User:Defiant Elements/Drunken Master

Introduction
Martial arts students face a bewildering array of martial arts schools, each with its own adherents and detractors. But few schools are as unusual -- or as controversial -- as Drunken Boxing. By weaving and staggering about as if inebriated, drunken boxers avoid many blows. Likewise, their stumbling, lurching attacks catch their opponents off guard. Moreover, when they actually imbibe alcohol, drunken masters can perform truly prodigious feats of strength and bravery.

None of this garners them much respect among other martial arts schools, because drunken boxing exacts a toll on its users. Drunken masters remain intoxicated for hours after a fight, and they are often found half-asleep in taverns, mumbling incoherently. This flies in the face of other schools' ascetic principles. But rival schools must be wary -- they never know when the tipsy lout at the bar is just a harmless thug, and when it is a nigh-unstoppable drunken master.

General Information
Drunken Masters utilize high speed and health to offset their deceptively low damage and armor. Although they may appear as simple drunken louts, do not be fooled by this facade. Due to their high evasion, fortitude, and speed, Drunken Masters can match up fairly well against any of the melee professions. Futhermore, by using Bracers or Brass Knuckles, Drunken Masters can improve their unarmed damage making them even more formidable fighters.

A Drunken Master is a formidable boxer with or without alcohol. Unarmed Combat allows a Drunken Master to make full use of their fists while Improvisation allows them to dodge enemy attacks, speed up their own attacks, as well increase running speed. Improvisation is complemented by Constitution which grants the Drunken Master access to a variety of defensive stances as well as skills to increase their Armor and base Health. Ki and Imbibe Alcohol tie all of the attributes together. Both can be used to supplement other abilities, but they do so in different ways. Ki primarily focuses on damage dealing and damage taking. By focusing their inner energy (Ki), Drunken Masters are capable of striking with incredible force as well as withstanding blows that would fell much more heavily armored opponents. Imbibe Alcohol focuses more on a Drunken Master's speed and chaotic nature. When in a Drunken state, the Drunken Master is capable of dodging blows seemingly effortlessly while also striking when his opponents least suspect it. A Drunken Master may stumble forward only to deliver a stunning blow to an enemy at breakneck speeds.

The Drunken Master can fulfill a variety of different roles. A Drunken Master focusing primarily on Ki and Constitution can make a formidable meat shield while another focusing on Improvisation and Imbibe Alcohol may be more suited to a hit and run strategy or an Evasion Tank. They also make excellent runners due to their inherent high speed and ability to absorb damage.

Primary Drunken Masters are unlikely to take a caster class as a Secondary Profession; however there are exceptions. Assassin and Ranger Secondaries can be extremely useful to Drunken Masters focusing primarily on speed while Warrior and Paragon Secondaries are useful to those Drunken Masters whose goal is to tank. Dervish, Elementalist, and Monk Secondaries may also be useful. Ritualist, Mesmer, and Necromancer Secondaries, on the other hand, are unlikely candidates.

Due to the nature of their attributes and skills, melee classes stand to benefit more from choosing Drunken Master as their secondary than casters; however, the ability to dodge and withstand damage is a useful commodity for any class.

Alcohol Consumption
EotN Skills aside, for most Professions, Alcohol has no inherent effect. For the Drunken Master on the other hand, Alcohol can have a powerful (albeit unpredictable) effect from its simple consumption, varying with the Drunken Master's Imbibe Alcohol Attribute. The exact nature of this benefit appears to be largely random.

Attributes

 * Imbibe Alcohol (Primary): For each rank in Imbibe Alcohol, the inherent beneficial effects of Drunkenness increase by an unknown percentage.  Imbibe Alcohol also improves skills related to Alcohol consumption.


 * Unarmed Combat: Increases damage and effectiveness of unarmed strikes and skills relating to unarmed combat.


 * Improvisation: Improves all skills related to Evasion, Acrobatics, and Speed


 * Ki: Improves all skills related to the channeling of Ki


 * Constitution: Improves all skills related to Fortitude and Tanking.

Weapon (Unarmed)
Bare fists may be supplemented by Brass Knuckles or Bracers. Some Attack Skills may also include attacks that use the Drunken Master's knee, elbow, etc. in place of his hands, these attacks are treated as if he had struck with his hands.

Max Stats

 * Damage: 5-10
 * Damage type: Bludgeoning
 * Attack Rate: 1 Second