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| Thread: Alchemist Faction- H3 Dungeon Revived | |
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BradRepko
Hired Hero
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posted December 04, 2007 02:07 AM |
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Alchemist Faction- H3 Dungeon Revived
Now, before I go into details of my new faction idea, it should be noted that I have not played Heroes 5. Don't get me wrong, I saved up money for a year in advance to buy the game when it came out, only, I didn't realize my computer couldn't play it. So, anything I know about the game I've read online. Before I submit my idea, I have taken the time to read the Faction Makers Guide, and I think my faction idea follows the general rules.
Alchemist Faction, The Asylum
The Academy Faction has always researched and studied new creatures and has created some interesting results. However, it is not without it's fanatics either, those who feel that the path to enlightenment is to create new creatures and become like gods themselves. The Asylum is made up of creature alchemist, breaking off from the Academy to pursue their own goals, to create creatures as mighty as the gods themselves. They are a small faction, and their creatures are all creations of their craft, you will not find these alchemists battling themselves, that is what their creatures are for. While the Academy has morales and lines they will not cross, the alchemists of the Asylum will perform any experiment to create the ultimate being, even if the creatures they create are wild and murderous.
The Asylum is a hodgepodge visually, with some rocky mountains in the backdrop and laboratories the predominant building, with deep underground basements. This explains why they have both subterranean creatures as well as surface dwellers. Their building are above ground and extend underground, as they focus on creating the ultimate being through the study of the existing life.
Level 1 Creature, Troglodytes
Initially, the Alchemists tried to create an amphibious creature that can survive both on land and underwater. To that end, they tried to magically merge human cells with frog cells, only with disastrous results. The creatures they created could not support the weight of their own internal organs, which would fall through their thin skin membranes, resulting in disembowelment. Eventually, they got their hands on some dwarfs, which had gotten separated during a skirmish with the Dark Elves. Dwarves are known for their sturdiness, and the Alchemists tried to fuse the Dwarf genes with the frog genes, and the Troglodyte is what they developed. These short and stoutly creatures are unfortunately blind, a membrane having developed over their eye sockets and preventing their development. Their skin is capable of sensing slight movements in both the earth and in the air, essentially enabling to detect movement without seeing and pick up sounds without hearing. This makes them immune to attacks and spells that are light or sound based, and are perpetually blind, making them immune to the effects of blindness. They are slow moving and not very strong or durable, and they prefer sub terrain areas as opposed to above ground, where the presence of wind takes more concentration to sense approaching objects.
Troglodyte -----> Spinal Troglodyte/Infernal Troglodyte
The Troglodyte is a weak unit, but generates quickly and is blind and deaf, giving it some immunities. The Spinal Troglodyte benefits from a slightly higher initiative and increased attack, and looks neat with the spiky spines on it's back, but still it's greatest strength are it's numbers. The Infernal Troglodyte has a reddish color from having lived deeper underground, granting it a small resistance to fire based attacks, but this resistance is only 15%, and it's attack isn't as high as the Spinal Troglodyte.
Level 2 Creature, Harpies
The Alchemists wanted to create a powerful soldier that had the body of a man, but the head and wings of an eagle. Unfortunately, this provided a difficult task and the freakish birdman creatures they created could barely fly, much less fly. However, the same event that allowed them to gain Dwarves for their Troglodytes also provided a few dark elves as well, Switching their focus from the eagle to the hawk, they were able to create the Harpy. Although not a strong warrior with separate wings and arms, these Harpies are fast and capable of attacking and returning to their original position, and their flight allows them to get over castle walls and other obstacles to do this. Although they do enjoy cliff side dwellings, being part dark elf gives them night vision, and they are perfectly capable of making up their nests on the rock walls of the underground caverns inhabited typically by the Dark Elves.
Harpy -----> Siren/Iron Maiden
The harpy is an average unit that benefits from it's attack and return ability, as well as it's advantage of flight. When upgraded into a Siren, it benefits from a big boost to initiative as well as it's shriek ability, which prevents retaliation from it's foes. It's still rather weak in the hit points and defense department, however this can be offset by the armor wearing Iron Maiden. The Iron Maiden has an increased defense and some additional hit points, but it's initiative is the same as the Harpy. It does benefit from the Knock Back ability, which displaces the opponent by knocking it one hex back, negating it's retaliation in the process. However, if the hex behind it is occupied or impassible, then the enemy won't be knocked back and it will still retaliate.
Level 3 Creature, Lizard Warrior
With the Troglodyte lacking amphibious qualities, the Alchemists still sought to create a creature that could provide land and underwater support. They began research on creating a type of undersea dragon. It eventually led to the creation of the Lizard Warrior. Part dragon, part man, part frog, and part fish, these creatures have gelatinous membranes coating their scales to keep them moist, as well as to prevent dirt and sand to get trapped between their scales. They also have webbed hands and feet, and a finned tail that helps them navigate beneath the depths of the sea.
