New Powerset MUST!!

[megaericzero]

A wily trickster that will go unnamed got me to spill the beans early on my objectively awesome power set idea that I was planning on posting today - Plot Armor. Not to fear. As I am an individual of unparalleled creative prowess and strong balance sense, I was able to whip up another much-needed set!

 

Namely,

Market Manipulation

 

People are always arguing about controlling the market and whether or not new players will be able to understand and utilize it. Now, everyone can! Sure, it's only available to Blasters. Aren't they in need of more secondary sets anyway? Mastermind sets purportedly take three times as much effort to make as any other set so that means they have like 21 primaries' worth of value already. Forget them.

 

This set adds value in more ways than one. It is another set with a unique and non-origin-specific theme, it has the builder-spender set gimmick, it allows you to access the market in missions, affects your reward drops through combat, inflicts self-debt to offset the new explore badge patrol XP, and it even lets you steal INF from other players in PVP. Basically the only thing it is missing is being locked red side so people have to actually play villains!

 

Now, onto the powers. First, the power table for a quick overview:

 

	Power	Level	Effect
	Lock In	1	(Ranged) Foe Damage (Energy, Special), Immobilize; Self Cancel Transaction (All), Collect INF (All), Build (Stock)
	Short Sell	1	(Melee) Foe High Damage (Smashing); Self +Debt, Build (Stock)
	Insider Trade	4	[Toggle] (PBAOE) Foe -Recharge, -Movement, Chance to Taunt
	Seed	10	Self +Damage, +Tohit, -Inventory (Enhancement/Inspiration/Salvage/Recipe), Build (Stock)
	Dump	16	(Melee Chain, scales w/ Stocks) Foe Moderate Damage (Psionic), Chance to Knockdown (scales w/ Stocks); Self -Salvage (Common x10), Consume (Stocks)
	Liquidate	20	Self Heal, +Absorb (scales w/ stock), Consume (Stocks), Change Market Sales Offers (1 INF/ea)
	Flip	24	(PBAOE) Foe -Endurance, -INF (PVP only); Self +Endurance (per foe), +INF (PVP only), Build (Stock)
	Crash	28	(Melee) Foe Superior Damage (Smashing, Psionic), Knockdown, Hold (duration scales w/ Stocks consumed), -INF Gain; Self Consume (Stocks)
	Hemorrhage Funds	30	[Toggle] (Ranged) Foe Minor Damage Over Time (Lethal), -Regeneration, -INF Over Time; Self -INF Over Time, -INF Gain; [Delayed] Self Detoggle (Hemmorhage Funds)

 

Next up, in-depth power descriptions. We can infer from powers' effects what enhancements and sets are applicable. None of those Strength of Will "can't slot recharge" shenanigans going on.

 

 Lock In
(Ranged) Foe Damage (Energy, Special), Immobilize; Self Cancel Transaction (All), Collect INF (All), Build (Stock)
You immediately close your position, securing any existing profits and losses. All your current auction house entries and INF will be cancelled/collected back onto your character (or as many as you have room for). This bold play shocks your target for minor energy damage and immobilizes them for a time. It also has the added effect of forcing all existing damage-over-time effects you have on the target to end immediately, dealing the remainder of their damage all at once. This power builds one stock.
Damage: Special
Recharge: Fast

 

 Short Sell
(Melee) Foe High Damage (Smashing); Self +Debt, Build (Stock)
You sell a borrowed asset to smash a foe with some quick, heavy damage at the cost of accruing some debt. This power deals high damage and recharges fairly quickly but judicious use is recommended so as not to put yourself in a bind with constantly capped debt. This power builds one stock.
Damage: High
Recharge: Moderate

 

 Insider Trade
[Toggle] (PBAOE) Foe -Recharge, -Movement, Chance to Taunt; Self +Discount (Enhancements, Inspirations)
While active, you leverage inside access to privileged information about upcoming corporate announcements, financial reports, and other market-moving events. This makes it hard for rival investors to navigate the market, effectively slowing both their attack rate and movement speeds. It also tends to sorely anger them if they find out it's you.
Recharge: Moderate

 

 Seed
Self +Damage, +Tohit, -Inventory (Enhancement/Inspiration/Salvage/Recipe), Build (Stocks x3)
You seed the market with inventory, providing you with a large boost to damage and a moderate boost to your chance tohit for a time as well as filling your stocks.
Recharge: Long

 

 Dump
(Melee Chain, scales w/ Stocks) Foe Moderate Damage (Psionic), Chance to Knockdown (scales w/ Stocks); Self -Salvage (Common x10), Consume (Stocks)
You sell a large quantity of common salvage all at once, disrupting the item's market value. This, in turn, causes psionic damage that knocks investors down as the repercussions spread across the market. This power consumes all stocks you currently have; the chance to knock foes down and the number of max targets this power can chain onto both scale with the number of stocks consumed.
Damage: Moderate
Recharge: Slow

 

 Liquidate
Self Heal, +Absorb (scales w/ stock), Consume (Stocks), Change Market Sales Offers (1 INF/ea)
You sell existing holdings to provide you with more liquid capital, healing a moderate amount of health. Additionally, this power will consume all stocks you currently have and provide an amount of absorb that scales with the number of stocks consumed.
Recharge: Long

 

 Flip
(PBAOE) Foe -Endurance, -INF (PVP only); Self +Endurance (per foe), +INF (PVP only), Build (Stock)
You create a short-term price fluctuation to reverse the financial positions of you and nearby foes, thus draining them of an amount of INF and endurance and transferring it to yourself. This power also builds one stock.
Recharge: Long

 

 Crash
(Melee) Foe Superior Damage (Smashing, Psionic), Knockdown, Hold (duration scales w/ Stocks consumed), -INF Gain; Self Consume (Stocks)
You plunge the market value of an item that specifically undermines your targeted rival investor. The sudden and severe loss of value deals both smashing and psionic damage as the target hits the floor literally and figuratively. This will also put a hold on their ability to gain INF as they scramble to recoup their loss. This power consumes all stocks you currently have and uses them to boost the duration of its hold effect.
Damage: Superior
Recharge: Long

 

 Hemorrhage Funds
[Toggle] (Ranged) Foe Minor Damage Over Time (Lethal), -Regeneration, -INF Over Time; Self -INF Over Time, -INF Gain; [Delayed] Self Detoggle (Hemorrhage Funds)
While active, you burn your own income to cause an enemy continual loss over time. Your victi-- opposing investor will continue to take minor lethal damage and be unable to regenerate their losses as long as you keep this up. This power can be toggled on for up to 60 seconds, after which time it will forcibly detoggle itself and need to recharge.
Damage: Minor
Recharge: Long

 

In addition to the above, there's some room for other effects to be added like costume discount coupons, forced emoting, -- just so much stuff. What do you guys think?

 

.....

 

I think I lost sight of the joke and overdid it to the point of not being funny anymore but still:

Happy April 1^st, everyone!

[CrusaderDroid]

It's funny since I did a Wealth control set about three days ago and haven't bothered to post it.

 

What's even funnier is that this is a completely viable set even without the INF nonsense. I think the only weak points are Hemorrhage Funds and maybe Insider Trading - they're both long term delayed toggles on a Blaster that's more likely to get you KOed before anything notable happens. It otherwise looks like we should have it next April Fools.

[Triumphant]

I love April Fool's day. 😄

[Jiro Ito]

Yes great but where is the "Accidental Zeroes" self-debuff where you bid 400,000,000 for an LOTG, sad face, mad face.