#make mele inclusive

[bryce-bucher]

500 CALIBER CONTRACTZ Post #12

Dialogue!!!11:

The main thing I did over the past week or so was put together this dialogue system. The system itself was fairly easily to implement, and I think the only interesting part of the process to share is how I went about making the UI. As per usual, I wanted to have a cool mechanical feeling ui, but at the same time a friend of mine suggested an AOL instant messenger inspired chat window. I loved both of these ideas so I decided to combine them into a screen that pops up and contains the aim-like window. The modeling process for the screen was similar to how I went about making the other two bits of ui that are on screen in the above photos, but I decided to include a VGA port.

VGA PORT:

I didn't originally plan to include a VGA port, but I was in the middle of researching monitors and accidentally left a window open on my computer that just had a big photo of one and I went "wait a minute.". With my final two braincells I suddenly decided to slap together a model for the port which I ended up being proud enough of to, for some reason, make an entire section for it.

Sorry if any of the above sentences read horribly. I am going to need a third braincell if you want this stuff to be coherent. Anyway, Blender is so cool. Using the array modifier to make all these lil squares for the holes in the port is just such a satisfying process. I've come to really like makin pre-rendered assets like this.

New Movez:

This is actually a pretty big inclusion, and I probably should've ranked it in my mind above the VGA port. I added some new movement options to the game!

Firstly, I added this melee move where you swing the back of the sniper forwards to propel yourself a bit. It is mainly useful as a bunnyhop that allows you to conserve momentum.

Next up I added this kick that happens if you melee while in the air. It's basically just the one from mario64. It lets you gain a little bit more height and distance. It also becomes way more effective if you have a lot of momentum. A good tool for correcting jumps and reaching new heights.

Finally, we have the big schmovement slide. This slide gives you a huge burst of speed that you can jump out of in order to send your self flyin. Surprisingly, it didn't really break any of the level design and ended up being a really fun addition imo. In order to perform it, you have to do a ground pound and then melee as you hit the ground. Also, I feel like I basically stole this from pseudoregalia. Played through that recently and it has been a good source of inspiration.

Nova!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:

This is a cameo skin I've been really excited to finally make myself put in the game. Anodyne 2 is a really important game to me, and I love it much. I'm really happy tha folks at analgesic let me put her in here, and I'm p happy with how her model came together. If you haven't peeped the Anodyne games I highly recommend them. The first one was a major inspiration for parts of Fatum Betula.

Conclusion:

Lately I've been playing this game way too much. It has made it impossible for me to tell if it is fun or well designed. Some problems cropped up during playtesting that ima need to address, and I hope that it all comes together into something that one could say is "fun and cool". I think takin this weekend off is gonna do my brain good. Oh yeah also I feel like I should advertise that I'm still doing commissions if anyone is interested. Anyway, have a good 1 and enjoy urself.

[agentrouka-blog]

How does ashford theory account for “I was going to marry her to Robert!”? There is no Arryn suitor, and Robert has been mentioned more than once as a possible match for Sansa. In my opinion, that’s one of the most avid holes in the theory.

The fourth pavilion was sewn together from diamond-shaped pieces of cloth, alternating red and white. Dunk did not know the colors, but Egg said they belonged to a knight from the Vale of Arryn named Ser Humfrey Hardyng. "He won a great melee at Maidenpool last year, ser, and overthrew Ser Donnel [Darklyn?] of Duskendale and the Lords Arryn and Royce in the lists."

I think out of the two Vale "suitors", GRRM picked the one whose role is far more significant. The betrothal to Sweetrobin is mentioned as an option but is never plot-relevant, unlike the others. (Joffrey, Willas, Tyrion, Harry - they all drive the plot forward as matches to Sansa.) Honestly, I think that GRRM mostly put it in for the "how would you like to marry your cousin" line. The betrothal serves no political purpose that benefits Lysa at that point in time and is dropped with no repercussions.

GRRM gives a small mention to Arryn and Royce (Waymar being emphasized as Sansa's past crush in AFFC) in Hardyng's backstory, which could be interpreted as a nod in that direction.

Far more significant than leaving out the Arryn suitor is the inclusion of the Hardyng suitor. Because, literally, the name appears in no. other. context. but at this tourney and being one of Sansa's suitors. It's what drives home the significance of the other names in the first place. That's what makes the black-clad, dark-haired Targaryen such an interesting addition in that circle. What is the "black prince with the white guardian" doing in that company?

It's too much to be a coincidence, so what's the point of niggling at the ultimately insignificant details? It's an easter egg of a hint. Not an air-tight legal argument meant to hold up in court.

[terminasoulscramble]

AU Character Skills

Tanaka, Yellow Mage

Thought the yellow mages were like a confidence thing, went to the dungeon expedition cause he thought it was a self development retreat, found nas'hrah and begrudgingly accepted magic as real.

-Counter-magic

-Vulnerable

-Rugged Good Looks

-Spice Forge

-La Danse Macabre

Daan, Salesman

After his parents left him, he turned to odd jobsinstead of working for the baron, some of which were not legal. He however still met elise but it was more of a week long fling. Later on, he found his way to a job as a typewriter salesman. He is still equally miserable.

-Typewriter Toss

-Lockpicking

-Magna-Medical

-Masturbate

Samarie, Therapist

Was spared from the worst of the ninth circle because the mob saw potential in her. She ended up with Marina, but had complicated emotions about loving her as her girlfriend but fearing her as her boss. She resented the jobs they had her do, and ultimately ran away. She started an independent therapy practice, using her mind reading abilities to help people.

-Steal

-Mind Read

-Persuade

-Diplomacy

Leviticus, Dark Apprentice

After Marina left, Father Domek still wanted a kid to mold in his image, so he adopted the first kid he could find who looked vaguely like marina, adopting him as his new son and heir. Trans levi is canon in this au, Domek was relieved to finally have a son, he is a trans inclusive radical misogynist

-Warding Sigil

-Melee Proficiency

-Slow Metabolism

-Bury the trauma

Abella, Lieutenant

One way or another joins the NLU, ends up getting sent on a deep cover espionage mission to put down the Kaiser. He kept avoiding her, as if he somehow knew, so when she caught wind of the endgame for the Bohemia campaign, she deserted and tried to cut him off at Prehevil.

-Weaponcraft

-Gunslinger

-Analyze

-Intimidate

Henryk, Dreamer

After family friend Pavel Yudin moved in, nothing in this man's life has gone right. Pav outshines him in every way, and his family loves him more doesn't believe in his dreams of becoming an ac-tor. He has tried to deal with this problem in various ways, failing in increasingly unlikely manners. In short, he wants this twink obliterated. Traveling to Prehevil is just the best way to kill him without suspicion. Plus, if he gets a role in that new movie being made, all the better.

-Undergrowth Awareness

-Toxicology

-Bloodlust

-Killing Intent

Olivia, Hunter

Following her injury, she was visited by a yellow-clad family member she's never met who helps her become more independent from her family. Her relationship with her sister was still strained, but for the opposite reasons. Her sister was suspicious of this supposed family member, but Olivia thought it was just jealousy. Now, she makes money as a big game hunter

-Trapcraft

-Marksmanship

-Gun Proficiency

-Devour (can't be gained through intro)

Marcoh, Field Medic

Marcoh faked his way into a job as a medical assistant, eventually being drafted once the war started. He did his job dutifully, up until the first whispers of the war having ended, making a mad dash to reunite with his sister.

-Diagnosis

-Medicinal

-Organ Harvest

-Fast Attack

Marina, Mobster

Marina's mom suspected that Domek wouldn't give up on making her a dark priest, so she sent her off to live with an uncle for a bit. This uncle had a debt to the mob, which he repayed by giving them Marina. She was adopted by a man named Ricardo, who claimed she was the child of one of his many mistresses. She bided her time, slowly gaining the fear and respect of her peers, eventually arranging an accident for her adoptive father at 14. She did not end up taking power, but instead installed a puppet leader to keep her spot for a bit. It was around this time where she met Samarie and saw potential. She rescued her from the ninth circle and put her to work in interrogation, eventually catching feelings. When Samarie betrayed those feelings by leaving, she was furious. She is now in Prehevil to tie up some loose ends, being her father, and upon learning she's here, her ex. This is basically a sold to the mob wattpad story taken 100% seriously.

-Precision Stance

-Counter Stance

-Order, Charge!

-Order, Defend!

August, Biologist/Broadcaster

Basically David Attenborough, never home for different reasons tho. Loves nature and photography, known to spend hours getting the perfect shot. Slightly less buff than he is in canon, due to less parkour.

-Advanced Botanism

-Sisu

-Leg Sweep

-Camera Flash

Karin, Mechanic

Was ousted from her job as a reporter due to digging too deep, and now works as a mechanic. Connected to the NLU by learning about their meeting place and quite literally breaking down the door to beg to join, but she won't admit to the last part.

-Explosives

-Short Circuit

-Whistleblower

-Bob and Weave

Pav, Chef

After getting too close to the Kaiser and losing an arm in an incident he won't talk about, he layed low at his old buddy Henryk's place, paying for his stay by working in his restaurant/hotel. He quickly picked up cooking as a skill, even starting to see Henryk's parents as his own. When they die, Pav will get the hotel, and Henryk will get most of their money and non-hotel posessions. They are on their way to the Big City™ to get their ducks in a row.

-Masterchef

-En Garde

-Adrenaline Rush

-Perfect Guard

O'saa, Dark Priest

Instead of joining up with the yellow mages, O'saa found his way to the Vatican and became a dark priest. Trading one group of selfish bastards for another.

