Created by Gold Zephzellian
Summary
You don’t learn like anyone else does. By simply looking at someone use an Ability, you can learn to use it, too, so long as it is of the right Power Source… What potential could this hide?
The Copycat is a highly unorthodox Sub-Archetype focused around the Copy series of Abilities, turning them into a way to PERMANENTLY gain Abilities for themselves on the cheap, and can get really good at using them. This makes the Copycat theoretically able to learn the single largest number of Abilities in the game… but all of this power comes at a deep cost… that being that you permanently lose the ability to learn Abilities through Level Up. That HURTS, and means you effectively start the game with only your Creative Improvisation Abilities without further investment. In addition, more so than any other class, you are heavily reliant on your GM to give you new Abilities to play with. This means building a Copycat is more of a test in working with what you are given than any other class, making giving recommendations difficult… but I’ll do my damndest.
Pay the price, and the Copycat offers UNFETTERED possibilities.
Sub-Archetype Statistics
Ease of Use – ★☆☆☆☆
Offensive Ability – ★★★★★
- Single Target – ★★★★★
- AOE – ★★★★★
- Disabling – ★★★★★
Defense – ★★★★★
- Passive Defense – ★★★★★
- Active Defense – ★★★★★
- Healing – ★★★★★
Support – ★★★★★
- Offensive Support – ★★★★★
- Defensive Support – ★★★★★
- Miscellaneous Support – ★★★★★
Skills – ★★★★★
- Social – ★★★★★
- Physical – ★★★★★
- Mental – ★★★★★
| Use this Sub-Archetype if you want to… |
| – Be offered unparalleled flexibility in terms of the Abilities you have. – Want to build an identity for yourself as you go, unfettered by build planning. – To be a Master of All if done right… |
| Consider avoiding this Sub-Archetype if… |
| – You don’t want a rough start or have to bear leveling one of the hardest Sub-Archetypes in the game. – You want a defined, well thought out build plan in advance. You can, sort of, but you’ll also likely have to play fast and loose with what you get as well. – …or a Master of None if done poorly. |
Features
Tier 1 – Copy Adept
You learn one of the following Abilities: Copy Biology, Supernatural, Technique, or Technology. You forget any other Ability you gained through leveling up (including those you start with during character creation), and you can no longer learn Abilities through leveling up. You only need 1 RP to use the chosen Ability, its WP cost is reduced by 4, and you permanently learn Abilities copied by it. You can copy the same Ability up to three times. You mastered an Ability if you copied it three times. Your WP turn and upcast limit for mastered Abilities increases by 1, and its WP cost is reduced by 1.
You learn one of: Copy Biology, Copy Supernatural, Copy Technique, or Copy Technology. You lose ALL Abilities you would/have learned from leveling up.
However, your Copy Ability now only costs 1RP (though they already do…?) to use, costs 4 less WP, and you PERMANENTLY learn Abilities copied by it, and may copy an Ability up to three times. Copying an Ability three times Masters it. When an Ability is Mastered, it costs 1 less WP and increases your WP and Upcast Limit when casting that Ability by 1.
Hoooo boy, a beefy Feature to break down. Let’s begin with the top; you learn any Copy Ability, but lose access to all Level Up Abilities. YIKES. This makes Copycat largely impractical for Multi-Sub-Archetype unless you pick it up early, and even then… I’d question why you would. Fortunately, any Abilities you would learn through other sources, like More of the Same, Most Caster Hybrid Sub-Archetypes later Tiers, Path of Polymathy, and notably, Creative Improvisation are still accessible, and serve as a good way to control what Abilities you want to get.
Fortunately, the benefits more than make up for it. Firstly, that Copy Ability is improved… DRAMATICALLY. It’s super cheap both in RP (though it already is, might have been a change in a patch) and WP (even starting as totally free in terms of WP up to Tier 2 Abilities!), and now allows you to PERMANENTLY learn the Ability you target with it. Not only that, you can copy an Ability up to 3 times, and if you do, you can Master an Ability, which is critical to many of this Sub-Archetype’s best features, so get copying!
Your first benefit for Mastering an Ability at this level is simply lowering the cost of the Ability by 1WP and increasing it’s WP and Upcast Limit by 1 when cast. That’s not too shabby at all, and gives some good early incentive to go forth and copy as many Abilities as you can!
Overall, this first feature defines the baseline for the Copycat. I’m not gonna lie; the early game is going to be rough for you. But HANG IN THERE! Once you get past the early game, things will get better.
