Enjl
Cultist
Throwing Knives, Shurikens, Grenades, etcetera. All of these are useful items which deal ranged damage. They can be used once and are usually found in numbers.
But why do only Rangers get items like this? Especially when there's so much one can explore with this mechanic!
Chapter 1: Durability - Different Kinds of it!
Melee damage through consumables is a tough topic. They can't throw the items, else it'd be ranged damage, they already have a lot resources for close-range combat, etc. So I'm going to twist the mechanic here: Instead of finding a number of items, melee characters may find one item, stronger than their usual weapon, but with limited charges. Once these are used up, the item is removed from the player's inventory (alternative: replaced with Scrap Metal (which I don't have a use for so let's say they're removed)).
Players are also able to craft/find fragile items like a wooden chair (not furniture), which they proceed to smash monsters with. These fragile items can only be used once before breaking and can be stacked in a fashion similar to Throwing Knives and Shurikens.
Here's an example of an item with multiple charges:
The Ancient Cobalt Hammer is a rare drop from Hornets and Man Eaters. It deals 40 damage and has a use time of 35 (Slow), making it arguably stronger than many pre-hardmode items. To compensate for that, a number is displayed next to the item in your inventory. When you get the item as a drop, it can range from 10 to 25. For every monster hit by the Ancient Cobalt Hammer, the number decreases by one, meaning that, at best, you can deal 40 damage 25 times before the item is gone.
The hammer can also be used as a hammer and is on-par with the Meteor Hamaxe in terms of usefulness. Charges aren't used up by modifying housings; taking background walls and adding slopes.
Consumable Melee weapons don't require to be beefed up versions of existing items. What about a flail with limited-use special effect? Let's give some existing weapons additional features:
1 Hellstone Bar can be crafted into 5 Sunfire Shards (Ammo) at a Hellforge. These Sunfire Shards are projectiles launched by flails like the Sunfury and behave like a weak Flower of Fire projectile, doing a mere 10 damage and inflicting On Fire!. Damage dealt is melee, one is used with each use of the flail when it reaches maximum range. The main use for this flail-ammo is to deal 10 more damage to an enemy you're hitting with the flail itself, while it also transforms the flail into a zoning long-range melee weapon.
These concepts can be transferred onto different items, but I'm just giving specific examples. For example the Sunfire Shard could exist for more than just the On Fire! debuff and the projectiles could behave differently (piercing, like the chlorophyte spear cloud, etc...)
Chapter 2: Risk VS Reward
Mages. Mages are amazing. And I know just the trick to making them even more amazing! Offering up your own life and mana pool for more damage!
Throughout your adventures, you'll be able to find special tomes. Not the ones sold by the Wizard NPC, but as a semi-common drop from most dungeon enemies! When you have a bookshelf, you can craft multiple items out of these "Overcharged Tomes".
By combining 25 Overcharged Tomes with a grenade, you'll get the "Dangerous Fireworks" Spell, 25 of them. Upon use, you explode. This explosion has a 5 block radius and does not damage blocks. The Dangerous Fireworks deals 15 damage to the player, 30 to surrounding enemies. This spell costs 10 mana to use.
By combining 25 Overcharged Tomes with 5 wire, you'll get 25 "Dashing Bolt" spelltomes. These act similar to the shadowbeam staff projectile, bouncing off walls once, and going straight as an arrow. The trick to this weapon is that it can use between 1 and 25 mana and will deal damage equal to the mana drained. It pierces 5 enemies.
The final spell I'm going to present, "Vile/Flesh Cloud" comes in two variations, depending on the biome you got on worldgen.
Vile Cloud can be crafted from 25 Overcharged Tomes and 5 rotten chunks. Upon use, it spawns a cloud 2 blocks in front of the player at cost of 15 mana. When enemies walk through it, they take 10 damage in 1 second ticks. The cloud is approximately 5x5 blocks large and slightly slows enemies in addition to its primary effect.
Flesh Cloud is the crimson alternative and uses vertebraes instead of rotten chunks. Upon use, it spawns a 12 block diameter cloud, the center being the player character. The Flesh Cloud spell deals 15 damage to both the player and enemies every second. It doesn't slow enemies or the player, but applies the "Darkness" debuff while inside. The spell also costs 15 mana to use.
I was going to add Summoner items to the list, but couldn't come up with any not made obsolete by other people's suggestions, so I'm leaving this thread as it currently is. What do you think? I'm excited to hear you guys' opinion on this!
