Bwonsamdi, the Loa of Graves
Bwonsamdi is a unique support hero whom focuses on a global playstyle, buffing his allies, providing playmaking mechanics and being able to double soak to some extent. Most unique is his role as a hypercarry support, which is achieved through his trait and his level 1 talents which behave as quests that affect your allies as well as you.
I’d like feedback on this idea, I’m not great with numbers, and given the unique concept I’d really appreciate balance suggestions as although the idea has been clear for me in what I’d like Bwonsamdi to play like, making him too weak or powerful has been more difficult to work out.
Attributes
Health: 1666
Attack speed: 1.00
Attack damage: 91
Range: 6
Difficulty: Very Hard
A few opening notes that need explaining as they are key to Bwonsamdi. Firstly, Bwonsamdi alternates between two realms during a game: the Living Realm and the Death Realm.
In the Living Realm Bwonsamdi may interact with units, terrain and objectives as any other hero. He can also be targeted by other heroes in the Living Realm.
In the Death Realm he cannot interact with or be affected by units in the Living Realm, nor objectives. He has greatly reduced vision. Bwonsamdi is completely immune to damage in the Death Realm. The same applies for other heroes in the Death Realm, except the damage immunity. Bwonsamdi can basic attack units in either realm whilst in the Death Realm, marking them via his trait. His attack speed is halved whilst in the Death Realm, and his attacks deal no damage to targets in the Living Realm, but deal 400% more damage to targets in the Death Realm with him.
Bwonsamdi cannot gain exp from units himself if he is in the Death Realm and the dying unit or structure is in the Living Realm.
Bwonsamdi can be seen by heroes irrespective of his Realm, though his visuals differ. Bwonsamdi can see all heroes irrespective of their Realm, though heroes on the opposite Realm are obscured.
Spectral Shield.
Bwonsamdi has a permanent absorption shield equal to 100% of his maximum health. This is his “true health”. When it is reduced to 0, he immediately returns to the Death Realm and the enemy team get 0.25 kill credit and 25% of a hero kill in exp value.
Outside of talents, the Shield only recovers in the Death Realm, at a rate of 8% of its maximum value per sec, if you have not taken damage in the past 3 secs.
When Bwonsamdi is healed by any heroic means, the healing value is added to his Shield, but the added amount decays over 5 seconds. This added value can cause the Shield to go over the original maximum value, but not exceeding 200% of the original maximum.
Regen globes and fountains restore his shield equal to healing they normally provide.
Strengths:
- Good Tribute and Quest farm can cause him to push allies into carrying.
- Global support presence
- Can set up clever plays with Deaths Door
- Potentially strong enemy displacement in Death Grip and R2.
- Where situation allows, good AOE hero damage.
Weaknesses:
- Very dependent on allies for carrying and protecting his Shrine.
- Allies need to be proactive in using Deaths Door.
- Very weak base waveclear
- Abilities can backfire on team
- Cannot do much by himself
- Level 1 talent largely locks him into a certain game plan.
Abilities and Trait
Trait: Deal with Death
3 sec CD on active, 8 range.
Usable in either realm.
Passive: Bwonsamdis basic attacks and abilities which damage an enemy minion, hero or mercenary Mark them for 4 seconds. When marked enemies die, they drop a soul.
Bwonsamdi can activate his trait on a nearby allied hero to make a deal with them. Whilst in a deal with Bwonsamdi, and whilst Bwonsamdi is in the living realm, whenever the hero deals damage to a hostile minion, mercenary or hero, they are marked for 4 seconds. If they die whilst marked they drop Souls. Bwonsamdi can collect the souls.
Heroic souls are worth 40 regular souls.
All souls exist for 20 seconds. If an enemy hero is standing on a soul, it will time out four times as fast.
Bwonsamdi has a maximum capacity of 50 Souls, and he can cast Claim Tribute when at 50 souls to remove them, and gain 1 Tribute. All excess souls that would take you past cap are lost when gathering heroic souls, and you cannot collect souls when at cap.
The deal remains intact until Bwonsamdi selects a new recipient and souls will drop from his recipients marks so long as he is in the living realm. Bwonsamdi can collect souls in either the living or death realm.
