Controller Theme Help Needed

I only have one Controller of any merit, an Ice/Storm. I also have lowbie Earth/Thermal and Fire/Thermals that I enjoy. However I really want to try Illusion but I can't come up with an idea for a good theme and secondary. I've thrown toons together in the past that were just proof of concept but I always tire of them even if they hit 50. The ones I keep playing are the ones with a good background and theme.

Any creative help out there? I'm not fussy about Origin type as long as it fits.

Thanks in advance.

Illusion/empathy ... A tribal shaman.

Illusion/storm ... A reclusive witch.

Illusion/thermal/fire ... An rpg-style wizard.

Illusion/cold ... Frost giant priestess.

Illusion/sonic ... A banshee.

Illusion/trick arrow ... A movie special effects gadgeteer.

Illusion/Rad ... a ghostly astronaut who died from a massive radiation burst in space.

Illusion/force field/primal ... An android with light/hologram/energy powers.

Illusion/kin ... An alien parasite that rides in the mind of its host.

Illusion/time ... A technology thief from the future.

Illusion/poison ... A pharoah, poisoned by his sister, doomed to have his spirit walk the earth.


Hope those help.


Lewis

My Illusion controller and second level 50 is an Illusion/Radiation fairy named Mind 'n Matter. He uses the spirits of his ancestors and their powers for Illusion/, and taps into the primal forces of nature for /Radiation. Illus/Rad is a *very* strong build, and is also QUITE fun. So fun, in fact, it cured my alt-itis for most of its journey to 50

Personally, I think Illusion lends itself to being a little more "techy", corresponding with sets such as Kinetics, Force Field, and and Sonic Resonance, whereas primaries like Plant and Mind lend themselves to being more "magicky"... Though that's just my personal opinion.

Along those lines, though, I'm thinking Illusion/Kin could be pretty strong--Speed Boost would really help you reach Perma PA more easily. Kinetics,a good secondary to boost team damage output, paired with an offensive-oriented primary such as Illusion, would be awesome.

Concept-wise, I've always liked the idea of a filmmaker/actor-themed Illusion controller, especially since Illusion has lots of flashy, Hollywood-esque powers (Spectral Wounds, Blind, Flash, Phantasm, etc). And "Dramatic Effect" would make a pretty sweet name I think the animations of Kinetics could work well for this concept, or you could recolor Rad to be white or gold (Gold /Radiation is a beautiful power customization, imo). Sonic Resonance fits well for the performer concept, too.

An Illusion/Emp could draw their powers from "deceiving" their teammates into thinking they're healthier than they actually are. Same with /FF, perhaps. Illusion/TA or Thermal or Storm could be an Indian priest(ess) or a shaman of some nature.

Sorry for the long post, I'm just throwing up some ideas Hope something I said can inspire ya.

Coming up with a theme for Illusion can be based on Magic, Mutation, Tech or Science . . . anything that will let you mess with people's minds and cause them to see stuff that isn't there.

Personally, I usually go for puns. My Illusion/TA needed a name that brought in both the Illusion and the Bow and Arrow end of things. He ended up being a stage magician/entertainer for the French Foreign Legion. Ever heard of "Beau Geste?" He is "Beau Jester."

My Illusion/Cold is pretty simple. I live in Florida, and we don't have snow down here. Any "Florida Snowman" would have to be an Illusion, so his name is "Florida Snowman."

Your concepts could cover a wide range of areas. Any kind of mind control or summoning concept could work. You could have powers that affect a foes' optic nerve or nerves in general. You could have a paranoid guy who has mind powers to project his paranoia onto others. You could have a wizard who reaches into other dimensions to pull out spirits for a short time.

Then figure out a secondary. I recommend Rad first (see the guide in my sig). The next ones I would suggest considering is Cold (for more teaming, but works great solo; late blooming) or Storm (better for solo or small teams due to the chaos). Then consider TA or maybe Therm or Kin.

Just because it is called "Radiation" does not mean you have to follow that concept. Rad powers could be explained as the transfer of mystical energies (magic) or absorbing energy from the life around you (Tech, Mutation or Science). Cold, Storm and TA are more limited in concept, but Therm and Kin can also be pretty open.

