- Location
- USA
We don't have the stats for Excalibur atm.
Persona: HEAVEN (Persona/Sword Art Online/Isekai Multicross)
- Thread starter afreaknamedpete
- Start date
- Crossover Sci-Fi Fantasy
Ryumancer
Dragons Are Romance
Who knows? We might get a Persona or something to offset that, or maybe we'll get a Kayaba-Ex-Machina like Kirito did in canon (unlikely), or maybe the SEED system will give us something to justify it/make it feasible. It'd be both incredibly funny and pretty interesting to dual wield the two.
There's an outside chance the cognitive stuff would let us bypass the skill restriction but I certainly wouldn't count on it. Something like: Everyone thinks Player Lux is wielding Excalibur => Therefore Player Lux must be capable of wielding Excalibur => SEED AI: Player Lux lacks the prerequisite skills to wield Excalibur. => Contradiction detected. => The skill requirement must be wrong, everyone sees Player Lux wielding Excalibur. 
Wouldn't the Occam's razor option be to boost Caliburn to the point as if it were Excalibur? Like we might exceed Eugene's weapon with this sword.There's an outside chance the cognitive stuff would let us bypass the skill restriction but I certainly wouldn't count on it. Something like: Everyone thinks Player Lux is wielding Excalibur => Therefore Player Lux must be capable of wielding Excalibur => SEED AI: Player Lux lacks the prerequisite skills to wield Excalibur. => Contradiction detected. => The skill requirement must be wrong, everyone sees Player Lux wielding Excalibur.
It's a shame that we have the power of cognition right now in some respects, and can't do much with it.
Ryumancer
Dragons Are Romance
Different contexts. The bit you quoted was a response to the conversation of us possibly, eventually, getting a way to bypass Excalibur's equip conditions, in the hopes that we can eventually dual wield it alongside Caliburn. It's a discussion tangential to whatever Cognitive BS is going on to amplify Caliburn's effectiveness.
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
Plan on ending vote at end of today so I can start writing. Seems like Act Freely is in the lead.
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
I think it just checked that everyone thinks she's using Excalibur, checked that she has Excalibur, and then used its specs?There's an outside chance the cognitive stuff would let us bypass the skill restriction but I certainly wouldn't count on it. Something like: Everyone thinks Player Lux is wielding Excalibur => Therefore Player Lux must be capable of wielding Excalibur => SEED AI: Player Lux lacks the prerequisite skills to wield Excalibur. => Contradiction detected. => The skill requirement must be wrong, everyone sees Player Lux wielding Excalibur.
What would happen is she drew a "second" Excalibur and started to wield it? Would she get hunted down after the tournament because people think she could dupe the sword?
Gun Gale Online Tutorial [Defunct]
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
AN: A running post of current ALO mechanics, any changes will be reflected here.
Mostly to help me keep track of things for combat.
DICE ROLLS:
Combat, Difficult Actions, etc will be subject to DICE ROLLS while exploring HEAVEN.
Dice uses a DICE POOL SYSTEM rolling Xd6s to determine success largely stolen from the Jojo's Bizarre Adventures D6 System (「Bizarre Adventures D6」 v.0.83c)
A roll of 1, 2, 3 or 4 is considered a DEAD DICE
A roll of 5, 6 is considered a LIVE DICE
Success is achieved when the number of LIVE DICE beats or meets a DIFFICULTY CHECK.
ADVANTAGE shifts the cutoff for LIVE DICE down by one. So with advantage LIVE DICE is 4, 5, 6.
DISADVANTAGE shifts the cutoff for LIVE DICE up by one. So with disadvantage LIVE DICE is 6 only.
ADVANTAGE stacks, up to +3 ADVANTAGE. This is MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE.
Usually during combat any action you do is opposed by an enemy reaction - with the winner of the dice roll actually going off. Usually this is something like an enemy attacking with ATTACK 5d6 vs you DODGE 4d6, etc.
DAMAGE = Degree of Success in most circumstances.
When a TIE OCCURS the QM will typically have something neutral happen, like both individuals take damage, or someone is knocked prone, etc.
When a CHT TIE occurs it resolves in favor of the defender.
Statistics:
Your AVATAR has stats and your PERSONA has stats.
AVATAR statistics will not carry over between different virtual worlds. Practically this means that between arcs your statistics will be reset - essentially you will create a new avatar for each major arc.
Each rank increase adds 1 additional die to your pool (1d6 at E rank, 6d6 at S rank)
STR: Rolled for SWORD SKILL attacks.
STR x 2 is added to your CARRY CAPACITY.
MAG: Rolled for MAGIC SKILL attacks.
AGI: Rolled for EVASION. Most of the time you will add AGI + VIT when defending.
AGI + 1d6 = INITIATIVE.
AGI/3 + 1 = MOVEMENT.
VIT: Rolled for DEFENSE. Most of the time you will add AGI + VIT when defending.
VIT x 2 is added to MAX HP.
VIT x 1 is added to CARRY CAPACITY.
CHT: Rolled for STATUS SKILLS.
CHT is rolled to DEFEND and RECOVER from status moves.
PERSONAs have the same stats, however they only add raw dice and provide no secondary benefit.
ONE EXCEPTION:
A Persona's AGI contributes to your MOVEMENT!
Now there are several derived stats:
HP: When HP = 0, you die.
SP: Cost to use PERSONA abilities.
When SP = 0 you can exchange DETERMINATION for SP at a 1:1 ratio.
Carry Capacity: STR x 2 + VIT. This determines what you can equip.
GUN STATS:
Guns are the key to using your Persona. They have their own stats.
Weight: 4
Accuracy: 6
Persona: Nephren-Ka / Archon
Range: [ ][ ][X][X][X][ ][ ][ ][-][-]
WEIGHT: How much an item weighs. You cannot have more items equipped than the capacity to hold them all. Your Persona's innate STR is subtracted from the WEIGHT.
ACCURACY: Dice rolled to FIRE a GUN.
(So firing above gun rolls 6d6).
HOWEVER when using skills you can add on various bonuses based on your stats.
ANTIQUE weapons roll ACCURACY + STAT for MAGIC and SWORD skills.
OPTICAL weapons roll ACCURACY + STAT for MAGIC SKILLS.
MELEE weapons roll ACCURACY + STAT for SWORD SKILLS.
MODERN weapons are powerful but do not grant bonuses to skills.
CHT skills tend to ignore ACCURACY.
Range: Determines where a Persona can act. You can only use your Persona while within range.
BULLET LINE:
This is the MAP of the combat encounter.
Kuro [1][ ][ ][2][ ][3][4][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
1 = This enemy is in MELEE range!