Tier 2 – Self and Other
You can either choose another Ability for your Copy Adept feature or learn two additional Abilities from any Archetype for each Tier you have. You can upcast mastered Abilities for free by 1 WP.
Choose one: learn another Copy Ability for Copy Adept, or learn 2 more Abilities from ANY Archetype for each Tier you have.
Additionally, Mastered Abilities are upcast by 1WP for free.
A two-pronged feature, so let’s break it down! First, that first part is something we’ll see again in Tier 3 and Tier 5, a choice. This gives you the option to immediately learn more Abilities from ANY Archetype that scales with Tier, allowing you to set up a more meaningful purpose for yourself… or you can learn another Copy Ability, which benefits from all of the buffs of Copy Adept, allowing you to learn from a wider range of Power Sources. This is a REALLY tough call, as both have very good cases to be made for them and could define your playstyle in the future.
The second part is fortunately far more straightforward; Mastered Abilities now receive an additional free 1WP upcast. That’s a nice boon, especially when stacked with the benefits from Copy Adept, and is the last benefit that each Ability will separately get. From this point forward, each feature will generally make you way better for each Mastered Ability you’ve got. Speaking of…
Tier 3 – Meditate Upon Other
You can either choose another Ability for your Copy Adept feature or learn two additional Abilities from any Archetype for each Tier you have. You gain a mastered charge for each mastered Ability you have after taking a full rest. You can spend a mastered charge to decrease the WP cost of an Ability you use by 3 and upcast it for free by 3 WP. You lose all mastered charges after taking a full rest.
Choose one: learn another Copy Ability for Copy Adept, or learn 2 more Abilities from ANY Archetype for each Tier you have.
Additionally, each long rest, gain a Mastered Charge for each MasteredAbility you know, losing them on a long rest. You may spend a Mastered Chargeto decrease the cost of an Ability by 3WP and upcast it for free by 3WP.
Hope you’ve been busy Mastering Abilities, as Meditate Upon Other gives you MASSIVE incentive to do so, now! Firstly, though… you once again have the same initial choice as you did last tier. It’s probably a tough call again, though the Copy Ability is definitely enticing with the second part of this feature…
…which are Mastered Charges. These are effectively a way to SUPERCHARGE an Ability for one cast, making them substantially cheaper and more potent. The best part? The number of Mastered Charges you have doesn’t have a CAP. As a result, it’s theoretically possible to have a large number of these by endgame, which can be deeply formidable. Just keep in mind that you need to Master Abilities to do this, and it only refreshes on a Full Rest.
Tier 4 – Learn Through Adaptation
For every Ability you mastered, you gain one of the following: Increase Basic Movement, WP per Level, DR Power, Armor, Evasion, DRs, Weapon attack damage, attack rolls, or Skill Checks by 1, Vitality per Level by 2, Narrative Momentum by 3, or Temporary Vitality per Level by 4. You cannot increase the same thing more than once with this feature.
For each Mastered Ability you have, gain one of the following benefits (you can only choose each benefit once): Increase Basic Movement by 1, WP/Level by 1, DR Power by 1, Armor by 1, Evasion by 1, DRs by 1, Weapon Attack Damage by 1, Attack Rolls by 1, Skill Checks by 1, Vitality/Level by 2, Narrative Momentum by 3, or Temp. Vitality/Level by 4.
So, you want ALL the stats? This’ll be your huckleberry. Learn Through Adaptation gives you a small boost to a stat for every Mastered Ability you have. The number of Mastered Abilities you need to cap out this Feature is 12, and along the way, you’ll obtain a buff to every stat in the book. Damage, DR Power, Accuracy, Skill Checks, Resources… EVERYTHING. This will generally increase your efficacy across the board, and is just generally good for you. It ain’t fancy, but man alive is it effective at doing what it promises.
Tier 5 – Assimilation
You can either choose another Ability for your Copy Adept feature or learn two additional Abilities from any Archetype for each Tier you have. You instantly master an Ability when you copy it with the Ability you choose for your Copy Adept feature.
Choose one: learn another Copy Ability for Copy Adept, or learn 2 more Abilities from ANY Archetype for each Tier you have.
Instead of having to copy an Ability three times to Master it, you Master it immediately.
