Spike of All Trades

by Ariamaki

Chapter 35: Smacks

"Oh hey, before we get started... I think we can be a little riskier about damaging me in training. I can regenerate more HP thanks to the emerald drink, so let's push the limits further, OK?"

A portable easel was snapped into place and notes taken, recovery rates combined with what they already knew about his skills. Adding on the buff (and preparing another glass to refresh it once it ran low), they had a few reasonable guesses for how much punishment Spike could take: There was a level of uncertainty to the formulas until they figured out the order of operations. A lot of games showed that stuff, but just as many kept it hidden for the power-users to find... Maybe he was missing a critical submenu somewhere that would clarify those things.

Even with that topic on their minds, it probably should have surprised him at least a bit more when Scootaloo lashed out hard with one rear hoof and bucked him right in the knee. As it stands, he winced at the pain but stayed standing himself: A hit that would have crumpled him flat on his face a day ago was absorbed effortlessly... Somehow. The pegasus blinked and looked him up and down.
"...Huh. I could swear I hit the joint dead-on."

"Uh, I think you did? But it didn't matter. Body of a video game character, right? Hitting a joint is no different from hitting my tail: The only HP that matters is the last. I bet I could cut off a finger or an arm and just sort of... not. You know what I mean?"

"Wait wait wait. So all the damage we'd do is just... numbers, not damage? Aw shucks lemme rejigger the plan here."

Spike had a very distinct feeling he had just made things a lot tougher for himself. That was confirmed when Sweetie Belle came waltzing out of the kitchen, all smiles and whistling... with her greenish-yellow magical aura levitating a broad chopping knife.

"...Um. Let's test the theory on something small."

"Tailtip? Chunk of a limb?"

"Bit of tongue, maybe. I know from experience that I can regrow that even without this new stuff."

There was still an air of nervous tension as he stuck out a modest (foot-long) portion of his tongue and Sweetie lined up her swing. It was one thing to confront the idea that he could deal with this kind of harm, and another to actually enact it. But they'd all suffered worse when out Crusading and he had regrown multiple inches of tongue after a bad bite when he was younger. Twilight had taken notes and done a bit of research on the severed piece, eventually concluding that it was one of the ways in which dragons were kin to terrestrial lizards.

"So here goes, um, not nothing but... something?"

"Masterful speech, Sweetie."

"Shoosh. KNIFE TIME!"

If anything the pain was even more transient the second time around, fading just as quickly as it happened... And there was no piece of tongue on the ground. The fillies looked from the knife to him, to the lack of blood and meat, then back again.

"Did I miss?"

"No, 3 damage. Like I said: Gamer's Body. I just don't... show any harm, and I guess there's no functional damage either? My tonguetip is still just as far along as before"

He stuck out his tongue to make sure, and there was the forked tip, plain as day... Even after Sweetie took it off again with another lazy swing.
"Huh. I totally feel the, like, feedback? Resistance? Whichever word's more cogent. I feel it, but... Yeah. It's like a luchapone no-selling a Gerrmane suplex."

Scootaloo looked over incredulously.
"You watch professional wrestling?"

"Rarity likes the outfits. And the drama."

After that comment, a third sweep removed his tongue cleanly again, or would have if he hadn't been him. Sweetie watched this time from a side-on view, head cocked to one side.
"Yeah, I can see that I'm making impact, passing through... but no severing, no pieces, no blood."

Spike put up his claws and sighed.
"OK, enough tongue lack-of-mutilation. With that covered... that was 11 damage total, plus like 9 from the knee shot earlier... But I recovered 10 already. AB, does that match any of the theories?"

The farmfilly looked at the clock, did some math in her head, and then looked back over to the easel. A moment later she tapped her hoof against one option before circling it with a stroke of ink, although her verbal response was muffled until she spat out the pen.
"Ymmf, Numf... Blegch. Yeah! Number 4."

Sweet. That meant it was based on his natural regeneration but worked on its own, independently ticking his HP up over a period based on his Vitality... all while not replacing the original recovery! It was like having a second ‘dose’ of natural health recovery... Truly the best of all possible worlds.

"OK, let's figure out how high I can get this with Dragon's Heart. Buffing... Now!"

