Combat System

Overview

Combat in Delve is never witnessed in real-time. The player’s job is to build a skill queue — an ordered list of skills their character will execute — and the server resolves combat automatically. After the run, the player reads a detailed combat log showing every roll, every skill fired, and exactly what happened.

The core strategic loop: build your queue → run the dungeon → read the results → adjust your queue → run again.

Design Philosophy

• The player is the coach, not the athlete. You draft the game plan. The character executes it. Your preparation determines the outcome.
• Every failure is a lesson. The combat log must make it clear WHY something happened — which skill missed, which enemy acted first, where the queue fell apart.
• Progression never ends. Between character level, weapon proficiency, skill unlocks, and gear, there’s always something to improve.

Core Dice System: d100 Percentile

Delve uses a d100 (percentile) system for all combat resolution. Every skill, attack, and effect rolls a number from 1-100 against a success threshold.

How It Works

Roll d100 → Compare to success chance → Determine outcome

Every skill has a base accuracy (e.g., 75%). This is modified by the attacker’s stats, the defender’s stats, conditions, and buffs/debuffs to produce a final success chance.

Success Chance = Skill Base Accuracy + Attacker Modifier - Defender Modifier + Buffs/Debuffs

• Roll ≤ success chance → Hit
• Roll > success chance → Miss
• Roll ≤ 5 → Critical Hit (bonus damage, usually 1.5x)
• Roll 96-100 → Critical Miss (skill fails and may have a penalty — wasted resource, self-debuff, etc.)

Why d100?

• Percentages are intuitive — “you have a 73% chance to hit” is immediately understood
• Fine-grained balance — designers can tune in 1% increments
• Critical hits and misses are always possible, creating dramatic “clutch” and “heartbreak” moments
• Legally distinct from any existing tabletop system

Modifiers

Attacker Modifier is derived from:

• Relevant attribute (Might for melee, Speed for ranged, Logic/Presence for magic)
• Weapon proficiency level (0-100, grants +0 to +15)
• Gear bonuses
• Buff effects

Defender Modifier is derived from:

• Evasion rating (derived from armor, Speed, shields, and class features)
• Debuff effects
• Terrain/positional modifiers

Example

Skill: Crushing Blow (base accuracy 80%)
Attacker Might modifier: +8
Weapon proficiency bonus: +6 (sword mastery at level 40)
Target Evasion modifier: -12 (plate armor + shield)
Buff: Precision Stance +5

Final success chance: 80 + 8 + 6 - 12 + 5 = 87%
Roll: 34 → HIT (34 ≤ 87)

Saving Throws

When a skill inflicts a condition or effect (poison, stun, fear), the target makes a resistance check:

Roll d100 vs. Resistance Chance
Resistance Chance = Base Resistance + Relevant Ability Modifier + Gear/Buff Bonuses

• Roll ≤ resistance chance → effect is resisted (negated or halved)
• Roll > resistance chance → effect lands

This means high-Fortitude characters resist poison more often, high-Presence characters resist fear, etc.

The Skill Queue

The skill queue is the player’s primary interaction with combat. Before a dungeon run, the player arranges their available skills into an ordered queue. During combat, skills execute from this queue based on their initiative values, interleaved with enemy skills.

How the Queue Works

1. The player arranges their skills in a queue (ordered list, typically 4-8 skills)
2. Each skill has an initiative value — a fixed speed rating that determines when it fires relative to other actions in the round
3. Each round, ALL skills from ALL combatants are sorted by initiative (lowest = fastest)
4. Skills execute in initiative order
5. When the player’s queue reaches the end, it loops back to the beginning
6. The queue resets to position 1 at the start of each new encounter (but resources carry over — see Encounter Reset)

Initiative and Turn Order

Every skill has a fixed initiative value representing how fast the skill executes. Lower initiative = acts first.

Think of initiative as “wind-up time” — a quick dagger stab (init 2) fires before a heavy overhead swing (init 8).

Each round, the system collects the “next queued skill” from every combatant and sorts them:

ROUND 1 — Turn Order (sorted by initiative, lowest first):

Player Queue:          Enemy (Dire Rat):
  Slot 1: Crushing Blow (init 5)    Slot 1: Bite (init 2)
  Slot 2: Strengthening Shout (init 7)  Slot 2: Squeal (init 6)

Execution order:
  1. [Init 2] Dire Rat → Bite
  2. [Init 5] Player → Crushing Blow
  3. [Init 6] Dire Rat → Squeal
  4. [Init 7] Player → Strengthening Shout

ROUND 2 — Queue loops:
Player Queue:          Enemy (Dire Rat):
  Slot 3: Quick Slash (init 3)     Slot 3: Bite (init 2)
  Slot 4: Healing Surge (init 9)    Slot 4: Flee Check (init 10)

Execution order:
  1. [Init 2] Dire Rat → Bite
  2. [Init 3] Player → Quick Slash
  3. [Init 9] Player → Healing Surge
  4. [Init 10] Dire Rat → Flee Check

Skills Per Round

Each combatant executes 2 skills per round by default. This can be modified by:

• Class features (e.g., Fighter gets 3 skills per round at level 11)
• Haste-type buffs (+1 skill per round for duration)
• Exhaustion or debuffs (-1 skill per round)
• Specific skills that are “swift” and don’t consume a slot

This means a queue of 6 skills takes 3 rounds to cycle through before looping.

Tie-Breaking

When two skills have the same initiative value:

1. Player character breaks ties using their character initiative stat (derived from DEX + class bonuses + gear). Higher character initiative goes first.
2. If still tied (e.g., two enemies), resolve randomly.

Queue Slots

• Base queue size: 6 slots
• Certain class features expand this (e.g., Bard gets +1 slot for a support skill, Wizard gets +1 slot at level 10)
• Maximum queue size: 10 slots (with all bonuses)
• Minimum queue size: 3 slots (must have at least 3 skills queued)

Light Conditionals

Each skill slot in the queue can have one optional condition attached. If the condition is not met when the skill’s turn comes up, the skill is skipped and the queue advances to the next skill.

Available Conditions

Self Conditions:

• “Use if my HP is below X%” (e.g., only heal when hurt)
• “Use if my HP is above X%” (e.g., only use risky skills when healthy)
• “Skip if [condition] is active on me” (e.g., don’t buff if already buffed)
• “Use if I have [resource] remaining” (e.g., only use mana skill if mana available)

Target Conditions:

• “Use if enemy count is above/below X”
• “Use if target HP is above/below X%”
• “Use if target is [enemy type]” (undead, beast, humanoid, etc.)
• “Skip if target has [condition]” (e.g., don’t re-poison a poisoned target)

Ally Conditions (party play):

• “Use if any ally HP is below X%”
• “Use if ally count is below X” (e.g., emergency heal when party is dying)

Conditional Behavior

• A skill with no condition always fires when its turn comes
• A skill with a failed condition is skipped — the queue advances and that round’s action is lost (the character hesitates)
• This means poorly configured conditionals can waste turns — an intentional risk/reward for using them
• New players should leave most conditions empty and add them as they learn

Example Queue with Conditions

Slot 1: Quick Slash (init 3) ............. [no condition — always fires]
Slot 2: Crushing Blow (init 5) ........... [no condition — always fires]
Slot 3: Healing Surge (init 9) ........... [IF my HP < 50%]
Slot 4: Power Strike (init 6) ............ [no condition — always fires]
Slot 5: War Cry (init 7) ................. [IF enemy count ≥ 3]
Slot 6: Defensive Stance (init 4) ........ [IF my HP < 25%]

In this queue:

• Slots 1, 2, and 4 always fire — reliable damage core
• Slot 3 heals only when needed — skips if healthy (preserving the action for next cycle? No — it’s lost. The player accepts this trade-off for not wasting a heal at full HP)
• Slot 5 only War Cries against groups — skipped against single targets
• Slot 6 is an emergency defensive stance — almost always skipped, but catches emergencies

Skill Targeting

Each skill in the queue has a target rule that determines who it affects. The player configures this per slot.