-Meditation

-Engrave

-Greater Occultism

-Advanced Occultism

Caligura, Boxer

Fucked with the wrong person and got demoted to a grunt, being sent to the meat grinder boxing ring, somehow survived each time.

-Escape Plan

-Bare-Fisted Proficiency

-Quick Jabs

-Poison Tip

[grizzlyofthesea]

"What is the wish that will make your Soul Gem shine?"

I made a magical girl form for myself in the event that I'd be stupid/desperate enough to make a contract with Kyubey.

My wish would be to incite a sustainable, inclusive, equitable, and cruelty-free scientific revolution. I'm into astronomy, so I decided that my Soul Gem would look like a star in its "jewelry" form. Its color is teal because that's the result I got on a "What color is your magic?" personality quiz. Simple as that.

Since my wish pertains to science, my outfit naturally has a lab coat and goggles. The coat is made out of a transparent PVC-type material. The overall aesthetic combines Georgian/Victorian menswear with vaporwave. I just thought it would be fun.

The goggles are functional for one of my unique abilities; I can use them to analyze another being's abilities and weaknesses. My other special power is the ability to create constructs out of laser meshes.

My weapon is a telescope ray gun...thing. In "ranged mode," it of course fires lasers. The trigger and handle can retract for "melee mode," allowing the telescope to serve as a more effective battering weapon. It can also act as an actual telescope.

I drew it, but (1) it's incomplete, and (2) it's pictured with some spoiler-y parts of the design. Proceed with caution if you have not yet completed Madoka Magica.

Now we get into the witch stuff.

My witch name is Cosimo. My Grief Seed has a shooting star design on it, with the tail shaped to look like a grid/lattice. My Witch's Kiss is a planet with two rings and a two-tailed comet above it. The planet's coloration references Annie Jump Cannon's mnemonic for star types/temperatures: Oh, Be A Fine Guy/Girl, Kiss Me.

Everything from here on out is still uncolored. Major details are set in stone, but minor ones are subject to change.

Cosimo is the Supernova Witch, with an erratic nature. She is serene and calculating on the outside, but she will lash out in a panic as soon as she feels that she has lost control. Those who fall too close to her surface are spaghettified and can never hope to leave again.

**Cosimo is approximately 10 meters in diameter, and she changes color/temperature based on her mood. The bluer/hotter she is, the angrier or more stressed she is. Red indicates lethargy or sadness. Yellow-white is her perfect, happy medium.**

Familiar #1 is Amadeo. He is the Supernova Witch's trusted receptionist. He cheerfully greets guests and keeps them up to date about the witch's interests. However, his speeches are so long that they bore people into a deep slumber.

**I imagine his mouth to squash and stretch instead of moving organically. Think of Natsuki's mouth during certain parts of Doki Doki Literature Club.**

Familiar #2 is Orsina. Orsina is the Supernova Witch's talented groundskeeper and architect. She builds, maintains, and destroys parts of the labyrinth according to the witch's whims. She is praised for her work but prone to becoming jealous of the other familiars. Also comes in a right-handed variant.

**The substance dripping from Orsina's wrist is thick, viscous, and burning hot. Individual Orsinas may have different colors of skin or fingernails, too.**

Anyway, that's all. I had fun coming up with all this.

[screechhermit]

Earthbread Mechanics - Combat 1/?

So first post of many here. I'll say this now, most of the posts about this will not be in order as they're just going to be whatever is on my mind at the time. Today its some aspects of combat. Some of these ideas are pulled from a bunch of different places with a lot of them coming from Kingdom as its the main game with combat, and I haven't played Tower yet, so I'll get into the stuff I'm pulling from there first.

Attacking

In theory each Cookie would have a class(charge, defense, magic, etc) with this only really effecting the skills and what toppings they should use(I'll get into those in a bit). Outside of that Cookies would all have a main melee attack along with a ranged/magic attack depending on the Cookie.

Toppings

So Toppings, another bit from Kingdom yes I know, but I find them as interesting as a mechanic. In essence they function the same as Artifacts from Genshin but we aren't going there. Anyway in this hypothetical game they would function the same way that they do in Kingdom. You'd equip a max of five to your Cookie, with each kind having differing effects on stats.

Resonant Toppings

Additionally I want to touch on Resonant Toppings briefly. I love the idea of them, with sets meant for specific groups of Cookies. However, I feel that Kingdom initially kind of dirty, with Moonkissed and Trio Toppings both being no longer available yet we can still get Tropical Rock, Draconic, Sea Salt, etc. Even in limited amounts they are still available to us. In this case I would imagine the different varieties would simply only be obtainable depending on the region of the world. Moving on!

Crystal Jams

So I have an issue with their inclusion into Kingdom. While in concept they are very cool, honestly would've preferred for Legendary Cookies to just have Magic Candies. However I don't want to remove them outright because there is an aspect I like about them for use in a party style of combat. These being the Rally Effects they have when a Cookie possessing one is in your party. An item in game that provides buffs to your whole party is very fun. But changing them from their form in Kingdom is how to obtain them and how they would be used. Firstly I'd keep them in their first stage form as the simpler design just looks nicer. I'll go more into them in another post as this is getting long as is.

Elements

So this aspect is something I just find fun for games sake. It does also make strategies for what Cookies to have on your party. Having Elements assigned to Cookies in an open world rpg does feel very cliche but it also just feels correct to me to include.

Elements can tie into so many other aspects of gameplay in a variety of ways. Plus they're also just fun to look at, all the pretty colors and fun symbols for each one. I do find it interesting that of the ones currently in the game, they all seem to tie into an Ancient, Legendary, or Dragon Cookie. So putting that into the context of the other three Ancients, four Dragons, and the other nine Legendaries, it leaves a lot of gaps in the Elements to get filled. Sleep for Moonlight Cookie, Wind for Wind Archer Cookie obviously. I could see some kind of Space or Star Element for Xylitol Nova Cookie and the likely four other Nova Cookies. We all know its inevitable, Devsis loves to release higher rarity Cookies in sets of five. This isn't even considering the Beast Cookies yet. But that's for another post.

With all of those thoughts planted into the realm of Tumblr for all to see, I bid you all a good evening as its getting late on my end as I type this. Thank You and Goodnight!

[purplekoop]

A bit belated of a topic, but last week's holiday and a few other things have me positing the possibilities of "joke" weapons for War Bots.

The tricky thing is that it's hard to define what a joke weapon really counts as. My go-to definition for a joke character, weapon, move, etc in a game would be something like "funny in execution but not practical", but this is still a hard line to draw. In large part it's because comedy is subjective, and what one person finds funny could just be annoying to someone else, but it's also hard to define what the "funny" part should be.

For instance, Smash Bros has a variety of answers to what joke characters it has. To a casual fan, characters like Jigglypuff, Mr. Game and Watch, Wii Fit Trainer, Duck Hunt, and Piranha Plant are joke characters due to their conceptual absurdity in just being playable in this game. To a more competitively inclined person, Ganondorf and Little Mac are instead the joke characters because of their incredibly min-maxed skillsets making them extremely unviable in serious competitive play, thus the joke becomes not their existence, since they feel like they seriously should be here, but rather their functionality. Sometimes these opinions align, Plant has been considered pretty lackluster, but sometimes they directly clash, like Jigglypuff being one of Melee's best characters. But according to the series creator (not looking up the exact source so Dude Trust Me), Smash doesn't have joke characters at all. Every character is made as seriously as everyone else, regardless of who they are or how well they end up doing competitively. I personally think that Smash's only true joke character is Melee Pichu, an absurd and dated inclusion almost certainly here due to Melee's tiny development period leading to abundance of clones in its roster, and a character so deliberately self-detrimental with no redeeming qualities that it's a miraculous accident that there are worse characters competitively than them. Their trophies even allude to jow terrible they are, and how they should just scramble for items rather than seriously fighting on their own. But even then, when they returned for Ultimate, they were "un-joked" and turned into a serious character with the lowest durability and a self-damage mechanic, but also genuine strengths over Pikachu that made them a seriously competitive character that was even NERFED early into the game's lifespan. Pichu is a real character now who has a genuine place in the game's cast, and isn't just a comically undertuned throw pick used to flex on your friends if you somehow win with them.

A similar but more infamous deliberately bad fighting game character is Dan Habiki, who got his start in Street Fighter Alpha before becoming a series mainstay. In Alpha, he was very literally a joke, made to make fun of Capcom's rival fighting game company SNK and their suspiciously similar looking gi-wearing fireball-throwing martial arts man, Ryo. To poke fun at this imitation of Ryu, Dan is a deliberately terrible clone of Ryu, with a pitifully weak close-range fireball in place of the gameplay-defining hadouken of his more competent counterparts. His one strength? Taunting. In Alpha, every other character can only taunt once per round, but Dan can spam his taunt as much as he pleases. He can even pull off a super taunt, which uses meter like a normal super, but does no damage and leaves him exceedingly vulnerable. The ultimate flex. This puts him in a very stark contrast to Akuma, the secret superboss character of SF2 that was banned in that game's competitive play, but has since become toned down to be a much more competitively fair character in the rest of the series. Similarly, and just like Pichu, Dan was turned into a serious character in terms of competitive usability in later installments, though retained his comical nature by incorporating his goofy nature into his gameplay. He's still funny, but now he's taken seriously as a character. In SF5 he actually somehow had infinite combo, a rarity in a big-name modern fighting game. This was patched out by giving his aforementioned terrible fireball, which is part of the infinite combo, a random chance to come out as a stronger red fireball. This gave Dan an appropriately funny random chance to throw out a stronger attack, but also the way the red fireball launches the opponent breaks the infinite. It's a buff and a nerf at the same time, a paradox so delightfully and thoroghly Dan.

