Another Karma rework concept

Well, I said that I'd do my last concept last time since she was getting a mini-rework, but my baby rework was canceled before it even hit PBE. Probably for the best, but I was still looking forward to it. But I have yet another rework concept for Karma. This makes like... my sixth, however this one is not too different from current karma.

This time, I really wanted to solidify Karma as the one true Mage-support hybrid. Having reliable damage, healing, and shielding, but still lacking the utility of most enchanters, and the raw damage output of other burst mages.

Additionally, I wanted to fix some of the problems with Karma's current kit. (Note; I created this before Karma's upcoming buffs on the PBE)

• Making Mantra'd abilities less dependent on what stats Karma builds and more dependent on Karma's decision making
• Giving Karma better AP scaling and in exchange reducing her ridiculously high base damage
• Forcing Karma's gameplay to be that of making the right decisions with her spells and mantra in the middle of a fight rather than strong-arming your enemies
• Giving Karma's less intuitive abilities more gameplay/counter play
• Giving Karma more options for damage besides Q/RQ

Without further ado... another Karma rework.

Passive Gathering fire

• While in Champion combat Karma stores stacks of gathering fire when she uses her abilities.

• Upon reaching five stacks Karma’s next auto attack fires in a cone of energy dealing 50 (+8 per level) (50% AP) bonus magic damage to all enemies hit and consuming all of her stacks
• When out of champion combat for 5 seconds Karma will consume a stack every second
• Karma lowers Mantra’s cooldown by 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 2.5 seconds for every stack consumed

This passive rework is meant to do many things; give Karma a new source of damage, lower Karma's ability to spam mantra, Give enemies a clear indicator of Karma's renewing mantra Cooldown, and reward Karma for supporting allies as well as damaging enemies. Overall I wanted this passive to better interact better with Karma's playstyle and supportive capabilities, rather than currently where she's simply rewarded for being aggressive.

Q: Inner flame (Nerfed)

• Cooldown: 7 / 6.5 / 6 / 5.5 / 5 *
• Range: 950 *
• Mana cost: 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 *

• Karma fires a ball of spirit energy in the target direction that explodes upon colliding with an enemy unit dealing 70 / 110 / 140 / 190 / 230 (+70% AP) magic damage slowing them by 25% for 2 seconds

• Karma gains one stack of gathering fire per champion, large, or epic monster hit with inner flame or soul flare

RQ: Soul flare

• Karma fires an empowered inner flame. The projectile deals 0 / 50 / 100 / 150 (+20% AP) bonus magic damage and leaves behind an unstable zone at the target location. Enemy units inside the zone are slowed by 50%. After 1.5 seconds the zone erupts, dealing 95 / 180 / 265 / 350 (+75% AP) magic damage

• [new] recasting Q mId flight causes it to detonate early

So overall nerfs, the base damage of Karma's Inner flame has been hit pretty hard, with 10 less base damage rank 1 and 30 less at rank 5, but in exchange there's a 10% AP ratio buff, but then you look at the Mantra change. 0 bonus magic damage rank 1, yeah, that's pretty painful, but I feel it's necessary for two reasons. First off, Karma's Mantra Q is a far too powerful damage tool due to base damage alone, and that makes it the only viable option in terms of Mantra choice to deal damage. Secondly, This will help enemies a bit who hate trying to dodge this ability, as it's massive AOE is near impossible to sidestep.

W: Focused resolve

• Cooldown: 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 seconds *
• Cast Range: 550 units *
• Max tether radius: 600 units *
• Mana cost: 80 / 85 / 90 / 95 / 100 *

• Karma targets a champion, tethering them to the nearest enemy or allied champion for up to 2.5 seconds (prioritizing the closest champion to the initial target).

• Karma gains two stacks of gathering fire on initial cast of focused resolve and Spirit bond, and another two stacks if the tether detonates over its full duration
• If a enemy tethered unit dies, the full effects are immediately granted to the opposing tethered target.

Enemies

• Deals 12 / 20 / 28 / 36 / 44 (+13% AP) magic damage every half second, up to 60 / 100 / 140 / 180 / 220 (+ 65% AP) magic damage total
• If the tether lasts the full duration, enemies are rooted for 1.5 seconds

Allies

• While tethered, allies gain 50% tenacity
• Allies heal 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 (+ 35% AP) at the end of the tether’s duration

RW: Spirit bond

• Focused resolve becomes spirit bond boosting its healing and damaging effects

Enemies:

• Take an additional 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 (+20% AP) additional magic damage on the beginning and end of the tether’s cast
• this damage is increased by .5% per 1% current health
• minimum bonus damage: 120 / 180 / 240 / 300 (+40% AP) health
• Maximum bonus magic damage: 180 / 270 / 360 / 450 (+60% AP)

Allies:

• Heal for an additional 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 (+20% AP) of their health at the beginning and end of the tether’s duration
• this healing is increased by 1% per 1% missing health
• Minimum bonus heal: 100 / 150 / 200 / 250 (+40% AP)
• Maximum bonus heal: 200 / 300 / 400 / 500 (+80% AP)

so a TLDR of the changes; the tether can attach to allies now, the tether now auto-connects between the targeted enemy/ally and whoever's closest to them, allies gain tenacity and healing over the duration, and the RW just grants % damage/healing. the biggest nerfs are to the actual damage/healing numbers and mana cost. As the ability is much more powerful I decided to give it a more fitting mana cost, makes sense. The numbers on the other hand are a lot more complex. This ability now works as a double-target ability at all ranks, meaning it'll always deal double the damage, or grant double the healing, so for example that 65% AP ratio for damage, could be hitting two people, netting you an actual 130% AP as damage. Same goes for healing allies as well. Because of this I kept the numbers LOW in order to keep Karma balanced despite the new utility this ability brings.

E: Inspire Cooldown: 10 / 9.5 / 9 / 8.5 / 8 Cast range: 800 Mana cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80

• Karma shields the target ally or herself for 70 / 95 / 120 / 145 / 170 (+50% AP) for 2.5 seconds and grants them a 50% move speed boost for 2 seconds

• Karma gains 1 stack of gathering fire per inspire or defiance shield broken by enemy champions, large, or epic monsters.

RE: Defiance Shield/explosion radius: 500 units

• Karma shields the target and all surrounding allied champs for bonus 50 / 100 / 150 / 200 (+ 50% AP) bonus shield

• After 2.5 seconds or when the shield is broken, it erupts from the main target dealing 50 / 100 / 150 / 200 (+ 50% AP) Magic damage in a large AOE around the main target.
• [Removed] No longer grants move speed to adjacent targets (Main target still gains movespeed)

So, basically I've heavily nerfed the movement speed, but in exchange I lowered the cooldown and extended the movespeeds duration. Additionally shield-bomb, because yes. That's about it actually.

R: Mantra Cooldown: 40 seconds at all ranks

• Passive: Karma starts with a point in this ability at level 1

• Active: Karma empowers her next ability used in 8 seconds
• If Karma doesn’t use an ability within 8 seconds Mantra goes on an 10 second cooldown.

To better put an emphasis on what Mantra to utilize at the right time, I made sure to nerf Karma's Mantra cooldown refund on her passive, while buffing each of karma's mantra'd abilities. I also equalized the cooldown of Karma's R, making it much easier for people to keep track of, as well as being a general buff in the early game and a nerf in the late game for Karma, (as she's meant to be an early game dominant champion still).