Suggestion: Horror Mastermind

[Techwright]

Just for kicks (and to purge the idea from haunting my thoughts)...suggestion: a horror mastermind.  Not a second type of demon mastermind, but more a Lovecraftian thematic.  Pets with tentacles pulling opponents through void portals for cold damage, pets with eyes whose stare paralyzes, drives insane (confuse) and kills over time:  that sort of thing.

 

Some of that I speculate might be done with modifications to graphics and powers already in game, but if it would prove too surmounting, then perhaps a mastermind who controls Shadow shard characters.

[The_Warpact]

7 minutes ago, Techwright said:

Just for kicks (and to purge the idea from haunting my thoughts)...suggestion: a horror mastermind.  Not a second type of demon mastermind, but more a Lovecraftian thematic.  Pets with tentacles pulling opponents through void portals for cold damage, pets with eyes whose stare paralyzes, drives insane (confuse) and kills over time:  that sort of thing.

 

Some of that I speculate might be done with modifications to graphics and powers already in game, but if it would prove too surmounting, then perhaps a mastermind who controls Shadow shard characters.

I'm down for any Lovecraftian cosmic horror, the kind of shit that would drive you insane.

All tentacles, blubbering mouths, sucking orfices...*shiver* reminds me of my ex-wife.

 

I +1 this, hopefully it would lead to tentacles as a costume option.

 

Although a confuse with a DoT Lethal would be different and cool. A cold dmg Wormhole, a upgraded tentacle immob with dot cold/lethal...so many possibilities on this.

[Rudra]

Could make the MM's third personal attack a tentacle attack like a mix of Penumbral Grasp and Living Shadows. (Edit: Would use the Living Shadows attack as base, but use the Penumbral Grasp tentacles?) The tier 3 pet could have cone confusion attack (its gaze drives those in the cone insane), the tier 2 pets could have a ST hold (their gaze petrifies the target in terror), and the tier 1 pets could inflict a -ToHit debuff (foes are unnerved and more inclined to flee but have just enough fortitude to stand and fight). Got any further ideas to help flesh this out? So far, it doesn't sound that difficult to code, just coming up with the models and animations.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Rudra

[starro]

If you add in dolls I’m done. 
 

 

EDIT:  Ok, so I guess there is a doll body in beta

 

Still - count me out!  

Edited July 21, 2022 by starro

[Luminara]

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

tentacles pulling opponents through void portals for cold damage

 

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

eyes whose stare paralyzes

 

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

drives insane (confuse) and kills over time

 

Is this a mastermind set, or marriage?

[The_Warpact]

7 minutes ago, Luminara said:

 

 

 

Is this a mastermind set, or marriage?

Strangely, enough that's why I referenced my ex-wife. 

[Rudra]

Maybe something like:

 

Tier 1:   Void Shot. (ST negative energy blast. -ToHit secondary.)

Tier 2:   Summon Spawn. (Summons 1-3 minor horrors. Melee focused pets.)

Tier 3:   Void Blast. (ST negative energy blast. -ToHit secondary.)

Tier 4:   Dark Awakening. (Variable effect. See below.)

Tier 5:   Grasp of the Unknown. (Cone negative energy immobilize. Chance for fear.)

Tier 6:   Summon Horror. (Summons 1-2 Horrors. Ranged focus pets with supplemental melee attack.)

Tier 7:   Gibbering Madness. (Summons # of uncontrolled underling pets for 1 minute. Uses Minor Shadow or Rikti Monkey mobs as base maybe?)

Tier 8:   Summon Unbound. (Summons 1 Unbound Horror. Ranged focus pet.)

Tier 9:   Unleash Madness. (Variable effect. See below.)

 

Dark Awakening:

Summon Spawn - Grants 1 ranged attack. Enemies within 10 feet radius suffer non-stacking -ToHit penalty. Still stacks with other -ToHit powers.

Summon Horror - Grants ST Hold attack (terrifying gaze or whatever name is).

Summon Unbound - Grants cone confusion attack (madness gaze, pick name).

 

Unleash Madness:

Summon Spawn - Grants 1 ranged debuff or status attack.

Summon Horror - Grants 1 melee attack. Grants fear aura.

Summon Unbound - Grants confusion aura. Grants 1 status ranged attack.

 

I'm not sure what to do with this idea, so this is just something pretty generic I threw together.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by Rudra
Edited to change "general" to "pretty generic".

[Zeraphia]

I love the idea, but I will have to tell you to keep your expectations regarding MM/pet sets mild. There's a reason the HC dev team has not touched MMs or pets with a 9000 foot pole or tried to revamp arguably the worst set (mercenaries) in the game. MM sets are both hard to create and balance. There are really good outlier sets like thugs, robotics, and demons, but the rest tend to be mediocre to weak. 

 

I do like the idea though, and I would wholeheartedly support the development of it.

 

[Six-Six]

as long as there's a pet customisation option for distressed dolls/marionettes and creepy clowns, I'm game.

I'd make the T1, T3, and T5 knife attacks though.

