yeah, I can work with a drug induced physical montage.
[X] Liao He.
[x] Shan Hong.
I wanna talk to Shang Hong again to have us talk with someone regarding our planned physical drug induced training. It just seems like it would slot neatly narratively.
I am fairly fine with whatever the thread has cooked up. As long as the major themes are set (Wood main), I am ok with whatever.
Haven't really thought of what would specifically slot best in our build yet. I need more of an idea what exactly we want rather than just broad strokes.
I am fairly fine with whatever the thread has cooked up. As long as the major themes are set (Wood main), I am ok with whatever.
Haven't really thought of what would specifically slot best in our build yet. I need more of an idea what exactly we want rather than just broad strokes.
My techniques are meant to help our spirit ken rolls both to increase the our points from garden job since I doubt well stop doing that anytime soon and for contracting or befriending spirit beast since were a speaker.
I'm not willing to put 3 whole techniques into just Spirit Ken support. 1 would be fine, maybe 2, but 3 is definitely excessive.
I'd rather pick up an actual attack technique of some sort, maybe a healing one as well, though I'd rather wait until we can spend the points to buy it at a higher starting rank.
I'm not willing to put 3 whole techniques into just Spirit Ken support. 1 would be fine, maybe 2, but 3 is definitely excessive.
I'd rather pick up an actual attack technique of some sort, maybe a healing one as well, though I'd rather wait until we can spend the points to buy it at a higher starting rank.
Free techniques are limited in the effects they can have. You can't get +DoS or +dice on a free technique, just a general boost for combat-related things.
Free techniques are limited in the effects they can have. You can't get +DoS or +dice on a free technique, just a general boost for combat-related things.
Edit: decided to redo my vote since ancient cost points and I guess only 1 technique for spirit ken rolls for now should do since there are other thing we need points for.
Also we should probably only buy techniques from now on since mechanically speaking there more useful.
[X] Plan Rounding out the edges
[X] Leng Jin.
[X] Liao He.
Mental
[X]Ancient Oak Patience (Support, Wood, 50 sect points):
You channel the sturdy patience of those ancient trees which have lasted for centuries. Your hands grow steadier, and your bearing solemn and regal. Grants +degrees of success to the number of dice kept on Spirit Ken rolls, to a maximum of the letter rank of this technique, e.g. if this technique is ranked J, you may add up to 1 extra dice kept to your Spirit Ken roll on success.
[X] Zhang Shui.
[X] Leng Jin.
[X] Plan Rounding out the edges
I don't think we will have quite enough sect points to buy a technique just yet if we are buying pills so I am holding off on voting for any since the ones I like cost points.
I read through this yesterday, just the threadmarks, and I'm curious if there are any overarching plans. I guess I can just explain the way things seem to me, and you guys can fill in any blanks or correct any assumptions.
It looks like you guys are trying to balance the Physical and Mental paths, which makes sense for a number of reasons. Next there is Spirit Ken.
You studied it, we're looking into getting tutored in it, and the main character has bonuses when it comes to their progress and their potential with Spirit Ken. The ideal seems to be to make agreement with spirits, but will that happen anytime soon? Because as far as I can tell, the only spirits in the city besides the spirit of the sect are the minor spirits in the gardens. Are you guys looking into getting partners from there? Are you thinking about how Spirit Ken might increase our standing with the spirit of the sect?
I guess my next questions would be about techniques, their natures and their specializations. It seems like you guys are focusing on Wood and Water support techniques. Are you avoiding other natures, and are there any plans to take any other type of techniques? Movement, attack, defense, healing. Is there not much need for them at the moment because the mc isn't really dueling other disciples, and because going to the front is so far off? Also the fact that he can make agreements with spirits to help him fight? Sort of like his spirits fighting for him, or at least supporting him, while his techniques are focused on keeping them and himself alive? Maybe some buffs to allies as well?
