Every private Lineage II server has an NPC that buffs, and the support becomes an alt in town. In Knell, a buff is worth its full value while whoever cast it is nearby, alive and in the party. Auras only exist while they are standing. Whoever sustains the group has to be in the group.
01How the bond works
Near, full. Far, half.
Inside the range, in the party, with the support alive: the buff is worth what it is worth in Interlude.
Out of range for over 30 s, out of the party or support truly dead: 50%. It does not vanish.
The aura is a toggle: it exists while the support is standing, in range and paying MP.
Range, grace and percentage are starting configuration values; they may change in the beta. Songs and dances are outside the bond.
02The four pieces
One rule is not enough. Four are.
The bond stops the abuse. The other three pieces are what give the support something to do in the fight.
I
Long buffs, by stat family
The twenty-minute buffs keep their Interlude values.
A limit per stat family per target (P.Atk, critical, speed, M.Atk…).
Family full: only you, your party or your clan push out the oldest.
A stranger’s buff is refused without removing anything.
II
Bond with the support
The long buff is worth its full value with the caster in the party, alive or fallen within the 60 s of the Threshold, within 1500.
Outside that, 50%; the icon turns grey: “weakened”.
Back in range, back to full at once.
III
Auras
A toggle that pays MP every second and covers the party within 900.
One per support; a Hierophant holds two.
It goes out when the support dies, runs out of MP or logs off.
IV
Short layers: actives and reactives
Bursts of 10 to 30 s with cooldowns of minutes, like Call to Arms. Shields and fatal-blow prevention, like Aegis and Divine Intervention.
This is where the support decides the fight.
03For whoever comes from another server
What changes in practice.
Elsewhere
In Knell
An NPC buffer in town
Does not exist. Whoever buffs is a person, and has to stay.
Buff with the alt and log off
One account online per person. A buff from someone who left the party drops to 50%.
The support buffs and watches
A lit aura costs MP every second; Aegis, Call to Arms and Divine Intervention are decisions with cooldowns.
The support died, the buffs go on
Full value during the 60 s of the Threshold. Death sealed: half.
Anyone wipes your buffs with three casts
A full family is only pushed out by you, your party or your clan.
04In the client
The player sees the bond.
Both exist in the Knell client today; the captures will be replaced by real images.
Real client capture · coming soon
Buff bar with a grey icon and “Might (weakened: 50%)” in the tooltip