Hero Idea: Phantom

[Sarenarass]

So I was quite bored on a long train ride and this happened. (And forum could use some activity)

The main idea that drove this is a sort of counter-part to Assassin/Flisk for Legion.

Strength: 8
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 27

Melee

Innate: Encompassing Shadow:

Turns into a shadow becoming partially visible. Takes 150% damage from magic and all physical damage taken is removed in mana (/physical damage is reduced by X% and mana reduced by Y% taken) When all mana is gone this spell instantly ends. The shadow fades in and out of appearance over a set of X seconds. Y seconds visible, rest fading in and out. Casting spells will NOT break invisibility.
Levels 1-2: Set of 4 seconds, invisible for 1.5. Lasts for 10 seconds.
Levels 3-4: Set of 6 seconds, invisible for 3. Lasts for 15 seconds.


Thoughtsteal: Picks one of these 3 abilities at random. Targets an area. (If one is object to randomness then it can simply happen in order [or if not that could just pick the most "liked" spell and remove the others]) Cooldown: 30 seconds

Spell 1: Selects a pool of units. All enemy hero spells are X% more expensive and all mana spent through these excesses is given to the Phantom.

Spell 2: The phantom becomes invisible for 4/5/5/6 seconds. Over the selected area at random points more phantoms will be created. All these phantom illusions do is fade in and out at the selected area (and move in random directions). If these illusions become the target of an ability the damage they take will be reflected to the owner. (Could be at 100% reflection or just 50ish). When hit by any amount of damage the illusion will fade. 

Spell 3: Takes control of a random friendly (non-hero) unit in the area (if there is no friendly non-hero unit in the selected area this spell will not be cast). If this unit is killed while in possession of the Phantom the Phantom will take its full health in damage. Pressing ESC will cancel possession. If the possessed unit touches another (enemy) hero it will deal X physical damage.
_____________________

Technicolor Phantoms:

Phantoms: Burn, Wound, Chill, Poison
For 6/7/8/9 seconds each time an enemy hero casts a spell that damages the Phantom, a identical-looking Phantom will spawn off of the main phantom (with same items as host, etc). This technicolor phantom will head towards the hero which cast the spell. The technicolor phantoms fade in and out over 6 seconds (but last 30). They move at 75% of the rate of the host phantom. After four spells are cast/four phantoms are created no more phantoms will spawn. Whenever these phantoms attack units they deal the host phantoms full attack damage and inflict a debuff listed above. They attack at a static rate of once every 2 seconds. They also spawn in the same order listed above.


Phantasmal Chain?: (I don't like this ability much but I feel the hero needs some form of direct damage)
Shoots a chain across at the targeted point (this chain doesn't travel particularly quickly). If a unit is hit in the center of the point cast it will become entangled in chains, slowing its movement by 20%. The chain will stretch from the Phantom to the unit. No units can cross over this chain as it is a solid obstacle. The chain has (X + [X x <stat>]) life. It cannot be auto attacked but abilities will destroy it if damage is sufficient. The unit it is cast on will pull the chain but the farther it goes the more it is constricted, moving slower (up to 60% movement speed reduction) and taking damage. It can break the chain if it moves far enough but it will take damage and be wounded. (Also takes damage if hit in the initial chain coil)


Ultimate: Imitation

Cast Range: Global
Pick one enemy hero and turn into that hero. Will have the same items and appearance but no access to the copied units abilities. Upon reaching behind another enemy hero this ability activates after one second and the enemy hero takes <LOTS OF DAMAGE> and is knocked back as far as 30/40% of the damage. If the illusion is attacked this ability ends and the host Phantom is revealed. In addition, towers will attack fake "Phantomed" heroes.Appears allied. Not sure if ultimate should provide new "allies" with vision or not.
  During this time if another friendly hero attacks the "original" copied hero of their own team both the attacker and the hero originally targeted by Imitation will take <LOTS OF DAMAGE>. 
 Communication is key to preventing this from happening!


Thoughts?