Target Rules

Offensive Skills:

Defensive/Support Skills:

Area-of-Effect (AoE) Skills:

• AoE skills automatically target the cluster with the most enemies
• Player can set: “Prioritize damage” (hit max enemies) or “Prioritize safety” (avoid hitting allies in the blast)

Weapon Proficiency System

Every weapon type in the game has a proficiency track from 0 to 100. Using a weapon in combat increases proficiency with that weapon type, unlocking stronger skills and passive bonuses.

Weapon Types

Each weapon belongs to a type. Proficiency is tracked per type, not per individual weapon.

Proficiency Progression

Proficiency XP Gain

• Each combat encounter where the weapon is used grants weapon proficiency XP
• XP scales with encounter difficulty (harder fights = faster weapon growth)
• Proficiency slows down at higher levels (0→50 takes roughly the same time as 50→100)
• Estimated time to 100: 3-4 months of regular play with one weapon type
• Players can level multiple weapon types, but spreading focus means slower progress per type
• Weapon proficiency is character-bound — each character tracks their own

Passive Bonuses

At proficiency milestones (40, 60, 80, 100), the weapon type grants a passive bonus that’s always active when wielding that weapon type:

Example — Swords:

• Prof 40: +5% critical hit chance with swords
• Prof 60: Sword skills cost 10% less resource (mana/stamina)
• Prof 80: +10% damage with swords
• Prof 100: Sword attacks have a 10% chance to strike twice

These passives are unique per weapon type, encouraging players to specialize.

Skill Sources

Skills come from four sources. A character’s total available skill pool is the union of all skills they’ve unlocked from each source.

1. Weapon Skills

Unlocked by weapon proficiency (see above). These are the bulk of a character’s offensive skills.

Example — Sword Skills (unlocked at proficiency milestones):

2. Class Skills

Granted by character class at specific levels. These define the class’s unique combat identity.

Example — Fighter Class Skills:

Example — Wizard Class Skills:

3. Species Skills

One skill granted by species (race). Always available from level 1.

4. Gear Skills

Some equipment grants bonus skills that can be placed in the queue. These are a major part of the loot chase — finding a weapon with a powerful attached skill is exciting.

Examples:

• Flamebrand Longsword (Rare): Grants “Flame Burst” (init 5, AoE fire damage around the target)
• Shield of the Sentinel (Very Rare): Grants “Guardian’s Wall” (init 1, absorb damage for lowest-HP ally for 1 round)
• Cloak of Shadows (Uncommon): Grants “Vanish” (init 2, become untargetable for 1 round, next attack is a guaranteed critical)
• Ring of Mending (Rare): Grants “Pulse Heal” (init 8, heal self and all allies for 10% max HP)

Gear skills follow the same rules as all other skills — they occupy a queue slot, have initiative values, and can have conditionals.

Resource System

Skills aren’t free. Most non-basic skills cost resources to use. Resource management across a multi-encounter dungeon is a core strategic concern. Each class has a unique resource with different pool sizes, recovery rates, and behaviors — this is what makes classes feel fundamentally different even when using the same weapons.

The Zero-Cost Rule

Every class has access to zero-cost basic weapon attacks. The basic attack for each weapon type (Basic Slash, Stab, Shoot, etc. at proficiency 0) costs NO resources. This ensures a character is never completely helpless when their resource runs dry — they just lose access to their powerful skills and fall back on basics. Running on empty is weak, but it’s not dead in the water.

Resource Types

Pool sizes are approximate at level 25 with moderate attributes. Actual values scale with level + relevant attribute.

Resource Pool Formulas

Detailed Resource Behaviors

Stamina (Vanguard, Pathfinder)

The baseline “reliable” resource. High pool, 50% recovery between encounters. A Vanguard or Pathfinder should be able to use powered skills in every encounter of a 10-encounter dungeon without running dry — as long as they don’t exclusively spam their most expensive skills.

• Dungeon curve: Flat. Consistent performance from encounter 1 to encounter 10.
• Strategic tension: Low. Stamina users focus more on queue optimization than resource management.

Momentum (Shade)

Starts at 0 each dungeon. Builds +20 per round of combat. Retains 50% between encounters (rounded down).

• Round 1: Momentum = 0 (or carry-over from last fight). Basic skills only.
• Round 2: Momentum = 20+. Cheap powered skills available.
• Round 3: Momentum = 40+. Mid-tier skills available.
• Round 4+: Momentum = 60+. Premium skills available.
• Between encounters: If ending a fight at 80 momentum → carry 40 into the next fight.
• Dungeon curve: Ramps up. Early encounters are weaker; by encounter 3-4 the Shade enters each fight with 30-40 banked momentum and hits their power spike faster.
• Strategic tension: Queue ordering matters enormously. Cheap skills early in the queue build momentum; expensive skills later in the queue spend it.
• Assassin subclass bonus: Skills deal +1% damage per 5 momentum currently banked (at 80 momentum: +16% damage). Rewards banking momentum rather than spending it freely.

Mana (Arcanist)

Classic caster resource. 25% recovery is the second-lowest among pool resources (only Resonance is lower). The Arcanist must choose: go nuclear on early encounters (Fireball everything) and scrape by later, or conserve mana and deal moderate damage throughout.

• Spell Mastery class feature reduces costs the more a skill is used in a dungeon, rewarding consistent skill selection over the full run.
• Dungeon curve: Declining. Peak power in encounters 1-3, then gradually weaker as mana depletes. Strategic play extends the peak.
• Strategic tension: High. Which encounters deserve your expensive spells? Can you clear this fight with cantrips and save mana for the boss?

Devotion (Warden)

Same 25% recovery as mana. But the stakes are higher: when the Warden runs dry, the party loses ALL healing. This makes Warden resource management the most consequential in the game for party play.

• Sanctify (free, once per encounter) provides a 20% healing boost window — timing Sanctify with your biggest heals maximizes devotion efficiency.
• Dungeon curve: Declining, with catastrophic failure state. Smart Wardens heal only when necessary and let natural regen handle minor damage.
• Strategic tension: Highest of any class. Over-healing wastes devotion. Under-healing risks party death. The Warden is always making resource calls.

Focus (Pathfinder)

50% recovery — tied with Stamina for the best among pool resources. Combined with a moderate pool size, the Pathfinder is the most sustainable ranged class.

• Dungeon curve: Nearly flat. Slight decline over very long dungeons but generally consistent.
• Strategic tension: Low-medium. Pathfinders can afford to use powered skills most rounds.

Fury (Berserker)

Starts at 0. Builds based on damage dealt only (not damage taken). Each skill that hits grants Fury proportional to the damage dealt (roughly +1 Fury per 3% of target’s max HP dealt). Retains 25% between encounters.

