Job Idea Revised: Puppetmaster (DPS)

[Mimilu]

*This is a revision of my previous Puppetmaster job idea so that it fits in with how jobs currently are. I'm making a new thread because I don't like necro-threading my old threads.*

*Please note, this was designed purely for fun and I do NOT expect SE to implement it in any way, shape, or form.*

Puppetmaster (PUP)
Pet-Using Melee DPS with Utility
Weapon: Puppets and Controls (In one weapon slot). The user uses the Controls to attack, while the Puppet they summon looks like the Puppet that comes with the controls.
Attack Type: Blunt, Close Range. Puppetmasters have two auto-attacks, one from themself and one from their Puppet. Both do 50% of the damage.
Armor: Light Armor, Scouting
Limit Break: Game Over (Melee)
Role Actions: Physical Ranged DPS
Important Stats: Dexterity for damage, TP for cost



Sharlayan performers and toy makers who synchronize their movements with magitek puppets to entertain allies and confound enemies, attacking in unison during their master's attacks and combos.
Using special abilities called Maneuvers, Puppetmasters can infuse themselves and their puppets with aether for either offensive or defensive purposes and infuse their allies with the same aether with Assimilate.
In addition, they can overclock their puppet through a variety of means, increasing its performance. But be warned, some of these methods will lead to (luckily, temporary) repercussions for the puppet down the line.
Learning how to play around these boons is a must for any good Puppetmaster. Luckily, the burden is somewhat eased with the Puppetmaster's Cooldown technique, that will remove one of these negative effects from their puppet.
Puppetmasters can also send their puppet to attack a separate enemy via their ability, Show Time, sacrificing the power they would have together to cover more ground.

Special Mechanics
Pet Control
As oppose to the Arcanists, Summoners, and Scholars, Puppetmasters synchronize their puppet's movements with their own.
Whenever the user auto-attacks, uses String Clipper or String Shredder, or combos Hammermill and/or Stringing Pummel the Puppet will also on its selected target.
Additionally, Puppets lack the delay on their abilities Arcanist/Summoner/Scholar pets have and will automatically use said ability when pressed.
However, Puppets cannot use abilities like Armor Piercer or Magic Mortar unless told to.
Puppets will automatically target their owner's target unless the ability Show Time is used.
While under the effect of Show Time, the Puppet will continue to attack that target until it is either defeated/disappears or the user uses Shows Over.
If a target is defeated or disappears while Show Time is up, the Puppet will automatically switch to the user's target.

HUD Display(s): Maneuver Widget and Puppet Diagnostics
The first display, the Maneuver Widget, is a series of 4 Gauges: a Water/Wind Gauge, a Earth/Fire Gauge, a Dark Gauge, and a Assimilation Gauge.
The first 3 gauges will display both the effect time and the cooldown time of their respective Maneuver abilities.
Water and Wind Maneuver and Earth and Fire Maneuver share gauges, respectively.
When Dark Maneuver is used, the Water/Wind and Earth/Fire Gauges will be blacked out.
The forth gauge, the Assimilation Gauge, will light up when Assimilate is off cooldown.

The second display, the Puppet Diagnostics, will show the user's Puppet's HP bar (with percentage), enmity level with the target they are currently attacking, if Show Time is activated, and any buffs or debuffs the player has placed on them via an ability.
When the Puppet get a Cannibal Blade, Deus ex Automata, Fine-Tuning, Heady Artifice, Light Maneuver, Overdrive, and/or Ventriloquy effect, a light for that respective effect will turn on and a timer will display the effect's time.
For positive effects, the light will be green. For negative effects, the light will be red.
For abilities that start off with a positive effect but turn into negative effects afterwards (Heady Artifice and Overdrive) the light and timer will change accordingly to the effect.
Each light will have an abbreviation to indicate which effect it represents.
When Show Time is activated, a small light will turn on with a white light.

