Cursed Mask

[sokolov2601]

I've been playing with Holliday in the new update and came up with what I think could be a cool, offensive team-based utility item. It's somewhat specific to Holliday's third ability but it has potential for other cool synergies and I figured it was worth sharing to see where the idea might lead.

T3 Spirit Item - Cursed Mask

• +4% Ability Range
• -15% Reload Time

Active:

• Target an enemy within 20 meters, causing a spectral head* to appear above them for 5 seconds.
• Shooting the spectral head counts as a headshot on the target.

*Note on Size: The size of the spectral head would shrink slowly over the 5-second duration, with the initial size determined by the duration or ability range.

Inspiration:
Drawing from the occult folklore themes in Deadlock, I was inspired by the 'Flying Head' from Iroquois Mythology.
Flying Heads are described as being ravenous spirits that are cursed with an insatiable hunger. They are generally described as resembling a human head with long dark hair, "terrible eyes", and a large mouth filled with razor sharp fangs
Source: Wikipedia


Stone Mask from JJBA, could be a cool reference for the appearance of the spectral head.

 

[Tavish]

What if instead of a mask, you pull a ghostly image out of your target, which with an enlarged upper body and head appears above the character?



The only issue is if the enemy retreats into a closed space (which would obstruct the image), but that could just be the response and counter play for when this item is used against you.

 

[sokolov2601]

What if instead of a mask, you pull a ghostly image out of your target, which with an enlarged upper body and head appears above the character?

View attachment 34470

The only issue is if the enemy retreats into a closed space (which would obstruct the image), but that could just be the response and counter play for when this item is used against you.

I thought about this, initially my idea was to inflate the head but I work in game development myself and I knew how painful it would have been to implement that version of the idea so I opted for the mask instead. And yes, the counter to the item would be to go into an enclosed space which makes it a good item to scare people off as well as taking a bunch of headshots from the entire enemy team can kill in seconds.

 

[sokolov2601]

I discussed this with some friends and I think it might be better as a T2 Spirit Item given the relative strength some of those items already have, for e.g. Quicksilver Reload, etc.