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| Thread: Faction Recreation Contest #5: Dungeon |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
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Rimgrabber
Promising
Famous Hero
Voice in Gelu's Head
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posted October 22, 2020 08:54 PM |
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Faction Recreation Contest #5: Dungeon
Let's goooooooooooooooo Dungeon! Personally, one of my favorite factions along with Conflux and Fortress. I'll accept either a NWC Dungeon or Ubi Dungeon proposal, but I suspect nobody will do Ubi Dungeon. Good luck, have fun! As always, 2 weeks after the first entry is published to submit, anyone can score even if they don't play, don't score yourself, etc.
1. Necropolis *
2. Castle/Haven *
3. Inferno *
4. Rampart/Sylvan *
5. Dungeon
6. Stronghold
7. Tower/Academy
8. Sanctuary
9. Dwarf Fortress
10. Conflux
11. Swamp Fortress
12. Forge
13. Cove
14. Create-Your-Own (Good)
15. Create-Your-Own (Neutral)
16. Create-Your-Own (Evil)
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PandaTar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Celestial Heavens Mascot
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posted October 22, 2020 10:19 PM |
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Edited by PandaTar at 22:09, 31 Oct 2020.
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I'll reserve this one. I still have no eyecandies, just the written stuff. I'll add the images later. I am gathering materials for those I was not planning on doing too, Forge and Conflux. And there's the other non-existant one which is also in the works. I had special fun creating the campaign for this Dungeon Maze.
NOTES ON MECHANICS TO HELP UNDERSTAND ABILITIES AND PERKS
- Exploring Underground can lead to doom if a non-native hero doesn’t know where to step. Chasms, abysses, cave ins, a lot of factors can kill armies just by moving on the adventure map.
- Underground beings are vulnerable to daylight and most weather effects.
- On the battlefield at the start of a fight, any troop that’s not in line of sight of any of the opposite army’s troops is not primarily visible. Some abilities reveal covered units.
- Commanders, initially, carry 7 troops and 3 siege/war/support units. Explores, 6-2, and Rulers, 5-1. Warfare skills can change those numbers, as well as proficiency on Commander role.
- Only Commanders are hired with an assortment of troops/followers.
- Hero’s backpack has a small room limitation. If items or artifacts exceed backpack capacities, they must be left behind.
- Meta Magic are spells which only some creatures can cast, and largely cannot be learned by heroes, with very few exceptions.
DUNGEON MAZE TOWN
Towscreen under construction
Dungeon Maze is a stealthy and ambushing faction, with elevated magic power and units resistant to debuffs, but also with debuffing attacks and abilities, having a lot of advantages in the dark or during the night in comparison to any other faction. Most of its units are medium-sized, which makes this faction very independent from size perks. Their numbers are provided by availability of local sustenance and connection to underground tunnels. It has great affinity with Miasma Marshlands, and some manner of neutrality with Clans and Summit. It is opposite to Haven Citadel, Sanctuary and Clockwork Library, with a hostile neutrality to Necropolis and Gates. Atlantis, Oasis and Feywoods are not known directly.
Everything has a dark side, and the world itself is no exception. In this maze of shadowy passages, halls and dungeons hide many places, caverns, abysses, cliffs, lost paths, as well as many other things. Outsiders call these forgotten chasms ‘Oblivion’, but the dominant races who dwell there call it Nighon. This is the lair of the forgotten and the forsaken, untouched by millennia, as they also didn’t reach out the surface. But as the world had stirred into conflicts, Nighon had been invaded by hosts of unknown foes, of many races, species, for those underground halls were strategic for stealthily moving armies between lands, islands and even continents. The stranded, of course, would become food, resources for the locals, and every now and then, that drew unwanted attention. It was when two of the dominant races, medusa and illithid, took the reins of power, and gathered many powerful creatures which crept in the dark. It was decided that Nighon would not become a free route, bound to bring destruction to them, vulnerable to invasions. Outsiders could be easily threatened, because most of the surface creatures relied on vision, so medusas, led by Sephinroth, could simply petrify those who didn’t obey to pay homage or sacrifice something to ‘safely’ cross their realm. On the other hand, illithids, led by DarkstorN, would ‘convince’ those who didn’t bow to medusas, by flaying or controlling their minds. The problem was when the enemy had no mind or eyes which didn’t see. Centuries past, the undead poured and invaded Nighon and tunnels beyond, and their brunt was partially detained by the fierce power of the Minotaurs, led by Bergignol. However, those rotten carcasses, filled with foul magic and decay, soon started to kill and contaminate the darkness as they passed, relentless, always marching to the same direction, unstoppable, unfeeling. Many of the local creatures became abominations due their corruption. Illithids had to use their immense psychic powers to control the lesser minds in the halls, and some of them spent so much power, they expired. As centuries came to pass, no more undead was ever seen again in Nighon. In fact, nothing else seemed to wander their halls anymore. Hunger and death were upon darkness itself. It was time to start extending the shadows beyond the tunnels for survival. They had become the invaders.
THEME SONGS
Townscreen
Terrain
Battle
FEATURED BUILDINGS
Growling Tunnels (Support Unit Dwelling) – Whirlwurm support unit can be hired there. Makes it possible for a sieged army to flee from battle, and reappear at the entrance of a random Tunnel taking the same number of turns to reach as if walking on native terrain. These tunnels must have been carved by whirlwurms. Tunnels are prone to cave in by natural forces or enemies. They can also be used as alternative paths for reinforcements, caravans, etc., if the main route is blocked.
Maze (Tier 5 Dwelling) – Minotaur unit and heroes can be hired there. Defensive structure that causes invading armies to have some of their numbers stranded. The stranded may or may not appear in the course of battle. They return appearing at the edges of the battlefield on their own separated stacks, with lowest morale possible and under Fear and Fatigue debuffs, and with a penalty upon speed and movement. If they don’t reappear until the battle is finished, they are lost. Lost units are converted into higher minotaur growth number.
Guild of Earth – Guild of Earth Magic is activated there. Unlocks Altar of Sacrifice and Secondary Guilds buildings. Unlocks Pyrausta Regis Upgrade, Beholder, Cyclops and Illithid related technologies and buildings.
Chapel of the Stilled Voices (Tier Ultimate Dwelling) – Medusa unit and heroes can be hired there. Defeated enemy heroes in a siege or premises are taken there and petrified. All their equipment and spoils are kept with them and can be retrieved by any Dungeon Maze hero whenever necessary. 6 heroes can be petrified and stored there at time. Discarded statues have a random chance to be retrieved in the Black Market (and then, resurrected as heroes anew, but they lose all memory and their level reduced to a quarter).
Chaotic Chasms – defensive structure spread around siege and in a large area around town. Units that fall in the chasm die and become food for Dungeon Maze’s creatures, increasing their growth number. Small units have higher odds to die than medium-sized units, whilst giants have very little odds to fall. But giant units can get stuck and unable to move instead. Do not affect flying, floating or crawling units. Affects foes and friendlies alike. Chaotic chasms are random, closing and opening gaps on the battlefield or on the map every two rounds (on adventure map as well). If killed units are not resurrected, recovered, animated or repaired until the chasm closes, they get completely destroyed. Chasms on the adventure map are not triggered when there are no foes in the vicinity.
Rotten Ditches (Tier 4 Dwelling) – Forsaken can be hired there. Unlocks Maze Armory and Blood Pond technologies and buildings. Provides basic materials for equipment production in town. Enemies wielding equipment who get killed in town or premises provide additional materials and rare materials for production of better equipment. It can be upgraded to upgrade Forsaken to Tier 4 Undying.
The Eye of Nighon (Grail) – protects all allied units, even non-natives, to the effects of gaze abilities and hypnotizing. It shares the vision of all enemies on a gigantic area around and above the town, and clears shroud as they advance. This vision cannot be blocked, dispelled or identified. Increases the power of Gazing abilities of all allies, and stats of Beholders, Cyclops and Medusas. When enemies are wandering on Dungeon Maze’s native terrain in a large area around town, their vision is reduced to 2 radius and shroud is restored in their wake. Yeah, kind of a badass grail.
FEATURED SKILLS
Native Strengths and Weaknesses – Dungeon Maze units are vulnerable to Fire, Water, Lightning and Light-based abilities. Resistant to Earth, Mind, Body and Spirit-based effects and suffer almost no effect of Blind. Daylight penalties are greater, as many abilities are based on night time; which makes night and underground benefits far better on their side.
Faction Skill Tree – Shadow Complicity: tendrils of shadows reach out from Dungeon Maze towns and buildings on the adventure map. These tendrils extend shadows on the surface or deepens them underground. It allows Dungeon Maze units to have access to their native abilities when they are in shadows on the surface, and increased benefits when underground. When too many buildings are flagged in an area, tendrils create a dusk effect on the surface, providing lightless effect to it. Some Keyskills: Sonar, Ventriloquism, Tunneling, Shadow Walk.
Other common Dungeon Maze heroes’ skills
Dark Embrace – secondary skill which makes hero and troops get a basic life healing and mana recovery value when they are in the shadows, even on the surface. This skill requires Ajit hero to be stationary at a town with the other learning hero for a time.
Feeding the Realm – keyskill that makes heroes able to kill wildlife to provide food to their nearest Dungeon town, increasing the weekly growth of some hirelings. High skill allows killing stronger beings and provide more food from game, and also use slain beasts in battle as source, if they were not killed while under certain magical effects.
Sonar – keyskill that helps detecting elements that are not visible or too far to be identified yet on the adventure map, in enclosed places. They get mapped by that hero. It may fail as well and show something that is not there or something different. Some elements which can be assessed: creatures, enemy troops, buildings that produces ambiance sounds, direction from where battles issued, wildlife. It also helps detecting stealthy elements.
Earth Magic – through the Guild of Earth, provides access to learn and teach Earth Magic Spells and Techniques, which controls powers on grounds, underground, sand, dust, ash, rock, stone and metal. Examples: Earthquake, Quicksand, Petrify, Blades.
FEATURED HEROES
The heroes of Dungeon Maze are classified into the following species:
- Beholder: 1
- Cyclops: 3
- Illithid: 7
- Lycanthrope: 2
- Manticore: 1
- Medusa: 9
- Minotaur: 5
- Pyrausta (mothman): 2
The lycanthrope Ajit got lost in the underground maze many years ago, but instead of giving up his life to the darkness surrounding him, he fought his way around and learned how to survive there. Fate led him to meet the beholder Synca who was impressed by the lycanthrope’s capabilities of surviving that long. Besides, the beholder saw in Ajit a strange dormant entity, which granted him impressive powers even by staying away from moonlight for so long. Ajit was infused by dark magic without knowing and it imbued in him the power of night which kept him strong even under the sun or away from the moon, a characteristic conveyed only to those called Werewolves. Surviving by scavenging corpses and living among the malaise of rot and corruption, he got extremely resistant to curses. After a while, Synca found Ajit again and brought Sephinroth and Darkstorn along, who proposed him a position in their realm in exchange of his abilities and the prospect of having him help them to explore and adapt to the surface. Strangely enough, Ajit accepted with the condition that he could return to the tunnels whenever he wanted to, because it seemed now that he felt the best when hiding from the sun and moon alike. The darkness was part of him now.
Race: Lycanthrope
Role: Explorer
Class: True Werewolf – able to move normally on both cycles of day and night, he can sense paths and ways beforehand, their perils in advance, find hidden dwellings and shortcuts underground. When Ajit is hired, it unlocks the Dark Embrace skill for all other heroes to learn, and it has doubled effect on him. His true form blocks debuffs cast on tagged units. It does not cleanse debuffs already in effect though.
Specialty: Moon Reading – each phase of the moons grants him different benefits: New Moon activates Shadow Complicity upon himself and a small area around him on the adventure map; Crescent Moon increases Attack, Damage and Speed of tagged units; Waning Moon increases Defense, Evasion and Resistance of tagged units; Full Moon activates all three other phases at once and increases his movement value.
Perks
Living, Ground Hero, Rider, Awareness, Diurnal and Nocturnal
Sharp Senses – grants tagged troops the ability to keep fighting even blind. Increases Sonar skill effectiveness. Has a chance to identify in which enemy troop the enemy hero is tagged to.
Cursed by Dark Magic – enemies that attack his tagged troop get cursed based on the Moon phase, regardless their nature (it will affect any enemy): New Moon causes a Blind plus Fear curse. Crescent Moon causes a Confusion plus Weakness curse. Waning Moon causes a Sorrow plus Silence curse. Full Moon causes a Frenzy plus Berserk curse. Curses last 3 rounds. They don’t refresh or stack. One curse must end for another to take hold.
Chaos Moon – Sidelines Active Ability with a 9-turn cool down. Releases powerful dark magic cursing the skies, creating magical multi-phased Moonlight (it’s considered Weather Meta Magic, which can be dispelled with powerful counter-spells), even underground. Moon phases come and go randomly for 3 turns. They change randomly every single turn for every unit on the battlefield.
Dace is Malekith’s right hand, commanding minotaurs during campaigns between underground and surface, hunting and disposing of threats. Many years ago, Dace had been bound to a contract with Okkur, and through it, he learned the arts of Fire Magic in exchange of his silence when he found a gate in Nighon. A host of Okkur’s forces had fallen by then, but their commander was standing his ground. It is not known how often an Okkur General offers a contract like that, but Malekith saw it as a way to overcome his fears of the Flaming elemental, which is the most feared between Nighon’s ranks, and controlling it would also make him stood out as a strong leader. Soon after that, Malekith acknowledged his new abilities. Dace even considered he could take Malekith’s place as the most notable and powerful minotaur, but he knew better. Malekith has not grasped his position at random, and Dace has learned long ago that the wise doesn’t bare its teeth in vain. And as he gets familiar with the surface, he has room to grow outside the limits of Nighon, and out of sight of the many eyes and spies lurking in the darkness. And by the time someone notices, he’ll be already too far ahead to be contested.
Race: Minotaur (minotaurs under command have greater speed and damage values)
Role: Commander
Class: Pyromaniac – improves all allied units’ morale and applies Bloodlust buff on them when fighting in the presence of fire, magma or intense heat weather, also halving any damage they suffer on fire-based terrain. Whenever a non-tagged allied unit is affected by hostile fire abilities, he gets a spell power boost for the next casting. He spends less mana when casting Fire-based abilities with increased effectiveness, and has a chance to learn fire spells cast by the enemy upon a tagged troop.
