Weapons

**Weapons** are the Stigma-imbued tools, crafted and wielded by the Teens to Banish and ultimately defeat the Monsters during gameplay in VHS.

## List of Weapons

There are currently **12** weapons in VHS.

## Mods

*For more information, please visit the Mods article.*
Before a game match begins, each weapon can be modified with a **Mod** to produce different effects. Each weapon comes with **5** Mods, while only **1** Mod can be equipped per weapon.

The equipped Mod's name and icon are shown below the weapon in the weapon selection menu when a Teen stands beside a Crafting Station.

## Crafting

Each weapon must first be crafted at one of **8** Crafting Stations of the respective Stigma type scattered across the playable Maps. There are **2** crafting stations of each Stigma placed separately on the map. The Teen can select the weapon type they want to craft at a station and begin crafting. Multiple Teens can craft together at a station simultaneously.

### Progress

Crafting time for each weapon varies; during crafting, the Teen must stay beside the station and complete randomly triggered Skill Checks that can speed up or slow down crafting time, indicated by the crafting progress bar. While crafting, loud construction noises constantly emit from the station that allows the Monster to detect activity and pinpoint its location. Once finished crafting, the Teen cheers and holds the weapon in their hand.

### Regression & Discard

Crafting progress of a weapon is tied to the station and remains in progress if the Teen leaves during crafting. Ongoing crafting progress of a weapon will regress at a 1:1 ratio if the Teen attempts to craft at a different station with another Stigma type.

Teens cannot craft another weapon while holding onto a weapon. Teens may manually **Discard** their held weapon to begin crafting another, resulting in the discarded weapon being lost permanently by fading out of existence.

## Durability

Most weapons hold a limited amount of **Energy** (a.k.a. ammo, charges, or uses). Energy cannot be refilled once fired unless with certain Mods equipped on the weapon; once all energy is spent, the weapon is discarded automatically.

When a Teen enters the *Prone* Health State, or the weapon successfully destroys the Monster's defense (i.e. Doll in Doll Possession, W.A.R.T.'s Acid Armor), or fully wounds the Stigma or stuns the Monster, the held weapon is discarded automatically regardless of remaining energy. If a weapon with a lingering area of effect (Such as the Holy Slingshot or Fire Bomb) manages to destroy the monster's defense, the effect will continue and has a chance to deal further damage.

The deployables or extensions of certain weapons, such as the Fire Bomb's flame patch, Solar Flare's orb sentry, Holy Slingshot's holy grenades, Infernal Eye's summoned eye, and RC Flyer's copter, will be removed from play if within the Monster's Scream.

## Visibility

When equipped with a weapon, the weapon's icon appears below the Teen's Health Bar on the Heads Up Display. All Teens can see each other's held weapon types.

While a Teen holds a weapon, the Monster sees a clear outline around the weapon when the Teen is in direct line-of-sight. The outline is color-coded to match the four Stigmas accordingly: **Burn**, **Purify**, **Curse**, and **Shock**, depending on the type of weapon being held.

Weapon outline does not bypass environmental obstacles and physical obstructions, allowing the Teen to hide its outline behind their bodies, objects, and walls.

## Flinching

**Flinching** is one of the debuffing Status Effects that hinders the Monster. All weapons, excluding the instant kill category, causes the Monster to flinch on each successful hit. While flinching, the Monster's movement speed is drastically slowed and its Powers are momentarily disabled from being able to focus and cast; Powers already active before flinching will continue their effects.

Beware that the Monster can still perform its melee or lunge Attack if close enough to a Teen. The resulting Scream will instantly remove the Flinching status effect.

## Stigma Damage

**Damage** is a weapon's capacity to strike and wound the Stigmas. Most weapons must strike their Stigma multiple times and continuously for **2** seconds to fully wound it.

The few weapon exceptions in the instant kill category, namely the Infernal Eye and Shock Sphere, can instantly wound their Stigma on contact, resulting in the Monster's banishment or stun.

Teens are always immune to damage from weapons regardless of ownership.

 Development