[Champion Concept] Vertigo, the Writhing Madness

metriccybernetic·12/22/2014, 12:13:40 PM·3 votes·1,241 views

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to my humble thread! This is an idea that I've been toying with for a while now, and after a lot of trimming it down and sprucing it up, I finally think it's worthy enough to be posted on the LoL boards. It's still incomplete, and I'm continuously revising and rewriting much of it, but it's nearly finished and I just wanted some opinions on it. I'm not saying I would like to see this in the League, but if it managed to make it onto the Champion roster I would SQUEE for a week straight.

K, now that I've got the introduction over and done with, let's get to the meat.

Meet Vertigo, the Writhing Madness

Quick Overview Vertigo is a very odd champion in that he has two different 'forms' he can swap between at a moment's notice, drastically changing his influence on the battlefield, but being mainly restricted to one form or the other via his item selection to prevent him from becoming overpowered. That said, it is important to remember that you can use both of these forms at any point, so you can use them to your advantage.

One of these forms - called the Ripper - is a melee-centric fighter/assassin that focuses heavily on damage over time. His Q, Rending Blow (which you'll learn about later) is vital to the function of both his autoattack and his abilities, as it gives him a chance to proc his DoT (named Bleed) with every basic attack, and has a greater chance to proc on his abilities.

The other - known as the Vizard - excels at battlefield manipulation, making for an excellent support champion that can also be used as an ad-hoc mage. He harnesses the power of Oblivion - an alternate plane whose physics, logic, and reality itself are very different to Runeterra's - to stack crippling debuffs on enemy champions and just ruin their day in general.

We'll go straight to the lore. I highly recommend you read through this as it was the very first part of the champion I actually made, so he's very dependent on it to be an original character. It does involve a little worldbuilding, though I'm not sure if it conflicts with any existing lore so...

It's also quite long. I warned you.

Allons-y!

LORE

Hunched over at his desk, the young scholar scribbled away furiously at a sheet of parchment, his quill dipping in and out of the inkpot at a frightening pace. Dust spiralled in the weak yellow light spilling in through the attic windows, coating every surface in a thin layer that seemed to choke the very life out of the room itself. A strong, musty scent wafted on the ghostly currents; the smell of aged books and worn paper. Scores of shelves and bookcases housed hundreds of tomes - some ordinary, others not so - within which the secrets of the arcane could be found and committed to memory. Some would have made the ordinary citizen blanch at their contents, but not the boy who remained at his desk, oblivious to his surroundings.

Scritch, scratch.

Even at a very young age, he had been fascinated by the wonders of magic in all its forms, from the purity and goodness of Fae magic, to the danger and malevolence of Dark sorcery. He would often pretend to be a benign wizard, or evil necromancer, weaving spells at a whim and producing the most amazing miracles from thin air. One could only imagine his bitterness and disappointment when he learned that he would never be able to follow his dreams of becoming a prestigious Mage. He was condemned to a life of normality, and with a heavy heart, he instead devoted his life to the investigation of magical phenomena, seeking out tutors even at the ripe age of sixteen. Though for all his efforts, every 'discovery' he made turned out to be fruitless, having either already been documented or due to his own errors proven worthless. It's no wonder he could not help himself when a cloaked stranger approached him on a street corner one day and gave him an ancient, leather-bound book, promising it would be the key to his rise to fame and fortune.

The very same book that was sat next to the boy, spread wide open.

The stranger had warned him of the contents of the tome, impressing upon him the importance of leaving some of what he found within alone. He had brushed off his cautionary tales as nothing more than superstition, even though its tattered pages seemed to exude a sense of foreboding. Written in a language known by very few, he was forced to transcribe the book by himself. The stranger had not lied: it contained the stuff of legends and myth, but also so very, very real. It contained the procedures to forbidden rituals and the nuances of some of the most ancient magics. But the most interesting of all was most assuredly the knowledge of Oblivion, speaking of a time when when the fabric between realities grew thin, and hellish creatures scratched and scraped at the fragile barrier, yearning to escape and sow their own form of nightmare upon Runeterra, even specifying the date and place when the barrier would be at its weakest. The darkest of Runeterra's nights, beyond the Freljord tundra.

