# Heretic Rework [GoodWheatley, Denied]

(Sorry if this might seem like rambling it's my first time writing a design doc, ping me on Discord if you want any clarifications on something)

## Abstract
The Heretic is able to learn Forbidden Knowledge that allows them to use Pacts, and has Corruption that steadily grows and is required for them to progress between stages and Ascend.

## General Rundown

This rework gets rid of all of the knockoff cult sacrifice bullshit and makes Heretic into the most complicated way to kill yourself SS14 has ever seen. Here's how it works.

### Stages

Heretic is split into 4 distinct stages, which I have not come up with unique names for so they'll be identified by their numbers.

Stage 1: Can use weak Pacts and only briefly experiences Enlightenments.

Stage 2: Pacts now have Triggers, Enlightenments are more frequent.

Stage 3: Pacts can now also have Laws, Enlightenment is constantly happening.

Stage 4: Survive until the Influence reaches max.

### Forbidden Knowledge

Each stage has a maximum time limit you can spend in it before you’re forced to move to the next stage, and how you go through stages normally is building up enough Corruption. Corruption slowly builds as time progresses, but can be sped up by learning Forbidden Knowledge. As your corruption grows, you can experience brief Enlightenments that boost your power, but also make it obvious to anyone nearby what antag you are and that you’re valid for a toolboxing.

Forbidden Knowledge replaces Influences, but work the same way mechanically, except when you harvest them they disappear with only crewmembers in the vicinity being notified what happened. This gives you a Knowledge point, which you can spend in the *Ascension Circle.*

When you harvest your first Forbidden Knowledge (which is a freebie that nobody else can see you doing), you’ll be asked to choose a Aspect. Each Aspect has a different skill tree and different Pacts on it, with different Aspects having massively different playstyles. The chosen Aspect’s wheel is then unlocked, allowing you to take your first Pact.

### Ascension Circle
The Heretic's skill tree. You start at the middle of the circle, and work your way out the layers, picking up Pacts as you progress. Each layer of the Circle is locked behind its corresponding Stage; if you want to become stronger, you'll have to expose your true nature.

### Pacts

These are the Heretic's abilites. On their own they work similarly to ay other ability in the game, but as you progress through stages you can attach Triggers and Laws that change how they function.

Triggers (WIP name) change how the ability cooldown works. Normally the Trigger is just waiting a certain amount of time, but as you progress through Stages you can use more diverse Triggers, such as dealing damage, taking damage, taking medicine, or sacrificing items. Pacts will become stronger depending on the difficulty of the Trigger, and harder Triggers give Corruption when successfully completed.

Laws (WIP name) are special conditions you can fulfill to strengthen a Pact. These are completely optional and don't influence Corruption gain, but can massively increase the power of the Pact if fulfilled.

### Ok but how do I win

I wasn't kidding earlier when I said this is a really complicated way to kill yourself. You can only progress between Stages upon gaining enough Corruption, and the actual progression between Stages makes yourself vulnerable for a bit. Progressing from Stage 1 is only going to alert people in the immediately vicinity and takes 5 seconds, and porgressing from Stage 2 only alerts people within 5 tiles and takes 15 seconds. However, once you reach 100% Corruption, you can progress from Stage 3, beginnging Metamorphosis.

### Metamorphosis

Once you decided to move to Stage 4, you'll be encased in a cocoon themed to your Aspect, and the entire station is alerted that you're trying to ascend. You can't be harmed inside the cocoon, but after 3 minutes you'll hatch, throwing back everyone nearby and causing major sanity damage. Your new form is directly linked to the Aspect you took, superpowering all your Pacts and unlocking new abilities to use against the validhunting horde. At this point Corruption is replaced with Influence, and the only thing left to do is to survive long enough to allow Influence to reach 100%, causing you to shed your mortal shell in a spectacular fashion and ascend, where you become a ghost. Congratulations, you won. Once you've celebrated enough with the other ghosts you can descend back to the station as your Aspect Incarnate, and do whatever you want, you've already won anyway.

### Chaplain Interaction
There are some things that not even the light of God can defeat, and a being far older and greater than the gods is one of them. In early stages a Chaplain can do significant damage to a Heretic and if they're really lucky, knock them down a stage and put them in a coma, but there is no way to stop them entirely. And in later stages the Chaplain's powers are useless offensively against the Heretic, shifting his role from opportunistic validhunter to shelter from the approaching storm.