Harmonics embodies all that is beautiful in music, from voice and instrument, brought together. Using the skill a bard may speed their allies, restore their health, and protect them from damage. Accomplished practitioners of this art can create multiple harmonics in one place, send them to other locations, or call them back with a word. Harmonics generally require use of one of the five bardic instruments - flute, lute, lyre, mandolin, and harp. For the more advanced effects, specialisation must be undertaken. Specialisation can be removed but this is a costly act.
The skill of Harmonics is available to members of the Bard class, along with Voicecraft and Swashbuckling
Abilities in Harmonics
Lament | The shadowy lament may cause fear in those who hear it. | Lessons: 0 |
Syntax: | PLAY LAMENT | |
Required: | 120 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | This harmonic regularly attempts to afflict your enemies with fear. |
Control | Master the manipulation of your harmonics. | Lessons: 0 |
Syntax: | HARMONICS LIST - lists harmonics in the current room. HARMONICS DISMISS <harmonic> - terminates a harmonic early. | |
Cooldown: | 2.00 seconds of balance | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 6 |
Syntax: | PLAY ANTHEM | |
Required: | 250 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 15 |
Syntax: | PLAY HARMONIUS | |
Required: | 75 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 33 |
Syntax: | None | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 55 |
Syntax: | CALL HARMONICS | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 4.00 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 88 |
Syntax: | PLAY CACOPHONY | |
Required: | 175 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 7.20 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 133 |
Syntax: | PLAY MINUET AT <target> | |
Required: | 150 mana | |
Works against: | Adventurers | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 222 |
Syntax: | PLAY AETERNAM (What harmonics are in the POES) PLAY AETERNAM <harmonic> (Attempt to add a harmonic) PLAY POES <harmonic> [<target>] (Use a harmonic from the POES) | |
Required: | List in POES: 350 mana Add to POES: 350 mana Use from POES: 150 mana + mana cost of the chosen harmonic | |
Cooldown: | Add to POES: 8.00 seconds of equilibrium Use from POES: 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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: |
Poes | Draw on the Place of Eternal Song for emergency needs. | Lessons: 222 |
Syntax: | PLAY AETERNAM (What harmonics are in the POES) PLAY AETERNAM <harmonic> (Attempt to add a harmonic) PLAY POES <harmonic> [<target>] (Use a harmonic from the POES) | |
Required: | List in POES: 350 mana Add to POES: 350 mana Use from POES: 150 mana + mana cost of the chosen harmonic | |
Cooldown: | Add to POES: 8.00 seconds of equilibrium Use from POES: 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 255 |
Syntax: | None | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 288 |
Syntax: | PLAY RONDO | |
Required: | 100 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 4.00 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 333 |
Syntax: | PLAY CONTRADANSE | |
Required: | 90 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 4.50 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | This harmonic periodically strikes your non-deaf enemies with a random mental affliction. |
Paxmusicalis | Declare an intermittent musical peace. | Lessons: 355 |
Syntax: | PLAY PAXMUSICALIS | |
Required: | 200 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 377 |
Syntax: | PLAY GIGUE | |
Required: | 250 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | Improves recovery of equilibrium for all of the bard's allies in the same location as the harmonic. |
Percussia | Create a sonic explosion. | Lessons: 422 |
Syntax: | PLAY PERCUSSIA [delay] | |
Required: | 250 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 2.50 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 488 |
Syntax: | PLAY BAGATELLE | |
Required: | 150 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.96 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 555 |
Syntax: | None | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 599 |
Syntax: | PLAY PARTITA | |
Required: | 200 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.06 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 667 |
Syntax: | PLAY BATTAGLIA <direction> | |
Required: | 200 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 4.00 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 736 |
Syntax: | PLAY BERCEUSE | |
Required: | 150 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | Continuously attempts to afflict all of the bard's enemies with sleep. |
Continuo | Regenerate physical well-being with this movement. | Lessons: 805 |
Syntax: | PLAY CONTINUO | |
Required: | 200 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | Replenishes health for the bard and his allies every few seconds. |
Complexharmony | With this, you may set up five harmonics in a room. | Lessons: 874 |
Syntax: | None | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 943 |
Syntax: | PLAY WASSAIL | |
Required: | 100 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | Replenishes mana for the bard and his allies every few seconds. |
Chorale | A group harmonic that gives experience to the listeners. | Lessons: 1047 |
Syntax: | PLAY CHORALE PLAY CHORALE CRESCENDO | |
Required: | 400 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 1150 |
Syntax: | PLAY FUNERALMASS AT <target> | |
Required: | 175 mana | |
Works against: | Adventurers | |
Cooldown: | 4.00 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 1288 |
Syntax: | PLAY CANTICLE | |
Required: | 250 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 1392 |
Syntax: | None | |
Details: | 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. | Lessons: 1495 |
Syntax: | PLAY REEL | |
Required: | 175 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | Causes all of the bard's enemies in the same location as this harmonic to lose balance or equilibrium from time to time. |
Symphony | A rousing piece to sustain your music. | |
Syntax: | PLAY SYMPHONY | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 5.00 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | By playing this piece of music you shall cause all of your harmonics in the current location to swell back to full force, refreshing their time until termination. |
Hallelujah | Carry an audience to ineffable joy. | Lessons: 1633 |
Syntax: | PLAY HALLELUJAH | |
Required: | 300 mana | |
Works against: | Room | |
Cooldown: | 3.60 seconds of equilibrium | |
Details: | This harmonic continually acts to remove afflictions from the bard and his allies. |
Overtonal | Your mastery is such that unlimited harmonics are yours. | Lessons: 1736 |
Syntax: | None | |
Details: | Overtonal is a passive ability. Those with Overtonal abilities are able to sustain unlimited harmonics in the same location. |