Class Feature Friday: Combat Evolutionary Focus (Evolutionist Evolutionary Focus)
(art by Zire9 on DeviantArt)
And it’s time for the second of three evolutionary foci for evolutionists!
Last time, we talked about evolutionists that specialize in getting as many augments as possible in order to diversify their abilities, but now, we’ll be focusing on a path that enhances their combat prowess, particularly with their innate attack!
An integrated laser cannon, bio-electric nodules, draconic acid glands, a freezing-cold deathly touch… every evolutionist has a special innate attack connected to the self-perfection they seek. Some even have multiple. Either way, it is often their primary method of attack supplemented by their equipment, other augmentations, and their own constantly-shifting body.
With such an exceptional innate attack, it only makes sense that there would be some evolutionists that focus their transformation into improving their use of said adaptive attack no matter what form it takes.
Such evolutionists might have deliberately taken on this focus as part of their career path, but others might have done so reflexively to survive, such as growing up in a war zone or a harsh and dangerous environment. No matter the reason, there is no denying their lethal effectiveness.
At it’s basic stage, this focus makes the evolutionist more accurate when making multiple attacks.
This is followed up with them being able to choose to do three attacks in a full attack.
Finally, especially-skilled individuals are able to set up deadly chain reactions when hitting multiple times with their adaptive strike. Whether it be rending claws, a chemical reaction between two corrosive fluids, continuous streams of heat or electricity, or something else entirely, they can deal powerful extra damage to a foe they hit repeatedly with a single string of attacks.
Of the three foci available to the class, this one is the most simple, merely granting extra attacks, reduced penalties, and the ability to do rending damage with them no matter what form they take. However, simplicity does not mean ineffective, as it can prove quite devastating to your foes. Naturally, however, this option is meant to be paired with a heavy combat build, either focusing melee or ranged, or perhaps a mix of both. Naturally, adaptations that grant additional adaptive strike types and the ability to change damage types are almost required, but beyond that you can go super tanky or a more mobile combat build, just whatever suits you the most. Consider other adaptations as well as augmentations that suit your style as well.
The focus on the adaptive strikes today reminds me how ripe for creativity the evolutionist class truly is. Consider that any of the available damage types can be either ranged or melee, and consider how they would work for each of the niches, and that’s already a recipe for lots of evocative images. Add in your species on top of that and the sky truly is the limit.
All of her life, Izalda has dreamed of the warm sun, unusual but not unheard of for one born as a winterborn ryphorian. However, she found she was not content to just undergo gene therapy to become a summerborn, she needed to become a star, and so she began funding her transformation into an elemental being, primarily with her career as a martial artist competing in tournaments. However, a fight-fixing conspiracy threatens to snuff out her light long before she achieves her blazing apotheosis.
After a strange accident while exploring four-dimensional ruins, Brada Voss was merged partially with adaptive cybernetics by the recombinator robots maintaining the site. Since then, the pirate has been learning to control the strange machines that seem to appear from nowhere to armor and arm him, but they’ve made enough process to become a true terror in a fight.
Several EternaLife scientists and bureaucrats have been found dead, their throats crushed with signs of frostbite. Rather than go to the authorities, the company reaches out to mercenaries to solve the problem, and it becomes readily apparent why: One of their experiments into necromantic longevity survived the lab’s destruction, and seeks a vengeance of death and terror.