Greetings!
In case you’ve read our previous devlog, you can remember, that in that diary we promised to shed light on a Psyche system. Stoneshard is a game, which makes the hero experience different severe situations, thereat, a special system of mental health simulation takes its place. Here comes an in-depth guide.
Extreme conditions demand Heroic responses.
Each character has two mental indicators – Sanity and Morale. Sanity displays character’s mental health, how adequately he perceives. Morale is all about the character’s spirit, responding for alacrity to withstand all perils. Morale and Sanity are affected by different events.
For example, by dealing a critical strike or killing a hostile, you will increase character’s Morale. Similarly, starvation, thirst, injuries and low HP, on the contrary will cause a character to lose determination. Same rules apply for Sanity: dwelling in darkness, uncanny monsters, head injuries, intense pain and high intoxication will decrease it dramatically. Increasing it is much more complicated – Sanity restoration is available strictly on the surface, being safe and sound.
No, this isn't the political compass.
Proceeding to the most interesting section – Mental conditions. Conditions provide various unique effects, obtained by the character, depending on the current Sanity and Morale ratio. Each combination grants access to a special pool of Conditions, as illustrated above.
Each Condition demands a trigger – certain circumstances, that your hero must encounter, to activate a Condition. For example, to become Optimistic you need your Sanity and Morale level to be over 50, and HP level over 85%. While the conditions are fulfilled, the chance to become Optimistic will inevitably increase each turn. Also various Conditions work different: some require special conditions to be maintained, and other pass away automatically after several turns.
To illustrate it, we would like to provide a few descriptions:
| Condition | Effects | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Opimism | • Fortitude increased • Willpower increased • Vitality increased • Critical chance increased • Received Experience increased • A chance to increase Morale each turn | • Each turn being at 85% HP and more has a chance to activate Optimism. |
| Heroism | • Critical strike chance increased • Counterattack chance increased • Damage increased • Critical strike damage increased • Spellpower increased • Miracle chance increased •A chance to increase Morale each turn. | • Hostile presence in sight • Each visible hostile increases a chance of Condition activation. • Each attack or a spell/ability casted on a hostile, increases a chance of Condition activation. |
| Second Wind | • HP and mana restored • Vitality increased • Mana regeneration increased • Pain reduces each turn • Intoxication reduces each turn • All physical and mental debuffs are temporarily removed. • Mental and physical debuffs resistance temporarily increased | • НP below 30%. • A hostile in sight. • Each missing HP below 30% increases a chance of Condition activation. • Each point of pain increases the chance of Condition activation. |
| Prudence | • Vision increased • Evasion chance increased • Blocking chance increased • Stealth increased • Alertness increased | • Each spotted trap in line of sight increases the chance of Condition activation. • Each unaware hostile increases the chance of Condition activation. |
It's a nice day outside to be Optimistic.
That’s all folks. See you in the next devlog!