Technique design space

A way to have a 13-type system for Tuxemon.

Technique Distribution

A monster might get a basic or animal technique and a condition imposer to start, then every few levels pick up a few simple techniques, the occasional exotic technique, and eventually more and more powerful techniques.

New ideas in italics.

Initial thoughts

• Splash moves should all have low accuracy.
• We don't need symmetry. It's nice if different elements have different qualities.
• I am wondering if we should make touch, reach and reliable techniques quite rare - almost treating belonging to one of these ranges as a special feature of the technique. Or perhaps some elements should use reach or touch more often than others.

Animal techniques

Low damage (0.75-1.5), decent accuracy (90-100%), typically Normal, within the abilities of an ordinary animal.

• Hammerhead (melee *Earth*)
• Strike (reliable Normal)
• Ram (melee Normal) (somewhat higher damage, somewhat lower accuracy than Headbutt)
• Punch (melee Heroic)
• Shadow Boxing (touch Heroic)
• Hawk (melee Sky)
• Peck (reach Sky)
• Fledgling (ranged Sky)
• Slice (melee Metal)

	TXMN ID	TXMN Blurb	TXMN Element	TXMN Category	TXMN Family	Tags	TXMN Accuracy	TXMN Potency	TXMN Power	TXMN Recharge	TXMN Healing Power	TXMN Is fast	TXMN Effects	TXMN User Condition	TXMN Target Condition	TXMN Animation Target
Acid	119	A corrosive liquid is ejected from the user's mouth, burning the opponent.	Venom	Reliable	Basic	Toxic	100%		1.4	2		Normal				Target
Bomb	266	They set a bomb.	Metal Fire	Ranged	Basic	Bomber	80%		1	1		Slow	Foresight 1
Chill Mist	77	The user releases a freezing mist that lowers the opponent's stats.	Frost	Ranged	Basic	Weather	80%		1.5	1		Slow	Splash			Target
Crystal	128	The user fires a sharp, crystalline projectile at the opponent.	Cosmic	Ranged	Basic	Gemstone	90%		1	1		Normal
External Power	255	The user uses a ranged attack that can be different types.	Normal	Ranged	Basic	Universal	100%		2	2		Normal	Move type user			User
Fire Ball	4	An orb of scorching fire is flung at the target.	Fire	Ranged	Basic	Bomber Flame	90%		1.2	1		Normal				Target
Fledgling	117	The user hurls sharp feathers at the opponent.	Sky	Ranged	Basic	Bird	75%		1.7	1		Normal				Target
Flood	10	The user summons a powerful flood that washes over the opponent.	Water	Ranged	Basic	Water	80%		1.5	1		Extremely Slow	Splash			Target
Flow	9	The user channels a powerful water stream.	Water	Melee	Basic	Water	80%		1.8	1		Normal	Splash			Target
Gnaw	215	The user nibbles at the target, dealing a small amount of damage. A weak but fast and consistent attack.	Normal	Touch	Basic	Bite	100%		1	1		Fast				Target
Gust	161	The user creates a powerful wind that blows the opponent back.	Sky	Ranged	Basic	Weather	100%		0.9	1		Normal
Hammerhead	72	The user charges forward, striking the opponent with its head.	Earth	Melee	Basic	Rock	100%		1	1		Slow				Target
Hook	246	They aim to hook the opponent, perhaps with a horn or limb.	Water Heroic	Ranged	Basic	Water	95%	25%	1	1		Normal			Harpooned
Ice Claw	21	The user's claws become covered in ice as it delivers a freezing attack.	Frost	Melee	Basic	Ice Claws	100%		1.25	1		Normal				Target
Lantern	133	The user damages the target with bright light.	Heroic	Ranged	Basic	Light Gadgets Leadership	90%		1	1		Normal
Lightning Spheres	163	The user launches multiple balls of electricity at the opponent.	Lightning	Ranged	Basic	Electricity	90%		1.2	1		Normal
Lineage	135	The user draws power from its ancestors to unleash an attack.	Cosmic	Reach	Basic	Ghost Leadership	100%		1.5	3		Normal				Target
Lock Horns	259	They try to lock horns with the enemy.	Heroic	Touch	Basic	Megafauna	95%	100%	1.5	1		Normal			Harpooned	Target
Midnight Mantle	55	The user shrouds itself in a cloak of darkness, striking out with shadowy tendrils that inflict damage and disorient the opponent.	Shadow	Ranged	Basic	Darkness Celestial	80%		1.25	1		Very Fast	Splash			Target
Phantasmal Force	162	The user creates an illusionary copy of itself that attacks the opponent.	Shadow	Melee	Basic	Ghost	90%		1.1	1		Normal
Power Theft	256	The user steals some power, perhaps by gene exchange, and uses it to launch an attack of the enemy type.	Normal	Touch	Basic	Pseudopod Shapeshifter	100%	50%	1	1		Normal	Move type enemy monster		Softened
Punch	182	A classic, powerful strike with the user's fist.	Heroic	Melee	Basic	Fists	90%		1.5	1		Normal
Ram	5	The user charges forward with incredible force, delivering a devastating physical blow.	Normal	Melee	Basic	Fury	100%		1.5	1		Normal				Target
Rock	6	A heavy rock falls on the target.	Earth	Touch	Basic	Rock	100%		1.5	1		Normal
Shadow Boxing	51	A flurry of punches strikes the target.	Heroic	Touch	Basic	Darkness Fists	100%		1.25	1		Normal				Target
Shadow Sphere	269	The shadows ooze and blob.	Shadow	Ranged	Basic	Darkness	100%		1.5	1		Normal
Slice	101	The user wields a sharp blade, delivery a powerful, cutting attack.	Metal	Melee	Basic	Sharp	90%		1.2	1		Normal				Target
Snowball	267	The user hurls a compact ball of snow at the target, dealing light damage and chilling them slightly.	Frost	Ranged	Basic	Ice	90%	25%	1	1		Fast			Slow
Spiky Strike	199	The user lashes out with its sharp spines or quills, striking the opponent with a flurry of piercing blows, inflicting pain and damage.	Wood	Reach	Basic	Sharp	95%		1.5	1		Normal
Stick	221	The user uses a stick, plant part or twig to poke or smack the opponent.	Wood	Reach	Basic	Plant Staff	95%		1.4	1		Normal
Strike	74	The user delivers a powerful, focused blow.	Normal	Reliable	Basic	Fists	100%		1.25	1		Normal				Target

