JRPG CYOA
Welcome to the land of Grindia... er, you. Our land is beset by some sort of sentient malevolence, spewing out monsters, corrupting holy places, and just generally giving darkness a bad name. We were going to just summon a Hero, but you seem to have come along for the ride... as in, you're currently a spirit bound to their Legendary Artifact. Not to worry, we should be able to get you out... eventually. Assuming you aren't bound to the Hero in some fashion. Should probably try to keep them alive and the Evil Darkness in check so there's still an us to free you, eh?
You have 1 Divine Favor, 3 Blessings, and 8 Promises. This is one part the benefits of being summoned as infinite extradimensional energies can be absorbed and briefly channeled by travelers such as yourself, though this time tomorrow that will have completely faded, and one part restitution for having summoned you here against your will. 1 Favor can be treated as 3 Blessings or 8 Promises, and the reverse is also true.
Jobs
Pretty much every fantasy character has some kind of 'Job' that is, a thematic set of abilities, usually with a corresponding outfit, that generally follows from the given name. A Bard fights, buffs, and debuffs with their music, and is usually the most socially adept of the party. An Alchemist isn't much of a fighter, but if you want to poison and enemy, brew a powerful healing item, or in some cases upgrade equipment, he's your guy. Summoners aren't much by themselves, but they can form contracts with and call upon powerful entities. In some cases, even deities can use this to work around their usual restrictions.
Jobs, at this point, are as much taking on the Mantle of those who used these skills before you as anything else. Job Efficiency is something that is measurable in this world. 0% means that while it is technically possible for you to take on the mantle, you will fail to use most of their classical abilities. A Berserker who can't enter a Berserk state, for example. 50% is generally considered the minimum to make a career out of the Job, with 25% generally being used either to unlock a more advanced Job or as something a militia member is trained in when they're called on to take up arms. Do note that it is possible to raise Efficiency by up to 25% with training as one gets used to the Job, so having a low Efficiency isn't necessarily going to crush one's dreams, and personality is part of the calculation anyway. Someone who likes to charge into battle is unlikely to have a high Bard Efficiency, for example. Your Hero will have 100% Job Efficiency by default, though it can go higher with training or certain options. Going over 100% Efficiency offers commensurate benefits. Take as many as you like, but keep in mind that your Hero can only use one, or perhaps two with the right choices, at a time, and your Hero will need to find teachers for any Jobs not taken here.
Basic Jobs: The Jobs any idiot with a working brain and the ability to act can access, provided they have either a tutor or quite a bit of work experience. Each costs 2 Promises.
Fighter. A bare-knuckled warrior of the streets. While nothing special in anything but fisticuffs or a fight therein, getting within close-range of a Fighter is something smart people avoid unless they are also a close-range Job. As gloves do not technically qualify as weapons, they do not violate this Job's tenets any more than they would a Monk's. Their special ability is Rapid Fire Fisticuffs, where they unleash a flurry of blows with an effective ++Strength and Agility at some cost to their stamina. As your Hero starts at the average 2 in all Stats, this would push them into moderately superhuman territory.
Swordsman. Perhaps the most iconic of all combat Jobs. Shortswords, greatswords, and everything in between. That is the domain of this Job. Where magic and raw physical might is often used against monsters, men require a different set of tools, and a sword is a weapon solely intended for murder of one's fellow man, being good for little else. Still, that does not mean the user need be a butcher. The Special Ability of the Swordsman reflects this. Interception allows the user to counterattack after blocking an attack, and physically moving into the path of attacks aimed at others is fair game.
Thief. While this brings to mind the classic brigand, it is not impossible to turn such skills against their practitioners. Fighting with Daggers and quick attacks, the Thief's Special Ability is Weak Spot, allowing them to score critical hits with startling ease, and their Agility allows many hits to be struck. While their Stats outside Agility are nothing to write home about, this dramatically increases their effective threat level. It is not unheard of for Thieves to fill the role of proper Assassins in rural areas.
Black Mage. A user of destructive magics. While physically frail both offensively and defensively, so long as their mana pool is not exhausted, they can threaten foes that would rip them limb from limb in a heartbeat. They can also inflict problematic conditions, weakening the enemy in more indirect ways. Their Special Ability is Dark Blast, which allows them to burn their entire mana pool, in whatever state it's in, for a singular destructive attack, letting them alpha strike well outside their weight class.
