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[Concept] Stella - The Deathbound

Reaper Review·9/4/2015, 10:44:16 AM·16 votes·2,608 views

An ageless being in the guise of a human, the Deathbound known as Stella oversees the flow of life and death on Runeterra. Between humanity's own advances, and the many machinations and magics of the populace, the border between the two grows ever more distorted, and ever more in need of her hand to reshape it.

Everything that is given life must one day return it. It is the law by which all life abides, a law that is constant and unchanging, even as the ages pass.

  • About the Deathbound

Name: Stella Race: "The Ageless" - The Deathbound Age: ???

  • The Ageless is a collective term used by some to describe ancient beings that roam Runeterra. The Darkin, as well as the wandering caretaker Bard, are among such beings.

  • The Deathbound is a being beyond the concepts of life and death, existing to watch over the balance between the two in the mortal world. As humans are the dominant species of Runeterra, the Deathbound has taken on a humanoid appearance. Those who have met her say she has chosen to go by the name of Stella.

  • Though she has taken a human form, Stella is still noticeably otherworldly. Her skin is, while not ghostly, still relatively pale. Her eyes, a soft scarlet. Her hair, a long and flowing black. Her figure, very tall and imposing, much taller than any average human.

  • Her attire, rather tattered across her body. A cloak thrown over her shoulders with the hood down, and torn such that the underside of her chest is slightly exposed. A bare midriff, and her legs covered in an equally-worn skirt, longer on one side. On her hands, somewhat rusted gauntlets, presumably used for hand to hand combat with she isn't using her signature weapon.

  • Said weapon, an enormous scythe, with many small nicks in its blade. The scythe has a subtle aura about it, causing its blade to glow a color not unlike Stella's eyes.

  • As for her personality, Stella is relatively reserved, but will converse with mortals if spoken to. She generally has no qualms with anyone so long as they respect the certainty and eventuality of death. Despite her disposition and state of being, she has nothing but utter contempt for the Shadow Isles, where the balance between life and death is in constant flux.

"Just know that you will die one day, one way or another. The more you try to fight it, the sooner it will come. I'll be making sure of that." ~ Stella, addressing a Noxian nobleman some generations ago

  • Base Stats

Health: 573 (+94) [2171] Health Regen: 9.55 (+0.85) [24] Mana: 297 (+36) [909] Mana Regen: 6.2 (+0.4) [13] Attack Damage: 52 (+4) [120] Attack Speed: 0.658 (+2.7%) [+45.9% - 0.96] Range: 200 Armor: 27 (+3.5) [86.5] Magic Resist: 32.1 (+1.25) [53.4] Movement Speed: 340

  • Passive: Imminent Demise

Stella's abilities and basic attacks apply Imminent Demise to affected enemies upon damaging them, lasting up to 4 seconds and stacking up to 4 times.

At 4 stacks, Imminent Demise is triggered, dealing Magic Damage to them and causing Stella's basic attacks against them for the next 4 seconds to deal additional bonus Magic Damage on-hit.

While Imminent Demise is triggered on an enemy, and for 4 seconds after it wears off, they cannot gain new stacks.

Initial Magic Damage: 13 + (13 x Level) (+13% AP) (+ 13% of Target's Missing Health) On-Hit Magic Damage: 4 + 4.4% of Target's Missing Health

  • The % Missing Health on the initial damage is capped at 150 against minions and monsters.
  • The % Missing Health on the on-hit damage is capped at 40 against minions and monsters.
  • Q: Dreadcull

Range: 475 Cost: 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 Mana Cooldown: 13 / 11.5 / 10 / 8.5 / 7

First Cast: Stella begins to channel for up to 4 seconds, increasing Dreadcull's damage over the first 2.25 seconds, up to 400%. Stella can move while channeling, but is Slowed by 15%.

If Stella completes the channel without casting, half the cooldown and cost are refunded. If the channel is interrupted, only half the cooldown is refunded.

Second Cast: Stella swings her scythe in a wide arc in front of her, dealing Magic Damage to all enemies within range.

If Dreadcull was charged for at least 1.75 seconds, any minions caught in the swing are carried to the arc's edge.

Minimum Damage: 15 / 30 / 45 / 60 / 75 (+35% Bonus AD) (+20% AP) Maximum Damage: 60 / 120 / 180 / 240 / 300 (+140% Bonus AD) (+80% AP)

  • W: Eye for an Eye

Cost: 35 Mana Cooldown: 13

Passive: While Eye for an Eye is not on cooldown, Stella stores a percentage of any damage she takes as Spite. Spite rapidly decays if Stella has been out of combat for 4 seconds.

