A (Hopefully) Not-Boring Rework of the Skull Merchant

thefallenloser

New Skull Merchant dropped and she's still pretty lame IMO. Here's a more radical rework idea that maintains the drone hunter identity and also aims to make drones a cooler and more active part of her kit.

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GOALS:

• cement identity as an aggressively anti-stealth tracker
• allow drones to move around the map at-will and become a more active mechanic
• increase threat of claw traps
• require teamwork to disable drones
• strengthen chase when chasing Claw Trapped survivors

ATTRIBUTE ADJUSTMENTS:

• Terror Radius reduced from 32 to 24 meters.

This change is meant to give the Skull Merchant more stealth options and sneak around the map unnoticed more effectively.

POWER:

Eyes In The Sky

The Skull Merchant starts the Trial w/ two drone types: the Scouting Drone and the Gunner Drones.

Scouting Drone

The Scouting Drone is The Skull Merchant’s primary method of tracking survivors. This anti-stealth drone is meant to weaken survivor's stealth options and easily provide information to the Skull Merchant. This drone can also be used more aggressively while in chase to know the exact location of untrapped survivors or to hide the Terror Radius.

The Scouting Drone is active from the beginning of the Trial and cannot be disabled by survivors. The drone hovers around 40 meters above the Trial grounds and looks down w/ an x-ray camera that covers a 24 meter radius.

• On indoor maps, the drone will hover as high as it can, and will still be able to detect survivors within the radius.
• The Skull Merchant can command the location of the Scouting Drone by opening her radar w/ the Power command.
  • 15 sec cooldown
  • If the Scouting Drone does not detect a survivor within 10 secs, the drone will begin automatically moving around the map to search for survivors with a movement speed of 70%.
  • While within the camera radius, the Skull Merchant is Undetectable and remains Undetectable for an additional 5 secs after she leaves the area.
• Lock-On
  • Survivors within camera radius have their auras revealed to the killer.
  • Survivors within camera radius will gain Lock-On progress over the course of 15 secs. Lock-On progress regression begins 5 secs after the survivor leaves the camera radius at an equal rate.
    • If the Scouting Drone stops tracking survivors for 10 secs, it will move in the direction of the closest survivor with Lock-On progress until they lose Lock-On.
    • Survivors not within direct line of sight of the Scouting Drone will gain Lock-On progress at a 50% reduced rate.
    • Survivors hear the killer’s terror radius w/ increasing intensity based on Lock-On progress.
  • When fully locked-on and within direct line of sight of a survivor, the drone will attach a Claw Trap to survivors.
• Claw Trap
  • Once attached to survivors, Claw Traps remain activated for 45 secs, after which they will be automatically removed. Survivors within the camera radius have their Claw Trap batteries paused until they leave.
    • When a Claw Trap is attached to a survivor, they activate the killer instinct effect for 4 secs and their auras will be visible from anywhere for the duration of the Claw Trap's activation.
    • When chasing a trapped survivor, the Skull Merchant gains 5% haste.
  • Trapped survivors within the camera radius gain another tier of Lock-On at an equal rate, Priority Lock-On.
• Priority Claw Trap
  • Once the second tier of Lock-On is filled, previously Claw Trapped survivors will gain a Priority Claw Trap. Priority Lock-On does not decay when leaving the camera radius.
  • Claw Trap Priority lasts for 45 secs, after which, the Claw Trap is deactivated.
  • When chasing a prioritized survivor, the Skull Merchant gains 7% haste.
  • Prioritized survivors are hunted by Gunner Drones.

Gunner Drones

The Gunner Drones are The Skull Merchant’s method of crowd control and deterrence. The array of drones harass survivors and support The Skull Merchant while in chase.

Four Gunner Drones begin the trial in a passive state. When a survivor gains a Priority Claw Trap, the Gunner Drone closest to that survivor will begin to seek out that survivor at a speed of 95%. Drones pursue one at a time and will trade pursuit to the closest drone of a Priority Trapped survivor in an attempt to corner them. Once within 5 meters of a survivor, the Gunner Drone will shoot if it has line of sight, and then performs a stationary reload for 2.5 secs.

• When a survivor is shot by a drone, they are injured -> deep wounded -> downed.
• Gunner Drones can break dropped pallets within 8 meters and will not have to reload.
• Gunner Drones can be disabled from behind by non-prioritized survivors. If a survivor with a Claw Trap disables a drone, they will instead gain priority.
• Area Sweep
  • After 4 Claw Traps have been deactivated or after two minutes, Gunner Drones begin an Area Sweep.
    • All passive Gunner Drones activate, and begin scouting for survivors within 24 meters for 30 secs.
    • Gunner Drones in Area Sweep can only detect survivors while moving and in line of sight.
    • Detected survivors are hunted for 20 secs, even if they do not have a Claw Trap.

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Lemme know what you think! :)