Mime. While only capable of copying their opponent, the Mime's Special Ability Superior Copy, allows them to add their Stats onto their enemy's. Meaning that the attack they use will always be stronger than their enemy's. Of course, they have to survive the attack, but this Job's versatility and usefulness depends largely on how intelligently the user acts and the variety of foes faced. Still, this is a Job that has largely fallen out of favor due to how difficult it is to use properly.
White Mage. The archetypal healer. Much like the Black Mage, they lack options in physical combat, though unlike them, they also lack much in the way of offensive magic, excepting against undead. You see, curative spells often harm the undead, whereas poisons heal them, and the White Mages have access to more direct means of harming the undead as well. Under normal circumstances, the White Mage heals wounds, provides buffs, and can at higher levels bring back the recently dead, though normally they act more akin to mystical smelling salts that heal the brain injuries caused by concussions. The White Mage's Special Ability is Bright White, which fully restores the physical stamina, injuries, and any negative status effects on their allies within range at the cost of their remaining mana, with the range generally determined by that amount.
Duelist. Where the Fighter uses only their bare fists, the Duelist uses small, easily concealed guns. This is one of the better-ranged physical combatant Basic Jobs, and is well-rounded against both human and monstrous opponents. If it can be said to have a weakness, it's that it has something of a dearth of armor-piercing without lucky shots. Still the Quick Draw ability allows for rapid draws from the holster with ++Wits and ++Agility, making it difficult to ambush them, and allowing them to rapidly clear a room if they gain the initiative.
Lancer. Where the Thief focuses on Agility, the Lancer cares more about momentum. While they have a tendency to leave themselves open to counterattacks, few can exceed their raw power at this level. Their habit of weaponizing gravity by leaping from great heights only exacerbates the issue. They also have one of the few ranged options for the non-magic Basic Jobs. Their Special Ability, Lance Toss, involved using their lance like a javelin, gaining ++Strength and Agility when doing so, and usually impaling the target to boot. Just be careful not to send your lance somewhere difficult to retrieve.
Bard. A musician who raises the spirits of allies with beautiful melodies while wearing at the resolve of enemies with cacophonous screeching. The variety of effects available is more a matter of the user's skill with their music than anything else, and so this is a very cerebral Job. Their Special Ability, Inspiring Ode, allows them to apply a mass of buffs to all allies within range of their music. They are often employed to provide such beneficial effects to entire townships, which is where the ambience you hear in them comes from.
Advanced Jobs: More powerful both at baseline and in terms of Abilities, but they require mastery of at least 2 Basic Jobs. Costs 4 Promises.
Knight. Requires Fighter and Swordsman. A master in melee combat, the Knight can and will tear through hordes of weaker enemies, but they excel when operating as part of a group. Their Special Ability fuses and improves on Rapid Fire Fisticuffs and Interception, improving the counterattacks with +++Strength and Agility. Successfully accomplishing this also provides modest healing to the user and anyone they protect. You won't regrow lost limbs after just one time, but potentially life-threatening wounds can be mitigated, and minor wounds may disappear outright. Stick one on protection duty for the mages and civilians, and they'll punish attacks quite severely.
Berserker. Requires Fighter and Bard. Sometimes to fight a monster you have to become a monster. These warriors sacrifice their humanity, intentionally allowing their rage and bloodlust to consume them. While this makes them incredibly dangerous in a fight, it also leaves them easily baited into stupid mistakes. Still, the Berserk Special Ability that grants them +++ to Might and Agility in a fight and allows them to shrug off most negative status effects is quite often worth it when facing monsters. Some negative status effects will also slide off of their allies, particularly mental ones.
Blue Mage. Requires Thief and Mime. A refined version of the Mime. These fighters
keep their stolen attacks, which they can in turn unleash upon the enemy any time they want. Their Special Ability, Blue Magic, allows them to select from this pool of abilities learned by experience and use them with their Stats +++All Stats added on top. This includes other Job Abilities. It is not unheard of for a Black Mage to specifically burn off most of their mana and use Dark Blast on them, for instance.
