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Berserk (psycast)

2025-02-25T16:47:16Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis, image (back for now - kind of lost steam on these edits but still gonna finish them off)

{{Royalty}}
{{Stub|reason=General - Summary missing and analysis is currently just a Copy-paste of minor tactics previously on [[Psycasts]] - needs verification, rewriting, formatting, and expansion}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Berserk
| image = Berserk.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Induce an angry psychosis in the target's mind, causing them to attack anyone nearby.
| psylink level = 5
| casting time = 0.25
| ability range = 19.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.04
| neural heat gain = 40
| effect radius =
| duration = 900
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -75
}}
'''Berserk''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that drives a single target violently insane.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Berserk inflicts a target pawn with the [[Mental_break#Berserk|Berserk]] mental state for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, modified by [[Psychic sensitivity]]. While this effect persists, affected pawns will move towards and melee attack the nearest pawn, hostile or otherwise. They will be unable to perform any other action, including using equipped [[utility]] items or abilities granted by [[genes]]{{BiotechIcon}}. Valid targets for Berserk include any psychically sensitive pawn which is neither [[downed]] nor in a mental state within 20 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight. Note that all mech bosses (the [[Diabolus]]{{BiotechIcon}}, [[War queen]]{{BiotechIcon}}, and [[Apocriton]]{{BiotechIcon}}) and the [[Dreadmeld]]{{AnomalyIcon}} are unable to be targeted by Berserk, for the listed reason of "Psychic insanity immune".

Additionally, note that Vertigo pulse is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a staggering goodwill penalty of {{Bad|−75}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied faction.
== Analysis ==
[[File:berserk radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Casting radius of Berserk. Cast location has been marked in yellow, valid target tiles in white, and invalid tiles in red.]]
Berserk serves as a potent combination of both damage and crowd control, turning enemy pawns against each other while leaving your own pawns free to clean up any survivors. While the relatively high neural heat gain and psyfocus cost prohibit excessive use, the effect is often powerful enough to swing combat encounters with only a few casts.

Berserk's primary (and ostensibly only) use case is rather straightforward - sow chaos in enemy groups by forcing them to fight one another, while your pawns gun them down. However, the aforementioned psyfocus cost and neural heat gain ask for some prudence when selecting a target for Berserk. Generally speaking, the best targets for Berserk are the most dangerous - though not always, and not always for the same reasons.

For example, if using Berserk primarily as a method of distracting clumps of enemies, the best targets tend to be the most well-armored, such as those wearing [[Plate_armor|plate]] or [[cataphract armor]]. As their ability to divert enemy attention only lasts as long as their life does, berserking durable enemies maximizes the duration they can tie up enemy attention - berserking a raider wearing nothing but some [[tribalwear]] surrounded by enemies is unlikely to distract them for more than a few seconds.

Conversely, if using Berserk with the intent of eliminating a particularly dangerous enemy, berserking them directly tends to result in their near-instant death, as their allies immediately turn on them and dispatch them with ruthless efficiency. However, in the case of those wielding weapons with splash damage, such as a [[doomsday rocket launcher]] or [[frag grenades]], one may be better served berserking an enemy near them instead. While berserking said pawn will prevent them from unleashing their firepower, berserking a nearby enemy will incite them to fire the weapon on them instead, often taking out themselves and several enemies besides in the process. However, this strategy relies on being able to draw their ire before they begin the process of firing said weapon (and have the berserked target survive long enough for them to fire), which can be difficult to do with Berserk's fairly limited range of only 20 tiles. It should be noted that while Berserk can be used to similar effect against [[impid]]s{{BiotechIcon}} to force them to waste their [[fire spew]]{{BiotechIcon}} against each other rather than one's own pawns, their resistance to fire renders any damage incurred from this to be minimal at best, though - make no mistake - still an extremely worthwhile use of Berserk nonetheless.

Additionally, it should be noted that Berserk is of particular use against [[mechanoid]] raids, specifically those containing [[centipedes]]. Not only does berserking a centipede prevent it from firing on your pawns for an extended duration compared to other psycasts such as [[Stun]] or [[Chaos skip]], but the centipede's massive bulk allows it to absorb a large amount of punishment, enabling it to serve as a potent distraction for any surrounding mechs, leaving one free to dispatch the enemy force from a position of relative safety. In the same vein, berserking a centipede makes the eventual task of dispatching it much easier, as it will likely receive significant damage from any surrounding mechanoids who turn their ire upon the hapless foe.

Lastly, it should be noted that under the influence of Berserk, [[animals]] (as well as non-colonist humanoid pawns) will continue to attack each other even after the effects of Berserk expire, only stopping once either combatant is incapacitated. While this contributes some increased effectiveness when used against humanoid raiders, this effect can be leveraged to greater effect against groups of animals, such as a wandering herd of [[thrumbo]]s or a pack of [[rhino]]s. Once berserked, the animal will immediately engage the nearest target, which will almost certainly be another of its kind, and continue fighting until one is dead, leaving you a free corpse to butcher, and likely another in a few hours once blood loss finishes the second combatant. In this way, Berserk can be used to "hunt" animals which might otherwise be dangerous to dispatch by traditional means, with zero effort required on the player's part.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Cost reduced from 35 to 40, range reduced from 25 to 15, duration reduced from 30 to 15.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

File:Berserk radius.PNG

2025-02-25T15:24:58Z

Bacaniel: Image displaying the radius of the Berserk psycast. Yellow tile is the caster location, while tiles are valid target locations, and red tiles are invalid target locations.

== Summary ==
Image displaying the radius of the Berserk psycast. Yellow tile is the caster location, while tiles are valid target locations, and red tiles are invalid target locations.
== Licensing ==
{{Copyright game}}

Neuroquake

2025-02-25T14:53:00Z

Bacaniel: Added information pertaining to the mood penalty affecting nearby world tiles

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Neuroquake
| image = Neuroquake.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Find a discontinuity in the psychic field and unfold it, releasing a massive amount of psychic energy. Every creature in range but outside of the safe, inner, circle will be driven violently insane. Casting this takes 12 seconds of meditation, and afterwards, the caster will go into a five-day psychic coma. The disturbing neuroquake echoes will inflict pain on everyone for many kilometers around, causing diplomatic consequences with all factions.
| psylink level = 6
| casting time = 70
| ability range = 59.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.5
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius = 5.9
| duration = 288000
| duration multiplier = psychic sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -75
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Neuroquake''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that drives pawns insane in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
{{Quote|''If you use neuroquake, everyone in this region will feel the neuroquake echo, you will lose goodwill with every non-hostile faction. Neuroquake takes 12 seconds to cast, and cannot be interrupted. When complete, the caster will fall into a psychic coma for 5 days. Everyone within a 60 tile radius of the caster except those in a 5 tile radius around the caster will be affected.<br>Do you really want to cast neuroquake?''|Confirmation dialogue}}

Upon casting Neuroquake, the player will be given the above prompt asking them to confirm their choice to cast Neuroquake. After confirmation, the pawn will begin the process of casting Neuroquake. This takes 12 seconds, during which the pawn is unable to perform any action, such as moving, attacking, using equipped or carried items, and cannot be interrupted by any means besides downing the caster. If the cast time elapses without interruption, upon its conclusion, every psychically sensitive pawn within a circle of 60 tiles radius, centered on the caster will be afflicted with the [[Mental break#Berserk|Berserk]] mental state for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, modified by [[Psychic Sensitivity]]. However, pawns within a 6 tile radius will be excluded from this effect. Note that mech bosses such as the [[Diabolus]]{{BiotechIcon}} and [[War queen]]{{BiotechIcon}} are immune to the Berserk mental state and thus, Neuroquake. Additionally, pawns that are [[incapable]] of violence are unable to cast Neuroquake.

Additionally, immediately after casting, the psycaster will suffer from the [[Ailments#Psychic coma|Psychic Coma]] hediff for 5 days, rendering them unconscious for the duration. Furthermore, all psychically sensitive pawns, including hostiles, on the current map will be given the {{Thought|desc=Distant, unfamiliar echoes of terror and grief. It makes me feel nervous and shaky.|label=Neuroquake echoes|value=-12|stack = 3|multi = 0.75|duration = 10}}. Furthermore, any pawns within a 4-tile radius on the world map will also incur this penalty, whether in a [[caravan]] or otherwise. Note that despite [[psychically deaf]] pawns being immune to this penalty, the severity of the thought is not affected by psychic sensitivity.

Lastly, all factions not currently hostile with the player will incur a {{Bad|-10}} penalty to [[goodwill]] upon casting Neuroquake, regardless of their proximity to or presence in the player's colony at time of casting. Note that this does not replace the innate {{Bad|-75}} goodwill penalty of Neuroquake as a harmful ability, which will be applied as usual when used against pawns of a neutral or allied faction.

== Analysis ==
Neuroquake is a supremely powerful raid buster, without equal. It can end even the most daunting raids without any effort or bloodshed required on the part of the player. The duration of the berserk mental state inflicted lasts just shy of five full days, meaning that even pawns with low psychic sensitivity (such as the ever lethal [[mechanoid]]s) will kill each other long before the effect expires, even without accounting for any further action on the part of the player. Once cast, affected enemies will turn on one another and the raid will invariably swallow itself whole, tearing at each other until one or no survivors remain, affording the player a bloodless victory. Neuroquake is effective against almost all enemy and raid types, as well as other combat targets, such as [[Mech cluster]]s and [[Crashed ship parts]]. Used prudently, Neuroquake is the single most effective method to wipe out an enemy force.

However, in spite of this, Neuroquake is not without drawback or weakness.

Firstly, the pawn casting Neuroquake is completely unable to move or take action while casting. Additionally, the moderate but not unlimited range of Neuroquake requires them to be reasonably close to the target enemies. This renders them vulnerable to not only enemies closing the distance and attacking, but also enemies with long range, such as human pawns wielding [[sniper rifle]]s, or [[pikemen]]. This can be mitigated through the use of personal defensive options such as a [[low-shield pack]], or the [[invisibility]] or [[skipshield]] psycasts. Alternatively, one could just place the pawn in cover, behind a wall, or enclose them in [[wallraise]]s, as Neuroquake does not require line of sight.

Secondly, while Neuroquake is effective against most common raid types, there are a few exceptions. Drop pod raids either scatter themselves all over the map, or drop directly on top of the player. The former reduces the raider density, limiting Neuroquake's targets, while the latter makes it cumbersome to utilize Neuroquake due to the immediate nature of the attack, which will likely be more easily repelled with conventional tactics. However, scattered raiders will eventually clump back together as they make their way towards the player's pawns, meaning that using Neuroquake is not entirely out of the question. [[Hate chanters]]{{AnomalyIcon}}, with their tendency to remain immobile along the edges of the map until provoked renders using Neuroquake a less than appealing prospect, as the number of available targets within range will be middling at best until they begin their attack in earnest. Most problematic, however, are [[shambler]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}, being the only raid type to be completely immune to the effects of Neuroquake due to shamblers having 0% psychic sensitivity.

Lastly, the aftereffects of casting Neuroquake can make it situationally a less than appealing prospect. The pawn casting it will be rendered completely useless for five days, leaving them a dead weight and unable to contribute to the colony - a significant loss considering the pawn is, at bare minimum, a level 6 psycaster. The malus to mood is both long lasting and substantial, and can push an already-struggling colony over the brink into full-on breakdown if used carelessly. Additionally, the goodwill penalty, while seeming nominal, can make it difficult to maintain positive relationships with factions, or even drive them to hostility with repeated uses. It falls to the player to decide whether or not these downsides are more appealing than the potential dangers of dispatching your enemies by more traditional methods.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.
* [[Version/1.3.3066|1.3.3066]] - Neuroquake rebalance: Neuroquake lists duration in the casting warning. Coma duration increased from 3 days -> 5 and no longer scales with psychic sensitivity. The negative moodlet to friendly bystanders applies whether they are conscious or not and is increased from -10 to -12. Casting warmup decreased from 125s -> 12s. Berserk radius decreased from entire map -> 60 tiles.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Topic:Yjsccrdk3spcsls4

2025-02-25T14:50:47Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) commented on "<worldRangeTiles>4</worldRangeTiles>" (Good catch. You're correct - The "Neuroquake echoes" thought is inflicted upon all pawns within 4 world tiles. I'll update the page to re...)

Wallraise

2025-02-01T18:56:15Z

Bacaniel: forgot to add link to Waterskip

{{Royalty}}
{{Recode|reason=Consider adding non-property setting infobox for the raised wall.}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Wallraise
| image = Wallraise.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Form a temporary wall by skipping rubble and soil up from deep under the ground.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 35
| effect radius =
| duration = 10000
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Wallraise''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates a set of temporary walls in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
{{Image wanted|section=1|reason=webm of the spell being cast with clear image of the resulting rocks, ideally on a sterile tile backdrop}}

Upon casting, Wallraise creates a set of "raised rocks" walls, in a 3-tile wide cross, centered on a target tile. Valid targets for Wallraise are any standable tiles within 25 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight. Note that the 4 tiles cardinally adjacent (tiles which would spawn walls) to the target location must also be standable in order to cast Wallraise. Any haulable items or pawns present on affected tiles will be displaced to adjacent empty tiles when the walls spawn, and standable buildings such as [[crafting spot]]s or [[IED]]s will be destroyed, along with any [[fire]]s. The created walls have 100 HP and persist for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, or 4 in-game hours, before disappearing. Similar to other rock walls, they can be mined (though do not create chunks), provide 75% cover effectiveness, are non-flammable, and create rock rubble filth when damaged, destroyed, or upon expiration.

== Analysis ==

Wallraise is very similar to [[Skip]] in that the power of this psycast is largely limited by one's imagination. While it performs rather poorly for its surface applications, Wallraise has a host of other uses in which it performs spectacularly. Although it cannot directly compete with Skip in terms of raw battlefield control (or many other psycasts for pure utility), it nevertheless enables several unorthodox strategies to corral enemy pawns and defend one's own, as well as a few smaller uses asides.

=== Cover ===
The most obvious use for Wallraise from the lay perspective is to create temporary cover for ranged pawns to fire from. However, Wallraise tends to be ill-suited for this task, as not only does the cross-shape of the created walls allow only two pawns to fire from cover in any given direction, but the created walls have only 100 HP, giving them very little staying power while under fire - for comparison, even a wooden wall has nearly twice the HP at 195. In comparison, [[Chunk skip]] provides 5 points of cover for your pawns, with triple the HP, though only 50% cover as opposed to 75%.

However, where Wallraise shines is when used not to provide cover for pawns, but to deny enemy fire entirely. As the created walls block line of sight, they can be used to prevent enemies from attempting to fire altogether on pawns behind them. Some common applications for this are to provide a safe zone for rescuing or tending downed pawns, to shield critically injured pawns from further harm, or to limit enemy fire to a single direction. Additionally, Wallraise can be placed directly between an enemy and their intended target during the aiming process to interrupt their attack, forcing them to relocate and acquire a new target. This is particularly relevant against enemies with devastating attacks and/or long firing times, such as [[centipede]]s and enemies wielding a [[Triple_rocket_launcher|triple]] or [[doomsday rocket launcher]]. However, as the resultant walls will similarly prevent your own pawns from returning fire and dealing with the impending threat, this tactic is only a stopgap measure to allow your pawns time to thin out the surrounding enemies before dispatching the main threat, or to simply draw them closer to your defensive line.

=== Pathing ===
Since the walls it creates are both impassable and block line of sight, Wallraise can be used to great effect to manipulate the pathing of enemies. As raiders will typically not target walls unless no other path to your colonists exists, Wallraise can create or deny points of access for enemies, allowing one to control where and how enemies meet your defenses. One common use for this is to block line of sight against ranged attackers, forcing them to walk around the side of the wall to engage your pawns, neutering the advantage their range provides and leaving them highly vulnerable to melee engagement. Conversely, two casts of Wallraise a single tile apart creates a perfect chokepoint for melee blocking tactics, assuming one can cover the open area behind it with existing walls or further use of Wallraise.

Not only is Wallraise useful for said proactive defensive measures, but it also proves effective as a reactive measure. It can be used to near-instantly seal points of access for raiders, whether this be a chokepoint, a door, a destroyed wall from an unfortunate [[frag grenade]], or the entry point of [[Raider#Breachers|breachers]]. In the case of the latter, however, given their single-minded goal of destroying any obstacles in their path, it is unlikely to dissuade them for longer than a few moments, and will likely only be used to buy time for pawns to prepare to defend the inevitable breach. Additionally, Wallraise can also be used to seal up any breaches made in [[pen]]s preventing the animals within from wandering away during a pitched battle.

However, Wallraise's use in these cases is largely supplanted by competent base design, as well-constructed defenses should not provide attackers more than a single point of access, in order to allow one to consolidate defenses at a single point. Additionally, Wallraise can be cumbersome to use effectively without at least some infrastructure surrounding it, as the fairly high neural heat gain, somewhat low duration, and preset deployment pattern can make it difficult to construct complex defensive structures through it's own power. As such, for the above purposes, Wallraise is only of particular use when dealing with an unexpected problem, such as a [[Raider#.22Drop_right_on_top_of_you.22_drop_pods|drop pod raid]], or a melee blocking chokepoint being overwhelmed and requiring retreat. In this instance Wallraise is particularly effective, as it can be cast even if pawns occupy the target tiles, whereas doors can be held open by pursing enemies chasing your fleeing defenders. While defenses can be constructed specifically with the purposes of leveraging Wallraise, the effectiveness is not appreciably higher than those designed without, and it better serves as an impromptu supplement to existing defenses, rather than a cornerstone of them.

=== Miscellaneous ===
Besides direct defensive employment, Wallraise has a few smaller but still significant uses worth mentioning.

In particular Wallraise sees use when dealing with [[Mech cluster]]s, as it can not only be used to wall off any deployed [[turret]]s, preventing them from firing on one's pawns, but it can also be used to mitigate their explosive tendencies, as walls prevent explosions from damaging anything behind them. As such, if pawns are within range of an exploding turret and unable to escape in time, Wallraise can be used to form a defensive wall between them and the turret, preventing any harm from befalling them. In a similar vein, Wallraise can be used on [[unstable power cell]]s, not only to neuter the aforementioned explosive force, but also to prevent them from being damaged in the first place - surrounding them with Wallraise will not only prevent them from being damage by any missed shots, but also from any turrets exploding nearby, should they spawn in proximity to one another.

In a similar vein, Wallraise can be used not only to protect from the impending detonation of a lobbed grenade, but can also intercept them in flight with good positioning and timing, preventing them from reaching one's pawns entirely. This also applies to explosives that detonate on impact, such as the aforementioned triple and doomsday rocket launchers. With supernaturally good timing, it is even possible to place the wall directly in front of the enemy, causing the projectile to collide with the wall directly in front of them, exploding immediately, or shortly thereafter. However, if cast too early, the enemy will simply walk around the wall and resume their firing attempt. As such, the miniscule window of time in which one can perform this feat, combined with the inherent casting time of the psycast, make this tactic highly difficult to pull off. One will almost certainly see more success intercepting projectiles closer to the intended site of impact - though depending on the projectile, this can still catch enemy pawns in the blast radius.

Outside of direct combat, Wallraise sees some use as a method to temporarily immobilize or restrain pawns, typically those suffering from [[mental break]]s. It can be used to deny a [[tantrum]]ing pawn from accessing and destroying their intended (and likely valuable) target, prevent a pawn on a [[hard drug binge]] from reaching the drug stockpile, or keep a pawn in a [[Mental_break#Murderous_rage|murderous rage]] away from the object of their animosity. If surrounding walls do not exist with which to use Wallraise in tandem with, a pawn can be encased with two casts of Wallraise diagonally opposite each other around the pawn. However, if the pawn is moving at full speed, this can be difficult to perform before they escape without some form of [[Aiming Time]] reduction, such as [[trigger-happy]]. Additionally, one could simply Skip the target into a corner, and then immediately enclose them with a single Wallraise. This tactic becomes even more relevant in combat, where an ill-timed mental break can lead to the pawn breaking cover and suffering copious harm - encasing them with Wallraise not only allows one to hold them in place until the danger passes, but prevents raiders from targeting them entirely, protecting them from themselves.

Lastly, as Wallraise destroys fires on affected tiles, it can be used as a poor man's [[Waterskip]], acting as a vaguely effective fire control method. However, given its smaller area of effect, higher neural heat gain and psyfocus cost, and inability to target occupied tiles, Wallraise is purely inferior to Waterskip for this purpose, and will likely see very little use in this regard.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Range reduced from 25 to 20, cost increased from 25 to 35.
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added visual effect for wallraise rocks expiring.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Wallraise

2025-01-31T21:38:55Z

Bacaniel: added little blurb

{{Royalty}}
{{Recode|reason=Consider adding non-property setting infobox for the raised wall.}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Wallraise
| image = Wallraise.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Form a temporary wall by skipping rubble and soil up from deep under the ground.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 35
| effect radius =
| duration = 10000
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Wallraise''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates a set of temporary walls in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
{{Image wanted|section=1|reason=webm of the spell being cast with clear image of the resulting rocks, ideally on a sterile tile backdrop}}

Upon casting, Wallraise creates a set of "raised rocks" walls, in a 3-tile wide cross, centered on a target tile. Valid targets for Wallraise are any standable tiles within 25 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight. Note that the 4 tiles cardinally adjacent (tiles which would spawn walls) to the target location must also be standable in order to cast Wallraise. Any haulable items or pawns present on affected tiles will be displaced to adjacent empty tiles when the walls spawn, and standable buildings such as [[crafting spot]]s or [[IED]]s will be destroyed, along with any [[fire]]s. The created walls have 100 HP and persist for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, or 4 in-game hours, before disappearing. Similar to other rock walls, they can be mined (though do not create chunks), provide 75% cover effectiveness, are non-flammable, and create rock rubble filth when damaged, destroyed, or upon expiration.

== Analysis ==

Wallraise is very similar to [[Skip]] in that the power of this psycast is largely limited by one's imagination. While it performs rather poorly for its surface applications, Wallraise has a host of other uses in which it performs spectacularly. Although it cannot directly compete with Skip in terms of raw battlefield control (or many other psycasts for pure utility), it nevertheless enables several unorthodox strategies to corral enemy pawns and defend one's own, as well as a few smaller uses asides.

