New Mastermind powerset: Brainwashing

Through guile, bribery or mind control, you can convince people to follow you and take orders!

T1 Blast: Standard Mastermind attack

Minion Control: Allows you to Brainwash a single enemy minion. After getting control, the minion will scale to your current level. Only works up to enemies +4 to your level. (Possibly limiting powers?) Allows you to control up to 3 minions based on your level.

T2 Blast: Standard Mastermind attack

Upgrade power: Unsure what to 'upgrade'. Perhaps adding unique powers or increasing health/resistance?

Lieutenant control: Like Minion control, for Lieutenants. Allows you to control up to 2 Lieutenants based on your level.

Cone Attack: Standard Cone blast.

Utility Power: Hm, perhaps some kind of frenzy power that increases attack rate?

Boss Control: Like Lieutenant and Minion, only for Bosses. Can only control one.

Second Upgrade power: Much like the first upgrade power, what to upgrade.


I want it to be based around taking control of enemies for your own purposes, but I'm really unsure how you would balance it or what kind of blasts would work. Maybe Psionic blasts?

Although I find fascinating, my only issue is what about lack of pets on a map that is mostly cleared or in a zone during an ambush?

I have leveled 3 MM's to 50 and although I consider them incredibly powerful in what they can do, there are times when I loose pets (the horror I know, but I am only human ). Also, in a mission maps and you have to summon that first pet(s) from a group, will that generate aggro? Those mins/lt/boss would not be friendly to the mobs and drag them right back to you and maybe die on the way, leaving you will some aggro at your feet.

Again, interesting concept (apart from all the technical/coding/etc. issues I am not asking about), but I am use to a more reliable way to get pets.

Perhaps you could do a quick street sweep to gather up minions?

I honestly felt it might get pretty overpowered depending on what kinds of minions you choose to Brainwash.

Perhaps the utility power could be an AoE Revive, or a "Re-get the last set of minions you had".

So....in a Malta map I could brainwash 3 Sappers, 2 Gunslingers, and a Zeus Titan.....that I could then give commands to?

Or 3 Strongmen, 2 Illusionists, 1 Master Illusionist?

3 Green Ink Men, 2 Sorcerers, and a random Tsoo boss?

It could be brokenly overpowered, and it could also leave you with a situation where it is impossible to replenish your pets if they die.

Gonna have to say no to this one. It's an interesting idea, but the implementation would be sketchy at best.

Hmm taking 6 enemies to have as pets would seem to be a bit powerful at times and a bit weak at others...

The only way I could see charming things working to be balanced would be to have it work similarly to Bureaucrats in Anarchy Online: One short charm (About 2-3 minutes, possibly minion only) One long charm (About 30 minutes, possibly minion and leuit only) and one summoned pet.

Even then this still has a fairly big downside: Replacing pets. In AO it wasn't vital to replace the pets as they got quite nice controls (Every attack they did had a chance to stun (Hold) for a few seconds)

I don't think there should be a Brainwashing primary--but I do think that we should be able to change the skin/model of our pets.

Maybe have a Skulls/Hellions/Trolls outfit for Thugs

Maybe a Malta/PPD/Sky Raiders/Longbow outfit for Mercs

Maybe a CoT/Banished Pantheon/Zombie Apocalypse outfit for Necro

Maybe a Knives of Artemis/Tsoo outfit for Ninja

Maybe a 5th Column Robot/Malta Robot/Clockwork outfit for Bots

Maybe a CoT Demon outfit for Demons

Agreed: interesting idea, bad implementation.

Claws summed up my thoughts on it nicely. Overpowered and gimp all at the same time.

Easy way to fix this would be to add someway for the game to remember what you mind controlled and allow you to resummon them.

So you mind control a Hellion, a Troll and a Clockwork for your minions. Like the junky he is, the Troll stupidly dies. Well, since the game remembers your minion of choice, you simply resummon him like any other powerset. The game already remembers names of minions. Should be possible to remember what exactly you have mind controlled.

The next problem is overpoweredness. Easy fix: Don't let certain mobs be mind controlled. Tada!

I like this idea. As for upgrades, I'm not sure. Mabye generic attacks that encourage the use of specific pets? Like a basic gun-cone and a basic AoE grenade? Or perhaps Procs! Such as every time your minions attack they have a chance to proc a life leech or an AoE etc.

infact, you could call the whole set Chaos Summoner or whatever. I like the idea. Admittingly it would be very hard to get correct without it being severely underpowered due to nearly EVERY good enemy being untameable or be overpowered by allowing too many good enemies to be controlled at once.

Still a good idea.

Perhaps the upgrade powers shouldn't be traditional enhancements to the henchmen's existing abilities, as with other sets, but instead a psychic-based, mentally-induced upgrade akin to what Mother Mayhem does to make her "children."

