Connections 5
Boxxy trudged into its home dungeon feeling especially irate. Though the withdrawal was part of it, the main reason for its sour mood was Stain. Or more specifically, the weird memories she had put into Rowana and Doris`s heads. The mother-daughter pair seemed fine mentally, but were convinced they`d spent the last week or two doing nothing but playing cards and sleeping. No eating, no drinking, no going to the toilet, just poker and naps. Needless to say, if that slime was going to do something like this again, she`d need to put a lot more effort into those fabricated visions.
Thankfully the women themselves didn`t seem at all perplexed by their implanted memories, which gave Snack plenty of time to spice them up a little while they slept in the coming nights. The triplets had all met their respective tutors and had started their individual training with only minor issues. Keeping track of Lydia was going to be a bit awkward since she had left on a trip around the countryside, but Boxxy felt confident Claws could handle that task.
The biggest problem was just how much gods-damned attention Arms drew to herself whenever she walked in public. The shapeshifter had initially intended to have Fizzy escort Robin, but the dynamo golem refused to do so. Though she agreed that it was important to keep those girls safe, there was someone else that was far higher on her priority list. A certain someone named Boxxy T. Morningwood.
"Come on then, let`s get busy," the radiant construct demanded. "My HERPES isn`t going to test itself."
"Yeah, yeah&" the shapeshifter grumbled.
The two monsters walked over to the dungeon core platform, which was the brightest part of the cavernous tree trunk. Boxxy sat cross legged on the floor with its back to Fizzy. The metallic Artificer then proceeded to stick a series of six mithril clamps into the gray flesh covering its spinal column. She linked them together with some wiring that fed into a small half-collar, which was attached to the base of the doppelganger`s skull. She then flipped a tiny switch, causing Boxxy to shudder reflexively as the machinery sprang to life.
"Alright, all set on my end," Fizzy reported. "Let`s start the first trial."
The shapeshifter groaned affirmatively while the golem walked around it to face it with a sealed vial of Honeydew in her grasp. Its hand twitched as if it was about to make a grab for it, but Fizzy`s arm-cannon was pointed at its head before it could even make the attempt. Keeping a vigilant eye on the greedy monster`s spotty impulse control had been the main reason she had refused to help look after the girls. No mortal knew this creeper better than her, and she understood that not even twenty-four-hour supervision would be enough to keep it in check.
Which was where the Honeydew Exposure-Reactive Preventative Electrocution System came into play. The contraption`s main function was to release a minor electric shock every time the thing it was attached to - in this case, Boxxy - came into contact with the narcotic substance in question. Simply dangling a vial of the stuff in front of the monster was not enough to set it off, of course. However, it started beeping quietly once Fizzy uncorked the container and let the drug`s fragrancy wash over Boxxy. The closer she brought the sample to its face, the faster it beeped. She then poured a few drops of it on top of the monster`s cranium.
The HERPES responded instantly by letting out the loudest and longest beep yet, followed immediately by a painful zap of electricity that was funnelled straight into Boxxy`s spine. The monster shrieked and shuddered in pain before collapsing, its body paralyzed by the invasive current. Fizzy walked over and checked on the controller unit on the shapeshifter`s neck, noting the values on the tiny gauges that she had built into it.
"Okay, seems I over-tuned it a bit," she reported casually. "No, Plus, that`s not how that works. Null, can you please tell her? I`m busy& Yes, I know it`s pointless, just do it. Thanks."
The golem continued chatting with her alter egos as she fiddled with the delicate device. The payload it was supposed to deliver was intended to bring discomfort, not outright paralysis. She had simply underestimated just how vulnerable a doppelganger`s spinal column was to its Bane. This sort of thing was why the testing phase was arguably the most important part of developing a new invention.
However, the golem had forgotten about the glob of Honeydew on Boxxy`s cranium. The HERPES picked up its presence the instant it had finished charging back up and went off before its creator could finish tweaking it. The repeat shock was just as powerful as the first one, incapacitating the shapeshifter mere moments after it had regained control of its body. Fizzy realized her mistake and wiped the narcotic substance from its skin to prevent any more& misfires.
"Were you trying to kill me?!" it complained a short while later.
"Relax, the HERPES monitors your vitals. It will avoid shocking you if there`s a chance it might drain the last of your HP."
"Doesn`t that mean I can just leave myself near death and-"
"You really don`t wanna do that."
As expected of Boxxy, it had immediately figured out a way that security feature could be exploited to circumvent the device`s automated disciplinary action. However, Fizzy had also thought of that.
"Honeydew takes a few days to completely work itself out of your system. What do you think the HERPES will do if you actually manage to swallow some?"
"& It will keep zapping me, won`t it?"
"Exactly. And it won`t ever run out of juice since it powers itself by sapping some of your MP."
Boxxy had to admit, the idea of being zapped every few seconds for days on end sounded far more unpleasant than the withdrawal symptoms. It could, of course, just rip the thing from its body, but the rational side of its mind recognized the need for it. The HERPES was there to dissuade Boxxy should it have a moment of weakness and there was nobody else around to keep it from reaching for the hylt-derived drugs. It was just thankful that Ambrosia was supposed to be napping for at least another month, otherwise it would likely never be able to clean up its act.
"Boxxy, you`re drooling," Fizzy pointed out.
"Yes, and?"
"& Nevermind. So, what`s on the agenda for tonight? You mentioned you had something important to do while the meatbags were asleep."
"Right. I think it`s high time our little group held a more in-depth training exercise."
"What, another instant dungeon run?"
"Not exactly. Those are good for getting used to working as a group, but I noticed a certain flaw with that method when we fought Erena."
"Really? I think we did pretty good."
"Perhaps, but pretty good` won`t cut it on the Shattered Isles. We need to be flawless, and what I saw back there was anything but."
Boxxy, being the control freak that it was, made sure to regularly take note of the strengths, weaknesses and abilities of each member of its posse. This was vital information to have if it hoped to utilize them to their fullest. However, it felt that something was missing during the encounter with the old God of Destruction. It had spent most of the next two days analyzing its perfect recollection of the fight, courtesy of the Legendary Intelligence Perk. This had allowed it to notice a lot of small things that it couldn`t pay any attention to during the battle itself.
The conclusion it reached as a result of this retrospective was that Boxxy appeared to be the only one who knew everything about its allies. While the monster-demon coalition had certainly performed well considering this was their first real fight together, there were a lot of missed opportunities to deal heavy damage. Snack, for example, was not mindful of Claws`s highly flammable webbing when flinging her Spells, nor did Jen give Fizzy any opportunity to imbue her with Holy Infusion.
"We, as a group, lack information about one another," the shapeshifter declared. "And by we` I mean you.` None of you seem to be aware of any Skills, Jobs, Perks, Spells or Martial Arts outside your own. You`ve always just sort of assumed what the others were capable of and sort of went with the flow. It`s worked so far, but relying on improvisation alone will get us nowhere if we plan to challenge the scores of veterans and VIPs that will be attending the Dragon Festival."
Though the golem naturally disliked having her shortcomings dragged into the open like that, she couldn`t help but see Boxxy`s point. Fizzy herself was just one of many examples of how combining Skills and abilities from multiple Jobs could produce a result that was greater than the sum of its parts. However, she had never even bothered to think of achieving something like that with beings other than herself and her Parallels. But the people that would attend the Festival? They`ve already had decades to not only figure out which synergies worked best, but also practiced executing them to the point of it being second nature.
Therefore, not only was the meeting Boxxy proposed likely to be quite beneficial, but it was also a perfect excuse for her to strut her stuff.
"Alright, so how do you wanna do this?" she asked, eager to begin. "I mean, you still need to look after those three meatbags and one of them is out of town."