=== Cover ===
The most obvious use for Wallraise from the lay perspective is to create temporary cover for ranged pawns to fire from. However, Wallraise tends to be ill-suited for this task, as not only does the cross-shape of the created walls allow only two pawns to fire from cover in any given direction, but the created walls have only 100 HP, giving them very little staying power while under fire - for comparison, even a wooden wall has nearly twice the HP at 195. In comparison, [[Chunk skip]] provides 5 points of cover for your pawns, with triple the HP, though only 50% cover as opposed to 75%.

However, where Wallraise shines is when used not to provide cover for pawns, but to deny enemy fire entirely. As the created walls block line of sight, they can be used to prevent enemies from attempting to fire altogether on pawns behind them. Some common applications for this are to provide a safe zone for rescuing or tending downed pawns, to shield critically injured pawns from further harm, or to limit enemy fire to a single direction. Additionally, Wallraise can be placed directly between an enemy and their intended target during the aiming process to interrupt their attack, forcing them to relocate and acquire a new target. This is particularly relevant against enemies with devastating attacks and/or long firing times, such as [[centipede]]s and enemies wielding a [[Triple_rocket_launcher|triple]] or [[doomsday rocket launcher]]. However, as the resultant walls will similarly prevent your own pawns from returning fire and dealing with the impending threat, this tactic is only a stopgap measure to allow your pawns time to thin out the surrounding enemies before dispatching the main threat, or to simply draw them closer to your defensive line.

=== Pathing ===
Since the walls it creates are both impassable and block line of sight, Wallraise can be used to great effect to manipulate the pathing of enemies. As raiders will typically not target walls unless no other path to your colonists exists, Wallraise can create or deny points of access for enemies, allowing one to control where and how enemies meet your defenses. One common use for this is to block line of sight against ranged attackers, forcing them to walk around the side of the wall to engage your pawns, neutering the advantage their range provides and leaving them highly vulnerable to melee engagement. Conversely, two casts of Wallraise a single tile apart creates a perfect chokepoint for melee blocking tactics, assuming one can cover the open area behind it with existing walls or further use of Wallraise.

Not only is Wallraise useful for said proactive defensive measures, but it also proves effective as a reactive measure. It can be used to near-instantly seal points of access for raiders, whether this be a chokepoint, a door, a destroyed wall from an unfortunate [[frag grenade]], or the entry point of [[Raider#Breachers|breachers]]. In the case of the latter, however, given their single-minded goal of destroying any obstacles in their path, it is unlikely to dissuade them for longer than a few moments, and will likely only be used to buy time for pawns to prepare to defend the inevitable breach. Additionally, Wallraise can also be used to seal up any breaches made in [[pen]]s preventing the animals within from wandering away during a pitched battle.

However, Wallraise's use in these cases is largely supplanted by competent base design, as well-constructed defenses should not provide attackers more than a single point of access, in order to allow one to consolidate defenses at a single point. Additionally, Wallraise can be cumbersome to use effectively without at least some infrastructure surrounding it, as the fairly high neural heat gain, somewhat low duration, and preset deployment pattern can make it difficult to construct complex defensive structures through it's own power. As such, for the above purposes, Wallraise is only of particular use when dealing with an unexpected problem, such as a [[Raider#.22Drop_right_on_top_of_you.22_drop_pods|drop pod raid]], or a melee blocking chokepoint being overwhelmed and requiring retreat. In this instance Wallraise is particularly effective, as it can be cast even if pawns occupy the target tiles, whereas doors can be held open by pursing enemies chasing your fleeing defenders. While defenses can be constructed specifically with the purposes of leveraging Wallraise, the effectiveness is not appreciably higher than those designed without, and it better serves as an impromptu supplement to existing defenses, rather than a cornerstone of them.

=== Miscellaneous ===
Besides direct defensive employment, Wallraise has a few smaller but still significant uses worth mentioning.

In particular Wallraise sees use when dealing with [[Mech cluster]]s, as it can not only be used to wall off any deployed [[turret]]s, preventing them from firing on one's pawns, but it can also be used to mitigate their explosive tendencies, as walls prevent explosions from damaging anything behind them. As such, if pawns are within range of an exploding turret and unable to escape in time, Wallraise can be used to form a defensive wall between them and the turret, preventing any harm from befalling them. In a similar vein, Wallraise can be used on [[unstable power cell]]s, not only to neuter the aforementioned explosive force, but also to prevent them from being damaged in the first place - surrounding them with Wallraise will not only prevent them from being damage by any missed shots, but also from any turrets exploding nearby, should they spawn in proximity to one another.

In a similar vein, Wallraise can be used not only to protect from the impending detonation of a lobbed grenade, but can also intercept them in flight with good positioning and timing, preventing them from reaching one's pawns entirely. This also applies to explosives that detonate on impact, such as the aforementioned triple and doomsday rocket launchers. With supernaturally good timing, it is even possible to place the wall directly in front of the enemy, causing the projectile to collide with the wall directly in front of them, exploding immediately, or shortly thereafter. However, if cast too early, the enemy will simply walk around the wall and resume their firing attempt. As such, the miniscule window of time in which one can perform this feat, combined with the inherent casting time of the psycast, make this tactic highly difficult to pull off. One will almost certainly see more success intercepting projectiles closer to the intended site of impact - though depending on the projectile, this can still catch enemy pawns in the blast radius.

Outside of direct combat, Wallraise sees some use as a method to temporarily immobilize or restrain pawns, typically those suffering from [[mental break]]s. It can be used to deny a [[tantrum]]ing pawn from accessing and destroying their intended (and likely valuable) target, prevent a pawn on a [[hard drug binge]] from reaching the drug stockpile, or keep a pawn in a [[Mental_break#Murderous_rage|murderous rage]] away from the object of their animosity. If surrounding walls do not exist with which to use Wallraise in tandem with, a pawn can be encased with two casts of Wallraise diagonally opposite each other around the pawn. However, if the pawn is moving at full speed, this can be difficult to perform before they escape without some form of [[Aiming Time]] reduction, such as [[trigger-happy]]. Additionally, one could simply Skip the target into a corner, and then immediately enclose them with a single Wallraise. This tactic becomes even more relevant in combat, where an ill-timed mental break can lead to the pawn breaking cover and suffering copious harm - encasing them with Wallraise not only allows one to hold them in place until the danger passes, but prevents raiders from targeting them entirely, protecting them from themselves.

Lastly, as Wallraise destroys fires on affected tiles, it can be used as a poor man's Waterskip, acting as a vaguely effective fire control method. However, given its smaller area of effect, higher neural heat gain and psyfocus cost, and inability to target occupied tiles, Wallraise is purely inferior to Waterskip for this purpose, and will likely see very little use in this regard.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Range reduced from 25 to 20, cost increased from 25 to 35.
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added visual effect for wallraise rocks expiring.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Wallraise

2025-01-31T21:37:27Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis (tried to format this one better, it's longer but I think it's nicer to read at least - also I'm planning adding that requested video and infobox, I'm just a little strapped for time rn)

{{Royalty}}
{{Recode|reason=Consider adding non-property setting infobox for the raised wall.}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Wallraise
| image = Wallraise.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Form a temporary wall by skipping rubble and soil up from deep under the ground.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 35
| effect radius =
| duration = 10000
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Wallraise''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates a set of temporary walls in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
{{Image wanted|section=1|reason=webm of the spell being cast with clear image of the resulting rocks, ideally on a sterile tile backdrop}}

Upon casting, Wallraise creates a set of "raised rocks" walls, in a 3-tile wide cross, centered on a target tile. Valid targets for Wallraise are any standable tiles within 25 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight. Note that the 4 tiles cardinally adjacent (tiles which would spawn walls) to the target location must also be standable in order to cast Wallraise. Any haulable items or pawns present on affected tiles will be displaced to adjacent empty tiles when the walls spawn, and standable buildings such as [[crafting spot]]s or [[IED]]s will be destroyed, along with any [[fire]]s. The created walls have 100 HP and persist for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, or 4 in-game hours, before disappearing. Similar to other rock walls, they can be mined (though do not create chunks), provide 75% cover effectiveness, are non-flammable, and create rock rubble filth when damaged, destroyed, or upon expiration.

== Analysis ==

Wallraise is very similar to [[Skip]] in that the power of this psycast is largely limited by one's imagination. While it performs rather poorly for its surface applications, Wallraise has a host of other uses in which it performs spectacularly. Although it cannot directly compete with Skip in terms of raw battlefield control, it nevertheless enables several unorthodox strategies to corral enemy pawns and defend one's own, as well as a few smaller uses asides.

=== Cover ===
The most obvious use for Wallraise from the lay perspective is to create temporary cover for ranged pawns to fire from. However, Wallraise tends to be ill-suited for this task, as not only does the cross-shape of the created walls allow only two pawns to fire from cover in any given direction, but the created walls have only 100 HP, giving them very little staying power while under fire - for comparison, even a wooden wall has nearly twice the HP at 195. In comparison, [[Chunk skip]] provides 5 points of cover for your pawns, with triple the HP, though only 50% cover as opposed to 75%.

However, where Wallraise shines is when used not to provide cover for pawns, but to deny enemy fire entirely. As the created walls block line of sight, they can be used to prevent enemies from attempting to fire altogether on pawns behind them. Some common applications for this are to provide a safe zone for rescuing or tending downed pawns, to shield critically injured pawns from further harm, or to limit enemy fire to a single direction. Additionally, Wallraise can be placed directly between an enemy and their intended target during the aiming process to interrupt their attack, forcing them to relocate and acquire a new target. This is particularly relevant against enemies with devastating attacks and/or long firing times, such as [[centipede]]s and enemies wielding a [[Triple_rocket_launcher|triple]] or [[doomsday rocket launcher]]. However, as the resultant walls will similarly prevent your own pawns from returning fire and dealing with the impending threat, this tactic is only a stopgap measure to allow your pawns time to thin out the surrounding enemies before dispatching the main threat, or to simply draw them closer to your defensive line.

=== Pathing ===
Since the walls it creates are both impassable and block line of sight, Wallraise can be used to great effect to manipulate the pathing of enemies. As raiders will typically not target walls unless no other path to your colonists exists, Wallraise can create or deny points of access for enemies, allowing one to control where and how enemies meet your defenses. One common use for this is to block line of sight against ranged attackers, forcing them to walk around the side of the wall to engage your pawns, neutering the advantage their range provides and leaving them highly vulnerable to melee engagement. Conversely, two casts of Wallraise a single tile apart creates a perfect chokepoint for melee blocking tactics, assuming one can cover the open area behind it with existing walls or further use of Wallraise.

Not only is Wallraise useful for said proactive defensive measures, but it also proves effective as a reactive measure. It can be used to near-instantly seal points of access for raiders, whether this be a chokepoint, a door, a destroyed wall from an unfortunate [[frag grenade]], or the entry point of [[Raider#Breachers|breachers]]. In the case of the latter, however, given their single-minded goal of destroying any obstacles in their path, it is unlikely to dissuade them for longer than a few moments, and will likely only be used to buy time for pawns to prepare to defend the inevitable breach. Additionally, Wallraise can also be used to seal up any breaches made in [[pen]]s preventing the animals within from wandering away during a pitched battle.

However, Wallraise's use in these cases is largely supplanted by competent base design, as well-constructed defenses should not provide attackers more than a single point of access, in order to allow one to consolidate defenses at a single point. Additionally, Wallraise can be cumbersome to use effectively without at least some infrastructure surrounding it, as the fairly high neural heat gain, somewhat low duration, and preset deployment pattern can make it difficult to construct complex defensive structures through it's own power. As such, for the above purposes, Wallraise is only of particular use when dealing with an unexpected problem, such as a [[Raider#.22Drop_right_on_top_of_you.22_drop_pods|drop pod raid]], or a melee blocking chokepoint being overwhelmed and requiring retreat. In this instance Wallraise is particularly effective, as it can be cast even if pawns occupy the target tiles, whereas doors can be held open by pursing enemies chasing your fleeing defenders. While defenses can be constructed specifically with the purposes of leveraging Wallraise, the effectiveness is not appreciably higher than those designed without, and it better serves as an impromptu supplement to existing defenses, rather than a cornerstone of them.

=== Miscellaneous ===
Besides direct defensive employment, Wallraise has a few smaller but still significant uses worth mentioning.

In particular Wallraise sees use when dealing with [[Mech cluster]]s, as it can not only be used to wall off any deployed [[turret]]s, preventing them from firing on one's pawns, but it can also be used to mitigate their explosive tendencies, as walls prevent explosions from damaging anything behind them. As such, if pawns are within range of an exploding turret and unable to escape in time, Wallraise can be used to form a defensive wall between them and the turret, preventing any harm from befalling them. In a similar vein, Wallraise can be used on [[unstable power cell]]s, not only to neuter the aforementioned explosive force, but also to prevent them from being damaged in the first place - surrounding them with Wallraise will not only prevent them from being damage by any missed shots, but also from any turrets exploding nearby, should they spawn in proximity to one another.

In a similar vein, Wallraise can be used not only to protect from the impending detonation of a lobbed grenade, but can also intercept them in flight with good positioning and timing, preventing them from reaching one's pawns entirely. This also applies to explosives that detonate on impact, such as the aforementioned triple and doomsday rocket launchers. With supernaturally good timing, it is even possible to place the wall directly in front of the enemy, causing the projectile to collide with the wall directly in front of them, exploding immediately, or shortly thereafter. However, if cast too early, the enemy will simply walk around the wall and resume their firing attempt. As such, the miniscule window of time in which one can perform this feat, combined with the inherent casting time of the psycast, make this tactic highly difficult to pull off. One will almost certainly see more success intercepting projectiles closer to the intended site of impact - though depending on the projectile, this can still catch enemy pawns in the blast radius.

Outside of direct combat, Wallraise sees some use as a method to temporarily immobilize or restrain pawns, typically those suffering from [[mental break]]s. It can be used to deny a [[tantrum]]ing pawn from accessing and destroying their intended (and likely valuable) target, prevent a pawn on a [[hard drug binge]] from reaching the drug stockpile, or keep a pawn in a [[Mental_break#Murderous_rage|murderous rage]] away from the object of their animosity. If surrounding walls do not exist with which to use Wallraise in tandem with, a pawn can be encased with two casts of Wallraise diagonally opposite each other around the pawn. However, if the pawn is moving at full speed, this can be difficult to perform before they escape without some form of [[Aiming Time]] reduction, such as [[trigger-happy]]. Additionally, one could simply Skip the target into a corner, and then immediately enclose them with a single Wallraise. This tactic becomes even more relevant in combat, where an ill-timed mental break can lead to the pawn breaking cover and suffering copious harm - encasing them with Wallraise not only allows one to hold them in place until the danger passes, but prevents raiders from targeting them entirely, protecting them from themselves.

Lastly, as Wallraise destroys fires on affected tiles, it can be used as a poor man's Waterskip, acting as a vaguely effective fire control method. However, given its smaller area of effect, higher neural heat gain and psyfocus cost, and inability to target occupied tiles, Wallraise is purely inferior to Waterskip for this purpose, and will likely see very little use in this regard.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Range reduced from 25 to 20, cost increased from 25 to 35.
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added visual effect for wallraise rocks expiring.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Focus

2025-01-21T17:18:00Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis (not too proud of this one - I'll come back and format this one on my second pass through all the psycast pages, but I wanted to get the information down first)

{{Royalty}}
{{About|the psycast called "focus"|psychic focus|psyfocus}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Focus
| image = Focus.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Psychically focus the target's mind, boosting their sight, hearing and moving capacities.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 15
| ability range = 27.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.03
| neural heat gain = 15
| effect radius =
| duration = 3600
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Focus''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that enhances the capacities of its target for its duration.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
{{Stub|section=1|reason=See [[burden]] for similar format and level of detail}}
{{Quote|Psychically-induced mental focus, increasing sight, hearing and movement capacities.|Psychic focus description}}
Upon casting, Focus grants a target pawn the Psychic focus [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, scaling with the target's [[Psychic Sensitivity]]. While it persists, Psychic focus grants the target pawn a {{Good|x130%}} multiplier to [[Sight]], [[Moving]], and [[Hearing]], improving all stats derived from these capacities. This multiplier applies after any base factors or offsets to said capacities, such as [[go-juice]] or a [[bionic eye]]. Valid targets for Focus include any psychically sensitive pawns within 28 tiles, respecting line of sight.

== Analysis ==
Focus is an extremely basic psycast with a fairly useful effect, though not nearly as impactful as other psycasts of a similar level. Despite its single target nature and relatively low impact per cast, its fairly low psyfocus cost and extremely low neural heat gain allow it be to cast several times in succession, enhancing the combat prowess of all or several of one's pawns. However, the somewhat low duration and the low (but not negligible) psyfocus cost can make maintaining the effects prohibitive, especially so during protracted engagements. This, combined with the somewhat minor impact of the stat improvements render Focus best used when one has either a surplus of psyfocus in reserve, or no better psycasts to spend it on.

In terms of direct combat effectiveness, the increase to both Sight and Moving improves several vital combat related stats. Sight impacts [[Shooting Accuracy]], [[Melee Hit Chance]], and [[Melee Dodge Chance]], while Moving impacts [[Move Speed]] and [[Melee Dodge Chance]]. Before going into the details of Focus' impact on these stats, please note that the information provided below is merely the information relevant to Focus only - it is recommended you visit the pages listed above for detailed information on the calculations which determine each of these stats.

For Shooting Accuracy, the increase to Sight is equivalent to an additional 3.6 levels in Shooting (mathematically, not functionally, as skills are only calculated as whole numbers). Due to the exponential decay of accuracy over range, this increased accuracy is negligible at low ranges but becomes more impactful as the distance between target and shooter increases. As an example, a Shooting 10 pawn can expect to see an increase in accuracy of approximately {{Good|9 - 12%}}, if engaging targets within a 15 to 30 tile range. Note that pawns with extremely low Shooting skill will see a significant improvement - upwards of {{Good|20%}} - in their accuracy from Focus, due to the post-processing curve heavily penalizing low Shooting skill (and impaired capacities). For the full impact of Shooting skill (and by extension, Focus) on DPS, please visit the Shooting Accuracy page for the associated graph.

For Melee Hit Chance, the impact from Focus is significantly lesser. While, as with Shooting Accuracy, an unskilled or incapable pawn will see the most benefit from Focus, at best one will only see an {{Good|11%}} increase to Melee Hit Chance at Melee 0, to only a {{Good|4%}} increase at Melee 10. However, the improvement for Melee Dodge Chance is significantly higher. While the increase is only roughly {{Good|10%}} depending on skill level and capacities, said increase translates to approximately {{Good|20%}} more effective HP in terms of melee combat, rendering affected pawns much more durable in melee combat. As above, please visit the associated pages for an in-depth look at the stats provided above.

For Move Speed, Focus provides a flat {{Good|x30%}} increase to Moving, applying after offsets but before external factors, such as [[weather]] and [[terrain]]. As such, pawns with increased or reduced Moving, or additional offsets applied, will see a proportionally higher or lower direct impact on their move speed as a result of Focus. In terms of combat, while Move Speed does not directly improve a pawn's damage or survivability, it improves their performance in combat in several ways, including but not limited to: moving to and from cover faster, rescuing downed pawns more effectively, approaching or fleeing enemies faster, easier kiting, to name a few.

With all this said, a reasonable conclusion can be drawn that, while Focus provides nothing outstanding, the overall improvement to a pawn's combat effectiveness is significant, and especially so when cast on several pawns at once. In particular, melee combatants benefit the most, as not only do they receive buffs to both their damage output and survivability, but the increase to Move Speed in particular allows them to reach their targets faster, and acquire new ones faster once dispatched, helping to mitigate the main weakness of melee combatants - their low range. Additionally, Focus' low neural heat gain and psyfocus cost enable it to be used to great effect on a swarm of attack [[animal]]s, magnifying their threat and enabling them to easily chase down distant or fleeing targets. This is of particular note as while colonists are capable of carrying [[drug]]s such as go-juice to achieve similar (frankly, superior) buffs to their combat capabilities, animals require an operation to be administered drugs, barring accidental ingestion. Doing so is not only cumbersome to the point of absurdity with more than a few animals, but also fairly time-intensive for an action ostensibly taken directly prior to combat, placing Focus as the most practical option for buffing non-human pawns. With that said, while Focus can be used on allied [[mechanoids]] (specifically, those controlled by a [[mechanitor]]{{BiotechIcon}}), their reduced psychic sensitivity renders the uptime of Focus quite low, and generally not worth the psyfocus expended.

Lastly, note that Focus has some limited use outside of direct combat. The increase to Moving can be useful for pawns caught out in the open when a surprise raid or [[manhunter]] appears, enabling them to flee to relative safety. Additionally, while the low duration of Focus renders its improvements to most work types fairly inconsequential for the micro required (barring a massively increased Psychic sensitivity), the improvement to both [[Medical Tend Speed]] and [[Medical Tend Quality]] can be relevant, as tending is generally a high-impact, low duration work type. In particular, Focus can be useful for emergency triage in combat, allowing your doctors to tend more quickly and effectively while under fire, and away from medicine stockpiles. Alternatively, Focus can be used to maximize tend quality for pawns facing life threatening [[infection]]s or [[disease]]s, where a single poor quality tend can make the difference between life and death.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.4.3613|1.4.3613]] - Fix: Typo "capactities" in Focus hediff.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Topic:Yk4kg1qscluybyh0

2025-01-18T00:29:52Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) commented on "Re: #ask lists" (Thanks for bringing this functionality to my attention - I'll implement it into the (Chaos) Skip pages, and Mass Chaos Skip, when I get a...)