While I've always been a fan of "blue mage" type things, the implementation of this is iffy. I love the concept, I'm sure there are a number of ways the devs could add this. Hope they look into this into the future.

Actually taking over critters in a mission/zone, then I agree: no. But the Puppetmaster is one of the oldest comic villains around.

Mind Control for Masterminds (The Pawn Mastermind)
The Pawn Mastermind is cruel mental manipulator. Using Hypnosis, psychological pressure, or outright mind control, you can force ordinary people to do your bidding. And you can force them well beyond the norm for endurance and pain.

1) Mesmerize (target & activate) – Mesmerize painfully assails a target with psychic energy, rendering him unconscious. The target will remain asleep for some time, but will awaken if attacked. Enhancements: accuracy, damage, endurance, sleep, range, recharge
2) Control Thrall (target & summon) – Assert your mental domination over one to three innocent passersby (the second is available at level six, the third at level eighteen) to do your bidding. The third Thrall you gain will be a Dupe, being someone your opponents know. Subject to your will, Thralls are protected from psychic attacks and other forms of persuasion (fear, sleep, disorientation) and feel little pain. Thralls use grappling and improvised weapons but can be taught more. You may only have 3 Thralls under your control at any given time. If you attempt to call more Thralls, you can only replace the ones you have lost in battle. If you already have three, the power will fail. Enhancements: Damage, Endurance, Range, Resist, To Hit DeBuff.
Thralls have excellent defense to Smashing and Psychic damage and modest resistance to all forms of damage. They are protected from Fear, Sleep and Disorient, but not from physical impediments like knockback, hold and immobilize. Generally they use brawl, improvised weapons, and rocks to attack. The Dupe, being someone your opponents care about, causes a major distraction on the battlefield simulated by a To Hit Debuff in a 30’ radius.
3) Dominate (target & activate) – Painfully tears at the mind of a single foe. Dominate deals psionic damage and renders a foe helpless, lost in his own mind and unable to defend himself. Enhancements: Accuracy, Damage, Endurance, Hold, Range, Recharge
4) Rejuvenate (target & activate) – Cloud your Pawns minds of their injuries and fatigue. They receive a boost to both their current and maximum health and endurance for 2 minutes. Enhancements: Endurance, Heal, Range, Recharge, Reduction
Think ‘Dull Pain’ on all your Pawns. Unlike other pet boosting powers, this will wear off so you will need to reapply.
5) Subjugate (target & toggle) – You can Confuse an enemy, mentally manipulating them for a time to assist you. If successful, the enemy will behave like an uncontrolled Pawn, attacking their own allies and following you for the duration. When you release them from your mental control (or the Confusion period ends), they revert to normal and will be enraged by what you’ve made them do. You will not receive any Experience Points for foes defeated by a Confused enemy. Enhancements: Accuracy, Confusion, Endurance, Range, Recharge
While extremely similar to Confuse, the key difference is that the target will always recognize you as friendly while being controlled, and will then gain a To Hit and Damage buff against you afterwards.
6) Control Puppet (target & summon) – Assert your mental domination over one to two Puppets (the second is available at level twenty-four). You are careful to draw Puppets from more useful professions, such as Law Enforcement. Like all Pawns, Puppets can be given mental suggestions making them more effective. You may only have 2 Puppets under your control at any given time. If you attempt to summon more Puppets, you can only replace the ones you have lost in battle. If you already have two, the power will fail. Enhancements: Damage, Endurance, Range, Recharge, Resist, To Hit Debuff
The initial Puppet will come from Law Enforcement and be good with fire arms, the other will be a Security Specialist trained in the martial arts.
7) Suggestion (target & activate) – Plant commands in the mind of one of your Pawns, giving him near superhuman abilities for a few minutes. The Pawn will eventually break free of your control, and then promptly fall into a coma due to his injuries. The psychic shock will require some time (one minute) before you can replace this Pawn. Enhancements: Endurance, Range, Recharge
8) Control Lackey (target & summon) – Assert your mental domination over one Lackey, a superhuman being who is already somewhat supportive of you. Enhancements: Accuracy, Damage, Endurance, Range, Recharge
9) Mass Confusion (target & activate) – You can cause mass confusion within a group of foes, creating chaos. All affected foes within the area will turn and attack each other, ignoring all your allies. If you confuse your foes before they noticed you, your presence will continue to go unnoticed. You will not receive any experience points for foes defeated entirely by confused enemies. Enhancements: Accuracy, Confuse, Endurance, Range, Recharge.

Aitchuu, you're kind of deviating away from the comfort-zone of the Mastermind skeleton... but maybe it's a good thing? Someone with more experience will come along and let you know on that.