Keeper

Change Log

• References to “cell” have been replaced with “radius”.
• Removed ”/” prefix from ability names.
• Added backlinks.
• Clarified passive “wireless”.
• Animation specs have been updated to include the new names for this units abilities.
• Standardised animation specs.
• Added health value.

This is one of the Characters.

Overview

The Swarm Puppeteer

In the face of total insect extinction, New Damascus released millions of small drones to manually breed plant life and for public surveillance. This model of android was developed to coordinate and direct entire swarms of drones at a time.

The virus granted the Keeper consciousness, empathy, and rage. When it discovered how the biological ancestors of its swarm was driven to eradication, it ditched its line of work and took its entire swarm with it.

Yearning to witness true nature, the Keeper wants to lead its swarm away from the confinements of the city and return them to the wilderness, a desperate attempt to fulfil their true purpose. Not as tools of surveillance, but as enablers of pollination and growth; a fleeting, perhaps impossible dream of restoration in a world beyond saving.*

Character Design Requirements

• This unit is two entities: one main body, and a swarm of drones that it controls. Based on the backstory, we imagine a beekeeper and a swarm of bees, but any kind of swarm-like insect would work pretty well.
• For the main Keeper, you can draw on the visual design of beekeeper attire/similar occupations, but it isn’t an actual beekeeper. All bees are extinct and all drones in the swarm are subservient, there’s no risk of getting stung. It’s just kinda designed that way because of history.
• The individual drones should be large enough that you can see each one, but they don’t need to be super detailed.
• Play around with different quantities of drones in the swarm. There could be 20-200, depends on how you want to style it and how cancerous it is to animate.

Traits

Vengeful, aggressive, focused, selfish, rude, god complex, spiteful, beekeeper

Gameplay

Pure damage, glass cannon, puppeteer, zoning, area-denial, movement control, limited range

Gameplay

Strengths

• Completely separate, invulnerable puppet unit
• Very high damage output
• Solid control of choke points

Weaknesses

• Main body is extremely squishy
• Must stay in range of the swarm to issue commands
• Lack of defensive or supportive skills
• All skills are issued to the Swarm (no self-defense skills)

Health

• This unit is a squishy so it will start with 75 HP.

Unique, Always On Ability

Keeper has a unique, always on ability called Wireless. Keeper can only issue commands to the Swarm while they are within a 5 cell range of each other.

Passive	Description
Vengeance	When Keeper takes damage, the swarm’s next hit deals 30% increased damage.
Discombobulate	At the end of your turn, all opponents surrounding the Swarm get 1 Slow.
Foolhardy	Wireless range is reduced to 2 cells, but all abilities trigger twice.

Abilities

Ability	Description	Target Type	Conditions and Details	Cooldown
Kill	Direct the Swarm to move to a cell. If that cell is occupied, it stops next to it and deals 15 damage.	Radius	- 4 cell range, relative to Swarm. Can target empty cells, cover, and enemies.
Sting	Direct the Swarm to strike every unit in a line for 30 damage. Pierces.	Line	- 3 cell range, relative to Swarm
Recall	Direct the Swarm to teleport to a cell adjacent to Keeper. Ignores wireless range.	Radius	- 1 cell range, relative to Keeper - Piercing	2
Coordinate	Gain 1 Supercharge for every enemy adjacent to the Swarm.	Pattern	- Pattern is every cell surrounding Swarm.
Sentry	Direct the Swarm to move to a free cell. Until your next turn, it will deal 15 damage to any enemy that enters an adjacent cell.	Pattern	- 4 cell range, relative to Swarm - Unoccupied cells only - Pattern is every cell surrounding Swarm.	1
Recall Burst	Direct the Swarm to strike all adjacent units for 40 damage, then teleport to a cell surrounding the Keeper.	Radius	- 1 cell range, relative to Keeper	3

Animation

Keeper

These animations are for Keeper’s main body.

Animation	Description
Idle	Keeper stands in a menacing pose, with his arms in a mantis-like position.
Anim 1	Used for Kill and Sting. Keeper stomps his front foot once, and points aggressively twice with his front hand.
Anim 2	Used for Recall and Recall Burst. Keeper brings his hands in front of him, turned upwards like claws, and lifts them quickly into the air.
Anim 3	Used for Coordinate and Sentry. Keeper slams his front fist into his other (open) palm twice.

Swarm

Swarm’s animations are specced assuming it’s just a big blob of particles, where no individual bee is identifieable.

Animation	Description
Idle	The swarm slowly bubbles and buzzes in place (as the bees are moving, but the swarm itself is staying put).
Anim 4	Used for every single ability. The swarm bursts outwards, growing rapidly in size and buzzing more intensely for a moment, before returning to normal.