Combat (Guardians of Destiny)

## Combat

Weapons, Spells, statistics, recuperation, the curse, magical items called spell devices - these are among the important aspects of **combat**. There is no one trick that carries you through all enemy encounters, and your success will require a good working knowledge of all the features at your command.

## Your Opponents

Most creatures (including people) will be or can turn into an enemy. Early in the game, only guards are obvious enemies; most others are docile unless provoked in some way, which makes for a smooth learning process on behalf of the player.

There are a few ways in which your presence is detected; sight, sound and smell. You may be able to use this knowledge, e.g. by turning yourself invisible or walking through bodies of water to destroy your scent trail.

Enemies will all have different susceptibilities in combat. Some are immune to magical damage, while others cannot be harmed by edged weapons. You'll have to experiment to see which tactics will work.

Most opponents will let you know if your attacks are hurting them, by recoiling or fleeing. Your interface will also give a visual signal with each successful blow you strike in the form of a blood stain on your weapon or magic icon, regardless of the enemy can bleed.

You'll notice that opponents will not just stand toe-to-toe with you until you kill them. Most creatures in the Lands are smart enough to run away if they're being hurt beyond some threshold. If they recover quickly enough, they may come back to find you, and they may bring their friends with them.

Note that placement and terrain influence battle. Back attacks are more dangerous than frontal ones, and it is never a good idea to provoke an enemy without finishing it. Fighting with your back to a wall or even in a corner can help as long as you are sure you won't have to flee. It is far more preferable to fight one-on-one and without fellow enemies witnessing, as they can turn hostile in defense of their kin. Lure provoked enemies behind a corner or inside a building to ensure ostensible innocence.

There are three difficulty levels available for the Player to select. The default setting is on Normal, but if you would like to try combat against sturdier monsters, the adjustment of the difficulty level can be made in the Options/Game controls system.

## Your Self

The red bar under your portrait and blue bar under your spell book will indicate what is left of your health and mana. While you will gain both during gameplay, the bars will stay the same, however they will deplete less quickly. The bars will automatically refill over time or can be replenished using restorative items.

Your portrait will change to reflect your general status. Being poisoned, being injured, or being in an altered state will be reflected in the appearance of your portrait. The only status that needs intervention to wear off is Greater Poison; Lesser Poison will wear off, and injury will disappear when health refills.

Some opponents and even terrain will drain magic and/or health from you. When this happens, you will hear Luther gasping. In case of draining spells, small colored balls of light flow from you to your opponent.

## Your Alter Egos

The protagonist of this story is Scotia's son Luther - i.e. you. Luther is cursed with a remnant of the Nether Mask his mother was so fond of using, its powerful magic of Ancient origin, granting the user to shift shape. Luther is imbued with a remnant of these shifts, but they are out of his contol.

At first, your morphings are random. You change from human into either an enormous deformed beast, or a small lizard. After a while, you will revert back to your human form. Morphing can be quite annoying at times, and helpful at others, and a small bonus is your health restoring fully with each change.

In beast form,

* your health is much higher;
* your strength and base protection are increased;
* you're VERY slow;
* you cannot jump;
* you're resistant to all poison;
* your blows can stun succeptible enemies;
* magic is unavailable;
* your size increases, making narrow or low passages inaccessible.

In lizard form,

* your health is much lower;
* your strength is reduced;
* your base protection is raised;
* you're VERY fast;
* jumping height is reduced, but are able to clear larger distances because of speed;
* magic becomes more powerful;
* your mana is raised;
* your size decreases, making narrow or low passages accessible. If the lizard can't access anything, it's inaccessible by default.

Neither form can use weapons or equipment, although some spell devices work, e.g. both lesser and greater Bezoar Rings and the extra protection from Halberd Bastion.

Later on, you get some control over your curse (see Magic).

