Circle Disciplines

What it is

Circle Disciplines are twelve modifier runes. Each one changes the magic circle of one group of your spell and gives it a tradeoff: more power for less reach, wider coverage for less power, and so on.

Circle	What it does	Group mana
Needle	35% smaller radius, 20% more power	×1.20
Bloom	35% larger radius, 20% less power	×1.15
Gyre	Flying shapes 30% faster, 15% less power	×1.15
Anchor	Effects last 40% longer, 15% less power	×1.25
Reservoir	20% less power, effects 15% shorter	×0.75
Crucible	15% more power, effects 25% shorter	×1.20
Confluence	Power starts at 90% and gains 8% per different element in the group, up to 130%	×1.20
Pilgrim	15% more power if you’re moving when you let go, otherwise 10% less; effects 10% shorter	×1.10
Vigil	20% more power if you’re crouching when you let go, otherwise 10% less; flying shapes 15% slower	×1.15
Mercy	Helpful effects 20% stronger, all other effects 25% weaker	×1.15
Tempest	20% more power if you’re wet or in rain when you let go, otherwise 10% less; flying shapes 10% faster	×1.20
Eclipse	20% more power at night, otherwise 10% less	×1.15

How to get it

Circle runes are crafted like other runes. See the rune recipes. Some also turn up in the Archive’s library. In the Cord screen they sit under Modifiers → Circle disciplines.

How to use it

Put the circle rune after a shape, for example Beam · Confluence Circle · Fire · Shock. The readout shows the discipline and its full tradeoff.

• One per group. Only the first circle in a group counts. Extras are ignored, cost nothing and show a warning.
• Each group is separate. A new shape starts a new group that can have its own circle. A group after a link doesn’t keep the earlier group’s bonus.
• Checked when you let go. Pilgrim, Vigil, Tempest and Eclipse look at you once, when the group fires. Changing stance or weather later doesn’t help a lingering spell. Eclipse gets no night bonus where time doesn’t pass.
• Radius only matters for shapes that have one, and speed only for flying shapes. Beams stay instant.
• Fusing: circles are modifiers, so tie them into a Knot to save sockets.

Spells without a circle rune still show one of these twelve designs, picked by their shape. That’s only a look and gives no bonus.

Tips and counterplay

• Burst · Bloom Circle · Heal heals a wider area, but less per ally.
• Bolt · Gyre Circle · Frost gives a faster frost bolt.
• Self · Anchor Circle · Haste makes Haste last longer.
• Beam · Confluence Circle · Fire · Shock has two elements, so 106% power. A second Fire doesn’t count.
• Self · Mercy Circle · Heal heals more. Add Harm and the Harm gets weaker.
• Read the circle. Each discipline has its own moving design, so you can spot a Needle shot or a Bloom heal before it lands. See Magic Circles.