• Rage triggers at 50 Fury: +25% melee damage, -15% evasion, 3 skills per round, immune to Frightened.
• Rage ends if Fury drops below 25 (Fury naturally decays -5/round while Raging, creating a timer — must keep hitting to sustain it).
• Between encounters: If ending at 70 Fury → carry 17 into next fight. Not enough to start Raging, but a head start.
• Dungeon curve: Volatile. Short easy fights may never trigger Rage. Long hard fights trigger Rage quickly. Boss encounters are where Berserkers shine.
• Strategic tension: Medium. Queue should front-load fast, reliable hits to build Fury, then switch to heavy power skills once Raging.

Resonance (Songweaver)

Starts at max. 15% recovery between encounters — the lowest of any pool resource. The Songweaver’s arc is unique: they start as the strongest buffer in the game and gradually weaken.

• Anthem is free — the passive Anthem effect costs no Resonance and is always active. The Songweaver is never useless.
• Active skills (buffs, debuffs, heals) cost Resonance.
• Dungeon curve: Declining, but with a floor. Even at 0 Resonance, the Anthem provides value and basic weapon attacks are free.
• Strategic tension: Very high. Every active skill expenditure is a permanent investment. Is this encounter worth blowing a buff, or should you coast on the Anthem and basic attacks?
• Rest points provide a significant Resonance boost (50%), making rest point decisions critical for Songweavers.

Zeal (Oathblade)

Moderate pool, 30% recovery. The catch: Smite costs Zeal ON TOP OF the skill’s normal cost. A Smited Crushing Blow costs the base Crushing Blow stamina/zeal PLUS the Smite surcharge. This makes Oathblades burn resources roughly 1.5-2x faster than other classes when Smiting.

• Dungeon curve: Depends entirely on Smite usage. An Oathblade who Smites every skill is dry by encounter 5. One who only Smites bosses lasts the whole dungeon.
• Strategic tension: High. Which skills to Smite is the core Oathblade decision. Smite the opening power strike for burst? Or save Smites for the boss?
• Avenger subclass reduces Smite cost by 25%, making the burn rate much more sustainable.

Essence (Hexbinder)

Smallest pool but 50% recovery — the fast-cycle resource. A Hexbinder enters each encounter with a small burst window (3-4 powered skills), then falls back to basics or drain-style skills that are cheap/free.

• Pact of the Void subpath makes drain skills cost 0 Essence but deal 15% less damage — the sustained option.
• Dungeon curve: Flat but in a different way from Stamina. Each encounter is a mini-cycle: burst → conserve → burst → conserve.
• Strategic tension: Medium. The question isn’t “will I run dry over the dungeon” but “how do I get maximum value out of my 3-4 powered skills per encounter.”

Resource Recovery at Rest Points

Rest points (see 06-quests-and-dungeons.md) provide enhanced recovery:

Running Out of Resources

When a skill in the queue would fire but the character doesn’t have enough resources:

• The skill is skipped (same as a failed conditional)
• The queue advances to the next slot
• The character does NOT lose the action — if the next slot has an affordable skill (or a zero-cost basic attack), it fires instead
• If NO skills in the queue are affordable, the character performs a zero-cost basic weapon attack as a fallback

This means even depleted characters contribute damage. They’re significantly weaker, but never dead weight.

10-Encounter Dungeon Performance Summary

How each class performs across a full 10-encounter dungeon (no rest points):

This diversity of power curves is intentional. Parties benefit from mixing classes with different arcs — an Arcanist who goes nuclear early paired with a Shade who comes online later creates sustained total DPS across the dungeon.

Encounter Flow

1. Surprise Check

Attacker Stealth Rating vs. Defender Perception Rating → d100 roll

• If the party’s scout (highest stealth) beats the enemies’ perception → party gets a surprise round (one full cycle of skills before enemies act)
• If enemies beat the party’s perception → enemies get a surprise round
• Shades and Pathfinders have class bonuses to stealth; Perception is a key defensive stat

2. Combat Rounds

Each round:

1. Collect the next queued skill from each combatant
2. Sort all skills by initiative value (lowest first)
3. Execute skills in order, resolving hits/misses/effects
4. Check for triggered reactive skills (species abilities, gear procs)
5. Apply end-of-round effects (DoTs, condition timers, regeneration)
6. Check for combat end conditions

3. Combat Ends When

• All enemies reach 0 HP (victory)
• The player character reaches 0 HP (defeat — see Death and Recovery)
• A special condition is met (survive X rounds, destroy an object, etc.)
• An enemy flees (some enemies flee at low HP)

4. Between Encounters (Partial Reset)

• Queue resets to slot 1
• HP does NOT fully recover — only natural regen (5-10% based on Fortitude) unless a healing skill or potion is available
• Resource recovery varies by type (see Resource System above):
  • Stamina/Focus/Essence: 50%
  • Zeal: 30%
  • Mana/Devotion: 25%
  • Resonance: 15%
  • Momentum: retains 50% of current value
  • Fury: retains 25% of current value
  • Charges: do NOT recover
• Conditions persist (poison, bleeding, etc. carry to next encounter unless cured)
• Cooldowns tick down (a 5-encounter cooldown skill becomes available sooner)

This partial reset creates tension across a full dungeon run. A player who blows all their mana in encounter 1 will struggle by encounter 5.

Conditions and Effects

Conditions are status effects applied during combat by skills, traps, environmental hazards, and enemy abilities. They are central to strategy — applying the right debuffs and avoiding the wrong ones is as important as raw damage.

Conditions fall into three categories: Debuffs (harmful, applied to enemies), Buffs (beneficial, applied to self/allies), and Environmental (caused by dungeon hazards, affect everyone).

How Conditions Work

• Application: A skill that inflicts a condition triggers a resistance check on the target (unless the condition is irresistible or a buff)
• Resistance check: d100 roll vs. target's Resistance Chance for the relevant attribute. Roll ≤ resistance chance = resisted (condition doesn’t apply). Roll > resistance chance = condition lands.
• Resistance Chance formula: Base Resistance (30%) + (Relevant Attribute × 2%) + Gear/Buff Bonuses + Fortitude Blanket Bonus
• Fortitude blanket bonus: Every point of Fortitude above 10 adds +1.5% to ALL resistance checks, regardless of type. This makes Fortitude the universal defensive attribute for conditions.
• Stacking: Most conditions do NOT stack with themselves. Reapplying a condition refreshes the duration instead. Exceptions are noted (Bleeding, Exhaustion).
• Condition cap: A character can be affected by a maximum of 5 debuffs simultaneously. If a 6th is applied, the one with the shortest remaining duration is removed. This prevents debuff avalanches from making a character completely nonfunctional.
• Cleansing: Conditions can be removed early by cleanse skills (Warden, Songweaver, some consumables), or by specific counters noted per condition.

Debuffs (Harmful Conditions)

Physical Debuffs

Bleeding

• Effect: Lose 4% of max HP at the end of each round. Does not trigger resistance checks to end — runs its full duration.
• Duration: 3 rounds
• Resisted By: Fortitude
• Stacking: YES — each application adds a separate Bleeding stack. 3 stacks of Bleeding = 12% max HP per round. Max 5 stacks.
• Cured By: Healing skill (removes 1 stack per heal), Healer’s Kit consumable (removes all stacks), rest point (removes all stacks)
• Strategic Notes: Bleeding is the primary sustained damage condition. Classes like the Shade (Saboteur) and weapons like daggers (Bleeding Edge) specialize in stacking bleeds. Against high-HP bosses, stacking bleeds can outdamage direct attacks. Fortitude-heavy builds resist the initial application but can’t stop it once it’s on.
• Combat Log Display: ⚠ BLEEDING (×2) — Losing 8% max HP/round (14 damage/round). 2 rounds remaining.