Finally, the scholar's quill lifted from the parchment one final time. Without a word, he stood, scooped the book into a personal satchel, and set about making arrangements for his journey north.

He would not return from his voyage unscathed.

The scholar and his guides trudged onwards through the knee-deep snow. The Freljord was a harsh and unforgiving place, the tundra supporting very little life, though the supplies the group had brought with them would last them a week at least. Not that it mattered; there was one last stop they needed to make before they continued onwards to their final destination. A small fishing town, perched near the northernmost tip of Valoran, known for its exports of exotic seafood found in the Northern Ocean. The boy had already made the requisite payments for a ship to be prepared for them before their arrival, though they would stop for the night in one of the local taverns to warm up before they got to the truly challenging part of their journey.

Even though cloaked in a thick fur coat, the freezing wind still raised goosebumps on his skin and bit at his face. The snow stung where it hit his cheeks, and he suppressed a shiver. If he couldn't deal a little cold, then what use was it continuing his expedition? He shook the thought from his head and steeled his resolve: there would be no thoughts of surrender to the elements. Nothing could stop him from reaching his goal. It meant more than to world to him. He'd invested too much time and effort into making his dream become a reality, and he'd be damned if a little bit of frost was going to change that.

The ice formations were impressive, almost enough for him to wonder if they were sculpted by magic. It was unlikely: the weather patterns provided a better explanation, though they were so perfect in their smoothness and curve that it seemed unreal. They even provided the ideal respite against the violent snowstorms that had occasionally whipped up over the past few days. As if they'd been placed there, deliberately. The boy made a mental note to perhaps study them at a later date, just in case there was more to them than what met the eye. The snow was a different matter: it was deep, hindering, and was responsible for the small - but freezing - puddle of water inside his boots. Had he been able to make the choice, he would have removed it from Runeterra years ago. He raised his gloved hand to his cheek, caressing the small scar from a 'joke' that had been pulled on him during one Snowdown, involving a snowball, a sharp flint, and a trip to the healer to get said flint removed from his eye.

One of the guides from the front of the group clambered over the top of the snowdrift and yelled back down. They'd arrived. The boy smiled to himself. There was not much longer to wait.

The trip across the Ocean had been - for the most part - uneventful. Apart from a near-miss with a particularly large iceberg, there'd been no complications, and the expedition had made good time. That said, being able to stand on the deck at night and stare up at the night sky, dotted with famed constellations and illuminated by the breathtaking glow of the aurora, had been one of the most amazing things he'd seen in a long while.

Now, however, they'd spent days tirelessly trekking across the frozen terrain. The ground was solid ice, any earth beneath it resting a good few dozen metres below the surface. They'd seen no signs of life whatsoever. Their foodstuffs kept well in the cold, so there was no danger of starvation for a good two or more weeks. Not that it would take that long: judging by the positioning of the constellations - when you could see them through the blizzard - they were less than three days walk from their destination from what the book said. The young scholar still had it on his person, along with an ornate dagger that was supposedly tied to it. A few days of poking around in his library had confirmed the link: the dagger was the same one used to obtain the leather that the book was bound in, as well as the blood used to imbue it with its magical properties.

Three days passed, and still no sign of the end. The boy was beginning to lose hope. Had this all been for nothing after all? Had the stranger lied? The vast expanse of nothingness still stretched out in all directions, and the men were growing tired. A couple had been lost, fallen down hidden crevasses that lay just an inch below the treacherous surface ice. Anger and hate clawed at his being, and he resolved to keep walking for just a few hours more. Should they--

Wait. He squinted into the distance. Through the swirling storm of snow and ice, there was a faint silhouette. A mountain, of some sorts. His heart leapt into his mouth, and he yelled for the group to keep moving. They'd made it. At last. The end of his journey was in sight. They'd spend two days or so at the site and uncover what they could, before turning back and heading home.

