Elements

Elements are a core battle mechanic in HorrorVale. The underworld features a number of different elemental attributes, with seven currently present in the game. Every character and enemy falls into one of these seven elements: Bone, Flesh, Blood, Nature, Ectoplasm (Ecto for short), Electricity (Also referred to as Lightning), and Sugar. These elements are responsible for determining the effectiveness of some fear abilities when used on certain enemies. If you've ever played any other RPG, you probably already know what to expect from the rock-paper-scissors dynamic of an elements system.

Elements are responsible for determining the weaknesses of a character and the element of their basic attack. Fear abilities, on the other hand, can be any element although they are largely determined on the context of a character's ability (i.e. Bolt's element is Electricity, and his fear abilities are also Lightning because he summons Lightning to strike his opponents). There are four key dynamics to understanding elements:

An element that is strong against another deals increased damage against the target. Example: A flesh attack will deal more damage to Alice because she is a bone element and flesh is strong against bone.

An element that is weak against another takes increased damage from the attacker. Example: A flesh element character will take more damage from being hit by a blood or electric attack because flesh is weak to blood and lightning.

An element that resists against another takes decreased damage from the attacker. Example: A bone element character will take less damage from being hit by a lightning attack because bone resists electricity. Did you notice how the later half of Act 1 was composed of enemies who were lightning element because your default character is a bone element to give you an advantage?

An element that is immune against another takes no damage from the attacker. An ecto element character would take no damage from a blood element attack. Currently, ecto is the only element with an immunity in the game.

## Bone

Bone is Alice's element, and as a result is the element most players will be familiar with. As the element for the main character, bone is fairly basic with a single strength, a single weakness, and two resistances. Characters who are bone element tend to be primarily skeletal in nature.

* Strong Against: Sugar
* Weak Against: Flesh
* Resists (takes less damage from): Blood, Electricity

### Known species:

* Skeletons
* Wendigos
* Liches

## Flesh

Another common element, and the element for the party members available in Act 1: Scruffy, Wraps, and Jekyll. Flesh has one strength, two weaknesses to both of the main offensive elements, and no resistances. Most characters who do not fit one of the other six categories better will traditionally be flesh element.

* Strong Against: Bone
* Weak Against: Blood, Electricity
* Resists (takes less damage from): Bone

### Known species:

* Ghouls
* Therianthropes

* Zombies
* Mummies

## Blood

Blood is the strongest offensive element in the game, possessing an advantage over three elements and being weak only to itself. As a trade off however, ecto element characters are immune to the effects of blood element attacks.

* Strong Against: Other Blood Elementals (Itself), Flesh, Nature
* Weak Against: Other Blood Elementals (Itself)
* Resists (takes less damage from): None

### Known species:

* Vampires
* Jiangshi
* Succubi

## Nature

Another neutral element similar to flesh, nature comprises a wide range of characters and abilities. If it would be something you'd see as its own type of magic in another series, it's probably a nature element ability. Nature element has one strength, two weaknesses to the same elements as flesh, and one resistance.

* Strong Against: Ectoplasm
* Weak Against: Blood, Electricity
* Resists (takes less damage from): Sugar

### Known species:

* Plant People
* Insectoids

## Ectoplasm

Ecto is the only other defensive element aside from bone. It is the only element with no strength, but it is also the only element with an immunity to another element. It has one weakness, and one resistance. Ecto is mostly compromised of ghost like characters, but also includes a couple other species such as slimes.

* Strong Against: None
* Weak Against: Nature
* Resists (takes less damage from): Flesh
* Immune to (takes no damage from): Blood

### Known species:

* Ghosts and ghost subspecies (Bedsheet's, Poltergeists, Specters)

* Slimes

## Electricity

Electricity, also referred to as Lightning, both terms having been used on this article interchangeably to intentionally confuse our readers, is the other offensive element aside from Blood. Lightning is featured prominently in the second half of Act 1, and with good reason as it was discovered by Mayor Fasophocles, and used to create the species known as Frankenlings. Like blood, electricity is strong against flesh and nature, however as a trade off for being not as powerful there are less elements that resist lightning attacks.

* Strong Against: Nature, Flesh
* Weak Against: Sugar
* Resists (takes less damage from): None

### Known species:

* Frankenlings
* Robots

## Sugar

Sugar is the final element and is a neutral element. Sugar possesses one strength, one weakness, and has no resistances. Sugar is also noticeably more rare compared to the other elements due to the general lack of monsters who possess bodies of sugar or candy. It should be noted however that due to balancing purposes, some characters who were previously categorized as another element such as Jack will be sugar elements in the final game. You could say those who use or consume sugar too frequently may find themselves becoming sugar elements themselves.

* Strong Against: Electricity
* Weak Against: Bone
* Resists (takes less damage from): None

## Trivia

* In early demo builds, the seventh element was "Mystery", and would be used for characters who did not apply to any of the other six. This element was replaced by sugar.