New Item: Landline
Something that's a staple of classic horror movies is a scene where someone tries to call for help while threatened by the killer. I thought this could a fun basis for a new item.
Introducing the Landline: Spend time calling for help in order to gain a permanent buff in the current trial.
When using the landline, you spend ~4 seconds dialing the phone, during which time you are stationary. After dialing, you begin "staying on the line" waiting for your call to be recieved, during this time the item charges up. While on the line, you can walk but not run. If you stop the call early, you keep your progress, but you must dial the phone again to continue calling for help. Once the item has reached full charges, you gain a permanent buff depending on the type of phone you're using. After this the item can be set down or otherwise dropped and you will keep your buff.
Use with caution though, The Entity has granted the killers a keen awareness of those trying to gain outside help. While using the landline, the killer can see your aura.
Base Stats:
Dialing Time: 4 Seconds
Call Time: 30 Seconds
Effects Per Phone:
70's Trimline Phone: Grants a permanent 3% boost to movement speed. (Uncommon Rarity)
80's Cordless Phone: Permanently reveals the aura of one survivor to you. (Rare Rarity)
90's Cordless Phone: Permanently grants a 7% to action speed (gens, healing, sabo, cleansing/blessing, door open). (Very Rare Rarity)
00's Cordless Phone: Permanently hides your aura from the killer (Very Rare rarity)
Addons:
Receiver Addons: Reduces call time needed to gain buff.
Button Addons: Reduces dial-up time.
Anti-Wiretap Addon: Hides your aura during dial-up.
Braille Buttons: Allows you to dial the phone while walking
Let me know your thoughts!
Comments
4 stack distortion + 90's cordless phone = +7% faster repairs the moment you start the game. Stack that with prove thyself and you have yourself a killer stomping session.
Or again, distortion + 70's phone + Hope = 110% speed, equal to ranged killers.
Or again, distortion + phone = permanent distortion.
Distortion would be a powerful pairing with it yeah, but it would require using one of your perk slots. And maybe the call time could be longer, so that it isn't all covered by distortion.
For the 90's phone, I'm not married to the 7% number, I just wanted it to be a number worth the time you spent on the phone. I'd be fine with it being lower so it doesn't get out of hand with 4 mans.
For the 70's, a 3% boost would make your movement speed 103%, not 110%, definitely still slower than every killer that's not nurse.
And for the 00's phone, I felt that one would be balanced out by the fact that you're kinda taking a risk with it. If the killer doesn't have aura reading, it does nothing, but if he is it's a powerful effect that I think is worthy of the time you'd have to spend on the phone.
The idea of a single-use buff Item hasn't yet been implemented yet, so cool idea.
That being said, the point of an item is to be consumed, and the Items mechanics to be played around. Permanent buffs don't mesh with that, and the 4s Aura reveal is very low stakes with gameplay that just has you stand there.
This implementation comes across more like a permanent 5th Perk, rather than a consumable 5th Perk.
Edit: Thought the dialing time was the time it took to activate the Item.
The idea of a significant investment into doing something for a permanent gain is cool, but should likely be relegated to a Perk category, instead of an Item.