New class: Blade Dancer

[Eilorn]

This is an idea that I've had for some time. A pure melee class,
no auxiliary skills, no rescue, pure damage. Warriors are just
there to take the brunt of things, if they could wear two
shields they would. Think of bladedancers as rangers on
amphetamines.

When you think of a halfling blade dancer, think Yoda from SW2.
Let rogues start a fight, but, have them stand back and let
the 'windmill of death'(tm) take over.

I know magic users are the damage arms of groups, but, I can
dream, can't I? (Oh, and set max lag on hitall to 2 rounds,
OK? :-)

(I had more introductory thoughts, and probably better organized, but, lost it hitting the escape key :-().

SKILL_BLADE_DANCER

The following is a list of all skills available to the Blade Dancer class:

SKILLS

1st level: mount, offense, 1h bludgeon, 1h slashing, 1h piercing,
1h misc, 2h bludgeon, 2h slashing, 2h misc, bandage, swimming

5th level: parry, dodge

8th level: dual wield

10th level: double attack, blindfighting

15th level: bladedance, riposte, disarm

20th level: switch opponents, sword wall

30th level: hamstring


See also: BLADE DANCER, WEAPONS, SKILLS


BLADE DANCER
Sub-Class of: Fighter

Blade Dancer have more dexterity than the average player, and this makes
them better at hand-to-hand combat. Their skills with multiple weapons exceed
all other classes. Because they employ such finesse in their fighting tactics,
blade dancers have been thought to resemble dancers when at their best.
They are, in essence, the ultimate swordsmen, and as such, are the best in
the world at skills such as parry, riposte and hitall. The advantages of
being a blade dancer lie within these skills.

Allowable races: Human, Drow, Elf, Half-elf, Halfling, Gnome,
Yuan-Ti, Orc

Minimum stats: STR: 65 DEX: 85 AGI: 65 CON: 65
POW: 0 INT: 0 WIS: 0 CHA: 0

for information on minimum stats, type:
"help class stats"

Blade Dancer skills: For an up-to-date listing of the available
blade dancer skills and their levels, type:
"help skill_blade_dancer"

Equipment usage: Blade Dancers fall under the Fighter classification
of item restriction. This means they can use
almost all weapons and most types of armor.
They are somewhat limited in the use of
miscellaneous magic like wands, etc. However, because
their skills depend so much on agility and
dexterity, they suffer a penalty for wearing heavy
body armor, leggings and sleeves.

Blade Dancers can improve their skills by using the "practice" command in
their guild.

See also: FIGHTER, PRACTICE, GUILD, SKILL_BLADE_DANCER, SKILLS


SWORD WALL
Reflexive skill.

Class/Level: Blade Dancer 20th
Skill: Dexterity

The sword wall skill allows the user to attempt to block physical blows
when dual wielding. The likelihood of success is based upon the user's skill
proficiency. This skill does not overrule the "dodge" or "parry" skills -
the user will still reflexively attempt to dodge attacks if a swordwall is
not possible.

This skill will only work when the user is wielding two weapons.

See Also: DODGE PARRY

<swordwall is just simply parry for the 2nd weapon>

HAMSTRING
Applied skill.

Syntax: hamstring <victim>
Aggressive: Yes
Class/Level: Blade Dancer 30th
Skill: Dexterity

Using a dagger or knife this skill allows you to attempt to slice the hamstrings
of the victim's legs, reducing their agility and ability to dodge.
However, if you fail, there is a chance that you will fall to the ground.

Leg armor will protect from hamstringing to some degree, ranging from
little protection to complete protection.

Some creatures may be protected from hamstringing by thick skins or immateriality.

BLADEDANCE
Applied skill.

Syntax: bladedance : hit aggressive monsters
bladedance all : hit all monsters
Aggressive: Yes
Class/Level: BladeDancer 15th

This skill allows you to attempt to hit all or just the aggressive monsters
in the room during a single combat round. There is a limit on the number
of monsters hit, depending on skill. Each monster may be hit once and only
once, regardless of proficiency in "dual wield" or "double attack." Using
"hitall" will cause you to be stunned for several rounds of combat.

See also: "DOUBLE ATTACK," "DUAL WIELD"

<bladedance is just a repackaged hitall, description changed to
more fit the dancing 'windmill of death' (tm)>


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Now, we can do this the hard way, or... well, actually there's just the hard way.
-- Buffy, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

[This message has been edited by Eilorn (edited 01-20-2003).]

[Nilan]

Sound like rangers to me. Thats like saying new class Assassin when you have rogues.

Just a thought

Nilan

[Ashiwi]

Ummmm...
Bladedancers actually existed in the Faerunian world, and they were NOT halflings! They were elves, kind of a combination warrior/bard.

Halflings can't nance.

[Myre]

You can nance if you want to, but leave your halfling friends behind....cause halflings don't nance, and if they don't nance, they ain't no friends of mine!

o/~

[Ashiwi]

HI5 Myre!

