phanterm
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Because I have the option to do so and it's fun, I did a basic writeup for a character idea.
I'm wearing my inspiration on my sleeve when I say I wanted to play a character like Abathur from Heroes of the Storm in the context of a third person shooter. The trouble is that the genres are so different that their abilities do not necessarily translate. Abathur is a hero who can influence events within a large radius, but tends to do so indirectly most of the time. I came up with this idea based around Deadlock's current roster.
There's also a little bit of Ursa in there, so we have a sneaky, opportunistic jungler with a splash of support in the form of offensive scouting and zone control.
(Source: D&D Beyond)
The forces of good and evil can both unequivocally agree on one thing: Rakshasa must die.
Between the underworld and the netherworld, this powerful Rakshasa in particular has only survived this long in the great game of infernal politics because he knows when to hold, and when to fold. Long enough, indeed, to tire of the enterprise as a whole. Even with his reputation following a long tenure of mayhem, chaos, and scheming, Rakshasa found that leaving the life of both devil and crime lord was no easy task. His peers told him that it would be impossible for him to do anything else; be anyone else. In response, Rakshasa decided to ambush and devour his contemporaries, adding their power to his own. He would, after all, need every advantage in securing a fresh foothold in the human world.
It was not merely the devils Rakshasa needed to worry about, but their hunters. He enjoys a lofty position at the top of the list of targets for any devil hunter worth their salt, and much of his time is spent navigating through powerful brokers and all of his old connections so that he might disappear off of the radar for good.
Rumors abound about the nature of his explosive exodus from the ranks of Hell. Is he somehow regretful of his past actions? Did someone make a deal with him to betray his cabal? Only Rakshasa knows. And Rakshasa wants to live a quiet life. Woe to those who would dare stand in his way.
Rakshasa wants to scout and farm for their team. Unlike McGinnis, who can support a team while having control of multiple parts of the map, Rakshasa's support is self-serving by design. His abilities are made to pick off wandering heroes, farm with great efficiency, and affect the battlefield from a safe location. His weapon, while powerful, does not make him amenable to sustained firefights, and his kit is built around setup and ambush.
Rakshasa's realm lies in calculated attacks and planning, not prolonged sorties. They want to control space, and force his opponents to respect him. So long as Rakshasa hasn't positioned himself poorly, the downsides won't matter -- the enemy will get the picture. And if he happens to be sneaking up on an unsuspecting opponent? Well, the downsides don't much matter there, either.
While Evil Eye is alive, it will serve as a second pair of eyes for the enemy team much like a ward, revealing foes on the minimap and their silhouette for your team.
You may only have as many Evil Eyes active as you have charges. Placing an Evil Eye beyond the number of charges you have will destroy the oldest active one.
Why would I use this?
Evil Eye is both a scouting tool and a trap. Set it up in places you want to monitor as well as those you expect enemies to move through. The vision radius is much larger than the chase activation radius, so getting a feel for both will be part of the learning curve when determining how you want to use Evil Eye. You can also use them when setting up encounters. Track an opponent who's coming near you...and then once they're running away, lead them straight into it.
It's also Rakshasa's only ranged ability, and with his weapon's clip size, those are a premium.
Why would I use this?
Rakshasa values control over all else. He wants to deny space for opponents and create it for himself. Being able to quickly gobble up an enemy (or allied) creep does this very effectively while giving him an easy way to guarantee some farm. This proves doubly true when farming neutral creeps. Lastly, as a heal and significant stat boost, Rakshasa always wants to have something devoured to provide him with much needed sustain in the longer engagements for which he's otherwise ill-suited.
The fewer targets that are hit, the more damage Shear Heart does.
Why would I use this?
Rakshasa's only direct damage ability hits wide and, when built correctly, hits hard. The ability is excellent at clearing creep waves, but where it shines is when Rakshasa is facing heroes. Against a single hero, the damage and subsequent bleed from this ability is terrifying. Against multiple heroes, however, the damage is reduced. The bleed is not scaled based on the number of heroes you hit, so it's still very useful in team fights. And it goes without saying, but this ability excels in clearing neutral camps.
Because Rakshasa is forced to move forward during Shear Heart, positioning is key, especially when planning an ambush.
If the spirit leaves Rakshasa's radius, it will rapidly begin to exponentially lose health before being destroyed.
Using Stray Tiger while it is in use will destroy the spirit form and return control to Rakshasa. Cooldown on Stray Tiger does not begin until the spirit form has been destroyed or otherwise recalled.
Stray Tiger cannot use activated items; if any are used, they occur on the main body of Rakshasa. However, items with proc effects function as expected.
Stray Tiger and Rakshasa are two separate entities that do not share heals or other buffs. When Stray Tiger is created, it has the properties of Rakshasa as well as all of their items.
