Again, we have enough other great pills to be able to wait to use Sable Light pill until it's optimal. For example, next week we can do:
[] Physical (Starlight)
[] Spiritual (Darkmoon)
[]Spine Meridians
[] Cai Mission
-[]Li Suyin minor
[] Archive Art
[] EPC
[] Spiritual
[] AM (or SCS) with Meizhen
[] Qi (Snowy)
[] Qi (Snowy)
[] Minor Gan Guangli?
That would still give us 9 cultivation actions as well as Cai mission, and we would be able to take advantage of the last possible week where we still have AS5 for a long while for those sweet Qi cultivation bonus successes. Given the Qi cultivation bonus rolls cap at two with Snowy, and get triggered by any of AM/ECP/Archive Art, even if we do choose to open a meridian in archive instead of training said art we would still benefit from 2 Qi rolls.
So long as we keep back enough pills to do the darkmoon/highsun/sable combination I'm not particularly attached to doing it in the immediate future. It would definitely be more efficient at mid yellow, I'm just worried about putting it off for the 6 or 7 weeks we'd need to get there.
Depending on what EPC's bonuses do it might be worth switching back to AS5 for a week when we use the sable light pill as it provides 4 bonus successes (not dice) to all qi increase rolls. If we trigger all 5 possible Qi increase rolls that's a guaranteed 20 additional successes, the equlivent to 40+ dice.
All of them doubles, yeah, and not a single one below 60.
Ugh, if only my computer didn't crash and needed to be restarted, it cost me precious seconds to get the thread back up and notice there was a callout for rolls!
That would still give us 9 cultivation actions as well as Cai mission, and we would be able to take advantage of the last possible week where we still have AS5 for a long while for those sweet Qi cultivation bonus successes. Given the Qi cultivation bonus rolls cap at two with Snowy, and get triggered by any of AM/ECP/Archive Art, even if we do choose to open a meridian in archive instead of training said art we would still benefit from 2 Qi rolls.
So long as we keep back enough pills to do the darkmoon/highsun/sable combination I'm not particularly attached to doing it in the immediate future. It would definitely be more efficient at mid yellow, I'm just worried about putting it off for the 6 or 7 weeks we'd need to get there.
Depending on what EPC's bonuses do it might be worth switching back to AS5 for a week when we use the sable light pill as it provides 4 bonus successes (not dice) to all qi increase rolls. If we trigger all 5 possible Qi increase rolls that's a guaranteed 20 additional successes, the equlivent to 40+ dice.
Yeah, that's why I want to do our first Snowy Pill next week, keeping the advantage of still having AS5 equipped as long as possible. I suspect EPC3+ will be better than AS5 for Qi rolls, but that's a long way off.
Oh, and while we don't know how things will go I'm going to be aiming week 21 for Mid Yellow.
All of them doubles, yeah, and not a single one below 60.
Ugh, if only my computer didn't crash and needed to be restarted, it cost me precious seconds to get the thread back up and notice there was a callout for rolls!
What is the point of spending a Starlight Elixir in that plan? Given that it would only really boost 2 arts, and we aren't even using a natural physical action, is that really worth doing?
What is the point of spending a Starlight Elixir in that plan? Given that it would only really boost 2 arts, and we aren't even using a natural physical action, is that really worth doing?
Basically it's to get that arm meridian art and give a chance to get SCS if we decide to go for it. We have seen higher level techniques can begin at 20, so it's very possible the arms meridian art we'll choose will begin there.
Currently we have 6+18 base. We can add +5 from snowy, +5 from starlight, maybe +4 from spine, maybe +X from archive, then it's unknown what elemental bonus we can have.
So this means that with starlight, for the archive action, we would have at least 34 dice, and up to 6 (pills) + 5 (site) +4 (spine) 49 dice, but it will probably be something in between. So as I suspect the DC to be 20 the +5 from Starlight is fairly important.
That, and it gives a chance for SCS or give a lot of overflow from AM. Well, I also want to continue cultivating physical as much as possible too.
Basically it's to get that arm meridian art and give a chance to get SCS if we decide to go for it. We have seen higher level techniques can begin at 20, so it's very possible the arms meridian art we'll choose will begin there.
Currently we have 6+18 base. We can add +5 from snowy, +5 from starlight, maybe +4 from spine, maybe +X from archive, then it's unknown what elemental bonus we can have.
So this means that with starlight, for the archive action, we would have at least 34 dice, and up to 6 (pills) + 5 (site) +4 (spine) 49 dice, but it will probably be something in between. So as I suspect the DC to be 20 the +5 from Starlight is fairly important.
That, and it gives a chance for SCS or give a lot of overflow from AM. Well, I also want to continue cultivating physical as much as possible too.