"Nrgh," it grumbled. "Will need to wait until things calm down."
It would have loved to just kidnap all the people under its protection and stuff them inside the dungeon while they slept, but the FIB security detail was going to make that tricky. Truthfully speaking it really didn`t want to engage their services, but it just seemed like something Keira would do. As such it needed to postpone the meeting until all of its minions and allies could attend it in person.
It wasn`t until a week later that the opportunity finally presented itself. Lydia had returned after a misunderstanding` with her tutor, so all the nephilim were currently in Azurvale. The FIB had also completely bought into the scapegoat Boxxy had given them, giving Keira an excuse to rescind her request regarding their guard detail. The Sandman`s familiars would still stick around just in case,` but the elf operatives were allowed to attend to other matters.
However, it was a bit odd that they delayed informing the public about having captured the culprit` behind the Great Collapse. A brief bout of investigation later revealed this was due to political reasons. The government was determining the best time to publicly condemn and execute the man-puppet in order to garner the most approval from the populace. Apparently the ones in charge were concerned that revealing they had caught the mastermind too soon would make people think they were merely putting on a show to mask their incompetence.
The shapeshifter was perfectly alright with that decision since its primary Facade would only benefit from a larger and more well-received public event.
For the moment, however, it focused on its internal information exchange. Picking out a quiet evening, it had Rowana, Doris, and the triplets taken from their hotel rooms and safely deposited in the dungeon`s prison block without anyone noticing. The women themselves were sedated through magical or alchemical means, leaving them blissfully unaware of the way they were treated as luggage. With them handled, Boxxy fetched Jen from its branch office` in Velos, summoned up all three familiars and tore Fizzy away from her projects, gathering all of them underneath the glowing dungeon core.
It briefly explained its concerns regarding their lack of cooperation and then flat out ordered them to participate wholeheartedly in the meeting, even if some of them thought it stupid or boring. That said, the shapeshifter recognized that going over everything itself and its underlings were capable of would require far too much time, effort and concentration. Its monstrous troupe possessed nearly three hundred Skills, at least seventy Spells, around thirty Martial Arts, and a few dozen Perks in total. While it personally could keep tabs on all of those, none of the others shared its mental faculties.
That was why it had spent the past week preparing concise summaries of the most important and crucial aspects of each of those things, which it gave out to everyone in attendance.
Skill, Spell and Martial Art breakdown, by Boxxy T. Morningwood
Boxxy - Doppelganger Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Mirror Image
Create body doubles
Diversions, multitasking, scouting
Mindless, bad reflexes, light bodies
Pheromone Control
Influence people with pheromones
Crowd control, influence individuals
Some react stronger than others
Broken Reflection
Absorb memories of a corpse and assume their shape
Posthumous interrogation
Can`t eat the body
Puppet Parasite
Hijacks the body, akin to Mind Control
Usable on targets with high MNT
Target must be physically weak
Spirit Echo
Mirror Images can use Spells and communicate telepathically
Versatility, Snychronous Chanting
Must be ordered to cast, terrible aim
Hylt Metabolism
Can eat sunlight and ambient mana to boost HP/MP recovery
Sunlight is tasty
Mana can be nasty
Mystic Camouflage
Counteract detection-type magic for a limited time
Automatic activation
Duration varies, unreliable
Corporal Stability
Severed body parts last longer, shapeshifting Skills are better
Yes
No
Boxxy - Mimic Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Assassination
Sneak attack for massive damage
Can be used with some Spells
Can`t be used in the middle of a fight
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Cadaver Absorption
Absorb bodies for a chance to gain Skills, Attributes or Jobs
Infinite growth potential
Power creep risk, dead-end Jobs
Biomass
Increases body mass, boosts HP recovery
More material to shapeshift with
Weight is issue for Facade
Natural Armor
Passively reduces damage suffered from all sources by 10%
Universally helpful
Leveling it was painful
Metal Mimicry
Mimic nonmagic metals at the cost of MP
Create weapons/tools at will
Metal limbs are numb and stiff
Mend Flesh
Continous regeneration at the cost of MP
Keeps me alive
Doesn`t scale with max HP
Adaptive Defense
Increased resistance against the last elemental damage taken
Great against specialized casters
Useless against non-magic enemies
Boxxy - Warlock Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Summon Familiar
Summons a demon, long cast time and huge MP cost
Demons are powerful minions
They do stupid things sometimes
Power Overwhelming
Amplifies damage and MP cost of Ruin Spells
Can end fights instantly
Too flashy
Demonology
Knowledge of rituals and can summon extra familiars
Rituals can be very useful
Rituals can be very deadly
Crystallize Magic
Solidify area effect Spells into Spell Crystals for later use
Excellent versatility
Crystals have to be thrown
Chant Reduction
Self-explanatory
Cast Spells quicker
Greater risk of fumbling a Spell
Demonic Insight
Gives demonic Spells, boosts INT effectiveness
More utility, MP, and Spell power
Spells can be a bit unpredictable
Despair Aura
Causes everyone in range to be fearful, more likely to panic
Crowd control, especially vs fodder
Ineffective vs high-Level targets
Soul Link
Familiars share HP damage and magical buffs among them
Less likely for one familiar to die
More likely that all three die at once
Enslave Demon
Take control of unbound demons
Very useful in theory
Quite uesless in practice
Graviton Manipulation
Teaches new gravity-based Spells, boosts all gravity magic
Best used against large monsters
Adventurers usually have counters
Malefic Union
Absorb a familiar to gain its power and Skills for 3 minutes
Become stupidly powerful
Carries risk of demonic corruption
Necrotic Aptitude
Gain five Necromancer Spells
Powerful scourge-based magic
Spells increase risk of Taboo
Siphon Soul
Drain HP and MP, get bonus XP on kills
Helps gain Warlock Levels faster
Point-blank range
Summoner`s Grimoire
Creates a flying book that follows minions and casts Spells
Versatile, knows all my Spells
Limited MP, can`t use any Skills
Boxxy - Warlock Spells
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Shadowbolt
A straightforward damaging projectile
Surprisingly stealthy
Easily absorbed by armor
Ebonfire
Set living things on fire for several seconds
Really easy to hit
Gives target time to react
Frostbite
Fire a burst of icy projectiles
Cheap, good damage
Difficult to aim
Dark Explosion
Area Effect Spell with concussive force
Really good with Crystallize Magic
Easily absorbed by armor
Shadowbind
Create chains of ethereal steel to bind the target
Good against Casters
Can be broken with brute strength
Singularity
Pulls everything in a wide area towards the point of origin
Excellent crowd control
Easily avoided with experience
True Darkness
Create a completely lightless area
Empowers shadow magic, confuses
Doesn`t do damage or limit movement
Massive Rejection
Throw enemies back with a wave of force
Creates space
Easily absorbed by armor
Reality Slash
Cuts things in a line
Very few things resist it
Surprisingly easy to dodge
Momentum Anomaly
Creates an area where weight increases proportional to speed
