With the advent of LAS, I find it especially important to have abilities that make the most of their slots. One way to do this is expanding what a single ability can do even if it can only take one slot. This has already been demonstrated in the Monk showcase, so I'd like to further expand on that to add as many ideas to the table as possible.
Below are some loose descriptions of what I'd consider to be more interesting ability types that would also make great use of the LAS, along with possible examples to help illustrate those descriptions. Please enjoy!
Abilities that you use, then can use again for a secondary effect.
- Enchanter - Mental Drain: The Enchanter designates an area of illusory magic for <> seconds, slightly slowing anything inside and draining their Mana. If the Enchanter activates this ability again, Mental Freeze causes any enemies inside the area to be frozen in time, stunned for <> seconds and the area effect ends.
- Dire Lord - Runic Protection: The Dire Lord surrounds themselves in orbiting runes that absorb % magic damage for <> seconds. If this ability is reactivated, Runic Counter deals a portion of the damage absorbed is dealt in Area of Effect.
"Stepped" Abilities (reactivate-able several times) that trade commitment for additional effects. These would require a player to either choose to use the next phase of the ability and commit to its effects or have it reset to the beginning. Some of these abilities may allow for a quick ability in between, or none at all, resetting if the player uses another ability.
- Monk - Crane Dance: On first use, the Monk assumes a defensive stance, increasing their ability to Dodge and Parry for a short time. Activate again and the Monk releases a series of punches and kicks. Activate again and the Monk leaps into the air, unleashing a powerful downward attack. Activate once more and the Monk crouches down, then unleashes a devastating uppercut on their opponent. If the Monk does not maintain momentum, this ability resets.
- Warrior - Shield Gambit: The Warrior holds their shield abreast, bracing for <> seconds, mitigating <>% physical damage. Activating the ability again during this time bashes the target with a chance to stun. If activated once more just after the bash, the Warrior attempts a risky lunge, dealing damage and debilitating their opponent, lowering mitigation by <>, but the Warrior's chance to Dodge or Parry is lowered for a short time as well.
Progressive abilities. These would be duration abilities that have varying degrees of effect during the duration.
- Shaman - Quagmire of Time: The Shaman casts a debuff on the target, causing a slow that increases over <> seconds, ending in the target being completely rooted.
- Enchanter - Quickening: The Enchanter temporarily buffs their allies with Attack Speed Haste, starting at <>%. This increases up to <>% by the end of the duration.
Abilities that add additional effects depending on what happens while they are applied.
- Shaman - Time Dilation: The Shaman applies a debuff to the target. For each debuff or Damage Over Time ability cast while this effect is active, the target's attack speed is slowed by an additional <>%.
- Summoner - Mighty Bond: The Summoner casts a Damage Over Time ability on the target. For each time the Summoner's Arcamental attacks the same target, the damage per tick increases, and gives the Summoner a small amount of Mana.
Abilities that have a resize-able area effect. These are abilities that have a different size or shape, either over a duration, while channeling, or from some kind of condition.
- Wizard - Whirling Flames: The Wizard raises their weapon to gather energy, then throws it to the ground beneath them, dealing fire damage over time in a radius around them. If the Wizard stays in this circle, it grows, slowly engulfing everything in its fire, to a maximum of 12m. However, while in the circle, the Wizard only gains half mana from all sources.
- Warrior - Thundering Quake: After charging up, the Warrior slams his shield into the ground, causing a rippling tide of ground to pulse from the impact, knocking enemies down. (First pulse - 3m, second pulse - 6m, third pulse - 9m)
Abilities that can be controlled while channeling.
- Wizard - Fire Storm: The Wizard begins channeling, building up a raging storm of fire that grows at the target location for <> seconds while draining their Mana. At full power, the Wizard can reactivate this ability to move the storm slowly to a new location, up to <> times.
Abilities that chain between enemies or allies.
- Wizard - Chain Lightning: The Wizard directs lightning from their fingertips, arcing to the closest enemy. If another enemy is within 3m, it arcs again, up to 3 times after it leaves the Wizard. This can arc to the same target twice.
