New DoH job proposal

With all the new combat jobs that have been added (NIN, DRK, MCH and AST) and being a very avid craftsman, I feel somewhat neglected with what's changed, evolved and been added in the world of DoH. I've been pondering what could be done to give it a new "spark" and bring out more of the mutual benefit of Combat+Crafting. With some encouragement from friends the following is what I propose. (The (?) means this aspect/name/value/etc. is especially subject and likely to change.)

Job Title: Scribe (or maybe Runesmith or Historian or Linguist)

Tools Used: Quill/Pen (ALC or CRP made) main hand and Center Point/Chisel (ARM or BSM made) off hand

Job Skills: same universal skill set as existing DoH jobs. Job specific and cross-over skills could be:

Examine Lv 15 - Similar to Observe but 22CP cost and increased chance at procing Good/Excellent condition.

Proofread Lv 50 - Similar to Great Strides but for Synthesis instead of Touches.

Ambidextrous Lv 54 - Progress 100% efficiency and Quality 100% efficiency with 80% Success and 16 CP cost. Durability cost 15.

Item types crafted: "Paper" Scrolls, Stone Tablets (rune stones), trinkets and other codified knowledge

Types of primary materials used: skins, hides and logs to craft "paper" or wooden totems/plaques or stones and ores to make rune stones, trinkets and stone tablets.

Types of secondary/other DoH materials used: Inks from ALC, other base mats from other DoH to make final scroll/tablet/rune/totem (ribbons and bindings from WVR/LTW for scrolls, gems from GSM for runes and tablets, rough lumber from CRP for totems/plaques, etc.).

A few examples of crafted items (lots more, but just to give an idea):

Scroll of Improved <STR/DEX/VIT/MND/INT/PIE> Rank I, II & III - Any class/level. Once read an increase to this stat will be permanently increased by +2, +3 and +5 (respective to the Scroll Rank and would have to be read in rank order).

Rune of Lesser Chance Rank I, II & III - DoH Level 30, 50, 55 respectively. Once read an increase to melding chance of 15%(?) for 3, 4 or 5 attempts is granted (respective to the Scroll Rank).

Rune of Greater Chance Rank I, II & III - DoH Level 30, 50, 55 respectively. Once read an increase to melding chance of 20%, 40% or 60% for a single attempt is granted (respective to the Scroll Rank).

Totem of <Skill/Spell Name> Level 55 (?) WHM, SCH & AST. (Will use Stoneskin as the example spell.) Once studied this totem will grant a permanent increase of +5% (?) to the skills Stoneskin & Stoneskin II.

Tablet of Diminshment (for TP)[Dwindling (for MP)] Rank I, II & III. Once recited a temporary ((?)or permanent), 1%, 2% or 3% respective, reduction to all skill TP (or MP) costs will be granted. (if permanent, would have to decipher the tablets in rank order.)

Instead of permanent stat buffs (which would be game breaking if allowed to stack, and dreadful for "replay value" since after everyone has them there would be no more need) have them give long-lasting buffs (like 30-60 min duration), or have them be "permanent" buffs that come off with death or job change.

@Morari

1) The permanence for stats would be similar to attribute point allocation... only subject to the job it was used on. So a WAR who learns a STR stat wouldn't have the bonuses applied to any other job, not even PLD and DRK. Also, at level 60 and i190 as a slaying WAR I have 925STR, if I used all 3 scrolls for +2, then +3 and +5) I'd only go up 10 STR to 935STR which I don't think is even close to "game breaking". I imagine that any or all stats getting a max of +10 to them would be more than OK for game play dynamics.

2) The permanence for skills I don't think would be overly detrimental either. Considering SS used to be 18% for WHM and 10% for x-over the +5% it'd be less than what WHM had prior. And yes, they are a one and done, single use, consumable, but they are all job specific application not character application so every character has the potential of needing multiples of each as they level each of the 13 combat/adventure jobs and maybe even some primary stat boosts for the DoL node bonuses.

The stat buff thing seems like it would either be:
- Really broken or make almost no difference depending on whether they're limited - there isn't really any middle ground here.
- Too similar to food effects (if the duration is long)
- Too similar to potions (if the duration is short.)

Where I see this idea having a real niche of its own is on the skill-buffing side. Having a rune of knowledge of a particular action could do something like reduce its usage cost or cooldown, increase its effect, or provide other additional effects (with an effect duration similar to food.) This could add a level of tactical depth if you could only have one such effect active at a time, as is the case with food.

It feels like they'd essentially have to convert all crafted grimoires over to this new job though. It wouldn't make sense for ALC to make all the books when a scribe job exists.

@PirateCat

1) The stats would be limited to 1 of each rank, and required to be read in order and maybe level restricted, like Rank I +2 lv20+, Rank II+3 Lv 45+, Rank III+5 at 51+... basically a permanent "materia meld" the soulstone for that job instead of the jobs gear. And limit the total number of books either by job or character. Like materia melding on gear would the boosts be a must, almost certainly not. Would they be of benefit though, without question.

2) ALC makes books yes, but they are weapons. Scribe would be on the "improvement to existing" not take away from existing. Like a Scribe could make a "Do more damage to mechanical monsters" scroll that the ALC (or any weapon craft job) would use while crafting a "Noble's Codex <of Machines>" or like melding, an ALC would have to infuse the mechanical monster damage scroll onto the weapon

3) ALC would be a lot different if items such as the Drac Pots weren't so subject to RNG and time (the furymint and aethersands) .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PirateCat

The stat buff thing seems like it would either be:
- Really broken or make almost no difference depending on whether they're limited - there isn't really any middle ground here.
- Too similar to food effects (if the duration is long)
- Too similar to potions (if the duration is short.)

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The main difference between this stuff and food/potions is that it does a lot to combine the two sorts of buffs. Food only gives long duration buffs to secondary stats (and vitality), potions give short duration (and long cooldown) buffs to primary stats. These give long duration buffs (permanent increases would be too broken) that give main stats (STR, DEX etc), would definitely have their own niche and depending on their strength, shouldn't be too hard to create balanced content around.