Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
If this is a combat art, then might a C rank Upkeep tech be worthwhile? As I understand it; activating techs takes time, so a cheap way of skipping one of those actions might be something to consider.
We already keep Canto up constantly on upkeep, so boosting it to C rank as one of three C rank techniques is currently in processing with the cabal.

C ranks are pretty forgettable in terms of qi costs, but a B rank on an art we're supposed to make lots of use of is oof.
 
OK, good to know. If that's a C rank, and we have two other C ranks, what are the plans for what to do with the other two? We wanted a comms technique for one, but what about the other?
 
ok so here is one idea:


[X]Plan Perception + Utility
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 20
-[X][meridian] 4 head, 1 heart
-[X][techniques] 3C (6TP)

ok, let me explain: first regarding the bonuses: this is the one i am most uncertain about tbh, but i think having both perceptions at 20 each has a better narrative in the context of our intend to have it be a perception+communication art. Also, this is also part of our adventure kit and we tend to talk to spirits (and allies), so i dont think the social perception buff would go to waste

Regarding the meridians: Given our intent behind the art modification, it makes sense to want more head meridians. The problem is that we are now at the stage where we can only open a handful meridian each cultivation stage before it becomes impossible. This sets a pretty hard limit on what we can actually do. But given that going down to 1 heart meridian opens up the same for another art to use, and that we actually wanted to open 1 more heart meridian next turn, i think we can arrange it so that we switch this art to 4 head + 1 heart (which frees up the heart meridian we want) and open a new head meridian next turn instead (to compensate for the added 1 head meridian).

Techniques: higher tier techniques tend to be better and can do more than lower tier techniques. Higher tier techniques also tend to win contests again lower tier techniques, if all other things are equal. However, high rank techs are really qi hungry. This is a problem, because we already have a lot of qi expensive techs we also want to use in a fight. This art is more intended for utility anyways, so i think that going for 3 C rank techs is better than trying to go for a B rank tech. And i think that we are reaching the point where D rank techs are just too weak in comparison.
 
Last edited:
While the math cabal is doing the number crunch, the narrative folks can talk about the romance in these two musicians and with the Bai and Bao.


while the combat cabal wants goes
"....Need more combattttt."
 
Alright, so looking at HDW's thematics, and what we want it to do...

Spring Breeze Canto allows LQ to see and hear everyone within Far range. A plan being considered is to make it a C rank upkeep tech.

Now, we wanted comms ability, and an easy avenue of approach to this occurs - LQ even mentioned it in the update. Making SBC two-way. So we add another C rank tech, that requires SBC to be up which connects a group of people in range of SBC so they can all hear each other regardless of distance.

Now, for that third tech... Building off of the previous techniques, some kind of buff or other effect that effects everyone connected to...

...Wait. What about a technique that allows the people connected to count as within close range to each other for the purposes of targeting support effects? That would be within the themes of connections, and would be super useful given that LQ has a few close-range buffs and others might have similar abilities. It builds off the "You can perceive people even when far away" and "You can talk to people even when far away". Might be too strong though, or out of range of the effects we could get from this art.

Alternatively, something that protects communication from being overheard by enemies could be useful. Don't want people intercepting your radio messages and therefore plans.
 
Alternatively, something that protects communication from being overheard by enemies could be useful. Don't want people intercepting your radio messages and therefore plans.

We already have something like that I am afraid.
Winds of Winter Yearning:
C Duration: Long This piece is not played aloud for mortal ears, carried on the flows of the users qi, this soft and ephemeral melody is the music of winter winds rattling windows and tugging at roof tiles. No more than pleasant background to the listeners closest, but a song of exclusion to those outside. While active, the user and up to three allies in Immediate range are shielded from outside scrutiny, increasing their effective social defense against viewing arts.
 
ok, so as an update: with the discussion in the math channel, I have been convinced that we can also afford to switch the last heart to a head meridian. Since we want to cut the buffs out of the art and add more perception/communication stuff, I updated the plan of the previous post and it now looks like this:

[]Plan Perception + Utility
-[][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 20
-[][meridian] 5 head
-[][techniques] 3C (6TP)


Everything else stayed the same, since i still like the double perception bonuses for the narrative, for spirit talks on adventures and for talking to allies with our communication art (afterall, we dont have enough meridians to also equip our social arts during the fights where we need the HDW communication). I also still think that going for 3 C techs offers us the best utility, which is perfect for this art

After the moratorium, I will be adding the X to this post/plan and not the previous one.
 