Specialty: Ignition – tagged troops ignites foes with their regular attacks and when attacked by melee range. Provides the ability to set fire on obstacles and propitious terrain. They also inflict bonus damage on aquatic and water-based units.
Perks
Living, Ground Hero, Rider, Melee, Diurnal and Nocturnal, Fire Ward
Caustic Spiral – Tagged Active Ability with a 5-round cool down. It can only be activated with tagged troops which wields some manner of native melee weapon or equipment. Slashes all adjacent enemies causing a caustic effect upon enemies who are already under any burning debuff. Caustic effect may incinerate and obliterate completely any killed enemies.
Pyre Aura – tagged units get immune to hostile Fire abilities and get doubled effectiveness of beneficial Fire abilities. Dace does not require any other fire source to maintain a Fire Elemental summoning, but it draws 25% more spell points to maintain it.
Scent – improves effectiveness of Perception and Senses skills.
Darkstorn (with N ^_^) is Nighon’s illithid leader and one of the last few who came from the extreme south, where wetlands met ice and ocean, in the great realm of Ajhian Morhra stood for millennia. He was once called Kalhrar when his ward went missing and allegedly considered dead by the elders without even trying to look for him. Infuriated by that, he went into a frenzy which unleashed a powerful storm which almost destroyed everything. The elders cursed him with the name Darkstorn, which sealed his powers whenever he set food in Ajhian Morhra, and sent him away with several others who supported him, to be exiled in the lands beyond the deepest caves and tunnels of the world, forsaken and forgotten. As they delved deeper into the abyss, his curse started to subside and gave him room to master it at last. But to return to the surface again, they needed a foothold, for their numbers were too few. Wearing his new name as a symbol of defiance, they resorted to another weapon: mind control. But with possible targets nowhere to be seen, and strange hosts of undead invading the tunnels more often than not, Darkstorn didn’t have many chances to wander too far. It was by then that he identified another great threat in the tunnels, when one of his kin was found petrified. Medusas proved pretty much impossible to face head on, so he offered an alliance instead, which was well-received by their leader, Sephinroth. Apparently, everyone needed the other, exiled helping exiled and the forgotten creatures of the world following in their wake. However, Darkstorn desired to make his own home in the South again and help the many illithids, who were prejudiced by the elders. He is still adamant as to find out the truth of his ward’s fate and put an end to it.
Race: Illithid (mind flayers under command have greater spell power values)
Role: Ruler
Class: Brainstormer (hohoho) – when stationed at a Dungeon Maze town, he amplifies the effectiveness of Mind Architect’s Pyramid building. He can fuse mind-based with lightning-based abilities, creating a unique set of spells, and also improves the range of spells and technologies regarding Mind Magic in guilds of towns he visits and relays his knowledge.
Specialty: Reaction Chain – when a tagged troop is attacked, Darkstorn’s charged telepathy bursts out of him and chains like a lightning around his allies, prompting all of them to retaliate the closest foe in range, regardless if they are immune or not to mind-affecting abilities. This ability always triggers the first time. The next instances have a maximum chance of 30% to trigger on close allied troops and 10% on farthest ones.
Perks
Living, Floater, Rider, Ranged, Diurnal and Nocturnal
Teleporter – when wandering alone on the adventure map, he can choose whether to float or to teleport to a place. Teleportation can only occur between known (unshrouded) and visible (non-fogged) positions, and consumes four times his movement points, as if going straight ahead to the chosen spot; so if requirements are met, he can go through obstacles, walls, bodies of water, even towns. Can be blocked by magical or psionic shields.
Mind Shield – when tagged, grants immunity to any mind-affecting abilities.
Kinetic Surge – Sideline Active Ability with a 5-turn cool down and spell points cost. Concentrated telekinesis moves an allied small or medium-sized troop to an adjacent position. That position can also be uphill or downhill, but cannot cross obstacles. It can be cast on enemy troops, which will render them immobile instead (can act, but not move from place). Number of units that can be affected depends on Darkstorn’s level and spell power. It has increased effectiveness when Mind Grasp was not triggered for the first time yet. Different from some mind-based abilities, it pierces magic immunity.
Notion Grasp – when stationed in a town, he identifies and makes it available a number of technologies in buildings that improves its relationship with the locals. During battle when tagging a troop, an enemy stack can have some of its numbers interrupt their attack, decreasing its damage output on the tagged troop. Does not affect mindless foes.
Psionic Blades – tagged troop gains an added mind-based effect upon regular attacks, piercing armor and decreasing target’s magic resistance. Mind-vulnerable foes have a chance to be affected by Daze or Confusion. It has greater effectiveness on melee attacks.
Lenord came as a surprise representing the Pyraustas when she first met the leaders of the illithid-medusa alliance. These giant moth-like beings are very mysterious, for their origin is not documented or widely known. Still, they are very numerous and apparently unfazed by the lack of food ordinance, which seemed to affect most of the Nighon’s ranks, making them an important asset for the base forces of the alliance. Knowing that, Lenord used that for her advantage as well. The sly nature of her kin made them very comfortable with their current place in the world, but as she watched the world coming to meet them, she envisioned a new horizon for the mothfolk. The surface promised infinite opportunities for their kin to spread, even control their own lands or other peoples. But for that to happen, she needed to learn what her allies knew of the world beyond, because she could lead her kin to doom, if not careful. Her greatest challenge, though, would be disenthralling pyraustas from her allies’ grasp once they found their own path, whilst avoiding letting her plans to be accidently perceived altogether. These skills made her extremely skilled at hiding her moves. That’s why she remains mostly out of view and away from the many telepathic neighboring aberrations, whenever she is planning her strategies.
Race: Pyrausta (if she is in town, unlocks upgrades Pyrausta Cortante and Pyrausta Regis, the latter upon being hired only, cannot upgrade already existing archons. Pyrausta troops in battle have improved accuracy, evasion and attack values)
Role: Explorer and Ruler
Class: Penumbra Pioneer – actions taken upon surface and natively hostile areas grants doubled experience. Identifies more concealed locations to connect tunnels to the surface. She automatically enlists one pyrausta to watch over the entrance, granting a small non-fogged visible area upon the entrance.
Specialty: Fathomless – enemy’s Tactics-based skills and abilities, such as flanking, reinforcements and formations, don’t work. Any of her actions while tagged or when on sidelines cannot be read, mind-accessed or perceived.
Perks
Living, Flyer, No Mount, Sharp Senses, Nocturnal
Perfect Concealment – when alone, she can escape enemy detection underground while landed on the roof, so she cannot be directly engaged. The only ways to be detected is by having other enemy pyraustas getting into view, so they sense her, evolved Perception skills or Detection spell casting. Effectiveness is lowered undercover of shadows or during the night on the surface. Immunity to Sonar skills.
Exotic Arms Mastering – When leading other faction-related troops which wield other melee weaponry, provides Pyrausta Cortantes with knowledge as how to wield them as well, amplifying their equipment repertoire. Improves Armsmaster skill effectiveness.
Empathic Envoy – she can set Diplomacy skill actions with less restraints upon other faction envoys and also when ruling over non-native towns naturally.
The name Sephinroth was first known by a human king, Argerye Griphonheart. He described his vision as the most beautiful woman he ever saw, until he understood she was not a woman, but a monstrosity that petrified part of his body when truly revealed. It was by his orders, before his agonizing death, that medusas were driven off from the surface by an alliance of skilled humans and several istari. And so, Sephinroth and the rest of her kin had only one option as to flee into the tunnels which connected to unknown depths of the world. Rumors that other lands were already being invaded by some other sort of perilous creatures reached her ears, and so she decided to have her kin retreat deeper into the darkness, away from their most beloved Moon. Still, Sephinroth and several of her sisters often traveled around to learn of the world’s tidings, searching for a new home, or even ways to return to their old one. It was then she met Darkstorn. It was not a peaceful encounter, as she noticed the illithid had enormous psychic powers and it took her a powerful blasting gaze to subdue his grasp. She learned illithids were also banished from their lands, and that coincidence weaved an unusual and powerful alliance between them. Since then, Sephinroth looks for a place on the surface where they would be treated as goddesses again, revered, loved – or feared. And although other medusas would want revenge against the humans who banished them, her pride and contempt didn’t hold Argerye at high standards, especially knowing that he died by her gaze afterwards, a fast glimpse upon a frail man. Still, humans were the most rational, numerous, powerful, yet vulnerable of their enemies, the easiest to enslave. And knowing the istari never dawdled at foreign lands, it was a matter of time until she found a way back to the surface to ‘inherit’ her a new kingdom, even if it meant siding with a shrewd and unpredictable creature like Darkstorn.
Race: Medusa (medusas under command have greater odds on petrifying targets)
Role: Commander and Ruler
Class: Empress Sculptor – she makes statues of slain foes or heroes. She can carry one statue with her (occupying a support unit spot upon her ranks) per time. These statues can be set in towns as models (to instill fear and cooperation of locals to her rule; or to bolster natives showing their superiority, improving many town governing aspects). The stronger the foe, the higher the benefits, specially heroes. Heroes statues can be bargained in the black market, through diplomacy (like ransom) or simply stored in a Chapel of Stilled Voices in any Dungeon Maze town for any future use. Because she is the most skilled of the medusas, she is the only one that can preserve most of the petrified subject’s power, let alone keep it intact while transporting it.
Specialty: Omnigaze – controls her own gaze that can switch between petrifying, hypnotizing or maddening when tagging units other than medusas. When conquering a town, her stay at that town makes penalties subdue faster. Building structures are also slightly faster.
Perks
Living, Ground Hero, Melee or Ranged, Diurnal and Nocturnal
True Vision – when tagged, grants immunity to any gaze and mind-affecting abilities.
Second Sight – when tagging medusas, it adds a secondary effect upon their petrifying gaze, layering Omnigaze. Targets resisting the petrifying gaze can still be affected by Hypnotize or Insanity. Petrification is always priority. Whilst tagging beholders, the priority is Insanity, then Hypnotize, with not petrifying effect.
Statuary – after defeating foes or enemy heroes, can leave their statues behind, causing morale loss to any enemy troop within sight. The more statues gathered, the higher is the morale prejudice. It can surmount causing Fear on enemies, if battles are engaged in the area. Medusas are not affected by morale loss caused by Statuary. Passively protects against wildlife attacks.
Even the pitch-black darkness of the underground mazes cannot hide itself from the beholder’s gaze. Synca is the most notable and intelligent beholder known. It is why many say that if one stares too much into the darkness, the darkness stares right back. And it does watch almost everything, for beholders can maintain true vision almost as true as reality of any place they have seen, a memory vision, similar to an oracle’s, stored in one of its many eyes. Thus, it came as a shock when it suddenly met Sephinroth face to face and their gazes met, for it could not see Medusas as they were invisible to the beholder’s power. Avoiding the strange petrifying gaze, Synca averted all his sighting powers to one of the eyes not staring to that medusa, and was able to reason with it, learning what brought her there. It was not possible fighting against invisible foes which could petrify oneself just by gazing, especially for a beholder, so it decided to side with Sephinroth. Not long after that, Synca went to investigate places where its vision seemed to be tampered with, only to find another powerful invader, the one called Darkstorn, who seemed more reasonable and explained they also sided with the medusa, for the common goal of mutual protection and apparent lack of means to resist medusas’ power. And it was by its vision, that a strangely powerful Lycanthrope named Ajit was found lost in the maze and added to their ranks. Thus, all leaders among the underground species agreed of the importance of Synca’s capacity of serving Nighon – by scouting and spying; which is how many of its allies came to request its services. Everyone spying on everyone in secrecy, and Synca watching them all. Fair trade.
Race: Beholder (beholders under command have greater damage and magic resistance values)
Role: Explorer
Class: Watcher of All – an area thrice larger than his normal range of view disables the shroud beyond, a flying vision that’s only blocked by shrouded non-connected intersections. Whenever an enemy enters any explored area, even with fog of war, the area gets revealed for the next two turns. It detects one enemy per turn, and only detects the same enemy a second time when the first area revealed goes dark again.
Specialty: Find and Recruit – as it is difficult to guarantee sustain at a town by feeding, Synca can identify hidden spots with pockets of creatures and dwellings of native units to add to their numbers, with greater effects underground. Hidden non-dwelling hotspots don’t relapse in a large area around it. At already flagged dwellings, there is a chance of additional units to appear when under Synca’s watchful gaze.
Perks
Living, Floater, Nocturnal
Divert Gaze – decreases 75% of effectiveness of any gaze or on-sight abilities used against a tagged troop.
Collective Vision – Added Adventure Map Command. It can link its vision to up to five allied heroes, so they’ll all share their vision treats and perks among them, seeing what the other cannot see, disabling weaknesses (or adding one); the collective vision prioritizes nullifying penalties and disadvantages.
Horizon Glare – tagged troops do not miss their targets and have evasion values increased. They are also granted Awareness. Tagged Beholders have their True Sight ability boosted with doubled effects and full damage at any distance.
Eyes’ Memory – it takes 5 turns for the fog of war to return upon explored lands where Synca has laid eyes. Its vision lingers on the adventure map.
UNITS
Tier 1 Djieien – pallid, small and weavers of extremely poisonous webs, these spiders can consume big preys once they paralyze their victims in the darkest parts of the underground world.
Perks
Living, Small, Nocturnal
Arachnid – immunity to mind-affecting and crippling abilities, and Communication skills. Heroes don’t tag along arachnid troops.
Special
Festering Web – lays webs on ground (also on adventure map), obstacles or directly on foes. Webs slow and cause body-based damage per turn. Outnumbered units may get stuck in place. Webs linger for the entire battle. They can be overlayered, increasing its properties. On the adventure map, they slow their hero movement by weaving webs on their wake; they cannot be overlayered and they will slow down their own army if returning through webbed paths. Webs are destroyed after used. They can be used to trap wildlife.
Overwhelming Swarm – numbers in stack are doubled of small units.
OBS.: hiring this unit disables King Rat, Troglodyte Feng, Pyrausta, Forsaken and Spiculum.
Tier 1 King Rat – the rotting deeps of the world come plaguing the surface in the shape of these giant rats. They spread diseases and spoil whatever they feed upon, not to mention they are furtive and very difficult to eradicate.
Perks
Living, Small, Nocturnal
Special
Plaguing – on a 3-hex radius area around it, it has a chance to cause Plague on corporeal enemy targets. When it attacks, though, it has a chance to cause Ether Plague, which affects incorporeal targets as well.