Skip

2025-01-17T18:59:28Z

Bacaniel: added summary, analysis, aoe image, removed stub (Skip is kind of a big one in terms of analysis, so please add anything I missed - I think I got all the important uses though)

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Skip
| image = Skip.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Teleport the target to a desired position not too far from its starting point. Objects which are too large cannot be teleported.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 15
| ability range = 27.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 25
| effect radius =
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Skip''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that can teleport a target pawn or item to a desired position.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Skip will skip the target [[pawn]] or item to a nearby target destination. Valid targets for Skip include any pawn with a body size of 3.5 or less, and any haulable items within 28 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight. Valid destinations for Skip are any walkable tiles within 28 tiles of the target of Skip, respecting line of sight of the target - the target location does not need to be within 28 tiles of the caster, nor within their line of sight - only within range and sight of the target. Upon arriving at their destination, pawns will be very briefly stunned for {{Ticks|30}}, preventing them from moving or taking action for the duration. Note that despite having a body size of 1, [[Apocriton]]s{{BiotechIcon}} cannot be targeted by Skip, by reason of "Psychic Resistance".

Additionally, note that Skip is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a goodwill penalty of {{Bad|−15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied faction. However, Skip will not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:skip radius.PNG|thumb|left|175px|Area of effect of Skip, both the target selection and teleport radii. Yellow tile indicates caster / skip target location, white tiles indicate valid target / destination location, and red tiles indicate invalid targets for both.]]
Skip is considered by many to be the single best psycast in the game, and for good reason. The ability to near-instantly reposition pawns within a considerable range allows one to almost entirely dictate the flow, and outcome of combat. Additionally, Skip's low neural heat gain and psyfocus cost allow it to be used several times in succession, allowing for unparalleled battlefield control. Used well, Skip can trivialize combat encounters, though not necessarily all on its own.

While the only real limit on the use of Skip is one's imagination, there are several obvious uses for it, the first and most obvious being to relocate enemies to disadvantageous positions. Skip can be used to both move melee attackers away from your own pawns, while placing ranged attackers either out of cover, or within reach of your own melee fighters. In particular, Skip's range of 28 tiles make it well suited for dealing with ranged attackers, as not only are most ranged weapons outranged by Skip (or beat it by barely a few tiles), but being skipped into melee tends to be a death sentence for ranged combatants, allowing one to decimate the enemy's firepower with only a few casts. In particular, [[mechanoids]] such as [[lancer]]s and [[centipede]]s are choice targets for Skip, being extremely lethal at range, but rather toothless if engaged in melee - the inverse holding true for [[scyther]]s and [[scorcher]]s{{BiotechIcon}}. Additionally, as with [[Chaos skip]], the brief stun caused by Skip will interrupt the aiming process of centipedes and similar enemies, though this is generally overshadowed by the main function of Skip.

In spite of the uses listed prior, skipping enemies is not a binary choice of moving enemies away from or towards your own pawns. Skip can be used to place enemies into a myriad of harmful locations, such as directly on top of a raging [[fire]], or directly on top of a tossed [[frag grenade]], preventing them from fleeing, and bypassing the low range of the weapon. In particular, Skip can be used to place enemies directly on top of an [[IED]], guaranteeing its activation regardless of its position - though using an IED on potentially only a single enemy may be hardly worth the effort. Skip can also be used to cluster enemies together for a [[berserk pulse]] or [[vertigo pulse]], though the high range and area of effect of the latter render this mostly unnecessary. Lastly, once combat concludes, Skip can be used to retrieve any fleeing raiders, should one be inclined to attempt capture. If so, note that bleeding pawns can be skipped away from the map edge repeatedly until extreme [[blood loss]] renders them unconscious, allowing one to bypass the extra [[Downed#Death_on_down|death on down]] chance.

In addition to targeting enemy pawns, Skip can also be used to similar effect on one's own pawns - skipping your melee fighters directly into the enemy's ranks, or skipping your ranged pawns into flanking positions behind enemy cover. However, in terms of offensive measures, using Skip on enemies tends to be a better value proposition than on one's own pawns, as moving only enemies allows them to be safely dispatched from a fortified position, whereas sending your pawns to them generally incurs more risk. However, in the case of expendable fighters such as [[ghoul]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}, or tamed [[megasloth]]s (or in contrast, perhaps a particularly well-armored pawn), skipping one directly within a group of enemies will cause significant disruption with a single cast, as opposed to the alternative of displacing each enemy individually. Additionally, Skip can also be used defensively, to remove injured or downed pawns from the line of fire, or to move them away from an imminent threat, such as the aforementioned frag grenade, or a blast from the [[diabolus]]'{{BiotechIcon}} [[hellsphere cannon]]{{BiotechIcon}}. Additionally, Skip's long range and low cast time allow a psycaster to cover ground blindingly fast, enabling them to reach any location in a matter of moments. Not only does this give them near-perfect target access for Skip (and several other options besides), but skipped pawns are capable of carrying downed pawns with them, allowing the caster to act as a superb paramedic, reaching distant incapacitated allies in seconds, and vanishing from the line of fire in an instant, bringing them to safety before returning to the fray. Additionally, note that unlike skipping a downed pawn directly, skipping a pawn carrying them will not incur a goodwill penalty, should the downed pawn be from a friendly or neutral faction.

Lastly, while Skip's ability to target objects is generally less useful than relocating pawns, it still has some merit. Firstly, it can act as a superior [[Chunk skip]], allowing one to create a wall of cover from nearby chunks in whatever shape and position one desires - most useful when one is forced to take engagements away from their defensive emplacements. Additionally, tandem use with Chunk skip allows one to create cover regardless of the proximity of chunks by using Chunk skip to bring several close, and Skip to place them precisely. In the same vein, Skip can be used similarly to Chunk skip by relocating enemy cover to a desired location, such as in front of one's own pawns. However, in such circumstances, one would almost certainly be better served by simply ignoring the chunk and skipping the enemy instead. In terms of offensive measures, Skip can also be used to skip stacks of [[chemfuel]], or more commonly [[mortar shell]]s directly on top of enemies - preferably once already damaged and "hissing", as enemies will attempt to flee from the imminent explosion, if provided the chance. However, the practical applications of this are rather dubious, as if given the opportunity to set up and prime said items, the time would likely have been better spent setting up IEDs and placing enemies on top of them, instead. However, skipping shells directly does have the advantage of being able to directly target clusters of enemies, as opposed to only being able to skip one enemy directly onto an IED. However, this method also requires one to have a nearby supply of shells, and a weapon capable of damaging them, as most ranged weapons are unable to directly target items. Additionally, as the item can only be skipped to a location within line of sight of the item, it must be placed in a position that exposes it to enemy fire, risking a detonation within one's own ranks - an outcome also potentially inflicted by a mistimed cast.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.4.3523|1.4.3523]] - Now has a maximum [[body size]] of 3.5.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

File:Skip radius.PNG

2025-01-17T17:15:05Z

Bacaniel: Categorizing

== Summary ==
An image displaying the range of Skip (both the target selection and destination selection, I suppose - they're identical). Yellow = cast location, white = valid target location, red = invalid target location.

[[Category:Images - Graphics]]

== Licensing ==
{{Copyright game}}

File:Skip radius.PNG

2025-01-17T17:14:33Z

Bacaniel: An image displaying the range of Skip (both the target selection and destination selection, I suppose - they're identical). Yellow = cast location, white = valid target location, red = invalid target location.

Chaos skip

2025-01-17T15:50:49Z

Bacaniel: small wording change

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Chaos skip
| image = ChaosSkip.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Teleport the target to a random position near where it started. Objects above a certain size cannot be teleported.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 15
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 18
| effect radius =
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Chaos skip''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that teleports its target to a random place in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
On casting, Chaos skip will skip the target [[pawn]] or item to a random valid destination tile within range. Valid targets for Chaos skip are any pawns with a [[body size]] of 3.5 or less, or any haulable item within 25 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight, and valid destination tiles are any standable tiles within a range of 7 to 25 tiles from the target pawn's position, disregarding of line of sight. Upon arriving at their destination, the pawn will be briefly stunned for {{Ticks|90}}, preventing them from moving or taking action for the duration. If no valid destination tile exists, the target will not be skipped, with the displayed reason "No valid destination found for Chaos skip", though the psyfocus cost and neural heat gain will still be incurred. Note that despite having a body size of 1, [[Apocriton]]s{{BiotechIcon}} cannot be targeted by Chaos skip, by reason of "Psychic Resistance".

Additionally, note that Chaos skip is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]]. However, Chaos skip will not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:chaos skip radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of effect of Chaos skip. Yellow tile marks the target location, white tiles are valid destination tiles, and red tiles are invalid destinations. Note that the maximum skip radius is identical to the cast range for Chaos skip.]]
Chaos skip is a highly useful psycast that, while often overshadowed by its rather superior alternative in [[Skip]], is nonetheless a valuable tool for any player to have at their disposal. However, the inherent randomness to its effect can make its outcome vary somewhat, or backfire completely with poor luck.

Chaos skip's effect of near-instantaneously displacing a target within a considerable range give it a multitude of obvious use cases. From removing melee attackers that have reached your vulnerable ranged pawns, to removing ranged pawns from cover to more easily pick them off, to teleporting downed pawns out of the line of fire, or teleporting pawns away from a live grenade, the list goes on. However, due to the random destination of skipped targets, Chaos skip can make a bad situation worse if used carelessly, such as teleporting enemy pawns directly into your ranks, or placing your own pawns out of cover and vulnerable to enemy fire. As such, it is up to the player's discretion to determine whether or not Chaos skip is worth casting at any given point in time. However, Chaos skip is almost always worth casting on enemy pawns if they're in deep cover or tying up your ranged attackers - it is likely that any other destination would be preferable to their current location. On the flip side, casting Chaos skip on your own pawns is generally a dubious proposition, as one is often better served by simply skipping the enemies attacking them away from them, rather than rolling the dice for a favorable destination for one's own pawns. Note that despite the random destination, the minimum teleport distance of Chaos skip renders it consistent when skipping melee enemies away from your own pawns, as they're forced to a destination at least 7 tiles away from their previous location, and thus your pawns.

Additionally, despite its general inferiority to Skip, Chaos skip's ability to teleport targets through walls give it an niche when fighting in close quarters environments, such as a close range [[killbox]], an [[ancient complex]]{{IdeologyIcon}}, or the walls of one's own base. While Skip's line of sight restriction for destinations would heavily restrict the distance a target can be skipped in such circumstances, Chaos skip is unaffected, allowing one to displace enemies freely, breaking up a group of enemies into more manageable chunks to pick off piecemeal.

Lastly, while the brief stun it inflicts is hardly useful on the surface, it is still capable of interrupting enemies - a few notable examples being a [[centipede]] preparing to unleash a hail of bullets, or a [[revenant]]{{AnomalyIcon}} hypnotizing its prey. Against a typical pawn, however, it will do very little to impede them beyond the initial displacement effect of Chaos skip.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.4.3523|1.4.3523]] - Now has a maximum [[body size]] of 3.5.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of joy

2025-01-15T01:09:09Z

Bacaniel: whoops, forgot to remove stub

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of joy
| image = WordOfJoy.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Speak happy, calming words to someone while using psychic suggestion to implant a joyfuzz loop in their mind. The joyfuzz will suppress uncomfortable thoughts and sensations in the target to improve mood. This has the side-effect of dulling sensation and decision-making, which reduces consciousness.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.4
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration = 300000
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -25
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of joy''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that improves the target's [[mood]] at the cost of a penalty to [[consciousness]].

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Word of joy applies the [[Hediffs/Royalty/Psycasts/Joyfuzz|Joyfuzz]] [[hediff]] to the target pawn for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}} (5 in-game days), reducing their [[consciousness]] by {{Bad|-20%}} and giving them {{Thought|desc=No matter what happens, I feel like I'm okay with it for some reason.|label=Joyfuzz|value=+30|stack=1}} for the duration. Valid targets for Word of joy include any non-hostile, [[Psychic sensitivity|psychically sensitive]], humanoid pawns, that are neither in a [[mental break]] nor unconscious. Like most other non-combat psycasts, the caster must be directly adjacent to their target to use Word of joy.

Additionally, note that despite the seemingly positive effect, Word of joy is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-25}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Word of joy is an extremely potent mood control tool with a commensurate negative - it's functionally a temporary [[joywire]]. A bonus of {{+|30}} mood is staggeringly high, enough to keep all but the most melancholic pawns out of mental break range, and will max out an already-happy pawn's mood. However, the penalty to consciousness is rather severe, significantly impacting several capacities; most importantly their [[Manipulation]] and [[Moving]]. This malus renders affected pawns much less capable in both combat and also nearly all forms of work. As such, Word of joy should only be used when the impact of the mood gain is worth having the target pawn rendered incompetent for several days, such as when a mental break seems unavoidable.

Word of joy faces competition as an on-demand mood control option from several sources - the most direct comparisons being [[yayo]] and the aforementioned joywire. In the case of yayo, it grants a slightly higher mood bonus of {{+|35}}, while also granting a few minor benefits besides. However, it incurs the risk of [[addiction]] and [[overdose]]. Additionally, with the effects only lasting 12 in-game hours, one would need 10 doses of yayo to maintain the mood bonus for an equivalent duration to a single cast of Word of joy, which would compound the aforementioned addiction and overdose risks significantly. However, yayo's discrete dosage allows for more control over the duration of the effects, whereas Word of joy lasts for 5 days, including the attached consciousness penalty. As such, yayo can be superior for mood control on a shorter time frame, such as after an [[insulting spree]], while Word of joy is better suited for long-term unhappiness, such as the death of a friend or relative. Note that due to their smaller [[body size]], [[children]]{{BiotechIcon}} are at significantly higher risk of a dangerous overdose. As such, for them word of joy represents a significantly safer option than drugs.

Relative to the joywire, Word of joy is indisputably superior, except in situations one would already be inclined to use a joywire, such as for [[slaves]]{{IdeologyIcon}} or [[prisoners]]. As an installed joywire is ostensibly a permanent condition, using it on one's own pawns is unappealing prospect in most cases, whereas the temporary nature of Word of joy makes it much more palatable to use for mood control, as most sources of negative mood are temporary, whereas a joywire - and the associated consciousness malus - is permanent. However, for more disposable pawns, or those for whom the downsides of the joywire aren't relevant (such as a [[Gauranlen tree]]{{IdeologyIcon}} pruner), joywires are strictly superior to Word of joy, as they require no manual interaction nor psyfocus costs to upkeep.

Lastly, a few notable quirks of Word of joy. Firstly, despite the potent mood buffs, Word of joy's status as a harmful psycast renders it less than ideal for mood control for lodgers during the royal ascent or hospitality quests, though not unusable. However, if the hospitality quest consists of prisoners rather than colonists, Word of joy can be used freely without penalty. Secondly, Word of joy can be cast on [[babies]]{{BiotechIcon}}. While seemingly innocuous on the surface, not only are babies functionally unaffected by the consciousness penalty, but babies with high mood will [[Reproduction#Giggling and crying|giggle]] significantly more often and [[Reproduction#Giggling_and_crying|cry]] significantly less, providing a hefty mood bonus for your colony at little cost, and at the very least preventing the widespread mood penalties from hearing a crying baby.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of joy

2025-01-15T01:06:04Z

Bacaniel: small spelling edit

{{Royalty}}
{{Stub|reason=General}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of joy
| image = WordOfJoy.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Speak happy, calming words to someone while using psychic suggestion to implant a joyfuzz loop in their mind. The joyfuzz will suppress uncomfortable thoughts and sensations in the target to improve mood. This has the side-effect of dulling sensation and decision-making, which reduces consciousness.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.4
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration = 300000
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -25
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of joy''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that improves the target's [[mood]] at the cost of a penalty to [[consciousness]].

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Word of joy applies the [[Hediffs/Royalty/Psycasts/Joyfuzz|Joyfuzz]] [[hediff]] to the target pawn for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}} (5 in-game days), reducing their [[consciousness]] by {{Bad|-20%}} and giving them {{Thought|desc=No matter what happens, I feel like I'm okay with it for some reason.|label=Joyfuzz|value=+30|stack=1}} for the duration. Valid targets for Word of joy include any non-hostile, [[Psychic sensitivity|psychically sensitive]], humanoid pawns, that are neither in a [[mental break]] nor unconscious. Like most other non-combat psycasts, the caster must be directly adjacent to their target to use Word of joy.

Additionally, note that despite the seemingly positive effect, Word of joy is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-25}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Word of joy is an extremely potent mood control tool with a commensurate negative - it's functionally a temporary [[joywire]]. A bonus of {{+|30}} mood is staggeringly high, enough to keep all but the most melancholic pawns out of mental break range, and will max out an already-happy pawn's mood. However, the penalty to consciousness is rather severe, significantly impacting several capacities; most importantly their [[Manipulation]] and [[Moving]]. This malus renders affected pawns much less capable in both combat and also nearly all forms of work. As such, Word of joy should only be used when the impact of the mood gain is worth having the target pawn rendered incompetent for several days, such as when a mental break seems unavoidable.

Word of joy faces competition as an on-demand mood control option from several sources - the most direct comparisons being [[yayo]] and the aforementioned joywire. In the case of yayo, it grants a slightly higher mood bonus of {{+|35}}, while also granting a few minor benefits besides. However, it incurs the risk of [[addiction]] and [[overdose]]. Additionally, with the effects only lasting 12 in-game hours, one would need 10 doses of yayo to maintain the mood bonus for an equivalent duration to a single cast of Word of joy, which would compound the aforementioned addiction and overdose risks significantly. However, yayo's discrete dosage allows for more control over the duration of the effects, whereas Word of joy lasts for 5 days, including the attached consciousness penalty. As such, yayo can be superior for mood control on a shorter time frame, such as after an [[insulting spree]], while Word of joy is better suited for long-term unhappiness, such as the death of a friend or relative. Note that due to their smaller [[body size]], [[children]]{{BiotechIcon}} are at significantly higher risk of a dangerous overdose. As such, for them word of joy represents a significantly safer option than drugs.

Relative to the joywire, Word of joy is indisputably superior, except in situations one would already be inclined to use a joywire, such as for [[slaves]]{{IdeologyIcon}} or [[prisoners]]. As an installed joywire is ostensibly a permanent condition, using it on one's own pawns is unappealing prospect in most cases, whereas the temporary nature of Word of joy makes it much more palatable to use for mood control, as most sources of negative mood are temporary, whereas a joywire - and the associated consciousness malus - is permanent. However, for more disposable pawns, or those for whom the downsides of the joywire aren't relevant (such as a [[Gauranlen tree]]{{IdeologyIcon}} pruner), joywires are strictly superior to Word of joy, as they require no manual interaction nor psyfocus costs to upkeep.

Lastly, a few notable quirks of Word of joy. Firstly, despite the potent mood buffs, Word of joy's status as a harmful psycast renders it less than ideal for mood control for lodgers during the royal ascent or hospitality quests, though not unusable. However, if the hospitality quest consists of prisoners rather than colonists, Word of joy can be used freely without penalty. Secondly, Word of joy can be cast on [[babies]]{{BiotechIcon}}. While seemingly innocuous on the surface, not only are babies functionally unaffected by the consciousness penalty, but babies with high mood will [[Reproduction#Giggling and crying|giggle]] significantly more often and [[Reproduction#Giggling_and_crying|cry]] significantly less, providing a hefty mood bonus for your colony at little cost, and at the very least preventing the widespread mood penalties from hearing a crying baby.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of serenity

2025-01-14T17:15:46Z

Bacaniel: small formatting edit

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of serenity
| image = WordOfSerenity.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Use calming words and psychic suggestion to end a mental break on a person or animal. The target will fall into a short psychic sleep. The psyfocus cost depends on the intensity of the target's mental break.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.3
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration = 14760
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of serenity''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that ends the target's [[mental break]] by sending them into a short coma.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==

Upon casting, Word of serenity will instantly end any mental breaks on the target [[pawn]], while simultaneously inflicting the [[Ailments#Psychic_coma|Psychic coma]] [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, scaling with the target's [[Psychic Sensitivity]]. Valid targets for Word of serenity include any non-hostile, psychically sensitive [[human]] pawns currently in a mental state. Uniquely, the psyfocus cost of Word of serenity is not fixed, instead scaling with the severity of the mental break on the target pawn - 30% for a minor break, 50% for a major break, and 70% for an extreme break. Additionally, it should be noted that Word of serenity is ineffective against a select few mental breaks - Word of serenity's use is prevented on pawns in the [[Mental_break#Jailbreaker|Jailbreaker]] mental state, with the given reason being that it doesn't work on the "inducing prisoner to escape" mental state, while pawns who have suffered the [[Mental_break#RunWild|Run wild]] mental break are incapable of being targeted. Additionally, pawns who have suffered from a [[Mental_break#CrisisOfBelief|Crisis of belief]] cannot be targeted, as they are not in a mental state despite having suffered a mental break. Lastly, like all other "Word of" psycasts, the caster must be directly next to their target to use Word of serenity.

== Analysis ==

Word of serenity is a powerful crisis management tool, allowing one to instantly end any mental breaks, be they a minor inconvenience or potentially catastrophic, at zero risk to their own pawns. Assuming one is capable of keeping their pawns reasonably happy, Word of serenity can near-entirely eliminate the impact of mental breaks on one's colony, or at the very least stave off the worst of them. While slightly limited by the substantial psyfocus costs, Word of serenity is nevertheless a potent method to neutralize any potentially harmful mental breaks, while also incurring less risk or penalty than other methods of accomplishing the same. While it does temporarily incapacitate affected pawns, this outcome is almost always preferable to a mental break.

The use for Word of serenity is fairly obvious - shut down any unwanted mental breaks. However, as the psyfocus costs can make repeated casting cumbersome or impossible, some care should be taken when electing to use Word of serenity, as opposed to letting a fairly harmless mental state run its course. Priority targets include mental breaks with far-reaching or potentially lethal repercussions, such as [[Mental_break#Murderous_rage|Murderous rage]], or a [[Mental_break#Targeted_tantrum|Targeted tantrum]] intending to eliminate an item of particular value - potentially the ever-present threat of targeting an [[antigrain warhead]]. Other high priority mental states include [[Mental_break#Insulting_spree|Insulting spree]], [[Mental_break#Hard_drug_binge|Hard drug binge]], the list goes on - see the associated page for the list of all mental breaks and their effects. Additionally, pawns more critical to the function of a colony or its defense should be prioritized, especially if afflicted with a particularly long lasting break, such as a [[Mental_break#Catatonic_breakdown|Catatonic breakdown]]. Lastly, note that Word of serenity is effective on non-mood based mental breaks, including [[Mental_break#Social_fight|Social fighting]], and trait-based breaks such as [[Mental_break#Pigging_out| Pigging out]] from the [[Gourmand]] trait, though the benefit of casting Word of serenity on any of them is relatively minor, as most of them are fairly harmless.