Last edited:
[X]Plan Perception + Utility

[] Plan Purposeful Design (flexible)
[] Plan Purposeful Design (streamlined)
 
Last edited:
Options are being still considered, some notes:
  • Meridian-wise, HDW switches out for PMR, and the plans account for PMR3 (5 head meridians) by next turn.
    • This means we're fine transforming HDW to a 5-head meridian art, would in fact make the side-boarding more seamless and free up the 2 heart meridians as extra free AP.
  • Passive-wise:
    • losing the 10 s.perception would drop us from A to B30 in our combat/explore loadout until we finally upgrade empathy to B. Usually not much of a problem but the timing would be an issue.
    • Contributors to current passives:
      • c.perception: Way (+10), talisman (+15), RME (+10), HDW (+10)
        • RME3 increases to +15, probably looking at +20 by the end.
        • We want at least +50 to hit S c.perception with A wits+A skill.
      • s.perception (combat): Way (+10), RME (+10), HDW (+10), MoSS (+10)
        • +10-15 likely between RME and MoSS.
        • No talisman but we are reaching manip S eventually which is +25.
      • p.avoid: Way/domain (+13), LFWT (+20), PLR (+15)
        • We kinda want +60 to have SS dodge while at dex S, only getting more points from wind thief/PLR at turn 13 which should also be around when we're getting dodge to S.
        • We probably want +90 eventually for SSS dodge between dex SS and skill S; won't hold up against a stage advantage though so it's probably more of a project for G6+.
      • sp.avoid: Way/domain (+13), LFWT (+20), PLR (+15), ENM (+10), RME (+10), HDW (+10)
        • can safely drop the +10 from HDW and remain above +60 total even before accounting for future art levels.
    • Overall: probably +15-20 c.perception (few sources, reach breakpoints), +10 s.perception (prevent ranking down for the mission), and the remaining 5-10 in p.avoid since it's got few sources as well.
  • CCC vs CB tech considerations:
    • Canto is currently a D rank.
    • HDW as a whole is G3 potency and won't increase.
    • We'll have the option to make some techs upkeep, though keep in mind we can't afford much in this area so a B rank that costs too much for upkeep would have that bit wasted.
    • Other than that I have nothing smart to say atm.
  • Build role:
    • personally I'm fine with dropping the buffing aspect entirely, since the entire reason we were keeping HDW is for its combat perception/utility aspect of combat control, 5 head/no heart should let us turn the art into a tool for exactly that purpose and keep the buff aspects to arts like WHR and SNR, both of which won't be constrained by potency either.
That's it for now.
 
[X] Plan Perception + Utility

Possibly something else will come along I like better, but for now I like the focus on perception and the three-tech spread. One tech for Spring Breeze Canto, one tech for the "radio" aspect we want to build in, and one tech for... I dunno, a comprehension effect, like what Melodies of the Spirit Seekers has but for other humans? I think that would be thematic, given that part of the issue with Elsa was that we couldn't clearly understand each other.

Approval voting:
[X] Plan Purposeful Design (flexible)
 
Last edited:
With those thoughts outlined, here's 2 plan lines I'd pick

[X] Plan Purposeful Design (flexible)
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head, 1 heart
-[X][techniques] 3C (6TP)

[X] Plan Purposeful Design (streamlined)
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head, 1 heart
-[X][techniques] CB (6TP)


Honestly unsure if I prefer a flexible or streamlined approach, consolidated tech are great for output but it's questionable if we can put one on upkeep instead of exactly what we can afford. With no buffs we don't really need that many techs either. If we had more qi to go around I'd be leaning for streamlined but as-is I favor both ~equally.