Skills and Abilities

Pet Abilities
- Activation/Deactivate: Ability. When first used, summon the user's Puppet. When used a second time, order the user's Puppet to leave the battlefield. 6 second cast time for Activation, 1 second cast time for Deactivate. 2.5 second cooldown.
- Armor Piercer: Ability. Have the user's puppet damage the selected target (Range: 20 yalms). Additionally, Increase Damage done by Pets on the selected target by 5% for 15 seconds. Only one Armor Piercer can be on a target at a time. Potency of 150. Instant cast time. 30 second cooldown.
- Cannibal Blade: Ability. For 15 seconds, convert 50% of the damage the user's Puppet does into HP for both the user and their Puppet. Instant cast time. 90 second cooldown.
- Cooldown: Ability. Removes one detrimental status effect from the user's Puppet that they received from one of the user's skills. This will prioritize the status effect with most amount of time still on it. Instant cast time. 200 second cooldown.
- Deus Ex Automata: Ability. Summon the user's Puppet but with a 50% Attack Speed Decrease for 15 seconds. Instant cast time. 160 second cooldown.
- Heady Artifice: Ability. Causes the user's Puppet's next 5 Single-Target, Damaging Weaponskills or Abilities to automatically be Critical Hits (Duration: 15 seconds). Additionally, removes Light Maneuver from the user's Puppet. Afterwards, for 15 seconds, the Puppet cannot be effected by any Maneuver ability (except for Dark Maneuver). Instant cast time. 180 second cooldown.
- Light Maneuver: Ability. For 20 seconds, create 2 After Images of the user's Puppet that will mimic the Puppet, doing 20% of the damage it would. These After Images only do damage on Auto-Attacks and Single Target Weaponskills and Abilities. Instant cast time. 90 second cooldown.
- Magic Mortar: Ability. Has user's puppet damage the selected target (Range: 20 yalms). Potency of 220. Instant cast time. 15 second recast.
- Overdrive: Ability. Increase the user's Puppet's Attack Power by 50% for 15 seconds. Afterwards, The Puppet's Attack Power will Decrease by 25% and they cannot be effected by Maneuver abilities (except for Dark Maneuver) for 30 seconds. Instant cast time. 120 second cooldown.
- Show Time/Shows Over: Ability. When first used, sends the user's Puppet to attack a target. When used a second time, makes the user's Puppet come back to them and attack the target the user is currently targeting. Instant cast time. 1 second cooldown.
- Ventriloquy: Ability. Transfer all Aggro the user generates for 15 seconds to their Puppet. Additionally, Decrease Damage the user's Puppet receives by 15%. Instant cast time. 90 second cooldown.

Offensive Weaponskills and Abilities
- String Clipper: Weaponskill. Damage a selected target. Potency of 100 for the user, 50 for the Puppet.. Instant cast time. 2.5 second cooldown.
- Hammermill: Weaponskill. Damage a selected target. Potency of 50 for the user, 50 for the Puppet. Instant cast time. 2.5 second cooldown.
Combo: String Clipper> Hammermill: Potency of 100. The Puppet will damage the enemy for a Potency of 100.
- Stringing Pummel: Weaponskill. Damage a selected target. Potency of 50 for the user, 50 for the Puppet. Instant cast time. 2.5 second cooldown.
Combo: Hammermill > Stringing Pummel: Potency of 150. The Puppet will damage the enemy for a potency of 150.
- Victory Smite: Weaponskill. Damage a selected target. Potency of 100. Instant cast time. 2.5 second cooldown.
Combo: Hammermill> Victory Smite: Potency of 200. Increase damage the target recieves from Pets by 25% for 15 seconds.
- Chimera Ripper: Weaponskill. Damages a selected target and deals unaspected damage to them over time for 25 seconds. Potency of 25. Instant cast time. 2.5 second cooldown.
- Chakram: Ability. Damage a selected target. Range of 20 yalms. Potency of 120. Instant cast time. 15 second cooldown.
- String Shredder: Ability. Damage all enemies with in 5 yalms of the user or their Puppet (if both the user's and puppet's AoEs overlap, enemies will recieve damage from both). Potency of 100 each. Instant cast time. 15 second cooldown.

Other Abilities
- Assimilate: Ability. Spreads the user's current Earth, Fire, Water, and/or Wind Maneuver buffs to all partymembers with in 15 yalms of the user. Instant cast time. 120 second cooldown.
- Dark Maneuver: Ability. Remove the user's Puppet from the battlefield and recover 500 TP. Additionally, Double the Damage the user does and decrease Damage they receive by 25% for 20 seconds. Activation and other Maneuvers cannot be used while under this effect. Instant cast time. 180 second cooldown.
- Earth Maneuver: Ability. Place a shield on the user and their Puppet that will absorb damage equal to 15% of the user's Max HP (Duration: 20 seconds). If the target has Fire Maneuver on them, remove it. Instant cast time. 60 second cooldown. Shares a cooldown timer with Fire Maneuver.
- Fire Maneuver: Ability. Place a shield on the user and their Puppet that will damage any enemy that damages them for 30 seconds. If the target has Earth Maneuver on them, remove it. Potency of 35. Instant cast time. 60 second cooldown. Shares a cooldown timer with Earth Maneuver.
- Elemental Slots: Ability. Grants the user, their Puppet, and all partymembers with in a 15 yalms of the user a random Earth, Fire, Water, or Wind Maneuver effect with double the potency. These Maneuver effects will not be removed if a Maneuver ability is used and can be Spread with Assimilate. Instant cast time. 200 second recast.
- Water Maneuver: Ability. Decrease Damage the user and their Puppet recieve by 10% for 15 seconds. If the target has Wind Maneuver on them, remove it. Instant cast time. 60 second cooldown. Shares a cooldown timer with Wind Maneuver.
- Wind Maneuver: Ability. Increase the user and their Puppet's Attack Speed by 10% for 15 seconds. If the target has Water Maneuver on them, remove it. Instant cast time. 60 second cooldown. Shares a cooldown timer with Water Maneuver.

