Chapter III Concept Class: Ribbonblade/Coilblade Master

Tension Line Master

Attributes:
Tension Line Mastery: Increases the damage done by (weapon name), and multi-attack skills
Rippling Attacks: Enhances the power of attacks that cause damage to multiple targets
Binding Attacks: Enhances the power of attacks that slow, immobilize or deal damage to one target
Reflexes: Enchances the skills that deal with attack/movement speed, and defensive skills

Weapon
Tension Line: Length of tightly bound material, very flexible, half the length lined with razor sharp blades, alternating sides, tipped with a long spike.

Off-hand: Hand Bindings, used to protect the palm of the free hand when the weapon swings around the body, or is guided with the freehand.

Summary: This class is created from those who rejected the brutish nature of melee combat, but found the use of one handed weapons more preferable then a bow. The Tension Line Master is the artisan of fluid death from afar.

Skills:

Tension Mastery:

Perfectionist Strike:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 4s

If this attack hits, you deal +(10...35) dmg. This attack have +5% Armor Penetration.

Death from Above:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 5s

The point of the blade falls quickly on the target. If this attack hits you deal +(18...43)dmg and have (5...20)% chance of inflicting cripple for 10s
(Tension Line ONLY)

Focused Stance:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 20s

(Stance) For (10...18s) all attacks gain +5 dmg and +5% armor penetration.

Ensnare:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 20s

(Stance) For 20 seconds your weapon wraps around target foe, neither you nor target foe may move or use skills while using Ensnare. Ensnare ends if you you are struck with an interrupt attack.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Rebounding Strike:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 8s

This attack stikes target foe twice. Each attack does 25% less dmg.

Tuning Strike:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .75s
Recharge: 15s

This attack strikes target foe three times. Each attack does 30% less dmg.

Reverberating Strike:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 15s

This attack strikes target foe 3 times, you gain 2 energy for each successful strike. Each attack does 25% less dmg.

Wrist Flick:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 25s

Your next attack skill strikes one extra time.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Tension Stance:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 20s

For 10s your attack skills strike for 2x the normal amount but do +20% less damage.
Rippling Attacks:

Sidewinder Strike:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 1.5s
Recharge: 10s

Your next attack strikes (1...3) foes nearby target foe.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Brutal Whip:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 15s

Your next attack strikes target foe, foe adjacent to target, and adjacent to you.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Whirlwind:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 12s

For (8...15)s all foes adjacent to you take 15 dmg each second. You are easily interrupted while using this skill.

Duststorm Sweep:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 15s

All foes adjacent AND ALSO in front of you are blinded for (5...10)s. After using Duststorm Sweep you move 15% slower for the next 10s

Circuitous Strike:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 7s

All nearby foes are struck for +(10...25) damage. If less then 3 enemies are struck you take damage equal to that amount.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Backlash:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .75s
Recharge: 8s

If this attack hits, the blade comes back and strikes the nearest foe behind you.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Binding Attacks:

Scorpion Tail:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .25s
Recharge: 15s

If this attacks hits, you deal +(12...30) dmg, and target foe is immobilized for (2...7)s

Dragon's Fang:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 12s

If this attack hits, you deal +(15...40) dmg, and target foe is immobilized for (4...10)s

Searching Stike:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 20s

If this attack hits you deal +(20...35)dmg, this attack immobilizes foe for 10s. If this attack is blocked, you become immobilized for 10s. This attack can not be "evaded"
(Tension Line ONLY)

Rigid Weapon:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 15s

(Stance) For (5...20s) your Force Attack Skills gain +10% Armor Penetration and cause bleeding for (7...15)s

Momentum:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 3s
Recharge: 15s

(Stance) For (8...12)s your skills recharge (25...50)% faster and deal +(1...10%) more dmg. Momentum Ends if you use a non attack skill.