Scurry – a reaction, whenever damaged, it flees away to the nearest covered position (if there’s no cover, it’ll move as far from the attacker as possible). It triggers at the first instance of any damage (so it’ll not allow following hits to land). It also reacts to enemies attacking allies, creeping from behind to attack those enemies, if within reach. Each reaction can be triggered once per turn.
OBS.: hiring this unit disables Djieien, Troglodyte Drone, Aglaophotis, Ahool and Manticore.
Tier 2 Troglodyte Drone – in the dungeon depths, many creatures do not have eyes to hunt, but other senses. Troglodytes are one of them, swift and deadly hunters. Their counterpart Tier 2 Feng Troglodytes have their body covered in fungi, which offers defense and offense at the same time.
Perks
Living, Diurnal and Nocturnal
Sense of Hearing – unit fights normally even when blind.
Blind – immune to any effect based on vision and line of sight.
Special
Climber
Digger (Drone only) – moves underground from one position to another, ignoring effects on the surface while moving. However, terrain must be appropriate for digging.
Fungi Mantle (Feng only) – whenever moving, reacting, attacking or being damaged releases fungi in the air. It lingers in the area around troglodyte for the next turn. Affected enemies have their magic resistance values decreased for three turns, only resistances against elementals. It can stack, decreasing resistances up to nullify them. It affects any sort of enemy, including those with immunities.
Tier 2 Pyrausta – the mothfolk are old inhabitants of the dark caves of the world. They seem not to require food, so they are resilient to actual lack of it, and multiply very easily. They are talented fighters, and some of their races are larger and more resilient, called Tier 2 Pyrausta Goliath, while others are better spell casters, Tier 2 Pyrausta Archon. Pyraustas can evolve into Tier 3 Pyrausta Cortante, which learns to wield weapons of the surface and gets used to daylight. Archons evolve into Tier 3 Pyrausta Regis, dangerous spell casters.
Perks
Living, Flyer, Nocturnal, Equip (Pyrausta Cortante: two-handed swords)
Special
Stealthy Stillness – albeit a flyer, unit can choose to land and merge with the surroundings, going stealthy. Raises evasion value significantly. When attacked, moves to a flanking position to retaliate enemy.
Alternating Watch – unit is immune to flanking and critical and always have an evasion value, ignoring any other enemy special.
Special Pyrausta Goliath
Kamikaze – dives on foes when attacking, inflicting area damage. Under extreme weather, still performs action, but takes damage itself. Retaliates ranged attacks by flying over to the enemy. Attack can push target away.
Special Pyrausta Archon
Spells
Silverdust – identifies stealthy enemies on the area and decreases their resistance to magical abilities.
Protection from Earth – casts protective enchantment against earth-based abilities.
Special Pyrausta Cortante
Fragment – 3-turn cool down active ability. Slashing sweep hitting an enemy in front and one in another flanking position with its sword causing Deep Wounds.
Special Pyrausta Regis
Magical Memory – learns a small selection of spells.
Spells
Summon Clay Golem – clay golem can only be summoned on earthlike terrain. Clay golems are uncontrollable and act as protectors. Constantly drains mana.
Summon Blood Golem – blood golem can only be summoned if there were living creatures casualties. They are uncontrollable and are extremely offensive. Damaging living creatures can add to their numbers. Constantly drains mana.
Tier 3 Aglaophotis – no one can explain what an aglaophotis is exactly. It seems like some of plant, mixed with vermin, bats and some other unnamed horrors. It produces a glow to lure preys before grabbing them for feeding. Its hunger is limitless, making it also cannibalize even friendlies.
Perks
Living, Nocturnal, Crawler
Toxic – if devoured, causes damages or kills the devourer. Immunity to Poison, Plague, Paralysis.
Special
Insatiable Hunger – targets killed by this unit are eaten and cannot be resurrected or animated back to life. It only eats corporeal living beings. Eating boosts its damage and speed slightly for the next turn. It can also eat dead units in other friendly stacks or in its own stack.
Deceptive Lights – during the night or underground, confuses enemies by waving its glowing tendrils around. Enemies that need to move and attack or attack at range, have a small chance to succeed, and might online move to an adjacent position living flanks unprotected. If that happens, Aglaophotis will perform a critical attack on the approaching enemy. On normal melee engagements, it increases evasion.
Toxic Cloud – reaction triggered when three or more enemy units are in a 2-hex radius area around it. Releases a toxic cloud that causes Poison and/or Plague on enemy units. It triggers at the end of the round and it is independent of the Retaliation reaction.
Tier 3 Ahool – bats the most common inhabitants of the underground mazes, capable of finding targets by sound only, but on the surface and daylight, they get confused. That’s why when they evolve to Tier 4 Ahool Umbra, their eyes are no more, so everywhere becomes their territory.
Perks
Living, Flyer, Mount, Nocturnal, Sense of Hearing
Special
Light Weakness – halves its offensive capabilities under sunlight.
Blood Sucker – attacking a target makes ahool attach to it, sucking their blood. Every turn the ahool remains adjacent to the targeted unit (and attacking it), it sucks attack and defense values and transfers to itself instead. It disengages if enemy moves or Ahool attacks another target. Effects linger two turns after disengaging (for both units).
Land on Roof – reaction ability against ground units attacks (either melee or ranged). It flies out and stays out of reach by hooking itself upside-down on the roof. Only flying units can reach it. Upon getting back to battle, it dives inflicting bonus damage upon ground units in a small area around it. If hit while hooked, it’ll fall and suffer severed damage on landing.
Special Ahool Umbra
Blind, Nocturnal and Diurnal, Awareness
Rabies – attacks cause rabies. If not treated after three rounds, affected unit gets out of control, immune to any mind-affecting abilities, attacking anyone or moving at random. Meanwhile, unit is damaged by rabies. This debuff lasts the entire battle, if not cured.
Tier 4 Forsaken – the blood of the fallen is drunk by the earth, and the power of darkness rearrange it into ghostly figures. When too much magic gathers around those forsaken creatures, Tier 4 Undying rises, some sort of manifestation of dead blood trying to regain their space among the living.
Perks
Undead, Teleport, Ethereal, Floater, Diurnal and Nocturnal
Special
Haunt – on the battlefield, this unit haunts all foes. It randomly attacks enemies reactively, damaging and disturbing the effectiveness of their actions. Sometimes, foes will redirect their attack upon the forsaken, which will be damaged instead. If there are only forsaken units in the army, they’ll appear randomly next to enemies, popping in and out of existence, attacking and changing targets. On the adventure map, they can be stacked to haunt an area, damaging enemies who get into the area. They last a week.
Special Undying
The Blood Calls – it prioritizes living corporeal units to be haunted. When it appears to haunt, decreases morale of the haunted unit for the next round.
Everlasting Haunt – similarly to Haunt, but when living enemies die while being haunted, they’ll increase Undying’s damage and max HP slightly. On the adventure map, it works like Haunt, but if enemies die in the haunted area midst, it prolongs the duration of it for another week.
Tier 5 Beholder – whilst many creatures in the deep have no eyes, or are enchanted not to have them, beholders actually are the ones that absorb eyes for witchcraft. Extremely intelligent and cunning, their ability to amplify the power of sight even in the pitch-black darkness is very useful for their advances on the surface.
Perks
Living, Floater, Unlimited Ammo, No Melee Penalty, Diurnal and Nocturnal
Inherently Ranged – ranged attacks are performed even at close range or even under Forgetfulness debuff.
Special
Awareness
Focus Sight – ranged attack reaches as far as the line of sight reveals. Nearby foes get increased focused damage. Attack cannot be evaded. Blind debuff only cancels increased focus damaged.
The Eye of the Beholder – once seeing and attacking a foe a first time, that foe can be targeted anywhere regardless their position or cover. Their gaze judges and curses their opponent by inflicting vulnerability instances of magic, making the target vulnerable to debuffs, inflicting random instances of debilitating effects.
Reignite – if it attacks a target that just suffered damage from an allied spell, it’ll repeat the same spell added to the damage of its attack.
Tier 5 Minotaur – both brutal and wise, minotaur are excursionists between surface and underground, and they are very skilled at honing skills which can be used anywhere. Their battle capacity is much respected, although they avoid drawing much attention from enemies.
Perks
Living, Fire Ward, Diurnal and Nocturnal, Equip (horseshoes, maces, axes, clubs, morning stars, flails, hammers, two-handed weapons, pauldrons, gorgets, chest place, loins, anklets, bracers, gauntlets)
Special
Doom Mace – attacks cause massive damage against enemies with higher defense values, skeletal and breaks defensive gear. The mace turns pieces of broken equipment into brazen bits which cause fire damage for 3 turns. On undefended targets, it has a high chance to cause Stun. Also inflicts normal damage vs shielded, automatons or elemental.
Skewer – attacks disabled enemies with its horns, critically damaging and causing Deep Wounds.
Confidence – its morale never gets neutral or negative. When high morale triggers, guarantees a critical strike and odds on additional effects on its next attack.
Tier 5 Spiculum – large creatures controlled by magic that scouts the depths of caves and mazes. Their body is covered with thorns, because their main role is to injure invaders and enemies, leaving them exposed and vulnerable in the deep darkness.
Perks
Animated, Elemental, Nocturnal
Special
Rampage – charges forward unstoppable until reaching its target. Target may be affected by the debuff Deep Wounds and pushed back. Any small or medium-sized units on its path gets less damage but also have a chance to suffer the debuff. Deep Wounds cause a target to take damage when taking actions.
Sonic Roar – reaction ability, when damaged by any source, sends out a roar of ultrasound around it that causes energy-damage and breaks weak/medium equipment. On living targets, it causes Confusion. On the adventure map, it can be used to cause cave ins underground.
Tier 6 Cyclops – a creature whose origins might be some sort of breeding of decaying flesh, beholders and witchcraft. Similar to beholders, cyclops inherits eyes in the darkness, which helps identifying the best spells to strike down their opponents, or else, to defend its allies from their magical capabilities.
Perks
Living, Ranged, Unlimited Ammo, Diurnal and Nocturnal
Special
Magical Craquelure – provides knowledge to hero or allied spell casters of the best spells to attack enemies and enhances their effects slightly. Effects may be even greater and ignore resistances, if the enemy is right in front of cyclops.
Watchful – when performing ranged attacks, casts an observing ethereal eye upon target which lingers until Cyclops attack another unit. The watchful eye decreases effectiveness of the target when fighting cyclops’s allied units. It affects attack, defense, accuracy and evasion. It can also disturb and delay reaction timing.
Precision Aura – units around it have their accuracy values increased.
Eye of the Magi – having cyclops in the army allows a hero to set eyes on places underground on the adventure map. Every 50 cyclops activate one eye. It reveals a large area around it while consuming a few of hero’s spell points every day. Enemies can destroy it if they get at close range.
OBS.: hiring this unit disables Marilith.
Tier 6 Manticore – allegedly called ‘fallen anzu’, manticore is not related. It is just another cross-bred of the unknown and secretive powers of the deepest darkness of the world. Vicious, strong, fast and with a powerful debilitating sting, they can bring down almost any enemy they fight.
Perks
Living, Flyer, Mount, Nocturnal, Sense of Hearing
Special
Light Weakness
Lurking Horror – during the night or in native terrain, when this unit is in a 3 radius area of an enemy, but not adjacent, it causes a sense of foreboding on living targets, which lose morale gradually.
Sudden Threat – during the night or in native terrain, when this unit gets in sight of a diurnal unit, it’ll cause alarm, decreasing target’s defense, accuracy and evasion. It also makes target vulnerable to mind-affecting abilities until next round. It cancels a spell being charged by a spellcaster.
Sting of Catastrophe – reacts by stinging an opponent with its tail. The sting causes massive energy-based damage on the attacker and causes a magically enhanced Paralysis which cannot be dispelled, although it can be resisted. Paralyzed targets cannot perform any action. Effect lasts for two rounds. Because the sting carries a powerful effect, it affects any kind of foe. This reaction is also triggered if Manticore is being used as a mount.
Tier 6 Marilith – Mariliths are related to the naga folk, however, they are departed on how they came to evolve. As nagas are to slither on the surface, mariliths are to crawl underground. They favor overwhelming aggressiveness, as they carry a lot of weapons scavenged from corpses of those who got lost in the Maze, but almost no armor. Tier 7 Marilith Autarch, however, is a Marilith evolved through magic which can seal enemies actions.
Perks
Living, Crawler, Nocturnal, Equip (swords, short swords, long swords, falchions, knives, helmets, bracers, pauldrons; Autarches do not equip weapons, but armors: circlets, caps, coronets, masks, capes, robes, chain mails, bracers, charms)
Special
Lurker – in their native territory, moves silently and cannot be sensed by enemies that use sound to determine its position. Ignores enemy evasion and part of its defense values. At night, inflicts back-stab damage from any position.
Triple Slash (Marilith only) – attacks a target twice and finishes with a slashing motion hitting three foes in front of it. The main target can be pushed away and it’s the only one of the targets that can retaliate.
Special Marilith Autarch
Shadow Aura – within a 3 radius are around it, a shadowy fog accompanies it, giving permanent Lurker effect, regardless terrain. Grants immunity to chasms.
Seal Special – within a 6 radius area around it, can target a foe with a powerful seal that will deactivate one of the target’s specials. The seal cannot be resisted, only by spell immunity, and cannot be dispelled. It can only be broken if the target damages the Marilith sealer. Only one seal can be active per enemy troop.
OBS.: hiring this unit disables Cyclops.
Tier 7 Mind Flayer – the ithilid are the most capable psionic beings on the world. Their mind abilities excel even the most doted magic users and old races. Their psychic powers are such that they can bend spells to their will, or simply invade and destroy lesser psyches. Still, invading minds are mostly successful through eye-contact, which is why they avoid trying to overcome Medusas’ supremacy.
Perks
Living, Teleporter, Diurnal and Nocturnal, Rider, Equip (robes, armlets, gorgets, capes, coronets, charms)
Special
Clear Mind, Awareness
Psion-Blast – its melee-attack is energy-based and do not trigger reactions. Enemies struck by this blast become more vulnerable to Mindbreak. Animated and Corrupt units have a chance to get paralyzed. Summons are instantly banished.
Unconscious Magic – affects casters in sight. It has a chance to make them use their offensive spell against themselves or a beneficial spell upon their enemies.
