[Champion Concept] Bassel, The Merchant of Death

cHAncEman1292·11/20/2014, 11:12:08 PM·9 votes·2,823 views

#Bassel, The Merchant of Death

Theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgRVJksQocM&spfreload=10

*Armed with “lefal toxins” and a particularly unsavory knack for subterfuge, * Merchant of Death has come to aid in all manner of Rift warfare!”

| Bassel McLean, The Merchant of Death || |- | http://gauntle.deviantart.com/art/Smuggler-122466990| | Role: Support/Assassin | Attack: 6| Defense: 4 | Spells:** 5** | Difficulty: 5|

Health: **582.8 (+85) ** Health Regen: **7.2 (+0.65) ** Mana: **260 (+40) ** Mana Regen: ** 6.67 (+0.5) ** Attack Damage: **49.8 (+3) ** Attack Speed: **0.668 (+2.9%) ** Armor: **27 (+3.4) ** Magic Resistance: **32.1 (+1.25) ** Range: **125 ** Move Speed: **335 **

**Allies: Singed , Gangplank ** **Rivals: Graves , Miss Fortune **

FACTION: Bilgewater | RESIDENCE: McLean Estate| ALLEGIANCE: n/a

LORE

*Bassel “The Basilisk” McLean once was a name infamous across all of Valoran. Under his various misnomers, he carved out a brutal living in Bilgewater’s underbelly as the self-acclaimed “Merchant of Death”. Bassel’s inventory of rare poisons, numerous black market connections and talent with a dagger quickly made him one of the most notorious sellswords the land has seen. Bassel’s influence can be tracked from the shores of Ionia to the scenes of some of recent history’s most heinous crimes; however, all things change with time – the legacy and power behind Bassel McLean greatly diminished as he begun to age. *

*No longer in his prime, Bassel has become a pale shadow of his former self. His clumsiness with a blade along with his forgetful nature as made him more of a liability than an asset to the jobs he takes. While Bassel’s incompetency gets him into trouble more than it does to turn a profit, authorities do right to keep tabs on the senior mercenary feeling that perhaps the Merchant of Death hasn’t lost his edge just yet. *

**PERSONALITY ** Bumbling, crass , boisterous, loud, sinister, oblivious , businessman, sloppy , lives with mom

CHAMPION DESCRIPTION

Bassel is a shadow of his former self. Having gained excessive weight with age, Bassel is a plump filthy man; however, this is not to be confused with unkempt. Bassel is still a very successful business man on the streets of Bilgewater; this and his exploits from his youth has afforded him a rather lavish life style. So while he is very grimy and filthy this could be attributed to his line of work. Bassel is balding and has a crooked nose. He as a very strong accent that’s seems like a mix between a cockney and Australian accent. Due to his weight he has very generous movements. As mentioned he isn’t as deft with a blade as he once was so his basic attacks are really jagged and unrefined. He carries around straps filled of vials holding various toxins, he has belts intricate trinkets and oddities, compasses and maps – pretty much anything you would expect a death merchant to have.

|- - - - - - - - Bassel McLean (young) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **Concept ** - - - - - - - -| |- | http://yngvarasplund.deviantart.com/art/Venom-194634413|http://conzitool.deviantart.com/art/Gemburiah-The-Pheasant-423322122 |

#CHAMPION INSIGHTS : The “Assassin” Support –* the Biggest Oxymoron or the Next Best Champ?*

Role classifications help players get an idea of a champion’s playstyle before even entering the Rift. Fighters thrive in long engagements, having kits that “alter” the rules of engagement/team fighting. Tanks are champions that can begin fights and as well as soak up damage for the team. Assassins have high single target damage and whose goal is to eliminate high priority targets. Mages are ability reliant, usually offering magic damage and utility. Marksmen are right click heavy champs that bring sustain physical damage that scales well into late game. Supports take the role of playmaker, weighing the odds in their teams favor through various tactical advantages.

With this basic knowledge we can learn a lot of a champion’s contribution to a team composition just from these classifications. Notice how Mage/Support champions like Syndra, Lux, Zyra, Orianna and Heimerdinger all create huge zones of influence that their opponents have to play around. Azir’s classification as a Mage/Marksmen makes more sense when you consider how right click heavy he is as a champion. Fighter/Assassin implies having access to both potent defensive and offensive capabilities – and such is true of champions such as Vi and Jax. In short these role classifications are derivative of a champion’s functionality and kit; however, there is one combination that has fascinated many, even being pointed out as “counter-intuitive” or “impossible”.

