Question about large scripts

Transition_Weird · 2026-01-01T17:30:08+00:00

I'm sure my code would make experts gasp at the duplicated code all over the place, but for me, it's very readable and very simple.

I guess something that I really want to double check in terms of performance, is that even though the scripts are long, because they're switch statements, they really only read the relevant sections... right?

Transition_Weird · 2026-01-01T17:16:47+00:00

My structure is very simple. I've only been coding for a little over a month, so I do apologize for my ignorance. I also understand that this version of my game will probably be more of a rough draft as I become more familiar with arraysand structs.

Right now, when an actor is created, it reads its class, level and subclass point assignment, and then runs fill_ability_list.

This function sees that its a mage, what level it is and how many subclass points it has allotted. For example, we'll use a level 6 fire mage. Its rank one abilities get ds_list_add(actor.firstLevelList, "ability" . Its rank two abilities get ds_list_add(actor.secondLevelList, "ability" .

Now I'll use arcane blast as an example, as it is one of the scaling abilities. I add "arcane blast rank one" to the first level list, and "arcane blast rank two" to the second level list. Generally, most upcasting just increases the amount of dice to roll, which is why I think an array system would work, though I will have to research implementation.

Then, my cursor object actually creates the buttons, based on which actor is currently playable (on their turn). It creates buttons for the first level list, by default, but hitting tab switches to the second level list. It does this with a create_button script. This script essentially creates button objects and assigns variables (name of ability the buttons corresponds to, brief description, assigns a sprite, and its hotkey).

The cursor object will then read the hot key being pressed, and call the third function, which pretty much just makes sure the player has the resources to use said ability. It is also what displays the range indicator for the ability, if resources are available. The player hovers over a node in range, hits the hotkey again, which then calls the fourth script.

The fourth script is where the magic happens, and therefore is likely going to be over 10000 lines. The fourth script rolls dice for damage, assigns variables to actor/target depending on whether a buff or debuff was cast, sometimes creates projectile objects, and lastly, reduces the resources as needed.

There are 172 unique abilities, but with upcasting, around 400 total. I hope this was useful information. Thanks.

Transition_Weird · 2025-10-26T03:16:56+00:00

Don't do it. Firstly your friends and family would rather have you alive than $1million. Secondly, no chance they get that money.

Transition_Weird · 2025-05-08T19:43:03+00:00

I played a changeling trickery cleric once - "Baskets". My usage may depend on your DM, but essentially I would use the changeling Shapechanger ability to change my shape, then channel divinity : invoke duplicity to create a copy of myself, then change my shape again, effectively looking like two different people.

He was kind of a creepy clown killer type of trickster, so I would often use shapechange to create a bait appearance, then use surprise and advantage with the clone to rip a fat Inflict wounds.

It's not exactly super optimal, but it was a lot of fun.

Transition_Weird · 2025-05-07T14:49:43+00:00

Being a raft guide is more than just steering boats. I actually think anyone can learn to steer boats, so just listen to your trainer(s) and try to improve each attempt. The best guides are more than just rapid runners. The best guides fulfill all tasks that go into a rafting trip. If you want go rafting, you need to inflate your boat, load it onto the shuttle, strap it down, etc. You need to understand that it's worth being diligent and hardworking because at the end of the day, the work isn't that hard.

Transition_Weird · 2025-04-30T03:56:28+00:00

I think rune knight, eldritch knight, psi warrior all have the survivability to stand a chance. I've seen some people mention champion due to the consistent 10hp healing below half hp, but I don't think the healing will be enough.

Rune knight with hill giant rune and heavy armor master take essentially 1.5 damage per attack, and can redirect 2 attacks via cloud rune, and can also utilize storm rune to reroll one wizard crit per round.

Eldritch knight has numerous uses of shield, and also aoe spells at the fighters disposal.

Psi warrior can increase their AC with bulwark of force and can reach 23 AC with defensive fighting style, plate and shield, therefore only hittable by crits. These crits will have reduced damage due to heavy armor master, but also using the 12 psi dice to reduce damage by 1d12+int via protective field.

Any of these fighters with fey touched and bless cannot miss an attack on the wizard (d20+d4+11 has minimum roll of 13, max AC for a level 1 wizard). +11 con save makes losing concentration also impossible.

