Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Sorry, I meant shapeshift equivalent (or rather a perk for advancing Soma enough).
NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)
- Thread starter I.F. Ister
- Start date
- Original Fantasy Action
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- Tags
- norse mythology (mythology) original xianxia cultivation western cultivation ask sirihand did your mother tell you anything? discussion pleases yggdrasil farming gloating gets people killed granary management hubris is a coward's word you will die norsemen do not die when they are killed the qm has a bad memory the qm is bad at math viking courtroom drama (legal drama) vikings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm pretty positive it's where he's getting his physical enhancement stuff, yeah. His Hugr-equivalent is probably where he gets his Focus from as well just like we get Frenzy from Infused Hugr. I dunno what a 7 there actually indicates in terms of other stuff, though.
It seems like a large part of why the last plan went a bit south is because he broke our Atgeir Bodyguard almost immediately, and looking at it, that was simply because his attack beat the roll by five? But it still stopped one attack.
So I think next round we should re-summon our Atgeir Bodyguard with more dice, and also summon our Sword Guard, so we have a layered defence which is strong enough to stop all but his strongest attacks, which he will really need to chew through. Having Sword Guard up means we can't use our Sword Strikes, but those were not very effective so I don't think it's a huge loss.
So I think next round we should re-summon our Atgeir Bodyguard with more dice, and also summon our Sword Guard, so we have a layered defence which is strong enough to stop all but his strongest attacks, which he will really need to chew through. Having Sword Guard up means we can't use our Sword Strikes, but those were not very effective so I don't think it's a huge loss.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Honestly, the biggest thing that messed up the plan was Contested Movement not working which was due to us retroactively not putting bonus dice into it. We probably do want more dice in our next turn's Atgeir Bodyguard, but we don't need to layer quite that hard, especially if we lean into Contested Movement (with dice added, of course), which I do think we want to.
Like, doubling up is doable, but trying to do it in one turn eats basically all our dice (40d in each of the two is, uh, a lot), and I'd rather have dice in other things as well, y'know?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That's how it worked for the last squire. And, actually, he might know that information...we specifically invested at least 8 Orthstirr in every attack last turn because we knew about Rebuke, and since any attack we made would've gotten through it, him knowing whether something surpassed that threshold would thus not have stopped him defending.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Rebuke is armor based, I suspect it's half the Armor's Break Threshold (which is 11 in Gabriel's case), and the notation is just indicating where it came from. I could be wrong, though.
I think that spending the dice to not have our plans derailed by getting punched in the face will be worth more to us overall than having them potentially available to spend on other things, but getting punched in the face again. If we spend 38d6 to put 19d6 in each, plus the bonus dice each gets from Hugareida, then it's only 63 Orthstirr to pay their base costs and add enough bonus die to each that they'll both be at 40d6.
63 Orthstirr is a fair chunk of change, but if it means we get a Turn able to land two good hits whilst remaining more or less unmolested then I think we're winning Moneyball-wise. Especially since Contested Movement itself is actually relatively cheap in terms of Orthstirr, we're only really spending on attacks otherwise.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I mean, the thing is, if he's throwing out attacks that break one, they'll also break the other. So the second one saves us from only one big attack. Something we'll already have, conservatively, 5 other things saving us from (4 Contested Movement instances, the existing Atgeir Bodyguard). It still might be worth it, but it's pricey...
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
It could be based on Soma Infusion.
I think I would like to clarify exactly how this works, because I was thinking if an attack deletes one Sword Guard/Atgeir Bodyguard, it won't automatically just delete the other as well, but you're right, looking at it, it might do. But hmm, yeah, that's kind of a fair point. We should definitely have a clause about using Contested Movement if all else fails.
I also think that the Hefy Halter-Chop you put in was demonstrably a good move; I think that's the sort of thing we want more of, contingencies, because no one technique or trick is ever foolproof - unexpected stuff always comes up.
EDIT: As a general rule, I think even if he can't beat our Atgeir/Sword guards directly, he may have some kind of bullshit that eats them, so having more than one at once is useful for that reason.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think one attack usually only breaks one of them, unless it does multiple instances of damage like Flashfire Cleave (which we broke two Spear Guards with during the Hooknails fight)...but I'm not positive by any means.
