My Ideal Expansion

[AyinDygra]

New Job: Mimic (MIM)

~*~ The Concept:
This job is the culmination of the Simulacrum's knowledge of battle. Mastering mimicry requires the mastery of many other disciplines of combat first. The full extent of mimicry's potential is only realized in combat at the side of those who have mastered their own disciplines of combat. Since their native job abilities are mainly for mimicing their party, of all the jobs, this job is impacted the most by its selection of support job and party composition. They have complete use of their support job's non-merit spells, abilities and traits, however they suffer from lower overall stats including HP and MP.


~*~ Game Mechanics:
* Low basic stats compared to other jobs. (Str/Dex/Vit/Int/Mnd/Chr/HP and MP)
* Able to use all of the abilities and traits of their support job, all the way up to 99. (with the exception of their 2hour)
* Able to set Job Traits. (starting with 1 Trait at level 1, 2 at 10, 3 at 30, 4 at 50, 5 at 70, up to 10 with merits)
Selectable Job Traits are collected from all previously leveled jobs (up to Mimic's current level). ("set" like Blue Magic, only limited by number, not by "set points" - the highest tier of any Job Trait that is set also sets all lower tiers of that Job Trait for no additional set slots.)
* Able to set abilities from any other previously leveled jobs. (starting with 3 at level 1, up to 8 with merits)
Can only set Job Abilities and Spells up to the Mimic's current level. They can add Provoke when they reach level 5, but must wait until level 35 for High Jump. Spells share slots with job abilities for a Mimic, so they can only have 3(8) individual spells and abilities available through this method.
* Traits, spells and abilities that are set will never include those unlocked only through merits.
* Traits and abilities can be set in the field, but all timers (except 2hour) are triggered when set. (If you set Chakra, you'll have to wait 3 minutes before you can use it. If at the same time you set Warcry, you'd have to wait 5 minutes before you could use it, independently of Chakra's cooldown.)
* Setting Traits and Abilities are handled separately. Setting Traits will not trigger ability/spell cooldown timers, however, those traits will not be in effect until 1 minute passes.
* There could be a provision for Mimics to be able to have a higher "Crystal Limit" than other jobs, to set more shards in the "Crystal Shards Character Advancement System", offsetting their innately lower abilities.

There are 2 forms of mimicry: Perfect and Imperfect

Imperfect: You do not have access to either the Job Ability/Spell, or have not unlocked the target's job.
* Imperfect Mimicry will have a delay in the mimed ability's activation. (5 seconds)
* Increases recast time on the mimed ability by at least 50% if not more.
* Less powerful effect than original Job Ability/Spell where applicable. (like Meditate, Sneak Attack and Utsusemi)
* See "Imperfect Mimicry" entry for other drawbacks for specific mime abilities.

Perfect: You must have access to the Job Ability or Spell on a previously leveled job.
* No delay between the action and the mimicry.
* No increased recast timers.
* Acts as if you are the Main Job when you perform the action.
* Alternative access to perfect mimicry: Merited trait that removes "imperfect" drawbacks.

In Battle:
* Mimic another player's "combat style" to set skill caps and draw on your own skill from previous jobs.
(When solo, Mimic yourself to use your support job's skill caps at its main job level)
* Copycat someone's Job Ability or Echo someone's magic, as needed.
* Borrow a spell or ability from anyone in your party for one-time use.
* Shadow box to increase both evasion and rate of attack.
* Trap enemies in an invisible box so their attacks backfire and can't reach you.
* Occasionally freely use a weaponskill if others in the party perform a weaponskill who are using the same weapon type and are under your "Mimic Combat Style" status.


As a Support Job:
Cannot set Job Abilities, Traits or Spells.
All mimicry is "Imperfect."


Combat Skills and Gear:
C+ skill cap in all skills: Weapons, defensive skills, and magic skills. (see abilities)
(This means, they can gain skill in any of these categories, and merit them at 75)
Their gear is a complete mix of all types, although, Robes, Doublets and Tunics are "for looks".
(see Job Trait: Attire Simulacry)

Their Artifact, Relic, and Emyprean gear is mismatched robes with gaudy colors, patterns and textures. They wear hoods and veils that cover their faces. They can "be anything", so they prefer to appear "like nothing and everything" as the case may be.

NPC Mimics would also wear big jewelry both to distract and to advertise their prominence in the Simulacrum.

[AyinDygra]

Mimic JOB ABILITIES

Job Ability: Copycat
Level 10
Recast: 1min
Duration: 1 min or until the target activates a Job Ability.
Target: Party member.
The most basic ability of a Mimic: Copy the next "Job Ability" of a selected party member at no cost of TP or ammo, and perform this action on the same target as the original action (including self).
* Does not reset the Mimic's own job ability recast timers, meaning they can immediately use their own JA before or after "Copycat"ing a party member when they use it.
* Will not activate on a target whose Main & Support Jobs you have not unlocked. An invalid target will not consume recast.
(If you never unlocked Samurai, you can't use Copycat on someone with Main Job OR Support Job set to Samurai)
* Imperfect Mimicry: 5 second delay between the original action and the mimicry.


Job Ability: Echo
Level 15
Recast: 1min
Duration: 1 min or until the target casts a spell.
Target: Party member.
Another of the most basic abilities of a Mimic: Copy the next spell of a selected party member at no cost of MP or tools, and perform this action on the same target as the original action (including self).
* Does not reset the Mimic's own spell casting recast timers, meaning they can immediately use their own spell before or after "Echo"ing a party member when they use it.
* Will not activate on a target whose Main & Support jobs you have not unlocked. An invalid target will not consume recast.
(If you never unlocked Scholar, you can't use Echo on someone with Main Job OR Support Job set to Scholar)
* Imperfect Mimicry: 5 second delay between the original action and the mimicry.


