Derp, sure as hell didn't save her in the Bridge scene where Archer was sniping at her from "kilometers" away. She definitely did not block consecutive surprise attacks from that range.
And Saber definitely cannot dodge an attack that has a lower rank LCK requirement then Gae Bolg does. Which she dodged. Well enough keep fighting with relatively little reduction in her combat capacity.
I'm so confused, it seems like you quoted me but what is in the quote isn't what I typed. It seems like you agree with me as well, so colour me confused.
McJon makes an intelligent, thought-provoking point.
<NEW FIC!>Revolution #9: Somewhere out there, there's a universe in which your mistakes and failures never happened, and all you wished for is true. How hard would you fight to make that real?
[11:20:46 AM] GlowStiks: lucina is supes attractive
[12:40] Lace: lucina is amazing
[12:40] Neir: lucina is pretty much flawless
Hmm... looking back at my little Indo-Javanese collection, i think i already got Saber (Ekalavya), Archer (Ekalavya again), Rider (Shalya), Berserker (Gatotkaca), and Assassin (Ashwattama). Only Lancer and Caster more to go, huh~ And maybe remake either Saber or Archer, though i'm quite happy that i nailed both with Ekalavya.
Name: Hōichi the Earless
Gender: Male
Alignment: Neutral
Master: Ryūdōji Issei (anchor) / Mount Enzō (prana)
Class: Caster
Appearance
Irrelevant flavour. But perhaps interesting.
Issei wasn't sure about this. In fact, he was sure. He was sure this was a truly terrible idea. He was sure that messing around in some bastardisation of western 'magic' to summon an ancient hero for the sake of fighting for the Christian Grail was not what a proper Buddhist acolyte should be involved with. It broke every precept, and a few more had probably come into existence for the sole purpose of being broken in order to show just how wrong this was but. But this War was responsible for the fire in the centre of Fuyuki, and hundreds of deaths besides.
He thought of Shirō. His orphaned friend would undoubtedly jump into this to save lives and wish for world peace, not questioning it for an instant. Not thinking of all the ways it could go horribly wrong. Issei wasn't that sort of person, though he suspected that the Shirō's utter lack of concern for himself put him rather closer to Nirvana than Issei was. But if he wasn't the sort of person to put himself at risk for total strangers he could do it for his friend. A Servant could let him put an end to the unholy war quickly. It could stop bystanders getting involved, and Shirō was just the sort to be pulled in by this mess, whether chosen randomly by the monsters who willingly took part in this unholy ritual, or trying to protect others who had been swept up in it.
The monks of Ryūdōji had long watched the Holy Grail War play out below them, wary of both the battle and its consequences. But now they believed they could not stand by any longer. The massacres of the last War had been unconscionable and now that horror seemed to be returning only a bare decade later. From the vaults, the copy of the ritual which had been stolen as a safeguard centuries ago was unearthed. And their most devout and promising young member was to use it.
Are they going to summon the Dragon that taught them Kung Fu cause that would be awesome-
Issei went through the chant, trying to offset it with a mantra in his head. Distracted by balancing the two, he jerked in surprise when the circle flashed and a form actually began to take shape within it.
His shock was redoubled when his Servant stared up at him with sightless, glassy eyes. Caught in that moment of astonishment, Issei took in the rest of his body almost involuntarily. His face, his hands, his shaven head - even the chest bared by a loose, plain robe - were all covered by lines of black paint, forming nonsensical patterns. His ears seemed to be the only visible part of his body unmarked, and Issei saw that red trails in a colour which reminded him uncomfortably of dried blood curved down his neck from his ears to his shoulders. They overlaid the black ink and pale skin in a way that Issei could only feel was unnatural, despite the strangeness of the black scrawls themselves. His Servant brushed back his short-cut sleeves and produced an instrument which would have looked laughably quaint in any other situation, with anyone other than a figure of legend holding it. A unpolished, hand-made biwa the old, four-stringed lutes of storytellers from folktales.
I am Servant Caster. Would you like to hear me play, Master?