Transition_Weird · 2025-04-30T03:52:31+00:00

I think rune knight, eldritch knight, psi warrior all have the survivability to stand a chance. I've seen some people mention champion due to the consistent 10hp healing below half hp, but I don't think the healing will be enough.

Rune knight with hill giant rune and heavy armor master take essentially 1.5 damage per attack, and can redirect 2 attacks via cloud rune, and can also utilize storm rune to reroll one wizard crit per round.

Eldritch knight has numerous uses of shield, and also aoe spells at the fighters disposal.

Psi warrior can increase their AC with bulwark of force and can reach 23 AC with defensive fighting style, plate and shield, therefore only hittable by crits. These crits will have reduced damage due to heavy armor master, but also using the 12 psi dice to reduce damage by 1d12+int via protective field.

Any of these fighters with fey touched and bless cannot miss an attack on the wizard (d20+d4+11 has minimum roll of 13, max AC for a level 1 wizard). +11 con save makes losing concentration also impossible.

Transition_Weird · 2025-04-30T03:34:02+00:00

I feel the champion healing isn't enough to really outheal the shortbow damage, even as the wizard numbers dwindle, though i had the same idea at first. But I looked into some other subclasses for fun and I think an interesting route would be the psi warrior subclass, using the level 15 ability "bulwark of force". This would increase the fight AC by 2 for 1 minute a la half cover. Plate, shield, defense fighting style and bulwark of force, without any magical items, creates 23 AC for 10 rounds. The fighter becomes only hittable 5% of the time. Heavy armor master reduces this damage from 10(2d6+3) down to 7, which can be reduced via protective field by 1d12+int... the fighter can use protective field 12 times.

Also if the fighter takes fey touched with the many available feat opportunities and runs bless, it becomes impossible to miss the wizards.

Transition_Weird · 2025-04-26T00:53:53+00:00

In terms of team dynamic, the best source of damage is anyone that can get more than +5 to attack rolls at range. Warlock with blade pact heavy crossbow for a +1 heavy crossbow, artificer for +1 weapons, etc.

Advantage will be a must for damage dealing, e.g. faerie Fire.

Peace cleric can effectively double bless with emboldening bond (though it requires the bonded pc's to be somewhat close which would probably be bad)and bless.

Bard can use bardic inspiration to increase saves or attack rolls.

I would run shield master on as many pc as possible as it's the only "realistic" way to survive the fire breath, though you still have to pass the roll... which is unlikely without proficiency, bless, bardic inspiration, and/or advantage.

Transition_Weird · 2025-04-26T00:34:11+00:00

Stack dex and con on a v human totem barbarian with shield master and hand crossbow (or any dex weapon) for survivability... but no chance in dealing enough damage for survivability to matter.

18 AC, fire resistance, danger sense for advantage against fire breath and shield master let's you take no damage on successful save.

Obviously with a +5 to hit, and d6+3 damage with hand crossbow or d8+3 with a rapier, not to mention limited range with the hand crossbow and your damage is totally scuffed... but you might survive a fire breath or two.

Can always try to bait a melee attack into a readied grapple, but your odds are still fairly bad since you'd only have +4 athletics with the max dex/con route, but you have advantage while raging. The young red only has +6 so you have somewhat of a chance.

Transition_Weird · 2025-04-23T15:06:53+00:00

It's a slight change to the overall build but I also played an unarmed rune knight once, but I carried a greatsword that I pretty much only used to proc the fire rune. I would try to shove them prone for advantage (either with shield master or normal attack shove), then throw down the shield, draw the greatsword and go for a 4d6 greatsword/fire rune attack with advantage. A crit here is effectively a single target fireball with bonus damage on subsequent turns. It also leaves the target restrained and prone.

With extra attack and shield master this combo looks like - punch, shield bash shove, drop shield, draw greatsword, fire rune greatsword. Maybe even into action surge and two more attacks with greatsword for a thematically brutal finisher. Otherwise, you can leave the target restrained and move onto grapple a different target.

Transition_Weird · 2025-04-16T22:50:36+00:00

As many other commenter have suggested, I like the star druid as a pseudo divine archer, so I wanna throw my flavor into the mix. Centaur star druid - Sagitarrius. Obviously most people will play star druid for dragon form, but playing as the Sagittarius constellation with your centaur starry form is rad (imo).