Really good against huge targets
Ineffective gainst brute strength
Weightless Space
Creates an area of zero gravity
Most monsters are unable to cope
Most adventurers are
Gravity Well
Creates an area of high gravity
Similar to Momentum Anomaly
Not as potentially potent
Magnetic Tilt
Creates an area where gravity works in a different direction
Can redirect falling debris
MP cost is really heavy
Mass Panic
Induces a powerful fear against all targets in range
Really good with Crystallize Magic
Range is very short without it
Delirium
Forces a state of deep confusion on one target
Can take a combatant out of the fight
Unreliable like most mind magic
Dark Infusion
A massive boost to effects of STR, AGI, DEX and INT
Explosive burst of power
Stuns living things when it expires
Mind Blast
Stuns a single target
Good against fighter-type targets
Ineffective against Casters
Hysteria
Poisons the mind with confusion, can spread to others
Can inflict group-wide confusion
Not as potent as Delirium
Mind Control
Exactly what it says
Turns enemies into allies
Difficult to pull off mid-combat
Implosion
Summon a swarm of imps
Creates cheap fodder
A mild annoyance at best
Transfamiliar
Swap places with a familiar
Bypasses many teleportation wards
Really long chant
Demonate
Detonates a familiar to deal fire damage
Damage scales with HP
Familiar does not survive
Pandomenium
Creates a dome that turns Spells into their opposites
Good for surprising adventurers
Limited charge, only works on Spells
Familiarize
Remotely control a familiar
Great for scouting or utility
User must remain stationary
Decay
Accelerate corrosion, erosion and rotting in an area
Good for breaching fortresses
No effect on living things
Shadow Plague
Spreads a disease that induces necrosis in living things
Damage inflicted rises over time
Disease resistance is common
Lethargic Mist
Spreads a disease that saps energy from living things
Can cripple even VIPs
Disease resistance is common
Corpse Explosion
Detonates a body for heavy damage
Damage scales with corpse quality
Heavy risk of Taboo
Defile
Taints an area with Blight
Great for sabotage, I guess
Heavy risk of Taboo
Boxxy - Ranger Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Tracking
Highlights footprints and other recent tracks
Finding prey is easier, even in cities
Low-impact
Marksman
Teaches Bow Martial Arts
Gives plenty of options
Bows rely too much on projectiles
Whisper Wind
Long range communication
Useful alternative to telepathy
Requires line of sight
Fleet Footed
Greater speed and less stamina used while running
Very little practical application
Only used as cover for Facade
Hunter`s Mark
Marked targets are tracked, take more ranged damage
Long range, discrete application
Limited use in combat
Eagle Eye
Enhances long-range vision
Great scouting tool
Entirely reliant on eyesight
Razor Volley
Imbue next 5-10 shots with wind magic
Better arrow range and damage
Only works on unenchanted ammo
Throwing Arm
Use wind magic to throw items in impossible arcs
Versatile, limited projectile guidance
Throwables move slower
Mobile Fire
Fire bow while moving with no loss in accuracy
Greater mobility
Doesn`t work for Martial Arts
Masked Passage
Prevents leaving tracks when using Stealth
Leave less evidence
Doesn`t enhance Stealth itself
Water Traversal
Swim faster, hold breath longer. Water-walking at high Levels
More effective than magic items
No benefits on dry land
Arrow Trap
Conjures arrow traps of various types in soft soil/sand
Can be used with trick arrows
Unusable in cities, caves, etc
Boxxy - Ranger Martial Arts
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Power Shot
Empowers an arrow with extra force
Straightforward damage boost
None
Guided Arrow
Empowers an arrow to seek out its target
Much easier to hit moving targets
Low damage
Multishot
Creates up to five copies of an arrow
Can be used with trick arrows
Less damage per shot
Blast Arrow
Empowers an arrow to expldoe on impact
Inflicts damage in an area
Low projectile velocity
Shrapnel Shot
Causes an arrow to burst when fired
Knocks melee targets back
Easily absorbed by armor
Pinning Shot
Hit a target`s foot to trap it in vines
Much bigger range than Spells
Target must have feet on the ground
Snipe
Empowers an arrow to fly straight and fast
Two kilometer range
Execution is slow
Chain Shot
Each hit with Chain Shot empowers the next Chain Shot
Attack speed ramps up rapidly
Must only use Chain Shot or it resets
Tornado Shot
Empowers an arrow to create a strong gust of air on impact
Good for dispersing groups
Deals almost no damage
Thunder Arrow
Empowers an arrow with lightning that arcs to multiple targets
Long-ranged elemental damage
Cannot use with trick arrows
Boxxy - Blade Dancer Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Hornet Style
Rapier fighting style based on precision and speed
Boosts thrusting damage
Doesn`t affect non-rapier swords
Adagio Variation
Massive DEX boost, rapidly consumes stamina
Great for stabbing things
None (for me)
Winterlich Waltz
Deadly dance - imbue melee attacks with ice
Wide sweeps, great for crowds
Risky against skilled opponents
Evasion
Helps when dodging attacks
Basic survival Skill
Too basic
Rapid Riposte
Activate to block, instant counter on succesful parry
Counter damage is really good
Missed Ripostes leave you open
Flamenco de Fuego
Deadly dance - imbue melee attacks with fire
Fast, great for dueling
Somewhat predictable
Presto Variation
Massive AGI boost, rapidly consumes stamina
Awesome speed boost
Doesn`t increase damage
Blade Finesse
DEX increases slashing damage with one-handed weapons
Makes DEX a lot more useful
Limited to specific weapons
Knife Juggler
Uses magic to throw knives hands-free
Versatile, rapid fire
Weaker than physical throws
Sanguine Spray
Wounds bleed more and heal slower
Effective against high END targets
Ineffective against armored targets
Tornado Twist
Deadly dance - imbue melee attacks with wind
Can deflect physical projectiles
Less damage than other dances
Duelist
Identifies weak points and boosts damage done to them
Works with all weapons
But only in one-on-one fights
Boxxy - Wizard Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Arcane Stability
Take less backlash damage from failed magic
Helps when hiding in Storage
Very situational
Mana Shield
All-purpose defensive barrier
Scales with max MP
Flashy
Residual Feedback
Spells gain power with each consecutive cast
Perfect for magic-based fights
Have to constantly be casting
Disruptive Barrage
Magic missile barrage, deals extra damage against barriers
Instant damage on demand
Scales only with Skill Level
Glyphcraft
Weave Spells into flat surfaces to make glyph traps
Can set up nasty ambushes
Long prep time
Synchronous Chanting
Group Spell casting
Amazing synergy with Spirit Echo
Situational
Mental Alacrity
Easier to maintain Spell focus when taking damage
Works with all Spells
Only useful when actively getting hit
Expansive Mind
Increased INT gains, INT gives more Spell damage
Extremely potent at 1,000+ INT
Doesn`t boost MP
Boxxy - Wizard Spells
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Firebolt
Basic fire-based projectile
Reliable source of fire damage
Not a lot of it
Icebolt
Basic ice-based projectile
Reliable source of ice damage
Not a lot of it
Water Slicer
Basic water-based projectile
Reliable source of water damage
Not a lot of it
Air Hammer
Concussive blast of air
Knocks targets back
Doesn`t do damage
Lightning Bolt
Basic lightning-based projectile
Reliable source of lightning damage
Not a lot of it. Also, I hate using it.
Flame Jet
A focused burst of fire
Punches through magic barriers
Short range
Frost Mine
Lays a magical trap that turns invisible after a while
Good for ambushes
Only lasts up to fifteen minutes
Spark Blast
Does minor lightning damage in an area
Low cast time
I really hate using lightning.
