Robot's Deconstruction Hour: Fashionista
Aug 30, 2016 23:18:53 GMT
flamefist96 and Faithless like this
Post by Robot on Aug 30, 2016 23:18:53 GMT
Overview: It's hip and trendy, all the young people are doing it these days, like cargo shorts in the 90s and bell-bottoms in the 70s. Except these days it's all Hot Topic, Spencers, and the GAP. Trends may come and go, but Fashionista embraces one of the first new trends to be introduced into the Pokemon Meta courtesy of Gen 2. Held Items. What would a chihuahua be without a sweater and a pair of heart shaped sunglasses, or a purse to ride around in? Accessorizing. Fashionista is the third of five classes in PTU's 1.05 System, and oversees a held item economy like no other. It gets some crafting, but the large majority of the recipes are extremely situational or only marginally useful, being hold effects that are on the weak side and limited to once a scene.
Pros
-Wide skill selection allows the class to fit into a variety of different builds.
-Benefits both Trainer and Pokemon depending on feat selection. Full combat trainers can benefit from Fashionista, ordinarily being limited to only one Accessory Slot.
-Capable of holding up to four items simultaneously and having the effects from all of them at once.
-Slightly resistant to disarming effects aimed at their Pokemon.
-Gets some off-list attacks.
-Slotless Focus Band/Sashes really strong.
Cons
-Fashionista recipes mostly lackluster, surprisingly unable to make items such as Contest Fashion or Stealth Clothes not that anyone would want the former.
-Off list attacks limited to Sweet Scent and Aromatic Mist, neither of which is very impressive in the game in it's current iteration. Lowering evasion will always be better done by dropping the associated defense or paralyzing your opponent if they are leaning on speed. System continues to favor offense over weak debuffing.
Base Feature: Only gives you the ability to craft the five basic fashionista items at the cost of 500 a piece. Feels wasteful, as given the opportunity to purchase better or more specified items, most of these will not see use in the late game. It is more likely the Fashionista will turn to the Focus Item options, or their incenses to access the available off-list moves for their Dashing Makeover targets. Of the five, Rad Fashion and Slick Fashion are the only ones that even feel reliable. +4 to one save once a scene for those clinch moments when a round of action denial will just crush you, which again, Status packet makes mostly a non-issue.
Dashing Makeover: Feature or an AP Tax, your choice. Should probably be rolled into the base Fashionista feature to give it a better feeling then just generic crafting edges or features. You bind 2 AP and the target gains the benefit of an item that you can craft. The only saving grace about the feature is it does not require you to actually make the item. Effectively you are tying up 2 AP for temporary but free items, and that's pretty okay in my book. Probably skippable unless you're expecting sand, snow, powder moves, smelly neckbeards, or tons of damage. Can't argue with a free Focus Sash though. Should be noted if you are investing in Smith, this feature applies to all items you can craft and not just Fashionista specific ones.
Style Is Eternal: You loudly yell 'Fite me Helen!" And then you cut her, because she tried to take your item. Protects a Pokemon's item from Covet/Thief/Disarm/Knock Off once per mon per scene for 1 AP. It isn't a bad effect, but it's about as situational as Winter Cloaks and Go Goggles.
Accessorize: Your trainer can benefit from two accessory items. Good for Combat trainers. Not really a whole lot to say about it, probably not as useful if you aren't in the thick of things.
Parfumier: Provides two off-list moves when holding an incense, but only one per incense chosen when it is crafted, Sweet Scent/small evasion debuffs are garbage. Using Screech on a target with 30 Defense and the capped evasion lowers it's defense to 24 and shreds two evasion, plus makes attacks deal 6 more damage. Sweet Scent is once a scene, and debuffs evasion alone by 2. Screech is EoT, the only difference is the other has a slightly larger area, and only effects a secondary stat. Wasted action economy is wasted. Aromatic Mist is slightly better, since it provides a Burst 1 Special Defense CS increase, which is a rarer effect to come by.
Versatile Wardrobe: Your Pokemon gains a regular use for their Swift actions, which allows them to rotate one of three items into their active slot each turn. Gives Fashionista literally all of it's oomph before it's capstone, but as with many professional classes greatly limits it's potential based on inventory and how generous of a GM you have. The possibilities for this ability are pretty huge, and it's well worth the 2 TP.