Death Realm Abilities:
Q - Manifest
4 sec cooldown after returning to Death Realm
Global Range.
Requires a Shrine of Graves to be alive.
Target ally unit to teleport to their location and manifest In the living realm. This allows you new abilities to use.
If Bwonsamdi strays 8 range from the target he manifested from or they die, a countdown of 3 seconds begins. When it ticks out, he is returned to the Death Realm at his current location and your Shrine takes no Ruin stacks.
Use R to return to the Death Realm immediately at your current location, your Shrine takes no Ruin stacks.
W - Shrine of Graves
3 range.
5 sec cast
Cooldown equal to a heroes death timer, instantly put on cooldown if Shrine is destroyed.
Erect a Shrine at the target location. When the Shrine is active the ability Manifest is available to use. The Shrine will cast Shallow Graves in a radius of 15 around it when possible.
The Shrine has no health and is immune to abilities. Instead it gains stacks of ruined through various methods. When it reaches 100 stacks it is destroyed, causing Bwonsamdi to instantly be returned to the Death realm, and the enemy team gains 100% hero exp and 1 death for Bwonsamdi is registered. This counts as a hero takedown.
Enemy heroes can right click to channel on the Shrine to cause 10 stacks of Ruined a second. Enemy heroes can channel simultaneously to each add stacks to the Shrine.
Allied heroes other than Bwonsamdi can right click on the Shrine to channel and remove 5 stacks of Ruined a second. They cannot do this if an enemy is channeling on the Shrine. Only one allied hero can channel on the Shrine at one time.
Recasting the Shrine at a new location when one is already active does not remove any Ruined stacks.
Shallow Graves.
5 sec cooldown
Castable when a minion of any alignment dies within radius, creating a ghost from their corpse with identical to statistics to the minion it was spawned from. The ghost will gain exp as would a hero on the lane.
Ghosts that are destroyed cause Shrine of Graves to gain 2 stacks of Ruined. The Shrine will stop casting Shallow Graves if at 10 Ruin or lower.
E - Deaths Door
30 second cooldown (seperate from Living Realm cooldown)
3 range.
Place a portal at the target location in the Death Realm. If there is a Portal within the Living Realm within 10 range, both portals will become active, allowing allied and enemy heroes to right click them to be transported to the opposite realm from their current, in their current location.
In the Death Realm, after 3 secs for allies, or immediately for enemies, the Deaths Caress effect is applied (Bwonsamdi is immune to this effect) . This effect prevents all damage accrued by any method in the Death Realm from being healed or regenerated until the effect fades. The effect is continually refreshed in the Death Realm, and lasts 60 seconds upon entering the Living Realm. Portals that exist on the opposite Realm are visible, but cannot be used.
Once Deaths Caress is applied, heroes take 3% of their maximum health in damage a second whilst within the Death Realm.
Heroes In the death realm cannot interact with or see heroes in the opposite realm, but Bwonsamdi can see all heroes irrespective of their realm. Heroes have no unit collision in the death realm.
Max 2 portals on each realm. Portals last 60 seconds. If any heroes are in the death realm when a sole portal within 10 range back to the living realm times out, they’re immediately transported back to the living realm. If an enemy hero stands on a portal without clicking it, it times down 6 times as quickly. 2 sec CD on portal uses by same team heroes.
Soul Surge - the created portal consumes all souls, causing it to last 10% longer per soul consumed.
Living Realm Abilities:
Q - Boon of Bwonsamdi
7 range
8 sec cooldown
Enhances the target, granting them 10 Armor, 10% bonus attack damage and spell power and causing them to gain absorption shields equal to 10% of all damage they deal. Lasts 3 sec. Shields fade as soon as the buff ends. Bwonsamdi cannot cast this on himself.
When buffing a target you’re in a Deal with, they also gain 10% movement speed and their damage replenishes your Spectral Shield at a rate of 10% of all damage they deal.
For every Tribute you have, increase Armor buff by 1.5, and all other values by 1.5%.
Soul Surge - Consume all souls to increase the duration of the buff by 3% per soul consumed and to instantly shield the target for 0.5% of their maximum health per soul consumed. Shield lasts for as long as buff, and stacks with shields generated from the buff.