Before we get to that juicy second half, you have another choice to make; another Copy Ability or more Abilities in general? I’m personally partial to the former this time, because…
Yep, you read that right! INSTANT. MASTERY. No more needing to copy an Ability three times to Master it, you just immediately do so. This will send all your previous features, especially Meditate Upon Other, into OVERDRIVE, as they will now quickly gain effectiveness if they haven’t already. The Ability Master effects, Mastered Charges, and all of those bonus stats from Learn Through Adaptation, now RIPE for the taking. Enjoy, you’re in the ENDGAME now.
Synergies & Tips
Synergies
- Literally ANY Ability Stuff: I am not joking when I say you can take anything for Abilities as a Copycat and you’ll probably do well. Because of how varied being a Copycat can be, your choices will have to be just as flexible, determining what you need based on what you get or what you’re building towards with your own Ability pickups.
- Additional Ability Sources: While you can’t learn Abilities from leveling up any more, you can still learn Abilities from other sources. Heck, you start with one in Creative Improvisation, which can help make your early game suck a little less. These can help you define more of a role outside of what you Copy, which can help greatly.
- Path of Polymathy: Probably your best all-around Path choice! You’ll be getting a lot of different Abilities as you play, so more WP to play with can help you use a wider variety. The extra Abilities you gain per Level also mitigate your losses from Copy Adept somewhat, though it won’t return it to your former 2 Abilities per Level glory.
- Path of Reaction: Surprisingly good Path choice for Copycats! Copying costs 1RP, so having more to throw around can make Copying safer and allow you to use defensive abilities alongside it; which can save your bacon sometimes.
- More WP: You’re gonna be castin’ a lot of Abilities, so having more WP to throw around in that respect is probably a good idea! Perseverance Master, Will to Act, and Willpower Boost are classics, but if you need even more, remember that Hybrid Sub-Archetype Tier 1 Features provide more of the stuff, even if it isn’t at an ideal rate.
- WP Discounts: Generic WP discounts do great on Copycat for similar reasons to why having more WP does… it’s just more WP to throw around! Excellent stuff.
- Extra RP: On paper, this seems like a bizarre choice, but then you realize you can copy more Abilities in a round for each RP you have OR allows you to use more Copy Abilities without eating into your defensive reactions, which are pretty dang important for someone as squishy as you are initially.
Tips
- Be ready to play any role, as the Abilities you get will likely vary a lot. Building for a specific role you’ll play under normal circumstances is still a good idea, though, as not having one is worse than having even the basic outlines of one.
- Permanent Copy is far worse for you as a Greater Talent, as it already does what Copy Adept does anyways, but worse. I guess you could take it for the Copy Features part of the Talent, but that’s your call on that front.
- Be sure to Copy Abilities frequently, as they’re your main source of additional Abilities outside of other options, and the extra power Mastered Abilities provides you is no joke, especially starting in Tier 3.
- You can Copy Abilities not just from enemies, but from allies and even yourself! If you have WP and RP to spare, it can be worth copying your own Abilities to Master them.
Sub-Archetype Build Showcase
This psionic mage is capable of learning the Magic and Natural Abilities of their targets, implementing it into their versatile damage and healing toolkit with surprisingly decent survivability thanks to Shield, a Infused Ability (Parry) discount, Barrier, and a solid Light Shield (supported with Shield Mage and Reactive Shield). Alongside a massive supply of WP, this mage has all they need to solve problems… initially.
Their output is supplemented with consistency from Artist T1-2 and Natural Ability to provide more DR Power and Ability Hit, making this mage surprisingly capable in the damage department. This build’s biggest weakness is that it has no consistent option when it runs out of WP; when you’re out, you are out. I provided this build 2 Tier 3 Stimulants from the starting Credits, you are going to need them.
This duelist takes a more unique approach to the Copycat playstyle; focusing solely on learning Techniques from others! With a wide range of Maneuver Abilities, surprisingly solid bulk, and great critical hit rates and damage, this Duelist can serve as a potent member of a melee core for a party! They offer a surprisingly solid control core as well with their Maneuver Abilities and a range of useful Debuffs, allowing them to keep a foe busy as well.
However, they don’t have as much WP as I would like (though Enhance Technique does help ease the pain a bit), and are limited to a Rapier through Weapon Master T1 (though it does help improve Crit rate significantly!). That being said, they can be absolutely devastating, and additional Techniques can make them a force to be reckoned with.
Conclusion
Overall, the Copycat is a bit… strange, and takes some getting used to. If you can, though… hoo boy, what a force to be reckoned with! Thanks for reading! If you have any fun builds that could help show off Copycat more, feel free to send them to me on Discord at goldzephzellian!