2 = This enemy is in range of the majority of firearms!
3 = Good luck hitting this guy without a high power rifle!
4 = Multiple enemies in one square! Please specify who you are attacking!
At the start of your turn you MOVE based on initiative then ATTACK. You move generally in the direction optimal for your weapon.
An enemy in [X] range can be hit by the enemy.
An enemy in [ ] range can be hit with DISADVANTAGE, furthermore in this range special accuracy bonuses do not apply.
An enemy in [-] range cannot be hit at all.
WIDESPREAD ATTACKS hit everything in [X] Range.
PERSONA SKILLS:
SKILLS : Each Persona possesses special skills. This may allow you to recover wounds, control enemy aggression, and deal elemental damage.
Using ANY Persona requires you to expend SP!
When SP is empty DETERMINATION is spent instead! The cost for using DETERMINATION increases the more you use it in a combat encounter!
AFFINITIES : Each persona has ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES. FOR EACH GIVEN SCENE YOU ARE IMPLIED TO HAVE THE WEAKNESSES OF ALL PERSONAS USED IN THAT SCENE. So a plan that involves cycling through three PERSONAS in a turn will be accepted but you will have to presume WEAKNESS to multiple elements!
WEAKNESS : Hitting a weakness will grant you advantage, shifting the SUCCESS from 5/6 to 4/5/6 for that action.
DAMAGE : The higher you beat the opponent the more damage you do. A victory will deal at least 1 damage. Victory by 2-3 deals 2 damage. Victory by 4-5 deals 3 damage. Afterwards each success die will deal + 1 damage.
RELEASE RECOLLECTION/ENHANCE ARMAMENT: These are your super moves. They have a high SP cost.
They typically can only be used ONCE per battle. They tend to cost a ton of SP.
FLOW OF COMBAT:
Combat is simulated TURN BY TURN. In a single turn you and all your party members who can act get 1 TURN to act.
Bosses may break this rule, gaining multiple turns or wasting turns charging. Depends on the intended difficulty of the encounter.
In order to simply bookkeeping Party Members act Autonomously, but you may suggest to them actions.
Every ACTION will allow the enemy to OPPOSE the roll, usually you can roll both AGI and VIT to defend against an attack.
However if you are narratively constrained (You are bleeding and weak! You cannot roll VIT) (You are trapped by vines! You cannot roll AGI) then the appropriate penalty will apply.
In some cases I may instead make OPPOSED ATTACK rolls for circumstances where two swordsman charge at each other full speed, or Mages clash to control an out of control spell. These will be rare and usually encompass areas where two opponents are challenging each other on the same task.
1st: Initiative is Rolled
2nd: Player MOVES
3rd: Player ACTS
4th: Enemy rolls DEFENSIVE DICE
So on and so forth.
STATUS EFFECTS:
You will never be affected by a STATUS effect without a chance to save with CHT.
In the event two entities cast STATUS on each other, there's only one STATUS effect roll. The WINNER hits their effect, the LOSER doesn't.
If both entities TIE then both targets get ONE MORE CHT roll to resist. Thus in the event of a tie it is possible that BOTH actors are hit with a Status Effect.
If a target is casting STATUS unopposed, the enemy gets to roll CHT to resist. If the enemy makes the save, nothing happens.
In most cases if a result is a TIE I will still create a state change (both opponents take 1 damage! Both take ADVANTAGE for next action, something like that). If you TIE on a DEFENSIVE CHT roll nothing will happen.
STATUS WEARING OFF: If hit by a STATUS move it will last at least the Turn it is hit.
You degree of victory determines how hard a Status effect is to wear off.
Status Resist DC = 1+Degree of Success
"Joker hits Crow with Dormina! Joker rolls 3 Successes; Crow rolls 2 Successes! Crow is asleep!"
"Crow tries to wake up!": Crow must make a DC 2 ROLL in order to awaken.
The first RESIST roll is done next turn. The first CHT roll is always made with DISADVANTAGE, gaining +1 each turn until it reaches +5 ADVANTAGE in which case the Status automatically wears off.
Crow's CHT is 5, he must roll 5d6 with success only on a natural 6, and beat the DC of 2.
The turn a status wears off, you will usually gain ADVANTAGE to hitting them. This is dependent on scenario and not a hard fast rule (essentially if your STATUS move wears off quickly I will usually grant a complimentary ADVANTAGE state. If a poor bastard remains asleep for like 3 turns then I will probably not offer ADVANTAGE the turn it wakes up.)
Revealed Status Moves:
Charm: Enemy will act to help you and harm its former allies. It will see you as an authority figure or figure of love/worship. The enemy still has self preservation instincts, and may be knocked out of Charm if you damage it with your actions.
Silence: Enemy will not be able to invoke magic or narratively communicate.
Bind: Enemy cannot dodge or move.
Poison: Enemy will take DAMAGE every turn.
Madness: Enemy will act in a bizarre fashion, and will lack self preservation instincts.
Despair: Enemy will become very depressed, generally gaining DISADVANTAGE on all actions and occasionally refusing to act at all.
Sleep: Enemy will be helpless, generally giving you +2 ADVANTAGE. For party members, falling asleep grants large SP recovery per turn asleep.
Blind: Enemy will not be able to see. Will offer circumstantial benefits, usually penalties to hitting.
Fear: Enemy must run from the caster. They have DISADVANTAGE on attacking the caster but are otherwise not restrained.
Kaja Buff: Usually be +2 Dice to a stat.
Mostly to help me keep track of things for combat.
DICE ROLLS:
Combat, Difficult Actions, etc will be subject to DICE ROLLS while exploring HEAVEN.
Dice uses a DICE POOL SYSTEM rolling Xd6s to determine success largely stolen from the Jojo's Bizarre Adventures D6 System (「Bizarre Adventures D6」 v.0.83c)
A roll of 1, 2, 3 or 4 is considered a DEAD DICE
A roll of 5, 6 is considered a LIVE DICE
Success is achieved when the number of LIVE DICE beats or meets a DIFFICULTY CHECK.
ADVANTAGE shifts the cutoff for LIVE DICE down by one. So with advantage LIVE DICE is 4, 5, 6.
DISADVANTAGE shifts the cutoff for LIVE DICE up by one. So with disadvantage LIVE DICE is 6 only.
ADVANTAGE stacks, up to +3 ADVANTAGE. This is MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE.
Usually during combat any action you do is opposed by an enemy reaction - with the winner of the dice roll actually going off. Usually this is something like an enemy attacking with ATTACK 5d6 vs you DODGE 4d6, etc.
DAMAGE = Degree of Success in most circumstances.
