Homebrew Warframe: Banneret, the Champion

[WriterRaven]

Hi friends! Apologies for the lack of concept art, but I have a Warframe to share.

This is Banneret, the crusader, the champion.
Whenever you need a guardian, Tenno, Banneret will be there.

- Lotus

Physical Description:
(Spoilered for convenience.)

Spoiler

Banneret has a somewhat knightly aesthetic: tall for a Warframe, and is heavily armoured across his torso, helmet, shoulders, and legs, with less armour plating covering his arms. His default helmet resembles a medieval barbute helm, though as with all standard Warframes a face cannot be seen. (An alternate helmet would be comparable to a modern combat helmet.) His standard colours are white, black, and red.

• • All across the outward-facing side of the left arm, a dozen tiny generator nodes are visible. These work together to project and maintain Banneret's hard-light shield. When this shield is deployed, it resembles a large semi-transparent tower shield or riot shield, and is held in the same manner to give Banneret full cover against attacks from the front.
• His right arm looks to be purely mechanical in nature. Its hand can collapse into a compartment, which rotates out of the way to reveal the barrels of a heavy assault cannon that extend out from the wrist when the cannon is online. This weapon is integrated entirely into Banneret's right arm.

Banneret also wears a small backpack high on his back: a belt feeds from the right side of this pack into his cannon arm, supplying it with ammunition as needed. The left side carries a flagpole and matching flag. Uniquely to Banneret, this flag is where sigils are displayed, one on either side instead of on the front and back of the Warframe. Thanks to a beam at the top of the pole, Banneret's flag remains on display regardless of weather conditions. When Banneret uses his Champion's Rally (see Abilities), the flagpole extends a short distance upwards and begins to glow.

• Because the flagpole would get in the way of taking a tumble, Banneret does not use the standard dodge-roll. Instead he dashes a short distance, comparable to the motions of Hildryn or Limbo.
• Banneret will continue to wear the backpack underneath a Syandana.

In his Agile stance, Banneret typically leans forward as if to start sprinting at a moment's notice. When idle, he takes aim at imaginary targets or otherwise surveys the area. If unarmed, he claps his left hand to the side of his head where an earpiece might be and sharply looks around, as if suddenly receiving new orders.
In his Noble stance, Banneret is the quintessential soldier on guard, right down to perfect trigger discipline. When idle, he may inspect his weapon of choice or test the deployment speed of his shield. If unarmed, he collapses his right hand into its compartment, pops out the Dreadnought Cannon barrels, and takes a few moments to inspect them.
 

Lore:
(Spoiler Warning: Contains details relevant to The Sacrifice.)

Spoiler

In the time of the Old War, the people needed a symbol. A champion around which they could rally and from whom they could draw hope that the Orokin would be victorious. Banneret was that symbol. Carrying the banner that became a beacon to his allies and a portent to his enemies, he led the charge into the fray time and time again, and his heroism spurred others on to greater heights.

But before he was Banneret, he was the mercenary Banra. Equal in skill and strength to any Dax, he was a master in the field of warfare, no matter the weapons he bore. But his favoured arms were a pistol, a sword, a shield, and the great and terrible Dreadnought Cannon with which he cut a swath through his adversaries.

The stories say that Banra was wounded many times in his life, but he never fell in battle. His greatest enemies were much more subtle. Doubt and fear. As the years progressed, age and the toll that his life of war took on his body threatened to claim him. His students had fallen or otherwise departed, his mercenary friends much the same. The master had no students left to teach. And his scarred and wounded body was beginning to fail him. Under all these burdens, he asked himself, what can I do?

He volunteered. And when he did, he told the Executor: “I have been a mercenary for much of my life, but I am losing the strength to fight. Doubt and fear are just as much my enemies as time and injury. I would see these foes vanquished, if not by Banra, then by his successor. I hope that my final sacrifice can achieve this.”

Soon Banra was gone, and Banneret was born. His skill at arms was unchanged, even if his self was lost. And he became the champion that the people needed.

