Remove ads

On the Road to Elspar [Book 1] (Dryad Mercenary Schoolgirl Quest)

Reader mode
[X] Plan Reinforcing Strengths

I'll change to this. We can always do AUC and Strategy/Logistics next year if needs be, and staff/stealth sounds like a pretty interesting combination. I imagine the instructors for the latter will take the buster sword as a challenge.
 
So, I guess it is my time to shill for my plan?

Okay, I think people are stretching out or making things too complicated. We do not need staff, we already have a mid to close range monster of a weapon. We do not need magic, we already have two, count them, two magic users on our team in Elizabeth and Steph.

Going unarmed is a great choice for when using the Buster Sword isn't feasible, just dropping it and using our superior Dryad strength to crush our opponents.

Also, I do think it makes more sense for Neianne to throw herself completely into the role in order to make herself the best leader she could be, hence both Tactics and Command and Strategy and Logistics.

Social is basically why we all I've this quest.

This is why I propose we choose my plan:

[ ] Plan The Littlest Leader!
 
[x] Plan Little Commander
-[x] Bestiary Studies
-[x] Tactics and Command
-[x] Strategy and Logistics
-[x] Buster Sword
-[x] Dual Daggers
-[x] Social Time

I might change my vote to another plan after reading the other players' suggestions.
Some tactics and strategy will be good for Neianne's new leaderly responsibilities. I thought about trade, but I think Sieglinde can cover it better. Bestiary is to make good use of the Buster Sword, because Neianne will obviously be taking point on those. Buster Sword to master it, and daggers so she has a quick-response and enclosed space option, and I hope she can later specialize in Throwing Knives so that it's also a ranged option. I also thought about Tome thinking maybe there's a variation of healing magic that boosts Nianne's strength and speed, making her much deadlier with the BS, or apply some chain lighting like Stephanie applied fire, to stun even if it whiffs and thus raise the chance that the next swing hits or something like that. And lastly Social to make the team more cohesive.

We should probably talk to Squad 1 at some point.

Edit: changed the Plan name.
 
Last edited:
Lazy Minx said:
we already have two, count them, two magic users on our team in Elizabeth and Steph
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Steph is not a magic user. She's set her blades on fire exactly once in quest, and on that occasion Neianne noted that that was not the way magic was supposed to work. Whatever she did with the sword it wasn't normal magic and she seems unwilling to use it openly anyway. So at most, we have a magic user and a half, and that's being generous. And neither of them have healing/buffing magic which is what staff specializes in.
 
I have something vitally important to say.

Buster sword sneak attack

It's even in character/theme. Remember sneaking past the wyvern?

Thank you for coming to my TEDryad Talk.

[x] Plan Horror Movie Monster
- [x] Stealth
- [x] Stealth
- [x] Buster Sword
- [x] Tactics and Command
- [x] Strategy and Logistics
- [x] Social Time

We can worry about our second weapon in year 3.
 
Changing vote to
[X] Plan Reinforcing Strengths

Staff for self-buffs and healing does sound good. I was on the fence for Stealth vs Strategy and Logistics, but knowing the war will end before Neianne's out of school kind of tipped it. Maybe if there's a serious risk of another war after this one, it might tip me back. But maybe replace stealth with Scouting and Tracking, to find the beasts? Or Law and Politics, since all of her noble friends are already teaching her about it?

I also just thought that the classes for Ranger!Neianne would be Alchemy and Botany, Bestiary Studies, Scout and Tracking, Stealth, and maybe Sabotage and Trapping (with a greater emphasis on the later). Maybe that's the route the one Dryad that didn't go for magic or heavy weapons went with. Maybe we should talk to her sometimes to expand our circle of dryad and non-noble friends.
 
Last edited:
To those of you who think this the only time, you'll get to vote on this think of a plan for next year, there are two years remaining.

So if your vote doesn't win, just make a plan for next, year as the type of classes she takes changes again.

So if your vote for magic or choice of weapon or class doesn't or win, just put it up for vote next time, just remember she does have two more years after this one.
 