Mindbreak – active ability with a 5-round cool down. It incapacitates a living target, which will only retaliate instinctively. Incapacitated units remain on their position and get detached from the rest of the stack, unmoving and not taking any other action. They get the last turn, attack, defense and evasion are nullified, and get immunized against other mind-affecting abilities. Only one spell (Renew Mind) can recover an incapacitated target and it must be cast before the battle ends, or incapacitated units are lost. Animated and Summoned units get disabled. The battle ends if all units in the army are incapacitated. Blind units are more resistant to Mindbreak. Does not affect Automatons and Undead.
Spells
Telekinesis – in battle, it can push enemies, destroy small obstacles, move allied troops to higher ground, protect allied troops from terrain hazards, block partial damage from physical projectiles. On the adventure map, it can fetch treasures from afar, stabilize or cause cave ins or destroy/move some obstacles.
Hypnotize – takes control over a target’s mind. Hypnotized units cannot have a hero tagged to them, obey the enemy’s command for the duration and don’t suffer retaliation from their allies. It works on Summons, making it act as they deem fit whilst draining their summoner’s mana. High morale units are very resistant to Hypnosis. It drains spell points per round to keep it active. If hypnotizer is attacked, it may break the effects. Only one target can be controlled per time.
Forgetfulness – makes target forget how to perform attacks and reactions properly. Greatly decreases damage and cancels reaction. It lasts two rounds.
Tier Ultimate Medusa – medusas control those who can see in the dark, which then control those who cannot. This is the hierarchy of the underground. Shrewd and nimble fighters, even charming when they want to, they can transform anything that stares at them in the eye into stone, even beyond the boundaries of magic.
Perks
Living, Ranged, Sense of Hearing, No Melee Penalty, Diurnal and Nocturnal, Equip (shortbows, longbows, darts, knives, light armor, medium armor, chest plate, coronets, circlets, bracers, armlets, gorgets, pauldrons)
Special
Clear Mind, Awareness
True Vision – immunity to effects of stare, gaze, stealth, on sight or any illusion-inducing abilities.
Stone Gaze – any foe that uses vision as sense for spotting targets can be petrified by medusa’s gaze, regardless constitution, nature of living or non-living, animated, conjured or summoned. Petrified beings have little time to be unpetrified. Otherwise, they expire permanently. Ability triggers on melee combat, action and reaction.
Move and Shoot – moves to a position and shoots from there, similarly to how a melee unit can attack.
FEATURED SUPPORT, WAR MACHINE AND SIEGE UNITS
Infesting Crawler – large wandering creatures which carry blisters on their bag filled with magic. When harmful magic hits this unit, a blister will explode, damaging all units (including itself) nearby. It can be targeted and destroyed and only one of these creatures can be carried by a hero.
Perks
Living, Moving, War Machine Unit, Blind
Passiveness – does not attack or retaliate foes.
Special
Ether Shell – immunity to mind-affecting abilities, takes less damage from spells, ethereal and energy-based damage.
Exoskeleton – takes less damage from physical attacks. Has a chance to rebound ranged attacks. Immune to Burn, Poison and Agony.
Explosive Blisters – this unit carries blisters on its back that explodes when harmful magic is targeted on it. Blister inflicts energy-based damage on all units, including itself, based on hero’s Spell Power. The buffs Focus and Echoes are compatible to the explosion effects. Physical attacks trigger much less powerful explosions which only affect the attacker in range.
Candle Vise – growing from even deeper cavern, these giant beings use their appendages to strike down foes or structures around it. It does not discern friends from foes, tough. It can be targeted and destroyed in battle.
Perks
Living, Giant, Static, Siege Unit
Berserk – attacks anything that gets close to it. Immune to any mind-affecting abilities.
Special
Sweep – each appendage strike an arc-shaped area around it, randomly. It remembers where targets are, so if it hits a target, it’ll strike on the same place again with all its three appendages for thrice the damage. Its stinging appendages have a powerful burning agent, which will inflict Agony on the target.
Whirlwurm – these huge creatures can dig underground tunnels which connects to nearby Dungeon Maze towns and provide easier movement between places under control. They are rather defenseless, and encountering any enemy will mean their demise.
Perks
Living, Adventure Map Unit, Support Unit
Command
Dig tunnel – Dig underground tunnels. The length of the tunnel is rather random, but no further than 7 turns of walking distance. Their starting point is a town. When they finish a tunnel, they promptly return through it back to that town. It can also connect to the surface, if the terrain above is rocky, rough, dirt or mountainous. When digging a tunnel, this unit can sense if there are enemies next to their position, and they’ll avoid finishing a tunnel there. If they are already too far, they’ll return to town immediately.
Giant Mycena – these gigantic fungi can be grown underground and can feed local creatures in times of hunger. But when enemies are nearby, they release spores which can bring misfortune to them. They can be targeted and destroyed on the map.
Perks
Living, Stationary, Adventure Map Unit, Support Unit
Special
Edible – increases base creature growth in town and nearby dwellings. They can be grouped together, but they’ll only increase effect radius. Overlapping areas do no stack.
Spores of Malediction – enemies in range are affected by a collection of debuffs, either on adventure map or in battle. The closer there are to the fungi, the stronger the odds of infection. Spores can cause: Poison, Blind, Hallucination, Confusion, Paralysis, Weakness, Diseases, Fatigue.
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"Okay. Look. We both said a lot of things that you're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster."
GlaDOS – Portal 2
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PandaTar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Celestial Heavens Mascot
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posted October 22, 2020 10:31 PM |
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Edited by PandaTar at 23:25, 22 Oct 2020.
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Uh, it was shorter than the other, but somehow, could not post in the end. I hope I can add the images later! Each faction has 30 heroes, and the following are those that can be featured accordingly to the storyline. The first 6 on the left are the main heroes, described above. And the line below are heroes from other factions who appear only once or twice (Kalhar is Darkstorn before he was banished).
CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
1. STONY BEAUTY – vs Haven Citadel and Clockwork Library (Sephinroth, Mutare and Lorelei): King Argerye visits Sephinroth’s lair, obsessed with her beauty only to learn she was in fact a medusa. The king sends in troops to take all medusas down, and they flee to Nighon’s tunnels.
2. BANISHED MINDS – vs Neutral (Raelag, Darkstorn, Damacon and Alamar): Darkstorn’s ward, Raelag, leaves his master to join a secret organization, when apparently being deceived and killed. Darkstorn wreaks havoc in Ajhian Morhra and gets banished, along with faithful allies.
3. COLLISION – vs Dungeon Maze and Neutral (Sephinroth, Darkstorn and Malekith): as the new dwellers of the tunnels fight their way around, they come face to face to forge a new and powerful alliance among the banished and forsaken. This stage has no mini-map and has a procedural randomly generated layout under few directives.
4. NO STONE UNTURNED – vs Feywoods (Synca and Ajit): an unknown host of enemies is approaching Nighon’s tunnels. As very few of Nighon’s protectors are actually accountable for, Synca must reunite platoons not to allow those enemies to delve too deep into their realms, and try to divert them away, when it unexpectedly finds a new ally. (timeline matches Feywoods 15th map EOFOL)
5. FLIGHT OF THE UNSEEN – vs Clans and Dungeon Maze (Lenord): sensing the stir of powers throughout the tunnels, she sets off alone and finds her way through many dangers underground, which force her to venture the surface, facing new obstacles. Overcoming the most challenging moment of her life, she learns more about the new tidings.
6. ASSEMBLY OF SHADOWS – vs Dungeon Maze heroes (Dace, Darkstorn, Alamar, Sephinroth, Lorelei, Damacon, Mutare, Synca, Ajit, Lenord, Sudd and Nedlon): a summons brings all 30 most experienced envoys (all DM heroes) of each dominating species to a moot to decide their future. But some decisions can bring conflicts and death among them. The survival of many heroes rests upon each step taken.
7. NIGHTFALL – vs Haven Citadel, Sanctuary and Clans (Darkstorn, Dace-Malekith, Sephinroth, Lenord, Synca, Ajit): Nighon forces finally start to take hold of surrounding lands on the surface, as they knit both worlds together with their tunnels and passages.
8. APPROACHING DARKNESS – vs Necropolis and Gates (Darkstorn, Dace-Malekith, Sephinroth, Lenord, Synca, Ajit): an unforeseeable situation stops their advances on their tracks and lays bare their weaknesses. To return in control of their fate, they need to find a new strategy.
9. THE LIBRARY VAULTS – vs Clockwork Library and Gates (Darkstorn, Dace, Alamar, Damacon, Lenord, Miasma Marshlands hero Voy and Gates hero Jeddite): human realms are still out of reach under the watchful eyes of the anzu and the istari standing by. So, a small force heads toward the Great Library of Arnalun to try and cut off the magic sustaining the istari and with it, their immediate support to their allies.
10. THE CLOCK STOPS – vs Haven Citadel and Clockwork Library (Sephinroth, Ajit, Synca, Sud, Nedlon and Gates hero Elmdor): Nighon forces ambushes one of the main istari citadels. Even when istari magic supplied from Arnalun gets crippled, Nighon is still punished by daylight and its armies have a fierce ordeal ahead.
10. THE WARD – vs Neutral (Kalhar, Darkstorn and Raelag): upon returning to Ajhian Morhra, Darkstorn is sujected to a powerful telepathic power who shows him the truth about his ward Raelag, making him revisit and relive events in the past.
11. BREAKING MIRRORS – vs Haven Citadel and Clockwork Library (Sephinroth, Lorelei-Tessa and Mutare-Styx): deciding they had now strength enough to take Griphonhart Citadel, the medusas fall into a deadly trap.
12. THE UNSEEN FLIES AGAIN – vs Dungeon Maze, Sanctuary and Miasma Marshlands, allied Haven Citadel (Synca, Lenord-Randal, one Miasma Marshlands hero Nautzer and two Haven Citadel heroes Adam and Elias): Lenord resolution to leave Nighon is set, but on their way are endless marshlands and then, elven necromancers’ lands beyond. The pyrausta folk is helped in secrecy by Synca who found, again, unexpected aid by outsiders. If Randal is alive after map 6, pyraustas will be available for hiring at Dungeon Maze towns in the next maps. If not, they become unavailable and non-existent on maps.
13. MY EYES ARE CLOSED – vs Dungeon Maze and Summit (Synca, Nedlon, Sudd and Summit hero Kovieze): noticing the imminent downfall of Nighon realms, Synca decides abandoning the realm to its fate, whilst joined by Nedlon and Sudd. Branded as deserters and betrayers, they face a long and perilous journey away from the tunnels into frigid highlands.
14. THE GREAT FALL – vs Haven Citadel, Sanctuary, Clans and Clockwork Library (Darkstorn, Sephinroth, Ajit, Dace <Malekith>, Lorelei, Mutare, Alamar, Damacon, and surviving heroes from map 6): the great leaders of the dominant Nighon races return from their quests, defeated. Only to find the realm forsaken and deep in chaos. Whilst fighting their most fearsome enemies pouring from the surface, they need to reunite all remaining forces for a last stand and, perhaps, survive.
15. THE DARKNESS PLIGHT – vs Haven Citadel, Summit, Atlantis and Gnavigium (Forge), allied Atlantis (Darkstorn, Sephinroth, Dace-Malekith, Atlantis’s hero Yog and Gnavigium’s hero Deyja): after Ajit’s sacrifice, losing everything and trapped between enemies armies coming from the north and the flooding invading Nighon’s tunnels from the south, the last of Nighon’s survivors accept a conditional accord proposed by Yog for an alternative route and support to flee from the continent, whilst evading some new and unknown form of mechanical creatures.
The usual overwhelming block of text and information. A mishmash of units and some new blood, a lot of old heroes making their reappearance – at least in name. And I had special fun writing the campaign overview. Hope you like it! =D
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"Okay. Look. We both said a lot of things that you're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster."
GlaDOS – Portal 2
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Alon
Known Hero
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posted October 23, 2020 05:57 AM |
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Edited by Alon at 12:19, 03 Nov 2020.
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Dungeon
Insects are not the equals of men, and men are not the equals of dragons. The weak exist to serve the strong, and all who cannot compel submission from the weak are themselves weak.
The dungeon is a town run by dragons. The heroes are dragons, while the units are minions of various levels, always following the rule that the weaker ones are cannon fodder enabling the stronger ones to attack. It is not underground - dragons may sometimes build habitats into mountainsides, but the donjon is the highest room in the tower rather than the basement, and besides, nobody has the technology to build more than the most primitive tunnels.
The town combines rule by force with very clear rules (it's called rule by law in historiography of legalism and increasingly of modern-day autocracies) - it's not social-Darwinist competition. There's a very clear hierarchy, with dragons on top as heroes who everyone else must worship and die for and get little in return.
Equally importantly, even though dragons are not numerous, they are proud. They hold races like unicorns in contempt for seeking mere safety, like some beggars - and if the unicorns are beggars then they're best fit to be tender food for dragons.
Key attributes for the dungeon include:
Active heroes: the dragons are out on the battlefield and not just leading.
Disposable weak units, elite strong units: the tier-1 units are numerous, cheap, and disposable cannon fodder, but the tier-3 units are the opposite and require delicate force preservation.
Offense, not defense: the dungeon is stronger at laying sieges than at defending them. If an enemy hero is advancing on your town, it's better to harass the army in the field by throwing dragonflies at it than to bunker up behind walls.
Heroes and skills
The heroes are all dragons. They can acquire skills just like humanoid or equine heroes and have the same skill tree. But they are also active on the battlefield, taking physical or magical action while protected by the troops. The protection is important - dragons are not going to fly into a castle and breathe fire by themselves, because then they expose themselves to missile attacks by defenders; any action that places the dragon at risk must be paired with a distraction action by a troop to draw the enemy away.
Special skill: flight
The dragons are all capable of flight, on both the adventure map and the combat map. A dragon hero with an all-flying army can therefore fly above obstacles and difficult terrain, even if the army includes units that a humanoid can't ride, that is dragonflies. Moreover, the dragon can fly to any spot on the combat map to take an action and then retreat to safety - and even flee battle entirely if it's going poorly, surviving without the need for ransom payment, sacrificing the troops.