Poisoned

• Effect: -12% accuracy on all skills AND -12% damage dealt.
• Duration: 4 rounds OR until cured
• Resisted By: Fortitude
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Antidote consumable (instant cure), Warden cleanse skill, rest point, or Fortitude resistance check at end of each round (separate roll — 50% of normal resistance chance, so it’s hard to shake off naturally)
• Strategic Notes: Poison is a comprehensive debuff that makes the target worse at everything. It’s most effective against damage dealers (reducing their output) and against enemies with high accuracy (making them miss). The per-round resistance check means high-Fortitude characters can shrug it off naturally; low-Fortitude characters are stuck for the full duration.
• Combat Log Display: ☠ POISONED — -12% accuracy, -12% damage. 3 rounds remaining. End-of-round Fortitude check: d100: 72 vs. 23% → FAILED to shake off.

Weakened

• Effect: -20% damage dealt on all skills.
• Duration: 3 rounds
• Resisted By: Might
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Buff skills that grant Empowered (overrides Weakened), cleanse, rest point
• Strategic Notes: Pure damage reduction debuff. Most effective against enemies with few but powerful attacks (bosses). Less useful against swarm enemies. Resisted by Might, so casters and healers are more vulnerable to it.

Exhaustion

• Effect: Cumulative debuff with escalating levels. Each level stacks on the previous:
  • Level 1: -5% accuracy, -5% damage, -5% evasion
  • Level 2: -10% all stats, resource recovery between encounters halved
  • Level 3: -20% all stats, only 1 skill per round
  • Level 4: Unconscious (effectively dead for the encounter; in party play, can be revived)
• Duration: Until a rest point is reached OR the dungeon ends. Does NOT expire on its own.
• Resisted By: Cannot be resisted. Exhaustion is a dungeon management mechanic, not a combat mechanic.
• Stacking: YES — by levels. Each new source of exhaustion adds +1 level.
• Caused By: Running out of rations, failing certain environmental hazards, Berserker’s Frenzy subclass abilities, some boss mechanics, consecutive fights without rest
• Cured By: Rest points reduce exhaustion by 1 level. Some Warden skills can reduce by 1 level. Completing the dungeon fully removes exhaustion.
• Strategic Notes: Exhaustion is the penalty for poor preparation — not bringing enough rations, skipping rest points, or pushing through content that’s too hard. It’s also a design tool for making dungeon length matter. A 15-encounter dungeon without rest points will exhaust characters who aren’t prepared.
• Combat Log Display: ⚡ EXHAUSTION Level 2 — -10% all stats, resource recovery halved.

Elemental Debuffs

Burning

• Effect: Lose 6% of max HP at the start of each round. If another Burning creature is adjacent, 25% chance to spread Burning to non-burning adjacent targets (enemies AND allies — friendly fire risk for AoE fire skills).
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Speed (dodge the initial source)
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Using an action to extinguish (costs a queue slot — the “Extinguish” fallback action), water-based environmental effects, cold damage (removes Burning), cleanse
• Strategic Notes: Burning is high damage-over-time but short duration and has a built-in counterplay (spend an action to extinguish). The spread mechanic makes Burning powerful against groups but dangerous in parties — an Arcanist (Evoker) who Burns an enemy adjacent to the party’s Vanguard may accidentally set the tank on fire. The Evoker subclass can shape AoE to avoid this.

Frozen

• Effect: Initiative values on ALL skills increased by +4 (act significantly slower). -10% evasion (harder to dodge while frozen in place).
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Fortitude
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Fire damage (removes Frozen), Burning condition (removes Frozen — fire and ice cancel), cleanse, natural expiration
• Counter-Synergy with Burning: Frozen and Burning cancel each other. Applying Burning to a Frozen target removes Frozen (and vice versa). This creates tactical decisions — do you Freeze an enemy to slow them, knowing your Arcanist’s fire spells will unfreeze them?
• Strategic Notes: Frozen is the premier “slow you down” debuff. In the skill queue system, +4 initiative is devastating — a Quick Thrust (init 3) becomes init 7, acting after most enemy skills. Frozen is best used against fast enemies to neutralize their speed advantage.

Shocked (Lightning)

• Effect: 30% chance each round that the next queued skill fizzles (activates but automatically misses, still consuming resources). Additionally, -5% accuracy on all skills.
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Fortitude
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Cleanse, natural expiration
• Strategic Notes: Shocked is the most RNG-heavy debuff. The 30% fizzle chance creates dramatic moments in the combat log — the enemy boss’s devastating power strike fizzles harmlessly due to being Shocked. Unreliable but potentially game-changing.

Corroded (Acid)

• Effect: -15% evasion (armor is dissolving) AND all incoming damage increased by 10%.
• Duration: 3 rounds
• Resisted By: Fortitude
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Cleanse, natural expiration
• Strategic Notes: Corroded is a “damage amplifier” debuff. It doesn’t deal damage directly but makes the target dramatically more vulnerable to everything else. Apply Corroded first, THEN hit with power strikes. Excellent in party play where one character applies Corroded and others exploit it.

Mental Debuffs

Frightened

• Effect: -15% accuracy on all skills. Cannot target the source of fear (skills targeting the frightener are redirected to the next valid target per the target rule). If the source of fear is the ONLY enemy, -25% accuracy instead (nowhere to redirect).
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Presence
• End-of-round check: At the end of each round, the Frightened character makes a Presence resistance check at 50% of normal resistance chance. Success removes Frightened early.
• Cured By: Warden cleanse, Songweaver’s Anthem of Valor (provides immunity while active), Berserker’s Rage (grants immunity), natural end-of-round check
• Strategic Notes: Frightened is the premiere “keep away” condition. A tank who Frightens enemies protects squishier allies. An enemy that Frightens the party’s damage dealer can stall a fight. Presence-focused classes (Warden, Songweaver, Oathblade) resist it easily; Logic/Speed classes are more vulnerable.

Charmed

• Effect: Cannot target the charmer with any offensive skill. 25% chance each round that the Charmed character’s offensive skill targets a random ally instead of an enemy (in party play — solo characters target themselves for reduced damage). The Charmed character’s accuracy against non-charmer targets is unaffected.
• Duration: 3 rounds OR until the Charmed character takes damage from any source (damage breaks the charm)
• Resisted By: Presence
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration and source)
• Cured By: Taking any damage (including DoTs — a Bleeding character auto-breaks charm), cleanse, natural expiration
• Strategic Notes: Charm is terrifying in party play — a Charmed Berserker might Crushing Blow their own Warden. The counterplay is immediate: ANY damage breaks it. This means Burning or Bleeding actually serves as charm protection. Clever parties ensure their high-damage members always have a minor DoT ticking to prevent charm disasters.
• Combat Log Display: 💜 CHARMED by Siren — Cannot target Siren. Friendly fire risk: 25%. Damage will break charm.

