Far_Realm

While I don't think Pain Domination was a strictly necessary addition (Villains already had Thermal Radiation, Radiation Emission, Dark Miasma, and Poison for all their resurrection needs), I think it turned out alright looking at it. The concept of manipulating pain in its purest form is a superpower idea I came up with myself. However, they made it TOO much like Empathy. Here's a few ways I'd change it to make it fit the concept better:

First, the minor ideas:

Soothing Aura is a fine concept, but I don't like the animation. I wish the 'sphere of motes' animation was at least optional.

Painbringer's still too much like Adrenaline Rush - it would make more sense if suppressed the target's ability to feel pain, resulting in a massive damage resistance bonus and an endurance discount on its powers, rather than the regeneration and recovery rate bonus.

I just want to say I really LIKE Enforced Morale - not only does it make perfect sense, it's funny!

Now the bigger ideas:

I think it would make sense for there to be one other debuff in the set, possibly replacing either World of Pain or Soothing Aura. One idea would be remodeling either of them as an equivalent debuff for enemies, but I think a better one would be:

Agony - wracks an individual target with pain. While you keep this power active, the target's accuracy and defense are all severely reduced. In addition, any resistance it might have to control and status effects is also weakened, and the pain may even periodically cause it to writhe helplessly, or failing that slow it.

My biggest issue is with Conduit of Pain - obviously the set needs a resurrection power if it's supposed to be "evil Empathy", but how exactly does manipulating pain in the manner Conduit of Pain does bring back the dead? Here's my idea:

Forced Life - Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "that which does not kill me makes me stronger." It stands to reason, then, that that which brings you back from the dead can make you powerful indeed. With this power, you send a sudden shock of incredible pain through a defeated ally's body - the pain is that certain, special kind of "good hurt" that reminds the target of what life it has left and how much it wants it. The target comes back to life, but is weakened by the pain while it lasts. It's accuracy, damage and defense are all reduced for a while, but since its in pain already, further pain means less to it, increasing its damage resistance for the same duration. When the initial effect wears off, however, it experiences a kind of reckless euphoria that greatly increases its accuracy, damage, and defense, but also decreases its damage resistance, for a long time thereafter.

There are a wide variety of ways either of these could be adjusted. See what you think!

DISEASE (Buff)
Available to: Masterminds, Corrupters
Set Color: Medium Dark Hazel

Diseases can be devastating (or in a few cases, helpful), and are usually contagious, but with the exception of Computer Virus (and Rabies in the case of certain Masterminds), robots and machines are immune to their effects.

1) Creeping Cold – infects the target with a relatively mild, but highly contagious, strain of the common cold. Their speed and chance to hit are decreased for a little while, and nearby enemies are very likely to contract it in turn. Recharge: Moderate
2) Antibodies – incites target's immune system to purge whatever ails it, healing the target. Recharge: Fast
3) Computer Virus – infects an electronic or robotic target with a vicious computer virus that may have any number of devastating deleterious effects. Recharge: Moderate
4) Influenza – reduces the target's speed, damage, and defense. The flu is extremely contagious and may sometimes develop into pneumonia, causing victims to choke helplessly. Recharge: Moderate
5) Vaccine – cures a target of all deleterious effects affecting it, and inoculates it against future effects. Recharge: Fast
6) Invoke Symbiosis – stimulates a defeated ally's mitochondria, reanimating it and protecting it from debt for 90 seconds. The target will benefit from increased endurance recovery for a while after reanimation. In addition, whatever germs and parasites were residing in the character's body are prompted to seek out new hosts, generating a cloud of pestilence that lowers the defense and resistance of nearby enemies. When these effects wear off, the subject will suffer from decreased endurance recovery and attack speed for a while thereafter. Recharge: Very Long
7) Polio – Immobilizes a target, or may even completely paralyze them. Nearby enemies may contract a milder version and become immobilized. Recharge: Slow
8) Ebola (Corrupters) – infects the target with a horrible flesh-eating virus that gradually deals massive damage. Nearby enemies may contract a much weaker version. Damage: Extreme Toxic (DoT) Recharge: Very Long
OR
Rabies (Masterminds) – you infect one of your own henchmen with a rapidly-advancing form of rabies (or a software analog, if your henchmen are robots). The target's movement, attack rate, and damage are all drastically increased, but the disease eventually kills it. Recharge: Very Long
9) Plague – Unleashes a terrible plague epidemic on your enemies, starting with an initial target and spreading rapidly and at longer range than other contagions. Victims are subjected to slowing, severe endurance loss and retarded recovery, decreased accuracy, and random outbreaks of minor Toxic damage. Recharge: Very Long

ASTRONOMY (Buff)
Available to: Defenders, Corrupters, Controllers, Masterminds
Set Color: Dark Indigo

You can conduct the Music of the Spheres to empower your allies and scour your enemies. Though their power is vast, the heavens are distant and indifferent allies, and most of the powers they grant do not come easily, costing a great deal of either time or endurance.

