Bleach - Millenium of Souls (Recruiting)

[Avalon®]

I'm building mine right now. I think one of my aims for this character is to defeat Shihouin Kenpachi and/or Alliston Vega.

 

[Zurai]

Double Post, oops.

 

[Zurai]

Zurai - Just looked at your Shikai...

Anyways, I'm unsure what you're hoping to gain out of your Boost ability. If you're only applying it to your zanpaktou combat array, then the point for point bonus is actually LOOSING you points.

Here's the problem : Normall, boost is used to boost yours AND others powers (You pick 'strength' or 'blast', or some other ability/skill/power), but it still can't raise them beyond their caps. IT's mostly useful for if you (and/or allies) have un-capped powers, so that you can 'boost' them up to the caps. It can also be used to add special abilities that don't affect caps (Such as Impervious to protection, or Penetrating on strike, etc), but for 30, I think you'd actually be better off just buying those powers straight out as the 'enhanced combat ability'. If you were to apply all of those powers straight to your strike & protection you'd be getting all 30 points, PLUS the 1 extra point you had to pay on the boost.

Alternately, you could take the 'personal' flaw (Since the specifics of your boost targeting your zanpaktou array means you could only use it on yourself anyways), reducing the cost to 1/2, meaning you'd pay 16 points for 30 (15 + 1 for PF).

I think you're missing something

First, Darkness Feeds Upon Itself (the Boost power) is part of an array, and it's not intended to be used very often. I only "really" spent 1 power point on it.
Second, it has both the Personal AND the Full Round Action flaws on it. The reason the rank may be off is the Boost description isn't very clear on how to price the boost, especially in regards to Arrays and Containers. I figured the safest way to do it was to price it at the 3-per-rank tier, which is defined as "a narrow group of traits". Technically the Containers and Arrays are a single Power, but they act more like a narrow group of Powers.

Plus, I'm not entirely sure that I can use all 30 of that boost anyhow. There's not a lot extra I can really add that would truly increase the effectiveness of his melee combat. I still havn't finished statting out the power, but I suspect most of the points are going into making Parry very Impervious. The original 3.5E D&D power removed his darkness manipulation powers (thus being part of an array with said powers) but granted powerful weapon enchantments (Vampiric, Blurstrike, Keen, Defending, and several extra enhancement bonuses). This is the closest I can come to replicating that.

Anyhow, was that the only problem you saw, or simply the most glaring? I'll be quite happy if that's it; the boost really isn't a key part of the character. It's a "second form" of Shikai (like Rukia's

Spoiler

"dances"

, or Byakuya's

Spoiler

"Annihilationscape" Bankai form

), and it's only for when his primary abilities aren't being at all effective. Considering how versatile they are, I'm hoping that won't happen very often, if at all.

 

[ishalleatyourflesh]

i'm still here... more or less,besides the fact i hate the system i still would like to play. thou it's been do long since i came up with this character i can only remember his fighting styles, not his name or personality. heh, when i think of it again he's like a cross between a samourai and a ninja.

 

[Jemal]

[sblock=ishalleatyourflesh]
Seems to me you have been unable to post something here without mentioning your hatred for the system. If you're trying to force Vincent to choose another system in an attempt to appease you, first off I don't think it'll work, and secondly it's making the rest of us (Well, I can only speak for myself I suppose) not want you around because of the negativity. Either stop saying "I hate the system" every single post, or give in to your hate and just don't play, but the constant whining is getting on my nerves.

That having been said however, if you DO want to play, I'd be more than willing to help you with your character, if you'll relate to me some of the concept, and a general idea of what you want him/her to be able to do.
[/sblock]

Zurai - AH, I've relooked at your sheet, and I do have another problem - I'm pretty sure that you can't have alternate powers within alternate powers (IE an Array within an Array), which is what your 'shikai power' is doing. your 'shikai power' array has two powers: Umbral Mantle, and Darkness Feeds Upon Itself. The first, Umbral mantle, is actually an array itself, with several alternate powers... I'm still looking for a rule on whether or not this can be done, but I don't think it's what Array's meant for.. with that, you could conceivable have a series of tiered alternate powers, getting nearly a hundred AP's for half as many points...

 

[Zurai]

I looked for a restriction on nested arrays/containers as well, and there isn't one I could find. The thing is, though, that you really don't get any more "free" points. The powers in an array can't be used simultaneously without special considerations. Nested arrays aren't any more powerful in that regard than non-nested arrays. Technically I could have done the entire group of powers in a single array without changing a single thing; I did it this way because it fits the thematics of the character. His primary Shikai abilities revolve around an external darkness manipulation, but when that just plain doesn't work, he internalizes it, losing the external powers but greatly enhancing his zanpaktou.

I thought long and hard about how to do that mechanically. I don't want to break the system and have an overpowered character that's impossible to challenge, or anything like that. I read and re-read the rules and made and re-made the character over and over again. The original draft of the Shikai powers had Darkness Feeds along with all the Umbral Mantle powers all in one array. While I changed it to two arrays, it actually costs exactly the same amount of points either way - but it fit better with the character concept this way.

I'm actually still looking for a good way to mechanically represent that he can't just Boost using Darkness Feeds then shift back to Umbral Mantle and keep doing his stuff.

 

[Jemal]

well unless Vincent has a problem with it, there's not really Anything else I have to say, the character looks functional (and kinda cool, which is the big part) to me and doesn't break any rules.

Anybody else ready to be critiqued? C'mon, gimme Somethin to tide me over till the campaign starts!