Job Ability: Invisible Box
Level 30
Duration: 2-10sec (Resistable on enemies, lasts full duration on self, unless canceled)
Recast: 2min
Target: enemy or self
Enclose your target in an invisible box of reflexive energy.
* Target cannot move.
* Attacks on the target are canceled and the effect sends recoil damage back against the attacker.
* Instead of missing, sometimes, the target's own attacks may backfire, damaging self.
* Single target spells will be reflected back at the caster.
* AoE spells will be nullified on the boxed target only.
* Prevents target's actions from taking effect on others. (same effect as no line of sight)
* When used on self: Useful for avoiding damaging AoE attacks or when the Mimic takes the monster's attention.


Job Ability: Mimic Combat Style
Level 40
Duration: 2hrs
Recast: 5min
Target: Party member with a job you have unlocked.
Raises the Mimic's combat and magic skill caps by mimicing a party member's combat and magic skills.
* Increases skill caps from C+ to target's Main Job's combat & magic skill caps, excluding merits unless the Mimic has those merits too (It would be best to simply consider merits outside of this ability's effect).
* New "current" skill level depends on the Mimic's skill from previously leveled jobs.
* Adds a non-dispellable status to the target and mimic that links them for the job trait Combat Mimicry.
* Enables "Combat Mimicry" Job Trait's effect, only with matching weapons.
* When solo, using this ability on yourself will use your support job's combat skill caps at your current level. You cannot benefit from the "Combat Mimicry" job trait's effect.


Job Ability: Borrow
Level 50
Recast: 5min
Duration: 1min or until the borrowed Job Ability or Spell is used.
Target: Party member.
Allows the Mimic to use one job ability or spell from any other party member's current ability/spell lists (not 2hrs).
* Requires spending MP/TP for mage spells and Dnc abilities. Requires tools and ammo.
* After use of the borrowed ability, the ability is temporarily added the Mimic's ability/spell list, with its normal "cooldown" triggered. When the cooldown is finished, it is removed from the list. This will prevent a Mimic from using someone else's ability every 5 minutes that has a longer cooldown than 5 minutes.
* Does not change the target player's recast timers.
* Does not require the Mimic to have unlocked the target's Main or Support job to activate.
* Imperfect Mimicry: Requires double the MP for spells & TP for Dnc abilities. Increases recasts.


Job Ability: Shadow Boxing
Level 60
Recast: 5min
Duration: 2min
Target: Self
The Mimic's shadow mimics their movements.
* Grants the double attack trait. (Mimic's shadow's hits may connect occasionally)
* Grants a strong "zanshin" effect. (Mimic's shadow has a chance to hit enemy's shadow)
* Grants "blink" status. (enemy attacks the Mimic's shadow occasionally)


2 Hour Ability: Mirror Image
Duration: 45 seconds
Copy all job abilities (except 2hrs), spell castings, and weaponskills of all party members for the duration.
* All mimic'd abilities/spells count as under "Perfect Mimicry" level 5.
* Does not cost MP/TP for any mimicry.
(may have to restrict this to copying only 1 party member)

[AyinDygra]

Mimic JOB TRAITS (their only unique traits that they don't have to set)

Job Trait: Attire Simulacry
Level 1
Allows the Mimic to equip most weapons and equipment of its support job.
* Excludes gear that is Rare/Ex.
* Excludes gear that only allows 1 job to equip it, even if it's the current support job.

Job Trait: Attire Simulacry II
Level 75
Allows equipping Rare/Ex gear that has 2 or more allowable jobs on it, including current support job.
* Includes gear that is Rare/Ex.
* Includes gear that 2 or more jobs can equip, if Mimic or its support job can equip it.
* Since it requires 2 allowable jobs, this tier still excludes Artifact/Relic/Empyrean gear.

Job Trait: Attire Sumulacry III
Level 99
* Includes gear that is Rare/Ex.
* Includes any gear that 2 or more jobs can equip. (Does NOT have to be Mimic or their support job.)
* Since it requires 2 allowable jobs, this tier still excludes Artifact/Relic/Empyrean gear.


Job Trait: Combat Mimicry
After using "Mimic Combat Style", when a party member equipped with the same weapon type as yourself uses a weaponskill, you have a chance to gain a status effect that allows you to use your next weaponskill for no TP cost.
* This status effect will be displayed as a temporary buff icon and that lasts 1 minute and is consumed on use of a weaponskill.
Tiers: level (percent chance of effect)
__Combat Mimicry I: 15 (2%)
_Combat Mimicry II: 30 (4%)
Combat Mimicry III: 45 (6%)
_Combat Mimicry IV: 60 (8%)
__Combat Mimicry V: 75 (10%)
_Combat Mimicry VI: 90 (12%)

Mimic MERITS (assuming current Merits system, pre-revision)

Group 1
Set Trait Limit (5 merits)
Allows setting 1 more job trait per merit.
(5 Merit Max, 10 total job traits)

Copycat Recast (5 merits)
Reduces Copycat recast by -2 seconds per merit. (-10sec: 50sec)

Echo Recast (5 merits)
Reduces Echo recast by -2 seconds per merit. (-10sec: 50sec)

Perfect Mimicry (5 merits)
Removes drawbacks of "Imperfect Mimicry" and limitations such as:
* "Need to already know abilities/spells"
* "Need to have unlocked target's main job."
* Reduces the delay when using Copycat, Echo and Borrow: -20% delay per merit. (no delay at 5 merits)


Group 2
Set Job Ability and Spell Limit (5 merits)
Allows setting 1 more ability or spell per merit.
(5 Merit Max, total of 8 set abilities or spells.)

Adept Combat Mimicry (5 merits)
* Each merit increases the chance to receive the buff by 2% (max 10% bonus, 22% total)

Reinforced Invisible Box (5 merits)
Increases the duration of "Invisible Box."
* Each merit increases duration by 2 seconds (10sec bonus. Total: 20sec max)

Emulate (1 merit)
Increase the stat bonus granted by setting a support job, based on the support job's stats.
* This would potentially help make up for their low base stats.
* I'm not sure how powerful doubling the bonus would be, but that's my initial idea.
* Tweaking is required in conjunction with setting up the base stats of a Mimic in the first place.

