+2 to Defenses or +1 to 6 Martial / Physical Skills?

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  • March 16, 2014 at 12:42 am #150912
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I’m planning out the 4 remaining Tier 1 advancements for Vincens (Martial Archetype, Former Legionnaire Melee Combatant) and because of what happened at the Vault my original plan has changed. I’m left with 1 rank to either take +2 to Defenses or +1 to 6 Martial / Physical Skills. For RP reasons the other 3 are set. Here’s the full set of advancements for Tier 1:

    1. Character Creation
    2. Path: Spontaneously Awakened Psion – Refresh the Body, A: Meditation +1 [1 {16}]
    3. +1 to 2 Stats (Qu [8], In [6])
    4. 2 Martial Techniques – Lunge, Spinning Strikes
    5. Any 2 Talents – Wolf-Pack Tactics, ASC: Psionics
    6. All Skills +1

    Planned:
    7. +1 to 6 Skills (Thrown [4], Balanced [5], Meditation [3 {18}], Stealth [3], Perception [3], Larceny [3])
    8. 2 Combat Talents – Weapon Training: Short Sword, Advanced Tactics
    9. Defenses +2
    10. +1 to 2 Stats (Ch [3], Pr [7])

    The number in brackets is how many ranks in the skill he’ll have at that point or the new stat in the case of Stats. Providing he walks away with the short sword, #8 is a must. Likewise 10 is there both for RP purposes and practical ones. Having only 2 fate points per mod is challenging. That leaves either +2 to Defenses or the skill ranks. Those would be:

    +1 to 6 Martial Skills (Balanced [6], Thrown [5], Battle [3], Athletics [3], Mettle [3], Stealth [3])

    His ranged attacks will be thrown daggers.

    So, thoughts or suggestions?

    With a sweep of his hat,

    Paul

    March 16, 2014 at 12:50 am #259302
    frootsnax
    Participant

    Ooof. That’s a rough choice. Mechanically you need both. A really rough choice! \":cry:\"

    Marginally I prefer +1 to attack skills to +2 to defenses. What the AR of your character?

    (Can you defer something to Tier II or III?)

    March 16, 2014 at 12:51 am #259303
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Honestly, the 2 advancements you are trying to decide between are 2 I always have. Is there a way you can do without either Lunge, Spinning Strikes, Wolf Pack Tactics or Advanced Tactics and then you could take the one you want with either Any 2 Talents or Any 2 Combat Talents and not take 2 Martial Techniques and that gives you room for both Defenses and Skills.

    John

    March 16, 2014 at 12:52 am #259304
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Alternatively if you can put off the Ch and In boosts, combine the Qu and Pr and use that extra advancement.

    John

    March 16, 2014 at 1:04 am #259305
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Ooof. That’s a rough choice. Mechanically you need both. A really rough choice! \":cry:\"

    Marginally I prefer +1 to attack skills to +2 to defenses. What the AR of your character?

    (Can you defer something to Tier II or III?)

    My AR is standard 4 and providing time to get off Body of the Warrior will be 5. I anticipate getting hit a lot and adjust accordingly. That said, giving up +2 to all Defenses also costs me 6 Stamina. I’ve got a Fine Rune of Perseverance I still need to attach to his armor which is an extra 10 Stamina, so maybe it’s still not as big of a deal.

    I wish I could defer. I wasn’t kidding about the short sword costing me 3 Talents and a Path because of the RP impact. The original plan at this point is pretty much dead. I’m having a difficult time seeing much beyond Tier 2, which given that I often plan out through Tier 4 or 5 is a nice if odd place to be. \":)\"

    With a sweep of his hat,

    Paul

    March 16, 2014 at 1:06 am #259306
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Honestly, the 2 advancements you are trying to decide between are 2 I always have. Is there a way you can do without either Lunge, Spinning Strikes, Wolf Pack Tactics or Advanced Tactics and then you could take the one you want with either Any 2 Talents or Any 2 Combat Talents and not take 2 Martial Techniques and that gives you room for both Defenses and Skills.

    John

    John,

    The first 5 advancements are already spent. I can’t go back and adjust those. The Charisma bump is needed for RP purposes and mechanics. I agree, I wouldn’t honestly have thought about giving up either of them, but I feel stuck. I have to take the WT this tier or it messes up the next one because of dependencies.

    With a sweep of his hat,

    Paul

    March 16, 2014 at 1:56 am #259310
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    +2 to all defenses. Easy choice. It will set you behind a rank in your to hit, but you will never be able to make up +2 in all defense were as in missing a single point in to hit you can get around.

    March 16, 2014 at 2:11 am #259313
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I agree with Devin. But you could delay planned step 8 to Tier 2. Call it time you’re using to train with your new gift so as to not disappoint Cadic.

    You cannot get the Defense and Skill and Ability ranks back again, you can the Talents.

    March 16, 2014 at 3:04 am #259324
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    You cannot get the Defense and Skill and Ability ranks back again, you can the Talents.Yupe. Unless you really need to get those talents because there is no room in your build in the next 4 tiers than I would hold off on the talent(s) until tier 2.

    March 16, 2014 at 3:34 am #259330
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I’ll take another look and see about the talents. The character was never built to be a short sword fighter, especially not with 4 ranks left in Tier 1. The only way to get it back effectively is to “transfer” my dagger weapon mastery through Weapon Familiarity. This means

    Weapon Training Short Sword
    Learn Fighting Style Dimachaerus Primus
    Weapon Familiarity: Dimachaerus Primus

    Each of the later 2 depend on the previous one, so they can’t be taken at the same time and need to be taken over the course of 3 different advancements. Which in turn pushes back the Weapon Training: Throwing Blade and Weapon Familiarity: Dagger & Throwing Blade.

    The original plan of Deadly Accuracy + Steel Rain for a shot at every target within 50′ is already delayed from Tier 3.1 until at least T4, probably eliminated.

    It’s definitely something to think on. The challenge is to figure out what’s more core to concept and how to keep that and deal with the rest. As I said, the weapon may not have been cursed but is having about as much of an RP/mechanical impact as at least some of them. I look at it as a good problem to have as it makes for a deeper character.

    I appreciate the suggestions and the perspective. More thinking to do.

    With a sweep of his hat,

    Paul

    March 16, 2014 at 4:49 pm #259378
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I assume you have prestidigitation from during character creation?

    March 16, 2014 at 5:04 pm #259379
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I assume you have prestidigitation from during character creation?

    Yes, Psionic based. I consider the Path at 1.2 part of the character’s background. Wilderness Lore was one of the 2 skills he started with at 3 ranks.

    With a sweep of his hat,

    Paul

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