A true mage is a master of the essence of his craft, be it fire, lightning, cold, or many. This essence allows such true spellcasters to push the limits of what a sane caster would attempt. A little insanity, however, lets the caster push even further, but at some personal risk. Use of this skill in combat can greatly improve the chance of mage essence, but can cause the spell's effect to leak onto the caster as well when it is released.