Fighting games have a more storied history of deliberate joke characters past Pichu and Dan, which are too numerous to go into here in full detail. Skullgirls has Fukua and Robo Fortune, parodies of real characters Filia and Miss Fortune of dubious canonocity that owe their existence to jokes too complicated for me to explain now. Sega's old internal crossover fighting game, Fighters Megamix, has a roster including cast members from Virtua Fighter, Fighting Vipers, Sonic the Fighters, and... a car from Daytona USA. Excellent youtuber Leon Massey has a recent video discussing Tekken 3's two terrible bottom tier joke characters, which I highly recommend giving a watch.

But this is all a bit of a tangent, with the main point being that the culture of fighting games makes it unclear sometimes what a joke character really is, while also deliberate joke characters are often made more serious as a series goes on, but still retaining their identity as "funny".

For a more relevant genre, let's talk class shooters... and by that I mean TF2. Overwatch doesn't really have joke characters, it's not a game devoid of humor but it likes to take its cast seriously.

TF2 doesn't really have joke characters either, the cast was made well ahead of the game devolving into mediocre Adult Swim humor, but TF2 *does* have interchangeable weapons introduced later on. Most of these are serious additions to a character's arsenal, even if in somewhat comical forms like a ham sandwich or a soda can. But even in its earlier alternate weapons, there additions that felt like deliberate downgrades added for either sheer fun or comedy value, like the Huntsman being a questionably useful alternative to the hyper-efficient sniper rifle that's validated by just kinda being funny to use and see in action.

As the game went on though, there's very clear instances of joke weapons that aren't useful but funny, weapons that are plain bad but not in a funny way, and weapons with comical concepts but genuine uses in gameplay. The Holy Mackerel is functionally identical to Scout's weak default baseball bat, but announces every hit in the kill feed and humiliates enemies on death with the condemnation of a "Fish Kill", because hitting people with a fish is funny. The Hot Hand meanwhile has Pyro slap people twice with a unique glove, and is objectively kinda useless, which adds up to being a vaguely funny throw weapon. The Pomson 3000 is a cool-looking shotgun alternative for the Engineer that is just terrible, but in a way that isn't funny or interesting, just kinda frustrating. And the Second Banana is one of the final weapons ever added, given to Heavy as a gag pity prize to rub in how he lost to Pyro in a vote for a major update... but it ended up being a seriously viable sidegrade to the Sandvich, with its stat adjustments giving it pros and cons that fit a slightly different playstyle over Heavy's mainstay secondary. It was a joke in concept, but a valid choice in practice.

This all adds up to joke options being kind of. Weird. Not only in the variable nature of comedy, but also in how seriously they get taken in practice. Sometimes what wasn't meant to be a joke becomes one, sometimes what was meant to be a joke is taken seriously, and sometimes this status flips over time.

...this post became very long and eventually wasn't about War Bots, so I'll go into my ideas there later on. There's more I wanted to talk about, didn't even get to taunt kills, but god this is a lot to type on a phone so give me a break.

[dailycharacteroption]

Hybrid Class Review: Hunter part 2

(art by aGiantSalamander on DeviantArt)

Utility and Builds

So let’s get right into it with what makes the hunter class unique! Right off the bat they have simple and martial weapons and up to medium armor and shields, alongside a good number of skill points and class skills, exactly what you might expect from a mid-power caster.

And indeed they are casters. Specifically, they draw upon the combined spell list of both druid and ranger spells up to 6th level. What’s more, if a spell appears on both spell lists, but is at a lower level for either class, hunters get it at the lower level. Additionally, they are spontaneous casters, so they get a limited spell selection but can cast repeatedly all day. Additionally, they gain access to all the summon nature’s ally spells at all levels they can cast.

Naturally, they also gain an animal companion, which follows the same rules at a druid’s animal companion, though they can teach them tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype in addition to the basic ones. Additionally, if the companion is dead or dismissed, a hunter’s summoned allies last longer.

Where things get really interesting is the inclusion of animal foci. These mystical totems provide temporary buffs to both the hunter and their companion (or both to the hunter if their companion is dead). Typically, these foci include things like direct stat buffs, buffs to certain attacks or maneuvers, skill buffs, or even additional senses, and they all typically upgrade as the hunter levels up. There is a limited list of aspects that the hunter can take, but there are also ward aspects that require the hunter to be near certain landmarks that a kami would guard, as well as certain archetypes having their own list of aspects to draw upon.

As a fusion of druid and ranger, it only makes sense that they can also learn various techniques normally only associated with those classes.

Naturally, they also have a knack for empathizing with and befriending animals.

They also train their companion to work well with them, becoming a better flanker for those that prefer melee combat, and learning to aim better to avoid hitting their companion if they prefer ranged combat.

They also inherit the ranger’s knack for tracking, as well as the ability to move quickly while tracking eventually.

Hunters also learn several teamwork feats as they grow in mastery, which they automatically share with their animal companion, making them a masterfully coordinated duo.

They also have a much stronger link than most to their companion, letting them see through the beast’s eyes from afar. Later on, this improves to work over vast distances.

Hunters also inherit the druidic ability to move through difficult foliage with ease.

They also teach their companion new tricks (including those from the skirmisher ranger) at an accelerated rate as well!

Eventually, they are also able to apply multiple animal foci at once, adding to the arsenal they can bring to bear at once.

Everyone knows that one of the biggest fears that keeps people away from companion options with classes is the knowledge that your companion might die or be destroyed, so the hunter eventually just learns how to raise them for free, albeit at personal cost of a bit of life energy.

They also become able to speak directly to their companion the way higher level wizards and witches might with their familiars, gaining much greater clarity of communication, almost surpassing the need for tricks.

Eventually, the connection between companion is so great that other similar species recognize the hunter as a friend to their kind, and will not normally attack them.

The most powerful of them can track prey at full speed, preventing all but the swiftest prey from outpacing them.

Of course, even among vanilla hunters, there is variety, and as an alternate capstone they can gain an additional, albeit somewhat weaker, companion, becoming a true huntmaster.

If those don’t appeal to you though, there are still plenty of other generic alternate capstones they can use. They might gain even more spell knowledge with Deep Magics; turn their companion into a paragon of it’s kind with Great Beast; become a pinnacle themselves with Perfect Body, Flawless Mind; become a master of a druidic circle, ranger group, or even hunting lodge with The Boss; turn their favored weapon or other gear into an artifact with the power of With This Sword; or become an undying legend of the woodlands with Won’t Stay Dead.

Whether you’re flanking with your companion or supporting them from afar, the hunter is the very picture of a class that is all about the companion. A variable buff that can be applied to both the hunter and companion, plus teamwork feats and extra-special tricks in spades, and this class arguably ties with or even beats out other companion classes like summoner and spiritualist. Of course, the exact build you go for will depend a lot on what sort of companion you want and what sort of weapon you want as your primary. Your companion might be a damage-dealing flanker alongside you, a tank that you support with spells and range, a flying dive-bomber that strikes foes accurately and always slips away before they retaliate while you pin foes down with spells and melee, and so on. All of this is why the hunter went from my least favorite hybrid class to one of the top five for me.

And that is where we will stop today, but tomorrow expect to see me dive into archetypes and how they change this partner formula, or even ignore it entirely. See you tomorrow!

[ohthehypocrisy]

Iron Valiant for Pokemon Unite!

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Welcome to the future, where everything is digital and weakness has been eradicated. In this harsh and heartless world of tomorrow, only bodies made of iron can prosper. Thusly, the warrior known as Iron Valiant has appeared on Aeos Island to demonstrate the unfathomable power of the future.

Could its inclusion have disastrous effects on days untold? Read on and find out...

-

The iron body of the pokemon from the future are engineered to propagate in a cruel and draining world. In order to draw out the maximum possible power of both Gardevoir and Gallade, Iron Valiant has attained the heightened strength of both Attack and Sp. Attack, while also gaining Speed. Sadly, it has lost a lot of HP, Defense, and Sp. Defense in the transition, but taking a hit isn't all that important when you can finish the fight in one strike. For that reason, Iron Valiant is best suited for the role of a...

Speedster

-

Basic Attack - Melee/Attack

Becomes a boosted attack after 3 hits. The boosted attack has the user form a psycho saber from its arms and starts swinging them around itself, dealing damage continuously. Damaging opposing pokemon generates Quark Drive power.

The boosted attack unleashes a swirling saber of psychic energy that lingers for 1.5 seconds, dealing damage continuously. Iron Valiant can attack without stopping.

Each hit of the boosted basic attack generates 2% to 3% Quark Drive power for each enemy hit.

It is considered dishonorable to draw your weapon at the beginning of conflict. A reasonable warrior must defuse the situation with stern words and sterner warning strikes. If that isn't enough, if conflict is impossible to avoid, the weapon must be drawn and sheathed quickly and resolutely.

Three hits to charge the basic attack is pretty slow, especially for a Speedster, but the boosted attack swarms the area with wild psycho slashes, making it dangerous to be near Iron Valiant. Each strike also adds Quark Drive power, whatever that means, but the more you have the better, so keep your enemies close.

Of course, you're still a Speedster, so don't get overconfident. However, the boosted attack flies freely without any penalty to your Movement Speed, so feel free to pop an X Speed and chase down a weakened Attacker if you've got a boosted attack at the ready.

Now, about that Quark Drive...

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Ability: Quark Drive

The user generates power while standing within Speed Flux zones. When your moves are in effect, a portion of the Quark Drive can be expended to unleash a follow-up attack. If opposing pokemon are KO'd using the Quark Drive meter, a portion of the spent meter is refunded.

Quark Drive generates 10% power per second while standing within Speed Flux Zones. Power is generated at the same rate regardless of which side you're standing on.