@Imperial Fister important question: Once an attack breaks a Sword Guard or similar defense, what happens to it? Is it gone at that point, or does it continue on to potentially break other such defenses?
Yeah, definitely. The Halting Vortex we didn't get to use for logic? I figured out what works in that spot: Focus Guard works. For instances like that I'm including it instead.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
24*2+4 =52 successes to be clear.
Halla's really getting to know Gabriel! As a warrior. Which as far as Knights and Norsemen are concerned, means, 'as a person'.
See my edit above, but something else that occurs to me after mulling it over a bit is... there seems to be Bullshit that can eat a Sword Guard/Atgeir Bodyguard even if it stops the attack; we actually saw Steinarr do this twice in our fight, in two different ways no less.
Now Gabriel is definitely not Steinarr, but I think what this makes me think in general is that Atgeir Bodyguard/Sword Guard are very useful, but are inherently a bit... ablative, even if on paper they should hold up indefinitely.
Unsurprisingly, I still like Slice-Aside Trick, especially as it can chain into one of the Basic Attacks we'll be throwing anyway, and it means he can't do any kind of sword-based parry or defence against the Basic Attack.
This is what I've got as a draft plan:
[X] Plan Defence in Depth
-[X] General-[X] Activate Slipstream (-16 Orthstirr)
-[X] Ember-Winged Cloak (-6 Orthstirr)
-[X] Activate Stoker State Stage 2 (-6 Orthstirr)
-[X] Stoke our Frami (+187 Orthstirr)
-[X] Layered Defence
-[X] 42d6 Defense (37d6 tricks)
-[X] Summon a 50d6+8 Atgeir Bodyguard (19d6, 1 Bonus Die, -39 Orthstirr)
-[X] Summon a 50d6+8 Sword Guard (19d6, 1 Bonus Die, -43 Orthstirr)
-[X] If both our guards get taken down, against average-looking attacks, start using up to four:
-[X] 42d6 Reinforced x28 Honed x7 Slice-Aside Tricks (1d6, + 5 Bonus Dice, -49 Orthstirr per use), with our riposte being one of the Basic Attacks below.
-[X] Against scary-looking attacks, see below under Counter-Attack.
-[X] Attack
-[X] 44d6 Attack (35d6 tricks)
-[X] 52d6+4 Sharpened x8 Lightning-Charged Flashfire Cleave attack using Puncture (35d6, -39 Orthstirr)
-[X] Hit with up to nine 8d6+4 Honedx7 Lightning-Charged Basic Attacks (1d6, -8 Orthstirr each)
-[X] Counter-Attack
-[X] Respond to any particularly scary-looking attacks with Contested Movement, first using our Stoked Dice as a bonus, and Fight of Your Life thereafter, with our counter-attack being another Sharpened Lightning-Charged Flashfire Cleave with Puncture (-24 Orthstirr)
--[X] Try and use this counter-attack at least twice, even if he does not throw any particularly scary-looking attacks.
Basically I think we continue with what demonstrably works well (the Flashfire Cleave is nasty, and the Basic Attacks apply pressure for very little cost), and shore up our defences in places they weren't quite strong enough/actually use our Contested Movement with the dice bonus this time, and he should be hurting more than us.
We should also start thinking/arguing about whether we want to use the Flame-Tending Blade for Round 3 or not.
EDIT: And for what question to ask:
[X] What's up with the black fire?
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Alright, so, basic plan. This version assumes that doubling up on Guards is useful (which I think it is), if that's not true, we'll ditch one of them and save some Orthstirr.
[X] Plan Counterattacks
-[X] Stoke Frami
-[X] 42d6 Attack (36d6 tricks)
-[X] 44d6 Defense (44d6 tricks)
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Activate Stoker State Stage 2 (-6 Orthstirr)
-[X] Put up a 50d6+8 (w/Hugareida) Orthstirr-Enhancedx30 Atgeir Bodyguard (-44 Orthstirr) and a 50d6+8 (w/Hugareida) Orthstirr-Enhancedx30 Sword Guard (-40 Orthstirr)
-[X] Activate Slipstream (-16 Orthstirr) immediately and use Ember-Wing Cloak (-6 Orthstirr) as necessary to stay right on Gabriel.
