Tsuyoshi Minamoto - Shunpo Tsuiseki

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Technique Name: Shunpo Tsuiseki (Pursuing Shunpo)

Class: 4-1

Technique Type: Hoho/Step

Usable By: Anyone who can use Shunpo

Technique Element: Physical, or Weapon-Based

Technique Background and Description
Shunpo Tsuiseki is a technique created by Minamoto Tsuyoshi specifically to capitalize on his excellent physicality and the unique balance he has between his physical strength and agility. Shunpo Tsuiseki is considered to be an advancement on Shunpo Karin, though Shunpo Karin does not necessarily need to be learned in order to use it properly.

First, the user must ensure that they have adequate room to initiate a Shunpo step into melee range of their opponent, whether they are unarmed or armed. Provided they do, the user aims to both attack and step simultaneously, allowing them to use the speed of their shunpo (usually 10x the user’s speed) as their initial attack speed. Almost always, this means that the attack is a strike with any of the user’s limbs or weapons, and that the attack itself becomes indistinguishable from the movement from the Shunpo. This allows the user to attack without giving their opponent time to respond and defend themselves unless they can predict the end point of the user’s shunpo, or are fast enough to respond to the user’s Shunpo. This is the limit of the Class 4 level of this technique.

Further classes of this technique allow for additional pursuing strikes, hence the namesake of the technique. At Class 3, the user may take one (1) follow-up strike. At Class 2, this increases to two (2) follow-up strikes, and at Class 1, the user is capable of four (4) total follow-up strikes. In order to properly pursue the opponent with this technique, another shunpo step must be activated as soon as the momentum from the strike ends. The user predicts the opponent’s trajectory based on the initial velocity of their movement after impact and plans for a secondary strike based on the opponent’s movement.



Technique Drawbacks
Shunpo Tsuiseki requires the following stats (after type), skills, and proficiency to be utilized properly:
Class 4 - Hoho 1, Weapon/Martial Art 1, Speed 400, Senses 100, Instinct 100, Learned
Class 3 - Hoho 2, Weapon/Martial Art 1, Speed 450, Senses 100, Instinct 100, Proficient
Class 2 - Hoho 3, Weapon/Martial Art 2, Speed 500, Senses 150, Instinct 100, Proficient
Class 1 - Hoho 4, Weapon/Martial Art 3, Speed 600, Senses 150, Instinct 150, Mastered

This technique’s primary drawback is also its largest strength - this is a burst technique that is meant to land a series of rapid-fire blows using Shunpo as its primary mechanism of propulsion. Every attack made with Shunpo Tsuiseki up to the third counts as a Shunpo in terms of fatigue, and the fourth and fifth attacks count as two Shunpo steps each (Meaning a single Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki is the equivalent of using 7 Shunpo steps in a single post). Attempting to use any other step techniques in the same post as this one creates an incredible amount of muscle fatigue and a generalized burning sensation throughout the body. Repeated use of this technique without two rest posts results in progressively worsening muscle damage and tendon wear. For every use of this technique without two rest posts, the combatant’s STR and SPD are lowered by 10% of their value at the time of using the technique, which lasts for the rest of the thread (up to GM discretion for extended adventures. This malus is a static penalty applied to these stats, regardless of whether they are augmented or not. [I.E. Using two Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki back-to-back with a SPD of 600 results in a -60 to the user’s SPD for the rest of the fight. If the user’s SPD drops to 200, this -60 still applies and results in the user’s total SPD being 140.]

A defender may prevent follow-up strikes given that they are physically able to defend against the user’s shunpo speed, or by predicting where the attacker is going to strike next.

Because the first attack MUST come immediately following a Shunpo step, the user must have adequate room to step into the first attack before initiating their follow-up strikes. Additionally, this technique is optimal for pursuit strikes, but may be used for immediate repositioning in the case that a strike is unable to propel a target far enough to warrant a follow-up step attack.

Effect: Attacks made with Shunpo Tsuiseki are made at the user’s Shunpo speed and are immediately followed by another Shunpo for repositioning. This Shunpo can be used to catch up to a target in mid-flight from impact after a strike, provided that the user’s Shunpo speed is equal to at least 3x the user’s attack strength at the time of using this technique and may be repeated up to 4 times based on the Class of technique used. Stat Alterations and Boosts of any type may be used to meet this requirement.

Reiatsu Cost: 50 Reiatsu per attack, for the first 3 attacks, and then 100 reiatsu for the 4th and 5th attacks, if applicable. This covers the cost of the Shunpo and, in the case of the fourth and fifth strike, additional reiatsu to momentarily bypass the body’s limitations from stepping in rapid succession.

Made By: Minamoto Tsuyoshi

Reserved?: No
Requires Training?: Class 1 Effect must be trained for over three training threads; Otherwise, no.

[Col Arana]

I have a few queries regarding this tech. Mostly minutiae but I think they're important for me to be able to determine the balance of this technique.

My first concern is this bit:

Every attack made with Shunpo Tsuiseki up to the third counts as a Shunpo in terms of fatigue, and the fourth and fifth attacks count as two Shunpo steps each (Meaning a single Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki is the equivalent of using 7 Shunpo steps in a single post).

Even Class 0 characters are hampered by only being able to step tech 6 times in a single post without risking bodily harm, and Class 1's can only do it four times. This technique pushes the user to a potential 7 (actually, due to the wording here, functionally 11)-- enough to basically destroy the body of a Class 1 (or at least the attacking limb). I just want to confirm if this is intentional, or an oversight.

