Post by uhsteve on Dec 29, 2020 22:58:16 GMT
So, you decided to throw away your character and become a Dark Summoner?
First, I hope you have another profession slot. Sariens are already hard enough for you, but this is about to be a trial of patience, albeit a wonderful exploration of creativity. Dark Summoners are necromancers whose power is to contract and summon creatures from the Maosen. Depending on your abilities and knowledge, this can range from modified versions of what you might find in the largely useless built-in system to completely original tests of the Jutsu Admin's collective patience.
To be fair: there has never been a successful core Dark Summoner in the game that I know of. However, players and ECs have made spectacular use of it as something to supplement their abilities.
Mechanics
As of writing this, Zeno has not dropped the Necromancer/Dark Summoner guide for customs to the forum. From what he has explained, Summoners don't summon combat viable creatures. You will never summon something to box for you unless you're a Shizan (See Shizan Section). However, what you lose in this combat viability is that Dark Summons are support for just about anything you can imagine, within reason.
All summons have three fundamental things:
With that, there are several Advanced things including: Cooldowns, Chant times and Tomes. They also behave like players -- so if you are beaten or die, until you pay upkeep, they stay and fight. They also require a LETHAL hit to kill them, unless they have an HP counter, which goes to KO unless the blow is a lethal. However, those are circumstantial as not all demons have this. Not next to the summons KEY VALUES, which is the difference between a Victorious Summon and an En-masse Summon.
Victorious vs. En-Masse
En-Mass demons can be split into two groups: the generics and the demons you custom. The creatures you see coded in are generic en masse demons. They don't have any use at all other than being insanely weak and MAYBE having useful powers. En Masse demons are good because while they can also die, they do NOT get erased. You can whip up another one. Their powers tend to be a bit more limited and their stats are lower, but they are invaluable. Though, remembering Summons are meant to SUPPORT you in battle, their Powers will not be blasts if you want them to be good, but AOE effects, Buffs and Demons. Yes, there will be caps, but I'd sooner cap it than have nothing at all. As all Roleplayers know: the only point that matters is the last one.
(Tip: Great Generic Summons to have are General Hats, Doppelgangers, Envious Serpent, Yummy Asahigo, Goblins, Sandman, Demon Thieves, Slime, and Lillim. Hellhounds are a Maybe, because how the hell are you going to get 100 summons in a battle?)
Victorious Summons are a breed of demon who is an individual, with training, with a personality, with an identity. I think the best way to think of them is as the BEARERS of the Demon World. They can beat an en-masse demons ass, but they will also hold grudges. You might be able to just murder your En-Masse demons like henchmen or the puddy patrol in Power Rangers, but the Victorious Summon will feel some type of way. It's best to think of them as business partners unless they're your affinity summon: that's your partner.
For Victorious Summons, let's see what Sloth has to say for Summoning 101:
That's right: Demons die. And if they do, you will have the technique deleted unless you can justifiably repair it. This isn't done by any other means ever known outside of if you know a Shizan who has gone through the steps to awaken the power to reanimate Demons; few ever do. You can always re-app a similar species with a diff identity, but the IC ramification is done: that summon is dead.
Typically, a Victorious will have an HP counter, so stay on that.
For both, there is something to remember in that HIGHER END stats, which is the stats justified in a Demon's breed, life, knowledge and specialty, can be explained plainly in these ranges. These will tend to be on their own effect row in the Effects section of a custom. Make sure when making a demon, you have justifications. I.E. if you summon a troop of Spartan-style Goblins, they will likely be more proficient Physical Skill or other Physical Stats. Your Base Stats might be set to like 10 potentially to reflect all of your spirit stats being weak.
Before your eyes get wild at the ways you can break this: the admins get final say in customs. Though, remember, that this is your PEAK. So, if you're going for a powerful ability, make sure the stats are only high for the Calcs you will be using for that ability. Don't just dump in a bunch high stats. Sure, you can have secondary skill sets that make since: like if it's Giant Bull, yeah, it'd have high strength, but it's also justifiable to give it a pretty good Durability. Just maybe aim for 10-20 less than your highest stat unless you feel justified that BOTH should be good.