Chemist. Requires Thief and White Mage. Combining the Thief's affinity for poison with the the White Mage's affinity for cures, the Chemist can make a wide variety of tonics and elixirs, provided they have the ingredients. Their Special Ability, Chemical Mix, allows them to rapidly create a mixture that does the required job, though with a shelf-life measured in minutes.
Assassin. Requires Thief and Duelist. Masters of killing singular enemies, they are incredibly dangerous if given any time to focus on a single opponent. Their Special Ability combines Weak Spot and a +++ version of Quick Draw that applies to most small weapons such as knives, making them terrifyingly effective at killing their targets. The slightest chink in your armor or the like and they'll rip you apart.
Cannoneer. Requires Duelist and Lancer. With the experience of wielding and tossing far heavier weights and in the use of a gun, the Cannoneer can wield a cannon with only a moderate loss of mobility relative to the Duelist. They have a unique Special Ability, Explosive Shot, which allows them to empower their projectiles to explode with far greater force than they ought to.
Red Mage. Requires 2 of Black Mage, White Mage, Swordsman, and/or Thief. While not as proficient in magic or combat as their components, they are still quite skilled in all. There is never a situation the Red Mage can't contribute to. Buffing, healing, debuffing, magical attacks, physical attacks, etc. They are immensely versatile, and there may actually be an issue where too many choose to become a Red Mage over specializing in any given course. Their Special Ability, Red Burst, is a generalist assortment of effects beneficial to their side and detrimental to the enemy, though not as potent at either as their more specialized counterparts. Still, it can completely turn a fight around.
Sage. Requires Black Mage and White Mage. A master of all magic, the Sage can perform virtually any kind of magic one can imagine, and with bolstered power compared to the common Mage or Summoner. Their Special Ability, Sorcery, allows them to supercharge any spell they wish in a manner similar to the Black Mage's Black Burst or the White Mage's Bright White. This offers enormous strategic flexibility with a large enough cadre of Sages.
Summoner. Requires Black Mage and Bard. These mages forge contracts, one-use or general use, with various entities in the name of using their powers for a given task. There are a number of common ones such as the Fat Chocobo, but the goal is to bring the gods into the fray. Their Special Ability, Summon, allows them to safely summon such entities, no matter how capricious they might otherwise be.
Expert Classes: Jobs only the masters of their fields take on, requiring two Advanced Jobs. Costs 1 Blessing.
Gladiator. Requires Knight and Berserker. Having mastered the madness that gives them strength, the Gladiator is just as deadly against men as they are against monsters. Now boasting a permanent +++++All Stats in combat from their Special Ability, Weapon of War, few are the enemies that even a weak Gladiator cannot stand up to.
Paladin. Requires Knight and Red Mage. Having sacrificed their dark magic, the Paladin is now the superior of the Red Mage or Knight in terms of white magic and swordsmanship, and nearly eclipses even the White Mage. Their Special Ability Blessing of the Light, provides their allies +++All Stats, and themselves +++++All Stats.
Dark Knight. Requires Knight and Red Mage. In this case, the sacrifice was of white magic, granting the Dark Knight immense power, but distancing them from others. Their Dark Blessing provides them not only with +++++All Stats, but when they are on the brink of death, they gain an additional +++++All Stats.
Dragoon. Requires Knight and Cannoneer. The slayers of dragons. Some dragons are perfectly fine with being left alone. Others see the other races as something between toys and prey. Dragoons specialize in their destruction. Their combined Special Ability, Explosive Lance, involves throwing their lance at a target with +++++All Stats, where it will go off like a Bomb, emerging completely unharmed from it's own explosion. If a single scale has been pierced by this lance, most dragons will be left too badly injured to seriously consider further harassing the town, nevermind fighting the Dragoon.
Beastmaster. Requires Blue Mage and Berserker. Having absorbed bits of the beasts they fight, the Beastmaster has leaned into the emergence of the beast within to make it more literal, transforming into monstrous forms to further strengthen themselves. Combining Blue Magic and Berserk, Inner Beast allows any monstrous foes previously bested to be transformed into, with their Stats added onto the user's to create something even more powerful.
Ninja. Requires Assassin and Knight. A defender that has turned to dirty tactics, or a paid killer who has decided to turn their craft against foul foes? Either way, the Ninja is not to be trifled with. Ninjutsu allows them to mark a foe. Each time they score a hit on them, their target's Attributes decrease, and this ability is immune to a Knight's interception. Something they are very familiar with. Additionally, while fighting a target of their Ninjutsu, they gain +++++All Stats.
