Caliban Kit Ideas

[PsiWarp]

Our new Sentient Warframe Caliban! It'll be months before he comes out with New War, so here's some speculation on potential powers.

Passive

Caliban resists the strongest damage types from enemy attacks, like Adaptation, +5% per hit up to 50% lasting for 15 seconds. Allies in his Affinity Range also gain the resistance(s) he has.

• Note on Adaptation (the mod). Caliban will only share his passive which will only take effect if the damage reduction % is higher than what is available on his teammate. If both he and his teammate have Adaptation equipped, both have Puncture at 90% resistance, then Caliban's passive 50% will not stack with the mod's 90% for Puncture damage type.

Ether Burst - 25 energy

Caliban's Oro core bursts from his chest cavity, flying out leaving his invulnerable body behind for 3 seconds (Dur affected). Caliban can control the flight of his core, while his body taunts enemies nearby to attack it, with damage prevented on his body recharging Caliban's Shields up to 10% / 15% / 20% / 25% of his maximum shields allowing excess to overflow into Overshields (Str affected). Reactivate during flight or when the ability expires to reform at his core's location, regaining control of his body while the absorbed damage bursts outward in a radius of 15 meters (not affected) dealing 1.0x / 1.5x / 2.0x / 2.5x damage prevented by the body (Str affected).

For each damage type resisted by Caliban's passive, Ether Burst also deals those types of damage with its burst. While Caliban's body is invulnerable, his passive still resists and adds new damage types hitting him.

 

Spectral Shroud - 50 energy

A being of Void and Tau fusion, Caliban surges the selected energy through his systems. Tap for Void cloak which grants invisibility for 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 seconds when Caliban takes damage (Dur affected), but gradually drains his Health by 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 points per second (not affected). Hold for Tau armor which allows Armor stat to protect his Shields instead of his Health, while granting 10 / 20 / 30 / 40 Health regen per second (Str affected). Spectral Shroud lasts for 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 seconds (Dur affected), tap or hold while active to deactivate the ability or switch from Void to Tau and vice-versa.

Spectral Shroud's Void cloak will not kill Caliban, stopping at 2 HP but still granting invisibility. Void cloak ends early when Caliban uses Ether Burst.

Ether Burst also deals Void or Tau damage and a status proc on its burst when Spectral Shroud is active. Void proc clears Sentient resistance, Tau proc increases enemy's vulnerability to subsequent Tau damage.

 

Pulse Fission - 75 energy

While active, emits a radial Void pulse around Caliban that expands 5 meters per second (Rng affected), marking enemies in sight and range. After 5 seconds (Dur affected) or reactivate early to unleash a barrage of 10 / 14 / 16 / 20 homing missiles from his core (Str affected), inflicting 100 / 150 / 200 / 250 Tau damage each (Str affected). Enemies will be cleared of Sentient resistance when a homing Tau missile hits them.

Tau missiles will pass through all obstacles to reach their targets (punch-through).

For each damage type Caliban's passive resists, Pulse Fission's Tau missiles will also inflict an additional instance of damage, with that damage type and a status proc.

Allies touched by Pulse Fission's Void pulse will gain Spectral Shroud's Void cloak's invisibility if it is active on Caliban, or Tau health regen per second.

While the pulse is expanding, it will be centered on Caliban's core during Ether Burst.

 

Subversion - 100 energy

Caliban infuses his weapons and abilities with Nanolyst swarms for 30 seconds (Dur affected). Enemies hit by his weapons or abilities are infected by Nanolysts that last for 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 seconds (Dur affected), which analyzes their hosts' damage type weakness and amplifies all subsequent damage of that type by 50% (Str affected), shown as a damage type icon above the enemies' head. At the same time, the highest damage type that an enemy inflicts will be reduced by 50% (not affected).

Caliban's abilities (Ether Burst explosion and Pulse Fission missiles) will automatically inflict an enemy's weakness damage type onto infected targets.

Press the ability key again while active to disperse the swarms ending the self-buff on Caliban, while the Nanolysts on enemies will stun Infested faction enemies, jam enemy weaponry for 5 seconds (not affected), and completely disable robotic enemies for 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 seconds (Dur affected).

 

Feel free to add your feedback or own ideas below~

[Enderman20]

Interesting. His passive is one of the most useful of all passives, both for the warframe itself and for allies. The kit is well built. Although Caliban, from the description given to us by the DE, should be a 100% damage-focused warframe, your kit manages to reconcile the description, with some important additions in order to make Caliban a valid warframe in a multitude of missions and possible scenarios.

I hope the DE considers this post, although I have my doubts about this (that the DE considers your kit, not about the kit).

[(XBOX)Br0kenSnipez123]

i feel like he should have an ability like the edilons have where they shot the lasers up in the sky, something like vaubans traps

[Elite_Albino]

An addition can be made to ether burst: from what I understand, besides movement, the core only applies damage and status effect after it explodes. So flying around for 3+ seconds and doing nothing in that would feel pointless so maybe an additional feature could be added. Other than that I love the move set! It has a very sentient vibe to it.

[PsiWarp]

Thanks @Enderman20! A well-kitted out set of powers is what I too am hoping for Caliban. Being as adaptable as the Sentients is key in his design here.

@(XBOX)Br0kenSnipez123 the laser pillars seem like a distinct power of the Eidolons rather than the normal Sentients. But I wouldn't mind seeing a lightshow from Caliban either.

@Elite_Albino Thanks! And you're right. The core flight state is just that, a Cloud Walker without the heal or stun to quickly reposition for maximum explosive effect. Can't really think of what to add just yet, any suggestions?

Edited main post to clarify about the Adaptation mod on Caliban and teammates.

[(XBOX)ONESH0TLEFT1825]

Now I'm going to be sad if he doesn't have abilities like this