Gaius, Guardian of the Stone [Champion Concept Side Project]
Appearance and Short Background Gaius is a relatively average built man in both height and weight. He is in his early twenties.
He has a light complextion and his hair is honey colored and long, pulled back in a ponytail. This is hidden beneath a ruddy brownish green hooded cloak. Underneath the cloak he wears a long loose sleeved beige gi with multiple layers. His pants/leggings resemble that of a shaolin monks, but beige in color. His eyes glow a deep earthly gold color. In his right hand are prayer beads which are wrapped around his forearm. Around his neck is a cord choker with a rock attached to it like a pendant. This rock glows sometimes with a golden color much like his eyes.
Gaius has three large floating stones behind his head which also have smaller floating stones around them. When he attacks these stones are used as they travel from their position, along his arm which is attacking, and strike the foe at a distance with great velocity. Gaius moves by gliding upon stones which support him.
Gaius grew up in a secluded Mountainous/Plateau area and so wears earthly colors because of it. It is unknown how he came about his powers to those who discovered his existence, but to him he remembers it clearly. He broke a tabboo out of pure curiosity and his people were destroyed. He was then tasked to bear the burden his people had shared. The burden to protect the "Gaia". The rock which hangs around his neck. He had removed it from its sacred position which cause the land around his peoples him to erupt in chaos, decimating his people and leaving him as the last. The stone sensed his grief and regret. It bestowed upon him its powers so long as he would protect it and honor his people. He now bears the burden they once did with high honor and constitution. All who approached his homeland have said to come into great earthquakes which caused them to turn back and never return. However, one day some very lucky travelers saw what caused them. One man. A man protecting his homeland. Of course, these travelers knew not of why he was doing such things, and so fled to spread the word of this man who causes earthquakes and stones to erupt from the earth.
The stone spoke to him that he had to leave now that he was discovered. That his peoples spirits were at rest and they had forgiven his transgression. He looked back at the once great city of his people. Their vissages smiling before disappearing. Another benefit from being connected to the stone. Able to see those who had passed and lived in this world. Ghostly Vissage the stone called it. Yes, the stone spoke, but to Gaius and Gaius alone. With a heavy heart Gaius turned to the city and with mighty concentration encased it in the hardest material he knew of and imbedded his will to protect them in it. Known as the "Obsidian Tomb". Used in desperate measures to protect something precious. The stone stated that only one with the the stone can break this tomb, and so Gaius's heart felt a bit more uplifted that his home would not be desecrated. As the job was done Gaius took the step out of his homeland and into the world.
About Gaius and the Gaia, a little more backstory
Gaius was named after the Gaia by his parents to honor it. The Gaia itself is an entity connected to the great magicks of the earth and therefore is deeply connected to them. Almost as if it IS the very earth itself. No one in Gaius's homeland remembers what the Gaia is. Only that it was to be protected and protected them.
However, info from me (the creator of the concept) the Gaia is an ancient spirit of the earth. Literally on the level of a God. The Gaia in voice is a female when speaking to Gaius, and so he refers to the Gaia as her. Though in truth the Gaia is neutral, and just takes the appearance of whatever it wishes. Gaiu's homeland was always ravaged by quakes and fissures. Frequen magma eruptions occured to which they had to adapt. They could not leave as the surrounding nations would not let them at the time. Then the Gaia came. Injured and weak. They were kind people despite their harsh living, and so nurtured the Gaia back to full health and strength. In return it pledged itself to their protection and turned itself into a rock to be placed at a sacred location. Upon being placed the earth quieted and peace returned to the land. They worshipped and protected the Gaia. It was a mutual benefit. Until Gaius broke the taboo and touched the Gaia. Removing it from its sacred place out of curiosity at a young age. Thus, the earth turned to chaos. All that was being held back for centuries erupted and the his people were destroyed before his eyes. The Gaia was unable to hold back the sudden eruption it had been holding back over the centuries due to all of its protections being broken at once. The sudden backlash of centuries overwhelmed the Gaia for but a few moments, and so could not save the people which had devoted themselves to it, but it could save the boy who was nearby. Gaius's guilt and regret was immense, equal in measure with the Gaia's own sense of failure. It granted Gaius a second chance by bestowing him with its power, if but a portion of it. The sudden eruption had released so much energy that none was left to continue its rampage and so the land truly became peaceful. The city remained almost untouched, as it was made of a strong earthly material granted by the Gaia, but it till bored cracks and fissures. All the people burned to ash and colored the city a stark grey. Thus when Gaius left the city, the land was at peace with no more threat from catastrophe, and encased in the Obsidian Tomb.
