Design your character's skill!

[WanderingWordsmith]

An email flashes into your inbox. A magical, wonderful email straight from Square Enix's Naoki Yoshida. It presents you with a golden opportunity.

 

You get to design one Action or Trait for your character.

 

Any class, any level, with one condition; it has to fit your character's flavour. What do you design? How does it work? What does it cost? Does it work with other skills? How does it fit your character? What is it called?

 

I'll post mine after this film's finished. Let's hear yours!

[FreelanceWizard]

Comedy answer: Trait: You're The Best Around. All damage and healing numbers appear 10 times larger than normal, and all damage taken appears to be reduced by 90%. However, the actual damage and healing done and actual damage taken are unaffected. 10% chance for your character to laugh maniacally upon casting any spell that causes damage.

 

Anyone who's ever done an IC dungeon with L'yhta knows exactly how this fits. For example, after getting punched in the face by Titan, her response was, "This... proves... nothing...!"

 

I'll have to give some thought to a serious answer.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Cooldown ability: Aetheric Instability

 

Available on all classes and jobs (for Franz at least)

 

Doubles potency of all spells for 60 seconds. 120 second cooldown. 

Extra effect: All skills that involve MP have a 30% chance of backfiring, dealing unaspected damage to the caster. 

 

--

 

After some less-than-fortunate life events, the man we all call Franz gained the ability to use aether, and has access to an almost infinitely large pool of it. While he has knowledge on all the spells he could ever need, he lacks the finesse to actually use most of them. I've RPed out some physicks backfiring before, such as ripping open a wound instead of healing it, or in the case of a large cut, leaving a horrible bruise in the place the cut had been. Naturally, things that don't require MP/aether are fine, but imagine a flare backfiring. ._. ...or summoning an egi

[Melkire]

Slit Their Throat

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 60.0s

TP Cost: 100

Range: 5.0y

Radius: 0y

 

Rushes target. Binds both caster and target for 3 seconds. Once bind expires, delivers an attack with a potency of 300 and delivers damage over time with a potency of 40 (duration: 15 seconds). Must be behind target to execute.

 

 

Alternatively,

 

Call for Backup

 

Cast: 3.0s

Recast: 420.0s

TP Cost: 0

Range: 25.0y

Radius: 5y

 

Osric lifts a hand to one ear, and an arrow is fired from off-screen at the center of the designated area. When the cast completes, the area is continuously bombarded with cannon fire. Deals damage over time with a potency of 50 (duration: 30 seconds). Each tick has the potential to crit.

 

 

Or a trait:

 

Pickpocket

 

One percent (rounded up) of each critical strike is awarded as gil. Additionally, if a treasure coffer has a chance to drop ring accessories, drop rates for all non-accessories from that coffer are set to 0.

 

 

Adjust numbers as needed, of course. I'm fairly certain both Actions I came up with are broken as hell.

[Hyakki]

Slit Their Throat

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 60.0s

TP Cost: 100

Range: 5.0y

Radius: 0y

 

Rushes target. Binds both caster and target for 3 seconds. Once bind expires, delivers an attack with a potency of 300 and delivers damage over time with a potency of 40 (duration: 15 seconds). Must be behind target to execute.

 

 

Alternatively,

 

Call for Backup

 

Cast: 3.0s

Recast: 420.0s

TP Cost: 0

Range: 25.0y

Radius: 5y

 

Osric lifts a hand to one ear, and an arrow is fired from off-screen at the center of the designated area. When the cast completes, the area is continuously bombarded with cannon fire. Deals damage over time with a potency of 50 (duration: 30 seconds). Each tick has the potential to crit.

 

 

Or a trait:

 

Pickpocket

 

One percent (rounded up) of each critical strike is awarded as gil. Additionally, if a treasure coffer has a chance to drop ring accessories, drop rates for all non-accessories from that coffer are set to 0.

 

 

Adjust numbers as needed, of course. I'm fairly certain both Actions I came up with are broken as hell.

 

Adopt me.

[Sounsyy]

Sounsyy Mirke

 

To Arms - [Trait] (Get it?! It's a double entendre! SE should hire me.)

Use equipped shield as an offensive weapon. Damage is now split between shield and sword. Shields with higher Block Rate attack at a proportionally faster rate. Likewise, shields with higher Block Strength hit proportionally harder. This trait does not effect overall Parry and Block rates.

[Melkire]

 

Adopt me.

