Each Bloody Siege bit can take 2 PD hits, can be repaired with Psyco-Regen, and retain the benefit of the Turn-Type Armor, the I-Field, and the Flight Mode. Note that the I-Field is shared among them, so if it breaks for one it breaks for all.
[X] Agree.
-[X] Engagement range.
--[X] Close in.
-[X] Mobility.
--[X] Stick with the Lightwave Maneuvering Thrusters (Flight Mode).
-[X] Initial Left Hand Weapon.
--[X] Type-TX Bazooka.
-[X] Destruction Manipulator Melee Weapon.
--[X] Shining Finger.
-[X] Destruction Manipulator Ranged Weapon.
--[X] Buster Rifle.
-[X] Armory Drone.
--[X] Dober Gun.
-[X] Defenses.
--[X] Activate both of them.
-[X] NT Systems.
--[X] Activate NT-D Mode.
-[X] NT Power.
--[X] Psyco-Shroud.
--[X] NT Empathy.
--[X] Psyco-Regen.
-[X] Psycho-Field. (NT-D Mode only)
--[X] Dream Ward.
Since it seems safe enough going for it.
Picked based on overcoming their armor save though.
And to avoid giving him Blitz, closing in for a brawl.
NT-D over Bloody Siege since the Bloody Siege I-Field and equipment are not properly fixed yet
Focusing on defensive NT powers since he has counterattacks for failed psychich attacks(plus Psycho Shroud against the Turn A's beam weapons is a plus)
And Dream Ward because Gym is terrifyingly specialized into Telepathic Strike and I'd prefer not to eat that.
I hope that's not actually going to murder him though. This would be 'going lethal' against anything but a Turn Unit.
Note that unlike Veekie I absolutely want it to kill him. Gym needs to die. The man knew what the Moonlight Butterfly does and tried to set it off. The man WANTS another bloody system wide war for the sake of a bloody system wide war.
Looks like you all forgot about the Armory Drone, or maybe @veekie just wrote his vote before I remembered to put it into the update, one or the other.
Note that unlike Veekie I absolutely want it to kill him. Gym needs to die. The man knew what the Moonlight Butterfly does and tried to set it off. The man WANTS another bloody system wide war for the sake of a bloody system wide war.
[X] Engagement range.
-[X] Close in.
[X] Mobility.
-[X] Stick with the Lightwave Maneuvering Thrusters (Flight Mode).
[X] Initial Left Hand Weapon.
-[X] Type-TX Bazooka.
[X] Destruction Manipulator Melee Weapon.
-[X] Shining Finger.
[X] Destruction Manipulator Ranged Weapon.
-[X] Buster Rifle.
[X] Armory Drone.
-[X] Dober Gun.
[X] Defenses.
-[X] Activate both of them.
[X] NT Systems.
-[X] Activate NT-D Mode.
[X] NT Power.
-[X] Psyco-Shroud.
-[X] NT Empathy.
-[X] Psyco-Regen.
[X] Psycho-Field. (NT-D Mode only)
-[X] Dream Ward.
"Very well, Gym Ghingham." You say as you prepare for battle. "I accept."
"Excellent!" He exclaims, exuberantly waving the Turn A's arms. "Even asleep, the brothers should show the world a battle such as men can only dream of!"
Loran rolls 1d100 for Initiative = 67!
Gym rolls 1d100 for Initiative = 62!
Turn Order is: Loran, Gym!
DC 50 for Control = 77! Success! Loran Retains Control!
DC 50 for Control = 13! Major Failure! Piloting Level reduced by 2 this Turn!
2DC 30-15(Shatterpoint Vision)+20(Type-TA Shield)+20(Enemy NT Empathy vs Hidden Hand) Shining Finger Hit = 44, 99! 1 Failure! 1 Critical Success! Critical Hit! Ignore Saves + Double Damage!
DC 1 Armor Grade vs Critical Hit = 6! Success!
Gym Ghingham (Turn A) takes 3(6/2) Integrity Damage!
Armory Drone Dober Gun 1d2 Attacks = 1!