Lizard Warrior -----> Scaled Assassin/Harpooner
The Lizard Warrior is amphibious, capable of battling underwater as easily as it does on land. It's upgrade, the Scaled Assassin, is more adept for land, wearing a black cloak and shawl and equipped with poisonous daggers, giving it a ranged attack. Both it's ranged and melee attacks can inflict poison, and it gains an increased initiative and the dodge ability, allowing it evade twenty five percent of attacks. It's damage is actually lower than the Lizard Warrior, however. The Harpooner has very few shots for it's ranged ability, but it's damage is higher than the Lizard Warrior. It gains the Giant Slayer ability for both it's ranged and melee attacks, meaning it does twice as much damage to those large units. Both upgrades are as comfortable fighting up close as they are at a distance, and have the no melee penalty bonus.
Level 4 Creature, Gorgon
Legends tell of a snake like creature called the Basilisk that is so terrifying that just gazing into it's eyes can cause instant death. They were able to capture one of these deadly beasts, but as is their nature, they wanted to alter it in an attempt to create the perfect being. Mixing it with human genes, they hoped to create a powerful beast that was intelligent and deadly, and they did, but not in the way they had hoped. The lower body was that of a snake, the upper body that of a woman, but it's eyes were imperfect. It's blood tainted, it's stare no longer caused instant death, but petrification, turning any creature that looked into it's eyes into solid stone.
Gorgon -----> Medusa/Cockatrice
The Gorgon has the stone gaze ability, with a chance of turning a creature stack to stone in melee combat. It's lower body is that of a snake, meaning it has to slither across the ground, giving it low initiative. This is made up for by it's training with the bow. It has the ranged ability, but it suffers no melee penalty. The Medusa has been altered to contain snakes in it's hair, giving it a slight increase in it's stone gaze ability, and a slight increase in attack. The Cockatrice is in fact, a modified version of the Gorgon project. Making the best use of their mistakes, they tried to blend the Gorgon with the genes of a bird to make a creature that was fast and capable of flight, able to devastate armies by turning them to stone before they could attack it. They were only successful in mixing it with chicken and ostrich genes, however, and the result was this fierce, ugly flightless bird with a short snakes tail. It loses much of the intelligence the Gorgon has, but it is no longer encumbered by the long snake tail, giving it high speed and initiative. It loses the ranged ability, but it does more damage, and retains it's stone gaze ability. The creature is a bit mentally unstable, and every turn it has a chance of going into a berserk frenzy, where it attacks the nearest creature and with a three times boost in attack, and hits the same unit three times with each hit at 1/3 the damage of regular hits.
The frenzied attacks also have an increased chance of causing petrification.
Coming Up:
Beholder -----> Mind Flayer/Eyegore
Manticore -----> Scorpicore/Chimera
Arachnae -----> Spider Queen/Black Widow
Remember that these are alchemists who blend and fuse creatures for the creation of the ultimate creature. There is a reason why the Gorgon can become a Cockatrice and a Beholder becoming a Mind Flayer, you'll just have to wait and see. As for the level seven creatures, Dark Elves are known to hold spiders in high regards, and the necromancers use it as a symbol too. Plus, many people fear spiders and think of them as gross and creepy, so what better creature for them to unleash upon the world. It was either that or the Fused Dragon -----> Hybrid Dragon/Chimera Dragon line, and I didn't want the focus of their ultimate creature to be dragons. Note the only dragon experiment in their lineup is the level three creature. Also, curiously enough, the Beholder line I've created is not ranged attackers. What have I in store for you all? You'll just have to wait and see
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Daystar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Back from the Dead
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posted December 04, 2007 05:02 AM |
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All good until the end, I don't think a spider should be a level 7, and if it is it should be in the academy.
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How exactly is luck a skill?
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BradRepko
Hired Hero
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posted December 04, 2007 05:11 AM |
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Ahh, but you see, it's only half spider, and it's huge. It's easily as big as a giant, having the upper body of a woman, possibly dark elf looking. It will have some sort of wall scaling ability that allows it to pass over walls, and it will utilize it's webbing in some fashion. I haven't decided what exactly I am going to incorporate into it, but if I used all my ideas it would be insanely powerful and unbeatable. Perhaps I'll give it a random chance of which ability it uses when attacking. You'll just have to wait and see. I'm open to suggestions and ideas, however, and comments are always welcome.
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sith_of_ziost
Promising
Supreme Hero
Scouting the Multiverse
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posted December 04, 2007 10:44 PM |
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I disagree with you Daystar. In one of my many notebooks crap full of ideas, I have a female/spider hybrid as an extremely powerful unit. The idea of an arachnoid as a Tier 7 show great ingenuity. Thank Asha its not a dragon.
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kraken
Famous Hero
I just love being elemental
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posted December 04, 2007 11:23 PM |
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I think some acid monster should be level 7
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Vini Vidi Vici
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Daystar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Back from the Dead
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posted December 05, 2007 12:29 AM |
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When I read it I thought it was just as spider (ick)
I like the idea of a spidertaur.
