That sounds like it'd work better, though it has the downside if making your combat even more predictable.

EDIT: And without burst afflicting, I don't think it'll really do that much. I also know exactly what's coming and can prepare appropriate cures to prepare for the next step.

The predicatablity is a major problem...

Yeah, I'm kind of hoping they allow either (or maybe even both!):

-A general vague line that doesn't tell you what you're afflicted with
-A way to "pre-load" what your thread affs will be, to give it a degree of customization. So Bob can have sleep/sleep/sleep/aeon/aeon/aeon, while Mary can have sleep/aeon/sleep/aeon/99999 damage attack.

Edit: Incidentally, if they get a semi-reliable aeon, the burst offense gets much less needed.

Let me just reiterate what I think is over-reaching: One spell that allows you to choose one of several effects at any time, such as building up a pool and then using that pool to do one of several things. That's just not going to fly. Remember, this isn't a trans skill or signature skill. If it's going to have multiple effects, it is either going to be random, costly or limited in some way (like how I suggested).

Well, arguably, it has to be a signature skill to replace Choke, one of Night's signature skills, but okay.

Aren't we trying to replace choke, their current signature/core skill?

Sojiro:

Well, arguably, it has to be a signature skill to replace Choke, one of Night's signature skills, but okay.

I thought this as well. What is Night's signature skill if not Choke?

Yeah, the comment threw me for a bit of a loop, since Choke is pretty much THE Night skill. That's why the suggestions have to be, on the whole, more powerful than the average skill.

Adding a random factor will not do anyone any good since you can't strategize well if the effect you're hoping for may not even occur.

With that said, I understand that the skill can be more costly/limited than initially suggested, but there's no way I can suggest something with random effects in good conscience.

In light of that, I think Shuyin's aeon idea is a good fallback decision. It has the advantage over regular aeon in that getting around quicksilver wouldn't take two aeon attempts in a row, though it still takes two action balances - its more flexible about spreading out the two balances.

I usually think the trans skill is the signature skill! Anyway, it is not the trans skill, nor do I think it needs to rise to be the one skill that all skills revolve around.

Okay.

Turnus:

In light of that, I think Shuyin's aeon idea is a good fallback decision. It has the advantage over regular aeon in that getting around quicksilver wouldn't take two aeon attempts in a row, though it still takes two action balances - its more flexible about spreading out the two balances.

Yeah, here it is again for the ones who missed it:

-Allow a stolen shadow to be crushed by the Night user for 2p that will afflict the owner of the shadow with a form of aeon that bypasses quicksilver. 2-3 seconds of equilibrium. This destroys the shadow and means that the Night user will have to steal it once more for future aeon attempts.

That works a lot more.

Two thirds of my trans skills aren't near being the most useful or iconic abilities in that skill! Possess and Fury? I'd say it's probably Deepsleep or Sleepmist for dreamweaving (if not dream motes) and definitely Sap in druidry!

What it bypass or actually destroy quicksilver as well? Also, given that they don't (won't) have active aeon, how do they plan on sticking this (given that aeon fades by itself?)

Doesn't matter, it can do double aeon or bypass quicksilver. So long as it'll get aeon on the victim.

With this plan, they will have active aeon. It just means they need to steal/aeon/steal/aeon if they want to keep aeoning.

Estarra:

I usually think the trans skill is the signature skill! Anyway, it is not the trans skill, nor do I think it needs to rise to be the one skill that all skills revolve around.

Choke is what SD combat revolves around, though... it's certainly not Nightkiss either (for PvP 1v1's).

Do people truly think Shadowdancers would be severely gimped without choke and anything huge replacing it? (Compared to, say, Moondancers.)

Yes, Shadowdancers need either a reliable form of aeon or a burst of powerful afflictions that replicates aeon's effect to kill anyone. It's just how the class is built.

Removing Choke without putting in a replacement for it will just destroy the class, unfortunately.

Yes, as a former SD GC I do. It is very important and was the signature SD move, and skill to fight in Choke was something unique they learnt.

Estarra:

Do people truly think Shadowdancers would be severely gimped without choke and anything huge replacing it? (Compared to, say, Moondancers.)

Yes, absolutely. Speaking from experience, Choke is the absolute crux of killing as a SD combatant in its current form. The proposals so far have been tapered to replace this crux. Suggesting that Choke be taken away and replaced with something random will reduce the guild to uselessness in a one-on-one perspective cause people cannot depend on lash and fae alone to bring a target into toad range. Even with the supplements given by tertiaries, without the crux of the Primary (choke in this instance), those tertiary abilities are just cured out of.

Moondancers, as the reference here, has its crux in Waning. Take out Waning and they will likewise be in the same boat as Shadowdancers because people will just cure out of succumb/fae/tertiaries easily.

Though I don't do as much with combat as some of the other choke veterans, I can reliably say that it would be really, really difficult to pull off toadcurse without some method of keeping the person from wriggling out of the room. Hexes can only do so much!