Earth Spike
Skewers targets from below with a spear of stone
Reliable source of earth damage
Easily absorbed by armor
Stabbing Rain
Cause piercing ice shards to fall from the sky for a time
Good area denial
Can move out of affected area
Flight
Gives the Caster flight so long as the Spell is maintained
Lateral movement on demand
Can`t do anything else while casting
Searing Blast
Does minor fire damage in an area
Low cast time
Dark Explosion is better
De-spell
Disperses magic in an area
Wide area
Indiscriminate
Disintegrate
Causes matter to disappear into dust
Unresistable damage
Easily absorbed by armor
Apport
Teleports an item from your hand to a nearby visible location
Usable with grenades, Spell Crystals
Only works on small items
Teleport
Teleports the user across large distances
Fastest known form of travel
Calculating coordinates takes time
Gate
Opens a two-way portal that anyone can use
Fastest known form of group travel
Calculating coordinates takes time
Boxxy - Absorbed Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Acid Spray
Sprays acid
Can eat through most metals
Limited range, poor scaling
Divine Attunement
Boosts Holy Spell potency
Only has benefits
I don`t know any Holy Spells
Ruinous Reach
Bonus range on Ruin Spells
Warlock Skill, got it for free
None
Aerial Strikes
Boosts jumping/pouncing attacks
Free damage
Situational, increases are minor
Vile Blades
Coats bladed weapons in poison
Usable with enchanted weapons
Poison is fairly weak
Monocular Rage
Cyclops Enrage Skill, activates when their eye is attacked
Potentially deadly
Unusable (wrong race)
Dustoff
Upward gust of air that can be caught by wings
Great for rapidly gaining altitutde
Unusable (too heavy)
Padded Skin
Reduces damage taken from blunt weapons
Free defense
None
Path of the Dragon
Teaches heavy-hitting Staff Martial Arts
Can use with Voidcaller
I`d have to use Voidcaller
Sense Danger
Amplifies animal instincts to avoid predators
No downsides
My instincts are stronger
Web Throw
Throws a spider web up to 30 meters
Ranged disabling move, handy
Webbing is not very strong
Disrupting Wave
Dispel magical effects in an area around the user
Instantaneous, chantless
Cooldown period between uses
Feline Mobility
Passive boosts AGI effectiveness
Free speed
None
Fire Breath
Dragon breath knockoff
Surprise factor
Poor scaling
Fire Affinity
Negates fire damage taken, increases fire damage dealt
Useful in many situations
None
Earth Affinity
Negates earth damage taken, increases earth damage dealt
Immunity to ground tremors too
Can still be buried alive
Petrifying Gaze
Immobilize the target by locking eyes with them
Can use with multiple eyes
Slow-acting
Darkness Affinity
Negates dark damage taken, increases dark damage dealt
Empowers many Ruin Spells
None
Darkflight
Silent flight, only works in the dark
Better than the Flight Spell
Environmental dependancy
Cold Snap
Instantly freeze everything within an area
Extremely potent
Painful to use without Cold Affinity
Charged Strikes
Imbue melee attacks with lightning
For fighting other shapeshifters
I hate using it
Boxxy - Other Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Chaotic Disposition
Random chance for a random effect whenever MP is used
Outcomes are sometimes tasty
Outcomes are usually not tasty
Agent of Chaos
Makes the impossible happen
Has produced incredibly tasty results
Very difficult to control or predict
Essence Concealment
Creates a fake Status that can fool Appraisal-style effects
Lets me do the things I do
Doesn`t work on quasi-divine beings
Vengeance
Increases damage of next attack, scales with damage taken
Potentially devastating
Requires I get badly hurt first
Eyes of the Dead God
Can see names and HP of enemies
Instant threat assessment
Not directly useful in combat
Shapeshift
Move flesh and bone freely, only spine must remain intact
Too many to list
Lightning as Bane
Phytokinesis
Specialized telekinesis for controlling plant life
Also lets me shapeshift into plants
Very environment-reliant
Stealth
Muffles sound of movement
Makes Assassination much eaiser
Not foolproof
Boxxy - Perks
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Legendary Endurance
Vastly increased stamina capacity and disease resistance
Can fight longer without getting tired
None
Legendary Intelligence
Increased Skill damage, improved short-term memmory
Works with Skills that don`t scale
Only for Skills that directly do damage
Legendary Perception
Reduces likelihood of senses being overwhelmed
Eliminates drawbacks of high PER
None
Legendary Strength
Higher base strength, 1/5 of melee damage bypasses armor
Very tasty
None
Legendary Dexterity
Higher base flexibility, 1/5 of ranged damage bypasses armor
Not as tasty
Flexibility is wasted on a shapeshifter
Legendary Agility
Deal more damage and take less damage when moving fast
Bonuses scale with speed up to 25%
Only amplifies melee damage
Legendary Mentality
Mind control immunity, mind magic works on golems/undead
Superbly tasty
Don`t have it yet
Arms - Fiend Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Demonic Armaments
Conjure weapons and armor
Don`t have to worry about gear
Performance isn`t all that great
Second Wind
Heal for % of missing HP
Instant and incredibly potent
Long cooldown unless resummoned
Demonic Carapace
Temporary defense boost
Instant and incredibly potent
Manual activation required
Demonic Leap
Massively boosted leg strength when jumping
Cover long distances
Easy to hit mid-air
Violent Meditation
Gain MP when hitting things
Much-needed source of MP
Only works for melee attacks
Imbued Armaments
Demonic Armaments gain enchantments
Free enchantments
Enchantments are low tier
Combat Reflexes
Improves response time in combat
Boosts defense against rapid attacks
Body too slow to use fully
Forceful Persuasion
STR works like CHR when intimidating others
Effective both in and out of combat
A bit too effective
Embodiment of Wrath
"Soul power" improves base performance
Free power
Hard to gauge
Spiteful Echoes
Melee hits create damaging shockwaves
Cause more damage through armor
Seems lackluster for a `final` Skill
Arms - Hoarder Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Vault
Works kind of like Storage
Persists between summons
Limited usage
Hand of Avarice
Takes an item from the target at random
Instant use, good range
Unpredictable
Sense Treasure
Detect shinies within a certain range
Great for finding hidden treasure
Doesn`t sense cheap shinies
Golden Touch
Petrifies thing on melee hits, only with gold instead of stone
Makes the un-shiny shiny
Shinyness is temporary
Arms - Berserker Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Bloodlust
Melee kills boost damage
Great when dealing with hordes
Useless in all other situations
Brutal Fervor
Damage taken boosts Attribute effectiveness
Makes Arms deadlier
Have to take a lot of damage
Face Smasher
Teaches Brawler Martial Arts
Really effective with Arms`s body
Low MP pool to use them with
Berserker Rage
Huge damage boost followed by a period of weakness
Good for ending a fight quickly
Downside is incredibly severe
Eye For An Eye
Temporary damage boost against attackers
Scales with damage taken
Ineffective against multiple attackers
Battlecry
Rallying war cry
Empowers allies
Also empowers enemies
Unchained Anger
Improves Brutal Fervor and Berserker Rage
Powerful Skills become even better
Limited scope
Rabble Rouser
Makes enemies more likely to attack the Berserker
Great for drawing attention
Results may very
Arms - Berserker Martial Arts
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Headcrack
Smashes the skull from both sides
Concussion guaranteed
Only works on things with skulls
Uppercut
Upward punch with enhanced force
Knocks targets upward
Doesn`t do much damage
War Stomp
Smashes ground with foot to create tremors
Breaks most enemies` footing
Doesn`t work on all surfaces
Thunderclap
Slaps hands together to produce a deafening shockwave
Arms can use all six arms
Indiscriminate
Shoulder Bump
Empowered body slam
Sends victims flying
Makes Arms vulnerable if she misses
Foot Stamp
Stomp on an opponent`s foot with bone-crushing force
Really good with Arms`s weight
Only works on things with feet
Dominating Blow
A straight punch that does huge damage
Arms`s hardest hitting attack
Easy to read
Limb Press
Simultaneous upward knee and downward elbow strike
Perfect for breaking bones
Deals damage to own limbs on a miss
Temple Slam
Grab a target and suplex them head-first into the ground
Arms can use all six arms