I just looked at the sheet, and saw that his techniques weren't support. A Wood attack, and a Water defense. That being the case, I'm still curious about if there are any plans about an overarching build with techniques and natures.
Adhoc vote count started by Kadmus on May 16, 2021 at 4:58 PM, finished with 40 posts and 11 votes.
[X] Plan Rounding out the edges
-[X] The Garden Job.
-[X] Spent 100 sect point for tuition in Mind Stat
-[X] 7 blocks on Physical Cultivation until we reach the peak of Third Step, then hold off on breakthrough and put the rest on Mental Cultivation
-[X] Spend 50 sect points for tutoring in Spirit Ken, switching to Social after reaching 50%
[X] Plan: Fifth Step Ahead
-[X] Spend 100 Sect Points on tuition for Mind Stats.
-[X] The Garden Job.
-[X] Physical Cultivation
--[X] Breakthrough when necessary until limit of realm.
-[X] Spend 50 Sect Points on Skill lessons. Spirit Ken lessons until Max is reached then switch to Social lessons.
[X] Plan Learning how to fight
-[X] The Garden Job.
-[X] Spent 100 sect point for tuition in Mind Stat
-[X] 7 blocks on Physical Cultivation until we reach the peak of Third Step, then hold off on breakthrough and put the rest on Mental Cultivation
-[X] Spend 50 sect points for tutoring in Melee Combat
Winning vote:
[X] Plan Rounding out the edges
-[X] The Garden Job.
-[X] Spent 100 sect point for tuition in Mind Stat
-[X] 7 blocks on Physical Cultivation until we reach the peak of Third Step, then hold off on breakthrough and put the rest on Mental Cultivation
-[X] Spend 50 sect points for tutoring in Spirit Ken, switching to Social after reaching 50%
I guess my next questions would be about techniques, their natures and their specializations. It seems like you guys are focusing on Wood and Water support techniques. Are you avoiding other natures, and are there any plans to take any other type of techniques? Movement, attack, defense, healing. Is there not much need for them at the moment because the mc isn't really dueling other disciples, and because going to the front is so far off? Also the fact that he can make agreements with spirits to help him fight? Sort of like his spirits fighting for him, or at least supporting him, while his techniques are focused on keeping them and himself alive? Maybe some buffs to allies as well?
As I understand it we don't want to learn all 5 elements. The standard given was 3: 1 Main element, 1 secondary element to support the main, and one minor element to counter the element that overcomes your main.
So for us if we want to keep water and wood, we'd probably want Wood as our main, Water as our secondary, and Fire (to counter metal) as our tertiary.
@Kadmus Is the general principle of this correct?
That's how most cultivators do it. It's a three-element feed chain to the minor that counters the element that counters your main element (Fire counters Metal, which counters Wood, in our example). It means that you can focus on those elements, and get a wider variety of effects for the ones you have.
It also means that if you run into someone who counters you, you can usually set up a nasty combo that takes them out. Most cultivator fights don't have the time or space available to do a full 5-element combo from one cultivator, especially since the enemy will often be able to turn a technique around on you or counter the element you're using for a set-up.
Of course, if you have 5 cultivators, each of a different element, they can do some monster chains in a short timescale. The Imperial Guard, the personal army of the Empress, is designed around 5-man squads for this exact reason.
You can certainly get a spirit that hooks onto either end of your element reinforcing cycle, but you're probably best off having one that can set-up for your powerful attacks, e.g. a Metal elemental that seeds the area with blades before you sweep it with a tsunami.
I just looked at the sheet, and saw that his techniques weren't support. A Wood attack, and a Water defense. That being the case, I'm still curious about if there are any plans about an overarching build with techniques and natures.
Aside from the above my understanding is that, right now, we're more focused on getting our foundation solid, and not so much finding fitting techniques.
For the techniques keep in mind that there's also the divide between physical (passive) and mental (active), and that the techniques we have so far are both physical, meant to give a solid frame from which to improve.