DC 40+20(Enemy NT Empathy vs Hidden Hand Armory Drone Dober Gun Hit = 46! Failure!
Psycho-Field! Dream Ward Created!
Gym Ghingham (Turn A) 5/12 12/12(I-Field)
Type-TA Beam Saber 2d2 Attacks = 4!
4DC 70-15(Shatterpoint Vision)+25(Enemy NT Empathy) Type-TA Beam Saber Hit DC = 55; 66; 95; 45! 3 Failures! 1 Major Success! -10 to Type-TA Beam Saber Hit DC next Turn!
DC 10+25(Enemy NT Empathy) Spatial Distortion Hit = 55! Success!
DC 4 Dream Ward Save = 4! Success!
Warp! Dream Ward takes 5(10/2) Integrity Damage!
Dream Ward Regenerates 2 Integrity!
Turn A Regenerates 5 Integrity!
It is clear from the moment you spring forward, Shining Finger at the ready, that Ghingham is having problems. The malign presence surges forth to battle him for control of the Turn A, making piloting the ancient Mobile Suit a struggle for him. He still catches the Shining Finger on his oval shield, blunting the damage caused by the awesome power you bathe him in. You follow up with a pair of quick jabs of your Wrist Beam Saber, the first of which is deflected while the other stabs deeply into a section of circuity exposed by the Turn A's NT-D Mode. Its armor holds, but the blade does deal damage as it bites into his unit's torso. With a finishing pulse of Pressure, you rally your Psycho-Field to create a Dream Ward around the White Doll.
Ghingham counterattacks with his Beam Saber and unleashes a lightning-quick combo of four slashes, three of which you deflect before the fourth and final one elegantly slips through your guard to take a chunk out of your Dream Ward. A quartet of barbed, black blades of malice shoot out from his Pressure as he strikes at you, and by some miracle you turn aside half of them through the efforts of your own Pressure while the other two bounce harmlessly off your Dream Ward. His Spatial Distortion slams into it a moment later, and while the Dream Ward holds against the onslaught it is a close thing.
"This Turn A is amazing!" Laughs Ghingham as the two of you break apart. "Power, speed, durability, versatility…it has it all!" Both of you take a moment to size each other up and take stock of the situation, and then you both dive back in.
Loran rolls 1d100 for Initiative = 74!
Gym rolls 1d100 for Initiative = 83!
Turn Order is: Loran, Gym!
DC 50 for Control = 56! Success! Gym Retains Control!
DC 50 for Control = 64! Success! Loran Retains Control!
Gym Ghingham (Turn A) 10/12 12/12(I-Field)
Type-TA Beam Saber 2d2 Attacks = 3!
3DC 50-10(Major Success)-15(Shatterpoint Vision)+25(Enemy NT Empathy) Type-TA Beam Saber Hit DC = 2; 86; 74! 1 Critical Failure! 1 Success! 1 Major Success! -10 to Type-TA Beam Saber Hit DC next Turn! Critical Failure! -1 Attack dice next Turn for Type TA Beam Saber!
Loran Cehack (White Doll) takes 17 Integrity Damage! White Doll has been-
Combat Mode! Turn X escapes Destruction!
Turn X Regenerates 40 Integrity!
Turn A Regenerates 5 Integrity!
Gym wrests control of the Turn A back from the Psychoframe Ghost within and takes the initiative, delivering three slashes across the White Doll. Two of them strike your Dream Ward to no effect, but the third is deflected by you countering his attack with a quick punch from the White Doll's left hand, striking the physical part of the beam saber and damaging it. He takes his flickering weapon in a stride, stepping back and covering his short retreat with another brace of malign blades. You turn three of them aside before they reach you, and the fourth shatters against your Dream Ward.
And then everything goes wrong.
Ghingham readies another burst of his Psycho-Field and unleashes a second Spatial Distortion. It has been long since you fought so you never really thought about it, but with your recovering body you should be able to use more than one Psycho-Field Discipline-
The Distortion hammers the Dream Ward from all sides, tearing it asunder before it moves on to harry the molecular bonds holding the White Doll together. You can feel it as the cockpit buckles under the assault, but an instant of thought is all that is necessary to activate the White Doll's Combat Mode.