Legend
Spoiler:
Hōichi was once a renowned musician in the Akamagaseki region, surpassing his masters in childhood and becoming famous for his recitations of the Genji and the Heike. If the Genji was more appealing nationally, the Heike and its tale of the great battle at Dan-no-Ura, nearby, was popular with all the locals. Being born blind was apparently no hindrance to his incredible talent. As he grew into a man, he ended up staying with a friend of his for a time a priest at the Amida temple and giving personal performances in exchange for room and board.
A Servant I know. That's good. Although pretty much all I remember is that he played for the dead, and the monks tried to ward him, but they forgot to cover his ears.
One night, Hōichi was approached by a person who said they were a samurai retainer to a particular lord travelling through the area, and that they wished Hōichi to attend to them. Hōichi could not disobey, for it was the prerogative of the samurai to kill those who dishonoured them in that age. So he followed the unknown voice, guided by its servants. And it happened that the lord asked that he perform the part of the Heike which told of Dan-no-Ura, and Hōichi gave the most moving recital that he had ever accomplished in his life. The lord and his entourage were astonished, and asked that Hōichi perform for them on the remaining six nights of the week, in order to be given a lavish reward. Hōichi agreed, mollified by the prospect of repayment, and was led back to the temple.
He did this again on the second night, but this time his absence was noted, and the priest sent a few of the lesser attendants to follow his friend. They discovered Hōichi giving a performance in the graveyard made for the dead at Dan-no-Ura, and surrounded by the ghostly flames of the dead. They brought him back, struggling, and the priest begged his friend to tell him everything. Though the lord had demanded that Hōichi not reveal his presence, Hōichi could not refuse the kind priest and told him what he thought to have happened.
The priest told Hōichi that the spirits of the dead were the true listeners to his recital, and that by acceding even once to their requests, Hōichi had put himself in their power. Angered, the spirits would now surely try to kill Hōichi more violently than they would have before, at any rate, since the priest had no doubt that Hōichi would have been made a part of their ranks to play for them forever if he had sung to the graveyard for the whole week.
To prevent this, the priest and his acolyte painted holy scriptures on Hōichi's entire body, keeping him from harm and the sight of the spirits. When the samurai returned on the next night to seek Hōichi, he could not see Hōichi, nor hear him since the musician had begun a silent meditation but the acolyte had failed to mark Hōichi's ears. The samurai was frustrated by the wards and feared the anger of his lord. Thus, he tore Hōichi's ears away to show that his task had been carried out as best it could. Hōichi remained silent and unflinching, and the samurai was denied even the satisfaction of hearing his hurt.
Hmm. Maybe his entire body has anti-spiritual properties?
In the morning, the priest discovered Hōichi still in meditation to stave off the pain. After staunching the bleeding as best he could, he apologised most sincerely for letting a lazy acolyte fail to protect his friend. Hōichi ended up staying at the temple for the rest of his life instead of travelling as he had before, but it made no difference to his fame. Drawn by both the mysterious tale surrounding him and the beauty of his playing, many patrons came to listen, and both he and his adoptive home prospered.
Parameters
Strength D
Agility E
Endurance D
Prana B
Luck C
Noble Phantasm A
Personal Skills Eastern Magecraft C++: One of the biwa-hōshi 'lute-priests' - of ancient Japan, singers who spread traditional tales and with them, the foundations of religious magecraft. Never a true priest himself, Hōichi has little natural affinity for thaumaturgy. However, having been tattooed with verses from a sacred text, Hōichi is able to use them as false magic circuits in the manner of a Western Crest and his knowledge of the religion was understandably improved by it being engraved on his body.
Does he have the knowledge and skill to tattoo those verses onto his own ears? (munchkinning, I know.)
Eastern magecraft deals particularly in binding and exorcism, and Hōichi's early experience with spirits drove him to exploit that as far as he could. Even outside combat, Hōichi is accustomed to using minor, bound spirits to help guide him if he needs to move quickly and certainly. They may also serve in other basic capacities of a familiar: watch-guards, scouts and so forth.
Blind Artist B: Like many of the great musicians or poets throughout history, Hōichi was one with whom the gods toyed. Through the loss of his sight, he gained unparalleled ability. One can think of this as a 'curse', bringing blindness which brooks no healing and skill which admits to no impediment.
This skill reminds me of Innocent Monster. That's a good thing.
