[PP-F2] A field of flowers

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben had been a bit nervous heading out today.  He really needed to get himself some more crafting materials- heck, he always needed them- but so far hadn't been able to find someone else who would tag along without getting bored or having to leave halfway through.  And with the recent rumors of PKers searching the lower floors for people who were out by themselves, he would rather have some company.  Actually, he would rather have some company anyways- last time he went gathering he had started talking to himself for a while, and that probably was a bad sign. 

So he had sent out some invites today to some player he knew and one he had just seen in passing.  Hestia had passed by his crafting store... well, crafting stand... a few times, though they had never really talked.  He took a chance with sending her an invitation, not really expecting her to accept.  Once she did, he found himself waiting at the city gates, checking his planned route for the day and hoping she actually did show.  Well, one way or another, he was going to go find some stuff to harvest today. 

He popped one of his expendable food items in his mouth, enjoying the snack as he waited. 

(Item used, +1 LD for a thread)

Spoiler

Item Name:	Filthy Rich Chocolate
ID:	93910
Roll:	LD:2
Tier:	1
Type:	Food
Quality:	Uncommon
Enhancements:	Prosperity
Description:	Chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil, each very rich in texture and flavor, and each packed with enough luck to bring the consumer some of the real thing.

@Hestia

[Hestia 0]

I walk through the second floor with my hands behind my head just relaxing as i'm once more just wearing some normal clothing, and walking alongside my familiar as usual it is for me when patrolling the floors in search of any players that could be in need of some aid.Today being the floor two day alongside minor questing to try and accomplish something new in hopes of improving my level, or if anything go on a floor exploration of the hidden treasures that lies in wait for the players willing to risk their safety in search of these wonders that can be lying in plain sight. Those plans though get thrown out the window as i hear a little blip upon my menu as i look to see it is a message of some kind from a person called Benjamin. I just open it up and see it is a invite for some material hunting as i can only not nod faster then i am right now knowing that such a thing is needed for me since my own supplies are a bit low in terms of craft attempts to success ratio. Without even sending a message back i head towards the gate till i see some player waiting at a nearby gate. Hey benjamin the name is Hestia. How are you doing? I ask curiously towards the player my lion remaining at my side.

(OOC: Prosperty is for getting a COL bonus when killing mobs. Not a LD bonus

► Prosperity
Cost: 1 Slot
Cap: 3 Slot
Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the base multiplier when receiving col from killing an enemy.
Applicable to: Snacks, Desserts    @Benjamin Bookworm  )

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben waved to Hestia as she approached, a perplexed look crossing his face when he saw the lion walking beside her.  He hadn't seen a big familiar like that before.  Hi there Hestia, I'm doing pretty well today.  I'm glad you accepted the invite, it's always a bit tough to find a partner for these kinds of trips.  Most players just want to go fight mobs all day... But I'm rambling a bit.  he said hesitantly, as he inched a bit closer to the lion.  He really liked cats. 

So, um, I had planned to head out to some of the flower fields nearby- I made a map of some good areas to look for materials in the area.   If you wanted to join in, it would be good to have someone else to talk to on the road.  I've seen you around town near my shop a few times, and, um, I'm hoping that wasn't too weird to do...

[Hestia 0]

Well i need some kind of materials to support me being a performer so finding anything is useful, and who knows i might get lucky and fight a loot mob or something. I say with a grin on my face at such an idea with a shrug of my shoulders as i see you move towards Kuro who looks at you with a glance and allows you to approach him not running away at all. Having seen you enough time to know that you are safe. Meanwhile i have not noticed at all from focusing on other things during those moments. Also yeah i would love to join you on this don't ever worry about that it is my role as what i have heard can be called a paladin. Half Tank, Half Healer, so it is like my role to help others. It is also just in my nature to be as helpful as i can be. I say with a small chuckle at what i say and then giggles at your words as i hold my side ever so slightly as the necklace i am wearing which is a simple one around my neck with a tiny cat at the end is shown jingles with my laughter. Well it's not that weird if you work on this floor since i do patrols on it every week in fact it would be weirder if you didn't see me at some point. I say with a smile on my face.