Dress To Impress: Up to two of your Pokemon, once a scene, can benefit from all three of their held items simultaneously. This is an extremely straightforward ability that just screams 'Mega Stone, Type Gem, Choice Item' to me. Like Versatile Wardrobe, the possibilities are entirely up to the imagination, but you can't benefit from identical item effects, so no bonus stacking. That would be cheating.
Pros
-Wide skill selection allows the class to fit into a variety of different builds.
-Benefits both Trainer and Pokemon depending on feat selection. Full combat trainers can benefit from Fashionista, ordinarily being limited to only one Accessory Slot.
-Capable of holding up to four items simultaneously and having the effects from all of them at once.
-Slightly resistant to disarming effects aimed at their Pokemon.
-Gets some off-list attacks.
-Slotless Focus Band/Sashes really strong.
Cons
-Fashionista recipes mostly lackluster, surprisingly unable to make items such as Contest Fashion or Stealth Clothes not that anyone would want the former.
-Off list attacks limited to Sweet Scent and Aromatic Mist, neither of which is very impressive in the game in it's current iteration. Lowering evasion will always be better done by dropping the associated defense or paralyzing your opponent if they are leaning on speed. System continues to favor offense over weak debuffing.
Base Feature: Only gives you the ability to craft the five basic fashionista items at the cost of 500 a piece. Feels wasteful, as given the opportunity to purchase better or more specified items, most of these will not see use in the late game. It is more likely the Fashionista will turn to the Focus Item options, or their incenses to access the available off-list moves for their Dashing Makeover targets. Of the five, Rad Fashion and Slick Fashion are the only ones that even feel reliable. +4 to one save once a scene for those clinch moments when a round of action denial will just crush you, which again, Status packet makes mostly a non-issue.
Dashing Makeover: Feature or an AP Tax, your choice. Should probably be rolled into the base Fashionista feature to give it a better feeling then just generic crafting edges or features. You bind 2 AP and the target gains the benefit of an item that you can craft. The only saving grace about the feature is it does not require you to actually make the item. Effectively you are tying up 2 AP for temporary but free items, and that's pretty okay in my book. Probably skippable unless you're expecting sand, snow, powder moves, smelly neckbeards, or tons of damage. Can't argue with a free Focus Sash though. Should be noted if you are investing in Smith, this feature applies to all items you can craft and not just Fashionista specific ones.
Style Is Eternal: You loudly yell 'Fite me Helen!" And then you cut her, because she tried to take your item. Protects a Pokemon's item from Covet/Thief/Disarm/Knock Off once per mon per scene for 1 AP. It isn't a bad effect, but it's about as situational as Winter Cloaks and Go Goggles.
Accessorize: Your trainer can benefit from two accessory items. Good for Combat trainers. Not really a whole lot to say about it, probably not as useful if you aren't in the thick of things.
Parfumier: Provides two off-list moves when holding an incense, but only one per incense chosen when it is crafted, Sweet Scent/small evasion debuffs are garbage. Using Screech on a target with 30 Defense and the capped evasion lowers it's defense to 24 and shreds two evasion, plus makes attacks deal 6 more damage. Sweet Scent is once a scene, and debuffs evasion alone by 2. Screech is EoT, the only difference is the other has a slightly larger area, and only effects a secondary stat. Wasted action economy is wasted. Aromatic Mist is slightly better, since it provides a Burst 1 Special Defense CS increase, which is a rarer effect to come by.
Versatile Wardrobe: Your Pokemon gains a regular use for their Swift actions, which allows them to rotate one of three items into their active slot each turn. Gives Fashionista literally all of it's oomph before it's capstone, but as with many professional classes greatly limits it's potential based on inventory and how generous of a GM you have. The possibilities for this ability are pretty huge, and it's well worth the 2 TP.
Dress To Impress: Up to two of your Pokemon, once a scene, can benefit from all three of their held items simultaneously. This is an extremely straightforward ability that just screams 'Mega Stone, Type Gem, Choice Item' to me. Like Versatile Wardrobe, the possibilities are entirely up to the imagination, but you can't benefit from identical item effects, so no bonus stacking. That would be cheating.