How do you treat soul stones ICly?

[Ashe]

I'm curious because I've only ever seen them mentioned twice ICly...once by myself with Kasumi as a ninja from Doma and once by an FC mate with his DRK-ness.

I see a lot of people RP jobs and never really mention having the soul stones.

For Ashe as a "black mage," I took his casting as a black mage to be like the ones in the 50+ quests...the ones who spontaneously combusted from casting as they did without having soul stones. Hence...him not really casting all that often because don't want to kill yourself kind of thing >>

So...

What say you?

[Unnamed Mercenary]

I see them mentioned quite often with PLD RPers and MNK RPers! (This is likely because I tend to see people RPing those jobs more often than the others).

 

For me, if I were to RP a job instead of a class, I'd probably check to see how available/viable it is. Black Magic, as stated by the game over and over is horribly illegal in Ul'dah and its secrets are closely guarded. White Magic is as equally guarded by the Elementals and Padjal for many of the same reasons. Allagan Summoner and Nymian Scholar soul stones seem to be a "if you get lucky while digging through ruins" type of occurrence these days, while many of the physical combat jobs and new classes seem to be more open to a revival of their lost skills/a artificially created stones, like MCH.

 

For Franz, I don't forsee him ever really properly tapping into the power of a soul stone. While he has managed to get a SCH stone, it's treated as an acquaintence's trinket. He keeps it close, but whatever form of "equipping" that's done for a soul stone, Franz is definitely doing it wrong.

[Sig]

I'm curious because I've only ever seen them mentioned twice ICly...once by myself with Kasumi as a ninja from Doma and once by an FC mate with his DRK-ness.

I see a lot of people RP jobs and never really mention having the soul stones.

For Ashe as a "black mage," I took his casting as a black mage to be like the ones in the 50+ quests...the ones who spontaneously combusted from casting as they did without having soul stones. Hence...him not really casting all that often because don't want to kill yourself kind of thing >>

So...

What say you?

 

I respect RP'ers who incorporate soul stones in their RP but would not incorporate a soul stone as part of my characters. FFXIV lore is vague enough to permit characters to perform the same functions as most jobs without strict compliance to soul-stone lore.  

 

If a character possess a soul stone, my characters' reactions would be contingent on their knowledge of the arcane and the veracity of the character in possession of the soul stone.  Sigurd, for example, would probably take little interest in the subject, but would believe statements describing the function of the soul-stone if the possessor appeared credible.

[Val]

As I've said before, to me the soul stone is just a plot device that SE uses to justify being able to swap classes on a whim. They have a horrible history with coming up with half-assed lore to explain game mechanics. Of course, I don't mind other people using it and I'm not going to tell them they can't or anything. After all, it's there/in the game =) I'm just not really fond of the it, myself.

[Branson Thorne]

I usually just ignore them, I highly doubt my character needs a soul stone to wield a great sword and to punch something. So yeah, that's my take on it.

[Caspar]

I don't, unless it is mentioned by the questline directly or by an rper I'm playing with. They seem to exist icly, but I like to avoid addressing it for reasons similar to Clothes Make The Legend. I will gladly play along if other rpers use them icly in rp with Virara.

[Ashe]

I think there are some (not all) jobs that really need it though.

Going back to Black Mages, the quest literally has people spontaneously combust because they don't have the soul stone and are casting with Black Magic. 

Ninjas also have the stones in the quest line. Like how you physically accept one from a dead ninja and how Karasu gives his up to not be a ninja anymore.

Anywhooo. Lots of interesting insight though.

[Zelmanov]

I tend to ignore them, I'll never have a plotline involving a stolen or pick-pocketed soulstone robbing Orrin of his powers or anything of the like. 

 

However I am lore-flexible (as always) so if anything Orrin has one, and has infused a great deal of his knowledge into it as well.

[Ashe]

I tend to ignore them, I'll never have a plotline involving a stolen or pick-pocketed soulstone robbing Orrin of his powers or anything of the like. 

 

However I am lore-flexible (as always) so if anything Orrin has one, and has infused a great deal of his knowledge into it as well.

I should fix that...

[Caspar]

Yeah, i always regard them as existing, but I don't usually mention them myself if they're not mentioned in the job quest line. The MCH one is explicitly artificially made iirc.

