Escher, the Architect

Role: AP Mage, AP Support

Inspiration: I wanted to create a champion who could interact with structures in the game, as well as build his own.

General Design Philosophy: Escher is a mage who focuses on team disruption and physically altering the useable space on the battlefield. He is most useful when near his allies but he can set up a series of defensive points by constructing towers and walls in order to bunker down until help arrives. All of Escher’s abilities are themed around the physical construction of various objects- obelisks, archways and roads.

Risk Analysis: Moderate. Escher is a unique, utility-focused mage that can also excel as a carry in his own right. His spells are all novel but familiar and none of them appear to be too game-breaking. I first designed Escher almost a year ago; well before the reveal of Azir. As such, his tower-augmenting abilities may seem to hit too close to the Emperor’s territory.

Appearance: A tall, slender, enigmatic man. He wields a drafting compass in one hand like a wand, and carries a series of rolled up blueprints in his other.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/mineshaft_architect_by_balance_sheet-d6udrlm_zpsjvzdkkch.jpg

Lore: Missing

Strengths: Immensely powerful team fight presence and physical disruption, a suite of unique utilities including multiple forms of impassible terrain, excellent kite and engage potential

Weaknesses: Requires set up time and pinch points to be effective, reliant on auto attacks for consistent damage, easily kited out of range of his damaging abilities

Plays Most Like…:

Auto Attack: Escher fires a ranged bolt of energy from a converted drafting compass, which he wields like a wand

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_12858_pas_zpsffqmlhtu.jpg Passive- Schematic: Escher's auto attacks apply a dot on the ground beneath his target. If a subsequent auto attack occurs within 300 range of the previous one, another dot forms and an ant line connects the two. This must occur within 2.5 seconds or the chain is broken. This continues until a subsequent auto attack fails to tether to previous dots or until five dots connect. In either case, a trail rapidly lights up along the dots' travel path, automatically targeting the last victim to receive a dot and dealing magic damage based on the number of dots connected. The damage of each dot scales with level and AP. After this occurs, the ability goes on a short 5 second cooldown before activating again. Design Philosophy: This is a powerful and highly interactive passive ability that incentivizes Escher players to maximize their auto attacks, and possibly even build items such as Nashor’s Tooth to better utilize the ability’s power. Minions can be used to "farm" dots before using the last auto attack on an enemy champion. Finally, creating a damage-focused passive ability keeps Escher players engaged in fights in between their long cooldown, utility-based abilities.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_16966_atc_zpsucw4q2ij.jpg Q- Obelisk (12 seconds): Escher constructs an obelisk at a target location which lasts for 8 seconds and fires a beam of energy at nearby enemy targets every second, dealing magic damage. The first attack deals double damage. The obelisk functions similarly to towers in that it acquires and sticks to targets until they go out of range or die. The obelisk has health and armor/MR based on its rank, and can be damaged by basic spells, unlike real towers. The obelisk acts as impassible terrain while it stands. If the Obelisk hasn’t taken damage from enemy champions for at least 3 seconds, Escher can recast this ability to destroy the current Obelisk, reducing the ability's cooldown to 3 seconds. If an enemy champion destroys the Obelisk, they are granted 10 gold. Design Philosophy: This is an iconic staple ability for someone who refers to themselves as “The Architect.” Escher players who aren’t keen on the current position of their Obelisk can opt to destroy it by recasting the ability, allowing themselves to reduce the ability’s cooldown to a more managable time.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_497_btn_zpsh5d9oszv.jpg W- Archway (18 seconds): Escher summons an archway (similar to Anivia and Karthus' walls) that heals allied units who walk through it and simultaneously creates impassible terrain around its edges. If an enemy gets near the doorway, it seals shut, completely blocking entry. This wall lasts 6 seconds unless sealed shut, in which case it lasts 2 seconds after the sealing is triggered. Allied champions can only be healed by the archway once. Design Philosophy: This is an incredibly fun and novel way to both help allies escape or prevent enemies from getting in. By sealing the doors, enemies can literally shut down the ability for Escher to heal his allies, providing counterplay and unique situations where enemies or allies could be on the wrong side of the door.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_10937_pas_zpszus3tt1i.jpg http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_781_btn_zpsdw95bkcq.jpg E- Brick By Brick (8 seconds): Escher fires a lined skillshot of cobblestone bricks originating from Escher, which magically lay on the ground before him and last 4 seconds. Allies who walk on this path gain bonus movement speed. After 4 seconds or upon recast, the bricks will begin to disperse rapidly one at a time (over .5 seconds), homing in on nearby enemies and shattering on contact, dealing magic damage. Design Philosophy: This ability works like a cross between Galio’s Righteous Gust and Ahri’s Foxfire. Typically players will want to activate the ability’s offensive capabilities after closing the gap thanks to the movement speed generated by the path. If Escher has a Rylai's Crystal Scepter, enemies who walk on the path are slowed.

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_16966_pas_zpspao4nvfn.jpg http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_16514_btn_zpsrfhlg2ff.jpg http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag47/Lutzburg/icons_9589_pas_zpsdjirhkfn.jpg R- Magnum Opus (40 seconds): Escher targets one of his structures or an allied tower, changing its form and augmenting its power over its duration (or for a few seconds in the case of an allied tower). Obelisks gain double health and deal AoE damage around targets struck, in addition to dealing 40/80/120 more damage per shot. Archways heal for more and knock back any enemies attempting to pass through one, though the door stays open for allies to move between. Brick by Brick's movement speed is increased dramatically and deals increased damage upon dispersing. Allied towers take 50% reduced damage for 6/8/10 seconds and grant an aura that increases allied champion's armor and magic resistance for the duration. Design Philosophy: This short cooldown ability allows Escher the power to drastically change the landscape and potential geography of Summoner’s Rift. By asking players to target an existing structure, this ensures that Escher can select an allied tower if he so chooses, and also gives enemies a chance to visually experience and potentially react to the augmentation.

If you liked this Champion, you can find over 70 more of my original concepts HERE!