I could use a little clarification on how Mental Focus points work.
If I understand it right, you put points in your implements during daily one hour spell time. Can you save some points and place them later, as the situation arises? Something like a non-spontaneous caster's ability to leave slots open and fill them in only fifteen minutes (depending on percentage left open).
So you can only use points that are in your implements to use focus powers, right? Or rather, if you leave mental focus in yourself you can spend them at, like, double cost. Okay, what if you have leftover points after preparing your equipment? Can you put extra points in your implements that wont' activate the resonant bonus but are only there for focus powers?
When you burn points from your implements, but some are left in the implement, does the resonant bonus disappear or does it just reduce based on how many points are in it now?
What if you sleep for eight hours without having spent any points the day before? Can you just leave them in your gear or do they poof while you're sleeping?
Will Extra Mental Focus be a feat?
You don't have to invest all of your MF points during prep time; if you did, you wouldn't have any in reserve to activate some of the focus abilities (such as the 2 points to activate the Abjuration Warding Shield as an immediate action).
So I got two conflicting answers. This is as clear as mud to me.
Dev?
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, Contributor
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You don't have to invest all of your MF points during prep time; if you did, you wouldn't have any in reserve to activate some of the focus abilities (such as the 2 points to activate the Abjuration Warding Shield as an immediate action).
To use this, the focus has to be in your abjuration item. (Or your body, paid for at 2:1.)
My understanding is that the focus must be allocated at the beginning of the day. If you don't put it in the items, it remains general focus, stored in your body, and must be spent at the 2:1 ratio.
Can you put extra points in your implements that wont' activate the resonant bonus but are only there for focus powers?
Yes.
Does the resonant bonus disappear or does it just reduce based on how many points are in it now
Currently, I believe the resonance powers that depend on having a certain number of mental focus stay on unless they specifically say otherwise. They are based on the amount of mental focus you invest in the item in the morning. (Legacy Weapon and Aegis are exceptions to this.)
Can you just leave them in your gear or do they poof while you're sleeping?
They poof. "Mental focus that is not used before the next time the occultist refreshes his focus is lost."
You were right the first time. ChesterCopperpot's response is in line with what Jason said in the main occultist thread.
So, you can leave mental focus inside you, in which case all abilities you activate using that internal focus cost twice as much.
As for the resonant powers, as currently written, they diminish as you spend the focus stored in the item. I am interested in seeing feedback as to how that works in play. I am not 100% set in stone on that call, but that is how it currently works.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Yes- I was wrong in my answer above. (I only really started taking an in-depth look at the Occultist yesterday, when I attempted to roll one up).
Sorry for the misinformation! :(
This still doesn't really answer my question.
I'm asking if you can put surplus mental focus points in your implements that are only there for the purpose of activating focus abilities, and don't (through virtue of not being enough) add up to a bonus.
In fact, couldn't you put in less than a minimum for resonant ability if you wanted to do that? And would this give you enough of a bonus to cast spells in that implement's school?