Dragon warrior
The dragon warrior uses physical prowess to browbeat both errant troops and the enemy, with such presence that taking an action on the battlefield also increases the morale of all troops except the stack used for protecting the dragon, through sheer fear. The skill controlling the dragon warrior's action on the battlefield is sweep: the sweep involves attacking an enemy unit or structure while it is also under attack by a troop under the dragon's control. The sweep involves a physical attack, fire breath, and demoralization of the target, and its power increases as the dragon's level grows. After the sweep the dragon immediately flies back behind the lines, and cannot normally be directly targeted.
Additional bonuses depend on the hero. They can include offense, defense, tactics, siegecraft, diplomacy (wererats don't matter but hydras might enough to justify paying ransom), estates, and magic resistance; there are no bonuses to individual units because dragons are born superior and never have the experience of coming up through the ranks from which they can gain insight into one unit type.
Dragon sorcerer
Much like the dragon warrior, the dragon sorcerer takes personal charge of intimidating the troops into battle and attacking the enemy. However, the dragon sorcerer differs in using magical powers. This is called a burn, providing a menu of actions, some protected by an allied troop like the dragon warrior's sweep, including a fire breath, and others cast at a distance, such as a fear spell and a weakness spell. This is in addition to the usual spellcasting abilities of magic heroes, so the dragon sorcerer can in some cases cast the same spell twice.
Additional bonuses, depending on the dragon chosen, include bonuses to any of the specific actions within the burn menu.
Special buildings
Spire: defensive structure. The spire has two functions: first, it can be used as a fighting platform for reptilian skirmishers that is harder to attack from the ground than regular city walls, and second, a defending hero can perch on it and flee the city alive if the battle is lost.
Warren: general horde building. Every single unit in the game, for any faction, has a horde building doubling production. The warren adds to this, by increasing production of any unit provided it has the horde building from double to triple the base amount.
Dragon's cave: a shared community resource for dragons. The dragon's cave levels up the special actions of any dragon hero that visits, and bonuses from different caves stack. And don't forget - this is for a game where the macro permits you to build new towns, each with its own cave.
Units
Tier 1
Wererat: disposable infantry, can tunnel under obstacles and city walls.
Reptilian: fast javelin thrower, possibly slightly more archer-like (longer-range, worse against armor) than other skirmish units like the orc skirmisher and salamander.
Dragonfly: light flier, ties up archers and possibly also slows down fast scout units like the outrider.
At this tier, the dungeon fights by throwing endless numbers of disposable units at the enemy and hoping it sticks. All three units are fairly mobile and useful in sieges, so harassing enemy expansions is viable.
Tier 2
Basilisk: fast ground unit with a strong poison attack, has some ability to climb cliffs and move through difficult terrain thanks to all these legs.
Chimera: fast offensive unit with a combination of a physical attack and fire breath. I'm not even sure if this is the flying version or the non-flying one yet, will update later. It may also have some casting abilities, debuffing units to slow them down.
Minotaur: frontal assault fighter with the ability to bash in city gates, the only unit in this lineup that's truly tanky.
At this tier, it's ideal to use tier-1 units for interference and tier-2 units as the damage dealers. This means that basilisk-chimera-dragonfly is good in difficult terrain, for example when trying to dislodge a preserve army from the forest; minotaur-dragonfly-wererat is good in sieges, with the tier-1 units attacking first and forcing the enemy to engage them while the minotaur moves in; minotaur-chimera-reptilian is good in open terrain against infantry as well as light cavalry.
Tier 3
Gorgon: fragile unit, possibly with some casting support powers, but mainly with a stone gaze that goes first regardless of whether attacking or defending and instantly kills a single unit in the enemy stack. Excellent against small stacks of strong units, less good against mass armies of tier-1 units.
Hydra: slow, armored fighter with a multi-headed attack dealing bonus damage to large stacks, just so vulnerable to skirmishers and to high-tier damage dealers like the paladin.
Wyvern: flying caster with an AOE fire breath and spells temporarily disabling enemy stacks, not quite a dragon but just below one in the dungeon's hierarchy.
At this tier, force preservation is important - tier-3 units are no longer disposable. The gorgon in particular is an excellent counter to other tier-3 units, but is very fragile and needs dragonflies and chimeras to distract enemy archers and minotaurs to tank against tier-2 melee units. The wyvern is fast and melts large stacks of weak units, but is vulnerable to skirmishers and therefore requires the reptilian to deal with them and is equally vulnerable to heavy cavalry and magic users and requires the wererat to act as cannon fodder.
Final notes
The chimera may be switched for the lamia. I kind of like a 6-town story - sorry inferno - and then there's a plausible way to tell an 8-town sequel story in which some lizardpeople rebelled and took one or two of the units in the lineup with them, and the lamia is a good candidate for that.
The plot involves a dragon leveling up through missions to attack rebellious reptilians, raid human villages and the preserve, defend from an undead onslaught, and so on. Then near the end of the campaign the hero has to challenge the established dragon ruler, and then there's a coda involving expanding the dragon's empire.
Because people were interested in how I was contrasting the castle with the other factions in the first contest here, here is the same contrast for the dungeon:
Castle: these are both very hierarchical societies that think everything else exists to be dominated. Lore-wise, the difference is that the castle has some degree of mutualism - the peasants are a resource to be exploited either way, but to the castle there's some sense of force preservation. Gameplay-wise, the difference is that the castle has much stronger horizontal relationships, with different same-tier units supporting each other, and even the tier-3 units exist mostly as support rather than as the main damage dealers.
Preserve: so, so different. The only real lore commonality is that these are not humanoid towns. In gameplay, both towns use magic and hero spellcasting in similar ways to support the army, which makes micro very important, and both have nigh irreplaceable high-tier units, the difference being that the preserve's units are irreplaceable at lower tiers as well.
Academy: both the academy and the dungeon are magic-oriented, have heroes with a lot of personal power, and rely on disposable low-tier units. But at a less superficial level, they're not at all alike. The academy is a society with a decent extent of social mobility - the wizards are not a hereditary race. The academy's summons and constructs are tools to achieve an end, but they're valuable tools not to be thrown away for nothing, with in-combat repair options. To the dragons, only the weak risk anything for mere wererats. To the wizards, only the weak throw away elementals for nothing. Macro is different as well - the dungeon is strong on the offense so it should constantly harass expansions, the academy can generate more income out of cities through technology so it should expand and defend until it can build an overwhelming army.
Necropolis: to people with castle values, the necropolis and dungeon are both evil. In any other respect, they are not very similar. Fighting the necropolis is like being in a horror movie; fighting the dungeon is like being in a war movie. The necropolis and dungeon are both offense-oriented and weak at range, but the necropolis relies on slow-moving armies that one can run from but not hide, and the dungeon relies on mobility and brute force.
Stronghold: very dissimilar, which shouldn't surprise since the stronghold and the preserve are alike in many ways. The orcs do have a people-follow-strength mentality much like the dragons, but they have a flatter hierarchy, limited heredity, unmixed armies (stronghold armies don't benefit much from combined arms), and absolutely no cannon fodder. On a fundamental level, the dragons view massacres as an end, whereas the orcs do as a means to compel further towns to surrender, and if they do surrender, the orcs treat them well.
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted October 24, 2020 04:45 PM |
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Edited by Jiriki9 at 22:01, 20 Nov 2020.
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So, on to Rampart.
General infos
-this proposal is meant to be in the same setting and game as the factions from the former rounds.
-the setting is an entirely new one, neither the "old" setting up to H4, nor Ashan.
-there are several gameplay aspects that I have decided for myself, but will not detail here, unless someone asks me to. After all, this is about the faction, not a game proposal. Examples are: Battlefields, Diverse Terrain Features (Forests, High Grass, Shallow Water, Small Ceiling in Underground, deep Sand, slippery Ice etc.), Weather, Ambushes, Advanced Diplomacy, Governors, Quests.
-both world and gameplay I'll develop during the rounds (Which is the reason why I won't give relations for the yet unknown new factions)
-I follow a classic, choiceless 7-tier lineup with alternate upgrades for the units
-there is a "Tech Tree" for every faction (saw the idea here and found it awesome so it's in my proposal)
-this, as my other proposals in the contest, draws inspiration from various other fictions. This is intentional and often meant to be a hommage, or a parody.
Dungeon
Music
may be tba
In a nutshell:
bla bla bla
Strengths:
-Resistance against Earth&Dark Damage
-much better in low light situations, Resistances against Blindness
-Good in narrow battlefields
-Stealth and Hiding
-Digging
Weaknesses:
-Weak in bright conditions
-No flyers
Big changes to older Dungeon:
H3: stronger focus on underground, more subtlety of abilities
H5: No dark elves, not such a focus on magic, entirely different faction
Backstory:
Underneath the World, there is another one. The underground. This mysterious world, connected to ours through small paths, is largely unexplored by upworlders - or is it not? For aeons, it was a place for those needing to hide - wether themselves or their possessions. And over the time, those dwelling there changed. Or maybe they always were there? It is lost in the mysteries of time nowadays. Fact is, there IS some kind of civilization down there. But it is strange and alien to upworlder eyes. Bigger nations hardly ever form, and every settlement is on their own. Trade is not much of a thing down here, but plundering is. Everyone protects their possessions fiercely. The weak are ruled by those strong, cunning or wicked enough. All values are changed:
Up is Down! Dark is Light! Evil is Good!
Faction Relations
-Castle/Haven: War
-Conflux: tba
-Cove: Neutral
-Dwarf Fortress: War
-Forge/Factory: tba
-Inferno: Peace to allied.
-Necropolis: Unstable Peace.
-Preserve: No friends of the Undergrounders, but neither true enemies, they avoid open conflict when possible.
-Sanctuary: Neutral
-Stronghold: Allies
-Swamp Fortress: Neutral
-Tower/Academy: War
Hero Classes
Overlord:
Overlords are the brutal rulers of the underworld. Having achieved their position by sheer strength and violence only, they hold onto their power with iron grip. Surprisingly, some are still passable rulers and others are more cunning than you expect. But most are just ruthless and greedy, and many are mad psychos. Not that anyone would tell it to their face, of course.
Starts with 4 Attack, 2 Defense, 0 Spellpower, 0 Knowledge, as well as the Strength is Power Sub-Skill.
Chances for Skill choices at level up (all non-mentioned: about standard chance)
-High Chances for Siege Defense, Offense, Fighting, Nobility
-Low Chances for Magic Skills
Overlords:
-Gaunab (Male Helling; Starts with Nobility, Greed for Blood; Specialty: Mad Rage - Gets a bonus on Damage and Initiative when killing enemy units with an attack - but also has a chance to fall into a rage, attacking ANY unit on his next turn.)
-Gunnar (Male Minotaur; Starts with Logistics, Greed for Battle)
-Shelob (Female Spider Queen; starts with Stealth, Greed for Blood; Specialty: Brood Queen - All Giant Spiders (+upgrades) in Shelobs Army gain +X% on their hitpoints. X is Shelobs Hero Level.)
Relic Hunter:
To have something of worth, you must first gain it. And that is the task of the Relic Hunters, which are always looking for especially worthy things: Powerful Artifacts. As that is a dangerous job, they are also excellent fighters.
Starts with 1 Attack, 1 Defense, 1 Spellpower, 3 Knowledge, as well as the Relic Hunt Sub-Skill.
Chances for Skill choices at level up (all non-mentioned: about standard chance)
-High Chances for Scouting, Enlightenment, Stealth, Resistance, Adventure
-Low Chances for Stewarding, Nobility, Air Magic, Leadership, Siege Warfare
Relic Hunters:
-Gullom (Male Bukken; Starts with Stealth, Greed for Knowledge; Specialty: My treasure! - Gullom gets stronger with every artifact he wears or carries. Which bonus and how big it is depends on the artifact.)
-Guldenbeard (Male Dwarf; Starts with Fighting, Greed for Money; Specialty: Contraps - When visiting AM-Locations, puts secret traps there. When an enemy hero visits the location, the traps will set out, doing some kind of damage, depending on the location. Examples: Location rendered useless, Artifact of the hero destroyed, damage to the army, a malus for several turns, and more.)
-Griphooc (Male Bold; Starts with Stewarding, Greed for Money; Specialty: ???)
-Larra (Female Human; Starts with ???, Greed for ???; Specialty: Tomb Raider - Larra gets a bonus on fighting and reward in treasure locations.)
Warlock:
Not all users of magic like to bow down to rules of a guild, follow orders or absurd "ethical" debates. Some acknowledge that magic is a tool and its use grants power.
Starts with 0 Attack, 0 Defense, 4 Spellpower, 2 Knowledge, as well as the Unleashed Magic Sub-Skill.
Chances for Skill choices at level up (all non-mentioned: about standard chance)
-High Chances for tba
-Low Chances for tba
Warlocks:
-Skodi (Female Bukken; Starts with ???, Greed for Arcane Power; Specialty: ???)
-Scott (Male Human; Starts with Leadership, Greed for Power; Specialty: Evil Eye - can unleash a powerful beam from his eyes, dealing heavy damage to all units in a line straight from Scotts position.)
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Faction Skill: Greed
Greed can take many forms. You can greed for money, for goods, for lands, for fame, for battle. All heroes of the Dungeon have some of it, though. Thus, each hero has one of the greeds listed below, each with slightly different effects. Each is 2-sided and thus a give-and-gain Skill.
-Greed for Arcane Power: The hero's spells are cast with 10/20/30/40/50% more power, but they also cost 5/10/15/20/25% more mana.
-Greed for Battle: The hero earns more exp from battle, but cannot decide to let neutral units flee, or retreat from a battle, but must always fight. Enemy heroes trying to retreat have a chance to fail the escape, increasing with the Skill Level. Capitulating is more expensive for enemy heroes. From Master Level onwards, neutral units cannot join the hero, but must fight as well.
-Greed for Blood: The hero and their army deal 10/20/30/40/50% more damage in battle, but the population of any dwelling within a certain range around the hero is reduced by 5/10/15/20/25%.
-Greed for Knowledge: The hero gets an additional skill choice every 10/7/5/3/2 levels, but has only 95/70/50/35/25% movement points on the AM.)
-Greed for Mana: The hero's spells cost 10/20/30/40/50% less mana, but their effect is also reduced by 5/10/15/20/25%.
-Greed for Money: The hero increases your money gain from a governed town and any location giving money on a regular basis and close to that town or the hero by 5/10/20/40/75%. On the downside, they will keep 20/40/60/80/100% of any money found on the AM (chests, heaps, treasure locations, etc.) or gained in quests for themselves.
