Aquachemancy Report - Ush

Impressions of Aquachemancy from Ushaara (Sentinels)
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Estarra said in the Aquachemancy release announce that "Unlike Aquamancy which is designed for group combat, Aquachemantics is more tooled for 1:1 combat insofar that main offense are passive effects that just target one person and retributive effects that only occur when the mage is attacked. However, there are some skills that will target all enemies, though have heavy power costs."

My impressions after some testing would be that it is perhaps more similar to a bard's song for group support (granted though focused only on a single target), rather than tooled for 1:1, where I think it is actually quite weak.

To improve its viability for 1:1, I would say that the adjuvants should be looked at. Simplest way I think of doing this would be by adding a targeted version with alternate effects to the room enemy versions. Excepting Aquoxitism, for 1:1 the other adjuvants don't seem to be worth giving up the passive mists for what is roughly the chalice equivalent damage they do and repeating the mist afflictions. Targeted versions of the adjuvants need to be strong enough to justify losing the passives, or weak enough that allows a targeted version that doesn't mean you lose the passive mists.

I know Neos has some issue with the mists and sheens, though I would think they are mostly fine, needing only need minor tweaks. Yes, at the moment it's a simple focus mind/apply melancholic to cure with faeriefire being ignorable if facing a non-runist aquachemist, but I think more time is needed for testing with the psionic tertiaries/illusions before any changes are made here, as telekinesis especially needs little else to secure a kill and making it more difficult to ascertain the effects of the mists might provide too much of a boost.

Adjuvants:
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(log of adjuvant testing: http://pastehtml.com/view/clfl3jko0.html)

My rune of absorption was also catching the blunt portion of adjuvant damage on a few tests, which I'd say is an oversight?

Depuration Adjuvant:
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Testing showed: ~16% health damage and around 9-11% ego damage + vapors. Group version is fine.

For a targetted version of this, the (room) message suggests something like sprawling with perhaps something like blacklung or asthma to me. Neos may have other suggestions. But hindering ability is something the spec does appear to lack, so I think a sprawl + something would be ok.

Percolation Adjuvant:
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Testing showed: ~19% health damage + vapors/recklessness. Group version is fine.

For a targetted version of this, rather than the boiling mist scourging your airways, maybe the boiling mist scourges your eyes for blindness instead?

Dehydration Adjuvant:
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Testing showed: ~16% health damage at 100% ego, ~27% health damage at 2% ego. This one really didn't seem worth it.

Talked with Neos about maybe turning this into a rainbowclouds type ability, to help with keeping someone from running. No ideas for targeted version right now.

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General Concerns:
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Blackout:
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I may be in the minority, but I think passive vapors as a mist is fine. There is a valid concern of too much blackout though, with TK Choke, Phantom Armour and Dreamweaving's extended blackout. Similarly, paired with a Cantor's avenging angel, you would be put into a near constant blackout which does make vapors blackout a problem. I think a good resolution here would be an extension of the phantom armour blackout immunity to a general blackout immunity, similar to stun immunity.

Fellowship:
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I am really wary of this, mainly with regards the 'increased radius' context. If this is going to stay, I would say protection scroll should prevent against the mists/adjuvants when the aquachemist is not in the room, as being hit with faeriefire, vapors and recklessness from a room or two over I really feel provides an unfair advantage, and is not a good direction for group combat to go in.

I am also very wary of this with regards Aquoxitism. I really think that tumble needs to keep its validity as an escape skill in group combat, and tumbling out and still getting hit for > 50% damage is a bad idea. Aquoxitism has high power cost yes, but also has minimal set up and the damage, even without any of the boosting afflictions, is significant. Testing showed an unlinked aquoxitism did 58% health damage with no affs, and 88% with the five boosting affs. In group context, this level of damage needs more limitations.

If I'm understanding how it works correctly, two linked and similarly timed aquoxitisms would be able to kill most people without even being in the same room as the target. Resolution? I think a linked aquoxitism should drain power (3p maybe?) from the linked aquachemists, and have the range extend beyond their room -only- if every aquachemist has sufficient power? I think draining power from linked aquachemists would prevent two aquoxitisms from wiping out all but the tankiest people.

Think that's pretty much all I have,
Ush