When a TIE OCCURS the QM will typically have something neutral happen, like both individuals take damage, or someone is knocked prone, etc.
When a CHT TIE occurs it resolves in favor of the defender.
Statistics:
Your AVATAR has stats and your PERSONA has stats.
AVATAR statistics will not carry over between different virtual worlds. Practically this means that between arcs your statistics will be reset - essentially you will create a new avatar for each major arc.
Each rank increase adds 1 additional die to your pool (1d6 at E rank, 6d6 at S rank)
STR: Rolled for SWORD SKILL attacks.
STR x 2 is added to your CARRY CAPACITY.
MAG: Rolled for MAGIC SKILL attacks.
AGI: Rolled for EVASION. Most of the time you will add AGI + VIT when defending.
AGI + 1d6 = INITIATIVE.
AGI/3 + 1 = MOVEMENT.
VIT: Rolled for DEFENSE. Most of the time you will add AGI + VIT when defending.
VIT x 2 is added to MAX HP.
VIT x 1 is added to CARRY CAPACITY.
CHT: Rolled for STATUS SKILLS.
CHT is rolled to DEFEND and RECOVER from status moves.
PERSONAs have the same stats, however they only add raw dice and provide no secondary benefit.
ONE EXCEPTION:
A Persona's AGI contributes to your MOVEMENT!
Now there are several derived stats:
HP: When HP = 0, you die.
SP: Cost to use PERSONA abilities.
When SP = 0 you can exchange DETERMINATION for SP at a 1:1 ratio.
Carry Capacity: STR x 2 + VIT. This determines what you can equip.
GUN STATS:
Guns are the key to using your Persona. They have their own stats.
Weight: 4
Accuracy: 6
Persona: Nephren-Ka / Archon
Range: [ ][ ][X][X][X][ ][ ][ ][-][-]
WEIGHT: How much an item weighs. You cannot have more items equipped than the capacity to hold them all. Your Persona's innate STR is subtracted from the WEIGHT.
ACCURACY: Dice rolled to FIRE a GUN.
(So firing above gun rolls 6d6).
HOWEVER when using skills you can add on various bonuses based on your stats.
ANTIQUE weapons roll ACCURACY + STAT for MAGIC and SWORD skills.
OPTICAL weapons roll ACCURACY + STAT for MAGIC SKILLS.
MELEE weapons roll ACCURACY + STAT for SWORD SKILLS.
MODERN weapons are powerful but do not grant bonuses to skills.
CHT skills tend to ignore ACCURACY.
Range: Determines where a Persona can act. You can only use your Persona while within range.
BULLET LINE:
This is the MAP of the combat encounter.
Kuro [1][ ][ ][2][ ][3][4][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
1 = This enemy is in MELEE range!
2 = This enemy is in range of the majority of firearms!
3 = Good luck hitting this guy without a high power rifle!
4 = Multiple enemies in one square! Please specify who you are attacking!
At the start of your turn you MOVE based on initiative then ATTACK. You move generally in the direction optimal for your weapon.
An enemy in [X] range can be hit by the enemy.
An enemy in [ ] range can be hit with DISADVANTAGE, furthermore in this range special accuracy bonuses do not apply.
An enemy in [-] range cannot be hit at all.
WIDESPREAD ATTACKS hit everything in [X] Range.
PERSONA SKILLS:
SKILLS : Each Persona possesses special skills. This may allow you to recover wounds, control enemy aggression, and deal elemental damage.
Using ANY Persona requires you to expend SP!
When SP is empty DETERMINATION is spent instead! The cost for using DETERMINATION increases the more you use it in a combat encounter!
AFFINITIES : Each persona has ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES. FOR EACH GIVEN SCENE YOU ARE IMPLIED TO HAVE THE WEAKNESSES OF ALL PERSONAS USED IN THAT SCENE. So a plan that involves cycling through three PERSONAS in a turn will be accepted but you will have to presume WEAKNESS to multiple elements!
WEAKNESS : Hitting a weakness will grant you advantage, shifting the SUCCESS from 5/6 to 4/5/6 for that action.
DAMAGE : The higher you beat the opponent the more damage you do. A victory will deal at least 1 damage. Victory by 2-3 deals 2 damage. Victory by 4-5 deals 3 damage. Afterwards each success die will deal + 1 damage.
RELEASE RECOLLECTION/ENHANCE ARMAMENT: These are your super moves. They have a high SP cost.
They typically can only be used ONCE per battle. They tend to cost a ton of SP.
FLOW OF COMBAT:
Combat is simulated TURN BY TURN. In a single turn you and all your party members who can act get 1 TURN to act.
Bosses may break this rule, gaining multiple turns or wasting turns charging. Depends on the intended difficulty of the encounter.
In order to simply bookkeeping Party Members act Autonomously, but you may suggest to them actions.
Every ACTION will allow the enemy to OPPOSE the roll, usually you can roll both AGI and VIT to defend against an attack.
However if you are narratively constrained (You are bleeding and weak! You cannot roll VIT) (You are trapped by vines! You cannot roll AGI) then the appropriate penalty will apply.
In some cases I may instead make OPPOSED ATTACK rolls for circumstances where two swordsman charge at each other full speed, or Mages clash to control an out of control spell. These will be rare and usually encompass areas where two opponents are challenging each other on the same task.
1st: Initiative is Rolled
2nd: Player MOVES
3rd: Player ACTS
4th: Enemy rolls DEFENSIVE DICE
So on and so forth.
STATUS EFFECTS:
You will never be affected by a STATUS effect without a chance to save with CHT.
In the event two entities cast STATUS on each other, there's only one STATUS effect roll. The WINNER hits their effect, the LOSER doesn't.
If both entities TIE then both targets get ONE MORE CHT roll to resist. Thus in the event of a tie it is possible that BOTH actors are hit with a Status Effect.
If a target is casting STATUS unopposed, the enemy gets to roll CHT to resist. If the enemy makes the save, nothing happens.
In most cases if a result is a TIE I will still create a state change (both opponents take 1 damage! Both take ADVANTAGE for next action, something like that). If you TIE on a DEFENSIVE CHT roll nothing will happen.
STATUS WEARING OFF: If hit by a STATUS move it will last at least the Turn it is hit.
You degree of victory determines how hard a Status effect is to wear off.
Status Resist DC = 1+Degree of Success
"Joker hits Crow with Dormina! Joker rolls 3 Successes; Crow rolls 2 Successes! Crow is asleep!"
"Crow tries to wake up!": Crow must make a DC 2 ROLL in order to awaken.
