Harmonics do not always move, depending on limits in adjacent rooms. | |
Berceuse | Put an enemy to sleep with this soporific tune. |
Continuously attempts to afflict all of the bard's enemies with sleep. | |
Continuo | Regenerate physical well-being with this movement. |
Replenishes health for the bard and his allies every few seconds. | |
Complexharmony | With this, you may set up five harmonics in a room. |
Complex Harmony is a passive ability. Those with Complex Harmony are able to sustain five simultaneous harmonics in the same location. | |
Wassail | Restore mana for allies with the jaunty Wassail. |
Replenishes mana for the bard and his allies every few seconds. | |
Chorale | A group harmonic that gives experience to the listeners. |
From four to eight bards must combine in the Chorale. One plays, then each join in (same command in each case) and then when one decides that the time is right, performs the crescendo with PLAY CHORALE CRESCENDO. The crescendo grants experience to everyone hearing. The amount of experience varies with the number of bards in the Chorale. One person may only receive the benefits of hearing a Chorale once per Achaean month. | |
Funeralmass | The dark, mournful mass with the power to slay. |
The funeral mass is a song of deep sorrow and sadness. Its melancholy tune, if played without interruption, has such power that any it is directed to will be so overwhelmed with emotion that he or she will simply pass on from this life. | |
Canticle | Decrease balance recovery time for your allies. |
Improves recovery of balance for all of the bard's allies in the same location as the harmonic. | |
Undertonal | Maintain seven harmonics in a single room. |
Undertonal is a passive ability. Those with Undertonal abilities are able to sustain seven simultaneous harmonics in the same location. | |
Reel | Disrupt the balance of enemies with this complex melody. |
Causes all of the bard's enemies in the same location as this harmonic to lose balance or equilibrium from time to time. | |
Hallelujah | Carry an audience to ineffable joy. |
This harmonic continually acts to remove afflictions from the bard and his allies. | |
Overtonal | Your mastery is such that unlimited harmonics are yours. |
Overtonal is a passive ability. Those with Overtonal abilities are able to sustain unlimited harmonics in the same location. |