Secondly;

Using two Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki back-to-back with a SPD of 600 results in a -60 to the user’s SPD for the rest of the fight. If the user’s SPD drops to 200, this -60 still applies and results in the user’s total SPD being 140.

Does this apply per strike, or per general use of the technique? Just for clarity purposes.

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Otherwise this tech is functionally a high-risk/high-reward variant of Shunpo Karin mixed with Senka, so I'm inclined to see how this one pans out, assuming that the clarification doesn't change my thoughts on the technique.

[Tsuyoshi Minamoto]

Feb 1, 2023 23:30:27 GMT -5 Col Arana said:

Even Class 0 characters are hampered by only being able to step tech 6 times in a single post without risking bodily harm, and Class 1's can only do it four times. This technique pushes the user to a potential 7 (actually, due to the wording here, functionally 11)-- enough to basically destroy the body of a Class 1 (or at least the attacking limb). I just want to confirm if this is intentional, or an oversight.

Part of this was intentional, part of this is bad wording and a failure to write in an actual mechanical drawback of utilizing step techniques. I thought that Class 1 characters had 5 step techs, not 4. See edits to the drawback and description section:
Total attack count decreased to 4
-10% Physical Stat malus applied for every step technique that bypasses the post limit when used alongside this technique

Secondly;

Using two Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki back-to-back with a SPD of 600 results in a -60 to the user’s SPD for the rest of the fight. If the user’s SPD drops to 200, this -60 still applies and results in the user’s total SPD being 140.

Does this apply per strike, or per general use of the technique? Just for clarity purposes.

This applies per use of the technique, not per use of the strike. See update to drawback section:
Using a Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki two posts in a row would result in a total loss of 10% for the remainder of the thread.


Further, yes the purpose of this technique is to combine the concepts of Shunpo Karin with Senka and to create a high-risk high-reward pursuing strike for someone who otherwise would struggle to make follow-up attacks due to their strength potentially knocking an opponent far enough to give them recovery time. I am aware that the Class 4 version of this is effectively a weaker Senka, but given that it incorporates the same concepts as Senka and Shunpo Karin (two Class 5 techniques) utilizing the Shunpo Karin cost combined with Senka's movement, I opted to increase its class to 4 and add some other requirements to it.

[holika]

Hello! I'm taking over the 1/2 part of the grading as my grading test for Senior Grader! I have been conferring with Col over the last couple days discussing this technique and what could be done to balance it.

First off, it's a very interesting combo to make out of two well known techniques. The only issue that I can see is that we don't want to create an auto-hit problem with the speed of the attacks generated by said technique. I have, however, come up with a few balancing ideas in order to make it more fair for opponents that will be defending against said attacks.

I would ask that you incorporate a level at which a defender can sense or foresee the attacks. I would ask that being able to possibly parry this attack would be at 200 instincts, a 4 in Battle analysis, or the combination of 250 Senses and 400 Speed stats. The ability to foresee it and possibly step tech in a dodging manner could be at 150 instincts, a 3 in Battle analysis, or 200 Senses stat. This would make it much more fair to a defender and less likely to cause an auto hit.

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My next suggestion has to do with the speed of the attacks that the user is aiming at the defender. I think it would fair to have the attacks not initially begin at the speed of a shunpo, but instead build to a maximum. It gives the defender appropriate values to possibly defend against in a fight and once gain mitigates the argument of an auto hit occurring. I would say that the first attack in the step is 2 times the users original speed and the second would be 4 times the user's original speed. The third attack would be 6 times the user's original speed, with the fourth and final attack following suit to being the user's original speed times 10, jumping to the full shunpo speed. This would mesh well with the idea of momentum building in the attack.

I feel that if these changes are made to the technique, it would be fair and balanced.

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I am hoping you can clarify something for me, however. In the technique you state, "Every attack made with Shunpo Tsuiseki up to the third counts as a Shunpo in terms of fatigue, and the fourth and fifth attacks count as two Shunpo steps each (Meaning a single Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki is the equivalent of using 7 Shunpo steps in a single post)." You mentioned to Col that you were limiting it only four attacks, so I think you missed this part and may need to edit it still.

You further state, "Attempting to use any other step techniques in the same post as this one creates an incredible amount of muscle fatigue and a generalized burning sensation throughout the body. Repeated use of this technique without two rest posts results in progressively worsening muscle damage and tendon wear. For every use of this technique without two rest posts, the combatant’s STR and SPD are lowered by 10% of their value at the time of using the technique, which lasts for the rest of the thread (up to GM discretion for extended adventures. This malus is a static penalty applied to these stats, regardless of whether they are augmented or not. [I.E. Using two Class 1 Shunpo Tsuiseki back-to-back with a SPD of 600 results in a -60 to the user’s SPD for the rest of the fight. If the user’s SPD drops to 200, this -60 still applies and results in the user’s total SPD being 140.]"

This seems fine for me as it adds the drawback of having to rest for two posts before being able to utilise this ability again. I would like their to be a maximum of some detriment before the user can no longer use the technique. If they fall below the needed stats to know this technique, does that stop them from being able to use it in battle further sort of clarification.

(I edited this grading due to a misinterpretation brought to my attention regarding whether there was a limit of shunpo techniques permitted per post or per thread. After some research it was determined that I had misinterpreted the site rules on that and needed to adjust my grading accordingly.)

[Col Arana]

As an aside, given your recent notification, I'm going to be removing this from the Grading queue. If you do return Vanguard, please feel free to re-report this to resume the grading.