-Greed for Power: The hero can govern 1/2/3/4/5 additional Towns. As a downside, each other hero you want to recruit anywhere in your Realm gets more expensive, based on Hero and Greed Level.
Subskills
-Relic Hunt (When finding a random artifact, or gaining an artifact for a quest, the hero gets an artifact of a higher power level.)
-Strength is Power (A town governed by the hero gets a bonus on population growth, dependent on the Hero Level.)
-Unleashed Magic (The hero gets a bonus on damaging spells, that rises with the Faction Skill Level)
-Up is Down! [Strength is Power] (Whenever the heroe's Greed Skill triggers, positive or negative, their army gets a bonus on morale. This bonus lasts for X days/battle turns, depending on wether it triggers on Am or in Battle. X is equel to Greed Skill Level.)
-Secrets of the Underworld [Relic Hunt & Unleashed Magic] (The hero can sense Artifacts and Treasure Locations, before they are in sight. They will appear on the AM. The range depends on Greed Skill Level, but can be increased by Scouting.)
-Spoils of War [Relic Hunt & Up is Down!] (When defeating enemy armies, you will gain some money. If the army was big enough, you might also get an artifact.)
-Deep Magic [Unleashed Magic] (Buff and Debuff skills cast by the hero last longer.)
...
Units
Tier 1: Bukken (Living, Humanoid)
Pale like zombies, scrawny as possible, wild eyes and sharp teeth - that are the bukken. Although they are humanoid, they have no known culture, no language, and hardly any intelligence on their own. Swarming hunters, they are frequent in the underground, hiding in the dark, waiting for prey. They are used by all heroes of the Dungeon, being weak, but still useful in battle. They can dig as well as moles, some say, and they fight with bare hands and teeth.
Abilities:
-Burrower (This unit starts the battle underneath the battlefield. The owner can name a target that the unit will come out. The first turns will be spent digging to that location. If the spot is taken by then, the unit will come out at the closest possible tile.)
-Digging (This unit can spend a turn digging itself into the ground. It can then move underground, slightly slower than aboveground. It can perform an attack directly after coming out of the ground, which deals only 50% damage, but the enemy cannot retaliate.)
Upgrades:
-tba
-tba
Tier 2: Bold (Living, Humanoid; Sentient)
The bold are a race native to the underground, though they can bear the world above if they have to. Pale-skinned, with big eyes and surprisingly strong, nimble-fingered hands, they are not mainly fighters. Their work as smiths and builders is much more thought for. But they can be of use in battle, and they are fiercer than you would suspect. They usually fight with short spears.
Abilities:
-Backstab (When this unit attacks from hiding, or from behind against an enemy with no retaliation left, they deal +50% damage.)
-Skilled Smiths (A group of this unit in the army embetters the equipment of your troops. Any unit with weapons gains a bonus on max damage. Any unit with armor gains a bonus on defense. The bonus is determined by how many units are in the army and how many of this unit are.)
-Sneaky (This unit can hide itself in tight and dark spaces, like underground or in small city alleys.)
Upgrades:
-Tunnel Troll (Some bolds are born with a natural talent of shapeshifting - and usually with a really mischievous, wicked nature. They are weaker than normal bolds in most stats, but better in Initiative and Speed. They can shapeshift into other units on the battlefield temporarily, gaining all their stats, except hitpoints & mana, and also their abilities. As soon as one of the shapeshifted tunnel trolls dies, the whole stack shifts back.)
-Helling (Paler, thinner and larger than normal bolds, the hellings are an almost aristocratic bold caste. In battle they are masters of cowardice and murder. They are better in attack and damage. They gain no retaliation while attacking from hiding, and they start the battle hidden if the battle is underground.)
Tier 3: Beholder (Living, Monstrous; Sentient)
Hovering, tentacled creatures with a giant eye - the Beholders look like taken from a mad warlocks dream. And they possibly are, as it is assumed they wear magically created as guardians. It is hard to hide from a beholder, and they are sturdy enough to resist ordinary attacks.
Abilities:
-Eye of the Beholder (This unit can see more than just what's in plain sight. On the AM, the army gets +1 sight radius, and detects ambushs or other hidden enemies easier and earlier. In battle, the Beholder has an increased range and chance to reveal hidden units, which enhances further if the Beholders wait.)
-Grab (Instead of a normal attack, this unit can try to entangle enemies with their tentacles. They only deal very low damage then, but the enemy unit loose their retaliation until their or the beholders next turn, and get huge mali on attack, defense and initiative. They must spend their next turn getting out of the grab OR attack the beholders.)
-Hovering (This unit hovers low aboveground. They are immune to some Earthbound effects. They can also pass over low obstacles without movement penalty.)
Upgrades:
-All-Seeing (Old, mysterious and specialized Beholders, with many eyes. They are slightly better in attack and defense, but considerably worse in initiative and speed. Their main gain is they immediately reveal all hidden enemy units on a battlefield, as well as all ambushes on AM, where they also reveal the number of units in enemy armies.
-Evil Eye (Aggressive and fierce, these are usually used to guard something not intended to be found by anyone. They have better attack and damage, as well as a range attack of shooting a beam out of their eye.)
Tier 4: Minotaur (Living, Hybrid (Humanoid-Beast), Male; Sentient)
tba
Abilities:
tba
Upgrades:
-tba
-tba
Tier 5: Medusa (Living, Hybrid (Humanoid-Scaled), Female; Sentient)
tba
Abilities:
-Stone Gaze (Attacks by this unit have a chance to turn enemy units into stone until they are healed or the effect wears off. Stoned units cannot act, but have 50% Resistance to Physical, Fire, Water & Ice damage, as well as immunity to Earth, Poison and Lightning Damage. Should an enemy consist of only stoned units, the battle is lost for them.)
Upgrades:
-tba
-tba
Tier 6: Giant Spider (Living, Arthropod, Spider, Female; Sentient(only spider Queens))
tba
Abilities:
-Crawling (This Unit can crawl over Walls and some obstacles. In Underground, it can also crawl up to the ceiling and move along it, in which case it can also pass over enemy units.)
Upgrades:
-Dread Spider
-Spider Queen
Tier 7: Wyrm (Living, Scaled, Dragonkin)
A kin to dragons, the Wyrms dwell underground. They are foul, sturdy, wingless creatures. Their greatest desire, for no known reason, is to hoard treasures as many as they can. They are a huge danger to their opponent in any battle.
Abilities:
-Digging (This unit can spend a turn digging itself into the ground. It can then move underground, slightly slower than aboveground. It can perform an attack directly after coming out of the ground, which deals only 50% damage, but the enemy cannot retaliate.)
-Stench (This unit smells very bad. Units who can smell and have no stench themself have a malus on morale and initiative while adjacent to this unit. Additionally, there is a chance such units do not attack or retaliate against this unit, increasing with lower morale.)
-Vomit (Instead of a normal attack, this unit can also vomit on the enemy, hitting 3 tiles, all adjacent to one another, and adjacent to this unit. The vomit is acidic, dealing physical, poison and fire damage. Beign hit by the Vomit also reduces the morale for any unit capable of smell.)
Upgrades:
-Tatzelwyrm
-Krayt
Special War Machine: Deep Shroud
The deep Shroud is a strange, magical device that dims all light, not by producing fog, but by making the light lower. Hidden units are harder to discover in the shroud, and also the battlefield gains a fog of war effect, so that it is not fully visible for each player.
Associated Units:
-Iron Maggot
-Spiderling
-Olm
Town:
Building Chart
Quote:
Legend:
Building A [Requirements] (Effect)
>Upgraded Building A
-> twice upgraded Building A
-Other Base Building needing Building A
General buildings are black
Magic buildings are blue
Dwelling are red
Special buildings are green
Buildings unique for Dungeon(except dwellings) are bold
Village Hall (500 gold income)
>Town Hall (1000 gold income)
->City Hall (2000 gold income)
-->Capitol (5000 gold income; unique per faction)
-->Province Hall (3000 gold income)
Fort (Makes the defenses stronger; allows Building dwellings)
>Citadel (Makes the defenses stronger; +25% Creature Growth)
->Castle (Makes the defenses stronger; +50% Creature Growth)
Marketplace (Allows trading resources for others. More marketplaces allow a better trade rate.)
>Ressource Silo (Gives 1 Crystal per day)
Tavern (Can recruit heroes of level 1)
>Inn (Can recruit heroes of level 5)
Mage Guild Level 1
>Mage Guild Level 2
->Mage Guild Level 3
-->Mage Guild Level 4
--->Mage Guild Level 5
Blacksmith [Town Hall] (Can build the Healing Tent.)
>Deepforge [Bold Village & Watching Tower] (Can build the Deep Shroud)
tba (BLA)
Feeding Cave (Allows recruiting Bukken)
Bold Village [Blacksmith] (Allows recruiting Bolds)
Watching Tower [Mage Guild Level 1] (Allows recruiting Beholders)
Labyrinth [Bold Village](Allows recruiting Minotaurs)
Stone Garden [Watching Tower & Labyrinth] (Allows recruiting Medusas)
Webbed Lair [Feeding Cave & Labyrinth] (Allows recruiting Giant Spiders)
-Cocoon Copse (Increases Growth of Giant Spiders)
Treasure Tunnels [Webbed Lair & Stone Garden & Ressource Silo] (Allows recruiting Wyrms)
Grail Building: tba
Defenses:
There is a strong difference between Dungeon Defenses underground and aboveground. Aboveground, they have normal walls, made of rough stone. Their towers are manned by Beholders. Instead of a moat, though, they get more and more spaces of hidden traps, underneath which lie deep chasms. Any unit walking over or landing on such a tile, will suffer a certain percentage of deaths (yes, deaths, not damage!) and have to move back to the tile they moved over before. Flyers or Teleporters do not suffer the deaths, obviously.
Underground, they have some of the strongest defenses in the game. the defense of a dungeon towns happens not in the big cave it is situated in, but in the tunnels around it. And these tunnels get more thin and labyrinthine the stronger the towns defenses are. With increasing defenses, they are also made stronger by various traps of very different effects. This makes hardly a town as good in a Siege defense as dungeon.
Tech Tree
Every faction has their own Tech Tree, offering benefits for all your heroes, armies, towns and AM-Structures.
The tech tree can be accessed on the Adventure map. Most Techs have requirements you must meet. If it is buildings, 1 town with them is enough.
Techs take time to research. The more towns you have, and the better built these towns are, the less time Techs take.
Campaign
A hero banished into the underground. A journey through the dark. Hidden Secrets. True power. Alliances, Betrayals, Revenge and Twists. This all makes up the Dungeon campaign I have in mind.
Scenario 1: Exilium
Curious, brilliant, ambitious wizard Jeddite gets banished into the underground alone. He has to use all his knowledge and magical power, and still to adapt to his surroundings, to survive and find a path in this weird world.
Scenario Style: Exploration, Questing, RPG
Map Size: Medium
Enemy Players: -
Starting Hero: Jeddite
Starting Bonus: Air, Fire, Water or Earth Magic Skill
Victory Condition: Reach a Settlement that is willing to take you in. There are 3 possible options and you start the next scenario with the corresponding town. The Bold Town of Gringutts is focused on hiding their treasure and Jeddite will have to perform stealth-based and treasure hunt quests to enter. The Cult of Occulus gathers around an ancient shrine. Jeddite will have to demonstrate true magical power to become part of their society. And finally, the Minotaurs of Knossus bow only to strength. Defeating their leader is the only way here.
Scenario 2: Refugium
Jeddite has to rise in power and hierarchy in his new home, and also make it stronger. The settlements in this region are not in open war, but they are not friendly towards another either.
Scenario Style: Questing, RPG, Conquer
Map Size: Small
Enemy Players: 2 Dungeon Enemies
Starting Hero: Jeddite
Starting Bonus: Mage Guild OR Feeding Place OR Town Hall in the Hometown
Victory Condition: Fulfill the Quest Line of your Home Town. Each will be different, but you will always end with defeating one of the other settlements in the area.
Scenario 3: Magister
Being backstabbed by other powers in his new home, Jeddite understands he has to become stronger to survive in the underworld. He seeks for someone who can teach him just that.
Scenario Style: Exploring, RPG
Map Size: Large
Enemy Players: 2 Dungeon Enemies
Starting Hero: Jeddite
Starting Bonus: a small army of the chosen home town OR a major Artifact fitting that hometown OR +2 Hero Levels
Victory Condition: Find the Chasm of Chaos
Scenario 4: Crusade of the Grim Grotto
Elsewhere in the underworld, Overlord Dace seeks revenge for his fallen father Damacon and fights a dark Cult in a rather fertile underground grotto.
Scenario Style: Realm Building, Conquest
Map Size: Medium
Enemy Players: 1 Dungeon Enemy, 2 Neutral Dungeon Players
Starting Hero: Dace
Starting Bonus: Axe of Damacon OR Helmet of Damacon OR Talisman of Damacon
Victory Condition: Defeat the purple player.
Scenario 5: Secrets of the Grim Grotto
The Cult of Mutare strikes back, but not openly, raising neighbours, spreading sickness and performing assassinations.
Scenario Style: Realm Building, Quests, RPG
Map Size: Medium
Enemy Players: 2 Neutral Dungeon Players (diplomacy might change)
Starting Hero: Dace
Starting Bonus: Gold OR Ressources
Victory Condition: Reveal the Cults plans
Scenario 5: Siege of the Grim Grotto
Finally, the Cult of Mutare attacks for real - and with all force. Dace has sent for a powerful warlock, friend of his father. She has agreed to come to aid, together with her new apprentice. But until they arrive, he does not have much to stand against the magic of the cult.
Scenario Style: Defense
Map Size: Medium
Enemy Players: 3 Dungeon Enemies
Starting Hero: Dace
Starting Bonus: 3 Armed Garrisons (unremovable) OR an additional Overlord Hero with an army
Victory Condition: Survive 3 months against the attacks of the Cult AND prevent the cult from performing their ritual
Scenario 6: Signum
The plans of the Cult are too far to be stopped now. To ensure mere survival, the Grim Grotto has to be magically sealed - from inside. Jeddites teacher, Ovudra, will perform the sealing, but Dace and Jeddite have to claim 4 Monoliths of magical power - before it is to late.
