Curse

Branskins · Jul 13, 2006, 08:53 PM // 20:53

I posted this over at TGH but I realized it is more of a PvP forum so I decided to post it on an all around kind of forum!

I thought Guild Wars lacked a certain kind of skill line: skills that work both on allies and on enemies. What I mean is a skill that works as a offensive skill and also as a defensive skill. The Dark Mage will channel the health and energy of a foe and can transfer it to his allies.

So the Dark Mage will start out with full health and full mana like any other character. A critial skill of the Dark Mage could be "Siphon Life" (of course the name could be changed since it is too similar to the necromancers skill "Life Siphon". Okay so you target an enemy and click Siphon Life. It is neither considered a hex or enchantment, the skill will continue to siphon life for xx seconds or until the enemy can move out of range to cut it off. Imagine an animated line going from the Dark Mage to its target and this line can only go so far before being cut off. So the Dark Mage is stealing health from his enemy and at the same time his maximum health is going up.

For centuries the Dark Mages have remained in refuge and discretion, conducting evil rituals secretly in deep caverns and hidden chambers, seeking to discover a means of bending the will of the Gods into performing their bidding. Combined with the Mages' already mighty black magics, this would unleash force that would undoubtedly bring about the end of civilization in the fair lands of Tyria and Cantha alike, and create a new rule under the shadow of the Dark Mages. However, despite numerous researching, accomplishing even the first steps of their wicked dreams has been without success. Driven from their homelands and their hideouts, outside news has reached them of a chance, an opportunity which has fueled a burning desire - a way to achieve their goal: through ascension. They have learned that the Gods favor those who emerge victorious over the difficult challenges. The Dark Mages have arisen, and are ready to unleash a potent black magic that has laid dormant for hundreds of years to satisfy their hunger for power...

The Dark Mage excels in Black Magic, where s/he can leech the health from an enemy and siphon it to an ally. The Dark Mage is also highly skilled in the almost extinct but ancient powers of Jinxing, Alchemy, and Divination.

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Black Magic (Primary)

Each point in Black Magic decreases the time that leeched health and mana wears off, and boosts skills that help leech and siphon health and energy.

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Divination

No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those related to marking enemies, become more effective with more attribute points in Divination.

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Alchemy

No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those involving aiding a party in combat and increasing a party's fighting effectiveness, become more effective with higher Alchemy.

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Jinxes

No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those involving hexing the target enemy, become more effective with more attribute points into Jinxes.

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Dark Mages Items:

The Dark Mage uses Wands and Skulls which both shoot magic projectiles. Candles and Skull Necklaces are used as offhand items.

Dark Mage Armor:

The Dark Mage wears soft cloth armor adorned with teeth, claws, and skulls. On top of his/her head is a third eye which moves around the head.

Dark Mage Mechanics:

The Dark Mage specializes in the ability to leech off the enemy, allowing them to store more health and energy than any other class. Once the Dark Mage goes over his/her maximum health and energy, the excess health/energy will wear off until he is back at his maximum, an effect known as decay. Excess Health and energy leeched but which is below the maximum health and energy will still be decayed, but at half the rate of decay that occurs when over maximum health and energy.

Offensive Leeching skills do not have a recharge if there is also a Defensive part to the skill. Once the Defensive part of the skill is used the skill recharges. However, once the Offensive part is used it cannot be used again until the skill has been recharged.

The Vampiric weapons' health drain will be added to the Dark Mages health pool just as if he is leeching an enemy.

Skills:

Black Magic (Primary):

Health Leech: Offensive. For 3…10 seconds drain 10 health from target enemy each second. Defensive. For 3…10 seconds siphon 10 health from your health pool to target other ally each second.
Energy: 5 CT: .25 RT: 10 seconds

Mana Leech: Offensive. For 3…10 seconds drain 1 energy from target enemy each second. Defensive. For 3…10 seconds siphon 1 energy to target other ally’s energy pool each second.
Energy: 1 CT: .25 RT: 20 seconds

Power Leech (Elite): Offensive. For 4…15 seconds drain 10 health from target enemy each second and 1 point of energy every 1.5 seconds. Defensive. For 4…15 seconds siphon 10 health from your health pool each second and 1 point of energy every 1.5 seconds from your energy pool.
Energy: 5 CT: .25 RT: 20 seconds

