Genjutsu and Other Stuff Announcement

[Lanfaer]

Greetings, all!

To those who do not know me, I am Lanfaer, Mizukage, and head of HR and PR. I'm the guy who gets to tell you about cool things upcoming, and make sure your time here is the best it can be. If you have ideas, things you want to see, changes you'd like to make, etc you can come to me anytime. Now, with introductions out of the way, I'd like to start off by telling you what you'll find below. First off, I'll be making announcements about a few changes and upcoming changes/events you'll likely want to know about. Secondly, as the person currently redoing Genjutsu, I have a few changes I'd like to hear back on people about. So, without further ado, I'll get to it!

[Announcements]
→ • First up, something of key importance. Soon, the guild will be holding a Custom Bloodline Contest! Now, unfortunately, don't get too into your old custom lists too fast. You see, this one is special: it's for custom doujutsu, meaning "Eye Techniques". Other bloodlines, from canon, that fit this category would be the Sharingan, the Byakuugan, and the Sakkakugan! When exactly this will be is undetermined, but should come up before the end of October, so keep an eye out!
→ • Not that long ago we had a restructuring of the base Classes that we utilize in this guild. However, after play testing them for nearly a year (it feels) we have realized a few things are a bit off. Some changes will be coming to the jutsu slots for classes, the first being how Tamer works, so keep an eye out on the guild announcements for such things!
→ • With the stepdown of Wolfe Whitehorn from the Hokage position we now have a new moderator and Hokage! Give a round of applause and welcome our new Hokage, Holy Rinaku!
→ • The basics for Genjutsu have been accepted, and things have changed. With the coming of the new system some things need to be reiterated! Shinobi Nations is not a canon guild, meaning that by no means are we restricted to canon material. Our goal as moderators is to ensure fun, fair play in the guild, and sometimes this will require a deviation from source material. If there are any concerns once the changes are introduced to the guild proper please speak to myself, Lanfaer, or another moderator to discuss them!

[Genjutsu]
This part of this really, really long post has to do strictly with the coming Genjutsu system! Some key changes are listed below:
→ • Genjutsu has been restructured to fall into new categories, which are being sorted by the means, rules, and targets of the genjutsu themselves. They are: Enchantment techniques, which focus on the control of others or bringing of personal effects to their minds. Illusory techniques comes next, which are the more traditional Genjutsu that create images and visual displays of imagery. Next would be the Instance techniques, something that others know well as short lived, but important techniques that can momentarily effect a target or add realism to other techniques, making them more difficult to disbelieve. The last, and definitely not least, are Chained techniques. Chained techniques come in different types, from augmentation, activation-free techniques that will alter in some way the next technique used, or a duration-focused activation technique that alter genjutsu used in some way within their area of effect.
→ • Genjutsu will utilize a set of six Senses that are utilized with techniques, which dictate what types of techniques stack, their strength, and just what senses the techniques actually effect. These are Sight, Scent, Sound, Taste, Touch, and Chakra.
→ • Genjutsu Class, and possible Performer, will receive the ability to select, instead of Genjutsu techniques, entire Genjutsu Styles. These styles are in a way similar to Bukijutsu and Taijutsu styles, with a themed useage and a tiered method of learning. Each will introduce a new type of technique, called Legacy Techniques, that will be abilities and techniques gained by actively following specific rules of roleplaying to gain bonuses, or negatives, for roleplaying the culture behind the style itself.

Now, the last point is the purpose of this section: I need your help! Styles are difficult to come up with that give a unique individuality that fits something that the members, meaning you. might use! So, I come to the members to ask what you would like to see. Below, I will list the Styles, and a general description for each, that are for certain coming into the field, but even these I would like some feedback on! Nothing is set in stone at this time, other than the foundations for genjutsu itself, and so I hope to include the members in this decision making process! So, below I will, again, list what I have so far, and I urge you all to step up and suggest other styles that you would like to see brought to the guild!

→ • Nightmare Architect → the Architect is a genjutsu caster that specializes in the Illusory school of genjutsu that focuses on fear and paranoia. These people are often seen as dark, grim, frightening folk who delight in bringing the greatest of their victims fears to life! Will see heavy use of shadows and darkness in their imagery.
→ • Dreamweaver → The opposite of the Architect, the Dreamweaver is a Genjutsu user who specializes in dream-like imagery of the Illusory school. Happy, light imagery is often used to invoke a sense of euphoria, to distract and ensnare with glee, joy, and bliss. Such casters are often sought after to bring joy and peace to those on the edge of death, or to fight the effects of an Architect upon an innocent.
→ • Twilight Madness → The duality Enchanter between an Architect and Dreamweaver, the Twilight Madness Genjutsu user specializes on mind-altering genjutsu, insanity, and the chaos that ensues. Enchantment genjutsu are their forte, and they often delight in the twisting of one's senses and mind for the furthering of chaos itself, giving rise to their names.
→ • Bog Witch → A Land of Water genjutsu user, a style specific to Kirigakure shinobi and requiring one to be trained within the Land of Water, a Bog Witch focuses on the use of Illusory techniques within a water-like setting, or within a swamp. Their illusions play specifically upon the natural imagery of the land, trapping fools within the mists of the land for all eternity. Misdirection, deceit, and strange lights and noises in the depths are hallmarks of an effective Bog Witch.
→ • Playwright → A strange, unique type of Genjutsu user that come from ancient scholars of the Genjutsu world, Playwrights are methodical casters who utilize a secret collection of techniques to scribe down stories, passages, and poems that when read aloud create illusions. They have an affinity for Fuinjutsu and work well to summon forth realistic, powerful illusions that can shape an entire battlefield if done properly, though without their books and words they have little in the way of defense or strength.