Doesn`t work on really big targets
Dirty Blow
Rising knee strike usually aimed at gut or crotch
Fast and strong
Arms is too tall to use this right
Arms - Other Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Idiotic Strength
Better STR, worse INT
Incredibly potent for a fiend
Max MP becomes really pitiful
Trophy Case
Gain power from trophies in Vault
Lots of potential
Collecting trophies takes time
Earth Affinity
Negates earth damage taken, increases earth damage dealt
Immunity to ground tremors too
Can still be buried alive
Snack - Succubus Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Energy Drain
Leech HP/MP through skin contact
Massively amplified during sex
Quite weak outside of sex
Demonic Seduction
Appear especially enticing to mortals by amplifying CHR
A succubus`s main weapon
Useless in combat
Inivisibility
Temporary invisibility, breaks when inflicting or taking damage
Effective both in and out of combat
Still makes noise
Versatile Tongue
Speaks all kinds of language and dialects perfectly
Great for blending in with a culture
Useless in combat
Devilish Cunning
CHR improves thinking abilities like WIS
Makes Snack deliciously devious
She only thinks about sex
Aggressive Cuddling
Sex deprives partner of strength, easing rape
Can be used in combat
Insanely difficult to use in combat
Malicious Torment
Uses mind magic to cause illusory pain
Distraction at worst, crippling at best
Does not cause any damage
Penetration Expertise
Magic bypasses a portion of resistances
Great against enchanted gear
Can`t bypass Affinities
Sins of the Flesh
Sperm intake boosts magical power
The boost lasts for several hours
Must be taken fresh from the source
Lustful Echoes
All magic inflicts demonic corruption at a rapid pace
Erodes target`s will
Can`t be turned off
Snack - Succubus Spells
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Sleep
Puts target into a coma-like state
Universal pacification tool
Easily disrupted by pain
Delirium
Forces a state of deep confusion on one target
Can take a combatant out of the fight
Unreliable like most mind magic
Mass Panic
Induces a powerful fear against all targets in range
Really good with Crystallize Magic
Range is very short without it
Snack - Djinn Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Amplify Magic
Temporary increase to magic damage done or taken
Potentially deadly
Potentially suicidal
Guiding Light
Clairvoyance magic that can be used to find objects or people
Easy to follow, fairly accurate
Depends on the djinn`s desires
Mist Form
Temporary physical immunity and spell vulnerability
Can sneak through tiny gaps
High MP cost, slow reforming
Conjure Catalyst
Creates various magic/alchemical reagents
Convenient
Lackluster
Snack - Pyromancer Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Devouring Flame
Pyroclasm spells cause a lingering damage over time effect
Stackable
Higher MP cost
Mana Burn
Devouring Flames last longer and sap MP
Overall improvement in damage
Damage to MP is minor
Summon Molten Guardian
Conjure magma elemental as a pet
Semi-autonomous, good fighter
Poor scaling without extra Skills
Volcanic Burst
Detonate Pyroclasm Spells early for bonus damage
Best used with Meteor, Inferno
Friendly fire is an issue
Tempered Flame
Area Effect fire spells deal less damage to allies
Great for messy skirmishes
Designating allies takes time
Fiery Weapon
Imbues weapons with fire damage
More potent than enchantments
Damages the item
Reignition
Reignites Devouring Flames in an area, all at once
Devastating finishing move
Very situational
Flame Effigy
Conjures a living flame that seeks out a target and explodes
Nigh-impossible to dodge
Poor scaling, no Devouring Flames
Snack - Pyromancer Spells
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Fireball
Launches a fiery projectile that explodes on impact
Great all-purpose offensive magic
Indiscriminate
Purge
Removes poison, disease, and bleeding from target
Decent utility
Causes minor damage to target
Inferno
Creates a fiery tornado
Covers a wide area
Indiscriminate
Magma Missile
Lobs three projectiles of molten rock
Good single-target damage
Must be on ground to use
Blast Wave
Burns and knocks back targets around the caster
Creates space
Indiscriminate
Flamethrower
A sustained torrent of fire
Damage slowly increases with time
Can`t do anything else while casting
Meteor
Drops a massive lump of fire from above
Massive damage
Unusable indoors, easy to dodge
Backdraft
Snuffs out both magical and mundane flames
Limits damage from Pyromancers
Affects user`s flames as well
Scorching Ray
A sustained beam of concentrated heat
High damage, long range
Can`t do anything else while casting
Volcano
Lava continually bursts from the ground in large flying globs
Good area denial
Situational use
Scalding Gust
Blast of steam
Superbly painful
Damage dealt is low
Fire Ward
Defensive Spell that reduces fire damage taken
Simple, but effective
None
Snack - Other Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Shapeshift
Leftover from origin as succubus
Great for camouflage
Only skin deep
Dreamweaver
Mind manipulation through dreams
Can read and implant memories
Repetitive use is ill-advised
Conjure Mirage
Create hyper-realistic illusions
Extremely flexible
Only visual, no sound, smell or touch
Fire Affinity
Negates fire damage taken, increases fire damage dealt
Useful vs many opponents
None
Claws - Stalker Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Stalk
Silent movement without causing air disturbances
Like Stealth, only better
Doesn`t hide from plain eyesight
Counterspell
Can `cut` magic to dispel it
Works on barriers, too
Some forms of magic can`t be cut
Rending Claws
Damage and bleeding on natural weapons
Makes claws and scythes deadlier
Still useless against heavy armor
Blood Gorger
Drinking fresh blood gives a temporary Attribute bonus
Stackable
Not as potent at higher Levels
Detect Magic
Sense magic and enchantments
Quite accurate
Very short range as base stalker
Magic Resistance
Self explanatory
More potent than enchantments
None
Mana Leech
Rapidly drain MP from nearby targets
Good against low-MP enemies
Why not just kill them?
Spider Sense
Give spider-like hyper-awareness
Sense Danger that actually works
Easier to overload senses
Peerless Gluttony
Can eat a LOT of food, improves Blood Gorger
Translates into more Demon Silk
Stalker is harder to satisfy
Silent Echoes
Silence all targets within a short range
Prevents speaking and chanting
Affects everyone indiscriminately
Claws - Webstalker Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Steel Thread
Enchanted webbing that`s super strong
Can be used as a weapon
Still highly flammable
Weaver
Weave webbing into complex patterns and shapes
Great for handling Demon Silk
Limited combat applications
Impact Webbing
Fire a glob of sticky webbing that explodes on impact
Long range binding
Can be broken with brute force
Empowered Claws
Enchant claws with element based on species
Reliable source of ice damage
Cannot be used with Counterspell
Claws - Rogue Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Assassination
Sneak attack for massive damage
Can kill most targets in one hit
Can`t be used in the middle of a fight
Misdirection
Makes noises as distraction
Does what it says with no drawbacks
Alerts targets, prevents Assassination
Evasion
Helps when dodging attacks
Basic survival Skill
Too basic
Silent Sprint
Sprinting is faster and makes less noise
More mobility with Stalk or Stealth
Low impact
Cheap Shot
Attacking a weak point can cause stuns
Just an all-around useful Skill
Somewhat inconsistent
Deadly Acrobatics
Better air control and damage from jumping attacks
Makes a stalker even more agile
Damage boost a bit weak
Blade Finesse
DEX increases slashing damage with one-handed weapons
Claws`s claws count
Her scythes don`t
Adrenaline Rush
Reduce damage taken, stamina consumption and pain
Good for rushing a target head-on
Reckless, risky
Claws - Other Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Venomous Sting
Can poison melee targets
Wide variety of poisons available
Ineffective against strong opponents
Webspinner
Greatly improved webbing accross the board
It`s good, I guess
Messy
Clear Ice
Optical camouflage on demand
Claws can be both shiny and stealthy
Not completely invisible, MP cost
Cold Affinity
Negates cold damage taken, increases cold damage dealt
Mobility not hampered by ice
Borderline useless for offense
Jen - Monk Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Disciple of Chaos
