Mana regeneration rate:
Casting spells, scribing scrolls and using special moves costs mana. If your mana level is lower than your maximum mana level your mana will slowly raise until the mana level is equal to your maximum mana level again. The speed at which your mana goes back to full is called the regeneration rate. The mana regeneration rate for meditation varies depending on 3 variables:
1. the type of armor you are wearing
2. your Intelligence
3. your Meditation skill
To have mana regenerate at the highest possible speed you need to wear a certain combination of armor (or no armor at all), have high intelligence and high meditation skill.
Meditation:
Meditation is a skill that is used by all characters that cast spells or scribe scrolls. There are two types of meditation, passive and active.
The automatic process of gaining back lost mana is called passive meditation. You do not have to do anything to let this happen.
Active meditation is a skill that has to be started by clicking on the skill in the skill list (can drag off off skill list to create a shortcut icon) or by use of a programmable macro key (UseSkill Meditation). Upon using Meditation the system will make a skill check. If the skill check passes then a sound effect can be heard and you will start to meditate. The following messages can be given:
"You are at peace": Your mana level is already at its maximum.
"You cannot focus your concentration": The skill check failed.
"Regenerative forces cannot penetrate your armor": The skill check passed, but you
are wearing too much armor to meditate actively.
"You enter a meditative trance": The skill check passed and you start to meditate actively.
"You stop meditating": You performed an action while meditating or you reached full mana.
Active meditation stops.
(Note: If non-spell channeling weapons or shields are equipped, they will drop to your backpack when going into active meditation, akin to casting a spell).
The active mana regeneration rate is double that of the passive regeneration rate, taking into consideration your intelligence and your meditation skill. While meditating you cannot perform any action, not even speaking. If an action is performed then a message "You stop meditating" is given and active meditation stops. Mana regeneration rate then drops back to the passive meditation level.
- The benefits are pretty obvious, mana is regenerated at a higher speed which enables the mage to cast more spells or write more scrolls in a given amount of time, this makes the mage more powerful.
- Meditation only works when little or no armor is worn. Ideally a mage will wear leather armor; the only exception being if a different type of armor has the Mage Armor bonus.
Gaining meditation skill:
Like any other skill, meditation can be trained. You gain skill by using the skill, that is really all there is to it. You lower your mana by casting a spell or writing a scroll, and then you move around to gain meditation passively. You may, occasionally, see a gain from going into active meditation, but the majority of the gains will come passively.
Wearing armor:
The failure or success of active meditation is influenced by the type of armor that you wear. To make sure you can use active meditation, dress in any type of leather armor (normal, spined, horned and barbed) or clothes, but not studded leather, bone armor, ringmail, chainmail and plate. The only exception is if the armor has the magic property "Mage Armor" at which point you can wear any type of armor.
Further notes and tips:
- Meditating while hidden will unhide you. Hiding while meditating will make you lose focus and stop meditating.
- Looting a corpse will break meditation. You can move items around in your backpack while meditating though, although moving things on and off your paper doll will break active meditation.
- You cannot meditate if you are drunk.
- Equipping anything but a spell channeling weapon or shield, or your spell book, will break your active meditation.
- Remember that non-spell channeling weapons and shields un-equip themselves when actively meditating, similarly to casting a magery spell.
- You can achieve very high levels of mana regeneration rates by combining the Meditation skill with Focus skill and mana regeneration attributes on armor or jewellery.