Reflexes:

Spring Burst:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 8s

Coil your weapon behind you and use the force to jumpstart movement. For 10s you move 20% faster.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Pushoff:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .75s
Recharge: 12s

(Stance) If the next attack against you is melee, attacker moves 10% slower for 5s and you move 10% faster for 5s.

Rout:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 20s

(Elite) For 15s if your health is/falls below 50%, you move 50% faster for 10s and gain +2 health regen for 10s. After 10s you lose all energy and your skills are disabled for 8s.

Fluid Stance:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 15s

For (12...20s) you attack 10% faster and your skills recharge 5% faster.

Blind Rage:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 10s

(Stance) If you are Blinded, you now have 75% chance to hit, do +10 dmg, and gain +5% armor

Lame Man's Defense:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .75s
Recharge: 12s

(Stance) If you are Crippled, you gain +10% speed and +20% armor

Viper's Remedy:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 15s

(Enchantment) If you are Poisoned, you gain +2 health regeneration for (5...15)s, and your weapon poisons the enemy for 5s next time it hits.

Burning Rage:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .25s
Recharge: 3s

(Enchantment) If you are Burning, you cease burning and your next attack does +(20...40) fire dmg.

Clarity:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 5s

(Stance) If you are Dazed, you gain +25% casting speed, and your next skill can not be interupted.

Swirling Wall:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 30s

(Stance) You use swing your weapon quickly creating a partial wall around yourself. This wall reduces dmg by (30...60%)
You may not attack, or use skills while using Swirling Wall.
(Tension Line ONLY)

Tension Sheild:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 30s

(Stance) You coil your weapon in on itself in a tight spiral. For 15s this sheild reduce damage by (15...45)%, Swirling Sheild ends if you use a skill. If the next skill is an attack you do +10dmg.
Tension Line ONLY)


Summary: This class is meant to be a bridge between Warriors and Rangers. It's a flexible class that acts much like a Phy. Damage Elementalist, providing the options for multiple target or single target attacks. The uniqueness of the class comes from the ability to use multi-stike skills. Skills that attack a single target multiple times. For balence reasons I had to make those skills deal less dmg per hit or we'd have W/(Tn) wasting people in seconds with multi-strikes using higher dmg Swords/Axes/Hammers.

I mean seriously....W with Strength of Honor on him with a 15^50 Sword/Axe with Frenzy on doing 2x and 3x attacks? Yeah, bad news. So I had to nerf bat the skills a bit to keep that from happening. The devs are going to have to do something to keep casters/rangers from exploiting by doing multi-magic attacks or multi-preparation attacks, etc.

Example: A ranger uses Ignite Arrows then Kindle Arrows, then a multi-strike techique? Immediate death to casters, which is of course, unacceptable.

Thus, those multi-strike skills may need longer recharges and/or even more dmg debuffing. That's up to the devs really.

I had to make some skills weapon unique, for balencing and realism. Some skill animations will require the weapon to make them work.

The skills I REALLY liked were the condition based defensive stances. It adds a perspective of "go ahead, condition me, you might regret it!"

I plan for this class to have armor of about AL75-80. Somewhere around or at an Assassin's Armor or Gladiator Warrior's Armor level of defense.

Anyway, review, suggest, tweak, Be Polite.

Changes:
-W and A are already classes that both do heavy dmg to single targets, so I changed Force Attacks to Binding Attacks and made them more for holding the enemy in place rather then doing more armor penetration.
-Changed name to Tension Line Master.
-Tried to come up with caster friendly skills, see below.
.........
-Switched the function of Tension Mastery to handle multi-strike attacks
-Switched the function of Reflexes to handle defensive skills
-Corrected the skill lineup to account for these changes, they are now under the proper heading.
-Have decided to follow the paths of Light Pressure Dmg/Counter Stances/and Damage redirction.
-More skills coming, focused mainly on damage redirection.
.........
-Added new skills
-Gave Examples of a Tension Line/Elementalist Combo to show the benefits to casters

Sounds too much like a warrior, its creative, but he needs something that sets him apart. Warriors have brute strength and melee, assassins have hit and run and combos. Its good, but it still needs to be expanded upon. I like the idea of focusing on hitting multiple enemies with melee, kinda like a berserker kinda person.