Obtain `guidance` while meditating, a form of clairvoyance
Can be shockingly accurate
Can be shockingly inaccurate
Ki Manipulation
Replace MP with Ki, enabling special Skills
Ki recovers much quicker than MP
Can`t use Spells
Flow Perception
Can sense flows of energy, air and water
Jen says it helps read an opponent
I don`t see how
Empowered Strikes
Ki increases melee damage
Especially strong against undead
Consumes Ki with every hit
Parry Expertise
Helps when parrying attacks with a weapon
Good against enemies of similar size
Less good against bigger ones
Ki-Imbued Skin
Harden skin with ki for defense
Tougher than mithril plating
Can`t use with armor, consumes Ki
Projectile Deflection
Helps when deflecting physical projectiles
Can completely shut down Rangers
Of little use against most other Jobs
Path of the Tiger
Teaches combination-based Martial Arts with unarmed strikes
Fast, significantly lethal as monster
Useless against heavy armor
Wholesome Being
Poison and disease resistance
Negates two common nuisances
None
Strength of Stone
Improves STR and END while grounded
Improves both defense and offense
Jen flies a lot
Purity of Thought
Better control over emotions, resists manipulation
Less likely to be mind controlled
Also limits positive emotions like joy
Healing Hand
Use Ki to restore HP and heal wounds
Mends broken bones in combat
Unsuitable for sustained healing
Diamond Soul
Surpress effects of environment, hunger, thirst and exhaustion
Function normally in harsh conditions
Still need to eat and drink as normal
Flurry of Blows
Rapidly repeats a Martial Art up to six times
Greater overall damage
Can`t stop mid-Flurry
Timeless Body
Greatly reduces the degenrative effects of aging
Maintains the body`s prime condition
Doesn`t increase lifespan
Unleash Potential
Temporary buff to Ki and Ki-based skills
Scales with FTH
Jen`s FTH is low
Perfect Physique
Amplifies STR, maintains optimal muscle mass
Don`t have to do muscle training
Unimpressive for a high Level Skill
Spirit Guardian
Jen`s Ultimate, automatically blocks attacks
Can stop even massive hits
Rapid strikes overwhelm it
Jen - Path of the Tiger Martial Arts
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Rending Assault
Channels Ki into claw swipes that cause heavy bleeding
Good damage overall
Doesn`t always puncture skin/hide
Savage Sweep
Channels Ki into a sweeping kick that cleaves like an axe
Can catch opponents off-guard
Easy to read
Nerve Strike
Channels Ki into a pinpoint strike that disables limbs
Renders the target defenseless
Only works on humanoid targets
Solar Glare
Channels Ki into a blinding flash of light
On demand flashbang
Also blinds the user
Rising Fang
Channels Ki into a crushing strike to the throat`s windpipe
Excellent exploitation of a weak spot
Only works on humanoid targets
Jen - Warrior Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Toughness
Improves defense from armor
Good adventurer Skill
Jen doesn`t use armor
Evasion
Helps when dodging attacks
Basic survival Skill
Too basic
Penetrating Strikes
Piercing weapons dig deeper
Works for ranged weapons too
Jen doesn`t use piercing weapons
Blunt Weapon Affinity
Reduces recoil when using blunt weapons
Can hit hard targets easier
Doesn`t boost damage directly
Blocking Expertise
Dulls impact when blocking attacks
Helps when parrying is impossible
Intended for shields, not staves
Dense Muscles
Boosts STR effectiveness
Makes Jen`s high STR even better
Requires Toughness
Deep Reserves
Raises stamina and energy capacity
Fight for longer without feeling tired
Rarely comes into play
Armor Break
Melee attacks more effectively damage defenses
Allies benefit from this too
Requires Penetrating Strikes
Body Check
Boosts tackles, body slams, shoulder charges and so on
Great for throwing foes off-balance
Jen doesn`t have much weight
Arms Race
Harder to be disarmed, easier to disarm
Very useful against adventurers
Less than useful against monsters
Jen - Griffin Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Wind Assisted Flight
Uses innate wind magic to help with flight
Lets Jen fly
Jen can`t fly without it
Rip and Tear
Bleeding and slashing damage boost
Synergizes with Path of the Tiger
Ineffective against armored targets
Dominant Bloodline
Easier to intimidate others, extra HP per END
Extra survivability and utility
Jen`s appearance isn`t intimidating
Air Raid
Activate for dive-bombing attack
Absolutely devastating if it hits
IF it hits
Echolocation
Sense targets through extreme hearing
Lets Jen fight without relying on sight
Vulnerability to sonic attacks
Jen - Harpy Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Dustoff
Upward gust of air that can be caught by wings
Great for rapidly gaining altitutde
Seems unusable in midair
Snatcher`s Grip
Boosts leg grip strength
Leg grapples become a viable attack
Not everything is grabbable
Piercing Plumage
Hardens feathers into throwable knives
Cheap ranged attack option
Weak damage
Dazing Screech
Sonic attack that stuns and disorients
Useful in many situations
Friendly fire is an issue
Jen - Perks
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Legendary Strength
Increased base strength, melee damage penetrates armor
It`s just good
None
Fizzy - Paladin Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Champion of Chaos
Catch glimpses of possible near futures
Predict an opponent`s next move
Not 100% accurate
Toughness
Improves defense from armor
Works with Fizzy`s mithril plating
None
Strength of Faith
FTH boosts melee attacks similar to STR
Especially strong against undead
None
Holy Scripture
Teaches Holy Spells and midly increases their effects
Provides healing and versatility
None
Divine Wrath
Temporary boost in physical damage and magic power
Extremely potent while it lasts
None
Bonecrusher War Art
Teaches Martial Arts that emply a mace and shield
Adds some much needed flexibility
None
Parallel Plot
Creates up to three independent alter egos to aid in combat
Fight, cast and use Skills at once
A tiny bit maddening
Pure Skill
Random chance for an attack to deal significant damage
Free damage
Unpredictable
Beacon of Faith
Increased FTH gains and FTH effectiveness
Empowers Spells and Skills
None
Radiant Presence
Radiate cleansing holy energy, scales with FTH
Fizzy becomes blindingly shiny
It`s temporary
Condemn
Activatable to bind a target with holy shackles
Helps control the fight
None
Sanctify Item
Curse removal, imbue item with holy energy
Makes shinies even shinier
None
Instant Payback
Return portion of damage taken to attackers while active
A creative form of suicide
None
Fizzy - Martial Arts
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Grand Slam
A wide swing of the mace
Hit with extra force
Easy to read
Shield Wall
Completely blocks a melee attack
Can shrug off huge blows
Timing needs to be very precise
Heavy Gong
A horizontal mace strike
Especially effective against armor
Slow
Rebound
Deflects a projectile Spell
Can be reflected back at its source
Spells can be too powerful to deflect
Love Tap
Downward strike that makes the target bounce
Allows for better control during fights
Ineffective on heavy targets
Gag Order
Strikes the throat with the shield`s rim, preventing Spell use
Can be used silently
Very short range
Nail Strike
A lunging strike with the mace
Sharp and fast
Not suitable for all maces
Arms Trap
Disarming technique that uses the shield
Especially effective against axes
Useless if target has no weapon
Hammer Toss
Hurls the mace as a magic-guided projectile
Superb ranged damage
Have to get the mace back
Shield Throw
Hurls the shield as a magic-guided projectile
None
Fizzy can`t deatch her shield
Fizzy - Spells
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Holy Light
Basic single-target healing Spell
Fast chant, potent healing
None
Consecrate
Consecrates an area with holy energy
Good against undead or Blight
Relatively useless otherwise
Cleanse
Attempts to remove diseases, poisons and magical afflictions
General all-purpose support Spell
Cannot remove curses
Judgement
Smites the target with holy energy
Exerts physical force
Can be blocked or evaded
Holy Infusion
A massive boost FTH, WIS, MNT and healing recieved
Improves certain Spells and Skills
Somewhat situational
Lightning Bolt
Basic lightning-based projectile, learned outside of Job
Can be used repeatedly by Parallels
Weak due to relative low INT
Parallel Zero
Puts Fizzy in full control of her body
Normal state
Normal state
Parallel One
Allows one Parallel to control parts of Fizzy`s Body