[Jana]

I do use a soul stone in my RP (specifically, the SMN one) and treat it as a "repository" of the previous holder's memories. Jana uses it in her research to uncover new magic and such, and while she guards it closely, losing it wouldn't leave her powerless.

[Valde]

While I won't pretend other's Soulstones don't exist, I've little interest in RPing my character having one. It's just another means to an end power wise, and with so much drama concerning an RP characters power, skill, and the soulstones themselves I'd rather enjoy telling a story without that added problematic item.

[Michaux]

While I won't pretend other's Soulstones don't exist, I've little interest in RPing my character having one. It's just another means to an end power wise, and with so much drama concerning an RP characters power, skill, and the soulstones themselves I'd rather enjoy telling a story without that added problematic item.

Agreed. I figure there are so many other ways to add spice to my characters. My archer, Michaux, is also a musician and singer, but he's not a bard in the proper Eorzean sense. Solenne is just a conjurer, and Yisu is just a thaumaturge. What make them unique are their backstories, their personalities, and their ambitions.

[Aya]

I don't!

 

They're a macguffin (okay, macguffin isn't really accurate, but I like the way the word sounds, and its close enough!) and not one I care for.  They seem to enter the story primarily as a means for the WoL to become *insert thing that hasn't existed for thousands of years* or to otherwise avoid the realistic training time abilities would otherwise time to achieve.

 

I do realize that they have broader lore support than that, and are available to NPCs as well, but that is nonetheless the feeling they give me: "we were too lazy and wanted to make this easy to stuff into the story."

 

I'd just rather they didn't exist!  As far as other people use them for their own character story, and whatnot, to explain their acquisition of abilities and power, that's all fine and well I guess I don't much mind if characters have become capable through training, so what's the difference in becoming capable by magical macguffin instead. I'll just nod and play along like I usually do!

[Nebbs]

I'm in the, not used camp. I tend to not make my char any specific class. So for example Tribe Shaman or Witch or Fighter type. 

 

I don't mind others using them.

[Flashhelix]

with contempt

[Virella]

I used them on Ave, seeming they are given when you finished your novice status as a Monk; however Ave's a dick in that regard, and only Monks who have been given one back in Ala Mhigo are worthy of them, else she will be severely tempted to take it from you if you happen to flaunt one around if said char logically not has the age to be Ala Mhigo temple trained, finding it a huge disgrace/insult to the Order ect.

 

It's fun to roleplay an older grumpy Monk in that regard. That said, except for the classes people pointed out so far I don't really see soulstones as something one MUST have to roleplay a class, so I don't mind if people use or not use them. They can add something to roleplay, but they are far from mandatory for most classes.

[WhiteLycanXII]

For me? I treat 'em as a badge of office, not necessarily a magical steroid rock.

 

ICly? They'd raise questions for my cast. ESPECIALLY if someone claims to be a Job from the DoM line. I wouldn't shun the RPer outright, but my chars would meet it with due logic.

[Zoya]

"Whoa, shiny rock! Can I touch?"

 

To me, soulstones are simply shortcuts to knowledge and thus power. Kinda like rare candies. So I tend to not use them, I prefer to get EVs. But I acknowledge the lore around them and if I wanted my character to quickly learn a skill that would require years generations of research and practice, I'd most likely develop a plot around the search of a soulstone.

 

When I think about it, they got quite a bit of joke potential, though. Imagine someone carved his bedroom successes into the stone instead of anything useful related to the job. And the aspiring (and mildly disturbed) scholar suddenly awakes the knowledge of ancient allagan positions.

 

The concept of soulstones is quite interesting IMO. They're just a pretty cheap way to quickly gain power, so they're best used in moderation.

[Kellach Woods]

They're a plot device, that can be applied to great effect or no.

 

Kell would probably be like "what the fuck?" though due to the singular nature of his being.

[Larson]

Just an FYI, if you don't RP possessing a Soulstone, you cannot RP classification of a Job. Jobs require Soulstones. You can RP a class, but not a job. You can be a Conjurer but not a White Mage (which is unlikely anyway). You can be a Marauder but not a Warrior. You can be an Archer but not a Bard.