W - Aura of Death.
5. 5 radius
12 sec cooldown
Activate to channel your Aura of Death, causing all heroes within range to take 3% of their maximum health in damage per second for 3 seconds. Each time they take damage from this ability, they gain a stack of Deathly Withering, with each stack causing them to take an additional 1% of their maximum health in damage from this ability. Stacks are immediately dropped if the enemy steps out of the Aura or the spell ends. Bwonsamdi cannot cast other abilities during this channel, but can move.
Aura of Death can damage targets on either realm.
Soul Surge: After the first 3 seconds pass, this ability will continue to channel with the duration being continually refreshed by 0.2 secs, consuming a Soul each time this occurs. The channel ends once the Souls to sustain it run out. Bwonsamdi cannot collect souls when channelling an Empowered Aura of Death.
E - Deaths Door
30 second cooldown (seperate from Death Realm cooldown)
3 range.
This ability functions identical to the Death Realm version, except that Bwonsamdi creates a portal on the Living Realm side.
Heroic Abilities:
Favour of the Death Loa
45 second cooldown
Must be in the Living Realm
Passive: All shields generated from Boon of Bwonsamdi and this ability now persist for up to 2 seconds after the buff effect fades.
Cast, and then Channel to buff all allied heroes within your manifestation tether radius with Boon of Bwonsamdi for up to 5 seconds. Heroes that leave the tether area will lose the buff. Bwonsamdi cannot take any other action than moving during the channel. Whenever you gather a Soul during this channel, all buffed allies have their Boon shield increased by an amount equal to 1% of their maximum health per soul value.
See You On the Other Side
70 second cooldown
Must be in the Living Realm.
Passive: Your basic attack damage is increased by 10% for every stack of Deathly Withering on the target being attackedr. The target of your Manifest and any hero you are in a Deal with deal 5% more basic attack damage to targets per stack of Deathly Withering. If the Manifest target is in a Deal with you, the bonus is increased to 10%.
Cast to begin channeling to 1.5 secs. Once this channel ends, up to 5 heroic targets (allied or enemy) within 5 radius are dragged with you into the Death Realm for 3 seconds. Marked targets are prioritised first, and then closer targets. Targets and Bwonsamdi are returned to the Living Realm after this time. During this visit to the Death Realm, Bwonsamdi can still cast Boon of Bwonsamdi, instead of Manifest, and Aura of Death in place of Shrine of Graves.
Other abilities:
Z - Deaths Shadow
Bwonsamdi has no mount, whilst in the Death realm he moves 20% faster at all times and whilst in the living realm his movement speed is always equal to his manifest target unless their movement speed is slower than his base movement speed.
1- Claim Tribute
50 Soul cost
Consume 50 souls to gain 1 Tribute. Can only be cast in the Living Realm.
2 - Soul Surge
30 second cooldown
Empower your next Boon of Bwonsamdi, Deaths Door or Aura of Death, causing it to consume all gathered souls in the process. This resets all progress towards your current Tribute. Recast 1 whilst the empower is active to cancel the empowerment, and place this ability on cooldown for 5 seconds.
Talents:
Level 1 - This tier is focused on augmenting Bwonsamdis trait, and determining his synergy with the team choosing between focusing on AA carrying, ability carrying or soak and push.
Bloodied Offerings
Quest: Cast Claim Tribute, so long as either you, or the ally you are in a Deal with is within 15 range of your Shrine of Graves. This quest cannot be progressed if you have no active Deal.
Reward: each time this occurs, the Ally you were in a deal with at time of completion gains a permanent 1.5% bonus attack speed, doubled whenever you are in a deal with them, and Bwonsamdi gains a permanent 5% bonus attack damage. If an allied hero with stacks is killed whilst the Shrine of Graves is destroyed, or vice versa, the hero lose all stacks and Bwonsamdi loses half of his current stacks. This does not remove quest completion credit for previous quests however.
Quest: Complete the above quest 10 times.
Reward: Half of stacks of allied attack speed are lost rather than all stacks upon the death conditions.
Quest: complete the above quest 20 times.
