Blue Mage Ability - Unleash

[Randwolf]

I posted this in the general forum, since it would not just impact Blue Mage significantly but has the possibility to inflect negative results on a party. No comments from the general forum though.

I had been thinking about this type of ability for 3 reasons:

1) When I first got Bomb Toss, I wondered if I could 'fumble' it like a Goblin and damage myself

2) The Blue Mage story line and the danger of allowing yourself to be consumed by your abilities

3) I like the concept of great power with the possibility of grave consequences for using that power

At level 99, I'd like to see BLU gain an ability called "Unleash." It would be a timed ability, perhaps 2 minutes in length, perhaps using the 2 hour timer for Azure Lore, where the player looses complete control of the character, not unlike Charm, and transforms into a Psychflayer, including how the player appears. All spells that have been learned by that BLU become accessible to the, what now has essentially become, NPC, and will be used randomly against enemies. The weighted possibility of spell use will be on offensive, high level spells which will also get a significant damage boost. The player will also get a boost against enfeeblements and will become untargetable by any PC until all enemies which have hate on the BLU are defeated or the BLU is defeated. After all current enemies are defeated, if they are defeated, the player will become targetable to PC's and will attack anyone who is, or was, in the party when the transformation took place as well as any non-party PC who acts upon him. At the end of the ability, the BLU would drop to the ground as if he had been defeated, if PC's have not already defeated him. Also, if the BLU is not in a party, any items or gil that would have dropped to a PC will not be dropped by defeated monsters. So, if a party wanted to use this ability as a strategy against a monster, they would essentially need to take a risk themselves by staying in a party with the BLU to obtain drops.

Anyway, just an idea that I think would add more dimension to the job and also fits into the storyline.

[Djinnrb]

The idea started out cool then by the time I finished reading I dislike the idea. I don't like losing control of my character... If it was a ability that lasted 2 mins and would boost ur ability's with chance of taking dmg or some debuff from certain spells.

[Randwolf]

The idea started out cool then by the time I finished reading I dislike the idea. I don't like losing control of my character... If it was a ability that lasted 2 mins and would boost ur ability's with chance of taking dmg or some debuff from certain spells.

Noted. I don't like losing control either. Have had it happen enough in Dynamis. But, I'll add that even in those cases, it was some of the most fun we've had in Dynamis of late. And even the people who were getting killed by Charmed people were laughing. Perhaps my end game shells have a bit of twisted humor to them.

Also, my vision of the damage increase would be substantial. Not a Primal Brew substantial, but a big one. Imagine if the BLU not only got all the spells, the BLU got all the stat boosts and Traits from the spells. I guess I view it as the BLU equivalent of Hundred Fists but stronger. And, thus why the loss of control. The amount of damage I see would definitely be imbalanced if the player could control the character. Plus, I love the storyline of how the BLU's who acquire too much power go insane. The reason for the enfeeblement resists is two fold: one, to make it difficult for the monster to stop the BLU and two, to make it difficult for the party to stop him afterward when he turns on them, if it reaches that point. The idea is 'strategic risk.' And, yes, the BLU is essentially sacrificing his control in the hopes of success for his party. I will add that there would be a need for RR to stick so after the BLU collapsed, he would not need a raise from a party member.

The game has become "give me more power without consequence." I honestly would like to see some other jobs also get some overpowered abilities with a consequence. But, BLU is the easiest to do it with since it follows our storyline.

[Kwate]

Not a bad idea, doubt that will happen, that being said, instead of death maybe a weakness state like self destruct.

[Varchesis]

I posted this in the general forum, since it would not just impact Blue Mage significantly but has the possibility to inflect negative results on a party. No comments from the general forum though.

I wished for the longest time that you could go the 'dark BLU' path and become a squid-head lol. But I doubt that SE really looks into their lore as deeply as players do.

Your proposed ability is rather extreme tho I do love it.

The sad thing is Azure Lore does nothing of this kind and nothing much altogether.

I propose that if there were some ability like your 'Unleash' devs would instead give you something like my version of Azure Lore, which you may see is not too different from what you propose.

AZURE LORE:
Enhances Magic, Attack and Refresh. Grants the effect of 'Reflect'.

-Reflect would work like this:
The BLU reflects ALL magic and some percentage of physical attacks (perhaps 20%). Attacks/Nukes/Buffs/Debuffs/Cures targeting the BLU can 'reflect' and hit *any* target (Player and NPC) engaged in current combat.

-Enhances Magic and Attack would work like this: gain a massive MAB and ATK Bonus (perhaps +10~30 scaled to current BLU Magic Skill) for the duration.

-Refresh effect (perhaps +5~20 scaled to current BLU Magic Skill).

This would be equivalent to a lore-based superior MDB, ATK and MAB while simulating the randomness of a charm-like event. Because as hate is increased by the BLU, the enemy NPCs would focus attacks on the BLU and hit random targets via Reflect.

I would love if devs could simply give you a Soulflayer variant and swap that in during this effect but the result would probably be to do Reflect as a glowing, undulating bubble surrounding the BLU for the duration of the 2 hour. That would be fine, also.

[Varchesis]

If the devs ever gave us a Soulflayer visual swap I'd say make it balanced and have physical attacks disabled so the BLU would focus purely on magic casting. Heck, maybe even give us a questable weapon called "Mind Flayer" which would allow the transformation effect.

[Randwolf]

I do agree. If something not as extreme, definitely some kind of change/major boost to Azure Lore. I think I've used it 5 times the entire time I've had the job, because it's so disappointing.

[Komori]

Was I the only one who was semi-shocked when the job-emote turned out not to be us changing into a Soulflayer?

[sope]

Was I the only one who was semi-shocked when the job-emote turned out not to be us changing into a Soulflayer?

Personally, I use and love my BLU emote far too much to complain.

/jobemote blu
/s accept my seed

[Varchesis]

lmao @ 'accept my seed'

@Komori as much as I dream of becoming a Soulflayer I didn't think about it as a job emote. That would be cool. But I'd prefer a job-only-costume if it can't be done as a 2HR or special ability. Like BLM changing into an imp as a costume lol
I'd love that!