Hey! I've had this idea bouncing in my head for awhile. I started doing some prototype sketches tonight finally, but I figured I'd go ahead and post this and update as it came to me more.
Backstory: Damian has no place of origin. Some believe he is from the outer worlds, others believe he has been hiding all along. His presence isn't felt in the story -- this being later in the Borderlands 2 life cycle -- as his allegiance falls wherever the winner sits. He had no problem with Jack, or the order he stood to create. He had no problem with the Vault Hunters overthrow of Jack. So long as someone loses Damian stands to profit. He lives in the shadows, and players will find this is the way he must be played.
Concept: a loot support character specializing in increasing drop rates, but with little to offer offensively. For the hardcore still left grinding Damian represents the ultimate challenge, with very high reward potential for the dedicated. While Damian benefits from kill skills, he lacks the passive buffs of the commando or gunzerker. He uses element attacks and diversion similar to the Siren and Assassin, but with less of the raw power. Players able to over comes this challenge are rewarded with each cap stone geared towards higher drop rates in their preferred field.
Action Skill: Damian specializes in traps. This begins as a smoke screen which decoys enemies -- players will be very dependent on their personal skill to use this effectively. This skill is called RAT BASTARD.
This effect is amplified depending upon the tree.
Weapon Drops:
Enemies can be blocked with a shield, slagging them, but players can not shoot through it.
Update 9/20/12 - attempt on Eridium Drop Tree
Eridium Tree:
1. Sneak:
Add One Extra Use, for each point added, of RAT BASTARD -- this is without a status effect, this still only sets up a smoke screen to confused enemy fire away from Damian's position.
1. I Smell A Smelly Smell:
For every kill with a critical shot chances of eridium dropping increase up to 25% -- this is not being scripted, I have no way of testing it, just sounds good without being overkill.
2. Claustrophobic:
When Damian's shield are destroyed he gains up to a 60% movement buff, shield recharge delay is also shortened -- nearly identical to the Siren's Fleet skill, but when not using the Rough Rider limited. Further only meant as another means for strategic retreat for the player
2. Empire:
Damian's shield recharge delay is greatly increased, and his capacity shortened for every skill. However, every kill delivered with full shields results in yet another 25% buff to eridium drops when this is capped.
3. Persuasion:
One point game changer. Damian can now throw his traps and/or smoke screens instead of placing them on the field
3. Ambition:
For every piece of Eridium collected on the field, Damian, gains a stack of GREED, which delays slowly. Think 10 seconds per piece of eridium. Totally based off player skill, if he is popping heads avoiding fire: eridium will be starting to cover the field. GREED is an amplifier which will exist within all three trees. GREED: poisons the player, it adds a slow corrosion DoT, but for each stack eridium, cash, and ammo recharge -- for weapon currently equipped -- for every stack. This stacks up to a 100 times, a player would have to be very lucky to achieve this rapid increase in wealth, though. For every point added the decay on GREED is increased, but the DoT worsens.
3. Conniving:
Elemental Chance increased per point up to 40% for shock, corrosion, and shock.
4. Bastard:
The smoke screen becomes infused with electricity, corrosion, and fire effects when an enemy steps through the field. This is a DoT boost, not doing damage outright, but poisoning the character - to go in line with Damian using traps and retreating to win fire fights. For every point of bastard Elemental chance is further increased up to 20%.
4. Hedge Fund:
Damian gains damage resistance, and elemental resistance. Passive buff, up to 30% resistance. The idea being to help players building GREED.
5. Forward Thinking:
For the cost of two eridium Damian may now throw out traps. AS many as he can afford. Damian also gains a straight 25% passive buff to eridium drop chance.
Cash and Ammo skill tree:
Damian can place up to five mines wherever he aims on the battlefield. Resulting in a pseudo nuclear blast.
His action skill works the way the TINY TINA grenades do. He has multiple uses from the very beginning, but a very slow cooldown.
Trees: Here is where it gets interesting, and I want your help. These three trees focus on helping the other players get better drops. One tree I want to peak with better Eridium dropping more often and in a greater ratio. The second all about cash and ammo in a Borderlands 1 style Mordecia attack which strips enemies. The last tree focuses on the venerable weapon drops, peaking with a vault hunter relic style passive buff for the group and amplified by members.
I imagine three buffs through the course of a tree. One to get the player started, just upping the percent. For instance killing an enemy with a head shot immediately delivers a piece of eridium. If there is concern for frame rate chug, deliver it to the players' backpacks.
The goal is challenge. Our rat is not a hero, he is a crook. He doesn't have a stake in the main story line, so there isn't concern for his place in the world. He just is. Further he is to be a character everyone wants in the group -- three even, all at 72, with someone capable of putting out damage. Legendaries, eridium and cash littering the field. However, he is a PAIN to level. This is inspired from the Treasure Hunter in an MMORPG called Dofus, he was a character every class in the game wanted to have join them in a raid, but no one seemed to be willing to be put the time in to level.
The players left on the servers now are dedicated, I think an addition of a support loot character will further increase the shelf life of Borderlands 2, the online community, add new strategy, and a new level of difficulty to raid bosses for greater reward.