Samurai. Requires Knight and Cannoneer. Unlike their cousins the Ninja, subtlety is not the strong suite of a Samurai. They tend to finish a fight in as few blows as possible, not by virtue of pinpoint accuracy, but through sheer destructive force, if well-directed. The Samurai's Special Ability is Explosive Draw. When they draw their blade, their attack is treated as having +0.1 ISH, in addition to +++++All Stats. This allows for feats such as ostensibly mundane humans splitting storm clouds from the ground. Of course, they must resheath their sword before they can use this ability again, which means simply getting rid of their sheath can effectively disarm them.
Oracle. Requires Sage and Summoner. Advisors to kings and generals. Those who foresee dire threats such as years of drought. The Oracle is in some ways the culmination of the magician. Their Special Ability, Predict, pulls Fate itself towards a specific course. This has limited capabilities beyond the level of a city, and can only directly influence the immediate future, but in a battle it's utterly devastating, as if the allied side universally received ++All Stats or the enemy received a debuff of similar magnitude.
Necromancer. Requires Sage and Summoner. A dark path that has always been viewed with at least a modicum of wariness. Still, there are countries and eras where they were accepted enough that the dead were used to work farms and the like, vastly improving food production, especially given that they don't need to eat. Necromancers have their strength in that while Summoners can only temporarily bring forth allies, the Necromancer can raise the dead long-term, and fresh kills are free game. There is nothing inherently corruptive about the craft, excepting the fact that extremely fresh corpses retain most of their power and memories, and there have been attempts to usurp royal family's and turn them into almost literal puppet rulers in the past. One was even successful, though in that case it was more of a very successful rebellion as the royals were deeply unpopular at the time. At any rate, the Dark Arts provides the ability to raise the dead, barring those completely destroyed on the physical level. As mentioned, the power and memory they retain is dependent on their freshness, though they receive +All Stats from that point, meaning keeping them relatively intact in terms of combat prowess isn't particularly difficult.
In theory, there may be higher tiers, but it generally takes years to master a Job, and years longer to master another, so few have the time to really experiment. It would likely take a very high Job Efficiency with the component Jobs to get much out of There is one more option here, if you wish to spend your solitary Favor.
Master of All. In return for your Favor, the Hero is granted an additional 100% Job Efficiency, taking them to the levels of the progenitors of the Jobs. Additionally, any further sources of Job Efficiency, including training are doubled in effectiveness. Hitting 250% should be a matter of time more than anything else, and as high as 500% may be possible. Further, the Special Abilities of all Jobs are doubled in strength, and the Hero may 'employ' 2 Jobs at once, using their skills and Special Abilities in tandem, including Attribute benefits. For an example of the benefits of this, Dark Blessing's secondary effect normally only activates at 10% or lower HP, but at 200% Job Efficiency, that rises to 25% or lower, dramatically improving the number of circumstances this
Form
What shape does the artifact you are bound to take? A bauble, a weapon, a Ring? Much will depend on that. It is possible to take multiple, but you must specify which form you take.
Simple Sword - 2 Promises.
The common weapon of most Heroes. Provides +Might and Agility.
Luck Charm - 4 Promises.
A pendant passed down the family for centuries. Provides the Hero +++++Luck... and slight defenses against hostile Fate manipulation.
Magic Key - 1 Blessing.
Allows the opening of many locks and treasure chests that might otherwise be difficult to open, including most magical barriers. Unlocks Theft Attribute and raises it to 2.
Ribbon - 2 Blessings.
A powerful talisman that appears as if it were an ordinary ribbon. Protects against hostile mystical effects as if the user possessed +++++Con and outright negates most negative Conditions. Additionally provides +++++Charisma. This may be turned off by keeping the Ribbon in the Hero's pocket, though the mystical/Condition protection remain active.
Trispear - 2 Blessings.
When this spear is used, two ghostly projections of the blade will attack on their own. The projections ignore most armor and partially bypass magical defenses. Many a Red Mage or similar is likely to be in for a nasty shock. This effect may be transferred to a different weapon, provided the spear itself remain on the Hero's person. Additionally provides +++++Might and Agility.
