Willow major rework ideas

[Mortalbane]

Why rework?
Because she sux. Her fire-loving nature and the ability to start random fires at low sanity earned her the title of the Honorary Griefer. Klei tried to fix this by removing the fire and adding Bernie, who is suddenly a tank follower.
Willow stopped being a Firestarter, and became a poor nightmare-fighter, because Bernie doesn't even restore Willow's sanity when he kills a nightmare creature. Also, there is another summoner girl in DST, who feels much more useful.
So, poor Willow was forgotten, enjoying her 0% pick rate on public servers.
I wanted to try to return her to her former fire-starting self.
One of the things that will help me with that is removing Wickerbottom's fire-siphoning book and adding its functionality to Willow. I have no idea why it was given to Wicker, when we have an obvious rightful owner of such mechanic.

Also, if i'd make a list of things that i don't like about DS, then top 1 would be Klei's lore for Webber, and on the second spot would be giant tanking Bernie.


Lore
I don't know what Willow was doing after she met Maxwell, and i don't know why Bernie has a power to repel shadow creatures. So i'll make a few assumptions.
The fact is, that shadow creatures fear only one thing - the Moon light. Is Bernie lunar? I'm 110% sure that he isn't. So, what if they fear him, because he is also shadow, but greater?
A shadow among shadows, a demon, banished into our world?
Or a powerful servant of the darkness, tasked to watch over Willow, who is destined to become an instrument in the claws of the Shadow.
Nightmare creatures are drawn to Willow, because they sense her power. But is Willow's fire entirely hers, or it has something to do with Bernie? Who knows...

I also think that Maxwell had big plans for Willow and her dark potential. Maybe the girl even sparked his other interests, as he was getting tired of obedient Charlie and her violent other self. And Willow reciprocated, becoming Maxwell's right hand. That is, until he was kicked off the throne and stripped of his powers.
All those thoughts make me believe that Willow shouldn't get a Lunar affinity, just like Maxwell.


Base kit

• Willow does not lose sanity at dusk, but loses more in complete darkness
• Willow's Lighter reworked
• Bernie reworked
• added the Urge
• insane Willow attracts nightmare creatures faster than other characters, and has increased chances to spawn Terrorbeaks

The Urge
If Willow hasn't seen any fire in some time, her sanity will start to drain.
When below 50% Sanity, Willow gains a chance to lose control a little bit, and the closest flammable object to her starts smoldering. Willow gains a little bit of sanity, and comments something like "Oops" or "I needed that" to alert the player, that something might be burning soon.
When Willow is insane, the effect chance increases, while also reducing the smoldering time. Willow's comments will become more anxious, like "It wants to get out!" or "I can't control it!".
When reaching 0 sanity, Willow will say something in caps, like "BURN!", and create a fire explosion around herself, similar to gunpowder. This effect restores some sanity and has a cooldown, so you can't spam explosions.

Willow's lighter
Now it has no durability, instead has charge meter. It is depleted slowly when the lighter is equipped, is used when lighting things on fire, and for some other abilities. It has an ability interface, like Maxwell's Codex. At high charge the light gets brighter and its radius gets bigger.
Get back in - a ranged ability with relatively small AoE, which siphons fire into the lighter, extinguishing burning objects and restoring some of the lighter's charge. Costs Willow some sanity.

Bernie
A toy which gives small sanity regeneration when held in hand, and more to Willow herself. But if she sees someone else holding her teddy bear, her sanity starts draining and she comments that she wants him back.
There is one Bernie per Willow, and he can't be crafted. He can't take damage from any sources. If dropped on the ground, he will remain lying. If Bernie is out of his Willow's inventory, and she gets too far away, he will teleport closer to her with a shadow visual effect, and will be sitting. Any insane character can see Bernie moving a little bit, as if he is alive.
Back off! - any insane Willow can use the equipped Bernie to scare away all nearby nightmare creatures, and prevent them from spawning due to her insanity for some time. This ability has a cooldown.


Skill tree
Firestarter branch
This branch gives additional abilities to lighter and fire staff, enhances them, increases the fire and burning damage, makes fire spread between mobs and so on. Also would be nice to have skills which prevent loot from burning.
I don't mind that fire sux in DST, but Willow should be able to make it a viable and powerful weapon.
Also this branch can have a skill which sets Bernie on fire when he is on the ground, making him both a campfire and an AoE damage tool.


Nightmare branch
This branch can revolve around Bernie and his ability to repel shadow creatures. (or taunt, but please no transforming into a giant and no hitting back with plushy fists, better with some shadow spikes)
Skills could give Bernie some shadow abilities, maybe turning him into a trap with various effects. Trap which resets each time he teleports due to his Willow being too far.


Affinity perks
As i said, i think that Willow should not have Lunar affinity.
Her first Shadow branch can revolve around the true power of Bernie - the Black Flame, and utilize nightmare fuel and such to.. well, to fuel it. (Itachi approves)
Second branch could instead further upgrade Willow's fires, maybe allow her to turn into the avatar of flames and be on fire herself. Sounds kinda crazy, but cool. Or summon lavae pets, like Dragonfly, and explode them. Or learn to control her Urge and provide some utility for the team.