Dwarf Rework

(Most recent concept change was Tuesday 12-4-2018 approx. 4:11pm EST)

Hello Brawl community! While I'm on my CTF creative suggestions kick, I'm looking into an idea to rework the very last class I wish to spend credits on to possibly help transform it into one of the very next classes I'd consider spending credits on. This may not be my greatest concept, and much of it may not even be original, but hopefully this combination of abilities would give the dwarf a more entertaining role to play in CTF.

Class: Dwarf
(Obviously it will remain a "Premium" class)

Play Style: Dwarves aren't meant to be defense ornaments. They're meant to be out there in the glorious field of battle making mince meat out of their foes or at least die trying. So instead, dwarves would swing their axe with the power of a mighty giant, knocking their foes back. When they'd need to get somewhere quickly, they should be able to bang their axe against a solid surface with enough force to catapult their whole body far backward. Rushing and catapulting would quickly fatigue a dwarf though, so those kinds of things would need to be done in moderation (much like drinking). Well, that is, unless the drinking isn't done in moderation. Then the dwarf would be able to exert even more effort to continue battling with vigor ... until their mead runs dry that is.

Purpose/Roles: Defense, Support, Tanking and even Offense.

Equipment:

Head: Chain Helmet
Chest: Diamond Armor
Legs: Diamond Leggings
Feet: Chain Boots

Slot 1: Iron Axe with Sharpness V and Knockback II "Ackt! It's light as a feather!"
Slot 2: 4 Steak "I'm usually still hungry after a measly 3 steaks!"
Slot 3: 3 Mead (Potion of Enchanting Icon) "It gets tricky to carry more than three."
Slot 4: [None]
Slot 5: [None]
Slot 6: [None]
Slot 7: [None]
Slot 8: Compass
Slot 9: Nether Star

((in case anyone wonders "Why an Iron Axe?" it's because vanilla Minecraft doesn't have hammers, and IT'S A DWARF! Just about everywhere that dwarves are depicted in fantasy settings, they love their hammers and axes, usually made of high quality (Sharpness V quality) hardened iron. The huge knockback is because the dwarf class was always able to work up to having knockback anyway, and fantasy dwarves in general are often powerful enough to justify a Knockback II melee weapon right off the bat))

Unique Concern "Fatigue": A bar which starts at 0% when spawned. Sneaking would keep the fatigue bar unchanged. Walking would increase fatigue at a rate of 5% per second. Sprinting would increase fatigue at a rate of 10% per second. When a dwarf would deliberately not be trying to sneak, walk or sprint (such as when standing still), the fatigue meter would decrease at a rate of 5% per second (even while being attacked). If crouching while not trying to move at the same time, the fatigue meter would decrease at a rate of 10% per second (so the best way to avoid building up too much fatigue would be to stop and actively crouch, much like the current dwarf does to level up that trusty sword when they reach their destination, which is typically their team's flag base).

If the fatigue bar were to climb up to 100%, the dwarf would suffer from Exhaustion for 5 seconds. The moment a dwarf would reach exhaustion the sound effect of a block of sand being placed would occur (as if to depict the sound of the dwarf having to let out a sigh while preparing to work up a second wind). Suffering from this exhaustion would prevent the dwarf from swinging their mighty axe (perhaps it would temporarily turn into a potato if there's no other way to disable swinging a held axe). The dwarf would still be able to "box" during this exhaustion by swinging anything else, but not while the axe is still being held (unless it would have to be turned into something like a potato while the dwarf is exhausted - but I was hoping that having to switch items would add to the drawback of completely ignoring fatigue to this exhaustion point). In addition, the exhausted dwarf would suffer the effects of Nausea II (to help alert them that their axe isn't able to be used during that time). But no matter how the dwarf would be controlled to sneak, walk or sprint, while exhausted the fatigue meter would instantly begin to DECREASE 5% per second. So even if it's drawback is completely ignored, it's not always permanently active. Fantasy dwarves are often depicted as being pretty stubborn and hard-headed after all (but they would no longer be hard-headed or tough-skinned enough to be immune to archer snipes. Besides, a dwarf would be able to dodge a bit better with these changes in place - especially if they manage to avoid exhaustion).

Special Passive Trait "Short and Stout": Dwarves, being shorter than average, would permanently appear to be crouching, making their nameplates hidden through walls and tough to read up close even though this appearance wouldn't affect their movement. Instead, their movement would remain hindered by permanently suffering Slowness II effects (this would be somewhat countered by a speed buff from a chemist). However, a dwarf would be strong enough to sprint - just not as quickly as all the taller classes.