The boy stared at the hole in the rock face. It hadn't been present the night before, when they were examining the curious trails of magic that ran up the mountainside in tiny rivulets. They'd extended all the way to the summit; the glow permeated even through the cloud layer that obscured it. The tunnel itself was almost pitch black, apart from a very faint light that seemed to emanate from its depths. Any average person would have turned and run. The boy was not your average person. With either great courage or great stupidity, he beckoned for two of his compatriots to accompany him, and disappeared into the depths.

The trio emerged into a cavern where all manner of vines and plants sprouted from the fertile earth, and glowing crystals bathed the interior with a serene light. Assorted fruits hung from the clusters of vegitation, all leading to a central staircase that only lead up. Curious, one of Vertigo’s companions reached for a low-hanging peach, plucking it from its vine, which withered and died almost instantly. He took a single bite, and his face lit up in bliss. He felt invigorated, and though it tasted mildly of blood, the fruit was sweet on the tongue and softer than well-cooked flesh. The boy commanded him to retrieve as many as possible for the journey back, and made his way to the foot of the staircase. Even in the warmth of the crystals, a cold chill crept up his spine. There was something wrong about this place, something not of this world. Shaking off his apprehension, he began the long climb up.

The boy dragged his legs - now as heavy as lead - over the last step. He paused momentarily; the climb had been far too short. Five minutes, at most. It should have been hours before he reached the summit. He cast a glance at his surroundings. He now stood upon a grand plateau, two great spires of rock on opposite sides spearing even further upwards into the sky. A small dais stood alone in the centre, upon which a pair of stylised gauntlets and yet another book rested. A gentle breeze dragged against his skin, as if thousands of ghostly fingers were attempting to find some sort of purchase there. The faint sounds of whispering seemed to hang in the air, their words unintelligible and fragmented.

Cautiously, he made his way towards the dais. The whispers grew louder, and the fingers felt firmer the closer he got to the tome. He stopped only a few feet from the dais, a sense of dread permeating his very soul. At this distance, he could see the codex was bound not in leather, but in skin. Human skin. It called out to him, voices echoing in his head, urging him to reach out and take it. He reached into his satchel and pulled out the book from what felt like so long ago. Flipping through it, he stopped on one particular page, his eyes lingering on the drawings for a few seconds. He looked up. The gauntlets. They were the exact same ones. The Oblivion Bindings.

He could barely contain his excitement. That stranger had been telling the truth after all: there was merit to those myths after all. In his joyous reverie, he reached out to grab the items, intending to retrieve them for further study.

With suprising suddenness, the gauntlets leapt from the dais and clamped around his outstretched arms, and he screamed in agony as they burned themselves to his flesh. The whispers lost their ethereal touch, becoming terrifying real.

"Stand."

Nerves still alight with pain, the scholar could not prevent himself from standing. He was a puppet on a string, a plaything to whatever forces had now possessed him.

"Read."

Instantly, he felt a fierce compulsion to open the codex in front of him. He resisted, if only for a brief moment, before a searing pain punished him for his disobedience. He looked on in horror as his own hands plucked the codex from where it lay, turning to the centre pages. They were eerily blank. His right hand reached once again into his satchel and withdrew the dagger, and in one swift motion, plunged it deep into his sternum. He doubled over in pain, unable to prevent himself from smearing the blood-soaked blade on the pages. Words - the same language as the book - faded into existence, ghosts becoming real.

And he began to chant.

A maelstrom of energy whipped up the moment he began speaking, tearing at the stone and ripping great chunks of it away. He could not stop. It crept closer to the centre, more and more of the plateau being consumed in the storm. Still, he could not stop. And in that moment, he felt true fear.

Two alien presences invaded his mind in an instant, the pressure inside his skull akin to having his head crushed in a vice. He screamed, a long, discordant wail that pierced through the howling of the storm, agony carried on the winds. He bled from his nose, his mouth, his ears, his nails. Blood poured from his every orifice, drenching his body crimson. And yet, he did not die, for something kept his desiccated body alive. Something had need of him. Before his world faded to black, he heard a pair of voices calling out. One frenzied, seething with madness, pure insanity made manifest. The other in a dull, icy monotone, completely devoid of emotion.

"KILL."