-[X] Make a 42d6+4 (w/Hugareida) Sharpened x4 Lightning-Charged Flashfire Cleave attack using Puncture (-20 Orthstirr), followed by six 7d6+5 Honedx6 Lightning-Charged Basic Attacks (-7 Orthstirr each), then one 45d6+5 (w/Hugareida) Orthstirr-Enhanced x41 Sparkbomb using Puncture and adding all accumulated Stoker Dice (-65 Orthstirr) as long as we're sure it won't kill him
-[X] For our first defense use Contested Movement enhanced with the use of our Stoker State dice (-3 Orthstirr, 21d6+4) using a Sharpened Lightning-Enhanced Flashfire Cleave w/Puncture as our counterattack (-17 Orthstirr), for our next three use Contested Movement with one use each of Fight Of Our Life (-3 Orthstirr and 14d6+4 each) and use Lightning-Enhanced Firebomb-Strikes w/Puncture (-12 Orthstirr each) as our counters for those. If those defenses fail, fall back on Focus Guard if we can (-14 Orthstirr) or Sidestep if we're moving too much for that (-2 Orthstirr).
-[X] When not using Contested Movement, by default use Atgeir Bodyguard and then Sword Guard to defend against everything. In response to anything that gets through both of those use up to six 42d6+8 Honed x6 Reinforced x35 Hefty-Halter Chop defenses (-44 Orthstirr each), and if something gets through that use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr) and see if it helps.
-[X] Tactics – Layer some defenses and then aggressively advance with Flashfire Cleave again and use some probing attacks while responding to his own attacks with boosted Contested Movement uses for savage counters, then, if he somehow weathers all that unscathed, hit him with a huge Sparkbomb at point blank range.
Basically, this pours on the gas and tries to really hurt him while avoiding damage ourselves in various ways.
EDIT: This plan is pretty similar to the above posted one, which I didn't see until I'd posted it, but it leans heavier on the Contested Movement uses offensively as, hopefully, our main damage dealers, and adds the Sparkbomb at the end (which is a very cinematic flourish if it works, as well as mechanically solid).
EDIT: Adding approval vote:
[X] Plan Defence in Depth
[X] Plan Counterattacks
-[X] Stoke Frami
-[X] 42d6 Attack (36d6 tricks)
-[X] 44d6 Defense (44d6 tricks)
-[X] 0d6 Intercept
-[X] Activate Stoker State Stage 2 (-6 Orthstirr)
-[X] Put up a 50d6+8 (w/Hugareida) Orthstirr-Enhancedx30 Atgeir Bodyguard (-44 Orthstirr) and a 50d6+8 (w/Hugareida) Orthstirr-Enhancedx30 Sword Guard (-40 Orthstirr)
-[X] Activate Slipstream (-16 Orthstirr) immediately and use Ember-Wing Cloak (-6 Orthstirr) as necessary to stay right on Gabriel.
-[X] Make a 42d6+4 (w/Hugareida) Sharpened x4 Lightning-Charged Flashfire Cleave attack using Puncture (-20 Orthstirr), followed by six 7d6+5 Honedx6 Lightning-Charged Basic Attacks (-7 Orthstirr each), then one 45d6+5 (w/Hugareida) Orthstirr-Enhanced x41 Sparkbomb using Puncture and adding all accumulated Stoker Dice (-65 Orthstirr) as long as we're sure it won't kill him
-[X] For our first defense use Contested Movement enhanced with the use of our Stoker State dice (-3 Orthstirr, 21d6+4) using a Sharpened Lightning-Enhanced Flashfire Cleave w/Puncture as our counterattack (-17 Orthstirr), for our next three use Contested Movement with one use each of Fight Of Our Life (-3 Orthstirr and 14d6+4 each) and use Lightning-Enhanced Firebomb-Strikes w/Puncture (-12 Orthstirr each) as our counters for those. If those defenses fail, fall back on Focus Guard if we can (-14 Orthstirr) or Sidestep if we're moving too much for that (-2 Orthstirr).
-[X] When not using Contested Movement, by default use Atgeir Bodyguard and then Sword Guard to defend against everything. In response to anything that gets through both of those use up to six 42d6+8 Honed x6 Reinforced x35 Hefty-Halter Chop defenses (-44 Orthstirr each), and if something gets through that use Halting Vortex (-4 Orthstirr) and see if it helps.
