Curse

nebojats · Dec 07, 2006, 07:49 AM // 07:49

Here’s an idea I’m toying around with. Before I go into detail, I was looking to get some feedback on the basic concept. Essentially, the Symbiont is a stealth character that latches on to an enemy (hopefully without them noticing for a while). The Symbiont skims energy off of that opponent (only if the foes uses energy) and then in turn acts as a sort of energy monk.

THE SYMBIONT

The Symbiont is a priestess of Melandru whose battle tactics are inspired by the most basic instincts of species in the environment around her. Although powerful, she cannot rely upon brute force or upon her own magical ability. Instead, she depends upon symbiotic relations with others. By exploiting organisms to serve her purpose, the Symbiont reinforces the natural world’s interdependence.

The Symbiont has Elementalist-level armor and deals melee weapon damage similar to wands. Energy is Warrior-level.

Parasitism: Determines what percentage of excess energy is stolen.
Hunting: Affects spells which either employ stealth or target hosts.
Commensation: Affects spells which benefit allies.

Strengths:

1) The Symbiont acts as a sort of energy monk (as opposed to a normal monk, whose focus is restoring health).
2) The Symbiont lessens enemy spellcasters' effectiveness.

Weakness:

1) The Symbiont can be easily killed and necessarily must expose herself to danger.
2) If target enemy recognizes Symbiont's presence, the above weakness becomes very obvious.

Originality:

1) Introduces stealth to the game, which is unexplored as of yet.
3) Introduces shadow step to another class besides assassin (with the exception of the one Elementalist Elite).

HOW THE SYMBIONT WORKS IN BATTLE:

Initially using Hunting skills to conceal herself from view and target an enemy, the Symbiont teleports to that foes location.

Camouflage - For 8...25 seconds, you are "camouflaged" (no dot on minimap, not able to be targeted with hotkeys, difficult to see).
Engorge - Shadow step to target opponent. For 8...25 seconds, target foe's skills cost 5...25% more energy. You steal excess energy.

As the foe casts spells, the Symbiont skims energy off of her prey. The effect is two-fold: the target enemy wastes more energy than he would otherwise to perform magical feats, and the Symbiont converts this excess energy into adrenaline. Once sufficiently engorged off of stolen energy, the Symbiont has two options. She can use stolen mana to help maintain allies' energy...

Restorative Breeze – For 10 seconds, target ally gains energy regeneration of 1…4.

The second option… an attribute I haven’t come up with yet. Hopefully that’s where you come in.

Strengths:

1) The Symbiont is another nuker option.
2) The Symbiont lessens enemy spellcasters' effectiveness.

Weakness:

1) The Symbiont can be easily killed and necessarily must expose herself to danger.
2) If target enemy recognizes Symbiont's presence,

Originality:

1) Introduces stealth to the game, which is unexplored as of yet.
2) Introduces non-target based AoE spells.
3) Introduces shadow step to another class besides assassin.

System_Crush · Dec 07, 2006, 02:26 PM // 14:26

Well many paracitic creatures, enshure themselves with poisons.

A tick has to removed quickly, otherwise it stings you with some poison which causes a white ring and a rather nasty disease.
Engorge(Touch Attack) - For 8...25 seconds, target foe becomes hexed with 's skills cost 5...25% more energy. You steal excess energy, if this effect ends prematurely your target becomes poisoned for the duration it had remaining.

A musquito transfers diseases from 1 person it bites to another.
Plague Carrier(Elite enchantment) - for 5...12...15 seconds, the next time you use a Touch attack you transfer all conditions and their remaining durations from yourself to target foe, for each condition lost this way you lose 4...2...1 energy.

Also you called them symbionts.
Simbiot is the name of a monk/ranger that uses Symbiosis and enchantments to boost party health.
Symbiosis is also already a ranger skill, but that isn't really a problem as far as I am concerned.
(either I am mispelling,likely, or simbiont and simbiot is something diferent)

But symbiosis means beneficial conection, thus a simbiont would imply his main function is attaching to party members and helping them in some way.
Monk Hero: AHHHH!! Get him off me, Get him off me! He's all slimey! EEEWWWW!!

Also camoflage is interesting, the idea of being clickable but not targetable by hotkeys is one I wouldn't have thought of(remind me to steal it sometime)
but it is possibly a little over powered, there should be some limit to it making the camaoflage end when you attack someone or something like that.
A flag runner would be rather happy with a effect like that.

It's got potential
Though:

How much energy and energy regen would they have?
Do they need to leach to use skills or can they fill their energy bar by just waiting(and getting energy regen from monk/necro/other symbiont)?
Do they eneter a area with a empty/partly filled energy bar? or do they get a full one?
What weapons would they use?
Can they attack while leaching/touch hex-ing?
Can they move while leaching/touch hex-ing?

It's got potential but the description is a little too skimpy.

nebojats · Dec 07, 2006, 05:37 PM // 17:37

Ah thank you System Crush. Now that is what I call constructive criticism!

I really enjoy the idea of attacks which are derived from actual parasites. Passing on conditions like a mosquito is great. I also like the idea that if a "draining energy" spell ends prematurely, the host suffers some sort of condition.

As far as the name goes, I didn't realize that about the ranger skill. Symbiot and Symbiont are actually two different words that mean the same thing. And symbiosis isn't necessarily beneficial. Parasitism, Mutualism, and Commensalism cover the range of effects that symbiosis can have on the host (it can either hurt the host, neither hurt nor help the host, or help the host). Either way, I'm not stuck on the names, and I'd be willing to change all of them if I could find suitable substitutes. In fact, I think I should. It's starting to sound too much like a biology textbook. Thanks for the heads up on the one... I'll do some brainstorming.