While your moves are in effect, you can use the attack again to activate Quark Drive and consume 20% of the meter in order to perform various followup attacks. The specific attacks you can do are explained in the attack description. The Quark Drive Meter is split into one fifth fractions for your viewing convenience.

You get back 10% Quark Drive meter when a followup attack successfully KO's an opposing pokemon on the enemy team. Assists are excluded.

In the future, even the floors are all digital and electric, so it makes sense that all these futuristic paradox pokemon have adapted to running on a foreign power source. In the present, it is stimulated by electric terrain, but in Pokemon Unite, Speed Flux Zones are an acceptable substitute.

The Quark Drive power gauge amplifies certain Moves when it is activated, so it is always a good idea to have a full gauge before entering a fight. However, conflict can happen anywhere, which is why your basic attack has the ability to generate Quark Drive power outside of Speed Flux Zones. It's risky, but it's better than being out of fuel with no way to fill it.

It should be noted that Quark Drive as an ability does not boost your stats in any way. It only serves to augment your moves when they are used. It's nice to have a refund system built in if you expend the energy to secure a KO, but exhausting your reserves against a resilient opponent will leave you vulnerable to counterattack. Basically, try to avoid having your moves stuffed by an enemy Defender or bulky All-Rounder.

As for those moves, let's go over them, shall we?

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At the start of the game, you can choose between Fury Cutter and Feint as your first move. By Level 3, you'll have learned both.

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Move 1: Fury Cutter (Melee)

The user summons swirling psycho sabers to spin around the user, dealing damage continuously. Damage dealt increases the more the enemy is hit. Using Quark Drive, the psycho sabers expand outward and spin faster. 8s cooldown.

The swirling psycho sabers are the same ones on Iron Valiant's arms. They circle close to the body and deal damage continuously.

Damage increases at a rate of 10% each time an enemy is hit. Fury Cutter lasts for 3.5 seconds.

When Quark Drive is used, the psycho sabers circle outward at a greater distance. They spin faster and reset the move's timer to 3.5 seconds.

The swordsmen of the past could not imagine a wireless sword. I mean, the swordsmen of the present wouldn't be able to either, but here it is. Separating the psycho sabers from its arms, Iron Valiant protects itself with absurdly sharp spinning blades.

These swords get sharper each time they cut something. As Fury Cutter deals damage, it increases in power, as is the nature of the move. The psycho sabers can be duplicated as well, so its basic attack and other moves aren't inhibited by these flying knives.

If you have enough Quark Drive power, you can spend a fifth of your meter to revamp the move, sending the blades out further, having them spin faster, and even resets the duration of the attack. It's useful to have a move squeeze out a bit of extra range just to secure that KO.

Just remember, you're still a Speedster, so watch out for ranged Attackers with high damage potential from afar or even Defenders strolling into attack range. The damage potential of Fury Cutter scales high, but a tanky opponent can weather the flying sabers long enough to KO you.

If things get dicey in that sense, get dashing.

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Move 2: Feint (Dash)

The user dashes forward, evading damage. Using Quark Drive, the user flips vertically, delivering a downward slash as it lands, dealing major piercing damage. 6.5s cooldown.

Feint sets all damage received during the Dash to 0. You are still susceptible to hindrances, as these attacks technically deal damage.

If Quark Drive is activated, Iron Valiant will perform a flashy somersault forward, landing with a downward slash. Iron Valiant will aim at the nearest enemy, even if they're too far away. Iron Valiant is still immune to damage up until the landing.

The first thing you learn when you hold a sword is how heavy it is. The second thing you learn is the proper amount of space there should be between you and your opponent. If you're too close, pull back, if you aren't close enough, approach quickly. With swordsmanship having advanced forward hundreds of years, this is still the core teachings of swordplay in the future.

Feint allows Iron Valiant to control the distance between itself and the enemy, completely evading damage as it does so. This is achieved by shifting the body in such a way that each attack slides off the body without forfeiting an offensive stance, allowing for a flawless approach. It's not so flawless that you can ignore the effects of hindrances when received, but that's more or less a matter of baiting an attack from the enemy.

Feint is invincible, but it's not invulnerable, so you should be careful against enemies that will freely throw hindrances at you. Should the enemy fall for your Feint trick, though, you can then follow up with a jumping slash by using up some of your Quark Drive power. The second jump is still invincible, but being airborne means you are harder to hit. It also means you land with a devastating slash, striking the target's back if you jumped over them. Although, if your target is a lot further out, Iron Valiant will still try to reach out and cut them down, but if the distance is too great, the attack will whiff and the Quark Drive power will be spent for nothing.

Because of the move's low cooldown, it seems like such an easy attack to use. That is part of the deception of swordplay, as nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Keep in mind that Feint makes you negate damage, but not effects received, so diving into an enemy ready to retaliate with a hindrance is a good way to get turned into scrap. It also makes Feint difficult to use to escape if the enemy uses a hindrance to catch you. In these moments, 6.5 seconds feels like a long time, and it is especially detrimental if you use the Quark Drive power carelessly. Feint is a matter of honing your skills and controlling the space between you and your opponent.

As when you upgrade your moves, all that space becomes prime real estate for a Speedster.

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At Level 7, Fury Cutter becomes either Leaf Blade or Psycho Cut.

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Move 1a: Leaf Blade (Area/Ranged)

The user summons a swirl of grass and leaves to surround itself, dealing damage continuously. The number of leaves increases if this move is used near Tall Grass. Using Quark Drive, the leaves fly outward to damage enemies nearby, dealing damage and restoring the user's HP with each hit. 9s cooldown.

At Level 12, Leaf Blade becomes Leaf Blade+.

Increases damage dealt.

Leaves and grass blades are summoned and float around Iron Valiant for 4 seconds, dealing continuous weak damage in the area around itself. More leaves and grass blades are summoned if Tall Grass is nearby, increasing the number of hits. The more patches within range, the more foliage. The move goes on cooldown when the attack ends.

The Quark Drive attack has chunks of the leaves and grass shout outward in all directions, homing in on opposing pokemon. Damage dealt restores a relative amount of HP.

Leaf Blade+ increases base damage by 25%.

The surprising thing about Iron Valiant learning Leaf Blade is the implication that the future is still lush with enough plant life that the Grass Typing has yet to die out. Which is a good thing, as nothing is more ecofriendly than an instant sword made of grass.

Similar to Fury Cutter, Leaf Blade summons a whirlwind of sharp leaves to surround itself with, dealing continuous damage to enemies nearby. This veil of leaves follows Iron Valiant all throughout its battle for a short while, commanding a lot of space while using its basic attack or Feint. However, the same issue with Fury Cutter pops up here, as the damage dealt during the attack isn't going to be enough to ward off most Defenders and bulky All-Rounders. Realistically, it's best used to improve the matchup against other Speedsters, as Iron Valiant and the enemy both favor close combat (the battle stance, not the move).

Unfortunately, balanced teams do still exist, so it's inevitable that Iron Valiant will have to contend with Defenders and All-Rounders. To help improve the damage output, Leaf Blade has an extra effect when used near Tall Grass, in that it borrows some clippings from these patches in order to increase the damage potential of the move. For each patch of Tall Grass you take from, the damage output of Leaf Blade increases, turning the area around you into a storm of sharp leaves and grass bits.

We haven't even gone over the Quark Drive power boost of the move. If Quark Drive is activated, the leafy knives will fan out and target all nearby enemies, seeking them out and dealing damage while also restoring your HP for each hit of damage dealt. Imagine Espeon's Stored Power but it shoots out angry leaves instead. The HP restoring effect is a powerful boon, but Iron Valiant doesn't have a lot of HP or defenses to restore, so a full heal may not be enough to save you from getting KO'd by a resilient Defender. It's main use is to restore your HP from the brink of defeat after diving into an enemy horde, as the wide area Leaf Blade covers makes it favorable to use against multiple opposing pokemon. There's always the risk of getting KO'd instead, but Speedsters are supposed to take KO's whenever they can, and diving into a weakened enemy team is the best case scenario here.

If you're still feeling allergic to crowds, Psycho Cut is a more comfortable option.

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Move 1b: Psycho Cut (Area)

The user sends out a psycho saber projectile forward. When the psycho sabers reach the maximum distance, it will float and spin continuously, following the user's position for the duration of the move. Using Quark Drive, the psycho sabers unleash a flurry of blades, Stunning nearby enemies. 8.5s cooldown.

At Level 12, Psycho Cut becomes Psycho Cut+.

Increases the size of the psycho sabers.

A spinning blade of psycho sabers is sent out. When the attack reaches the maximum distance, its position will be fixed to yours. Meaning that if you were to move right, the blades would move right. You move left, the blades move left. It will continue to follow your direction, even if you are Shoved or displaced by other moves. Psycho Cut lingers for 6 seconds. The move goes on cooldown when the attack ends.

When Quark Drive is used, the psycho sabers explode into a flurry of psychic slashes, dealing damage in an expanded area and Stunning nearby enemies for 0.75 seconds.

Psycho Cut+ increases the size of the blades by 25%.

That joke I made about these swords being wireless was more than a silly quip. No, these swords are called psycho sabers, with 'psycho' being the key word here. Formed on command by sheer thought, the blades cut what they are commanded to cut, and leave everything else unharmed. There's no risk to your allies when Psycho Cut is used; I mean, so is all the other moves used by your teammates, friendly fire is a thing here, but you get what I mean.

When the sabers are made and thrown out, they follow two simple instructions. The first is to spin, allowing them to cut while freely spinning in the air. The second command is to lock onto your position, like an invisible iron bar holding the weapon and the user together. Psycho Cut will follow your movements perfectly while spinning separately from you, allowing you to fight while a spinning sword satellite copies your directional movement.