The instant passes, and the Turn X exits its teleport outside of the Distortion's effect.
You have lost.
"…I lost." You sigh, deactivating Combat Mode and recalling your Armory Drone. "You win."
"Heh." He laughs, his Pressure humming as he puts his weapons away. "I got lucky with that last Spatial Distortion. We could have kept going for days if I hadn't."
You suppose he is right, you muse to the tone of your Armory Drone resuming its place as the White Doll's backpack, accepting the Type-TX Bazooka as you put it away. "Neither of us have fully matured yet." You mumble before prodding his Pressure with your own. "You had you Limiters removed, didn't you?"
He nods. "I did. Queen Junno's mandated gene therapy and DG-Cell regimen hardened me enough that there were minimal risks once I tamed the Turn A. no reason not to become closer to the perfection that was Master Kreis."
Oh right, the Ghingham Fleet thinks of itself as the successors of the Dark History Veterans.
"One day, when we have both reached the heights of power," He continues, heedless of your thoughts. "Then we shall shake the heavens with our battle." The Turn A makes a shooing motion. "But for now: Begone with you. I have a war to fight."
You leave the USX with stung pride and a new impression of the Turn A's power. And after reporting the battle's events to Lord Guin back in Luzipurch you go to bed to rest.
Only to wake with new power of your own.
Loran has attained NT Level 7! Loran can use Level 4 NT Powers with the assistance of a Psychoframe (Level 5 with the NT-D Mode)!
Choose 3 NT Perks.
[] Trueshot Vision. (lvl4)
-Pinpoint Vision now uses your full NT Empathy Bonus. (Requires Third Eye and Remote Viewing)
[] Truestrike Vision. (lvl4)
-Shatterpoint Vision now uses your full NT Empathy Bonus. (Requires Third Eye and Remote Viewing)
[] Eye of God. (lvlEX)
-???
-Requires NT Level 8, Complete Body Recovery, and active Combat Mode to activate.
(Requires Trueshot Vision and Truestrike Vision)
[] Subtle Strike. (lvl2)
-Reduces the effect of the Target's NT Empathy against you by two Levels. (Requires Hidden Hand and Future Sight OR Combat Clairvoyance)
[] Rend. (lvl1)
-Telekinetic Strikes gain one level of Penetration with every other NT Power Level, starting from 1.
[] Destroyer. (lvl1)
-Doubles number of Telekinetic Strike Attacks.
[] Elementalist (lvl2)
-Unlocks the Pyrokinetic Strike and Fulgurkinetic Strike Disciplines. (Requires Rend and Destroyer)
[] Psychokinesis (lvl2)
-Unlocks the Psyco-Boost and Psyco-Aid Disciplines. (Requires Rend and Destroyer)
[] Mindlash. (lvl1)
-Telepathic Strikes jump to deal half Damage to the nearest enemy mind.
[] Maze Counter. (lvl1)
-Attacker takes half Damage when you successfully resist a Mental Attack.
[] Mindflayer. (Lvl2)
-Telepathic Strikes inflict Statuses one level above what it normally would upon Major Successes. (Requires Mindlash and Maze Counter)
[] Bastion. (lvl1)
-Telekinetic Barriers gain -1 for every second NT Level to their Armor Save DC.
[] Last Ditch. (lvl1)
-If a Telekinetic Barrier has at least 2 points of Integrity left, no single non-Critical Hit Attack can reduce it below 1.
[] Cloister. (lvl2)
-Unlocks the Cloister Discipline. (Requires Bastion and Last Ditch)
[] Wide Guard. (lvl2)
-May expand all Barrier Disciplines like Telekinetic Barrier and Cloister to cover all allies within Medium Range at no loss to Integrity.
Here are the Level 5 NT Powers known to Loran and co. They have been added to the NT Powers List threadmark in the Informational tab.