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

That's great to hear.  So, according to the maps I have, this route should be something like a two hour walk, and cuts through a lot of spots that would be good to search, if you want to start walking and talking. he indicated as he started to walk towards the gate and out toward the path he wanted to take.  A smile had started to form on his face as he walked, glad to have the company.  Especially if the big cat would be coming along too.  I'm actually working on being a healer in the future, though I'm mostly just trying to make lots of healing potions and crystals right now, since they seem like they'd be more useful for now.  Um, that does mean I actually have been having trouble with monster hunting lately- I guess you can't have all the skills you want at once. he said with a sigh.  Being unable to go farm mobs on his own was a bit irritating, although predictable with the skills he chose. 

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head with a smile at the offer as i do just that and begin to walk with you out of the town as i quickly start equipping all of my gear for my armor getting my sword at my hip in its scabbard a shield in my left hand, and wearing heavy armor. My familiar Kuro following me without any hesitation as he is about in between the two of us as we are walking. Well if your maps are accurate getting towards these good material gathering areas will be one of the easiest things as long as you lead the way. I say with a small chuckle as i then nod my head knowing that pain. Trust me i wish i had all the unlimited spending points to get all the skills i would want. It would be absolutely amazing i think that would instantly bump me up to be on par with frontliners depending on how smart i got the skills. I say with a chuckle a grin on my face. SO then what are you using to go along with your support? Like Tank, Scout, Dps? I ask curiously.

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Hmmmm, well I actually hadn't thought too much about that.  I know that the skills for gathering mean I'll be good at finding treasures and sub-dungeons as well.  So I suppose that scout would be a good secondary.  I'm not planning on putting tons of skills into attack or defense for a while.  he said as they walked down the path. He was on the lookout for some of the flower patches around town, and soon saw one that lit up in his HUD. He grabbed the first item for this trip, a small flower, and showed it to Kuro and Hestia with a pound smile on his face.

Looks like we got lucky already.  I guess buying those new skills will really pay off this trip.  Well, that and the fact these flowers are virtual. I have no idea how bad I'd be if my allergies actually reacted to what was in the game.

Spoiler

Gathering roll ID 95129

Loot die 18, craft die 1 (Gathering skill)

Found 1 material (1 total found)

 

[Hestia 0]

So Healing and scout then? Interesting choice since i think that would be the first build of its kind, but hey if such a build works out and gets popular then you will be a trend setter  Benjamin. I honestly hope that works out since i would love to see something new like that pop up, and change up the pure DPS, and pure Tank builds that are like the mainly dominate builds. I say with a chuckle escaping my lips at that fact of what the game seems to be at the moment from my own perspective. As we walk i grin as you pick up a flower, and the game registers the flower as a material as i can only assume that you must be a alchemist then since flowers are the primary tool that would be for alchemists. I then hear your comment and grins a bit. Well what kind of skills did you get Benjamin? I ask curiously wondering what you had gotten.

#95136  LD: 13

@Benjamin Bookworm

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben nodded at Hestia's comments. Yea, I've seen a lot of players take those builds because they're easy to quest and farm mobs with, but That's left us with a lot fewer crafters, or at least pure crafters, than we need. Heck, a lot of the frontline squads don't even have healers or carry healing crystals from what I see.  With the higher floor bosses getting bigger and tougher, That's going to be a liability. he said with a frown of concern.  He knew how hard it would be for people to change- he'd played enough games in the past.

Skills? I've just picked up the gatherer skill. Hopefully it means I get a good haul of materials this time- I barely got two days worth last time.  How about you- you must run out a lot as well if you do a lot of crafting.  He checked the next field as they talked, but this one didn't have anything for him to grab.  Oh well.