The directional movement is copied so perfectly, it even holds true while Iron Valiant is getting knocked around. You could Shove, Grab, Throw it around, the psycho sabers will continue to spin while copying your position. Since you can only have one psycho saber spinning out at a time, you better hope you picked a good spot to throw the psycho sabers to.

The blades will spin for 6 seconds, after which the attack will go on cooldown. You can shorten this by activating Quark Drive to issue a third command to the blades; cut everything. Upon activation, the psycho sabers use up the last of their psychokinetic energy to attack every inch of the area around itself, dealing heavy damage and Stunning enemies within briefly. This effect is useful to stop an enemy in their tracks or to assist in your retreat.

Both Leaf Blade and Psycho Cut send out spinning swords to help you out in your fight for the future. How you use these effects is determined by your application of Feint and your positioning. But eventually, Feint will lose out on effectiveness and distance as the battle wears on, so it's time for an upgrade to your operating systems.

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At Level 9, Feint becomes either Close Combat or Spirit Break.

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Move 2a: Close Combat (Dash/Melee)

The user dashes in and delivers a combo of punches and kicks at the nearest opposing pokemon. The final hit unleashes a roundhouse kick that Shoves opposing pokemon away. At any point during the attack, the Quark Drive can be used to have the user strafe quickly, evading damage and circling around the target. The Quark Drive may be used repeatedly in this way. 9.5s cooldown.

At Level 13, Close Combat becomes Close Combat+.

Reduces the amount of Quark Drive consumed when used.

Close Combat sends Iron Valiant dashing forwards, delivering up to 5 hits at the end of each dash. If it is already in front of an enemy, it will skip the dash and go right for the attack.

Close Combat has Iron Valiant dashing repeatedly and automatically. Since the move does not Stun or hinder the enemy, there's nothing stopping them from walking away normally. Iron Valiant will attempt to Dash towards the nearest enemy each time, prioritizing pokemon on the opposing team.

Quark Drive can be used repeatedly after the first hit lands, once in between attacks. Iron Valiant will strafe to the left or right, determined by the Control Stick, and continue attacking the last enemy you hit.

The strafe renders Iron Valiant immune to damage and hindrances.

The last hit is a roundhouse kick that Shoves the enemy back and away, along with all other pokemon caught in the swing.

If the enemy is KO'd mid combo, the nearest opposing pokemon becomes the new target. If none are available, the attack ends.

Close Combat+ uses up 10% Quark Drive power instead of 20%.

It's my personal belief that the Paradox Pokemon of the future are engineered for service for the humans of the future. I mean, Iron Hands looks like law enforcement, and Iron Bundle looks like a cold water dispenser for thirsty shoppers. What would that make Iron Valiant? A hitman.

Having been designed to fight, Close Combat unleashes the full force of its power. A set of five unstoppable strikes, each aimed at the vital points of a body, Close Combat utterly destroys the target with each step. Now granted, Pokemon Unite is welcoming of all body types, so it's not as effective as it may seem at first glance, but the power and ferocity is there.

It should be noted that Close Combat has none of the impunity of Feint, so each aggressive approach is risky for the player. If you manage to make it to the fifth attack, Iron Valiant will wind up and unleash a sweeping roundhouse kick that Shoves enemies away a fair distance. It may displace the enemy away from you, but they aren't all that likely to survive every single attack.

If you do want to be safe while attacking, you'll have to use up some of your Quark Drive for that. Triggering the ability mid combo has Iron Valiant strafe quickly, circling around its target in order to reposition itself. It's also totally invincible while strafing, so close range disruption moves like Slowbro's Surf or Duraludon's Dragon Tail will miss if timed correctly. Being able to evade damage while staying close to the enemy is a very powerful effect for a Speedster to have.

...Which is why it costs a fifth of your Quark Drive gauge to use. Close Combat has you dash in 5 times, and you can use Quark Drive 4 times before the final attack comes out. It's not a good idea to exhaust your meter each time you use the move, so it's best to identify when you are in a dangerous situation and abuse the invulnerability when the situation calls for it. The timing for the invincible strafes is also pretty tight, since Iron Valiant moves so quickly in between attacks. And if Iron Valiant is right next to the enemy while using the move, the timing becomes even stricter as it will skip the Dash and attack again, leaving you with a very small window of time to activate Quark Drive.

Not to mention that the strafe direction can be chosen with the Control Stick, making the attack very demanding to learn and master. Not many players will commit to that high learning curve, so they may opt for the alternative instead.

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Move 2b: Spirit Break (Dash/Melee)

The user charges forward while spinning their psycho sabers, protecting them from ranged attacks and reducing other incoming damage. Using Quark Drive, the user extends their psycho saber blades and spins them around, damaging and Pulling opposing pokemon inward before delivering a mighty slash beam in the designated direction. This slash beam reduces the basic attack speed of opposing pokemon for a short while. 9s cooldown.

At Level 13, Spirit Break becomes Spirit Break+.

The user dashes faster and unleashes a larger slash beam when using Quark Drive.

Spirit Break sends the user dashing forwards while spinning their psycho saber staff like a baton. The spinning staff deflects ranged basic attacks and reduces incoming damage received from the front by 30%, all the while dealing damage continuously in front of itself.

The Quark Drive version has Iron Valiant take the staff upwards and spin it very quickly, expanding the blades all around itself. These expanded blades Pull nearby enemies inward towards Iron Valiant. Afterwards, Iron Valiant delivers a huge slash beam in the designated direction, reducing the basic attack speed of opposing pokemon caught in the wave by 35% for 4 seconds.

Spirit Break+ speeds up the dash attack by 30% and expands the size of the slash beam by 30%.

The unfortunate part of living in reality is that no one will ever swing a sword fast enough to deflect bullets. It's just not feasible with our human abilities, and no sword exists that can be light yet strong enough to parry those bullets. I'm glad that this glaring issue is fixed in the future, as Iron Valiant uses those psycho sabers to deflect ranged basic attacks by spinning its weapon really fast. God, I can't wait for the future.

Spirit Break sends Iron Valiant forward while spinning its blades forward, dealing damage as it travels while also shielding itself from front facing attacks. Also, it can deflect ranged basic attacks, negating their damage and effects, making Iron Valiant well suited for chasing down ranged Attackers. If that weren't enough, you can activate Quark Drive to increase the size of the blades, spin them around in a wide area, Pulling them in with the residual psychic energy, and strike down nearby enemies with a powerful slash.

The extra slash attack granted by Quark Drive will also debuff enemies by reducing their basic attack speed for a short while. This move is very good at invalidating opposing pokemon that rely on their ranged attacks for damage, like Cinderace or Mega Mewtwo Y. However, it bothers Defenders and bulky All-Rounders a little, as they can still beat you down with their close range attacks. Actually, Melee attackers are much more likely to give your problems when they're Pulled in, as they're most likely to withhold their own attacks until you're in range, which is a perilous position for a fragile Speedster to be in.

If you'd like to avoid that situation, try to master Close Combat. Up against balanced teams, however, you have to pick your fights more carefully.

You can be a little less careful with your Unite Move, though.

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Unite Move: Heartless Warrior (Area)

The user forms its psycho sabers into a staff and begins to walk forward slowly. At the end of its walk, the user then cuts around itself in a huge area, dealing major damage to all nearby pokemon. If the user is attacked before it is finished walking, the user will evade the damage and effects of the attack and dash towards the attacker, delivering a powerful slash to them in the blink of an eye. The user then cuts around itself with its psycho sabers. The user's Quark Drive is filled afterwards. 125s cooldown

Iron Valiant walks forward slowly for 3 seconds before delivering a single slash all around itself in a wide area. Affected pokemon are damaged multiple times afterwards.

If an attack used by a pokemon on the opposing team hits Iron Valiant during its walk, the damage and effect is negated and Iron Valiant will dash towards the attacker. If the attacker is within range, a lot of damage will be dealt. Afterwards, the Unite Move ends with the wide ranged cut attack like normal.

Iron Valiant can dash very far when countering opposing pokemon. Opposing Unite Moves will also be countered, unless it is a binding effect like Slowbro's Slow Beam or Mimikyu's Play With Me.

A warrior with nothing to lose is the most dangerous adversary you can face. One without a heart invokes feelings of dread and terror, as no amount of compassion or compliance will cause this warrior to falter in their objective to cut you down.

Heartless Warrior causes Iron Valiant's sensory processors to shift into overdrive, identifying all hostile targets within range. They won't be attacked immediately, but they only have 3 seconds to get away from Iron Valiant before it delivers a sweeping slash all around itself. The attack is deceptively quick, as affected enemies will only see one slash, only to be assaulted by multiple quick slashes all at once. The big cut hits in a wide area, so the entire enemy team is in danger of getting cut down in the blink of an eye.

But against so many enemies, surely one of them can stifle the hit before it comes out, right? Well, striking first is even less of a smart idea, as Iron Valiant will see the attack coming and trigger the Unite Move early. It'll dash in, evading all damage, and then cut everything in a wide radius. In the heat of battle, this is a good way of hitting everything all at once, especially if the enemy team has careless opponents with them.

However, you do have to watch out for the retaliation of the survivors, who will most likely be Defenders. If your counterattack is triggered, you'll be dashing towards the enemy, right into the lions den, and the remaining enemies will be served a frail Speedster. Luckily the Unite Move refills your Quark Drive completely, so you can put up a fight or try to make an escape. Of course, this is less feasible if you miss or the enemy holds you down with a binding effect like Slowbro's Slow Beam, so be careful.

