Dev Update 09: Numbers and numbers with numbers and

This week has been dedicated to crunching numbers and preparing the little things in combat and equipment. There’s been a big overhaul of how I handle systems like elemental resists, extra attacks, bonuses from gear and status effects. Scrolls are in now, they weren’t before, and wands mostly work. I don’t think the players would mind too much if they never went away from use but that’ll be fixed shortly!

In addition, the groundwork for set items and unique named items is in place. Every new campaign will have uniquely generated matching sets of gear, with a variety of bonuses that increase in power as you wear more of the parts. They’ll be quite good, but not mandatory, as the idea of cool set gear becomes a grinding chore when it becomes the must-have armor. The set bonuses are designed to be interesting and useful as well as powerful. Bonuses to stats and damage are great, but so are powers like finding rings more often in treasure chests, or recovering health every time a monster nearby flees in terror. Roguelikes are often equal parts careful character building and making the best of the gear you find; a broad and creative spectrum of gear abilities can only help.

So yes, new features this week:

• Rings
• Scrolls
• Wannndsss sort of
• Elemental resists / weaknesses
• Gear abilities that increase the power of your attacks
• Natural elemental attacks on enemies, such as adding poison to a slime’s basic slam
• The ability for certain enemies to equip items

No screenshots or art shows, unfortunately. I’m excited about all that’s going on but until I take the time to make it presentable, it’ll have to wait. This is going to be a busy month!