I'm one to say, however, that a lot of summons shouldn't have spectacular Physical Abilities because that'd imply it can fight on its own. Give it a good TRUE power. A specialized skill, over giving it the power to tear phone books in half.
However, if you wanna peep something few people do but should really get into. Let's introduce EQUIPMENT SUMMONS
Equipment Summons are a thing that exist that players have tended to lean into. Demons, in AOG, aren't ugly baby things with animal parts. They also -appear- as objects. To anyone with enough discernment, they aren't really. A General Hat is a hat with an agenda. A Mimic is a box that bites back. Think Yokai in Eastern Myth, but Yokai are real things in AOG so don't look too deeply into that.
In any case, they're anything you can set your mind to. So, if you're a weaponist or a caster: you know there are a plethora of things that can be used for this. You can make a Demon Bow. You can make a Demon Sword. A few things that's been seen are:a Demon Car, a Demon Gun, a Demon Bow, a Demon Boat, etc. They all function like you think, but as they're living demons, there's a LOT of benefit to them. Mostly, they're fantastic because they're living up to the Demon role of supporting you and it fits the lore of an object that is useless without a summoner.
If a Demon is powerful, meaning broken, the Admins will seriously ask the question of why is this thing with free will serving you if it can do so much. S-rank Demons might do it because they can charge you something for it that you will hate to have to do/lose. However, if it's an A-rank or B-rank Demon, it has to be answered what is the drawback to needing you? An Equipment Demon is a thing that needs to be wielded to access ANY of its powers, so it fits the narrative well.
Beginning
So, you made your char and got your start up RPP. Good. Save them. Do not buy the first few techs you see. I mean, there are some that are useful and healthy grabs: Doppelganger, Envious Serpent, General Hat, etc. However, the system is built ONLY for your customs. Wasting RPP early will lead to you being useless in combat. Whereas, if you have your "go-to" summon early, you'll be able to fight in-between waiting for your next summon. This is DOUBLE if you're a Core Summoner.
Next, get a weapon. At the time of writing this, you will be allowed to get up to T2 of a Weapon, but you CANNOT get B-rank techs without locking. You will need to be riding C-rank Techniques. I'm sorry. However, you will be able to not be slapped when fighting a player. And it will prepare you to figure out HOW you fight.
That's the thing about Dark Summoners. How you fight is entirely up to you.
Swarm Myth: Stupid Tactic
Some people swear you can fight by swarms.. Don't listen to that. It might seem cool to summon an army of Goblins or to summon a legion of motherfuckers to jump a B-rank or A-rank enemy, however. That strategy never works because, again, those summons will range from 5-20 Stats and can't land a SINGLE hit, and if they do? They'd tickle. IT's better to summon them as a mass distraction. I tend to say those numbers help if you are trying to limit movement on the field or make them waste energy killing rando henchies while you eat at their mana or set-up another attack.
These are worse than Pawns. These are red shirts. A swarm strategy, because of transitionist as a perk and the fact OP doesn't link to a pack of summons, will never work. Maybe if you summon something that force stacks OP and can justify it. Or if you're a Shizan. Otherwise, don't do it. For the love of the Gezo, don't do it.
Shizan
The Shizan are a clan of Necromancers who go full Overlord Bone Daddy and pursue being a lich. Their Anime inspirations are Tokyo Ghoul, but you can definitely watch Overlord to draw custom inspiration as Shizan do not have a built in list. Shizan are the clan that specializes in summoning. However, this isn't immediately tellable until you realize only a Shizan's Ghoul Powers can allow you to summon remotely, force boosts to all Summons by making all their summons Ghouls, and can make a scaling summon.