- Cleric - Near At Hand: The Cleric passes a blessing to their nearest Ally, healing them. If another Ally is within 3m, the blessing is passed on, up to 2 times after it leaves the Cleric.
Abilities that change by the amount of enemies or allies affected.
- Paladin - Crusade: The Paladin casts a temporary combat buff that grants themselves and nearby Allies increased damage. If more than one Ally is nearby, this additionally grants movement speed. If more than 4 Allies are nearby, also grants mana regeneration.
- Enchanter - Mass Hysteria: The Enchanter places a debuff upon an enemy, causing them to take damage whenever they attack. This effect spreads to one additional enemy within 5m every 2 seconds. For each time the effect is added to a new enemy, the effect duration refreshes and multiplies, to a maximum.
Stat-stealing Abilities.
- Dire Lord - Soul Steal: The Dire Lord saps a portion of the target's Strength, taking a percentage of it from the enemy and adding it to their own for the duration, up to <> Strength. (Note: Because this is determined by target stats, the Dire Lord would want to know and choose the mob with the most Strength to use this on)
- Cleric - Transferal: The Cleric debuffs an enemy, removing a portion of their Resistances and adding them to their defensive target, up to a maximum of <>.
Threat Transfer Abilities.
- Warrior - Primary Target: The Warrior applies a link to an Ally which transfers <>% of their Threat back to the Warrior.
- Rogue - Distract: The Rogue uses Opportunity to remove a portion of their Threat, giving it to their defensive target, then going into stealth.
Cycled Abilities. These would be single abilities that cycle through different versions of the ability, similar to the stepped abilities but not necessarily in order, and with no "end."
- Ranger - Nature's Bounty: The Ranger's travels have given them access to several different temporary buffs, shown by the currently displayed icon. When one is used, another takes its place at random. Bear: The Ranger's melee attacks add an additional Claw Rend. Wolf: The Ranger's melee attacks cause a short, stacking Bleed. Hawk: The Ranger's ranged attacks gain additional Accuracy. Hornet: The Ranger's ranged attacks pierce the target's AC. Turtle: The Ranger gains AC, Resistance, and Parry Chance.
- Druid - Spiritism: The Druid sets their state of mind based on their last action. If this ability is activated after an offensive spell, it becomes Spirit of Wrath, giving the Druid increased spell damage and lowering the chance they will be resisted. If used after a healing ability, it turns into Spirit of Growth, granting additional healing upon spell use. If used after a melee attack, it becomes Spirit of the Mountain, granting the Druid additional AC and Stamina. The Druid maintains this state until the ability is cast again.
I hope you enjoyed. My primary goal is to make the abilities of Pantheon deep, interesting, useful, and visceral. The goal is not to complicate abilities, but to enhance them and bring them forward as a stand-out feature of Pantheon. I'd like to see abilities that truly fulfill class fantasies, connect the players to their characters, and also create distinct choices when in combat - including consequences.
Feel free to add on to my list! (I will too!) What kinds of abilities can you think of that would make the Pantheon classes truly unique, and move the genre forward?
Horizontal ability progression during an engagement. I like it. I like it a lot. Gives the LAS longer legs than it would otherwise have. Accessing these would be great quest line fodder...
Now do something in a vaguely similar vein tying various class utility abilities together! i.e. rope + vine bridge can span larger gaps and so on.
Did I mention I liked this post?
I was trying to think up DL skills once and thought of move like the Monks chi burn would be cool.
Something along the lines of delving deeper into the "Dire" energy to increase stats for a short time.
Not sure what the downside would be though, either def down or a post buff sickness.
Awesome ideas! I like them, and have one question:
With the progressive abilities is there something the character can DO or NOT DO to effect that change over time?
This question applies to a few other categories too actually. I thought the idea was to give the character a secondary *choice* after using an ability, giving that ability a second option. Some of the categories are cool ideas but don't include a second choice. Either way, cool stuff!