Reward: Increase basic attack range by 1 and remove the attack speed penalty for Bwonsamdi in the Death Realm. Additionally causes only a third of stacks to be lost upon death conditions for both the allied hero and Bwonsamdi.
Exotic Offerings
Quest: Cast Claim Tribute, so long as either you, or the ally you are in a Deal with is within 15 range of your Shrine of Graves. This quest cannot be progressed if you have no active Deal.
Reward: each time this occurs, the Ally you are in a Deal with at time of completion gains a permanent 2% increased ability recharge speed, doubled whenever you are in a deal with them, and Bwonsamdi gains a permanent 5% increased radius on Aura of Death. If an allied hero with stacks is killed whilst the Shrine of Graves is destroyed, or vice versa, the hero lose all stacks and Bwonsamdi loses half of his current stacks . This does not remove quest completion credit for previous quests however.
Quest: Complete the above quest 10 times.
Reward: Half of stacks of allied cooldown reduction are lost rather than all stacks upon the death conditions.
Quest: complete the above quest 20 times.
Reward: Aura of Death has its cooldown reduced by 0.8 seconds each time it damages an enemy hero, and only a third of stacks for the allied hero and Bwonsamdi will be lost upon death conditions.
Humble Offerings
Passive: Manifesting from a minion increases their Armor by 75 for as long as you manifest. When Manifesting from a minion, your basic attacks will chain to 2 nearby targets when damaging minions, structures or mercenaries. These attacks will prefer to chain to marked targets .
Quest: Cast Claim Tribute when manifesting from minions. This quest can be progressed across various minions. Each time your spectral shield is depleted through damage and you are returned to the death realm, you lose a quest completion stack.
Reward: Each time you complete this quest, increase the health and damage of Ghosts spawned by Shallow Graves by 10%.
Quest: reach 10 stacks of quest completion.
Reward: Casting Boon of Bwonsamdi on a minion increases the duration by 300% and buff values by 100%. Minion armor cannot exceed 95 total.
Quest: Reach 20 stacks of quest completion.
Reward: Minions who remain in Aura of Death for three seconds are instantly killed. Mercanaries who remain for 3 sec take 50% of their maximum health in damage, and bosses take 25% of their maximum health in damage. Damage occurs once per cast.
Level 4 - This tier is focused on increasing Bwonsamdis Soul collection. There are safe options, and options that require more team coordination but can potentially double your soul generation by gathering from 2 lanes.
Nazmani Soulcatcher
Souls within 6 range of Bwonsamdi will move towards him. If Souls are within Aura of Death they are sucked towards him rapidly. Heroic souls move slower than non heroic souls.
Scarcity Brings Value
Minion and Mercanary deaths spawn 1 additional soul if only three or less targets are marked at their time of death.
Heroic Mojo Soul Jar
Quest: Collect the Souls of each unique enemy hero.
Reward: Reduce the cost of Claim Tribute to 35 Souls.
Apprentice to the Grave Loa
When allied heroes whom are in a Deal with Bwonsamdi walk over Souls, the soul will begin to follow them around, up to 10 souls maximum or one heroic soul. Souls that are following allied heroes do not time out. Bwonsamdi can collect the souls from the hero by manifesting from them. Also if the hero carrying souls channels on his Shrine, all the souls are deposited to Bwonsamdi.
Level 7 - This tier focuses on increasing sustain Bwonsamdi offers. One passive lanining option and two more suited to combat sustain with varying prices to pay (your own durability or soul collection)
Soul Train
Gathering a Soul restores 5% of your Spectral Shield and heals the target of your Manifest and your Deal for half of this amount. If you are Manifesting from the recipient of your Deal, they receive healing equal to the full amount.
Ghostly Shell
20 sec cooldown
6 range
Passive: 10% of the damage dealt from your Manifest target restores your Spectral Shield. Capped at a maximum of 4% of the max amount per second.
Sacrifice 25% of your maximum Spectral Shield amount to shield a target ally for a similar amount for 4 seconds. This cannot reduce your Spectral Shield below 0.
Soulwell
Passive: Increase the value of Heroic Souls by 10.