Weakness: You require corpses for what you do. Player corpses mostly . You also HAVE to give them your RPP. It's for half cost, but you are largely vulnerable. You will not be combat viable as much as you want to be. Also overreliance on the Lichification is a major law in Shizan. You cannot be as strong as your peers, so you will be eating a lot of hits and just hoping to shrug it off.
Benefits: You get to be damn near unkillable eventually. Shizan are also one of the only Clans with access to thee steps to make Ressurection Techniques and Reanimating old chars. You just gotta hope you can survive that long to use its powers.
ANIME INSPIRATIONS:
(Shizan) shamanking.fandom.com/wiki/Tao_Family
(Shizan/Dark Summoners) overlordmaruyama.fandom.com/wiki/Ainz_Ooal_Gown/Abilities_and_Powers
(Dark Summoners) overlordmaruyama.fandom.com/wiki/Summoner
(Ghouls) tokyoghoul.fandom.com/wiki/Ghoul
First, I hope you have another profession slot. Sariens are already hard enough for you, but this is about to be a trial of patience, albeit a wonderful exploration of creativity. Dark Summoners are necromancers whose power is to contract and summon creatures from the Maosen. Depending on your abilities and knowledge, this can range from modified versions of what you might find in the largely useless built-in system to completely original tests of the Jutsu Admin's collective patience.
To be fair: there has never been a successful core Dark Summoner in the game that I know of. However, players and ECs have made spectacular use of it as something to supplement their abilities.
Mechanics
As of writing this, Zeno has not dropped the Necromancer/Dark Summoner guide for customs to the forum. From what he has explained, Summoners don't summon combat viable creatures. You will never summon something to box for you unless you're a Shizan (See Shizan Section). However, what you lose in this combat viability is that Dark Summons are support for just about anything you can imagine, within reason.
All summons have three fundamental things:
- Base Stats: these are the stats that simplify the relative power of a creature. This is also what makes a demon highly customizeable, as every demon has varying degrees of basic stats as a reflection of its power level. Do not look to the built in system (See below) for this, as they are a more generic breed than what you see in customs. C-rank summons round out 20 base stats, B-rank round out around 40-50 and A-rank can hit up to 80-100. These can be increased with supplementary techniques or with a demon's abilities to turn one demon into a nightmare on the field, but these are its basic powers at an unspecialized margin
- Demon Powers: every demon has a power that makes it an individual. This can be justified a number of ways, but always are an elaboration of what you see in description. There is no real rhyme or reason to it, but if you recognize demon species players can be, you can ride the lines of jusitification pretty easily. I.E. a Book of Lust demon will of course have stamina draining and mental powers, or a Demon of Sloth might negate abilities, debuff or otherwise inflict horrendous status conditions.
- Upkeep: IF you've read or watched the Fate series, you know how Heroic spirits are constantly trying to be erased by the world, but that's where upkeep comes in. You are a landlord and their presence has a cost of living. Some summons can manage this, but typically you will never besmirch the idea of paying and if it's a powerful demon, you will have to watch how much you GIVE to it. Upkeep happens every 5 turns.
With that, there are several Advanced things including: Cooldowns, Chant times and Tomes. They also behave like players -- so if you are beaten or die, until you pay upkeep, they stay and fight. They also require a LETHAL hit to kill them, unless they have an HP counter, which goes to KO unless the blow is a lethal. However, those are circumstantial as not all demons have this. Not next to the summons KEY VALUES, which is the difference between a Victorious Summon and an En-masse Summon.
Victorious vs. En-Masse
Kurogane, Nekozuchi says, Do you know why it is so easy to summon them?
Okorafor Kheti says, Because they're weak and domesticated.
Kurogane, Nekozuchi says, Correct.
Kurogane, Nekozuchi says, They want to escape, as well.
Kurogane, Nekozuchi says, So you are merely saving them.
Okorafor Kheti says, Because they're weak and domesticated.
Kurogane, Nekozuchi says, Correct.
Kurogane, Nekozuchi says, They want to escape, as well.
Kurogane, Nekozuchi says, So you are merely saving them.