Water and Wood were chosen since they work well together - there's a wheel of affinities/natures in place - and fit the spirit/gardening/nature angle, more or less.
An overarching build has not discussed, as such, far as I recall, but it looks like it's going to be something that combines support from spirits with a strong foundation, I guess?
I figure once we've reached Fifth step in Mind and Body and unlocked our fifth seven-block, we can spend a full seven-block on learning what the meta is for techniques, and maybe a bit on combos with spirits? It would be comprehensive at least.
Zhi Gao knows that, though he's spent his whole life around them, he doesn't know everything there is to know about spirits. Considering how closely he's working with them now, to make sure that the gardens bloom, and how closely he's likely to be dealing with them in the future, he decides to invest some of his sect points in bringing his knowledge up to an appropriate level. Between his cultivation sessions and his work in the gardens, he schedules lessons.
The tutor he hires is a young woman he often works with in the gardens, disciple Yan. She teaches him in the groves, in the fields; to deal with spirits is something that is felt as much as known. They walk together and talk, sit with spirits and go through the strange customs they hold, and spend a long afternoon in a dream with an old and powerful lotus spirit. It's difficult to put what he learns into words, but he's more aware, now, of how the spirits work, how they communicate, and how he can communicate with them in turn. She teaches him little tricks that make things smoother, shows him how to de-escalate conflicts between spirits, and coaches him through a negotiation with a spirit too dangerous for him to talk to alone. The sword-spirit is a fierce and dangerous thing, a lean sculpture of a man formed entirely of blades, and it makes his lips bleed just to talk in its presence.
He learns, though, and that's what he was looking for. After three days, disciple Yan declares him as taught as she can manage, and sets him free with a smile. He's already dedicated a portion of his time to learning, so he spends a few more sect points to get a sorely-needed education on the nobility.
This tutor, in a quirk of fate he hadn't been expecting, is Shu Lin, the woman who recruited him for the sect. It makes sense, he supposes; she'd have to know plenty about the nobility to operate in her job. She's just as severe-looking as he remembers, though now he's more used to those blessed with god-animal blood, her rounded furry ears and hairless tail soften the image she presents. These lessons, he's given in the dining hall for the disciples. They sit in a corner, side by side, and she makes him watch his fellow disciples as they eat and chat, lecturing him all the while.
"There are five great noble houses," she says. "One for each direction, and one for the centre. Most important for us are the Xuan clan, the Dukes of the east. Their ancestor is the great serpent-tortoise. They are tentatively allied with the Zhu of the west, as they both must guard a border to lands uninhabitable by mortals. The Zhu clan are styled as Princes, and are descended from the fiery vermilion bird that nests above their capital city."
"So Lady Zhu and Lady Xuan are from those clans?" he says.
"Indeed. It is unusual to have so many members of the greater clans in attendance, but this year we are hosting a member from each of the five. Even Her Imperial Majesty's own great-great-grandson is here," she says. "Not that he is highly ranked in the Huang clan, but the honour is still immense. The Huang clan rule the centre of the Empire, and are the Empress' own house. They are descended from the yellow dragon on whose back the imperial capital is built."
"Even I've heard of them," Zhi Gao says. "But I didn't know they were descended from a dragon."
"They are not the only family so honoured," Shi Lin says, a smile on her thin lips. "But they are certainly the greatest. They hold the title of Prince, too, though they are usually lead by a Princess. Succession among the Huang is an intensely complicated affair, so we will leave that for later lessons. The other great house descended from a dragon, the blue dragon, in this case, is the Qing of the north. Dukes, they border the barbarian kingdoms of the deep jungles. Their lands grow with every victory, and shrink with every loss."
"Oh. Oh! That explains why the Xuan and Zhu don't get on with the north and south so well, right?" he says, things clicking together in his head. "East and west can't expand, but north and south can?"