Class Skills Item Creation D: As befits a master of music, Hōichi made his own instruments: precisely tuned instruments of his craft which he could make sound like waves on the shore, or arrows thrumming through the air or the clash of armies.
All this is perhaps irrelevant, thanks to the fact that he cannot make mystic codes out of them. Instead, he has a certain ability with the inscription and wielding of sutras to project appropriate effects.
Is this ability enough to inscribe them on his ears? (I just can't resist)
Territory Creation C: In his youth, Hōichi wandered the lands as befitted a biwa-hōshi. However, once he had lost his ears, he remained at the Amida temple, and all who could came to him. He is therefore at least capable with the mechanics of bounded fields. His magical ability is capped more by skill than a lack of power, so that this workshop will not improve his potential in that regard. However, a system of alarms, wards and guards will make approach difficult, especially to the spirits whom Hōichi fears.
Noble Phantasms
Battle at Dan-no-Ura
Wringing Out The Kijin's Tears
Recounting the ancient tale of battle and a child-emperor's death, playing on his biwa, Hōichi is able to induce the utmost awe, melancholy, and fascination. Enthralled by his song, enemies will halt in place and give themselves over to listening, weeping and wailing at the tragedy of the battle. Fixed in place, they become unaware of their surroundings, and all their parameters and skills are lowered by two ranks. Because this is purely thanks to the beauty of Hōichi's playing and singing, many skills which would protect against magical domination are not proof against it.
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army
Maximum Targets: 200
Range: 1-80
This makes sense. The jump from enthralling the dead to enthralling Heroic Spirits is conceivable. How does he activate it as a Noble Phantasm? Does he shout its name? Begin playing? Does it work against Servants with Mad Enhancement activated? Is it super effective against Servants with Eye for Art?
Hannya Shin-gyo
Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom
The Heart Sutra, the key mantra found in Prajńāpāramitā. The verses tattooed onto the entirety of Hōichi's body. This Noble Phantasm is only unsealed once Hōichi has played his masterpiece song. How long does that take? If it's the entire Heike Monogatari/Tale of Genji, it might get a bit impractical. At this point, the messy lines of ink covering him will resolve into the sacred mantra: Nirvana reached through absolute loss of self. Against all spiritual entities can a Master still see him properly then?, complete invisibility and intangibility is acquired - except for his ears.
Indeed, because his ears were not tattooed with the verses of emptiness, they were seen by his enemies and torn away. Hōichi was still well able to live his life without the use of eyes or ears, through his other senses and the binding of some minor spirits to guide him, and can repeat that feat as a Servant. However, penalties relating to reduced hearing are obviously acquired in the case that an alert enemy destroys them. A healing spell is insufficient to replace them, Hōichi's soul recalling that much of his life was spent without ears, and his legend descending as 'Hōichi the Earless'. Moreover, jealous wraiths who once demanded that Hōichi play only for them will appear in the nearest graveyard or shrine to the dead, and begin hunting Hōichi down, desiring to take his ears once more.
Okay. So complete intangibility/invisibility to Servants and Wraiths, except for his ears. Wraiths appear to hunt him down. What if something like Black Barrel (anti-immortality for the whole body) is used on the ears? Can Laelaps find him? (yes, I could really use a Prokris critique =P) I'm trying to think of a Phantasm, that, if it hits any part of the body, has an effect. Oh! How does Havesh Avanim affect him if it hits an ear? (David would probably just listen, though, given his Harp Skills (I know a biwa isn't a harp, or anything like a harp, but people associated with music being even more deeply affected sounds liek something that would fit Battle at Dan-no-Ura) There's probably a legend about a sword that can cut through any wards. How would one of those affect him? Can wind produced by a Servant (Invisible Air or Kusanagi no Tsurugi) affect him?
At this point, the priority is not to strike down Hōichi, since such a thing is impossible, but to use his weakness and assault his Master before an inexorable assassin kills your own. For this reason, the Assassin class is particularly suitable for use against the singer. And in turn, such a Servant will be an immediate target for Hōichi's Master upon discovering his identity.