Additionally, note that use of Word of serenity is considered a natural end to a mental break, unlike downing or [[Prisoner|imprisoning]] an affected pawn. This means that any affected pawns will be granted the {{Thought|desc=It felt good to finally unbottle my feelings.|label=Catharsis|value=+40|stack = 3|multi = 0.75|duration = 3}} (or Void Catharsis, where applicable), providing a hefty mood bonus without having to suffer through the mental break. In comparison, imprisoning a pawn will not only not grant any mood bonus, but will also incur the {{Thought|desc=The colony had me in jail for a while, like a caged animal.|label=Was imprisoned|value=-12|stack = 1|multi = 1|duration = 12}}, making further mental breaks more likely to occur. Likewise, downing a pawn via force incurs the risk of permanent damage or death, as well as a mood malus from any [[Pain]]-related thoughts from their injuries, as well as a lack of Catharsis. As such, use of Word of serenity should be prioritized when possible over other methods of mental break cessation. As an aside, Word of serenity will still allow pawns with the [[Tortured artist]] trait to potentially gain [[Inspired creativity]], making it a slam dunk for use on them, as well as allowing one to repeatedly push them to the breaking point to farm inspirations without fear of the repercussions of the resulting mental breaks.

However, despite being a highly useful psycast, Word of serenity suffers from the range restriction imposed upon it, requiring target and caster to be directly adjacent to one other. As many problematic mental breaks are both time-sensitive and have the affected pawns moving directly towards an intended target at full speed, this can make it difficult for the caster to intercept their target before the damage is done, forcing one to resort to the aforementioned methods of imprisoning or downing the pawn with a nearby colonist instead, incurring all the drawbacks listed above. As such, if one intends to make the most of Word of serenity, it would be prudent to ensure the caster has a sufficiently high [[Move speed]] to allow them to intercept their target before any damage is done. Several options exist to accomplish this purpose - [[bionic leg]]s, [[juggernaut serum]]{{AnomalyIcon}}, [[yayo]], to name a few. In particular, as a psycaster, the pawn will have access to several psycasts allowing them to reach their target - [[Focus]] can multiply their [[Moving]] by {{Good|x130%}}, and [[Skip]] can allow them to move the target to themselves, or vice versa, or merely cover ground more quickly. In contrast, [[Stun]] or [[Burden]] can be used to immobilize or slow their target at range, while [[Wallraise]] can be used to block their pathing entirely.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.
* [[Version/1.3.3387|1.3.3387]] - Now works on [[catatonic breakdown]].

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of serenity

2025-01-14T17:15:11Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis, removed stub (planning on going back and adding thought template for void catharsis, just need to do some more testing later)

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of serenity
| image = WordOfSerenity.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Use calming words and psychic suggestion to end a mental break on a person or animal. The target will fall into a short psychic sleep. The psyfocus cost depends on the intensity of the target's mental break.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.3
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration = 14760
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of serenity''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that ends the target's [[mental break]] by sending them into a short coma.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==

Upon casting, Word of serenity will instantly end any mental breaks on the target [[pawn]], while simultaneously inflicting the [[Ailments#Psychic_coma|Psychic coma]] [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, scaling with the target's [[Psychic Sensitivity]]. Valid targets for Word of serenity include any non-hostile, psychically sensitive [[human]] pawns currently in a mental state. Uniquely, the psyfocus cost of Word of serenity is not fixed, instead scaling with the severity of the mental break on the target pawn - 30% for a minor break, 50% for a major break, and 70% for an extreme break. Additionally, it should be noted that Word of serenity is ineffective against a select few mental breaks. Word of serenity's use is prevented on pawns in the [[Mental_break#Jailbreaker|Jailbreaker]] mental state, with the given reason being that it doesn't work on the "inducing prisoner to escape" mental state, while pawns who have suffered the [[Mental_break#RunWild|Run wild]] mental break are incapable of being targeted. Additionally, pawns who have suffered from a [[Mental_break#CrisisOfBelief|Crisis of belief]] cannot be targeted, as they are not in a mental state despite having suffered a mental break. Lastly, like all other "Word of" psycasts, the caster must be directly next to their target to use Word of serenity.

== Analysis ==

Word of serenity is a powerful crisis management tool, allowing one to instantly end any mental breaks, be they a minor inconvenience or potentially catastrophic, at zero risk to their own pawns. Assuming one is capable of keeping their pawns reasonably happy, Word of serenity can near-entirely eliminate the impact of mental breaks on one's colony, or at the very least stave off the worst of them. While slightly limited by the substantial psyfocus costs, Word of serenity is nevertheless a potent method to neutralize any potentially harmful mental breaks, while also incurring less risk or penalty than other methods of accomplishing the same. While it does temporarily incapacitate affected pawns, this outcome is almost always preferable to a mental break.

The use for Word of serenity is fairly obvious - shut down any unwanted mental breaks. However, as the psyfocus costs can make repeated casting cumbersome or impossible, some care should be taken when electing to use Word of serenity, as opposed to letting a fairly harmless mental state run its course. Priority targets include mental breaks with far-reaching or potentially lethal repercussions, such as [[Mental_break#Murderous_rage|Murderous rage]], or a [[Mental_break#Targeted_tantrum|Targeted tantrum]] intending to eliminate an item of particular value - potentially the ever-present threat of targeting an [[antigrain warhead]]. Other high priority mental states include [[Mental_break#Insulting_spree|Insulting spree]], [[Mental_break#Hard_drug_binge|Hard drug binge]], the list goes on - see the associated page for the list of all mental breaks and their effects. Additionally, pawns more critical to the function of a colony or its defense should be prioritized, especially if afflicted with a particularly long lasting break, such as a [[Mental_break#Catatonic_breakdown|Catatonic breakdown]]. Lastly, note that Word of serenity is effective on non-mood based mental breaks, including [[Mental_break#Social_fight|Social fighting]], and trait-based breaks such as [[Mental_break#Pigging_out| Pigging out]] from the [[Gourmand]] trait, though the benefit of casting Word of serenity on any of them is relatively minor, as most of them are fairly harmless.

Additionally, note that use of Word of serenity is considered a natural end to a mental break, unlike downing or [[Prisoner|imprisoning]] an affected pawn. This means that any affected pawns will be granted the {{Thought|desc=It felt good to finally unbottle my feelings.|label=Catharsis|value=+40|stack = 3|multi = 0.75|duration = 3}} (or Void Catharsis, where applicable), providing a hefty mood bonus without having to suffer through the mental break. In comparison, imprisoning a pawn will not only not grant any mood bonus, but will also incur the {{Thought|desc=The colony had me in jail for a while, like a caged animal.|label=Was imprisoned|value=-12|stack = 1|multi = 1|duration = 12}}, making further mental breaks more likely to occur. Likewise, downing a pawn via force incurs the risk of permanent damage or death, as well as a mood malus from any [[Pain]]-related thoughts from their injuries, as well as a lack of Catharsis. As such, use of Word of serenity should be prioritized when possible over other methods of mental break cessation. As an aside, Word of serenity will still allow pawns with the [[Tortured artist]] trait to potentially gain [[Inspired creativity]], making it a slam dunk for use on them, as well as allowing one to repeatedly push them to the breaking point to farm inspirations without fear of the repercussions of the resulting mental breaks.

However, despite being a highly useful psycast, Word of serenity suffers from the range restriction imposed upon it, requiring target and caster to be directly adjacent to one other. As many problematic mental breaks are both time-sensitive and have the affected pawns moving directly towards an intended target at full speed, this can make it difficult for the caster to intercept their target before the damage is done, forcing one to resort to the aforementioned methods of imprisoning or downing the pawn with a nearby colonist instead, incurring all the drawbacks listed above. As such, if one intends to make the most of Word of serenity, it would be prudent to ensure the caster has a sufficiently high [[Move speed]] to allow them to intercept their target before any damage is done. Several options exist to accomplish this purpose - [[bionic leg]]s, [[juggernaut serum]]{{AnomalyIcon}}, [[yayo]], to name a few. In particular, as a psycaster, the pawn will have access to several psycasts allowing them to reach their target - [[Focus]] can multiply their [[Moving]] by {{Good|x130%}}, and [[Skip]] can allow them to move the target to themselves, or vice versa, or merely cover ground more quickly. In contrast, [[Stun]] or [[Burden]] can be used to immobilize or slow their target at range, while [[Wallraise]] can be used to block their pathing entirely.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.
* [[Version/1.3.3387|1.3.3387]] - Now works on [[catatonic breakdown]].

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Smokepop

2025-01-13T17:25:23Z

Bacaniel: said I removed stub but forgot to actually do it, d'oh

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Smokepop
| image = Smokepop.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Skip dust particles up from under the ground surface to form a thick cloud. This reduces the accuracy of any shot fired through it, and prevents turrets from locking on entirely.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 30
| effect radius = 3.5
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Smokepop''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates a cloud of [[blind smoke]].

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Smokepop creates a cloud of blind smoke for approximately 60 seconds within a circle of 3 tile radius, centered on the target tile. Valid targets include any tile within a 25 tile radius of the caster, respecting line of sight. While it persists, blind smoke multiplies the accuracy of all projectile attacks pathing through it by {{Bad|x70%}}, reducing their chance to hit their target by roughly one-third. Note that neither the shooter nor the target need to be within the smoke for this penalty to apply - as long as it exists between the shooter and target, the accuracy penalty will be applied. Additionally, blind smoke prevents [[turrets]] from targeting pawns within or behind it.

== Analysis ==
[[File:smokepop radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Smokepop. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Unfortunately, despite its position as a level 4 psycast, Smokepop is noticeably less useful than psycasts of an equal or even lower level, due to it being restricted to the relatively limited use cases of blind smoke. However, it can still see some use in combat, and can even prove invaluable in some encounters.

The most obvious use case for Smokepop is as a defensive measure against ranged [[pawn]]s, reducing their accuracy and significantly hindering their ability to harm your pawns. However, as blind smoke impairs the accuracy of all projectiles passing through it, including those of your pawns, using it against enemy pawns can be a double edged sword. As such, Smokepop is best used alongside other methods of dispatching enemy pawns, the most common of which being melee attackers, as blind smoke does not impact [[Melee Hit Chance]], and blind smoke's protection from ranged attacks makes it easier for them to close the gap on their intended targets. Additionally, weapons with a [[Combat#Forced_miss|Forced Miss Radius]], such as [[frag grenade]]s or [[incendiary launcher]]s will be unaffected by the accuracy penalty from blind smoke, though their relatively low effectiveness in direct combat renders this benefit fairly dubious. However, the [[incinerator]]{{AnomalyIcon}} stands out as not only being unaffected by blind smoke, but being both far more accurate and lethal than any of the other unaffected weapons, making it a stand-out option to pair with Smokepop. As an aside, Smokepop can be used to provide some protection for both downed pawns and those attempting to rescue them. However, it is inferior to both [[Skip]] and [[Wallraise]] for this purpose, as Skip allows one to instantly relocate a target at no risk, and Wallraise blocks enemy line of sight entirely.

Another situation in which Smokepop sees use is against [[Mech Cluster]]s, and is arguably its primary use case. As blind smoke completely prevents turrets from firing on pawns concealed by it, Smokepop can completely eliminate the highly-lethal [[mechanoid]] turrets as a threat to your pawns, allowing your pawns to dispatch them in complete safety, or at the very least temporarily remove them from combat while you dismantle the mechanoid defenders surrounding them. Additionally, the long range of and pinpoint accuracy of Smokepop allows one to place smoke directly on top of turrets, not only providing massive coverage in terms of area denial, but also renders it trivial to approach them in melee, enabling one to dispatch them utilizing [[breach axe]]s, which - if made of [[uranium]] and of sufficient quality - can allow you to fairly consistently dispatch turrets in a single blow, eliminating the risk of them exploding, and by extension the risk of damaging any nearby [[unstable power cell]]s, allowing one to make use of them as they see fit after the cluster is defeated.

Lastly, Smokepop occupies a near-identical role to both the [[smokepop pack]] and the [[smoke launcher]], and as such should be compared alongside them when considering sources of blind smoke. Compared to the smoke launcher, Smokepop has a nearly identical range (1 tile higher), creates a 3-tile radius of smoke instead of 2, is 100% accurate compared to the smoke launcher's 2-tile Forced Miss Radius, and requires only {{Ticks|{{P|Casting Time}}}} in total to deploy, compared to the smoke launcher's staggering {{Ticks|210}} of [[Aiming Time]] and {{Ticks|270}} [[Ranged Cooldown]]. In comparison, the only area in which the smoke launcher excels is sustained fire, as the smoke launcher can be used indefinitely at no cost, whereas Smokepop's neural heat gain allows for only 2 - 3 casts in succession with a typical psycaster, and the psyfocus cost prevents indefinite use, though it is unlikely any combat encounter will require more than a handful of casts regardless.As for the smokepop pack, it generates a moderately larger smoke cloud, with a radius of 4 tiles instead of 3. However, it can only create smoke centered on the wearer, and it is limited to only 3 uses before needing to be refuelled, compared to the ranged, targeted placement and generous use limit of Smokepop.

It should be noted, however, that the smoke launcher and smokepop pack are substantially more consistent to obtain, only requiring one to research [[Research#Gunsmithing|Gunsmithing]] and [[Research#Smokepop packs|Smokepop packs]], respectively. Additionally, [[Pirate]] and [[Outlander]] raiders will occasionally spawn with smoke launchers or packs, allowing one to use them for one's own purposes once their wielder has been dispatched. In comparison, Smokepop requires not only a level 4 psycaster, which can take a significant amount of time barring use of an [[anima tree]], but then also requires one to be lucky enough to obtain it from either the psycast level itself, or one of the other (relatively uncommon) sources of [[psytrainer]]s. In spite of this, Smokepop's final and most significant advantage is, in fact, its position as a psycast, as both the smoke launcher and smokepop pack occupy a valuable weapon and utility slot respectively, for a mechanic that is generally very niche in its applications, whereas Smokepop incurs no such opportunity cost.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Range reduced from 25 to 20, cost reduced from 35 to 30.
* ??? - Range increased from 20 to 25.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}

[[Category: Psycasts]]

Smokepop

2025-01-13T17:24:33Z

Bacaniel: typo

{{Royalty}}
{{Stub|reason=General}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Smokepop
| image = Smokepop.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Skip dust particles up from under the ground surface to form a thick cloud. This reduces the accuracy of any shot fired through it, and prevents turrets from locking on entirely.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 30
| effect radius = 3.5
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Smokepop''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates a cloud of [[blind smoke]].

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Smokepop creates a cloud of blind smoke for approximately 60 seconds within a circle of 3 tile radius, centered on the target tile. Valid targets include any tile within a 25 tile radius of the caster, respecting line of sight. While it persists, blind smoke multiplies the accuracy of all projectile attacks pathing through it by {{Bad|x70%}}, reducing their chance to hit their target by roughly one-third. Note that neither the shooter nor the target need to be within the smoke for this penalty to apply - as long as it exists between the shooter and target, the accuracy penalty will be applied. Additionally, blind smoke prevents [[turrets]] from targeting pawns within or behind it.

== Analysis ==
[[File:smokepop radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Smokepop. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Unfortunately, despite its position as a level 4 psycast, Smokepop is noticeably less useful than psycasts of an equal or even lower level, due to it being restricted to the relatively limited use cases of blind smoke. However, it can still see some use in combat, and can even prove invaluable in some encounters.

The most obvious use case for Smokepop is as a defensive measure against ranged [[pawn]]s, reducing their accuracy and significantly hindering their ability to harm your pawns. However, as blind smoke impairs the accuracy of all projectiles passing through it, including those of your pawns, using it against enemy pawns can be a double edged sword. As such, Smokepop is best used alongside other methods of dispatching enemy pawns, the most common of which being melee attackers, as blind smoke does not impact [[Melee Hit Chance]], and blind smoke's protection from ranged attacks makes it easier for them to close the gap on their intended targets. Additionally, weapons with a [[Combat#Forced_miss|Forced Miss Radius]], such as [[frag grenade]]s or [[incendiary launcher]]s will be unaffected by the accuracy penalty from blind smoke, though their relatively low effectiveness in direct combat renders this benefit fairly dubious. However, the [[incinerator]]{{AnomalyIcon}} stands out as not only being unaffected by blind smoke, but being both far more accurate and lethal than any of the other unaffected weapons, making it a stand-out option to pair with Smokepop. As an aside, Smokepop can be used to provide some protection for both downed pawns and those attempting to rescue them. However, it is inferior to both [[Skip]] and [[Wallraise]] for this purpose, as Skip allows one to instantly relocate a target at no risk, and Wallraise blocks enemy line of sight entirely.

Another situation in which Smokepop sees use is against [[Mech Cluster]]s, and is arguably its primary use case. As blind smoke completely prevents turrets from firing on pawns concealed by it, Smokepop can completely eliminate the highly-lethal [[mechanoid]] turrets as a threat to your pawns, allowing your pawns to dispatch them in complete safety, or at the very least temporarily remove them from combat while you dismantle the mechanoid defenders surrounding them. Additionally, the long range of and pinpoint accuracy of Smokepop allows one to place smoke directly on top of turrets, not only providing massive coverage in terms of area denial, but also renders it trivial to approach them in melee, enabling one to dispatch them utilizing [[breach axe]]s, which - if made of [[uranium]] and of sufficient quality - can allow you to fairly consistently dispatch turrets in a single blow, eliminating the risk of them exploding, and by extension the risk of damaging any nearby [[unstable power cell]]s, allowing one to make use of them as they see fit after the cluster is defeated.

Lastly, Smokepop occupies a near-identical role to both the [[smokepop pack]] and the [[smoke launcher]], and as such should be compared alongside them when considering sources of blind smoke. Compared to the smoke launcher, Smokepop has a nearly identical range (1 tile higher), creates a 3-tile radius of smoke instead of 2, is 100% accurate compared to the smoke launcher's 2-tile Forced Miss Radius, and requires only {{Ticks|{{P|Casting Time}}}} in total to deploy, compared to the smoke launcher's staggering {{Ticks|210}} of [[Aiming Time]] and {{Ticks|270}} [[Ranged Cooldown]]. In comparison, the only area in which the smoke launcher excels is sustained fire, as the smoke launcher can be used indefinitely at no cost, whereas Smokepop's neural heat gain allows for only 2 - 3 casts in succession with a typical psycaster, and the psyfocus cost prevents indefinite use, though it is unlikely any combat encounter will require more than a handful of casts regardless.As for the smokepop pack, it generates a moderately larger smoke cloud, with a radius of 4 tiles instead of 3. However, it can only create smoke centered on the wearer, and it is limited to only 3 uses before needing to be refuelled, compared to the ranged, targeted placement and generous use limit of Smokepop.

It should be noted, however, that the smoke launcher and smokepop pack are substantially more consistent to obtain, only requiring one to research [[Research#Gunsmithing|Gunsmithing]] and [[Research#Smokepop packs|Smokepop packs]], respectively. Additionally, [[Pirate]] and [[Outlander]] raiders will occasionally spawn with smoke launchers or packs, allowing one to use them for one's own purposes once their wielder has been dispatched. In comparison, Smokepop requires not only a level 4 psycaster, which can take a significant amount of time barring use of an [[anima tree]], but then also requires one to be lucky enough to obtain it from either the psycast level itself, or one of the other (relatively uncommon) sources of [[psytrainer]]s. In spite of this, Smokepop's final and most significant advantage is, in fact, its position as a psycast, as both the smoke launcher and smokepop pack occupy a valuable weapon and utility slot respectively, for a mechanic that is generally very niche in its applications, whereas Smokepop incurs no such opportunity cost.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Range reduced from 25 to 20, cost reduced from 35 to 30.
* ??? - Range increased from 20 to 25.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}

[[Category: Psycasts]]

Smokepop

2025-01-13T17:22:38Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis, aoe image, removed stub (not sure how much of this information should be here as opposed to the blind smoke page itself, but I wanted to be comprehensive)

{{Royalty}}
{{Stub|reason=General}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Smokepop
| image = Smokepop.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Skip dust particles up from under the ground surface to form a thick cloud. This reduces the accuracy of any shot fired through it, and prevents turrets from locking on entirely.
| psylink level = 4
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 30
| effect radius = 3.5
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Smokepop''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates a cloud of [[blind smoke]].

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Smokepop creates a cloud of blind smoke for approximately 60 seconds within a circle of 3 tile radius, centered on the target tile. Valid targets include any tile within a 25 tile radius of the caster, respecting line of sight. While it persists, blind smoke multiplies the accuracy of all projectile attacks pathing through it by {{Bad|x70%}}, reducing their chance to hit their target by roughly one-third. Note that neither the shooter nor the target need to be within the smoke for this penalty to apply - as long as it exists between the shooter and target, the accuracy penalty will be applied. Additionally, blind smoke prevents [[turrets]] from targeting pawns within or behind it.

== Analysis ==
[[File:smokepop radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Smokepop. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Unfortunately, despite its position as a level 4 psycast, Smokepop is noticeably less useful than psycasts of an equal or even lower level, due to it being restricted to the relatively limited use cases of blind smoke. However, it can still see some use in combat, and can even prove invaluable in some encounters.