I open the floor to all of you in the hopes that you will feel free to discuss, ask questions, and receive answers! Please, there are no foolish questions (unless intended to be), so speak, and be welcome!  

[HeadlessKoko]

I suck at balance soooo everything I say is from a purely "what makes sense?" perspective.

The restriction to two classes is interesting. It helps to further amplify the genjutsu class's genjutsu dominance and (if performers also get this style) give a bit of definition to what is currently a class that can go with just about anything. Will this specialty of the genjutsu class be as difficult as, say, medical jutsus for other classes to get? Or will be getting genjutsu styles be more on par with getting weapon styles?

I support performer getting genjutsu styles. Mostly because you're currently going to include a playwright style, and it basically screams performer. However, the performer class as a whole isn't necessarily a genjutsu based class, so I can see why there is hesitation. My recommendation is to, at the very least, give performers who take emotional content discipline genjutsu styles. Grand Performance discipline performers may also make sense for genjutsu styles?... Or maybe they'd be too spread thin to qualify for styles.

I... both love and hate the bog witch style. To put it simply, it screams valuable NPC asset but too situational for RPC asset. Granted, if the RPC only ever intends to stay in Kirigakure and the watery parts of the Water Country, then it shifts from situational to always useful. I haven't been in SN for long, so I'm not sure how limiting it is for a major asset (as genjutsu styles appear to be) to have their usefulness tied heavily with existing environmental conditions (except maybe at high ranks where you can just tsunami and mist over a whole place to create a bog wherever you go). Personally, I'd prefer if there was just a general genjutsu style that focused on exaggerating the environment and misdirection in all forms of terrain. After all, creepy lights are just as spooky in mist as they are in a shaded forest or a cloudy mountaintop. Sucking mud that trips is akin to entangling roots and rocks that never seem to get out of your way. Still, I know creating a one-size-fits-all-terrains style can quickly become complicated and it really does suck to lose out on region-specific styles because they accentuate that not all villages and countries are identical.

I'd like to see a style that focuses on realistic illusions ranging from small instances to wholly constructed fights. The stuff where "Aha! I stabbed you-Wait no. I didn't?" happens and then can grow into, "Wait, I thought you stabbed you ten seconds ago? I didn't? Huh? What happened to everything I did in that ten seconds? Was it... all in my head?". Early on, it can be used to support the user's fighting style by misdirecting their opponent's attacks to illusions or getting them to believe that the user had sustained an injury they had actually dodged. In later stages, it creates the target to begin to naturally question reality itself because unlike most other fantastical genjutsu, these illusions are very much like reality and they don't directly mess with the target's emotions.

Oh, and a style that focuses on no one ever noticing the user would also be great, but I'd probably be the only one that cared about something like that. No one likes playing with the rpc that's basically invisible.  

[AD Reaper Elyse]

Well I've known about a few of the things mentioned in the announcements here for awhile from just chatting with you guys and keeping up with just about anything that's been happening in the villages I'm involved in this guild.

Though seeing as how i'm one of the first people to make a genjutsu custom prescribed to follow the new genjutsu system, which I fully support in terms of giving more depth in the way we think about genjutsu and how they can work or be personalized to a style rather than just a random assortment. I want to see the styles expand as broad a map to inspire ideas and an option to still use the old system in some part to pick and choose.
Though I might suggest that we set this option as one can pick and choose to a certain rank limit with in their body ranks limitation that might not foster as strong a benefit or cohesive effect as choosing a full on class to master might lend to their repertoire of skills and advantages. This is just a small opinion of mine that whole heartened devotion to learning one of these "schools of genjutsu" would garner strength in them than those that dabble.

Also the idea that the "Bog witch Style" lands on in support a terrain focused advantage to genjutsu is great. Though I do have idea's on takes of this idea spreading to every major shinobi village and the terrain their lands are most known for, though terrain is a great base their should be a psychological theme and goal to the styles I feel that they press on. Given from my point of logic the genjutsu users of all the villages must have had to fight and defend themselves against the genjutsu users of the other villages. So a method to of genjutsu defense and attack that works into the culture of the various lands is just a blip of thought I bring up just to keep in mind.

I'm gonna give my idea's to add to this collection present here and then also my notes I think might be fun to add to the ones already present and how we might reorganize the genjutsu we already have if that has become something this revamp will facilitate as well. I don't imagine that any style would lack a certain type in complete absence given the categories of genjutsu (illusion, instance, chain, and enchantment.) But I figure some focus more on one or two than the others or are evenly balanced to the theme.