% Damage Stored: 40 / 55 / 70 / 85 / 100%

Active: Stella enhances her next basic attack to consume her Spite and deal bonus Magic Damage to her target equal to the Spite consumed. The damage dealt is capped at 13% of her target's Maximum Health, and any damage over that is converted into healing for Stella.

Eye for an Eye's cooldown is reduced by 0.5 seconds every time Stella takes damage from any enemy besides minions.

  • Activating Eye for an Eye resets Stella's autoattack timer.
  • Spite is stored based on damage dealt after resistances, and there's no cap on how much Stella can have at once.
  • E: Death's Swiftness

Range: 725 Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80 Mana Cooldown: 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12

Active: Stella throws her scythe forward in a line, dealing Magic Damage to the first enemy it strikes and then returning to her.

If the scythe strikes an enemy champion or large monster, Stella briefly Roots them as she dashes behind them, then causes them to flee in terror for a short duration.

Magic Damage: 70 / 105 / 140 / 175 / 210 (+75% Bonus AD) (+50% AP) Fear Duration: 1.5 / 1.75 / 2 / 2.25 / 2.5 Seconds

If this ability is cast during Reaper's Embrace, Stella will instead dash to her scythe's location and flourish it around her, dealing Death's Swiftness's Magic Damage to nearby enemies.

Flourish Radius: 350

  • R: Reaper's Embrace

Range: 1300 Cost: 100 Mana Cooldown: 130 / 115 / 100

Active: Stella throws her scythe forward a great distance, dealing Magic Damage to any enemies it strikes. While the scythe is in flight, Stella cannot attack or use Dreadcull.

Upon reaching maximum range, or if Stella recasts the ability, the scythe rushes back to her, dragging any enemies along its return path back with it and dealing Magic Damage to them.

At any point before the scythe begins its return trip, Stella can cast Death's Swiftness to dash to the scythe's location and catch it, ending Reaper's Embrace early but refunding 50% of the cooldown and Mana cost.

Reaper's Embrace deals 300% damage to minions.

Magic Damage per Hit: 125 / 175 / 225 (+80% Bonus AD) (+45% AP) Total Magic Damage: 250 / 350 / 450 (+160% Bonus AD) (+90% AP)

  • Quotes (In Progress)

Champ Select "Everyone's time has an end. Some sooner than others."

Movement "Fate travels but one path." "Every road, to the same destination.

Attacking "One step closer." "Do not try my patience."

Killing an Enemy Champion during Imminent Demise "Another one bites the dust." "The. End." "Another day, another life." "No hard feelings, it's just business."

Joke "A head above the rest? Why stop at just one?" "They told me to get ahead in life. I now have several." "Let me tell you your life's story. The main character dies at the end."

Taunt "Resigned yourself to your fate, have you?" "Your time need not end here. Unless you'd like it to." "If you fancy life, I suggest you not get in my way."

Taunting Aatrox "Honor in death, huh? I like your style." "A Darkin, huh? Haven't seen one of you in ages..."

Taunting Azir "You too shall die one day, Azir. Just as your empire did so long ago." "Shurima is long dead and buried, forgotten by the sands of time, and you will soon be joining it."

Taunting Bard "You... Tch." "You... Just, stay out of my way."

Taunting Irelia "You cling to life by a thread, Irelia. A thread that is easily severed." "You stand now at the brink of death, Irelia. Let me be your guide across."

Taunting Karthus "Your voice will be silenced, fiend." "Tell me, lich, can you still sing with no head?"

Taunting Kayle "Immortality is folly, little angel."

Taunting Sion "Let me quell your rage, fallen warrior." "As usual, Noxus has ill regard for the sanctity of death."

Taunting Tahm Kench "Death can't be so easily bargained with, River King." "You'll stay out of my way if you value your whiskers, Kench."

Taunting Tryndamere "Even rage dies, my angry friend. Even yours."

Taunting Urgot "I do this out of pity for you, Urgot." "I've no contempt for those who defied death unwillingly."

Taunting Yorick "Alas, poor Yorick. May you one day find peace." "Allow me to end your cursed existence, Yorick Mori."

Taunting Zilean "You have lost your way, old one. Let me show you back to the path." "Do not think you can escape time's clutches forever, Zilean."

