Bestiary is a school of flora and fauna research & applied knowledge, which comes in many forms.
The creatures of Meridian can be charmed, spoken with, made peace with, antagonized, studied, and even commanded. By applying Bestiary, one can become a druid aided by beasts of the forest, a necromancer sending forth armies of the undead, or a hero leading troops into battle. Knowledge has no bias toward any of these ends. It is solely up to you.
Spellpower is very important for this school. It’s possible for monsters to recover from charm attempts faster than you are applying charm if you aren’t dealing enough damage, or if your spellpower is too low. Some of the charms are boosted by Faren’s Mana Focus. Check their description to find out more.
Bestiary gets a spellpower bonus equal to +1 per 5 points of maximum vigor you have. This represents your biological willpower and capacity. If you have 80 maximum vigor, your bonus is +16. If you increase that by reincarnating into a sturdier race or by equipping gear with maximum vigor bonuses, your bestiary spellpower will also rise.
To charm a monster out in the world, a Bestiary mage must employ the proper attack spell for the creature’s bio-type. For example, ‘crawling charm’ will charm an insect, but not an undead. Each attack with the charm spell will apply a spellpower-proportional amount of ‘charmed’ status, which lowers the damage the target deals as they lose the will to harm you. When the target has more ‘charmed’ status than remaining health, they will fall under your control, assuming you have enough Leadership.
Your capacity to command minions is determined by your Leadership stat, which is equal to your base maximum health up to 100. Your natural Leadership can go no further than that, but can be boosted by the Bestiary skills Willpower and Soul Domination, which can both double it, up to 400. They also double any Leadership bonuses you get from your gear. For example, a True Lute gives +15 Leadership. With 99% Willpower, that becomes +30, and with 99% Soul Domination, that becomes +60. Each monster has a Leadership cost to control, representing their power and utility as a minion, which you can determine with the Study Compliance spell. Monsters of similar level but disparate usefulness as minions will have very different Leadership costs. For example, an Air Elemental is only level 170, but requires 400 Leadership to control, due to its wildly powerful lightning bolts.
Monsters will also shrug off your charm at various rates. To secure a minion’s loyalty, binding spells such as ‘bind creature,’ ‘righteous authority,’ and ‘dominate will’ can increase the time they serve you. Higher level binding spells can make a creature your minion indefinitely.
If your minion dies, you can save their body with a ‘preserve specimen’ spell and return to the Adventurer’s League morgue to resurrect them. If you know the higher level spell ‘vivify specimen,’ you can do this yourself in the wild.
If you have bardic tendencies, your minions can enjoy the benefits of any of your Jala songs, provided they are close enough to hear them - but your enemies will also be boosted, so sing carefully.
If you are a disciple of Shal’ille, you can cast minor heal, hospice, and major heal on monsters. The same is true of followers of Faren and their Cauterize spell.
Bestiary
| Level | Cost | Name | Primary Stat | Type | NPC | Effect | Meditate Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | Crawling Charm | Intellect | Attack Spell | Princess Kateriina | A low-damage low-range attack spell that can charm insects. | 20 |
Summon Spell
Summons a cosmic horror of unknown strength.
20
Pacify Spell
Attempts to speak with a monster based on your skill in its language.
Success will create a truce with the target.
10
Command Spell
Commands your minions to attack the target above all other concerns.
10
Information Spell
Study a creature to learn what spells it can cast,
and whether those spells are for melee, ranged, ally, or other.
10
Command Spell
Releases a minion from your service.
10
Corpse Spell
Retain a recently deceased minion’s body, so that it can be resurrected later.
20
Language Skill
The language of insects.
10
2
1000
Attack Spell
A low-damage low-range attack spell that can charm plants.
25
Information Spell
Study a creature to learn its various resistances.
20
Personal Enchantment
Lower the aggro from creatures in areas through which you pass.
20
Personal Enchantment
Increase the aggro from creatures in areas through which you pass.
20
Language Skill
The language of fairies and the forest.
20
Language Skill
The language of amphibians and aquatic creatures.
20
Minion Speed Skill
Increases the movement speed of your minions.
10
3
2000
Attack Spell
A low-damage low-range attack spell that can charm animals.
30
Summon Spell
Summons a wild elephant that will always be loyal to you.
30
Loyalty Spell
Binds a creature’s loyalty to your will for a far greater duration than a simple charm.
30
Information Spell
Studies a creature’s Leadership cost.
10
Personal Enchantment
Enhances your lungs with techniques learned from the natural world,
extending the amount of time you can spend underwater.
30
Leadership Skill
Multiplies your Leadership capacity by up to double.
60
Language Skill
The language of the Avars and other avians.
30
Language Skill
The language of the orcs and other cave-dwelling creatures.
30
4
4000
Movement Spell
Teleports all of your minions to you.
20
Summon Spell
Summons a spiritual wolf that will always be loyal to you.
35
Healing Spell
Sacrifice health to heal your minions.
40
Rejuvenation Spell
Sacrifice mana to rejuvenate your minions.
40
Command Spell
Commands your minions to cast defensive spells on you.
40
Language Skill
The language of animals.
40
Language Skill
The language of trolls and mountain-dwelling creatures.
40
5
8000
Resurrection Spell
Attempt to bring one of your preserved minions back to life.
70
Loyalty Spell
Permanently bind good creatures to your will. Requires good karma.
50
Loyalty Spell
Permanently bind evil creatures to your will. Requires negative karma.
50
Attack Spell
A low-damage low-range attack spell that can charm undead. Requires negative karma.
50
Attack Spell
A low-damage low-range attack spell that can charm living humanoids. Requires positive karma.
50
Leadership Skill
Multiplies your Leadership capacity by up to double.
80
Command Spell
Commands your minions to cast offensive spells at the target.
60
6
16000
Attack Spell
A low-damage low-range attack spell that can charm elementals.
60
Language Skill
The language of dragons and draconic beings.
60
Summon Spell
Creates an enormous battle golem made of nerudite ore.
100