Oracle

Template:Tabs Oracle

Oracle 18 + 1.9 15 + 1.7 23 + 2.9
Level 0 1 15 25 30 Health 120 516 1088 1770 2034 +0.25 +2.05 +4.71 +7.81 +8.96 Mana 75 351 831 1323 1527 +0 +1.15 +3.18 +5.23 +6.06 Armor 0 2.5 6.47 11.3 13.05 Magic Resist 25% % % % % Damage Block - Damage 22 28 45 51 85 91 126 132 143 149 Attack Rate 0.71/s 0.82/s 0.99/s 1.2/s 1.27/s Attack Range 620 (800) Attack Speed 100 (1.4s BAT) Attack Animation 0.3 + 0.7 Projectile Speed Move Speed 305 ( 335) Turn Rate 0.4 Collision Size 24 Bound Radius 24 Vision Range (G) 1800 ( 800) Gib Type Default Internal Not Provided

Nerif the Oracle is a ranged intelligence hero who alters the fate of allies and enemies with his combination of multipurpose nukes and buffs. He possesses the ability to change his foes' fortunes with Fortune's End, which deals nuke damage and pins down any enemies in its radius, while removing any purgeable buffs from them. His Fate's Edict can be cast on allies and enemies alike, disarming them but also granting them complete resistance against magical damage; used with skill, he can render his foes' weapons useless or shield his allies from unfriendly spells. Purifying Flames, like Fate's Edict, can be cast on friend or foe, dealing magical damage but also applying a healing buff to them. His signature ability and ultimate, False Promise, puts an ally's fate on hold, preventing them from being disabled or harmed by the enemy for a short time, and then fully returning them to reality at the end of the spell's duration. Knowledge of Oracle's skills is key to use him at his full potential; while he can defy destiny and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, one mistake can potentially seal the fate of his allies.

Bio

Nerif, the Oracle

▶️ "I have an end in mind for you."

Lore:

Ascendants to the Great Seat of Cymurri had for ages imported their Oracles exclusively from the Ivory Incubarium, high in the hollow peaks of the Zealot's Range, with a downpayment made at the time of the embryo's conception and the balance surrendered on delivery of a mature, well-trained prophet to the Gate of the Graven King.

Raised by same Pallid Sybils who bred and birthed them, all sanctioned Oracles were anchored by their physical form to the world we most of us share; meanwhile, their souls roamed far afield, barely bound by the airiest astral umbilicus. From such cosmic roamings the prophets would return, speaking words of fire with tongues of flesh. Their mystic utterances were analyzed by the Cymurri Advisors, who found in them visions of the future, diplomatic advice, all the supernatural ammunition the line of Graven Kings needed to secure victory in every campaign, whether in the court or on the battlefield. Thus it went for generations, the Graventome's pages filling with the names of triumphant kings and the new domains they had acquired. So it went, that is, until the particular Oracle named Nerif arrived to serve the very last of the stone-helmed kings.

From the first, Nerif's prophecies were unusual. They seemed not merely to portend the future, but to shape it. The weird soothsayer croaked out advice no one had requested, and suddenly the Cymurri found themselves immersed in conflicts with newfound enemies. The Advisors, sensing a threat to their power, were quick to pin these unwelcome developments on the latest Oracle. They demanded his removal, petitioning the Sybils to reclaim their defective prophet and replace him with a worthy substitute. But Nerif described an ominous dream of the Incubarium's destruction, and within hours came news of the ancient school's destruction in a catastrophic avalanche. Fearing the same fate as the Pallid Sybils, the Advisors withdrew to their counsel chambers, suddenly anxious to avoid the Oracle's notice. The Graven King, however, was a creature of great practicality. He doubted the commitment of his overprudent Advisors. An Oracle of such rarity, he reasoned, ought be used as a weapon to enlarge his domain. He therefore demoted his timid counselors and stationed Nerif at his side. With only a blunt understanding of Nerif's talent, he boldly stated the outcomes he desired, and coaxed Nerif into uttering his wishes as prophecy.