En-Mass demons can be split into two groups: the generics and the demons you custom. The creatures you see coded in are generic en masse demons. They don't have any use at all other than being insanely weak and MAYBE having useful powers. En Masse demons are good because while they can also die, they do NOT get erased. You can whip up another one. Their powers tend to be a bit more limited and their stats are lower, but they are invaluable. Though, remembering Summons are meant to SUPPORT you in battle, their Powers will not be blasts if you want them to be good, but AOE effects, Buffs and Demons. Yes, there will be caps, but I'd sooner cap it than have nothing at all. As all Roleplayers know: the only point that matters is the last one.
(Tip: Great Generic Summons to have are General Hats, Doppelgangers, Envious Serpent, Yummy Asahigo, Goblins, Sandman, Demon Thieves, Slime, and Lillim. Hellhounds are a Maybe, because how the hell are you going to get 100 summons in a battle?)
Victorious Summons are a breed of demon who is an individual, with training, with a personality, with an identity. I think the best way to think of them is as the BEARERS of the Demon World. They can beat an en-masse demons ass, but they will also hold grudges. You might be able to just murder your En-Masse demons like henchmen or the puddy patrol in Power Rangers, but the Victorious Summon will feel some type of way. It's best to think of them as business partners unless they're your affinity summon: that's your partner.
For Victorious Summons, let's see what Sloth has to say for Summoning 101:
Victorious Summons can be applied for, but finding a Demon and defeating it in combat can turn it into your Personal Summon potentially without the JRPP cost of buying one.
- Average Drain for B-Rank Victorious: 550 - 1500.
Average Drain for A-Rank Victorious: 1000-4000.
Average Drain for S-Rank can go up to 10'000.
It depends on statistics and effects.
S-Rank Demons can require human sacrifices of a high enough letter rank to summon instead of Incantations. This is only in unique cases, however, and you should not worry about these most of the time.
When a Victorious Summon dies, it dies permanently. This does not refund any of the JRPP you have spent on it.
All Demons have souls. It's not a good idea to reap them as they will typically provide much more by helping you, and can fight you regardless of your contracts if you mistreat them.
Typically, a Victorious will have an HP counter, so stay on that.
For both, there is something to remember in that HIGHER END stats, which is the stats justified in a Demon's breed, life, knowledge and specialty, can be explained plainly in these ranges. These will tend to be on their own effect row in the Effects section of a custom. Make sure when making a demon, you have justifications. I.E. if you summon a troop of Spartan-style Goblins, they will likely be more proficient Physical Skill or other Physical Stats. Your Base Stats might be set to like 10 potentially to reflect all of your spirit stats being weak.
B-Rank average stat: 20-80.
A-Rank average stat: 60-200.
S-Rank average stat: 100-300.
A-Rank average stat: 60-200.
S-Rank average stat: 100-300.
Before your eyes get wild at the ways you can break this: the admins get final say in customs. Though, remember, that this is your PEAK. So, if you're going for a powerful ability, make sure the stats are only high for the Calcs you will be using for that ability. Don't just dump in a bunch high stats. Sure, you can have secondary skill sets that make since: like if it's Giant Bull, yeah, it'd have high strength, but it's also justifiable to give it a pretty good Durability. Just maybe aim for 10-20 less than your highest stat unless you feel justified that BOTH should be good.
I'm one to say, however, that a lot of summons shouldn't have spectacular Physical Abilities because that'd imply it can fight on its own. Give it a good TRUE power. A specialized skill, over giving it the power to tear phone books in half.
However, if you wanna peep something few people do but should really get into. Let's introduce EQUIPMENT SUMMONS
Equipment Summons are a thing that exist that players have tended to lean into. Demons, in AOG, aren't ugly baby things with animal parts. They also -appear- as objects. To anyone with enough discernment, they aren't really. A General Hat is a hat with an agenda. A Mimic is a box that bites back. Think Yokai in Eastern Myth, but Yokai are real things in AOG so don't look too deeply into that.