The first RESIST roll is done next turn. The first CHT roll is always made with DISADVANTAGE, gaining +1 each turn until it reaches +5 ADVANTAGE in which case the Status automatically wears off.
Crow's CHT is 5, he must roll 5d6 with success only on a natural 6, and beat the DC of 2.
The turn a status wears off, you will usually gain ADVANTAGE to hitting them. This is dependent on scenario and not a hard fast rule (essentially if your STATUS move wears off quickly I will usually grant a complimentary ADVANTAGE state. If a poor bastard remains asleep for like 3 turns then I will probably not offer ADVANTAGE the turn it wakes up.)
Revealed Status Moves:
Charm: Enemy will act to help you and harm its former allies. It will see you as an authority figure or figure of love/worship. The enemy still has self preservation instincts, and may be knocked out of Charm if you damage it with your actions.
Silence: Enemy will not be able to invoke magic or narratively communicate.
Bind: Enemy cannot dodge or move.
Poison: Enemy will take DAMAGE every turn.
Madness: Enemy will act in a bizarre fashion, and will lack self preservation instincts.
Despair: Enemy will become very depressed, generally gaining DISADVANTAGE on all actions and occasionally refusing to act at all.
Sleep: Enemy will be helpless, generally giving you +2 ADVANTAGE. For party members, falling asleep grants large SP recovery per turn asleep.
Blind: Enemy will not be able to see. Will offer circumstantial benefits, usually penalties to hitting.
Fear: Enemy must run from the caster. They have DISADVANTAGE on attacking the caster but are otherwise not restrained.
Kaja Buff: Usually be +2 Dice to a stat.
Last edited:
Vs Sleeping Knights: Light Your Sword -Absolute Sword-
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
[X] Act Naturally
Raise your Sword oh Adventurer, and take on the World!
The words plastered over every ad for SAO, words that tempted you into that purgatory of two years. As the premiere VRMMO for a new system, Argus had made it very clear that they wanted to limit the scope of the game mechanics.
A fully realized virtual world. Unlimited AI-powered quest generation. A humongous high-difficulty PvE grand adventure. Thousands of skills... but when it came to combat there was only one answer.
A Sword, a Dagger, a Spear... call them what you will but SAO was a game about melee combat and melee combat only. Every boss could be designed with the knowledge that, at the most fundamental level, all players would possess at least basic similarities in combat style and vulnerabilities. For all its myriad tricks SAO trended towards smaller enemies, open fields, and foes that rarely if ever engaged from long distance.
This was... «Flashing Penetrator»? A rapier move and one of XaXa's favorites. Efficient for running down fleeing victims, it was a single strike that rocketed through space, slicing the air like a laser beam. Very useful against bosses and... those running for their lives. But in a dedicated duel? Even if you hit your opponent, the Sword Skill activation delay could put the user in a very compromising position.
This was the problem with Sword Skills in PvP. They were abilities that augmented your power past human limits, well into the realm of the supernatural. Speed, power, and a blinding particle effect - a devastating blow, but one that left you completely open to counterattacks. You used one to END a duel, not as an opening move.
Sparks fly, Yuuki's black blade flashes, and in the span of a heartbeat she's upon you.
Fast, unnaturally fast. Speed that could only come from a Sword Skill. You don't see the particle effects but you recognize the pose, and sense the intent in the Imp's glistening eyes.
It doesn't matter how fast she is, so long as she's predictable.
The blade's aimed at center mass, Yuuki's wings are outstretched, and her violet hair is whipping back and forth. There's no time for evasion. She'll be upon you in an instant.
But you're prepared. Your Sword is raised, the blades crossed in anticipation of the strike. You feel the cold weight of silver in your right hand and the warm glow of Caliburn in your left. You bring them together, preparing to block the opening strike of the Grand Tourney semifinals. The world slows to a crawl, a sonic boom reverberates through the arena and you feel the first impact of the clash upon your arms.
"Uwaaaah!"
A flash of silver, the glint of gold. Your blades uncross in a parry, the weapons separating the moment Yuuki's charge strikes your weapons. The screech of metal grinding against metal assaults your ears but her attack is off-course, deflected just in time. As Yuuki's blade whips by, her head snaps back, and she stumbles. She tries to recover her guard, but you press the attack, swinging Calburn down at her exposed midriff—
Only be met with whistling wind, your weapon doing nothing but slicing air.
Damn it, you forgot about flight! Even off balance and fumbling forwards, an ALO player could dodge without leverage. But you counterattacked right after she used a «Sword Skill», she shouldn't have been able to respond!
"Looking distracted, Lux!" Floating above you, the Imp smiles and does a midair backflip, falling back down with an outstretched blade.
You barely manage to turn your body away from the downward slash, but you're still caught in the barrage of her attack. She's raining down blows from atop, and you realize she wasn't necessarily trying to hit you but merely box you in, keep you on the defensive, and overwhelmed. Another Sword Skill? A 4.. no, at least a 6-hit move...
Your Weizen swings out to the side, deflecting Yuuki's attack and knocking her weapon out of its combo, but it's only a temporary reprieve. Yuuki simply leans back and smashes her boot straight into your body, and you feel the impact in your shoulder sending shockwaves into your frame and knocking you into the dirt.
<ENDO: And Yuuki is dancing all over our Edge Punisher! We're starting to see some deflections now, as well as the first time contestant Yuuki has taken to the skies. It looks like she's just as home in the air as she is on the ground— a speed demon no matter where she is!>
<KOBAYASHI: Ouch, Yuuki is clearly not messing around. It's safe to say that blow for blow she's the far superior swordswoman, but kudos to our Edge Punisher for holding out so long regardless!>
You curse her under your breath, rolling away from her downward execution thrust. The blade sinks into the sand millimeters away from your face. You take a brief moment to admire the polished obsidian that reveals your reflection— before you push off the ground with your wings and take to the air once more.
She gives you no time to breathe— no time to think. The two of you trade blows, back and forth, for what seems like an eternity. Your head is pounding with each clang, your muscles burning from the constant barrage. You can feel virtual sweat pouring down your forehead, soaking your hair.
Your opponent is smiling at you, not even the barest hint of exertion apparent despite the speed of your fight. You realize she's enjoying this. A cat playing with its new favorite toy. Yuuki's smile widens as she swings at you again, but you instinctively duck beneath the strike.
"Hehe, I knew it. You really are strong, I can see why Cayna had so much trouble with you," Yuuki asks, pointing her weapon at you in a defiant challenge. You hadn't managed to score even a glancing blow— this was the strength of the Absolute Sword.
"...yeah... so are you. How are you able to act so quickly after using a «Sword Skill»!?" you can't help but cry out in frustration. The built-in delay was the one thing that balanced those attacks!