~*~ Gear

Job Specific "Special stats":
* Enhance Borrow - Remove MP/TP cost of using a borrowed ability or spell.
* Enhance Invisible Box - Increase minimum duration of effect.
* Enhance Invisible Box - Increase recoil damage.
* Enhance Combat Mimicry - Raise the % chance of gaining the Free WS buff.
* Augment Copycat - Allows Copycat to ignore the Main Job/Support "Job target leveled" restriction.
* Augment Copycat - Job Abilities of the target's support job are treated as main job strength.
* Augment Echo - Allows Echo to ignore the Main Job/Support "Job target leveled" restriction.
* Augment Shadow Boxing - All attacks bypass enemy Blink and Utsusemi shadows, hitting the main target.
* Augment Combat Mimicry - Allows the trait to trigger even when you have targeted yourself with the Job Ability.

[AyinDygra]

New Job: Jikuu Sage (JKS) (Time and Space Dimension Mage)

~*~ The Concept:
Jikuu Sages are masters of magic that manipulate the dimensions of time and space. They are sometimes called "Time Mages" by those who wish to over-simplify what they do when they explain this to the commonfolk and footsoldiers.

Selectively speeding up time is a great advantage, allowing faster combat & travel, and can be crippling to enemies, aging them beyond their years in a matter of seconds. Slowing down time can allow for faster response times, longer durations to status buffs and slower movement speed for enemies you'd rather not deal with right now.

Not to be forgotten, is their control over space, allowing them to attack from a distance through folds in space-time, increasing the effects of gravity, opening a portal to other locations on Vana'diel, and even into deep space to draw in a swarm of flaming meteorites or causing an icy comet to crash into an enemy.


~*~ Game Mechanics:
They use their powers to make time flow in ways that benefit themselves and hinder their foes. Most of their power comes from their spells, but they also have Job Abilities that alter time & space. Due to the abundance of Job Abilities, they are most like Scholar of all the mages in terms of how they play. Many of their spells and abilities are complimentary to other mages, freeing those other mages to focus on other tasks that they are more suited to perform.


In Battle:
* Perhaps begin by remembering the perfect condition of your party as a Pivotal Moment in the battle. Then use Temporal Reversion on party members to restore them to their earlier condition when they are seriously injured, die, or just need their Ability or Spell timers back (at great cost to you).
* Speed up your allies with spells like Haste, Flurry, Quicken and Accelerate.
* Slow down your enemies with spells like Slow, Bind, Gravity, Slow Motion, Singularity and Stop.
* Then bring the heavens crashing down on them with Stardust and Comet spells.
* If you saved Pivotal Moment, use it when the enemy is near death or before it has a chance to use a powerful self-buff, just in case it has a chance to restore itself for some reason. Send the enemy back to its near-death or pre-buffed condition.


As a Support Job:
This job has many spells and abilities that will be useful as a support job.
Many mages could make use of its special spells for enhancing and enfeebling.
Some melee jobs might be able to use the Job Abilities, rather than spells in useful ways (still very limited since most of their job abilities cost MP to use).


Combat Skills and Gear:
B- Staff
B- Club
C+ Dagger
Enhancing Magic A-
Enfeebling Magic A+
Elemental Magic B+
Dark Magic C
Divine Magic C
Evasion C

They wear Robes and Tunics for armor, as they're "Back line" mages.

Their Artifact, Relic, and Emyprean gear is a mix of blue, purple, white and orange robes with tall orange hats often decorated with a single giant star (The star symbolizes Atomos' cavernous maw, so they may stylize their hats to be similar to maws).

[AyinDygra]

JIKUU SPELLS
Most of these spells deal directly with time and space manipulation, with healing & damage "Over Time" spells thrown in to round out their abilities, and these are generally drawn from other jobs. Unique spells may fit better, but this is easier.

Dia, Diaga, Dia II
Levels 1, 15, 30
(They need a basic damage over time spell. They could get a new "Time Slip" type spell that causes a weak aging effect, similar to that given in my Atomos suggestion, but Dia is an easy fit.)


Bind, Bindga, Bind II
Levels 5, 35, 55
Immobilizes target.
* Bind II will not wear off when the target receives damage.
(Basic defensive ability dealing with space.)


Slow, Slowga, Slow II
Level 13, 48, 63
* Slowga (same amount of slow as "Slow", not Slow II)
* Slow II (Base value of Slow II, without additional merits)
(Here's where they strongly get into time manipulation.)


Gravity
Level 18
(More time & space manipulation.)


Stardust, Stardust II, Stardust III
Levels 20, 40, 60
Target: Area of Effect
A shower of tiny burning meteors blast the region and set things ablaze.
* Causes "Burn" damage over time effect.
* Elemental Magic (Non-elemental, or Fire?)
(Here's where their damage comes from.)


Regen, Regen II, Regen III, Regen IV
Levels 20, 40, 60, 80
("over time" spells are directly in line with their theme, but not necessary.)


Regenra, Regenra II, Regenra III
Levels 25, 45, 65
("over time" spells for the group. Again, not necessary, but useful.)


Vanish
Level 25
Grants 100% evasion to physical attacks for 15sec, but completely removes all magical resistance.
* Grants two effects: "Perfect Dodge" and the "Invisible" spell, even during battle, but the invisible status wears off as soon as they engage in combat actions, like normal.

Alternate Effect of Vanish:
Removes all hate from target, but removes all magical resistance for 15sec.
* Nothing the target does while "Vanished" will create enmity.
* Grants the "Invisible" spell effect separate from the above effect's duration, even during battle, but the invisible status wears off as soon as they engage in combat actions, like normal. No need for the "Invisible wears off" message please (spam).

(In both instances, Vanish acts as a method to avoid physical damage while also granting invisibility for travel, giving this spell a dual, linked purpose.)