The most obvious use case for Smokepop is as a defensive measure against ranged [[pawn]]s, reducing their accuracy and significantly hindering their ability to harm your pawns. However, as blind smoke impairs the accuracy of all projectiles passing through it, including those of your pawns, using it against enemy pawns can be a double edged sword. As such, Smokepop is best used alongside other methods of dispatching enemy pawns, the most common of which being melee attackers, as blind smoke does not impact [[Melee Hit Chance]], and blind smoke's protection from ranged attacks makes it easier for them to close the gap on their intended targets. Additionally, weapons with a [[Combat#Forced_miss|Forced Miss Radius]], such as [[frag grenade]]s or [[incendiary launcher]]s will be unaffected by the accuracy penalty from blind smoke, though their relatively low effectiveness in direct combat renders this benefit fairly dubious. However, the [[incinerator]]{{AnomalyIcon}} stands out as not only being unaffected by blind smoke, but being both far more accurate and lethal than any of the other unaffected weapons, making it a stand-out option to pair with Smokepop. As an aside, Smokepop can be used to provide some protection for both downed pawns and those attempting to rescue them. However, it is inferior to both [[Skip]] and [[Wallraise]] for this purpose, as Skip allows one to instantly relocate a target at no risk, and Wallraise blocks enemy line of sight entirely.

Another situation in which Smokepop sees use is against [[Mech Cluster]]s, and is arguably its primary use case. As blind smoke completely prevents turrets from firing on pawns concealed by it, Smokepop can completely eliminate the highly-lethal [[mechanoid]] turrets as a threat to your pawns, allowing your pawns to dispatch them in complete safety, or at the very least temporarily remove them from combat while you dismantle the mechanoid defenders surrounding them. Additionally, the long range of and pinpoint accuracy of Smokepop allows one to place smoke directly on top of turrets, not only providing massive coverage in terms of area denial, but also renders it trivial to approach them in melee, enabling one to dispatch them utilizing [[breach axe]]s, which - if made of [[uranium]] and of sufficient quality - can allow you to fairly consistently dispatch turrets in a single blow, eliminating the risk of them exploding, and by extension the risk of damaging any nearby [[unstable power cell]]s, allowing one to make use of them as they see fit after the cluster is defeated.

Lastly, Smokepop occupies a near-identical role to both the [[smokepop pack]] and the [[smoke launcher]], and as such should be compared alongside them when considering sources of blind smoke. Compared to the smoke launcher, Smokepop has a nearly identical range (1 tile higher), creates a 3-tile radius of smoke instead of 2, is 100% accurate compared to the smoke launcher's 2-tile Forced Miss Radius, and requires only {{Ticks|{{P|Casting Time}}}} in total to deploy, compared to the smoke launcher's staggering {{Ticks|210}} of [[Aiming Time]] and {{Ticks|270}} [[Ranged Cooldown]]. In comparison, the only area in which the smoke launcher excels is sustained fire, as the smoke launcher can be used indefinitely at no cost, whereas Smokepop's neural heat gain allows for only 2 - 3 casts in succession with a typical psycaster, and the psyfocus cost prevents indefinite use, though it is unlikely any combat encounter will require will than a handful of casts regardless.As for the smokepop pack, it generates a moderately larger smoke cloud, with a radius of 4 tiles instead of 3. However, it can only create smoke centered on the wearer, and it is limited to only 3 uses before needing to be refuelled, compared to the ranged, targeted placement and generous use limit of Smokepop.

It should be noted, however, that the smoke launcher and smokepop pack are substantially more consistent to obtain, only requiring one to research [[Research#Gunsmithing|Gunsmithing]] and [[Research#Smokepop packs|Smokepop packs]], respectively. Additionally, [[Pirate]] and [[Outlander]] raiders will occasionally spawn with smoke launchers or packs, allowing one to use them for one's own purposes once their wielder has been dispatched. In comparison, Smokepop requires not only a level 4 psycaster, which can take a significant amount of time barring use of an [[anima tree]], but then also requires one to be lucky enough to obtain it from either the psycast level itself, or one of the other (relatively uncommon) sources of [[psytrainer]]s. In spite of this, Smokepop's final and most significant advantage is, in fact, its position as a psycast, as both the smoke launcher and smokepop pack occupy a valuable weapon and utility slot respectively, for a mechanic that is generally very niche in its applications, whereas Smokepop incurs no such opportunity cost.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Range reduced from 25 to 20, cost reduced from 35 to 30.
* ??? - Range increased from 20 to 25.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}

[[Category: Psycasts]]

Topic:Yjuw13976qsoo9c4

2025-01-13T16:13:35Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) commented on "Thanks for the user page!" (Just wanted to show my appreciation for creating a user page for me and the (rather witty) recognition you added, it means a lot. Cheers!)

Smokepop pack

2025-01-13T15:22:53Z

Bacaniel: Updated smoke duration - it takes around 60 seconds to dissipate, not 30

{{infobox main
| name = Smokepop pack
| image = SmokepopPack.png
| description = A defensive smokescreen. When activated, it will release a cloud of smoke, obscuring incoming shots and preventing turrets from locking on.
| type = Gear
| type2 = Utility
| tech level = Industrial
| hp = 100
| marketvalue = 166
| mass base = 3
| production facility 1 = Machining table
| research = Smokepop packs
| work to make = 1200
| work speed stat = General Labor Speed
| resource 1 = Steel
| resource 1 amount = 20
| resource 2 = Component
| resource 2 amount = 1
| resource 3 = Chemfuel
| resource 3 amount = 40
| skill 1 = Crafting
| skill 1 level = 3
| lifestage = Adult
| clothing for nudity = False
| coverage = Waist
| layer = Belt
| thingCategories = ApparelUtility
| tags = BeltDefensePop
| tradeTags = Clothing, Armor
}}
The '''smokepop pack''' is a reusable [[utility]] item that, on command, can releases a cloud of [[blind smoke]] around its wearer to reduced the ranged accuracy of pawns firing through it.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

They can also be purchased from [[traders]] or found on [[raiders]].

== Summary ==
{{Stub|section=1|reason=Under exactly what circumstnaces will NPCs trigger the pack}}
[[File:Smokepop pack radii.webm|thumb|250x250px|left|AoE at different qualities.]]
A smokepop pack is worn at the waist and can be manually activated to create a cloud of [[blind smoke]] of a [[quality]]-dependent radius around its user. Pawns under the control the player will never automatically use the pack - instead it must be manually activated by the player by use of the "Pop smoke" gizmo. This gizmo will only appear when the pawn is drafted. NPCs wearing a pack will automatically trigger it when fired upon.

Blind smoke multiplies the hit chance of any projectile that paths through it by {{Bad|x70%}}. It does not affect melee hit or dodge chances. Smoke has an effect even if the shooter and/or the target are outside of the cloud itself, so long as there is smoke between them. The smoke also prevents [[turret]]s from locking onto and firing at targets so long as one tile of smoke is between the turret and the target. The smoke dissipates after approximately 60 seconds.{{Check Tag|Detail needed}}

The pack can be activated 3 times before needing to be reloaded for {{Icon Small|Chemfuel||10}} [[chemfuel]]. Reloading smokepop packs always costs 10 chemfuel, even if there are charges left, as compared to the [[jump pack]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}, which uses 20 chemfuel per charge restored. Because of this, it is obviously more efficient, if less safe, to spend 2 or 3 charges before reloading.

{{Utility Note}}

=== Quality Table ===
On explosion, the smokepop pack covers an area with smoke. The radius depends on the quality of the pack.
<div><li style="display: inline-table;">
{{#vardefine:baseradius|4.9}}
{| {{STDT| c_12 text-center}}
! Quality
! Awful
! Poor
! Normal
! Good
! Excellent
! Masterwork
! Legendary
|-
! Explosion radius (tiles)
| {{#expr:{{#var:baseradius}}*0.84 round 1}}
| {{#expr:{{#var:baseradius}}*0.92 round 1}}
| {{#expr:{{#var:baseradius}}*1 round 1}}
| {{#expr:{{#var:baseradius}}*1.08 round 1}}
| {{#expr:{{#var:baseradius}}*1.16 round 1}}
| {{#expr:{{#var:baseradius}}*1.3 round 1}}
| {{#expr:{{#var:baseradius}}*1.5 round 1}}
|- newline
! Market Value
| {{Market Value Calculator|Smokepop pack||Awful}} {{icon Small|silver}}
| {{Market Value Calculator|Smokepop pack||Poor}} {{icon Small|silver}}
| {{Market Value Calculator|Smokepop pack||Normal}} {{icon Small|silver}}
| {{Market Value Calculator|Smokepop pack||Good}} {{icon Small|silver}}
| {{Market Value Calculator|Smokepop pack||Excellent}} {{icon Small|silver}}
| {{Market Value Calculator|Smokepop pack||Masterwork}} {{icon Small|silver}}
| {{Market Value Calculator|Smokepop pack||Legendary}} {{icon Small|silver}}
|}
Note that a larger explosion radius is not necessarily better, as smoke affects both sides of the battle.
Also note that in effect, the radius of the Poor and Normal packs are identical. It is unknown if the nominal difference affects dissipation rate.{{Check Tag|Detail needed}}</li><div>

== Analysis ==
Smokepop packs are fast to research and cheap to craft, especially if you already have [[boomalope]]s or [[Biofuel refining]]. The [[chemfuel]] cost isn't too expensive, and even in the extreme [[biome]]s, a [[hydroponics]] room should give plenty of extra supplies. That said, they provide only moderate value when compared to the wealth of options available for the [[Utility]] slot, especially when accounting for the options added by the [[DLC]].

Smoke is very useful against turrets, such as in a [[mechanoid cluster]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} - smoke completely negates their ability to target and fire. Other pawns can then destroy it, hit it with [[EMP]] weapons, or handle other threats. However, turrets easily outrange your colonists, and 3 charges is not likely to be enough to approach in melee. You can have your pawns use walls and other obstructions to their advantage, use [[locust armor]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} or the [[skip]] [[psycast]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} to place them in ideal blocking positions, bring multiple smoke packs, or simply take the hit. Turrets are less accurate from further away, meaning that you should save smoke charges until you get closer. However, smoke launchers essentially relegate the pack to times where a weapon slot cannot be sacrificed or when launchers are simply not available. See [[#Comparison to smoke launchers|below]] for further detail.

Against humanoid raiders, smoke is more useful if your pawns are largely melee or otherwise low range group. They can allow colonists to approach enemies, which is very effective against tight groups of enemies with few or no brawlers of their own, which may include [[siege]]s. A melee alternative is the [[shield belt]], which fully eliminates damage until it runs out. However, smokepop works after [[EMP]] attacks and applies to all pawns in an area, as opposed to needing one shield belt per colonist. Smoke will also apply to animals, which can be very useful in melee combat. Finally, only one colonist needs to wear a smokepop belt, meaning the rest can stick with a shield. In many cases, a [[low shield pack]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} will provide all the benefits

As covering enemies with smoke also greatly reduces the effectiveness of your own ranged pawns, it's use is often contraindicated if you are relying on ranged combat or can outrange the enemy. Note that even with a ranged group, you can use the cover of smoke to reposition your group in a safer manner, or to approach turrets. You can also use it to debuff ranged pawns that your ranged pawns are not currently engaging, allowing them to more safely focus fire on uncovered enemies and then returning to the smoked enemies once the cloud clears.

=== Comparison to smoke launchers ===
Smokepop packs have two major advantages over [[smoke launcher]]s: they can be used with another weapon, and they deploy instantly. Meanwhile, smoke launchers have one of the slowest firing rates in the game, taking {{Ticks|{{Q|Smoke launcher|Aiming Time Base}}}} to aim and fire, even more time for the shot to actually land, and {{Ticks|{{Q|Smoke launcher|Aiming Time Base}}+{{Q|Smoke launcher|Ranged Cooldown Base}}}} to fully cycle from shot to shot. The instant smoke is very useful for repositioning, but it also requires the pawn being where you want the smoke to be.

Smoke launchers use the weapon slot, which essentially removes one colonist from combat. However, smoke is useful even if the colonist is bad at combat, and the utility slot is freed for further support items like a [[psychic insanity lance]]. Turrets, one of the stronger cases for smoke, are entirely stationary, so players can prepare and fire a launcher in advance. Against a largely turret-centric force, a single colonist losing their weapon isn't as important as the smoke itself. Smoke launchers can be fired indefinitely, can place the smoke at range and, with repeated firings, can cover a much larger area. This makes the launcher far more reliable and flexible in their smoke deployment, especially in longer engagements. Against large [[mechanoid cluster]]s,{{RoyaltyIcon}} which can have a large number of turrets with a variety of different firing angles, a smokepop pack may simply not provide enough time to destroy all the turrets.

In general, smokepop packs are much more flexible as they allow pawns to wield other weapons, but are much inferior in terms of actual smoke generation.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/0.17.1546|0.17.1546]] - Added as the '''smokepop belt'''.
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Renamed to the '''smokepop pack''' from '''smokepop belt''', now has 3 charges instead of 1, no longer disappears on use, and can be triggered manually instead of automatically triggering when hit by a projectile.
* [[Version/1.2.2753|1.2.2753]] - AI will now only deploy an NPC's Smokepop pack if the offending attacker is hostile. This prevents friendly-fire from activating an NPC's Smokepop
* [[Version/1.4.3523|1.4.3523]] - Texture replaced.
<gallery>
SmokepopBelt.png|Pre-1.4.3523 Texture
</gallery>
{{nav|utility|wide}}
[[Category:Utility]]

File:Smokepop radius.PNG

2025-01-13T15:06:42Z

Bacaniel: Categorizing

== Summary ==
An image displaying the area of effect of the Smokepop psycast. Yellow denotes cast location, white denotes affected tiles, and red denotes unaffected tiles.

[[Category: Images - Graphics]]

== Licensing ==
{{Copyright game}}

File:Smokepop radius.PNG

2025-01-13T15:06:00Z

Bacaniel: An image displaying the area of effect of the Smokepop psycast. Yellow denotes cast location, white denotes affected tiles, and red denotes unaffected tiles.

== Summary ==
An image displaying the area of effect of the Smokepop psycast. Yellow denotes cast location, white denotes affected tiles, and red denotes unaffected tiles.
== Licensing ==
{{Copyright game}}

Blind smoke

2025-01-13T15:04:43Z

Bacaniel: Updated smoke duration - it takes around 60 seconds to dissipate, not 30

{{Stub|reason=Needs detail on 1.4 gas mechanics}}
{| class="wikitable" Style="float: right;"
|-
! style="background: grey; color: white;" | [[File:Smoke.png]]
|}
'''Blind smoke''' is a [[gas]] that inflicts [[Shooting Accuracy]] penalties on ranged attacks made through it.

Blind smoke does no damage, and does not affect pawns in any way except by inflicting accuracy penalties. The smoke multiplies hit chance by {{Bad|x70%}} for any projectile that paths through smoke. Shooters will still be affected by smoke even when neither them nor the targets are standing in it, so long as there is smoke in between them. It does not affect melee attacks. It dissipates after around 60 seconds. [[Turret]]s, both player and enemy alike, cannot target through smoke - keeping at least one tile of smoke between a pawn and a turret will entirely prevent it from attacking. Enemies with smoke weapons equipped will automatically smoke themselves when a turret is detected.

Blind smoke can travel through vents.{{Check Tag|Details}}

Unlike real smoke, it isn't created by [[fire]]. Blind smoke can only be created in the following ways:
* [[Smoke launcher]]
* [[Smoke shell]]
* [[IED smoke trap]]
* [[Smokepop pack]]
* [[Smokepop]] psycast {{RoyaltyIcon}}

It can also be created with the "'''T: Explosion (smoke)'''" [[Development mode]] command.

Despite the name, the [[Smoke spewer]] [[condition causer]] found in [[Mechanoid cluster]]s {{RoyaltyIcon}} does not actually create smoke.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.3.3066|1.3.3066]] - Fix: Smoke doesn’t persist on the map on save load.
* [[Version/1.4.3523|1.4.3523]] - New gas system added. Renamed from '''smoke''' to '''blind smoke'''
* [[Version/1.4.3555|1.4.3555]] - All gasses, including blind smoke, can now travel through vents.

[[File:Smokelauncher gas physics comparison.mp4||left|thumb|Comparison of smoke mechanics between 1.3 and 1.4]]

[[Category: Gas]]

Topic:Yjsccrdk3spcsls4

2025-01-12T17:13:34Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) edited a post on "<worldRangeTiles>4</worldRangeTiles>"

Topic:Yjsccrdk3spcsls4

2025-01-12T17:09:42Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) edited a post on "<worldRangeTiles>4</worldRangeTiles>"

Topic:Yjsccrdk3spcsls4

2025-01-12T17:04:52Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) commented on "<worldRangeTiles>4</worldRangeTiles>" (My best guess would be that Neuroquake at one point had a 4 tile range limit to the goodwill malus caused by casting it - likely during d...)

Vertigo pulse

2025-01-10T22:36:44Z

Bacaniel: /* Version history */

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Vertigo pulse
| image = VertigoPulse.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Interfere with the spatial orientation sense of everyone near the target point, causing intermittent loss of balance. Flesh creatures will become extremely nauseous as well.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 30
| effect radius = 3.9
| duration = 1200
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Vertigo pulse''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that causes pawns in its area of effect to repeatedly [[vomit]] and stumble around randomly.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Vertigo pulse inflicts the [[Hediffs/Royalty/Psycasts/Psychic_vertigo|Psychic Vertigo]] [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, scaling with the target's [[Psychic Sensitivity]], on all psychically sensitive pawns within a 3 tile radius of the casting location, which can be any location within 25 tiles, respecting line of sight. The Psychic Vertigo hediff causes affected pawns to vomit (if able) with a MTB of approximately 3 ticks, or 0.05 seconds (see the above Psychic Vertigo page for the exact duration). Additionally, pawns moving while affected by Psychic Vertigo will periodically move to a randomly selected tile within a 3 tile radius of themselves, with a MTB of {{Ticks|125}}. This movement cannot be cancelled or interrupted, save for preventing the pawn from moving entirely. This movement will last for {{Ticks|180}}, regardless of whether or not the pawn arrives at their destination or moves at all - if the pawn reaches the selected tile before the full time elapses, they will remain in place, and be prevented from taking further action until the duration expires.

Additionally, note that Vertigo pulse is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a goodwill penalty of {{Bad|−15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied faction. However, Vertigo pulse will not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:pulse radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Vertigo pulse. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Vertigo pulse is one of the best psycasts in the game in terms of crippling an attacking force. A vomiting pawn is effectively stunned for several seconds at a time, and the extremely low MTB of this effect often results in affected targets spending nearly the entire duration of the effect standing in place and vomiting endlessly. This combined with the sizable area of effect and moderate allow Vertigo pulse to debilitate swathes of enemies for an extended period of time in a single cast, and the low psyfocus cost and neural heat gain make repeated casting a non-issue. Despite being a level 3 psycast, Vertigo pulse ranks among the most powerful of the roster.

In spite of these qualities, Vertigo pulse is not without flaw. The primary and most critical weakness of Vertigo pulse is its near inability to affect [[mechanoids]], who already rank as one of the most dangerous [[factions]]. Not only do mechanoids have reduced psychic sensitivity compared to the average raider, thereby drastically reducing the duration of Vertigo pulse, but they are incapable of vomiting, rendering them wholly immune to the primary effect of Vertigo pulse. Additionally, as most ranged mechanoids will not move once they have reached a firing position, they will no longer trigger the random wandering effect, and thus be almost completely unhindered by Vertigo pulse. However, Vertigo pulse can still see some use, albeit in a heavily reduced capacity, against groups of approaching [[scorcher]]s{{BiotechIcon}} or [[scythers]].

Beyond the obvious use as a crowd control tool for enemy raiders, Vertigo pulse has some unique interactions with several entities from the [[Anomaly]]{{AnomalyIcon}} DLC, making it a valuable tool in several encounters. The first and most interesting interaction is with [[devourer]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}, as Vertigo pulse will instantly force them to expel any targets they are currently digesting, which eliminates their most dangerous ability entirely, and renders them nearly harmless to sufficiently capable defenders. Additionally, Vertigo pulse can also be used to reveal any invisible [[revenant]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}. Not only does the large area of effect make it reasonably well suited for the task, but the random wandering it inflicts being triggered by a revenant's propensity to run away when discovered, combined with a revenant's 200% psychic sensitivity when discovered make Vertigo pulse an excellent choice for finishing off a hiding revenant. Additionally, both the revenant and the [[unnatural corpse]]{{AnomalyIcon}} are susceptible to the random wandering inflicted by Psychic Vertigo while performing their hypnosis attack on a target, making Vertigo pulse a fairly (though not fully, unlike alternatives such as [[Skip]]) consistent way of interrupting their main forms of attack. On the subject of the unnatural corpse, it is susceptible to both the wandering and vomiting effects of Vertigo pulse, making it a fairly effective method of dealing with said threat. However, the ever-increasing speed of the unnatural corpse can make targeting it difficult if cast by targeting a tile. Conversely, if one chooses to target the corpse directly to ensure it hits the mark, the corpse's considerable movement speed can run the risk of it reaching your pawns during the cast time of Vertigo pulse, which would result in all of one's pawns near the corpse being affected by Vertigo pulse, throwing their ranks into disarray during an extremely high-stakes encounter.

Lastly, the large area of effect of Vertigo pulse make it one of the few psycasts capable of affecting targets behind up to three tiles of walls. While in most circumstances the applications of this property are fairly limited, it is possible to take direct advantage of it using certain [[killbox]] designs. While affecting targets behind walls isn't particularly useful on the surface, it can be used as a tactic to impede the movement of raiders through killboxes which kill not by traditional means, but instead by merely remaining within. Some such methods of which include [[tox gas]]{{BiotechIcon}}, or more commonly an "oven", which kills via the damage caused by superheated air. However, the applications of Vertigo pulse to said designs are fairly limited, as the former isn't a particularly effective mode of defense to begin with, while the latter can be frighteningly adept at dispatching raiders to the point of requiring no assistance whatsoever.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Vertigo pulse range reduced from 25 to 20, cost increased from 25 to 30.
* ??? - Range increased from 20 to 25.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

File:Harbinger tree spawn radius.PNG

2025-01-10T14:32:59Z

Bacaniel:

== Summary ==
An image displaying the radius around which a harbinger will attempt to spawn a new tree upon reaching max nutrition, if able, before defaulting to a random location elsewhere on the map. Red tiles are invalid locations, with white tiles being acceptable spawn locations.