Telekinetic Strike 5:
Attacks per turn 5d1.
Damage: 5
Base AP: 5
Critical Hit: On Major and Perfect Successes.
Special: -Line of Sight Attack: Base Hit DC locked to 10. -Bypass: Do not affect and are not affected by the Target's non-Armor defenses.
Telepathic Strike 5:
Attacks: 1d1
Damage: 5d4 Mental Damage
Criticals: On Critical Success.
Special: -Breach: Base DC 1, Critical + (Critical Hits on Major Success) and Massive Criticals 1 (Extra strong Critical Hit on Critical Success) when striking targets with an NT-Level of 0
Telekinetic Barrier 5:
Forms an additional layer of defense around the Mobile Suit.
Integrity: 12
Armor Save: 6
Special: -Regenerate 3: Regenerates 3 Integrity at the beginning of every Turn. -Will Powered: Loses 1/2 Max Integrity and Regenerate 3 when Condition becomes Tired or below. -Feedback: If the barrier is broken by an Attack stronger than 2*Current Integrity the person maintaining the Barrier will suffer +10 to the DC of their next Condition roll. This effect stacks. -Full Stop: Attacks that break the Barrier do not, in most cases, continue on to strike the unit.
NT Empathy 5: +30 to Hit DC for Attacks targeting Loran's Mobile Suit (White Doll). Only triggers on Attacks from ensouled beings.
Base Regeneration per Turn: 5 Active Effort: -1 Regenerate per level of negative Condition, both Physical and Mental. Requirement: Unit must have a Psycommu System or equivalent feature.
Psyco-Shroud 5:
Forms an additional layer of defense around the Mobile Suit.
Integrity: 10
Field Save: 5+
Special: -I-Field: Barrier against Ranged Beam Attacks only. Immune to Beam Penetration. -Shroud Regenerate 5: Regenerates 5 Integrity at the beginning of every Turn. A Beam weapon must have been used last Turn. -Will Powered: Loses 1/2 Max Integrity when Condition becomes Tired or below. Loses one level of Regenerate with every negative ailment. -Situational: The Shroud can only form after a Beam Weapon has been discharged. -Dampen: If an Attack breaks the Psyco-Shroud with Damage to spare, it continues on to strike the unit for that value of Damage.
Pyrokinetic Strike 5:
Attacks per turn 5d1.
Damage: 3
Base AP: 3
Critical Hit: On Perfect Success.
Special: -Mind Guided: -30 to Hit DC. -Heat Up 5: Adds 5 point of Heat Damage upon striking a Target directly. -Flyswatter: Mobile Pods are instantly Destroyed on hit.
Fulgurkinetic Strike 5:
Attacks per turn 3d1.
Damage: 5
Base AP: 6
Critical Hit: On Perfect Success.
Special: -Line of Sight Attack: Base Hit DC locked to 10. -Sieze 5: Adds 4 points of Electric Damage upon striking a Target directly.
Maze Counter a no brainer and Subtle Strike is a huge countermeasure to any Empathy users.
Last Ditch...turns the TK shields into ablatives. We'd want that.
We never use the TK shields because they're shit compared to the Turn A's own defenses and have backlash. Stop throwing away a perk.
And Subtle Strike is worse than the level 4 NT Empathy perks.
Subtle Strike shaves off 1 effective level of NT empathy. That's shaving 5 points off their defense.
The level 4 nt Empathy perks double the effectiveness of our prior NT empathy to offense perks - which is a 12.5 point increase to our offense even before factoring in increase to the NT empathy bonus this level.
First: The Barrier has no meaningful armor save and no Armor grade. Normal MS weapons will quickly shred it, but they can't hurt us. It has no meaningful defensive value.
Second: The way last ditch works means that if it kicks in, the Barrier Feedback will trigger. And for a whole lot of mobile suits triggering barrier feedback is the only way to do a damn thing to us sans crits they have.
While it might make the TK Barrier stop one more shot ... odds are that shot it stopped was more dangerous to us being stopped by the barrier than hitting the armor.
