I decided to finish this old concept for the 10 year anniversary. Hope anyone who stumbles upon it enjoys.
Daelin Proudmoore, Jaina’s father, was a man forged on the battlefield. Grand Admiral of the alliance, he was in charge of the legendary Kul Tiran Fleet, which he lead against the agents of the Horde. When he learned that his daughter was working alongside Thrall in the deserts of Durotar, he brought down the full might of the fleet upon them, and was only defeated by his daughter’s own betrayal. His legacy still remains in the hearts of the Kul Tiran people.
In HotS, Daelin is a low-CC bruiser with large amounts of damage, and a particular focus on % max health damage. He was designed to synergize extremely well with characters that slow, root, and stun enemies, greatly amplifying his damage and self-healing potential.
Universe: Warcraft
Role: Bruiser
Summon Mount
Z (Mount) – 4 sec Cooldown
Increases your movement speed by 30% while mounted.
Explanation: There is no need for a special mount.
Dredging Strike
Trait (Passive)
Daelin’s basic attacks against enemies deal an additional 5% of their maximum health in bonus damage, and heal Daelin for 3% of his maximum health if it was a Hero or Mercenary. The enemy is then immunized to this effect for 8 seconds, which is reset if the enemy is slowed, rooted, or stunned.
Explanation: Dredging Strike is the main focus of the character, giving him a great deal of his damage and self-healing. Naturally, due to its resetting effect, he can deal high amounts of consistent damage to enemies when paired with an ally, but he is just as capable as a skirmisher who takes short trades in solo lanes.
Riptide
Q (6 sec Cooldown)
Daelin deals 180 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies within 3 units of him. This can activate Dredging Strike.
Explanation: While simple, Riptide gives Daelin solid waveclear and a reliable way to activate Dredging Strike. This can provide a large burst of damage and self-healing, and encourages him to stay in the thick of the enemy team.
Surging Strike
W (8 sec Cooldown)
Daelin dashes to an enemy within 4 units and deals 220 (+4% per level) damage to them. If an enemy is rooted or stunned, Daelin can use this on them within 7 units; he additionally travels through the enemy, deals an additional 25% damage, and knocks them up for 1 second.
Explanation: Surging Strike is Daelin’s gap closer. While simple at its base, it is important to allow him to make use of his other abilities. When he can combo with an ally, this becomes an effective tool to prolong CC chains and close to gap to priority targets, making him effective at picking off targets.
Typhoon
E (20 sec Cooldown)
Daelin summons a fierce vortex in a 4.5 unit radius around him that travels 3 units in a target direction over 5 seconds. Enemies in the vortex take 18 (+4% per level) damage every 0.5 seconds, and allies within take 40% less damage from enemies that are not within the vortex.
Explanation: Since Daelin is a close range brawler with no ranged poke ability, Typhoon brings together his abilities with a unique twist. While it has a long cooldown, its can greatly protect your team from enemy poke and long range combos, effectively dividing the battlefield in teamfights while being useful in lane against enemy poke.
Undertow
Heroic #1 (100 sec Cooldown)
Daelin sends a wave pulsing across the map slowly until it hits an enemy Hero, dealing 340 (+4% per level) damage to them and dragging them under for 0.5 seconds. Afterwards, they emerge next to Daelin and are stunned for 0.5 seconds.
Explanation: Undertow is a potent single target disruption tool, able to pull an enemy Hero to their death from anywhere on the map with good aim. It can be used in close range to reset Dredging Strike and combo an enemy, medium range to pick enemies like a Stitches’ hook, or long range to act like a reverse Mighty Shove.
Kraken’s Call
Heroic #2 (100 sec Cooldown)
Daelin starts to channel for up to 2 seconds while the ability is held, slowing himself by 40% and granting him 50 Armor. While channeling, he increases the radius of this ability from 2 units to 5 units over the two seconds. When released, he pulls all enemies within range to him and stuns them for 0.75 seconds.
Explanation: As opposed to the versatile and powerful single target effect of Undertow, Kraken’s Call gives Daelin a deadly teamfight heroic that can displace the entire enemy team into a bad position. This can combo well with other big bursty effects, such as Jaina’s Blizzard, Kael’thas’s Flamestrike, and so on.
Tier 1 - Survival
• Bubble Shield: When out of combat for 8 seconds, Daelin encircles himself with a bubble. The next three sources of heroic damage he takes is reduced by 30%. When the bubble sustains three hits, it pops, dealing 100 (+4% per level) damage to all enemies within 2 units.
