Damage

**Damage** is a catch-all term for helping and hurting effects in combat or other situations involving the health of a creature. For fauna, damage implies harm to the body, loss of blood, etc. For an animate creature or inanimate object, damage implies physically beating the target into submission. Some animates may function similarly to fauna, depending on their bodies. For holons, damage implies a loss of stability in their projected form, eventually leading to a poof.

## Physical Damage

**Physical damage** has no special properties. Some enemies may be resistant to it.

* **Blunt**: Blunt or bludgeoning damage is inflicted by flat or round weapons, such as fists, hammers, clubs, etc. Typically effective against armored targets or barricades. Good at smashing things.

* **Slashing**: Slashing damage is inflicted by blades or bladed weapons, such as swords, knives, halberds, or claws. Typically effective against organic targets, and really most things in general. Good at cutting things.

* **Piercing**: Piercing damage is inflicted by pointed weapons, such as spears, arrows, or stabbing with blades. Typically effective for dealing critical damage to a specific target.

* **Force**: Force damage is inflicted by brilliance, waves of sound, or other incorporeal sources. Often deals damage to a wide area instead of a specific point, and has knockback properties.

### Bleed

**Bleed damage** is a type of physical damage that produces open wounds in the target and continues to deal damage over time unless the wound is closed. It is often inflicted by serrated or particularly sharp weapons. Certain skills such as Dirty Fighting can induce bleed damage.

* If the target does not bleed or is not organic, such as a holon or an animate skeleton, bleed damage will be ineffective.

### Poison

**Poison damage** is a type of physical damage that corrodes or infects the target's body and continues to deal damage for a short time, until dissipating. Poison can be surprisingly deadly if not kept in check. It is often inflicted by acidic or toxic creatures, or can be applied in other ways, directly or via a tainted weapon.

* Some inorganic targets may be naturally immune to poison damage.

## Elemental Damage

### Cold

**Cold damage** is a type of elemental damage that freezes or chills the target. It is often induced by water, ice, or similarly-enchanted weapons. Attacks from malicious ghosts also typically inflict cold damage. The skills Shivermancy and Weathermancy are able to make use of this damage type. Certain types of creatures may be weak or resistant to cold.

### Heat

**Heat damage** is a type of elemental damage that burns or sears the target. It is often induced by flames, light, or similarly-enchanted weapons. Heat damage can also be induced by overworking the target's body in a hot environment. Heat damage may weaken targets, and light-based attacks can blind. The skills Fire Magic, Fancymancy, and Weathermancy are able to make use of this damage type. Certain types of creatures may be weak or resistant to heat.

### Electric

**Electric damage** is a type of elemental damage that jolts or shocks the target. It is induced by Weathermancy spells, as well as any electricity-based attack, such as electronic weaponry or enchanted weapons. Electric damage often has a chance to hop to adjacent targets, making it somewhat dangerous to use in close quarters. Certain types of creatures may be weak or resistant to electricity.

See also:

* Lightning Bolt

### Shadow

**Shadow damage** is a type of elemental damage that passes through the outer layer of the target and strikes them internally. It is induced by certain piercing weapons, and can be harnessed via the Shadowmancy skill. Shadow damage ignores armor in most situations, including damage resistance, and can strike through some barriers without breaking them. Because of this unique property, the amount of damage can be very precisely predicted, making it a favourite among thieves and assassins.

## Healing

**Healing** is the act of removing the effects of damage on a target. Healing can take many forms, depending on the wound and the nature of the target. Organic creatures must be healed with first aid, whereas holons can be healed with brilliance.

Healing is an essential tool for surviving in combat. Holons heal naturally while in their cores, but finding options for healing immediately is recommended. Certain skills facilitate this, such as Core Support, Fungimancy, Animal Friend, and Weathermancy.

See also:

* Little Rainfall