- Location
- Ukraine
Okay, Bki's argument has convinced me. 
[X] Renaud
Some thoughts on the following build:
First of all, support spells are, honestly, not fit for Emma. She is a close combat specialist who will need her mana for direct applications to the opponents' skulls rather than sharing it with friendlies. She also has a penalty to control and a penalty to non-combat spells, with this field falling under both classifications. As such, it is only logical to discard their use, relying on our familiar and allies for such tasks.
Moving on, the opponents here use hit and run tactics so, normally, strong forcefields difficult to break out of would be a very useful asset. However, points cannot be spared for it without weakening Emma's melee prowess. Furthermore, it is likely that the enemy will have a mage specializing in the field; as such, without extra points dedicated to them, forcefields are largely useless for this mission anyway. And if we want to spring a trap, we will have time to set it up so efficiency becomes a lesser factor. In light of this, putting those points instead into areas that may allow us to bring the enemies to heel and round them up before they can even think of retreating is a much preferable option, I find.
I envision Emma as a strong- and fast-hitting fighter in Zest's vein. Thus, 2 points placed into movement spells for high mobility, as well as melee spells and shields for active attack and defense. A point put into binds primarily for sneaky, tricky trapping purposes (obviously Reina's influence there). And the last field of specialization is Information spells. If we had Eve, I would limit this to a single +, regardless of reflex enhancement. Alas, without a big badass wolf always there to protect her back, Emma both needs a greater expertise in searching/tracking spells herself and needs to react faster herself.
That, while looking good, would put the build at 9 points used, which is just one point away from suffering theunknown doomy doom of doom full penalty mentioned by Bki earlier. That's bad. Out of the listed categories, it's probably the safest to remove a point from melee spells seeing as the magic system already grants us 4 pluses to it. Overspecialization is also a thing, and there's no use in having S rank melee spells when they will dry the user's reserves faster than their names can be announced. If anyone has other ideas, though, I welcome any suggestions.
On baseline stats, this is up for discussion as to what is most useful and why but I've singled out Emma's reflexes in her backstory so I'm sticking with that.
[X] Plan Ferian Remastered
[+] Mêlée spells : Close combat spells and weapon enhancement.
[++] Shield spells : Defensive spells covering only a single direction in exchange for more stopping power. Often repel an attack.
[+] Capture spells : Spells used to restrain or detain a target, covering both bind and cage.
[-] Force-fields : Spells separating a large area from the outside world, often also applying some kind of effect inside the force-field.
[---] Support spells : Spells increasing the capabilities of allies. Also, healing spells.
[++] Movement spells : Rapid movement and flight spells.
[-] Dimensional spells : spell involving manipulation of the dimensions. Notably include teleportation spells. Things like the Arc-en-Ciel would also fall under this.
[++] Information spells : Spells related to information gathering and data processing. Notably, include reflexes enhancement spells.
Device
[X] Astra Purna
Baseline Stats
[D] Toughness
[C] Reflexes
[D] Strength
Advantages
[xx] Mana conversion (cost 1, can be taken up to three time) : Increase efficiency of spells of the relevant "element"
-[x] Lightning
[xx] Peak condition (cost 1, can be taken up to three time) : Increase all physical attributes by a rank. Level 2 or 3 are expression of gene-modifications, implants, effect of a lost-logia, or some other similar cause.
[xx] Familiar
[X] Renaud
Some thoughts on the following build:
First of all, support spells are, honestly, not fit for Emma. She is a close combat specialist who will need her mana for direct applications to the opponents' skulls rather than sharing it with friendlies. She also has a penalty to control and a penalty to non-combat spells, with this field falling under both classifications. As such, it is only logical to discard their use, relying on our familiar and allies for such tasks.
Moving on, the opponents here use hit and run tactics so, normally, strong forcefields difficult to break out of would be a very useful asset. However, points cannot be spared for it without weakening Emma's melee prowess. Furthermore, it is likely that the enemy will have a mage specializing in the field; as such, without extra points dedicated to them, forcefields are largely useless for this mission anyway. And if we want to spring a trap, we will have time to set it up so efficiency becomes a lesser factor. In light of this, putting those points instead into areas that may allow us to bring the enemies to heel and round them up before they can even think of retreating is a much preferable option, I find.