• Storm Siphon: Dredging Strike heals Daelin by 2% more of his maximum health. Dredging Strike on minions now heal him for 1% of his maximum health.
• Rebuking Waves: Riptide grants Daelin a shield equal to 25% of the damage it deals (10% against minions) which lasts for 2.5 seconds.
Tier 2 - Waveclear
• Boralus Courage: Every 8 seconds, Daelin emboldens a nearby allied minion or Hero for 5 seconds, with Heroes, then melee minions, being preferred. Minions grow 25% larger, gain 200% increased health, deal 25% increased damage, and cleave for 50% of their damage. Heroes gain 15 Armor and gain 10% increased movement speed.
• Crashing Storm: Riptide’s cooldown is decreased by 1 second each time you consume Dredging Strike, and Riptide deals 15% increased damage against minions and monsters.
• Focal Gale: Typhoon deals 35% increased damage and its radius is decreased by 15%. When an enemy dies within Typhoon’s radius, its cooldown is reduced by 2 seconds.
Tier 3 - Skirmishing
• Seaspray Blade: Daelin’s basic attacks and Riptide hits against enemy Heroes give them a stack of Seaspray, which stacks up to 4 times and lasts for 6 seconds. Surging Strike can consume Seaspray to deal an additional 2% of the enemy’s maximum health in damage per stack, and reduce the cooldown of Dredging Strike on the enemy by 1 second per stack.
• Sea’s Fury: Riptide deals 40% increased damage if it hits exactly 1 enemy Hero.
• Alone at Sea: Surging Strike deals 35% increased damage against enemies with no other enemy within 3 units of them. If it is a Hero, this slows them by 10% for 0.5 seconds.
Tier 4
• Undertow: Daelin sends a wave pulsing across the map slowly until it hits an enemy Hero, dealing 340 (+4% per level) damage to them and dragging them under for 0.5 seconds. Afterwards, they emerge next to Daelin and are stunned for 0.5 seconds.
• Kraken’s Call: Daelin starts to channel for up to 2 seconds while the ability is held, slowing himself by 40% and granting him 50 Armor. While channeling, he increases the radius of this ability from 2 units to 5 units over the two seconds. When released, he pulls all enemies within range to him and stuns them for 0.75 seconds.
Tier 5 - Bad CC
• Deadman’s Mark: (Active) Daelin marks an enemy within 5 units of him over a 0.5 second cast, which lasts for 5 seconds. If Daelin hits the marked enemy with 3 basic abilities (one hit per ability), the mark is consumed to stun the enemy for 1 second.
• Drag Under: Riptide marks enemies for up to 3 seconds. Surging Strike can consume this mark to root the enemy for 0.75 seconds.
• Snowfront: When Typhoon ends, all enemies in the area are slowed by 50% for 1.5 seconds.
Tier 6 - Gameplay Capstones
• Swashbuckling: If Daelin consumes Dredging Strike with a basic attack, he reduces the enemy’s armor by 15 for 3 seconds (not stacking, but refreshing). Riptide increases Daelin’s basic attack speed by 50% for his next two basic attacks, or for the next 3 seconds .
• Vital Surge: Surging Strike can now activate Dredging Strike. When it does, Surging Strike’s cooldown is reduced by 50%.
• Sea and Sky: While within Typhoon, Riptide’s radius is increased by 15%, and it deals an additional 3% of the enemy’s maximum health in damage. Hitting enemy Heroes with Riptide increases the duration of an active Typhoon by 0.25 seconds.
Tier 7
• Sink Into the Depths: Undertow now hits a 6 unit radius around the impacted enemy. In addition, all enemies hit are sunk underwater for an additional 0.5 seconds, and are stunned for an additional 0.5 seconds upon emerging.
• Crushing Whirlpool: After releasing Kraken’s Call, he creates a conveyor-like pull effect that slowly pulls in all enemies within the radius.
• Tidemother’s Hand: Typhoon now reduces damage taken by allies by an additional 20%. While Typhoon is active, all allies within the radius deal an additional 15% increased physical damage. Typhoon’s cooldown is increased by 4 seconds.
• Drown Them: Dredging Strike’s effects are increased by 50%, and activating Dredging Strike grants Daelin 15% increased movement speed for 1 second (not stacking, but refreshing).