 

Doman Diplomacy

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 30.0s

TP Cost: 140

Range: 3.0y

Radius: 0y

 

Seiko takes aim with a single-shot pistol. Caster channels in place for 10 seconds. If target moves 3y from original position at starting time of cast, the channel is broken, Seiko delivers an attack with a potency of 300 and the target is both slowed and heavied for 10 seconds. If the channel is broken prior to an attack being delivered, no damage is dealt and caster is heavied for 5 seconds.

[Aya]

Misdirection

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 300s

Range: Visual

Radius: All targets within visual range.

 

Stares wide-eyed, bats eyelashes, or otherwise appears with a complete mixture of bewilderment and ditziness.  Resets all accumulated threat and suspicion.

 

 

 

Coy Conversation

Cast: 10s

Recast: 10s

Range: Conversation Only

 

Show intense interest in the target of this ability, smiling and asking questions excitedly, while the caster only provides coy, superficial answers.  After casting time is complete caster learns everything of interest (below the level of "secret") about all targets.

 

 

 

 

 

Distract

Cast: Immediate

Recast: 60s

Range: Visual

 

A gesture ranging from to subtle to audacious (movement of the hips, accidental collision, leaning over a table, bursting into dance) draws the attention of all targets within line of sight.  Level of effect varies greatly depending upon target characteristics (some may glance momentarily before rolling eyes in disgust, others may be drawn unwittingly from outside visual range).  Duration of effect increased for casters possessing the Gag Boobs trait.

[WanderingWordsmith]

Oho, we've had some great skills so far! Here's my take on a skill Averill might have, as well as some reasoning behind it.

 

For starters, he's a hunter, not a fighter. He's spent seven years on the road hunting his own food, and rare is the time when bandits might take him unawares. As a result, he would have something like this conditional Action:

 

Clean Shot

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 100.00s

Range: 40y

 

Delivers an attack with a potency of 150.

Additional Effect: If target is non-human, potency is 300.

Acquired: ARC Lv.10

Affinity: ARC BRD

 

 

A quick and simple action to personify someone who is general loath to take a person's life.

On the flipside, I initially entertained this Trait:

 

The Roads Less Travelled

 

Discovering a new area confers an additional 5% EXP for each area away from the character's home nation (Max 40%).

[Coatleque]

Improved Sword Oath

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 2.5s (global cooldown)

MP: 266

Range: Self

 

Any shield is instantly unequipped on use. No shield-based skills may be used. *

Increases potency of all Paladin attacks by 150

Removes all additional enmity generation from Savage Blade and Rage of Halone.

Can only be used with specific swords designated as double-wieldable.

 

* Shield is not physically removed, but rendered invisible until Improved Sword Oath is disabled, or Shield Oath is used. This is to preserve gear ilevel and allow new combat animations.

[111]

I have an Idea

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 360.0s

TP Cost: None

Range 20.0y

Radius 0.0y

 

Natalie gets a really good idea to fix a problematic situation. Remove all effects from target, (This includes positive effects) including those that cannot normally be removed. The entire party is stunned for 5 seconds, silenced for 10, heavied for 15, blinded for 20, and paralyzed for 30. These effects cannot be removed.

[Zyrusticae]

I have an Idea

 

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 360.0s

TP Cost: None

Range 20.0y

Radius 0.0y

 

Natalie gets a really good idea to fix a problematic situation. Remove all effects from target, (This includes positive effects) including those that cannot normally be removed. The entire party is stunned for 5 seconds, silenced for 10, heavied for 15, blinded for 20, and paralyzed for 30. These effects cannot be removed.

 

I lol'd. This thread is pretty good so far.

 

Mine's not really humorous, but I think it's a nifty (and utterly broken) idea:

 

Aetheric Mega Burst

Cast: 5s

Recast: 600s

MP Cost: All

TP Cost: 1,000

Range: Self

Radius: 0.0y

 

T'rahnu pours the entirety of her aetheric reserves into a single devastating attack, draining all of her MP and TP and reducing her HP to 1. Increases the potency of her next action by 1000%, grants it a 12y AoE that blinds and silences enemies within its radius for 20s, and knocks them back 10y. The spectacle that occurs may stun onlookers for a random duration.

 

Combine with Dragoon for maximum fireworks. I should note that T'rahnu has no casting classes and no aptitude for magic whatsoever, so no shenanigans with an empowered Flare or somesuch. Missed opportunities, I know.