[Techwright]

On 7/21/2022 at 4:22 PM, The_Warpact said:

Although a confuse with a DoT Lethal would be different and cool. A cold dmg Wormhole, a upgraded tentacle immob with dot cold/lethal...so many possibilities on this.

 

Actually, I'd not thought it out in those terms, but the idea of using normally passive control effects like confuse with a damage result sounds intriguing.

 

On 7/21/2022 at 5:58 PM, Rudra said:

I'm not sure what to do with this idea, so this is just something pretty generic I threw together.

 

You got a lot farther in the process than I did.  My limitation is that I know "Lovecraftian" from other sources, mostly games with homages and write-ups about the topic.  Enough to get a good sense of the "flavor" of the topic.  I've never read the books, so someone who has would have a definite advantage in designing such a project.

 

5 hours ago, Zeraphia said:

I love the idea, but I will have to tell you to keep your expectations regarding MM/pet sets mild. There's a reason the HC dev team has not touched MMs or pets with a 9000 foot pole...

 

Right, it's why I began with "just for kicks".  I, too, would be supportive of the creating team if it were to ever happen, but I know creating on that scale would be challenging for a volunteer team, especially since they'd be dealing with the challenges of masterminds, as you pointed out.

 

 

Incidentally,  a bit of what fueled the idea was "The Horror" in The Umbrella Academy, though there were other sources.  I do, after all, have a dark/dark corruptor named Vincent Poe. 

Edited July 24, 2022 by Techwright

[Rudra]

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

I've never read the books, so someone who has would have a definite advantage in designing such a project.

I only really know of 1 book, and it is a collection of short stories. Even at that, there is so much going on in those stories that are several different ways to approach building this set. And that is before you get into all the different takes on the stories you see and read about in other content.

 

For instance, if the MM is considered human for the set, then the three personal powers should all be some sort of pistol and/or shotgun/rifle attack. Considering CoX itself however, I substituted negative energy blasts instead because that gives a basis for the cone tentacle attack.

 

So hopefully what I threw together works for you. If not, tweak away.

[biostem]

What if, instead of full-fledged minions, they initially existed as sort of floating glyphs or kind of amorphous clouds, (think unbound Nictus), but when attacking, they'd open into a small portal, and things like Hydra or Lusca's tentacles reached through to attack your target.  Alternatively, you could use the various Rularuu monuments that float around and the tentacles emerge from them.  The set could be like this:

 

1. Bolt of Ichor (use the aqua bolt animation) - dealing toxic and cold damage.

 

2. Summon lesser tears - You can open up 1-3 small tears in reality, through which weaker extradimensional creatures reach through and lash out at your enemies.  Use a smaller Lusca or Hydra tentacle, only sideways, coming out of the tear graphic, (think a small portal with a starfield visible through it).

 

3. Ichor Blast (use the hydro blast animation) - dealing higher toxic and cold damage.

 

4. Empower entities - 1st upgrade power.

 

5. Burst of ichor (as per the water burst power) - dealing cold and toxic damage and knocking affected enemies up  and slowing them.

 

6. Conjure greater ruptures - 2nd tier pets - represented as larger portals, through which reach multiple Lusca and/or Hydra tentacles - these can lash at targets and project some of the ichor attacks previously mentioned.

 

7. Eye of beyond - Use the Eye of the leviathan model, only have it emerge from the ground, (or from an appropriate floating portal) - have it launch attacks dealing cold and toxic damage, as well as fear powers.

 

8. Breach the Veil - The tier 3 pet - an even larger portal, out of which reach many tentacles from some unknown entity - these again deal smashing and cold damage with the melee attacks, and cold and toxic with the ranged attacks.  Have it periodically place small tar patches from darkness affinity, haunt from darkness control, and other appropriate powers.

 

9. Mastery of the Unknown - final upgrade power

Edited July 27, 2022 by biostem

[Rudra]

Meh. One version is more creatures of horror summoned by foolish devotee of Elder Things while the other version is more Elder Thing manifesting its powers. Both are basically Lovecraftian horror, just views from different angles. I guess in the end, either works.

[plainguy]

On 7/24/2022 at 1:42 PM, Zeraphia said:

I love the idea, but I will have to tell you to keep your expectations regarding MM/pet sets mild. There's a reason the HC dev team has not touched MMs or pets with a 9000 foot pole or tried to revamp arguably the worst set (mercenaries) in the game. MM sets are both hard to create and balance. There are really good outlier sets like thugs, robotics, and demons, but the rest tend to be mediocre to weak. 

 

I do like the idea though, and I would wholeheartedly support the development of it.

 

I completely agree with this.. 

I already said similar in another thread about the mastermind updates or lack thereof.

Not bashing the Devs.. But the impression I am getting is, it is just too hard for them. Just too much free time wasted on them, when they can be doing more for easier archtypes.

 

[momentarygrace]

In the spirit of general pie in the sky (or eye in the sky) optimism, I like this suggestion. I already love my Rularuu Incarnate pets way too much, would adore having them at a lower level. Giant Chomping Eyeball pet - may not be the hardest hitter but the ambiance is so warm and fuzzy! 🙂 

[TheZag]

With an alternate skin of clowns....oh the horror !!