Report 749

Report #749
Skillset: Athletics Skill: Sturdiness
 Org: Sentinels Status: Completed Jan 2012
Furies' Decision:
We will investigate converting sturdiness to a raw movement resistance that
disappears if the caster moves or consumes balance/equilibrium.
Problem: Sturdiness suffers from much the same problem which prompted the recent
change to Breathing in Discipline (Announce 1932), namely breaking on any action
which uses balance or equilibrium, while requiring and taking balance to raise.
There is also some discrepancy in that the ability provides immunity to magical
forced movements such as gust, but not to physical forced movements. This report
attempts to provide for better use of the ability.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Remove the current immunity to magical forced
 movement, and instead have STAND FIRM provide a chunk
 of general summon resistance DMP (physical and
 magical) that diminishes over time. Once raised, you
 would be able to act as normal.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: Maintain current immunity to magical forced movement,
 but have it drop only on movement, including
 successful forced movements.
Player Comments:
---[Rivius on 12/22 @ 01:43 writes]:
It has been suggested to me that it may also just drop on any movement,
including successful forced movement. I think making it decay might not be
entirely appropriate, and truthfully, summon resistance can be a double edged
sword.
---[Ushaara on 12/22 @ 02:16 writes]:
Suggestion added, thank you! Could maybe add an 'STAND AT EASE' sort of drop
defence early thing (requiring but not taking balance, and limited on re-raising
for a period) if we went the diminishing returns route? Point taken on double-
edged sword aspect, though I think if benefits are significant, some risk is
warranted.
---[Llandros on 1/8 @ 02:29 writes]:
I don't see option 2 happening as it was rejected in report 535.
---[Shuyin on 1/11 @ 20:19 writes]:
Yep, what Llandros said. Solution 2 probably won't fly, but I have no problem
with solution 1
---[Rivius on 1/13 @ 02:43 writes]:
To clarify my earlier comment, I was thinking more along the lines of solution
1, but instead of making it decay (which seems a bit awkward thematically),
making it drop on movement. But the solution is fine as is as well.
---[Ixion on 1/18 @ 18:42 writes]:
I'd prefer a standard movement DMP. Warriors have less than many other classes
anyway I believe, which is fine, but I see no reason against having it changed
to a reasonable DMP addition to make this skill useful. Otherwise, solution 1 is
fine. I agree with Ushaara's concept of dropping the DMP as well.
---[Janalon on 1/24 @ 11:37 writes]:
Like Ixion, I'd also support standard movement DMP as preferred and solution 1
as a close second choice.
---[Ushaara on 1/25 @ 14:50 writes]:
As an addendum, Shedrin and I did some more testing on this with Iosai. She
commented that the current immunity to things like gust/psychicpush/whirlwind
appeared to be the result of an outdated and rarely-used routine showing up in
Psionics and Elementalism, and was likely an oversight. Its intended effect is
adding some (not total) resistance to movement of any type, much like other
movement resist skills. In any case, its main problem remains i.e, it drops on
any action which takes equilibrium/balance while taking balance to raise, which
renders the skill unuseable. So consider changing to a standard movement DMP
that either drops on movement or has a syntax for relaxing as a Solution 3.
---[Neos on 1/25 @ 22:18 writes]:
Solution 2.
---[Neos on 1/26 @ 23:43 writes]:
My previous comment was meant for a different report. I'm a fan of sol 1, with a
cooldown similar to the Breathing change.