First Parallel handles Spells
Drains MP
Parallel Two
Like above, but with two Parallels
Second Parallel handles Skills
Drains MP more rapidly
Parallel Three
Like above, but with three Parallels
Third Parallel doesn`t do anything
Never used since Null is not a fighter
Fizzy - Metal Golem Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Heavy Metal
Heavier and more durable armor plating
Great synergy with Toughness
Extra weight is sometimes an issue
Armored Charge
High-speed rushing attack
Instant acceleration,s trong impact
Can`t stop once activated
Advanced Joints
Extra mobility, flexibility, and all around agility
Allows for delicate crafting
Used to compensate for golem limbs
Magnetize
Push/pull metallic objects
Usable on most adventurer gear
None
Engine of Destruction
Build up body heat while rapidly regenrating MP
Resistances don`t reduce MP gained
Constantly taking damage
Shock Absorption
Dampens physical force of sustained impacts
Less likely to be knocked down
None
Heat Exchange
Vents heat build up, dealing heat damage in an area
Great finishing move
Resets Engine of Destruction
Geomagnetic Grip
Like Magnetize, but more control and affects more materials
Can strangle people with own armor
Short range
Fizzy - War Golem Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Magitech Cannon
Arm cannon that firest deadly lumps of heat
Excellent long-range option
Slow fire rate
Lightning Warp
Short-range instant teleport with electric discharges
Mobility and damage in one
None
Physical Augmentation Module
Transforms the body into one of several configurations
Vastly imrpoved versatility
Vulnerable while transforming
Animate Armor
Make a minion out of unenchanted armor
Controllable via Parallels
Reserves % of MP while active
Tactical Readout
Provides a number of vision-related features
Includes night vision and aim assist
None
Fizzy - Other Skills
Name
Effects
Benefits
Drawbacks
Metallopathy
Can `talk to` metal objects
Invaluable when working with metals
Limited combat applications
Lightning Affinity
Like other Affinities, but with lightning
Prevents self-harm with other Skills
None
Static Field
MP-fueled electricity generator
Multiple offensive and defensive uses
Stunted movements if disrupted
Runic Feedback
Spells create runic charges that empower magic
Faster than Residual Feedback
Activating it consumes all charges
The provided reading materials were a comprehensive list of each of the group`s abilities, including its own. The shapeshifter had of course omitted certain things for brevity`s sake, such as Mastery Skills or those related to Artisan Jobs. While it was true some of those were potentially useful in combat, such as Boxxy`s Alchemical Fortitude giving it a higher tolerance for ingesting potions, they were superbly passive and relatively low impact. It was the same reason why non-Legendary Perks were also excluded from the list.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Question," Jen raised her hand.
"What?" Boxxy replied."You`re not going to complain about my spelling again, are you?"
Though the featheryScribe most definitely wanted to point out the numerous mistakes in the shapeshifter`s rushed handwriting, there was another far more important concern on her mind.
"Isn`t Fizzy a superbly unfair existence?"
The harpy had almost instantly noticed that the golem could generate MP with Engine of Destruction and heal herself with Parallel Plot while in the middle of combat. Not to mention that certain Paladin Skills were ridiculously beneficial to her mechanical constitution.
"Yes, she is," the monster confirmed. "You can`t overpower her with brute force, the only way she can be defeated is if she gets obliterated by magic in an instant or if her Spell-casting is silenced for long enough."
The harpy-griffin hybrid lowered her hand, her tight-lipped micro-expressions hinting at either jealousy or envy. Though she had known the golem to be a powerful entity after fighting both against and alongside her, this was the first time she`d been able to grasp just how absurd her Skill synergies were. Though her own monsterfication had given her similarly potent combinations, they were not quite at the level of functional immortality.`
"You sure it`s a good idea to give this bird-brain so much info, boss?" Kora spoke up. "She used to be our enemy, you know."
"And now she`s not," Boxxy pointed out. "She needs to understand all of our weaknesses if she is to cover for them, and vice-versa."
"& If you say so, boss."
The hoarder demon clearly had some misgivings about this whole thing. The stubborn, pig-headed attitude all fiends suffered from was no doubt going to be an issue. It wasn`t as if be more of a team player` was an order that could realistically be forced on someone like that. Thankfully her newly awakened desires gave Boxxy an opportunity to motivate her.
"Do your best to cooperate with others and I`ll give you suitably shiny things in return."
The demon`s eyes lit up and she turned her attention back to the list of Skills, eager to earn her keep. The rest of Boxxy`s posse were already taking this seriously enough, so ideas on how to best utilize their combined skill sets started flowing almost immediately. Jen realized that she could benefit immensely from Fizzy`s Holy Infusion, which amplified the effects of the FTH, WIS and MNT Attributes. This would not only greatly improve her Ki-based Skills, but also help lessen the impact of mental attacks and stun conditions. It might even counteract the debilitating side-effects of Boxxy`s Dark Infusion, though she was loathe to actually partake in that. Even if the Warlock`s temporary physical boost would be immense given her Attribute scores, getting immobilized for even half a second would prove deadly in high-Level combat.
The golem herself already had a number of combination moves planned, usually involving either Kora or Boxxy. Hiding in either their Vault or Storage and leaping out for a surprise attack had been something she had already grown used to. If the hoarder wore her armor or the shapeshifter was using Metal Mimicry, then she could use her Magnetize Skill to propel either of them at high speed towards a target. Xera`s fire-based Spells and Skills, on the other hand, could rapidly bring her body temperature up after a Heat Exchange had cooled her down. Doing so would allow her to keep generating MP, enabling her alter ego to keep pumping out support Spells. She could also use Drea`s Steel Thread as an improvised conductor to shock people from afar with her Static Field, provided the spider silk didn`t catch fire in the process.
The webstalker in question didn`t have much to add to the discussion. She knew she could rely on the others to help set up her ambushes, and was certain they counted on her to gift-wrap` troublesome targets in her sticky thread. It was the sort of teamwork that did not rely on gimmicky Spells or Skills. Or at least that`s what she thought until Xera pointed out her illusion could help mask both Drea and her webbing. Combined with Arrow Traps, Spell Crystals, Glyphcraft, and two monstrous Artificers` worth of explosive devices, she could help create death traps the likes of which she had never thought possible. That notion appealed immensely to her arachnid sensibilities, and she suddenly found herself quite excited to start exploring and experimenting.
Xera then chimed in to remind everyone yet again of her own supportive magics, limited as they were. Amplify Magic was the most potent ability among them, though it could very well be a double-edged sword if used inappropriately. Fiery Weapon could add that extra spice to nearly all of them, while Fire Ward and Backdraft would be immensely useful should they attract a dragon`s ire. Which, considering where they were going, seemed quite likely.
Jen, who had felt a bit left out thus far, politely informed the djinn that she was mistaken. Apparently the idea that dragons on the Shattered Isles only breathed fire was a somewhat common misconception. Dragons could wield any of the primordial elements depending on their species, with some even using holy or necromantic energies. This also meant that the aforementioned Fiery Weapon might prove far more useful during the festival than the djinn had been led to believe.
The harpy also inquired whether Boxxy was capable of feeding Xera`s Sins of the Flesh Skill, which the slutty demoness answered with a negative response accompanied by a look of infinite sadness.
