User blog:Willbachbakal/Co-Op Enemies: Pharma Splicer



While we're all still waiting patiently for a morsel of news regarding BioShock Infinite, I figured I'd come back from two months of lurking on the wiki to continue with the Idea Dump. Now, onto the Pharma Splicer: if the name's unfamiliar to you, that's because it's not a Splicer from the actual games, rather, it's one of the types I came up with (see here). The premise with this Splicer type is that it heals its friends in combat, forcing you and your teammate (this is co-op I'm talking about) to adapt accordingly. Since it'd be a lot easier to focus on two enemies at once in such a situation, the Pharma Splicer would have to evolve the ability to deal with both players at once.

Research Bonuses
Awarded at random:


 * +Damage Against Pharma Splicers
 * First Aid Kit Boost (Consuming a First Aid Kit temporarily increases your speed and fire rate)
 * Health Leech (You gain health proportionate to the amount of damage you deal to enemies)

Description: Stage One
As with its singleplayer version, the Pharma Splicer would start out carrying a satchel filled with an unlimited supply of syringes, each filled with a noxious substance. When near injured Splicers, it'd run up and jab one into them, healing them instantly for a certain amount. When fighting you, it'd throw those same syringes at you, which instead of healing you would poison you. While poisoned this way, you'd take damage over time and your vision would be modified as if under a hallucination.

Tier One Mutations

 * Infected Caltrops: While in combat the Elite Pharma Splicer can throw a handful of syringes to the floor, poisoning anyone who steps on them.
 * Deadly Neurotoxin: While poisoned by the Elite Pharma Splicer the victim's health is significantly reduced, though it regenerates to its previous amount quickly over time.
 * Enhanced Formula: Splicers healed by the Elite Pharma Splicer are cured of all negative physical and mental conditions (fear, aging, hypnosis, and the like) and have their speed and attack rate temporarily increased.

Evolution: Stage Two
While nonetheless powerful, the above Pharma Splicer would lose its effectiveness against a pair of prepared players, especially when said players are decked out with weapons capable of dealing more damage than the Pharma Splicer can heal. It'd thus have to evolve: at this stage the Pharma Splicer wouldn't use syringes anymore. Instead, it'd dual-wield a special Plasmid, allowing it to heal two targets simultaneously and continuously. Worse yet, it'd also be able to turn its Plasmid on you, poisoning you as long as it focuses on you, and could even target both players at the same time.

Tier Two Mutations

 * Chain Beams: Elite Pharma Splicer's Plasmid beams jump each to an additional target, allowing it to heal up to four targets at once (or heal two Splicers while poisoning you both).
 * Symbiont: Elite Pharma Splicer heals itself proportionately to the amount of healing and damage it's dishing out. In the next stage, this would also create a shield around the Elite Pharma Splicer if the latter is using its shielding Plasmid.
 * Fatigue: Elite Pharma Splicer's Plasmid slows down enemy targets.

Evolution: Final Stage
Despite the Pharma Splicer's combat capabilities, it wouldn't be able to hold up against the players in the later stages of the game, who'd boast vastly superior firepower and tactical awareness. In accordance to this, it'd evolve even further: in addition to healing Splicers and poisoning you, the Pharma Splicer could use its Plasmid to envelop its allies in a continuous shield, weakening any attack passing through the latter. This would be separate to the healing Plasmid, so the Pharma Splicer could choose whether to heal or shield two targets, heal one and shield another, or even focus on one single target (which, if said target's a Brute Splicer, could prove quite the problem).

Tier Three Mutations

 * Counter-Protection: Attacks fired at the Elite Pharma Splicer's shields spawn a double of themselves which fire towards the attacker.
 * Conjoined Beams: Elite Pharma Splicer's beams both heal and shield their target simultaneously.
 * Genetic Augmentation: Targets friendly to the Elite Pharma Splicer develop a genetic mutation while being healed or shielded. If the target already has one or more mutations, it will develop another of a separate tier.

And that was the Pharma Splicer! Now, there are probably not a lot of people here on the wiki right now, but it'd be fantastic to hear from those of you who are here. What's to like? What's not to like? Any suggestions?

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