Synopsis and Stats Gaius is a medium range tanky defense mage. Relying on his sturdiness to survive longer than other mages. The defensive and offensive capabilities of his kit make him a huge presence in his lane and on the field. Using his defenses he is able to take the punishment meant for others, protect his allies in a retreat, block an enemies escape, and help control the field. When on the offense his poke allows him to put pressure on the enemy and his ult allows him to create an arena the enemy does not want to get caught in during a teamfight.
Health: 510-2130 Health Regen: 6-17 Resource: None Armor: 27-90 Magic Resist: 30 Attack Damage: 60-107 Attack Range: 400 Attack Speed: 0.65-1.0 Movement Speed: 350 Primary Role: Tank Secondary Role: Mage
Counters Gaius is relatively low mobility, and thus makes him susceptible to large amounts of CC. He is extremely easy to get locked down if overwhelmed.
Passive http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/resource_images/17/icons_16557_btn.jpg Earthly Might As Gaius takes damage his Armor or Magic Resist increases based upon the type of damage taken. Physical damage increases his Armor and Magic Damage increases his Magic Resist. This is shown by an increasing "rock armor" that encompasses his body. Once max stacks are reached with either Magic Resist or Armor, Gaius is granted a shield for a short duration. If out of battle for too long or he dies his stacks revert to zero.
Armor Per Hit: 2/3/4/5 Magic Resist Per Hit: 2/3/4/5. Armor and Magic Resist Max Bonus: 20/30/40/50. Shield: 100/150/200/250 (+10/15/20/25% Maximum Health) Shield Duration: 6s. Stack Duration: Stacks do not disappear when in battle. If Gaius is out of battle and has not taken damage for 10s his stacks revert back to zero.
NOTES Will of Stone starts with a base and then scales with Gaius's ultimate rank. Gaius retains the max Armor and Magic Resist upon the Shields activation. If his shield is activated upon Max Armor stacks he can still gain Magic Resist stacks, and vice versa. However, if the shield is still up it does not add another shield, it simply refreshes the shield to max power. Hopefully this makes sense for people. Any questions feel free to ask.
There is no cooldown on this ability. The shields duration and stack duration is what controls when the shield and stacks can be activated/built up.
The "Rock Armor" is similar in appearance to the Rock Armor of Dragon Age 2 for those who have played it. The difference being that it is more body forming to Gaius and encompasses his entire body as well as being slightly see through.
The Shield upon max stacks is shown via the "Rock Armor" becoming tangible. Thus no longer being slightly see through. This description is what Gaius's shield looks like upon max stacks.
Q http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/resource_images/12/icons_11732_btn.jpg Stonewall Gaius slams the ground with his fist summing a stone wall before him which blocks all enemy passage, skillshots, and projectiles which come in contact with it. Does not hamper allies.
Gaius stops moving if he is moving during the animation time of this ability, but then continues on after.
Wall Length: 300/350/400/450/500 units. Wall Width:: 50 units. Duration: 6s Cooldown: 20s Total Animation Time: About 0.5s.
Fractured Stonewall Stonewall fractures causing it to explode after a brief delay. Enemies near the wall or within the radius when it does take more magic damage and are stunned for a short time. Stonewall only becomes "Fractured" upon interaction from his other abilities. See them for more details on how they Fracture Stonewall. Fractured Stonewall can still be activated even if Stonewall itself is on cooldown as this is a secondary effect that can happen.
Delay: 1s Radius: 150 units out from the wall on all sides. Damage: 25/50/75/100/125 (+70% AP) Stun Duration: 0.5s
NOTES This ability is activated upon pressing the button and is activated in the direction of the mouse cursor. It acts as a defensive ability to protect Gaius's team from the enemies attacks and block off any pursuit.
The stone wall is grey in color and arrives up from the ground forming the wall itself. Much like a concrete barrier in appearance. Aside from the width and length of the wall, the wall stands about as tall as Gaius himself who is about 5' 8".
