Compilation of Years of Mercenary Ability Suggestions!

[Kunren]

First, Lets start with the remaining abilities of the Mercenaries upon their last Incarnation:

Adrenaline Rush (Wiki: https://clok.contrarium.net/wiki/index. ... aline_Rush)
Feedback:
"Can we get the energy return upon knocking someone down to apply when you already have the buff? As it stands, you cannot gain energy from knocking someone down if you have the melee buff from this ability. Alternatively, why not quadruple the energy gain upon getting the buff? It's got a fair duration, so it's not like you'd get 13-15 energy every dozen or so seconds. More like once every couple of minutes or more unless you're aiming for the legs or using Tackle or similar." -Marauder - viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6716

"So, I've been playing a Mercenary off and on and I've noticed that Coup de Mort is typically hard to land even when your opponent has multiple severe level wounds and is at exhausted stamina and that Adrenaline Rush, while its buff is powerful, pales in comparison to Victory Rush in two ways." - Marauder

Everything Here: viewtopic.php?f=52&t=3734 - Methiur, Rias



Coup de Morte (Wiki: https://clok.contrarium.net/wiki/index.php/Coup_de_Mort)
Feedback:
"I can't stress how redundant this ability is due to its energy cost per attempt and the immense likelihood of failure even when it should be almost guaranteed. I have failed seven or so Coup de Morts in a row (three or four on a severely wounded, knocked down, tired and stunned enemy) when grouped up with a Dwaedn using polearms. I succeeded all of one time at the very end out of pure luck. You guys really need to either nuke this ability's energy cost per attempt down to 8 or 9 with 5 drained on success and/or raise the likelihood that it goes off on properly wounded and prone, stunned, or fatigued enemies. It's just not worthwhile for the risk you take of knocking yourself out trying to land it five-ten times in a row or until the target NPC goes unconscious due to bleeding. If I'm wielding a heavy-hitting weapon as is, why would I spend 25 energy each try for a very miniscule chance to deal major damage or instantly kill the target, when I could aim for a vital location and potentially instantly kill them for 5-7 energy an attempt? Sure, I did 194~ damage to that one infested NPC's eye and that was very likely a low roll for damage, but I nearly dropped my character into unconsciousness trying it on other mobs there." - Marauder - viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6716

"So, I've been playing a Mercenary off and on and I've noticed that Coup de Mort is typically hard to land even when your opponent has multiple severe level wounds and is at exhausted stamina and that Adrenaline Rush, while its buff is powerful, pales in comparison to Victory Rush in two ways." - Marauder




Now, Onto old Suggested Abilities!

Tactics Expertise (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=7418)
Description: A mercenary is taught advanced knowledge in stances, footwork and compensating for weaknesses in basic combat styles. This allows the mercenary to be more effective in what a stance focuses upon, while receiving lighter penalties for the reduced rolls. The ability only affects the basic stances. The ability also grants a 5% boost to rolls in tactics none.

Reason; For what's basically a guild that's more a warrior's training center to sell your services for hire, trying to make one's warriors better than the rest out there in other mercenary companies is vital. Considering the semi (though not entirely) military structure of the mercs, receiving extensive combat training in strategy and motions should probably be part of the package, especially when perfecting stances.
basically, the mercenary would be the best at tactics manipulation of their stances, with probably the largest benefit going straight to the underused tactics: offense shoring up it's severe defensive penalties. The bonus while using tactics none would just be a way to demonstrate that yes, you're boot camp training did make you better at strategizing your approach to combat than everyone else in general. - Vazbol

Advanced Tactics ( viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6716 )
Description: I've noticed how you can't switch tactics during round time while having taken Tactics Mastery and thought it might be cool for the Mercenaries, being so bent on being strategic masters of melee as they are, to get an ability that enhances Adrenaline Rush's energy returns slightly due to experience and expertise and allows the possessor to switch tactics in round time as long as they're not stunned or otherwise debilitated. It would open up an interesting amount of builds and character concepts, as well as make Tactics Mastery fairly powerful compared to decent while remaining very thematic. Obviously it should require Adrenaline Rush, Tactics Mastery and a decent sum of melee skill, maybe in the 800-ish range. - Marauder

