Curse

Redfeather1975 · Nov 18, 2006, 09:25 AM // 09:25

This profession is admittedly inspired by the look and combat style of Dante from the Devil May Cry series. It is a heavily dependent stance style that requires a balancing act in energy management for both offense and defense. It can switch between long range and short range basic attacks depending on stances and weapon unique to the profession. When I picture an Outlander character I picture Dante, or cowboy type bounty hounter without the hat.

Outlander Origin
Criminals originally sent to an isolated country, which was bordered off from the rest of the world, developed over generations their own robust empire through brutal governing, back stabbing and dabbling in the dark arts. Over these generations this empire founded by criminals grew into a place that bred the world's most talented fortune seekers and bounty hunters. The plethora of secrets revealed by the nations' founders forbidden practicing of dark arts lead to a family of magic commonly used by these many mercenaries, known as 'ether bending'. Any creature capable of using ethereal energy is capable of using the art of ether bending, but so far only those come to be known as simply 'Outlanders' have tapped into it's true power.

Outlander Weapon
Outlanders wield what is known as an 'ether foci' in their main hand. It is used to amplify the power of ether bending. While using stances that allow the caster to fully develop their ability to concentrate on the fundamentals of ether bending, the Ether Foci can be warped into a melee weapon or a long range weapon used to channel streams of deadly ether shards into their targets.

Primary Attribute: Ethereal Absorption
Ether Absorption allows Outlanders to draw energy through the very use of stances. Stances help to focus the mind and body and regardless of a stances purpose, it is the concentration required to maintain any stance that allows an Outlander to draw in ether as though it were air.
For every 3 points put into Ethereal Absorption the Outlander gains +1 energy regen while in a stance.

Here are some skills. I've only started thinking about this profession so there isn't that many.

Ethereal Absorption skills:
Etherjack (spell)
5e, 2s, 20s recast
Target foe suffers x energy degen and the Outlander gains x energy regen for 10 seconds.

Ether Bounty (spell)
5e, 1s, 20s recast
Target foe suffers x health degen and the Outlander gains x energy regen for 10 seconds.

The Quickening (stance)
5e
The Outlander suffers x health degen and gains x in energy regen.

Hangman's Boon (spell)
5e, 1/4s, 20s recast
Target is hexed with hangman's boon for x seconds. If target dies, the Outlander gains +2 energy regen for the same duration that target suffered from Hangman's Boon before dying.

Ether Bending skills:
The Unloader (Stance)
10e
While in this stance the Outlander's ether foci becomes a long range rapid fire instrument capable of unloading ether directly from the Outlander into their target. While attacking using this weapon the Outlander suffers x energy degen and inflicts x health degen on their target. This weapon can be used while moving.

The Stalker (Stance)
10e
While in this stance the Outlander's ether foci becomes a short range melee weapon. This weapon cannot be evaded by conventional means. It's damage is armour ignoring as well. The weapon subtracts x energy from the outlander with each attack and does 5 times that in damage to the target. Unlike Illusionary Weaponry this weapons hits count as successful attacks.

The Gambler (Stance)
10e
While in this stance the Outlander's either focis takes on the appearance of an armguard. The Outlander suffers x energy degen, but each time they are hit with an enemy spell they gain energy equal to 25% of it's cost.

Wild Ether skills:
Desperate Measures(Stance)
10e
While in this stance raw ether is converted into health. The Outlander gains x health regen and suffers x energy degen.

Wildfire(spell)
25e, 1s, 5s recast
All enemies surrounding the Outlander suffer x armour ignoring damage.

Ether Splitter(spell)
25e, 1s, 30s recast
All allies surrounding the Outlander receive x% of the energy cost of Ether Splitter.

Ether Rush (skill)
5e, 1/4s, 15s recast
The next time the Outlander hits with a melee attack the damage is increased by 33%.

Smokescreen (skill)
5e, 2s, 45s recast
Lose all energy. All foes adjacent to the Outlander move 90% slower for 5 seconds and all spells being cast on the Outlander fail.

Lock and Load (skill)
5e, 1/4s, 60 recast
For 10 seconds all spells cast recharge instantly, but cost double their energy to cast.

The Motherlode (stance)
10e
Outlander suffers x energy degen for 10 seconds. When this stance ends the Outlander is knocked down and an ether projection is launched at the target the Outlander was attacking. This projectile does 20 damage for each second the stance was active. If the Outlander is not attacking, 2 energy per second the stance was active is regained.

Guile skills:
Psych-out (skill)
10e, 1/4s, 20s recast
Shadowstep backwards 10'. If the Outlander hits an object they are knocked down. If a foe was trying to hit the Outlander with a melee attack they miss and are knocked down.

Speed Freak (stance)
10e
Lasts for 5 seconds where the Outlander moves 33% faster and recharges non-spell skills 33% faster. All spell skills are disabled for 10 seconds.

Sly Strike (skill)
15e
The Outlander attempts a melee attack. If it hits it strikes for +x damage. If it is blocked or evaded it strikes for +x damage and dazes the target for 15 seconds.