"That is part of the reason," she says. "We resent the burden placed upon us with no reward. Service is, of course, its own reward, but that is paltry compensation when others may serve and gain material benefits, as well. Lastly, we have the Bai clan of the south. They are descended from the white tiger, and lay claim to the title of King. Their mountains overlook a vast set of plains, but the savages who live on them will not accept the enlightenment of the Empire, and so we must fight them for every scrap."
He nods. It's known that, outside the Empire, there are no real people.
"I know that the Drowned Islanders raid the shore in the east," he says. "I've never seen them, but the village I grew up in saw a raiding party a few years before my father was born. Do they have similar problems in the west?"
Shu Lin tilts her head slightly, as though considering. "In a way. Their raiders tend to be even less human than the ones we face, with fire for blood and gemstones instead of eyes. I don't know much about them. I served my year in the east, and saw no real combat."
"It sounds like it's the safest option," he says. "To serve here, or at least in the west. There's less continuous fighting, at least?"
"Most years," she says. "But where the north and south fight an endless war against forces a little inferior to our own, east and west can face raids from more than just barbarians. A century ago, the Drowned Islanders led an alliance of icebound, nightmare spirits, and creatures of abyssal darkness against the shore, and they slew hundreds of thousands of Imperial citizens before they were driven back. Your village probably saw one of their scout parties. Thankfully, most of the unbound spirits and creatures of the extreme east and west cannot survive long in the conditions of the Empire."
"So it's all down to fate?" he says.
She smiles again, and this time it's brittle at the edges. "Everything always is," she says. "Now, pay attention to the way the disciples group together. See how you can determine the hierarchy of the groups."
He spends yet more sect points to further train his mind, and it feels like it's been a waste of time. The problems have never got easier, no matter how he tries, and his frustration grows throughout the week. He's shocked, then, when on the last day Rao Chen puts some incredibly easy work before him, and he blows through it without even needing to think.
"Are you making fun of me?" Zhi Gao says.
"Oh? You don't recognise the questions?" Rao Chen says, smirking. "They should be familiar. They're what you struggled so hard with when we first started." He pauses, and his smirk grows. "Though perhaps you should purchase more tuition, if you haven't been able to notice that I was increasing the difficulty as we went on?"
"That was unnecessary," Zhi Gao says, a scowl on his face. "But I thank you for your teaching."
"I must get my fun where I can, Zhi Gao," Rao Chen says. "Though perhaps the jab was uncouth. I am pleased with your progress, as you should be. Every stone can shine, when polished hard enough. You need, perhaps, a little more polishing, but you are on your way."
"Thank you for your kind words," Zhi Gao says, and finds he means it. Rao Chen has been a harsh taskmaster, and can be both petty and cruel, but he has taught Zhi Gao well and doesn't seem to have sabotaged or short-changed him.
They exchange a final set of bows, and Zhi Gao leaves the cramped tutoring room behind him, feeling like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He decides to check in on the last of his associates left in the aspirants quarters, Leng Jin. The trek to his old berth is shorter than he remembers it being, but that's just his enhanced body and body path techniques making it feel less than it is.
He finds Leng Jin in conversation with Liao He over a game of weiqi. Even in the village, it was common to see some of the older residents playing the game, as all you needed was a relatively flat piece of land, a stick to mark out the board, and enough tokens marked differently for two players. They'd usually used stones and seeds, but the board Liao He and Leng Jin are using was a real one, made from a polished pale wood, and they are using proper black and white tokens. He glances over the board, but he's never been good at teh game, so he can't tell who's winning.
"Zhi Gao!" Leng Jin says, a smile on his broad face. "Come, sit and watch me beat Liao He."
"Hah! Come sit and watch me trounce Leng Jin," Liao He says, his smirk firmly in place.
Zhi Gao smiles back and sits adjacent to them, so he can watch the two of them play. The room seems impossibly empty, with just the three of them in it, and he thinks that Leng Jin must be very lonely on his own in this place. The other man seems cheerful enough, though, and there are no dark bags under his eyes and there's no strain in his smile.
