headcanons for Haikyuu RPG!AU
Just a couple of notes regarding classes and misc. things in my random HQ RPG!AU in case I decide to branch it out because apparently I have no chill at all, dear god why. Most are pretty generic, but I figured a record for my own references might keep me on track. May be updated now and then.
edit: Added paladin class since it slipped my mind earlier, whoops. Updated info on Knight/GK.
Dragoon Rider:
- mounts winged creatures, most commonly dragons, though occasionally one might spot gryphons and pegasi riders in certain areas. Attacks depends on the rider’s ease with their mount, but generally useful in airborne combat.
- Tsukishima, Yachi, Kiyoko, Kawanishi, Kindaichi
Knight/Great Knight:
- Ridiculously high defense and deals heavy, if slower, damage. Can erect barriers to protect the entire party for a short period of time at GK level. Was once considered inferior to paladins, a controversy that was wiped when the infamous Little Giant erected a barrier shield so massive, it protected the entire city of Karasuno from its attacking enemies long enough for the royal army to be deployed properly.
- Date Kou is particularly famous for its Knight/Paladin order, named ‘the Iron Wall’
- Sawamura, Aone, Lev, Kamasaki, Hinata (briefly)
Paladin:
- Fairly similar to Knights, with the ability to heal themselves to some extent (minor skill; a fraction of that of clerics/W mages). Has more attack power but less defence compared to the GK, and lacks the barrier ability. Highest skill can make the paladin impervious to all damage for a short period of time. There was once a controversy arguing that Paladins were a better upgrade than GKs from the Knight class.
- Ushijima, Sasaya, Futakuchi
Cleric/Grand Cleric:
- Healer class, backbone of any good party. Often provides a variety of passive support buffs (defense) and healing (different spells with varying cast-speeds/effects depending on a situation)
- Rare GCs can be quite offense-oriented as well (see: the time Oikawa solo-killed a Wight King)
- Oikawa, Sugawara, Shirabu, Yaku, Konoha, Yahaba, Koganegawa
Monk/Sage:
- Melee fighters, tank-like, if less defensive than knights/paladins. Makes up for it by having extraordinarily strong attacks, though these usually take time to build up. Fights with bare fists. Sages can temporarily increase their defense through concentration.
- Taketora, Tanaka, Onagawa, Matsukawa, Reon, Kai
Rogue:
- Stealth, speed and agility are the main attributes of this class, allowing rogues to attack from a variety of positions and deal unexpected attacks and ambushes. Also great at sneaking around as covert scouts and spies. Very, very squishy though.
- Nishinoya, Kunimi, Suguru
Ranger/Sniper:
- Long-ranged attackers with high accuracy and a good sense of the environment. Can vary from bows and arrows to rifles (in more urban cities)
- Yamaguchi, Semi, Sakunami
Berserker/Brawler:
- Melee fighters whose power increases the angrier/more emotional they are. Explosive power and massive strength, but for fairly short durations. Usually prefer blunt-force weapons, though they can also be adept with fists.
- Asahi, Bokuto, Kyoutani
Shapeshifter:
- Rare ability; one has to be born into this class. Can only ever shift into one form. Young shapeshifters are not usually aware of their ability, often starting out in other classes before the realization dawns.
- Hinata (dragon), Kuroo (Malboro-esque creature - which, btw, is FSCKING TERRIFYING)
Mage:
- Magic wielders with the ability to perform destructive elemental and effect spells. Mages will generally veer towards one specialization (two branches), though highly-skilled mages can perform one or two spells not within their affinity, though not very strongly. Mage specializations are divided into white arts (health/air-water oriented) or dark arts (earth-lightning/ailment oriented- rare branch: psychic). A well-skilled white mage can occasionally sub for a cleric in a pinch.
- Kageyama (W), Kenma (W), Iwaizumi (D), Hanamaki (D), Tendou (D)
Bard:
- Highly skilled in buffs (strength, immunity to magic and ailments, etc.) and great at increasing morale through songs. Have to be on-key to be effective, even if their singing voice is not good. Songs are usually inherited from bard to bard, are usually region-specific. Bards can be used as ambassadors, even spies. Often also quite deadly in fighting, as their ‘instruments’ are generally crafted to be weapons of a sort.
- Akaashi (flute - nunchucks), Moniwa (guitar - club), Watari (erhu - bow and arrow)
Dream-winding is considered a skill under the Psychic specialization within the Dark Art category. It allows the mage to remove nightmares from a person; highly skilled mages may even remove whole memories. It’s useful to have along on particularly critical quests to upkeep the mental stamina of the party members (nightmares = bad sleep = fatigue/poor health conditions). However, it cannot be performed without the target’s consent, and a poorly executed winding can cause injury to the mage performing it. In worst case scenarios, a dream or memory (irregardless of good or bad) can consume the mind of a mage, driving them insane.
Life-binding is the most complex skill a Grand Cleric can master, allowing them to soul-bond with a target, sharing any damage/ailment/strength/vitality between the pair. Done right, it can make a combat-pair near invincible. It is very easy to botch a life-bind though, killing the target and turning the GC into a bodiless wraith. Additionally, maintaining a life-bind for longer than ten minutes can have severe permanent effects on the GC casting it. The skill was outlawed years back, and only recently reinstated as legal in Seijou through Irihata Nobeteru.
The crystal ball Oikawa brought back is actually considered a sacred relic in Tokonami, used in temples to communicate with the land’s spirits and forefathers regarding the following year’s luck. Oikawa obtained it by promising to heal their dying emperor, who he discovered was languishing under a particularly savage vitality curse through a life-bind.