-[X] Tactics – Layer some defenses and then aggressively advance with Flashfire Cleave again and use some probing attacks while responding to his own attacks with boosted Contested Movement uses for savage counters, then, if he somehow weathers all that unscathed, hit him with a huge Sparkbomb at point blank range.
Basically, this pours on the gas and tries to really hurt him while avoiding damage ourselves in various ways.
EDIT: This plan is pretty similar to the above posted one, which I didn't see until I'd posted it, but it leans heavier on the Contested Movement uses offensively as, hopefully, our main damage dealers, and adds the Sparkbomb at the end (which is a very cinematic flourish if it works, as well as mechanically solid).
EDIT: Adding approval vote:
[X] Plan Defence in Depth
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, this is basically why I'm reluctant to spend too much on them, though that's a matter of 'is stopping one attack worth this much?' and sometimes the answer is yes.
So, we can't respond to a failed Contested Movement with a rolled defense, it's already replaced the roll, only an applicable Perfect. That's the circumstance I'm suggesting Focus Guard for. Slice Aside is potentially valid, but in a very different use case.
Generally agreed with a few caveats, as shown in the above plan.
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It seems like great minds think alike here, yeah haha. I'd initially put my plan in a spoiler because I wanted feedback, but then editted away the spoiler when I saw yours posted.
My only feedback/constructive advice with yours (which given voting patterns is probably the one which will win lol) is maybe try putting the Sparkbomb behind a Contested Movement rather than just doing it as a regular Trick Attack?
It's mentioned in its description that Sparkbomb can be kind of difficult to hit people with, I know in theory if we put enough dice behind it then that should not matter but... I wouldn't entirely rely on that given past experiences, especially since Contested Movement kinda guarantees we'll hit.
- Location
- San Ramon, CA
[X] Plan Counterattacks
Yeah, the way I have it set up is that Slice-Aside is like, our penultimate line of defence. (Which is maybe a bit gimmicky, I'm not sure Fister is actually going to let us do a Contested Movement if we fail a Slice-Aside. Might move our Contested Movement to be purely offensive when opportunities present themselves, as well as moving the Stoked Dice powered CM right to the start of the fight.
- Location
- some computer lab
[X] Plan Defence in Depth
Similar plans, so I'm voting for the one with the cooler name.
Similar plans, so I'm voting for the one with the cooler name.
AeonIlluminate
The power of friendship and aggressive landscaping
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Plan Counterattacks
Skippy, my main reasoning for deadman's over ur's is the guards have a smidge more dice and there a massive explosion at the end. I'm a simple guy, the more big explosions the better.
Skippy, my main reasoning for deadman's over ur's is the guards have a smidge more dice and there a massive explosion at the end. I'm a simple guy, the more big explosions the better.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's only hard to hit people with beyond point blank range, this is intended to be point-blank. And it's very expensive. Honestly, the hope is that it never goes off and we finish him off with the initial attack and all the Contested Movements, with the Sparkbomb a backup plan...we could replace the Contested Movement counters with Sparkbomb, it's true, but that would ruin the surprise.
Contested Movement definitely can't be used either before or after a rolled defense by you yourself. It'd work either before or after Guards (at least, I think so...I'm sure it replaces your own roll, less sure how it interacts with people or things doing intercepts for you), because those aren't you, but not something like Slice Aside (or Hefty Halter Chop, or Sway...any rolled defense).
Sometimes, I am inspired on plan names. This was not one of those times.
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Explosions are indeed cool, that's an argument I can't really refute sadly. 😿
...It would feel kind of like removing the difference between the plans/stealing to put a Spark Bomb in my plan though, I think.
But I will increase the number of dice in our sword/spear guards slightly, my whole brand is putting lots of dice in things because I like to make Number Go Up.
My main thought like, very simply put, is that if you think this will do a ton of damage to him, more than a Flashfire Cleave, then why not take the opportunity to deliver it in a form which is effectively unblockable/dodgeable.
It is expensive, but it'll actually be less expensive if it's delivered via CM because you don't need to put in a bunch of dice to get through his defence, right?
Also like, if it hits like a train, it's definitely worth the cost.
EDIT:
Yeah, I've now tried to make it a conditional, where against his strong stuff, we counter-attack with a Contested Movement, and against his average stuff (if both our guards are already taken down), we use Slice-Aside.
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