Kora, on the other hand, was her usual blockhead self and was having trouble thinking of any new tactics or strategies. To begin with, she didn`t like any plan that was more complex than hit things really hard` or toss the shiny gnome at people.` She was a front-line fighter whose job description was to turn herself into a target that was impossible to ignore. From then on it was a simple matter of letting Fizzy keep her as near death as possible so her Berserker Skills could exhibit their full power. She also wasn`t going to complain if a certain ice-spider kept her targets from moving around as she pummeled them into a thick red sauce, but those sort of things went without saying.
That said, all three demons had a lot to think about thanks to the Warlock Skill Boxxy had gotten in the aftermath of Eren`s defeat:
Summoner`s GrimoireDescription: The unbreakable bond between master and servant allows the Warlock to lend a portion of their arcane might to a bound familiar.Requirements: Level 85 Warlock, Malefic UnionType: ActiveActivation Time: 3 secondsCost: 30% of max MPRange: 2 MetersEffects: Conjures a semi-autonomous grimoire and binds it to a summoned familiar.The grimoire will follow its bonded familiar and respond to their mental directions.The grimoire cannot recover MP and starts with 60% of the MP used in its creation.The grimoire can use any Spell its creator knows of at 30% of their regular effectiveness.Increases the grimoire`s Spell effectiveness ratio by 3% per Level of this Skill.Increases the grimoire`s MP by an extra 2% of the MP used in its creation per Level of this Skill.The grimoire persists until its MP is exhausted, it is destroyed, or a new one is created.
The six-armed demon`s biggest problem thus far, at least in Boxxy`s opinion, was her pitifully low reserves of mana. Her new Hoarder Skills were significantly thirstier in terms of MP costs than her Fiend or Berserker abilities. Her master used this opportunity to inform her that it would be lending her one of its fifty two Artifacts. The article in question was a glowing crystal vial on a string meant to be worn as an amulet, and was aptly called a Portable Mana Battery. It could raise the hoarder`s maximum MP by a staggering 500, nearly doubling her magical reservoir. It was worth noting that the Battery did so by directly affecting the MP total without going through the INT Attribute. Which was a good thing in this particular case, as it circumvented the downside of Kora`s Idiotic Strength Skill.Even with the hefty MP cost and reduced magic power, these ethereal books would no doubt prove immensely powerful. For one thing, they allowed Boxxy`s arcane might to be put to use while it was otherwise occupied. Xera would have an entire spellbook`s worth of toys to confuse and befuddle her opponents, though Drea was far less enthusiastic. Something about having a talking book floating around her at all times just didn`t sit right with her, mostly since it would give away her position. The upside was that she found the conjured grimoires to be rather flavorful. Kora`s one-track mind only saw the thing as a source of Dark Infusion. It was still quite the invigorating incantation, even at a third of its normal potency. Still, she admitted it would be handy to have one of those fancy books around should she face a ranged combatant that was able to give her the run-around.
The shapeshifter also used this opportunity to declare that Arms was not the only one who would get this treatment. When the time of the Dragon Festival came, it would use its vast armory to completely gear up all of its minions and allies in as many Artifacts and Masterworks as chestily possible. It had already picked out the optimal equipment to distribute to each individual, including the demons. Snack, for instance, would have the Crust Controller staff to massively amplify her Pyroclasm magic. It had a Spectral Cowl set aside for Claws to let her phase through solid matter, though doing so would drain her HP. The Divine Decree was a ring oversaturated with holy energy that would be of huge help to both Jen and Fizzy. It even had a staff called Branching Path that Ambrosia`s spriggan vessel would find most useful.
A heavy silence hung in the air the instant Boxxy mentioned the slumbering dryad.
"How do you plan to deal with the treacherous shrub, Master?" Xera was the first to speak.
"Calling her treacherous` is a bit harsh, don`t you think?" it argued.
"No, it really isn`t," Fizzy coldly rebuked it. "She led you on for years, intent on turning you into her drug-slave. And she will no doubt try to do so again once she wakes up. That is not something I will permit."
"Indeed," the djinn nodded. "If it were up to me, I would see this entire tree turned to ash and cinders. However, it is not up to me. So tell me, oh wise Master of mine, how will you deal with the whorish vegetable when the time comes?"
"& I don`t know," Boxxy finally admitted. "I want to stay on her good side if at all possible, but I have no idea how she will react if I decline her invitation to drink her nectar."
"Question," Jen raised her hand once again.
"You don`t need to ask permission," the shapeshifter admonished her. "Asking is free."
"Alright," the harpy nodded. "From what I can gather, the dryad in question owns this tree and is responsible for your Honeydew addiction. Is this correct?"
"& That`s one way of putting it," it answered evasively.
"More like the only way," Fizzy grumbled.
"Was it her intention to cause this affliction?" Jen pressed on.
"Don`t be stupid, of course it was," Xera rolled her eyes. "She practically demanded my Master partake of the stuff on a regular basis. How could it not be?"
"Well, she might not know this nectar` of hers is habit-forming," the Monk suggested. "Could be she`s following some instinct without being consciously aware of its impact."
Jen was not actually aware of just how ancient the dryad in question was, nor did she know that it was one of Ambrosia`s peers that revealed this addictive property in the first place. She was, however, intimately familiar with how insistant a monster`s instincts were. The harpy had been steadily coming to terms with her own new and strange urges, so it wasn`t hard for her to imagine something similar was happening to Ambrosia.
"That is& a very good question, actually."
Jen`s perspective, though partially born from ignorance, had nevertheless given Boxxy something to think about. It had just assumed the dryad was doing all this on purpose because it never truly trusted her ever since she broke out of the dungeon`s influence. Come to think of it, this whole thing had started well before that particular incident. It seemed odd that Ambrosia would willfully endeavor to poison Boxxy`s mind under those circumstances. After all, a dungeon master was programmed to revere the core`s owner and despise outsiders by default. Lavender was living proof of that.
"You can`t be serious!" Fizzy exclaimed. "You`re seriously buying this bird-bag`s delusions!?"
The harpy in question couldn`t help but take offense to the golem`s words and tone, though Boxxy stepped in to deescalate before things got out of hand.
"Look, I`m not saying that`s what happened," it stated firmly. "I just think it would be unwise to ignore that possibility. Stranger things have happened."
"Ugh& You know it`s stupidly unfair when you use that excuse, right?" the golem complained with a groan.
"And you should know I don`t play fair," it said jokingly. "In all seriousness, however, I wish to at least speak with her before making a judgement. I`ll prepare everything beforehand, just in case we need to leave this place for good."
"& Alright," Fizzy conceded. "But if the first thing you do when you see her is latch onto her nipple, I`m zapping you unconscious and dragging you out by force."
"Deal."
Jen`s hand shot up yet again despite Boxxy assuring her she didn`t need to ask permission, though the shapeshifter was fairly certain what her query was.
"Dryad nectar comes out of their nipples," it informed her. "The only way to drink it is straight from the source, as it were."
"& Okay?" she tilted her head in confusion. "That`s not what I wanted to ask about, though."
"& It wasn`t?"
"I just wanted to know when this Ambrosia person is supposed to wake up."
Boxxy sighed deeply as it hid its featureless face in its palms.
"Don`t have an exact date, but in a month or so," it finally answered.
"Understood."
Having been constantly accompanied by one pervert or another for the majority of its lifetime had made the creature expect vulgar questions and remarks at every turn. That realization made it feel a bit defeated and depressed, which certainly did not help its current volatile state of mind. Thankfully Jen wasn`t like that. Though unexpected, her presence was something of a grounding factor that helped remind Boxxy that the company it kept was a collection of extremes and exceptions. Whether the harpy realized it or not, her peculiar sensibilities and simplistic personality made her the most normal and well-adjusted member of the group.
Which was saying something considering she was a harpy-griffin hybrid who had faced an old god in combat just a few weeks prior.