Basic techniques

Low damage (0.75-1.5), decent accuracy (90-100%), no recharge, no other effects (except splash).

Cosmic

• Crystal (ranged Cosmic)
• Lineage (reach Cosmic, long recharge)

Heroic

• Lantern (ranged Heroic)

Lightning

• Lightning Spheres (ranged Lightning)

Frost

• Ice Claw (melee Frost)
• Chill Mist (ranged Frost, splash)

Sky

• Gust (ranged Sky)

Venom

• Acid (reliable Venom)

Earth

• Rock (touch Earth)

Fire

• Sunburst (ranged Fire)
• Fire Ball (ranged Fire)

Shadow

• Phantasmal Force (melee Shadow)
• Midnight Mantle (ranged Shadow, splash)

Water

• Flood (ranged Water, splash)
• Flow (melee Water, splash)

Condition imposers

No damage, high chance to impose a buff on the player or debuff on the enemy (but not both). Should have 100% accuracy unless it's a particularly powerful buff/debuff or it's fast or has another effect.

• Boulder (hard shell self)
• Breath (nodding off)
• Cat Calling (harpooned)
• Sleeping Powder (area, nodding off)
• Clock (confusion)
• Insanity (diehard self)
• Negation (festering)
• Conjurer (grabbed)
• Fume (enraged self)
• Glower (softened)
• Petrify (stuck)
• Poison Courtship (poisoned)
• Rot (poisoned)
• Stone Rot (fast, poisoned)
• Riposte (fast, retaliate)
• Revenge Stance (revenge)
• Fluff Up (recovering)
• Feint (focused self, tired)
• Take Cover (sniping self)
• Wallow (healing user, focused self)
• Mending (healing user)
• Evasion (focused self, fast)
• Changeling (recovering self, Cosmic type switch)
• Chameleon (hard shell self, Wood type switch)
• Arcane Eye (elemental shield self)
• Tinder (burn)
• Blood Nets (lifeleech)
• Canine (wild)
• Feline (fast, wild)
• Clairaudience (feedback self)
• Terror (lockdown)
• Overfeed (slow)
• Barking (flinching)
• Lust (exhausted)

