[R1] Blackbog Lurker - A Unique Strength Class.

[[xTx]Mesothere]

Blackbog Lurker

Biography:

In life, the Blackbog Lurker was a simple-minded soul; a witless man named Ryna who was hard-working but naturally limited. His large head of curly hair was often the subject of many jokes from both friends and enemies. Growing up with such abuse caused Ryna to develop severe anger issues, and he was often known to arbitrarily punch people, or throw objects at them. Much to the dismay of his mother (yet nobody else) Ryna one day disappeared whilst wandering the enchanted Mud flats of Trollania. As he trudged through the barren landscape, ancient magics rooted his feet to the floor, and he began to sink. Seething with intense rage, Ryna vowed to return from the grave to exact revenge upon those who had mocked him in life, and he screamed victoriously as he was consumed by the mud...

Today, tribes are constantly wary of the ever-present danger that the Blackbog Lurker brings. None know how he came to be, and yet they all recognise the familiarity in those terrifying tendrils upon his head...

Blackbog Lurker aims to be a skill-based team class, with a host of abilities that require well-timed activation to acheive maximum effectiveness. This class has a very unique playstyle.

(Yes, the art will be redone and edited in later.)

Imagine him as a big black/brown mud golem thing.

Stats:

StrAgiInt
23 16 19

Movement speed: 295
Str per level: 2.8
Agi per level: 1.2
Int per level: 1.7

THESE STATS ARE SIMPLY FOR SHOW
Stat finalisation is the least important aspect of this concept. Please judge the abilities and the theme before anything else
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Abilities:

Muddied Slick

Muddied Slick is an ability inspired by abilities like Llanya's psi-traps in dota, except with a much shorter range of deployment. This is to encourage strategic placements of traps as opposed to being able to use them offensively.

The player can place a template of roughly the same size as Forsaken's snare, clicking and dragging it along the floor to paint a small patch of mud on the ground. These Muddied Slicks can be placed within a 200 range of Lurker and take 0.5 seconds to lay, this is to encourage clever pre-emptive placement of mud patches as opposed to being able to engage from a distance by throwing one in.

It is possible to have 2/3/4/5 mud patches down at any one time. At third level, mud patches have stealth.

Any enemy heroes who walk on this patch obtain a debuff called 'Muddied' (this is an important effect as it is the precursor to Lurker's ulti.) More on this below.

Lurker can force the closest mud patch to him to errupt by pressing W, covering all enemy hero units within a 300 range of the Muddied Slick to become instantly Muddied. Once Lurker has errupted a mud patch it then disappears.

Here are some WIP-numbers:

Rank 1: 1 Muddied Slick allowed. Afflicts enemy with Muddied rank 1.
Rank 1: 2 Muddied Slicks allowed. Afflicts enemy with Muddied rank 2.
Rank 1: 3 Muddied Slicks allowed. Invisible graphic. Afflicts enemy with Muddied rank 3.
Rank 1: 4 Muddied Slicks allowed. Invisible graphic. Afflicts enemy with Muddied rank 4.

Excuse my poor attempt to explain this:

Imagine Blackbog Lurker is against an enemy. He can click ability one or press "Q" to activate Muddied Slick. While casting, he cannot move. Upon selecting this ability the cursor tunrs into a red circle with which the player can paint an area of mud on the floor.
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Muddied (Passive debuff)

Muddied is extremely important and works as the foundation for all of Blackbog Lurkers abilities. Muddied is a 5/10/15/20% slowing debuff that lasts for 20 seconds at all levels.

This is what an enemy suffers from after slipping on the Muddied Slick. When afflicted by Muddied, a player has a slow placed upon them for 20 seconds, increasing each level with Muddied Slick.

This ability is used in conjunction with Blackbog Lurkers other abilities for devastating effect, encouraging strategic placement of traps.
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Tendrils of Filth

Pulls all enemies within a certain radius radius closer towards Blackbog Lurker. Causes only a small amount of damage on a moderate cooldown, however, it can be used to pull people into pre-placed mud slicks, allowing you to initiate.