[Ashiwi]

::cough::

Sorry, had to do it...

Halflings can't nance, halflings can't talk, the only thing about them is the way that they walk.

I keep asking staff to change my title to "NancingQueen" but I don't see it happening any time soon.

[Xisiqomelir]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Ashiwi:
<B>
I keep asking staff to change my title to "NancingQueen" but I don't see it happening any time soon.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

OMG lyric abuse time

Nancing Queen

You can nance, you can slice, having the time of your life
See that elf, she's gonna make a scene, dig the Nancing Queen

The night of freedom and the lights are low
Looking out for the zone to go
Where they load the right eq, getting in the swing
You come in to look for a King
Anymobby could be about to die
Boot is young and the mood is high
With a bit of sneakfolding, everything is fine
You're in the mood for a nance
And when you get the chance...

You are the Nancing Queen, young and sweet, only two hundred and seventeen
Nancing Queen, feel the beat from the tailsweep
You can Nance, you can slice, having the time of your life
See that elf, she's gonna make a scene, dig the Nancing Queen

You're a stabber, you turn 'em on
Leave them dying and then you're gone
Looking out for another, any mob will do
You're in the mood for a nance
And when you get the chance...

You are the Nancing Queen, young and sweet, only two hundred and seventeen
Nancing Queen, feel the beat from the tailsweep
You can Nance, you can slice, having the time of your life
See that elf, she's gonna make a scene, dig the Nancing Queen

------------------
Thus spake Shevarash: "Invokers are not going to be removed"

[This message has been edited by Xisiqomelir (edited 01-21-2003).]

[Eilorn]

These are blade DANCERs not blade SINGERs. Some difference in my mind. SINGERs might get songs/spells, DANCERs just get skills.

Also, somethings I forgot:

Change hitall to attempt hits on a level limited number of mobs... PClevel/4 for blade dancers, PClevel/5 for others.

Maybe let blade dancers riposte off the dual weapon.

Eilorn.

Also, halflings can nance, they just choose... not to.


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Now, we can do this the hard way, or... well, actually there's just the hard way.
-- Buffy, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

[Kegor]

I want ballet gnome! Add them to the mud at once!

Seriously tho.. adding more classes would just confuse the balace that this mud is trying still to perfect. It is my opinion that there are plenty of classes and races to play here, and all of them have a unique flavor that leaves a good taste. To add more would be foolishness. Such as the races and classes in existance in Duris and Bast. Those races and classes are rare for a reason and not for a playerbase based heavily on D&D.

[Ashiwi]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Eilorn:
These are blade DANCERs not blade SINGERs. </font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Shame on me.

[Gurns]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Eilorn:
<B>This is an idea that I've had for some time. A pure melee class,
no auxiliary skills, no rescue, pure damage.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sounds like monks, to me.

[Treladian]

Okay, might as well have SOME serious discussion of this idea.

Dual wield and double attack early on and the description of the idea makes it pretty obvious that the class will master or at least get the skills really high, so max of 5 attacks a round, possibly 6 if a coder decided to tweak with the skills interaction to make double also affect the secondary weapon.

Hamstring is an interesting skill, one that debilitates rather than damages or inflicts some sort of status.

Swordwall's effect on tanking may or may not have a significant impact depending on how its implemented.

Everything looks to be combat oriented with a specialization on melee damage. This is the problem with the class. As is, it doesn't look like they'll do as much damage as rogues unless they have a really good THAC0 compared to rangers. Without rescue or bash, they lose the one strength rangers in melee have, adaptability. The reason a rogue is so useful is NOT because of their damage. Their damage is useful, but it's their non-combat skills like hide and sneak that make them really useful. As is, no melee class can become useful just on the basis of damage done. It looks like members of this class would just specialize in chatting with rangers west of the fountain.

------------------
You fire a black-shafted elven arrow to the east at Gormal's pet goat with masterful shooting that does lethal damage!
You receive your share of experience.

[Nedle2]

mock the halflings all you want....

give a nonrogue halfling a decent dual wield skill and we'll show you how its done....

could probably introduce the similar concept by letting warriors select which way they want to go...onehander+shield, 2hander, or dualing weapons....could be a way to offset penalties for being a nontraditional race warrior...

nedle the halfling chanter

[Mitharx]

I for one have noticed a serious decline in activity at one west in reference to rangers. They seem to be out zoning more and more and I think this a trend the imms need to keep an eye on. Perhaps we should seriously consider adding another ranger style class except for halflings. They tend to be the most fun RP'ers and would be an excellent addition to one west!

Long Live One West!

[Rausrh]

"Blade Dancer have more dexterity than the average player"

I'd hope so. I run into the walls twice before I make it through the door. Damn walls.

------------------
Rausrh licks you.

[Tanji Smanji]

Omg, the ultimate AFK class! Corth is gonna kill me....