[[Category:Images - Graphics]]
== Licensing ==
{{Copyright game}}

File:Harbinger tree spawn radius.PNG

2025-01-10T14:32:06Z

Bacaniel: An image displaying the radius around which a harbinger will attempt to spawn a new tree upon reaching max nutrition, if able, before defaulting to a random location elsewhere on the map. Red tiles are invalid locations, with white tiles being acceptable spawn locations.

Vertigo pulse

2025-01-10T06:44:52Z

Bacaniel: another grammar error, how did I not catch all these

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Vertigo pulse
| image = VertigoPulse.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Interfere with the spatial orientation sense of everyone near the target point, causing intermittent loss of balance. Flesh creatures will become extremely nauseous as well.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 30
| effect radius = 3.9
| duration = 1200
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Vertigo pulse''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that causes pawns in its area of effect to repeatedly [[vomit]] and stumble around randomly.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Vertigo pulse inflicts the [[Hediffs/Royalty/Psycasts/Psychic_vertigo|Psychic Vertigo]] [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, scaling with the target's [[Psychic Sensitivity]], on all psychically sensitive pawns within a 3 tile radius of the casting location, which can be any location within 25 tiles, respecting line of sight. The Psychic Vertigo hediff causes affected pawns to vomit (if able) with a MTB of approximately 3 ticks, or 0.05 seconds (see the above Psychic Vertigo page for the exact duration). Additionally, pawns moving while affected by Psychic Vertigo will periodically move to a randomly selected tile within a 3 tile radius of themselves, with a MTB of {{Ticks|125}}. This movement cannot be cancelled or interrupted, save for preventing the pawn from moving entirely. This movement will last for {{Ticks|180}}, regardless of whether or not the pawn arrives at their destination or moves at all - if the pawn reaches the selected tile before the full time elapses, they will remain in place, and be prevented from taking further action until the duration expires.

Additionally, note that Vertigo pulse is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a goodwill penalty of {{Bad|−15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied faction. However, Vertigo pulse will not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:pulse radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Vertigo pulse. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Vertigo pulse is one of the best psycasts in the game in terms of crippling an attacking force. A vomiting pawn is effectively stunned for several seconds at a time, and the extremely low MTB of this effect often results in affected targets spending nearly the entire duration of the effect standing in place and vomiting endlessly. This combined with the sizable area of effect and moderate allow Vertigo pulse to debilitate swathes of enemies for an extended period of time in a single cast, and the low psyfocus cost and neural heat gain make repeated casting a non-issue. Despite being a level 3 psycast, Vertigo pulse ranks among the most powerful of the roster.

In spite of these qualities, Vertigo pulse is not without flaw. The primary and most critical weakness of Vertigo pulse is its near inability to affect [[mechanoids]], who already rank as one of the most dangerous [[factions]]. Not only do mechanoids have reduced psychic sensitivity compared to the average raider, thereby drastically reducing the duration of Vertigo pulse, but they are incapable of vomiting, rendering them wholly immune to the primary effect of Vertigo pulse. Additionally, as most ranged mechanoids will not move once they have reached a firing position, they will no longer trigger the random wandering effect, and thus be almost completely unhindered by Vertigo pulse. However, Vertigo pulse can still see some use, albeit in a heavily reduced capacity, against groups of approaching [[scorcher]]s{{BiotechIcon}} or [[scythers]].

Beyond the obvious use as a crowd control tool for enemy raiders, Vertigo pulse has some unique interactions with several entities from the [[Anomaly]]{{AnomalyIcon}} DLC, making it a valuable tool in several encounters. The first and most interesting interaction is with [[devourer]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}, as Vertigo pulse will instantly force them to expel any targets they are currently digesting, which eliminates their most dangerous ability entirely, and renders them nearly harmless to sufficiently capable defenders. Additionally, Vertigo pulse can also be used to reveal any invisible [[revenant]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}. Not only does the large area of effect make it reasonably well suited for the task, but the random wandering it inflicts being triggered by a revenant's propensity to run away when discovered, combined with a revenant's 200% psychic sensitivity when discovered make Vertigo pulse an excellent choice for finishing off a hiding revenant. Additionally, both the revenant and the [[unnatural corpse]]{{AnomalyIcon}} are susceptible to the random wandering inflicted by Psychic Vertigo while performing their hypnosis attack on a target, making Vertigo pulse a fairly (though not fully, unlike alternatives such as [[Skip]]) consistent way of interrupting their main forms of attack. On the subject of the unnatural corpse, it is susceptible to both the wandering and vomiting effects of Vertigo pulse, making it a fairly effective method of dealing with said threat. However, the ever-increasing speed of the unnatural corpse can make targeting it difficult if cast by targeting a tile. Conversely, if one chooses to target the corpse directly to ensure it hits the mark, the corpse's considerable movement speed can run the risk of it reaching your pawns during the cast time of Vertigo pulse, which would result in all of one's pawns near the corpse being affected by Vertigo pulse, throwing their ranks into disarray during an extremely high-stakes encounter.

Lastly, the large area of effect of Vertigo pulse make it one of the few psycasts capable of affecting targets behind up to three tiles of walls. While in most circumstances the applications of this property are fairly limited, it is possible to take direct advantage of it using certain [[killbox]] designs. While affecting targets behind walls isn't particularly useful on the surface, it can be used as a tactic to impede the movement of raiders through killboxes which kill not by traditional means, but instead by merely remaining within. Some such methods of which include [[tox gas]]{{BiotechIcon}}, or more commonly an "oven", which kills via the damage caused by superheated air. However, the applications of Vertigo pulse to said designs are fairly limited, as the former isn't a particularly effective mode of defense to begin with, while the latter can be frighteningly adept at dispatching raiders to the point of requiring no assistance whatsoever.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Vertigo pulse range reduced from 25 to 20, cost increased from 25 to 30.
* ??? - Range was increased from 20 to 25.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Vertigo pulse

2025-01-10T06:43:45Z

Bacaniel: forgot to edit some copy-pasted text from Blinding pulse

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Vertigo pulse
| image = VertigoPulse.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Interfere with the spatial orientation sense of everyone near the target point, causing intermittent loss of balance. Flesh creatures will become extremely nauseous as well.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 30
| effect radius = 3.9
| duration = 1200
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Vertigo pulse''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that causes pawns in its area of effect to repeatedly [[vomit]] and stumble around randomly.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Vertigo pulse inflicts the [[Hediffs/Royalty/Psycasts/Psychic_vertigo|Psychic Vertigo]] [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, scaling with the target's [[Psychic Sensitivity]], on all psychically sensitive pawns within a 3 tile radius of the casting location, which can be any location within 25 tiles, respecting line of sight. The Psychic Vertigo hediff causes affected pawns to vomit (if able) with a MTB of approximately 3 ticks, or 0.05 seconds (see the above Psychic Vertigo page for the exact duration). Additionally, pawns moving while affected by Psychic Vertigo will periodically move to a randomly selected tile within a 3 tile radius of themselves, with a MTB of {{Ticks|125}}. This movement cannot be cancelled or interrupted, save for preventing the pawn from moving entirely. This movement will last for {{Ticks|180}}, regardless of whether or not the pawn arrives at their destination or moves at all - if the pawn reaches the selected tile before the full time elapses, they will remain in place, and be prevented from taking further action until the duration expires.

Additionally, note that Vertigo pulse is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a goodwill penalty of {{Bad|−15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied faction. However, Vertigo pulse will not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:pulse radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Vertigo pulse. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Vertigo pulse is one of the best psycasts in the game in terms of crippling an attacking force. A vomiting pawn is effectively stunned for several seconds at a time, and the extremely low MTB of this effect often results in affected targets spending nearly the entire duration of the effect standing in place and vomiting endlessly. This combined with the sizable area of effect and moderate allow Vertigo pulse to debilitate swathes of enemies for an extended period of time in a single cast, and the low psyfocus cost and neural heat gain make repeated casting a non-issue. Despite being a level 3 psycast, Vertigo pulse ranks among the most powerful of the roster.

In spite of these qualities, Vertigo pulse is not without flaw. The primary and most critical weakness of Vertigo pulse is its near inability to affect [[mechanoids]], who already rank as one of the most dangerous [[factions]]. Not only do mechanoids have reduced psychic sensitivity compared to the average raider, thereby drastically reducing the duration of Vertigo pulse, but they are incapable of vomiting, rendering them wholly immune to the primary effect of Vertigo pulse. Additionally, as most ranged mechanoids will not move once they have reached a firing position, they will no longer trigger the random wandering effect, and thus be almost completely unhindered by Vertigo pulse. However, Vertigo pulse can still see some use, albeit in a heavily reduced capacity, against groups of approaching [[scorcher]]s{{BiotechIcon}} or [[scythers]].

Beyond the obvious use as a crowd control tool for enemy raiders, Vertigo pulse has some unique interactions with several entities from the [[Anomaly]]{{AnomalyIcon}} DLC, making it a valuable tool in several encounters. The first and most interesting interaction is with [[devourer]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}, as Vertigo pulse will instantly force them to expel any targets they are currently digesting, which eliminates their most dangerous ability entirely, and renders them nearly harmless to sufficiently capable defenders. Additionally, Vertigo pulse can also be used to reveal any invisible [[revenant]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}. Not only does the large area of effect make it reasonably well suited for the task, but the random wandering it inflicts being triggered by a revenant's propensity to run away when discovered, combined with a revenant's 200% psychic sensitivity when discovered make Vertigo pulse an excellent choice for finishing off a hiding revenant. Additionally, both the revenant and the [[unnatural corpse]]{{AnomalyIcon}} are susceptible to the random wandering inflicted by Psychic Vertigo while performing their hypnosis attack on a target, making Vertigo pulse a fairly (though not fully, unlike alternatives such as [[Skip]]) consistent way of interrupting their main forms of attack. On the subject of the unnatural corpse, it is susceptible to both the wandering and vomiting effects of Vertigo pulse, making it a fairly effective method of dealing with said threat. However, the ever-increasing speed of the unnatural corpse can make targeting it difficult if cast by targeting a tile. Conversely, if one chooses to target the corpse directly to ensure it hits the mark, the corpse's considerable movement speed can risk the risk of it reaching your pawns during the cast time of Vertigo pulse, which would result in all of one's pawns near the corpse being affected by Vertigo pulse, throwing their ranks into disarray during an extremely high-stakes encounter.

Lastly, the large area of effect of Vertigo pulse make it one of the few psycasts capable of affecting targets behind up to three tiles of walls. While in most circumstances the applications of this property are fairly limited, it is possible to take direct advantage of it using certain [[killbox]] designs. While affecting targets behind walls isn't particularly useful on the surface, it can be used as a tactic to impede the movement of raiders through killboxes which kill not by traditional means, but instead by merely remaining within. Some such methods of which include [[tox gas]]{{BiotechIcon}}, or more commonly an "oven", which kills via the damage caused by superheated air. However, the applications of Vertigo pulse to said designs are fairly limited, as the former isn't a particularly effective mode of defense to begin with, while the latter can be frighteningly adept at dispatching raiders to the point of requiring no assistance whatsoever.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Vertigo pulse range reduced from 25 to 20, cost increased from 25 to 30.
* ??? - Range was increased from 20 to 25.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Vertigo pulse

2025-01-10T06:42:35Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis, aoe image, removed image request + stub (I was pretty tired when I finished this, I'll check it again in the morning and see if I can't improve it)

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Vertigo pulse
| image = VertigoPulse.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Interfere with the spatial orientation sense of everyone near the target point, causing intermittent loss of balance. Flesh creatures will become extremely nauseous as well.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 30
| effect radius = 3.9
| duration = 1200
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Vertigo pulse''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that causes pawns in its area of effect to repeatedly [[vomit]] and stumble around randomly.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Vertigo pulse inflicts the [[Hediffs/Royalty/Psycasts/Psychic_vertigo|Psychic Vertigo]] [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, scaling with the target's [[Psychic Sensitivity]], on all psychically sensitive pawns within a 3 tile radius of the casting location, which can be any location within 25 tiles, respecting line of sight. The Psychic Vertigo hediff causes affected pawns to vomit (if able) with a MTB of approximately 3 ticks, or 0.05 seconds (see the above Psychic Vertigo page for the exact duration). Additionally, pawns moving while affected by Psychic Vertigo will periodically move to a randomly selected tile within a 3 tile radius of themselves, with a MTB of {{Ticks|125}}. This movement cannot be cancelled or interrupted, save for preventing the pawn from moving entirely. This movement will last for {{Ticks|180}}, regardless of whether or not the pawn arrives at their destination or moves at all - if the pawn reaches the selected tile before the full time elapses, they will remain in place, and be prevented from taking further action until the duration expires.

Additionally, note that Blinding pulse is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a goodwill penalty of {{Bad|−15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied faction. However, Vertigo pulse will not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:pulse radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Vertigo pulse. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Vertigo pulse is one of the best psycasts in the game in terms of crippling an attacking force. A vomiting pawn is effectively stunned for several seconds at a time, and the extremely low MTB of this effect often results in affected targets spending nearly the entire duration of the effect standing in place and vomiting endlessly. This combined with the sizable area of effect and moderate allow Vertigo pulse to debilitate swathes of enemies for an extended period of time in a single cast, and the low psyfocus cost and neural heat gain make repeated casting a non-issue. Despite being a level 3 psycast, Vertigo pulse ranks among the most powerful of the roster.

In spite of these qualities, Vertigo pulse is not without flaw. The primary and most critical weakness of Vertigo pulse is its near inability to affect [[mechanoids]], who already rank as one of the most dangerous [[factions]]. Not only do mechanoids have reduced psychic sensitivity compared to the average raider, thereby drastically reducing the duration of Vertigo pulse, but they are incapable of vomiting, rendering them wholly immune to the primary effect of Vertigo pulse. Additionally, as most ranged mechanoids will not move once they have reached a firing position, they will no longer trigger the random wandering effect, and thus be almost completely unhindered by Vertigo pulse. However, Vertigo pulse can still see some use, albeit in a heavily reduced capacity, against groups of approaching [[scorcher]]s{{BiotechIcon}} or [[scythers]].

Beyond the obvious use as a crowd control tool for enemy raiders, Vertigo pulse has some unique interactions with several entities from the [[Anomaly]]{{AnomalyIcon}} DLC, making it a valuable tool in several encounters. The first and most interesting interaction is with [[devourer]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}, as Vertigo pulse will instantly force them to expel any targets they are currently digesting, which eliminates their most dangerous ability entirely, and renders them nearly harmless to sufficiently capable defenders. Additionally, Vertigo pulse can also be used to reveal any invisible [[revenant]]s{{AnomalyIcon}}. Not only does the large area of effect make it reasonably well suited for the task, but the random wandering it inflicts being triggered by a revenant's propensity to run away when discovered, combined with a revenant's 200% psychic sensitivity when discovered make Vertigo pulse an excellent choice for finishing off a hiding revenant. Additionally, both the revenant and the [[unnatural corpse]]{{AnomalyIcon}} are susceptible to the random wandering inflicted by Psychic Vertigo while performing their hypnosis attack on a target, making Vertigo pulse a fairly (though not fully, unlike alternatives such as [[Skip]]) consistent way of interrupting their main forms of attack. On the subject of the unnatural corpse, it is susceptible to both the wandering and vomiting effects of Vertigo pulse, making it a fairly effective method of dealing with said threat. However, the ever-increasing speed of the unnatural corpse can make targeting it difficult if cast by targeting a tile. Conversely, if one chooses to target the corpse directly to ensure it hits the mark, the corpse's considerable movement speed can risk the risk of it reaching your pawns during the cast time of Vertigo pulse, which would result in all of one's pawns near the corpse being affected by Vertigo pulse, throwing their ranks into disarray during an extremely high-stakes encounter.

Lastly, the large area of effect of Vertigo pulse make it one of the few psycasts capable of affecting targets behind up to three tiles of walls. While in most circumstances the applications of this property are fairly limited, it is possible to take direct advantage of it using certain [[killbox]] designs. While affecting targets behind walls isn't particularly useful on the surface, it can be used as a tactic to impede the movement of raiders through killboxes which kill not by traditional means, but instead by merely remaining within. Some such methods of which include [[tox gas]]{{BiotechIcon}}, or more commonly an "oven", which kills via the damage caused by superheated air. However, the applications of Vertigo pulse to said designs are fairly limited, as the former isn't a particularly effective mode of defense to begin with, while the latter can be frighteningly adept at dispatching raiders to the point of requiring no assistance whatsoever.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Vertigo pulse range reduced from 25 to 20, cost increased from 25 to 30.
* ??? - Range was increased from 20 to 25.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Blinding pulse

2025-01-10T06:10:58Z

Bacaniel:

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Blinding pulse
| image = BlindingPulse.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Induce noise in the visual centers of the brain, obscuring vision of everyone near the target point.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.011
| neural heat gain = 20
| effect radius = 3.9
| duration = 1800
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Blinding pulse''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that reduces the [[sight]] capacity of pawns in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
[[File:pulse radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Blinding pulse. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Upon casting, Blinding pulse inflicts the Psychic blindness [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}} on all psychically sensitive pawns within a 3 tile radius from the target tile, which can be any location within 25 tiles, respecting line of sight. The Psychic blindness hediff multiplies the affected pawn's [[Sight]] by a percentage scaling with their [[Psychic sensitivity]]: {{Bad|x50%}} at 100% Psychic sensitivity, capping at {{Bad|x0%}} for 200%, and a minimum of {{Bad|x95%}} at 10%.

Additionally, note that Blinding pulse is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Blinding pulse is the first of several area-of-effect crowd control psycasts available to the player, and it performs its role well. The debuff inflicted to Sight, while not effective against all threats, can be devastating against others, and the reasonably large area of effect makes it highly useful in chokepoints or against large clusters of enemies.

Against the average [[human]] [[raider]], blinding pulse is moderately effective in stifling their efforts to harm your pawns. A {{Bad|50%}} reduction to [[Sight]] is equivalent to losing 6 levels of both [[Shooting]] and [[Melee]] skill. Given a target with a melee skill of 10 or lower, this reduces their [[Melee Hit Chance]] by roughly {{--|20%}}, depending on their skill. This, in turn, results in an average reduction to DPS by anywhere from {{--|22%}} at skill 10 to {{--|48%}} for a pawn with 0 skill, assuming no other impact on hit chance. [[Melee Dodge Chance]] is also impacted by Sight, but the typical raider is unlikely to have a high enough value for blinding pulse to meaningfully reduce it.

For ranged pawns, due to the exponential decay of [[Shooting Accuracy]] over distance, blinding pulse will be more effective at longer range engagements than in close-quarters combat. For example, an affected Shooting skill 10 pawn firing from the 25 tile maximum range of blinding pulse will have their typical Shooting Accuracy of 46.7% drop to only 21.3%, a {{--|54%}} reduction in real {{DPS}}, whereas the same pawn firing from 15 tiles would "only" see a reduction from 63.3% to 39.5%, a {{--|38%}} reduction in real {{DPS}}. As with melee pawns, blinding pulse is significantly more impactful against pawns with low skills or capacities to begin with.

For more information on the calculations provided here, please visit the associated pages for the formulas used to calculate their derived statistics. Note that pawns such as [[animals]] and [[mechanoids]] have a default Melee skill of 4 and a Shooting skill of 8 (where applicable) for the purposes of these calculations.

However, the effectiveness of Blinding pulse can vary wildly depending on the target. Blinding pulse is significantly less effective against [[mechanoids]] and [[yttakin]]{{BiotechIcon}}, due to their reduced psychic sensitivity. For example, Blinding pulse only reduces the hit chance of a [[scyther]] by a measly {{--|9%}}, rendering it hardly better than nothing. However, blinding pulse can have some minor benefit against [[lancers]] and [[centipedes]] due to their tendency to engage at maximum range. However, this range is higher than that of blinding pulse, requiring the caster to approach them in order to cast it. On the flip side, a few [[entities]]{{AnomalyIcon}} have massively increased psychic sensitivity, rendering Blinding pulse absolutely debilitating against them. The two most vulnerable targets among them are the [[sightstealer]]{{AnomalyIcon}} and the [[gorehulk]]{{AnomalyIcon}}. Not only does the area of effect nature of blinding pulse counter their large numbers, but their 200% psychic sensitivity allows blinding pulse to almost entirely cripple their damage output - Sightstealers will have their accuracy reduced to less than a third, and Gorehulks will be rendered almost incapable of damaging your pawns, assuming medium cover. Additionally, gorehulks tend to cluster together while attacking and do not move unless approached, making them easy targets for blinding pulse.

Lastly, it should be noted that blinding pulse may be considered preferable to [[Vertigo pulse]] in a scenario where groups of enemies are directly on top of your pawns, whether they have broken your ranks, or in a group of melee blockers. While vertigo pulse is largely superior for negating the threat of enemy pawns, the risk of losing control of one's own pawns and having them stumble out of cover or towards a thrown grenade is a significant threat. In these situations, blinding pulse can be a more palatable alternative, especially in regards to a group of melee blockers, as they don't necessarily need to be able to kill enemies to do their job. However, other psycasts such as [[Stun]] or [[Skip]] are likely to prove far more useful in such situations.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Radius reduced from 5 to 4, range reduced from 25 to 20.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Chaos skip

2025-01-10T05:37:00Z

Bacaniel:

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Chaos skip
| image = ChaosSkip.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Teleport the target to a random position near where it started. Objects above a certain size cannot be teleported.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 15
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 18
| effect radius =
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Chaos skip''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that teleports its target to a random place in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
On casting, Chaos skip will skip the target [[pawn]] to a random valid destination tile within range. Valid targets for Chaos skip are any pawns with a [[body size]] of 3.5 or less, or any haulable item within 25 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight, and valid destination tiles are any standable tiles within a range of 7 to 25 tiles from the target pawn's position, disregarding of line of sight. Upon arriving at their destination, the pawn will be briefly stunned for {{Ticks|90}}, preventing them from moving or taking action for the duration. If no valid destination tile exists, the target will not be skipped, with the displayed reason "No valid destination found for Chaos skip", though the psyfocus cost and neural heat gain will still be incurred. Note that despite having a body size of 1, [[Apocriton]]s{{BiotechIcon}} cannot be targeted by Chaos skip, by reason of "Psychic Resistance".