Special Passive Trait "Hardiness": Dwarves wouldn't be immune to any debuffs anymore, but they would suffer all debuff effects for half the typical duration (poison, flash bomb slowness, blindness, burning, etc). This would include the duration that a dwarf would be on fire after falling into lava and quickly climbing back out. Also, because they have smaller yet powerfully built bodies a dwarf swimming in water or lava would move along just as fast as they'd move on land. The others would be able to outrun a dwarf, but the dwarf would be able to outswim the others. Swimming would still affect the fatigue bar the same way that moving on land would affect it.

Special Ability/Item "Catapult": If a dwarf's fatigue level is at 70% or less, they would be able to catapult backward one of two ways:

If the dwarf right-clicks with the axe on a solid block similar to how a soldier's wall climbing sword works, their fatigue bar would increase by 30% and they'd launch themselves up 3 blocks and backward 8 blocks instead of straight upward like the soldier (but perhaps with a less effective reach, and it WOULD work on coal ore blocks). Doing this would make the clanging sound that an anvil makes when it's placed in the world.

If the dwarf right-clicks with the axe on an enemy who is not blocking or being shielded by an elf, the enemy suffers 4 hearts of true damage while being knocked upward 2 blocks and back 4 blocks. At the same time, the dwarf is also knocked upward 2 blocks and back 4 blocks in the opposite direction (and the dwarf's fatigue meter would increase by the same 30%). Perhaps a special loud thumping sound can activate when a dwarf does this too to help the players around know what happened.

Special Ability/Item "Mead": Dwarves would tend to fatigue a lot, especially when they're dehydrated. Gulping a mead when fatigue is greater than 0% would immediately reduce 50% of the fatigue bar (which of course can never drop below 0%). Medics would carry plenty of mead on them to help dwarves who run dry. "Aiye! It's all ye need to get aheed: A pint - or three - of tasty mead!"

Interesting Dynamics to Note:

With a low enough fatigue, a skilled dwarf would be able to ping-pong between parallel walls to climb up a bit higher by catapulting off one wall while turning around quickly and accurately enough to catapult off the opposite wall. With up to 3 being able to be done in a row, that would allow a dwarf to climb up nearly 9 blocks (6 at least if falling a bit each time would have to happen before the next one could be performed).

If a dwarf can manage to grab an enemy flag with very little fatigue, then catapulting with the axe would rival the swift puffs of the elf's wind element to get out of there quickly...at first. Of course, very soon after that any elf would easily catch up to the dwarf, but at least the dwarf wouldn't be forced to remain stuck in the flag room walking like an injured ninja who's trying to heal.

Dwarves would no longer be a boring camping class. Staying still and especially crouching would ensure a lower fatigue, but it wouldn't be an absolute requirement to make any progress in a CTF match for a dwarf anymore. The gameplay for the dwarf would actually be able to involve more action - which all dwarves I've enjoyed as fictional characters absolutely CRAVED.

 

Hmmm, yes the added slowness makes logical sense but it's a tactical nightmare. The fact that a dwarf is reduced to only being able to output boxing damage while exhausted is already a very harsh drawback especially during fast-paced combat moments. Instead, I've changed the effect to Nausea II mostly as an alert to the player that their axe will not work for some time.

Yeah, I figured the dwarf needed some kind of love creatively - and so far no class swims effectively even though plenty of CTF maps feature enough water for this to be a consideration for choosing which class to play on a given map. Imagine people saying "Dwarf map" and having that not be sarcasm! Ha!

I did realize, after envisioning the dwarf class sometimes bursting back this way, that it's pretty much exactly what the elf can do on a more major scale and without the particle effects (unless some awesome particle effects could make it look like sparks flew where the dwarf clanged the axe of course). I changed this up a bit to introduce a more combat-related use, even though relocating the dwarf would still be involved in the overall effect from doing it. What do you think of the change?

Slowness II is definitely a setback, but without it the class really would no longer be dwarf, you're right. Even when sprinting, the legs wouldn't be any longer. The catapulting was how I thought a powerful yet shorter being would be able to get around quickly in a bind. Use the leverage of the long weapon with enough power to make it act like a giant grasshopper leg. Understandably, it would be a taxing feat even for a humanoid that is actually capable of it. As of now the damage caused by using this "catapulting" against an enemy is nominal, but the fact that it moves both combatants under the dwarf's control made it seem like it was already pretty impressive if successfully used in just the right ways.