The Portents of the Stars

Well, I finally bit the bullet. I've decided to finally make the blog and get to putting these ideas constantly running through my head down on paper so that, perhaps, someone will notice them and one day I may see many a happy spawning running around in game...though ultimately it would be a pain in the ass for me being a Destro player...

But enough of my grumbles. First I will put up the original posts that had people liking the ideas and inspired me to actually work a bit more on them. Bear in mind that I'm not a natural number-cruncher. These ideas will not include exact numbers though if someone would like to volunteer to assist when it gets to that, feel free!

So, on to the original posts.

From the Warhammer Online Official Forums on February 22nd, 2009. (Post No. 65)

Hmm. To be honest folks new races will come in pairings. If they come with new realms/storylines the better.

To go with the Lizardmen vs. Skaven idea...let's not forget there is now a Lizardmen Temple City on Albion of all places. Let's not forget that Mazdamundi can part an ocean if he wishes.

Skaven and Lizardmen are natural enemies and would be a natural pairing. How to get from Lustria to Skavenblight though? Well, there is a network of tunnels and there are plenty of 'land' sites. They'd likely start in Lustria (where, let's not forget there is a High Elf colony as well as the Norse settlement of Skeggi and the pirate town Port Reaver). Quetza would be a good starting area as that is where the Skaven plague originally started in Lustria, leading perhaps to Hexoatl or across the ocean to Skavenblight through the tunnels. Fortresses for them? Not too certain for skaven but the natural one for Lizardmen is Hexoatl. Heck, if they go with the capital cities for each race idea Hexoatl would be beautiful...Mazdamundi as a final city boss....oh my.

Skaven

Tank - Stormvermin. Make them real team players, even more so than Chosen with buffs that stack with numbers. Perhaps scaling damage and defense based on the number of people around them to show the whole Skaven courage in numbers approach?
Melee DPS - Clan Eshin Assassin/Gutter Runner. Melee DPS with stealth and poisons. Make them fast. Very, very fast. They are the Skaven ninja after all.
Ranged DPS - Grey Seers - Perhaps a 'Warpstone' mechanic. Increased damage at a cost of decreased resistances or cast times. Perhaps a ranged mix of Slayer/Choppa and Sorcerers. A nice spell for them would be the game's first true 'teleport'. Give them Skitterleap!
Support/Healer - To be fun and different.... Clan Moulder Beastmaster. The heals would be warpstone infusions. Perhaps give them a buff/debuff mechanic for the heals (each heal has a buff and a debuff, making it a balancing act) and instead of damage...PETS.

Capital City/Keep - Skavenblight. City Boss - Verminlord, Greater Daemon of the Horned Rat. Plenty of opportunity for cameo fluff appearances from Sniktch, Ikit Claw, Thanquol and others....

Mount- Either some sort of technological device or perhaps have them go into Scurry-mode i.e. drop down to all fours and run as fast as they can!

Racial Trait - Increased Morale Gain and Loss. Skaven are easily excitable but panic just as quick. Also, increased speed. Skaven are fast!


Lizardmen

Tank - Saurus Guardian. Effectively a Temple Guard, tweaked to fit with MMO mechanics as they can't hold quite true to fluff. Give them a similar 'numbers' effect as Stormvermin but call it Phalanx Fighting or something to that effect. Very damage focused tanks where Stormvermin would be very defensive to show that Saurus are still bipedal alligators with tempers.
Melee DPS - NOT A KROXIGOR. Saurus Warrior. Give them a Frenzy mechanic and some resilience. Make them half-tanks.
Ranged DPS- Chameleon Skink. Stealth ranged DPS utilising poisons.
Support/Healer - Skink Priest. Effectively filling the same role as Archmages.

Capital City/Keep - Hexoatl. Lord Mazdamundi as the city boss with a sub-boss in the form of Kroq Gar and Grymloq.

Mounts - For Saurus - Cold Ones. For Skinks - Horned Ones (Think smaller, less heavily built Cold Ones).

Racial Traits- Decreased Morale Gain and Loss - Cold Blooded. Though Lizardmen take longer to react this can be a good thing. It's also a counterbalance to Skaven. Skaven will be able to spam morale abilities but won't really be able to store it up for a boss. Lizardmen may not really be able to spam but the waffle thing will never go away!

Saurus would have a naturally increased toughness.

Skinks would have a naturally decreased tougness but increased Initiative.


Other potential racial pairings and what they could bring?

Wood Elves and Beastmen, Bretonnians and Vampire Counts (this expansion would probably introduce Mounted Combat).

Make it so!

And also, from my own guild's (Umbral Retribution) forums on March 22nd, 2009

I have been thinking on these. There are some logical pairings if they want to dip into the lore and also a lot of character models already exist.

The pairings?

Wood Elves (Order) vs. Beastmen (Destruction)
Lizardmen (Order) vs. Skaven (Destruction)
Bretonnians (Order) vs. Vampire Counts/Undead (Destruction)

Let's carry on further with this. As we know we need some sort of storyline for them to go down. Maps, zones, perhaps even cities (but first put the main racial cities in, k?)