And we never use TK barrier anyway. If you really want to invest in it Bastion is better. It changes the pointless 6+ Save on the Barrier to a 3+ save with room to grow beyond that. That's actually pretty good.
I have added more NT Perks to the list of options, specifically those you can get by spending your available 3 Perk points, so that you might make a more informed decision.
Because apparently they took me saying "Here's why TK barrier is shit, if you're totally insistent on upgrading a shit power we never use at least get the less shitty perk that doesn't make it WORSE, ... but don't upgrade it" as "Get both perks for the shit power instead of working on our focus" not "If you're going to be idiots in which power you upgrade, at least actually upgrade a power rather than sidegrading/downgrading it."
Just checking - we get NT perk purchases every NT level, or every other level?
Because whether or not I go for Eye of God over Subtle strike is determined by that.
Cloister is a normal Discipline, not a Psycho-Field power. It is a barrier variant that doesn't get saves, but blocks Mental Attacks, covers a wider area around the Psychic, and doesn't trigger Feedback.
You decide to take the opportunity to learn some new ways of defending yourself, especially against Gym Ghingham's telepathic attacks. The other two bolster your Telekinetic Barrier Discipline. You have only rarely used said Discipline through the course of the war, but now that you have honed your skill with it you might begin to.
*
There is a cloying tension suffusing Luzipurch when you arrive there after completing your self-study, visible to your sixth sense as a dull mix of black, red, and yellow that casts a thick pallor over the city. News of the Ghingham Fleet's landing in the United States of Xiping have made the rounds already, and everyone knows that war with Junno's regime approaches.
As for yourself, you spent the car ride here dwelling on what you feel from the other side of the world: The Ghingham Fleet tearing through the USX's defensive lines, Gym Ghingham's Pressure singing for joy as he fights. The thought of it disturbs you
According to what Lord Guin told you over the phone, the city has been kept awake by frenzied communication with other nations, especially with the USX and the surrounding countries, as governments all across the planet try to get grasp the extent of the situation. That is what today's meeting of the Congress is about, the planned debate on a unified infrastructure body canceled in favor of addressing the invasion. Lord Guin told you he plans to promote a united front and to reach out to non-Amerian states willing to join an Anti-Junno Coalition.
Of course, how well that goes will depend on how the war goes in the USX, you muse as you listen to the Xiping ambassador to the Congress of the Amerias explain that Junno gave his government an offer to become her subjects or face war before the invasion began. They refused, but unless the Ghingham Fleet onslaught can be stopped or turn away it looks increasingly likely that the countries surrounding the USX might consider taking her up on her offer.
But that still leaves why they chose to land in the USX to begin with. It can't just be because it is on the opposite side of the planet from you, can it? Do they have a map of the Mountain Cycles and one in the USC has something they want? Is there a Mass Driver there?
You freeze up in sudden, terrifying realization. "Did…did anyone remember to warn the Adeskans?" You whisper urgently to Lord Guin. "The Ghingham Fleet cannot afford to ignore it and its connection to the Zacktraeger, not if they want to maintain orbital superiority."
He nods without taking his eyes of the speaker, the Prince of Michig, who is arguing some point or other in favor of a Pan-Amerian high command. "I sent a ship down to Manupitch a few weeks after we returned to Earth." He assures you, telling the truth. "Don't worry about it."
Good. That's…that's good.
*
The debate continues until you reach a rather pressing issue: No matter what is decided, the Amerian States ability to project force into East Etzia is limited to yourself, and until you get the Voiture Lumiere repaired the only way for you to get from here to the USX in a timely manner is by using the White Doll's Combat Mode teleport functionality, which allows Ghingham to instantly home in on your location. The same is true if he activates the Turn A's Combat Mode, of course, but the problem remains.
Eventually Lord Guin is called on to speak. You have a few moments before he goes up on the stage.
[] Recommend reaching out to the Dianna Counter.
[] Quickly ask him about any recent Mountain Cycle findings.
[] Suggest sending you to the USX as an 'advisor'.
