Reliquian (Antiquirian) (Update on First Post)

[LastingDawn]

Excellent ideas everyone! Choosing just a few is going to be difficult! But alas we only have 10 skills to use for this. Regardless these ideas are quite top notch! But as Voldemort said, Katana's are more then likely going to be removed and changed, so best not to include those.

[Skip Sandwich]

Another set of potentials, this time inspired by the Shield Rod item from SOTN

Mithril Shield: Grants the Defending status to self and nearby allies
Gold Shield: Blinds nearby enemies
Ice Shield: inflicts Slow or Sleep status to nearby foes
Flame Shield: self+ Berserk, Haste and Protect
Aegis Shield: self+ Faith
Diamond Shield: Grants Protect to allies in area
Platina Shield: Deals holy element damage in a cross shaped area of effect
Crystal Shield: Grants Shell to allies in area
Kaiser Plate: summon the king of dragons, Bahamut
Venetian Shield: cast MBarrier on self

[LastingDawn]

As it stands I have some bad news... it doesn't appear to work with Armor, or Shields, or Accessories... alas, as much as I loved those ideas we'll have to leave them behind. Of course one could create new weapons for these if they'd like. We do have 10 Katana to replace after all.

[Archael]

the new weapon type can be "Treasures"

no one equips them

they are just there for the job to use

and-- get this

to get more "treasures" you have to poach monsters

they cannot be foun in shops

Voldemort 1

rest of world 0

[boomkick]

lol... you have a lot of choices LD.

[LastingDawn]

You... Voldemort!!!
You MAD genuis!
This is one truly unique idea! With such implementation, and as you've said will get people to poach as well! And with such a short supply only gained by more poaching... oh such an idea is close to my heart! I will work to make this a reality!

Now the next question...

What would you fellows want as the "valuables"(treasures is a very confusing term now, so Valuables will do for now) This is the best idea, I think I've heard in Mercenaries yet!

[Clockwork Seal]

It actually seems kind of lame to have a job that ONLY works if you've been poaching.  Unless Secret Hunt is innate and widely available?

It's one thing to have a job be better if you poach.  It's another thing entirely to rely on poaching to ever make the job be able to use its abilities, and renders it obnoxious enough to fuel the abilities that nobody would ever bother doing it unless the abilities were absurdly overpowered.

[The Damned]

(Noted EDIT: This was typed before Skip Sandwich's post was on this page. Damn I type slowly.)


I've been thinking about this all day, partly because the name "Seeker" bothers me so damned much and partly because I wasn't aware that you could use Draw Out for this considering it's screwing with the last class I want for generics (at the moment); therefore, this type of thing may end being a (temporary) replacement.

Anyway, part of thing I was thinking about with regards to the name, we can we call them Demystifiers?

That aside, I must say that I'm somewhat sad to see you're getting rid of Axes (and I'm assuming the same for Flails unless you've 1.3'd them), especially since I came up with what I thought was a decent Axe skill. I'm wasn't aware that we only got 10 spaces to work with, so I guess that also limits my options to the point where I'll stick with weapons.

So, at the moment, I know you're getting rid of Axes, Bags, Balls, Cloths, Harps, Ninja Swords and, presumably, Katana and Shuriken:

• Type: Sword --> Weapon: Broad Sword --> Ability Name: Compass OR Point --> Description: "A weak linear attack that splinters the most common of swords with Lightning to find either the path home or to victory." (Minor damage; Lightning Element [if the formula allows for it]; Linear Attack with furthest reaching range of all abilities in this Skill Set--basically a far weaker Lightning-based Kikuichimoji; Discriminating Damage)
• Type: Knight Sword --> Weapon: Save the Queen --> Ability Name: Legacy OR Live Long/Prosper --> Description: "The shattering of this royal sword releases an angelic version of the national anthem, which rallies all allies." (Buffing ability that Adds Separate [or All if there is only one Save the Queen] Haste, Protect, Shell, Reflect, Reraise, Regen, Float to all Allies on the Field, regardless of where they are--basically Nameless Song on crack.)
• Type: Knife --> Weapon: Assassin Dagger --> Ability Name: Queen Bee/Killer Bee/Killer Queen OR Sting --> Description: "Upon the disintregation of this assassin's weapon, the Reaper is released in a purer, more lethal form." [Single Target attack with decent range (I would say 4 or 5 max) that attempts to Add All Death Sentence, Don't Act, Silence and Haste to a single target; there is no damage--if there is damage, then it would seem best to make it very miniscule like a bee sting (unless you're allergic, I guess, but that's pretty much akin to Death Sentence IRL anyway).]
• Type: Longbow --> Weapon: Ice Bow --> Ability Name: Hailstorm/Snowfall OR Freeze --> Description: "With the final unstringing of this bow, the sky cries icy arrows upon a wide area accompanied by blinding and numbing snow." [Moderate damage; Ice Elemental; Wide AOE; non-discriminating; attempts to Add Don't Move or Don't Act or Slow; possibly Random Hits]
• Type: Crossbow --> Weapon: Night Killer --> Ability Name: Clockwork Night OR Shade --> Description: An engimatic reaction occurs when this ebony weapon is used in this fashion, as all of the area is consumed by peerless darkness and much screaming." (Moderate HP Damage; Standard Draw Out AOE; Dark-based; Attempts to add Blind; Discriminating.)
• Type: Rod --> Weapon: Poison Rod --> Ability Name: Miasma OR Afflict --> Description: "When the tip of this envenoming rod is forcibly broken and its spilled contents focused, they create a fine poison mist." (Basically 100% Poison with Standard Draw Out AOE that's non-discriminating.)
• Type: Staff --> Weapon: White Staff --> Ability Name: Sacred Oath OR Pledge --> Description: "This pure white staff's destruction embodies the sacrifices that healers make daily to help those in need." (Heals HP at a moderately-small amount; Standard Draw Out AOE; Cancels Death Sentence and Poison and Undeath; non-discriminating.)
• Type: Stave --> Weapon: Gokuu Rod --> Ability Name: Apostasy OR Reject --> Description: "This foreign weapon's unmaking sullies the blessing bestowed upon it by foreign gods, who, in their fury, force belief elsewhere." (Moderately-heavy HP damage that attempts to add Innocent to all affected in its non-discriminating path; smaller than Standard Draw Out AOE.)
• Type: Flail --> Weapon: Flail --> Ability Name: Skulleater OR Crush/Brain/Eat --> Description: "The breaking of this weapon creates a phantom version of it that targets an enemy's soul/mind." (Moderately-heavy MP damage to a single target; attempts to Add Confuse).

Of the weapons that are still around, I think that leaves only Spears and Guns and what philsov suggested for Javelin II beats the shit out of anything I can do suggest for a spear. With regards to Gun, I can't really think of anything different or superior to his Skewer to that's appropriate.

(Oh, I guess there's still Books as well, but I work at a bookstore. So destroying books would feel wrong to me, even in fiction.)

Anyway, I tried to focus on all weapons because I felt it would be better thematically.

Similarly, Ability Name-wise, I separate all the first suggestions into nouns and all the second suggestions into verbs to that they would fit better together thematically.

(It's also probably OCD as well and the fact that I read Bleach.)

Besides that, just know that the Descriptions aren't suggested with any real emphasis; those were more so because I wanted practice sounding concisely melodramatic. That and the fact that I had to change/make-up three abilities on the spot due to Axes not making the cut--kill me later--and thus not being able to have my Bridge Burner/Deforest skill be utilized.

(Besides, the one for Gokuu Rod sucks particularly hard.)

Since these are my suggestions, I might test them out later on this week since Samurai (and Ninja and Chemist) are currently giving me much grief with the whole Job thing. So I'll try and see how balanced this set is in over itself if only my particular suggestions were used.

[Skip Sandwich]

so...with this they could harvestt "mosnter essence" which could then be used to 'conjour spirits', thus solving your samurai and summoner problems in one fell swoop?
:EDIT: ninja'd by The Dammned!

[Archael]

It actually seems kind of lame to have a job that ONLY works if you've been poaching.  Unless Secret Hunt is innate and widely available?

It's one thing to have a job be better if you poach.  It's another thing entirely to rely on poaching to ever make the job be able to use its abilities, and renders it obnoxious enough to fuel the abilities that nobody would ever bother doing it unless the abilities were absurdly overpowered.

maybe that same job can have innate Relic Seeking (Secret Hunt)


EDIT: I think the only 2 people you use in the entire patch (Rad and Ramza) have Poach innate on their base jobs as well



and if poaching for them is too much of a hassle, you can just allow shops to sell them like the other items

it's nowhere near as unique, but it also works

the point is to kill katana and replace with the new item type

[The Damned]

so...with this they could harvestt "mosnter essence" which could then be used to 'conjour spirits', thus solving your samurai and summoner problems in one fell swoop?
:EDIT: ninja'd by The Dammned!