[WanderingWordsmith]

I have an Idea

 

 

Cast: Instant

Recast: 360.0s

TP Cost: None

Range 20.0y

Radius 0.0y

 

Natalie gets a really good idea to fix a problematic situation. Remove all effects from target, (This includes positive effects) including those that cannot normally be removed. The entire party is stunned for 5 seconds, silenced for 10, heavied for 15, blinded for 20, and paralyzed for 30. These effects cannot be removed.

 

 

I lol'd. This thread is pretty good so far.

 

Mine's not really humorous, but I think it's a nifty (and utterly broken) idea:

 

Aetheric Mega Burst

Cast: 5s

Recast: 600s

MP Cost: All

TP Cost: 1,000

Range: Self

Radius: 0.0y

 

T'rahnu pours the entirety of her aetheric reserves into a single devastating attack, draining all of her MP and TP and reducing her HP to 1. Increases the potency of her next action by 1000%, grants it a 12y AoE that blinds and silences enemies within its radius for 20s, and knocks them back 10y. The spectacle that occurs may stun onlookers for a random duration.

 

Combine with Dragoon for maximum fireworks. I should note that T'rahnu has no casting classes and no aptitude for magic whatsoever, so no shenanigans with an empowered Flare or somesuch. Missed opportunities, I know.

I saw this skill. And thought about this dude.

[Melkire]

Combine with Dragoon for maximum fireworks. I should note that T'rahnu has no casting classes and no aptitude for magic whatsoever, so no shenanigans with an empowered Flare or somesuch. Missed opportunities, I know.

 

Hey. Look on the bright side: suddenly Piercing Talon is the most badass skill in the entire game.

[QueenFrejyalen]

I Spy~

Cast:  Instant

Duration:  10 s

Cooldown:  60 s

Cost:  if successful, 100 TP

Range:  current room/map area within sight

 

Queenie's sights zone into the loot of highest value (monetary or visual).  She will begin to calculate what it will take to obtain the item(s), if at all possible.

(hehe)

 

 

 

OR

Ghoul Ward

Cast:  6 s

Duration:  10 s

Cooldown:  180 s

Cost:  1000 MP

Range:  within sight of Queen and all party members

 

During the cast, Queen cannot be disturbed by any outside sources, or it will be interrupted and the MP lost.  Queen will close her eyes and procure a strange carved rod decorated with wolves teeth, and chant until the end of the casting time.  If casting is successful, any negative status effects or abilities to herself or the party will be negated and reflected back unto their original source.

[Knight Kat]

I just realized that I hardly pay attention to the comparison of DOT skill cooldowns/damage and such, so the skills I design may be a bit unintentionally OP. However, this is all just in good fun.

 

Serious skills

 

Lancer/Dragoon

 

Entangle

Cast: Instant

Duration: 5 s

Cooldown: 30 s

Cost: 10 TP

Range: Melee (single target)

 

Kiht attacks the target's limbs with a hooking, slashing, entrapping or striking attack using her pole-arm. The target is stunned for five seconds, and they take 10% more damage during that duration.

 

Any Class/Job.

 

Morbol Dagger

Cast: Instant

Duration: 15 s

Cooldown: 120 s

Cost: 50 TP

Range: 20.0y

 

Kiht throws a dagger at the target that is coated with Morbol toxin. The target suffers the infamous Morbol "Bad Breath" debuff for a duration of 15 seconds.

 

Skills Kiht would not admit to...

 

Kiht is Dense

Cast: Instant

Duration: 10 s

Cooldown: Can only be used once during each instance.

Cost: 0 TP

Range: Visual.

 

Kiht has no idea what's going on. She is stunned for the first 5 seconds, and has 50% less accuracy during the other 5 seconds. However, she cannot be buffed or debuffed during the whole 10 seconds.

 

Innocent Insults

Cast: Instant

Duration: 2 s

Cooldown: 10 s

Cost: 0 TP

Range: 20y (single target)

 

Kiht shouts what she thinks is a morale-breaking insult at target.

 

Insults she may use:

Tailless Curr.

Boar-brain.

Traitorous Moon-brother/sister.

Poor Excuse for a Miqo'te.

Diremite Food.

Ziz-dung.

Foolish Male.

Silly Male.

Dishonorable Boar.

Useless Hyur.

Knife Ears.

Over-sized Bone-head.

Prepare for a Harpoon.

I Will Skewer You.

Ixal Toy.

Jerk.