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit
Maximum Targets: 1
Range: --
Notes
Servant
Was reading Natsume Yūjinchō, where the character is going to a gathering of exorcists and yōkai. One of his yōkai friends wants to give him a blessing, but will only say that she needs him to take his shirt off. He refuses very adamantly, so she just scrawls something on his arm. Then she tells him that it's a protective enchantment meant to go over the heart. His mentor remarks that now he's going to leave his arm behind if a yōkai eats him, whereas everything except Hōichi's ears was left. So I looked up Hōichi and thought his story was interesting enough to make a Servant from.
The apposition with Avenger amuses me. In ways which are probably not psychologically healthy.
Yet another of my I'm sort-of forcing this because he needs a class Casters, with terrible stats and a Noble Phantasm which may or may not make up for it.
Ended up delving a bit more into hōjutsu than I thought I would (probably a bad idea since we know so little about it, and me less than most). Kind of increased in importance when I realised that Hōichi stayed at the temple after everything resolved, and when I noted that he really did need something approaching proper magecraft (and preferably at least a bit of Item Creation/Territory Creation).
Except for that, though, this is one of my less off-the-wall Servants. Very close to the legend, and my version of the story is essentially a straight-up synopsis (contrast, e.g., Diomedes).
Issei's kind of a terrible Master for him. His Noble Phantasms are powerful, but he needs a capable Master to take advantage of them: kill everyone getting nailed by his song or protect themselves while Hōichi's inexorably wrecking the other Masters afterwards. Either gotta bust out the hidden dragon-fu, or this pairing is gonna fizzle out pretty quickly. Mind, an alliance with, as a completely random example, Shirō, turns that around very quickly.
I would normally try to use the translated terms instead of leaving romanised Japanese around. Biwa is a distinct form of lute, though, and 'lute-priest' or 'biwa-priest' just sound so awful. So *shrug*
Whoever wrote the introduction for the wiki page on biwa has a gigantic chip on their shoulder. Seriously, wow.
A kijin is a sort of goblin-type creature. The source I'm using for Hōichi's tale puts 'even the kijin could not refrain from tears' in quotes, so I guess either this is/was proverbial, or the author found a part of the Japanese tale interesting enough that he chose to pull that bit across directly. It's just used as part of Hōichi's introduction, to show how good he is.
般若心経, Hannya Shin-gyo, derives from the text 'Prajńāpāramitā', translated as Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom. It's one of the key sutras, and is a common chant in Buddhist temples. You can find translation all around the net, but the gist is the truth and necessity of emptiness such that one can reach Nirvana quite appropriate to make one invisible.
Introduction
Oh, poor, poor Issei. You are the victim of some severe dramatic irony. I mean, all fairness, Shirō could well notice and get drawn in just by Issei being a Master, but with the set-up of the Fifth yeah. Failed before he's even begun.
Beside my blatant disregard for "Complete" Invisibility/Intangibility to Spiritual Beings, (just me looking for loopholes), I like this profile. It's pretty straightforward, though, so there's not much else to say.
Beside my blatant disregard for "Complete" Invisibility/Intangibility to Spiritual Beings, (just me looking for loopholes), I like this profile. It's pretty straightforward, though, so there's not much else to say.
Thanks. Btw, though I like the little insertions, it is easier if you put them outside the quotes. Because this forum doesn't do double-quoting, I have to manually pick through it and copy-paste each of the passages I want to reply to.
Are they going to summon the Dragon that taught them Kung Fu cause that would be awesome-
Sorry.
(Though I'm pretty sure the Grail doesn't get to summon Dragons. )
Does he have the knowledge and skill to tattoo those verses onto his own ears? (munchkinning, I know.)
Is this ability enough to inscribe them on his ears? (I just can't resist)
You're evil. *disapproving*
As DM's ruling, no. He doesn't quite have the dexterity to tattoo it properly onto his own ears, and assistant spirits have difficulty guiding him in painting anti-spirit designs for obvious reasons.
This makes sense. The jump from enthralling the dead to enthralling Heroic Spirits is conceivable. How does he activate it as a Noble Phantasm? Does he shout its name? Begin playing? Does it work against Servants with Mad Enhancement activated? Is it super effective against Servants with Eye for Art?
