Prototype 2 GDD - Sovereign

GAME IDEA 2 – DARK FANTASY ACTION ROLE-PLAYING GAME

TEAM 11

Contents

High Concept......................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Theme & Setting ............................................................................................................................................................... 2
Gameplay Summary.......................................................................................................................................................... 2

Design Documentation ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Classes............................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Class Skill Tree................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Tavern and Soul Coins....................................................................................................................................................... 8
Party Level ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Level Maps ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Enemies........................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Story & Narrative ................................................................................................................................................................ 12
Intro Scroll....................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Character Backstory........................................................................................................................................................ 12

1

High Concept

Choose from a selection of differing characters and descend into dangerous dungeons, levelling up and accruing power.
Death is expected in this game. Upon death, you will then play as one of the characters you didn’t select. Once they are
all dead, the ‘run’ is over.
You will keep specific passive abilities throughout your runs, alongside a special currency known as Soul Coins, allowing
you to purchase equipment for your characters much earlier than you would find it usually.

Theme & Setting

Sovereign is set in a dark fantasy world. The civilised world is inhabited mostly by humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings.
Magic exists and is somewhat commonplace, as do monsters and other more bestial species.
The idea for the world is that a destructive magical force tore the world into dozens of separate ‘world fragments’ that
are all now inaccessible to the other, save for those who can perform high levels of magic. This was the norm, until a
giant pit was discovered in the wilderness of the world fragment that the game is set on. It was found out that the pit
was a portal of sorts, and would send people to some of these other world fragments.
Nobody in the world could figure out how to ‘program’ the portal however, and a lot of the areas that it connects to are
dangerous and filled with monsters. People started calling these areas dungeons, and adventurers began heading
there. Not many returned with the riches they were expecting, so over the centuries since it was discovered usage of
the portal has lowered significantly, to the point where the tavern built over it is dilapidated and ramshackle.
That is, until our main characters arrive one evening, each with separate objectives to achieve within the portals.

Gameplay Summary

The main objective for each level will be to battle your way through hordes of enemies, until you reach the boss. You
will be able to gain experience from the enemies to level up and find gear throughout the level. Once you have
defeated the boss, you will be able to advance to the next level.
The game features permadeath, and when a player dies the character they play as is dead permanently. The player
must then select one of the remaining classes to play. Once all classes have been killed, the game is over. While items,
pick ups, class level and progress are lost on game over, a currency called Soul Coins and a Party Level which unlocks
helpful passives for all classes will remain on subsequent runs.
Some of the bosses throughout the game are going to be the classes that you unlock. They are essentially the same
people, however they are ‘corrupted’ by a dark power, and once you free them by defeating them, they will join your
group. This makes it so that every time you unlock a new class, due to the nature of the game, you will essentially be
gaining an extra life, as originally, you only have the three classes.
Each class will have its own skill tree, and subclasses that it can unlock by levelling up. These subclasses will take the
character down distinct and different paths, for example; the warrior can become a Champion, who specialising in
empowering their defences, and using shields, or a Barbarian, who deals large amounts of damage with greataxes and
greatswords whilst enraged.

2

Design Documentation

Classes

Class Selection Screen

Base Classes

Name Style Subclass 1 Subclass 2

Warrior Melee Barbarian Soldier

Apprentice Ranged Wizard Elementalist

Archer Ranged Ranger Houndkeeper

Warrior

Melee fighter striking a balance between offense, defence, single target and AoE damage

Barbarian
Specialising in Two-Handed Weapons, the Barbarian allows the Warrior to specialise in offence

Key Ability: Rage
Fill a gauge by dealing damage, allowing players to activate Rage and receive a variety of buffs

Soldier
Specialising in Shields, the Soldier allows the Warrior to specialise in Defence

Key Ability: Heroism
A buff that increases armour and can be stacked using various Warrior abilities

Apprentice
Ranged magic caster focused on offensive single target and AoE damage, with low defence

Wizard
Specialises arcane magic and single target damage

Elementalist
Specialise in elemental magic and AoE

Archer
Ranged archer focused on dingle target damage and crowd control

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Ranger
Specialises in single target damage and traps

Houndmaster
Get a pet Hound who will aid the player in a fight

Unlockable Classes

Name Style Subclass 1 Subclass 2

Paladin Melee Death Knight Crusader

Rogue Melee Assassin Trickster

Bard Mixed Singer (Ranged) Dancer (Range)

Acolyte Ranged Priest Cultist

Student Ranged Alchemist Engineer

Pugilist Melee Wrestler Monk

Undead Mixed Lich (Ranged) Wight (Melee)

Paladin

A melee fighter who has access to offensive and healing abilities, using a mix of melee skills and holy magic

Death Knight
The Paladin gives in to Unholy powers, sacrificing his holy powers in exchange offensive dark magic

Key Ability: Domination
The Death Knight is empowered by killing enemies, increasing the deadliness of their abilities

Crusader
The Crusader is a bastion of holy powers, focusing on survivability through holy healing

Key Ability: Improved Consecration
Consecrate huge areas of ground, damaging enemies and healing the player.

Rogue
A melee fighter who utilises illusory magics and devastating stealth attacks.