**Assassin/Support? **

Assassins are viewed very much as a counterpoint to the traditional image of a Support. Assassins are about high-single target damage, taking the kill and lend themselves to a much more “selfish” playstyle. Supports are regarded as team utility and more “altruistic”. My work on Bassel is very much a study on how these two foreign roles could be married into a single champion, but some guidelines need to be established so that Bassel could deliver on both as an “Assassin” and as a “Support”.

#Bassel needed to be able to execute a target if the opportunity arose
#Bassel should to offer utility to his teammates that is unique to the assassin sub-class
#Bassel should play like an assassin but contribute as a support
#Counterplay!

What could Bassel offer as a support that is distinctly “assassin”?

Assassins are all about combos, pinpoint mobility and burst damage. So it was clear early on what Bassel should provide his team just that – damage and the mobility of an assassin. The mobility of an assassin? Gap closers and stealth?! Akali, Zed, Khazix, Evelynn, Talon, Rengar etc all have mixtures of these mechanics to allow them to immediately place themselves on top of an enemy. Bassel brings his ultimate Smuggle. This allows him to cloak one other ally and himself for a duration. This offers a mechanic that is largely monopolized by the assassin class to his team to create some crazy plays. Think you outnumber them 5 to 3? Where are Bassel and Malphite?

Bassel’s allies gain burst damage by exploiting the incredible damage buff window provided by his passive. Taking a note from Leona’s and Braum’s passives, I was inspired to create a passive that encouraged follow up from allies to maximize potential. Blisterbone Toxin substantially increases the damage to a target especially when focused. Bassel, however, has to risk getting up close and personal to inflict his target with** Blisterbone**.

Bassel’s Kiss of the Manticore ability increases damage that allies can do to monsters and minions. This adds a whole new layer of strategy as Bassel can help secure objectives faster than any other support. Bassel can also make allies’ terrible wave clear - good wave clear and great wave clear – incredible wave clear; which is paramount in split pushes and sieges. What does this provide for Bassel and his team? Offensive pressure. What does offensive pressure promote? Gold, map pressure and most importantly mistakes. Assassins thrive in situations where they can pick people off and Bassel can help create these climates. While the support territory is marked out its important…

Players should feel like their also playing an assassin…

Taking advantage of small windows and skill combos are the crux of the League assassin experience. To communicate this feel into gameplay, I wanted to Bassel have his own skill combos to get across that “intrinsic” assassin play rotation. While Bassel doesn’t pack the wallop of a 12/1 Khazix that you found alone in an alley or a Leblanc with a stacked Mejai’s and a deathcap he does output some respectable damage and can make some respectable plays should he combo his skills correctly.

Bonnet of Bees is a skillshot that slows all enemies struck. Sassy Stiletto is a close ranged attack that offers a situational root based on positioning and also procs Blisterbone Toxin. Kiss of The Manticore offers Bassel’s team improved wave clear and objective control while also packing situational mobility that is essential to Bassel’s navigation of larger skirmishes.

You may have noticed the word “situational” pop up here and there. A risk-reward playsyle is hallmark of assassins and by offering Bassel some spiffy incentives to pay attention to his spell rotation or position I honestly believe he delivers on the assassin mindset. In short, an experienced Bassel can manipulate the mobility offered by Kiss of The Manticore to set up Sassy Stiletto’s and Bonnet of Bees. When considering that Bassel can take advantage of his own passive to increase his damage, he is able to stand his ground as an assassin should the opportunity arise. We did not even factor in the crazy jukes and ambushes that Smuggle affords Bassel’s team!

**Counterplay! **

Constraint and ability limitation is where player creativity thrives. Bassel needs to get close to do anything and needs to exploit the damage packed into Blisterbone Toxin to truly have an impact on a fight. Bassel is the support you want on your team to maximize your teams offensive presence. His kit brings a multi-tiered approach when trying to amount an offense; whether it’s with proper usage of his abilities to take advantage of out of position enemy champions or creating map pressure with Smuggle and Kiss of the Manticore. Bassel depends on his team to provide the damage in his plays and must combo is abilities to be effective. His short range, combo reliance, lack of mobility and team dependence means he’ll need to channel is inner sneaky assassin to be an asset to his team!

