Introducing: Deathrun Abilities
Deathrun is soon approaching a new level-cap of a three-digit number, along with possible prestige levels. As one of the oldest games on the server, I want to share a new and invigorating gamemode to celebrate and enhance this milestone. Analogous to Skywars and Skywars: Kits, both gamemodes contribute to the same statistics and DR-level. Custom servers can access both contents.
This update adds 1 quality of life change across both gamemodes and 1 new game mechanic to the new gamemode.
QOL Update: Compass for Death
This change applies to the Death. The compass will be located on the ninth slot and point towards the leading runner. It provides a better overview of runner’s positions, a vital tool with the introduction of abilities. Additionally, the first 2 slots are replaced by 2 new interactable arrows pointing in opposite directions to better indicate the direction when warping between traps.
New Gamemode: Deathrun Abilities
This gamemode offers a range of new abilities, each with their own beneficial effect(s) and custom cooldown. The leap is removed, making it exclusive to the existing Deathrun gamemode, and replaced by a group of 12 unique abilities, always available and selectable in the waiting lobby.
A runner can choose one ability per run; the selection will be saved. Every ability is toggled with a matching interactable item on the runner’s first slot, applying the specific effect(s) and cooldown.
Here is a rough list of every new ability and their properties:
Dash (sugar):
- applies 4 seconds of speed 3 to the runner
- regenerates after 13 seconds
Ghost (ghast tear):
- applies 3 seconds of invisibility to the runner
- applies 2 seconds of speed 2 to the runner
- regenerates after 11 seconds
Stalwart (iron chestplate):
- applies a shield to the runner, granting immunity from every trap except water for 2 seconds
- provides a short burst of speed
- regenerates after 15 seconds
Speedrunner (blaze rod):
- when activated, provides 5 seconds of speed 3 if a checkpoint can be passed during a 3 second time window
- if no checkpoint is passed, provides a long burst of speed
- regenerates after 18 seconds
Engineer (redstone dust):
- blocks the use of the next closest trap for 3 seconds
- the slimeballs on the Death’s hotbar turn to gunpowder, making them uninteractable
- the green-red glass blocks next to the trap turn grey to visualize the sabotage
- has a 10% chance of failing the sabotage
- provides a moderate burst of speed
- regenerates after 20 seconds
Ascension (shulker shell):
- applies 3 seconds of levitation to the runner
- applies 2 seconds of speed 2 when landing
- regenerates after 11 seconds
Fox (slime ball):
- Applies 2 seconds of jump boost 2 to the runner
- Applies 3 seconds of speed 2 to the runner
- regenerates after 12 seconds
Enderman (ender pearl):
- teleports the runner to the next further runner
- provides a moderate burst of speed
- regenerates after 10 seconds
Golden leap (golden carrot):
- provides a leap that propels the runner 50% further than a normal leap
- regenerates after 30 seconds
Totem (totem of undying):
- when applied, places a custom spawpoint at that very location
- the runner can respawn max. 3 times on the new spawnpoint
- provides a long burst of speed
- regenerates after 16 seconds
Bomber (TNT-block):
- drops a bomb at the runner’s current position that explodes in 0.5 seconds
- the bomb launches any runner away from its blast radius
- it’ll most likey propel the runner placing it forward (50% of leap’s distance)
- provides a long burst of speed
- regenerates after 18 seconds
Reaper (phantom membrane):
- when applied, creates a tally tracking all runner’s deaths for 3 seconds
- after the 3-second time window, for every death accumulated, the runner will receive 1 second of speed 1
- regenerates after 15 seconds
Numbers may require tweaking. Some effects, e. g. speed, jump boost will not trigger while on a speed or jump-boost pad. The effect caused by a pad will be prioritized, the same effect caused by abilities ignored and resumed after the initial effect dissipates.
Final words
This gamemode can offer new and much needed content. It keeps the typical feel and facilitates the transition for new players and/or on different devices, while adding new elements of strategy and even speedrunning possibilities, sparking longtime entertainment for new and old players. New abilities can be added, existing changed and removed if need be. It doesn’t erase the purpose or replace the existing Deathrun gamemode, instead complements it with a twist. It also lifts the pressure for active builders needing to release maps regularly to deliver more content and instead shifts the focus on the abilities and their uses on the different maps. Those who still prefer playing the normal gamemode can do so unhinged.
To clarify, this is just a suggestion. My goal is to brainstorm a suitable and feasible concept, accounting for consistency across the remaining games, fun gameplay, good adaptability and broad availability. Deathrun is almost entirely exclusive to The Hive, no other server offers this minigame, that’s why I believe there is more potential that must be extracted before it might go extinct. I appreciate any input and hope this idea is coherent. Thank you for reading!
EDIT: PvP-related abilites have been removed and replaced. They could cause issues with specific visibility settings and create an unbalance during a run.