Spoiler

Gathering roll ID 95152

Loot die 3, nothing

 

[Hestia 0]

I chuckle a little bit hearing your words knowing them to be true. The amount of just crafters is rather low, but it pays off with the fact that crafters who are around get decent business if they're the best in the business. Well i don't know what the frontlines are like really all i know is that the general builds i've seen are minimal support and mostly damage dealers. Even tanks which are necessary are few and far inbetween. I say with a bit of concern at that fact as i walk alongside you through the forest as my familiar just enjoy s the peaceful walk as he stays between the two of us. Also for myself i rarely craft i must be honest, so i got a good bit of materials stocked up for whenever i do start crafting again as a performer. However, i at the least have a decent amount of things in stock at my shop for whenever people could buy with a lack in healing since i don't know how well in demand recording crystal healing items are. I say with a small shrug not really looking just enjoying the conversation for the most part.

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Seems to match what I've observed.  That's why I want to be able to make things to fix that problem, even if it means just giving them to the players that need it.  We've had way too many losses as it stands.  Ben thought out loud.  It would be nice to eventually make some good col from his crafts, and be able to buy himself a nice place... but making sure everyone actually lived through this came first. 

So you are a performer then?  I had thought about choosing that myself, with all the cool debuffs they get, but that seems like you would be constantly using the items you make on quests, even more than I have to for healing items.  I had always figured the debuffs and familiar songs would sell the best, not the healing songs.  Are a lot of players really that much in need of healing items? he asked as he picked up some flowers from the next part of the field, getting lucky enough to snag two pieces at once this time. 

Spoiler

gathering roll ID 95179

Loot die 20, craft die 3 - gain 2 materials (3 total)

 

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head in agreement knowing the loss of life has been way to high for what they have accomplished so far in terms of progress along the floors. To many greedy players who want to satisfy revenge or trying to get personal gains in terms of gear. I can agree with that Benjamin there has been way to much death already when we're not even a fourth of the way through this game. Then their is also the fact that their are guilds like laughing coffin who have formed. Just people without any inhibitions in regards to killing others which just make this all the more difficult to try and progress. I say in a soft tone of voice as my familiar nuzzles against me for comfort as i smile and pet his head. Well i wouldn't know if players are since if they wanted healing it is hard to do since they could just get healing skills to get what they want. It is more so  people go to Performers for the fact they can use debuffs more then anything, and also for familiar calls.

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben shuddered Yea, Laughing Coffin, there's a name that has been making the rounds lately.  I just can't figure out why they would do anything like that- it doesn't even help themselves.  I mean, I understand that some people are just a bit nuts after all this time in the game, but even so... that's just too extreme for me to truly imagine it myself. 

Though it is good to hear a lot more players than I thought have the healing skills.  Maybe once I level up a bit more it'll be more common, with players having more skill points to throw around at that level. 

As they continued through the field, Ben didn't see much of anything to grab for materials in this area, but he did get to see Hestia's familiar cuddling up to her.  Awww... I definitely need to get myself a familiar soon.  They look so adorable, and it would be great to have someone else to talk to when I'm on my own.  There's just so much useful stuff they can do to. 

Spoiler

Gathering Roll ID - 95265
Loot die 3, nothing

 

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head having had the same reaction when first hearing of a laughing coffin guild. Absolute disbelief and shock when it comes to trying to understand why would one ever need to be created when its sole purpose seemingly is just to kill people. I frown as my fists tighten ever so slightly just being reminded that Jomei and i need to find someway to create a prison for those pkers to give them the justice they deserve for their actions. Yeah most players can just bring a player that has first aid if they want healing, or they usually can just rely on the fact of Battle healing and the regen enhancement to start healing them up to try to stay in the fight. Then their is also if they have the healing familiar they could also use that. I say listing off all the common options for healing that circumvent the need for healing items sadly. So when you do get your own familiar what are you going to try and go for? I ask curiously.

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

A crafting familiar for sure- I'm looking for a cute caterpillar, big enough that he can sit on my shoulder, but not too heavy that I don't want to carry him with me.  I think crafting because I want the ability to level up really fast then get a ton of extra crafting attempts each day.  That seems like the best kind of buff, especially since there isn't a skill or enhancement that rivals it.  I figure the faster I get to max level in crafting, the more perfect crystals I can produce.  I think a cute giant caterpillar, sitting on my shoulder while I brew things would be awesome.  Although I've heard there are some familiars that are so powerful that you can get multiple skills from them.  If I could find one that powerful, I think I would go with accurate.  It seems like hitting more often would be better than a little extra damage for me, especially since that means I can try and stun lock down any big bosses I have to help with. 

