1) Communers in general have given up Cure Light, Cure Serious, and Cure Critical for Mend Wounds. Mend Wounds essentially duplicates the effects of the best "old" curing commune that you had.

2) Shamans have given up Cause Light, Cause Serious, Cause Critical, and Harm for Afflict. Afflict does everything the old set did, plus some extra perks for high-level shamans.

3) Healers have given up Resist Heat, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning, Resist Acid, Resist Mental, and Resist Negative for Aegis. Aegis is one general purpose spell that allows you to grant any of the six resistances listed to you or another person. You can have all six versions of it active.

You'll get a practice session back for each old commune you had practiced, and the new ones will start at the % you had in Cure Crit, Harm or Cause Crit, and Resist Heat respectively.

This should save some practice sessions, and it's especially nice because it gets rid of some communes that rapidly become obsolete. Also, to quote an Implementor I discussed the matter with "Harm is ass.", and the added possibilities of Afflict give it a small utility. Plus, newer and flashier echoes thanks to Amaranthe, queen of new and flashy.

Some quick questions:
1) "But I used to be able to commune a Cure Light if I didn't have enough mana." Cure Light cost 10, and Cure Critical cost 20. Mend Wounds costs a flat 20. So, while there's a small window there, I think you profit a lot more from the following:

A) Less practice sessions spent, specifically at the early levels when they are scarcest.
B) You effectively can start using more advanced communes at a very low level, and probably grab a few ability improvements before you'd normally have the ability to create the effect.
C) All of your ability improvements (normal use, leveling gains, etc.) are funneled into a smaller number of communes. For example, you're casting Aegis six times on someone, instead of 6 different communes once each.

2) "What's the deal with Aegis always needing a target, even 'self'?" Essentially, targeted communes always expect the target as the first word, and give you the "You can't find them." before they even get started otherwise.

3) "Is that it?" For now. More is on the way, however.

Questions? Discussion? Ask on Gameplay.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com