I envision Emma as a strong- and fast-hitting fighter in Zest's vein. Thus, 2 points placed into movement spells for high mobility, as well as melee spells and shields for active attack and defense. A point put into binds primarily for sneaky, tricky trapping purposes (obviously Reina's influence there). And the last field of specialization is Information spells. If we had Eve, I would limit this to a single +, regardless of reflex enhancement. Alas, without a big badass wolf always there to protect her back, Emma both needs a greater expertise in searching/tracking spells herself and needs to react faster herself.
That, while looking good, would put the build at 9 points used, which is just one point away from suffering the
On baseline stats, this is up for discussion as to what is most useful and why but I've singled out Emma's reflexes in her backstory so I'm sticking with that.
[X] Plan Ferian Remastered
[+] Mêlée spells : Close combat spells and weapon enhancement.
[++] Shield spells : Defensive spells covering only a single direction in exchange for more stopping power. Often repel an attack.
[+] Capture spells : Spells used to restrain or detain a target, covering both bind and cage.
[-] Force-fields : Spells separating a large area from the outside world, often also applying some kind of effect inside the force-field.
[---] Support spells : Spells increasing the capabilities of allies. Also, healing spells.
[++] Movement spells : Rapid movement and flight spells.
[-] Dimensional spells : spell involving manipulation of the dimensions. Notably include teleportation spells. Things like the Arc-en-Ciel would also fall under this.
[++] Information spells : Spells related to information gathering and data processing. Notably, include reflexes enhancement spells.
Device
[X] Astra Purna
The professor, who had helped design and had personally overseen the device's creation, was given the honor of naming it. The foreign to her ears term "Astra", according to the professor himself, denotes a divine power in a culture from a far-away non-administered planet. "Purna" translates to perfect, complete, absolute, all. The naming theme for her spells is also derived from the same culture. She thought it largely unimaginative, what with every other spell ending with the same "astra" but hadn't objected out of respect for her teacher; it was also a convenient convention, as she would later find.
[X] Standby Form. A bracelet of classical Belkan design, usually carried around her left wrist.
[X] Bident Form. It looks like a bident with two straight, parallel blades*, and it works like a bident. It's used as a bident/spear, even. But if you look at it as just a bident, you will miss the small muzzle between the two blades and will get shot in the face at point-blank range. This is the device's shooting/sealing mode. The bident's blades double as conductive rails for Emma's most powerful powerful shooting spell, Vasavi Shakti, which fires a metallic projectile carrying a potent magical charge at several times the speed of sound using the principle of a railgun and mana conversion to power it; this allows for unmatched penetrative property and outright excessive destructive ability. Due to high risk of collateral damage and high lethality, this particular spell does not see much use. In fact, its use can be troublesome due to laws regarding mass-based weapons on worlds within the TSAB sphere of influence (it isn't, technically, one but as a magical attack that uses mass-based projectiles, it is up to interpretation; and people already pissed off at you for property damage will be more inclined to interpret things not in your favour). As such, the muzzle between the bident's blades is typically used to fire lesser shooting or bombardment spells.
Looks a lot like this, but without the helix motif and with actually bladed blades.
[X] Crescent Form. A polearm with a large, heavy blade on its business end*. This is the mode primarily used for close combat, and on top of being a highly effective weapon by itself in Emma's hands, it's the form most attuned to her melee spells. A plasma extension can be generated around the blade, dramatically increasing the weapon's cutting power. Alternatively, the blade can be used to focus and hold a strong charged of conversed elemental mana that can be unleashed on a moment's notice; this trick is often used if the opponent chooses to block an attack with a melee weapon of their own, placing them within range to be thoroughly shocked. The back of the blade holds a thin chasm that can likewise accumulate unconversed mana and release it in a torrent of force driving the weapon forward towards its target for a much faster and more powerful blow than anticipated. Alternatively, a spell derived from flight/motion spells can be used to generate a similar effect, of lesser effectiveness but continuous. Other melee spells can be used with this mode as well, of course.
*Looks like a guandao akin to Guan Yu's here but with the dragon head replaced with a cartridge system akin to Bardiche.