Activation is playing a round's worth of music which his targets hear reasonably clearly (I shall be Nasu-like and drop in context-less RPG terms if I want to and think it addresses a point. )
Mad Enhancement probably mitigates the effect, yes. Provisionally, they're only slowed and only lose a single rank in everything if they have B-rank ME (I guess ME itself is an exception?) But, as we are told, music has charms to soothe the savage breast. Even ME doesn't easily let you throw it off.
Eye for Art, sure? Allowances to be made for the exact tastes of the Heroic Spirit in question.
How long does that take? If it's the entire Heike Monogatari/Tale of Genji, it might get a bit impractical.
Once he's completed any playing which has activated the effect on his opponents. Alternatively, if he or his Master wanted to activate this early, he would have to do a recital of the specific part which the ghosts first asked him to play. I'm not an expert on the Heike specifically or the kind of recitals Hōichi might have done but, going from my experience with classical oral traditions and performances, and from the implications of the text (wherein Hōichi also mentions that he wouldn't be able to play the whole Heike in a night and is told to focus on the battle), I'd peg that at somewhere around two or three hours.
can a Master still see him properly then?
And affect him, yes. You don't want to have this guy in a War and be up against Bazett.
Okay. So complete intangibility/invisibility to Servants and Wraiths, except for his ears. Wraiths appear to hunt him down. What if something like Black Barrel (anti-immortality for the whole body) is used on the ears? Can Laelaps find him? (yes, I could really use a Prokris critique =P) I'm trying to think of a Phantasm, that, if it hits any part of the body, has an effect. Oh! How does Havesh Avanim affect him if it hits an ear? (David would probably just listen, though, given his Harp Skills (I know a biwa isn't a harp, or anything like a harp, but people associated with music being even more deeply affected sounds liek something that would fit Battle at Dan-no-Ura) There's probably a legend about a sword that can cut through any wards. How would one of those affect him? Can wind produced by a Servant (Invisible Air or Kusanagi no Tsurugi) affect him?
As a provisional and general answer for all of those: it depends on the age and level of mystery. A near-complete inscription of a sacred scripture by a devout priest centuries ago is pretty strong in the Nasuverse, but anything with a better rank outdoes it. (I imagine a ward-cutting sword would be something like a C+, with the + activating against wards. Because the effect works essentially on power instead of Herakles' conceptual "no attacks below A-rank" and because 2xC is just better than A, it would take effect). And physical effects produced by a spiritual entity are generally going to count as spiritual for this case.
But, as we are told, music has charms to soothe the savage breast.
This is news to me!
<NEW FIC!>Revolution #9: Somewhere out there, there's a universe in which your mistakes and failures never happened, and all you wished for is true. How hard would you fight to make that real?
[11:20:46 AM] GlowStiks: lucina is supes attractive
[12:40] Lace: lucina is amazing
[12:40] Neir: lucina is pretty much flawless
I'll be sure to keep that in mind when I find some savage breasts, which I will most definitely proceed to soothe.
<NEW FIC!>Revolution #9: Somewhere out there, there's a universe in which your mistakes and failures never happened, and all you wished for is true. How hard would you fight to make that real?
[11:20:46 AM] GlowStiks: lucina is supes attractive
[12:40] Lace: lucina is amazing
[12:40] Neir: lucina is pretty much flawless
That was my reaction. Gotta admit, Hoichi is neat though. Surprised he's even summoned with his ears to begin with given he's famous as "Hoichi the Earless". That's like summoning Date with both his eyes. I guess he needed some kind of weakness though.
Originally Posted by Mellon
Derp, sure as hell didn't save her in the Bridge scene where Archer was sniping at her from "kilometers" away. She definitely did not block consecutive surprise attacks from that range.
And Saber definitely cannot dodge an attack that has a lower rank LCK requirement then Gae Bolg does. Which she dodged. Well enough keep fighting with relatively little reduction in her combat capacity.
And I find it hilarious that you think that he would do better in the 4th. A war with Lancelot, Iskander and Gil were in. None of whom, his Gae Bolg at range could even properly damage. Heck, even Assassin could stomp him due to body spam cheese.
Didn't Saber (or Shirou) see Archer's first shot coming, or am I misremembering that scene? Could have sworn I also recall a surprised Saber commenting on Shirou's ability to see Archer from so far away.