** *Happy Gank Stabbing! * **

http://hofarts.deviantart.com/art/Pirate-Tavern-83179469

PLAYSTYLE Bassel is a virulent support with a knack for poisons and subterfuge. The Merchant of Death loves nothing more than descending on the opposition, infecting key members signature Blisterbone Toxin and watch as his team cleans up after him. Bassel excels at helping his team create map pressure the myriad of ways to approach a fight and strength in securing objectives. Bassel’s potent ultimate Smuggle allows him and an ally to transverse the rift without detection! Before you go liquidating your opponents with the Merchant of Death, know that it isn’t all blunderberries and glow toad skins for the assassin-support to be! Bassel’s low range, reliance on skill combos makes him difficult to play effectively in team fights that aren’t tied to a single location. Bassel’s objective is easily determined based on his position which can make him rather predictable once spotted. However, with a little bit of creativity and communication Bassel can be a plague upon his enemies.

|- - - - - - - - - - - -Bassel McLean middle-age - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - Concept- - - - - - - - - - - -| |- | http://a6a7.deviantart.com/art/Captain-sketch-157796275| http://akeiron.deviantart.com/art/Jubrayl-Vhiski-318829784|

#ABILITY KIT

**Blisterbone Toxin (Passive): ** Bassel’s attacks and Sassy Stiletto increases damage to infected enemy champions

Q – Sassy Stiletto : Bassel swipes his dagger forward, applying on-hit effects and reducing enemy champions’ resistances.
W – Bonnet of Bees: Bassel throws a volley of daggers that slow damaged units.
E – Kiss of The Manticore: Bassel scatters a virulent dust that increases allied damage to minions and enhances his movement
R – Smuggle: Bassel cloaks himself and a nearby ally for a short duration

#Blisterbone Toxin (PASSIVE):

Bassel’s basic attacks and Sassy Stiletto apply Blisterbone Toxin** to enemy champions, increasing susceptibility to critical hits and allied spells for 3 seconds. Allied spells deal additional percent health as magic damage against targets with Blisterbone Toxin. After the poison duration, an enemy champion cannot be infected with Blisterbone Toxin for 12 / 10 / 8 seconds.

Increased Critical Chance: 20% / 30% / 40% Percent Missing Health as Magic Damage: 2.25% / 3.5% / 4.75% (+1% per 100 AP)

Q – Sassy Stiletto

Active: Bassel plunges his dagger forward damaging enemies with a 325-unit line, reducing their armor and magic resistance for 3 seconds and applying on-hit effects. The Sassy Stiletto has its cooldown reduced by 2 seconds for each Enemy Champion struck.

If Bassel backstabs an enemy champion he will root them in place for 1.25 seconds

** Physical Damage: ** 45 / 65 / 85 / 105 / 125 (+100% AD) Reduced Armor & Magic Resistance : 10% / 12% / 14% / 17% / 20% **RANGE: 325 | COOLDOWN: 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 /6| COST: 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50 Mana **

W – Bonnet of Bees

**Active: ** Bassel releases a fury of three daggers that follow the cursor. Damaged units are slowed for 1.5 second.

** Physical Damage Per Dagger: ** 45 / 55 / 65 / 75 / 85 (+20% Bonus AD) (+30% AP) ** Maximum Physical Damage: ** 135 / 165 / 195 / 225 / 255 (+60% Bonus AD) (+90% AP) ** Movement Slow:** 35% / 40% / 45% / 55% / 60% RANGE: 850 | COOLDOWN: 15 / 14.5 / 14 / 13.5 / 13| COST: 85 Mana

E – Kiss of The Manticore

**Active: ** Bassel scatters a vile dust in a cone in front of him applying Grievous Wounds to all affected targets as well as increasing damage to minions and monsters for a short duration.

*If *Bassel hits an enemy champion, ** Bassel will to leap to a next targeted hostile unit in range within the next 3 seconds.