"Sword Skills? Uh... like in SAO? I don't think ALO has stuff like that."
"Then what are those moves you've been pulling!?" Like that charge, or that midair combo attack!? There were limits to human ability and mental processing!
"Hm? What do you mean? I've just been fighting normally."
Normally!? With no system skill assistance on the latency of an Amusphere? You couldn't even do that with the power of your Persona and hooked up to a freaking NerveGear! What the actual fuck was this girl's deal?
"If anything you're the real impressive one. Dual Blades! I've never seen anyone fight like that before, you were even close to hitting me a few times there! Once this is over, you gotta tell me where you found the Skill!"
"It was hard work." You had to break into company headquarters, bum around with an overly friendly slime and fight all of two battles.
"I'll bet, but that's what makes it worthwhile, right? Now, shall we resume?" Without waiting for you to respond she pushes off against the air, blade held over her head in a ready stance.
...you can't win like this. She was simply better at swordplay.
If this was SAO she would have you dead to rights. If this was SAO her sheer speed, and skill with the sword ...she would be invincible. The uncontested strongest player.
But this wasn't SAO.
"System call. PERSONA!"
System Call: Incarnate PERSONA [Havfrue]. ReferenceID:18.Droit
Your Persona springs to life amidst a spray of seafoam, the mermaid spinning around you with a flourish— no, a dance. The sound of waves striking against sand fills the arena, the dry acrid air of Salamander territory giving way to a pleasant salty breeze.
Yuuki recoils, the usual smile melting away into a look of shock.
Cayna was planning on fighting this monster, and probably even had a plan to beat her. How does an elemental mage beat a sword saint? Simple. Cayna... was fighting you how she planned on fighting Yuuki.
...the automatic defense ring. Setting the ground on fire. Wide area spells to control motion.
And freezing ice. Rime that coats your weapon, your body— magic to limit mobility, to anchor your wings.
System Call: Generate Cryogenic Element. Discharge.
A freezing icicle, primordial ice, forms in the hands of your Persona. It's like a beam of light trapped in glass, a shining prism of crystalline beauty that exists but for a moment, leaving behind only the cold lingering in the air.
The ice careens towards Yuuki's position, and her eyes go wide as it comes closer.
"YAAAHHHH!" she screams, diving to the side. The ice shatters behind her with a sound like breaking glass, sending shards flying in every direction. But Yuuki's dive drives her under the barrage, the magic doing nothing more than building a thin layer of frost on her boots.
Yuuki uses Flashing Penetrator! (Low Power, Pierce, Grants ADVANTAGE next turn):
Flashing Penetrator attacks with ADVANTAGE: rolls 4d6e4 = 5⊕ 5⊕ 3 2 → 2 successes against 4
Lux tries to Dodge: rolls 6d6e5 = 5⊕ 2 6⊕ 6⊕ 2 2 → 3 successes against 5 No Damage
Lux casts Bufu: rolls 5d6e5 = 1 6⊕ 2 6⊕ 2 → 2 successes against 5
Yuuki tries to Dodge: rolls 7d6e5 = 5⊕ 1 6⊕ 5⊕ 3 4 5⊕ → 4 successes against 5 No Damage
Result: No damage either side
Flashing Penetrator attacks with ADVANTAGE: rolls 4d6e4 = 5⊕ 5⊕ 3 2 → 2 successes against 4
Lux tries to Dodge: rolls 6d6e5 = 5⊕ 2 6⊕ 6⊕ 2 2 → 3 successes against 5 No Damage
Lux casts Bufu: rolls 5d6e5 = 1 6⊕ 2 6⊕ 2 → 2 successes against 5
Yuuki tries to Dodge: rolls 7d6e5 = 5⊕ 1 6⊕ 5⊕ 3 4 5⊕ → 4 successes against 5 No Damage
Result: No damage either side
Damn it, even with that instant cast you still couldn't hit her!
"Nice try, but I already know all of Cayna's tricks! I promised I wouldn't hold back, so sorry but this fight ends now!"
Yuuki was now above you, falling fast, blade outstretched. You were now in the worst possible position— back in knife range against the fastest player you've ever seen. You feel a burst of heat from her right hand, her sword flashing with power.
System Call: Chosen Candidate Requesting System Update. [GRANTED] Incarnating Fluctlight into World Layer.
The world slows down, and the din of the crowd stretches out to infinity. The sun darkens and the world dissolves into two points.
Bolstered by gravity and newfound determination, Yuuki's blade glows with an amethyst glean. Her coming attack... couldn't be just normal swordplay. You refuse to believe it. The World refuses to believe it.
Sword Skills don't exist in ALO.
But how could this attack be anything but a Sword Skill?
You have no choice but to block, and as soon as you raise your guard the blade flashes again, this time catching the edge of your chest. A second later the shock hits, a dull throbbing that makes you gasp.
Yuuki's attack is far too fast for you to register, and the blows rain down: left shoulder, collar, chest, stomach, drawing a line towards your right hip. You fumble forward, trying to strike her on the rebound, but her blade is through your guard once more. Your right shoulder explodes in pink light, a wound matching the one suffered on your left.
Your arms shake as you will your weapons to block, but you can barely move. Your chest. Your stomach. Your left hip.
10 strikes. Lines formed through your body, each strike superficial and weak, but in combination, they crisscross your body. An X engraved upon your soul. A cross. A Rosary.
"GOTCHA!" Yuuki screams, her sword dancing in the air. Your mind is flooded with panic. Your heart pounds in your chest, and the world turns red. Your vision swims. You can't move, you can't think, you can only watch as the final strike plunges into the center of your soul.
"...!"
System Call: Generate Aerial Element. Discharge.
Your Persona appears in front of you, a bubble of air cupped in its hands. Primordial wind trapped into a spinning ball held out in guard of its master.
Havfrue... it's protecting you?
You are stunned. Your entire being is focused on the glowing sword in front of you. Yuuki rams her blade into the center of the whirling sphere... and she... bounces.
The bubble shatters, and the pink energy dissipates beneath the light of the sun. Yuuki screams, tumbling through the air like a ragdoll, crashing into the distant sand with a muted thud.
You stagger forward, your knees nearly giving out.
"Y-you're kidding me..." Yuuki murmurs, looking up at the sky while crawling out of a trough in the ground. "I didn't think it would be that strong! That's my best attack." She looks up at you in amazement. "And you were still able to block it!"
