Rules Update: Superior Traits

The New Dynamic of “Superior” Traits

With the re-writing of higher lists we are taking the opportunity to make a change in the difference between the Lower List skills and the Higher List skills. This difference is the “Superior” trait.  In general all new Offensive and Defensive skills on the higher lists will have the “Superior” trait.  Keep an eye on all new Higher List abilities to see whether they contain the Superior trait and assess how they function.

Superior attacks, can only be defended against by Superior defenses.  In practice what this will accomplish will be to bridge the gap between mid level and high level characters. It will also in general help to bring back a little bit of fear to the high level characters of the game. Overall they will need to be more aware of their position in battle, because any Superior attacks that target a 80th level character can only be blocked against by Superior defenses… the same number of Superior defenses that a 20th level character would have if they both maxed out.  

On top of this change, Higher Lists will also be broken up into paths that will force the players to make choices. Do you want to be a master warrior that focuses on offense or defense? This also in effect helps to make them more unique, so that not all master warriors are the same.

With this we will be more closely watching how monsters and encounters are sent out.  Random encounters should never have superior skills, unless very deliberately put out by staff for a purpose. Low levels should not have trolls break down their door and hit them with Superior attacks… however if low levels force themselves onto a high level mod, the error is theirs.  We are not promising any new formula, simply stating that we will adjust the way we send out NPCs to fit around this new game dynamic.

All in all we strongly believe this will be a very positive thing for the game environment and we hope that you will either immediately recognize the value of the change, or at the very least discover it and realize it for yourselves after a few months.

Since promotional skills are unique and usable once per event, will they be superior or remain lesser defenses?

Can Nocturne of Undisturbed Dreams negate a superior attack?  (I assume the answer to this is no).

Since promotional skills are unique and usable once per event, will they be superior or remain lesser defenses?

These will stay superior.

Can superior defenses also block non-superior attacks if needed?

Yes.

Since promotional skills are unique and usable once per event, will they be superior or remain lesser defenses?

These will stay superior.

Since the smith promo is not a skill but an item and you can't obviously make the skills the item possess have the superior trait, do our items stay as is or will a single superior trait be included with them in some form or another?

The unique ability would more than likely be considered a Superior skill.

Ah, so in my case, I'm boned. Gotcha.

As promo skills are considered Superior, how is Holy Word handled when it is used to grant an attack which is not Superior?

Specifically, Holy Word - Blade of Victory

Gypsy Death Curse specifies that only Resist Curse can defend against it.  Is GDC considered Superior, or is it a special case.

Its a special case because even Superior defenses don't block it.

Sean

Random question that I thought of the other day.  Are the dodge's that I get through the Exemplar ritual considered Superior cause they come from a Higher List or regular since they're just a dodge?

The dodge is just a dodge. 

Along the same lines as Mike's question, would Ritual of Chrono Step be superior or remain a lower-list Dodge?

Random question I just thought of.

Chrono step would likely be superior because all it does is a self castable defense.

Are you able to call intercept on a superior skill and take the attack for someone? On that note, can you combine intercept with a superior defense like Repel or Immaculate Defense, or would you have to use skills like Intercede?

You may use a normal intercept to take the effect of a superior attack. From that point you can as well use a superior defense to defend against it.

Ritual of Fear says it gives you two uses of fear, and one 'terror'. Are either or both of these skills going to be superior?

As of now there are no Superior mind effects, so no.

Sean