Mechanics: Fireball, Flame Strike, and Fire Lash

Coming in hot. So to speak. This time it's all about the Mystics, and how they shape fire to their will. Mystics have a Charge mechanic that acts as a currency for their more powerful spells. Right now they start with 1 Charge and consume Heroism to gain an additional Charge. For now Fireball is the only spell that consumes Charge, the others are free, but all magic actions take 65 time units (out of a budget of 100), so you can only cast one per turn.

So, a warrior, a hunter, and mystic walk into a bar full of boars. A boar bar, if you will. I don't really know how the joke goes, like maybe the warrior asks the bartender for some bacon and all the boars look up from their drink, and then the hunter's all trying to calm everything down but spills beer on the mystic and then something about a fireball? I don't know whatever. But it ends with bacon.

Ok so first up, Flame Arrow. You target a nearby source of fire, which you consume to grant your ally a free attack with a bonus. The attack also lights a fire at the target. This effectively moves fire around the map.

Next, Fireball. This is currently the only mechanism the heroes have for creating fire, and it consumes Charge. It's intended to be the big flashy spell.

What's the damn punchline?

Next, we have another situational spell. Fire Lash targets a source of fire and another tile, and spreads fire over every tile on the line, also burning any units in the path. This is another way that Mystics can change the map.

All together, Mystics now brutally outclass these Boars. I might need to pull out some tougher enemies. But also this is all subject to balance, and in the game itself we might roll out these abilities one at a time over the course of the game.

Flame Arrow - active - target the closest source of fire and a ranged hero other than yourself. The hero makes a free ranged attack and also lights a fire at the target. The source fire is consumed.

Flame Weapon - active - target the closest source of fire and a melee hero other than yourself. The hero makes a free melee attack and also lights a fire at the target. The source fire is consumed.

Fire Lash - active - target a source of fire and another tile within close range of the source. Hit everything in a line with a magic attack and light the tiles on fire.

Fireball - active - consume one charge a 3x3 blast area within range. Hit every unit in the area with a fire attack, and light all the tiles on fire.

Charge - consumable - Mystics start with one Charge and can consume heroism to gain additional charge. Charge powers certain spells.

We're definitely making progress in terms of making terrain matter. I think the next big category of mechanics will have to be around sight. Line of sight, cover, light, and stealth. And for that all to make sense I'll likely have to do some work on mission visuals as well. For example, all these fires, they really should be light sources, and they really should cast shadows that dance across the floors. It's hard for me to express how much I'm looking forward to that work :-)