"How have you been, Leng Jin?" Zhi Gao says. "I'm sorry I haven't had time to visit you, but it seems that we just get more work piled on us as we advance."
"Well enough," Leng Jin says. "I have made inroads with some of the other aspirants, and my duties in the sect record rooms have given me useful contacts. I've still had no luck with my cultivation, but my plan remains the same."
"Pills first, then elixirs if necessary?" Liao He says. "Shrewd and patient. As expected of a Leng."
"Lucky and impetuous," Leng Jin says, smiling wider. "As expected of a Liao."
They both laugh, and Zhi Gao smiles.
"And I suppose Liao He has been visiting to keep you company?"
"Oh, when I can, when I can," Liao He says. "Us merchant brats have to stick together. There's so much hard work and physical labour here, it can get a man down."
"I miss the gold-plated fripperies and powdered pearls in my tea," Leng Jin says, clearly mocking the idea. "Though I will admit to finding the physical exertion more than I'm used to. Counting coin and itemising lists doesn't take much out of the body."
"Pulling weeds and harvesting crops doesn't take much out of the mind," Zhi Gao says. "So we're all in uncomfortable waters, here."
"Only Lady Zhu and her pet horse are trained for this stuff," Liao He says, pondering over the board. He lays his tile down with a soft click, and Leng Jin's hits the board less than ten seconds later, causing Liao He to scowl. "Freeze and shatter it, Leng Jin!"
"You didn't see that one coming? My goodness, how dreadful," Leng Jin says, his smile wider than ever. "Perhaps all this cultivating has dulled your other skills?"
"I'm not using the Discerning Merchant's Gaze, Leng Jin," Liao He says, eyes narrowed. "So be careful what you wish for, hm?"
Zhi Gao studies the board again, taking in the shape of it. Leng Jin has just cut off Liao He's tokens in a masterful net, one that the other man didn't spot until it was too late. Even Zhi Gao could appreciate the move.
"I read about that one, I think," Zhi Gao says. "That's a technique for spotting weaknesses, right?"
"Yes. Mostly social weaknesses, admittedly, but it works for games and tactics," Liao He says. "I can tell you've picked up a body technique, but did you choose any mental ones yet?"
Zhi Gao shakes his head. "I haven't decided. How about you, Leng Jin? Have you given any thought to what you're intending to take?"
"You speak as though my breakthrough is guaranteed," Leng Jin says. "While I appreciate the faith you have in me, I have not yet decided on anything. I'm likely to centre on earth arts, though, and intend to focus on either alchemy or talismans, once I have the capacity. It should keep me off the front lines, at least."
"Production, hm? My dad would kill for me to go into something that lucrative," Liao He says. "Not that I intend to. Fox blood is no good for that sort of thing, and it's dull. Give me a loud negotiation any day."
"Hah! You're talking to us, here," Leng Jin says. "Zhi Gao is half a production disciple already, with how much time he spends working in the gardens. I assumed you would move from that into alchemy, no?"
"I hadn't given it any thought," Zhi Gao says, suddenly on the spot. "I was thinking I'd work more with spirits? It's what I'm good at."
"Consider it," Leng Jin says, and Liao He nods his agreement. "It's certainly less dangerous than fighting on the front lines, even if it might be a boring way to pass the year. The sect never has enough alchemists, even to make basic pills."
"I've already pegged my position," Liao He says. "Scout. It's dangerous, but I've got to get my blood pumping somehow."
Zhi Gao shrugs, uncomfortable under the scrutiny. "I've never had to plan my life before," he says. "It's taking some getting used to."
"None of us want any of the others dead," Leng Jin says. "Unless either of you have managed to irritate a noble?"
Liao He laughs at the idea, and Zhi Gao shrugs again, which cuts the laughter off immediately.