(blinded, charging, wasting, prickly)

Simple techniques

Some damage, and a condition or other effect (reliable, fast, type change); or lots of damage (1.6-3). Accuracy should be good (80-100%, with 80% and 85% being reserved for the more powerful options).

Normal

• Proboscis (reach Normal, lifeleech)
• Stampede (melee Normal, charging self)
• Constrict (reliable Normal, grabbed)
• Goad (melee Normal, fast, enraged)
• Assault (melee Normal, fast)

Venom

• Slime (reach Venom, festering)
• Pseudopod (reach Venom, festering)
• Web (melee Venom, grabbed)
• Spit Poison (ranged Venom, poisoned)
• Sting (melee Venom, poisoned)
• Venom (ranged Venom, higher damage)
• Battery Acid (ranged Venom, higher damage, poisoned)
• Muck (reach Venom, higher damage)

Metal

• Blade (melee Metal, fast)
• Bullet (ranged Metal, fast)
• Perfect Cut (reliable Metal, higher damage)
• Shuriken (ranged Metal, diehard self)
• Rust Bomb (ranged Metal, splash, poisoned)
• Wall of Steel (melee Metal, fast, hard shell self)
• Saber (melee Metal, higher damage)
• Platinum (melee Metal, focused self, softened)
• Tip (melee Metal, higher damage, festering)

Wood

• Blossom (ranged Wood, healing self)
• Splinter (reach Wood, blinded)
• Overgrowth (ranged Wood, grabbed)
• Stabilo (ranged Wood, multi attack)

Sky

• Whirlwind (ranged Sky, fast)
• Wingtip (melee Sky, fast)
• Peregrine (melee Sky, fast, higher damage)
• Biting Winds (ranged Sky, softened)
• Air Chain (reach Sky, higher damage)

Fire

• Magma (ranged Fire, area)
• Salamander (reach Fire, poisoned)
• Fire Claw (reach Fire, burn)
• Breathe Fire (ranged Fire, higher damage)
• Flamethrower (ranged Fire, higher damage, burn, slow recharge)
• Torch (reach Fire, flinching)
• Wall of Fire (reach Fire, elemental shield self, burn)

Frost

• Ice Storm (ranged Frost, area, higher damage)
• Icicle Spear (melee Frost, splash, higher damage)

Shadow

• Strangulation (melee Shadow, higher damage)
• Mobbing (melee Shadow, higher damage)

Cosmic

• Muddle (ranged Cosmic, both focused)
• Amnesia (reach Cosmic, higher damage, both exhausted)
• Starfall (ranged Cosmic, focused self, tired)
• Ruby (reach Cosmic, higher damage)
• Mind Vise (melee Cosmic, stuck)
• Shapechange (melee Cosmic, user changes type)

Earth

• Sand Spray (touch Earth, blinded)
• Thunderball (melee Earth, flinching)
• Mudslide (melee Earth, softened, higher damage)
• Quicksand (touch Earth, stuck, higher damage)
• Grinding (melee Earth, higher damage)
• Pit (touch Earth, harpooned)
• Walls (touch Earth, hard shell self)

Water

• Venomous Tentacle (reach Water, poisoned)
• Font (ranged Water, recovering self)
• Kraken (melee Water, higher damage)

Lightning

• Thunderclap (ranged Lightning, exhausted)
• Battery Discharge (ranged Lightning, healing user)
• Surge (ranged Lightning, charging self)

Heroic

• Invictus (touch Heroic, enraged self, grabbed)
• Beam (ranged Heroic, blinded)
• Berserk (melee Heroic, enraged self)
• One-Two (touch Heroic, higher damage)
• Radiance (ranged Heroic, higher damage)

Exotic techniques

These do strange things, fitting into a niche rather than being usable often.