A week later, a few travellers would catch a glimpse of a starved, half-crazed lunatic stumbling across the tundra, delirious from lack of sustenance and sleep, gibbering incomprehensible phrases to himself. His clothes were torn and tattered, and he was covered in blood, both dried and fresh. He ignored any attempts made at communication, a glazed look in his eyes as he dragged himself onwards. It was inevitable that he would come across a wandering tribe.

Many of the corpses were unidentifiable, with limbs and innards strewn across the snow in a wide area. Others were found charred and blackened, in some cases only burnt skeletons remaining.

It would be a while before the madman came to the attention of the League.

After he was captured, the once-scholar was restrained within the Institute of War; all other forms of confinement had proven useless. Bound in chains within a warded cell hidden in the deepest depths, he was constantly kept under the watchful gaze of the Institute’s guards. Why he was not killed is a mystery to all but the high summoners. Perhaps they saw a chance at his redemption, or maybe his latent potential. Many rumours have arisen since his incarceration, spoken in hushed tones in secluded corners, but that is all they are: rumours.

Occasionally, a brave summoner will call him to the battlefield and allow the cruel beings that reside within his mind to surface and sow chaos and destruction on the Fields of Justice. After particularly intensive brawls, he appears to become lucid again, if only for a short period of time. Much of his past has been extracted from these brief sessions, though they are becoming fewer and farther between. His insanity gives him great power, and should he slip into complete madness, it could spell doom to the Institute of War.

Hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I did writing it!

Statistics Overview

NOTE: All values are still subject to a great deal of tweaking and will change over the course of Vertigo's development until you guys are happy with him and I'm happy with him. He has two sets of statistics ratings which represent each form.

(Ripper/Vizard) Attack: 8/2 Health: 4/3 Magic: 2/9 Difficulty: 9/9 Resource: Mana

Appearance

Unfortunately, I can't draw. At all. Like, not even lamps. So, I'm going to provide a brief written description of both forms instead.

Ripper: Average height and muscle build, with long-cut black hair that hangs over his face a little bit. Eyes are black sockets with red light shining where the pupil should be. Very pale skin. Mouth looks like it has been slashed with a knife (Jeff the Killer style), teeth sharpened to fine points. His left arm is encased within a bronze gauntlet up to his hand, which is way out of proportion (read: huge and looks like it’s made of mince), has razor-sharp blades for fingers, and is blood red. Clothing is a shirt and trousers, both ripped. Vizard: Thin and long-limbed, no hair, but head is covered with a hood. He has no mouth or nose, only black sockets with blue light where the eyes should be. Skin is completely white. His right arm bears a silver gauntlet which extends almost up to his shoulder, around which rings of blue fire and runic debris float at regular intervals. His right hand is coated in a ghostly blue-white flame. Floats above the ground when idle and moving. Wears a blue magician’s robe with a silver trim, burnt in some places.

Detailed Statistics

HP: 450 (+82)/420 (+75) *HP Regen:*6 (+0.85)/4 (+0.6) Mana: 291 (+38.5)/356 (+39) Mana Regen: 5 (+0.45)/7 (+0.7) Melee: 125/(N/A) Ranged: (N/A)/525 Attack Damage: 55 (+3)/50 (+2.5) Attack Speed: 0.7 (+3%)/0.625 (+2.25%) Armour: 19.5 (+2.25)/19.5 (+2.125) Magic Resistance: 29 (+1.125)/30 (+0) Move Speed: 360/340

I took these values from a variety of champions and tweaked them to fit what I thought best represented each form on the Fields. I was going for high AS, AD, and MS with the Ripper as he's a fighter, and fairly mediocre stats with the Vizard as he's intended to be a support more than a mage.

Abilities

This is where it gets a little weird. Each form has its own set of abilities, which are labelled to indicate which form they can be used by. If you upgrade an ability in one form, a point will be held in reserve for your next form switch so you can choose what to spend it on. It's important to note that his abilities scale with either AD or AP, which means one form will naturally be more effective than the other, but the true key to success is to switch often to mess with your opponent. I am considering messing around with the ratios so AP items can help out with his Ripper damage and vice versa, but I'm wary about doing so as it could make him OP.