In any case, they're anything you can set your mind to. So, if you're a weaponist or a caster: you know there are a plethora of things that can be used for this. You can make a Demon Bow. You can make a Demon Sword. A few things that's been seen are:a Demon Car, a Demon Gun, a Demon Bow, a Demon Boat, etc. They all function like you think, but as they're living demons, there's a LOT of benefit to them. Mostly, they're fantastic because they're living up to the Demon role of supporting you and it fits the lore of an object that is useless without a summoner.
If a Demon is powerful, meaning broken, the Admins will seriously ask the question of why is this thing with free will serving you if it can do so much. S-rank Demons might do it because they can charge you something for it that you will hate to have to do/lose. However, if it's an A-rank or B-rank Demon, it has to be answered what is the drawback to needing you? An Equipment Demon is a thing that needs to be wielded to access ANY of its powers, so it fits the narrative well.
Beginning
So, you made your char and got your start up RPP. Good. Save them. Do not buy the first few techs you see. I mean, there are some that are useful and healthy grabs: Doppelganger, Envious Serpent, General Hat, etc. However, the system is built ONLY for your customs. Wasting RPP early will lead to you being useless in combat. Whereas, if you have your "go-to" summon early, you'll be able to fight in-between waiting for your next summon. This is DOUBLE if you're a Core Summoner.
Next, get a weapon. At the time of writing this, you will be allowed to get up to T2 of a Weapon, but you CANNOT get B-rank techs without locking. You will need to be riding C-rank Techniques. I'm sorry. However, you will be able to not be slapped when fighting a player. And it will prepare you to figure out HOW you fight.
That's the thing about Dark Summoners. How you fight is entirely up to you.
Swarm Myth: Stupid Tactic
Some people swear you can fight by swarms.. Don't listen to that. It might seem cool to summon an army of Goblins or to summon a legion of motherfuckers to jump a B-rank or A-rank enemy, however. That strategy never works because, again, those summons will range from 5-20 Stats and can't land a SINGLE hit, and if they do? They'd tickle. IT's better to summon them as a mass distraction. I tend to say those numbers help if you are trying to limit movement on the field or make them waste energy killing rando henchies while you eat at their mana or set-up another attack.
These are worse than Pawns. These are red shirts. A swarm strategy, because of transitionist as a perk and the fact OP doesn't link to a pack of summons, will never work. Maybe if you summon something that force stacks OP and can justify it. Or if you're a Shizan. Otherwise, don't do it. For the love of the Gezo, don't do it.
Shizan
The Shizan are a clan of Necromancers who go full Overlord Bone Daddy and pursue being a lich. Their Anime inspirations are Tokyo Ghoul, but you can definitely watch Overlord to draw custom inspiration as Shizan do not have a built in list. Shizan are the clan that specializes in summoning. However, this isn't immediately tellable until you realize only a Shizan's Ghoul Powers can allow you to summon remotely, force boosts to all Summons by making all their summons Ghouls, and can make a scaling summon.
Weakness: You require corpses for what you do. Player corpses mostly . You also HAVE to give them your RPP. It's for half cost, but you are largely vulnerable. You will not be combat viable as much as you want to be. Also overreliance on the Lichification is a major law in Shizan. You cannot be as strong as your peers, so you will be eating a lot of hits and just hoping to shrug it off.
Benefits: You get to be damn near unkillable eventually. Shizan are also one of the only Clans with access to thee steps to make Ressurection Techniques and Reanimating old chars. You just gotta hope you can survive that long to use its powers.
ANIME INSPIRATIONS:
(Shizan) shamanking.fandom.com/wiki/Tao_Family
(Shizan/Dark Summoners) overlordmaruyama.fandom.com/wiki/Ainz_Ooal_Gown/Abilities_and_Powers
(Dark Summoners) overlordmaruyama.fandom.com/wiki/Summoner
(Ghouls) tokyoghoul.fandom.com/wiki/Ghoul