Assassin
Specialising in large single target damage and stealth

Trickster
The trickster uses illusions and wicked magic to harass and confuse enemies

Bard
A playful artist whose poetic words and intimate dances hold magic power

Singer
Potent vocalists and impressive poets, singers weave their words of power to fight from range

Dancer
Mixing fighting styles with beguiling dance, the Dancer weaves through the battlefield fighting in melee

Acolyte
A religious acolyte who uses ranged holy magics to judge and punish enemies and heal themselves

Priest
The Priest specialises in healing magic and searing enemies in holy flame

Cultist
The Cultist uses unholy magic to corrupt their enemies, dealing Damage over Time

Student
A student of the academic, students mix science and technology with magic to fight enemies with cutting edge combat
abilities

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Alchemist
The Alchemist brews various dangerous concoctions to lob at foes
Engineer
The Engineer crafts mechanical weapons and gadgets to use in battle
Pugilist
A down-on-his-luck brawler who fights bare knuckle using determination and pure will to win
Wrestler
Uses brute force and street brawling skills to pummel their foes
Monk
Discovers inner zen, jabbing with precision and using their newfound spiritual powers
Undead
A reanimated skeleton whose far distant past has been long forgotten. The Undead uses powers from beyond the grave
to curse their foes and empower themselves
Lich
The Lich specialises in ranged curses and shadowy grave magic
Wight
The Wight can transform into a terrifying beast, horrifying even the most stalwart combatant and using bestial claws to
claw at their enemies

5

Class Skill Tree

While progressing through dungeons, players collect experience that will allow their character to level up. Levelling up
grants players access to new Active and Passive skills. Some levels give an option of skills, and choosing one will lock the
other, allowing players to uniquely spec a class to build characters to suit different playstyles and roles. At Level 5,
players get the option to pick a subclass which drastically changes.

6

7

Tavern and Soul Coins

The Tavern is a hub where all the characters reside before delving into the dungeons below. Here, players can talk with
other classes they aren’t currently playing to uncover their backstories and discover more about the world.
The Tavern also has a merchant allowing players to spend Soul Coins for various benefits on their next run, including
items, weapons and armour, more of which unlock as players complete certain levels for the first time.

Party Level

The Party Level will unlock various passives and beneficial upgrades as they play the game. Party Level increases using
the same experience points as the temporary class level, but Party Level remains between runs. The Party Level will be
represented by a skill tree like the classes, however the player can respec and change their skill tree progression at will
in the Tavern before a run.
Player Character
Controls

8

Level Maps

Goblin Cave

Dead Forest

9

Lava Ruins
Dungeon

10

Enemies

Numerous enemies from Orcs, Goblins and Bandits to Skeletons, Demons and all manner of unsightly abominations
trawl through the dungeons below.

Darion Fullsong, The Corrupted Paladin
The first boss that unlocks a Class for the player. The Corrupted Paladin has two stages, starting as a simple mind-
controlled paladin before being overcome by the dark forces controlling him.

Ability Description Stage 1 Stage 2
Melee Sweep Basic swing attack 2 Swings 2 Swings
Desecration AoE area glows before exploding, dealing moderate Unholy n/a Larger Area
damage to the player.
Teleport Paladin glows before disappearing and appearing somewhere n/a n/a
else, dealing a small area of Unholy damage on re-entry
Unholy Slash Raises Sword and charges a huge Circular AoE sweep, dealing Cannot Be Used Unlocks Ability
high Unholy damage.

Melee Sweep

Desecration

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Unholy Slash

Story & Narrative

Intro Scroll

Long ago when the world was whole there existed a supreme being. One they called Sovereign. This being ruled over
all; man and beast alike.
That is, until the Calamity. A great magic shattered the world, breaking it into dozens of disparate pockets, isolated in
the void.
A seemingly bottomless cavity exists in one of these larger pockets; beneath the tavern known as the Collapsing King.
Scholars theorised that this cavity was in some way related to the great Calamity, and that getting to the root of it was
paramount in discovering the source.
Many adventurers flocked to the area upon the discovery that this pit connects some of the more hostile pockets that
exist. Many great warriors came and went, with few returning from their raids into these ‘dungeons’.
Now, centuries later, the Collapsing King lies ramshackle, and only the most brave, foolhardy, or desperate attempt to
venture into the dungeons.
As the night draws in on this cold day, three new adventurers find their way to the Collapsing King.
Will you journey into the depths, so that this broken world may be mended?

Character Backstory

Vesper Fullsong – Human Warrior
As a warrior, Vesper brings the fight to the enemy. Dealing damage up close and personal with her melee weapons and
skills, she has never been one to shy away from a fight. Vesper has journeyed to the Collapsing King in search of her
missing husband, the Paladin Darion Fullsong, who ventured into the dungeons a year past, but never returned. She will
do whatever is necessary to save her love.
Via Getty – Elf Apprentice
As an apprentice to a great elven sorcerer, Via Getty carries the future of his house on his shoulders. Controlling the
battlefield through manipulation of elemental powers and arcane energies, Via is able to weave great damaging effects
across large swathes of ground. He has been sent to the Collapsing King by his master, in search of a rumoured undead
who still maintains sentience.

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Murta Tydfil – Dwarf Archer

An archer of the Tydfil clan, Murta has been trained to use the bow since before she was able to walk. Using her

weapon to keep her enemies at range, Murta is an expert at pinning down, and

picking off her opponents. She has come to the Collapsing King in search of an old friend of hers, a Halfling Bard known

as Bardon Shelsley, who has reportedly come through here not so long ago.

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