Saber "dodged" Gae Bolg, if by "dodged" you mean, "she took a serious wound to her arm instead of dying to the attack that was made right in front of her". You seem to be ignoring the part where I mentioned he'd be shooting while her back is turned. Its one thing trying to snipe someone whose already wired for a fight and know's an enemy is shooting at them (nevermind that a Broken Phantasm probably leaks out a huge amount of prana that can be felt from far away). Completely different story sniping someone whose just wandering around looking for trouble while their back is turned or who is already occupied fighting someone else. Especially when you have magic bullets that act like Gae Bolg's causality curse.
If his bullets just tracked, I'd watch Saber laugh them off since BP Hrunting was a far greater threat. These don't track the targets. He activates NP, the bullets hit you, he aims and shoots after the fact. Instinct is almost meaningless in that case. It comes down solely to LCK. Even with her LCK, she still got wounded by Gae Bolg and she saw Gae Bolg coming and instinctively defended her heart. If he snipes at the back of her head while she's wandering around with Shirou, how's she gonna even know to try and defend? She ain't. It comes down solely to LCK there. granted, she might luck out since the LCK requirements for the bullets are less than those of Gae Bolg, but its still a proverbial role of the dice. Now, if he misses he's screwed cuz' she's gonna close in on him and massacre him unless he hightails it outta there once his first shot misses, but her avoiding that first shot is by no means guaranteed.
As for the 4th, why would he even bother shooting at those Servants? Assassin is a problem of course (probably his biggest problem given the Hassans are all over the place scouting, and thus likely to find his sniping position), but why shoot at Iskander when Waver is standing right next to the guy? Again, the bullets aren't tracking like Hrunting, they activate like Gae Bolg, which means he activates them, the target is shot unless they succeed in the LCK check, then he aims and shoots. There is nothing for Iskander to defend Waver against. Why even shoot at Lancelot when he could be surveying the area for Kariya (whether he finds Kariya or not is a completely different story of course)? As for Gil, well again, who doesn't have trouble with Gil?
I never said he'd solo the 4th or even that the 4th would be easier for him. just commenting on how one assumed he would be in the 5th instead of some other war.
As for Archer and Diarmuid. Again, Gae Bolg. Diarmuid has nothing to strike with Gae Dearg unless he already starts within melee range of Archer as opposed to Archer just conjuring up Gae Bolg at a distance and slowly closing in to activate it the moment he gets within range. You are seriously underestimating the sheer versatility Archer has at his disposal. If he didn't fight like a stubborn moron he'd be a lot more dangerous given all the crap that should be at his disposal.
Originally Posted by Five_X
This is news to me!
Pfft! Everyone knows chicks dig muscians! This is nothing new!
Originally Posted by TypeWannabe
Five is, unbeknownst to us, a master massager.
If its unbeknownst to "us" (which would seemingly include yourself), how did you know to tell us?
Last edited by G-Man; November 16th, 2012 at 04:54 PM.
Wait, what instant hit bullet is this. I don't remember any of that before.
It was specifically stated that the bullets act like Gae Bolg in order to hit their target. If I misinterpreted that, then my apologies I will concede the arument right now, but it sounds like it works just like Gae Bolg, only at range. Thus, he activates the NP, the bullet hits the target (barring a successful LCK check), he aims and shoots after the fact as a mere formality, just like how Gae Bolg works.
What bullets. Are we talking about EMIYA's Broken Phantasms. I thought he just powered them up and fired. Unless he was doing it with a Gae Bolg BP or something but I'm not sure if he can use that ability.
He never sleeps. He never dies.
Battle doesn't need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose. You don't ask why a plague spreads or a field burns. Don't ask why I fight.
Saber "dodged" Gae Bolg, if by "dodged" you mean, "she took a serious wound to her arm instead of dying to the attack that was made right in front of her". You seem to be ignoring the part where I mentioned he'd be shooting while her back is turned. Its one thing trying to snipe someone whose already wired for a fight and know's an enemy is shooting at them (nevermind that a Broken Phantasm probably leaks out a huge amount of prana that can be felt from far away). Completely different story sniping someone whose just wandering around looking for trouble while their back is turned or who is already occupied fighting someone else. Especially when you have magic bullets that act like Gae Bolg's causality curse.
