Field Commander (A Natural themed support set)

[LightofthePhoenix]

Sorry if this thread is kind of a mess, I'm primarily copy/pasting this from a thread on another forum I had posted this to that I sadly didn't get a lot of feedback on.

 

A long time back (Like... 2016) I toyed with the idea of a natural themed support set.  We may have Traps and Trick Arrow, but those are still themed more towards someone using gadgets.  Most of the other support sets theme themselves towards some kind of power, though I know with some creativity you could make most of them fit into a natural theme, too.  (Maybe your Poison Corruptor is throwing vials of poison instead of hacking globs of icky substance at them.)  I was thinking it might be interesting to create a set with the same mindset as Willpower, it doesn't have any clear design leaning towards some kind of power, meant to imply it's just a normal person surpassing their limits.

"But Phe, how can you buff/debuff without a gadget or power?"

Simple, hypothetical me, with your words.  We've all seen movies, or heard stories, or lived through a drill sergeant barking orders, hurling insults, etc. etc. to encourage their trainees to push themselves harder.  This set idea basically plays off of that thought.

 

Quote

Field Commander

"Words can be a powerful weapon in the right hands.  Your very voice is enough to inspire allies and demoralize foes."


Set gimmick: Coordination - A good leader knows how to control the battlefield to their advantage, and pass this advantage on to their allies.  All of Field Command's buffs (except Lead the Charge) grant a Coordination buff to allies affected, while all of the set's debuffs grant a Discouraged debuff to enemies affected.  When an ally with the Coordination buff damages an enemy with the Discouraged debuff, the Coordination buff becomes a single instance of a buff to all secondary effects of powers, stacking up to 3 times*, and the Discouraged debuff will deal a small amount of damage to the affected enemy.

*Basically I'm thinking each individual stack of Coordination (when activated by attacking a Discouraged enemy) equals 1/3rd of the effect of Power Boost, so at the full 3 stacks it's equivalent to Power Boost.  With only 3 AoE buffs that grant Coordination (4 if On Your Feet is used as a heal instead of a rez), and 1 single target buff, it will take some actual coordination on the "Commander's" part to take full advantage of the secondary effect buff, and it will also be harder for them to take advantage of the buff on their own [though I guess Controllers and Masterminds could just use Turn the Tide on their pet while they're nearby to get that stack of Coordination].  The Discouraged buff dealing a small amount of damage if hit by a player with Coordination could probably be dropped if this mechanic is considered a little too strong, I just thought the discouraged enemy being hit by a coordinated attack should have something happen to them, and dealing extra damage makes sense.

1.   Humiliate – Single Target Foe -Acc, -Def(All), Minor Psionic Damage, +Discouraged – You single out an enemy to insult, reducing their effectiveness in battle and hurting their pride.

2.   Encourage - Single Target Ally +Def (Smash/Lethal/Melee), +Absorb, +Coordination - Words of encouragement help your ally stay on their feet.

3.   Demoralize - Cone Foe -Dam(All), -Res(All), -Speed, -Recharge, minor chance for Fear, +Discouraged - Harsh, shouted words demoralize your foes, potentially making them shake with fear.

4.   Call to Action – PBAoE Ally +Regen, +Recovery, +Coordination – A rousing speech lights a fire in your allies.

5.   On Your Feet – Close, Ally Rez, +Res(Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Fear, Confusion), +Coordination / Close, Ally +Heal, PBAoE +Res(Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Fear, Confusion), +Coordination – Giving up isn’t an option.  Get a fallen ally back into the fight with half their health and stamina restored and a lingering buff to their mez resistance.  If used on a conscious ally, will instead heal them for a portion of their health and grant a mez resistance to surrounding allies as they become inspired by your actions.  (Basically:  Used as rez, only resurrected ally gets mez resistance.  Used as heal, everyone in the vicinity gets mez resistance.)

6.   Lead the Charge – Toggle PBAoE Ally +Speed, +Def(Ranged, AoE) – Your allies follow you into the heat of battle.  (The speed buff from this would be minor and nonenhanceable.  Definitely nothing on the level of Speed Boost.)

7.   Rally - PBAoE Ally +Dam, +Rech, +End, +Coordination - You rally your allies to fight harder.

8.   Dash Hope – Targeted AoE, Foe -ToHit, -Def(All), -Res(All), Chance for Stun, +Discouraged – Even if for a moment, you manage to convince your opposition of your superiority, reducing their will to fight.

9.   Turn the Tide – Targeted AoE, targets ally.  Allies within a radius of the target gain +Dam for each ally hit, as well as +Absorb and +Coordination.  (Think a reverse Fulcrum Shift that also places an absorb shield on every ally hit [doesn't stack like the +Damage].)  - Good coordination can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

 

For animations/effects, I think a lot could just be borrowed from the sonic sets for animations, or maybe borrow some emotes (if possible), with subdued particle effects.  Sounds would likely be along the lines of the Taunt noise, nondescript grunts that fit the gender/model of your character.  Wouldn't be very flashy, but then that's kind of the point.

 

Another thought for how the coordination gimmick could work.  Perhaps it can provide stacks of debuff resistance, similar to Ageless Radial in the Destiny Incarnate powers.  I think either way could work. The Power Boost effect idea is pushing your allies to perform better, but a debuff resistance could be helping your allies overcome weakness.  I think having both effects at once could be a bit overpowered, though. Any thoughts on one or the other? I think given the choice I'd lean more towards the power boost, but far as I'm aware, I can't think of a support set that provides a general resistance to debuffs.

Some ideas on uses for this powerset:
 

Quote

Truly Natural origin commander (Mercenaries/Field Command Mastermind, Field Command/Assault Rifle or Dual Pistols Defender. Think Nick Fury, or Agent Coulson)

Mind Manipulator (Mind Control/Field Command Controller. Think Purple Man, using your voice to control others.)