Death is Power (Elite): For 45 seconds anytime someone dies you gain 25…30 health and 2...5 mana.
Energy: 5 CT: 1 RT: 60 seconds

Mana Combustion: For each point of energy currently in your energy pool deal 1…8 damage.
Energy: 15 CT: 2 RT: 30 seconds

Siphon Death: Siphon the remaining energy from an allied or enemy corpse. This skill does not exploit corpses.
Energy: 5 CT: 3 RT: 30 seconds

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Divination:

Harbinger of Chaos: Mark target enemy. After 6…3 seconds that enemy is knocked down for 1…3 seconds.
Energy: 10 CT: 1 RT: 20 seconds

Mark of the Wicked (Elite): Mark target enemy. After 6…3 seconds that foe takes double physical damage for 5…15 seconds.
Energy: 15 CT: 1 RT: 25 seconds

Sign of Forgiveness: Mark target ally. After 4…2 seconds that ally is healed for 50…100.
Energy: 5 CT: .25 RT: 15 seconds

Reflection (Elite): Mark target ally. After 5…2 seconds any hex cast on that ally is put on the original caster and this mark ends.
Energy: 5 CT: .75 RT: 15 seconds

Harbinger of the Storm (Elite): Mark target ally. After 6…2 seconds that foe receives double elemental damage for 5…15 seconds.
Energy: 10 CT: 2 RT: 30 seconds

Silence (Elite): Mark. For 30 seconds if target foe casts a spell/skill, all other spells/skills are recharged but are disabled for 2…6 seconds.
Energy: 10 CT: 3 RT: 45 seconds

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Alchemy:

Poisonous Vile: Weapon Spell. Create a poisonous vile and add to target other ally’s weapon. For 30 seconds that weapon spreads poison on enemies for 3…6 seconds.
Energy: 5 CT: 3 RT: 30 seconds

Vampiric Infusion (Elite): Elite Weapon Spell. For 30 seconds target other ally’s weapon steals 2…6 health from enemies.
Energy: 5 CT: 3 RT: 30 seconds

Lesser Potion: Item Spell. Create a Lesser Potion. Once the potion is dropped your party is healed for 40…75.
Energy: 5 CT: 3 RT: 10 seconds

Greater Potion (Elite): Elite Item Spell. Create a Greater Potion. Once the potion is dropped your party is healed for 75…110.
Energy: 5 CT: 3 RT: 30 seconds
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Jinxes:

Inverted Chaos (Elite): Elite Hex. Hex target foe. For 3…10 seconds that foe suffers from inverted movement.
Energy: 10 CT: 1 RT: 35 seconds

Dwarvin Ale: Hex. Target foe's screen becomes fuzzy for 3…10 seconds.
Energy: 10 CT: 1 RT: 20 seconds

Demon's Curse (Elite): Elite Hex. For 30 seconds target foe is knocked down every 8 steps.
Energy: 15 CT: 2 RT: 60 seconds

Thanks to Mars for help!

Mars Dragonblade · Jul 14, 2006, 01:17 AM // 01:17

Lengthy post, but I'm only helpin out where I can

. Plenty of ideas concocted by my brother and I which should keep your imagination fueled for a while.

First of all, good thinkin Batman, I like it

. I do like the concept of Dark Mage, it's both somewhat related to a necro in a way, but also something entirely different, if you know what I mean, a nice blend of something similar but with a new twist, that's the reason I find it interesting.

I like the idea of siphoning too, but with a little tweaking it could be better, eg when you drain health from all allied units in the area, it sorta helps but doesn't help at the same time. What I mean is, if in a battle, it's not going to be a great help, so some sort of added description is needed. If you're out of battle and you use it you could potentially kill off chars weakened by the battle, and if they're already at full health then the monks (if you could find any lol) would just heal you if you needed it anyway.

Their primary attribute is fine I think, could possibly change it to "Black Magic".