I don't find that particularly convincing. I doubt that we are going to complete SCS even with such a bonus, and I don't think art breakpoints are a critical point unless we are rushing something specific or unless we are worried where overflow would go, neither of which is the case here. Now, you could make the case that 2 arts right now is plenty, but given how salty people were a turn ago about using Starlight with zero arts I somehow don't think that would fly.
Using the Snowy Pill now while we have bonuses seems to be a pretty good idea, though; I might support that.
I don't find that particularly convincing. I doubt that we are going to complete SCS even with such a bonus, and I don't think art breakpoints are a critical point unless we are rushing something specific or unless we are worried where overflow would go, neither of which is the case here. Now, you could make the case that 2 arts right now is plenty, but given how salty people were a turn ago about using Starlight with zero arts I somehow don't think that would fly.
Using the Snowy Pill now while we have bonuses seems to be a pretty good idea, though; I might support that.
Art breakpoints are fairly important because of action economy. People really want that arms art right now, so the risk of falling short is pretty big to me, as that 'locks' an action next week. Sure, we will possible continue learning it regardless, but there is a difference between possibly and an obligated action, especially when it's possible we'll get other obligated actions like with Cai/Turtle/other stuff.
Likewise, we aren't that far from SCS: Talent 6+ 18 Stones+ 5 snowy + 5 Starlight+ 5 Meizhen puts us at 39, so we'll have an average 21 for a DC of 22. That's unlikely but not "I doubt that we will complete it" territory, especially as +5 is the low number for Meizhen (E.G it was for a lake/moutain art, while SCS is a Darkness art she herself expressed wanting to study).
I'll also disagree that even if you discount efficiency reasons getting the arms art and SCS (or AM) is not urgent. Those are fairly big boost to our ability to handle things. While I personally don't think getting a direct damage art will actually help us much at all that's not a popular viewpoint, and pretty much everyone agrees either AM and SCS are huge, so getting either one to 'yellow' level will be very, very significant.
That, and honestly we aren't going to get weeks with more than 2 arts learning often, and given the real use for Starlight is the +1 physical, this is as much of a good use for the +5 combat art as we are likely going to get.
I don't. They've be something, sure, but I haven't seen any indication that having them at Yellow is going to be qualitatively better than what we get on prior tier-ups. I'm not sure where people got that idea, honestly.
Likewise, we aren't that far from SCS: Talent 6+ 18 Stones+ 5 snowy + 5 Starlight+ 5 Meizhen puts us at 39, so we'll have an average 21 for a DC of 22.
Hmm. I'm not too sure about that Meizhen bonus, but if we got it 39 dice has a 51% chance of getting 22 successes. That is better than I was thinking, and is probably worth doing. Super annoying if it falls short, though.
There can be, but it depends on what we are planning to do. We only really care about these sorts of things on a pill weeks, and with your plan we'd be using up enough of our pill stockpile and taking a "closed door" action, which between the two seems like it would discourage another pill week anytime soon.
Still. The point about SCS on its own, plus the fact that we are probably going to lose some of our bonus to physical/spiritual cultivation once we switch to EPC, is enough to convince me that this course of action is reasonable.
I don't. They've be something, sure, but I haven't seen any indication that having them at Yellow is going to be qualitatively better than what we get on prior tier-ups. I'm not sure where people got that idea, honestly.
It's one of those things along with 'foundations' and so on that's a omnipresent facet of the Xanxia genre. Each time you go up a realm the techniques that are designed for that realm have both a qualitative and power difference with the techniques designed for the previous realm. Well, As long as we are comparing a yellow-technique created by a green and a red technique created by a White or some such.
It's very possible Yrsillar will do things differently, but it's such an important part of the genre that I feel safe on gambling about it when the gamble itself isn't dangerous.
In the end Ling Qi decided that avoiding the tunnel was a better choice. Climbing the mountain might be difficult and tiring, but it would likely be safer in the end. Just because she had managed to avoid serious trouble in fights so far didn't mean she needed to get cocky. She wouldn;t have any allies with her this time, and while her fight with the worm had gone well enough, Ling Qi also knew that her fellow cultivators would be prepared for her if they were choosing to attack.
Besides, she had been meaning to explore the mountain more, and she had all night to climb. It might even be a little refreshing to have some time to herself and simple physical exertion to clear her head. With that in mind, Ling Qi prepared herself for the trip ahead, first by borrowing a few harvesting tools from Su Ling, and secondly by rearranging the contents of her storage ring to give her a little space.
She left her qi cards at home for example, since she could never seem to decide what was worth putting in them, and they didn't do her much good empty. Likewise, her spirit stones and archive pass followed them out. Bai Meizhen would be home tonight after all, and it was pretty unlikely that their home would be robbed. The chances of her running into misfortune seemed a bit higher.