[b]Mercenary Regimen:[/b] (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6333)
Description:
Requires Melee Focus.
You train harder than others and have a natural talent for learning how to use various close range armaments. You also learn how to swing the weapons with more ease after a point, granting a small reduction to energy cost when performing basic attacks. (A decent or good buff to skill gains in all melee range weapon types. -1 or -2 on energy costs when "attack"ing using weapon you have at least some familiarity with, maybe 250 skill?) - Marauder

Advanced Armor Use: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6333)
Description:
Requires armor use skill of semi-high level. (500-1000?)
You have training in how to make the most out of medium and heavy armors and can apply this knowledge to light armor, at least to a lesser degree. (You get a small energy cost reduction in armor. I'm not sure how to even call this since I don't know what would be appropriate, but maybe -2 energy costs to medium and heavy armor, -1 to light armor.) - Marauder

Momentum: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6333)
Description:
Requires Mercenary Regimen and at least 1000 melee.
Through your skill in and knowledge of close combat, you gain insight on momentum and how to abuse it for your own gain. Sometimes, you can swing a weapon well enough to direct the momentum in shortening the span between your ongoing attack and your next attack. (Small (25%?) chance to perform a basic attack that has -1 to -2 seconds on its round time, effectively allowing you to make a second attack that much quicker.) - Marauder

March: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590)
Description:
Constant drills and training allow a soldier to march huge distances carrying nearly their own weight on their back.(allows -1 second of round time when moving along roads? And/or allows movement along roads as if one encumberance level lighter. Must be on their own feet, not a horse, to take effect.) - Kunren

Cavalry Training: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590)
Description:
You have been specially trained in mounted combat.(would function as a weapon specialization for any weapon specialsed for mounted combat,like the lance or sabre. Only takes affect while mounted.) - Kunren

Chain of Command: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590)
Description:
Allows a higher ranked mercenary to order a lower ranked one to attack or defend a target. If the lower ranked merc complies, he gets a small bonus to his rolls for a time and some guild points. If the lower ranked merc refuses, the opposite happens. - Kunren

Enhanced Forage: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590 )
Description:
Soldiers on the March often must forage for themselves or starve. This ability lets you forage for a much larger amount of food than normal, at the cost of no one being able to forage in that room for a time. - Kunren

Recruit: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590)
Description:
Much how traders can hire mercs as bodyguards/companions, it'd be cool if mercs could RECRUIT other mercs to join them on particularly tough tasks. Maybe you gotta share the payment, etc. - Makkah

Hmm, instead of that then, maybe there could be a command to "recruit" a pc merc to help you on your current task? Would increase the difficulty of the task, but raise the reward and give the merc a share of the gp and riln aquired. - Kunren

Tricks of the Trade: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590)
Description:
After a long time working in the career of a mercenary, you learn a few tricks. The smart merc takes any advantage he can get, oiling his scabbard, padding armor, blackening shiny parts of metal.
OOC:Provides a minor reduction of the penalties armor gives stealth. - Kunren

Enhanced Grip: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590)
Description:
For a mercenary, his weapon is his life and his livelihood. Prying it from his hands is a difficult endeavor.
OOC:Provides a bonus to resisting disarms. - Kunren

Armor Care: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590)
Description:
Mercenaries must often make do with secondhand, or damaged armor. The clever mercenary makes this armor work, gaining every ounce of use out of any armor.
OOC:Allows armor to be used at near full potential even after severe beatings. - Kunren

Every Style under the Sun: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25 )
Description:
In the training halls of the Coalition, you see all sorts. From the large Giganti, the smaller Grummer to the more noble Viali and they all bring in their own fighting styles. More experienced Mercenaries have not just witnessed one way of fighting with a weapon, but many. This proves incredibly advantageous when engaged with an opponent using one of the myriad of weapons they know a lot about.