Why would I use this?
Stray Tiger is the heart of Rakshasa's arsenal and the key to playing him well. Having a slightly watered down copy of yourself that can roam freely without the fear of death and a potentially long respawn time allows Rakshasa to functionally be in two places at once. To enemies, the copy will look and behave exactly like the genuine article, which has plenty of psychological utility. Naturally, however, Rakshasa will need to pick a safe enough spot that is near the action when using Stray Tiger. While the radius is massive and covers the width of at least two lanes, there is always the fear that an opponent will find Rakshasa while he is in his spirit form. When the main body takes damage while channeling spirit form, it will deal double damage to the spirit. So it's important to position yourself wisely...and utilize Evil Eyes to ensure you can sense danger before it gets too close.
He's a gentleman. Financially, a nouveau riche Great Gatsby type. Magically, as elder as they come. I'd imagine him to be a rather dapper fellow, dressed in the finery of high society. Though he is also a sorcerer, so there is that.
I'm wearing my inspiration on my sleeve when I say I wanted to play a character like Abathur from Heroes of the Storm in the context of a third person shooter. The trouble is that the genres are so different that their abilities do not necessarily translate. Abathur is a hero who can influence events within a large radius, but tends to do so indirectly most of the time. I came up with this idea based around Deadlock's current roster.
There's also a little bit of Ursa in there, so we have a sneaky, opportunistic jungler with a splash of support in the form of offensive scouting and zone control.
Rakshasa, Dandy Devil
A Rakshasa is a devious trickster; a diabolical deceiver who feasts upon the blood of the living. Marked by a deformity -- their two identically aligned hands -- these creatures have the power to do their own dirty work, but would much rather play the pieces on the board than become one themselves.(Source: D&D Beyond)
The forces of good and evil can both unequivocally agree on one thing: Rakshasa must die.
Between the underworld and the netherworld, this powerful Rakshasa in particular has only survived this long in the great game of infernal politics because he knows when to hold, and when to fold. Long enough, indeed, to tire of the enterprise as a whole. Even with his reputation following a long tenure of mayhem, chaos, and scheming, Rakshasa found that leaving the life of both devil and crime lord was no easy task. His peers told him that it would be impossible for him to do anything else; be anyone else. In response, Rakshasa decided to ambush and devour his contemporaries, adding their power to his own. He would, after all, need every advantage in securing a fresh foothold in the human world.
It was not merely the devils Rakshasa needed to worry about, but their hunters. He enjoys a lofty position at the top of the list of targets for any devil hunter worth their salt, and much of his time is spent navigating through powerful brokers and all of his old connections so that he might disappear off of the radar for good.
Rumors abound about the nature of his explosive exodus from the ranks of Hell. Is he somehow regretful of his past actions? Did someone make a deal with him to betray his cabal? Only Rakshasa knows. And Rakshasa wants to live a quiet life. Woe to those who would dare stand in his way.
Design Thesis
Rakshasha is an imposing figure who nonetheless prefers to prowl around, much like the tiger he emulates. He enjoys watching the action from a distance with his Evil Eyes, which he can remotely control. Information is power, after all.Rakshasa wants to scout and farm for their team. Unlike McGinnis, who can support a team while having control of multiple parts of the map, Rakshasa's support is self-serving by design. His abilities are made to pick off wandering heroes, farm with great efficiency, and affect the battlefield from a safe location. His weapon, while powerful, does not make him amenable to sustained firefights, and his kit is built around setup and ambush.
WEAPON: Colt Walker Custom (or) Modified Repeating Crossbow
Small magazine, low rate of fire, and egregious reload times. What's the catch? Devastating power, of course. When pursued by powerful foes, you need a weapon where even if you miss, you can't miss. Get it?Rakshasa's realm lies in calculated attacks and planning, not prolonged sorties. They want to control space, and force his opponents to respect him. So long as Rakshasa hasn't positioned himself poorly, the downsides won't matter -- the enemy will get the picture. And if he happens to be sneaking up on an unsuspecting opponent? Well, the downsides don't much matter there, either.
SKILL 1: Evil Eye
Rakshasa sends out an insidious magical eye that moves forward through the air until the effect expires, or Rakshasa cancels the spell. Once the Evil Eye is done moving, it remains suspended in place and becomes invisible. Upon an enemy hero entering range, the Evil Eye will become visible, automatically chasing any hero that enters its radius and explode on contact in a large radius. The closer Evil Eye is to the opponent, the faster its detonation speeds up.While Evil Eye is alive, it will serve as a second pair of eyes for the enemy team much like a ward, revealing foes on the minimap and their silhouette for your team.