That done, she also went out of her way to acquire a training bow and a quiver of arrows, while her knives were better for actual fights, her growing archery skills had proved invaluable for hunting, and she figured it couldn't hurt, it wasn't as if it weighed anything significant.
Training Bow: Well crafted wooden bow. Range 80 meters. DV 4
Feeling well prepared, Ling Qi set out as the colors of sunset began to paint the sky, circling the mountain to approach the peak from an entirely different angle than where the tunnel would lead.
Strength+Athletics. 6 dice +5 auto for cultivation
9 9 3 5 9 3. 3 successes.
Ling Qi often had a little trouble recognizing just how much she had changed at times. It was easy to forget the newfound power in her body when she was surrounded by peers, but here alone with her thoughts, Ling Qi couldn't help but think about it. Perhaps it was the first time she had lightly jumped across a ten meter gap to proceed, or when she found herself scrambling up a sheer cliff without any trouble at all, her no longer calloused hands digging easily into cracks in the stone to haul herself up. As mortal she would expect to be aching, and probably nursing cuts and torn fingernails, but now she just had to dust her hands off before she continued up the narrow path.
It was still a bit tiring, but even as she entered her second hour of climbing, she felt only a slight fatigue, easily dispelled by a few minutes rest. Even periodically cycling her qi to activate trackless escape to break her trail did not tire her much.
35/39 Qi
Event Roll 66
Things began to grow more difficult as she ascended though, as the wind around her took on a frigid chill and she left the last scraggly bits of plant life behind. The cliffs grew higher and sheerer, and yet she continued to ascend. She was no longer alone though, dark shapes flapped in the blackening sky above her, only to be scattered by well aimed shots from her bow when they grew too close or bold. It got her a handful of low grade beast cores too.
+3 Grade 1 cores
Soon the paths she walked grew slippery with ice and snow, slowing her further, and the sky grew cloudy, winds whipping violently around her as it began to snow. Soon she found herself forging upward in the face of high winds, her vision obscuring by falling sheets of white. The sudden fierceness of it all surprised her, as long as she had been in the sect, the weather had been calm, the worst weather she had previously seen on the mountain had been a few light rainshowers.
Still, she didn't worry too much, even with snow crusting her hair and soaking her dress, she only felt mildly uncomfortable. The poor light didn't affect her either, only the opacity of the driving snow. She continued her progress, slowly now, careful not to slip.
As Ling Qi trudged and climbed on, she began to get a suspicious prickling sensation on the back of her neck, her instincts telling her something was wrong. It took several more minutes to figure out just exactly what that was. She was being guided, there was an unnatural tint of qi to the wind that kicked up now and then, the violent buffeting forcing her to choose different paths.
Likewise, the ice slicks seemed to be growing in frequency, and not always in positions that made sense. As she continued, she was becoming increasingly sure that someone was messing with her. It was only confirmed when she caught the sound of someone laughing under the howling of the wind and caught a shadow out of the corner of her eye on a cliff above.
Ling Qi didn't waste any time responding appropriately.
Ling Qi
Dex+Throwing knives+First strike+ZB. 12 dice. +1 Auto for Physique
10 5 1 4 7 7 4 5 7 10 10 3. 6 successes+1 auto
A white flash flew from her sleeve, blending with the falling snow as it streaked toward the shadow on the cliff above her. Ling Qi's eyes narrowed as she summoned her flute to her hand, preparing to dance backward on the narrow mountain path and throw up her mist… only to come up short as the figure gave a high pitched yelp of surprise as the knife struck, throwing up a dazzling burst of icy blue white qi… right before it tumbled flailing from the ledge it had been on and landed headfirst in a snowbank.
"Owie, owie," the short, slight figure moaned further throwing her off at its childish voice. She didn't allow her guard to go down entirely though, even if she couldn't quite bring herself to attack aht she could now clearly see looked like a small child of eight or nine years.
The 'little girl' pouted as she pulled herself out of the snow, the flakes driven by the wind seeming to avoid her entirely. She had short, messy silver hair, and unsettling white eyes, devoid of iris or pupil, as well as unnaturally pale skin that was nearly blue in places. The apparent child wore a dark blue child's dress that came down to her knees, but was entirely barefoot. "Such a mean big sister! You threw a knife at Hanyi!" The child stamped her foot angrily in the snow, pointing an accusing finger at Ling Qi.
Ling Qi glared right back, despite the slightly foolish way it made her feel despite herself. This child was in the second realm, and pretty clearly not human going by the way she ignored the weather around her entirely, and the many other factors, but Ling Qi wasn;t entirely sure if fighting was the best choice here. "If you don't want to be attacked, you shouldn't lurk around dangerous paths," Ling Qi replied unapologetically, having to raise her voice to be heard over the wind. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing," she bluffed. "I can feel your qi in the wind and the ice," she accused. Ling Qi couldn't read qi so accurately yet, but her gut told her she was right.