Confused

• Effect: Each round, 40% chance that the queued skill targets a random combatant (could be an ally, an enemy, or self) instead of the configured target. Remaining 60% of the time, skills execute normally.
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Logic
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Cleanse, natural expiration
• Strategic Notes: Confused is the “chaos” debuff. Unlike Charm (which has a clear source and clear counterplay), Confusion is just random disruption. It’s less severe than Charm (40% misdirection vs. guaranteed) but has no easy counterplay. Most dangerous on high-damage characters.

Silenced

• Effect: Cannot use magical skills (any skill tagged as Magical type). Physical and weapon skills are unaffected. Resource-based class skills that require verbal/magical components are also blocked.
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Logic
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Cleanse, natural expiration
• Affected Classes: Arcanist (severely — most skills are magical), Warden (healing skills are magical), Hexbinder (most skills), Songweaver (active buffs are magical, but Anthem persists since it’s passive). Vanguard, Shade, Berserker, Pathfinder largely unaffected.
• Strategic Notes: Silence is an anti-caster condition. The Oathblade (Inquisitor) subclass specializes in applying Silence. Against a party, Silencing the Warden shuts down healing. Against enemy casters, Silence is the best counter available.
• Combat Log Display: 🔇 SILENCED — Cannot use magical skills. Physical skills unaffected. 2 rounds remaining.

Movement/Action Debuffs

Stunned

• Effect: Skip the next queued skill entirely (lose 1 action). If a character would execute 2 skills this round, they only execute 1. If they would execute 1 (already Slowed), they execute 0.
• Duration: 1 round (always — Stun is short but devastating)
• Resisted By: Fortitude
• Stacking: No. If already Stunned, reapplication has no effect (can’t double-stun).
• Cured By: Automatic after 1 round. Cannot be cleansed early (it’s too fast — cleanse happens on your turn, but the stun already consumed your action).
• Strategic Notes: Stun is the strongest single-round debuff in the game. Losing an entire action in a queue-based system is massive — it pushes back your entire queue by one slot, potentially desynchronizing combos. The Shield skill line (Shield Bash) is one of the most reliable Stun sources. Bosses typically have increased Stun resistance or are immune.

Slowed

• Effect: Only execute 1 skill per round instead of 2 (or instead of 3 for Raging Berserkers / Vanguards at level 25+).
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Speed
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Haste buff (overrides Slow — they cancel each other), cleanse, natural expiration
• Counter-synergy with Haste: Slowed and Hasted cancel each other. Applying Haste to a Slowed character removes Slow. Applying Slow to a Hasted character removes Haste.
• Strategic Notes: Slowed is Stun’s longer, milder cousin. Losing 1 skill per round for 2 rounds means losing 2 total skills — same as being Stunned twice. But Slowed is resistable, cleansable, and counterable with Haste. Most effective against Berserkers (drops them from 3 skills/round while Raging to 1 — devastating).

Blinded

• Effect: -25% accuracy on all skills. Cannot detect traps (if Blinded during a trap encounter). Auto-fail sight-based skill checks.
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Speed (dodge the blinding effect)
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Cleanse, Warden healing skill (some remove Blinded as a secondary effect), natural expiration
• Strategic Notes: Blinded is the heaviest single accuracy penalty in the game. A Blinded character with 80% base accuracy drops to 55% — coin-flip territory. Most impactful on power-strike builds where every miss is a massive DPS loss. Less impactful on DoT/condition builds that don’t rely on accuracy as much.

Rooted

• Effect: Cannot use skills tagged as “movement” or “repositioning.” Melee skills can only target adjacent enemies (can’t close distance). Ranged skills are unaffected. -10% evasion.
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Resisted By: Might (brute force to break free)
• Stacking: No (refreshes duration)
• Cured By: Might resistance check at end of each round (50% of normal chance), cleanse, fire damage (burns the roots)
• Strategic Notes: Rooted is a positioning debuff. In a system without physical movement, its primary effect is preventing certain skills that involve repositioning (Shadow Step, dash-type abilities) and reducing evasion. Most impactful against Shades and other mobile classes.

Buffs (Beneficial Conditions)

Buffs are applied by support skills, self-buffs, consumables, and some class mechanics. They cannot be resisted (you don’t resist your own buffs). They CAN be dispelled by enemy skills that strip buffs (Vexari’s Unravel, Hexbinder’s Witch subclass).

Inspired

• Effect: +10% accuracy and +10% damage on all skills.
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Source: Songweaver skills, Ashenmere species skill (Soul Echo), some gear
• Dispellable: Yes
• Strategic Notes: The bread-and-butter combat buff. Simple, universally useful, always worth applying. Best on high-damage allies (10% of a big number is a big bonus).

Empowered

• Effect: +20% damage on all skills. Overrides Weakened (removes it if present).
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Source: Berserker self-buffs, Oathblade aura skills, Songweaver War Chanter skills
• Dispellable: Yes
• Strategic Notes: Stronger than Inspired’s damage component but doesn’t include accuracy. Best on characters who already have high accuracy and want to push their damage ceiling.

Shielded

• Effect: Absorb the next X points of damage before HP is affected. Shield value varies by the skill that applied it (typically 10-30% of the caster’s max HP). Multiple Shielded effects stack their absorb values.
• Duration: Until depleted OR 5 rounds (whichever comes first)
• Source: Vanguard (Bulwark), Warden skills, Shield weapon skills, some gear
• Dispellable: Yes (dispel removes the entire shield)
• Strategic Notes: Shielded is the premier damage prevention buff. It’s more efficient than healing because it prevents damage before it happens (no HP lost, no healing needed). Stacking shields on a character before a boss encounter is a powerful preparation strategy.

Regenerating

• Effect: Recover 4% of max HP at the start of each round.
• Duration: 3 rounds
• Source: Warden heal-over-time skills, Thornkin species skill (Regenerative Bark — enhanced version), some potions, Songweaver Anthem of Mending (weaker but free and permanent)
• Dispellable: Yes
• Strategic Notes: Efficient healing over time. 4% per round × 3 rounds = 12% total — often more than a direct heal for the same resource cost. Best applied proactively before damage is taken.

Hasted

• Effect: Execute 3 skills per round instead of 2 (or 4 instead of 3 for Raging Berserkers). Overrides Slowed (removes it if present).
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Source: Arcanist (Chronomancer) skills, rare consumables (Potion of Speed), high-level Songweaver skills
• Dispellable: Yes
• Strategic Notes: Haste is one of the most powerful buffs in the game. An extra skill per round for 2 rounds means 2 extra actions total — effectively a free round of combat. Because the skill queue loops, Haste doesn’t just add actions, it accelerates your queue cycle, getting you back to your best skills faster. Extremely valuable on damage dealers.

Fortified

• Effect: +15% evasion and +15% resistance to all conditions.
• Duration: 3 rounds
• Source: Vanguard defensive skills, Shield skills (Shield Wall), Oathblade (Sentinel) aura, some potions
• Dispellable: Yes
• Strategic Notes: The defensive counterpart to Inspired. Makes a character harder to hit and harder to debuff. Best applied to the character most likely to be targeted (the tank) or most vulnerable to conditions (the Arcanist with low Fortitude).

Focused

• Effect: Critical hit threshold improved by +5% (e.g., base ≤5 becomes ≤10). Next critical hit deals 2x damage instead of the normal 1.5x.
• Duration: 3 rounds OR until a critical hit is scored (whichever comes first)
• Source: Shade self-buffs, Pathfinder (Eagle Eye), Assassin subclass skills, some gear
• Dispellable: Yes
• Strategic Notes: Focused turns the next critical hit into a devastating blow. Best applied before a high-accuracy, multi-hit skill (Viper’s Dance, Arrow Storm) to maximize the chance of triggering the enhanced crit.

