Abilities and Combat Effects

Abilities are reusable RPG definitions authored in the RPG Database. An Ability describes what a combatant may choose, who it may target, what it costs, when it resolves, and which effects it attempts in order.

Create an Ability

1. Open the Abilities panel in the RPG Database.
2. Create a stable ID and readable display name.
3. Choose the Ability’s target rule.
4. Set its turn priority when it should resolve earlier or later than normal commands.
5. Add any Resource or Item costs.
6. Add ordered effect steps.
7. Optionally import an icon and configure its impact animation fields.
8. Save and resolve any validation messages before assigning the Ability to enemies.

Available effect responsibilities

• Deal damage.
• Restore health or another Resource.
• Increase or decrease a Resource.
• Apply or remove a battle modifier.
• Apply or remove a Status Effect.
• Run an effect only when its shared Condition passes.

Target rules

The selected target rule controls which combatants may be chosen by the command UI and by enemy decisions. The battle validates targets again when the command resolves, so a target that is no longer valid cannot silently receive an unintended effect.

Costs and failure

Resource and Item costs are checked through the same runtime authorities used elsewhere in the engine. A command that cannot pay its required cost must not spend part of the cost or execute only part of the Ability. Inventory and battle-state changes remain inside the battle transaction until the result is accepted.

Priority and turn order

Priority is considered before normal Speed-based ordering. When combatants still tie, authored Speed when available, roster order, and stable identifiers provide deterministic resolution instead of relying on frame timing.