------------------
How to go from Waelos to Weylarii.

Weylarii group-says 'oh shit! my penis is stuck in the toaster. afk'

[Corth]

moan!

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Goddamned slippery mage.

[Silsaterur]

I would just like to point out, that the ULTIMATE in melee damage dealing classes was the KENSAI!!!! Also known as the sword saint, they took thier specialization with one weapon to such an extreme that they forsook ALL others and even forsaking armor. Masters of quick combat movement they were capable of moving through the combat area and attacking EVERYTHING in reach(whirlwind attack) without being winded. In thier hands, even just a well made longsword could bring swift death to a god at its edge.

I remember seeing one sword saint wield 2 longswords at (!penalty to hit mind you) and reaming off 6-8 attacks/round normally. if he was surrounded he could make a whirlwind attack on EVERY opponent around him, and still get his 2 off hand attacks.

Scary thought... the invokers of melee.

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Adilmir tells you 'are you a Mumavore?'
Muma OOC: 'haha i just stuck my tongue out at the moniter'
Muma OOC: 'and yea i was sticking it out at you EV'

[Eilorn]

One of the reasons I've been thinking about this was because of the many times in other threads warriors have lamented their lack of damage output. Given their role, I don't think we're going to see much of an improment in their damage. I like Silsaterur's description, 'the invokers of melee'. I think this could be made to work, and don't see how it could be unbalancing. I don't see them, really, being any competition for invokers. But, I'd like to see melee types being a more significant contribution to the death of the mob than sitting/standing there and sucking up heals. There probably won't be a lot of them, and not a lot of them as primary chars, but, I think they'd be fun alts.

Eilorn, Blade Dancer wannabe.


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Now, we can do this the hard way, or... well, actually there's just the hard way.
-- Buffy, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

[Ashod]

well the idea is ok but by !means should they have anywhere even remotely the dmg of an invoker. first of all if they did !one would play an invoker cause meming sucks. VETO ON NEW MELEE CLASS...

[Iktar]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Ashod:
well the idea is ok but by !means should they have anywhere even remotely the dmg of an invoker. first of all if they did !one would play an invoker cause meming sucks. VETO ON NEW MELEE CLASS... </font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

i don't believe so. if i read Eilorn's idea properly. these blade nancers i mean blade dancers :P would be doing decent single target melee damage while invoker's do mass area damage and hitall sucks so every 3 round u sneak in hitall which doesn't equate to invoker's area damage. and from the looks of it, it won't be doing any more damage than a decked out halfling rogue.

there was only two reason why monk was pure melee damage machine and no other melee can equal w/out these two.

1. incredible dice damage (7d5 at lvl 50?)
2. 5~7 hits depending on your level/martial skill/haste

and i dont think monk would match invoker's damage output unless its single target.

[Treladian]

"One of the reasons I've been thinking about this was because of the many times in other threads warriors have lamented their lack of damage output. Given their role, I don't think we're going to see much of an improment in their damage. I like Silsaterur's description, 'the invokers of melee'. I think this could be made to work, and don't see how it could be unbalancing. I don't see them, really, being any competition for invokers. But, I'd like to see melee types being a more significant contribution to the death of the mob than sitting/standing there and sucking up heals. There probably won't be a lot of them, and not a lot of them as primary chars, but, I think they'd be fun alts."

There's one problem with melee damage being significant: You're limited by the dice on a melee weapon. Monks did the damage they did since 1) They could get up to SEVEN attacks in a round and 2) Their barehanded damage reached a point that had more than double the damage dice of any one handed weapon in the game. The way melee combat currently works severely limits what it can do without special skills thrown in (ie, circle).

------------------
You fire a black-shafted elven arrow to the east at Gormal's pet goat with masterful shooting that does lethal damage!
You receive your share of experience.

[moritheil]

This thread is hilarious.

------------------
Toarn group-says 'my lvl 50 buffer has officially been Mori-fied.'
Shevarash tells you 'you want to mud marry me? *scratch*'

[moritheil]

You goober!!! I proposed Kensai about 5 months ago, where were you then?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Silsaterur:
<B>I would just like to point out, that the ULTIMATE in melee damage dealing classes was the KENSAI!!!! Also known as the sword saint, they took thier specialization with one weapon to such an extreme that they forsook ALL others and even forsaking armor. Masters of quick combat movement they were capable of moving through the combat area and attacking EVERYTHING in reach(whirlwind attack) without being winded. In thier hands, even just a well made longsword could bring swift death to a god at its edge.

I remember seeing one sword saint wield 2 longswords at (!penalty to hit mind you) and reaming off 6-8 attacks/round normally. if he was surrounded he could make a whirlwind attack on EVERY opponent around him, and still get his 2 off hand attacks.

Scary thought... the invokers of melee.

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>



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Sparks crackle in your ear as Kossuth tells you 'answer for you, possibly, O Spankmagnetic One'