"Gun and blade. Seamlessly paired with the power we have harnessed. Our masterworks are perfect in design, each without peer.
But if the seeds of doubt and faithlessness touch their hearts, even the greatest can fall.
Let this flagbearer be a warden against such unseen enemies.
Our sword and shield: Banneret."

Warframe Stats:
Mastery Rank: 0
Health: 100 (Rank 0) -> 300 (Rank 30)
Armour: 500
Shield: 75 (Rank 0) -> 225 (Rank 30)
Energy: 150 (Rank 0) -> 225 (Rank 30)
Sprint Speed: 0.95
Polarities: 1x Madurai (), 1x Naramon ()
Exilus Polarity: None
Aura Polarity: Madurai ()

Acquisition:
Banneret's blueprint is acquired by completing a quest associated with Steel Meridian and their leader, Cressa Tal.
Blueprints for the Banneret Chassis, Neuroptics, and Systems can be found in Syndicate Alert missions. During these Alerts, picking up a Syndicate Medallion has a chance of adding an Unidentified Item to your overall mission rewards at the same time (in addition to the Medallion received). [Raven's Note: I haven't decided on the chance of this happening.]
Upon extraction, the Unidentified Item is revealed to be either the Chassis (38.72%), Neuroptics (38.72%), or Systems (22.56%).

Abilities:

Hard-Light Shield
Passive Ability
Banneret’s left arm incorporates a hard-light tower shield that grants him +100 bonus shields while it's active. The shield breaks when Banneret's shields are reduced to 0. Standard shields are recharged first, then the +100 bonus regenerates one second later.
The shield grants its bonuses when Banneret is actively wielding a one-handed weapon. [Raven's Note: For the record, those are single sidearms, swords, daggers, machetes, glaives, whips, scythes, blade-whips, gunblades, and rapiers.] Banneret does not automatically block when wielding one of these weapons. Instead, holding the secondary fire button with such a weapon equipped causes him to lift the shield into a defensive stance, blocking all damage in a 70-degree cone comparable to blocking with a Sword-and-Shield weapon. This blocking variant also takes effect when Banneret takes aim with a single sidearm.

Dreadnought Cannon
Exalted Weapon
Banneret's Champion's Rally ability (see below) uses the assault cannon integrated into his robotic right arm. As the cannon is part of him, its colour scheme can be customised from its own Appearance menu. Weapon stats for the Dreadnought Cannon are in the spoiler below.

Spoiler

Trigger Type: Auto
Noise Level: Alarming
Fire Rate: 20 rounds/sec
Accuracy: 25
Projectile Type: Hit-Scan
Magazine Size: 150 rounds
Max Ammo: 600 rounds
Reload Time: 1 second

Impact Damage: 2.5
Puncture Damage: 11
Slash Damage: 18.5
Total Damage: 32
Critical Chance: 15.00%
Critical Multiplier: 2.0x
Status Chance: 25.00%

Polarities: 1x Madurai (), 1x Naramon ()
Special: Ammo reserves regenerate over time

The Dreadnought Cannon accepts the following types of rifle mods:

• damage (e.g., Rifle Amp & Serration);
• physical damage (e.g., Piercing Caliber);
• elemental damage (e.g., Cryo Rounds);
• faction damage (e.g. Bane of Corpus);
• multishot (e.g., Split Chamber);
• fire rate (e.g., Speed Trigger);
• Punch Through (e.g., Metal Auger);
• critical chance (e.g., Point Strike);
• critical damage (e.g., Vital Sense);
• status chance (e.g., Rifle Aptitude & Thermite Rounds);
• Acolyte Mods (e.g., Bladed Rounds).
• Riven Mods are not generated for the Dreadnought Cannon.

The Dreadnought Cannon will maintain its equipped mods in Sorties where only specific weapons are available.
It can damage enemies across the Rift Plane.