All Teleports and Recalls, Warp, Warp II, Retrace, Tractor, Escape
(If Jikuu Sage existed at the start of the game, they'd have gotten these spells much sooner than the other jobs, if the other jobs even got them at all.)


Haste
Level 30
(Basic time magic.)


Extend
Level 30
Duration: skill related, from 3min to 5min?
Increase the duration of all existing and future buffs on the target.
* From 25%-200% bonus duration, individually figured, probably skill related.
* The buffs last as long as this status remains on them, plus the original & bonus duration of the effects.
(Starting to use time magic for special features.)


Quick Mind
Level 33
Target: Party member.
This effect allows one to think at a much faster pace than reality is passing around them, causing everything to seem like it is moving in slow motion. This allows for nearly perfect response time to incoming attacks.
* Greatly increases Guard, Parry, Evasion, Shield and Counterattack rates.
* Greatly increases ability to bypass enemy Guard, Parry, Evasion, Shield and Counterattacks with their own attacks.
(Here's a unique one that enhances areas that most other jobs don't touch, in a support context.)


Accelerate
Level 35
Target: Party member.
Decrease recast timers for all of your target's spells and abilities.
* Increases TP gain from all actions. (Store-TP, Accelerating Weaponskill frequency)
* Adds some haste, but less than the haste spell.
* Increases movement speed. 12%
* Causes enemies to use TP moves as soon as they have 100TP (if enemy Jikuu Sages use it on themselves or other monsters).

Decelerate
Level 35
Target: Enemy
Increase recast timers for all of your target's spells and abilities.
* This stops enemies from using TP moves until they have 300TP.
* When enemy Jikuu Sages use this against players, they cannot use weaponskills until they have 300% TP.
* Reduces TP gain from all actions. (Decelerating Weaponskill frequency)
* Adds the "Slow" status, but less potent than the Slow spell.
* Reduces movement speed. 12%

(Accelerate and Decelerate overwrite each other. I'm still on the "fence" over whether or not the haste and slow effects should stack with other magical forms, or be overwritten by them. The TP use features of the spells have the potential to change party tactics when monsters get near the end of their lives, or whenever trying to get Abyssea Triggers.)


Active Metabolism
Level 45
Increase the speed at which foods are digested, making their effects wear off almost immediately.
* Increases the strength of poisons, but reduces their duration.

Sluggish Metabolism
Level 45
Increase the duration of foods as they are digested much more slowly.
* Decreases the strength of poisons, but increases their duration.

(These metabolism spells have strategic uses depending on the strengths of poisons and availability of cures.)


Refresh
Level 50
(Ok, probably not going to get this, but it does fit the "over time" theme going on here.)


Comet, Comet II, Comet III
Levels 50, 75, 99
Target: Single enemy
A distant comet is pulled directly out of space, past the atmosphere, to crash into the caster's target with an icy blast.
* Causes "Frost" damage over time effect.
* Elemental Magic (Non-elemental, or Ice?)
(While stardust was area of effect fire, Comet is single target ice damage.)

[AyinDygra]

JIKUU SPELLS (part 2)

Switch (or Relocate, Relocation)
Level 51
Change the target of a spell that is presently being cast.
* Works against party and enemies.
* Can be directed at party or enemies, regardless of who the caster is.
* Cast this on the caster, then select new target.
* Impossible to change the target of a "Self-Target-Only" spell. (Switch will "miss" without triggering recast)
(I'm not exactly sure where this would be useful, but it felt like a unique use of manipulating space, or location)


Age
Level 55
Cause time to pass rapidly for the enemy's body, aging it years in a matter of seconds.
* Each use reduces the enemy's level by one, max of 5 from any level-changing effect aside from level-synch.
* The enemy's stats, MaxHP, MaxMP, and skill caps will reduce as if they had de-leveled, based on "Main Job" and "Support Job" level progression (all monsters do have these levels, right?).
* Adds the "Old Age" status to count the levels. This is a cumulative status effect, similar to dance steps.
* The resulting experience for this enemy will be given at it's now lower level.
(One of the defining spells of the Jikuu Sage, manipulating time around a target. The implementation of the "Old Age" status will be of importance with several effects based on it, including this spell, the Atomos avatar, and at least one ability of Judgemaster. I've considered 5 levels the maximum, but there could be stages beyond 5 levels that do less drastic changes to the target, to allow more "stages" of the effect to be inflicted.)


Slow Motion
Level 57
Reduces enemy attack speed.
* Not a form of slow. Does not impact TP returns.
* Also reduces enemy's chance for "extra" attacks such as double attack, triple attack and kick attack.
(I consider this type of spell essential for Jikuu Sage, so they can surpass the normal "caps" on Haste and Slow, using other effects in the game to have similar changes to combat.)


Singularity
Level 60
Duration: 10-30sec
Creates a tiny black hole on the field of battle that draws in monsters around it and does continual strong non-elemental damage to them.
* Acts like a damaging version of the Silencing Tubes in Campaign.
* Draws in almost* all normally moving enemies. (* not Alexander, Fortifications, Dark Ixion, Cactrot Rapido, etc)
* Damage amounts are based on Elemental magic skill. (Stronger than "Dia" weaker than a Helix)
(The main purpose is for the draw-in effect, to keep an enemy in place when hate is hard to manage.)


Stop
Level 65
MP Cost: (prohibitive)
Casting Time: stun-speed
Recast: 1:30 (or more?)
The effects on an enemy are frozen in time.
* Duration up to 1min, enfeebling skill based.
* Stops all regen, refresh and regain effects on target.
* Target cannot guard, parry, evade, shield block or countertatack for the duration.
(This is a unique implementation of the "Stop" status, seeing as we already have Stun, Terror, Paralyze, etc.)


