In my opinion, thief trip is just a cruddy knockdown with horrible tag lines:

     "And don't get up!"

The idea of tripping someone DURING battle seems odd to me; also, the damage and waitstates for both sides are mediocre at best. So how about this…

…changes:

• entering the command 'trip ' will not do anything but makes the thief prepare for the trip. Let's call this trip stance. (TS)

• 'trip' can be initiated to those in and out of battle, like most skills (i.e. punch)

• When thief enters TS against a target the thief will trip the target if the target moves, flees, or retreats in any direction he or she will fall down face first.

• TS will cancel if any other command is entered, much like hide.

• Thieves entering TS will have a 3 second waitstate.

• Victims that have been tripped will have a 2.5 second waitstate.

• Damage is fairly high (200-250 at gen 0, 400-500 at gen 10)

Here's a made up scenario:

You are mischievous little thief called Zenith, you're walking around KKI and find somewhere here killing things.

[look]

Azimuth is standing here, fighting a tired parent.

[trip .azi]

You look at Azimuth mischievously as you prepare to him to the floor, face first!

Your foot snags onto Azimuth as he tries to retreat south. He falls abruptly.

A tired parent ceases his attack. (for some reason)

[stun .azi]

You stun Azimuth with a swift blow!

[backstab .azi]

Azimuth makes a strange sound as you place the legendary dagger, Theta in his back!

(big nasty)

[trip .azi]

You look at Azimuth mischievously as you prepare to him to the floor, face first!

Azimuth scrambles to his feet!

[look]

Azimuth is here, fighting YOU!

Azimuth retreats to the south.

(Azi was able to retreat because Zenith broke TS by typing look)

Anyway, I hope you find it interesting.

mmm… trippy

I like how it works, but seems overpowered as there's no way to break it on the other player's part… basically they're stuck in combat with you unless you type something else… I think having them perform a skill on you (such as punch) to break TS would make it less overpowered.

How about if you can break TS by simply damaging or disabling the thief (punch/stun) and trip will only activate if the target fled, or retreated from battle?

The way you suggested TS works is fine, using a skill that damages the thief breaking trip stance would be a good way of keeping it overpowered, I see no point in purely damaging the thief through rounds, as that'd be too easy and take the fun out of TS as you put it.

i like the idea of a trip stance, but instead of a trip skill why not add sweep kick, or i purpose a new skill achilles tendon , its kinda like hamstring but itll take down the target like trip or sweepkick hiptoss ect ect

That's like biting off another class skill and making it less fun, this would make thief more unique, add some strategy when to use your trip stance/spells etc.

very interesting skill. I can see it being useful. Just a question or 2. When you go into TS, will Dexterity and Skills like Uncanny Dodge and Elude be factored in? I ask this because if you are some acrobatic type you can get away from the trip. Also, if you miss the trip will that cause aggro and start a battle or not. I can see it being useful.

If the skill affects other skills, then yes. Otherwise, no.

Yes, I think TS should cause mobs to attack.

I'll try to recap what I was thinking of when I first came up with the idea:

Thief = T, Victim = V, Trip Stance = TS

First of all, Trip is the name of the skill. Not TS. TS is just a name given to a part of the skill so it can be easily identified.

If T uses trip on V then T will enter TS.

During TS, T will cause V to be grounded if V moves, flees, or retreats and V is not flying.

Damage is fair (100 - 400)

T's waitstate is higher than V's waitstate but TS lasts indefinitely until T performs the trip or another command.

Ok, that should be about it. If you think something should be added or changed, leave your own suggestion and I'll give one too.

Yeah, V needs to be given a way to take T out of TS. Use of a skill/spell by V against T would do that. Otherwise I can imagine someone building a thief purely to tank, make sure you steal their recalls, and just chill there in TS until victim dies.