1: Ammo Belt
Cycle Cost: 0 Energy | Activation Cost: 25 Energy

Banneret rotates through the specialised ammunition he carries, and can distribute it to his allies. Each type of ammunition has a different effect that augments the standard damage of primary and secondary weapons. Spoiler contains full details:

Spoiler

If a shot using specialised ammunition hits an enemy, it deals bonus damage and inflicts a guaranteed status depending on the shot:

• AP Rounds deal +15% / +30% / +45% / +60% Corrosive damage. (Unlocked at Warframe rank 0.)
• Lightning Rounds deal +30% / +45% / +60% Electricity damage. (Unlocked at Warframe rank 7.)
• Shredder Rounds deal +45% / +60% Slash damage. (Unlocked at Warframe rank 14.)
• Polonium Rounds deal +60% Radiation damage. (Unlocked at Warframe rank 18.)

Tapping the ability key (default [1]) causes Banneret to rotate through the available options. Holding down the ability key causes Banneret to drop 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ammunition packs containing the chosen ammunition. Banneret and allied Tenno can collect these packs by walking over them to gain the ammunition's effect; when the ability is activated, Banneret gains an instance of the buff automatically. All buffs generated this way last for 8 / 12 / 16 / 20 seconds. A Tenno can only have one Ammo Belt buff at a time, and cannot gain another until the first one ends.

• Bonus damage is affected by Ability Strength.
• Buff duration is affected by Ability Duration.

2: Vigilance
Cost: 50 Energy

Banneret focuses his perception and steadies his aim, decreasing weapon recoil, increasing reload speed, and gaining a bonus to Enemy Radar for the duration. Spoiler contains full details:

Spoiler

Vigilance grants Banneret +15 / +20 / +25 / 30 metres of Enemy Radar. In addition, Banneret can see any enemies within range of his Enemy Radar as silhouettes through walls and other objects that block line of sight. The silhouettes disappear while Banneret takes aim with any weapon, but quickly return when he stops.

• Enemy Radar bonus is affected by Ability Range.

Vigilance also grants recoil reduction and reload speed for Banneret's primary and secondary weapons, as well as the Dreadnought Cannon:

• Weapon recoil of Banneret's primary and secondary weapons is reduced by 25% / 30% / 35% / 40%.
• Reload speed of Banneret's guns is increased by 15% / 20% / 25% / 30%.
  • Recoil reduction and reload speed are affected by Ability Strength.

Vigilance lasts for 8 / 12 / 16 / 20 seconds, and can be recast while active.

• Duration is affected by Ability Duration.

3: Barricade
Cost: 75 Energy

Banneret reroutes power from his hard-light shield to convert both it and his personal shields into a wide barrier that stops enemy fire. This barrier moves with him and rotates based on where he's facing or aiming. Banneret's Hard-Light Shield passive deactivates while this ability is active. Spoiler contains full details:

Spoiler

Upon activation, the barrier is invulnerable for 1 / 1 / 2 / 2 seconds (unaffected by Ability Duration). Damage the barrier takes during this time is converted into additional health.

The barrier's total strength is determined using the following formula:

Barrier Health = Base Health + (Total Shields Lost + [ability scaling: 200% / 300% / 400% / 500%]) x (1 + Strength Modifiers) + Absorbed Damage
Base Health scales with ability rank: 2000 / 3000 / 3500 / 4000

For example, using a rank 30 Banneret with a maxed Intensify and Redirection equipped, the total health of a Barricade cast while at full shields will be: (4000 + {225 + 500%}) x (1 + 0.3) = 6,955 + Absorbed Damage

The barrier is shaped like a large oval centered on Banneret. It is 9 metres in length and 4 metres high.

• Barrier size is affected by Ability Range.

Allied weapon fire and abilities can pass through Barricade unaffected, while hostile weapons fire and abilities are blocked, dealing damage to the barrier.
While Barricade is active, Banneret's Hard-Light Shield passive is disabled. Recasting Barricade while it is active deactivates the barrier and converts 15% of its remaining health into shields for Banneret and any of his allies within 10 metres. Converted shield points are distributed equally, creating overshields where possible. Recasting Barricade in this way has no energy cost.

• Distribution radius is affected by Ability Range.

4: Champion's Rally
Cost: 25 Energy | Drain: 15 Energy/second^-1
Banneret raises his flag of victory to inspire his allies to stand together, and brings the Dreadnought Cannon to bear against his enemies. Spoiler contains full details:

Spoiler

• Casting time of 1.5 seconds is affected by Natural Talent and Speed Drift.