If his bullets just tracked, I'd watch Saber laugh them off since BP Hrunting was a far greater threat. These don't track the targets. He activates NP, the bullets hit you, he aims and shoots after the fact. Instinct is almost meaningless in that case. It comes down solely to LCK. Even with her LCK, she still got wounded by Gae Bolg and she saw Gae Bolg coming and instinctively defended her heart. If he snipes at the back of her head while she's wandering around with Shirou, how's she gonna even know to try and defend? She ain't. It comes down solely to LCK there. granted, she might luck out since the LCK requirements for the bullets are less than those of Gae Bolg, but its still a proverbial role of the dice. Now, if he misses he's screwed cuz' she's gonna close in on him and massacre him unless he hightails it outta there once his first shot misses, but her avoiding that first shot is by no means guaranteed.
Wrong.
Just like with Gae Bolg it comes down to luck + other skills. Saber did not dodge Gae Bolg through only luck. It was a combination of both her luck and her Instinct.
And you seem to have this hugely ridiculous misconception that Instinct needs line of sight to work or is reduced in effectiveness when the range is long. It is not. Whether she has sight of the attack or not, her Instincts still kick in. They are at the level of precognition. "Aiming at the back of her head" wouldn't make one ounce of difference in terms of whether or not her instincts kick in. The entire point of that skill is that it reduces "visual obstructions". There is absolutely no goddamn difference whether you make your "unseen attack" 5km's away or whether you attack from close range with A+ Presence Concealment. They are both "hidden" attacks.
Not to mention that if you only manage to wound your opponent, the bullet is basically wasted. Because unlike with Gae Bolg the damage is perfectly curable by good old Servant wound regeneration.
Frankly, at this point I have to seriously doubt if you even know what Instinct actually does.
Instinct: A Instinct is the ability to instantly identify “the best personal course of action” during combat. Because this skill allows for the prediction of trajectory, it is possible to avoid attacks from firearms. At rank A, it is essentially in the realm of predicting the future. Through this ability, it is possible to negate the penalties inflicted by visual and auditory interference to a certain extent. Being able to discern Cú Chulainn’s ultimate technique certainly reflects her skills, but having exceptional Instinct also helped her immensely.
Frankly, this Archer is not stronger then Cu in almost any single category, besides having more range on his reality warp (a worse version at that) and being a worse overall fighter in every other area. And while Cu is a decent Servant, he is by far not the most "hax" or "broken" Servant up there. Neither is this one.
Last edited by Mellon; November 16th, 2012 at 07:38 PM.
Class: Caster Titles: The King of Wisdom **True Name: Solomon the Wise Alignment: Lawful Good/Neutral
Background/History:
Spoiler:
One of the sons to Kind David of Israel, and successor to the throne, Solomon was anointed king and followed in his father’s footsteps as a man of YHWH. In his younger years he was blessed, as he requested, with wisdom from YHWH and received it. Many accounts of his wisdom are known, especially the “Judgment of Solomon”.
He built the First Temple of Jerusalem upon Mount Zion and lead Israel to great prosperity. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba are famous, or infamous, for meeting with one another on at least one special occasion and he astounded her with his knowledge and wisdom - some accounts state that they became lovers, but the Queen would not marry him, as to retain singular control of her kingdom.
In the Judeo-Christian accounts he fell into idolatry in his older years, having married many wives and having many concubines that were from lands who worshipped other gods and goddesses for whom he had altars built. This led to his demise and the division of the nation.
According to the Quran and more apocryphal texts, he was a magus and learned in the ways of binding and commanding djinn and other spirits, and died still praising YHWH alone. In a few accounts, he died leaning on his staff, and YHWH had termites weaken it so that man and spirits alike would finally be aware of his death.
Personality: Solomon is a man of specific words and dislikes speaking more than needed, though he can choose to be wordy. One moment he can hold the countenance of a playboy - he certainly has the looks, wealth, and wit for such a lifestyle - and the next he can be entirely brutal in his honesty, discernment, and justice. The transition is possibly the most terrifying thing about his personality, even when compared to his "always planning", some would say scheming, mindset. This mostly likely originates from his wisdom and his interaction with "Demons" - truly Djinni, Afariit, and Marid - which leads him to be rather jaded and eccentric.