"Please tell me that you didn't manage to get a noble to want you gone before your second month at the sect is done?" Liao He says.
"I don't think so," Zhi Gao says. "Lady Zhu introduced Lady Xuan to me, though? Jia thinks she was sounding us out for recruitment."
"Oh, it was just that," Liao He says. "No, I wouldn't worry there. I got the same treatment, it was just them laying some groundwork. She's certainly a contact worth cultivating, though. Twenty-seventh in line doesn't sound like much, but it's very close for a great house."
"Slow to trust and slower to anger, though they strike like a raging typhoon when roused," Leng Jin says. "The Xuan are certainly more reliable than some of the other great houses, though that's a relative thing. No noble is truly reliable."
Liao He nods, as though this is common knowledge, and makes his next move. They pass the rest of the afternoon being demolished by Leng Jin, taking it in turns to get beaten at weiqi. It's an enjoyable way to end the week, even if Zhi Gao does feel like his ego's been bruised a little.
What's the week plan?
You may choose 2 people to spend time with this week:
[ ] Lady Zhu.
[ ] Ma Gang.
[ ] Jia.
[ ] Zhang Shui.
[ ] Leng Jin.
[ ] Liao He.
[ ] Shan Hong.
[ ] Lady Xuan
[ ] Other (you will go wandering and try to find someone interesting. Now that you are an outer disciple, new options will be available).
Pick a job to spend 7 blocks a week on.
[ ] The Garden Job. Now that you're an outer disciple, the job pays better, but has commensurate difficulties. +1 sect point per hour per Step increase. At your current level (Second Step Outer Human), offers 13 sect points per time block, plus the Degrees of Success on your Spirit Ken roll.
[ ] Other. See the Jobs Board post in the Informational threadmarks.
You have three (3) 4-hour blocks a day (21 blocks a week) free to spend as you wish. Cultivating takes 1 block, jobs take 1 block, various training will take up blocks as noted in the description in the Sect Points post in the Informational threadmarks.
An example plan would be:
[ ] Jia.
[ ] Liao He.
[ ] 1 block a day on mental cultivation lessons.
[ ] 1 block a day on physical cultivation lessons.
[ ] Search for a spirit to bind. (Spirit Ken)
- [ ] What kind? (Type of spirit, associated element)
- [ ] What powers would you like it to have? (Rough outline)
You have two technique slots available in the mental path. Discuss what you would like for them. You do not have to fill these slots immediately, and can choose to wait. Please feel free to ask me questions on this. Requires 5+ votes to lock in a technique.
Mental
[X]Ancient Oak Patience (Support, Wood, 50 sect points):
You channel the sturdy patience of those ancient trees which have lasted for centuries. Your hands grow steadier, and your bearing solemn and regal. Grants +degrees of success to the number of dice kept on Spirit Ken rolls, to a maximum of the letter rank of this technique, e.g. if this technique is ranked J, you may add up to 1 extra dice kept to your Spirit Ken roll on success.
Pills
[X]Hardy Body Pill. Forces the opponent in body breakthrough rolls to use their worst roll, instead of their best. Effective until Inner Human First Step.
[X]Surging Blood Pill. Grants +3 Degrees of Success to every physical cultivation roll for a week. Effective until Inner Human First Step.
[X]Crushing Waves Pill. Enhances physical cultivation rolls by +10% for a week. Effective until Inner Human First Step
[X]Plan Garden and Breakthrough
-[X] The Garden Job.
-[X] 7 Blocks on physical Cultivation X3 use Crushing Waves Pill, Hardy Body and Surging blood pill.
[X] Jia.
[X] Zhang Shui.
Kay this plan is basically using pills and focusing on breaking through to fifth stage while still doing jobs to get points.
As for techniques I decided to buy ancient oak since as a speaker we are gonna be doing a lot of spirit ken rolls.
For social I want to have all our former roommates to atleast be friends and i want to see if we gain anything at higher sl.