Edit: I'm re-reading it now, shoulda just read it twice before posting, but I am at work and felt rushed lol.....I see now that my initial thought was not the same as yours. I was thinking about player choice, you were thinking about action slot functions.
Really good post Des
My contribution:
- Necromancer - Undead Army: The Necromancer uses the corpses of X amount of fallen NPCs to transform them into various levels of undead per level of the Necromancer. Initially, level 1, the corpses become skeletons and only cost mana. Using more mana the Necro can create zombies and ghouls, level 2. Using even more mana creates wraiths and wights, level 3. This, level 3, takes a toll on the Necro and she suffers a 10% loss of hit point loss that cannot be healed as long as the wights and wraiths are active. Using even more mana, the Necro can create a vampire, this cause a 20% loss of hp that cannot be healed as long as the vampire is active. Upon ending the spell or the destruction of the undead the Necro normally regains hp and can be healed back to full hp.
- Cleric - Prayerful Light of the Ever Holy: The Cleric casts a light that can illuminate an area 10x10 yds. This light casuses minor damage to any undead in its area of effect and a 20% chance of cancelling magical darkness. By praying more, the light extends to an area 20x20 yds. This light causes major dam to low and mid level undead, moderate dam to high level undead and has a 50% chance of cancelling magical darkness. When a Cleric goes into a fervent prayer, the light extends to an area 40x40 yds and instantly destroys lower level undead, casues major dam to mid level undead lowering all stats by 50% and moderate dam to high level undead lowering stats by 25%. It has a 80% chance of cancelling magical darkness. It also casues minor damage to any creature wishing harm to the Cleric.
- Paladin - Sacred Defense: A Paladin can bless another player's weapon to act as a holy weapon for X rounds. The holy weapon can cause addtional damage to undead and evil creatures. For each point of(resource) used an addtional weapon can be blessed. Any damage beyond that required to kill the creature is converted to addtional healing for the player that killed the creature.
- Paladin - Sacred Reflection: A Paladin can create a nimbus of light around his person that reflects damage from undead for 1 second. This costs 1 resource point for 1 undead, half resource points for 2 undead and all resource points for 3 undead. Dam reflected is 50% plus an addtional second/damage per creature. Max 3 seconds. Ex. A Paladin can use all resource points againts 3 undead for 3 seconds reflecting 150% of the damage each undead hits him for back to the undead. This can have a cooldown of 5 mins or more to compensate how powerful it is.
I have not read the spell lists of PCs in a long while, so I don't know if I'm duplicating. Of course these can be modified if too weak or powerful.
Love the additions!
I've got another couple types that I forgot on the original list...enjoy:
Stacking abilities that transform at a certain threshold. These would occupy a slot with an indicator for how many "stacks" the abilty has, either from using it or from other sources. Finally, when there are enough stacks, it would transform into a new, powerful ability.
- Rogue - Poison Application / Poison Soak: The Rogue applies their chosen poison to their weapon and also increase the damage of their next auto attack by <>. After this has been done 10 times, this ability turns into Poison Soak, which grants the Rogue a large damage bonus to their next auto attack and applies their chosen poison twice at the same time.
- Warrior - Steadfast / Unbreakable: The Warrior's practiced stance grants them <>% increased chance to Block. Each time the Warrior Blocks a physical attack, they gain a stack which decays at a rate of 1 every 10 seconds. When this ability has the maximum 6 stacks, it becomes Unbreakable. When activated, it grants the Warrior dramatically increased Block chance for <> seconds, but when this effect ends, Steadfast must be recast to begin stacking again and gain its effects.
Abilities that change depending on our current stats. These are abilities that would change their effects based on what the characters' stats are at the time of use.
- Wizard - Fireball / Hurl Fireball / Fire Spectacle: If Intelligence is the highest stat: The Wizard conjures a fireball that seeks out their opponent. If Strength is the highest stat: The Wizard rips a boulder from the ground and sets it ablaze, hurling it at an enemy, doing both physical and fire damage. If Charisma is the highest stat: Waving their arms, the Wizard animates a dazzle display of fire at their target, dealing fire damage and stunning them.
