Mechanic/Pilot: Archetype Suggestion for Funsies

[Shazbotacus]

I'm gonna just do this for fun if nothing else.
Does anyone else look at the Longbow Chasers or Sky Raider Skiffs and think "I want to pilot that?" I do. I really do. City of Heroes already has a transformation mechanic in place that gives the player a set of powers with their new form, see the Kheldian archetype, so I figure that can be used for entering one's vehicle "form." Perhaps something like a Malta-esque robo mech could be considered a vehicle set, or anything else I haven't thought of. Might even consider other forms for an actual shapeshifter and have vehicles for your tech/natural origin heroes.

 

"But just make a Kheldian!" Your only choices there are being a ghost squid monster from space or being a ghost lobster monster from space, so...

 

Vehicle/Alternate Form vs. Extravehicular/Regular Form Capabilities

Kheldians do different things between their human, squid, and lobster forms, so I figure it'll be the same here. Exactly what each form does, however, could be a thing that varies between powersets like how Masterminds have it with Ninjas and Thugs going hard on damage while Necromancy is more focused on crippling -To Hit debuffs and CC. I imagine this archetype would have power picks that are used in one form or the other. Perhaps the primary powerset would be powers for being in your vehicle/alternate form and secondary picks are extravehicular/human form powers?

 

Whatever the human/extravehicular form is, I envision the shapeshift/vehicle form to do the brunt of damage, especially area effect damage. Support might be more the domain of the human/extravehicular form, possibly even single target damage. I really wanna know what you guys think of anyone's interested in the theme here.

Possible Primary Powersets and Forms/Vehicles
Right off the top of my head a Longbow Chaser or Sky Raider Skiff, probably with different or customizable colors, comes to mind. Good for Tech/Natural.

Transforming into some kind of, for lack of a better term, "Hulk" might be on the table, but let's try not to be too on-the-nose with our Bruce Banner knockoffs. There's our Science or Mutant origin, or even Natural if you're a space alien or something.

Could also do something like one of those animated totem-and-mask creatures from the Banished Pantheon, or a demon ala Circle of Thorns or those summoned by a Mastermind. Both sound very Magic origin leaning.

 

Inherent Power?

I honestly don't know here. Help me out.

 

Mock up powerset

So we're all probably gonna have different ideas in the end about how to do this if anyone else but me is interested, but here's my take.

 

Chaser Pilot

Armed with machine guns and launchers for various munitions and payloads, the Chaser is a small but potent machine of air supremacy and a deadly ground attack craft capable of threatening the toughest villains out there, especially with high tech aftermarket modifications. Taking this powerset gives you a free power upon entering the game with your character that allows you to pilot your aircraft right from the beginning.

 

1. Rotary Cannon

-Fast-recharging burst of lethal damage over long range

2. Plasma Burst

-Medium-recharging shot of magnetically contained superheated plasma over long range that hits for a high amount of fire damage.

3. Canister Shot

-It's Buckshot but from a larger bore.

4. Incendiary Grenade

-High damage targeted area-of-effect that does higher-than-normal fire damage but over a somewhat long amount of time (six or so seconds.)

5. Evasive Maneuvers

-Toggle power that grants high defense against ranged attacks.

6. HEAT Rocket

-A sniper attack, being interruptible with higher damage if used out of combat but lower damage and instant cast if engaged. The high explosive anti-tank warhead of this rocket does extreme fire damage to one target with a jet of molten copper upon impact and detonation, defeating armor meant for kinetic weapons.

7. Ablative Armor

-Your craft generates a shell of ablative armor designed to absorb impacts and break off the hull, providing a layer of absorb hit points.

8. Repair Nanites

-Toggle regeneration buff that powers an onboard nanite swarm and directs them to quickly repair battle damage.

9. HE Cannon Barrage

-Rain of Fire-esque damage over time that lasts as long as the activation/firing time of the power. Select a location and saturate it with high-explosive shots from your rotary cannons, doing high area effect damage. Basically a mix of Full Auto and Rain of Arrows.