Tendrils of filth does 50% more damage to enemies afflicted by "Muddied"

Rank 1: 100 radius, 75 damage 25 second cooldown
Rank 2: 150 radius, 100 damage 20 second cooldown
Rank 3: 250 radius, 150 damage 15 second cooldown
Rank 4: 350 radius, 200 damage 10 second cooldown

(In effect, this functions similar to Torturers drag mechanic, only the centre of pull is the Lurker)

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Blackened Hide (Passive)

Increases strength. Causes a small chance for all enemies who strike Blackbog Lurker to be afflicted by "Muddied" to be used in synergy with other abilities. Each enemy afflicted by "Muddied" causes Blackbog Lurker to gain +1/2/3/4 strength. This means he becomes an exceptional tank in team fights, as he gains more strength the more people who hit him.

Enemies are afflicted by "Muddied" ONLY if they attack Blackbog Lurker in melee combat. Ranged heroes are not afflicted.

As this ability ranks up, Blackbog Lurker gets visibly blacker in appearance.

Rank 1: 10% chance to muddy enemy, each Muddied hero gives +1 strength
Rank 2: 20% chance, each Muddied hero gives +2 strength
Rank 3: 30% chance, each Muddied hero gives +3 strength
Rank 4: 40% chance, each Muddied hero gives +4 strength

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Thicken (Ulti)

Any enemies afflicted by "Muddied" are locked in mud, causing them to become immobilised for several seconds. If they are hit during this time,
they are freed from the mud and are able to move. When freed, they take damage.

Rank 1: 100 damage, 5.5 second immobilise. 110 second cooldown
Rank 2: 200 damage, 7 second immobilise. 85 second cooldown
Rank 3: 300 damage, 8 second immobilise. 65 second cooldown

This ability, in conjunction with his others, allows for brilliant team fight control.

I hope you enjoyed reading. Please remember that this is a work in progress and numbers are not at all final but simply there to show the concept.

[[xTx]Mesothere]

Bump.

[x719x]

I think Blackened Hide should be a scaling ability that increases strength in a way that scales higher than +4. Perhaps some sort of per action scale (Devourer, for example, gains a fixed amount of strength when he kills a hero or a certain number of creeps).

[[xTx]Mesothere]

Thread updated, please look.

Any suggestions for Blackened Hide?

[x719x]

Maybe 'for every X units affected by Muddied, the Blackbog Lurker gains X strength'.

[[xTx]Mesothere]

Maybe 'for every X units affected by Muddied, the Blackbog Lurker gains X strength'.

I quite like this idea. I will consider it

[x719x]

That's what I mean by a 'scaling endgame mechanic', BTW. I mentioned Devourer who is a great example, another alternative to consider is something in the fashion of Vindicator's Glyph of Silence ability.

[[xTx]Mesothere]

Updated. Muddied slick reworked, Blackened hide fixed.

Let me know what you think

[[xTx]Gwebbels]

I really like the way all of his skills are so interrelated (i.e. 'muddied' having numerous applications) He sounds like he'd have really good teamfight control.

Would the debuff of 'muddied' count as magic or an attack modifier (like arachnas slow)?

[[xTx]Mesothere]

It would function like arachna's slow.

Thank you for the kind comment

I also added a biography.

[[xTx]Gwebbels]

It would function like arachna's slow.

Thank you for the kind comment

I also added a biography.

I think that magic immunity should be able to remove the debuff (just to make sure he doesn't have TOO much crowd control). I'm presuming the slows can't stack?

Also what's the c/d on his ulti?

So far he sounds very fun.

[x719x]

That's pretty effective as a temporary buff, even if it's not the 'scaling' I was talking about I like it.

[[xTx]Mesothere]

I think that magic immunity should be able to remove the debuff (just to make sure he doesn't have TOO much crowd control). I'm presuming the slows can't stack?

Also what's the c/d on his ulti?

So far he sounds very fun.

Things such as predators stone skin can debuff Muddied.

Also updated with Ulti CD

[Totodile]

You know he sounds a lot like some one I know.

[[N0G]lesley2k10]

I like it!
He seems like he would be a nice team player

[[W0G]WSN]

Nice idea, but how far do the tendrils drag toward lurker, does it pull all the way, or only a %?

[[xTx]Mesothere]

Nice idea, but how far do the tendrils drag toward lurker, does it pull all the way, or only a %?

All the way.



Thanks all for the comments

[Totodile]

WSN for some reason... I get the feeling that you have a lot in common with this future hero.

[[xTx]Mesothere]

Any additional suggestions welcome

Would you like this hero in the game?

[[N0G]lesley2k10]

I think this hero should have some kind of melodic undertones