At first, all was well. The Last Graven King boasted that by adopting Fate's pet, he had made a plaything of Fate itself. He should have taken it as a warning then when, on the eve of his invasion of the Unsated Satrap's realm, he attempted to coerce a prediction of certain victory from his Oracle, only to hear Nerif quietly mutter, "It could go either way." No firmer statement could he force from Nerif's lips. Still, the King was confident in his army. The Satrapy was landlocked, poorly armed, and shut off from all possible allies. He took "It could go either way" to indicate that with tactical might on his side, there was little risk in his plan.

Of course, we now know that he should have taken the sayer's words more literally. Even with careful study of the Annotated Annals of If, what happened on the field before the Unsated Satrap's palace is almost impossible to visualize. It appears that in the midst of the carnage, the battle began to bifurcate. At each pivotal moment, reality calved and broke into bits. Soldiers who staggered and fell in battle also stood sure-footed, forging onward to fight. Their minds also split; the warriors found themselves both dead and alive, existent and non-existent. Victory and defeat were partitioned, so that each separate outcome was experienced in simultaneity by both armies. The universe became a hall of mirrors, with all the mirrors endlessly shattering.

The immediate effect on both parties was insanity. Unable to comprehend the state of being both triumphant and defeated, the Graven King's mind dispersed into motes of madness. The naive Satrap fared no better. The opposing paired realities continued to split and split again, echoing into infinite histories, all of them populated by a bewildered populace that soon lost the ability to feed, clothe, defend, or reproduce itself in the traditional manner.

Long before the repercussions had played out, however, Cymurri's wary Advisors had seized Nerif, bound and gagged him, and launched him out of their universe at high speed on a dimensional barque, in the hopes of depositing him where he could do them no harm forever. It was, of course, too late for them. And may well be for us.

Voice:

[[Voice actors#|]] (Responses)

Abilities

Fortune's End

▶️QT

Ability
N/A

Affects
Enemies / Allies

Damage
Magical

Gathers Oracle's power into a bolt of scouring energy that, when released, damages, stops movement, and purges enemies of buffs in an area around the target. If target is an ally it only will purge. Can be channeled for up to 2.5 seconds. The stop duration is equal to the time spent channeling.

Cast Animation: 0+0

Cast Range: 850

Effect Radius: 300

Max Channel Time: 2.5

Damage: 90/120/150/180

Min Stop Duration: 0.5

Max Stop Duration: 2.5

 15/12/9/6

 110

Modifiers [?]

Fortunes End Channel Target

Undispellable

Fortunes End Purge

Any

The astral orb crackles with power while raw energy lances out, temporarily disrupting an enemy's connection to their own body.

• The projectile travels at a speed of 1200 and can be disjointed.
  • Disjointing it completely nullifies the effects, including the area stop, dispel and damage.

• When targeting allies, the area effect is still applied to surrounding enemies. The ally only gets dispelled. Can target self as well.
  • Enemies in the area always get dispelled, while allies only get dispelled when targeted, so only one ally can be dispelled per cast.

• When the projectile connects with a spell immune, invulnerable or hidden unit, it still affects other units within the radius.

• Can directly be cast on invulnerable units, fully affecting them, though the damage gets negated by the invulnerability.

• The channeling is not canceled when the target turns spell immune, invisible, invulnerable, hidden or dies.

• When the channeling is interrupted through disables, the projectile is released prematurely.

• The dispel is applied before the damage, so that any dispellable protective buff is removed first.

• The damage and dispel effect are static, only the stop duration is based on the time spent channeling.

• The stop duration starts at 0.5 and increases by 0.08 for each 0.1 second channeled, reaching 2.5 in 2.5 seconds.

• Fortune's End sets affected units' movement speed to 0. It does not root them.
  • This means they can still use spells during it which are otherwise disabled by roots (e.g. Blinks).
  • The stop effect has priority over haste, meaning haste cannot increase a unit's movement speed during it.
  • This means it directly influences effects based on movement speed (e.g. Greater Bash).