[X] Plan Sound Alchemy out
-[X] 2 blocks a day Garden
-[X] 1 block a day researching the basics of alchemy: what skills one needs to know to perform it, who makes a good alchemist, useful techniques for alchemy, typical helpful spirits for the purpose...surely there is no end of research one can do to understand a field to a basic level.
-[X] Spend 100 Sect Points on tuition for Body Stat
[X]Ancient Oak Patience (Support, Wood, 50 sect points):
I see nothing wrong with picking this one up. It's true that Spirit Ken will help immensely and be rolled very frequently, and it will increase Garden payout I think.
Cultivation gets us nothing at the moment except higher point efficiency from Garden jobs. I don't mind sitting on it for now until we have higher stats. 2 blocks of Garden won't get us to 300 points from the 98 we'll have left over, but it'll get us to 200 for sure, and since the burst of Physical cultivation Wing has planned will be at a higher efficiency from higher Body stat I think it would be better to postpone it for a few weeks.
[] Plan Increase Body Stat ASAP
-[] 3 blocks a day Garden
-[] Spend 100 Sect Points on tuition for Body Stat
This would be a plan that prepares to raise Body Stat as quickly as possible with nothing else in mind by raising and then spending the points required ASAP. It would postpone that burst of Physical until 2 weeks have passed.
For Social:
[ ] Other (you will go wandering and try to find someone interesting. Now that oyu are an outer disciple, new options will be available).
Is this option just to socialize with other outer disciples at random? Does it need any kind of specifications, like trying to especially socialize with other disciples who work in the Garden or trying to socialize especially with alchemists or something? Or is it meant to specify a name, like Yan from this past update?
[X] Zhang Shui.
[X] Lady Xuan
If Lady Xuan wants to recruit then I see nothing wrong with that. Might as well feel her out.
[X] Plan Sound Alchemy out
-[X] 2 blocks a day Garden
-[X] 1 block a day researching the basics of alchemy: what skills one needs to know to perform it, who makes a good alchemist, useful techniques for alchemy, typical helpful spirits for the purpose...surely there is no end of research one can do to understand a field to a basic level.
-[X] Spend 100 Sect Points on tuition for Body Stat
[X]Ancient Oak Patience (Support, Wood, 50 sect points):
I see nothing wrong with picking this one up. It's true that Spirit Ken will help immensely and be rolled very frequently, and it will increase Garden payout I think.
Cultivation gets us nothing at the moment except higher point efficiency from Garden jobs. I don't mind sitting on it for now until we have higher stats. 2 blocks of Garden won't get us to 300 points from the 98 we'll have left over, but it'll get us to 200 for sure, and since the burst of Physical cultivation Wing has planned will be at a higher efficiency from higher Body stat I think it would be better to postpone it for a few weeks.
[] Plan Increase Body Stat ASAP
-[] 3 blocks a day Garden
-[] Spend 100 Sect Points on tuition for Body Stat
This would be a plan that prepares to raise Body Stat as quickly as possible with nothing else in mind by raising and then spending the points required ASAP. It would postpone that burst of Physical until 2 weeks have passed.
For Social:
[ ] Other (you will go wandering and try to find someone interesting. Now that oyu are an outer disciple, new options will be available).
Is this option just to socialize with other outer disciples at random? Does it need any kind of specifications, like trying to especially socialize with other disciples who work in the Garden or trying to socialize especially with alchemists or something? Or is it meant to specify a name, like Yan from this past update?
[X] Zhang Shui.
[X] Lady Xuan
If Lady Xuan wants to recruit then I see nothing wrong with that. Might as well feel her out.
I want to search the library to see if there are any particular professions that speakers or people with spiritual talent are good at. Which elemental affinitties these professions prefer. I don't want Zhi Gao to jump onto the first profession he hears about. It would be better to research all professions suitable for Zhi Gao first.
[X]Ancient Oak Patience (Support, Wood, 50 sect points):
[X] The Garden Job.