Yuuki uses Phase1 of Mother's Rosario! ADVANTAGE From Flashing Penetrator. SLASH damage: rolls 7d6e4 = 4⊕ 3 2 6⊕ 4⊕ 4⊕ 1 → 4 successes against 5
Lux tries to Dodge: rolls 6d6e5 = 6⊕ 4 2 1 4 3 → 1 success against 5
Lux takes 3 Damage!
Lux casts Garu: rolls 5d6e5 = 6⊕ 1 3 1 3 → 1 success against 5
Yuuki tries to Block: rolls 3d6e5 = 1 2 5⊕ → 1 success against 5
Neutral: Yuuki is knocked back but takes no damage!
Lux tries to Dodge: rolls 6d6e5 = 6⊕ 4 2 1 4 3 → 1 success against 5
Lux takes 3 Damage!
Lux casts Garu: rolls 5d6e5 = 6⊕ 1 3 1 3 → 1 success against 5
Yuuki tries to Block: rolls 3d6e5 = 1 2 5⊕ → 1 success against 5
Neutral: Yuuki is knocked back but takes no damage!
<ENDO: And contestant Lux pulls off a last-minute summoning! Still no cast times, is that the true power of Excalibur in action? But what was that attack contestant Yuuki just used? Particle effects, speed, it seemed like a Sword Skill didn't it Kobayashi?>
<KOBAYASHI: Y... yeah. For those viewers unfamiliar; the shit game of the millennium - Sword Art Online - featured a mechanic where you could augment melee attacks with power and speed from the system itself. ALO's sword fighting is supposedly rooted in reality - as much as one can be real with flying - and technically isn't supposed to be beyond human reproduction...>
<ENDO: Could this Yuuki possibly be an SAO survivor?>
<KOBAYASHI: Her guild has been around since before the shutdown of SAO. Also even if she was, that doesn't mean she can just pull out game mechanics from other titles! Can you imagine a GGO player pulling out a gun in the middle of ALO?>
Your mind is racing. What the hell is Yuuki doing, did she have a Persona or something else entirely!? Did she just happen to find a Sword Skill in the game somewhere, or does she have some kind of connection to RECT? You try to ask her about it, but Yuuki is already back on her feet, sword out at the ready with a grin.
"Be a shame to end this fight so quick. I'm glad you managed to block my best move, but next time I'll make sure you feel its full force!"
Her smile is so wide that her cheeks look like they're about to split apart.
Alright, letting her get close was a... bad idea. Even if the final strike failed to land, you were still significantly damaged while your foe hadn't suffered even a glancing blow.
But your Persona's last-minute rescue... it was its way of suggesting to you a way to win. Wind and Ice— one to keep your foe at arm's reach, and another to slow her down. You just needed to nail her with your frost and you could shut down her entire combat style.
The red sun sets behind Yuuki, casting the battlefield in shadow. She takes a deep breath—
—and charges.
A black light flashes through the air, and Yuuki is gone. A cloud of sand whirls into the sky, and then there is nothing but the sound of a distant crash.
"...!"
The same attack, that rapid gap closer «Flashing Penetrator» is unleashed upon you once more. Yuuki's most powerful attack... she couldn't initiate it unless she started it in close range... but this gap closer? It didn't matter how fast it was, it was predictable. Draw the line— imagine not a swordsman but rather a man with a pistol. Even if the bullet traveled faster than sound itself, so long as you could guess where it would land, you could intercept it.
You see it coming from a mile away. But even so, it's too fast. You can't react. You know it's coming, but you cannot move in time.
But your Persona can.
System Call: Generate Aerial Element. Discharge.
It's a game of catch. Only the ball is pint-sized gremlin with a pointy stick.
The strike slams into your Persona, hands cupped around another ball of concentrated wind. The moment you release the compressed air, Yuuki's sword is deflected, but not before she is sent flying off course. She crashes into the far wall of the coliseum, barely avoiding damage by bracing her impact with outstretched wings.
Yuuki uses Flashing Penetrator! Pierce, ADVANTAGE (weakness): rolls 4d6e4 = 1 5⊕ 2 5⊕ → 2 successes against 4
Lux tries to dodge: rolls 6d6e5 = 2 6⊕ 1 6⊕ 5⊕ 4 → 3 successes against 5 No Damage
Lux casts Garu: rolls 5d6e5 = 6⊕ 3 4 3 1 → 1 success against 5
Yuuki tries to Block: rolls 3d6e5 = 1 1 5⊕ → 1 success against 5
Neutral: Yuuki is knocked back but takes no damage!
Lux tries to dodge: rolls 6d6e5 = 2 6⊕ 1 6⊕ 5⊕ 4 → 3 successes against 5 No Damage
Lux casts Garu: rolls 5d6e5 = 6⊕ 3 4 3 1 → 1 success against 5
Yuuki tries to Block: rolls 3d6e5 = 1 1 5⊕ → 1 success against 5
Neutral: Yuuki is knocked back but takes no damage!
"Ahhhh man, you got me good. I had you pegged as a warrior, but you kinda fight like Cayna."
Your shrug and begin charging another wind spell. "I don't care who you think I fight like. I'm here to win."
Yuuki stands up, dusting herself off. She's still smiling. "Hehe, who did you think I was planning on fighting today?"
You frown at her surge of confidence. Her best attack wouldn't do anything to you if you could keep her at bay. "Doesn't seem like you've prepared for me nor Cayna, so who is it? Some other loser with a sword?"
Yuuki grins. "You're right, I wasn't expecting you. But you know, I've got ways of dealing with mages..."
With a sudden burst of dark energy, Yuuki's wings expand beneath the setting sun. Energy gathers in Yuuki's offhand, her fingers running down the length of her obsidian sword as golden runes enshroud her weapon.
"Ek. Sverð. Verndar. Gegn. Galdr!"
Magic!? Ah crap. Guess Yuuki just remembered she's an ALO player too.
Nothing visibly happens to the weapon beyond a faint shimmer of moonlight coating the core of the blade. Yuuki's stance changes, instead of a thrust she lowers her stance, both hands wrapping around the hilt of her one handed sword. She was adopting a two-handed sword style...?
"Batter up Lux!"
Without her gap closer, there's little she can do to close the distance. You have her right where you want her...
So why do you feel so apprehensive? It's not just Yuuki's strategy, Caliburn seems to burn in your hand. The crowd almost seems... disappointed that it's not being used.
"Hey Lux, I gotta know. That little Undine you keep calling, is that the «Lady of the Lake» you're summoning?"
"Didn't take you for a fan of Arthurian Legends." It... wasn't a bad guess for Excalibur's main ability.
"Oh, haha, nothing so impressive. You know, that famous game? Everyone knows about Excalibur now!"
"...are you even old enough to be playing things like that..."