• Can neither target, nor affect wards and buildings. Cannot target Elder Titan's Astral Spirit.

• Applies a visual effect on the targeted unit upon cast, indicating that it is directly targeted. This visual effect is visible to everyone.

• The sound during the channeling is audible to everyone as well.

Fate's Edict

▶️WF

Ability
N/A

Affects
Enemies / Allies

Oracle enraptures a target, disarming them and granting them 100% magic damage resistance. Can be cast on allies and enemies.

Cast Animation: 0.3+1.1

Cast Range: 500/600/700/800

Duration: 3/3.5/4/4.5

 16/13/10/7

 50

Modifiers [?]

Fates Edict

Any

An unbreakable prophecy resounds: a chosen ally shall briefly suffer no magics. Other kinds of suffering however...

• Applies a disarm on the target and sets its magic resistance to 100%.

Purifying Flames

▶️EE

Ability
N/A

Affects
Enemies / Allies

Damage
Magical

Burns away impurities, dealing heavy magic damage to the target before causing them to regenerate health over time. The amount of health regenerated over its duration exceeds the amount of initial damage. Can be cast on enemies and allies.

Cast Animation: 0.3+1.1 ( 0.1+1.3)

Cast Range: 800

Damage: 90/180/270/360

Heal per Second: 11/22/33/44

Duration: 9

 2.25 ( 1)

 50/60/70/80

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:

Reduces cooldown and improves cast point.

Modifiers [?]

Purifying Flames

Any

Like a hall of mirrors might amplify the light of a single candle, the shattered walls of the universe can transform the light of prophecy into a burning torch.

• The damage is applied instantly upon cast, followed by the heal over time. The damage is lethal to enemies, but not to allies.

• Heals in 1 second intervals, starting 1 second after cast, resulting in 9 instances of heal.

• Can heal up to 99/198/297/396 health (9/18/27/36 when considering the initial damage before reductions) per cast.

• Multiple casts on the same target fully stack.

False Promise

▶️▶️RR

Ability
N/A

Affects
Allied Heroes

Damage
Pure
(HP Removal)

Temporarily alters an ally's destiny, delaying any healing or damage taken until False Promise ends. Any healing that is delayed by False Promise is doubled. Removes most negative status effects and disables on initial cast.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.97

Cast Range: 1000

Duration: 7/8/9

 90/60/30

 100

Modifiers [?]

False Promise Timer

Undispellable

False Promise

Undispellable

Foes and false prophets oft make lies of men's fates.

• Applies a strong dispel on the target upon cast. Can be cast on illusions and creep-heroes.

• False Promise fully negates damage after all reductions, causing several on-damage effects to not trigger.

• False Promise has the second highest priority in the group of damage negating spells. It also negates healing effects.
  • This means when combined with e.g. Aphotic Shield or Living Armor, False Promise negates damage while the shield or armor do not.
  • It has a lower priority than Borrowed Time, means Borrowed Time first turns damage into heal, and then it is blocked as heal by False Promise.
  • The heal block has a priority over that from Ice Blast, so that it still gets applied and doubled by False Promise.

• As with all damage manipulating effects, False Promise only negates and delays the 3 damage types. It fully ignores HP Removal (except for Heartstopper Aura).

• Does not prevent instantly killing effects like Culling Blade, Suicide Squad, Attack!, Bloodstone or Ice Blast shatter.

• At the end of the duration, the target gets healed (first sound) if the overall heal was higher, or damaged (second sound) if the damage was higher. The heal is always credited to Oracle.

• If the damage was higher, the target takes the net damage (HP Removal) from each unit which damaged it, based on the order in which the units applied their damage.
  • If a unit dealt multiple instances, it gets summed up and dealt in order whenever it dealt its first instance.
  • Example: Unit A deals 150 damage, unit C 200, unit B 100, and then unit A 100 again. The damage at the end is applied in this order: Unit A 250, C 200, B 100.
  • Therefore, if the target dies, the kill is credited to whoever's instance dealt the killing blow, which can be the first, last or any other instance in between.
  • If the target was healed, the heal is distributed so that all units which damaged the target still have their damage instance dealt at the end.