Prerequisite: High Melee, though it will actually scale with the different weapon skills...
When an opponent attacks the Mercenary, a hidden roll is made between the Mercenary's weapon skill, and the opponent's weapon skill based on the weapon the opponent is swinging. If the check succeeds, the Mercenary suffers less damage than normal if the attack would have hit. This is to simulate the Mercenary having learned the typical forms and styles of attack the opponent is using having encountered them while training himself and knowing best how to try and mitigate as much damage as possible. - Dorn

This is My Weapon: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25 )
-A Mercenary's equipment might not be made out of the most expensive metals, shine like the sun, or have enough jewels to be worth a king's ransom but they know how to take care of them to make sure when they really need them, they won't fail.

A Mercenary's equipment suffers damage at a much reduced rate. This along would go a really long way to help with Mercenary pay problems. Passive ability. - Dorn

Not Worth My life: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25)
-Mercenaries take care of their gear, knowing a sharp sword could be the difference between life and death. They also know, that sometimes just because they've used one blade for the last ten years doesn't mean that one day they might have to say goodbye to it.

A duration based ability, that when active nullifies "This is my Weapon". While active, equipment damage drastically increases. In return, weapon damage is increased by a large percentage that scales based on the users melee (or weapon quality?) while armor protection is increased by a large percentage that is based on armor use (or armor quality?). - Dorn

With a Heavy Hand: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25 )
-Requires high Melee and a Weapon Specialization
Using weapons for any weapon group the Mercenary has specialized in, allows them to when attacking to boost the chance of a specific damage type occurring.

For example, while holding a greatsword the mercenary uses heavy hand to increase the chance of hack damage compared to the others. The percentage chance for the damage type is removed from the lowest (or in the case of the chosen being the lowest, the second lowest) damage type and added to the chosen one.
- Dorn

Tactic: Ruthless: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25)
Mercenaries are famous (or infamous) for being ruthless in combat. If they weren't, they'd join the sissy Templar or Wyrvardn. Tactics: Ruthless allows some passive combat perks:
- Kicking while they're down: When you stun or knock down a target, x% chance to automatically take another swing at them with your weapon. Or kick them. That'd be hilarious.
- Ruthless persistence: When you land X amount of blows on the same target without being dodged/blocked/parried, Y% chance take another swing.
- Increases offense a bit, decreases defense a tad.
Chances for these occurring should be based on weapon type, so it's not necessarily more useful for big slow weapons and weaksauce for lighter weapons.
This might work as a General Ability, but considering mercenaries would likely have a specialized technique they train each other with, I thought it might work as exclusive to give mercenaries something nice. - Rias

Self Preservation (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25 )
Mercenaries aren't in it to be the self-sacrificing heroes. At the end of the day, they just want to come out alive. When they get below a certain energy threshold, have any of their wounds progress to major, or take a significantly powerful blow (~40 damage?), they get a short "heck no I'm not gonna die here" desperation buff: Increased dodge/block/parry, increased chance to break melee engagement, maybe -1 attack roundtime? - Rias

Tactics: Irwin (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25)
Irwin has developed a fighting style that is just overall effective in just about any situation. It's something of a signature fighting style amongst Coalition mercenaries.
Boring, but a tactic that weights combat rolls up, both offensive (more) and defensive (less). Maybe add a chance for interspersed minor attacks after normal attacks, like punches (if a hand is free or they're using a twohander), kicks, and hilt/haft smacks. Just so they have something to actually show for the tactic that they and others can see even if that aspect isn't noticeably powerful, along with the (boring) invisible number weighting bonuses. Because looks and style really do matter! - Rias

Tactical Plan (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4590&start=25)
Mercenaries are more than just brainless brutes (like those Dwaedn Wyr). While not large-scale military commanders, they do employ ruthless and cunning tactics in the small groups the tend to operate in.
This is a pre-combat buff. Take, say, 30 seconds of roundtime to go over some tactics to everyone in your group. You and everyone in the group receive a buff, perks depending on the type of tactic shared. Like Templar Chants, only one can be in effect at a time. It WILL stack with Chants, though, so you could have a Chant and a Tactical buff up at the same time. Like the new Sacred Chants thing, this will only be one ability, and the different types of buffs will require certain skill levels in order to be able to use.
Offense: Buff to Melee and weight attack rolls up.
Defense: Buff to Dodge/Shield and weight defense rolls up.
Guerrilla: Increased chances to stay at range and avoid being pulled into melee.
Protection: Increased chance for guards to intercept blows on the people they're guarding, increased Shield skill.
Pacing: Less energy loss from normal attacks.
Footwork: Less energy loss from dodging, increased Dodge skill.
Armor: Increased chance to armor chink foes, increased Armor skill. - Rias