[X] Slash Emperor. A new mode devised fairly recently on Chrono Harlawn's suggestion. The shaft of the device is shortened for more comfortable wielding, and the physical blade of the polearm is substituted with a torrent of plasma focused into a thin, flat shape.* The lesser weight of the weapon allows for faster, if lighter, swings. The issue of decreased striking power is mitigated by the increased penetrative power and overall destructive capability. The size of the blade can be altered by increasing or decreasing the energy output. Using the cartridge system, it is possible to extend the blade to colossal proportions, with the limit being the user's ability to hold that amount of power in a coherent shape. Due to her control issues, Emma cannot effectively use this form for extended periods of time or extend it to truly huge length without a risk of it exploding effectively in her face. For the time being, she has found applications for the principle that the original wielder would probably pale upon hearing about. For example, using a manoeuvre similar to Barrier Jacket Purge, Emma can overcharge and forcefully disperse the blade, thus unleashing a torrent of lightning and plasma in a short- to mid-range conical area in front of her.
*The appearance of the resulting weapon is akin to Sannosuke's zanbato
Yup, I'm totally not stealing Fate's trick here. I'm having Chrono do it for us.
[X] Standby Form. A bracelet of classical Belkan design, usually carried around her left wrist.
[X] Bident Form. It looks like a bident with two straight, parallel blades*, and it works like a bident. It's used as a bident/spear, even. But if you look at it as just a bident, you will miss the small muzzle between the two blades and will get shot in the face at point-blank range. This is the device's shooting/sealing mode. The bident's blades double as conductive rails for Emma's most powerful powerful shooting spell, Vasavi Shakti, which fires a metallic projectile carrying a potent magical charge at several times the speed of sound using the principle of a railgun and mana conversion to power it; this allows for unmatched penetrative property and outright excessive destructive ability. Due to high risk of collateral damage and high lethality, this particular spell does not see much use. In fact, its use can be troublesome due to laws regarding mass-based weapons on worlds within the TSAB sphere of influence (it isn't, technically, one but as a magical attack that uses mass-based projectiles, it is up to interpretation; and people already pissed off at you for property damage will be more inclined to interpret things not in your favour). As such, the muzzle between the bident's blades is typically used to fire lesser shooting or bombardment spells.
Looks a lot like this, but without the helix motif and with actually bladed blades.
[X] Crescent Form. A polearm with a large, heavy blade on its business end*. This is the mode primarily used for close combat, and on top of being a highly effective weapon by itself in Emma's hands, it's the form most attuned to her melee spells. A plasma extension can be generated around the blade, dramatically increasing the weapon's cutting power. Alternatively, the blade can be used to focus and hold a strong charged of conversed elemental mana that can be unleashed on a moment's notice; this trick is often used if the opponent chooses to block an attack with a melee weapon of their own, placing them within range to be thoroughly shocked. The back of the blade holds a thin chasm that can likewise accumulate unconversed mana and release it in a torrent of force driving the weapon forward towards its target for a much faster and more powerful blow than anticipated. Alternatively, a spell derived from flight/motion spells can be used to generate a similar effect, of lesser effectiveness but continuous. Other melee spells can be used with this mode as well, of course.
*Looks like a guandao akin to Guan Yu's here but with the dragon head replaced with a cartridge system akin to Bardiche.
[X] Slash Emperor. A new mode devised fairly recently on Chrono Harlawn's suggestion. The shaft of the device is shortened for more comfortable wielding, and the physical blade of the polearm is substituted with a torrent of plasma focused into a thin, flat shape.* The lesser weight of the weapon allows for faster, if lighter, swings. The issue of decreased striking power is mitigated by the increased penetrative power and overall destructive capability. The size of the blade can be altered by increasing or decreasing the energy output. Using the cartridge system, it is possible to extend the blade to colossal proportions, with the limit being the user's ability to hold that amount of power in a coherent shape. Due to her control issues, Emma cannot effectively use this form for extended periods of time or extend it to truly huge length without a risk of it exploding effectively in her face. For the time being, she has found applications for the principle that the original wielder would probably pale upon hearing about. For example, using a manoeuvre similar to Barrier Jacket Purge, Emma can overcharge and forcefully disperse the blade, thus unleashing a torrent of lightning and plasma in a short- to mid-range conical area in front of her.
*The appearance of the resulting weapon is akin to Sannosuke's zanbato
Yup, I'm totally not stealing Fate's trick here. I'm having Chrono do it for us.
Baseline Stats
[D] Toughness
[C] Reflexes
[D] Strength
Advantages
[xx] Mana conversion (cost 1, can be taken up to three time) : Increase efficiency of spells of the relevant "element"
-[x] Lightning
[xx] Peak condition (cost 1, can be taken up to three time) : Increase all physical attributes by a rank. Level 2 or 3 are expression of gene-modifications, implants, effect of a lost-logia, or some other similar cause.
[xx] Familiar