He had been feeling the benefits of the skill's passive side ever since he got it, a constant heated pressure in his muscles and his body, like his blood was running warmer and thicker somehow. But this would be his first time really using the active portion. Spike focused his energy into the proper shape, following the way the skill... Elucidated? It was hard to describe. It wasn't like flexing a muscle, or like channeling his fire breath. It didn't have much in common with a learned motion or a practiced skill, either. Instead he just shifted the way he was, directing what his abilities called ‘MP’ into a different route than normal.

Surprisingly, the effects of this buff were more visible than the damage from their attacks. As soon as he began flowing MP into the skill his HP slapped back up to full in a sudden jerk... No, not quite. The bar extended as his VIT rose, while the regeneration's pace picked up to match it. Aside from the changes in his menu, his body... Well it didn't suddenly swell up or get leaner. It didn’t change at all from a certain perspective. The difference was a pervasive glow around him, like a unicorn's magical aura sans the sparkles. He radiated colorless power for a moment as he stood before the Crusaders. The room was bathed in the pale light only briefly before it sank back into his skin and then faded. But while the light was gone, the changes on his stats remained.

"...So cool."

"Ah'll admit that's a fancy lightshow. But how diff'rent are ya feelin'?"

"How different?"

He flexed one claw and then the other, then an arm... Then lashed back out quickly, snatching the kitchen knife out of Sweetie's magic. A few quick tosses from hand to hand before he passed it back, watching his stats and his movements at the same time. It was hard to split his attention but he could feel the benefits of it, like stretching a muscle. His perceptions seemed slightly sharper, but nothing compared to the change in his reflexes. To top it off, while he didn't want to break anything, it felt like he could have shattered the knife (the handle, at least) if he chose to.

"...Pretty. Um, right, charts. At this skill level, 10 MP a minute gets me another 10% boost and doubles my base HP regen... So the Emerald buff pulses faster and heals more per 'pulse'.

"Both?"

"Yeah: My Vitality is higher and the natural regeneration is stronger: It keys off of both."

Sweetie looked over the tools they had gathered and started bouncing a few small gems between her hooves. He had described his other buffs to them already, and she seemed to have an idea.
"So, all these gem powers seem like... Um. They're not adding to the base, or multiplying it. They're based on the original value but they don't change the statistic itself. I don't know a good term for it."

Scootaloo's eyes glazed over through most of that, but she snapped back to attention at the end.
"Trait-based independent enhancement!"

"...Thank... you?"

"Rainbow Dash keeps drilling me on weather magic and flight boosters and stuff. Apparently I've got 'a good instinct for the framework', or so she claims? I think it all goes over my head when we talk about it, but I guess it is soaking in a bit."

Apple Bloom just rolled her eyes and started making adjustments to the numbers on the board.
"OK ya'll, we’ve got it figured. Sweetie, wanna double-check my numbers?"

Spike grimaced.
"Please do. I know these hits aren't showing, but I do definitely take them and I'm not like that one Outerworlds mechanic: I won't survive with 1 HP and a chance to recover if you kill me on accident."

"Yet!"

"...What?"

"I mean, you've already gotten skills that are like mechanics from real games we've played. So maybe you could get a Last Chance or Undercoat sort of thing!"

His reply was very measured and patient, while his tone made it clear he was serious.
"Yes. Sure. That would be really reassuring, actually. But I don't have it now, is the point."

"Oh yeaaaah. OK, double-checking the numbers! Still not sure why you keep having me do this though: You're way better at math than me."

Apple Bloom frowned as Sweetie came over to the easel.
"Shore, yeah, I guess... But I like bein' positive. And I keep havin' trouble puttin' my numbers inta action."

"And that's why we're a team!"

"Yup! Never fear Apple Bloom: Separately we might be mere Cutie Mark Crusaders, but together!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were both standing attently near the easel as if they’d prepared for this. Meanwhile their fellow Crusader’s only response was to bury her face in her hooves.
"Aw horsepucky not this again."

"YES! Together, we can combine our unrelated talents to cover each others' weaknesses! In this way we three fillies form..."

Scootaloo and Sweetie arched towards each other and clapped hooves as if doing some kind of fusion technique.
"ONE FULLY FUNCTIONAL PONY!"

"Ah love ya girls. Ah hate ya too sometimes... but ah still love ya, all the same."

"Right back atchya AB."

Comments

[AppleTank]

..... you sure the CMC aren't the Trinity expies?

:P

[VcSaJen]

[dzamie]

"Now's our chance for an All-Out Attack!"
"Wait, don't those usually do lots of damage, and non-resisted damage besides?"
"It'll be fine! Probably! Hasn't gone wrong yet!"