"Then don't leave me hanging! I've shown you my best move, but I think you're still holding out on me. I want a fight where we go all out! So what's Excalibur do!? I wanna see!"
It does absolutely nothing. It's a bluff and a middle finger by the Seed AI. It's a shit sword who's only claim to fame is that it looks pretty. You think that truth wouldn't much help you win... but a lie...?
What is your answer?
[ ] Wouldn't you like to know?
«Fake Sword Caliburn» grants you +1 CHT when equipped. It may morph again at a later opportunity.
[ ] It's completely indestructible!
[ ] It's blessed by the «Lady of the Lake» and lets me call on her protection!
[ ] It grants me the blessing of the Alfs, giving me extended flight!
[ ] Make something the fuck up!
>Provide a name! The name must include the word Excalibur or a derivative of it, and it must be chuuni.
>Give it an ability! If you make it really strong, perhaps give it an onerous weakness? No raw unconditional stat changes will be accepted.
>The ability must be activated in this fight to 'cement' it in place. Best used in conjunction with a write in option.
>QM may Veto or assign DETERMINATION costs if judged to be imbalanced, but I will give more leeway if it's chuuni enough.
>The QM is weak to references.
TACTICAL INFORMATION:
Yuuki is of the IMP race. Yuuki belongs to the opponent category PLAYER.
Yuuki has surrendered the initiative and will strike second next turn.
Yuuki currently has ADVANTAGE from Flashing Penetrator.
Yuuki's stance has changed... weaknesses have changed.
Mother's Rosario is a two-phase attack and requires she stay within close range to execute. (Mechanically it's a SLASH attack then a PIERCE attack. The PIERCE attack if allowed to go off will deal almost certain match-ending damage. Can be interrupted if Yuuki is forced to disengage.)
Fake Sword Caliburn appears to be behaving oddly...
Next phase I plan on simulating 3 rounds of combat.
Your PERSONA ROSTER: Havfrue, Magdalene, Khodumodumo
[ ] Act Naturally
>Havfrue. Keep with your original plan of using Bufu and Garu to try to hold down Yuuki's charge.
[ ] Heal/Support
>Magdalena. Heal up damage taken, then attempt Hama spells.
[ ] Full Assault
>Khodumodumo, strike hard with varied Sword Skills and try to out DPS Yuuki.
[ ] Direct Commands
Pick THREE Skills (or choose to attack without a Persona to save on SP)
If you pick skills from Two different Personas you assume the weakness for the scene of both Personas (this is the cost of using multiple Persona in one turn)
(Other options include simple things like "defend X target", "Protect which hides weaknesses" or "do nothing" which recovers your SP)
[ ] Write-in (1D minimum, more if trying to cram too many actions into one turn)
For write-in plans if I can justify giving ADVANTAGE I will give it. More if you try to do something very cool or narratively interesting.
Be as detailed or vague as you want.
If you just want to specify targets of attacks pick DIRECT COMMANDS then. Consider this a beefed up version of DIRECT COMMANDS. This is for Gaia attacking Floatation Rings level of nonsense.
Useful in conjunction with making stuff up!
I wanted to write a tournament arc, so here we are. This is a higher density Major Action than I was originally anticipating, so I might make the Finals another Major Action if you make it that far.
Edit: Current Combat Condition
Lux: 3/6 HP
7/10 SP
Yuuki: ?/? HP [No Damage has been sustained]
STR: Rank SS (7 Dice)
MAG: ?
AGI: Rank SS (7 Dice)
VIT: Rank C (3 Dice)
CHT: ?
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[ ] It's completely indestructible!
[X] Act Naturally
A free upgrade is nice, assuming we don't have to equip the new form of Excalibur for Havfrue to benefit from that.
Edit: Given what has been said below, I'm changing my vote for what to turn Caliburn into.
[X] Act Naturally
Edit: Given what has been said below, I'm changing my vote for what to turn Caliburn into.
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- Location
- The Sea of Souls
The intent is that it's an effect of the weapon, not a permanent upgrade.
Haha, Yuuki beat me to my cover story if we got questioned on what in the world we were doing. I figured Havfrue could kinda pass for the Lady in the Lake and the Seed AI is already mashing together mythologies so any discrepancies could probably be handwaved like that.
After repeatedly saying I thought we were doomed in this fight and then us actually... holding our own a bit, my credibility is shot so I might sit out planning on this one.
Of the preset Caliburn options, my first impression is that Excalibur Vivian is the best. As for write-ins.
We can lean into Yuuki's apparent Fate reference and claim Saber's iconic sword beam. Not sure how we'd stat that up. Long range heavy AoE at a high SP cost? Also sticking with Fate, there Gawain has an Exaclibur Galatine which has fire powers. There's also trying to claim it has healing properties by drawing on the legends regarding the scabbard having those. Either a heal or regen ability maybe paired with a +1 VIT?
---[] "Let your fear carve one name into your brains, the name I (kinda) share with this weapon: Death Edgecalibur!"
I do actually like the idea of sword lasers but perhaps I have just gone too far down the Fate rabbit hole and can no longer be helped.
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
I would be willing to support an attempt at giving our Caliburn some sort of heal/regen ability, otherwise Excalibur Vivian is the best upgrade to take here (if we want to take an upgrade), since Havfrue still isn't all that competitive with Shakuntala and/or Magdalene (barring times where it can hit weakness or the enemy resists Fire and Electricity/Bless), and the +1 CHT and Slash resistance it gets while Vivian is equipped would make it more competitive with those 2 personas.
Do we try to go for a win here or stick with using Havfrue (which will likely ensure we lose, but it means we won't expose anything more about us to other)?
Do we try to go for a win here or stick with using Havfrue (which will likely ensure we lose, but it means we won't expose anything more about us to other)?
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Well, might as well try to make something up. And throw in a blade vs scabbard reference as well.
[ ] Make something the fuck up!
-[ ] "If you know your Arthurian Legends, then you know it's not the blade of the sword that's important."
-[ ] <<Excalibur Avalon>>
-[ ] While equipped, once per round, reduce damage taken by 1. Once per battle, when about to be reduced to 0 HP, survive with 1 HP.
Haven't really studied the combat system enough to know if this is good, overpowered, or a waste, but I decided to give it a try and reference how the scabbard was considered the more important part of Excalibur.
I believe the initial Avalon was more "wounds don't bleed", but this could be modified for HP regen every X Rounds or something for a more direct Nasuverse references. But right now I'm too sleepy and don't understand the mechanics enough.
[ ] Make something the fuck up!
-[ ] "If you know your Arthurian Legends, then you know it's not the blade of the sword that's important."