The problem is this is a class idea based on the weapon, rather than function.

What would be this class's function? Mid-range physical dmg (multihit)?

What could be its OTHER functions?

essentially you would have 1 build for this class or use it as a secondary for its stances.

Yes mid-range Phy. Dmg is the general idea. As for "lack of builds" let me just say that the skills I listed are a FEW of the skills. They aren't all of them, so I have to argue that with more skill suggestions you can come up with some interesting skill line ups. I apologize if I gave the impression that, that would be all the skills. They were examples to give an idea of the class.

The reason for the class is to make up for the lack of wide area attacks or multiple-strike abilities of Warrior and Ranger Classes.

Warriors have Cyclone Axe, Hundred Blades and a couple other skills.

Rangers get Barrage, Ignite/Kindle Arrows.

I wanted to create a class where the primary function was to be able to apply light but constant pressure damage to groups of enemies, but still retained some skills to join in spiking attacks. Also since there are now two melee Phy. Damage Classes, I figured I'd balence by adding a new unique ranged Phy. Damage Class.

I guess the second uniqueness I wanted in the class was their defensive skills to be situational, such as the condition specific stances.

One of the major flaws I recognized as I was making the skills, was precisely how much they resembled or influenced mainly W,A and R skills. If everyone can come up with a good means by which to incorporate some caster friendly skills, I'd appreciate it. Maybe even suggest some skills.

This is a concepts character, concepts can be modified, but I can't see from all perspectives. I'm not offended by your observations, but i could use suggestions more ^_^ Please, continue your Review.

The Good Things:
It is very creative. I like the weapons, and can imagin its animation would be something that is beautiful deadly. Several of the skill are great as well, and the condition-returning stances are just wonderful (reminded me to steal that sometime). Can see you put lots good thoughts to it, kudos to you...

The Bad Things..
As already pointed out by previous posters, it is too much of a W/R/A. As shown in the name (the name should change), you already strap this class too closely bound to the weapons, and lack much unique funtions. Multi hit skill would also need some blancing.

Overall, love the skills, but I think some attributes can be added/take out/shift around. Try think of some unique roles that it can play in a party.

And when you made the class in the your mind, were you controling it, or trying to kill it?

To figure out WHY it's been so hard to come up with caster friendly skills that weren't stances or defensive in nature, I had to look at the other 3 Phy. Attack classes.

It quickly became apparent. Because most of THOSE classes are generally used by caster classes for defensive skills.

Think about it:
/W are for mainly defensive stances.
/R are for mainly traps/defensive stances.
/A will probably be used more for Shadowstepping out of danger and is too has defensive stances and movement skills.

Which is precisely why it was so natural for me to make any skills that seemed remotely "caster friendly" to be stances.

Well, after noting this I tried to come up with a few skills that weren't defensive in nature. Let's just say...I failed miserably, but here's what I came up with.

...........Caster-friendly skills............

No Attribute:

Sanguine Stance:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 15s

For (7...13) when you attack, all foes nearby target foe are struck for 1/10 the dmg of the attack. You gain 2 energy for each additional foe struck.

Impact Battery:
Cost: 15e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 12s

For (2...7)s you gain 1 energy for every attack you take. When Impact Battery ends, All adjacent foes take 2 dmg for each energy gained.

Gliding Motion:
Cost: 10e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 8s

You have 50% chance to "evade" the next melee attack against you, if you "evade" the attack and another foe is adjacent to you, that foe is struck by the attack.

Earthen Palm:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .75s
Recharge: 10s

If your next attack deals Earth Dmg, you deal +(15...28) Earth Dmg.

Water Flask:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 10s

If your next attack deals Ice Dmg, you deal +(10...25) Ice Dmg, if your foes next attack deals Fire dmg, they do 10% less dmg.

