Stoneskin (Druid Skill)

Helpfile

Guild Level:  18
SP Cost:      80 spell points
Skill:        Earthshaping
Syntax:       stoneskin [reagent|status|off]

An advanced lore, stoneskin harnesses the power of earthen surroundings to alter the composition of a druid's outermost layer of skin.

There is little danger while casting, however, this heavy protective casing requires a careful balance of endurance to maintain any effort with melee while coated in stone.

Akin to the other druid ward lores, stoneskin increases in potency where there is an abundance of rock, or some other source of earth. To conjure forth a stoneskin, merely use: "stoneskin", to make use of a reagent use: "stoneskin <reagent name>". At any time, you may query the status of the stoneskin or dispel it from your body.

Commentary

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When cast aboveground, stoneskin absorbs slightly more than 50% of the damage the druid would normally take and has the highest cumulative damage absorption limit of any non-time-based ward in the realm. When cast underground, it absorbs slightly more than 60%, increasing to 88% for a mole-form Druid at 36/20. Some wards, such as the Thief Dodge or Fighter Parry or Block, are time-based and stop a certain percentage of damage dealt to the adventurer for a period of time regardless of how much damage they absorb.

Like with thornskin and barkskin, a druid using stoneskin would easily die from damage dealt to them before stoneskin reached its maximum damage absorption limit.

The downside of stoneskin is the fact that is periodically drains the druid's endurance points which makes it less useful if the druid is traveling between multiple locations to combat their foes. Once stoneskin drains the druid's endurance to zero or negatively the druid can no longer use physical attacks against their foes, however the stoneskin ward will remain in effect to absorb damage, and the Druid may continue to cast offensive lores at foes.

Periodically the stoneskin will hit the druid's foes back but this is infrequent and cannot be relied upon to damage the foes.

Stoneskin takes 3 rounds to cast however a druid must wait 3 minutes before casting it again. This 3 minute timer begins upon casting stoneskin and is not based on the time when stoneskin takes enough damage to wear off.

For a detailed comparison between Druid wards, see File:Druid wards.xls