Passive: Rampant Psychosis (Both Forms)

Vertigo always starts the game with the Oblivion Bindings equipped to his first item slot.
Vertigo gains stacks of Insanity when taking damage from a champion (Max cap: 30).

Being hit with a basic attack adds 1 stack. This can occur every 2 seconds.
Damage taken from active abilities will add a stack instantly, with no cooldown.
Killing an enemy Champion adds 5 stacks. Assisting gives you none. No stax 4 u!
Insanity stacks will begin to decay at a rate of 1 per 2 seconds if Vertigo has not taken damage for more than 10 seconds.
Being hit by a minion or structure will pause the decay for 0.5 seconds.
Each stack of Insanity you have gives you 0.5% Cooldown Reduction, up to a maximum of 15%.

Okay, so the Passive makes you stronger the more damage you take, mainly through CDR. However, when you get to 25 stacks, you can trigger his Psychopath or Wraith forms, which give him hefty bonuses depending on which one he assumes. The former will give you additional AD, AS, and MS, making him even more lethal in a straight-up AA brawl, whereas the latter gives you additional CDR, AP, and MP5, allowing him to deal a little more damage with his abilities and keep your opponent under your debuffs.

Q: Rending Blow (Ripper) Cost: 30/45/60/75/90 Cooldown: 10/9/8/7/6 Passive Effect: Gives Vertigo's basic attacks a 2.5/5/7.5/10/12.5% chance to inflict Bleed for 1 second. Other abilities may also cause bleed dependent on the rank of Rending Blow (indicated by QxY, where Q is your base chance to bleed). Active Ability: Vertigo lashes out with his claws, causing his next autoattack to deal 130%/135%/140%/145%/150% of his AD in physical damage to a single target. It will also inflict Bleed for 5 seconds. Whilst this ability is on cooldown, its passive effect is disabled. Abilities that use a Bleed chance modifier count it as 0% when Rending Blow is on cooldown. Bleed: Bleed is a damage-over-time status effect which causes the bearer to lose 1% of their maximum health per second and inflicts Grievous Wounds for the duration. The damage is applied in 0.25 second ticks. Multiple Bleeds do not stack, instead adding additional time to the bleeding.

Bread and butter skill. Max it first. No exceptions. Your other abilities can have very high chances to bleed if you get this early (your R especially, as it has a 75% chance to Bleed when Rending Blow is at rank 5).

W: Shred (Ripper) Cost: 60/70/80/90/100 mana Cooldown: 16/14/12/10/8 Summons a wave of spikes 100 units wide from the ground which travel forward and deal 40/80/120/160/200 (+60% AD) physical damage to targets they hit within 1000 units (movement speed 750). The ability can be recast to end the wave early and create a larger spike that deals 50/100/150/200/250 (+75% AD) physical damage with a (Qx2) chance to bleed for 1 second. Should the large spike hit a champion, they are rooted for 0.5/0.75/1/1.25/1.5 seconds. This ability can only hit each target once.

Basic wave clear skill. Supposed to be a farming tool but can also be used to lock down a champion so you can catch up with them quickly.

E: Aura Of Insanity (Ripper) Cost: 12/24/36/48/60 mana per second Cooldown: 0.5 seconds

Toggled Off: Passively increases Vertigo's critical chance by 4%/8%/12%/16%/20%.
Toggled On: Creates a storm of madness around Vertigo, dealing 10/20/30/40/50 (+30% AD) physical damage per second to every enemy within a 200 unit radius. Each tick of damage has a Q% chance to cause Bleed for 1 second.

Not really much to say about this. It helps up your damage slightly and prolong your Bleed time on wounded targets so you have a better chance to kill by the DoT ticks. The critical chance is a nice bonus to your basic attacks. Just keep swinging.

R: Eviscerate (Ripper) Cost: 150 mana Cooldown: 100/80/60 Vertigo mutates his arm into a long, hooked blade, blinking towards an enemy champion as a ball of shadow within 750 range. This movement is instant. Upon changing back into a corporeal form, he winds up for 1 second (CC effects will be applied after the skill has finished), before slashing the area in front of him in a 150° cone with 200 range, dealing 150/300/450 (+120% AD) physical damage and has a (Qx6) chance to Bleed for 3 seconds. If the slash hits a champion below 30% health, it deals 25% more damage, and automatically applies Bleed, regardless of your rank in Rending Blow or whether it is on cooldown or not. If this attack fails to hit an enemy champion, its cooldown is halved.