I'm very skeptical of the synergy of Stealth with everything else? I mean, I don't know if I like the healing idea, but, the Stealth, well. And, as far as 'do daggers make sense'? Basically every historical warrior class/modern soldier/etc, etc has a sidearm or a weapon meant to serve that purpose. Dual knives are easy to keep close at hand for any and all desperate measures. Yes, hand to hand could serve the same purpose--and I'd be willing to listen to that--but, "Dual Knives I don't like, Unarmed would be better, so of course let's pick... Staff" is kinda weird reasoning? IMO.
 
Ah sorry I forgot, about how many years.

But the point still stands, what ever that isn't chosen now can be later.

And nothing was ever said about not being able to learn something new after she graduated.

Mind you some of will be harder to do, but it is possible narrative wise, and in real life.
 
The Laurent said:
I'm very skeptical of the synergy of Stealth with everything else? I mean, I don't know if I like the healing idea, but, the Stealth, well. And, as far as 'do daggers make sense'? Basically every historical warrior class/modern soldier/etc, etc has a sidearm or a weapon meant to serve that purpose. Dual knives are easy to keep close at hand for any and all desperate measures. Yes, hand to hand could serve the same purpose--and I'd be willing to listen to that--but, "Dual Knives I don't like, Unarmed would be better, so of course let's pick... Staff" is kinda weird reasoning? IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The stealth seems more for narrative reasons than anything else. Plus you have to admit that Neianne learning to sneak with a fridge sized sword on her back would be interesting.
 
My problem with the staff is that its a large weapon. Not as large as a buster sword but large enough that Neianne won't be able to carry everywhere.
Remember the ambush on the road. Neianne had to get her sword off the roof.
And the spears where tied to the side of the carriages.
​
And I'm having trouble picturing Neianne carrying both at once. At least with the daggers she doesn't have to drop one for the other.
 
[X] Plan Reinforcing Strengths
-[x] Buster Sword
-[x] Staff
-[x] Social Time
-[x] Tactics and Command
-[x] Bestiary Studies
-[x] Stealth

My logic for staff follows the OP's quite closely- this allows us to contribute outside combat, and to keep our squad in fighting shape. Not having a healer is a HUGE gap in our squad's capabilities, and it gives us a lot of options after school. Ie, a doctor gets welcomed a lot of places a Merc would get a door slammed in their face.

I do want unarmed combat too, to cover unprepared/close quarters stuff, but magic is going to require a longer commitment to get decent at, I think.

Stealth is a good move towards synergy with Stephanie, I think, and it also makes us more solo-capable, in that we get more choices than fight/run when we see a for outside our ability.
 
It would be nice if we could ask our squadmates what they'll pick as their secondary weapons, in case one of the others also thought about making up for our squad's gap. I mainly picked staff for the buffs and debuffs, personally. The later could work into Neianne planning ahead with her strikes, setting up for a blow with her BS.
 
Absum said:
Ahem, that said, while I'm not sure I'll at any point have the time I'd need to make/pick a vote here, there's one thing I do wanna rep. Crossbows. They hecka good, come in both big and small models (possibly allowing us an indoor and outdoor set) and we come pre-equipped with our very own pavise. Mostly though I just like the look of buster sword + crossbow and also buster sword as shield.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah, I had the same thought. Crossbow + buster sword has the most appealing visuals to me, which is the most important thing as far I'm concerned, and I'm not too worried about minmaxing.

Neianne shouldn't be getting into duels to begin with. A more flexible weapon as a backup should be looked into so we don't get caught flatfooted, but it should be a backup. If we wanted to get into one-on-one fights with human sized opponents, we picked the wrong weapon.

And the logic of making the person with the big fuckoff sword also the healer and a leader is like "hey, let's stack all the roles on Neianne that make her a prime target" is a bit... iffy.

EDIT: Also, giving a character defined weaknesses in combat makes for more interesting fights than trying to cover everything, y'know.
 
Last edited:
Also, I just fucking love the imagery of like, shy smol dryad who is just packing nothing but brutal heavyweight class weaponry.

Just

Neianne with the buster sword and a heavy duty arbalest, because all her weapons need to be capable of killing angry wyverns in a pinch.
 
Last edited:
What if we got basic proficiency in as many weapons as possible, then carried all of them? We could pull a Sosuke Sagara disarming and terrify our enemies.
 
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top