Mutant Power Enhancer (Anything/Field Command. Able to improve the powers and natural abilities of those around you, or drain away the strength of your enemies.)

Just a few off the top of my head ideas. I know I personally would have liked a powerset like this when I made my Natural Beast/Pain Mastermind.

 

Some of my thoughts that have gone into designing the set:

1. I wanted a much more Natural origin themed support set than anything else we have in the game.  Traps feel more Technology, and Trick Arrow still feels a little too specific for it to work for many character types.  I have a Beast/Pain Mastermind who is intended to be very much simply a woman more in tune with nature, no actual powers to speak of, but I went with Pain Domination as her secondary because a. I needed something to keep the Beasts alive in a fight, and b. we didn't have anything else that could possibly fit the theme.

2. I looked at Willpower for some inspiration.  Willpower was styled as a natural defense set.  No flashy powers, you're not invulnerable, regrowing limbs, or dodging a hail of gunfire.  No gadgets.  Just your natural talents keeping you alive.  I want something similar for a support set.  You're not healing peoples' wounds, or encasing them in shields.  You're pushing them to be better, to fight harder, using your talents as a leader to make your team tougher, while also draining the will to fight from your enemies by simply shouting at them, making them hesitate in battle and thus easier to deal with.

3. Willpower also had this idea of being a set that was a "Jack of all trades, master of none."  It's a really strong set, but it's not the best at any one thing.  Super Reflexes has better defense, Regeneration has better healing, Invulnerability has better resistances, but Willpower has a little bit of it all.  That fueled some of the ideas for the effects of these powers.  It has a little bit of everything, but doesn't focus very well on any one thing.  Call to Action may seem like it combines Recovery Aura and Regeneration Aura, but the numbers will be weaker than those two individual powers.  It has no direct healing (except the rez), only some Absorb shields and that little bit of Regen.  Even Turn the Tide, which I plan to be mechanically similar to Fulcrum Shift but targeting allies instead of enemies, since it's typically harder to bunch up a large number of players than it is a large number of enemies will likely be weaker than its Kinetics inspiration.  The only mez protection the set gives is tied to the rez power.

 

There has been quite a bit of expansion on powerset variety on Homecoming so far.  We even got a Natural/Technology themed Control set (Arsenal Control) but we *still* don't have a truly Natural support set.

Edited April 23 by LightofthePhoenix

[Psyonico]

It’s an interesting set. I love support toons, so I’d be all over this.

 

i do think that giving full power boost may be a bit too strong though.

[mistagoat]

I like the concept and a new buff/debuff set would certainly be welcome. That full Power Boost effect with 3 stacks could be a bit much but I'd like to see it in action before passing judgment. An Arsenal/Field Commander troller sounds like a lot of fun!

 

I'm assuming this would be for Trolles/Fenders/MMs/Corrs? I can really see it being great for MMs.

[LightofthePhoenix]

1 hour ago, Psyonico said:

It’s an interesting set. I love support toons, so I’d be all over this.

 

i do think that giving full power boost may be a bit too strong though.

 

1 hour ago, mistagoat said:

I like the concept and a new buff/debuff set would certainly be welcome. That full Power Boost effect with 3 stacks could be a bit much but I'd like to see it in action before passing judgment. An Arsenal/Field Commander troller sounds like a lot of fun!

 

I'm assuming this would be for Trolles/Fenders/MMs/Corrs? I can really see it being great for MMs.

 

I understand the Power Boost possibly being too strong. I didn't want it to be too easy to obtain the full effect, but then I didn't take into consideration Leagues where multiple Field Commanders might be taking part.  We could still cap it at say 1/3rd the effect even at full stacks.  The debuff resistance I mentioned further down might be a better bonus.

 

Absolutely it would be for Controllers/Defenders/Corruptors/Masterminds.  I feel like we have Willpower for defense, Martial Arts and Street Justice for melee, guns for ranged, Blasters even have Martial Combat for a natural Manipulation set, but support sets have been lacking in that department for a long time. The closest we have is Trick Arrow but that still only works for characters with a bow.  A proper, simple, no flash support set has been missing for too long.

[Lazarus]

Already have this in game,...its called SOLDIER OF ARACHNOS..

 

On my huntsman I have 3 team buffs all from leadership toggles,...+def(22%) ish,.. dam (+30%),..to hit buff (15%) ish.,,

 

Then there's my debuffs,.. -def,..-res,..an immobilize and -rech.

 

is all toggles and attacks,...prob the easiest support build to play.

[LightofthePhoenix]

8 minutes ago, Lazarus said:

Already have this in game,...its called SOLDIER OF ARACHNOS..

 

On my huntsman I have 3 team buffs all from leadership toggles,...+def(22%) ish,.. dam (+30%),..to hit buff (15%) ish.,,

 

Then there's my debuffs,.. -def,..-res,..an immobilize and -rech.

 

is all toggles and attacks,...prob the easiest support build to play.

Soldiers of Arachnos aren't Controllers, Defenders, Corruptors, or Masterminds.

[General Idiot]

On 4/27/2025 at 7:03 AM, Lazarus said:

Already have this in game,...its called SOLDIER OF ARACHNOS..

 

On my huntsman I have 3 team buffs all from leadership toggles,...+def(22%) ish,.. dam (+30%),..to hit buff (15%) ish.,,

 

Then there's my debuffs,.. -def,..-res,..an immobilize and -rech.

 

is all toggles and attacks,...prob the easiest support build to play.

You're not wrong, but at the same time I'd still love to be able to do that concept without having to stick a spider logo on my chest. And yes I know you can have a costume without that but my point is you're still limited to the specific weapons and powers the Arachnos Soldier has.