For those who might wonder why allies are allowed to pass and enemies are not. Gaius has extreme control over his ability of the earth. Rocks, concrete, Magma, marble, etc. Anything that is created with earth or from the earth essentially. Thus, he can manipulate it to allow allies to phase through it, but stop any hostiles from doing so. Only abilities or spells which allow champions to go over or through walls will allow enemies to pass. This may be, to some of you, a cheap explanation, but it is the one I have. Think of it like a stone wall into a hideout in some fantasy setting. Only those with the specific mark can walk through the wall. All others hit nothing but stone.
Whenever Stonewall becomes fractured the fractures in Stonewall glow a molten red, much like lava/magma. The intensity of the fracture starts off really light, and grows in brightness and intensity until it explodes, sending out shards from the remains of Stonewall.
The radius of this explosion is used to describe how far out from the wall the blast goes. So the blast itself encompasses Stonewall and 150 units out from where Stonewall was placed.
W http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/resource_images/10/icons_9443_btn.jpg Fissure Gaius stomps the ground summoning an increasing cone of curved molten stone spikes causing magic damage to all enemies hit and knocking them up for a short period of time. If Fissure comes into contact with Stonewall, Stonewall becomes Fractured.
Gaius stops moving if he is moving during the animation time of this ability, but then continues on after.
Range: 600 units Width: Fissure starts with a width of 50 units and increases for a max of 400 at max range. Damage: 75/115/155/195/235(+70% AP) Knock Up Duration: 0.5s Cooldown: 16/14/12/10/8s Total Animation Time: About 1s
NOTES Fissure is an ascending cone shaped skillshot. This means that it starts at point of impact and works its way into the cone shape. Fissure looks like curved molten spikes coming out of the ground. The spikes start at a relatively small scale and as it moves outwards the spikes get progressively bigger. For scale the spikes start at a size similar to Teemo in height then they grow in size as they continue along the path until they end up being as tall as Garen/Darius/Braum at max range. The spikes interconnect and cross each other as they sprout, giving the appearance of a wild, twisted terrain. Hope that makes sense.
The spikes from Fissure do not disappear as they arise from the ground until max range is reached. When max range is reached then all the spikes will disappear back into the ground. This is simply for animation/visual purposes. Enemies do not continue to take damage from the spikes which previously erupted from the ground. They only take damage when the spikes erupt from the ground.
Fissure's Spikes stop movement in the area until they disappear. Enemies who land on the spikes after the knock up can move out of them however.
The moment Fissure hits Stonewall, Stonewall fractures.
The animation of Fissure stops Gaius where he is upon activation as he stomps the ground, but has no channel time. So for the split second he stomps the ground he is locked in place.
This ability, while able to be used as a poke, is not Gaius's main poke ability. This is more of a combo set up as well as an engage and or escape technique to be used in conjuction with Stonewall. For fun I call this combo the Stonewall Fissure. Just a combination of the names. :P
E http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/resource_images/12/icons_11959_btn.jpg Seismic Launch Gaius pulls a piece of the earth out of the ground and propels it through the air in target direction dealing magic damage to all in its path. At the end of its path or on contact with an enemy champion it explodes dealing magic damage and knocking back those within the radius. Enemies who hit terrain, including Stonewall, are stunned for a short duration. If enemies hit Stonewall in this way it will cause Stonewall to fracture.
Reactivating this while it is in flight causes it to explode early.
Range: 1000 units. Missile Width: 75 units. Missile Speed: 1800 Damage: 30/50/70/90/110 (+80% AP) Explosion Radius: 150 units. Explosion Damage: 60/90/120/150/180 (+100% AP) Stun Duration: 0.5s Cooldown: 16/14/12/10/8s
NOTES This is Gaius's main poke ability. It has unique animations to it while Gaius is moving around as he does not have to stop in place to cast it. The projectile itself is a hardened grey rock with clumps of dirt hanging off of it.
The animation of Seismic Launch are as follows:
- While standing in one place and activating this Gaius motions his right hand upwards, summoning the projectile and then punches it once it reaches high enough.
- When moving to the right Gaius will motion his right hand upwards, summoing the projectile and then spin kicks it in target direction, as he lands he keeps moving in the target direction.
- Much like number 2, but instead of motioning with the right hand he does so with his left and spin kicks in target direction. The spin is of course in the opposite direction of number 2.