Invisible

• Effect: Cannot be targeted by single-target enemy skills for the duration. AoE skills still affect Invisible characters. First offensive skill used while Invisible gains +20% accuracy and +20% damage (the Invisible character then becomes visible).
• Duration: 1 round OR until an offensive skill is used
• Source: Shade (Phase Step, Shadow Step), Potion of Invisibility, Phantom subclass skills
• Dispellable: No (it’s a physical state, not a magical effect)
• Strategic Notes: Invisibility is a powerful burst setup — become invisible, then unleash a devastating skill at +20%. It’s also defensive in that enemies can’t target you for a round. The AoE vulnerability prevents it from being a complete immunity.

Taunted (Forced Targeting)

• Effect: Affected enemy MUST target the Taunter with their next offensive skill. If the Taunter is untargetable (Invisible, dead), the Taunt breaks.
• Duration: 2 rounds
• Source: Vanguard skills (Guardian Stance, Bulwark subclass), Shield skills, Intimidation-based skills
• Applied to: Enemies (it’s technically a debuff on the enemy, but listed here because it’s a tank BUFF mechanic)
• Resisted By: Presence (the enemy resists being forced)
• Strategic Notes: Taunt is the core tanking mechanic. A Vanguard who can reliably Taunt enemies protects the party’s squishier members. Taunt interacts with the enemy’s queue — the enemy’s next skill is forced to target the Taunter, which may waste a heal or buff on an offensive action. Bosses may have Taunt resistance or immunity on certain phases.

Environmental Conditions

These are applied by dungeon hazards, traps, and environmental effects — not by skills. They affect any character in the encounter.

Darkness

• Effect: All characters without Darkvision: -15% accuracy, -25% trap detection, cannot detect hidden rooms. Characters WITH Darkvision (some species or gear) are unaffected.
• Duration: Entire encounter (or until a torch is used)
• Cured By: Using a torch (consumable), Light-producing skills, Darkvision gear
• Strategic Notes: This is why you bring torches. A dark encounter without torches is a serious handicap, especially for trap detection. Some dungeon types (caves, crypts) are primarily dark.

Wet

• Effect: +50% damage from Lightning/Shock effects. -50% damage from Fire effects. Burning condition is immediately removed.
• Duration: Entire encounter OR 3 rounds after the water source is passed
• Caused By: Flooded rooms, rain, water traps
• Strategic Notes: Wet dramatically changes elemental combat math. An Arcanist (Evoker) should switch from fire to lightning spells in wet encounters. Enemies in a flooded room are extremely vulnerable to Chain Lightning.

Extreme Heat

• Effect: All characters lose 2% max HP per round. Fire resistance reduces this to 1%. Fortitude resistance check each round — failure adds 1 Exhaustion level at the end of the encounter.
• Duration: Entire encounter
• Caused By: Volcanic areas, fire-themed dungeons, desert environments
• Strategic Notes: Extreme Heat makes long fights dangerous. Quick kills are rewarded. Fire Resistance Potions become essential in fire-themed dungeons.

Extreme Cold

• Effect: All characters have +2 initiative on all skills (act slower). Fortitude resistance check each round — failure adds 1 Exhaustion level at the end of the encounter. Fire-based skills deal +15% damage (the heat is welcome).
• Duration: Entire encounter
• Caused By: Frozen areas, ice-themed dungeons, mountain peaks
• Strategic Notes: Extreme Cold slows everyone down and punishes long fights. The fire damage bonus makes fire-based builds situationally excellent in cold dungeons.

Cursed Ground

• Effect: Healing effectiveness reduced by 50%. Regenerating condition ticks for half value. Necrotic damage increased by 25%.
• Duration: Entire encounter
• Caused By: Undead lairs, corrupted areas, necromantic rituals
• Strategic Notes: Cursed Ground makes healer-dependent parties struggle and is the signature hazard of undead dungeons. Parties should bring extra healing potions for cursed encounters and avoid relying solely on the Warden.

Arcane Interference

• Effect: All magical skills have -10% accuracy. Mana/Essence/Devotion costs increased by 25%. Physical skills are unaffected.
• Duration: Entire encounter
• Caused By: Anti-magic zones, Sundering scars, specific dungeon rooms
• Strategic Notes: Arcane Interference punishes magic-heavy parties. Fights in these zones favor physical damage dealers (Vanguard, Shade, Berserker, Pathfinder with bows). Arcanists and Hexbinders should switch to weapon skills if they have proficiency.

Condition Interactions

Certain conditions interact with each other in specific ways. These interactions create tactical depth and reward players who understand the system.

Condition Immunity

Some abilities grant immunity to specific conditions:

• Berserker Rage: Immune to Frightened
• Ironborn (Unyielding): Immune to Rooted while Shielded
• Fortified buff: Not immunity, but +15% resistance makes conditions much harder to land
• Boss mechanics: Many bosses are immune to Stunned and Charmed (noted in their stat block). No boss is immune to Bleeding or Burning (DoTs always work, ensuring damage-over-time builds remain viable against all content).

Condition Priority in the Combat Log

The combat log displays active conditions prominently:

YOUR STATUS: HP 142/200 (71%) | Stamina 64/180
  Active: Inspired (1 round), Bleeding ×2 (2 rounds)
  Losing 8% HP/round from Bleeding

ENEMY STATUS: Goblin Boss HP 89/150 (59%)
  Active: Poisoned (3 rounds), Corroded (2 rounds)
  -12% accuracy, -12% damage, -15% evasion, +10% incoming damage

After each encounter, the log summarizes condition impact:

📊 CONDITION IMPACT:
  Your Bleeding stacks dealt 42 total damage to you (24% of damage taken)
  Your Poisoned debuff on Goblin Boss reduced its damage output by ~18 points
  Your Corroded debuff on Goblin Boss increased party damage to it by ~31 points
  💡 TIP: Bringing Antidotes would have prevented 42 Bleeding damage.
     The Goblin Shaman applied Bleeding twice — consider focusing it first.

Death and Recovery

Falling to 0 HP

When a character reaches 0 HP:

• Solo play: The character is defeated. The encounter (and the run, if no revival items) ends in failure.
• Party play: The character falls unconscious. Each round, roll d100:
  • ≤30: Stabilize (stop dying, remain unconscious at 1 HP)
  • 31-90: No change (still dying)
  • 91-100: Worsen (one step closer to death — 3 worsens = eliminated from the run)
  • Allies can use healing skills/items on unconscious characters to revive them

Revival Items

• Revive Scroll (consumable): Immediately revive with 25% HP. Rare and valuable.
• Certain class skills can revive (Warden’s “Breath of Life”, Oathblade’s “Lay on Hands” at high level)

Run Failure Penalties

• Character returns to town
• Partial XP awarded based on encounters completed (~70-80% of earned XP)
• Consumables used during the run are lost (potions, rations, scrolls, charges)
• Gear is NOT lost — no durability loss, no item destruction
• Recovery timer before next run: 15 minutes to 2 hours (scales with dungeon depth)
  • Can be sped up with convenience purchase (see 14-monetization.md)
• Weapon proficiency XP is kept — even failed runs contribute to weapon mastery

Why No Permadeath

You can’t intervene in an idle game. Permadeath for something you couldn’t control would be rage-inducing. The penalty — lost time, lost consumables, recovery timer — is meaningful enough to make preparation matter without being devastating.