Fricton Binding:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 10s

If your next attack deals Fire Dmg, you deal +(10...20) Fire Dmg, you have a 20% chance of setting target foe on fire for 3s.

Shocking Arc:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 10s

If your next attack deals Lightning Dmg, you deal +(10...15) Lightning Dmg, and has an extra +10% armor penetration.

Chaotic Motions:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 10s

If your next attack deals Chaos or Dark damage, you deal +(20...28) Chaos/Dark Dmg.

Righteous Fury:
Cost: 5e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 10s

If your next attack deals Light Dmg, you deal +(15...22) Light Dmg.

It's pretty obvious that I still had problems making caster friendly skills. So all we got were class/dmg specfic boosters and a couple energy management skills.

What's hanging me up is not creativity. I'd be easy for me to just throw out attacks and skills that worked with casters. The problem occurs when trying to fit the skills around the premise of the class.

The one thing I also noticed however, is that this class is not really much more bound to the weapon then other Phy. Dmg classes. Warriors have Sword/Axe/Hammer skills, Rangers have bow skills, Assassins have dagger skills.

Now if you mean it more figuratively, meaning that most of the skills focus to much around A WEAPON in general, then I might agree a bit more.

To actionjack: I knew that'd come back to bite me ^_^ Yes I have tried killing this class in my mind.

I'm a little pulled between two things right now. The need to modify the class quickly so the thread doesn't die and get lost back on page 3 or 4, and trying to sit down, take time, and figure out HOW to change it.

To keep the thread alive.. try post some pictures. Or do a bump once or two in between few days.

Like said before, love the skills, and its creative usage. the new skill look great as well. I don't think it need much new work to make it caster friendly, just not have it where its skill ONLY benefit one of other class. But I would still say pick a direction, or a nitch, and focus more on it. (it can have similar function as that of other class...as long as it play a bit differnly) I think it is coming out greatly as a Counter Class (one that is good to counter conditions, magics, and physical damages)

However, I must also point out to my personal bias toward this class, since some of its function are similar to my other ones... like the AoE physical damage seem better on a Dragoon/Lancer type, and Counter/Quick attacking seem better on a Fencer/Dualist type. Of couse, that is all personal opinions. (want to add skills to my concept class too? )

More questions.... what class combo/skill build, do you think would work out well and fun to play?

Reminds me of Ivy from Soul Calibur 1/2/3

http://www.videogamecritic.net/images/chicks/ivy.jpg

New Damage Redirection Skills/Defensive skills

Reflexes:

Sidestep:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 10s

You have 75% chance to "dodge" the next attack. If you dodge the attack and an enemy is adjacent behind you, that enemy takes 1/2 the dmg of the attack.

Crosswind:
Cost: 5e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 15s

The next arrow fired at you is redirected to strike a foe adjacent to you for 3/4 the dmg.

"Behind You!"
Cost: 10e
Cast: .75s
Recharge: 12s

(Elite) (Shout) If any nearby ally is being attacked from behind they have a
+(30...60)% to "evade" attacks from that foe. If foe is evaded, they take 1/3 the dmg of their own attack.

Randomized Pattern:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 1s
Recharge: 8s

For 10s skills/spells you use, cause damage of a different, random damage type.

Outnumbered:
Cost: 15e
Cast: .5s
Recharge: 15s

(elite) For 12s if you are under attack by more then 2 foes, you take 1/2 dmg from attacks and foes' attacks cause 1/2 dmg to each other.

No Attribute:

Affiction:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 25s

The next time you suffer a Mesmer Hex, that hex is removed from you and your next attack causes the same hex to attacked target foe.

Putrid State:
Cost: 10e
Cast: 2s
Recharge: 25s

The next time you suffer a Necromancer Hex, that hex is removed from you and your next attack causes the same hex to attacked target foe.

I think those skills do very well to help out casters, mainly because they are the most common to suffer from multi-directional/opponent attacks, hexes, and damage type problems.

