Curse

Terra Xin · Feb 15, 2008, 07:28 AM // 07:28

Please read the 'entire' post before commenting to ensure that your criticisms are properly constructed.

A Shadow is a concept created to replace the current mechanics with regards to Shadow Stepping. I have re-written skills related to Shadow Stepping to incorporate this feature, but I'll explain how this works before I go into that.

Whenever you create a Shadow, an Idle shadowy image appears in your place using the /bowhead emote. Shadows cannot move and are counted as allies. They do not count as Summoned creatures and do not take double damage from Holy. Because of their very low health, they will be immune to all hexes and conditions (because they are shadows.)

When creating a Shadow, the Shadow takes 25% of your MAX health and energy and uses it as their own. This does make you more vulnerable than originally, however, if you take damage that would be fatal, instead of dying, you teleport back to your Shadow which dies, and you recover a fixed 25% of your health and energy. (Meaning that you do not gain a reduced amount of health if your Shadow takes some damage.)

Because your Shadow is an ally, it can be attacked. The following attribute lines have been altered to cater to the Shadow:

Deadly Arts: For each rank in this attribute, your shadow will take 2 less damage from spells and will heal you for 5 Health when it dies.

Shadow Arts: For each rank in this attribute, your shadow has a 2% chance to block attacks, and will recover 1 energy for you for every 2 ranks when it dies.

If your shadow dies due to damage, you lose the automatic ability to return to your shadow and you lose the 25% health and energy that you would recover. The bonuses from the two attributes still apply.

If you have less than 25% health, a fail message will say "You do not have enough health to create a Shadow". You can only have one Shadow active at a time. If you activate another Shadow, the original Shadow will just move into its place.

Changes to skills that are currently affected by Shadow Stepping:

(All of the skills hold their original cast/energy/recharge costs.)

To Foe

Augury of Death
- Hex. For xx seconds, when target foe takes damage below 50% health, you create a shadow at your location and teleport towards target foe for 1-8 seconds, and that foe suffers from Deep Wound for xx seconds. If you are not within half the normal range when this hex triggers, that foe will not suffer from Deep Wound.

This skill is widely considered as being overpowered. This change will prompt the target to run away from you while forcing you to keep yourself within half the normal range

Aura of Displacement
- Enchantment. Create a Shadow at your location and teleport towards target foe. While you maintain this enchantment, nothing happens. When Aura of Displacement ends, you return to your Shadow and that shadow dies.

Beguiling Haze
- Spell. Create a Shadow at your location that lasts for 1...10 seconds and teleport towards target foe. That foe is interrupted and suffers from daze for xx seconds.

Added an exit for the attacker. I might actually remove the shadow altogether...

Death's Charge
- Spell. Create a Shadow nearby target foe's location and teleport to target foe. If that foe has more health than you, you are healed for xx health. This shadow dies after 10 seconds.

I decided to have the shadow near the foe's location to add variation in the locations of where the shadow can appear depending on the skill you use.

Dark Prison
- Change skill to teleport (no shadow stepping)

Ride the Lightning
- Change skill to teleport (no shadow stepping)

Shadow Prison
- Create a Shadow at target foe's location and teleport to target foe. While that foe is within earshot of your Shadow, that foe moves 66% slower. This Shadow ends after 1...8 seconds.

Removing the hex component of this skill forces the attacker to use skills that aren't black spider strike... even though it's already been nerfed. Also reduces the enemy's ability to avoid the snare, and will have to kill the shadow to end the snare prematurely.

Shadow Fang
- Spell. Create a Shadow at your location and teleport to target foe. This shadow lasts for 10 seconds. If you return to your Shadow, target foe suffers from Deep Wound for xx seconds.

Similar to how the original description made it difficult to prevent the ability for Deep Wound to strike (Triggering when the hex ends), enemies will need to kill the shadow to prevent the caster from teleporting back, which will also prevent the deep wound from applying.

Shadow Walk
- Stance. Create a Shadow at your location and teleport to target foe. While your shadow is active, you cannot cast enchantments. Your Shadow lasts for 30 seconds, or while you are in this stance.

To Ally

Death's Retreat
- Teleport to target ally. If you have less Health than that ally, you gain xx Health. If your target was your Shadow, that shadow dies and you gain 5 energy.

Recall
- Change skill to teleport (no shadow stepping)

Return
- All adjacent foes are crippled for xx seconds and you teleport to target ally. If that ally was your Shadow, that Shadow dies and this skill recharges instantly.

Shadow Meld
- Create a Shadow at your location and teleport to target ally. While you maintain this enchantment, nothing happens. When this enchantment ends, you return back to your Shadow.

Ebon Escape
- Change skill to teleport (no shadow stepping)

Heart of Shadow
- Skill. For xx seconds, the next time your Shadow takes damage, that shadow teleports to your location and you are healed for xx Health.

Viper's Defense
- Skill. For xx seconds, the next time your Shadow takes damage, that foe becomes poisoned for xx seconds, and that Shadow teleports to a random nearby location.

To activation spot

Shadow of Haste
- Stance. Create a Shadow at your location. For xx seconds, you run 25% faster than normal. When this stance ends, your shadow dies.

I've changed this skill in such a way that if your Shadow is killed, you won't be ported back to it's position, and you will still run 25% faster because it's a stance. If you end the stance and your shadow is already dead, then you still dont teleport back. If you end the stance or the stance expires and you're still alive, then you return to your original position.

Other

Spirit Walk
- Spell. Create a Shadow at your location and teleport to target spirit. When that spirit dies, so does your Shadow.

Spirit Walk isn't really a popular skill to begin with, but with the Shadow it could open up some more possibilities

Swap
- Spell. You and target Shadow or Animated creature teleport to each others location.

--

It would be great to know what you think. Perhaps adding more skills that interact with the Shadow itself, or even attack skills themselves. Thanks for reading.

I was also thinking about eliminating the teleport's ability to go through gates and walls, so it'll be just like a shadow step, really. Not too sure though, there are a few necro skills that have been useful for just that thing.

I think that this feature can open some doors for the assassin, being able to have more exit packages as well as making them less deadly for combos that can take out targets in a flash.