Skill Design Framework

Skills are categorized by role to ensure a wide variety of strategic options. Every weapon type and class should have skills across multiple categories.

Skill Categories

Skill Design Rules

1. Every skill must have a meaningful initiative value. Fast skills are weaker; slow skills are stronger. This is the core trade-off.
2. No skill should be strictly better than another in all situations. Quick Thrust is faster but weaker than Crushing Blow — both have a place.
3. Skills should combo. A debuff that lowers evasion makes the next power strike more likely to hit. A buff that increases damage makes the next AoE more devastating. Queue ordering matters.
4. Resource costs create choices. A full queue of power strikes runs out of stamina fast. Mixing in basic attacks extends the run.
5. Skills per weapon should feel thematically distinct. Sword skills feel different from axe skills — swords are precise and combo-oriented; axes are raw power and cleave.

Expanded Skill Lists by Weapon Type

Axes

Daggers

Bows

Staves (Melee/Hybrid)

Wands

Shields (Off-Hand)

Party Combat

In multiplayer encounters, all party members’ queues execute simultaneously alongside enemies.

Turn Order (Party)

ROUND 1 — 4-Player Party vs. Orc Warband

All combatants' next queued skills, sorted by initiative:
  [Init 1] Fighter → Block (shield skill)
  [Init 2] Rogue → Backstab
  [Init 2] Orc Grunt A → Slash (tie: resolved by character initiative stat)
  [Init 3] Ranger → Rapid Shot
  [Init 4] Orc Shaman → Hex Bolt
  [Init 5] Wizard → Arcane Bolt
  [Init 5] Orc Grunt B → Slash
  [Init 6] Orc Chief → War Cry (buff)
  [Init 7] Fighter → Crushing Blow
  [Init 8] Rogue → Eviscerate
  [Init 8] Ranger → Aimed Shot
  [Init 9] Wizard → Elemental Burst

Healing and Support Targeting

• Heal skills target based on the player’s configured target rule (e.g., “lowest HP ally”)
• Buff skills target based on configured rule (e.g., “self” or “highest threat ally”)
• Party synergy: A well-coordinated party queues complementary skills:
  • Tank leads with Block/Guardian Stance (fast initiative, protects party)
  • Debuffer applies Weakened/Sunder Armor early
  • DPS follows with Power Strikes against softened targets
  • Healer places heals mid-queue with “if ally HP < 50%” conditionals

Combat Log / Replay

The combat log is how players experience combat after the fact. It must be detailed, readable, and instructional.

Log Format Example

═══ ENCOUNTER 4: Goblin Ambush ═══
Location: Collapsed Mine, Chamber 3
Enemies: Goblin Boss (Lv.5), Goblin Archer ×3 (Lv.3), Goblin Shaman (Lv.4)

⚠ SURPRISE: Perception check: d100 roll 67 vs. 42% detection chance → FAIL
  Enemies get a surprise round!

── Surprise Round ──
  [Init 2] Goblin Archer 1 → Snap Shot at YOU: d100: 31 vs. 68% → HIT → 7 piercing
  [Init 2] Goblin Archer 2 → Snap Shot at YOU: d100: 82 vs. 68% → MISS
  [Init 4] Goblin Shaman → Hex Bolt at YOU: d100: 28 vs. 71% → HIT → 5 necrotic + Weakened (2 rounds)

── Round 1 ──
  [Init 2] Goblin Archer 3 → Snap Shot at YOU: d100: 55 vs. 68% → HIT → 7 piercing
  [Init 3] YOU → Queue Slot 1: Quick Thrust → Goblin Shaman [Target: Highest Threat]
       d100: 22 vs. 81% → HIT → 14 piercing damage (Shaman HP: 18/32)
  [Init 5] YOU → Queue Slot 2: Crushing Blow → Goblin Shaman [Target: Highest Threat]
       d100: 44 vs. 74% → HIT → 23 slashing damage (Shaman HP: 0/32) → DEAD
  [Init 5] Goblin Boss → Power Swing at YOU: d100: 15 vs. 72% → HIT → 12 slashing
  [Init 6] Goblin Archer 1 → Aimed Shot at YOU: d100: 91 vs. 65% → MISS
  [Init 6] Goblin Archer 2 → Snap Shot at YOU: d100: 48 vs. 68% → HIT → 7 piercing

  Your HP: 38/62 (61%) | Stamina: 74/100 | Conditions: Weakened (1 round remaining)

── Round 2 ──
  [Init 3] YOU → Queue Slot 3: Whirlwind Slash → All Adjacent [AoE: max enemies]
       Goblin Boss: d100: 38 vs. 69% → HIT → 11 slashing
       Goblin Archer 1: d100: 71 vs. 69% → MISS
       Goblin Archer 2: d100: 12 vs. 69% → HIT → 11 slashing (HP: 3/14)
  [Init 4] Goblin Boss → Rallying Shout → All goblins gain Inspired (+10% acc, +10% dmg, 2 rounds)
  [Init 5] YOU → Queue Slot 4: Healing Surge [IF HP < 50%]
       Condition MET (HP at 61%... wait, 61% > 50%) → SKIPPED
       ↳ Queue advances to Slot 5: Power Strike → Goblin Boss [Target: Highest HP]
       d100: 03 vs. 78% → ★ CRITICAL HIT ★ → 34 slashing (1.5× damage!) → Boss HP: 21/48
  [Init 5] Goblin Archer 1 → Aimed Shot at YOU: d100: 29 vs. 75% (Inspired) → HIT → 9 piercing
  [Init 5] Goblin Archer 2 → Snap Shot at YOU: d100: 88 vs. 78% (Inspired) → MISS
  ...

── Result ──
  VICTORY — All enemies defeated in 4 rounds
  HP remaining: 26/62 (42%)
  Stamina remaining: 41/100
  Consumables used: 0

  📊 QUEUE PERFORMANCE:
     Quick Thrust: 2 uses, 2 hits (100%)
     Crushing Blow: 2 uses, 1 hit, 1 miss (50%)
     Whirlwind Slash: 1 use, 2/3 targets hit (67%)
     Healing Surge: 1 trigger, 1 skipped (condition not met)
     Power Strike: 1 use, 1 crit! (100%)

  💡 TIP: You entered this fight at 61% HP due to surprise round damage.
     Higher Perception (currently 42%, need ~68%) would avoid ambushes here.
     Consider gear with Perception bonuses or the Observant feat.

  Loot: 15 gold, Goblin Scimitar +1, Minor Healing Potion

Log Features

• Color-coded outcomes: Hits highlighted, misses dimmed, crits in gold, heals in green
• Queue transparency: Shows which slot fired, the target rule used, and conditional evaluation
• Queue performance summary: After each encounter, shows hit rates per skill — helps the player evaluate their queue effectiveness
• Dice breakdown: Every d100 roll shown with the success threshold
• Tips: Context-sensitive suggestions after tough encounters
• Expandable detail: Summary view by default, expand for full roll-by-roll
• Run timeline: Visual progress bar showing all encounters, colored by outcome

Enemy Design and AI

Overview

Enemies use the same skill queue system as player characters. Every enemy has a stat block, a skill list, and a fixed skill queue that determines their behavior in combat. The key difference: enemy queues are pre-authored by designers, not configured by players. This makes enemy behavior predictable once learned — the first time you fight a Goblin Shaman, you don’t know what it does. The tenth time, you know exactly what’s coming and can build your queue to counter it.