** Increased Damage to Minions & Monsters: 150% / 175% / 200% / 225% / 250%

** Leap Range:** 500-units RANGE: 625, 50 deg cone | COOLDOWN: 18| COST: 65 Mana

R – Smuggle

Active: ** After a casting time, the next allied champion to interact with Bassel will cause both him and the allied champion to become Smuggled entering stealth. If the allied champion strays further than a 225-units from Bassel at any point during the spell duration all Smuggled units are revealed. While stealthed, Bassel** ignores unit collision. Smuggled allies ignore unit collision and have increased movement speed when traveling toward Bassel.

Smuggled units are revealed if a Smuggled ally steps out of Bassel’s cloak range for more than 1.5 seconds or if Bassel himself comes within XXX range of an enemy champion.
Bassel gains 2.5% of the ally’s total gold earnings when he affects them with Smuggle.
Bassel is targetable for the spell duration so that ***Smuggled ***allies can follow him much easier.

** Stealth Duration:** 10 seconds ** Reveal Range:** 900 / 800 / 700 RANGE: 275 | COOLDOWN: 80 | COST: 100 Mana

SKILL NOTES

Blisterbone Toxin is extremely powerful and can even be used to burst down tanks if there is enough follow up.
Don’t forget about the situational root provided by backstabbing someone with Sassy Stiletto. Combining it with the leap provided by Kiss of The Manticore, can provide Bassel chances to engage or hit and run!
Sassy Stiletto has horrible range. This make it very difficult to hit a moving target, consider using Bonnet of Bees to first slow the opposition before giving them a good blade tickle!
The lengthy stealth provided by Smuggle makes Bassel an incredibly strong roaming support.

#VOICE OVER

Bassel has an incredibly strong accent. His speech pattern has a bit of cockney, some pirate and some Australian in it. He comes across as incredibly sleazy and possibly dangerous but at the same time simple and buffoonish. To communicate his warped manner of speech I concluded both the phonetic lines and the translated lanes. Have fun speaking like a pirate!

|- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| |- | Selection || |“Pick’ye poyson, HaHa HA!”| “Pick your poison, hahaha!” | || |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Beginning of the Match || | “E’ll mayke mum proud!”| ”I’ll make Mom proud!” | |“Wou’you look a’es bunch.”| “Would you look at this bunch.”| | “Bassel!”| ”Bassel!”| | “Bassel, a’ur survice.” | ”Bassel, at your service.”| |“Lefal poysons ‘ere! ‘Et befour ‘eh goune!” | ”Lethal poisons here! Get’em before they’re gone!”| |“Fought e’smell bad…sneers…nawt’ith this bunch.”| ”Thought I smelled bad…sneers…not with his bunch.”| |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Attacking || | * “Wou’you loyke e’tayste?”| ”Would you like a taste?” | |“No charge.” * | ”No charge.” | | “Don’t worwy…e’ll onwy kill’you.” * | * “Don’t worry…it’ll only kill you.”| | “Deadly? No, no, no… lefal!” * | *”Deadly? No, no, no…lethal.” | | “Lefal, nawt ‘deadly’ poyson.” * | *”Lethal, not ‘deadly’ poison.” | | “Tawlkin’ bout me mum!?” * | *”Talkin’ about my mom?” | | “Fink nuffin of’et.” * | *”Think nothing of it.” | |“E’doesn’t kill you es’nt strong enoff.” * | ”What doesn’t kill you isn’t strong enough.” | |“Double eh’dose.” * | ”Double the dose.” | | “A loony, es’un…” * | ”A loony, this one… | | “E’cost? Your life.” * | * “The cost? Your life.”| | “Es jus’ deaf, nuttin’ personal.” | *”It’s just death, nothing personal. | | “This es’eh less harmful lefal poyson!” * | * | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Moving || | “Mum always said I’waws big fa’mhoy age.” * | *”Mom always did say I was big for my age.” | | “Mum neffah di’loyke m’trade – bless’eh hart.” * | *”Mom never did like my trade – bless her heart.” | | “Mum’s gon’n flash’er horns, ‘en she foynds out.” * | *”Mom’s gonna’ flash her horns when she finds out. | |“’Ey cawl me eh’Basilk fo a’reason – moystly cawse me name’s Bassel…bawt ya’know.” * | ”They call me the Basilik for a reason! Mostly because my name is Bassel…but you know.” | | “Don’t moynd if ehy’do!” * | ”Don’t mind if I do.” | |“Lefal poysons meh’ specialty!” * | * Lethal poisons are my specialty.”| | “Sorwy, out’of ‘deadly’ poysons, gawt lefal fough.” * | ”Sorry, out of death poisons got lethal though. | | “Seeye…whispers… ets’e toxin et’kills ya.” | ”See uh…whispers…it’s the toxin that kills you.” | |“E’drank to’hat.” * | ”I’ll drink to that.”| |“Di’ehy ‘et moy vials mixed up egain?” * | *”Did I get my vials mixed up again?” | |“E’m sure es’on’t kill me.” * | *”I’m sure this won’t kill me.” | | “Er’boudies ge’cawld, Bassel ets’gawld.” * | ”Their bodies get cold, Bassel gets gold.” | | “Gather’round, lefal toxins here!” * | * “Gather around, lethal toxins here!”| |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Taunt ** || | “Es’just business!” * | ”It’s just business!” | | “Yew’ont ‘ook so well!” | ”You don’t look so well! | | “Sum thangs jus’et bettah wit age, o’smelleh. HahAhA!” * | ”Some things just get better with age, or smellier. HahAhA! | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Taunting enemy Faltine || | “Chawmm’d I’m shure!” * | * “Charmed I’m sure!”| |“I prawmise , Ey’m not loike eh’other gents!” * | ”I promise, I’m not like the other gents!” | | “Look’ho cam crawing back to Bassel!” * | ”Look who came crawling back to Bassel!” | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Taunting enemy Fiora || |“Anofah Laurent lookin’ to win’ef fight? Et’ll cawst you deary.” * | ”Another Laurent looking to win a fight? It’ll cost you deary.” | |“Need to win’er next dewl? Gawt just eh’fing!” * | * “Need to win your next duel? Got just the thing!” | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Taunting enemy Riven || | “How much’gawld fer’eh broken souwl?” * | * “How much gold for a broken soul? | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Taunting enemy Kitsungi || |“Et’ll only cost ya an arm…ya otha’ arms hahaha!” * | ”It’ll only cost an arm…your other arms… hahaha!| |“Do’eh still hear ther’screems?” * | * “Do you still hear their screams?” | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Buying an Item || |“Bassel knows e’deal wen’he sees one!” * | * “Bassel knows a deal when he sees one!” | |“Bassel always’ets whats he wants!” | * “Bassel always gets what he wants!” | | “’En’ehy cawl me e’crook…HMPH.” * | ”And they call me a crook…HMPH.” | |“Yes, this’ell do nicely.” * | * “Yes, this will do nicely.” | |“Ey’cont believe me luck.” * | ”I can’t believe my luck.” | |“E’ll give you fiffy! Err…e’hundred? Errr…’ust give et here…” | * “I’ll give you fifty! Ummm…one hundred? Ummm…just give it here…” | |“Awlrighttt, awwllrright…e’ll pay for et.” * | * “Alright, alrighttt…I’ll pay for it.” | |“E’souvenir for Mum!” | ”A souvenir for Mom.” | |“E’ll give you this, ou’give me that…” * | * “I’ll give you this, you give me that…”| |“Paid’en full.” * | ”Paid in full.” | |“Purrchased.” * | * “Purchased.”| |“Pay’fer equawl trayde.” * | ”Pay for equal trade.” | |“Ets discuss e’term ef payment…” | *Let’s discuss the terms of payment…” | |”ARRRRRRrrrr those available en’black? * | * “ARRRRRrrr those available in black? | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Upon placing a stealth or vision ward || |“Keep e’look out!” * | *”Keep a lookout!” | |“E’m walkin’ere!” * | ”I’m walking here!” | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| | Upon casting Recall || | “Money cawls!” | ”Money calls! | |“E’ll be back wen’you needs me!” | *”I’ll be back when you need me!” | | “Es deals done.” * | * “This deal’s done.” *|

http://emla.deviantart.com/art/Bottled-Poison-Maker-205380323

Thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed the concept! Please leave any questions, insights or concerns you may have below! -Chance

art retrieved from deviantart users “Gauntle” “YngvarAsplund” “conzitool” “Hofarts” “Jubrayl Vhiski” “A6A7” “emla”

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