Cursed _by_My_Own_Thoughts
New member
General Concept
When I was trying to come up with this character, I wanted to make something at least a little original and with unusual gameplay. It seems to me that a melee character who at the same time has to spend most of their time in the air already sounds like something fairly atypical. In most games, melee combat is almost always tied to the ground, so the idea of a character who literally hunts from above seemed interesting to me.
That is exactly what I started building his abilities around. The main idea is to make the player constantly try to stay in the air for as long as possible, using abilities, jumps, and melee attacks so as not to lose height. I hope that because of this the gameplay will look dynamic and will differ a little from other characters.
When I was designing his appearance, I wanted to rely on the image of a predatory bird to emphasize his combat style. Perhaps an eagle or a hawk would even fit better, since their hunting method works very well with the idea of fast attacks from above.
However, in the end I settled on the image of a vulture. It seemed to me that this image looks more unusual and is easier to remember, and I simply liked it more.
As a weapon he uses throwing daggers shaped like feathers. Of course, this is quite a classic solution for characters with a bird theme, but it fits well both visually and mechanically.
Lore
I'm not completely sure what kind of story would be best for him.
With his image it is quite easy to come up with some standard backstory. But the problem is that I cannot come up with a story that would truly fit both his combat style and the overall image of the character.
Of course, it would be possible to write another classic story - about revenge, about the thirst for power, or something similar. But I don't really want to invent yet another such backstory just so that it simply exists.
So for now I decided to leave his story open. Perhaps later an idea will appear that truly combines his combat style, appearance, and the overall image of the character well.
Abilities
1 - Vulture Claw
Kestrel throws a throwing dagger. When it hits an enemy, it deals damage and slows the target.
Regardless of whether the dagger hits an enemy or the ground, a sharp stream of air appears at the point of impact. If Kestrel is nearby, this stream launches him higher into the air. The same effect also launches other nearby characters upward, except for the enemy who was directly hit by the dagger.
I think it would be worth giving this ability several charges or a small cooldown, because its main function is not dealing damage and not even slowing enemies.
In fact, it is primarily needed to help Kestrel remain in the air when he temporarily cannot reach an enemy with a melee attack.
At the same time, it is important that these daggers do not replace melee combat itself. The main way to maintain height should still remain striking enemies.
Vulture Claw should rather work as a supporting tool - a way to gain a little time or rise higher if there is no nearby enemy that can be hit.
2 - Slipstream Break
Kestrel performs a fast 360-degree spin, dealing damage to all enemies within a small radius and launching them into the air together with himself.
Characters launched by this ability cannot apply any effects to Kestrel for a short time. This includes not only effects from hero abilities, but also effects from items, and even stun from parrying.
This is especially important because for a melee character parrying is one of the main threats. Therefore this ability should give the opportunity to land a melee strike more safely, without the risk of immediately receiving a stun in return.
3 - Sky Predator
Passive
If Kestrel lands a melee hit while in the air, his double jump and dash limit is reset.
In addition, his air control increases noticeably, and the lunge range of his airborne melee attacks also becomes greater. This also applies to the light melee attack, which allows Kestrel to reach enemies more easily while he is in the air.
Additionally, Sky Predator gradually increases his damage. The more time Kestrel spends in the air without touching the ground, the stronger his weapon and spirit damage become.
Of course, a certain limit should be set for this bonus. For example, the maximum bonus could be +100% or +200% damage so that the character does not become too strong during very long aerial chains.
At higher levels this ability could be further strengthened. For example, it could partially restore stamina for airborne melee attacks.
A light attack could restore 2 stamina, and a heavy attack - 3. Otherwise, because of constant double jumps his stamina will run out quickly.
This would allow Kestrel to remain in the air longer if the player controls the fight well and continues to land hits on enemies.
It is possible that increasing the lunge range for melee attacks will make staying in the air too easy. In that case the player could simply use the light attack while looking the camera upward, and thus practically never fall to the ground.
The simplest solution to this problem, in my opinion, would be to make it so that the higher the player raises the camera, the smaller the lunge range bonus becomes. This way the player will not be able to push themselves upward with melee attacks more than the standard lunge range allows.
Ultimate Ability - Vulture Hunt
Kestrel sharply flies higher into the air, after which he performs a long but very fast dash in the direction the player is looking.
If during this dash he hits an enemy, he deals damage to them and immediately rises upward again, after which he automatically performs the next dash.
This cycle repeats every time Kestrel successfully hits an enemy with the previous dash. Thus Vulture Hunt can last for a very long time - essentially until Kestrel misses. Only after that does the ability end and go on cooldown.
I also think it would make sense to add additional power escalation. For example, each subsequent dash could deal slightly more damage than the previous one. This would create a feeling of increasing hunting momentum and would reward the player for accuracy.
Out Loud Thoughts
In this section I will leave several additional thoughts about the character's design.
In fact, I am not completely sure about the ability Slipstream Break. Of all his tools, it seems to me the least convincing.
The problem is that it almost does not add mobility. It only allows him to gain a little more time in the air, but Vulture Claw handles that much better.
The only function this ability truly performs is giving Kestrel the opportunity to land a melee strike more safely by ignoring negative effects.
Many other melee characters can afford to not attack for a long time, wait for an opponent's mistake, or provoke them into parrying. Kestrel, on the contrary, almost does not have such an option. He needs to constantly land hits to keep himself in the air, refresh his jumps and dashes, and continue building the bonus of the Sky Predator passive ability.
That is exactly why I added a tool that at least slightly reduces the risk of receiving an instant stun in return. However, I am still not sure that this is the best possible solution for this ability slot.
Also, I apologize profusely to all the artists for using AI, but I can't draw at all! I hope the pictures were worth the sin I committed.
