"Super-archer" vs. "Super-normal archer"?

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

Cosmic Modular Abilities 20: Imbuement skills only (-20%) Eldritch (-10%) 1 hour preparation (-50%) [40]

Imbuement Skills are combat skills.

In combat, you either have the skill or you do not.

Paying [40] to have [20] worth of combat skills that you can't switch out in-combat is deeply silly.

Your character would benefit more from spending that [40] on the imbuement skills directly, rather than spending it on the modular ability advantage.

[B9anders]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

Ok, great - WOW, i am starting to get a grip on things (reading the books helps:D)

By the way, does this make any sense at all, or would it be better to actually chose the individual Imbuement skills?


Cosmic Modular Abilities 20: Imbuement skills only (-20%) Eldritch (-10%) 1 hour preparation (-50%) [40]

I agree with sunrunner. This is absolutely not worth it.

Focus on eldricht talent to make sure you have a high basic skill and then just buy the imbuements you need. I doubt you will want more than 10 anyway. Eldricht Talent 6 [30] + 10 imbuements is going to give you much more bang for the bucks.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

Imbuement Skills are combat skills.

In combat, you either have the skill or you do not.

Paying [40] to have [20] worth of combat skills that you can't switch out in-combat is deeply silly.

Your character would benefit more from spending that [40] on the imbuement skills directly, rather than spending it on the modular ability advantage.

Having a point or two to pick Chilling Strike and Fireproof Armor when going to the cave of the fire elementals might be worth it though. Using it for all Imbuement Skills is wasting points. Swap them for Padded Armor and Burning Strike when going to the cave of the ice elementals though.

It is probably a fair deal, given that you won't get much more use out of them than that. Improvised Imbuement is probably a better deal for seldom used imbuements.

[ErhnamDJ]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Having a point or two to pick Chilling Strike and Fireproof Armor when going to the cave of the fire elementals might be worth it though. Using it for all Imbuement Skills is wasting points. Swap them for Padded Armor and Burning Strike when going to the cave of the ice elementals though.

And now I want to make a Sage that can use his book-learned wisdom to pick up Imbuement skills. What we really need is a Mystic Knight lens for custom delvers from DF: 15. Hint hint.

[Edeldhur]

Originally Posted by B9anders

I agree with sunrunner. This is absolutely not worth it.

Focus on eldricht talent to make sure you have a high basic skill and then just buy the imbuements you need. I doubt you will want more than 10 anyway. Eldricht Talent 6 [30] + 10 imbuements is going to give you much more bang for the bucks.

My reasoning here was as follows: In the morning I wake up, meditate for one hour, and from the pool of 20 points I draw 10 imbuements, spending 2 points in each - probably 6 offensive, 2 defensive, and 2 utility.

So, each 2 points puts my skill in each imbuement at... 12 (DX-2) + 3 (from Eldritch Magic) [+1 from Weapon bond?] = 17 (or 16 if weapon bond does not apply)

Meaning, I would have access to a varied repertoire, which is of course lengthy to change but still possible.


In any case, I am taking you guys advice here - let me try to squeeze in the 30 point cost for the Eldritch Talent (i had it at 15)
+
10 imbuements x 2 skill points each(?) = DX-2 = 12

To a total of 18 per imbuement (still won't be able to eat up all the -5 penalties but it is looking good)

Guess I can add Improvised Imbuement here and increase the access I have to Imbuements on the fly (does this include ALL imbuements possible that i meet the prereqs but simply do not know?)


One other question: It seems worth it to simply have the imbuement advantage without any limitation for being used with armors, when someone catches up to me for example, or even with a sword (of course this would mean having to train a few skills for them).
Or do you guys think in the long run it is only worth to take the imbuement with the limitation for a single skill (bow probably)?

[Edeldhur]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

It depends, I personally find that for an imbuement using archer, you're looking primarily at a handful of Imbuement skills (Multishot, FNORD, Penetrating, Guided). Others are nice but not that important (Shockwave, Conic, Shattershot, the followup one, strike of negation, Crippling, Stupefying, Binding, Cutting,...).