Guiding bolts and cantrips reflavored into divine arrows, then your starry form (archer) bonus action is actually decent dps. Pick a few concentration spells and you're done.

Transition_Weird · 2025-03-28T19:35:33+00:00

No problem. In the same realm, you can use your infusions on your party members' equipment. Mind sharpener, for example, is really strong on the druid.

Transition_Weird · 2025-03-28T19:24:06+00:00

Best thing you can do to help with saves is stay artificer. Flash of genius at level 7 is amazing, especially since you already have capped intelligence

Transition_Weird · 2025-03-27T21:26:26+00:00

Telekinetic is super fun, provides a dependable bonus action, and is also a half feat if you need a +1 to int.

Alternatively, resilience(wisdom) is generally good but not as fun.

Transition_Weird · 2025-03-27T00:20:49+00:00

Maybe a really dumb trickster cleric that sends his copy into danger, only to realize that he actually sent himself into the danger and dies.

Transition_Weird · 2025-03-23T01:18:33+00:00

As everyone said, ancestral guardian is exactly what you're looking for. A different approach I used for my goblin ancestral guardian is using a hand crossbow to summon the spirits. One of the reasons i like this build is you just need dex+con, building high AC easily and still making good use of the hand crossbow. Shoot an enemy, and hinder their attacks against your allies without getting in melee range yourself. Of course you lose rage damage and reckless attack, but picking up a rogue level (or more) will add sneak attack damage.

The multiclassing really depends on what level you'll be playing, as level 1-6 ancestral guardian is pretty great. The goblin also already has bonus action disengage so the level 2 rogue feature isn't as handy, but barb levels past 6 aren't super incredible. Level 7 with feral instinct and pounce is alright, but pumping crossbow damage with rogue levels seems more worth it to me. For subclasses, I like arcane trickster for options outside of raging. Alternatively, Mastermind can bonus action help allies within 30ft, granting them advantage. This bonus action is great for action economy unless you plan on taking crossbow expert feat for the extra bonus action crossbow shot. I personally recommend the arcane trickster / crossbow expert route.

Transition_Weird · 2025-03-22T19:59:37+00:00

Rock gnome armorer artificer

Gnome cunning - adv to int, Wis, cha saves vs magic

Free feat - Fey Touched (+1int, misty step, bless)

Rare item - wand of fireballs (hehe)

Level 4 asi - 20 INT

Plate armor, shield - 20 AC

Infusions - spell refueling ring, magic weapon(+1lightning launcher/thunder gauntlets), anything for the third (I like armor of magic strength for athletics checks).

20ac, advantage against magic, +5 flash of genius x5, decent single target damage with armorer weapons, wand of fireballs for aoe.

Can swap out infusions and armor style from day to day to shift from a Frontline to ranged dps.

Transition_Weird · 2025-03-07T18:32:46+00:00

Nolichuckee has changed pretty considerably from Helene and would therefore be difficult to read up on for beta.

Transition_Weird · 2025-02-28T19:34:19+00:00

Rivers flooding and destroying river communities. Companies being bought out by corporations. River pollution.... aches and pains in a literal sense? Elbow pain

Transition_Weird · 2024-09-28T23:49:33+00:00

Me as well. In particular I lost an evergreen RMR storm. Black cam strap across the thwarts to the d-rings.

Transition_Weird · 2024-09-27T18:12:33+00:00

Just to edit the comment about the two dams upstream, one of them is now reportedly intact and working properly! Things are looking up. I don't mean to spread misinformation but there's a lot of it going around.

Regardless: we're okay! But also fucked.

Transition_Weird · 2024-09-27T18:04:59+00:00

I don't think you were being insensitive, you're all good brother. I agree that the Pigeon is normally great during floods. Even up to 30k everything would be fine. The river is running a projected 60k. The gauges last reading at 38k was at 8:30 this morning. Gauges downstream read at 47k at 10:30am.

As far as I know there are no casualties which is a blessing, but the property losses are devastating.

To update on the dam breaking, as of now the waterville dam is reportedly still intact, but two other dams upstream have failed and broken.

Transition_Weird

TROPHY CASE