While Champion's Rally is active, the following benefits apply:

• Banneret and any allies with line of sight to him gain +15% / +20% / +25% / +30% of Banneret's armour as a bonus to their own. An ally who breaks line of sight to Banneret loses this bonus until they re-establish line of sight.
• Anyone with line of sight to Banneret when Champion's Rally is first activated gains +15% / +20% / +25% / +30% of Banneret's maximum shields as an instant increase to their own shields. This can create overshields if none are present. This bonus is not lost if an ally breaks line of sight to Banneret.
  • If Barricade is active (whether for the casting Banneret or an allied Banneret), it is refreshed by the same amount instead of giving shields to the user directly.
• Banneret swaps to the Dreadnought Cannon in his right arm, and becomes immune to knockdowns for the duration. The Dreadnought Cannon is considered a one-handed weapon, and therefore benefits from his Hard-Light Shield.
  • The bonus elemental damage from Ammo Belt does not interact with the Dreadnought Cannon's elemental configurations. (For example, a Dreadnought Cannon modded for Radiation damage and firing AP Rounds will deal both Radiation and Corrosive damage.)

Champion's Rally drains 15 energy per second while active, and remains active as long as Banneret has energy remaining.

• Activation cost is affected by Ability Efficiency, and energy drain is affected by Ability Efficiency and Ability Duration.

While Champion's Rally is active, Banneret does not benefit from energy recharges such as Energy Siphon, Energy Vampire, Energy Restores, the Rift Plane, or Energizing Dash, but can regain energy through Arcane Energize, Rage & Hunter Adrenaline, Orokin Void Death Orbs, and Energy Orbs.
Energy drain is not converted into shields by the Augur Mod Set.

Signature Weapons
Banneret's signature weapons are his Longwatch pistol and Lawkeeper sword. Both of these weapons are compatible with his Hard-Light Shield passive ability.
[Raven's Note: I don't have signature effects or special abilities for these weapons yet.]

Longwatch Stats:

Spoiler

Slot: Secondary
Type: Pistol
Trigger Type: Semi-Auto
Noise Level: Alarming
Fire Rate: 5.0 rounds/sec
Accuracy: 30
Projectile Type: Hit-Scan
Magazine Size: 10 rounds
Max Ammo: 210 rounds
Reload Time: 1.7 seconds

Impact Damage: 40.0
Puncture Damage: 40.0
Slash Damage: 40.0
Total Damage: 120.0
Critical Chance: 25%
Critical Multiplier: 2.0x
Status Chance: 15%

Riven Disposition: 3 / 5
Polarities: 1x Madurai (), 1x Naramon ()

Lawkeeper Stats:

Spoiler

Slot: Melee
Type: Sword
Attack Speed: 1.0
Channelling Damage: 1.5x
Block Resist.: 60%

Impact Damage: 6.0
Puncture Damage: 14.0
Slash Damage: 55.0
Total Damage: 75.0

Slam Attack: 150.0
Slide Attack: 160.0
Wall Attack: 300.0
Critical Chance: 25%
Critical Multiplier: 1.7x
Status Chance: 15%

Riven Disposition: 3 / 5
Stance Polarity: Madurai ()
Polarities: 1x Madurai ()

- - - - - - -

Please let me know what you think. Hope you enjoyed reading! 😃
- WR

- - - - - - -

Update 1:

• Dreadnought Cannon: Clarified which mods it uses. Removed movement restrictions while in use.
• Ammo Belt: Rewritten to replace firing the Dreadnought Cannon with a buff that affects Banneret and his allies.
• Dreadnought: Replaced with Champion's Rally.

Update 2:

• Vigilance: Added reload speed increase. Enemies marked by Banneret's radar appear as silhouettes.
• Barricade: Allows Banneret to regain shields while active, but Hard-Light Shield remains disabled. Recasting Barricade while active now dispels the barrier and converts a portion of its remaining HP into shields for Banneret and nearby allies.

Update 3:

• Added physical description.

Update 4:

• Tweaked Hard-Light Shield to reflect the new blocking changes.

Edited November 1, 2019 by WriterRaven
Minor tweaks.