For example:

Most of the damage redirection skills are most powerful while under attack from more then 1 foe.

The Affliction, and Putrid State skills are good verses hexes, but the high recharge keeps them from being overpowered.

And also, if anyone has ever had the problem of having the "wrong" damage time to hurt someone, Randomized Pattern fixes this.

All these skills however can be useful to all classes and fit nicely into the premise of a situational defense character. They also have some nasty applications, I'll give an example build for a E/Tn. Perhaps a...Geomancer/Reflex, with a Earth based weapon. (I have experience with a Geomancer, hence...^_^)

I'm using the Tn as a 2nd for the E to show how the Tn can work with a caster.

Skills:
1. Earthen Palm
2. Conjure Earth (I can't remember if you can conjure element for earth weapons.)
3. Armor of Earth
4. Kinetic Armor
5. Outnumbered (Elite)
6. Clarity
7. Obsidian Flame
8. Affliction

Played:

Skills 1 and 2 will boost the attack of the caster so that even if he's only wanding, he's dealing considerable DPS.

Skills 3 and 4 are obviously defensive, but even with these on, things can get hairy sometimes.

Hence you can use 5,6, and 8 to try and defend yourself futher from various enemies of different classes.

Skill 7, would be intensely powerful in combo with Earthen Palm and Focused Stance.

Now for a reversed situation with a Tn/E. Rippling Attacks/Pyromancer, Fire Weapon.

Skills:
1. Conjure Flame
2. Friction Binding
3. Sidewinder Strike
4. Backlash
5. Impact Battery
6. Sanguine Stance
7. Duststorm Sweep
8. (Fire Spell) (Not much experience with a Pyromancer, so I'm leaving it to choice.)

Once again 1 and 2 are for boosted attack. Which is good considering that the Tension Line has low normal attack value. However, with the damage boosted, you are now sweeping the enemy group with constant fire pressure dmg.

Two positive things about this. The first is it's useful, the second is it's counterable in various ways. Ether by having fire protective Armor/Skills, or disrupting the attack itself.

3 and 4 are the vehicle skills by which you're applying the damage.

If to many people are to close for your liking, mainly W and A, you can use Duststorm Sweep (Skill 7) to help yourself, just pray they aren't W/Tn or A/Tn with Blind Rage ^_^.

Skills 5 and 6 are for Energy Management since you'll be clicking off attacks quickly and you don't have the benefit of a caster energy pool.

Skill 8 is much like Obsidian Flame was for the E/Tn, the spike skill, enhanced by Conjure Flame and Friction Binding.

These are just examples of how a Tn can be a primary or secondary for a Caster.

Enjoy and keep the suggestions coming.

*Loads the thread into a cannon and sends it back to the front page.*
I know there are more suggestions out there...you're hiding them from me! Surrender to the thread! Give suggestions ^_^

Getting better. ^^

I love the idea of deflecting attacks into adjacent enemies. Kind of a like a weird version of Empathy or Spiteful.

I dont know how to feel about it though. It still feels too much like a ranger. It needs that "x" factor, that makes it unique-ish.

Perhaps a front,back Like front 180 degress and back 180 degress cast styles? Like

Front Lash
If you get hit from the front for 3...15 seconds all ajacent enemys behind take 50% of the dmg.

Back Lash
If you get hit from behind for 3...15 seconds all ajacent enemys behind take 50% of the dmg.

or something like that.
I realy like this idea.

yes its getting better once it gets perfectly good ill sign
but, ill just sign right now and plus pretty smart idea
/signed

You've been playing Soulcaliber II with Ivy, havn't you!

Well, whereever you got thie idea from, its an awesome idea, so
/signed.

Ensnare would also be extremely useful in PVP. Your Tn uses it on a monk, your team kills the monk. Should be elite, though.
...You've got me wanting to create a Tn/Me now (what with empathy on a warrior, then reflecting his damage back at him, you'd give him almost the same damage he tried to do to you)

EDIT: Drat. Nevin got there before me.