Scenario Style: Defense, Area Control
Map Size: Medium
Enemy Players: 3 Dungeon Enemies
Starting Hero: Dace, Jeddite
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Capture the 4 Monoliths within 1 Month
Scenario 7: Mutatio
"Ovudra" is revealed to actually be Mutare, having used Dace and Jeddite for her purposes. She has turned herself into a mighty, sentient Wyrm and claims this part of the underworld for herself. The 2 heroes, united by betrayal, have to escape
Scenario Style: Escape, Explore, RPG
Map Size: Extra Large
Enemy Players: 4 Dungeon Enemies
Starting Hero: Dace, Jeddite
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: reach one of the Anti-Magical Garrisons that mark the end of Mutares Reach, far in the west.
Interludium:
Both Dace and Jeddite want revenge at Mutare, but they know they need power for it. They decide to split up, to get the different powers they need. The player plays both their paths, but you can choose wether to play through all scenarios of 1 hero at first, or to alternate between them.
Scenario 8A: Consilium
Jeddite is certain they need a powerful weapon to defeat mutare. He travels to the fabled City "The Pillar", which spreads from deeper undergrounds into the skies above, and is a home for all those who have no place to be - or are in search for something difficult to find. But to reach it, he has to either face the Realm of Spider Queen Shelob - or one of the wizards who once banished him.
Scenario Style: Exploring, Questing, RPG
Map Size: Large
Enemy Players: 1 Enemy Academy/Tower, 1 Enemy Dungeon, 1 Neutral Dungeon, 1 Neutral Cove
Starting Hero: Jeddite
Starting Bonus: Map of the AM (partly) OR
Victory Condition: reach The Pillar
In the pillar, Jeddite meets with 3 heroes to help him in achieving 3 mighty artifacts: Relic Hunter Drezgha, Sky Pirate* Balthier and Historian* Schliemann. He will have to decide whose offer he takes
*class name might change with future proposals.
Scenario 8B: Rise to Power
Dace is in an unfamiliar, hostile part of the underworld, with powerful foes around. He has no choice but to make his first base aboveground. There, he has to secretly gather enough forces to dare and take the power. The abovegrounders might not take his incursion lightly, though.
Scenario Style: Realm Building
Map Size: Medium
Enemy Players: 1 Enemy Castle, 1 Enemy Tower/Academy, 1 Enemy Fortress
Starting Hero: Dace
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: For 1 Week, hold at least 5 Towns
Scenario 9A: Gladius et Magica
Jeddite seeks the sword "Razor Fang", last seen in the hands of the Knight "Maghral", 2 centuries ago. The difficulty is, his earlier domain is now fast in the hands of the necromancers.
Scenario Style: Exploring, RPG
Map Size: Medium
Enemy Players: 2 Necromancer Enemies
Starting Hero: Jeddite, Hero chosen after 8A
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Obtain the "Razor Fang" (In the end, Maghral is revealed to have been turned a Death Knight by know, who you have to defeat.)
Scenario 9B: Amuletum
Jeddite needs the Amulet of Chaos. Together with his hireling, he travels to the Archipel of Jekht, where it is rumored to be hidden.
Scenario Style: Exploring, Questing, RPG
Map Size: Large
Enemy Players: 1 Neutral Sanctuary, 1 Neutral Swamp Town
Starting Hero: Jeddite, Hero chosen after 8A
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Obtain the amulet of Chaos
Scenario 9C: Sanguis Herois
Jeddite is certain he needs the blood of legendary Dragon Slayer Siegfried. The human, long allied with the Dwarves, is not likely to give it freely, though.
Scenario Style: Battle, RPG
Map Size: Small
Enemy Players: 1 Fortress
Starting Hero: Jeddite, Hero chosen after 8A
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Kill Siegfried to gain the "Vial of Siegfried's Blood"
After completing 9A, 9B and 9C (in any order you like), a cutscene shows Jeddite forging the 3 Artifacts together into a mighty sword, which he plans to bring to Dace. His hireling will actually remain with him, to seek treasure/knowledge in the underworld.
Scenario 9D: Steel Diplomacy
As much as Dace wishes to he cannot take down Mutare and her Cult alone. He tries to form alliances with others, above and below, to fight her. Some Alliances will exclude others, though, and each shall have its price.
Scenario Style: Conquest, Diplomacy
Map Size: Extra Large
Enemy Players: 1 Enemy Dungeon, 2 Neutral Dungeons, 1 Neutral Castle, 1 Neutral Sanctuary, 1 Neutral Preserve, 1 Neutral Necromancers
Starting Hero: Dace
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Forge 3 Alliances by completing tasks for the other players. These may differ a LOT in detail, from obtaining artifacts to eliminating other players.
Scenario 10: Forging an Army
The time has come to raise an army strong enough to push back the Cult and gain access to Mutares Realm again.
Scenario Style: Army Building, Defense
Map Size: Large
Enemy Players: ...
Starting Hero: Dace
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Have an army of a certain strength
Scenario 11: Reconciliato
Jeddite and Dace plan to reunite in the Grim Grotto, but there are hordes of Mutare's Minions between them, and the underground holds even more dangers...
Scenario Style: Army Building, Defense
Map Size: Large
Enemy Players: ...
Starting Hero: Dace, Jeddite, Chosen Hero from 8A
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Have an army of a certain strength
Scenario 12: Cor Draconis
Finally, back in the Grim Grotto, Jeddite and Dace prepare for the final, fatal strike against Mutare.
Scenario Style: Army Building, Defense
Map Size: Large
Enemy Players: ...
Starting Hero: Dace, Jeddite, Chosen Hero from 8A
Starting Bonus: ???
Victory Condition: Have an army of a certain strength
Epilogue:
A Cutscene shows the heroes and their armies fighting Mutare's twisted Cult, while the gigantic Wyrm Queen wreaks havoc. Finally, they get close enough for Jeddite to cast a binding spell. She can break it but by that time, Dace has come close enough to her to plunge the Wyrmslayer directly into her heart. His strength, and Jeddites Magic, destroy the transformed Wyrm. She turns back into Mutare, a pale humanoid human of uncertain race, dead, pale and twisted. They look upon her, then turn away and go.
Dace and Jeddite remain rulers of this part of the underworld, and this fact, as well as the alliances and enmities they forged, will certainly play a role further on...
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samcurran
Tavern Dweller
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posted November 05, 2020 07:26 AM |
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Let's go Dungeon!
____________
[url=http://slitherio.online/]slitherio[/url]
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Alon
Known Hero
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posted November 05, 2020 09:36 PM |
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Is anyone else doing this?
I'm still in flux about the tier-2 lineup - I'm pretty sure about the minotaur but the other two could be not just basilisk and chimera but also lamia, werehyena, manticore if it's a 6-town lineup without the inferno (Geryon was portrayed as a winged manticore sometime)...
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FirePaladin
Promising
Legendary Hero
DoR Modder
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posted November 05, 2020 10:32 PM |
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Just too deep into my work, irl stuff as well as HoMM3 modding to even feel like making my submission(s) in my left free time.
____________
Enshackling time itself, heralds of the Ancients among their heat-depleted land.... Who could they be, who could rally the beings of the East and the North and control the mortals' fate?
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Rimgrabber
Promising
Famous Hero
Voice in Gelu's Head
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posted November 05, 2020 11:22 PM |
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Well, I'm gonna make my submission here tonight. If we need to put this on hold for a while that's cool, I'm just a bit worried that it will die out.
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PandaTar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Celestial Heavens Mascot
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posted November 05, 2020 11:33 PM |
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Edited by PandaTar at 23:33, 05 Nov 2020.
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Either way is fine for me. It's not that I can't return to make the proposals later also. But it is better when more people are participating.
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"Okay. Look. We both said a lot of things that you're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster."
GlaDOS – Portal 2
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted November 06, 2020 10:56 AM |
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I am steadily working on my dungeon. Will probably have more time up to the 16th as I'm in Quarantine now...but for dungeon, I might be able to finish it today. Or at least get it as far as necessary to be called a proposal...probably wont get to campaign ro tech tree again...
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Galaad
Hero of Order
Li mort as morz, li vif as vis
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posted November 06, 2020 11:12 AM |
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I'm insanely busy during quarantines so I sadly don't have the time to even come up with my half-baked usual thingy. I'm really fine if the rounds were (much) extended, otherwise I'll have no choice but to skip this one. 
____________
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PandaTar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Celestial Heavens Mascot
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posted November 06, 2020 04:29 PM |
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Another 2 weeks, perhaps? I just have to finish my townscreen, though. Dungeon is proving a bit complicated on that regard.
____________
"Okay. Look. We both said a lot of things that you're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster."
GlaDOS – Portal 2
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Rimgrabber
Promising
Famous Hero
Voice in Gelu's Head
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posted November 07, 2020 03:50 AM |
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Hey everyone, I've been having a bit a rough patch in life lately, and as a result, I feel rather burnt-out. This proposal is probably going to be more bare-bones than I usually do, with not as much lore, so I'm sorry about that in advance. If it's possible, would anyone else be willing to host the next round(stronghold) for me? I'll still try to participate, but with all the stuff I've got on my plate and all the depression I'm dealing with I'm not sure I'll be able to keep it on track.
Dungeon - Evil, Mixed
Lore:
For as long as there has been sapience, there has been curiosity as to whence it came. Scientists, philosophers, scholars, and intellectuals of all stripes have found various answers (or lack thereof).
Perhaps it was this obsession with the origin of sapience that caused the mad alchemist Agar to leave his comfortable position in high society to stow away in the dark, dank caves he now calls his home. The experiments conducted by him and his followers are morally questionable in the best cases and would make even a devil cringe in the worst. But, it was through these experiments that they were able to clear an important hurdle in their research: they were able to create life itself.
Though far from satisfied with their answers so far, the warlocks and alchemists of the Dungeon have created many bizarre and horrific breeds of creatures, ranging from cross-breeds to beastmen to entirely "original" abominations. So many are they, that the warlocks now have an entire army at their beck and call, and woe be to those that would stand in the way of their research.
Classes:
Gladiator(Might)
Gladiators are the servants of the warlocks and the alchemists who have been recognized for their exceptional skill in combat, and rewarded with a commanding role in their armies. While not usually the smartest, their instinct for combat tactics is nearly unparalleled in all the world. Some Gladiators are so skilled that they can even train their monstrous troops in melee combat personally.
Likely Skills: Offense, Defense, Tactics
Unlikely Skills: Light Magic, Luck, Enlightenment
Warlock(Magic)
Warlocks are among the most feared beings in the world, and for good reason. Their bloodlust and destructive capabilities are matched only by their drive to acquire even more power. It is said that they feed off of the souls of enemies felled by their spells.
Likely Skills: Destruction Magic, Sorcery, Occultism
Unlikely Skills: Defense, Leadership, War Machines
Alchemist(Mixed)
An intriguing mix of scientist and mage, Alchemists such as Agar were the ones to first discover how to create artificial life, and to date, the only others to come close have been artificers and their golems. The Alchemist's creations, though, are well and truly alive, some even sentient, and they make up the bulk of Dungeon's armies.
Likely Skills: Dark Magic, Logistics, Enlightenment
Unlikely Skills: Summoning Magic, Tactics, Sorcery
Troops:
1: Gnoll (Feral Gnoll/Gnoll Skirmisher)
Pretty much how the gnolls are in H3, but the upgrades have more interesting abilities. Feral gnolls gain attack boosts every time they're attacked, gnoll skirmishers have the bash ability.
2: Cockatrice (Serpentine Cockatrice/Draconic Cockatrice)
Glass cannon with a poisonous attack. Serpentines get preemptive retaliation if they defend, draconics have a "breath" effect on their poison.
3: Troglodyte (Infernal Troglodyte/Mutant Troglodyte)
Play like h7's trogs. Infernal trogs have fire shield, mutants regenerate at the beginning of their turn.
4: Lamia (Medusa/Naga)
Rather similar to H3 medusae, but the upgrade is a choice between no melee penalty (medusa) or spellcasting ability (naga).
5: Thestral (Nightmare/Tianma)
Essentially the hell chargers from H5, but flying. Aura of fear, chance to send their target running. Nightmare has searing aura additionally, Tianma has acid blood.
6: Drider (Drider Queen/Drider Widow)
Somewhat tanky, somewhat fast, ranged attack, no melee penalty. Drider queen can paralyze enemies, widows have a vorpal sword effect.
7: Drake (Fire Dragon/Frost Dragon)
Rather vanilla, I know, but I think splitting 1 creature into a fire and ice version fits the theme of the faction well. Tanky walker, both upgrades can fly. Fire is immune to fire and has a traditional fire breath attack, basically just a black dragon. Frost has no breath attack, but an aura of cold that lowers the speed of enemies ending their turn next to it.
Tavern:
Dace(Gladiator)
Dace is one of only 2 known minotaurs known to exist. He and his brother were created by Agar to serve as the ultimate weapons of the Dungeon. Dace's skill in hand-to-hand combat is unmatched in all the world, and those unfortunate enough to meet him in combat can do nothing but hope their gods hear their prayers.
Skills: Offense, Tactics
Specialization: Hero attack is more powerful per level, and has a chance to stun at level 10, and casts suffering at level 15.
Erwin(Gladiator)
Erwin is one of those people who can't seem to stop falling up. Widely regarded as a joke by the other Dungeon heroes, Erwin is often sent to the front lines in combat in hopes that he'll meet some horrific fate. Unfortunately, he seems to have a special connection to the half-spider half-drow creatures known as the Drider, and his proficiency with them has left the Dungeon leadership with no choice but to keep him around.
Skills: Leadership, Tactics
Specialization: Drider
Darkstorm(Warlock)
Brother to Dace, Darkstorm is a living weapon of mass destruction. Even standing near him is a death sentence, as his entire body radiates with pure electricity. His mastery of lightning spells is legendary, and rumor has it that he's so powerful he was able to kill a black dragon with his magic.
Skills: Destruction, Occultism
Specialization: Lightning spells are more powerful per level and bypass air immunities and resistances.
Erunia(Warlock)
Erunia's silver tongue has saved her life more than once. She radiates a certain charisma where people are compelled to follow her, and some whisper that they are truly compelled by magic.
Skills: Sorcery, Leadership
Specialization: Reduces cost of creatures offering to join, and cost to surrender.
Agar(Alchemist)
Agar was the first alchemist to discover how to create life from nothing. He is the supreme power in the Dungeon and all answer to him.
Skills: Enlightenment, Dark Magic
Specialization: Increased XP gain from battle at every level.
Lethos(Alchemist)
Lethos is obsessed with the magical properties of plants and mushrooms. His study of them has led to the deadliest poisons in the world, and his study of dark magic enables him to apply them from a distance.
