Elemental Perception

[Nootau]

While an element is behind channeled though the form of elemental shielding, if someone places their hand into a air shield, would the Elemancer feel being touches as someone touched his air, or would he not have any sense of touch outside of his physical body?

[Rias]

I don't think so. The elemancer gives the air shield a pattern to follow, and the air follows it, but there's no form of the element reporting back to the elemancer. Elemancy is essentially a one-way street - the elemancer presents a pattern and the elements work to fill that pattern. If an elemancer wants to know of differences in that pattern, he'd have to actively check it, a la Elemental Detection. If an elemancer was constantly concentrating on checking his pattern in case there were any deviations, he probably wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else. Probably a standard practice for studying elemancers to inspect and perfect their patterns, but not practical in the field. Such a procedure would likely result in a severe decrease in general perception, as you'd be concentrating heavily on the pattern and oblivious to anything else going on around you.

[Acarin]

This brings up a rather good point. Should elemancers see reductions in their perception while channeling more difficult patterns, especially while using multiple channels (kind of a reverse paranoia) since they are forced to concentrate to some degree in order to maintain their patterns? Or are they just really good multitaskers. I know if there was a large, bright, flaming shield in front of me that I had to keep an eye on, I probably wouldn't be as observant to other things.

[Nootau]

Reasonable enough, just it was kinda odd as they are the wind but not at the same time. Though I also can see where Acarin is coming from. Could there be a possible addition that allows the Elemancer to tunnel vision, lowering scores like Perception, Dodge and Melee for the sake of reduced Channeling cost and casting round times?

[Rias]

Active shield patterns already do decrease perception, to varying degrees based on both the ease of manipulating that specific element as well as its physical properties blocking or distracting vision and other senses. Air the least, earth and fire the most.

[Acarin]

Neat! Thanks for the info Rias.

[Nootau]

I never noticed, I'll have to look into how much the penalty is now.