EDIT: in light of recent wog it looks like we want a heart meridian or we break some of the functionality we want, both the initial plans were changed from 5 head to 5 head + 1 heart. In addition, the following plan is added which sticks to 5 AP total:

[X] Plan Purposeful Design (compact)
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 4 head, 1 heart
-[X][techniques] 3C (6TP)
 
Last edited:
Ehh I'm waiting till other people have posted their plans as well. I've been keeping up with the math cabalists' convo on Discord and there seems to be several ideas floating around.
Also question: do our passives for arts stay on for the entire turn that we have them equipped? Or are they just passives that are there for as long as we're actively using the art in a scene?
EDIT:

With those thoughts outlined, here's 2 plan lines I'd pick

[X] Plan Purposeful Design (flexible)
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head
-[X][techniques] 3C (6TP)

[X] Plan Purposeful Design (streamlined)
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head
-[X][techniques] CB (6TP)

Honestly unsure if I prefer a flexible or streamlined approach, consolidated tech are great for output but it's questionable if we can put one on upkeep instead of exactly what we can afford. With no buffs we don't really need that many techs either. If we had more qi to go around I'd be leaning for streamlined but as-is I favor both ~equally.
I felt like we have a bunch of phys. avoid passives from other arts? Am I wrong? I see your point about wanting +90 for phys avoid but you say eventually...whats the rush on that exactly? isn't it more important to have our comm/perception art to be focused on that?
 
Last edited:
[X] Plan Purposeful Design (flexible)

[X] Plan Purposeful Design (streamlined)

[X] Purposeful Design with Bling
 
Last edited:
[X] Plan Random Doesn't Matter
-[X] Combat perception 17, Spiritual Avoid 7, Social Perception 16
-[X] 4 head, 1 heart
-[X] C(2),C(2), C(2)

Literally just random numbers tossed out because all of this means nothing. All these arts are plugged into a machine whose output is, "yrsillar eyeballs things and writes an exciting combat sequence".
 
I really dislike having 20 social perception on this art. Even assuming the passives won't influence the techs available (and they might, given the passive vote is at the same time as meridian vote), this is a art we are designing for pure combat, not one we'll ever have equipped for social times. It should reflect that.

Having 20 social perception imo really ruins the narrative of the art.


[] Plan Purposeful Design (streamlined)
-[][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[][meridian] 5 head
-[][techniques] CB (6TP)

[X] Purposeful Design with Bling
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head, 1 heart
-[X][techniques] CB (6TP)

Basically, it still keeps 1 heart because I am unsure if it's possible to have our allies talk to each others through comms without it. Talking to each should be possible either way, but having "multi way" talk is likely to require an heart. This is more expensive for us, but I think much better. It also means that the techs could give some enhancements when we are having comms up as a 'bonus'.
 
Last edited:
I really dislike having 20 social perception on this art. Even assuming the passives won't influence the techs available (and they might, given the passive vote is at the same time as meridian vote), this is a art we are designing for pure combat, not one we'll ever have equipped for social times. It should reflect that.

Having 20 social perception imo really ruins the narrative of the art.


[X] Plan Purposeful Design (streamlined)
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head
-[X][techniques] CB (6TP)

[X] Purposeful Design with Bling
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head, 1 heart
-[X][techniques] CB (6TP)

Basically, it still keeps 1 heart because I am unsure if it's possible to have our allies talk to each others through comms without it. Talking to each should be possible either way, but having "multi way" talk is likely to require an heart. This is more expensive for us, but I think much better. It also means that the techs could give some enhancements when we are having comms up as a 'bonus'.
Hrm. U make a good point but so have other people on Discord about encounters like Not!Elsa or spirits we meet during missions. With that in mind, I'm approval voting for now.

[X]Plan Perception + Utility
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 20
-[X][meridian] 5 head
-[X][techniques] 3C (6TP)

[X] Plan Purposeful Design (flexible)
-[X][bonuses] Combat Perception 20, Social Perception 10, Physical Avoid 10
-[X][meridian] 5 head
-[X][techniques] 3C (6TP)

Never mind.
[X] Plan Purposeful Design (compact)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top