[ArchangelusAlpharius]

Ammo Belt is a cool concept, but functionally useless. In a fast paced game it is an ability that requires aiming, and has no compensation such as AOE, Automatic target tracking, or some form of specialized ability. If you want to turn him into a tank/support, then I would suggest turning ammo belt into a formal utility aura skill that affects allies. Perhaps change the ammo types, although I would keep the corrosive round. All allies in the area would receive a timed buff, of which can be active at one 1- ap rounds, 2-healing rounds, 3-shredder rounds, 4-shield booster round(heals shields and creates overshields)

Vigilance is a cool concept, but functionally useless. If you want to make it viable, reduce it's energy cost and make it a sonar type ability, marking detected enemies for a damage boost.

Barricade is fine, but should allow a degraded version of the passive to affect it 50% damage reduction perhaps, unless if barricade is affected by adaptation stacks

Dreadnaught: hover tank is a fun concept, but recasting restrictions do not make sense. With no survivability options other than barricade and healing rounds at endgame, Banneret would get shredded. Also, increase the critical stats on the cannon, and buff the base damage by a bit.

 

Decent concept, needs work

 

 

Edited October 17, 2019 by ArchangelusAlpharius

[WriterRaven]

I see where you're coming from with these suggestions.

• I like the idea of Ammo Belt affecting allies, but I'm keeping the damage options the same, though perhaps with an increase in status chance. Maybe Banneret applies a buff to himself that grants the ammo option and drops some "special ammo" that allies can pick up to gain the same buff.
• I can see Vigilance marking enemies, but I don't want it to be a copy of Sonar. I'll think on this one.
• Given that similar abilities to Barricade aren't affected by Adaptation - Iron Skin and Warding Halo in particular - I think Barricade shouldn't be either.
• I'll probably end up replacing Dreadnought with an alternate option as described earlier. I love the idea of a Warframe turning into a tank, but if it's not playable, it's not playable.

[CataReverb]

My thoughts:

Could use a bit of a description for how you see it looking, since we don't have any art to go by.

Hard Light Shield sounds like it works like a riot shield in usage?  If so, cool!  Otherwise, could I get a different description?

Ammo belt: might be fun to have as a longer duration, like base 4-8 seconds, but with a small recharge or reload timer to represent the ammo being reloaded.  The damage types listed seem like a good selection of commonly used statuses for effect.  I'd leave any buffing effect secondary to syndicate mods

Vigilance: I'd like to see some limited ability to see enemies through walls like with the Argonak Amalgam and Zenith, except maybe specifically when not ADS, as to possibly be more representative of aural positioning than visual.

For Barricade, I'm a bit confused as to how often I use this?  Is it for: I want to switch to my primary and still have defenses?  If it's ideally always-on, then Banneret loses his cool shield!  Also, Barricade's a defensive emplacement, if it's more mobile than the shield.  If you make it something like, Banneret generates a defensive structure instead of the hardlight shield, with buffs (DR, health regeneration, ammo regeneration, safety-walls) and dreadnought gun emplacement for Banneret.  As for the ability space that you'd get out of merging Barricade and Dreadnought... perhaps some kind of cone attack projected from the shield?  Blast?  Electric?  Blinding?

[keikogi]

Overall nice concept both well written and formatting. Now some feedback on the kit.

The passive could be reworked to just be active whenever you are wielding either a secondary or melee. All secondaries are wielded on just 1 hand whenever you are carrying a data mass.

1.

17 hours ago, WriterRaven said:

1: Ammo Belt
Cycle Cost: 0 Energy | Activation Cost: 25 Energy

Banneret rotates through the specialised ammunition he carries, and can distribute it to his allies. Each type of ammunition has a different effect that augments the standard damage of primary and secondary weapons. Spoiler contains full details:

Ammo belt is an interesting concept, but the execution is mehh.  It is just a fancy damage buff that can match the enemy elemental weakness. I would redesign it along these lines

Piercing Rounds- ignores a portion of the enemy armor and has punch trough

Bouncing Rounds- projectile has a chance bounce like glaives

High wield Round- increased projectile speed and damage

This way each round has a different purpose instead of different damage type.