## Your Measurements

### Strength

When your inventory screen is up, you can access the Equipment Window by pressing the O key. The Status bar box above the equipment slots toggles between a dispay of your Skill levels, and a display of these four categories:

* Protection
* Might (base stat)
* Melee Weapon Strength (= base stat + weapon stat)
* Ranged Weapon Strength (=base stat + weapon stat)

**Might** is the personal strength that you bring to bear in any encounter. You can find some usables like Champion Stones or equippables like the Gauntlets of Might that boost your strength.

### Protection

You have at your disposal a number of different pieces of equipment and other items that add protection. Obviously, chain mail, shields, gauntlets and the like will offer you protection from injury during combat. You can check the relative protection value of any piece of armor by viewing the Protection Graph in the status bar while trying on your various choices. The graph includes your raw protection capacity as well as any physical or magical equipment you may be wearing. Note that is doesn't differentiate between physical and magical protection; while Platmail Breastplate and Reflective Platemail/Kieran's Circlet seem equally strong, this goes for physical protection in the former case, magical in the latter two.

There are some weapons which provide protection as well as offensive ability. Equipping these weapons will affect the graph. Damage Shield (Heal level 2) reduces damage without adding to Protection. Likewise, protection from poison (Heal level 3, Stone Bracers, Bezoar Rings) will not be denoted in the Status bar.. It's up to the player to experiment and familiarize with armor and accessories.

### Speed

Though speed is not visible in a graph, it is an important aspect of combat. The recharge time between stikes is determined by the weapon last used. Stronger/heavier weapons tend to have a longer recharge time. Experimenting with different weapons may lead you to choose weaker weapons over stronger ones because their damage output per second is greater, firing a slow ranged weapon disrupts melee combat, or enemies have less time to attack or flee between strikes.

There are 9 speeds available, of which 8 are fixed. In order, listing strikes/shots per minute, with some examples:

These speeds have been verified empirically and are still being checked and updated. With speed +3, 200 strikes per minute, it is very hard to discern separate strikes, as it's faster than the swinging animations and sounds, so the number could be wrong. It basically reacts as fast as magic unless pressed in very rapid succession, hinting of some small recharge time. This speed is reserved only for the Dagger of the Empty Hand, making it a serious candidate for the best weapon in the game.

Luther's speed (bare-handed) is

* 70 s/m in human form, from which the indication 0 is derived;
* -1 (55 s/m) in beast form;
* +3 (200 s/m) in lizard form.

The ninth speed is reserved for magic and is fixed to the speed of the player; in practise, it has no recharge time at all. Since it can also be used while attacking physically, it can greatly influence combat, especially while using slower weapons. Note that the speed of the summon spells is bound by the vanishing of the last Imp.

Two items influence speed: Kelen's Ring for bare hands or lizard/beast claws, and the Stone of the Cobra for many melee strikes (check their respective pages for more on their effect). The stone doesn't always work; either it is influenced by parameters yet unclear, doesn't work in all versions of the game, or is glitched.

### Skill Levels

As you progress though the world, your experience in successfully overcoming obstacles will increase your power. This increase in power in reflected numerically in your skill level graph. When you do accumulate enough experience to rise to the next skill level, a translucent shield and sword (Fighter Skill) or a ghostly book (Magic Skill) will appear briefly over your portrait. As you skill level rises, the rate of regeneration of you magic and Health also increases. Fighting enemies of your calibre or above will award experience; being a bully, and fighting opponents of lesser skill and power will not.

When you start the game, you will be a level one fighter, and a level one magic user. A normal amount of successful combat and exploration will result in your being raised to at least a level two fighter and magic user by the end of the first caves. Over the course of the game, these are many skill levels attainable in each category, topping out at 30.

Direct combat is not the only activity that provides valuable experience. Cleverness and some puzzle solving also contribute to you accumulated experience. This doesn't always lead to a level-up; if your levels are higher, you might gain xp, but no level. The higher your level, the greater chance this happens. It doesn't mean low-level gameplay in order to gain extra scripted xp is a good strategy, because although the award is higher on lower levels, non-combat xp can only lead to one level-up at a time, emptying out the experience bar. You can never gain 2 levels at the same time.