Battle Ready/Headstrong (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=3125)
The most adept of mercenaries have been in some very hairy situations. Being battle-ready and headstrong are part of that process. If you second-guess or waiver, you die.

Would be nice to have a way to buff against fear-based attacks. Or even "shake out" of feared states. As a buff, perhaps double your fear based rolls for a small amount of time with an energy drain. Breaks offer a roll vs the fear attack to break out. Just spitballing here. - Makkah

Counter Tactics (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2949)
Knowing your enemy is pivotal in destroying your enemy. A well-trained mercenary knows how to bypass an opponent's tactics, thus gaining an advantage in combat.

This skill will provide 3 specific offensive verbs to counter a specific type of defense. For example, typing COUNTER ARC would attack a target in a way that reduces a target's dodge by up to 50% (depending on ability rank and randomness). COUNTER HEAVY would attack a target which would reduce blocking; COUNTER STAB would counter parry.

Note that a slashing, crushing, or piercing-capable weapon would need to be used, respectively. This means a mercenary will have to plan ahead in their hunts in order to take advantage of this ability. - Makkah


Newest Ability Suggestions in Call!

Wealth Is Good for the Soul:
Description: Gain Morale/combat benefits based on gaining, or the amount of Riln on your person.

Anti-Magic Equipment:
Description: The coalition has been hoarding some secret materials... enjoy the ability to use equipment that is specially good against the magics of the world, in various ways!


General Notes!

Defensive Abilities: (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6575)

"In my humble opinion, mercenaries are a group created to protect the interests of their employers. That being said, they have nothing in way of defensive abilities or such.

I'm aware that tactics guardian is a generalized ability and many of the melee abilities were generalized. It would be cool to have some special abilities to enhance their ability to protect a single vip target though." - Lun

"it might be nice if they got access to Preemptive Guardian. Actually, I could see both the mercenaries and the Wyrvardn having that ability and maybe something that works a little like stalwart. I think both would make sense given the two groups and the sort of training they might want their members to have." - Preiman


Mercenary Relevancy ( viewtopic.php?f=52&t=6057 )
"We all know that since generalisation, a change which I love by the way, the mercenaries have little incentive over being guildless. They've very few abilities, tasks pay very little still at least in my case, and there are no guild services. I joined the mercenaries some time ago with my main and while it's a nice RP option I half regret it given where we are now. I'm not asking for masses of power, I don't necessarily even want new abilities, just something to make mercs feel like a thing rather than just a name.

Some kind of worn symbol, be it a cloak, jewellery, or so on that identifies you as a coalition mercenary. Think of this as like having a company's branding on the side of a van, make the coalition mercenaries a visible presence so people get used tot he idea of having them around and are more comfortable approaching the coalition with jobs.
Maybe some practical, rugged clothing or weapon sheaths in order to generally encourage smartness of appearance of coalition mercenaries and make them look more professional.

Barracks:
I see this as more of a hostel for mercenaries between jobs, perhaps have a guild point cost for rent and/or a stable paid for in GP. That said given the new bank system in Haiban which I love the need for the barracks storage is slightly reduced.

Guild services could include repairs, healing or limited amounts of training for GP. Having well maintained equipment would be good for the image of the organisation as a whole, having access to repairs and apothecary services for GP could also be seen as getting mercs back out into the field faster which means more money. Training means more competent mercs which is flat out good for business. I'm not suggesting all three, just throwing them out and seeing if any stick." - Craig

"How about a free combat or first aid lesson when you turn in a task?

How about a merc infirmary in the barracks where everything is half price? Many a time I had to spend the majority of my task reward cash on medical bills, not really a viable business model." - Kent