Alright, here's my plan.
Revised version 1.3
[X] Plan Red Team
-[X] Use the indicated builds below for Mori and Waka
-[X] Earth Affinity for us
-[X] Use at least part of the free day to acquire Water-Walking and Tactical Movement 1
-[X] Mission: Strategic Hunting - Ask Shikigami-sensei what tactics he would recommend we use to hunt safely. Ask Skein user to check over our plan and make any adjustments before we enter the field.* Baseline plan: Have our ranged attacker create disturbances in the water at maximum range, while standing in an elevated position with a rock face between himself and the target area. He should peek out only the minimum amount required to maintain line of sight to the target area. Upon attracting targets, strangle them with a water ninjutsu. If additional firepower is needed, have our weapon user throw kunai and shruiken, but change areas between every downed target. We ourselves should hang back behind the rock face in a crouched position, minimizing our target profile, ready to pull our teammates out of trouble and engage any nasty surprises. The elevated area where we set up should not be surrounded by water on more than two sides, if at all possible. Observe animal behavior, see if any species are stupid or predictable enough for man-made traps to capture. The presence of a large alligator population indicates a huge prey animal population, as they are apex predators.
Why Red? Because Red is the color of ACTION, and arbitrary designations will unify us, promoting teamwork!
Mori -
Frozen Skein [30]
Dex 2 [4], Wits 2 [4], Capacity 3 [10], Regen 3 [5], Other Stats 1
Awareness 3 [3]
Weapons 4 [7]
Tactical Movement 4 [10]
Stealth 2
Taijutsu 2
Sealing 0 [Monomaniacal]
Wind Level 2
Techniques:
Dispel [1]
Water-Walking [1]
Basic 3
Waka -
Vampiric Dew [30] - It is believed that at the twilight of the gods, the Warrior, Susano'o, God of Storm and Tide, cast his form into a mortal shell, uniting Yin and Yang into a body that would walk this earth incarnate. Such was his supernal grace that the Chakra of his divine authority could not be contained within a physical form, so instead he imbued it into a bright nimbus of mist that hung about his shoulders. Themselves blessed with supernaturally potent chakra, the users of the Vampiric Dew believe themselves descended from the God of Storms. Their eternal aspiration: to return to the glories of old, becoming one with the chakra that resides in their water and thereby unbinding their physical forms. Then they will roam, unchained and immanent, as a god across this world again...
Wits 2 [4], Control 4 [18], Others 1
Awareness 4 [7]
Taijutsu 2
Weapons 2
Stealth 2
Tac Move 1 [1]
Water Element - Level 2
Techniques:
Water Whip Technique 4 [10]
Water-Walking [1]
Vampire Dew 2 [3]
Condense Water [1]
Basic 3
CONTINGENCY - As of last edit there was not yet GM clarification on whether Water Whip can be used as a primary attack and defense jutsu. In the event that it cannot, the following build should be used:
FIRST OPTION - Replace Water Whip with any reasonably versatile Water-Based Jutsu that can roll its Rank to attack and defend.
SECOND OPTION - Replace with a Weapon-based build, which I will edit in after I wake up. Too tired right now. But I think this is unlikely, it is almost certain that we would have access to at least one Water-based Jutsu that can attack and defend.
---
Notes:
I still prefer Waka to be the Dew user, because a large male has more space in his body to accommodate eventual mad science water bladders, neutralizing his reliance on the barrel. However, this is not an adamant preference and if there is a substantial advantage to Keiko being the Dew user, I could be convinced to switch.
Since Techniques are as expensive as Skills to level, I wanted our ninjutsu user to have a pretty versatile and powerful technique. I hope the very strict Control requirement helps balance the fact that it's moderately more useful than most techniques; the cost makes it a bit all-or-nothing similar to Puppetry, in exchange for similar advantages. I do think it's still substantially less versatile than Shadow Clone and other mainstay Naruto techniques, even if it is applicable in more situations than Grand Fireball. If disallowed, substitute Undersea Guardian Technique with the most versatile water animation technique we are allowed. Its defensive aspects are the most important, since it's Waka's primary defense. In combat, members of this clan basically serve as a cross between a Suna Puppeteer and an Akimichi.
Awareness is the most critical defensive Skill bar none (Combat Skills excluded), so I maxed it on both characters. With multiple Awareness 4 checks we should hopefully be able to stop any alligator surprises.
Keiko is our versatile fixer character that is capable of rapidly moving around the battlefield while being effective at any range. She can kite enemies with her high movement + attack capabilities, while her ranged attack focus allows her to perform timely interventions across any area of the battlefield.
This team is extremely capable in combat, but high Wits leaves open the opportunity for relatively swift development of social defenses. Social offense should not take valuable XP as reasoned arguments don't require a Skill to employ. Ideally, at least one member of our party will have high Resist Intimidate, and another member will have high Resist Fast-Talk, so that they can snap the others out of nasty social attacks.