When, during the course of your travels, you encounter opponents that are too strong for you to beat, you probably want to go gain experience elsewhere in order to increase your own power before combatting the opponent again. There are however many strategies, spell devices and pharmacopoeic items to be experimented with, potentially awarding more than average experience for overcoming foes technically above your station.

### Luther's stats

Your statistics of Might and Protection are shown in the Inventory, alternating with current skill levels when clicked or by pressing the skortkey (default: G). While it is difficult to get an accurate reading of exactly how much strength or protection equipment adds, it is not impossible, as the columns (2 pixels wide) represent +8 when filled up. The first column is purely aesthetic, even though the top 4 pixels light up when the first column is filled, were it even by 1 point. The last column does count, capping out at 256.

This table denotes your stats at levels 1 and 30 (maximum). The three Might bars represent raw strength (bare-handed combat), and the power of your melee and ranged weapon, according to their respective icons. When no weapons are equipped, they will all be the same, as witnessed in beast and lizard form. For more information on Might and Protection, see further down.

Might and Protection
 Beast
 Lizard

## Combat mechanics

### Attacking

Left-clicking your weapon icon will launch attacks. Alternatively, press the F key; it's often the better choice, leaving your cursor free to use items or select different weapons during combat.

### Targeting

The game starts with Automatic Targeting turned on. In this state, when you launch an attack, your attack will be targeted towards the nearest opponent or breakable object. If there is not a targetable object within range, you will either swing your sword or fire your bow with no effect, and no magical attack will be made, saving on mana. The game mechanics will let you target multiple opponents if your weapon or spell permits.

By clicking the N key, you can enable the Manual Targeting system, wherein a Targeting Cursor appears and can be positioned by moving the mouse. When the Manual Targeting system is on, clicking the Left Mouse button will launch a weapons attack, and clicking the Right Mouse button will launch a magical attack.

You can also press the T key for temporary enablement, mostly used to light torches or solve puzzles requiring some attack function, while keeping the cursor handy for picking up or moving objects.

### Ranged and Melee Combat

Combat is divided into two distinct categories: Melee and Ranged. Melee combat means hand-to-hand combat. Ranged combat is fighting at a distance. When you click on your Attack button, the system will automatically determine the appropriate action, depending on the distance between you and any targetable opponents or objects. If a monster is within six feet, you Melee weapon will be employed. If the opponent is beyond six feet, your Ranged weapon will be used.

There are Ranged and Melee weapons (typically knives/swords/maces and bows); some weapons and spells are capable of acting as either Ranged or Melee. In your equipment slots these are places for only one Melee weapon and one Ranged weapon. Equipping yourself with two weapons of the same type (two Melee weapons for instance) is not possible.

### Magic

Luther's Spell Book starts the game with two Spell Groups. As the game progresses, Luther may be able to acquire four other Spell Groups, including one specifically made for controlling your curse. Each Spell Group has four increasingly stronger Mortal Magic levels and finally one Ancient Magic level. Some magic can be used in Melee as well as Ranged combat.

To change Spell Groups, click on the blue Spell Book Button next to the Magic button or press the M key. When the Spell Bar slides out, all available spell groups will be represented. Click on a Spell Group icon to load that Spell Group. Right clicking on the Magic Button will also select different spells in a set order.

Like with physical attacks, click the magic icon to launch a spell, or use the S key. There are some differences, however, in the feel of magic casting: a short click will cast a level 1 spell. For higher levels, the key or mouse button needs to be held down until dots above the icon turn on, each dot indicating a higher level spell. The four mortal levels are indicated in blue; Ancient Magic is indicated by a fifth red one. for info on Ancient Magic, see below.