Additionally, note that Chaos skip is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]]. However, Chaos skip will not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:chaos skip radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of effect of Chaos skip. Yellow tile marks the target location, white tiles are valid destination tiles, and red tiles are invalid destinations. Note that the maximum skip radius is identical to the cast range for Chaos skip.]]
Chaos skip is a highly useful psycast that, while often overshadowed by its rather superior alternative in [[Skip]], is nonetheless a valuable tool for any player to have at their disposal. However, the inherent randomness to its effect can make its outcome vary somewhat, or backfire completely with poor luck.

Chaos skip's effect of near-instantaneously displacing a target within a considerable range give it a multitude of obvious use cases. From removing melee attackers that have reached your vulnerable ranged pawns, to removing ranged pawns from cover to more easily pick them off, to teleporting downed pawns out of the line of fire, or teleporting pawns away from a live grenade, the list goes on. However, due to the random destination of skipped targets, Chaos skip can make a bad situation worse if used carelessly, such as teleporting enemy pawns directly into your ranks, or placing your own pawns out of cover and vulnerable to enemy fire. As such, it is up to the player's discretion to determine whether or not Chaos skip is worth casting at any given point in time. However, Chaos skip is almost always worth casting on enemy pawns if they're in deep cover or tying up your ranged attackers - it is likely that any other destination would be preferable to their current location. On the flip side, casting Chaos skip on your own pawns is generally a dubious proposition, as one is often better served by simply skipping the enemies attacking them away from them, rather than rolling the dice for a favorable destination for one's own pawns. Note that despite the random destination, the minimum teleport distance of Chaos skip renders it consistent when skipping melee enemies away from your own pawns, as they're forced to a destination at least 7 tiles away from their previous location, and thus your pawns.

Additionally, despite its general inferiority to Skip, Chaos skip's ability to teleport targets through walls give it an niche when fighting in close quarters environments, such as a close range [[killbox]], an [[ancient complex]]{{IdeologyIcon}}, or the walls of one's own base. While Skip's line of sight restriction for destinations would heavily restrict the distance a target can be skipped in such circumstances, Chaos skip is unaffected, allowing one to displace enemies freely, breaking up a group of enemies into more manageable chunks to pick off piecemeal.

Lastly, while the brief stun it inflicts is hardly useful on the surface, it is still capable of interrupting enemies - a few notable examples being a [[centipede]] preparing to unleash a hail of bullets, or a [[revenant]]{{AnomalyIcon}} hypnotizing its prey. Against a typical pawn, however, it will do very little to impede them beyond the initial displacement effect of Chaos skip.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.4.3523|1.4.3523]] - Now has a maximum [[body size]] of 3.5.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Waterskip

2025-01-10T04:44:57Z

Bacaniel: minor grammar and formatting changes (also yeah I didn't really ken that puddles were a filth type, good catch)

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Waterskip
| image = Waterskip.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Douse a target area in water, extinguishing fires. The water is archotechnologically skipped from distant bodies of water or underground aquifers.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.015
| neural heat gain = 25
| effect radius = 1.9
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Waterskip''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates water in its area of effect, putting out fires.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
[[File:waterskip radius.PNG|thumb|left|175px|Area of affect of Waterskip. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]

On cast, Waterskip instantly extinguishes all fires within a 3x3 square centered on the target tile, including burning [[pawn]]s. Additionally, a [[Filth#water puddle|water puddle]] is left behind on each affected tile for a variable duration between 7 - 10 in-game hours (approx.). While they persist, these puddles effectively reduce the [[flammability]] of a tile to 0, preventing fires from forming on or spreading to the tiles they're on. They are a type of [[filth]], with a [[beauty]] of {{--|10}} and [[cleanliness]] of {{--|5}} and able to be [[clean]]ed as normal. Beyond this, the puddles are entirely cosmetic - they do not affect the flammability of pawns standing on them, nor do they extinguish burning pawns moving onto them, as [[terrain|standing water]] does. Additionally, neither the initial cast nor the resulting puddles cause eligible buildings to [[Events#Zzztt...|zzztt]], nor inflict the [[Thoughts/Memory_Misc#Soaking wet|soaking wet]] thought on pawns.

Waterskip will also reveal any invisible [[revenant]]s{{AnomalyIcon}} that are within its radius when cast.

== Analysis ==
Waterskip is psycast that provides a free but less effective alternative to [[firefoam]]. Compared to a [[firefoam pop pack]], Waterskip has significantly less coverage (only a 3x3 squares compared to a 6 tile radius circle for the pop pack). This low range is compounded to the small cast time for Waterskip, compared to the instant activation of the pop pack, making extinguishing flames in large quantities comparatively much slower. Waterskip also doesn't give the [[covered in firefoam]] hediff that prevents pawn from being reignited, but the puddles left by waterskip does prevent fire from starting on that cell (negating the effect of chemfuel puddles).

However, Waterskip doesn't have to be reloaded like firefoam, it has a massively increased effective range, being able to target any pawn and any location (within line of sight) up to 25 tiles. Additionally, unlike the pop pack, Waterskip can be cast several times consecutively (as neural heat and psyfocus allow), whereas a pop pack must be reloaded between uses. Finally, the pack takes up the valuable Utility slot for a capability that may not be useful every time, introducing a significant opportunity cost.

This gives Waterskip a role in unexpected emergencies, combating widespread fires, or small fires that are out of reach of your pawns. It can also be used to extinguish burning pawns without having to expose yourself by moving near them.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.1.2647|1.1.2647]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of trust

2025-01-09T20:18:18Z

Bacaniel: changed color of one of -12's, should have been green instead of red

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of trust
| image = WordOfTrust.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Speak to the prisoner while using psychic suggestion to reduce their resistance to recruitment. This can only reduce a prisoner's resistance, but cannot recruit them.
| psylink level = 1
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.6
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of trust''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that reduces a [[prisoner]]'s [[resistance]] to recruitment.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Word of trust will reduce the resistance of a target prisoner by {{---|12}}. Valid targets for this psycast are any prisoners of your colony, disqualifying those that are psychically deaf, unwaveringly loyal, incapacitated, or those with 0 resistance. Note that the resistance reduction of this psycast is unaffected by [[Psychic Sensitivity]], despite psychically deaf pawns being untargetable. Like all other "Word of" psycasts, the caster must be directly adjacent to their target in order to use Word of trust.

== Analysis ==
Word of trust is a highly effective tool for speeding up the recruitment of pawns. Most useful when one lacks a skilled warden, and provides a preferable alternative to [[slavery]]{{IdeologyIcon}} for the expedited recruitment of prisoners. Additionally, as a level 1 psycast, Word of trust can be acquired fairly early into a colony's lifespan, which is when it also happens to be most useful - that is, during the period where expanding the number of colonists tends to be a primary goal, and where the overall [[Social]] skill of the colony is at its lowest. Additionally, as most early-game [[raider]] types have a maximum resistance of less than 12, Word of trust can make prisoner recruitment instant, though this becomes less true as more dangerous and loyal raider types appear. Additionally, once skilled wardens or sufficient pawn numbers have been acquired, the use of Word of trust becomes largely extraneous, as the prospect of acquiring a 9th or 10th pawn somewhat faster is significantly less impactful than the prospect of increasing your numbers from 3 to 4, for example.

Word of trust becomes significantly more useful in colonies using the [[Ideoligion#Inhumanizing|Inhumanizing]]{{AnomalyIcon}} [[Ideoligion#Precepts|precept]]{{IdeologyIcon}}, as the staggering {{Bad|-12}} offset to Social incurred by all affected pawns makes recruiting prisoners by traditional means painfully slow, unless one is able to prevent a socially-capable pawn from becoming Inhumanized for the purposes of acting as a warden. Meanwhile, Word of trust provides a method to recruit pawns not dependent on Social skill, only requiring a level 1 psycaster and sufficient psyfocus, though obtaining Word of trust itself can be a matter of luck.

Lastly, Word of trust faces some competition from [[Brainwipe ]]ritual{{AnomalyIcon}} as a tool for expedited prisoner recruitment. While Word of trust can only reduce a prisoner's resistance by a maximum of {{Good|-12}} in one sitting, at a significant psyfocus cost, Brainwipe can completely reduce a pawn's resistance to 0 with a single use, taking only a few in-game hours. However, as Brainwipe ritual is a reasonably late unlock, requires a fairly valuable resource in a single [[shard]]{{AnomalyIcon}} for every use, incurs a coma with a variable duration depending on ritual quality, and has several other unique uses besides such as removing [[Prisoner#Unwaveringly_loyal|unwavering loyalty]] and [[Inhumanized|inhumanization]]{{AnomalyIcon}}, the two tools have very little overlap in practice, and fulfil separate roles in a colony.

* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of trust

2025-01-09T20:15:25Z

Bacaniel: expanded analysis, small addition to summary, removed stub

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of trust
| image = WordOfTrust.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Speak to the prisoner while using psychic suggestion to reduce their resistance to recruitment. This can only reduce a prisoner's resistance, but cannot recruit them.
| psylink level = 1
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.6
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of trust''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that reduces a [[prisoner]]'s [[resistance]] to recruitment.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Word of trust will reduce the resistance of a target prisoner by {{---|12}}. Valid targets for this psycast are any prisoners of your colony, disqualifying those that are psychically deaf, unwaveringly loyal, incapacitated, or those with 0 resistance. Note that the resistance reduction of this psycast is unaffected by [[Psychic Sensitivity]], despite psychically deaf pawns being untargetable. Like all other "Word of" psycasts, the caster must be directly adjacent to their target in order to use Word of trust.

== Analysis ==
Word of trust is a highly effective tool for speeding up the recruitment of pawns. Most useful when one lacks a skilled warden, and provides a preferable alternative to [[slavery]]{{IdeologyIcon}} for the expedited recruitment of prisoners. Additionally, as a level 1 psycast, Word of trust can be acquired fairly early into a colony's lifespan, which is when it also happens to be most useful - that is, during the period where expanding the number of colonists tends to be a primary goal, and where the overall [[Social]] skill of the colony is at its lowest. Additionally, as most early-game [[raider]] types have a maximum resistance of less than 12, Word of trust can make prisoner recruitment instant, though this becomes less true as more dangerous and loyal raider types appear. Additionally, once skilled wardens or sufficient pawn numbers have been acquired, the use of Word of trust becomes largely extraneous, as the prospect of acquiring a 9th or 10th pawn somewhat faster is significantly less impactful than the prospect of increasing your numbers from 3 to 4, for example.

Word of trust becomes significantly more useful in colonies using the [[Ideoligion#Inhumanizing|Inhumanizing]]{{AnomalyIcon}} [[Ideoligion#Precepts|precept]]{{IdeologyIcon}}, as the staggering {{Bad|-12}} offset to Social incurred by all affected pawns makes recruiting prisoners by traditional means painfully slow, unless one is able to prevent a socially-capable pawn from becoming Inhumanized for the purposes of acting as a warden. Meanwhile, Word of trust provides a method to recruit pawns not dependent on Social skill, only requiring a level 1 psycaster and sufficient psyfocus, though obtaining Word of trust itself can be a matter of luck.

Lastly, Word of trust faces some competition from [[Brainwipe ]]ritual{{AnomalyIcon}} as a tool for expedited prisoner recruitment. While Word of trust can only reduce a prisoner's resistance by a maximum of {{Bad|-12}} in one sitting, at a significant psyfocus cost, Brainwipe can completely reduce a pawn's resistance to 0 with a single use, taking only a few in-game hours. However, as Brainwipe ritual is a reasonably late unlock, requires a fairly valuable resource in a single [[shard]]{{AnomalyIcon}} for every use, incurs a coma with a variable duration depending on ritual quality, and has several other unique uses besides such as removing [[Prisoner#Unwaveringly_loyal|unwavering loyalty]] and [[Inhumanized|inhumanization]]{{AnomalyIcon}}, the two tools have very little overlap in practice, and fulfil separate roles in a colony.

* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of love

2025-01-09T17:43:07Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis, removed stub (can anyone fact check exactly what RomanceChanceFactor governs? I did some digging but I didn't turn up anything)

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of love
| image = WordOfLove.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Speak about someone's romantic virtues while using psychic suggestion to implant romantic desire in the listener. For days afterward, the listener will feel psychically-induced romantic attraction towards the other person. This greatly increases opinion and makes them much more likely to attempt romantic advances and marriage proposals if they get the chance. This power can be used to connect two other people, induce love for the caster, or force oneself to love another.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.5
| neural heat gain =
| effect radius =
| duration = 480000
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of love''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that increases the likelihood of [[romance]] between the two targets.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Word of love will grant the Psychic Love [[hediff]] to a target [[pawn]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, or 8 in-game days, increasing romantic compatibility with another pawn for the duration. Before casting, the player will be prompted to select a pawn to grant Psychic Love to, followed by a second pawn as a target for the initial pawn's Psychic Love. Valid targets for Word of Love include any conscious, non-hostile, psychically sensitive pawn, disqualifying those below the age of 16. The Psychic Love hediff affects several romance-related stats, including:
* {{Good|+40}} [[opinion]] of the second pawn.
* Grants a {{Good|x1000%}} multiplier to Romance chance for the second pawn, drastically increasing the chances that romance attempts succeed.
* Multiplies RomanceChanceFactor (a hidden stat) by {{Good|10x}}, ostensibly increasing the chances of the pawn initiating a romance attempt or marriage proposal towards the second pawn, though not yet directly confirmed.
* Reduces the pawn's MTB for [[Lovin']] by {{Good | 0.25x}}, causing them to engage in Lovin' roughly 4x as often.

Note that Word of love can be self-cast, as either the target for or of Psychic Love, and can only be cast in compatible orientations - A female pawn with the [[Gay]] [[trait]] cannot be selected to be granted Psychic Love for a male pawn with no attraction-related traits, for example. However, the same male pawn could be granted Psychic Love for the same female pawn, as only the orientation of the first pawn relative to the second is taken into account when casting. Additionally, a pawn can only be affected by one instance of Psychic Love at a time, and subsequent casts will replace any active instances with the new one. Lastly, like all the other "Word of" psycasts, the caster must be directly adjacent to their target to cast Word of love.

== Analysis ==
Word of love does exactly what it says on the tin - creates romances between two pawns, with all the associated upsides and downsides. Pawns in a relationship will receive large opinion boosts towards each other, and benefit from minor to major mood increases from said opinions of their lovers, as well as any mood boosts from Lovin', which they will do more much more frequently while under the influence of Word of love. On the flip side, these relationships have the potential to be torn apart, either by choice or death, causing massive mood debuffs that persist for egregious amounts of time. Whether or not this is a worthwhile proposition is up to the player's discretion if intending to use Word of joy to foster these bonds between their pawns. It should be noted that casting Word of joy twice - once on each pawn targeting the other - can virtually guarantee a romance chance will succeed, barring cases where a romance is almost guaranteed to never occur naturally in the first place, such as extreme age differences between the two.

Beyond creating romantic relationship between pawns, Word of joy has a few other uses besides. Firstly, once two pawns are romanced, Word of joy can be cast freely as a small mood booster for the both of them, as pawns receive a scaling mood boost based on the opinion of their lover, up to {{Good|+10}} at 100 opinion, as well as the mood gained from the increased rate of Lovin'. However, the effects of the opinion increase are dependent on their current opinion of each other, and the overall rate of Lovin' between two pawns is dependent on several others factors besides - see the associated page for the full list of modifiers.

Secondly, Word of joy can be used to mend a broken relationship, as while pawns will have a massive opinion malus for an ex-lover or spouse, casting Word of joy on both parties can be enough to overcome it. However, in situations where a romance was unlikely to have occurred in the first place, such as between a [[misogynist]] and [[misandrist]], Word of love can fail to raise opinion high enough to allow a romance attempt. Additionally, in such situations, even if one succeeds in repairing their relationship, it is unlikely to survive long-term, and thus may be better to allow to end regardless. On the flip side, the opinion boosts from Word of joy can reduce or eliminate the chances that relationships result in a breakup or affair in the first place, though the limited duration of the effect would require repeated casting in order to maintain it, and relationships generally tend not to have to rely on micromanaging to maintain in the first place.

Lastly, Word of love can be used as a temporary opinion booster in order to increase the odds of a [[Moral guide]]'s{{IdeologyIcon}} Counsel ability succeeding, as the success chance is affected by the opinion of the target for the user. However, the requirement for a compatible orientation between the two, as well as the chance of a possibly unwanted relationship forming as a result make this a fringe benefit at best.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Topic:Yjih5h6ce7na0nk4

2025-01-09T15:28:11Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) commented on "Re: maintenance banners" (Understood. On the subject of categorizing images, am I to understand that screenshots of a mechanically informative nature such as the A...)

Topic:Yjih5h6ce7na0nk4

2025-01-08T16:21:13Z

Bacaniel (talk | contribs) commented on "Re: maintenance banners" (Gotcha, I'll go back and clarify the removed questions. And yeah, I'll feel free to ask if I have any questions. Additionally, I'd also l...)

Waterskip

2025-01-08T16:18:06Z

Bacaniel: Answered removed FAQs about waterskip puddles

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Waterskip
| image = Waterskip.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Douse a target area in water, extinguishing fires. The water is archotechnologically skipped from distant bodies of water or underground aquifers.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.015
| neural heat gain = 25
| effect radius = 1.9
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact =
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Waterskip''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that creates water in its area of effect, putting out fires.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
[[File:waterskip radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Waterskip. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]

On cast, Waterskip instantly extinguishes all fires within a 3x3 square centered on the target tile, including burning pawns. Additionally, a water puddle is left behind on all affected tiles for a variable duration between 7 - 10 ingame hours (approx.). While they persist, these puddles effectively reduce the [[flammability]] of a tile to 0, preventing fires from forming on or spreading to the tiles they're on. Beyond this, the puddles are entirely cosmetic - they do not affect the flammability of pawns standing on them, they do not cause eligible buildings to [[Events#Zzztt...|zzztt]], and they do not inflict the [[Thoughts/Memory_Misc#Soaking_wet|soaking wet]] thought on pawns.

Waterskip will also reveal any invisible [[revenant]]s{{AnomalyIcon}} that are within its radius when cast.

== Analysis ==
Waterskip is psycast that provides a free but less effective alternative to [[firefoam]]. Compared to a [[firefoam pop pack]], Waterskip has significantly less coverage (only a 3x3 squares compared to a 6 tile radius circle for the pop pack). This low range is compounded to the small cast time for Waterskip, compared to the instant activation of the pop pack, making extinguishing flames in large quantities comparatively much slower. Waterskip also doesn't give the [[covered in firefoam]] hediff that prevents pawn from being reignited, but the puddles left by waterskip does prevent fire from starting on that cell (negating the effect of chemfuel puddles).

However, Waterskip doesn't have to be reloaded like firefoam, it has a massively increased effective range, being able to target any pawn and any location (within line of sight) up to 25 tiles. Additionally, unlike the pop pack, Waterskip can be cast several times consecutively (as neural heat and psyfocus allow), whereas a pop pack must be reloaded between uses. Finally, the pack takes up the valuable Utility slot for a capability that may not be useful every time, introducing a significant opportunity cost.

This gives Waterskip a role in unexpected emergencies, combating widespread fires, or small fires that are out of reach of your pawns. It can also be used to extinguish burning pawns without having to expose yourself by moving near them.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.1.2647|1.1.2647]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Chaos skip

2025-01-08T16:07:56Z

Bacaniel: Added summary, analysis, image of cast / effect radius, added correct body size to version history, removed stub + image wanted tags

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Chaos skip
| image = ChaosSkip.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Teleport the target to a random position near where it started. Objects above a certain size cannot be teleported.
| psylink level = 3
| casting time = 15
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.02
| neural heat gain = 18
| effect radius =
| duration =
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Chaos skip''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that teleports its target to a random place in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
On casting, Chaos skip will skip the target [[pawn]] to a random valid destination tile within range. Valid targets for Chaos skip are any pawns with a [[body size]] of 3.5 or less, or any haulable item within 25 tiles of the caster, respecting line of sight, and valid destination tiles are any standable tiles within a range of 7 to 25 tiles from the target pawn's position, disregarding of line of sight. Upon arriving at their destination, the pawn will be briefly stunned for {{Ticks|90}}, preventing them from moving or taking action for the duration. If no valid destination tile exists, the target will not be skipped, with the displayed reason "No valid destination found for Chaos skip", though the psyfocus cost and neural heat gain will still be incurred. Note that despite having a body size of 1, [[Apocriton]]s{{BiotechIcon}} cannot be targeted by Chaos skip, by reason of "Psychic Resistance".

Additionally, note that Chaos skip is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]]. However, Chaos skip will uniquely not apply a goodwill penalty if used on temporary colonists, such as quest lodgers or an imperial laborer gang.

== Analysis ==
[[File:chaos skip radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of effect of Chaos skip. Yellow tile marks the target location, white tiles are valid destination tiles, and red tiles are invalid destinations. Note that the maximum skip radius is identical to the cast range for Chaos skip.]]
Chaos skip is a highly useful psycast that, while often overshadowed by its rather superior alternative in [[Skip]], is nonetheless a valuable tool for any player to have at their disposal. However, the inherent randomness to its effect can make its outcome vary somewhat, or backfire completely with poor luck.

Chaos skip's effect of near-instantaneously displacing a target within a considerable range give it a multitude of obvious use cases. From removing melee attackers that have reached your vulnerable ranged pawns, to removing ranged pawns from cover to more easily pick them off, to teleporting downed pawns out of the line of fire, or teleporting pawns away from a live grenade, the list goes on. However, due to the random destination of skipped targets, Chaos skip can make a bad situation worse if used carelessly, such as teleporting enemy pawns directly into your ranks, or placing your own pawns out of cover and vulnerable to enemy fire. As such, it is up to the player's discretion to determine whether or not Chaos skip is worth casting at any given point in time. However, Chaos skip is almost always worth casting on enemy pawns if they're in deep cover or tying up your ranged attackers - it is likely that any other destination would be preferable to their current location. On the flip side, casting Chaos skip on your own pawns is generally a dubious proposition, as one is often better served by simply skipping the enemies attacking them away from them, rather than rolling the dice for a favorable destination for one's own pawns. Note that despite the random destination, the minimum teleport distance of Chaos skip renders it consistent when skipping melee enemies away from your own pawns, as they're forced to a destination at least 7 tiles away from their previous location, and thus your pawns.