Strength: D Endurance: D Agility: D Mana: A Luck: B
Noble Phantasms: B++
Class Skills
Territory Creation is the skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus.
**A - Creation of a “Temple”, which is superior to a “Workshop”, becomes possible.
Item Construction is the skill to manufacture magical items.
**N/A - At the cost of the acquisition of the summoning ability means of the Noble Phantasm, the "Item Construction" skill is lost.
Personal Skills
Golden Rule measures one’s fortune to acquire wealth.
**B - Money problems can be dealt with within a day.
Presence Detection is the ability to detect other Servants and local mana sources.
**N/A
Disengage is the ability to break away from conflict.
**C - Bonus effect of returning battle conditions to what they were at the beginning of the match.
Noble Phantasms
**Chokmael - Blessed Wisdom from YHWH
Type: Support
Rank: EX
Grants Caster immunity to mental interference and clarity of thought in all circumstances and also replicates the effects of Revelation, an ability that effectively is Eye of the Mind (True), Instinct, and Military Tactics in one, but has no limitations of application. A Divine Blessing upon Caster in life.
Asdfghl's Commentary and Expansion
Originally Posted by Asdfghl
EX: The night after Solomon was crowned, YHWH came to him in a dream and told him that he could have any one thing he wanted, be it land, wealth, or a long life. Solomon asked for wisdom and YHWH was so pleased that Solomon was given wisdom along with many other divine blessings.
This Noble Phantasm allows Solomon to claim Skills related to knowledge not in the exclusive domain of one Heroic Spirit. These include, but are not limited to: Eye for Art, Expert of Many Specializations, Librarian of Stored Knowledge, Eye of the Mind (False), Military Tactics, Instinct, Animal Dialogue...
Discernment of Truth: allows this Servant to tell truth from lies (similar to Discernment of the Poor).
Psychometry allows this Servant can sense the history and uses of an object. Ranks up change senses used and lower the time required.
Being a Divine Blessing, it also raises his Prana Capacity by one rank and grants Arbiter of Divine Justice at Rank C.
Arbiter of Divine Justice.
This symbolizes the Servant as a willing Servant of Divine Will. Loss of divine favor, from forbidden actions, words, or the Deity's whim, will remove this skill.
C: Although still bound by Fate, this Servant has shown notable loyalty to their deity. If their actions are in accord with Divine intent, they gain slight resistance to mental interference not from their Deity. Circumstantial bonuses akin to those given by the Counter Force, Alaya, are also known to take effect. Of course, loss of divine favor, be it though forbidden actions, words, or the Deity's whim, will remove this skill.
If it's going to be ranked EX, it had better be worth that rank.
**Seal of Solomon - Key of the Goetia
Type: Anti-Unit, Anti-Army, Support
Rank: B (A)
The crystallization of the belief in Abrahamic lore that Solomon commanded spirits likened to Djinni, and later arose into the Key and Lesser Key detailing the 72 demons that obeyed him. This Noble Phantasm, in the physical form of a ring upon his hand, is truly a gate that grants him the ability to summon all 72 Goetic Demons as he wishes, though only once for each until dismissal. Animal Dialogue is available to him.
Each of the 72 can be used for varying effects outside of being powerful, varied - in both shape, size, personality, and power - familiars. Solomon can sacrifice the ability to summon each individually to use as an attack spell of a variety of elemental affinities, mostly fire, water, wind, lightning, and darkness, to the effect of an Anti-Unit or Anti-Army spell. Rank varies between B to A. The "Demons" are truly Djinni, Afariit, and Marid who have have been warped from their original form by the demonology and following of the Keys.
Should all 72 be used, then the Djinn Sakhr, also known as Bartimaeus, will be the only summon Caster can make and Caster will only be able to use spells of fire and pain ranging from Ranks C to B+. Whether this is a boon or a bane cannot be known to anyone besides Caster and Sakhr. -Note: Sakhr betraying Caster and/or Caster’s Master is possible and likely.
Last edited by Lycodrake; May 27th, 2013 at 07:26 PM.
Originally Posted by Mellon
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