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Originally posted by Simon Darkstep
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Introduction
Before we get started though, lets run through some general things.
First of all, DBs do not play like Solars in a lot of ways, I made a whole thread about the mechanics of that, but here's a quick summary. Firstly your power as a DB lies much more in your merits than it does in your charms. A Solar tends to destroy a city by running through it smashing down every building with his bare hands, a DB tends to destroy a city by sipping tea on his flagship while his army burns it down for him. Which isn't to say Solars can't have armies and DBs can't kick ass, it's just the way the world and the mechanics are set up one is easier.
Speaking of mechanics, you're going to find it differs quite a bit here too. Solars have a LOT of stuff to combo together, so you leap into range with this, double the overflow damage with this, double rolled damage with that, use this to negate your opponent's soak and AHMAGAD BAAAAM you did 40 levels of damage when you only had 11 initiative, and you just reset to 18 because you destroyed a size 3 battlegroup. With DBs what you've got is a toolbox. You've got a charm that lets you close to distance and attack, a charm that lets you fire off an entangling shot to wrap your opponent up in thorny vines, a charm that lets you grapple at range with water tendrils. They combo with very few other charms, but they all give you new powers and things you couldn't do before.
There's also a big opportunity to get a LOT of charms, because you're going to be essence 2 for a long time, so feel free to go wide or deep or both. That being said, there are a few little things within some trees which I think should be easy to spot, but I'll explain anyway.
Air Aspect Tutor
So for the first one we have is an air aspect tutor, teacher, professor. She's a major player in the esteemed Spiral Academy and often leads highly advanced classes out into satrapies to oversee some of the most difficult places to manage.
What she does in combat
In combat she's not going to attack every turn, but often every other turn. The reason for this is because Drawing Lightning Style, which gives bonus aim dice to damage rather than attack, Death From Nowhere, which lets her attacks ignore lower of (Essence or Perception) points of soak from armor, and Sky Calming Draw, which lets her ignore weather based penalties, all require an aim action before being used. This can be taken advantage of in one of two ways. At short range, where you don't need to aim to fire but aiming gives you 3 bonus attack dice, you can target very high defense and/or high soak enemies and pound away at them with devastating withering attacks. This works out well because if the enemy is hard to hit or is reducing you down to your overwhelming damage then getting that extra powerful shot in is worth.
Against weaker enemies this strategy can still be effective as it is very mote efficient. Otherwise it's more damage to attack every turn and use your Air Aura to use Sky Calming Draw to negate the weather penalties, if there are any. This option is also good because with the air anima you can move around up and down at will and deflect ranged projectiles.
Another way to do this is to sit back at long range, far, far away from the action, and alternate aiming and firing. This gives you full use of all your charms, always, and gives you the pretty impressive defense of 3 range bands between you and anything that wants to do you harm. Later on I suggest picking up Arrow Thorn Technique as it's balanced and also benefits from aiming.
She can also use Dragon Kin Empowerment to give her allies her Aura and even transfer them motes when they need it. Later on she may also want to pick up Hopping Firecracker Evasion, but that will kill her Air Aura, so use it only in emergencies, or when you don't need the aura.
What she does in social settings
In social settings she can really shine and come into her own as a teacher. She's got Wind Carried Words, and Language Learning Ritual, which will allow her to break down the barriers of distance and language respectively to deliver her message. Where she gets a lot of strength though is from her Lore charms. Combining Elemental Concentration Trance with Careful Insight Gathering Study and Flawless Study Focus she can gain almost any specialty and introduce facts based on it. That can be a huge help in social areas. She can also spread the love too though, with Dragon Kin Empowerment she can give her allies their own specialties.
Remember that for Dragonblooded specialties can count for double, as they're factored into the calculation for their dicecap.
Lastly she can go around the whole circle and give them dots in attributes, abilities, and specialties, allowing them to pay off this price later by going into experience debt. Nicely this also super cuts down on the training times, 5 times faster in this case. Everyone in your party should be 1 ability/attribute/specialty dot ahead at all times if that's where they're spending xp. Also they can offer it to NPCs, at no debt, which can be a good trade and worth some favours later.
Air Aspect Assassin
She's an assassin that uses stealth, thrown, larceny, athletics and occult to always ALWAYS get her target.
What she does in Combat
In combat two things happen. Either she's alone, creeping up on a target, or she's in a brawl with her hearth. If she's assassinating somebody she uses Perfect Climbing Attitude and Soaring Leap Technique to make sure she gets to her target no matter what high tower they may be sleeping in, and get into their window using Soundless Action Prana to quiet things down. Once inside she poisons her weapon with Venomous Thorn Attack and goes for the throat. If that doesn't work she can use Vanishing Wind Body, Blinding Spark Throw, and Soundless Action Prana in some combination to get back into stealth and finish the job.
In a brawl it's a bit different. She can try to establish stealth to get unexpected attacks off, that's useful. She can also just use Blinding Spark Throw to give her whole hearth a nice advantage against a tough enemy. She can also use Invisibly Hidden Chakram method, especially combined with Mela's Twin Fangs to make a dinner party lethal. One hides the weapons while the other lets her do a devastating double attack to instantly crash opponents.
Advice for the future is maybe pick up another dot of medicine, and up to poisoner's deft hand. It's great for poisons.
What she does in social settings
In social settings she's not so well equipped. She's got Whispering Thief Technique, which allows her to throw her voice, which can make for some very fun roleplay with good results. Where she's good directly though is making threats. She's got Spirit Chaining Strike, so when your party is engaging with some haughty spirit who's thinking he can just dematerialize right out of the conversation, let him know that your friendly assassin friend can keep him right where he is. She's also very helpful in detecting where the spirits are in the first place, and making sure you're not being watched during your private conversations with Observer Awareness Technique.
Where she shines is in her indirect affect. She's a spy who has contacts across the entire Blessed Isle. You go somewhere, she's got a guy, you need poison, she's got a guy, want to know how the people feel about the Satrap? Yep, she's got a guy. She speaks low realm so she can talk to the commoners and understand them, and with some serious backing from house Tepet you don't want to face her anywhere where they have sway.
Anyway, that's it for the first installment, next up is Earth aspects, look for a cunning general as well as an unstoppable stone monk.
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