Athel Loren would be the setting for the WEs and Beasts. With the Oak of Ages/Court of Ariel as the WE city while they'd have to create something new and Morghur themed for the Beasts. As an idea for a dungeon (seeing as each pairing seems to have racial specific dungeons in some areas) - The Wildwood, with dungeon bosses including Coeddil and Drycha.

The Lizardmen are straightforward. Lustria would be the setting leading from Hexoatl down to Quetza (where the Skaven plagues first began). The capital cities would be Hexoatl and Skavenblight (Skavenblight being accessed through the Skaven tunnels). Ideas for racial specific dungeons include Chaqua (for the Skaven - possibly with Tehehauin as a dungeon lord) and Xahutec (because a Temple City with a trapped and contained daemonic rift is clearly dungeon material). A boss for Xahutec? Fateweaver seems logical here.

The Bretonnians are slightly trickier for me to work out (due to a lack of the Bretonnian book at hand). But the idea behind it? The Red Duke. Hmm. Actually. Aquitaine seems logical for the Undead for this - will develop this more when I get hold of a Bretonnian book.

But let's develop this more.

The racial pairings need classes. We all know the classes go Tank, Healer, Ranged DPS, Melee DPS. So let's give some ideas.

Wood Elves

Tank- Eternal Guard - 'Stance' tank - different stances giving different buffs for different weapon sets.
Healer- Spellsinger - Placed buff/debuff healer - static 'pets' that grant AoE buffs and debuffs. Not a damage dealer but a serious disruption class.
RDPS- Waywatcher - Stealth RDPS with combos/arrow types.
MDPS- Wardancer - Stance/combo. Fast but very fragile.

Beastmen

Tank- Bestigor - Summon-tank to show calling the brayherd, perhaps using pets and group buffs as a tank.
Healer- Shaman - Give stances, great weapon clubs as well. Very aggressive healer types
RDPS- Shaman-Magus - Spell combos, debuff heavy as well.
MDPS- Gor -Medium armor, perhaps Stealth for ambushes.

Lizardmen

Tank- Saurus Guardian - VERY group friendly tank, primarily defensive. A lot of buffs.
Healer- Skink Priest - The order Shaman. Small, ranged healers, very quick.
RDPS- Chameleon Skink - Stealth, poison using RDPS.
MDPS- Saurus Warrior - Make them 'half' tanks. Shields on MDPS? Heresy. But let them.

Skaven

Tank- Stormvermin - VERY group friendly, offensive based. Buffs based on number of people around them.
Healer- Beastmaster - Pet summon healers. Perhaps using a buff/debuff mechanic with the heals and buffs. Every one has a disadvantage, have to be smart to balance them out.
RDPS- Grey Seer - Very aggressive, similar to the berserk mechanic of Choppas and Slayers. More warpstone consumed the deadlier the damage but weaker resistances are. Perhaps even the same buff/debuff idea as the Beastmaster.
MDPS- Assassin. Stealth, quick, poison use, semi-ranged like Witchhunters.

Bretonnians

Tank- Grail Knight- Buff tanks, a tank that places buffs on teammates like Rune Priests and Zealots. Not healing, but buff tank.
Healer- Maiden - Semi-RDPS, group buff based.
RDPS- Squires - Very long range, spear users.
MDPS- Questing Knights - Great Weapon option, perhaps make them very buff heavy as well.

Vampire Counts

Tank - Blood Knight - Debuff heavy, VERY aggressive dps tank. Vampire.
Healer - Necromancer - Debuff heavy, pet summons.
RDPS- New lore class- similar to disciple - Vampire spellcaster, debuff heavy.
MDPS - Wight - Debuff heavy, medium armor, part-tanks like Saurus.

Let's go further.

Racial tactics and benefits.

Wood Elves - Stance and combo heavy classes - suitable tactics would be ones based on mobility and detaunts when hit. Perhaps a racial tactic that increases their speed natural. Yes, they will kite like es.

Beastmen -Combo and stances heavy again. - Mobility, perhaps a racial toughness increase or strength increase.

Lizardmen - Cold blooded - Decreased rate of Morale gain and vastly decreased rate of Morale loss - basically they would be able to store it up but it's very hard to lose. All about using the morale abilities at the right time.

Skaven - Cowardice - Increased rate of Morale gain, INCREASED rate of Morale loss- wouldn't be able to store it up but would be able to generate it fast. However it is easier to lose as well. Skaven can't store it up to fire co-ordinated T4s off.

Bretonnians - Racial absorb tactic or increased WP to show faith in the Lady.

Undead - Same as Bretonnians.

NOTE: The Bretonnian/Undead pairing would bring Mounted Combat into the game.

.....

Of course I am not envious of the position I am in now. I've decided to go ahead and develop the Lizardmen and Skaven. The Skaven are up for debate as there is so much potential variety but the Lizardmen everyone seems to gravitate toward my ideas for. I suppose being a Lizardman player on the tabletop for the past 12 years helps there, eh?

Coming next?

I scan some images in and start getting the basic outlines put down. I've already asked for help with getting the following...

The total numbers of tactics, abilities and morale abilities of all classes from 1 to 40.
The total number of 'racial' tactics of all classes within the total number.
A summary of the mastery trees of all classes - just to tell if it's the same across the board or varies. (Including tactics, morale abilities, effects etc.)

A busy man I shall be.

May the Old Ones guide your fates.