-[ ] <<Excalibur Avalon>>
-[ ] While equipped, once per round, reduce damage taken by 1. Once per battle, when about to be reduced to 0 HP, survive with 1 HP.
Haven't really studied the combat system enough to know if this is good, overpowered, or a waste, but I decided to give it a try and reference how the scabbard was considered the more important part of Excalibur.
I believe the initial Avalon was more "wounds don't bleed", but this could be modified for HP regen every X Rounds or something for a more direct Nasuverse references. But right now I'm too sleepy and don't understand the mechanics enough.
[x] Make something the fuck up!
-[x] Excaliburn
--[x] Sword ignites in golden fire, raising your STR by 1 Rank and dealing bonus Almighty Damage. Drains 1 SP per turn while this effect is active.
[x] Write-in: Laughing like there's no tomorrow.
-[x] Switch to Khodumodumo
--[x] Start laughing like a mad woman, which technically you are. If it unnerves your opponent and gets her to slip up, great. Psychological warfare and all that.
---[x] Willingly take a hit you think you can survive so you can sink totally real Excalibur into her gut.
----[x] Whisper to her that it's a shame their lives aren't actually on the line.
-----[x] Horizontal Arc
------[x] Win or lose, don't stop laughing.
-[x] Excaliburn
--[x] Sword ignites in golden fire, raising your STR by 1 Rank and dealing bonus Almighty Damage. Drains 1 SP per turn while this effect is active.
[x] Write-in: Laughing like there's no tomorrow.
-[x] Switch to Khodumodumo
--[x] Start laughing like a mad woman, which technically you are. If it unnerves your opponent and gets her to slip up, great. Psychological warfare and all that.
---[x] Willingly take a hit you think you can survive so you can sink totally real Excalibur into her gut.
----[x] Whisper to her that it's a shame their lives aren't actually on the line.
-----[x] Horizontal Arc
------[x] Win or lose, don't stop laughing.
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- Location
- The Sea of Souls
All make shit up options so far have been okay by me except Excaliburn because it contains an unconditional stat boost.
No unconditional stat boosts! The appeal of the default options are they provide unconditional stat boosts.
Conditional stuff is fine like +1 Str when it's sunny out or something like that.
No unconditional stat boosts! The appeal of the default options are they provide unconditional stat boosts.
Conditional stuff is fine like +1 Str when it's sunny out or something like that.
Whoops, my bad. Overlooked that somehow. Made it drain SP while the boost is in effect. That better?
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
Yup, that's perfectly fine!
Also Laughing like there's no tomorrow as far as a plan goes isn't doing anything I'd call very complicated so a minimal 1 D cost to use.
Also Laughing like there's no tomorrow as far as a plan goes isn't doing anything I'd call very complicated so a minimal 1 D cost to use.
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
[X] It's blessed by the «Lady of the Lake» and lets me call on her protection!
[X] Act Naturally
Undecided on what to go for with regards to Caliburn's transformation (be it a write-in, save the transformation for later or go for Excalibur Vivian), but tentatively voting for Act Natural as a tactic, while waiting to see if more write-in tactic plans are written.
EDIT: Decided to go for Excalibur Vivian as the result of Caliburn's transformation, since I still feel like it is the best non-write-in transformation we can get here. We don't really need the VIT from Prydwen and I'm not sure how often we'll actually use Arms Blast, even if targeting enemy weapons could have its uses. As for Guiomar, the AGI boost is nice, but its secondary effect only has narrative effects and this is a mechanics-driven quest, so doubled flight gauge isn't quite as useful as Arms Blast or Havfrue getting +1 CHT and Slash resistance (people in-thread seem to want to use Havfrue often, even though as I've said earlier, both Shakuntala and Magdalene are generally more useful/less risky to use as magic-focused personas, so we might as well try to make it more competitive with those two personas). Depending on how votes go, my vote is still subject to change. From the present write-in transformations, Avalon and Excaliburn seem to be the ones that are most useful in general.
[X] Act Naturally
Undecided on what to go for with regards to Caliburn's transformation (be it a write-in, save the transformation for later or go for Excalibur Vivian), but tentatively voting for Act Natural as a tactic, while waiting to see if more write-in tactic plans are written.
EDIT: Decided to go for Excalibur Vivian as the result of Caliburn's transformation, since I still feel like it is the best non-write-in transformation we can get here. We don't really need the VIT from Prydwen and I'm not sure how often we'll actually use Arms Blast, even if targeting enemy weapons could have its uses. As for Guiomar, the AGI boost is nice, but its secondary effect only has narrative effects and this is a mechanics-driven quest, so doubled flight gauge isn't quite as useful as Arms Blast or Havfrue getting +1 CHT and Slash resistance (people in-thread seem to want to use Havfrue often, even though as I've said earlier, both Shakuntala and Magdalene are generally more useful/less risky to use as magic-focused personas, so we might as well try to make it more competitive with those two personas). Depending on how votes go, my vote is still subject to change. From the present write-in transformations, Avalon and Excaliburn seem to be the ones that are most useful in general.
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I'm trying to think of other ways to leverage the legend here.
In certain tellings the Lady of the Lake traps Merlin. Maybe an ability that lets you make an attack that can't be defended against for that round (enemy is trapped and thus can't evade or defend)? Since that sounds (and is) OP have the drawback be that it can only be used once per battle and upon use Excalibur... let's say Nimue as a placeholder... can no longer be equipped for the duration of the battle (narratively it must be returned to the lake upon using this ability.)
Might still be too OP though. On the other hand, if we're still rolling the attack maybe not because it could still whiff even if it came paired with a STR or even advantage bonus. IDK, I can't balance things for my life.
In certain tellings the Lady of the Lake traps Merlin. Maybe an ability that lets you make an attack that can't be defended against for that round (enemy is trapped and thus can't evade or defend)? Since that sounds (and is) OP have the drawback be that it can only be used once per battle and upon use Excalibur... let's say Nimue as a placeholder... can no longer be equipped for the duration of the battle (narratively it must be returned to the lake upon using this ability.)
Might still be too OP though. On the other hand, if we're still rolling the attack maybe not because it could still whiff even if it came paired with a STR or even advantage bonus. IDK, I can't balance things for my life.
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- Location
- At the end of the world
How about we go full chuuni and lean in to Punisher 'persona'
[X] Make something the fuck up! Punisher Edition
-[X] It's weapon of earned victory
--[X] Excalibur Punisher
---[X]
[X] EdgePunisher debut
-[X] Don't change Persona
--{X] Willingly take a hit you think you can survive
---[X] Blast Yuuki to oblivion with your Comeback Blast
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