You may only have as many Evil Eyes active as you have charges. Placing an Evil Eye beyond the number of charges you have will destroy the oldest active one.
Why would I use this?
Evil Eye is both a scouting tool and a trap. Set it up in places you want to monitor as well as those you expect enemies to move through. The vision radius is much larger than the chase activation radius, so getting a feel for both will be part of the learning curve when determining how you want to use Evil Eye. You can also use them when setting up encounters. Track an opponent who's coming near you...and then once they're running away, lead them straight into it.
It's also Rakshasa's only ranged ability, and with his weapon's clip size, those are a premium.
SKILL 2: Devour
Rakshasa consumes a non-player enemy below a certain health threshold, gaining a health and damage buff for a considerable duration, as well as some healing. This ability can be used to instantly farm creeps below a certain percentage of health, even neutral creeps. The more powerful the enemy devoured, the better the bonuses for Rakshasa. Crucially, however, it can be used to completely deny your opponent by using it on a friendly creep. Devour is a crucial ability in Rakshasa's arsenal, giving them sustain for farming neutrals as soon as they're available, as well as powering up your astral form.Why would I use this?
Rakshasa values control over all else. He wants to deny space for opponents and create it for himself. Being able to quickly gobble up an enemy (or allied) creep does this very effectively while giving him an easy way to guarantee some farm. This proves doubly true when farming neutral creeps. Lastly, as a heal and significant stat boost, Rakshasa always wants to have something devoured to provide him with much needed sustain in the longer engagements for which he's otherwise ill-suited.
SKILL 3: Shear Heart
Rakshasa moves forward, slashing wildly in a wide range in front of him, creating large, short range projectiles that deal damage per hit and add stacks of bleed based on the opponent's max HP. Rakshasa may turn during this ability, but they will always move forward.The fewer targets that are hit, the more damage Shear Heart does.
Why would I use this?
Rakshasa's only direct damage ability hits wide and, when built correctly, hits hard. The ability is excellent at clearing creep waves, but where it shines is when Rakshasa is facing heroes. Against a single hero, the damage and subsequent bleed from this ability is terrifying. Against multiple heroes, however, the damage is reduced. The bleed is not scaled based on the number of heroes you hit, so it's still very useful in team fights. And it goes without saying, but this ability excels in clearing neutral camps.
Because Rakshasa is forced to move forward during Shear Heart, positioning is key, especially when planning an ambush.
ULTIMATE: Stray Tiger
Rakshasa sits and becomes immobile, summoning a spirit form of himself that is able to move and act autonomously within a very large radius. This spirit form has reduced health and damage, but otherwise can use all of the same abilities that Rakshasa can.If the spirit leaves Rakshasa's radius, it will rapidly begin to exponentially lose health before being destroyed.
Using Stray Tiger while it is in use will destroy the spirit form and return control to Rakshasa. Cooldown on Stray Tiger does not begin until the spirit form has been destroyed or otherwise recalled.
Stray Tiger cannot use activated items; if any are used, they occur on the main body of Rakshasa. However, items with proc effects function as expected.
Stray Tiger and Rakshasa are two separate entities that do not share heals or other buffs. When Stray Tiger is created, it has the properties of Rakshasa as well as all of their items.
Why would I use this?
Stray Tiger is the heart of Rakshasa's arsenal and the key to playing him well. Having a slightly watered down copy of yourself that can roam freely without the fear of death and a potentially long respawn time allows Rakshasa to functionally be in two places at once. To enemies, the copy will look and behave exactly like the genuine article, which has plenty of psychological utility. Naturally, however, Rakshasa will need to pick a safe enough spot that is near the action when using Stray Tiger. While the radius is massive and covers the width of at least two lanes, there is always the fear that an opponent will find Rakshasa while he is in his spirit form. When the main body takes damage while channeling spirit form, it will deal double damage to the spirit. So it's important to position yourself wisely...and utilize Evil Eyes to ensure you can sense danger before it gets too close.
Personality/Appearance
"Beware an old man in a profession where men die young." Rakshasa has been around; nothing surprises him anymore. Disasters become mild annoyances and miracles produce mild bemusement. He has made his peace with his past deeds and doesn't personally blame those who would have him dead, though he will still show them no mercy. This wizened fiend is a rare case of a potent evil living and succeeding for so long that he has begun to question the point of his scheming to begin with, and no longer indulges in such impulses. Although he vehemently pursues the quiet life he didn't realize he wanted until now, Rakshasa has made his peace with whatever happens.He's a gentleman. Financially, a nouveau riche Great Gatsby type. Magically, as elder as they come. I'd imagine him to be a rather dapper fellow, dressed in the finery of high society. Though he is also a sorcerer, so there is that.
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