Attacks

• Energy Claws (melee Lightning, sniping) (melee attack that makes it harder to make melee attacks in future)
• Kindling Flame (ranged Fire, enraged) (ranged attack that makes it harder to make ranged attacks in future)
• Panjandrum (reliable Normal, fixed damage)
• Sleep Bomb (reach Cosmic, both nodding off)
• Blood Bond (touch Water, both lifeleech)
• Bubble Trap (reach Cosmic, both grabbed)
• Fester (reach Venom, area, both festering)
• Orbs (ranged Aether, change user type to a random element)
• Undertaker (melee Shadow, sacrifice)

Special

• Ants, Fiery, Geyser, Sylvan, Electroplate, Ubuntu (switch target element)
• Gold Digger (take money from opponent)
• Hibernate (heal, nodding off self)
• Levitate (both sniping) (both monsters now benefit from making ranged attacks)
• Life Surge (heal self, charged up) (heal self but at expense of empowering enemy)
• Eyebite (fast, exhausted, slow recharge)
• Scope (scope)
• Clamp On (diehard self, grabbed)
• Sudden Glow (healing user, recovering self, focused)
• Mystic Blending (healing user, charging self, switch target element randomly, slow recharge)
• Fire Shield (elemental shield self, burn)
• Cloud Aether (switch user and target elements, new elements chosen randomly)
• Ice Shield (elemental shield self, slow)
• Neutralize (remove type changes and conditions from self and target)
• Solar Synthesis (heal)
• Shooting Star (heal)

Powerful techniques

Lots of damage and a condition or other effect, and with shorter recharges than you would expect given their power.

Attacks

• Firestorm (reach Fire, area, very high damage)
• Supernova (ranged Fire, charged up, very high damage)
• Lava (ranged Fire, area, burn both, very high damage)
• Surf (ranged Water, splash, very high damage)
• Tsunami (reach Water, area, very high damage)
• Stonehenge (reach Earth, splash, very high damage)
• Earthquake (touch Earth, area, very high damage)
• Viper (reliable Venom, very high damage)
• Electrical Storm (ranged Lightning, splash, very high damage)
• Frostbite (reach Frost, poisoned, very high damage)
• Snowstorm (melee Frost, splash, exhausted, very high damage)
• Avalanche (ranged Frost, higher damage, splash, exhausted)
• Shrapnel (ranged Metal, fast, splash, very high damage)
• All In (touch Heroic, recovering self, very high damage)
• Give All (melee Heroic, exhausted self, very high damage)
• Tonguespear (melee Normal, lifeleech, higher damage)
• Ten Thousand Feathers (ranged Sky, charging self, high damage)
• One Million Talons (melee Sky, flinching, high damage)
• Greenstone (touch Earth, high damage)
• Meltdown (reach Venom, high damage, chance of flinching)
• Time Crisis (ranged Cosmic, fast, slow)

Special

• Refresh (heal self, recovering self)
• Energy Field (fast, charging self, exhausted)
• Static Field (hard shell self, exhausted)
• Nest (healing self, sniping self)

Reserved techniques

These techniques are only used by a single monster family, or access to them through other methods is very limited.

• Tux Attack (melee Frost/Heroic, fast) (a rare double-element technique) - for Tux
• Vorpal (melee Metal, revenge, fast, very high damage) - for Bugnin
• Webs Wind (ranged Sky, slow, very high damage) - for Firomenis
• Oedipus (reach Metal, revenge self, confused) - for Miaownolith
• Demiurge (touch Cosmic, recovering self, confused) - for Altie
• Adamantine (touch Metal, very high damage) - for Windeye
• Ring (reach Wood, splash, recovering self) - for Tourbidi
• Suplex (melee Earth, diehard, exhausted) - for Sumchon
• Cavity (reliable Normal, very high damage) - for Gliffary
• Suck Poison (melee Toxic, damage, transfers poisoned) - for Nudiflot