1) Swiftness of Mercury – agitates the molecules in you and your allies' bodies, granting you a modest bonus to movement speed, recharge rate, and Fire and Smashing resistance. Recharge: Very Long
2) Clouds of Venus (Controllers, Corrupters) – you surround your targets with a thick cloud of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid, blinding them and corroding their damage resistance. Living targets who remain in the cloud for too long may be overcome by oxygen deprivation, putting them to sleep. Recharge: Long
OR
Guidance of Venus (Defenders, Masterminds) – you invoke the power of Venus, the Morning Star, to guide you and your allies. While this power is active, you and your allies benefit from a slightly increased chance to hit and increased resistance to Toxic damage and sleep effects. Recharge: Moderate
3) Tilt of Uranus – the eccentric force of Uranus tilts spacetime around an enemy at an odd angle, to its detriment and your benefit. The target and enemies near it will experience a severe reduction of their defense and resistance against Energy, Negative Energy, and Psionics, as well as a smaller penalty to their resistance against all other types of damage. If the attack succeeds, your personal defenses and resistances are increased to the same degree. Recharge: Slow
4) Dust of Mars – While this power is active, you surround yourself and those near you with a Martian duststorm. Enemies will have a hard time picking you out of the cloud, and thus your defense against ranged attacks is increased. At the same time, the dust hones and cleans weapons and scours flesh, greatly increasing the damage done by you and your allies' Lethal attacks, as well as slightly increasing the damage of all your other attacks. Recharge: Moderate
5) Winds of Neptune – you direct a mere wisp of the strongest winds the solar system has to offer at a hapless foe. So long as you keep this power active, the target and other enemies near it are slowed, have their damage resistance severely reduced, and are frequently knocked back. Recharge: Slow
6) Rings of Saturn – coalesces rings of sharp rock and ice around a target ally that damage nearby enemies. Damage: Moderate Cold/Lethal (DoT) Recharge: Very Long
7) Force of Jupiter – You can invoke Jupiter's mighty magnetosphere to shield your comrades from harm. While this power is active, you generate a powerful magnetic field that provides nearby allies with incredible defense against all damage types except Psionic and Toxic, and against hold, immobilize, and knockback effects. Maintaining this power is very strenuous.
8) Radiance of Sol – While this power is active, all nearby allies benefit from increased damage, damage resistance, and regeneration and recovery rate. In addition, nearby enemies are burned over time. Damage: Minor Fire (DoT) Recharge: Slow
9) Kingdom of Pluto – summons a swarm of small Kuiper Belt Objects to harry your enemies. The objects' attacks do minor Smashing/Cold damage and one random additional effect: accuracy debuff, defense debuff, slow, knockdown, weak confusion, or additional Toxic damage. The objects are very difficult to destroy by any means, but cannot be healed or buffed. The objects mill around you wherever you go, but you have no control over them beyond that. They will only serve you for a limited time before they tire of the heat and return to their distant home. Recharge: Very Long

I have lots of new powerset ideas, but this may be the one I want the most. See what you think!

ATOMIC MANIPULATION (Support)
Available to: Blasters
Set Color: Electric Yellowish Green

You are nuclear-powered! You can generate radiation and pure atomic energy to devastating effect.