Levitate
Level 75
Duration: No less than 30seconds
Target: AoE Party
While forbidden by Windurst's hierarchy, the Simulacrum have no qualms about using this spell. Allows the party to completely avoid most earth-based spells and abilities. (as long as they involve the ground or movement, not just the "earth element.")
* Prevents the damage and effects of:
~ Stone I-V, Stonega I-III, Stoneja, Quake, Quake II, Geohelix
~ Gravity, Slow, Break
~ Some earth-based monster attacks.
~ Titan's special attacks and spells.
~ All weight effects that slow movement speed, even the latents like on Dusk gear.
(This is a powerful protection based on space manipulation.)


Haste-ra
Level 75
AoE-party version of Haste, same amount of haste.
(Jikuu Sage now surpasses all other providers of Haste in speed of providing the effect.)


Quicken
Level 77
Self-target only (mainly for the other jobs that get this spell in the series)
Increases double attack rate.
* 10% Double Attack
* Spell casting-speed penalty of 5%
(Math people have noted that anything less than 10% is a waste of casting time, depending on duration.)


Exile (Would be Banish, but that spell name is already taken)
Level 80
Try to exile a single enemy to the "Walk of Echoes."
* Does not work on any "Impossible to gauge" enemies.
* Becomes more and more accurate the greater the level distance between the caster over the target.
* "Too weak" enemies are almost 100% banishable. Even Matches are 50/50, anything higher gets drastically unreliable.
* No experience or items gained from defeating an enemy in this way.


Warpga
Level 80
Warp your entire party to homepoints.
* Can be denied by recipients of effect, but will automatically activate at the end of a 5min timer.


Flurry
Level 85
Increases attack speed.
* Not a form of haste, does not impact TP returns.
(This spell allows Jikuu Sages to solidify their hold on "haste.")


Adloquium
Level 86
(This is another "over time" spell that fits their theme, but it should be stronger than 1tick on all jobs that have it.)


Quickenra
Level 88
Target: Entire party
Increases double attack, triple attack, and kick attack rates.
* Not as individually powerful as Quicken 1 (5%?), but adds to all 3 rates, so it should work out better?
* Spell casting speed penalty of 5%
(8% may be too weak, but it would take someone who is paid to spend the time to figure it all out.)


Chronolock
Level 90
Target: AoE Party or enemy.
Prevent changes in speed for the duration.
* Duration of all haste/slow/gravity/quickening effects are paused for the duration of the Chronolock effect.
* No new speed spells will take effect.
* Can be manually removed.
* Can be used against enemies.


Quickenra II
Level 99
Target: Entire party
Increases double attack, triple attack, kick attack, and quadruple attack rates.
* 10% Double attack, 5% triple attack, 5% kick attack, 5% quadruple attack.
* Spell casting speed penalty of 5%
(Another spell that would take excessive math to figure the actual power of. These numbers may be too low.)


Jikuu Sage should get Meteor, but we know Black Mage is getting it, so it probably won't be shared.

[AyinDygra]

Jikuu Sage JOB ABILITIES
Most of their Job Abilities cost MP to use or maintain, unlike most other jobs. They are different from spells in that they cannot be interrupted, nor do they have casting times; they are Job Abilities.

Job Ability: Time Dilation Field
Level 20
Duration: 10min
Recast: 10min
Target: Self (Sphere)
Radius: "Wind Instrument"
MP Cost: 3mp per tick for Sphere Perpetuation
Maintain the effects of "static buffs" active on party members within the sphere effect radius, unless manually removed or dispelled.
* Drains 3mp per tick.
* The effect is active on the Jikuu Sage as well. (unlike gear spheres)
* If the Jikuu Sage runs out of MP while this is in effect, the sphere stays as an effect, but fails to halt buff timers until they have MP to spend.
* Works with things like Reraise, Refresh, Shell and Protect, but not Stances, Stoneskin, Shadows or Dedication.
* Blocks the extended buff from being overwritten by any buffs that share the same status or nullified by opposite effects.
(A very interesting sphere effect that may have strategic uses in blocking certain statuses from being nullified and extends the mana and time efficiency of other buffing jobs in the party who won't have to re-apply certain buffs for a longer period of time, letting them do other things.)


Job Ability: Expedite
Level 25
Duration: 30sec
Recast: 1min
Any "recurring effects" on your target rapidly accelerate.
* Costs 5mp per effect that gets accelerated.
* Forces 10 "ticks" of any Sap or Regen effects to activate at one time.
* This includes "Regen", Elemental Damage over Time (Choke, shock, etc), Helices, Poison, Dia, Bio.
* This does not include "resting" or "persistent effects" like Shell, Protect, Stoneskin, Shadows.
* It has a chance to force ALL remaining ticks of either Sap or Regen effects to trigger at one time for full effect.


Job Ability: Dimensional Weapon
Level 30
Duration: 5min
Recast: 5min
This "stance" allows you to use melee attacks from a distance by attacking through a fold in space-time. (This is a nod to the past FF games where characters took a step forward, shook their weapons a couple times, then took a step back, while their strikes hit enemies across the screen, never getting close to touching each other.)
* Drains 3 MP from the JKS for each attack. (If you have less than 3 MP, you get the "Enemy is too far away" message.)
* Auto-attacks strike the enemy "from a safe distance".
* Probably won't be able to put weaponskills into this ability, but would be nice.
* I think all FFXI monsters have this ability while they're chasing us... (haha?)


Job Ability: Instantaneous Elocution
Level 35
Duration: 1min or until next spell is successfully cast (not interrupted)
Recast: 5min
Target: Self-only
After using this ability, the next spell can be cast instantly.
* Same effect as the new Job Ability "Spontaneity" of Red Mage... I had it here first... another reason I rushed to get these ideas up on the board... SE keeps "stealing" them


Job Ability: Power Nap
Level 40
Target: Party member
Trigger Duration: 30sec (must rest within 30 seconds to get the actual effect)
Effect Duration: As long as you remain resting. Standing breaks the effect at any time after it is triggered.
Recast: 2min (or much less, to allow any resting to be more productive with a Jikuu Sage in the party)
Greatly increases HP and MP healed by resting.
* The first amount of HP and MP gained from resting is equivalent to having rested for a full minute and increases in leaps of three upgrade "ticks" for each completed resting moment. As soon as you leave the resting position, the effect wears off.