Ben continued to check the nearby flowers as they walked, finding another one to add to his inventory as they went.  How about you- what kinds of plans do you have for leveling up in the future? 

Spoiler

gathering roll ID 95277
Loot die - 18, craft die 1
found 1 material - 4 total found

 

[Hestia 0]

I chuckle a little bit at the idea of what you wish for your familiar to end up being as i just nod my head understanding the logic behind it. Well i'm glad you're thinking things through at the very least Benjamin. Since at the very least from what i have seen you will be rather good at being one of the best supports from what i have heard. I say with a happy smile as i walk alongside you as your manage to pick another flower as my familiar just lays in the fields just watching us as he assumes we're at one of the locations on your list to just check around the general area. Plans for my level is to get the mod for parry, and then finish up the block skill. After that is the debate of choosing where to go from their. Since i could go for battle healing to stay safe, or i could finish up my first aid to work on the support factor of my build. I say to you with a shrug of my shoulders having options, but not entirely sure which to go.

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben blushed a bit at the compliments, glad to hear people appreciating what he was trying to do.  Yep, I like to play around with numbers and stats a lot, so I tend to have plans for whatever build I'm thinking of laid out pretty far ahead of time. 

I'm a big fan of battle healing as well - passive skills are always good to have, especially when they help with survivability.  That's why I haven't grabbed the first aid skill myself- I want to have my base support abilities up a bit higher first.  Ben advised, thinking about what to say further.  The most important thing is to stay safe, especially if you are going to be in the front of a fight.  That's the trouble with the first aid skill- you have to activate it instead of keeping the enemy's attention.  It's also why I want to try and keep healing crystals around- fast healing is going to be more useful than healing that takes time, even if that would be faster. 

Spoiler

gathering roll ID 95280
Loot die - 5, nothing

 

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head in understanding as i look at you. However, even then you have people like me, the tanks, who are meant to try and protect you from all the damage. the only thing that could affect that is if mobs starting gaining AOE attacks. i haven't seen any like that in all honesty, but their is the possibility the game could do that which would then be a time to have Battle healing yes. Nods my head able to see why having battle healing is good, but their is also the need to trust in other players to support to help deal with the enemies that could be ahead. Also if you get first aid you can help others survive via healing them all up, and even possibly removing status effects depending on what you wish to gain as your first mod for it. I tell you as i walk alongside you as i look over and sees my familiar just chewing some flowers in boredom.

[Benjamin Bookworm 0]

Ben nodded in agreement I hadn't considered that.  I've mostly just been looking at what we're up against now, but I haven't seen too many monsters with special abilities outside of boss rooms.  If the enemies on the higher floors start having poison or paralysis attacks, or even AOEs as you said, it will change just how players have to group up for farming.  Or at least it will change what kinds of expendables they will need to have when they go out. 

He smiled as he saw Hestia's familiar chewing on some of the nearby flowers, wondering why she hadn't been trying to gather materials herself.  Um, are you finding any materials out here?  I'm not sure what kinds of things performers need to craft with, but we can find plenty if you need us to take a bit of a detour.  I can find alchemy materials just about anywhere. 

Spoiler

Gathering roll ID 95283
Loot die - 9, nothing

 

[Hestia 0]

I chuckle a little bit at your question as i slide my hand along the air and then taps my hand on a icon then shows you my material list and shows thirty of them that i have in stock at the moment. I have enough materials to last me a good long while in the tier one department. For myself it is more so about making sure i get tier two materials, or even tier three for the future. Those being for gear making, or if i ever decide to make tier two healing items for people whenever i could get a request for that. I say with a small shrug as i walk alongside you within this field. Myself just using this as a experience to see if i make a new friend, and to make sure that a player doesn't get jumped by possibly overconfident player killers. Which is a possibility if they think only low leveled players would hang on this floor. They wouldn't expect a level thirty eight to be on it protecting players.