1) Background Radiation – greatly slows the target and deals some damage. Damage: Minor Energy (DoT) Recharge: Fast
2) Uranium Fist – an unstable radioactive melee attack that, while it has a penalty to accuracy, does high damage and leaves the target with reduced defense. Damage: High Energy/Smashing Recharge: Fast
3) Radiation Leak – While this power is active, you give off radiation that slowly damages nearby enemies over time and slightly reduces their accuracy and defense. Damage: Minor Energy (DoT) Recharge: Slow
4) Enervating Field
5) Build Up
6) Atom Smasher – a nasty melee attack that splits some of the target's atoms, generating a powerful explosion that propels the target backwards and disrupts its damage resistance. Damage: High Energy/Smashing Recharge: Moderate
7) Critical Mass – you push your ability to generate energy to the absolute limit. While this power is active, your damage is increased, but you slowly take damage yourself. Recharge: Slow
8) Shiva Strike – channels a megaton of energy into a single melee attack. The target's defense will be decreased and it is likely to be rendered helpless. Damage: Extreme Energy/Smashing Recharge: Slow
9) Fallout

Also, some alternative ideas:

Shiva Strike – channels a megaton of energy into a single melee attack. The target's defense will be decreased and there is a remote chance that ordinary enemies (minions, lieutenants, and bosses) will be obliterated outright. Damage: Extreme Energy/Smashing Recharge: Slow

Touch of Ruin – You generate a small amount of antimatter from your fingertips and can direct it at a target up to 15 feet away from you. In addition to taking serious damage, the target is knocked back and left with reduced damage and damage resistance. This power is more endurance-intensive than similar attack powers, and there is a very brief period wherein it can be interrupted, so it must be timed carefully. Note that it can benefit from both Melee and Sniper Invention Enhancement sets. Damage: Superior Energy Recharge: Slow

That actually sounds tempting. How do their Atomic Blasts compare? I mean, seriously, an "Atomic Blast" should disintegrate everything around you.

I'd personally be happy if they allowed the rest of the set to do a little less damage than other ranged sets in exchange for making Atomic Blast the most powerful 'nova' attack in the game.

How favorably does Corrupters' Radiation Blast damage compare to Blasters' Radiation Blast ultimately? I've tested a Radiation Corrupter up to level 4, and that far, its damage seems little better than Defenders' Radiation Blast, the only difference I can see being Scourge. But Corrupters are supposed to do High damage (my Energy Blast and Assault Rifle Corrupters certainly do) - does their Radiation Blast change any with levels?

Why don't Brutes get Ice Armor?

Why don't Masterminds get Cold Domination, even though they get Thermal Radiation? Why don't they get Radiation Emission, for that matter?

Why don't Blasters get Dark Blast?

Why don't Defenders get Thermal Radiation and Fire Blast, even though they get Cold Domination and Ice Blast, and even Traps and Assault Rifle?

Why don't Corrupters get Force Field?

Why don't Tankers get Energy Aura?

Why don't Dominators get Illusion Control?

I'm not looking for the obvious answer, "The Devs haven't gotten around to it yet," or for bullies who answer me with thinly-disguised put-downs - I want to know if there's supposed to be any good reason for these particular absences.

And now for something completely different.


There are a lot of ways this set could easily be changed if necessary.

ASTRONOMY (Buff)
Available to: Defenders, Corrupters, Controllers, Masterminds
Set Color: Dark Indigo
Animation Notes: It would be neat to see just how good a job they could do on Rings of Saturn. I think it would also be cool if they could base some of the sound effects on Holst's "The Planets" symphony, at least loosely - I *think* it's public domain.

You can conduct the Music of the Spheres to empower your allies and scour your enemies. Though their power is vast, the heavens are distant and indifferent allies, and most of the powers they grant do not come easily, costing a great deal of either time or endurance.