Aww yiss, Ultimate! Something you might notice about it is its relatively low cooldown for an Ult. This is because it's very vital to his function and has a chance to miss entirely if your opponent is quick on the draw. You can use it as an entrance skill, a chase skill, or an execute skill. Very, very flexible, and is a very potent source of damage due to its bonus against heavily wounded targets. Have fun!

Q: Mind Fray (Vizard) Cost: 50/60/70/80/90 Cooldown: 10/9/8/7/6 Fires a bolt of Oblivion energy which is 50 units wide and travels up to 1000 units at 1000 units per second, dealing 75/100/125/150/175 (+80% AP) magic damage and applying Echoed Screams for 3 seconds. This has a range of 700 units. Echoed Screams: This is a status effect which causes an afflicted target to suffer an additional 10% damage from all sources. Once Echoed Screams expires or is otherwise removed, the target takes magic damage equal to 5% of the caster's remaining mana.

This is your alternate BaB skill, with decent damage and a very powerful debuff effect that will make your opponent cry. When I say all sources, I mean all sources. Champions, minions, neutral monsters, turrets, DoT effects. All those will suddenly hurt a lot more. You will have to lead it though, as it's a skillshot.

W: Paroxysm (Vizard) Cost: 75/85/100/115/125 Cooldown: 14/12.5/11/9.5/8 Creates a cluster of Oblivion energy within 750 units which explodes after 1 second, damaging enemies for 60/80/100/120/140 (+60% AP) magic damage in a 125 unit radius and applying Agony. Agony: This is a debuff which applies a 20%/40%/60%/80%/--% slow for 1 second, dependent on your rank of Paroxysm. At rank 5, Agony stuns the bearer for 1 second instead. It also has an additional effect depending on the target's resource:

Mana: Burns 3% of their maximum mana over 3 seconds and halves mana regeneration for the same duration.
Energy: Burns 45 energy over 3 seconds and halves energy regeneration for the same duration.
Other: Burns 1.5% of their maximum health over 3 seconds and halves health regeneration for the same duration.

Facing down an AP champion? Take this. Max it as early as possible. This is one of your nastiest skills. Think of Karthus' Lay Waste, but with a longer delay, smaller explosion, and roughly equal damage. Slap on a debuff that makes mages QQ and you have Paroxysm. Bonus points if you nail a champion which doesn't use mana OR energy with Mind Fray and Paroxysm: Echoed Screams increases the DoT effect from Agony (AND BLEED). It's not much, but it helps.

E: Feedback (Vizard) Cost: 80/90/100/110/120 Cooldown: 20/18/16/14/12 This ability has two different effects dependent on whether its target is an ally or an enemy.

Enemy Cast: Inflicts 30/45/60/75/90 (+40% AP) magic damage initially, and causes the target to take 10% of the damage they inflict upon your allies (minions included) as magic damage. Also refreshes Agony and Echoed Screams, and doubles their duration (Agony’s slow/stun does not benefit from the duration extension, but is reapplied).
Self/Ally Cast: Yourself or your ally receives a shield with strength equal to 10% of their maximum health. 25% of the damage you/they deal is added to the shield as additional strength. The shield will last a maximum of 6 seconds before dissipating.

This is probably the most iffy skill and the one I'm most likely to scrap in favour of a new one. You can either punish the opponent's main damage-dealer for doing their job or give one of your allies a little breathing room.

R: Tesseract Prison (Vizard) Cost: 150/180/210 mana Cooldown: 130/110/90 Vertigo imprisons one enemy champion in a hyperdimensional cube, suppressing them for up to 2.5 seconds and rendering them untargetable, during which time he cannot take any action either. After the suppression expires, the ability is recast, or Vertigo is otherwise interrupted, the cube will destabilise and deal 125/250/375 to 275/400/525 (+50-100% AP) magic damage in a 400 unit radius, depending on how long the cube has been active. The initial target will always take the maximum amount of damage possible.