I had another idea for Illusion/Sonic. Basically, you know how in recent days there are these Japanese pop stars that are fully digital? They take the likenesses of 10 different models and blend them with motion capture to create an artificial persona. Then they sing and perform in music vids etc. Well, just add to that the Paragon extras of super-science and you can have an artificial personality for real in the form of an A.I. computer that can project its Starlet Sapience off the Grid, bringing music, deception and mayhem wherever she goes!

Lewis

So... even the Controller is an illusion...

That's a really neat idea UP!

Be Well!
Fireheart

I'll start by saying I absolutely hated this character by the time I was 50... but not because of the character itself, just the powersets.

But, my Illusion/Sonic had two "themes," if you would.
1. Reason for being: Rolled it back with the old, migrane-inducing graphics to see if I could skip the shields and make use of Presence and Leadership - someone called it a "Fear blaster."

Once the shields were given new graphics, didn't worry so much about that.

2. The character itself was a former Crey employee, working on developing new armor until she learned what her employer was really up to. So she stole it. The armor manipulated perception, with a slight ability to adjust the brain activity of the target, as well as operating off the controller's thought patterns, as well as direct manipulation of light and sound. She initially believed it was because of some supers "going crazy" that they were packing this system into an armor - basically dangerous field therapy to talk them down so they could get help. (In reality - escapees from various Crey experiments and defective Paragon Protectors they wanted to recapture.)

Loved the character, backstory and look. Hated the powerset. Pushed to 50 because I was (still am) working on getting one of each control set to 50 - only have Electric to go.

Others? (Can't say I'm not giving Illusion a chance, but really, it's my lease favourite control set) :

INEMOC 10 - My complaint with Illusion. "I need more control." That's about all it boils down to - Ill/TA.

Nuclear Shadows - Ill/Rad - Basically inspired by some of the post-Hiroshima/Nagasaki photos with nothing left of a person but ashy shadows on the wall. Haven't really fleshed him out, but he's a lowbie.

See my Guides and Tutorials

I'll toss out some of mine.

Rabbit Trick (Illusion/TA): A bunnygirl, inspired by the addition of the rabbit tail costume part actually. Her bio is " 'Watch me pull a rabbit out of a hat!'; or, why Circle of Thorns mages shouldn't try their hand at stage magic." Yes, among other things she is a Rocky and Bullwinkle reference. Just imagine a CoT mage doing hat tricks like Bullwinkle did. Her name is also a joke; it refers to her being a bunnygirl, to using trick arrows, and to her literally being a rabbit trick pulled out of a hat.

The Opener of the Way (Illusion/Storm): A Lovecraftian homage. A former student of Miskatonic University who read the wrong book a century ago. Maximum height, very thin, wears a black suit and top hat. Has the Bioluminescent Face (for the eyes), black cloth mask over the lower face, and the Bioluminescent Tail. He uses Beast Run a lot. His powers are oddly colored, naturally.

Entropic Girl (Illusion/Rad): Her powers bring disorder to the minds and bodies of her enemies.

Special Effectz (Illusion/Sonic): A renegade Freakshow with custom sonic and holographic implants. Why did he join the heroes? He's a Freakshow! Freaks don't need reasons! Plus, the heroes have cool stuff he can weld onto himself.

Patternshift (Illusion/Kin): Wears a hi-tech suit of armor that allows her to "repattern" the minds and energy of her enemies to the advantage of her and her allies.

Also, don't get too hung up on the name of the secondary set, but focus on what it does. I have an old Ill/Rad controller named Doctor Pajama -- his powers come from being able to enter and leave the dream world, aiding his allies and hurting his foes through their own subconscious. I just avoided powers (choking cloud, I'm looking at you) that I couldn't explain away under that premise.

I want to thank you all for your input. Now off to find the perfect name. I'll post an update tomorrow.

Many many thanks.

My new Ill/Rad named Lunar-Phantom is at lvl 8 and climbing. He's the spirit of a cosmonaut who died during an ill-fated attempt to beat America to the moon.

Many thanks for all the tips and advice.

Have fun with your new character.

Lewis

Wow there are some great ideas here! Mind if I pinch a couple??

Feel free to pinch any of mine. That is what they are for.

Lewis

Illusion/Thermal - Plato's Cave.

My Illusion/Rad got his powers from an arcane book containing the history of universe, complete from it's creation to it's end. His illusion powers involve invoking the terrible secrets of creation and showing people the images of their own demise and insignificance, and the radiation is a manifestation of the primal energy contained in the creation, and destruction, of the universe.

You can really find a flavor for anything :P