12 sec cooldown
6 range, 4 radius
Raises up to 10 souls within 6 radius of Bwonsamdi, and bathes them over the target area, consuming them. For each soul consumed, allies in the area are healed for 2% of their maximum health.
10 as above
Level 13 - The mobility tier, although all choices buff Bwonsamdis team’s mobility. Again, a passive safe option and two more niche options which require more coordination but can make way for good plays.
Shadowy Influence
Increase the tether range of Manifest by 20%. When Bwonsamdi manifests from a target they gain 15% movement speed so long as he manifests. Increased by 50% for targets he is in a Deal with.
Map of the Underworld
Allied heroes gain 25% movement speed whilst within the Death Realm. This bonus is doubled for the first 2 seconds of them arriving in the Death Realm.
Shade Runner
When buffed by Boon of Bwonsamdi, the first move command within 3 range the allied hero makes will cause them to make a quick teleport to the location or target if they have a melee attack. Increased by 50% for targets you are in a Deal with.
Level 16 - The power spike tier. The choice is between more regular buffs with a damage boost thrown in, a potentially game changing displacement or ally save and massively increasing the threat of your Aura of Death.
Death Grip
30 sec cooldown
6 range cast, 7 range grip
Cast on a portal that exists on the realm you reside on to empower it for 5 seconds. Casting a second time whilst Empowered will launch a shadowy hand from the portal, colliding with the first hero (allied or hostile) will cause the hand to grip them, pulling them quickly into the portal and transporting them into the respective realm.
Soul Reaping
Passive: Whenever the target of your Boon of Bwonsamdi deals direct damage, the cooldown of your Boon of Bwonsamdi is reduced by 0.5 seconds, up to maximum of 4 secs reduction.
Whilst Boon of Bwonsamdi is active on a single target, you may recast Q within the first 3 seconds to shoot a ghostly orb from the buffed heroes’ location, dealing 292 damage to all targets hit. Travels up to 6 range.
Nowhere to Hide
Passive: Aura of Death now slows the target by 3% each time it deals damage, lasting up to 1.5 secs and stacking up to 30 times.
Passive: Aura of Death now emanates from both the target of your Deal and your Manifest as well as from Bwonsamdi. Secondary auras deal 25% of original damage, but multiple auras will stack slows each time they attempt to deal damage.
Level 20 - Like all storm tiers powerful talents appear. Team wide cleanse, mass enemy displacement head up the tier. Utility options to swing late game ally deaths or turn your global presence into something altogether harding to nullify are also worth considering. The buff to your shrine also makes it very difficult for enemies to remove any of your level 1 quest stacks unless the game is over.
Not Ya Time, Mon
10 second cooldown
Passive: dead allied heroes leave behind a visage so long as they are dead.
Target allied hero visage to bring them back to life instantly at the Core. Requires 5 Tribute to cast, and consumes this Tribute.
If the resurrected allied hero gets a takedown on each unique enemy hero within 120 seconds of being resurrected, without dying, their debt is repaid and Bwonsamdi recovers 5 Tribute.
When Tribute is sacrificed in this way, you will lose 5 stacks of any of your completed quests for your level 1 talents. This will not remove any rewards you gained from reaching completion thresholds however if you already earned them, but only the passive stacking buffs they grant. These stacks are returned if the Debt is repaid.
Dis Be My House
Upgrades your shrine into a Necropolis. The Necropolis will automatically be placed at your Core and cannot be placed anywhere else, instead your W in Death Realm is now a 1 sec channel to instantly teleport you to the Necropolis and causes you to Manifest from it, placing you in the Living Realm. Whilst manifesting from the Necropolis, Bwonsamdi can channel on it himself to repair Ruin at a rate of 10 Ruin per sec.
The Necropolis has a global range on its casts of Shallow Graves, and has the cooldown of Shallow Graves reduced by 3.5 secs. Ghost deaths only cause 1 Ruin to the Necropolis, and the Necropolis requires 120 Ruin to be destroyed.
Friends on The Other Side
Allied heroes who die in the Living Realm whilst Bwonsamdi has a Shrine active will spawn as a shade of their former selves in the Death Realm at the location of their death. They remain as such until their death timer resets, then they respawn as normal.