Well, this has been the ability subject to the most tweaks and redesigns by far. Finally, I managed to get it to the point where I'm happy with what it does and how it functions. The cube will gain an additional 30 damage and 10% AP scaling per 0.5 seconds it's active. It's also the ability most closely tied with Vertigo's lore: whereas we can only perceive and operate in three dimensions, the Tesseract Prison is four dimensional, meaning it's completely inescapable and essentially locks you to a point in time. Naturally, trying to sustain a 4D object in a 3D space is very hard to do, so when it fails, it fails spectacularly and the whole thing goes boom.

Unique Item

Vertigo has a unique item called the ‘Oblivion Bindings’, a pair of gauntlets which allow him to switch between forms. To activate it, simply tap whichever key you use that is assigned to the item slot the gauntlets are equipped to.

Upon Activation: Vertigo is frozen in place for 3 seconds, after which he assumes his other form. During his transformation, he receives 50% more damage from all sources. After the transformation is complete, he is slowed by 50% for 5 seconds, decaying over the duration. This has a 30 second cooldown. Your current health and mana as a percentage of your maximum are transferred during the switch.

If you have more than 25 stacks of Insanity: The transformation will proceed as normal, but the form he switches into the immediately assumes Psychopath or Wraith status, consuming all of Vertigo's Insanity stacks and transforming over 0.5 seconds. His enhanced forms will last 10 seconds, but their duration will be increased by 2.5 seconds for every assist and 5 for every kill you get whilst you're still Psychopath/Wraith. Some bonuses can vary dependent on the number of Insanity stacks over 25 you have (1 to 5). This is represented as AS.

Psychopath Form (Ripper) Vertigo’s right arm becomes identical to that of his left, and both claws trail pinkish-red fire. He also gains a 25% bonus to his movement speed, a 50+(5xAS)% bonus to his attack speed, and a 10+(3xAS)% increase to his base attack damage.

Wraith Form (Vizard) Vertigo’s left arm becomes identical to his right, and he will be shrouded in a storm of purple lightning. He gains a 50+(10xAS)% bonus to his mana regeneration, a 10+(1xAS)% bonus to his cooldown reduction, and 60+(5xLVL) AP.

Quotes

Lovely, lovely quotes! Lots of inspiration from Krieg.

Upon Selection "Don't let them take me, Oh Gods, don't let them take me..."

Ripper Movement

-Chuckles ominously-
-Muttering to self-
-Low growl-
-Rapid panting-
"Not enough death..."
"Where's the blood, where's the blood, WHERE'S THE BLOOD?!"
"Too... not-red."
"Argh, I need more things to kill..."
"Hiding won't save you!"
"Why aren't my claws in someone's face right now..."
"At least it's better than that cold darkness..."
"SQUIRREL. Don't chase it..."
"I'll wet the soil with their blood!"
"I'm so bored I could chew my arm off..."
"Need. More. Severed. Limbs."

Attacking

"FINALLY, FRESH MEAT!"
"SHUT UP!"
"STOP SCREAMING!"
"AHAHAHA, YES, SCREAM FOR ME!"
"I'll kill you. I'LL KILL YOU!"
"I'M GONNA EAT YOUR EYES FOR JUJUBES!"
"I'LL MAKE A MASTERPIECE FROM YOUR INSIDES!"
"NURSE! HAND ME THE SCALPEL!"
"IT'S TIME FOR YOUR INTERNAL EXAMINATION!"
"BLISSFUL PAIN!"

Receiving stacks of Insanity

"It hurts so good!"
"Yes, more! More!"
"More blood! More!"
"That tickled!"
"Just a flesh wound!"
"Was that supposed to hurt?"

1st rank in Q

"THERE'S FOUNTAINS OF THE STUFF!"

Final rank in Q

"I'LL RIP OUT YOUR JUGULAR AND SUCK IT DRY!"

Rooting a champion with your W

"Mind your FACE!"
"YOU'LL MAKE A GOOD TROPHY!"
"You can't postpone the pain!"
"I'll strip your bones clean!"
"Go ahead! Try to run!"

