Haru: Acolyte 15/Apprentice 7
Optifex: Legionnaire 15/Initiate 7
ErcuEmu: Initiate 15/Legionnaire 7
Alara: Apprentice 15/Acolyte 7
Tacito: Footpad 15/Initiate 7
Haru’s mana continued to tick upwards as she knelt in recovery mode. Things were dire as she used it all up in the beginning of the fight dealing with the mobs. Each time her mana increased, it gave her half a healing spell’s worth back.
Having just finished attacking, Alara took a knee into recovery mode.
Opti auto attacked, bringing the Gogo boss down 5%, to 57% total HP. In return, the goblin’s fury allowed it to auto attack again, hitting Opti. His shield procced, and the mob only hit him for 10% damage, bringing his HP down to 65%.
Haru decided to wait one more round of damage to stand and heal Opti, to try and recover as much mana as possible.
Taci auto attacked, dealing 3%, bringing the boss down to 54% health.
Emu also hit the boss for 4%, bringing the boss down to 50% HP.
The boss followed up with another auto-attack on Opti, hitting him for 15%, bringing him down to 50% HP as well.
Haru, with an extra bit of mana from waiting, stood and started casting Mend on Opti.
Alara recovered to full and stood up to start casting Fire on the goblin.
Instead of attacking, the Gogo leader started swirling the tip of its spear high into the air. Red orbs spun around its body and a deep growl emanated from the boss. It was using the Ground Smash ability.
With a smirk, Opti twisted at the hips and drew his shield over his shoulder. Then with a wide sweep of his arm, he slammed the guard into the Gogo leader. With a loud smack, the rumbling ceased, the orbs suddenly disappeared, and the boss lowered his weapon. The legionnaire’s Shield Bash ability stunned the mob.
“Finally, I can stop nonsense like that.” Opti chuckled. “I can’t use it all the time because mobs build up resistances to crowd control effects, but once in a while is fine.”
Haru’s healing spell completed, restoring Opti back up to 95% total health. She immediately took a knee to continue recovering mana.
Alara’s Fire casting completed and blasted the goblin for 15%, bringing it down to 35% HP. She knelt to recover. “Looks like we might actually beat this thing on the first try.” She laughed. “That’s why I’m the world’s best DPS.”
Emu used Accumulate and his fists started to glow. “I’ll call out when it’s ready.”
“Got it.” Opti nodded.
While Accumulate allowed empowering the user’s attacks, it drew extra enmity as a side effect. If tanks got it as a subjob skill after level 30, it was a good tool to use to keep the mob focused on them. But using it as a DPS required extra coordination with the tank. Bad timing could spell death for the uncoordinated damage dealer. It also stopped the user from moving while it was charging, which could cause problems if a mob suddenly used an AoE.
The goblin recovered from its stun and auto attacked Opti, bringing his health down to 80% total.
Taci started running wide around the Gogo leader, to position himself behind the legionnaire.
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Opti auto attacked and used Pummel, dealing an extra attack’s worth of damage, bringing the mob down to 30% total HP.
Then the boss raised its spear into the air again and started swirling it around while red orbs spun around its body and growling. It was charging the Ground Smash ability again.
Opti used Shield Bash, but the stun didn’t take. “Gah, too soon after it recovered from its last stun. Run away, it’s an AoE!”
Taci abandoned his maneuver and rushed toward the dunes. As the fight took place closer to the shore, running for the dunes was the safest direction.
Alara stood up and followed Taci’s lead, running for the sandbank.
Haru exited recovery mode and started to flee.
“I can’t move.” Emu replied. “Accumulate is still charging. I’m going to get hit.”
“What size is its AoE?” Haru called to Opti as she fled.
“Medium.” Opti positioned himself between the boss, unmoving from charging its ability, and Emu.
Haru moved just outside medium AoE range, about 20 paces, and turned, ready to heal Emu.
“Heal me.” Opti beckoned Haru.
“What? Why?” Haru recoiled.
“Just do it, trust me.” Opti raised his shield.