[Herald of Opera]

10052089
Unfortunately, they won't get the press turns needed to do that unless he literally lets them. And it doesn't sound like he's going to. (I don't know whether the franchise ever has an enemy do that; flavor-wise it should be possible, but even YHVH isn't arrogant enough. Maybe someone like Matador who relies on letting you attack him and miss?)

[Sweetblue]

Eh nice chapter, but that is some Darwin Awards level testing in the start of the chapter. Really threw me off the chapter for a while, just a personal thing, such things really annoy me.

[Booster Spice]

Single HP value for body damage is like he is slightly out of phase, so everywhere he is hit, inside or outside, is the same singular point effectively? Otherwise he would be using the reverse dice value for hit location etc?

First value for Defense would be how hard Spike has to be hit, and hit things in return before he actually Starts taking damage, then the next step would be Damage 50? How hard he has to hit, be hit, or otherwise to take 50% HP damage in one incident, then see if any different types of damage cause takes longer to recover etc?

For the trick with Last Resort, Base Recovery, One Point Remaining, it would be based on the Phase Damage effect where the Phase means he has a One Hit Point porition that exists outside reality, so cant be affected except by extreme power at his current level, but he can only make use of it by having a Fixed Base to start with, to reawake in, because its classed as Necromancy, Dimentional Phylactery otherwise?

That, or Subtle Decoy?

[chip43]

Shouldn't the CMC get a damage bonus for striking vulnerable areas like joints?

[Cervidaevian]

10052241
They specifically avoid doing tests that would do permanent damage and even spell out why cutting off the tongue (the most drastic test) wouldn't do lasting harm, but okay, just ignore that. Enjoy your terrible reading comprehension, I guess.

[Sweetblue]

10052509
Sad thing is you likely truly believe that, Apple Bloom goes for a hit to the knee with full force, That right there can cause life altering damage as your kneecap is busted, even if it would be fixed by surgery it will never be the same. As for the tongue you seem to be considering, this is a Dragon baby here recalling how something was in certain way, no prior rechecks or making certain medical help is immediately present in the event the worst happens.

It is not only dangerous in the general sense but also is bad lab safety procedure. If Twilight has had any proper training related to experimentation she will have a conniption over such blatantly disregard of basic safety.

[Cervidaevian]

10052632
Have you even seen the show? Even prior to his powers in the fic, Spike bounces back from pretty much anything. If you really think anything they did would do lasting damage to him, then you haven't been paying much attention. Heck, in a world where ponies can have a bunch of stuff including an ANVIL dropped on them and have no lasting damage, a dragon that regularly gets used as the writers' punching bag with no lasting harm definitely should have no problem with being kicked in the knee.

You're applying real world logic on a setting that has been shown, repeatedly, not to work that way.

[unknowncape7377]

10052812
"I used to be an adventurer like you... Then i got an arrow bucked in the knee" -

[Spatan98]

10052632
The only thing we can do is apply real-world knowledge and understanding to create assumptions of just how utterly broken the abilities and bodies that the show's characters have really are.

[djthomp]

First, oh my god. Second, oh my god.

"Shoosh. KNIFE TIME!"

Oh my god.

They are enlightening tests, but still. Wild speculation, I wonder if it would be possible for Spike with his grouping abilities to eventually group up with people that have missing limbs and regrow them.

Scootaloo and Sweetie arched towards each other and clapped hooves as if doing some kind of fusion technique. "ONE FULLY FUNCTIONAL PONY!"

LOL

[The Chronicler]

There was still an air of nervous tension as he stuck out a modest (foot-long) portion of his tongue

Oh my...

Just read this whole thing today. It's surprising how much has happened in one day, and I am still curious about whatever Twilight has been up to. Seems mildly suspicious.

[unknowncape7377]

10056062
You would get a Skyrim vibe, as that's where it's from

[unknowncape7377]

10056279

[Draco Dei]

"Ah love ya girls. Ah hate ya too sometimes... but ah still love ya, all the same."

My understanding is that this is also the secret to a good marriage.

[Detsella Morningdew]

10054625

[Black--Soul]

This system is detailed Brilliant overall.
So body joints are general damage... Neat!

Ones Spike has his day of growth behind him he will be one hell of a adventurer
Daring Do watch out ! Here comes the new legend

Genius chapter. Very fine world building.

[Black--Soul]

CMC golden comedy squad

[Black--Soul]

Spike could probably grind in general with the CMC