Job Ability: Timekeeper
Level 45
Target: AoE Party
Duration: 3min
Recast: 10min
This protects the party from status decreasing effects.
* Protects against negative Time-altering spells. (Slow, Stop, etc)
* Protects against: Stat lowering, Stat absorbing, the "Age" spell and "effective level" reducing effects.
* Does not prevent the Pathos of Salvage (that's a bit too strong)
* This is Jikuu Sage's "Circle" ability.


Job Ability: Pivotal Moment
Level 50
Recast: 30min
Target: All party members
MP Cost: 100mp
Upon using this ability, you remember the exact condition of the party and current enemies, their job ability and spell cooldown timers, their status effects, their HP/MP/TP and enmity levels. This becomes a pivotal moment in the battle.
* If the composition of the party changes after this is used, only those party members who were present at the time of the "snap shot" will be impacted in any way by the associated ability "Temporal Reversion."
* If you are currently engaged in battle, this ability also takes a "snap shot" of the enemy's condition.

Job Ability: Temporal Reversion
Level 50
Recast: 15min
Target: Single Party member or enemy.
Send a party member back in time to the last pivotal moment you made note of.
(See job ability: Pivotal Moment)
* Sets their condition to the exact same amounts and durations they had at the recorded moment. (Excludes 2hr abilities)
* Drains all MP from user.
* Can target "KO"d party members, restores the player with no xp loss (the death "never happened"). (no raise sickness)
* Massively long recast.
* Will "Miss" anyone who was not present when "Pivotal Moment" was used. (recast will not be triggered by a miss)


Job Ability: Prolonged Moment
Level 55
Recast: 5min
Duration: 2min
Target: Enemy
MP Cost: 50mp
When used on an enemy, the time "windows" that allow Weaponskills and Magicbursts to be performed are prolonged until this effect wears off.
* Somebody could use a weaponskill as soon as this ability is used and it will still skillchain with the next weaponskill used (if they CAN normally chain), even if it's a whole minute later. This allows lengthy multi-level skillchains with full opportunity to use magicbursts between the early chains and after the last skillchain has been created.


Job Ability: Gravity Well
Level 60
Duration: 1min
Recast: 2min
MP Cost: 50mp
The enemy who has been trapped in a gravity well ("Black Hole" status) cannot escape taking damage from these special additional dimensional magic bursts in the form of: Quarter, Demi and Lifeshaver
* Quarter adds 1/4th the damage of every level 1 skillchain's full Magic burst damage.
* Demi adds 1/2 the damage of every level 2 skillchain's full Magic burst damage.
* Lifeshaver adds the full damage of every level 3+ skillchain's full Magic burst damage, and heals the party by that amount split between members.
* The damage of these magic bursts is figured on the potential unresisted damage of the resulting magic bursts, even if the magic bursts are resisted. (The damage caused by Quarter, Demi, and Lifeshaver may do more damage than the original magic bursts that cause them)

(The combination of Prolonged Moment and Gravity Well should provide for more skillchains and longer skillchains made up of more individual weaponskills, increasing the skillchain damage multipliers and more magicbursts, and more added damage from all of them. This will elevate the cooperative play of all involved, making it easier to coordinate. If my suggestion for certain new endgame events is taken favorably, these abilities will be even more useful.)


2 Hour Ability: Galaxy Stop
Duration: 30 seconds
All enemies in range stop moving and acting for the duration. They cannot guard, parry, evade, shield block or counterattack. All party members gain the maximum haste possible through gear, spells and abilities. Players also gain flee movement speed that is not removed by combat actions.

[AyinDygra]

Jikuu Sage JOB TRAITS

Job Trait: Time Shift
When Jikuu Sages are about to be the target of an enemy attack, they can reflexively shift their location in time and space.
__Time Shift I: 10 +5 evasion and magic evasion
_Time Shift II: 30 +10 evasion and magic evasion
Time Shift III: 50 +15 evasion and magic evasion
_Time Shift IV: 70 +20 evasion and magic evasion
__Time Shift V: 90 +25 evasion and magic evasion


Job Trait: Fast Cast
__Fast Cast I: Level 25
_Fast Cast II: Level 50
Fast Cast III: Level 75
_Fast Cast IV: Level 99


Job Trait: Resist Slow & Weight/Gravity (same tiers)
__Resist Slow I: 20
_Resist Slow II: 40
Resist Slow III: 60
_Resist Slow IV: 80
__Resist Slow V: 99


Job Trait: Clear Mind
(follows Black Mage progression for future additions)
__Clear Mind I: 15
_Clear Mind II: 30
Clear Mind III: 45
_Clear Mind IV: 60
__Clear Mind V: 75

Jikuu Sage MERITS (assuming current Merits system, pre-revision)

Group 1
Haste Potency (5 merits)
+1% effect for each merit, (Max Bonus +5%)
* Effects Haste, Haste-ra, Accelerate

Slow Potency (5 merits)
+1% effect for each merit, (Max Bonus +5%)
* Effects Slow, Slowga, Slow II, Decelerate

Duration of Extend's Effect (5 merits)
Increase duration by 20 seconds per merit. (Max Bonus +100sec)

Power Nap Potency (5 merits)
Increase the initial boost to resting recovery.
(+30sec worth of resting "ticks" per merit, +2:30min of resting counted on initial rest, Total: 3:30min)


Group 2
Prolonged Moment Duration (5 merits)
(+10 seconds per merit, +50sec max: 2:50)

Singularity Duration (5 merits)
(Each merit increases the duration by 2sec, (10sec bonus to base and max durations, Total: 20-40sec)

Job Trait: Youth (1 merit)
Prevents stat drain effects from Spells or Job Abilities.

Job Trait: Quick (1 merit)
Increase the Double, Triple, Quadruple and Kick Attack rates granted by "Quicken", "Quickenra" and "Quickenra II" by 1%.