I agree... the Camouflag is probably too overpowered. I think it should definitely end if the Symbiont is attacked or attacks.

Answering your questions:

About Warrior-level energy and not much regen (one PIP, maybe).

The Symbiont consequently can't rely on her own energy regen to be effective. She must leech opponents to be effective.

I'd think a full energy bar of 20 energy would be enough to start up some hunting skills, but nothing beyond that.

Weapons... oh my. I'm thinking some sort of organic weapon, but nothing concrete yet.

The Symbiont can attack its host while leaching, but loses invisibility if she does so. The symbiont can also move, but must remain within range of her host to maintain the leech connection

Now I'm going to go back and try and incorporate the critiques into the description. Thanks a lot, and get back to me on what you think of the changes.

System_Crush · Dec 08, 2006, 11:37 AM // 11:37

*/doh*
Mutualism, darn yea now I remeber.
If they have a max of 20 energy that would make them very anctious to use their skills, as they can probably steal more than they can keep on them.
giving them a 1 pip means they have some armourpiece that has -1 energy regen. As all clases by default have 2, for the same reason 20 energy is the minimum.
Must resist perverted self, not sugest tentacles as weapons

(I'm over worked been feeling silly lately)

And generally many other games make you move slower while sneaking(as then you produce less sound).
Eventhough(like all other GW abilities) the effect is magical here, camoflage might be coupled to a speed decrease the higher your skill the longer you stay camoflaged and the fasster you can move while camoflaged, exept for 1 elite camoflage that actually makes you move faster.
Hidden Horror(skill) - For 10...40...50 seconds your are camoflaged, while camoflaged you move 40...25...20% slower.
This should balance it out a bit making the camoflaged person more clickable.
It's just a sugestion.

It's with the 10 current classes it's already dificult not to look like one already in existance.
This is very close to necro as they already have skills, called insidious parecite and parecitic bond.
Nebojats, you are doing a great job not overlapping.

(asking everyone that reads) Do you think theres is a way to make them leach other things than mana? Without making them an awfull lot like a necro?

Sugestion 1:
The idea of sustained hexes was introduced by someoneelse, quite some time ago
(Hex that lasts untill removed(or out of range) and you give up 1 pip of energy regen to sustain it)
Because sustained enchantments/hexes end when you run out of energy because of energy degen, X end until you have 0 degen again.
The symbiot would have to be leaching to gain enough energy to maintain their skills(second prof monk for maintained enchantments seems like a interesing build choice)
There could be some maintained hexes for taking energy and some for messing with your opponent.

To make the hexes diferent from mesmer's, necro's hexes; I imagine these hexes not reducing speed/damage, But instead increasing the effect of your(party's) skills on target foe, assasins and rangers already do this;
They have skills like:
If target is bleeding, target gains a aditional -2 health degen.
The Gaian's would ofcource have to have their own twist to them.

Energy denial is a very paralyzing tactic, it would be worth it for a class to get it as it's main function.

By the way, please tell me the new name isn't pronounced the way I think it is, personaly I don't have a problem with it, but not even close to half of the GW players have a pure vieuw of the fantasy setting for gw, and tend to mix in modernday sterotypes and unjust oppinions into the setting(your class would be discriminated).
Even I make fun of how the paragons (used to)dance.

nebojats · Dec 09, 2006, 09:20 PM // 21:20

Hey System,

I like the idea that being camouflaged would slow down speed, with the possible exception of an elite camouflage skill. It would make sense that there would have to be some sort of tradeoff for what could be an incredibly powerful skill.

I really like the idea of sustained hexes. That is a surprisingly original idea. It's sort of amazing that it hasn't been incorporated into the game already. If a monk can use a protection enchantment on an ally that costs one pip of energy regen to sustain, why can't another class cast a similar hex on an opponent? I love it. Also, it works out well with this concept class because it would reinforce the [I]need[I] for the target opponent to use spells. The Gaian/Symbiot/whatever would be able to sustain energy only if the target was using energy.

Interesting idea on having sort of conditional hexes also. Ones which only affect an opponent if something else happens to them. Not completely original (as you say, it already exists in the game), but to my knowledge that concept isn't given enough play, and it would be useful to help make this concept class stand out more.

The name... my fears have been confirmed. When I found the word "Gaian," I thought, "awesome!" It means someone who believes in the unity of the natural world, more or less. But yeah, it can be pronounced "gay-un," and that would not go over well with virtually every Guild Wars player out there. I'll search for a synonym.

You're giving great feeback. I prefer collaborative projects over independent ones. If you have any ideas or suggestions for my developed Shrift concept, that would also be greatly appreciated.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10083511

Tenik · Jan 01, 2007, 03:21 AM // 03:21

A second option for collected energy and adrenaline could be to open up a "funnel". Funnels would be about the size of a necromancer's well, and it would be similar to an AoE drain. Some examples of funnels are:

Speed: all enemies in the funnel has their cast, movement, and attack rate reduced by (2...20) % while your cast, movement, and attack rate is increased by (1...10) %. Once removed, the funnel will remain for (1...2) seconds. Parasitism

Spell cost: all enemies in the funnel’s area has their spell cost is increased by (2...10), while you have your spell cost reduced (1...3). Once removed, the funnel will remain for (1...2) seconds. Parasitism

Strength: all enemies in the funnel do (2...20) less physical damage, while you do (1...10) more. Once removed, the funnel will remain for (1...2) seconds. Parasitism

All funnels are sustained enchantments of a currently undetermined cost; while they are sustained the caster cannot leave the funnel’s area.

Kai Nui · Jan 01, 2007, 10:15 PM // 22:15

Hmm, Lyssa is the energy goddess, I'd rather see it be her character. That's just my oppinoin from being an onlooker. The poison fits well with assassins aswell.