Artifact Spirit - 1 Favor.
Choose an equipment type. Mantle, Orb, Spear, Sword, Helm, it matters not. You're presence serves as a Spirit for such a piece of Equipment. It may copy and absorb forms and special skills from other examples of it's kind. A Tome could serve as an ever-expanding library, mere contact enough to swiftly copy the contents of other books. An Orb could become simultaneously every magic crystal in the world. A Mantle every cloak in the world, and so on. Further, absorbing materials taken from fallen monsters and the world around you can unlock new forms and abilities, and improve old ones. There are also special materials that can be used to do this more rapidly, usually rare ores and the like, though given your nature special Attribute-raising items will also work. It is also possible to simply invest energy into you to strengthen you. It should also be noted that while your base form is highly durable, this pushes you to the level where you don't have to worry about anything short of the Evil Darkness directly attacking you.
May be taken multiple times to select multiple equipment types.
Ring of Power - 2 Favors.
While of limited use to the Hero without quite a bit more time to train it than we have, even a beginner's use of such a Ring is not to be underestimated. Choose a Ring whose current status is either dormant or unknown. It has slipped into this dimension alongside and containing you. The Favors are spent as much on keeping you from being mulched by the fusion as anything else.
Allies
How many Heroes have you heard of that
actually managed to do everything alone? They might have ended up alone afterward, but they didn't accomplish their mission alone. While the actual army is out trying to keep the surge of monsters under control, we can offer you some help.
Fill Out the Five Man - 4 Promises.
4 Talented individuals with 100% Job Efficiency in one of the Basic Jobs, of your choice, will be proffered. While they lack any notable affinity for any of the others, and thus are effectively locked out of the Advanced or Expert Jobs and will thus likely be outgrown by the middling dungeons and monsters, they will offer a lot of flexibility and potential plot hooks early on.
Advice Fairy - 1 Blessing.
Me! As the representative of the race of fairies to this event, I have a lot more in the way of combat potential than most fairies. My race in particular, the Advice Fairies, spend most of our lives studying up to help adventurers. See, we have this deep-seated B̸͈̯̠̈́́̕L̵̞̺͎͐̔ͅO̵̡͖̮̼̤͐̎͜O̷̰̤̫̳̹̺̠͋̚ͅD̸̨͒̏̀͐̈́̆͆̚͜͠͝L̶̛̳̪̒̿͝Ų̵̧̨̱͇̖̯̥͔̪̎̿ͅS̷̨̫͓̖̞͕̗͖̮̽̓̐́T̶̡̻͙̬͎͖͎̲̗̚ *cough* and vicariously is the only way for most of us to fulfill it. I'm no Oracle, but I can tell you a lot about the world around us. That includes serving as a Bestiary, offering tips on local wares, and so on. If you want to avoid simply acting as a hammer for whatever nails the Evil Darkness pushes out, I'm your gal!
Experienced Party - 3 Blessings.
Much like the Five Man, but with 4 Advanced Jobs of your choice. Once again, they've basically maxed out their potential, but they shouldn't start lagging behind until the endgame, and unless things go very wrong, you shouldn't be actively hindered even in the Evil Darkness' Shrine.
Sacred Darkness - 1 Favor.
Like I said, the Evil Darkness is giving darkness a bad name, and the Sacred Darkness doesn't appreciate it. It offers three boons. First, rest. Your healing, natural and non, is vastly accelerated, and you only need to sleep 2 hours a day, regardless of whether it's night or day, to be fully rested, with sleep being bankable up to a month in advance. You can't be made tired artificially either. Second, purity. The Evil Darkness loves to corrupt people. The Sacred Darkness takes you from resistant, as the Hero and their entourage would always have been, to fully immune so long as the world remains standing. This also allows the Hero and yourself to utilize corrupted artifacts and the like without issue. Third, any darkness-related effects on your or the Hero's part, such as the Necromancer will be vastly improved, as if given +++++All Stats. Just imagine how powerful a Dark Knight with the Sacred Darkness' backing would be!
Blessings and Curses
Some additional boons are available for you... oh dear, are you in worse shape than I thought?
Strong Hero - 2 Promises.