Backstory: Damian has no place of origin. Some believe he is from the outer worlds, others believe he has been hiding all along. His presence isn't felt in the story -- this being later in the Borderlands 2 life cycle -- as his allegiance falls wherever the winner sits. He had no problem with Jack, or the order he stood to create. He had no problem with the Vault Hunters overthrow of Jack. So long as someone loses Damian stands to profit. He lives in the shadows, and players will find this is the way he must be played.
Concept: a loot support character specializing in increasing drop rates, but with little to offer offensively. For the hardcore still left grinding Damian represents the ultimate challenge, with very high reward potential for the dedicated. While Damian benefits from kill skills, he lacks the passive buffs of the commando or gunzerker. He uses element attacks and diversion similar to the Siren and Assassin, but with less of the raw power. Players able to over comes this challenge are rewarded with each cap stone geared towards higher drop rates in their preferred field.
Action Skill: Damian specializes in traps. This begins as a smoke screen which decoys enemies -- players will be very dependent on their personal skill to use this effectively. This skill is called RAT BASTARD.
This effect is amplified depending upon the tree.
Weapon Drops:
Enemies can be blocked with a shield, slagging them, but players can not shoot through it.
Update 9/20/12 - attempt on Eridium Drop Tree
Eridium Tree:
1. Sneak:
Add One Extra Use, for each point added, of RAT BASTARD -- this is without a status effect, this still only sets up a smoke screen to confused enemy fire away from Damian's position.
1. I Smell A Smelly Smell:
For every kill with a critical shot chances of eridium dropping increase up to 25% -- this is not being scripted, I have no way of testing it, just sounds good without being overkill.
2. Claustrophobic:
When Damian's shield are destroyed he gains up to a 60% movement buff, shield recharge delay is also shortened -- nearly identical to the Siren's Fleet skill, but when not using the Rough Rider limited. Further only meant as another means for strategic retreat for the player
2. Empire:
Damian's shield recharge delay is greatly increased, and his capacity shortened for every skill. However, every kill delivered with full shields results in yet another 25% buff to eridium drops when this is capped.
3. Persuasion:
One point game changer. Damian can now throw his traps and/or smoke screens instead of placing them on the field
3. Ambition:
For every piece of Eridium collected on the field, Damian, gains a stack of GREED, which delays slowly. Think 10 seconds per piece of eridium. Totally based off player skill, if he is popping heads avoiding fire: eridium will be starting to cover the field. GREED is an amplifier which will exist within all three trees. GREED: poisons the player, it adds a slow corrosion DoT, but for each stack eridium, cash, and ammo recharge -- for weapon currently equipped -- for every stack. This stacks up to a 100 times, a player would have to be very lucky to achieve this rapid increase in wealth, though. For every point added the decay on GREED is increased, but the DoT worsens.
3. Conniving:
Elemental Chance increased per point up to 40% for shock, corrosion, and shock.
4. Bastard:
The smoke screen becomes infused with electricity, corrosion, and fire effects when an enemy steps through the field. This is a DoT boost, not doing damage outright, but poisoning the character - to go in line with Damian using traps and retreating to win fire fights. For every point of bastard Elemental chance is further increased up to 20%.
4. Hedge Fund:
Damian gains damage resistance, and elemental resistance. Passive buff, up to 30% resistance. The idea being to help players building GREED.
5. Forward Thinking:
For the cost of two eridium Damian may now throw out traps. AS many as he can afford. Damian also gains a straight 25% passive buff to eridium drop chance.
Cash and Ammo skill tree:
Damian can place up to five mines wherever he aims on the battlefield. Resulting in a pseudo nuclear blast.
His action skill works the way the TINY TINA grenades do. He has multiple uses from the very beginning, but a very slow cooldown.
Trees: Here is where it gets interesting, and I want your help. These three trees focus on helping the other players get better drops. One tree I want to peak with better Eridium dropping more often and in a greater ratio. The second all about cash and ammo in a Borderlands 1 style Mordecia attack which strips enemies. The last tree focuses on the venerable weapon drops, peaking with a vault hunter relic style passive buff for the group and amplified by members.
I imagine three buffs through the course of a tree. One to get the player started, just upping the percent. For instance killing an enemy with a head shot immediately delivers a piece of eridium. If there is concern for frame rate chug, deliver it to the players' backpacks.
The goal is challenge. Our rat is not a hero, he is a crook. He doesn't have a stake in the main story line, so there isn't concern for his place in the world. He just is. Further he is to be a character everyone wants in the group -- three even, all at 72, with someone capable of putting out damage. Legendaries, eridium and cash littering the field. However, he is a PAIN to level. This is inspired from the Treasure Hunter in an MMORPG called Dofus, he was a character every class in the game wanted to have join them in a raid, but no one seemed to be willing to be put the time in to level.
The players left on the servers now are dedicated, I think an addition of a support loot character will further increase the shelf life of Borderlands 2, the online community, add new strategy, and a new level of difficulty to raid bosses for greater reward.