[Softmints]

The overall theme of this hero is to bait enemies into using abilities on him, or one of his phantoms:

• Innate increases his magic damage taken (usually abilities) and decreases physical damage (usually attacks)
  
• Thoughtsteal 2 reflects damage from abilities
  
• Technicolour Phantoms avenge ability damage

I don't think this is a healthy concept, because it relies on the enemy player to make decisions for you, and subverts the effort players put into aiming. The specific abilities don't offer very much as compensation.

[Sarenarass]

Apr 22, 2014 5:50:10 GMT Softmints said:

The overall theme of this hero is to bait enemies into using abilities on him, or one of his phantoms:

• Innate increases his magic damage taken (usually abilities) and decreases physical damage (usually attacks)
  
• Thoughtsteal 2 reflects damage from abilities
  
• Technicolour Phantoms avenge ability damage

I don't think this is a healthy concept, because it relies on the enemy player to make decisions for you, and subverts the effort players put into aiming. The specific abilities don't offer very much as compensation.

I think I'll have to disagree on some of that. I personally imagined the theme (as stated at the top) as being more of a Flisk/Assassin counter part, if not a hybrid between the two... I could be wrong on that but I don't feel his theme is "let people attack me". The innate has nothing to do with baiting people to attack you. The physical/magic amplifications can be completely removed if necessary. I just thought it would be a more interesting alternative to complete invisibility.

Secondly, this concept is not the only hero with abilities that require your opponent to do some of the work. Mineslayer is almost all letting your opponents kill themselves(barring using particle accelerator but hardly anyone uses that as massing explosives at choke points is easier) Most notable among these moves is Link Bomb and Trap Card. And while Trap Card may only be one of many of small abilities the same would apply to Thoughtsteal 2.

Among other abilities that require your opponent to do things to make them useful: Siphon, Screen, and practically all of Red Right Hand's moves.

I can accept that Technicolor's trigger is not a very good one but it is only one of five abilities and that hasn't proved to be a death knell for others.

[Softmints]

The above was my interpretation of how a player would use and build around those abilities, which I maintain is accurate. I am generally not fond of abilities that offload responsibility to the opponent, but that doesn't mean I'll never use them. Aquasoul for example has knockback and zoning tools to interact with his innate. This hero? He just wants to get hit by enemy abilities, something he has 0 control over, aside from the threat of getting close and using his ult while already beside an enemy hero for full damage with no effort.

Where is the aiming/timing? Where is the mechanical interdependency? He gains back some mana from enemy ability usage, and can protect himself from physical damage (generally not abilities) with a mana shield. That's not enough.

Flickering in and out of invis isn't inherently bad, but it's not doing anything for the hero. The idea for the ultimate seems too easily countered by map awareness/communication.

Flisk/Assassin are roaming heroes that use invisibility as a gap-closer and have high single-target burst damage at close range, and usually rely on an ally to help secure the kill. If they are your target gameplay, try and give your hero the appropriate tools to do what Flisk/Assasin do.

[Sarenarass]

Apr 23, 2014 21:57:06 GMT Softmints said:

The above was my interpretation of how a player would use and build around those abilities, which I maintain is accurate. I am generally not fond of abilities that offload responsibility to the opponent, but that doesn't mean I'll never use them. Aquasoul for example has knockback and zoning tools to interact with his innate. This hero? He just wants to get hit by enemy abilities, something he has 0 control over, aside from the threat of getting close and using his ult while already beside an enemy hero for full damage with no effort.

Where is the aiming/timing? Where is the mechanical interdependency? He gains back some mana from enemy ability usage, and can protect himself from physical damage (generally not abilities) with a mana shield. That's not enough.

Flickering in and out of invis isn't inherently bad, but it's not doing anything for the hero. The idea for the ultimate seems too easily countered by map awareness/communication.

Flisk/Assassin are roaming heroes that use invisibility as a gap-closer and have high single-target burst damage at close range, and usually rely on an ally to help secure the kill. If they are your target gameplay, try and give your hero the appropriate tools to do what Flisk/Assasin do.

Well, that clarifies some things for me not made entirely clear with the first post. Not all the ideas were final, more just rough drafts but I guess I got to come up with a new one now. Back to the drawing board!