[@Jerkchicken] Good questions!

The percentages of your abilities are fixed. Unless you use a skill point to change/upgrade them, those abilities do the same percentage of damage/effects every time (ignoring, of course, the potential for variance in skills – i.e. a 100% Damage ability with a 20% variance means it could do between 80% and 120% Damage). Upon each level up characters gain 3 stat points and 1 skill point. 1 stat point is equivalent to a single boost – either +5 for HP and MP or +1 for Atk/Def/Int/Spr. Movement is fixed based on profession, equipment, and S-Abilities/A-Abilities that alter movement for periods of time. Evasion receives a boost at fixed levels.

When it comes to range, think about what your character does. If he's highly agile, but an adjacent cell range attacker, an A-Ability that has him dash at an opponent or land in an adjacent cell is totally doable at level 1. AoE is a little different. I wouldn't go too crazy for level 1 – the most I would suggest is a single layer of surrounding cells or adjacent cells.

Status effects should be fairly straightforward. Keep them basic. I mean, there's nothing stopping you from putting Instant Death on a Level 1 ability, but remember, I'll cost it accordingly. Opt for less severe effects early – Poison, Burn, Sleep, and Confuse come to mind, although Bleeding could be an option too – that way you'll actually be able to use your abilities. Stuff like Deprotect and the Breaks are particularly severe and could cost more MP than you have at level 1. When in doubt, think of starting abilities from games like Final Fantasy, Golden Sun, etc.

Repositioning units is fine. Just know there are some units/objects too heavy to reposition in this way!

It's certainly still possible to build him as a dodge tank, although I don't see in your current set up how Rio is meant to fulfill this archetype. You could do a buff to his evade – 5% for a starter S-Ability – if you wanted to start shifting him toward that. If you want to keep his S-Ability as is, then you will get a 1 cell boost to his movement stat.

Is this transformation his D-Ability? If it's an A-Ability, expect for it to cost a lot given the ideas you are discussing. If it's a D-Ability, I'd have to see exactly what the buffs/new abilities are before I can make a call.

Everyone's thoughts can be executed. It's just a matter of balancing characters between one another and the enemies so no one feels gimped. :)

[@Bishop] [@Leslie Hall] [@AlternateMan] [@Lauder]

I have created the OoC thread. We can move the discussion [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4559416]here[/url] to keep crafting these characters. :)