>Khri Blink: AOE dark room

I personally don't like this idea. Darkness in DR is such a game breaking thing, and it doesn't seem to effect the AI at all. And I don't think it's consistent with what it can/will do, in that if you're scripting or already have the info, it won't do anything. It's just that if you're hand typing/etc. it is a bad time. So probably wouldn't accomplish what you were looking for.

You seem to be looking for a thief equivalent of the moon mage spell contingency, but replacing the teleport with a thief-based hiding/invisibility effect.

I also don't care much for the 'if caught stealing' thing. I don't think we should be given more tools to grief more effectively, and I don't see player theft as anything else. You're free to your own opinion, but I feel player-theft is gauche in any game.

Generally speaking, I'd say you shouldn't have to pay a slot for something other guilds get for free. That should be an ability. Mark + arcana = focus, or something.

Khri tree: Shadow

1. Strike from the shadows. (Targeted Magic)

While strike from the shadows is active, any attack a thief conducts (from any range) against a target is considered to be striking from melee range. The thief lashes out with their sabre/sword/axe/whatever and void black energy rips into their target (still subject to all regular combat success/miss/parry etc mechanics). Teaches targeted magic. Perhaps a to-hit bonus, or damage converted to arcane(or void?) spell damage?

2. Second sight. (Utility or Augmentation)

While second sight is active a thief can perform attacks/actions against a hiding or invisible target that they are able to see without having to search or point first.

3. Shadow form. (Augmentation)

While shadow form is active the thief appears as "a shadowy figure", conceals the identity of a thief until the thief is struck by a pc or npc or a spell is successfully cast on them. Use of profile verb on a shadowy figure (whom you can see) reveals their pvp stance.

Fun game.

Expanding your shadow tree

1. Slippery - utility
Auto-hide after you're pointed at or successfully backstab, no RT. Cool Down.

2. Tumble - utility
Circle, weave, bob are more effective, have a chance to put you in hiding.

3. Seek - TM esoteric
Enables ranged backstab (throws weapon, flavor text has you leaping to the target to recover it, so you don't actually "lose" the weapon from your hand). If you miss, you still "leap" and grab it, but you're not at melee (you throw it across the room).

4. Disguise - augmentation (esoteric)
Contort your face, hold it, maybe requires some dirt. Guaranteed success to plead innocence (with high Charisma) for any stealing related crimes.

5. Honor - Debilitation (advanced)
Short for honor among thieves. If you're caught stealing, you grab an NPC and start blaming them. You don't get the rap. You do get a confidence buff, but you have a random chance to throw another thief or child of a thief to the guards. That gives you a reputation loss.

6. Bribe - Utility
You bribe an entrance. If the check is successful, you are allowed to go through it (think gates, stores, guild only rooms). If unsuccessful you're charged with disturbing the peace.


Khri Tree: Control

1. Double strike - TM (basic)
Backstab hits twice, second hit contests TM if the first hit succeeds. (Maybe require weapon in off-hand)

2. Preparation - utility
Next backstab is an alpha strike

3. Tranquil - augmentation
Increases concentration pool and regeneration

4. Maneuver - debilitation (basic)
Keep control of the fight. Your target can't get a positive position over you.

5. Flex - augmentation (basic)
+Strength, backstab with larger weapons.

6. Narcissism - Utility (basic)
Confidence heal. Psych yourself up.

7. Body - Utility (advanced)
Stops bleeding, improves poison resistance, slows disease

I’m loving the suggestions. Keep ‘em coming.

I’d like to open up the Warding skill. You currently have two or three Khri that are Wards teaching Utility, so I don’t understand why the skill was blocked. Not saying this will definitely happen, but if you have ideas for Wards, please share those too.

I have a list that includes all the current abilities, and some new abilities, that is sitting at 62 slots. I still need to organize the new stuff into at least one tree, or integrate it into the current trees somehow. So I’m getting close to something I can propose. Keep the Khri suggestions coming.

Javac
That one guy

If you have questions or comments in regard to this post please email me at DR-JAVAC@play.net.