The ultimate warrior is made, not in a factory, but in the last battle of life or death.

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Achievements

KO opposing pokemon with Quark Drive boosted moves.

As an Ability, Quark Drive functions a bit like meter in a fighting game, in that you can choose to spend some of it in order to deal more damage. The same philosophy applies here, as your moves will gain increased range and can affect multiple opponents at once, potentially. It's useful to apply extra damage, but for the most part, Iron Valiant needs the energy to secure KO's, since your Dash moves have such high cooldowns and chasing down enemies is a little difficult for this Speedster.

For the most part, you want to have a fully loaded Quark Drive before every major fight, as Iron Valiant is much more threatening with the spontaneous attacks it can throw out. The Quark Drive is also invisible to your enemies, so they won't know how much or how little of your Quark Drive is full, making each confrontation a risky endeavor.

The Achievement only demands one thing from you, efficiency. Strike hard and true, and don't let any one of them escape.

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Holowear

So, the weird thing about putting Holowear on a Paradox Pokemon from the future is how anachronistic it is. It's like dressing up an electric vehicle to resemble a steam powered buggy. And while it may seem strange for an assassin pokemon to need digital clothing, what's even stranger is that Iron Valiant came with some Holowear already downloaded! I guess Zirco's business really took off in the future...

First up is Power Suit Style Holowear, which puts Iron Valiant in a blue helmet, some power pauldrons, and a digital cape flowing from its shoulders to tie together the superhero theme. Then there's DJ Style Holowear, giving Iron Valiant some carbon fiber shades, flashy headphones, and LED bracelets, along with some leather clothing, artificially sourced, of course. Regal Style Holowear gives it a crown and fluffy cape, though the fashion of nobility has also changed in the future, as the crown has visible CPU wiring in the gaps. With Hunter Style Holowear, Iron Valiant puts on a black headset with red visors, a flashy suit and tie, and a utility belt full of mysterious and dangerous items. Finally, Samurai Style Holowear displaces the timeline with a heavy looking set of armor reminiscent of feudal Japan, though the armor is clearly made of cyber parts, it looks very cool regardless.

Perhaps we can tell what is still popular in the future by looking at the Holowear these future Paradox Pokemon come with. Then again, nothing is set in stone, and it's very likely that the future has been heavily displaced just with Iron Valiant being here. Ah well, at least the Holowear is popular.

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Strategy

The internal battery of the future Paradox Pokemon are chocked full of potential energy, but most of it is reserved for maintaining life functions. The resource used for combat is a separate system called the Quark Drive, and unfortunately, our present day chargers and power sources aren't compatible with it, which is why they rely on electric terrain.

As such, while Iron Valiant can build up Quark Drive power on Speed Flux Zones, it becomes very vulnerable when Goal Zones start breaking. It also means that it is a Speedster that shouldn't be allowed to take the Central Area at the beginning of the game, since it cannot build up Quark Drive power while gaining EXP. I mean, you could, but it might be a little slow to clear the area.

Quark Drive power is a finite resource for these future Paradox Pokemon pulled into the past, so Iron Valiant needs to maintain its supply steadily through combat. For one, it can generate Quark Drive power with its boosted basic attack. This isn't creating energy from nothing, it's offsetting the extra energy of movement by generating and collecting it, like an alternator in a freightliner engine. It's not a lot of energy, though, it's only 2% to 3% per hit, per enemy, but it's better than nothing, and magnifies against multiple opponents.

When placed in actual combat, the Quark Drive power must be used to secure a KO, and there's an incentive for that. Each KO achieved through a Quark Drive boosted attack refunds half of the energy spent from that attack. If you used up 20% to finish off an enemy with Fury Cutter, you get 10% back. It's the difference between waiting 1 second on a Speed Flux Zone to 0.5 seconds. The more you spend, the longer you have to wait for it to charge, but Speedsters are about speed, so cutting down the wait time is important.

Not having enough Quark Drive power when it's time to fight is gonna be rough, though, as it is where Iron Valiant gets all of its extra damage. You can safely spend 1 or 2 bars when you catch an enemy by surprise, but the more experienced opponents will want to bait out your attacks to get you to exhaust your Quark Drive power. Managing your meter is gonna be the test of skill for you as a Speedster, and it's not something anyone can master.

There's also the fact that your Quark Drive ability doesn't offer any additional power boosts. You don't get stronger or faster the more it fills up, so any semblance of a threat has to come from your skills as an Iron Valiant main.

Learning how to play as Iron Valiant is the easy part. But then you have to apply that knowledge in combat in order to get the KO's needed to fulfill your due diligence as a Speedster. That becomes a lot more difficult when the Goal Zones start breaking, but you can still generate some power through combat. In dire situations, you can build up power on opposing Speed Flux Zones, but expect those areas to be heavily guarded in the late game.

The future is dire for those unwilling to fight.

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And this has been Iron Valiant for Pokemon Unite, and the beginning of Season 4!

It's a no-brainer that the Paradox Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are some of the best pokemon lorewise and are widely appreciated by the pokemon fans, myself included. I even made a Third Person Shooter game concept featuring these goobers, but for the most part, Pokemon Unite is where it's at. As such, it's high time I returned to obsessing over my ideas about adding these pokemon to a game I like a little too much.

However, the schedule is going to be different. I'll be adding a new post to Season 4 every other Sunday, which means I'll be posting once every two weeks. That might seem like such a long time, but it gives me plenty of time to work on and finish these drafts I've got in the back. And who knows, I might catch up enough that I can post weekly. I mean, there's only so much coffee one can drink in a day...

For now, I'll leave you with a hint of the next pokemon.

Until next time, see ya.

[toskarin]

so obviously the mechs all have big or notable weapons, but for a single individual, what kind of weapons would they typically use? are guns still a thing in the flesh mech future? knives?

it depends heavily on the faction, location, severity of the threat being responded to, etc.

to get one thing out of the way, there are smartweapons and weapons with more conventional "smart" setups in them. these generally aren't used outside of internal and civil conflicts because the neural static emitted from necrotechnology is fully capable of fucking that up when you really don't want it to break

anyway!

the Divine Solis uses a lot of really weird stuff. when you're looking at them, you're going to see weapons that seem to be made out of "metal" but possess self-repairing or other necrotechnology-based traits. they've got regular guns as well, but there's a lot of force-multiplication at play with their melee approaches

when you get into vessel weaponry for them, it gets weirder. lots of pseudo-bio-weapons and edgy anime flavoured stuff there

Union usually goes for your more standard sci-fi miltech sort of stuff. sometimes that gets a little fancy and takes the form of crossbows or rail rifles, but it's often more standard military weaponry. there's a bit of flavour in some characters carrying sabres, as well

the exception to this being units that are planned to encounter Solis opposition or otherwise have to deal with forces that are known to make use of necrotechnology. in other words, this is what your vessels and other such specialty units usually carry

because Union very rarely produces necrotechnology weapons (and what they do produce is years behind technologically), they often carry more specialised weapons to buy time

notably, the RD-Knife (reactive defence, name pending) is capable of detonating on impact with force-multiplying weapons, shattering the defender's arm in exchange for successfully pushing the attack away. it's not ideal for someone who can't regenerate a broken arm to use it, but it's better than dying horribly

there's edge cases to both factions where their tech starts to look similar (and even overlaps), but that's the gist of it. people are absolutely still carrying pistols around

Kishar tends to prefer more "cultured" weaponry, so they look similar to the Divine Solis. they don't really field armies most of the time, but they do have more money and time than god, so it's not unusual for a noble to keep an entourage armed according to their own distinct tastes

the rule of cool applies a lot here. if it sounds cool enough to warrant inclusion, there's probably a way to get a weird weapon into someone's hands

[autisti-kat]

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* Educational/artistic/queer nudity, sexual health and other forms of NSFW

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Last edit: 21-Oct-2024

[iniziare]

The scythe (and a 'brief' inclusion of the concept of 'difference'). I need this in a separate post, actually. Because Seele's scythe has always been a constant fascination of mine, not only because a scythe is an absolute kick-ass weapon, but because it really helps in setting her apart from the other members of Wildfire, and even those outside of it. Not that uniqueness is a power per say, but because all of this adds to the consistency of what they seem to want to represent with her: how being 'on your own' never really goes away. The concept of being 'unique', whether it's positive or negative, never really wavers from you as a person, it seems. And I think Seele personifies that reality from what we know of her early childhood and into her adulthood.

As an orphan with a relatively rambunctious attitude, she likely didn't endear herself to children of her age, and she caused enough ruckus for the adults to keep her at bay (Nat has the patience of a saint), and at the young age of ten, she canonically would find herself in the occasional fight with local thugs while patrolling with Oleg; she was not your usual kid.

All of this to say, that she came from 'being different' and to remaining that exact same thing to this very day, and I think that her scythe is one of the most obvious things representative of that.fact. Seele stands out today, as she stood out when she was younger— granted she grew up in the Underworld, which already makes her part of this concept of 'other', or if you look at it from an Overworlder's perspective: 'lesser'. It's funny, because I think of what I just typed, the keeping people at arm's length— and I see how imposing her scythe is, and it still plays into achieving that. It'll either warrant fascination, or it'll scare people away with how dangerously dangerous it looks. Any way, I actually got massively sidetracked, so let me try to get back on point here.

