Report 529

Report #529
Skillset: Tahtetso Skill: Tidesweep
 Org: Tahtetso Status: Completed Mar 2011
Furies' Decision:
Solution 3
Problem: Currently, Tidesweep knocks down all enemies in the room for 3 power.
This goes along with a very short balance loss (around half a second) and very
minor wounding (6 per bodypart on my testing subject). People can stand up again
almost immediately, and the wounding is a nuisance at best.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Have twidesweep raze (shields, rebounding and speed)
 when used in addition to its current effect. This
 would make it useful as an opener for the charging
 group in group combat.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: In addition to its current effect, have tidesweep
 behave like a two-handed tahto attack against a
 random leg of the targets. It would do twice the
 wounding and damage of a normal tahto attack and have
 an according chance to apply poisons (two at most).
 It would not be affected by aura of rebounding.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: With respect to the name of the skill and the
 connection of the Tahtetso to the Pool of Stars,
 complement the wave theme a bit: In addition to its
 current effect, have the skill do some minor
 asphyxiation damage (between 400 and 600 unmodified)
 and add one level of freezing.
Player Comments:
---[Sahmiam on 3/11 @ 09:36 writes]:
I think the skill is fine. As it's designed for group combat, one needs to think
how your group can help. Beast doing trample in combination with this would be
more than deadly, and -all- of the solutions are over-powered. Solution 1 allows
a tahteso is mass unshield everyone and knock them down, leaving them prone to
forced movement. Absolutely no. Solution 2 is perhaps the most realistic, but
I'd like to note that as far as I'm aware, two-handed actions do NOT apply two
poisons, and shield/aura of rebounding probably should prevent it at least.
Solution 3 is also unwelcomed, especially on a monk that would be working with
aquamancers. Not only do you get group wide damage, but more than one monk using
this would almost guarentee an aquamancer's insta. I think the skill is fine as
is. It shouldn't be viewed as an 'opener' but as a mid-fight skill.
---[Nydekion on 3/11 @ 09:50 writes]:
Why not just increase the balance loss time to 1-1.5 sec or introduce 1 sec stun
to give at least a reasonable window to do something with during group combat or
alternatively drop the power cost. For a 3p ability, as it stands, it is
certainly lackluster.
---[Nydekion on 3/11 @ 09:53 writes]:
Probably would be fair to note in this context that a comparable ability: slam
spike - sprawls everyone in the room for no power and has a chance to stun. As a
guild-specific skill, this one could use an upgrade.
---[Veyrzhul on 3/11 @ 14:24 writes]:
I have no idea how beast trample would be 'more than deadly' in any situation
but in conjunction with crucify somehow. Certainly not with this skill. People
can cure two broken legs to stand (and even two arms on top to be fully
functional again) rather quickly, and if you think about really huge groups, the
chance for trample to break limbs decreases with the amount of potentially
affected people. Acrobatics users shrug off tidesweep almost completely (just
springup again immediately). So you'd have two people (tidesweep+trample) use
their balance for minor hindering at best. Regarding your comment to solution 1,
yes, it makes the targets prone to forced movement, but only for a bit more than
half a second (then they can stand and shield up again), and only against types
that don't require the target to be on balance/standing. As for your comment to
solution 3, since tidesweep is rather slow and the Aquamancer can only ever use
preserve against ONE person, the effect will go to waste in that respect for all
the rest of the people. It would have a possible hindering effect if timed well
with the demesne freezing, but that's kind of the point here. The damage would
be below that of any other room damage ability and, remember, costs 3 power. If
a monk wants to help an Aquamancer preserve, using stunning actions or modifiers
in normal kata forms in conjunction with mactans would be alot more effective.
---[Iasmos on 3/12 @ 00:56 writes]:
These solutions do seem a tad on the overpowered side. I think increasing the
balance loss would be fine.
---[Sahmiam on 3/14 @ 01:52 writes]:
Nydekion, it should also be noted that the slam spike ability can only be used
once per day.
---[Nydekion on 3/14 @ 03:02 writes]:
I imagine the cost mimics other comparable skills, similar to how starlight
mimics the effect and cost of carcer. With that being the case, it'd be
reasonable for tidesweep to minic the cost and effect of slam spike, or if it
were to cost power, have an effect that was more reliable or more potent than
slam spike.
---[Sahmiam on 3/16 @ 17:24 writes]:
I'm in favour of increasing the balance loss to 1 second. @Nydekion: that's
actually a good point. If it's going to mimic slam spike, however, then it
should hit everyone in the room, not just enemies. The skill is already better
than slam spike in that it doesn't affect allies and that it doesn't have a per
day limitation.
---[Nydekion on 3/17 @ 16:12 writes]:
I'm fine with the balance loss being increased, though if that ends up being the
only change the power cost should be reduced as well.