Genjutsu Styles concepts :

• Leaf [Dread_ Loss] Revenants Clasp: Unique to the land of fire and playing to their terrain of many woods and forested areas deep and dark. this style plays to the paranoia and sense of disorientation the deep woods might provide, by strongly praying on thoughts of having ones past grievances come back to haunt them. Its focus of dread and loss and how the things you once loses can come back to bring you deeper guilt and despair at how you might of failed or never measured up to meet some desired goal or ability as to produce confused feelings and demoralize a target. Group ensnarement would be key to its mechanics but in the theme the dead and superstition of deities or figures that represent death and places where the dead may lay unknown to wake and haunt the target are key. Genjutsu: Enchantment/Chain focus.

• Cloud [Shock_Trauma] Storm Callers: Are mainly about creating a sudden wave of shocking sensory stimuli demoralizing to the immediate situation that compound into doubts. These doubts manifest in the performance of the opponents abilties seemingly not performing as they should especially in mountainous area's where the air is thinner and the terrain is steep. Disorientation is based on physical unfamiliarity with ones self, such as balance, aim, depth perception etc. They call out to the heaves or forces that seem beyond them to create a barrage of instances that entrench one into the idea that they are lacking in the ability to survive aiming mainly to stun and with skill prolong said stunned state as long as possible. altitude sickness and losing a sense of focus on the world around you from oxygen deprivation are common simulations in this style. Genjutsu: Instance/Illusion focus.

• Wind [Mirage_Intoxication] Sooth Reviser: They play to the spoken and pharmacological side of genjutsu to prompt genjutsu by attacking taste or smell to draw focus or divert it so that illusions are easily digested or carry more visceral effect on the body by confusing it with poisons or ulterior methods paired with the jutsu. They use the environments natural desolation of certain resources draw people into traps that bare them to the elements. Discomfort is their forte and they create these annoyances to draw one towards a conclusion that they are in need of some lacking necessity and providing it is falsehood is their strength. Genjutsu: Enchantments/Illusions focus.

• Earth [Delirium_Spiritualism] Cataclysmic Diviner: They manipulate the perspective of the environment to appear to be going completely against you. The landscape is shaken in a disaster movie type of way, and they portray this more in the way of being a skill of premonition rather than illusion. they use the jarring nature of these compounding shifts in environment to enhance the capabilities of horrifying but believable disaster.
Genjutsu: Illusions/ Instance/ Chain focus.

• Sound [Psychedelia_Persuasion] Enigmatic Charmer: Smooth talkers and hypnotic motion that creates a deconstruction of reality that pairs well with either euphoria or delirium. This style plays to make the every move a person has can be outfitted to create a psychically shaking shift of ones sensory perception. Music or lyricism simply extend and persists the short lived confusion they tend to create.

Genjutsu Styles Lists notes and thoughts:

• Nightmare Architect → I think Light and Shadow should play into their abilties since some people fear open space and the vastness of what's exposed to the light. Thinking of Light as Agoraphobia, and Darkness as a claustrophobia and the various imagery from either side of this spectrum that can play to ones nightmares such as a fear of falling from the sky.

• Dreamweaver → False sense of safety to drop defenses and allow one to accept things they might well should be fighting I think is probably one of the most dangerous of these options. Which might make it one of the more difficult of these options to get right in the writing. Weavers i think might be the ones whohave the strongest skill with permanently infusing a chained illusion into an area holding a "domain of power" is a concept I always liked about certain magical entities from exterior lore. Them having an area no specific to terrain but familiarity to them that dras people in and the ability to carry that along with them in some way like a plant from their home they just always has would be a great concept to incorporate.

• Twilight Madness → As the "chaotic" option of what i figure is your Good|Neutral|Evil Defined principle styles I feel this ones concept might need something that fits it's position of blending Euphoria and fear. I feel like this one doesn't need to be so much chaos but confusion, a "fog" of mind that drops the mental defenses to hold onto ones understanding of what should or shouldn't be real. You create a desire in the target to create paracosm to escape into a child like state of comfort or hiding from reality might be. So in a sense you make the target project their own fears and desires at the same time. though this is just my way f thinking about it, your take isn't bad but i feel like it could be a bit more diabolical in essence due to the lack of a goal exactly to pin down to the direction the genjutsu is leading you. mixing emotions and rendering you pretty lost emotionally. Also I kinda don't like the term "MAdness" I kinda like just going with "Delusion" or "Illustrator". Since I like the naming convention that paints these as a occupation not just a state of mind.

• Bog Witch → Again I've not issue with this style, just that I'd like to see ones that work into all the lands that have had an advanced military that must of developed counter measures to face genjutsu relevant to their homelands esthetics.

• Playwright → I like the play right idea, but i do think a more musically inclined style that works to develop the relationship between musicians of the performer class with their focused tool of the trade, and how they might intermingle ninjutsu and genjutsu. Fuuinjutsu though working well on the aspect of playwrights I think is a great concept, but for a musician/performing arts parallel I'd hope for a tool of the trade centered idea that develops an instrument/ tool/ or performance garment along with the genjutsu style.