Advanced Maneuevers questions

The problem isn’t one of math in my opinion but of balance. There are some maneuvers that probably shouldn’t be able to be used in response to an attack (combined with a Push).

Imagine: Combining Quick Set with Flowing Sand – You get charged, and now get to move your entire pace, making a ton of attacks as a Push action.

John

well the rules currently allow for A pound of Flesh / Elemental Bolt to be combined into a pretty grizzly AOE too

Except I think it’s been made clear that you only get healed for the damage from the pound of flesh part, hasn’t it?

John

i still havent found that rule anywhere

but if they arent, you have to let people do things with them that make sense

John, i think your responding to an argument that I’m not aware of.

What I’m saying is that if the rule allow for those spells and maneuvers to be made, then as a judge you have to allow them, as long as they make sense. I think my example is a great maneuver that makes sense.

Mechanically these things are sound, flowing sand is a Tier 5 maneuver, i think you are expressing hyperbole comparing it to a tier 1 maneuver. In context it might make perfect sense.

Additionally, I think this is a time to remember that sometimes you have to examine the mechanics of whats happening with the interaction of rules somewhat separately from the story elements behind those things. And then integrate what the mechanics allow into your story within reason. AKA if someone has a great description of how they are trained in meeting the charge with a spear and then tearing into enemy lines, quickset and flowing sand begins to make more sense.

well in all things that require choices, there are choices that are optimal and there choices that are not optimal, and that evaluation of optimal is different for each player and character concept. The more choices that you make the more opportunity there is to be on a not optimal path for your character. I would argue that mods are not targeted at optimal characters rather than the characters that are more middle of the road.

If your a jack of all trades you are a master of none. This is a world where not all places, races, spells and weapons are equal and balanced. Optimality is very subjective, a character can be really good at one thing, and next to useless in another.

One thing that has been in every mod produced is combat, its fairly easy to say that if you specialize in combat you will have a chance to shine in every mod. that’s not as true with diplomacy or wilderness lore or thieving skills (and the way to change that is to write mods or influence writers directly)

in Arcanis there are multiple ways to specialize in combat, melee fighters, ranged fighters, spell casters of different stripes, and hybrids of those (not all hybrids mind you). My personal opinion is that the most effective character is one that maximizes the use of strain and recovery, but that is just one take on the idea.

I would hazard a guess that its probably possible to optimize a lot of things, but you have to go into the project with that in mind, and a lot of people don’t play that way. and this has been an eternal problem in gaming, particular living campaigns where there is a very diverse set of players. to some people (like me) there is a lot of fun to be had solving the logical puzzles presented by optimizing characters, and some people have a lot of fun roleplaying their characters in social interactions, it takes all stripes of people.

I don’t think there is one or even a small subset of dominant character types, I do however firmly believe that not all concepts are equally viable. for example I don’t see a good way to make a Dark kin character that’s dependent on a horn gore attack to be optimized (or even very survivable) However that might make a Great thematic trait or a good, opening move or finishing move or backup weapon type thing.