Skills & Spells

TalesMUD ships with 29 default skills across the six classes. Skills are equipped (up to 4) and used via the cast command in combat.

Using Skills

skills              — List all available and equipped skills
cast [skill_name]   — Use an equipped skill in combat

Skills are locked during active combat — equip before engaging.

Resource Types

Type	Classes	Description
Cooldown	Warrior, Rogue, Ranger	Skill available after N rounds
Mana	Mage, Cleric, Druid	Costs mana to use

Warrior Skills (STR Scaling, Cooldown-Based)

Skill	Level	Cooldown	Effect	Description
Power Strike	1	3 rounds	150% weapon damage	A powerful strike scaling with STR
Shield Bash	5	4 rounds	Damage + stun 1 round	Bash with shield, stunning the target
Battle Cry	10	5 rounds	+30% attack, 3 rounds	Rally cry increases attack power
Cleave	15	4 rounds	80% damage to ALL enemies	Sweeping arc hits all enemies
Berserker Rage	20	6 rounds	+50% attack / -25% defense	Rage mode for 3 rounds

Rogue Skills (DEX Scaling, Cooldown-Based)

Skill	Level	Cooldown	Effect	Description
Backstab	1	3 rounds	200% DEX damage	Strike from shadows for massive damage
Poison Strike	5	4 rounds	DoT, 3 rounds	Coats blade with poison
Evasion	10	5 rounds	+75% dodge, 2 rounds	Heightened reflexes
Shadow Strike	15	5 rounds	DEX damage, ignores armor	Pierces through defense entirely
Flurry	20	6 rounds	3 hits × 60% damage	Three rapid strikes

Mage Skills (INT Scaling, Mana-Based)

Skill	Level	Mana Cost	Effect	Description
Fireball	1	8	INT damage	Classic fire projectile
Frost Shield	1	6	+50% defense, 2 rounds	Ice barrier
Lightning Bolt	5	15	INT damage, ignores armor	Armor-piercing lightning
Arcane Burst	10	20	INT damage to ALL enemies	AoE arcane explosion
Mana Shield	15	12	Absorbs damage with mana	Shield that converts HP damage to mana drain

Cleric Skills (WIS Scaling, Mana-Based)

Skill	Level	Mana Cost	Effect	Description
Heal	1	8	Restore HP	Channel divine energy to heal self
Holy Strike	1	6	Damage + self-heal	Strike that heals on hit
Shield of Faith	5	10	+40% defense, 3 rounds	Divine protection
Smite	10	15	WIS damage	Holy wrath
Divine Light	15	25	Large HP restore	Powerful self-heal

Ranger Skills (DEX Scaling, Cooldown-Based)

Skill	Level	Cooldown	Effect	Description
Aimed Shot	1	3 rounds	150% DEX damage	Careful precision shot
Volley	5	4 rounds	70% DEX damage to ALL enemies	Arrow volley
Nature’s Gift	10	5 rounds	Heal 30% max HP	Draw on nature’s energy
Pin Down	15	5 rounds	Damage + -50% defense debuff	Pins target, reducing defense

Druid Skills (INT/WIS Scaling, Mana-Based)

Skill	Level	Mana Cost	Effect	Description
Wrath	1	6	INT damage	Nature’s fury
Rejuvenation	1	8	HoT, 3 rounds	Regenerate health over time
Entangle	5	10	-40% attack debuff, 2 rounds	Roots reduce target attack
Starfire	10	18	INT damage (heavy)	Powerful starlight beam
Barkskin	15	12	+60% defense, 3 rounds	Bark armor coating

Skill Data Structure

Skills are stored in the database with the following structure:

type Skill struct {
    ID            string   // e.g., "warrior_power_strike"
    Name          string
    ClassIDs      []string // classes that can use this skill
    LevelRequired int32

    Description string
    ResourceType ResourceType // "cooldown" or "mana"
    CooldownRounds int32
    ManaCost       int32

    Target      TargetType  // self, enemy, allEnemies
    Effect      EffectType  // damage, heal, buff, debuff, dot, hot
    ScalingAttr string      // "STR", "DEX", "INT", "WIS", "maxhp"
    BasePower   int32
    ScalingFactor float32

    Duration    int32     // rounds (for buffs/DoTs)
    BuffStat    string    // stat to buff/debuff
    BuffPercent float32   // e.g., 0.30 = +30%
    IgnoresDefense bool   // armor-piercing
    HitCount    int32     // multi-hit (e.g., Flurry = 3)

    SecondaryEffect     EffectType
    SecondaryTarget     TargetType
    SecondaryBasePower  int32
    SecondaryScaling    float32
}

Adding Custom Skills

Custom skills can be added via the Creator UI (Skills → New) or via the REST API:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8010/api/skills \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Thunder Clap",
    "classIds": ["warrior"],
    "levelRequired": 8,
    "description": "Slam the ground, dealing AoE damage and stunning enemies.",
    "resourceType": "cooldown",
    "cooldownRounds": 5,
    "target": "allEnemies",
    "effect": "damage",
    "scalingAttr": "STR",
    "basePower": 3,
    "scalingFactor": 1.2,
    "duration": 1,
    "buffStat": "stun"
  }'

Next Steps

Combat System — How skills are used in combat
Status Effects — DoT, HoT, buff, debuff details
Mana System — Mana pools and regeneration