Skills: Offense, Dark Magic
Specialization: Chance to cast Decay at the start of combat.
Buildings:
Cell Recycler: Creatures can be sacrificed here to increase the growth of low-level creatures in this town.
Leech Pit: This town's moat heals the defending army with the damage it deals to enemies.
Grail: Guardian of Earth: +5 to all stats for defending hero, +5k gold, +50% growth, 1 gnoll, cockatrice, and troglodyte join every friendly Dungeon hero's army per day.
Again, sorry about the burnout.
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Alon
Known Hero
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posted November 07, 2020 07:46 AM |
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While other people take their time, some explanation for how I slot units:
I think of units as fulfilling a role. For example, the pikeman and satyr do very similar things - they're massed heavy infantry. They differ a bit on details - pikemen go first in battle so they're especially good against high-damage-to-HP ratio units like cavalry - but fundamentally they do similar things. So it's useful to give different towns different role mixes to differentiate them, even as there are subtle differences between same-role units. Casters differ especially - they have different spell mixes - so it's okay to keep having same-role casters across many towns; every town has a flying caster in tier 3.
So we can think of lineups as,
Castle: pikeman/crossbowman/outrider, catapult/griffin/monk, paladin/court wizard/angel
Preserve: pixie/elven archer/satyr, werecat/centaur/dryad, weretree/unicorn/phoenix
Academy: gnome/will o' wisp/salamander, nereid/gargoyle/alchemist, golem/genie/flying machine
Inferno: imp/swarm/fury, stalker/geryon/succubus, gog/slaver/malebranca
Necropolis: skeleton/zombie/ghost, ghoul/venom spawn/vampire, death knight/lich/reaper
Dungeon: wererat/reptilian/dragonfly, basilisk/chimera/minotaur, gorgon/hydra/wyvern
Stronghold: skirmisher/harpy/warg, warg archer/troll/shaman, ogre/behemoth/konrul
Fortress: lizard warrior/lizard archer/lamia, trapper/raider/werehyena, pyromancer/tarasque/floating eye
Or, in terms of roles:
Tier 1:
Light infantry: imp, skeleton, wererat
Skirmisher: salamander, reptilian, (orc) skirmisher
Heavy infantry: pikeman, satyr, gnome, fury, zombie, lizard warrior
Archer: crossbowman, elven archer, lizard archer
Light flier: pixie, will o' wisp, swarm, ghost, dragonfly, harpy
Tier 1-2:
Light cavalry: outrider, nereid, basilisk, warg, lamia
Tier 2:
Rogue: werecat, ghoul, stalker, trapper
Siege: catapult, venom spawn
Mounted archer: centaur, warg archer, raider
Heavy flier: griffin, gargoyle, geryon, chimera
Light caster: monk, dryad, alchemist, succubus, vampire, shaman, werehyena
Tier 2-3:
Giant: weretree, golem, minotaur, troll
Tier 3:
Fighting caster: paladin, unicorn, gog, death knight, ogre
Arcane (=fragile) caster: court wizard, genie, slaver, lich, gorgon, pyromancer
Beast: hydra, behemoth, tarasque
Flying caster: angel, phoenix, flying machine, malebranca, reaper, wyvern, konrul, floating eye
This isn't quite Age of Empires, where these basic units are all the same and factions just differ in which ones they have and which they don't. For example, the skirmisher-archer difference is that archers have more range but do worse against armor - but reptilians are really intermediate between the two. Light and heavy infantry differ in that light infantry is faster and more disposable and can also assault city walls taking heavy casualties, but imps can't attack walls and pike and gnomes can, and zombies are extremely disposable, differing from skeletons in being slower and tankier and converting units killed into zombies.
At higher tier, light casters are mostly support and debuffs, but dryads cause direct damage while otherwise having the power level of light and not arcane casters - and the werehyena is a shapeshifter and can take a straight fight but isn't a fighting caster because fighting casters are way tankier. The gog-slaver difference is more in repertoire of powers than in that the gog is a better straight-up fighter.
Then the flying casters all exist in the different factions, but have completely different powers. Most are support, but the wyvern and reaper are direct damage dealers, the flying machine can lob bombs from safety, and the floating eye has a large repertoire of distinct spells. The stronghold and fortress use their beasts to break enemy lines instead, while the dungeon uses the hydra for melee AOE.
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Galaad
Hero of Order
Li mort as morz, li vif as vis
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posted November 07, 2020 08:54 PM |
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Alon said:
While other people take their time,
I wish I could take my time, as I'm struggling finding some in the first place. 
____________
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Mystic_Genie
Adventuring Hero
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posted November 17, 2020 10:50 AM |
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General Notes
Creatures:
- have a dynamic number of upgrades.
> denotes a tier 2 upgrade
> indicates that a creature has two choices to upgrade the unit
>> denotes a tier 3 upgrade (only available to a couple of units)
Note: A select number of creature won’t have a tier 2 upgrade but will give you more bang for your buck to compensate
Universal Mechanics
- Magic guilds also allow you to create scrolls, enabling heroes to cast spells without expending mana. To balance them out, scrolls are always cast with no mastery (even if the hero possesses the appropriate skill) and they ask for more and more rare resources the higher the tier you go.
- Each faction has a unique war machine that they can purchase at lower cost
- Heroes follow a semi random level up system. On Level up you will be offered a skill from a “preferred” pool and another from the entire skill list. You can opt to take neither, gaining a perk point instead that you can spend at your leisure.
In a nutshell
Strengths:
- Arguably the best late game units in the game;
- Multiple units can deal damage over time, but are classified differently, enabling them to stack. This makes the faction particularly nasty at sieges and prolonged fights;
- Best blaster in the game. Mage Guild is guaranteed to give you one damaging spell per tier to enable this.
Weaknesses:
- Mediocre tier 1 makes early game creeping a pain.
- Overall slow Civilization until Tier 3
- Warlock hero is easily mana starved
Units
All dungeon units have:
+1 morale while fighting at night or in areas without sunlight
+1 to luck while fighting on their home terrain (cave)
-1 to morale while fighting during the day
Troglodytes and Minotaurs help circumvent their negative, but leadership will be a very sought after skill, and as such is added as a preferred skill to all dungeon heroes.
Tier 1
Troglodyte
- Type: Walker
- Strong Stats: Health, Defense, Attack;
- Weak Stats: None
- Traits: Blind (Immune to all spell and effects that targets sight)
Note: Beefy tier 1 units with no upgraded form, they serve purely as cheap meatshields while you ferry your money to your higher tier buildings
Bandits
Type: Walker
Strong Stats: Initiative
Weak Stats: Defense, Health
Traits: Poisonous Attack(In addition to normal damage the enemy living creature attacked will also take damage over time)
> Thugs
Type: Archer
Stat Boosts: None
Traits: Poisonous Attack, No melee Penalty, Ranged Penalty
> Assassin
Stat Boosts: Attack, Speed, Initiative
Traits: Poisonous Attack, Stealth(Can not be targeted unless there is an adjacent enemy unit to it)
Note: Inherently frail, you will have to minimize the amount of damage they take while maximizing their poisonous affect.
Tier 2
Watcher
Type: Shooter
Strong Stats: Attack
Weak Stats: Speed, Initiative
Traits: Unlimited Ammo(Creature Never Runs out of ammunition while making ranged attacks)
> Chaos Watcher
Stat Boosts: Health, Defense
Traits: Unlimited Ammo, Hexing Attack (Applies a random Curse spell on between levels 1-3 on the attacked target)
Minotaur
Type: Walker;
Strong Stats: Health, Attack
Weak Stats: Speed
Traits: Bravery (Always has positive morale), Preemptive Strike (Retaliates before it takes damage);
> Minotaur Guard
Stat Boosts: Health, Attack
Bravery, Preemptive Strike, Heavy Impact (Small Creatures are pushed away one tile after being attacked by a Minotaur Guard);
> Minotaur Warden
Stat Boosts: Health, Defense, Speed
Traits: Aura of Bravery (This Creature and all adjacent friendly Stacks always have positive morale), Preemptive Strike;
Tier 3
Troll
Template
Type: Walker;
Strong Stats: Attack, Defense;
Weak Stats: Health, Speed;
Stat Boosts
Traits: Regeneration (This creature restores its health each turn)
> Putrid Troll
Stat Boosts: Speed, Initiative
Traits: Regeneration, Acid Blood (Melee creatures that Strike this creature take damage over time)
Manticore
Type: Flyer, Large
Strong Stats: Speed, Initiative, Health
Weak Stats: Defense
Traits: Corrosive Poison (In addition to normal damage the enemy attacked will also take damage over time; works on all creatures)
Tier 4
Hydra
Type: Walker, Large;
Strong Stats: Health;
Weak Stats: Speed, Initiative;
Traits: Multiattack (This creature can attack all nearby units simultaneously), No Enemy Retaliation (Enemies never retaliate after melee attacks by creatures with this ability)
> Deep Hydra
Stat Boosts: Health;
Traits: Multiattack, No Enemy Retaliation, Regeneration(Regains health at the start of every round)
Green Dragon
Type: Flyer, Large, Fire attack;
Strong Stats: All;
Weak Stats: None;
Traits: Immune to Magic,
> Red Dragon
Stat Boosts: Attack, Defense, Health;
Traits: Immune to Magic, Fire Breath (During attack, creature damages not only the target but any other unit positioned directly behind it)
>> Black Dragon
Stat Boosts: Attack, Defense, Health;
Traits: Immune to Magic, Fire Wave (Attack now travels up to 5 hexes, damaging all units in its path)
Note: Magic immunity is as much of a boon as it is a curse, since dragons will also shrug off positive effects. As a result, they start with the magic immunity to avoid awkward situations where you would rather leave the creature unupgraded.
Heroes
Stalker
Stats:
- Attack: 2 (35%)
- Defense: 0 (15%)
- Spell Power: 0 (15%)
- Knowledge: 2 (35%)
Unique Skill: Cheap Shot
- Creatures gain bonus damage from flanking.
- Several perks relax these restrictions.
Preferred Skill Pool:
Attack, Chaos Magic, Leadership, Logistics, Luck, War Machines.
Sample Perks:
- Stealth (Basic Logistics): Hides information from enemy players about the units residing in the heroes Army.
- Sneak Attack (Advanced Attack and one Basic Perk): Stealth creatures automatically benefit from Cheap Shot when exiting stealth
- Twisting the Knife (Basic Chaos Magic): A successful cheap shot will cause the creature to suffer the effects of the Weakness spell. The spell is cast at basic level.
Warlock
Stats:
- Attack: 0 (10%)
- Defense: 0 (10%)
- Spell Power: 3 (50%)
- Knowledge: 1 (30%)
Unique Skill: Equilibrium
- Elemental Chains from H5 essentially. Warlocks are able to see a creature's elemental affinity right out of the gate. Hitting them with an opposite element will cause them to take 30% more damage from the spell and cause their affinity to change to another one.
Preferred Skill Pool:
-Attack, Destructive Magic, Enlightenment, Sorcery, Leadership, Luck;
Buildings
Magic Buildings
Destructive Guild Level One
- Allows a visiting hero to learn and create scrolls of the spells kept within.
- Keeps 2 spells of the first circle (One of them is guaranteed to be Destructive).
>Destructive Guild Level Two
- Adds 2 spells of the second circle (One of them is guaranteed to be Destructive).
>>Destructive Guild Level Three
- Adds 2 spells of the third circle (One of them is guaranteed to be Destructive).
>>>Destructive Guild Level Four
- Adds 2 spells of the fourth circle (One of them is guaranteed to be Destructive).
>>>>Destructive Guild Level Five
- Adds 2 spells of the fifth circle (One of them is guaranteed to be Destructive).
Temples of Fire/Water/Air/Earth
- Reveals 1 extra spell (of the appropriate element) in each circle of the Destructive Guild
- Unlike the guild itself these spells are not guaranteed to be destructive.
Note: Faction Guilds are usually associated with 1 of the 4 elements, rather than with a magic school. They also only get access to two temples.
- Since warlocks need to alternate their spells to maximize their unique skill, they get one of the best magic guilds in the game, topped only by the Academy whose guilds give 3 spells per circle.
Might Building
War Machines Level One
- The Terror Cannon may be purchased by visiting heroes
- Functions like a less damaging ballista that lowers a unit's morale on a critical hit.
>War Machines Level Two
- Visiting heroes may now purchase common War Machines at double the cost
>> War Machines Level Three
- Merchants from other factions come to sell you unique war machines from the other factions, at triple the cost
- Gain access to 3 of the other factions' unique war machines. You can only buy these once, but the stock refreshes every week.
Training Grounds Level One
- Teaches Visiting Heroes Mark of Pain Attack(Attack action that inflicts damage over time equal to their level)
>Training Grounds Level Two
- Teaches Visiting heroes the Mark of Concealment Warcry(Gives a Creature the Stealth Trait Until they take an action)
>>Training Grounds Level Three
- Teaches Visiting Heroes the Cry of Agony Warcry (Cures a creature of damage over time effects, but they take 3 turns worth of the removed damage)
Special Building
Mana Vortex
- Doubles Visiting Heroes Mana
Night Bastion
- Hides information from enemy players about the units residing in the town.
- heroes without the Scouting perk can not see the armies inside the town. Creatures with the perk can not see the exact numbers, only approximation
Beacon of Dusk
- Grail Building
- Provides 3000 gold per day
- Increases magic damage dealt by 30%
- Creatures inside towns start the first round of combat with stealth
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PandaTar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Celestial Heavens Mascot
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posted November 17, 2020 01:56 PM |
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Oh, glad someone else appeared. The deadline is not dead set, actually. People are busy these days, so we are ... adjusting accordingly. If you want to give it a shot, be our guest. ^_^
____________
"Okay. Look. We both said a lot of things that you're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster."
GlaDOS – Portal 2
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Rimgrabber
Promising
Famous Hero
Voice in Gelu's Head
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posted November 17, 2020 05:20 PM |
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Hey, welcome! I'd say let's check-in and see how everyone is doing on Friday, and if people still need more time we can figure it out from there.
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted November 22, 2020 11:34 AM |
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So, anyone still working?
My faciton is sadly incomplete, but I don't think I can muster the strength to truly complete it. Managed to get the campaign storyline down, at least.
Greatest lack is: No special buildings so far. I might try to add them today...
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