~*~ Gear

Job Specific "Special stats":
* Enhance Power Nap - Never lose TP when resting, even without Signet/Sanction/Sigil
* Enhance Expedite - Increases the chance for all remaining "ticks" of Sap/Regen to trigger at this moment.
* Enhance Gravity Well - Increase duration of Gravity Well.
* Enhance Vanish - Increase duration of Vanish.
* Enhance Slow Motion - Removes any chance for Double, Triple, Quadruple, or Kick Attacks.
* Augment Singularity - Each pulse can trigger a short duration (30sec) "Gravity Well" status.
* Augment Bind - Damage does not remove Bind, Bindga or Bind II.
* Augment Gravity - Adds "Prolonged Moment" effect to Gravity.
* Augment Slow - Adds Weight effect to Slow, Slowga, Slow II.
* Augment Haste - Adds +"Movement speed" to Haste.

~*~ Time for a Jikuu Sage joke!

Alternate Artifact/Relic/Empyrean Gear:
(Yes, I had to do this, muahaha)

Weapon: Sonic Screwdriver (Grants Job Trait: Cyborg Killer (intimidation rate nearly 100%))
Off-hand: Psychic Paper (Free access to Airships, Chocobos, Ferries, Barges, Manaclipper, Runic Portal, Remnants Permit)
Body: Victorian Coat (Auto-Reraise III + mandatory character model change. (12 charges?) + temporary amnesia)
Neck: Excessively Long Scarf (Auto-regen, Parry Skill +10)
Ammo: Jelly Babies (Grants Job Ability: Negotiate, effect similar to tame)
Belt: Tardis Key Chain
* Calls your Tardis to travel through time and space. (Tele-Holla, Recall-Pashhow, etc)
* Subject to frequent technical difficulties. (May aim for Recall-Jugner and end up at the Crag of Mea)
* Grants Job Trait: "Suspicious" You will be thrown into Bostaunieux Oubliette or Mordion Gaol in nearly every time period you visit.
* You will have to run -- a lot.
Ring: Perception Filter (Permanent Sneak/Invisible)
Pet: K-9
Adventuring Fellow: Changes frequently...
Of course, they'd be best off using the Engineer Support Job for all those tools

[AyinDygra]

~*~ The Simulacrum Soul Plate Shops ~*~
One of the more eccentric techniques of the Simulacrum is the manipulation of soul plates. These can be used to create many different things, even combining plates together to customize the results. The Simulacrum allows storage of soul plates as long as they get to study them. The main creations of "Soul Plate Simulacry" offered to adventurers are:
* Soul Plate Storage (lots of plates - we're looking at a lot more usage of soul plates)
* Customized Maze Runes (Rune Fusing)
* Tabula Overlays (Tabula Overlaying)
* Triple Triad Cards
* Corsair Cards
* Automaton AI Cards
* Judgemaster's Law Cards (function like spell scrolls) and Judge Cards (consumables for Judgemaster abilities)

Take pictures of creatures from around the world and then use them for a myriad of purposes.


* Soul Plate Storage
The Simulacrum will give adventurers a Soul Plate Album that they can drop plates into for safe keeping, which will allow them to study the contents from afar. Due to the unique nature of each soul plate, this storage feature may take one of several forms (new inventory section, a key item list, something like an automaton attachments menu ... they all may work), best decided by SE's programmers, but ideally, it will hold one of each unique plate, and many more than just 80.


* Rune Fusing
Fuse runes with soul plates to specify the exact enemies you want to face in your mazes.

Examples of Fusing:

Combine "Plantoid rune007 and a soul plate of a mandragora to create a "Mandragora Rune" that will always produce Mandragoras as the monsters you face in your mazes. The resulting monsters' special abilities would be based on the type of Mandragora on the soul plate. The "ingredient" runes and soul plate are all consumed in the creation of the new rune. (This is done by the Simulacrum NPC)
OR
Combine rune007 and "Tiny Warrior" rune014 along with a soul plate of a white mandragora, and create a customized monster maze rune: "Tiny White Mandragora Rune" that will always produce small Mandragoras as the encountered enemy.
OR
Take rune007, and use "Great Warrior" rune013 with the Mandragora soul plate, and create the "Giant White Mandragora Rune" that will always produce giant Mandragoras as the encountered enemy.
OR
Take rune007, and use "Supreme Might" rune017 with the Mandragora soul plate and create the "Boss White Mandragora Rune" that only produces a single enemy in the maze, the "boss Mandragora." (and possibly minions)

* Tabula Overlaying
The Simulacrum saw great potential in the moblin tabulae and set about perfecting them, creating new field effects.

Overlay Process:

* Take any Tabula with an "Empty" black space.
* Add the required item into a blank grid square to change its property.
* Runes cannot be placed on the now filled "Empty" grid squares.

To Add Weather to a Tabula:
* Select a Soul Plate of a monster that drops crystals of a certain element. (Fire Crystal = Fire weather)
* Drop the Soul Plate into a blank grid square. (Adds a "Double weather" icon instead of the single elemental mark)
* The resulting maze will have the matching double weather active the entire time.

To Add a Permanent Law to a Tabula:
* Select a Law Card. (The "scrolls" that teach Judgemasters individual Penalties/Prohibitions/Favors)
* Drop the Law Card into the blank grid square. (Adds a Yellow, Red or White card icon on the grid square)
* The resulting maze will have the law in effect the entire time.

* Introduce at least one new tabula with more holes to fill, please.

* Triple Triad Cards
One of the more simple transformations is making Soul Plates into Triple Triad cards. Each monster has its own stats in card form, not changing based on anything on the Soul Plate. Boss cards are some of the most powerful in the game.