Khri Mindtrap (or something)
"New" tree
Warding
Tier 3 or 4

A passive ward that reacts to the next debilitation spell cast on the thief. When triggered, the Thief attempts to reflect the spell effect back at the caster. First the Thief makes some kind of save against the spell, and if successful the caster must make a save against their own spell power and stats.

"meta" khri (passive) "Perfect Self"
Thief with this meta khri has the bonus concentration regen normally gained while siting at all times.

Khri (something - think "House of Mirrors")
"New" tree
Warding
could be lower tier

Effect: All attempts to analyze or gauge the abilities of the thief are thrown off (things like mark or perceiving auras, etc). The feedback from these attempts are randomized to a degree that scales with the Thief's ability/skill. Maybe there could a secondary PvE-only effect that affects engagement or other mob behavior.

>I’d like to open up the Warding skill. You currently have two or three Khri that are Wards teaching Utility, so I don’t understand why the skill was blocked. Not saying this will definitely happen, but if you have ideas for Wards, please share those too.

My remembrance of the 3.0 skill conversion was that both NMU guilds were mandated to not have full magic access for obscure reasons. I think it might have been to seek a hybrid stance between the old and the new, where pre3 everything was stat based, and post3 it was...well what we've got. This sort of skill-stat-mix-thing.

Probably was seen as a net benefit in that training tertiary skills to power boosts stiiiiiiinks, and boosts are flat out mandatory in DR.

In the long run I think I appreciate the sentiment but it's proven to be a really bad mixture of all available systems.

> Is this a suggestion or are you upset about what I wrote?
It was mostly a joke.

> It's Kalag the sly now.
I was referring to Kalag the Black. The one that walked the starry road.

> It's Shadow magic, not Arcane.
He was really a transcendent necromancer. He turned everyone into necromancers/risen/zombies/whatever. Hence the chorus (new risen ability).

> And maybe babies are not best suited for the Thieves Guild.
I used baby as in newbie. Brand new. Joined the guild. Hence why he needed to go learn signing. I wasn't referring to you.

> Also the change I suggested is not so outrageous compared to how Traders are getting magic.
I have nothing against this idea.

> Btw your suggestions are pretty good.
Thank you!

As a general aside, I'd love to see thieves have two valid paths. One that is the current 'must hide to do the things' build, and one that allows users to play a much more brawler-style attacker.

My go-to example for that has always been the assassin's creed series; the assassins favor stealth, but they'll bust some heads with the best of them. When fighting heavy armored templars they use evasion and precise striking, but they don't have to hide. They've got some damage mitigation abilities, and some fast-escape moves coupled with potent debilitation.

If, for example, 'brawler' thieves gave up snipe for 'heavy shot', and gave up backstab for 'low blow', both abilities that do something similar as far as mechanics but don't require hiding (and don't reward stealth), I'd be OK. But these brawlers would need earlier access to damage reduction tools, and probably some stamina and discipline boosters as well.

Khri clone:

One of the very classic 'psychic/ninja' style moves is a body duplication technique. I've struggled to figure out a good use for it in DR that doesn't conflict with necro or empath, but here's my thought: two primary functions.

1) A general OF/DF buff (similar to Hydra-hex, though maybe without the of/df option). My (IC) thought is that enemies would need to pay some attention to it, and that it would be doing some basic engagement tasks as well as harassing them.

2) A one-time cheat death effect. Give it a 24 hour cooldown or something. But, if the ability is active and your thief takes a deathblow, the clone dies instead in a flashy show of fireworks, while your thief is moved into a new room and hidden. Probably with a stun, for DR mechanics.

Keep in mind, the plan is to conform them to spell difficulty tiers, which have five: Intro, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Esoteric.

So I am totally on the lookout for something Esoteric.

Javac
That one guy

If you have questions or comments in regard to this post please email me at DR-JAVAC@play.net.

Khri ...something
Potency Tree
Augmentation
Esoteric

High difficulty, short duration of 1-3 minutes. Increases the backstab weight limit to 40 stones, and also increases the weight limit for ambush slash (and stun, if applicable). Every 20-30 seconds the thief may attempt a backstab or ambush without the requirement of being hidden - the contest is in all other ways normal and other khri bonuses apply.