E toggled on

-Unintelligible gibbering-
-Roars incomprehensibly-
-Inarticulate screaming-
"TAKE A LOOK INSIDE MY HEAD!"
"CAN YOU FEEL THE MADNESS?"
"SANITY IS OVERRATED!"

R

"SHOW ME YOUR SPLEEN!"
"WHAT COLOUR ARE YOUR GUTS?"
"ANATOMY CLASS IS NOW IN SESSION!"
"RUN! RUUUUUN!"
"NO ESCAPE FROM THE RIPPER!"
"RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"

Psychopath form triggered

-Maniacal laughter-
"Now you've REALLY TICKED ME OFF!"
"You thought that was madness? I'LL SHOW YOU MADNESS!"
"MOTHER! OH GODS, MOTHER! BLOOD! BLOOOOOD!"
"I... SEE... YOU!"
"THAT'S IT!"
"NO MORE GAMES!"

Taunt

"More killing awaits!"
"Bloodbath? That was just a warm up!"
"Death is the least of your worries!"
"Keep running! It won't do you any good!"
"I'm sure you'd make a fine canvas!"
"Ever wondered what your arm tasted like? Would you like to find out?"
(@ Nocturne) "You call that terror?" -Laughs-
(@ Vel'Koz) "You need to learn to kill? I'm already a master!"
(@ Azir/Renekton/Nasus/Xerath) "Immortal? Will your immortality help you when you're in pieces?!"
(@ Jinx) "Insane? Not even close."

Joke

"I dismember things, I don't tell jokes!"
"Running? I'll just wait 'till you trip over nothing. People always be tripping over nothing."
"I had a dog once. Called it Stay. It went insane. I ate it."
"I find your lack of barbecue sauce... Disturbing."
"Insane? Sure. But what about mentally hilarious?"

Vizard Movement

"What is it?"
"What do you want?"
"Very well."
"I do not need instruction."
"You tire me."
"You bore me."
"Your assistance is not required."
"Hmph."
"Telepathy. How mundane."
"I suppose it would be beneficial."
"Have you ever stared into infinity?"
"Advantageous? I will go."
"This had better help me, Summoner."

Attacking

"Die."
"Expire."
"Move."
"Out of my way."
"I will end you."
"Embrace your demise."
"Pitiful."
"Worthless."
"Insect."
"Weakling."
"No mercy."

Receiving stacks of Insanity

"I grow stronger..."
"Power..."
"Your demise is inevitable."
"Soon..."
"Pain? There is only power."

Q

"Voices in your head..."
"Listen to them scream..."
"A glimpse into Oblivion..."
"Your darkest desires made real..."
"Gaze into the abyss long enough..."
"He who fights monsters..."

W

"Burn."
"You know nothing of pain."
"Weak, fragile, easily broken."
"There is no end to the suffering."
"You amuse me with your screams."
"This is only the beginning."

E

(Ally) "You are of use to me."
(Ally) "I need you. Stay alive."
(Ally) "Be honoured I chose to save you."
(Ally) "On your feet."
(Enemy) -Chuckles darkly-
(Enemy) "Feel their pain as your own."
(Enemy) "An eye for an eye."

R

"Silence!"
"Be still!"
"Quiet!"
"Stop struggling!"
"To Oblivion with you!"
"Stop!"
"This will be painful."

Wraith form triggered

"You are NOTHING."
"Your usefulness has expired."
"Begone."
"I will cleanse you from this realm!"
"At last..."
"You shall suffer for eternity."
"Once a hindrance, now inconsequential."

Taunt

"I am the End."
"I will relieve you of the burden of life."
"An ultimatum: move, or die."
"I will crush you."
"I'm not done with you yet."
"Existence is meaningless in my presence."

Joke

"Heartless? I prefer the term soulless."
"What's weak and squashed like a bug? You."
"I love the screams of the damned in the morning."
"Emotions? Never heard of them."
"I'm a qualified architect. My specialty? Alien geometry."

And that's all, folks! Hope you enjoyed my champion concept, and if you have a suggestion, leave it in the comments and I'll get back to you!

[Champion Concept] Vertigo, the Writhing Madness

9 Comments