* New Corsair Cards
Soul Plates can be turned into special cards used in <Job Ability Not Yet Created>.
(Corsairs may also gain this as a normal Job Ability to create these cards directly from monsters in battle without first making a soul plate)

* Automaton AI Cards
Soul Plates can be turned into Artificial Intelligence program cards for Automatons. These are equipped like attachments in 2 new slots (not attachment slots) one in the head, one in the body, and they change the AI of the Automaton, giving players control over the abilities used by the automaton and access to new abilities and traits.

These AI Cards are separated into two groups: Weapon and Ether Control Cards. While they only drop from Archaic Machinery (Gears, Chariots, Ramparts), many Soul Plate cards can be used in the creation of AI cards to enable other special properties. Ether Control Cards can only be created from soul plates taken of enemies with mage jobs. (AI cards are added to the Automaton's attachment list, or something exactly like it, only for cards.)


Judgemaster's "Judge Cards" and "Law Cards"

* Judge Cards
While all four can be purchased from a Simulacrum city merchant, they can also be crafted.

Synthesis recipes for the consumable Judge Cards:
(1 Synthesis creates NQ 33, HQ1 66, HQ2 99, HQ3 99x2) Quiver into Cases.
Penalty (Yellow) Polyflan Paper x1, Paralysis Powder x1, Yellow Textile Dye x1, Earth Crystal
Prohibition (Red) Polyflan Paper x1, Terroanima x1, Red Textile Dye x1, Earth Crystal
Approval (White) Polyflan Paper x1, (any Mandragora Bud x1), White Textile Dye x1, Earth Crystal
Permission (Blue) Polyflan Paper x1, Photoanima x1, Blue Textile Dye x1, Earth Crystal

* Law Cards
Law Cards are the means by which Judgemasters learn their Penalties, Prohibitions and Approvals.
These are created by bringing in a soul plate related to one of the laws. Each soul plate could create a range of laws depending on the monster in the picture. Thus, this method of card creation must ask for which law you wish to learn from those available. The NPC will create the selected Law Card from the soul plate. The NPC will keep the soul plate as payment to research, while you get the Law Card for free.

[AyinDygra]

Details about Automaton AI Control Cards
Based on Empress Jubleel's research into programming Automatons so they could act on their own without direct control of every action by their Puppeteer, the Simulacrum scientists have created new programming AI cards to modify the actions of Automatons using the traits and tendencies of creatures whose data has been recorded on soul plates.

I'd only expect an On/Off sort of system, or choosing triggers from the elemental list, but if a rudimentary "Gambit" system could be put in place for more precise control, it would be even better, though not a realistic expectation. For those who think Pup already has enough control of their automaton through maneuvers, I think it's far too limiting, and new attachments keep eating active maneuvers, ruining control setups, both for weaponskills and magic priorities.)

AI cards can be switched out on the fly, and flipping abilities and spells on and off can be done without deactivating the automaton, unlike attachments. (Switching any option on or off will reset all hidden ability timers for abilities like Shock Absorber, ranged attack and spellcasting cooldown as if they had just been used.)

All Weapon Control Cards (WCC):
* Enable/Disable weaponskills and abilities from a menu.
* Last used Control checklist should be saved for each Head/Frame combination. (I won't suggest this for each AI card)
* This removes maneuvers from the weaponskill priority system.

Weapon Control Cards created from most enemies simply grant the generic job traits of the source monster's job to the Automaton. Bosses sometimes grant unique traits and the occasional abilities to the automaton.

Examples:

Sapling WCC: Adds Warrior job traits to the automaton. (perhaps add Beast Killer and weakness to Plantoid killer)
Archaic Gear WCC: Adds Warrior job traits and adds Restoral to the weaponskill list.
Archaic Rampart WCC: Adds Beastmaster job traits to the automaton.
LBC WCC: (Long-Bowed Chariot) Adds a version of Homing Missile to the weaponskill list.
Gurfurlur WCC: Adds versions of Haymaker and Sledgehammer to the weaponskill list.
Cerberus WCC: Adds a potent triple attack trait. Greatly reduces Fire maneuver overload rate.

Menu: (Valoredge head/body with Archaic Gear WCC)
Abilities Control
Shield Bash . . . Use
Chimera Ripper. . off
String Clipper. . off
Cannibal Blade. . Use
Bone Crusher. . . off
String Shredder . Use
Restoral. . . . . Use

All Ether Control Cards (ECC):
* Enable/Disable spells from a menu.
* Ether Control Cards often add all the spells of their source monster's job.
* Cards can also add an AI tendency to prefer certain spells over others.
* Maneuvers now only control attachments, not AI.
* Last used Control checklist should be saved for each Head/Frame combination. (I won't suggest this for each AI card)
* The menu for spells cannot be as detailed as Weaponskills since there are so many more options. They should be grouped together, such as:

Spells . . . . . . . . Control
"Enfeebles". . . . . . . off
Elemental Magic Tier I . off
Elemental Magic Tier II. off
Elemental Magic Tier III off
Elemental Magic Tier IV. Use
Elemental Magic Tier V . Use
Status Removal(self) . . off
Status Removal(master) . off
Cure (self). . . . . . . off
Cure (master). . . . . . Use
Cure I . . . . . . . . . off
Cure II. . . . . . . . . off
Cure III . . . . . . . . Use
Cure IV. . . . . . . . . Use
Cure V . . . . . . . . . Use
Cure VI. . . . . . . . . off
Drain (under 50% HP) . . Use (possibly options for Drain, like "Under 25%/Under 50%/Under 75%HP)
Aspir (under 25% MP) . . Use (possibly options for Aspir, like "Under 25%/Under 50%/Under 75%MP)
Haste(self). . . . . . . Use
Haste(master). . . . . . Use

The list would auto-trim down to only those spells available with the Head/Frame combination in use.

Example Ether Control Cards:

Hilltroll PLD ECC: Adds all Paladin spells to the magic list. Prioritizes Flash, Self-Cures.
Wind Elemental ECC: Adds Tornado, Blink and Haste to the magic list. Prioritizes Blink on Soulsoother/Harlequin, Tornado on Spiritreaver/Stormwaker.