I'm sure of those two.
Aside from that...hmm. Have we ever found out what kind of items there are? Like, are there passive things that we might benefit from in our training (like a lower powered, but longer lasting "pill")? Could be worth to look into.
That said, the thing with more time slots at Fifth Step is something to go for, right. @Wing101 is it intentional that you're buying and using a pill for mental cultivation and only do physical cultivation?
Also, it could be useful to train Ancient Oak Patience, if we do buy it. At least, that's my understanding of how techniques work...?
edit:
[X]Hardy Body Pill. Forces the opponent in body breakthrough rolls to use their worst roll, instead of their best. Effective until Inner Human First Step.
[X]Surging Blood Pill. Grants +3 Degrees of Success to every physical cultivation roll for a week. Effective until Inner Human First Step.
[X]Crushing Waves Pill. Enhances physical cultivation rolls by +10% for a week. Effective until Inner Human First Step
[X]Ancient Oak Patience (Support, Wood, 50 sect points):
[X] The Garden Job.
I'm sure of those two.
Aside from that...hmm. Have we ever found out what kind of items there are? Like, are there passive things that we might benefit from in our training (like a lower powered, but longer lasting "pill")? Could be worth to look into.
That said, the thing with more time slots at Fifth Step is something to go for, right. @Wing101 is it intentional that you're buying and using a pill for mental cultivation and only do physical cultivation?
Also, it could be useful to train Ancient Oak Patience, if we do buy it. At least, that's my understanding of how techniques work...?
Fuck sorry about that fixed it. And yeah we should train ancient oak but right now im focusing on breaking through 5th physical.
Next turn we can train technique research proffession and gather points while cultivating mental to peak. Then the turn after that use pills to completely reach 5th step and gain the extra block.
Mental
[X]Ancient Oak Patience (Support, Wood, 50 sect points):
You channel the sturdy patience of those ancient trees which have lasted for centuries. Your hands grow steadier, and your bearing solemn and regal. Grants +degrees of success to the number of dice kept on Spirit Ken rolls, to a maximum of the letter rank of this technique, e.g. if this technique is ranked J, you may add up to 1 extra dice kept to your Spirit Ken roll on success.
[X]Plan Let's get Physical~
-[X] The Garden Job.
-[X] 7 Blocks on Physical Cultivation, breaking through where possible X3
--[X] Buy and use the Crushing Waves, Hardy Body and Surging blood pills (125 sect points)
[X]Plan Let's get Physical~
-[X] The Garden Job.
-[X] 7 Blocks on Physical Cultivation, breaking through where possible X3
--[X] Buy and use the Crushing Waves, Hardy Body and Surging blood pills (125 sect points)
25 sect points
- Crushing Waves Pill. Enhances physical cultivation rolls by +10% for a week. Effective until Inner Human First Step.
50 sect points
- Hardy Body Pill. Forces the opponent in body breakthrough rolls to use their worst roll, instead of their best. Effective until Inner Human First Step.
- Surging Blood Pill. Grants +3 Degrees of Success to every physical cultivation roll for a week. Effective until Inner Human First Step.
As others have said, I'd rather go for the extra action block at Fifth step, and this is the quickest way to get that.
On techniques, I actually don't want to buy another one just yet? I freely admit Ancient Oaks Patience looks good, but I also really want to use all three relevant pills for both our physical week (this week) and our mental one (next week), and if we do that's 250 points total, which our sect job will only barely cover, so I'd rather wait until after our mental turn if possible.
[X] Jia
[X] Ma Gang
Pretty curious what the latter will be like when not by his liege.
By the way once we have the points for it we should probably buy atleast technique that gives bonus for each skill we have even once we wont focus on since it should atleast shore up our weakness, granted it might be better to simply raise all our skills to 50 atleast.
Also @Kadmus can we buy techniques that help our mind and body cultivation skills or will we have to find secret techniques for that?