27 Comments

gr8artist9/4/2015, 10:14:33 PM2 votes

I really like this. I assume she's an intended fighter/assassin? Q > skillshot to first hit W > shield + AA empower/reset E > long range, target area q > AOE slow around scythe w > speed buff e > dash + AA empower/reset R > blitzgrab everything between scythe and Stella

If I were you, I'd give her an AOE spinning attack for teamfights. I think the scythe should not lodge as a result of auto attacks, but should do something similar to Naut's W's hit effect (hit, then pull away for the second "hit"). I'm also assuming that you can recast her abilities for the unarmed effect immediately after they're used?

She just seems like she'd spend too much time changing modes, and not enough time in either mode. Compare to Gnar, whose transformation builds up and lasts a while. Hell, with her current passive, you could accidentally transform without warning, or get transformed by a taunt effect. AA's and W should not transform. Q and E transforming makes sense (since she throws it at someone). If you're looking for a way to make Q and E more different, consider making her charge up E in a way like how Zac charges a jump. And give it ridiculous range, so it combos well with R. Take out the "if she loses vision of it" clause, and give her a timer instead so she can throw it over a wall, then drag back enemies. Also, for fairness, the drag should not be a 100% pull, but should just pull them a long distance in her direction.

KR4Z59/4/2015, 5:11:42 PM1 votes

The range on her passive is crazy! Maybe it should grow as you level. Like lvl 1 = 400 lvl 6 = 800 lvl 12 = 1000 etc.

Reaper Review9/4/2015, 7:09:19 PM1 votes

Yeah, she AAs using her hands when her scythe is elsewhere. That's why her AA range drops to 125 in that case.

The leash range on her scythe is slightly less than that of Orianna's ball, if you want a perspective for it.

As for making Q and E more different, that's something I want to work on. If I make her passive able to lodge her scythe into ANY target, then Q can be a fast skillshot that can be minion-blocked, whereas E would be the slightly slower attack that can bypass minions.

Then I could give her passive a small bonus if she executes something using it.

Reaper Review9/4/2015, 9:19:17 PM1 votes

  • The scythe can now lodge itself into any target Stella damages with an ability, instead of just champions and large monsters. This grants her scythe Q and E more noticeably different functions.

  • Duty of the Deathbound now heals Stella for 13% of her Missing Health if she executes an enemy using it. Considering Darius's heal on his Q, this shouldn't be too egregious. She CAN use W->AA to execute a low-HP minion for a quick heal, but she loses dueling power while W is on cooldown. That seems reasonable on paper.

  • Macabre Lash now grants a temporary shield instead of healing Stella, since she now has a heal elsewhere.

Numbers always subject to change, because numbers are fickle.

Glow9/4/2015, 11:23:28 PM1 votes

I really like how you've done this, it's a complex kit but from my perspective it has its strengths and weaknesses. I like that if she misses her scythe she would then have to do some tricky positioning to get it back which could leave her vulnerable, but she's not useless without it. Nicely done!

Reaper Review9/5/2015, 12:37:11 AM1 votes

Thank you for your input so far, everyone. Once I'm not busy with other things, I'll probably make some more changes, as well as write a lore for her.

Despite appearances, she isn't affiliated with the Shadow Isles. In fact, such a place where the line between life and death is so blurred doesn't sit kindly with her at all.

Reaper Review9/5/2015, 7:02:09 AM1 votes

Added a short bio section, giving a brief glance at Stella's appearance and personality. Describing appearances isn't my forte, no matter how well I can picture something in my head.

Reaper Review9/5/2015, 9:52:44 PM1 votes

Updated with some overhauled stuff.

  • Passive is better outlined. How the scythe deals with vision on enemies it's lodged in now functions like Nidalee's Hunt mechanic. The enemy is revealed as long as they don't actively engage a stealth mechanic. If they do activate stealth, the scythe returns to Stella. Also, the heal on execute was reduced to being 50% of the passive's bonus damage dealt.

  • Q2 is now a short-range dash skill, to emphasize that Stella is more nimble when not holding a giant scythe. For reference, 325 range is the range of Ekko's mini-dash on his E.

  • W's shield was moved to the second half of the ability, which now grants a shield based on how many hits Stella takes before reclaiming her scythe.

  • E1 now channels to increase its throw range. Like a Zac E that you can move while channeling, since Stella is only throwing her weapon and not herself.

  • Increased R's cooldown.

Reaper Review9/6/2015, 4:33:48 AM1 votes

Started adding quotes for her. Should give a bit more look into her no-nonsense but still relatively civil personality. She may take a bit of a macabre delight in her job, but in the end, it's all business for her.