The summoned Hero will have +All Stats right off the bat, pushing them to the upper limits of human norms without magical backup. This can be taken as many times as you wish, so in theory you could simply grant your Hero superhuman capabilities without providing anything else. Converting all your available currency into Promises then dividing by 2 comes out to +12 All Stats. Not to be underestimated, though the Hero will still need to learn quite a bit about the world, and there are plenty of skills, such as actual fighting skills, that they'd be lacking in this scenario.
Bound - 1 Blessing.
Huh. It looks like you can resummon yourself to the Hero no matter how far away you get. No need to worry about thieves! Makes researching how to free you even harder until the Evil Darkness is drive back though...
Perfect Hero - 1 Blessing.
You've got a Seram-tier diamond in the rough from the summoning. No Progression, but they've got a ridiculous magic affinity, so making a powerhouse out of them would be doable even without your help. This would, for example, vastly mitigate any issues with swift Job training with how many of the experienced teachers preoccupied dealing with one fire or another, in addition to synergy with pretty much every option here. It also unlocks a number of other magics that ordinarily wouldn't be available.
Vassal Artifact - 1 Favor.
Provide up to 7 people with copies of yourself with 50% strength benefits. This massively improves the ability of any followers to keep up with you. If you plan to take either of the Party options, this is incredibly useful. If you took up Artifact Spirit, they can choose different equipment types, though the 50% debuff does curtail the utility a bit, so it's not exactly 3.5 free Artifact Spirits.
Supreme Artifact - 2 Favors.
As a truly stupendous artifact, all other Favor purchases have their effects doubled. This only applies if they normally cost Favors. Turning a Favor into 8 Promises and buying 4 Basic Jobs wouldn't boost those Jobs. On the other hand, Master of All would provide 300% Job Efficiency with the option to train up to 400% without issue, 4 slots for different Jobs, and quadrupled strength for their Special Abilities. Artifact Spirit would grant a second equipment type for free, Ring of Power would provide a significant boost to early power and control over the Ring, and so on.
Allergic to Evil. +4 Promises.
Normally, you'd be highly resistant to the Evil Darkness' influence, and mentally at least, you are, but your physical corpus reacts negatively to it. On the bright side, sneaking an agent past you will be almost impossible!
Alarm Bell. +1 Blessing.
While not entirely negative, your arrival has rung out like a gong across the world, announcing the Hero's summoning. While this has raised morale for our side, the Evil Darkness will marshalling it's forces to attack soon. It doesn't have much this deep, and focusing on you will take pressure off of other places, but we can't have you here for long if that's the case.
Schemes Upon Schemes. +1 Favor.
The creator of this world wasn't stupid enough to give the world some single fulcrum to depend on. There's hundreds of interconnected fulcrums, which you may be familiar with from your own world... and they're all under attack. You can't say the Evil Darkness is a quitter. While it's not currently at risk of destroying the world, it
is already making people miserable. You'll have to spend a lot of time running damage control before things are stable enough for you to get much support for any deep raids on the Evil Darkness' territory.
You Die, I Die. +1 Favor.
Uh oh. Your spirit is entangled with the Hero's. There doesn't seem to be any personality bleedover, but if one of you dies...
Uncooperative Hero. +2 Favors.
...Oops. The Hero isn't exactly happy about being here either.
Apocryphal Curse. +2 Favors.
Oh dear... and I thought the Evil Darkness' scheming was bad. That... thing on your... essence? It's deeper than your soul. Anyway, that thing is only a shard of a shard of a shard, so if you outgrow the entire world, it'll be more of an annoyance than anything else.
Cooperative Muse. +1 Favor for every 2.5K words written relating to this CYOA.
AN: Not bad for a day's work, if I say so myself. The Curses are stuff that got stuck on you in the interdimensional void, so the descriptions there are more reactions, with them clumping more dimensional energy on you like a planet clumping together from debris the proto-star left behind. The obvious build here is Artifact Spirit, Vassal Artifact, and Supreme Artifact. Each of the Vassals is as strong as you, and you each get 2 slots to choose. 16 equipment types would have most of them covered if you're smart about it. You Die, I Die is what I'd take in that case. You have plenty of powerful bodyguards very invested in your/the Hero's continued living, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
I'll have a build of my own out tomorrow, I think. Want to see what people come up with first.
5095 words, discounting this line.
