Shaolin Tattoos

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Leahn
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Shaolin Tattoos

#1 Post by Leahn » Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:01 am

I read another topic saying that Shaolin Tattoos are 'good bonuses' for Shaolin, like Unicorns are for Crusaders, but are they really that good? I mean, I am about to become green belt, and then I would be able to have my first tattoo, but is it worthwhile?

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Delia
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#2 Post by Delia » Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:09 am

They are not THAT spectacular, IMO, but nice small bonuses nevertheless. Atleast given how there are a number of them to choose from and not all of them are combat related.

If you go for all combat tattoos you can give that small added boost to your preferred combat style and if you do not care that much for giving boot to the head those non-combat bonuses can make your life a little easier. I atleast have found the non-combat tattoos much to my liking.

But having said this I do not think they are something ultimately necessary if you do not find tattoos suiting your character concept.
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Delia
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#3 Post by Delia » Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:12 am

Just to add, if you compare tattoos to a unicorn, miracles or anything that relates to combat effectiveness they are quite minor in comparison. To the point that mentioning them in the same sentence as I just did is just plain wrong ;)
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Leahn
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#4 Post by Leahn » Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:23 am

Delia wrote:Just to add, if you compare tattoos to a unicorn, miracles or anything that relates to combat effectiveness they are quite minor in comparison. To the point that mentioning them in the same sentence as I just did is just plain wrong ;)
I am gonna get them anyway. I just wanted to know where to set the hype gauge. I haven't been training my staff and parry skill (yes, I DID adopt a weapon, but no armour ;) ) so I can survive the lizardman in the swamp for nothing. I am somewhat decent at parrying now.

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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#5 Post by Delia » Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:33 am

Having no armour to speak of is quite lethal as you WILL take hits, deflect skill 100 or not. Even a little bit of armour will quickly make a difference between a broken skull/neck or an intact one.

Against two handed weapons having little to none armour might be better considering shaos do not usually wear that much armour in the first place that would offer reasonable protection.
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#6 Post by Leahn » Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:54 am

That's a very good reason for me to train my disarm / parry / deflect / dodge / whatever else that helps preventing being hit, including the skills the paralyze / break people's hands, but it is a risky move, I know. Specially since lots of people wear gloves to avoid exactly this.

Coming to think of it, I do wear a leather jacket and leather trousers. I had to since I found out that wearing solely the shaolin robe qualified as walking around naked... :P

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luminier
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#7 Post by luminier » Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:53 pm

I just kinda noticed this topic and that is was sort of about balance... and god knows i can't help myself but to comment on a balance topic.

Sure Crusaders get unicorns and other guilds get miracles or such things. But Shaolins certainly get alot of skills as well as the tattoos. And I think the amount of stats you can get from the skills is well worth the minor bonus from tattoos. Not to mention you can leave the Shaolin and still have these skills.

You can't leave the Crusaders and still have unicorns and Crusader abilities. Not to mention being able to cast miracles if you leave the Clerical guilds.
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#8 Post by lanyara » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:34 pm

But what you just described, @Luminier, is a problem for the Shaolins!

Because characters can train up as Shaolins, retain all they learned that way due to the skill system, then join another guild with new unique features which would get stripped away from them if they were to leave that guild again.

This is here from a powergaming perspective. Guild hopping did always exist even ~+8 years ago, and it was a problem back then as well - but the clerical guilds (including other guilds that were added lateron) were not that powerful in terms of relative power.

Example from a powergamer perspective:
(1) Join Shaolins, train up, get tattoos, then join a guild which offers unique features.
(2) Join a guild which offers unique features, then leave them and join Shaolins.

From a powergamer perspective, (1) is a LOT more efficient, hence why powergamers will always opt for this route if possible.
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luminier
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#9 Post by luminier » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:52 pm

Yep it is a problem and always will be. Unless the skills become locked if you leave the Shaolin, it won't get fixed ever. And because now that people have done that and still use the skills even when not a monk they will complain about it alot if they ever were disallowed from using them.
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#10 Post by Olrane » Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:47 am

It doesn't make any roleplay sense for a person to be unable to use martial arts just because they're no longer part of the organization. It may suck, but that's pretty much all there is to say.

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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#11 Post by fernao » Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:41 am

But maybe the tattoos could lose their mystical powers which could be linked to some of the shaolin rituals of which I am totally ignorant.
As for the martial arts? Well, most armours prevent their use anyways, so that normally takes care of itself I'd say, but since I never was a shaolin nor have had the pleasure to team with any for a longer period of time, I cannot say for certain.
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luminier
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#12 Post by luminier » Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:25 am

Olrane - I would never have anyone have their skills stripped of them for any reason, or be blocked out if they left a guild.

Fernao - without revealing too much IC knowledge, Ill say that tattoos aren't the problem. They can be taken care of pretty easily.

And most times people don't join heavy armour guilds after the shaolin to capitalize on their training.
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Ritor
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#13 Post by Ritor » Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:54 am

Why not create a ritual for each guild that temporary blocks one's guild abilities for one reason or another. Only members of that exact guild can block the skills of their own guild, the target needs to be helpless, and perhaps some extra prerequisites. Say the effect lasts couple of days, or as long as death penalty does. This way if you leave the guild, you run the risk of periodic visits by your ex buddies with a consequential ripping and the skill removing ritual.

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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#14 Post by ganandorf » Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:22 am

I dont think its really that big a problem for any guild except the shaolin.

And when other guild leaders are accepting people that have waited the minimum ammount of time before being able to join a new guild and no longer, then you know that no one really gives a shit.
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#15 Post by Zehren » Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:24 pm

It's a problem of RP, not one of code, sadly. :(

In reply to OP's question:
All bonuses are worthwhile if they fit the character concept :twisted:
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isengoo
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#16 Post by isengoo » Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:12 am

Everyone should take solace in the fact that once you have all the Shao-Lin skills to a decent level, it takes a lot longer to learn other skills.

edit - Unless you are Luminier.

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luminier
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#17 Post by luminier » Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:18 am

Haha, no Isengoo you are right. I forgot all my Shaolin skills to learn all my new ones. It is very hard to learn new things and keep your old Shaolin skills. I basically traded everything I learned in the Shaolin to learn everything I wanted.
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Re: Shaolin Tattoos

#18 Post by Olrane » Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:58 pm

luminier wrote:Haha, no Isengoo you are right. I forgot all my Shaolin skills to learn all my new ones. It is very hard to learn new things and keep your old Shaolin skills. I basically traded everything I learned in the Shaolin to learn everything I wanted.
This is true. I only ever got half decent at Shao stuff, and because of it I couldn't get very good at fighting or thieving with Olrane. A jack of all trades is a master of none.

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