But why do only Rangers get items like this? Especially when there's so much one can explore with this mechanic!
Chapter 1: Durability - Different Kinds of it!
Melee damage through consumables is a tough topic. They can't throw the items, else it'd be ranged damage, they already have a lot resources for close-range combat, etc. So I'm going to twist the mechanic here: Instead of finding a number of items, melee characters may find one item, stronger than their usual weapon, but with limited charges. Once these are used up, the item is removed from the player's inventory (alternative: replaced with Scrap Metal (which I don't have a use for so let's say they're removed)).
Players are also able to craft/find fragile items like a wooden chair (not furniture), which they proceed to smash monsters with. These fragile items can only be used once before breaking and can be stacked in a fashion similar to Throwing Knives and Shurikens.
Here's an example of an item with multiple charges:
The Ancient Cobalt Hammer is a rare drop from Hornets and Man Eaters. It deals 40 damage and has a use time of 35 (Slow), making it arguably stronger than many pre-hardmode items. To compensate for that, a number is displayed next to the item in your inventory. When you get the item as a drop, it can range from 10 to 25. For every monster hit by the Ancient Cobalt Hammer, the number decreases by one, meaning that, at best, you can deal 40 damage 25 times before the item is gone.
The hammer can also be used as a hammer and is on-par with the Meteor Hamaxe in terms of usefulness. Charges aren't used up by modifying housings; taking background walls and adding slopes.
Consumable Melee weapons don't require to be beefed up versions of existing items. What about a flail with limited-use special effect? Let's give some existing weapons additional features:
1 Hellstone Bar can be crafted into 5 Sunfire Shards (Ammo) at a Hellforge. These Sunfire Shards are projectiles launched by flails like the Sunfury and behave like a weak Flower of Fire projectile, doing a mere 10 damage and inflicting On Fire!. Damage dealt is melee, one is used with each use of the flail when it reaches maximum range. The main use for this flail-ammo is to deal 10 more damage to an enemy you're hitting with the flail itself, while it also transforms the flail into a zoning long-range melee weapon.
These concepts can be transferred onto different items, but I'm just giving specific examples. For example the Sunfire Shard could exist for more than just the On Fire! debuff and the projectiles could behave differently (piercing, like the chlorophyte spear cloud, etc...)
Chapter 2: Risk VS Reward
Mages. Mages are amazing. And I know just the trick to making them even more amazing! Offering up your own life and mana pool for more damage!
Throughout your adventures, you'll be able to find special tomes. Not the ones sold by the Wizard NPC, but as a semi-common drop from most dungeon enemies! When you have a bookshelf, you can craft multiple items out of these "Overcharged Tomes".
By combining 25 Overcharged Tomes with a grenade, you'll get the "Dangerous Fireworks" Spell, 25 of them. Upon use, you explode. This explosion has a 5 block radius and does not damage blocks. The Dangerous Fireworks deals 15 damage to the player, 30 to surrounding enemies. This spell costs 10 mana to use.
By combining 25 Overcharged Tomes with 5 wire, you'll get 25 "Dashing Bolt" spelltomes. These act similar to the shadowbeam staff projectile, bouncing off walls once, and going straight as an arrow. The trick to this weapon is that it can use between 1 and 25 mana and will deal damage equal to the mana drained. It pierces 5 enemies.
The final spell I'm going to present, "Vile/Flesh Cloud" comes in two variations, depending on the biome you got on worldgen.
Vile Cloud can be crafted from 25 Overcharged Tomes and 5 rotten chunks. Upon use, it spawns a cloud 2 blocks in front of the player at cost of 15 mana. When enemies walk through it, they take 10 damage in 1 second ticks. The cloud is approximately 5x5 blocks large and slightly slows enemies in addition to its primary effect.
Flesh Cloud is the crimson alternative and uses vertebraes instead of rotten chunks. Upon use, it spawns a 12 block diameter cloud, the center being the player character. The Flesh Cloud spell deals 15 damage to both the player and enemies every second. It doesn't slow enemies or the player, but applies the "Darkness" debuff while inside. The spell also costs 15 mana to use.
I was going to add Summoner items to the list, but couldn't come up with any not made obsolete by other people's suggestions, so I'm leaving this thread as it currently is. What do you think? I'm excited to hear you guys' opinion on this!
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