What does FNORD stand for btw? :D

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

My reasoning here was as follows: In the morning I wake up, meditate for one hour, and from the pool of 20 points I draw 10 imbuements, spending 2 points in each - probably 6 offensive, 2 defensive, and 2 utility.

So, each 2 points puts my skill in each imbuement at... 12 (DX-2) + 3 (from Eldritch Magic) [+1 from Weapon bond?] = 17 (or 16 if weapon bond does not apply)

Meaning, I would have access to a varied repertoire, which is of course lengthy to change but still possible.


In any case, I am taking you guys advice here - let me try to squeeze in the 30 point cost for the Eldritch Talent (i had it at 15)
+
10 imbuements x 2 skill points each(?) = DX-2 = 12

To a total of 18 per imbuement (still won't be able to eat up all the -5 penalties but it is looking good)

Guess I can add Improvised Imbuement here and increase the access I have to Imbuements on the fly (does this include ALL imbuements possible that i meet the prereqs but simply do not know?)


One other question: It seems worth it to simply have the imbuement advantage without any limitation for being used with armors, when someone catches up to me for example, or even with a sword (of course this would mean having to train a few skills for them).
Or do you guys think in the long run it is only worth to take the imbuement with the limitation for a single skill (bow probably)?

First, Eldritch Might 6 is something only allowed with the GM's permission, as talents usually only go to 4. It is a power-up for the mystic knight because that's part for the course for Dungeon Fantasy (but not for anything outside of Dungeon Fantasy). Outside of Dungeon Fantasy, it may not even exist.
Second, Improvised Imbuement has severe drawbacks, that make up for the versatility it gives you.
Third, Weapon Bond does not give a bonus to Imbuement Skills, at least that's not how I see it working.
Forth, spend only 1 point per Imbuement Skill, except for the ones where you know you'll be taking severe penalties.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

What does FNORD stand for btw? :D

You're not cleared for that

[B9anders]

Originally Posted by Edeldhur

One other question: It seems worth it to simply have the imbuement advantage without any limitation for being used with armors, when someone catches up to me for example, or even with a sword (of course this would mean having to train a few skills for them).
Or do you guys think in the long run it is only worth to take the imbuement with the limitation for a single skill (bow probably)?

Personally, I'd settle at Imbuement 2 and then limit it to Bow and possibly a melee weapon of choice to begin with. It will make for a more than capable mystic archer and give you points to round out the character. Difference between Imbuement 2 (Staff & Bow Only, Magic, -50%) [10] and Imbuement 3 (Magic, -10%) [36] is a fair number of points. Two levels and one or two weapons will still make for a very capable imbuer to start with.

And it leaves you with a clear upgrade path as the campaign develops too. An Arcane archer who doesn't get any better with his tricks as the campaign grows was perhaps a bit too tricked out to begin with.

[Edeldhur]

Originally Posted by B9anders

Personally, I'd settle at Imbuement 2 and then limit it to Bow and possibly a melee weapon of choice to begin with. It will make for a more than capable mystic archer and give you points to round out the character. Difference between Imbuement 2 (Staff & Bow Only, Magic, -50%) [10] and Imbuement 3 (Magic, -10%) [36] is a fair number of points. Two levels and one or two weapons will still make for a very capable imbuer to start with.

And it leaves you with a clear upgrade path as the campaign develops too. An Arcane archer who doesn't get any better with his tricks as the campaign grows was perhaps a bit too tricked out to begin with.

I agree completely with you, I had already chosen to have only Imbuement 2 to start with, but I have a doubt: shouldn't it be Imbuement 2 (Magic, Staff and bow only, -70%)?

Additionally, and this would be more for those who have already played and/or GMed with such characters - my GM states that he plans this to go a long way, into the 1000 point range, so my question would be if that far ahead can you still pull your own as a "core" imbuer or if you are bound inevitably to resource to Innate Attacks?