 

Target has a 20% chance of being stunned for 2 seconds because of an uncontrollable outburst of laughter.

[Verad]

Spurious Logic

Cast: Instant

Duration: 15s

Cooldown: 120s

Cost: Your Wasted Time + 50 TP

Range: PBAoE 10y

 

Effect: Spew logical-sounding nonsense with a potency of 150. 50% chance of Confusion. 20% chance of receiving 5-100 gil.

[Zyrusticae]

I saw this skill. And thought about this dude.

...Yes.

 

Hey. Look on the bright side: suddenly Piercing Talon is the most badass skill in the entire game.

Well, honestly, it'd LOOK super-badass... but you'd still be having far more effect using it on something like Dragonfire Dive instead.

 

So another one, much less broken this time around:

 

Aetheric Release

Cast: 0.5s

Cooldown: 30s

MP Cost: 250

TP Cost: 300

Range: Self

Radius: 6y

 

T'rahnu releases pure aether in a sudden burst, dealing damage with a potency of 360 and knocking back all enemies 10y.

 

Yes, this is basically exactly the same thing as one of Nightmare's moves in Soul Calibur:

(skip to 3:14 if the embedding continues to be a bitch.)

I can't help it. It just seems so fitting for FFXIV, you know?

[Erik Mynhier]

Replace Sword Oath for......

 

Knights of the Round

Cast: Instant

Recast: 30 sec

Range: 3y

Radius: 0y

Potency: 250

Effect: Calculates damage using VIT instead of STR.

[ZindelloTarantella]

Help Myself

 

Cast: Instant

Duration: Varying

Cooldown: 120 s

Cost: 50 TP

Range: 1.0y

 

Tarot removes all beneficial status effects from the target and applies them to himself, resetting their durations once they are applied. This includes but is not limited to enemy specific status effects. It also heals him for 10% of the enemy's current HP.

 

And for the Trait...

 

Heart Stealer

 

There is a 15% chance that Tarot will inflict the Charm status on an enemy instead of dealing critical damage.

[C'kayah Polaali]

No, the Other Captain Jack

Cast: 60s

Recast: 300s

Range: Conversation Only

 

Engages a target with the intent of establishing a romantic or sexual connection. The casters sheer charisma coupled with their intense interest in the target induces the target to desire the caster. Failure of this skill results in feelings of enmity towards the caster in the target, or alternately results in the target applying the effects of this power towards the caster. Note: In groups, use of this ability is easily noticed. In the case of critical success, observers are charmed by the caster. In the case of critical failure, feelings of disgust and anger are prompted among observers.

 

 

Not a Dump Stat

Cast: 60s

Recast: 300s

Range: Conversation Only

 

Engages the target with smooth, charming conversation. The sheer charisma of the caster leads the target to trust them and want to help them. Failure of this skill results in feelings of enmity towards the caster in the target, or alternately results in the target applying the effects of this power towards the caster.

 

Fast Talk

Cast: 60s

Recast: 60s

Range: Conversation Only

 

Engages the target with smooth, charming conversation in an attempt to misdirect the target's suspicion from the caster. Success allows the target to get away with something despite having been caught by the target.

[Keru / E'ir]

Ehehe I'm excited

 

On with the magic pants!

Cast: Instant

Recast: 300s

Range: Self

 

User puts on a pair of magic pants...poorly and on his head. User becomes bound in place for 20s, and every attack done by the user deals 1 damage while all damage taken is increased by 90%. Bind cannot be removed.

 

Ooh what's this do?

Cast: Instant

Recast: 240s

Range: Ally or Pet.

 

User tosses a random potion towards the target after 5 seconds the potion takes affect, it has a 30% chance Stun for 5s while increasing healing done on the target by 25% for 16s, it has a 20% chance to convert all damage done in a span of 5s to HP for the player, and a 10% chance to instantly kill the target.

 

Trait: Stupid probability.

 

Increases each probability of 'Ooh what's this do? to 45%, 30%, and 20% While adding a 5% chance the target will fully recover HP and MP. (Note: 20% Will happen more often than you think...)

[Jazz Egi]

Tactical Cowardice: Tallera can cast spells while facing away from the target. Facing the target randomly procs 3 seconds of fear. 10% bonus damage.

[Jana]

Jana Suplex

 

[TheLastCandle]

Greatsword Expertise

Passive

Learner gains the ability to wield two-handed swords.

 

..Yeah, that's really all!