*This should be assumed to be automatically included in any future plan.
[X] Earth affinity
[X] Plan Frozen Gatorade
-[X]
Mori Keiko the Frozen Sanity-Checker
-[X]
Wakahisa Noburi the Gatorade Ninja
-[X] Swamp (hunt, scout)
-[X] If we have the day to train, level Hazou's Tactical Movement and Water-walking.
-[X] Have Mori go over our plans when able.
Wakahisa Noburi is as Mori Keiko was in my previous vote.
Stocky Build, all the better to hide behind???
2 Wits, 2 Dexterity, 3 Control
Water Affinity = 2
Vampire Dew bloodline (Hozon Mizuhakeru)
3 Awareness, 2 Tactical Movement, 3 Stealth, 1 Wall-walking, 1 Water-walking, 1 Knowledge: Deadly Swamp
4 Suiton: Mizuhakeru, 2 Suiton: Water Whip, 1 Condense Water
1 Unspent XP
Mori Keiko is as in
Rihaku's partially vetoed
Plan Red Team.
2 Wits, 2 Dexterity, 3 Capacity, 3 Regen
Wind Affinity = 2
Frozen Skein bloodline, Sealing Monomaniac
4 Weapons, 3 Awareness, 4 Tactical Movement, 2 Stealth, 1 Water-walking
1 Dispel
0 Unspent XP
@Rafin as requested:
Difference in distribution of Vampire dew team-mate from Rihaku to transfuturists plans:
-1 control(+8),
-1 awareness(+4),
-2 water-whip(+7),
+1 dex(-4),
+1 tac move(-2),
+1 stealth(-3),
+1 wall-walking(-1),
+1 knowledge: deadly swamp(-1),
+2 vampire dew(-7),
19-18 gives, as stated:
+1 unspent
At the moment, the difference I can see between these, after all the editing is whether to focus on the bloodline-ability or the water whip ability of the team-mate, in addition to a philosophical disagreement on whether flexibility or power is best.
One major difference is that we, in transfuturists plan, do not have a team-mate with 4 awareness(instead of a spread of 4, 3, 2 we have 3, 3, 2).
The roof of our bloodline-ability is also lower, in additon to having less chakra available. This is problematic since this build is intended to focus on the bloodline-ability(it seems to me at least).
On the plus-side, this character has more defense and survivability in the form of tac-move, stealth, wall-walking and knowledge.
So what is more important: survivability or specialisation?
To my mind, we have a team intended to cover each others backs. This character is meant for battlefield-control while we protect him. If we were to operate alone or in a team with less synergy, survivability would be valued higher. Given that the team is designed to work as part of a larger whole and we have backup in the form of each other, Rihakus version is preferred.
The other major difference is in the stated mission of the plan.
Transfuturists and Rihakus both have the same goal: go into the swamp and gather information / resources.
The difference is in the amount of detail and contingencies included and that it has checking with Shikigami-sensei as he stated we should.
With that in mind Rihakus seems like the better version.
TL;DR: Rihakus plan has detailed contingencies and fall-backs. Otherwise there are (comparatively) minor differences in statting of team-mates.
With all that in mind my vote goes like the following:
[X] Plan Red Team
Fine, fuck it. It's not like I regretted anything the last time I gave up the vote. Is Rihaku the only one anyone votes for or something?
The main difference is that the aims of the plan are stated and the degree of specificity with which to implement it is far greater(in this edited version it even corresponds to "reality"). It has contingencies as explicit parts of the plan. That combined with relatively minor differences (comparatively) in distribution of stat-points means Rihakus plan is preferred. No slight on your part intended. I think your plans are good. It is also good to have more analysis and discussion so that we actually can figure out the state of the world and make appropriate plans and act as fault-checkers for each other. Make no mistake, yours (and everyone elses) contributions are appreciated. <3
Second: I'm starting to get irked by the prevailing attitude (and this is addressed to multiple people) that until the MC is a jonin demigod he "doesn't matter". Yes, he can't affect international politics until then. Having the character play at that level is not required to have fun and have a good story.
Think of it as us getting into character. Raging at the unfairness of the world, being scared and paranoid, somewhat bitter at the stress he's under and the lack of better choices that put him in this situation. Wishing he had the power to change the world and bitterly fantasizing about how much easier things would be. Then getting hit in the face with an alligator and forced to contend with what
is instead of what
he thinks should be. It's completely normal to wish everything was better.
And we have a lot of time for introspection and actual gods we can supplicate for mercy.
Of course we're going to irk you. Instead revel in the power our supplications give you (you take power from followers right?) and let our ranting inspire the pleas of your characters.
And, in case it isn't clear, I am having lots of fun, and enjoying everything so far. Creds to the QM-gods. <3
May our supplication please the masters.