 

A Bard without a Soulstone is just an archer than plays a lute and sings. There is little to no power behind that music. It is the Soulstone that allows you to channel aether in that manner.

 

It is a Soulstone that allows an Ul'Dahan Pugilist to access the ability to channel aether the way a Monk does.

 

 

Now, this does not mean you have to RP a job. Most RPers other than Machinists, Astrologians, and Dark Knights seems to RP more as the class than the Job because you have a lot more freedom RPing the Class than you do as a highly specialized and specific Job. Astro, Mach, and Dark are classless jobs and are an acception, as the path from class to job is long and arduous.

 

What you do have to do is acknowledge that Jobholders are Soulstone holders.

 

You cannot deny the existence of things that are inconvenient to the way you want your character. Teleporting exists- it is a long, expensive process and most people would either prefer to walk, don't trust it, or just plain can't.

Moogles exist- and you are kupo no matter what. Deal with it. *sunglasses*.

Dark Knights are powered by emotion. They are essentially Raven from Teen Titans and that's that.

Miqo'te have harems. Ishgardians are uppity. Female Roe have big boobs. The Sultana is kawaii as fuck.

 

Deal with it.

[Berrod Armstrong]

Just an FYI, if you don't RP possessing a Soulstone, you cannot RP classification of a Job. Jobs require Soulstones. You can RP a class, but not a job. You can be a Conjurer but not a White Mage (which is unlikely anyway). You can be a Marauder but not a Warrior. You can be an Archer but not a Bard.

 

A Bard without a Soulstone is just an archer than plays a lute and sings. There is little to no power behind that music. It is the Soulstone that allows you to channel aether in that manner.

 

It is a Soulstone that allows an Ul'Dahan Pugilist to access the ability to channel aether the way a Monk does.

 

 

Now, this does not mean you have to RP a job. Most RPers other than Machinists, Astrologians, and Dark Knights seems to RP more as the class than the Job because you have a lot more freedom RPing the Class than you do as a highly specialized and specific Job. Astro, Mach, and Dark are classless jobs and are an acception, as the path from class to job is long and arduous.

 

What you do have to do is acknowledge that Jobholders are Soulstone holders.

That's not quite accurate, actually. A soul crystal, lorewise is not NEEDED for all jobs (I'm unsure of the exception listing, I'll have to confirm). It's a good way to mix game mechanics and lore, yes! However, a good few jobs don't really need them. The soul crystals (not soulstones, people, that's WoW warlock magic) contain therein the memories, deeds and the knowledge of their old holders, which may help give the new holder insight or even the knowledge itself on how to do their job, so to speak. This is largely because the 'jobs' are mostly old arts that are in a state of revival (Of course, there are exceptions to this like Paladin). 

 

It's perfectly plausible for someone -- say, a pugilist -- to open a chakra and be classified as a monk without having a soul crystal. In fact, Widargelt outright says that the crystals were given to novice monks who had already done that and shown potential. For your toon to count as the job, you need to equip the soul crystal, yes! For your character to be classified as the job, all they need to do is go after the art, study it/practice it/whatever it. Jobs (with notable exceptions) are not locked behind soul crystal possession.

[Virella]

It is a Soulstone that allows an Ul'Dahan Pugilist to access the ability to channel aether the way a Monk does.

Vyce, you should really, really learn to dig into lore before posting. Pugilists don't use soulstones, Monks do, however it doesn't suddenly unlocked your super saiyan aether wielding by touching a magical stone.

 

Monk 30 quest screenshots

 

 

PS for some reason I managed to screen him only with his eyes closed lol

[Aaron]

If Aaron knew what soul crystals were he'd be wondering why he's wasted all his time practicing with skills when pretty rocks can just give him what he needs to be successful.

[Larson]

It is a Soulstone that allows an Ul'Dahan Pugilist to access the ability to channel aether the way a Monk does.

Vyce, you should really, really learn to dig into lore before posting. Pugilists don't use soulstones, Monks do, however it doesn't suddenly unlocked your super saiyan aether wielding by touching a magical stone.

 

Monk 30 quest screenshots

 

 

PS for some reason I managed to screen him only with his eyes closed lol

He looks so weeb with closed eyes.