The child 'Hanyi' scowled childishly back up at her, crossing her arms. "I was just playing," she replied petulantly. "Mama said to go play in the storm, 'cause she had things to do, so I did. This place belongs to Mama anyway, mean and ugly humans shouldn't be here!" She added defiantly, stamping her foot again, kicking up a burst of icy wind.
Ling Qi could not help but feel a spike of irritation at the childish insults, but she wasn't foolish, she didn't think the spirit was lying about having a parent, or this being it's territory. "Well, your mother should mark her property then," Ling Qi replied, not backing down. "I just need to pass through here," she wished she could share whatever effect was letting the spirit ignore the weather to converse clearly, her eyes stung a bit from the driving snow. Still, she had to be the mature one here. "...I'm sorry for attacking you, but I do need to be on my way. Can you stop getting in my way please?"
"No!" Ling Qi's eye twitched at the defiant reply. "Even if big sister has good eyes, I won't make it easy. You'll pay for being mean!" The child spirit yelled.
Ling Qi grit her teeth, considering whether she should just knock the obnoxious little spirit out. That ran the risk of drawing the ire of her 'Mother' though, and Ling Qi didn't know how strong that spirit would be. "I said that I was sorry," she replied with all the patience that she could muster. "What can I do to make it up to you?" maybe Ling Qi could bribe her with sweets or something, she had packed some food for the trip. Or maybe the cores would work better for that?
Hanyi's angry expression faded a little, and her round little face screwed up in thought. "Since you ruined my first game, you gotta play a different one with me!" She decided, seeming pleased with her conclusion. "I wanna play tag!" she added decisively. "If you can catch me twice, I'll let you go through mama's yard."
Ling Qi did her best to disguise her disgruntlement, it was already fairly late, and if she wanted to fulfill the mission she needed to be at the glade at midnight. She still had a fairly good idea where she was, and she still had a fair climb ahead of her. Would she make it in time if she stopped to play a game with this annoying child?
...Well, she could always offer to show her the glade, it was far enough away that she doubted it was part of the mothers territory, and the girl seemed childish enough to be distracted by the idea of something cool.
[] Accept, surely it couldn't be that hard to catch her a couple of times, and resolve this without trouble
[] Try to bribe the child spirit with food
[] Offer to show her something interesting if she lets you through. Take her to the glade.
[] Just knock her out and move on
[] Ignore her unless she attacks, she was slowing you down before, but it wasn't anything you couldn't handle
For reference, I wanted to compile a list of our current medicines in terms of the combinations we'd generally want to use them in.
First, here are all the rare (i.e. not store-purchasable) medicines we can currently use:
1 Sable Light Pill
2 Snowy Peak Pills
2 Starlight Elixir
3 Highsun Pills
3 Darkmoon Pills
And here are the same pills, but with a list of the actions they boost:
1 Sable Light Pill [Meridians, Yin Arts, Qi]
2 Snowy Peak Pills [Arts, Qi]
2 Starlight Elixir [Combat Arts, Physical]
3 Highsun Pills [Meridians, Physical]
3 Darkmoon Pills [Qi, Spiritual]
Alright. Our most powerful pill is the Sable Light Pill. It is best used for opening Meridians, so we will want to use it in conjugation with the Darkmoon Pill and the Highsun Pill.
The medical regimen that turn would be:
1 Sable Light Pill + 1 Highsun Pill + 1 Darkmoon Pill + Steady Growth Pill + Bear Marrow Elixir + Qi Expansion Pill + Channel Cleansing Pill
And we would probably want to spend 6 actions opening meridians, or 5 for meridians and 1 for a yin art (or something like that).
The snowy Peak Pills, Darkmoon Pills, and Starlight Elixirs should all be used on the same turn to train Arts (and get free boosted rolls for Qi). We'd probably want to do stuff like
1 Snowy Peak Pill + 1 Starlight Elixir + 1 Darkmoon Pill + Steady Growth Pill + Bear Marrow Elixir + Qi Expansion Pill + (whatever pills match our practiced arts in element).
So that leaves 2 Highsun Pills. We don't have anything else that combos hard with them, so save them for now and/or use when needed.
Thanks for the update! Well, I can say that I'm not sure that knocking her out or ignoring her would be the best method here. We could make a nice friend on the mountain!
I also don't think that playing tag would be the appropriate answer, as we have no idea how fast this spirit is and what tricks it has up its sleeve.
@yrsillar both here and in last update Ling Qi hasn't been using Discerning Gaze. Is there any reason for this, or is it just a "She isn't going to use Qi unless you purposefully vote for it" rule we aren't aware of?