Enemy Stat Blocks

Every enemy has:

GOBLIN SHAMAN (Level 12 Elite)
─────────────────────────────────
HP: 180
Evasion: 14
Attributes: MGT 8 | LOG 16 | SPD 10 | PRS 14 | FRT 10 | LCK 8
Resistances: +20% vs. Charmed, +10% vs. Silenced
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to fire (+25% fire damage taken)
Loot Table: Goblinoid Caster (Uncommon+)

Skill Queue (loops):
  1. Hex Bolt (Init 4, magical, targets highest-threat player) — 78% accuracy, moderate necrotic damage + Weakened (2 rounds)
  2. Healing Chant (Init 7, heal, targets lowest-HP ally) — Heal 15% of target's max HP [IF any ally below 50% HP, else skip]
  3. Venom Cloud (Init 6, AoE magical, targets player cluster) — 70% accuracy, Poisoned condition (4 rounds)
  4. Hex Bolt (Init 4, targets highest-threat player) — repeat damage

Skills per round: 2

Enemy Tiers

Enemy Queue Behavior

Enemies have the same queue mechanics as players — fixed order, looping, with light conditionals. The difference is that enemy queues are designed to create specific challenges:

Aggressive enemies (orcs, demons, berserkers):

• Front-load damage skills with low initiative (act fast, hit hard)
• Few or no defensive skills
• Designed to pressure the player’s HP and test their healing/defensive planning

Tactical enemies (shamans, commanders, mages):

• Mix of damage, debuffs, and support skills
• Conditionals like “heal ally if below 50% HP”
• Designed to create priority targets — “kill the healer first” moments

Defensive enemies (golems, shield-bearers, turtles):

• High evasion, Shielded buffs, damage reduction skills
• Slow but durable — punish players who rely only on burst damage
• Designed to test sustained DPS and condition application (DoTs bypass shields)

Swarm enemies (goblins, rats, spiders):

• Low individual HP, appear in groups of 3-6
• Simple queues but overwhelm through numbers
• Designed to test AoE skills and queue efficiency

Boss Mechanics

Bosses are the climax of dungeons. They use the same queue system but with phases — when a boss reaches an HP threshold, their queue changes.

Phase Transitions

WRAITH LORD (Level 25 Boss)
─────────────────────────────────
Total HP: 1,200

PHASE 1 (100% - 60% HP):
  Queue: Shadow Bolt → Life Drain → Shadow Bolt → Fear Aura
  Behavior: Standard ranged caster. Drains HP to self-heal.

PHASE 2 (60% - 30% HP): ← Queue changes here
  Queue: Summon Wraiths → Necrotic Burst (AoE) → Shadow Bolt → Life Drain
  Behavior: Summons 2 Wraith adds (minion tier). AoE pressure increases.
  New Mechanic: Cursed Ground environmental condition activates (healing reduced 50%)

PHASE 3 (30% - 0% HP): ← Queue changes again
  Queue: Death Coil (massive single-target) → Necrotic Burst → Death Coil → Soul Harvest (full heal if any adds alive)
  Behavior: Desperate, high damage. Soul Harvest makes killing adds before Phase 3 critical.
  New Mechanic: Boss gains Hasted (3 skills per round instead of 2)

Boss Design Principles

1. Each phase changes the fight. A boss with one phase is just a big health pool. Phase transitions force the player to adapt mid-encounter (their queue loops, so the same skills hit different contexts).
2. Bosses telegraph. The combat log should make phase transitions clear: “The Wraith Lord shrieks as spectral energy surrounds it — PHASE 2 BEGINS.” Players can study this from failed runs to prepare.
3. At least one mechanic per boss must be counterable through preparation. Wraith Lord’s Soul Harvest is devastating if adds are alive — so the counter is AoE skills to kill adds before Phase 3. Flamelord’s fire damage is brutal — so the counter is Fire Resistance potions.
4. Enrage timer on raid bosses. After X rounds (typically 20-30), raid bosses gain a stacking +10% damage buff per round. This prevents infinite stalling and creates a DPS check.

Enemy Targeting Logic

Enemies use target rules just like players, but their rules are fixed per enemy type:

Threat is calculated as: total damage dealt this encounter × 1.0 + healing done × 0.5 + debuffs applied × 0.3. Tanks can increase their threat through Taunt skills.

Enemy Condition Usage

Enemies apply conditions just like players. Each enemy type has thematic conditions:

Enemy Bestiary

When a player encounters an enemy for the first time, basic info is recorded in the Bestiary:

• Name, tier, and visual description
• HP range and general toughness
• “Known” conditions they apply (after being hit by them)

Subsequent encounters reveal more:

• Exact skill list (after seeing each skill fire)
• Resistances and weaknesses (after testing different damage types)
• Optimal counter-strategy tips (after multiple encounters)

The Verdani species skill Aethersight reveals ALL enemy info immediately for one encounter — a powerful scouting ability.

Enemy Scaling

Enemies don’t scale to the player’s level — they have fixed levels tied to the dungeon. A level 20 dungeon always has level 18-22 enemies. This means:

• Returning to low-level content makes you feel powerful (enemies are trivial)
• Attempting content above your level is genuinely dangerous
• The world has a consistent difficulty geography

Enemy Groups and Composition

Encounters don’t use random enemy packs. Each encounter is designed with a composition that creates a specific challenge:

Gear Durability

Gear degrades gradually through use. Durability is a gold sink, not a combat penalty — your gear always performs at full power regardless of durability. The only consequence of low durability is that you must repair before you can enhance or reforge the item.

• Max durability: 100 for all gear
• Loss per dungeon run: -5 durability on all equipped items (regardless of success or failure)
• At 0 durability: Gear still works at full power in combat. BUT it cannot be enhanced (+1 through +5) or reforged until repaired. A visual indicator marks gear as “worn” in the UI.
• Repair: Instant at any blacksmith vendor. Costs gold based on item rarity:

• Partial repair costs proportionally less (repairing from 50→100 costs half)
• Repair all button repairs every equipped item in one click
• Players who run 10+ dungeons before repairing save time but pay the same total gold

This creates a steady, predictable gold drain that scales with how actively a player runs content — exactly the kind of friction-free gold sink the economy needs.

Combat Design Principles

1. The queue IS the game. Arranging skills, choosing initiative trade-offs, setting conditionals, and managing resources across encounters — this is where all player skill lives.
2. Speed vs. power is the core trade-off. Fast skills (low init) are weaker. Slow skills (high init) are stronger. Do you want to act first or hit harder?
3. Combos reward mastery. A debuff that lowers evasion into a power strike into an execute creates a satisfying chain. Players who understand skill synergy outperform those who just queue their highest-damage skills.
4. Weapon proficiency is the endless treadmill. Even at max character level, there are always more weapon types to master. Switching to a new weapon means starting at proficiency 0 — a new progression journey.
5. Resources create meaningful scarcity. You can’t spam your best skills forever. Long dungeons demand efficiency. Short dungeons reward aggression. The player must read the situation and build their queue accordingly.
6. Every run teaches something. The combat log, queue performance stats, and tips ensure the player always knows what to improve.