More like turtled.

*sulks in a corner*

[LastingDawn]

Ah, what was not known is that I had wanted Poaching to be a rather large part of Mercenaries, everyone (on your side...) has Poach already, hehe. Every generic class will have such as well, since Ramza nor Rad are monsters, I don't think you'll have to worry about losing either of them through such. Poaching will be as common as it is to fight monsters (which will be Far from uncommon), especially with the new randoms planned! There will be at least 100 "missions" similar to 1.3's Random idea, yet... different? A random treasure given at the end of each one should enhance that a bit.

Also Skip Sandwish and The Damned, iour ideas are great, but now with the new 10, this will really make things interesting! I can only hope to see a few of your ideas for the "Relics" also a name for the job would probably be appropriate, hehe.

[Clockwork Seal]

I think the only 2 people you use in the entire patch (Rad and Ramza) have Poach innate on their base jobs as well

Which brings you to the crux of 'learn abilities for anything OR get one-use items for a job that you won't have because you aren't gaining JP anywhere useful'

you can just allow shops to sell them like the other items

Which would be the functional way to do it.  Probably get 5-6 or so that you can buy from shops, 3-4 that are only poachable, and maybe 1-2 one-of-a-kind items that you have to get in some obscure way.

Edit:  The poaching thing certainly alleviates issues, but being forced to get into randoms to maybe get some of your abilities but maybe not the ones you want is still a hassle.

I still think that there should be a few basic purchasable ones.

[LastingDawn]

Ah, looks like we posted at the same time, how about this... 5 or 6 functional ones can be retrieved from doing "missions" or poaching, In that 3-4 will be retrieved only through Poaching, and 1 will be unique (secret skill for the class). It is a nice incentive to do missions, also I don't want the player to go around with 50+ of a Draw Out, yet use them, well not sparingly, but not too often. This sort of falls in line with the thought for Invokers. The MA on their skills is pathetic but their weapons are what Augment their abilities (As weapons matter to PA), of course that's the price to pay for instant spells. Six will be common and have ordinary, buffs, attacks, whatever might be decided upon, but they will maintain their use throughout, like the Invoker. The four poachable ones will be better, but won't outshine the others, now... the unique 1 might outshine them. (Sorry if that came out rather garbled doing a few things at one)

[Archael]

GARBLE

oh, don't worry

[Dormin Jake]

I love this poaching for consumable abilities idea.  It opens up so many possibilities.  Like you could recreate Relm's FF6 Sketch ability with this.  And like Skip Sandwich said, this creates a new angle for a summoner, as well.  "Monster essences," indeed.  Really any sort of class that might use enemies' remains in battle: some kind of soul collector, necromancer, voodoo witch doctor, animist, medium, whatever.

I approve so hard.

[LastingDawn]

Thank you very much Dormin, trying to brainstorm a few ideas for them right now as is, though I'll probably sleep on it.

[Archael]

What about the ?Appraiser? simply uses bought / stolen items and the new "Summoner" must poach for monster essences?

the monster essence would be related to the type of spell cast... perhaps the monster essence would allow the ?BLUE MAGE? to cast ?MONSTER? spells

????

???????

??????????

blue mage with a twist?

kind of like FFTA Beastmasters and their captured monster Souls

[LastingDawn]

I like it! And with my new discovery to Items, (Wpn Dmg 50%Skill) This will make the "Summoner" well... basically into the new Chemist. Now aside from that, we will need to choose 10 skills in total, now, as in complete Contradiction to what I said earlier, these 10 skills will use items No one can equip, hence what will make the Reliquian (The new name for the Relic Seeker, AKA, Appraiser, AKA, Seeker, yeah...) completely unique, and his items will only be available through Poaching (which all you need to do is kill a monster for it now) and maybe one or two at the shop (but the shop will hardly ever update it's wares now)

[Dormin Jake]

Well, you could create items similar to FFTA's Morpher's orb weapons, which I believe were supposed to represent monster essences, by using the ninja ball sprite with different colors.  Like green = Goblin, red = Bomb, dark purple = Skeleton (or Undead in general).  Then make abilities that correspond to those colors/monsters/whatever.  A bomb orb could summon Ifrit, for instance.

EDIT: Oops!  Yeah, I guess Summoners are off topic.  Sorry!