In essence, while the scythe is unique in appearance, most certainly, it was/is likely a result of a very practical way of thinking, which ultimately got meshed in with a personal preference or even a 'cool factor' wish, if you will. So, just as I did for Kafka (with results I'll share soon, I just need to do some thinking), I had a watch and listen to Seele's ultimate animation to see if there was anything else to dissect from it that could potentially be tied to any sort of explanation for the scythe, and at 0:06 seconds in, you hear the sound of a gunshot quite clearly, which got me thinking the ever obvious question: why? It's a scythe, and she has no obvious ties to any sort of gun(s), so why is there the sound of a gunshot? So, I did some searching to see if any Redditor made mention of this as well, and low and behold, I found exactly that, and some of the commenters struck gold with their comments to the OP. Let me just quote each one for ease:

— Maybe canonically it was a Silvermane Guard rifle and Seele retooled it into a scythe. — Yeah, this was my thought.Bullets might have become scarce after the Underworld was sealed off, so she converted it into a melee weapon. — This would also explain why she has a scythedespite no agriculture in the underground: she made it herself (or had someone more technically minded make it for her) out of a variety of parts (...) — A scythe is also just a really big ice pick and what is the main motif of the enemies on the planet? That’s right, ice themed. Could be done so tohelp crack their armor (...) It'd probably be pretty good against robot armor, too.

Now, we know that the Underworld became absolutely starved of resources the longer it was sealed off, so it's not exactly like they all had parts ripe for the picking, and so had to make due with what they could find, and then fashion that into what was needed. Weapons with ammunition were likely the first to be let go of, for how could you use that which needed parts that couldn't be fashioned or obtained for the longest of time? But all of those arms couldn't just be thrown away, it'd be a waste for those who are already lacking that which is needed to defend themselves with. So why not refashion it in something that's of use to you in one way or another? Especially by someone who would know their way around arms and weaponry as a whole (as come to think of it, no, I don't see Seele fashioning something like that for herself, at least not from the ground up; maintaining and adding to it as time passes, perhaps, but not from the ground up, I doubt that's what she meant by 'handicraft' in those text messages). I do think an initial draw to the weapon like a scythe is because of how imposing it is, it's so difficult to wield effectively because many of its strengths also pose you with its limitations— and yet in that lies a challenge that I think a girl like Seele thrives for, and could actually achieve. She bears a monumental source of strength (not just specifically physically, but mentally) to have survived as she has until she was taken into the orphanage, it fits the endurance that she had to have possessed as of a young age to navigate the streets as she did after she obtained food in less then morally 'good' ways, and the agility that primarily ties in with the latter. She also fits the type of person who holds the mindset to be able to turn a scythe's psychological impact to her benefit, she holds that courage and fearlessness that you need for it; and she also definitely is cocky/arrogant enough for it. I actually, the more I think on it, the more I think that she truly is quite a great fit for it, actually, even if I think her impatience would likely have been her enemy while training with it. You need a hell of a lot of patience, and I think that would've been troublesome for some time, but I think Oleg, for example, would have been a great teacher for that.

Any way, I've been rambling for a day and a half, but what I mean to say is— as much as Seele once was 'different', she remains it to this day. The scythe is unique within the arsenal of Wildfire, and even Belobog, and yet it fits perfectly with her aesthetic and her person. Everything about Seele seems incredibly messy, and it is, but it's her mess that works exceedingly well for her. Seele's scythe seems to come from a disassembled weapon (that in all ways, was the opposite of what it's now become) that might still hold some semblance of function to this day; her attire is a combination of all kinds of things and fabrics that don't go together whatsoever and yet were fashioned into something of her own (we know that she does handicraft, which includes fixing up dolls, so she knows how to sew and likely knit). There's just— it plays into the visual (and personality-wise) consistency of her character very well, and I'm just, I'm just a fan. Don't mind me, I don't know if I actually touched enough on what I wanted to say, so I'll likely make a part 2 soon, but I just needed to get thoughts out.

[mysticalchildsuit]

Top 10 Characters I want to see come to Disney Mirrorverse (Part 2)

One list wasn't enough. There are more characters that have potential to be amazing in Mirrorverse, so I decided to make another list of 10 more characters that should be in Mirrorverse. Once again, I'll be going over what type of character type each would be (Melee, Tank, Ranged, or Support), what they're playstyle could be, and maybe how they could be incorporated in the game. Also, these are my picks and not yours, and your picks could be different from my picks. Without further delay, let's get into it.

10. Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)[Tank]

With Alice in Mirrorverse, it should make sense that more characters from Wonderland join the game, like the Queen of Hearts. Other fans have been wanting her to join Mirrorverse, mostly because there is a small number of villains than there are heroes, and they have thought out her playstyle. For me personally, I see her as a Tank, with a playstyle of a Berserker (with a passive where her basic attack power increases the more angry she is, with a chance of her landing a critical hit), with a heart-shaped axe (a reference to her catchphrase "Off With Their Head!"); also, she could summon card soldiers to fight for her.

9. Cecil Clayton (Tarzan)[Ranged]

Another villain that should come to Mirrorverse, especially because Tarzan was on my first list. Obviously, he would be a Ranged character, utilizing his rifle and also using traps to slow down enemies, basically drawing some inspiration from Caitlyn and Graves (League of Legends).

8. Long John Silver (Treasure Planet)[Tank]

A villain from one of Disney's underrated movies, John Silver would definitely be interesting to see in Mirrorverse. I see him being a Tank, using his cybernetics to fight Fractured and Titanborn, like using his sword for basic attacks, a plasma cannon and flamethrower for ranged attacks, and his cybernetic eye to scan an enemy's weakness, increasing accuracy and critical hit chance.

7. Dr. Facilier (The Princess & the Frog)[Ranged]

I know for a fact that Dr. Facilier deserves to be in Mirrorverse. He would be a Ranged character, utilizing Stellar Magic to enhance his voodoo powers, giving him a playstyle that's similar to Baron Samedi (SMITE), or taking creative liberties for his playstyle, like summoning voodoo mask to attack and defend with, using his cards like throwing stars/knives, and using his shadow to attack enemies, all that jazz (no pun intended).

6. Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone)[Tank]

Madam Mim would be interesting to see in Mirrorverse, since I put Merlin and Arthur in my first list, and her playstyle would be just as interesting. I could see her being a Tank character, utilizing her shapeshifting powers, such as using her dragon form as her signature ability, or utilizing Stellar Magic to improve her black sorcery.

5. The Lone Ranger (The Lone Ranger)[Ranged]

Who remembers The Lone Ranger movie from 2013? And who remembers that Lone Ranger was in Disney Infinity? Well, having him in Mirrorverse would be awesome. He would clearly be a Ranged character, using his twin guns, and even a lasso (like Woody does), possibly making his playstyle a mix of Miss Fortune and Lucien (League of Legends).

4. Taran, Eilonwy, and the Horned King [The Black Cauldron](Melee, Support, and Ranged, respectively)

I know I cheated on this, but I still stand by this choice, simply because The Black Cauldron is another underrated movie (with a cult following) and can bring some representation to the game. Taran, our plucky protagonist, would be a Melee character using his Magic Sword. Eilonwy, one of Disney's underrated princesses (along with Kida) would use her Magic Orb to be a Support character, possibly taking inspiration from Oriana (League of Legends). Finally, the Horned King, the most evil, darkest, and scariest villain in the Mouse House, would be a Ranged character, using his Dark Magic, enhanced with the inclusion of Stellar Magic, like firing dark lightning, or even summoning undead soldiers to fight for him. In fact, my older brother suggested the Horned King to be in Mirrorverse, and even said that he could be incorporated in the game as a final boss in a story arc.

3. Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet)[Melee]

The protagonist of Treasure Planet also deserves of be in Mirrorverse since I chose John Silver to be in the game. He would be a Melee character, using a sword and a plasma pistol. Someone even suggested he use his treasure map to expose the weakness of his enemies. His signature ability could have him use his Solar Surfer to perform an air strike.

2. Powerline (A Goofy Movie)[Ranged]

Another pick from my older brother, and I could see it. Powerline is charismatic, an amazing performer, his songs are amazing, and he was also in Disney Sorcerers Arena, as well as Disney Heroes Battle Mode. I see him as a Ranged character, being imbued with Stellar Magic giving him electrokinetic powers, and having a playstyle that draws inspiration from Seraphine (League of Legends). His backstory could even be something like using his music to bring people together to fight against the Fractured and Titanborn, similar to Lucio (Overwatch).

Honorable Mentions

Demona (Gargoyles)[Melee or Ranged]

Negaduck (Darkwing Duck)[Melee or Tank]

The Sanderson Sisters (Hocus Pocus)[Winifred-Ranged, Mary-Tank, Sarah-Support]

Chernobog (Fantasia)[Tank] - final boss of a story arc and another pick from my older brother

Kim Possible (Kim Possible)[Melee]

Tia Dalma (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)[Ranged]

Flynn Rider (Tangled)[Melee]

Flynn should definitely be in Mirrorverse since he's basically an RPG character already, being a thief. He would be a Melee character having a playstyle that could play with his swashbuckling side or his rogue/thief side.

That's all, everyone. Feel free to like and comment, but keep any negative comments to yourself, or be blocked. May God bless you, and peace out.

[dreadfutures]

3 and 4 for the dragon age ask?

Thanks for joining in the hype!

3. Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

I usually judge games based off of their melee handling before I go to play mages, since mages tend to be the most unbalanced in any franchise. I've played as mages and rogues and I frankly have hated the rogue gameplay in these games--it feels SO stiff, compared to AC. If I'm a rogue, I want to be fluid backstabby killshot dodge mechanics, or a really seamless bow hotswap. Maybe we'll finally get something closer to that in DA4, but it's not going to be my go-to.