Using spells this way can become an obstacle later on, especially coordinating higher level spells during melee combat, fidgetting with controls. Shortkeys can solve this problem:

* To select a spell group:
	+ pressing F1, F2, ... F6 will select spell no. 1, 2, ... 6.
	+ 1 is always Heal, 2 is always spark, other spells will be numbered in the order you learned them.
	+ It is recommended to stick to this order on subsequent playthroughs, as it would conflict with muscle memory.
	+ Note that Spells learned after Control Curse will shift back an F-key once you expel it; typically, Mists of Doom reassigned to F5 from F6.
* To use a spell:
	+ pressing 1, 2, ... 5 will launch a level 1, 2, ... 5 spell (of which 5 is Ancient Magic).
	+ One click is enough, leaving your hands free for physical combat while the spell charges.
	+ Mastering this mechanic early on, when it is not really nescessary, is advised to ease later battles.
	+ Beware when using the 5 key; 6 is reserved for the first active inventory slot (See: Items). Putting an unusable item in the first active slot or reassigning the buttons should keep you from unintentionally using items.

Heal Spell Group: Lesser Heal, Greater Heal, Poison Cure, Damage Shield, RegenerateSpark Spell Group: Lesser Spark, Greater Spark, Chain Spark, Lightning, Lightning StormSummon Spell Group: Lesser Imp, Medium Imp, Ancient Imp, Imp Lord, BanishPrism Spell Group: Blind, Invisibility, Hologram, Photon Blade, TrinityMists of Doom Spell Group: Lesser Apparition, Greater Apparition, Ghost, Spectral Phantoms, LichControl Curse Spell Group: Dampen Change, Human, Lizard, Beast, Expel CurseNote: Application of a Pyra Pod Item, which is a pharmacological combination, will convert the Spark Spell Group into a Fire Spark Spell Group for a shirt time, as will the Ring of Drakefire while it remains equipped.

Invisibility Spell Note: Luther cannot be turned in a Peeping Tom and apparently feels awkward about using his Invisibility Spell around other people. If you have the Invisibility Spell activated as you enter a situation where there might be people present, the spell will fade automatically so that Luther may have a civil conversation.

### Ancient Magic

Almost all of your magic, i.e. levels 1 through 4, is the normal magic of mortals. Ancient magic is rare, and more powerful than mortal magic. Although your curse is of Ancient Magic origin, you have no way to access its source, so you're still dependent on items that grant this power: Ancient's Stones that can be found in the Lands, as well as Force Pods to be created, grant a single casting of level 5 magic. Both are activated by carrying them and right-clicking on your portrait or the magic icon. The total amount of castings is above 80 for knowledgeable players. To find Ancient's Stones, see their page; to find ingredients for Force Pods, check Amber, Lamplight Eggs and Venom Sac.

To cast these fifth level spells (Ancient Magic), first select the Spell Group you want, then hold down the mouse button or S key, or simply press 5, keeping your hands free while it charges.

### Controlling the curse

As you progress in your adventures, you will/may have the opportunity to acquire a Spell Group that allows some control of your morphings. Each level of this Spell Group is only accessible when you acquire the item that teaches each spell. For an overview, see Control Curse. Put simply, they teach Luther how to stop morphing, change back into human while in lizard form, change into lizard form while human, change into beast form while human, or expel the whole goddamn thing. The latter becomes available only by going through the Mantle of the Ancients and is only successful when used on the womb of the Mother Beast; used incorrectly, the blob that is your curse returns to you, taking 2/3 of your health when it reaches you.

## Items

### Item usage

To use items, you need to learn how to use them, which differs per item. Most are used/consumed by holding it in the cursor and right-clicking on your portait, or holding it and press W. Alternatively, put items in the five active slots in your inventory, denoted by a darkened triangle in the upper right-hand corner of the slot. Pressing 6, 7, ... 0 will let you use them, which can greatly help in tough battles, as it keeps you from fidgetting with the inventory controls.