- When moving forward Gaius will motion upwards with his right hand to summon the projectile and then jump forward punching the projectile in target direction with his right hand.
- Moving diagonally forward whether left or right will be a variation of 2 or 3 depending on which diagonal path he chose.
- While shooting the projectile behind him he will motion upwards with his left hand to summon the projectile and turn, punching it with his right in target direction.
- When moving forward and casting the projectile behind him he will motion upwards with his left hand, summoning the projectile. He will then jump, spin around and punch the projectile in target direction with his right hand mid air, then continue in the spin landing and continuing to run.
- When aiming diagonally behind him in either direction he will do a variation of 7, but with kicks instead like 2 and 3.
I may have forgotten a few that I thought of. If I did I will add them in later. If not then these stay as is. I hope these animations make sense for people. I know it's a lot of detail, but this is a unique aspect for Gaius in terms of this ability so I wanted to include it. :P
R http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/resource_images/12/icons_11730_btn.jpg Tremor Gaius anchors (see Damage Limit) himself in place and targets a medium radius area in a huge cast radius and begins channeling. During the channel the ground at target location begins cracking and trembling, slowing and dealing magic damage to enemies in the area. After the channels completion the ground erupts with with molten spikes in a cylindrical pyramid meeting at the middle of the area causing magic damage and knocking up enemies in the area.
Cast Radius: 1000/1500/2000 Channel Time: 3s Radius: 600 Slow: 10/20/30% Damage During Slow: 25/50/75 (+50% AP) every 0.5s. Damage Upon Completion: 200/350/500 (+100% AP) Knock Up Duration: 0.5s Cooldown: 100s
Damage Limit: Anchor Damage Limit replaces Gaius's Mana bar upon the first rank of his ultimate and scales with it. During the channel time of Tremor Gaius gains a "Damage Limit" which acts as a shield. This shield must be destroyed to break Gaius's concentration on the channel through damage. Damage Limit benefits from Gaius's Magic Resist and Armor. Damage Limit is its own bar and so acts independent of and does not gain the benefit from his Passives shield except for the bonus Magic Resist and Armor.
Damage Limit takes place as Tremor's Anchor and takes on the appearance of a stone tomb which surrounds Gaius. Upon breaking Damage Limit this tomb fractures and explodes. This is just for animation effects.
Damage Limit: 20/35/50% of Gaius's Maximum Health.
NOTES "Anchor" means that Gaius cannot be moved from that spot no matter what. He still takes damage from abilities which would, but is not affected by the effects that would move him from that spot.
Tremor's channel can be stopped via breaking his Damage limit/Anchor or Silencing him. Charms and Fears do not effect him as they deal with movement and he cannot be moved from his spot. This is true for knock ups, knock backs, pulls, pushes, and all other movement altering abilities. However, the damage they inflict is still applied and thus can be used to help break his Damage Limit/Anchor.
Tremor and Damage Limits Animation is as follows: Gaius kneels down upon selecting target area and three large stone slabs come up from the ground around him and encase him in a three sided stone pyramid. The ground at target location cracks and trembles as if it were breaking apart and changes to a brown stone like you would find in a barren waste land. The fractures between the pieces of ground glow as if molten lava was between them.
When Damage Limit/Anchor is broken the slabs of stone fracture much like Stonewall upon fracturing and explode outwards before disintigrating. This is just for animations purposes and does not do anything else except to be an animation of the Damage Limit/Anchor breaking.
Items
Itemization Gaius should build like a tanky mage. Health, Armor, Magic Resist, and Ability Power. Focusing on Health and Ability Power for the more damage oriented Gaius. Focusing on Armor, Magic Resist, and Health for the tankier side of Gaius.
When building Gaius you want to look at your team and what they need. Do they needy more tankiness? Start building that health and defense. Need more power? Start in on that Ability Power.
Essentials I'd say that the
There you have Gaius! This is a rough draft at best and a side project/concept that I created during the reworks of some champions of mine as well as new champions I am creating. Gaius is on the line between being a work in progress (someone I'll continue working on) and a one off champion (someone I will not continue working on). I release him today instead of any of the others due to this fact. He is one that is to keep my creative juices flowing and to see where I still need to improve.
Thank you for your time! Feedback is appreciated, but if you're simply here to be rude then please move on. Being rude is not constructive. Thank you!