Q & A time:

1) Other attributes which could work could include Witchcraft, which could involve damaging or debilitating hexes or some other forms of ailment. Alchemy could be one, which could involve something similar to a ritualist's item spells, where you create items which can enhance your abilities in fighting, or which have healing properties or positive status effects like speed boosts etc. I don't know how to write in words what I can picture in my mind's eye for Alchemy, but I think you get the idea

.

2) You could call the extra health gain Leeching, or something along those lines, even although leeching is a term for something completely different, because, by going by your description, that is technically what you're doing...

3) My brain is fragged for the day, so the only word which is fitting for this I can think of atm is Depletion or something which doesn't sound as harsh as that word but with the same meaning, someone get a thesaurus or somethin lol.

4) Witchcraft: No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those related to bewitching (had a much better word, it escaped me entriely, might come back with more thought) and damaging enemies, become more effective with higher ranks of Witchcraft.

Based on this, skills could have the animations of things involving candles, like seances (sp?), and your character could hold up these candles, which, after the flame blows out, cause the effect(s) of the skill, maybe a "Candle of Life" skill? What I mean is like the images of skulls and patterns that appear over a necro's head when casting or when a character or enemy becomes hexed or enchanted. With the animation in place all you'd need to do is think up effects and skill names etc, but I'll come back to them when I've had some sleep

.

Alchemy: No inherent effect. Many skills, especially those involving aiding a party in combat and increasing a party's fighting effectiveness, become more effective with higher Alchemy.

Skill animations could be the creation of items which relate to their effect (kinda obvious, no use using a sword made of feathers is it...). Such as a magically conjured fountain of water that grants health regeneration to party members in the area, or the wings of a rare bird or mythological creature that grants speed boosts or the hooves of centaurs. You conjure a phoenix, whose tears heal your party or even revive fallen players, like in mythology. Its ashes can revive fallen comrades based on the image of a new phoenix rising from the ashes of the dead one. Dragon scales grant armour boosts and dragon teeth for damage boosts.

And finally Q5) Items could be skulls, candles would be a good one to create atmosphere around the character and can be used as focus items. Body parts of mythological creatures such as their bones, their teeth (dragons etc) claws, eyes, artifacts of mysterious origin with mystic powers... As for weapons, well, could be staffs and wands, but maybe markings on their hands which allow them to fire magic projectiles, like necro and mesmer staffs/wands etc, and as you progress though the game they become more powerful. Or jewels and rare precious stones with magic powers which float above their hands under their control that have the same attack effects of hand patterns or markings.

On a final note, I'm impressed by your idea and as you can see by this lot you definitely spurred my imagination lol

. Keep up the good work my friend, keep posting your ideas as they come to you

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Branskins · Jul 14, 2006, 03:24 AM // 03:24

Your post did inspire a lot of thought (and too much inspiration at that!)

I will have some sort of updated information when I finish it in microsoft word!

I do like the name Black Magic and I like the name Witchcraft and Alcemy. For some reason those names escaped me and now I have them at my grasp!

I am going to try and refrain from making item spells because it seems too similar to the ritualist. Instead I wanted to create the unique markings and harbingers and such. Your ideas of the dragon scales and stuff was a good one and I tihnk I may use that. It is different from an item-spell in my mind because it could be more of an enhancement rather than totally replacing the item in your hand.

I love the candle idea! I was thinking about floating skulls around the weapons or around the helm. I want to use the wand as its official item but I would like to see something more unique than just a stick!

I can imagine it now! The candles in their hands could make an eery scene =p

I will type up a lot for tomorrow. Also I think I need to go back and rename some of the skills since I was told by a friend they were really bad :O

Thanks a bunch for the feedback because now I have a lot of cool ideas =p

actionjack · Jul 14, 2006, 05:50 AM // 05:50

Its not bad, and certainly bring some original concept in. Overall, a nice class. But alas... must also say... saw something similar before in another CC... but don't let that mind you.. keep up the creative work.

Mars Dragonblade · Jul 14, 2006, 09:54 PM // 21:54

Good to hear it

. Thinkin about it now that was a bit of overkill on my part, but at least it helped in one form or another

Branskins · Jul 19, 2006, 11:27 PM // 23:27

Okay I completely updated the Dark Mage with help from Mars! Thanks!