Additionally, despite its general inferiority to Skip, Chaos skip's ability to teleport targets through walls give it an niche when fighting in close quarters environments, such as a close range [[killbox]], an [[ancient complex]]{{IdeologyIcon}}, or the walls of one's own base. While Skip's line of sight restriction for destinations would heavily restrict the distance a target can be skipped in such circumstances, Chaos skip is unaffected, allowing one to displace enemies freely, breaking up a group of enemies into more manageable chunks to pick off piecemeal.

Lastly, while the brief stun it inflicts is hardly useful on the surface, it is still capable of interrupting enemies - a few notable examples being a [[centipede]] preparing to unleash a hail of bullets, or a [[revenant]]{{AnomalyIcon}} hypnotizing its prey. Against a typical pawn, however, it will do very little to impede them beyond the initial displacement effect of Chaos skip.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.4.3523|1.4.3523]] - Now has a maximum [[body size]] of 3.5.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

File:Chaos skip radius.PNG

2025-01-08T15:16:00Z

Bacaniel: A screenshot denoting the teleport radius of chaos skip. Yellow indicates the location of the target, red denotes invalid destinations, and white tiles denote valid teleport destinations. Additionally, the circle of white tiles also mark the maximum cast range of the psycast.

== Summary ==
A screenshot denoting the teleport radius of chaos skip. Yellow indicates the location of the target, red denotes invalid destinations, and white tiles denote valid teleport destinations. Additionally, the circle of white tiles also mark the maximum cast range of the psycast.
== Licensing ==
{{Copyright game}}

Stun (psycast)

2025-01-08T14:44:29Z

Bacaniel: added a small line about the effects of the stun effect, since that doesn't currently have its own page

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Stun
| image = Stun.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Momentarily disrupt motor function in the target's brain, preventing any movement.
| psylink level = 1
| casting time = 15
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.01
| neural heat gain = 12
| effect radius =
| duration = 180
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
| page verified for version = 1.5.4062
}}
'''Stun''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that momentarily stuns its target.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
As the name implies, the Stun psycast stuns a selected target for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, preventing them from moving or taking action for the duration. Valid targets include any psychically sensitive pawn within range and line of sight. The duration of the stun scales proportionally to the target's [[psychic sensitivity]] - a pawn with 200% sensitivity would be stunned for {{Ticks|2*{{P|Duration}}}}, while a pawn with 0% cannot be targeted.

Additionally, note that Stun is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Stun is a highly versatile psycast that can see use in almost any combat encounter. The ability to prevent an enemy from taking action is universally useful, and the low psyfocus cost and neural heat gain allow the player to make liberal use of it in any given battle, given a sufficiently capable psycaster. The uses listed below are by no means an all-encompassing list of every scenario in which Stun can be used - only a small sampling.

Primarily, Stun is a tool to deny enemy attackers from both moving and attacking for a brief period of time. Generally speaking, the best use for Stun is whatever enemy poses the largest threat to you - whether that be a melee attacker closing the gap to your wall of fire, or a [[centipede]] preparing to launch a devastating hail of bullets, Stun allows you to temporarily disable them until your pawns can deal with them. Stun is particularly effective against ranged attackers with long firing times, as said firing time will be reset every time the stun wears off, giving you ample time to stun them again and indefinitely stall them out. This includes the aforementioned centipedes, as well as pawns wielding the devastating [[Doomsday rocket launcher|doomsday]] or [[triple rocket launcher]]s.

Outside of direct combat, Stun can see some minor use in day-to-day colony life. Early in a colony, hunting large animals such as [[megasloth]]s or [[thrumbo]]s can be a risky but rewarding endeavor. With Stun, however, one can keep them stunlocked long enough for your pawns to dispatch them effortlessly, gaining their valuable meat and hides at no risk to your own pawns. Additionally, [[mental break]]s such as [[Mental_break#Murderous_rage|murderous rage]] or [[tantrum]]s can be particularly damaging to a colony, and your pawns will not always be able to reach the rampaging pawn before the damage is done. Stun can allow your pawns to halt them in their tracks, giving you a chance to down or arrest them.

Despite its strengths, Stun has two notable weaknesses - the range, and its single target nature. While the range of 25 tiles is by no means limiting, it is outranged by several ranged weapons, including [[assault rifle]]s, [[bolt-action rifle]]s, a [[pikeman]]'s needle gun, and notably both of the aforementioned rocket launchers, requiring your pawn to close the distance in order to disable them. However, this can be remedied with a competent killbox, forcing enemies to take engagements within range of your psycasters. However, the second weakness is more difficult to fix. Stun's limitation to affecting one target per cast is inconsequential during the early days of a colony, where the number of enemies in a raid can be counted on one hand, but becomes much more limiting as the number of enemies per raid increases from ones to tens to over a hundred. While Stun still sees use for disabling the aforementioned priority targets, other psycasts such as [[Vertigo pulse]] and [[Berserk]] become much more effective forms of crowd control in comparison.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2559|1.1.2559]] - Entropy cost increased from 10 to 12. Range decreased from 25 to 20.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Word of joy

2025-01-08T14:15:05Z

Bacaniel: moved the goodwill impact line to the summary, slight change in analysis for replacement

{{Royalty}}
{{Stub|reason=General}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Word of joy
| image = WordOfJoy.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Speak happy, calming words to someone while using psychic suggestion to implant a joyfuzz loop in their mind. The joyfuzz will suppress uncomfortable thoughts and sensations in the target to improve mood. This has the side-effect of dulling sensation and decision-making, which reduces consciousness.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 120
| ability range =
| psyfocus cost = 0.4
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration = 300000
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -25
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Word of joy''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that improves the target's [[mood]] at the cost of a penalty to [[consciousness]].

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Word of joy applies the [[Hediffs/Royalty/Psycasts/Joyfuzz|Joyfuzz]] [[hediff]] to the target pawn for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}} (5 in-game days), reducing their consciousness by {{Bad|-20%}}, as well as giving them {{Thought|desc=No matter what happens, I feel like I'm okay with it for some reason.|label=Joyfuzz|value=+30|stack=1}} for the duration. Valid targets for Word of joy include any non-hostile, psychically sensitive, humanoid pawns, that are neither in a [[mental break]] nor unconscious. Like most other non-combat psycasts, the caster must be directly adjacent to their target to use Word of joy.

Additionally, note that despite the seemingly positive effect, Word of joy is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-25}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Word of joy is an extremely potent mood control tool with a commensurate negative - it's functionally a temporary [[joywire]]. A bonus of 30 mood is staggeringly high, enough to keep all but the most melancholic pawns out of mental break range, and will max out an already-happy pawn's mood. However, the penalty to consciousness is rather severe, significantly impacting several capacities; most importantly their [[Manipulation]] and [[Moving]]. This malus renders affected pawns much less capable in both combat and also nearly all forms of work. As such, Word of joy should only be used when the impact of the mood gain is worth having the target pawn rendered incompetent for several days, such as when a mental break seems unavoidable.

Word of joy faces competition as an on-demand mood control option from several sources - the most direct comparisons being [[yayo]] and the aforementioned joywire. In the case of yayo, it grants a slightly higher mood bonus of +35, while also granting a few minor benefits besides. However, it incurs an unavoidable risk of [[addiction]] and [[overdose]]. Additionally, with the effects only lasting 12 in-game hours, one would need 10 doses of yayo to maintain the mood bonus for an equivalent duration to a single cast of Word of joy, which would compound the aforementioned addiction and overdose risks significantly. However, yayo's discrete dosage allows for more control over the duration of the effects, whereas Word of joy lasts for 5 days, including the attached consciousness penalty. As such, yayo can be superior for mood control on a shorter time frame, such as after an [[insulting spree]], while Word of joy is better suited for long-term unhappiness, such as the death of a friend or relative.

Relative to the joywire, Word of joy is indisputably superior, except in situations one would already be inclined to use a joywire, such as for [[slaves]]{{IdeologyIcon}} or [[prisoners]]. As an installed joywire is ostensibly a permanent condition, using it on one's own pawns is unappealing prospect in most cases, whereas the temporary nature of Word of joy makes it much more palatable to use for mood control, as most sources of negative mood are temporary, whereas a joywire - and the associated consciousness malus - is permanent. However, for more disposable pawns, or those for whom the downsides of the joywire aren't relevant (such as a [[Gauranlen tree]]{{IdeologyIcon}} pruner), joywires are strictly superior to Word of joy, as they require no manual interaction nor psyfocus costs to upkeep.

Lastly, a few notable quirks of Word of joy. Firstly, despite the potent mood buffs, Word of joy's status as a harmful psycast renders it less than ideal for mood control for lodgers during the royal ascent or hospitality quests, though not unusable. However, if the hospitality quest consists of prisoners rather than colonists, Word of joy can be used freely without penalty. Secondly, Word of joy can be cast on [[babies]]{{BiotechIcon}}. While seemingly innocuous on the surface, not only are babies functionally unaffected by the consciousness penalty, but babies with high mood will [[Reproduction#Giggling_and_crying|giggle]] significantly more often and [[Reproduction#Giggling_and_crying|cry]] significantly less, providing a hefty mood bonus for your colony at little cost, and at the very least preventing the widespread mood penalties from hearing a crying baby.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.2.2719|1.2.2719]] - Added.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Neural heat dump

2025-01-08T14:11:30Z

Bacaniel: harmful psycast blurb

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Neural heat dump
| image = NeuralHeatDump.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Instantly dump all your neural heat into someone else. As a side-effect, the target will fall into a debilitating but non-damaging coma for about a day. The target must actively accept the psychic invasion, so only conscious allies can be targeted.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost =
| neural heat gain = 0
| effect radius =
| duration = 60000
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact = -15
}}
'''Neural heat dump''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that removes all the [[neural heat]] from the caster, at the expense of rendering the target colonist comatose.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
Upon casting, Neural heat dump will instantly reduce the caster's [[Neural heat]] to 0, while inflicting the [[Psychic coma]] [[hediff]] to the target [[pawn]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}, or one in-game day. Valid targets include any psychically sensitive, non-[[downed]] [[colonists]] within 25 tiles, respecting line of sight and including [[slaves]]{{IdeologyIcon}}, while disqualifying those in a [[mental break]]. Note that despite the psycast's seemingly harmless effects, Neural heat dump cannot be used by pawns incapable of violence.

Additionally, note that Neural heat dump is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Neural heat dump is a largely middling psycast which can see some use, but more often none at all. Its benefit comes at a substantial cost, and becomes largely unnecessary as colonies progress.

The primary, and most obvious use for Neural heat dump is to allow a psycaster to sidestep the limitation on the number of psycasts one can cast in rapid succession imposed by Neural heat, which in turn allows one to massively cripple raids by chaining together high-impact psycasts, such as [[Berserk]] and [[Berserk pulse]], [[Invisibility]], and [[Skip]]. However, this comes at the not-insubstantial cost of rendering one of your pawns incapacitated for a full day, preventing them from helping fight back against the immediate threat, or aiding with the tending and cleanup that follows. While this can be a significant drawback for colonies with low numbers of colonists, more developed colonies will be far less troubled by the temporary sidelining of a single pawn. Additionally, it is unlikely (but not impossible) to have access to a psycaster who is both capable of casting Neural heat dump and high-tier psycasts worth using it for in the early days of a colony (outside of [[Tribal]] colonies making use of the [[Anima tree]]). As such, by the time one has such a pawn, the downsides of Neural heat dump are likely a minor inconvenience at best.

In any case, when using Neural heat dump, it would be prudent for one to prioritize non-essential or non-combatants when considering targets to incapacitate. Pawns which are incapable of violence or slaves are choice targets for Neural heat dump, as their contributions to combat are likely to be minimal at best. However, Neural heat dump's downside can additionally be leveraged as a tool to instantly remove an injured colonist as an active combatant, stopping most enemies from attacking them and protecting them from further, potentially lethal injuries. This is most useful against manhunting [[animals]] and [[mechanoids]], as they will not target downed pawns. However, against the typical raider factions, there is the possibility of them attempting to kidnap the downed pawn. As such, caution should be taken when casting Neural heat dump on exposed pawns which would make easy pickings for an opportunistic raider.

Lastly, Neural heat dump's coma can also be used as a method to temporarily incapacitate a problematic colonist, such as one on the verge of an extreme mental break, acting as a pseudo-[[Word of serenity]]; though the preemptive nature of its usage can render it difficult to use effectively. Additionally, more accessible alternative methods to accomplish a similar result (such as [[anesthetic]] or imprisonment) render this fringe benefit fairly irrelevant.

== Version history ==
* [[Version/1.1.2647|1.1.2647]] - Added, replacing the mechanically similar [[entropy link]].

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Blinding pulse

2025-01-08T14:05:15Z

Bacaniel: added goodwill impact line

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Blinding pulse
| image = BlindingPulse.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Induce noise in the visual centers of the brain, obscuring vision of everyone near the target point.
| psylink level = 2
| casting time = 60
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.011
| neural heat gain = 20
| effect radius = 3.9
| duration = 1800
| duration multiplier =
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
}}
'''Blinding pulse''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that reduces the [[sight]] capacity of pawns in its area of effect.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
[[File:pulse radius.PNG|thumb|right|175px|Area of affect of Blinding pulse. Cast location has been marked in yellow, surrounding affected tiles in white, and unaffected tiles in red.]]
Upon casting, Blinding pulse inflicts the Psychic blindness [[hediff]] for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}} on all psychically sensitive pawns within a 3 tile radius from the target tile, which can be any location within 25 tiles, respecting line of sight. The Psychic blindness hediff multiplies the affected pawn's [[Sight]] by a percentage scaling with their [[Psychic sensitivity]]: {{Bad|x50%}} at 100% Psychic sensitivity, capping at {{Bad|x0%}} for 200%, and a minimum of {{Bad|x95%}} at 10%.

Additionally, note that Blinding pulse is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Blinding pulse is the first of several area-of-effect crowd control psycasts available to the player, and it performs its role well. The debuff inflicted to Sight, while not effective against all threats, can be devastating against others, and the reasonably large area of effect makes it highly useful in chokepoints or against large clusters of enemies.

Against the average [[human]] [[raider]], blinding pulse is moderately effective in stifling their efforts to harm your pawns. A {{Bad|50%}} reduction to [[Sight]] is equivalent to losing 6 levels of both [[Shooting]] and [[Melee]] skill. Given a target with a melee skill of 10 or lower, this reduces their [[Melee Hit Chance]] by roughly {{--|20%}}, depending on their skill. This, in turn, results in an average reduction to DPS by anywhere from {{--|22%}} at skill 10 to {{--|48%}} for a pawn with 0 skill, assuming no other impact on hit chance. [[Melee Dodge Chance]] is also impacted by Sight, but the typical raider is unlikely to have a high enough value for blinding pulse to meaningfully reduce it.

For ranged pawns, due to the exponential decay of [[Shooting Accuracy]] over distance, blinding pulse will be more effective at longer range engagements than in close-quarters combat. For example, an affected Shooting skill 10 pawn firing from the 25 tile maximum range of blinding pulse will have their typical Shooting Accuracy of 46.7% drop to only 21.3%, a {{--|54%}} reduction in real {{DPS}}, whereas the same pawn firing from 15 tiles would "only" see a reduction from 63.3% to 39.5%, a {{--|38%}} reduction in real {{DPS}}. As with melee pawns, blinding pulse is significantly more impactful against pawns with low skills or capacities to begin with.

For more information on the calculations provided here, please visit the associated pages for the formulas used to calculate their derived statistics. Note that pawns such as [[animals]] and [[mechanoids]] have a default Melee skill of 4 and a Shooting skill of 8 (where applicable) for the purposes of these calculations.

However, the effectiveness of Blinding pulse can vary wildly depending on the target. Blinding pulse is significantly less effective against [[mechanoids]] and [[yttakin]]{{BiotechIcon}}, due to their reduced psychic sensitivity. For example, Blinding pulse only reduces the hit chance of a [[scyther]] by a measly {{--|9%}}, rendering it hardly better than nothing. However, blinding pulse can have some minor benefit against [[lancers]] and [[centipedes]] due to their tendency to engage at maximum range. However, this range is higher than that of blinding pulse, requiring the caster to approach them in order to cast it. On the flip side, a few [[entities]]{{AnomalyIcon}} have massively increased psychic sensitivity, rendering Blinding pulse absolutely debilitating against them. The two most vulnerable targets among them are the [[sightstealer]]{{AnomalyIcon}} and the [[gorehulk]]{{AnomalyIcon}}. Not only does the area of effect nature of blinding pulse counter their large numbers, but their 200% psychic sensitivity allows blinding pulse to almost entirely cripple their damage output - Sightstealers will have their accuracy reduced to less than a third, and Gorehulks will be rendered almost incapable of damaging your pawns, assuming medium cover. Additionally, gorehulks tend to cluster together while attacking and do not move unless approached, making them easy targets for blinding pulse.

Lastly, it should be noted that blinding pulse may be considered preferable to [[Vertigo pulse]] in a scenario where groups of enemies are directly on top of your pawns, whether they have broken your ranks, or in a group of melee blockers. While vertigo pulse is largely superior for negating the threat of enemy pawns, the risk of losing control of own pawns and having them stumble out of cover or towards a thrown grenade is a significant threat. In these situations, blinding pulse can be a more palatable alternative, especially in regards to a group of melee blockers, as they don't necessarily need to be able to kill enemies to do their job. However, other psycasts such as [[Stun]] or [[Skip]] are likely to prove far more useful in such situations.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2571|1.1.2571]] - Radius reduced from 5 to 4, range reduced from 25 to 20.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]

Stun (psycast)

2025-01-08T14:04:41Z

Bacaniel: slightly changed goodwill impact line

{{Royalty}}
{{Infobox main|psycast
| name = Stun
| image = Stun.png
| type = Psycast
| description = Momentarily disrupt motor function in the target's brain, preventing any movement.
| psylink level = 1
| casting time = 15
| ability range = 24.9
| psyfocus cost = 0.01
| neural heat gain = 12
| effect radius =
| duration = 180
| duration multiplier = Psychic Sensitivity
| goodwill impact = -15
| caster must be capable of violence = false
| page verified for version = 1.5.4062
}}
'''Stun''' is a level {{P|Psylink Level}} [[psycast]] that momentarily stuns its target.

== Acquisition ==
{{Acquisition}}

== Summary ==
As the name implies, the Stun psycast stuns a selected target for {{Ticks|{{P|Duration}}}}. Valid targets include any psychically sensitive pawn within range and line of sight. The duration of the stun scales proportionally to the target's [[psychic sensitivity]] - a pawn with 200% sensitivity would be stunned for {{Ticks|2*{{P|Duration}}}}, while a pawn with 0% cannot be targeted.

Additionally, note that Stun is considered a harmful ability, and will incur a [[goodwill]] penalty of {{Bad|-15}} when cast on pawns from a neutral or allied [[faction]].

== Analysis ==
Stun is a highly versatile psycast that can see use in almost any combat encounter. The ability to prevent an enemy from taking action is universally useful, and the low psyfocus cost and neural heat gain allow the player to make liberal use of it in any given battle, given a sufficiently capable psycaster. The uses listed below are by no means an all-encompassing list of every scenario in which Stun can be used - only a small sampling.

Primarily, Stun is a tool to deny enemy attackers from both moving and attacking for a brief period of time. Generally speaking, the best use for Stun is whatever enemy poses the largest threat to you - whether that be a melee attacker closing the gap to your wall of fire, or a [[centipede]] preparing to launch a devastating hail of bullets, Stun allows you to temporarily disable them until your pawns can deal with them. Stun is particularly effective against ranged attackers with long firing times, as said firing time will be reset every time the stun wears off, giving you ample time to stun them again and indefinitely stall them out. This includes the aforementioned centipedes, as well as pawns wielding the devastating [[Doomsday rocket launcher|doomsday]] or [[triple rocket launcher]]s.

Outside of direct combat, Stun can see some minor use in day-to-day colony life. Early in a colony, hunting large animals such as [[megasloth]]s or [[thrumbo]]s can be a risky but rewarding endeavor. With Stun, however, one can keep them stunlocked long enough for your pawns to dispatch them effortlessly, gaining their valuable meat and hides at no risk to your own pawns. Additionally, [[mental break]]s such as [[Mental_break#Murderous_rage|murderous rage]] or [[tantrum]]s can be particularly damaging to a colony, and your pawns will not always be able to reach the rampaging pawn before the damage is done. Stun can allow your pawns to halt them in their tracks, giving you a chance to down or arrest them.

Despite its strengths, Stun has two notable weaknesses - the range, and its single target nature. While the range of 25 tiles is by no means limiting, it is outranged by several ranged weapons, including [[assault rifle]]s, [[bolt-action rifle]]s, a [[pikeman]]'s needle gun, and notably both of the aforementioned rocket launchers, requiring your pawn to close the distance in order to disable them. However, this can be remedied with a competent killbox, forcing enemies to take engagements within range of your psycasters. However, the second weakness is more difficult to fix. Stun's limitation to affecting one target per cast is inconsequential during the early days of a colony, where the number of enemies in a raid can be counted on one hand, but becomes much more limiting as the number of enemies per raid increases from ones to tens to over a hundred. While Stun still sees use for disabling the aforementioned priority targets, other psycasts such as [[Vertigo pulse]] and [[Berserk]] become much more effective forms of crowd control in comparison.

== Version history ==
* [[Royalty DLC]] Release - Added.
* [[Version/1.1.2559|1.1.2559]] - Entropy cost increased from 10 to 12. Range decreased from 25 to 20.

{{Nav|psycasts|wide}}
[[Category: Psycasts]]