- Druid - Call Winds / Call Storms / Call Roots: If Wisdom is the highest stat: The Druid calls forth howling winds to slow the enemy and put them in a Windswept state. If Intelligence is the highest stat: The Druid calls forth a storm above their target, striking them with lightning and making them Wet. If Constitution is the highest stat: Roots envelop the enemy, making them unable to move and slowing their attack/cast speed.
And yes, I could totally see a lot of these more advanced abilities being products of Mastery!
Desryn said:Love the additions!
I've got another couple types that I forgot on the original list...enjoy:
Stacking abilities that transform at a certain threshold. These would occupy a slot with an indicator for how many "stacks" the abilty has, either from using it or from other sources. Finally, when there are enough stacks, it would transform into a new, powerful ability.
- Rogue - Poison Application / Poison Soak: The Rogue applies their chosen poison to their weapon and also increase the damage of their next auto attack by <>. After this has been done 10 times, this ability turns into Poison Soak, which grants the Rogue a large damage bonus to their next auto attack and applies their chosen poison twice at the same time.
- Warrior - Steadfast / Unbreakable: The Warrior's practiced stance grants them <>% increased chance to Block. Each time the Warrior Blocks a physical attack, they gain a stack which decays at a rate of 1 every 10 seconds. When this ability has the maximum 6 stacks, it becomes Unbreakable. When activated, it grants the Warrior dramatically increased Block chance for <> seconds, but when this effect ends, Steadfast must be recast to begin stacking again and gain its effects.Abilities that change depending on our current stats. These are abilities that would change their effects based on what the characters' stats are at the time of use.
- Wizard - Fireball / Hurl Fireball / Fire Spectacle: If Intelligence is the highest stat: The Wizard conjures a fireball that seeks out their opponent. If Strength is the highest stat: The Wizard rips a boulder from the ground and sets it ablaze, hurling it at an enemy, doing both physical and fire damage. If Charisma is the highest stat: Waving their arms, the Wizard animates a dazzle display of fire at their target, dealing fire damage and stunning them.
- Druid - Call Winds / Call Storms / Call Roots: If Wisdom is the highest stat: The Druid calls forth howling winds to slow the enemy and put them in a Windswept state. If Intelligence is the highest stat: The Druid calls forth a storm above their target, striking them with lightning and making them Wet. If Constitution is the highest stat: Roots envelop the enemy, making them unable to move and slowing their attack/cast speed.And yes, I could totally see a lot of these more advanced abilities being products of Mastery!
Gratz Wizard suggestion. I support this message! <):)
A Meteor Ball falling from the sky would look dope as well.
Wizard | Self-immolation: Casting a direct damage fire-based spell on self, the wizard unifies their body with the element of fire, emanating intense heat that causes persistent damage over time to their own health (lessened by resist gear/buffs) and that of surrounding enemy targets. If the wizard is climbing or clinging onto any given NPC, such as a treant, that NPC takes additional damage over time as the wizard has a damage shield derived from the damage they themselves are taking from the fire, along with the initial damage taken. Naturally, self-immolation doubles as a light source with the strength of its glow being dependent on the wizard's HP (as their health pool decreases so too does the firelight, dwindling down to embers then glaring brilliantly whenever a heal restores them to full).
Leevolen said:Wizard | Self-immolation: Casting a direct damage fire-based spell on self, the wizard unifies their body with the element of fire, emanating intense heat that causes persistent damage over time to their own health (lessened by resist gear/buffs) and that of surrounding enemy targets. If the wizard is climbing or clinging onto any given NPC, such as a treant, that NPC takes additional damage over time as the wizard has a damage shield derived from the damage they themselves are taking from the fire, along with the initial damage taken. Naturally, self-immolation doubles as a light source with the strength of its glow being dependent on the wizard's HP (as their health pool decreases so too does the firelight, dwindling down to embers then glaring brilliantly whenever a heal restores them to full).
Whoa! This one is wild!