How would you build a trickster?

[Wild Claw]

So I've had this character concept in my head for awhile, but I've never really figured out a satisfactory AT/Powerset set up for it. Nothing I've tried so far feels quite right. So I thought I would throw it out and see what others would do for it.

 

The basic idea is a shapeshifting trickster, like Loki, Maui, Huehuecoyotl, a Pooka, a Tanuki, or some such. There's lots of mythological versions of this character. How would you approach a character of this type in CoX? I'm not asking for a detailed build here, more what you feel are the critical pieces that you would pull together in CoX for this. What would you consider the cornerstone features?

[ImpousVileTerror]

Illusion Control / Ninjitsu, 100%!   Just like Lughebu.

[kiramon]

Illusion with your own costume for Images for  sure.

 

from there you can choose what you want to do with it... 

[TheOtherTed]

I have two characters whom I would consider "tricksters," although neither is really a shapeshifter.  One is a Staff/Dark Armor stalker, the other an Trick Arrow/Archery defender.  That said, it's not so much the power sets that make them tricksters, but their backstories and how I envision their tactics (surprise, confuse, harrass, and divide instead of confront and subdue).

 

In a broad sense, I suppose my Illusion/Empathy controller and my Dark/Dark corruptor are trickstery as well - but my brain just doesn't fit them into that role.  In my head, they are forces of nature, ripples in reality that disrupt the bad guys by their very presence.  Whereas my tricksters ride that fine line between victory and defeat, constantly weaving through and around the battle, the other two, confident in their own invulnerability, just plant themselves on the line and unleash holy (or not so holy) terror on their foes.  The latter command the field of battle from a position of safety, while the tricksters disrupt the battle to save their own hides.

 

...anyway, that probably doesn't answer the OP's question at all.  Just figured I'd throw out my own in-game interpretation of tricksters to say that ATs and powersets might not be the way to define them.

[Biff Pow]

Confuse is the most "trickster" power, I feel. Making enemies fight each other, summon pets that then attack them, buff you instead of their partners. And it's a lot of fun.

[Wobegone]

The first thing that came to mind for me was either a Mind or Illusion Controller with Dark, Time, Traps, or Trick Arrow as a secondary, although none of them would be shape shifters.  A Warshade would check some boxes as well.  Hope you find something that clicks, it sounds like a groovy concept.

 

[Vulpoid]

I have a character named  Tanuki! Ill/Dark Controller.

[Nyghtmaire]

The shape shifting can be mimicked with costume slots, setting divergent shapes, genders, and appearances. Full agreement that either Illusion or Mind Control would be the best primary (and going Controller AT). Maybe pair with /storm to push out damage/power - representing tapping in to more mysterious world of magic and the forbidden. It’s also a secondary that is less focused on aiding others while increasing the potential for chaos.

[roleki]

I think Mind Control fits the bill: confusing people, tricking them into falling asleep, scaring the pants off them, etc.  My Mind/Poison dude is patterned after a CIA spook, and that's pretty much as close to a trickster as I can get.

Edited June 5, 2020 by roleki

[Coyote]

Illusion seems like the obvious choice.

Other than that, in order to be "tricking" the enemies, you have to affect them, so that means a debuff-oriented set. The Rad debuffs could be considered the visual effects of mentally confusing the targets into being less accurate, easier to hit, and so on. Same with the Dark. Time can make it unclear where your teammates are, and confuse enemies into moving slowly and uncertainly.

So those would be my suggestions... Illusion with Time, Rad, or Dark

[ImpousVileTerror]

Psi Melee Stalker is also good Trickster!  Placate and Boggle, and spring for Pacify from the Presence Pool, and maybe Misdirection from Stealth (though that last one would be hard to build toward, frankly).

[kiramon]

30 minutes ago, ImpousVileTerror said:

Psi Melee Stalker is also good Trickster!  Placate and Boggle, and spring for Pacify from the Presence Pool, and maybe Misdirection from Stealth (though that last one would be hard to build toward, frankly).

This is true, if you want the smite version of Loki

[Wild Claw]

Already a bunch of good suggestions. 🙂 

 

Illusion Control seems to be a front runner at the moment, but the comments on confusing and baffling enemies does make Mind Control a very interesting alternative that I hadn't considered before. 

 

I can see springing for the special 'animal form' travel powers from the P2W vendor, and needing to run all the costume slot missions to really nail the shapeshifter.

 

I'll say that I did try /Kin and /Traps before, but they didn't click for the character. And /TA, though it has 'Trick' right in the name didn't work out at all. 😉

 

 

[kiramon]

1 minute ago, Wild Claw said:

Already a bunch of good suggestions. 🙂 

 

Illusion Control seems to be a front runner at the moment, but the comments on confusing and baffling enemies does make Mind Control a very interesting alternative that I hadn't considered before. 

 

I can see springing for the special 'animal form' travel powers from the P2W vendor, and needing to run all the costume slot missions to really nail the shapeshifter.