• Despite being HP Removal, Shallow Grave can still save the target from it and Borrowed Time still turns it into heals.

• If the target is invulnerable as False Promise expires, the delayed heal and damage wait for it to become vulnerable again.

• Successive casts on the same target do not stack, but refresh the duration. The blocked heal and damage counters are not reset.

• The visual orb above the target's head gains more particles based on the received damage and heal. These are visible to everyone.
  • Damage adds a fiery particle effect to it, and causes the bubble around the False Promise target to crack. These effects intensify the more damage is taken.
  • Heals add green particles effects to it, which float around it. The more heals are received during False Promise, the more green particles appear.

Gameplay

Strategy & Tips

Counters &
Matchups

Audio

Responses

Sounds

History

Lore

Old Abilities

Changelogs

Equipment

Oracle Equipment (expand sets) Sets Clarity of the Crystal Path Eye of the Fateweaver Riddle of the Hierophant Silence of the Starweaver Spoils of the Shattered Fates Transcendent Path Whispers of the Sleepless Augur Weapon Alluvion Prophecy Head Sagas of the Cymurrin Sage Taunt Taunt: Time and Space Jam

Trivia

• Oracle made his first official Dota 2 appearance in the comic The Contract, revealed on the 14th of November 2014 on the official Dota 2 blog. On day 2, his spells and model were revealed.
• Mike Shapiro (Oracle's voice actor) is also well-known for voicing Barney Calhoun and G-Man, two prominent characters in the Half-Life series
  • His lines ▶️ "Prepare for unforeseen consequences.", and ▶️ "Is it really that time again?" are referring to lines spoken by G-man in Half-Life 2: Episode 2, and Half-Life 2 respectively.
• The line ▶️ ▶️ ▶️ "So it goes." is a reference to the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. In the novel, it is a phrase used by the aliens, known as Tralfamadorians, who perceive all time simultaneously.
• The line ▶️ "First blood! Out of fifty possibilities, that was my preferred." is because there actually are 50 possible first bloods (each of 10 heroes can be killed by any of the 5 opposing heroes).
• Oracle's spell Purifying Flames and his phrase ▶️ "I must harm to heal." are a direct play on the medical principle "Primum non nocere", which is latin and translates into "First, do no harm".
• The hero kill line ▶️ "Ask again later." is a reference to an answer of the Magic 8-ball, a toy used for fortune-telling.
• The respawn line ▶️ "Like the past, I'm never dead. I'm not even past." is a reference to the novel Requiem for a Nun from the author William Faulkner. The original quote goes The past is never dead. It's not even past.

Prophecies

• The prophecy line for Lion ▶️ "Fear neither witch, nor wardrobe. Tis a demon beast that fingers your demise." is a reference to the second book in The Chronicles of Narnia book series by C.S. Lewis, titled The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
• The prophecy line for Faceless Void ▶️ "You ought to read Chronosphere of a Death Foretold. It's a prophetic book." is a reference to the book called Chronicle of a Death Foretold, written by Gabriel García Márquez.
• The prophecy line for Viper ▶️ "V is not for visions of victory, but for a victim of a vicious viper." is a reference to the quote of V for Vendetta.
• The prophecy line for Chaos Knight ▶️ "Beware the knight who commandingly demands: do you even rift?" is a reference to the internet meme "Do you even lift?"
• The prophecy line for Ember Spirit ▶️ "I foresee four flames." may be a reference, both in content and length, to the fact that most of Ember Spirit's spoken lines are four words long, or to the four of "him" – the real one and three remnants.
• The prophecy line for Morphling ▶️ "No empathy test can save you from the watery replicant." is a reference to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, where human-like androids called replicants can only be distinguished from human beings through an empathy test called the Voight-Kampff test.
• The second sentence of the prophecy line for Meepo ▶️ "Four friends await divided from earth. But they are no friends of mine." may be a reference to the sentence in the song Safety Dance from Men Without Hats.

Gallery

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  Model

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  Ability icon progress