Whilst a Shade they cannot leave the Death Realm but are immune to Death’s Caress being applied. Shades can attack other heroes in the Death Realm for 75% of their regular damage and use all of their basic abilities, but not heroic abilities. Shades can be destroyed, at which point the hero must wait out their Death Timer as normal. Shades do not grant experience upon death, nor kills or takedowns.
Big Bad Voodoo
Passive: Boon of Bwonsamdi always applies the speed buff typically reserved only for recipients if your Deal, all allies buffed by Favour of the Death Loa now receive it too.
When Favour of the Death Loa is cast, all buffed allies are cleansed and made unstoppable for 1 second. Bwonsamdi can now take other actions whilst the effect is active, but the ability can still be interrupted by stunning or silencing him.
Inevitable End
Passive: Ally immunity to Deaths Caress in the Death Realm extended to 4 seconds, and transport duration of See You On the Other Side increased to 4 seconds.
When first cast, See You On the Other Side now pulls all hostile enemy heroes within 6 radius to your location and Marks them. It will also always prefer enemy heroes to allied heroes when determining targets.
When the transport happens, a portal is left at the casting location, which allies can use to enter the Death Realm. This portal fades when the transport ends.
Voicelines, Easter Eggs and Misc (WIP)
Voice Lines
Selection: “Want to see somethin’ real scary?”
Generic Response at Game Start: “It not matter much ta me, everyone here gonna be seein’ me soon”
GRGS2: “So long as ya source me souls, we won’t be havin’ a problem.”
GRGS3: “Anudder battle, Anudder collection day for ole’ Bwonsamdi.”
Zul’jin: “Wha- what you be doin’ here?
Bwonsamdi:” Zul’jin! Now how did ya escape from me jar? Pretty sure I had ya dead."
Sylvanas:" I will take no pleasure from this. Just save your ire for our enemies."
Bwonsamdi:" Don’t worry banshee queen, I’ll watch ya back… Got me eye on ya head for me self after all. "
Jaina:" I’ve seen your darkness firsthand, and I won’t hesitate to act against it again if I must. "
Bwonsamdi:" Bwonsamdi bear no grudges. Ya might say ya got me an upgrade in de end. "
Arthas:" There’s only one true king of Death. "
Bwonsamdi:" I got a thousand souls that say otherwise ‘ya majesty’ "
Xul:" Now you… Are… Interesting. "
Bwonsamdi: “When ya done wit worshippin ya playthings, come see Ole’ Bwonsamdi.”
Gazlowe: “Who invited the hallows end mook? Keep yer distance pal”
Bwonsamdi: “What de matter? I thought goblins like makin deals?”
Malthael:“Let us prey upon their souls”
Bwonsamdi: “I got ta tell ya, I ain’t really used to de whole sharin’ thing.”
Usage, Play and Builds
Playing As Bwonsamdi:
- Good team communication and relationships are essential to get the most out of Bwonsamdis level 1 quests as you rely completely on your allies to keep your shrine healthy. Ping if you need a repair!
- Place Death’s Door in brush on either side to allow allies to make covert attacks and escapes.
- Always try to get an Aura of Death off each manifest. It’s free and the damage chips away at enemy heroes well enough.
- As useful as it is to maximise tribute gain, remember Soul Surge can turn your Boon into a powerful lifesaver and duelling tool, and your Aura of Death into a potential hero killing tool so long as its not interrupted. Having souls ready for skirmishes is wise.
- If enemies use your portals to try and escape, don’t be afraid to return to the Death Realm. They can’t kill you there and your basic attacks become some of the most powerful in the Nexus. Punish them!
Playing Against Bwonsamdi:
- Always check nearby brushes or pockets of fog for exit portals from the Death Realm, Bwonsamdis allies can use them to easily gank you completely unannounced otherwise
- You can use Bwonsamdis portals to escape being focus fired or targeted by a channeled spell. Just ensure you know where the exit portal is first to prevent high Deaths Caress damage!
- Remember to try and block Bwonsamdi from collecting souls where possible by standing on top of them.
- Bwonsamdis heroics both involve a degree of channeling, as does his Aura of Death, saving stuns and silences for these abilities curtails a lot of his larger powers.