Cross Eyed (skill)
10e, 1s, 15s recast
For 10 seconds if the outlander performs a degen move on a moving target it's effect is doubled. If the target is not moving it's effect is halved.

Jail Break (spell)
10e, 1s, 15s recast
All hexes and conditions on the Outlander are removed for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds all hexs and conditions that were removed are reapplied with their original duration.

Handcuffing Lightning (spell)
25e, 1/4s, 45s recast
All spells being cast by foes in the area are interrupted and the Outlander is dazed for 30 seconds.

Sneak A Heal (skill)
15e, 1/4s, 15s recast
Adjacent target foe is hexed with sneaky heal and if they are healed within 5 seconds it is negated and the Outlander is healed that amount instead.

The Rustler (skill)
25e, 2s, 60s recast
For x seconds target creature becomes allied to the Outlander.

That's all I've thought of tonight. I hope it was at least an interesting read.

Helcaraxe · Nov 18, 2006, 05:33 PM // 17:33

definitely interesting... it would be very difficult to play one of these, as you would constantly be having to juggle health and energy with stances. sacrificing one to heal the other, when done effectively could become the most powerful class in the game, but ti would seem that the slightest mistake and sacrifice at the wrong time could make you the easiest target in the world.

Looks like a very versatile class as well with skills with homes in both PvP and PvE. A O/N might be fun ^_^

actionjack · Nov 18, 2006, 07:55 PM // 19:55

I like part of it.

I like the weapon, and how you can mode it to differnt use. The lores are interesting too.

Guil and Arcane Sacrifice skills seem a bit like fillers, as they feel taken out from exisiting classes.

The pirmary could be useful. But I do hope it be something that ties in with a overall playing style of this class better.

Would suggest not making the Ethreal weapon's skill a stance, but maybe make it a weapon enchantment. Also what kind of regular attack would they normally do?

One thing that could really shape and define this class is that if it were combined with Ether-mage idea by Lightenhell, in perticular the phase out and the ethreal form idea there.
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10052016

Redfeather1975 · Nov 19, 2006, 02:57 AM // 02:57

You're right on so many points actionjack.
Now that I've had a good night's sleep and have come back I think that ether bending should be the primary. That the ether foci should have some form of basic attack on it's own, and that the names and attribute descriptions could use work to make them fit the type of profession I originally envisioned.
I'm gonna have to take some time to clean that whole outline up. Hopefully it'll be sweet pumpkins when I'm done.

Sweet pumpkins?! Who says that now.

I've been having fun lately coming up with a storyline with a cool twist and fleshing out the continent where the Outlander and another profession called Executioners come from. I'll keep adding them all here I'm guessing. It's kinda fun to think up this stuff!

For now I just wanted to give a brief idea about the other profession, the Executioners. If anyone has skill ideas for this profession, feel free to give your input.

Executioners are essentially going to be a juggernaut of a profession on the battlefield. They will have the highest in AL available. They will use adrenaline and a similar resource called 'blood lust' to power almost all of their skills. Blood lust is increased only when enemies are killed in the area and when some of the Executioner's moves are successfully used.
An Executioner will require a lot of foresight and planning as they will be very slow in activating skills. Only when very specific conditions are met and certain situations are involved will the Executioner be able to do their most damage. It will often be required to anticipate and plan actions far ahead in a battle to try and insure that the proper situations arise to activate their attacks. It will also be crucial that very specific conditions are being met when their skill has finished activating or that skill will be useless.
In a best case scenario, when everything mets the requirements of the Executioners' most impressive skills, by the time it has finished activating, they can kill an opponent outright.

Those on the receiving end will need to have some knowledge of the Executioners' skills in order to make sure that not all conditions are met when the Executioners skill is done activating.

Their primary attribute would be 'deadly intention'. For every 3 points put into 'deadly intention' they gain an extra +1 blood lust for each foe who dies in the area, and 10% immunity to interrupts and knockdowns.

Here's a quick example of an Executioner skill. Just to give an idea of what I mean.

Contract Closure
8 adrenaline, 4 blood lust, 6s activation
Can only be initiated on a knocked down opponent while wielding a Grand Axe. The Executioner loses all adrenaline. If target is below 50% health, and suffering from weakness when Contract Closure is finished activating, this attack does +150 damage and then any remaining blood lust is lost.

Redfeather1975 · Nov 19, 2006, 05:27 AM // 05:27

Just wanted to post what I picture the Outlander and Executioner professions would look like.

Outlanders clothing would bear a stylistic resemblance to Dante's from Devil May Cry.

The Executioner's appearance would be inspired by Astaroth from the Soul Calibur series.

I think it would even be cool to introduce a Bounty system to the game too. Players could unlock contracts of all the boss NPCs found in the game. You find and defeat a boss you have a contract for and maybe even try to get a unique item off them in order to fulfill the contract. It would award completion ranks which would unlock more contracts, elite areas, special items or even titles with associated buffs only usable in the continent of criminals the game would be played in.
Maybe call the whole game Guild Wars:Bounty