Skill Levels and Traits

Skill Level
1. String Clipper
2. Water Maneuver
4. Activation/Deactivate & Show Time/Shows Over
6. Hammer Mill
10. Chakram
15. Cannibal Blade
18. Chimera Ripper
26. Stringing Pummel
30. Wind Maneuver
30. Ventriloquy
35. Earth Maneuver
40. Fire Maneuver
50. Victory Smite
50. Assimilate
52. Armor Piercer
54. String Shredder
56. Overdrive
58. Heady Artifice
60. Cooldown
62. Deus Ex Automata
64. Magic Mortar
66. Dark Maneuver
68. Light Maneuver
70. Elemental Slots

Traits
20. Dexterity I: Increase Dexterity by 8 points.
36. Stout Servant: Whenever both the user and their puppet take damage from the same attack/weaponskill/spell/ability (excluding damage-over-time effects and environmental effects), there is a 50% chance that the user's puppet will not receive more damage then the user, even if it was hit with a direct or critical hit.
40. Dexterity II: Increase Dexterity by 16 points.
40. Fine-Tuning: Whenever the user lands a critical hit, the user's Puppet has a 25% chance of receiving a 10% increase to its Critical Hit rate (Duration: 15 seconds).
60. Dexterity III: Increase Dexterity by 24 points.
68. Optimization: Reduce the cooldown time of Assimilate and Earth, Fire, Water, and/or Wind Maneuver by 5% every time the user's Puppet lands a critical hit.

[Thandronen]

I think it's a start but honestly, I'd like to see Puppetmaster be the first job/class that could perform any of the 3 roles in a party (not all at once of course!). All of the skills could retain the same names and actions but just 'Perform' differently depending on which role you decide to undertake. Once you're in an instance/party, you can only change roles by being out of the instance or party.

I am certain they could make it work and think about it... everyone would want to level one at some point knowing you could feasibly play every role, making it versatile and fun. It should be a jack of all trades type of job where it can hold its own but it's not the premiere job of any role.

[NinjaTaru72]

+1
/10 chars

[Kazrah]

Looks interesting, but I'd like to know why the job needs elemental themes and why you have the job's origin location as Sharlaya (a nation known far more for academia than technology).

[Mimilu]

Looks interesting, but I'd like to know why the job needs elemental themes and why you have the job's origin location as Sharlaya (a nation known far more for academia than technology).

The Elemental Maneuvers come from XI, where they are used to enhance the effect of your puppet's equippable parts. My Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind Maneuvers are based off the effects of parts (example: Earth is based off of the Shock Absorber part, which occasionally grants Stoneskin in XI). Dark and Light Maneuver are also in XI but I made their effects up from scratch.

As for why Sharlayan, they've shown an aptitude for mammets/automatons in the Antitower and the Great Gubal Library (Hard). Plus they seem to have a more whimsical aesthetic that I think would fit Puppetmaster and differentiate it from Machinist.

[Kazrah]

The Elemental Maneuvers come from XI, where they are used to enhance the effect of your puppet's equippable parts. My Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind Maneuvers are based off the effects of parts (example: Earth is based off of the Shock Absorber part, which occasionally grants Stoneskin in XI). Dark and Light Maneuver are also in XI but I made their effects up from scratch.

As for why Sharlayan, they've shown an aptitude for mammets/automatons in the Antitower and the Great Gubal Library (Hard). Plus they seem to have a more whimsical aesthetic that I think would fit Puppetmaster and differentiate it from Machinist.

So basically you want an XI job in XIV.....welp, there goes my vote.

[DaikiKiyoshi]

So basically you want an XI job in XIV.....welp, there goes my vote.

So it looked interesting until comparisons were made to XI? Do you lose interest in everything as soon as it's compared to something you don't like?

[Mimilu]

So basically you want an XI job in XIV.....welp, there goes my vote.

It was first playable in XI, after all.
Plus, just because I took inspiration and names for XI's Puppetmaster doesn't mean I want it to be a carbon-copy of it. Several other jobs that are in the game have abilities from XI as well.

[Kazrah]

So it looked interesting until comparisons were made to XI? Do you lose interest in everything as soon as it's compared to something you don't like?

Blah, stupid post limit. Anyway, to answer your question, no. I'm still interested in seeing a puppet-using job, but not if it means taking a past idea and trying to force it into this game.

Plus, just because I took inspiration and names for XI's Puppetmaster doesn't mean I want it to be a carbon-copy of it.

Does it have to be a melee using controls like that when no other previous puppet user did? There was Luca (sorta) using a hammer, Cait Sith using a megaphone not really being a melee combatant (neither was Reeve controlling Cait Sith) and then Lulu using her dolls for black magic spells.

Does it have to use a mammet when there have been other puppets in the game that are also Sharlayan? Like, oh, the first ever puppets in Final Fantasy?



I'm not attacking your concept, especially since you seem to have an understanding for the current dilemma of the pet control system. However, it's because of the examples listed that I see your concept as a carbon copy of the FFXI Puppetmaster.