 

[Zurai]

Thanks for the help, Jemal. I do appreciate the criticisms and tips you've given me. Helped a lot with moving into a new system.

Vincent, if you do have a problem with the nested array thing, just let me know. It's really no big deal at all to change it back to a single array. I think I actually did mis-speak and it did save me a couple power points, but that wasn't the intent. They'll be easy to salvage back.

 

[Jemal]

Zurai - NP, it's always nice to know not everybody takes my criticism personally. And I do 'try' to keep it Constructive.

 

[Jemal]

Did a bit of an update to my character while I waited..

[sblock=Becka Unreleased]
Becka Jens, Third seat of the First Protection Squad.
Power level 5

Abilities:
STR 12 (+1)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 14 (+2)

Combat : *Base Attack 2, Base Defense 2*

Attacks: (Melee+4, Ranged +2)
Martial Arts (+6 atk, Save DC 19).
Way of Destruction (+6 atk, Save DC 19)

Initiative: +1; Speed: 100 (Flash Step 200' Swift)
Defense +4 (3 dodge),
Saves: Toughness +6 Impervious*Physical* (4 protection + 2 con); Reflects Melee
Fort +8 (6 base + 2 con), Reflex +8 (7 base + 1 dex), Will +8 (6 base + 2 wis)

Skills: (20 ranks)
Acrobatics +5(4 ranks), Bluff +10(4 ranks), Notice +6(4 ranks), Sense Motive+10 (8 ranks)

Feats: Assessment, Attack Focus(Melee)X2, Attack Specialization(Martial Arts), Attractive, Distract(Bluff), Dodge FocusX2, Evasion, Uncanny DodgeX2(Hearing, Sight), All-out Attack, Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Power Attack

Powers:
Martial Arts (17pp) [Container Rank 4]
- Offensive Strike: [Strike rank 3, PF:Mighty]
- Counter-attack [Protection Rank 4, Impervious(6)/Reflective(6){melee} Flaw: Impervious is Physical only]
Flash-Step (5pp) [Teleport Rank 2, Action: Swift, PF: Change Direction]
Demon Magic (5pp)[Magic Rank 5, Flaw: Distracting, Drawback: Full Power]
- Way of Destruction: [Blast rank 4, PF: AccurateX2]
Speed (1pp) [Speed Rank 1, 10mph]

Tradeoffs: -1Dmg/+1Atk, -1Def/+1Toughness
COST: 16 Abilities + 5 Skills + 15 Feats + 28 Powers + 27 Combat/Saves -1 Drawback= 90/90
[/sblock]

[sblock=Release (Lash out, Flarestar!)]
SHIKAI (RELEASE)
Power level 10

Abilities:
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 18 (+4)
CON 18 (+4)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 14 (+2)

Combat : *Base Attack 4, Base Defense 2*

Attacks: (Melee+10, Ranged +4)
Martial Arts (+10 atk, Toughness Save DC 25. Melee)
Whip Strike (+12 atk, Toughness Save DC 23. Range 50)
Way of Destruction (+10 atk, Toughness Save DC 25. Range Increment 100, Max 1000, Homing)
Paralyzing Burn (+10 atk, Will save DC 20. Range 50)
Whip Choke (+10 atk, Fort save DC 20. Range 50)
Trip (+10 atk, Opposed Trip check:+10 vs lower of dex/str. Range 50)
*+19 grapple*

Initiative: +12; Speed: 500(Flash Step 300' swift)
Defense +8 (6 dodge)
Saves: Toughness +11 Impervious*Physical* (7 protection + 4 con), Reflects Melee
Fort +12 (8 base + 4 con), Reflex +12 (8 base + 4 dex), Will +10 (8 base + 2 wis)

Skills: (32 ranks)
Acrobatics +12(8 ranks), Bluff +14(8 ranks), Notice +10(8 ranks), Sense Motive+14(12 ranks)

Feats: Assessment, Attack Focus(melee)X6, Attractive, Distract(Bluff), Dodge FocusX6, Evasion, Uncanny DodgeX2(Hearing, Sight), All-out attack, Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Power Attack

Powers:
Flame Whip (20pp) [Array, Rank 10, Drawback: Reduced RangeX3(1 range increment)]
- Whip (10)[Elongation Rank 5, Action: Swift, PF: Dynamic, Flaw: Only functions on Flame Whip Array(-1)]
- Whip Strike (8)[Strike Rank 6, PF: Mighty, Accurate]
- Paralyzing Burn (10)[Paralyze Rank 10]
- Trip (6)[Trip Rank 10 PF: Improved Trip, Range: Melee]
- Whip Choke (10)[Suffocate Rank 10, Range: Melee]
Martial Arts (38 pp) [Container Rank 8]
- Offensive Strike [Strike Rank 8, PF: Mighty]
- Counter-Attack [Protection Rank 8, Impervious(12), Reflective(12){Melee} Flaw: Impervious is Physical only]
- Training [Improved InitiativeX2, Grappling Finesse]
Flash-Step (7pp) [Teleport Rank 3, Action: Swift, PF: Change Direction]
Demon Magic (12pp)[Magic Rank 12, Distracting, Drawback: Full Power]
- Way of Destruction: [Blast rank 10, PF: AccurateX3, Homing]
Speed (2pp) [Speed Rank 2, 50mph]

Drawbacks: [Flame Whip Array has max 1 range increment with elongation] -3
Tradeoffs: -2Dmg/+2Atk(Whip Strike), -2 Defense/+2 Toughness
COST: 28 Abilities + 9 Skills + 22 Feats + 79 Powers + 36 Combat/Saves -4 drawback= 170/170
[/sblock]