Haru started casting Mend on Opti.
Opti then triggered the legionnaire ability Shelter. If his positioning was correct, the ability would redirect all damage from anyone behind the legionnaire onto him. Including AoE damage, so long as there was no line of sight between the user and those being protected by the skill.
The Gogo finished charging his ability and he jumped, sailing high into the air. Then he slammed into the ground, spear first. Boulders launched upward from around the weapon and the land shook.
Opti took 35% damage from standing within the AoE. Then he took another 35% damage that Emu would have taken as well. He was at 25% HP. After the dust settled, Opti repositioned himself back to where he was standing and used Provoke on the goblin boss.
“Phew.” The legionnaire’s shoulder sagged.
“Nice positioning, good job.” Emu nodded.
Haru’s healing spell finished and brought Opti up to 65% HP. She decided to hold her position, which was farther away from the boss and rapid cast another Mend to get the legionnaire back up to max HP.
Taci and Alara rushed back to rejoin the fight.
The footpad headed straight behind the legionnaire. Then he looked over at Emu and waited.
Alara stood next to the acolyte and started casting Fire.
The initiate’s Accumulate finished charging. “Ready?” He looked at both Opti and Taci.
Each of them nodded in return.
“Go for it.” Opti braced. He would need to use Provoke the moment Emu triggered his ability.
Haru’s healing spell finished, bringing Opti back to 100% HP.
But while the front line was coordinating, the boss hit Opti for 15% HP, bringing him down to 85% total health.
Provoke could be used as much as needed. While successive usage didn’t mean that it would increase enmity any further, there was no penalty for spamming it either, besides annoying the party with the grating sound.
Emu triggered Pummel, which procced two extra hits. Paired with Accumulate, it dealt a total of 10% HP to the boss, bringing it down to 25% HP.
The moment the initiate’s bronze claws struck the target, Taci triggered Trick Attack. He disappeared slowly, his fading form traveling through both Opti and the mob before reappearing back behind them. As he slid, he turned around and triggered Sneak Attack. Then after using Pummel, which procced an extra attack, the footpad dealt a total of 9% damage, bringing the boss down to 16% HP.
“Boop.” Alara smiled as her Fire spell finished casting. It dealt a total of 15% HP, bringing the boss down to 1%. Then she frowned and grumbled. “I thought I had the killing blow.”
Haru’s damage over time whittled the last 1% from the boss, and it spontaneously fell to the ground, defeated. A cacophony of victory fanfare rang out.
Haru reached level 18!
Optifex reached level 18!
EcruEmu reached level 18!
Alara reached level 18!
Tacito reached level 18!
“Ding.” Opti looked around and smiled at the group.
“Aw, that was lame. It just keeled over from DoTs.” Alara sighed.
Haru laughed, amused at the thought of defeating a boss as a healer.
“Nice one Roo.” Opti called out as he sheathed his sword.
A mote of light ignited and raised into the air from the boss’s body.
“Oooh, a drop.” Emu called out. “I wonder what it is.”
The party stood around the defeated goblin in a circle and watched as the light danced overhead. It was an indicator of the random pick for who would receive the drop. The mote hovered over Taci’s head first.
Then it moved over Haru. “I wonder if it’s something I could use?”
The spec shifted toward Emu. “I can always use more good gear.”
Over Alara was its next destination. “Clearly you want to pick me.”
Then it darted to Opti and disappeared. “Alright, I like that.”
“What was it?” Haru tilted her head.
Opti’s form disappeared and reappeared, what happens when equipment was swapped. His shield was changed out to what the boss was holding, a rectangular wooden shield adorned with runes and embossed with a blue metal down the middle. “I got a much better shield. It gives better block damage reduction and a boost to strength.”
“Looks like it was worthwhile to fight this after all.” Haru nodded.
Emu crossed his arms and looked away, a frown on his face. Alara shrugged. Taci turned and started scanning for targets.
Haru felt like the air of the party was growing sour, and it seemed like those three were always the cause of it.