Dayvigilante9/6/2015, 5:35:25 AM1 votes

http://31.media.tumblr.com/e5af9ea4c6f334ff4a5605b59c0f6594/tumblr_mraqg5A0uH1riyh3vo1_400.gif

I'll get around to a full review later

Reaper Review9/6/2015, 7:52:12 PM1 votes

Removed the "passive does true damage" bit from her E2, in an attempt to shave down her kit.

I think her W1 might be able to inflict 13% Max HP damage instead of Current HP, though.

Also, I think her ult needs to actually deal damage. Not sure how much, but it definitely needs to deal some kind of damage.

Edit: Reaper's Embrace now deals damage and has some other stuff.

Reaper Review9/7/2015, 11:35:03 AM1 votes

I have a rather sizable update to Stella's kit that I'm working on right now, making her mechanics a lot more 'organized' and clearly defined while removing a lot of fluff.

ARequestOfDeath9/8/2015, 4:25:38 PM1 votes

any interactions with thresh or yorick? for example

towards yorick. your journey will come to a end soon gravedigger

Reaper Review9/9/2015, 7:01:16 PM1 votes

I finally updated her kit. As I said, I did away with those very finicky scythe-manipulating mechanics in favor of making her something of a "death fighter". Someone who's designed for longer fights, doing more damage the harder the fight rages.

Yeah, her passive is another of those "hit enemy X times" passives, but such passives reward longer engagements. This one in particular takes 4 hits instead of 3, and unlike Braum's, your allies can't help you with it. In exchange, however, its potential damage is much higher, especially if your target is already feeling the hurt.

Her Q admittedly isn't much, but sometimes you need a simple skill to get the job done. See Tahm's Q for an example.

W is what really lets her shine in fights. An AA-reset that can cause a crushing amount of magic damage and possibly heal Stella for a fairly sizable amount. It's also particularly effective if her opponent has DoT effects (that means you, Fizz).

E is a variant of Leona's Zenith Blade that can be blocked by minions, but if it connects, she'll instill fear in her target. Because nothing says fear like a scythe-woman suddenly dashing in behind you.

R keeps her long-range pull mechanic to let her contribute to teamfights, since she's otherwise VERY single-target oriented in her damage. Also has a secondary function when paired with her E.

Reaper Review9/9/2015, 9:40:32 PM1 votes

Some extra notes on why her kit "changed" so much.

  • The previous mechanics, while no doubt in-depth and potentially fun to mess around with, weren't actually adding much to gameplay besides overloading her kit. Essentially, complexity solely for the sake of complexity and having tons of "uses", and designs like that tend to have issues. Kalista

  • Though she may have lost some style points in her abilities, her gameplay is very clear now. Her up-front damage isn't particularly noteworthy, but her combat effectiveness begins to increase the more damaged her enemy is. Sort of like Fizz with his W passive, but instead of being spry and nimble, Stella is very hardy and stands her ground.

  • The themes around the numbers 4 and 13 are still ever-present, which was the original reason I designed this concept. Especially her passive and W.

Reaper Review9/10/2015, 9:03:22 AM1 votes

Finally finished her base stats.

Guess next up is work on quotes more, and maybe try and think of a more imaginative Q.

Reaper Review9/11/2015, 5:24:48 AM1 votes

There, she has a mostly-brand-new Q.

Partially inspired by the likes of Sion and Darius, but this one has a neat feather-duster effect on minions if you charge it enough. The tactical application for this, of course, is to blow minions aside so they can't block her E.

Reaper Review9/12/2015, 5:41:40 AM1 votes

Added some more character-specific dialogue, and adjusted her passive's damage caps on monsters. I think they're reasonable now, maybe.

Q probably needs some mechanical/numerical tweaks at some point.

Im Lightskin9/4/2015, 2:05:30 PM1 votes

this sounds kind of like a mix between kalista and diana..i think the idea is good but the q and e are almost the same thing. perhaps if she had different move sets or even just one different move set, then this would be fine. but good concept (Y) oh and also what would she aa with, with no scythe?

Reaper Review9/14/2015, 5:17:31 PM1 votes

Thoughts for now:

  • Maybe take the channel off of Dreadcull so it's not too similar to Sion's Decimating Smash (and adjusting its damage accordingly, of course). I like the feather-duster effect against minions, though, so I want to try and keep that.

  • Eye for an Eye probably needs to store more damage at earlier ranks. 40% isn't really a lot for how the ability functions, Maybe 60 up to 100 might work.

  • Maybe give Death's Swiftness a 'pierce' effect if it kills a target, like Kalista's Q. Possibly lower the fear duration, but make it more potent if the scythe pierces a target first.

  • Try and doodle a picture of her because eye-catchers are great. Except I can't draw. At all.