17 hours ago, WriterRaven said:

2: Vigilance
Cost: 50 Energy
Duration: 8 / 12 / 16 / 20 seconds

Banneret focuses his perception and steadies his aim, decreasing weapon recoil and gaining a bonus to Enemy Radar for the duration. Spoiler contains full details:

Strait up weak sauce you combined 2 of the least popular mods on a skill, enemy radar and recoil reduction.  For this one I would go back to drawing board.

17 hours ago, WriterRaven said:

3: Barricade
Cost: 75 Energy

Banneret reroutes power from his hard-light shield to convert both it and his personal shields into a wide barrier that stops enemy fire. This barrier moves with him and rotates based on where he's facing or aiming. Banneret's Hard-Light Shield passive deactivates while this ability is active. Spoiler contains full details:

A bit close to volt picking up his shield but the larger size gives this one new application. It is fine.

17 hours ago, WriterRaven said:

4: Champion's Rally
Cost: 25 Energy | Drain: 15 Energy/second^-1
Banneret raises his flag of victory to inspire his allies to stand together, and brings the Dreadnought Cannon to bear against his enemies. Spoiler contains full details:

I generally dislike exalted weapons unless you are going to creative like exalted tentacles or exalted Drum. I just don’t think the game needs another damage stick. But that’s besides the point your design is fine the only problem is it should use secondary mods because the passive is not compatible with primary weapons.

 

Edit: do you play D&D or warhammer ? The term homebrew is not common around here but is quite common in these communities.

 

Note: You should fallow your own topic, this way you get a notification whenever someone replies

Edited October 18, 2019 by keikogi

[WriterRaven]

A notification won't do me much good if I'm asleep at the time of posting. =P

• Each Ammo Belt option has a distinct purpose; remember that they apply a guaranteed status in addition to the damage.
• Still working on Vigilance - got to get the wording right - but I'm probably going to do something along the lines of CataReverb's suggestion of marking enemies as long as you aren't taking aim. Admittedly, that doesn't quite synergise with Hard-Light Shield, but it also allows Banneret to adapt to the situation at hand to a degree.
• I specify in Champion's Rally that the Dreadnought Cannon is a one-handed weapon. It's the one exception to primary weapons being two-handed, and also the exception to the rule on what kind of weapons can be used with Hard-Light Shield. Because if I'm going to give a character a custom weapon and a shield on top of that, I'm going to let them work together. Not doing so would be counterproductive.

[keikogi]

Either quote people 

7 minutes ago, WriterRaven said:

A notification won't do me much good if I'm asleep at the time of posting. =P

Or adreess them by name like this @WriterRaven, there was no guarantee I was ever going to look at this thread again. If you adress me in either of this ways I will always know you replied to my coment.

9 minutes ago, WriterRaven said:

Each Ammo Belt option has a distinct purpose; remember that they apply a guaranteed status in addition to the damage.

Than only sherder rounds will ever be used , slash procs are just that strong . To be fair a few builds would use eletric rounds combined with an ignis for cc purposes , but those are few and far between.

12 minutes ago, WriterRaven said:

I specify in Champion's Rally that the Dreadnought Cannon is a one-handed weapon. It's the one exception to primary weapons being two-handed, and also the exception to the rule on what kind of weapons can be used with Hard-Light Shield. Because if I'm going to give a character a custom weapon and a shield on top of that, I'm going to let them work together. Not doing so would be counterproductive.

I think exalted weapons are the place To say duck you to the general rules of weapon desing , but your duck you needs to make a meaninfull difference. What is the difference does it make in your desing to use secondary or primary mods. If there is a primary mod that synergies so well with that weapon you have a decent reason to make it a primary otherwise it breaks the rules for no reason.

[WriterRaven]

Vigilance and Barricade have been updated. A couple of adjustments to each, mostly taking some recommendations from @CataReverb. Hopefully this clears up how one might use Barricade in different ways. I considered the idea of making the barrier a static object to form a defensive line, but I thought it would be less useful in most mission types. It does, however, now give bonus shields when deactivated. So you can pop the barrier to refresh shields on yourself and nearby allies in a pinch.