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How exactly is luck a skill?
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BradRepko
Hired Hero
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posted December 05, 2007 06:07 AM |
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The Alchemists' dream is to create a creature that is in essence, a god all by itself. Whether this means that they do not believe in the other gods of this world, or think of them as false gods is to be determined. Although all of these creatures are essentially failures in this purpose, they strive to learn from their failures, paving the way for their ultimate success. An acid monster, simply put, wouldn't exactly match up to their vision. Although acid is very corrosive, it is in no way a perfect substance. A monster that breathes acid might be possible, but it would likely be part of some greater fusion. The Chimera will have the fire breath ability, however, as well as some additional abilities, including some unique retaliation abilities. Also, I'm likely to give the level 7 creature a random special ability with every attack, like webs binding the enemy stack keeping it from attacking for two-three turns, a deadly venom attack that does an ever increasing amount of damage, a weakness venom that decreases attack strength by 50%, and initiative and defense by 25%. I'm not entirely sure how I'll work it though, as I don't want it to be too powerful, just unique.
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GenieLord
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted December 05, 2007 06:37 AM |
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There's a simple reason that H3 Dungeon is not in HOMM5. It just isn't race-based town, although many people like it a lot. In the gameplay it doesn't matter, but in H5 every town should have a core-race, that the creatures will be based on. You should have some creatures from the race, and some beasts that are allied with them, that live in their environment.
For example: The race of Sylvan (parallel to H3 Rampart) is the Elves. It has 3 Elven creatures, Blade Dancer, Hunter and Druid; and 4 beasts that live in the forest environment; Pixie, Unicorn, Treant and Green Dragon.
Usually there are more creatures that belong the race and less beasts, and sometimes only creatures that belong to the race...
Therefore, any faction for H5 should have a race. So try to think of a race, and to develop your creatures from it, having a several beasts creatures and a several that belong your race. The creatures above can be the beasts creatures of your faction.  By the way, I really like your descriptions.
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Adrius
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Stand and fight!
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posted December 05, 2007 11:25 AM |
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Edited by Adrius at 11:27, 05 Dec 2007.
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Give the spiders to necropolis, they worship those freaks. As Genielord said, it would be better if you had at least one humanoid in the army, seems strange to only have monsters.
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sith_of_ziost
Promising
Supreme Hero
Scouting the Multiverse
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posted December 05, 2007 10:29 PM |
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Adrius, they worship the Spider Goddess, not all spiders. Now, to fix the "not a race" problem, why not make them all somewhat arachnious? I'd like that. In fact, those notebooks I mentioned happen to have an entry for the Arachni.
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BradRepko
Hired Hero
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posted December 07, 2007 04:13 AM |
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I had a feeling that the creature race issue would be brought up. Look, in a way it adheres to the formula while breaking it at the same time. These once Academy living Alchemists break off from the traditions of the Academy of their own free will, for their rules and rituals disrupt their own goals. You wouldn't have the actual alchemists as a selectable creature because that would be breaking the very basis of the faction, they strive to create, when they aren't conducting their experiments, they are testing, researching, and studying ways to improve them. They are observers, they don't soil their own hands with battles, they watch their creatures battle and spread to study their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their behavior, so that they might create better creatures. In the same light, that is why they wouldn't focus on one single race, because they are exploring the quirks and traits of each creature to find what they want to keep and what they want to get rid of in order to achieve the ultimate perfection, creating a creature that is godlike in it's power and abilities. Furthermore, if you look closely at the creatures, with the possible exception of the Beholder line they all have one commonality, they are fused beast type creatures, or hybrid creatures. This faction uses the very rules to justify breaking them, they are warlike only in their strive for what they consider perfection. Every moral ground and law is mundane as long as it is broken in pursuit of this ultimate creature, of this godly beast.
They have differences and similarities with the necromancers. Both were part of the Academy, and both left, only the necromancers were forced to leave, while the alchemists left on their own. The necromancers seek to find perfection in the dead, while the alchemists seek to find the perfection in the living. They are neither entirely enemies or entirely enemies, but they are more than neutral. Both ultimately seek the same goal, only through different processes. Their is no death without life, or life without death, so they can both respect each other in that. Both are willing to break any moral barrier in pursuit of their vision, and neither one conflict with each other. In fact, the necromancers are pleased with the existance of the alchemists, because what they create can eventually be recruited as the undead, and new, more powerful and horrific undead creatures are always favorable to the necromancers. As for the alchemists, they really don't care as long as they can continue their pursuits, and their are some things that can be learned from their undead experiments that weren't readily noticeable in life, such as the Lizardmen's ability to resist poisons and to breath in poisonous environments. (which was learned do to undead Lizardmen raised from the dead and having extremely toxic bodies, toxins which resided in their membranes and scales when living but didn't affect their poison resisting bodies) Since neither criticize the other's works and beliefs, both are more readily open to consider the other as an ally rather than an enemy.
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