So yeah, probably a Warrior chasing down a Slayer spec because big big weapon and stronk gorl makes my brain buzz. I just played Transistor for the first time and fell in love with Dishonored last year so I have "body guard assassin" on the mind, and I think an intimidating bodyguard with a giant sword is gonna be my first recourse.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

Alright cracks knuckles here we go. There's some flexibility with DAI's timeline (we have a 10 year stretch, I'm expanding the Inquisition to take more than a year lol)

Background World State:

DAO: Warden-Commander Mahariel did the dark ritual, became Arl and Teyrn, went off to search for a Cure--and failed. He died right before Trespasser, in Morrigan and Kieran's arms.

DA2: Force/Blood Mage Hawke sided with the mages, spared Anders, and was left in the Fade; Warden Carver; Fenris romance. Fenris is off doing Wraiths of Tevinter stuff.

Inquisition: #shadows in the sun AU

Ixchel is not fully elven. She was adopted by Clan Lavellan. She becomes a 2-handed Warrior, Champion spec.

Driven by insecurity, she went to the Conclave to prove that she was useful to the Clan. At 16, she became the Inquisitor. She has no vallaslin.

I know that Solas has been running around for 10 years, but let's just say that Ixchel's Inquisition probably took more than 1-2 years lol. It was a hot mess. She is probably in her early 20s by the time Trespasser rolls around.

She allied with the Mages, Conscripted the Wardens, let Morrigan drink from the Well. Leliana was hardened. Cassandra is Divine. Celene was spared. She let Bull sacrifice the Chargers. She did recruit Sera, but they hate each other's guts (Sera is more empathetic in Trespasser, and they get along but are never friends). Spared Blackwall. She tried to be all-inclusive as Inquisitor and make every culture and faction feel at home, but mostly it was just isolating and made her feel out of place in particular, belonging to no one.

She only had high approval with Solas, Varric, Cole, Dorian, and Cassandra. She was so close with Solas that she put together he was an Ancient Elf, and the Dread Wolf, but not his plans--and he did not tell her. Mostly this just served to strengthen their close bond as mentor/mentee.

Clan Lavellan was massacred in Wycome. She never found survivors.

She does Jaws of Hakkon before Corypheus. She learns Ameridan is Dalish and goes to Keeper Hawen's clan on the Exalted Plains to tell him; Hawen offers her vallaslin. Solas warns her about what the vallaslin really are, but she takes them anyway. Then they go to face Corypheus.

After Solas vanishes and everyone moves on from the Inquisition, Ixchel travels with Morrigan and Kieran (who is only 5 years younger than her, ish). She learns some ancient elven from Morrigan and the Well, and Chasind and Avvar practices. When Mahariel returns she stays for a bit longer, but he gets sick quickly and she feels like she's intruding and doesn't belong so she leaves.

In Trespasser, she kills Bull. She frees the Dragon. She finds all he evidence of Fen'Harel's slave rebellion and the evil gods. She wants to join Solas but he refuses. She protests that she is tired of fighting, and if he lets her live, that's what he is asking her to do. He knows. He kisses her goodbye.

She enters a crippling depression, disbands the Inquisition, and formally retires. She lives in Skyhold but travels (mostly to visit either Cullen at his clinic, or Val Royeaux to visit Cassandra). While traveling, the Regret Demon manifests and destroys the rotunda. That prompts her to join the fight against Solas for real.

It doesn't last long. She burns out and tries to end her fight in her Skyhold bedroom.

Kieran appears and saves her from death, though she is permanently marked by it. He nurses her back to health and also motivates her to keep going and keep trying to save the world--not just from Solas, but from the evil gods who will one day get loose for certain.

At age 25-26, she joins up with Varric and Lace to find the fledgling Veilguard!

:)

[voltdamage]

There's a lot I've realized about my own writing style/tendencies that I figured out through writing my eo4 fic, and have a general idea of how to improve on going forward. That said,

oh I still have absolutely no clue how to do combat scenes in prose

Action is tricky because (in most situations) you want to keep the pacing brisk, and make what's happening clear. It's *so* much easier to picture the flow of combat in your head than it is to narrate.

For eo4, I played the Berserker King and Hollow Queen fights straight to illustrate the guild's respective fighting styles, and because I didn't plan for there to be any combat shown outside of the stratum bosses, due to ALST's narrative structure of leaping from one major plot point to the next.

After those two fights I felt like doing the same thing again four more times would be boring, so I skirted around writing actual combat for the most part. In fact the entire basis for Logre oneshotting the Cradle Guardian was "uhhh I ain't dealing with all that" (surprise twist: Logre's can-opener-beheading move was still what took the longest to write about that chapter)

Heavenbringer was a whole ordeal though. Once you think about the logistics of that fight for approximately 2.5 seconds it becomes a real headscratcher. I had to... make stuff up. For my melee-only guild members to do.

Anyway, with future EO fics I will continue to include fights against the stratum bosses because I think even though not all of them are significant plot points that merit inclusion, they are meaningful to the gameplay experience and are nice sources of tension/conflict if nothing else. Writing combat well is just one thing that will take a little longer for me to figure out.

[knackeredforever]

Ok so I’ve played Devil may cry 1 for about 2 hours now and I’ve just gotten to the part where you kill the lava spider for the second time and kill it for real (I think?) and I have some thoughts.

Overall the game is fun but clunky obviously i am giving it some leeway due to it being a game from 2001 but it still doesn’t mean it’s problems aren’t a big deal.

The opening is incredible it’s late 90’s / early 2000’s as fuck and I love it

However the tonal shift of the opening too the game is very jarring, it sets it up as a constant action adventure game and then boom your in resident evil. This isn’t a problem as I have no problem with RE but you could replace Dante with an RE protagonist in the environments from the game and I would think your just in a resident evil game.

Also the camera , yeah no camera control in an action hack and slash game is really rough Especially considering this game makes you do some hard jumps for secrets and most egregious of all enemies and bosses can hit you between camera positions which sucks ass and makes some bosses very clunky.

Onto the actual combat which to no suprise is the best part you have tons of moves that allow you to decimate hordes of enemies and knocking them to the air is really satisfying and the combination of guns and melee combat is great too basically no complaints here.

Now onto the bosses, so far they kind of suck the game reuses them a lot I’ve fought giant enemy lava spider twice and had two encounters where I run away from it and the very bad boy shadow wolf I’ve fought twice and it’s fight is very frustrating I only realised later that the reason it keeps draining my health is it counters every melee attack I make and that your supposed to attack with melee. My favourite boss so far was the black knight guy he was fun to fight. But easily the worst boss so far is the stupid scissor man guy you fight in the sewers. Your confined in a small space and you can’t hit him most of the time because he goes into the walls and he flies so you have to jump to hit him. Genuinely super frustrating fight.

But that’s not the biggest problem, that’s the life system which is completely pointless and just exists to waste your tame. Basically when you have lives you respawn at the last checkpoint but when you don’t have lives you restart at the beginning of the level. This isn’t too bad because the levels are quite short but when you have a boss encounter at the end of the level then when you die you have to restart the whole level meaning I have to do the whole level again before I can get back to the boss. It just wastes my time it’s clearly a leftover from earlier game design ideologies but it’s inclusion in this game really hurts the experience. Also the lives don’t replenish either you have to buy them meaning that I have less money to buy new moves hurting the part of the game I actually like the combat.

Overall I still like the game it’s fun but clearly it hasn’t aged well in alot of aspects once again I’m only two hours into the game so there is plenty of room for it to improve. I know later games in the series like dmc5 are awesome so I expect that the games will improve as I play through them.

Also last side note in Dante’s inventory is a medallion of Dante and Vergil and it’s funny cause I know he’s gonna show up later in the story to kick my ass.

[wispynador]

Guns Akimbo in D&D

Why you can’t dual wield firearms in 5e/one d&d

Homebrew firearms that you can dual wield are at the bottom of the post. Make your trigger finger happy and scratch that itch 😋

As it currently stands in 5e and one d&d, there is no way to engage in two weapon fighting with a pair of firearms. In both of the rule sets at least one of the weapons you wield must be a light weapon, and unless you have the duel weirder feat both have to be light.

The only ranged weapon in d&d that has the light property is the hand crossbow. All other ranged weapons lack the light property, which sucks. I’d like to see players engage in two weapon fighting with a flintlock (or a revolver) in each hand but because none of these weapons have the light property, it can’t be done. This restricts a pretty cool form of weapon wielding not only from being a viable gameplay option, but also from being an option at all.

I’ll give the status quo the benefit of the doubt here, as the inclusion of firearms in general throws combat out of balance. Mostly in terms of range advantage and damage output. With PHB ranged weapons you have several options ranging from a flat 1 damage to 1d10. With firearms from the DMG the damage output starts at 1d10 and climbs. Renaissance firearms range up to 1d12. Modern firearms start at 2d6 and range up to 2d10, while futuristic weapons put out between 3d6 and 6d8 damage per attack.

The higher damage output and increased range of action (over melee weapons) of these firearms definitely skews the balance of combat in favor of any character wielding even just one of them. Additionally most firearms are compatible with the extra attack feature of combat classes due to the reloading property. Stack that all together with an additional extra attack, courtesy of two weapon fighting, and it makes sense that the option isn’t really available.

Still, I’d like some kind of two weapon fighting option to be available with firearms. Perhaps some additional weapon options would do the trick? Firearms with a damage output more akin to that of the ranged weapons available in the PHB would be perfect. All the style and rule-of-cool-ness of John Wick without the balance-trashing damage. In the spirit of this, here are a few off the cuff ideas for some homebrew light firearms.

Palm Pistol (renaissance firearm) 1d6 piercing, ammunition (range 30/90), reload (1 shot), light

Light Revolver (modern firearm) 1d8 piercing, ammunition (range 40/120), reload (4 shots), light

Light Laser Pistol (futuristic firearm) 1d10 radiant, ammunition (range 40/120), reload (50 shots), light