1) Swiftness of Mercury – agitates the molecules in you and your allies' bodies, granting you a modest bonus to movement speed, recharge rate, and Fire and Smashing resistance. Recharge: Very Long
2) Clouds of Venus (Controllers, Corrupters) – you surround your targets with a thick cloud of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid, blinding them and corroding their damage resistance. Living targets who remain in the cloud for too long may be overcome by oxygen deprivation, putting them to sleep. Recharge: Long
OR
Guidance of Venus (Defenders, Masterminds) – you invoke the power of Venus, the Morning Star, to guide you and your allies. While this power is active, you and your allies benefit from a slightly increased chance to hit and increased defense against Toxic damage and sleep effects. Recharge: Moderate
3) Tilt of Uranus – the eccentric force of Uranus tilts spacetime around an enemy at an odd angle, to its detriment and your benefit. The target and enemies near it will experience a severe reduction of their defense and resistance against Energy, Negative Energy, and Psionics, as well as a smaller penalty to their resistance against all other types of damage. If the attack succeeds, your personal defenses and resistances are increased to the same degree. Recharge: Slow
4) Dust of Mars – While this power is active, you surround yourself and those near you with a Martian duststorm. Enemies will have a hard time picking you out of the cloud, and thus your defense against ranged attacks is increased. At the same time, the dust hones and cleans weapons and scours flesh, greatly increasing the damage done by you and your allies' Lethal attacks, as well as slightly increasing the damage of all your other attacks. Recharge: Moderate
5) Winds of Neptune – you direct a mere wisp of the strongest wind the solar system has to offer at a hapless foe. So long as you keep this power active, the target and other enemies near it are slowed, have their damage resistance severely reduced, and are frequently knocked back. Recharge: Slow
6) Rings of Saturn – coalesces rings of sharp rock and ice around a target ally that damage nearby enemies. Damage: Moderate Cold/Lethal (DoT) Recharge: Very Long
7) Force of Jupiter – You can invoke Jupiter's mighty magnetosphere to shield your comrades from harm. While this power is active, you generate a powerful magnetic field that provides nearby allies with incredible defense against all damage types except Psionic and Toxic, and against hold, immobilize, and knockback effects. Maintaining this power is very strenuous.
8) Radiance of Sol – While this power is active, all nearby allies benefit from increased damage, damage resistance, and regeneration and recovery rate. In addition, nearby enemies are burned over time. Damage: Minor Fire (DoT) Recharge: Slow
9) Kingdom of Pluto – summons a swarm of small Kuiper Belt Objects to harry your enemies. The objects' attacks do minor Smashing/Cold damage and one random additional effect: accuracy debuff, defense debuff, slow, knockdown, weak confusion, or additional Toxic damage. The objects are very difficult to destroy by any means, but cannot be healed or buffed. The objects mill around you wherever you go, but you have no control over them beyond that. They will only serve you for a limited time before they tire of the heat and return to their distant home. Recharge: Very Long

Made a couple of alterations to Disease.

New idea:

Be Ghost Rider, or (since he's not a Villain) Jacob Marley maybe? Or maybe a certain video game character....

CHAIN ASSAULT (Assault)
Available to: Dominators
Set Color: Reddish Dark Grey
Animation Notes: Since a chain is a series of rigid links rather than a continuous thread (and I was thinking the links would be fairly big), shouldn't this be a lot easier to do than whips? Different animation options should allow for choosing between a more natural or supernatural feel.

You torment your foes with one or more wicked spiked chains. While you do not quite have the range of other Assault sets, the chain's weight and your skill make it more accurate.

1) Score – a straightforward ranged strike that leaves a deep, nasty wound that bleeds for additional damage over time. Damage: Minor Lethal Recharge: Fast
2) Garrote – a melee strangling attack that deprives the victim of some endurance and slows its endurance recovery. Damage: Moderate Lethal Recharge: Fast
3) Sweep of Scorn – a powerful melee attack that knocks your target away from you. Damage: Moderate Lethal Recharge: Moderate
4) Scarring Strike – a stronger ranged attack that leaves a hideous wound that bleeds for additional damage over time. Damage: Moderate Lethal Recharge: Fast
5) Torment – a cruel follow-up attack of moderate range that increases your accuracy and damage for your next few attacks. Damage: Minor Lethal Recharge: Slow
6) Constrict – attempts to squeeze the life out of your target, dealing a great deal of damage over time and leaving it gasping for breath, deprived of a great deal of endurance and with its future endurance recovery slowed. Damage: Superior Lethal (DoT) Recharge: Slow
7) Scorpion Lunge – you harpoon your target and yank it into melee range. This traumatic maneuver usually leaves the victim disoriented. Damage: Moderate Lethal Recharge: Moderate
8) Touch of Hades – a short-ranged attack that enervates your victim, depriving it of endurance and lowering its recovery and damage. This attack has a very good chance to do a great deal of additional Negative Energy damage. Damage: Moderate Lethal Recharge: Moderate
9) Dancing Chain – a section of your chain animates of its own accord, hovering over your shoulder like a serpent and making independent attacks against enemies within range. Damage: Moderate Lethal Recharge: Very Long

It would be a nice idea if, when logging off of a character (rather than exiting the game), we were sent back to the server selection screen rather than having to re-enter our passwords (and wait for the computer to process it) every time we switch characters. If you have a slow computer (or Internet connection, or whatever) and a lot of alts, as I do, this can get obnoxious.

/signed