Conclusion

I'm in love with the idea but don't expect it to happen and don't know exactly what I'd do beyond the basic premise of having an armed (and armored) vehicle to pilot. idk that's about it

Edited February 12, 2021 by Shazbotacus

[Player2]

If Skyraiders can have combat vehicles, players should have them too.

[Shazbotacus]

I'm on a vehicle fix lately and I wanna drive things. I'd like a mix of on-foot/mechanized gameplay for in and out of closed environments. Like, imagine flying a Chaser through CoT/blue caves just ugh no

Edited February 14, 2021 by Shazbotacus

[General Idiot]

My preference would also be for such a concept to have powers that work both in and out of the vehicle. Additionally to keep the vehicle relevent even when you're on foot, have some of the heavier powers have VFX that appear to fire from offscreen or above, to give the impression of the vehicle on remote control providing support while lighter powers fire from the character's handheld weapon or similar.

 

Either that or just make the vehicle a controllable pet when you're not in it. Sky Raiders get their skiffs into office buildings, why can't we.

[Shazbotacus]

On 2/16/2021 at 3:09 AM, General Idiot said:

My preference would also be for such a concept to have powers that work both in and out of the vehicle. Additionally to keep the vehicle relevent even when you're on foot, have some of the heavier powers have VFX that appear to fire from offscreen or above, to give the impression of the vehicle on remote control providing support while lighter powers fire from the character's handheld weapon or similar.

omg yes

I love that.

[Starhammer]

I was just talking to someone the other night about something like this as a PEAT (Praetorian Epic ArchType). Thematically, something dedicated to, or at least engineered for (before the resistance got ahold of it) fighting Hamidon/DE stuff. Build a War Walker/War Hulk hybrid, put some big ol oversized D.U.S.T. cannons on the shoulders, a rotary cannon on one arm, and a claw on the other. There should be an area where the character's head is visible through a hatch/viewport/whatever and enough room to justify a max size Huge body fitting inside, yet still be able to see the head of a 4ft male/female. Now optimally, for the flyer version, use a lot, if not all of the same components, so one transforms into the other, ala giant robots we all love. Human form is just normal costuming, though perhaps an *optional* backpack that looks like it transforms into the other forms.
 

Primary set is Command and is reminiscent of Wolf Spider secondary, with some passive armor, leadership, and Mech form in place of summon. Secondary is Control, a single pistol (with a scaled down D.U.S.T. cannon as an option) based on mostly beams and cones causing toxic, fire, and slow/immob effects to hunt down those nasties, lock them down, and kill em deader than Hell. Also containing the Flyer form. These fine folks are all graduates of the Praetorian Imperial Academy (or PIA for short), and their inherent power is all about using small unit tactics to take down greater foes. As such, for every ally within range (40ft) (max 8, including self) gains a small buff to ToHit(+1%) and Mez Mag(+1), along with a +1 Protection against Terrify and Confusion per each.

 

Mech & Flyer Forms maintain the same attacks, but change the animations and emission points to be suitable to the form. Any melee attacks performed by the Flyer will be changed to a small lunge animation, smacking the target with the front of the hull, which probably has a nasty pipe bumper or something. Flyer gains Fly, Hover, and Afterburner powers, along with some enhanced passive defense & resist (against all but Psi) and an Absorb toggle (shields) which also incorporates a small (+2) mag protection to move-related status effects (Immob/KB/Hold). Its ranged attacks gain a significant boost to damage, range, tohit, and endredux.

 

Mecha form gains jump jets (a hybrid of Combat and Super Jump... performance based on whether you're "in combat") and significant (not quite Stone Armor, but close) bonuses to Defense and Resist (all except Psi), Brute-ish passive status protection to KB/Stun/Immob/Hold, and again, a toggle Absorb, with beefier shields, but no extra status protection. Mech form gains a less impressive buff to damage/range/tohit/endredux. It also gains a Stomp attack (pbaoe, 20ft, Knockdown, Stun, minor damage). Stomp does significantly extra damage if queued while airborn & out of combat, but doesn't trigger until landing. (Death from Above mode)

[Haijinx]

/jflyer

[Shazbotacus]

Looks neat, Starhammer.