Note that the 5 key will cast an Ancient Magic spell; to avoid hitting 5 while meaning to press 6, it is recommended to assign 7, 8, 9, 0 and - to item usage, instead of 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. the 6 key will function as a buffer in /combat when pressing keys speedily becomes valuable; it will spare you using items or level 5 spells involuntarily.

There's no way to hold or use items with manual targetting on, so be mindful of your actions. Pressing aforementioned shortkeys will work, however, keeping manual targetting a safe bet in most encounters. Assigning healing items to a desired key to quickly restore health during manual tergetted combat is greatly recommended.

### Healing items

The three main healing items are Aloe, Cave Aloe and Healing Scrolls. The latter keeps being significant later in the game; the former two restore very little health, and are only ubiquitous early on. Black Lichen restores health as well, but is only found very late in the game, making it instantly obsolete. Magic is the most common way to restore life. As for replenishing mana, Mana Foils will take care of that; there only two of them in the game to be found, but can be created later on. Silverleaf restores 1/10 of what a foil does, so even carrying a bulk of them with you will not help much. Mana restores quite fast on higher levels, however. Finally, Vel's Fruit heals both lesser and greater poison.

### Pharmacopoeia and Spell Devices

In addition to his own magical spells, Luther can find a number of different pharmacological items and spell devices that have useful properties of their own, or in combination with his own attacks and magic. For a quick way to familiarize yourself with these, check their pages and the subpages per item.

As indicated, most items may require Luther to consume them by right-clicking on the portrait. Ancient Magic Stones and Force Pods, as mentioned earlier, give Luther an extra casting of Ancient Magic. Restorative items are other examples, as are Magic Crystals, Guardian Orbs, Brook Flounders, etc.

Some items are left-clicked into the world (Stone Cubes, Ice Seeds) or on an enemy (Nets of Exile, Ruby of Truth), thrown (Stones of the Gorgon, Acid Sacs, Stone Cubes, Ice Seeds), or to be used on equipment; Poison Paint, for instance, must be right-clicked on the attack icon to cause weapons to inflict poisoning blows during its next use in combat. Right-clicking on the portrait will inflict poison on yourself.

Magical rings, amulets and other jewelry can be worn by placing them in one of the two accessory slots in the Equipment screen. These magical items often provide protection and other magical enchantments; for example, the Bezoar Ring doubles as armor (+5 Protection) and spell device (resistance to lesser poison).

Similar to enemies draining you, Luther can get some weapons (most notably the Great Sword Darkstorm), that drain magic and health from your opponents. The magic and strength you acquire in this fashion will only fill up any empty portion of your Health and Magic bars, and will not actually increase your strength or magical capacity.

### Item Charges

You will notice that there are four items that "charge" some property. Each of them grants one charge, but they can be increased to 9 prior to combat, saving you the trouble of messing around in the inventory to apply the charge again while fighting. These four items are:

* Poison Paint - applies lesser poison to melee weapons for one strike
* Death Sac - applies greater poison to melee weapons for one strike

Poison is applied by right-clicking on the attack icon and "charges" your melee weapon with the power to inflict additional poisoning damage to your opponent. The number of poisonous charges turns visible when the cursor hovers over the icon. Poisoning your weapon is a nice detail to gameplay, but other than killing Kelsrick covertly with Poison Paint to keep the suspicion of the Huline Villagers off you, it is really not worth the trouble of wasting Lamplight Eggs and Venom Sacs, missing out on them when creating the far more useful Force Pods.

* Ancient's Stone - grants 1 casting of Ancient Magic
* Force Pod - grants 1 casting of Ancient Magic

Clicking these on your portrait or magic icon will "charge" you with the ability to cast one fifth levels of the Spell Groups you have, except Control Curse. The number of castings left turns visible when the cursor hovers over the icon. Preparing 9 charges of Ancient Magic is extremely effective, as there is no battle conceivably unwinnable by 9 charges of Lightning Storm, Regenerate and/or Lich.