 

I'll say that I did try /Kin and /Traps before, but they didn't click for the character. And /TA, though it has 'Trick' right in the name didn't work out at all. 😉

 

 

/bind 1 “cc 1$$powexec_tray 1 1”

 

 

 

[EmmySky]

I concur with ill troller.  If they get traps that would be perfect.  Use decoys to trick your foe into thinking you are over there then boom.

[MTeague]

Traps and Trick Arrow are *wonderful* sets, don't get me wrong.  But I'm not sure they really evoke a mythological trickster deity.

• I definitely like Mind Control for this (I am seriously biased in favor of Mind out of the gate though.... so.... grains of salt)
• Illusion control conceptually is GREAT, but as implemented, I've never liked it. Sure it's effective, but should be much more about Deception, and less emphasis on Phantasm Pets, at least, if I were going to design a set by that name. 
• Time as a warping / altering / yank your reality out from under you is good, workable there.
• MOST importantly, you should have a wide variety of costumes with different heights, some male, some female, some huge, all with good costume change emotes  🙂

[Patti]

They should make an alt skin for traps set that uses banished tiki pantheon masks on sticks for beacon, mortar, and trip mine, and floaty masks for grner and sekera.

[Yomo Kimyata]

5 hours ago, Coyote said:

Illusion seems like the obvious choice.

Other than that, in order to be "tricking" the enemies, you have to affect them, so that means a debuff-oriented set. The Rad debuffs could be considered the visual effects of mentally confusing the targets into being less accurate, easier to hit, and so on. Same with the Dark. Time can make it unclear where your teammates are, and confuse enemies into moving slowly and uncertainly.

So those would be my suggestions... Illusion with Time, Rad, or Dark

One of my mains in Live was an Illusion/Rad Controller named Doctor Pajama.  His powers came from his use of the the waking dream state, and would affect his enemies by causing them to trick themselves through their dreams.  I should remake him!

[Patti]

Generator and sekera.  Stupid autocorrect.

[Patti]

Seekers!  I swear I typed it right both times.

[TheOtherTed]

1 hour ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

One of my mains in Live was an Illusion/Rad Controller named Doctor Pajama.  His powers came from his use of the the waking dream state, and would affect his enemies by causing them to trick themselves through their dreams.  I should remake him!

"Doctor Denton" was taken?

[Troo]

An Illusion/Time Controller is tempting to suggest for a ranged character... but a Stalker just feels right with Assassin, Hide, Placate, Hide Proc, TP Foe, Pacify..

 

Stalker

Fire primary and secondary have 10 sec DOTs that you could slap on targets while you disappear and then assassinate them.

Elec/Shield has 2 teleport attacks that would come from nowhere.

Lots of the options work for a trickster.

 

If someone wanted a future feel maybe a Energy/Force Field Corruptor that could send targets flying and bouncing all over (not super team friendly but uber fun)

[Peacemoon]

It also depends quite how you want your trickster to play in game. Do you want them to stand back and play a buffing/debuffing role? Is it more of an aggressive trickster who would be quite lethal and assassin-like?

 

I would vote for Illusion Control or Mind Control, depending on the theme. Mind Control is a great set and doesn’t have a pet, which can be a bonus for some of these concepts. You feel much more like a solo hero/villain, holding and confusing your enemies. Illusion control has more limited confuse/control options, but a lot more pet and invisibility abilities, so you wouldn’t be ‘alone’ as much, you’d be accompanied by phantoms and illusions (like Loki does often?) So they are both good but in different ways. 
 

As for secondary - if you go Mind you have more options since they can be Dominators. As I was saying if you want your trickster to have more of a lethality edge to them, a Mind/ Dom might be more fun. Especially with Martial Assault secondary so you have kicks and shurikens. All the secondaries perform a similar function so more based on style. Depending on the concept they could confuse their enemies and attack with fire, ice, radiation, etc. Unfortunately no weapons. 
 

If you go Illusion (controller only) or Mind Controller, then you need to think of a buff/debuff set to support your trickery. So these sets all play differently so it depends what type of role you want to play. Passive, active, supporting or attacking. 

 

Empathy/Pain/FF/Sonic/Thermal have a much more support style to them. Only FF really fits a trickster - shielding allows so attacks are deflected, knocking enemies around and pushing them, shielding yourself for supreme invincibility (coupled with invis). Would be an annoying type of character to fight against and pin down.

 

Traps/ could be good, but has a tech theme.

Storm/ would be good, brings a lot of extra damage and chaotic effects with hurricanes, rains, tornados and storms.

Dark/ might be fun if you see your character surrounded by dark clouds, obscuring enemies view and making it hard for them to hit. It’s a very effective set too for Controllers.

 

Time, Rad, Trick Arrow, Cold, Nature are effective but not very trickster.

Other trickster mentions - stalker? Psi Blast defender/corruptor? Psi Blast Sentinel or Blaster with Ninja secondary? Some ideas anyway 😊