Crafting Technique System

Crafting techniques are the primary actions used during the crafting process to transform materials into finished items. Each technique serves a specific purpose and consumes resources while advancing the craft toward completion.

Basic Structure

Every crafting technique is defined by the CraftingTechnique interface:

interface CraftingTechnique {
  name: string; // Stable, non-localized identifier (matches KnownCraftingTechnique.technique and modAPI.gameData.craftingTechniques)
  displayName?: Translatable; // Optional translated display name
  icon: string; // Visual representation
  type: CraftingTechniqueType; // fusion, refine, stabilize, or support
  realm: Realm; // Minimum cultivation level
  tooltip?: string; // Custom description

  // Resource costs
  poolCost: number; // Qi pool cost
  noQiCost?: boolean; // If true, Qi cost is always 0 regardless of active modifiers
  stabilityCost: number; // Stability cost
  noMaxStabilityLoss?: boolean; // If true, max stability is not reduced when used
  maxStabilityLossTooltip?: string; // Custom tooltip text explaining the stability behaviour
  toxicityCost?: number; // Optional toxicity gain
  buffCost?: { buff: CraftingBuff; amount: number };

  // Requirements and restrictions
  successChance: number; // Base success rate (0.0–1.0; 1.0 = always succeeds)
  cooldown: number; // Turns before reuse
  conditionRequirement?: CraftingCondition;
  /** When true, only usable on the first action of a craft (step 0). */
  firstActionOnly?: boolean;
  /** When set, only usable while current stability is strictly greater than this value. */
  minStability?: number;
  buffRequirement?: { buff: CraftingBuff; amount: number };

  // Effects
  effects: CraftingTechniqueEffect[];

  // Display
  showCreatesBuff?: boolean; // If true, the UI shows a buff indicator on the technique card

  // Mastery system
  masteryKindPools?: CraftingTechniqueEffectKind[]; // Override which effect kinds are used for mastery selection
  upgradeMasteries?: { [key: string]: CraftingTechniqueMasteryRarityMap };

  // Runtime state — always initialise to 0 / undefined in data definitions
  currentCooldown: number; // Must be set to 0 in every technique definition
}

Important: currentCooldown is a required field. Always set it to 0 in your technique definition. The engine updates it at runtime.

Technique Types

There are four core technique types, each serving a distinct purpose:

Fusion

• Purpose: Increases completion progress toward finishing the item
• Scaling: Progress scales with Qi Intensity stat
• Visual: Green-tinted techniques
• Strategic use: Focus on these to complete crafts quickly

Refine

• Purpose: Increases perfection progress for higher quality
• Scaling: Progress scales with Qi Control stat
• Visual: Cyan-tinted techniques
• Strategic use: Balance with fusion for quality items

Stabilize

• Purpose: Restores stability or creates stability buffs
• Scaling: Often fixed amounts or based on current stability
• Visual: Orange-tinted techniques
• Strategic use: Prevent craft failure from stability loss

Support

• Purpose: Creates buffs and utility effects
• Scaling: Varies by specific buff created
• Visual: Purple-tinted techniques
• Strategic use: Set up powerful combinations

Resource Costs

Qi Pool Cost

The primary resource consumed by all techniques:

poolCost: 20; // Base cost in qi

• Modified by Qi Pool Cost Multiplier stat
• Can be reduced through mastery upgrades
• Running out prevents technique use
• Set noQiCost: true to force the technique to always cost 0 Qi, bypassing all cost modifiers

Stability Cost

Risk factor for each technique:

stabilityCost: 5; // Stability lost on use

Current Stability vs Max Stability:

• Current Stability: The active stability pool that decreases with technique use
• Max Stability: The upper limit for current stability
• When current stability reaches 0, the craft fails
• When using a technique, max stability usually decreases by 1
• The noMaxStabilityLoss flag prevents max stability reduction (only current decreases)

Modifiers:

• Modified by Stability Cost Multiplier stat
• Some buffs restore current stability without affecting max
• Other effects specifically target max stability

Toxicity Cost

Accumulation from certain techniques:

toxicityCost: 10; // Toxicity gained

• Primarily from pill-related techniques
• Accumulates over multiple crafts
• High toxicity causes negative effects

Buff Cost

Some techniques consume buff stacks:

buffCost: {
  buff: focusBuff,
  amount: 3
}

Success Mechanics

Base Success Chance

Each technique has a success rate:

successChance: 0.8; // 80% base success rate (0.0 to 1.0)

• Value ranges from 0.0 (always fails) to 1.0 (always succeeds)
• Modified by Action Success Chance stat bonus
• Failed techniques still consume resources
• Some risky techniques have rates as low as 0.4 (40%)

Cooldown System

Prevents technique spam:

cooldown: 3; // Cannot use for 3 turns

• Tracked per technique
• Some buffs can reduce cooldowns
• Strategic planning required for technique rotation

Requirements

Condition Requirements

Techniques may require specific recipe conditions:

conditionRequirement: 'positive'; // Only usable when Harmonious

Condition states:

• neutral - Balanced
• positive - Harmonious
• negative - Resistant
• veryPositive - Brilliant
• veryNegative - Corrupted

Buff Requirements

Need specific buffs active:

buffRequirement: {
  buff: concentrationBuff,
  amount: 5
}

Action Restrictions

firstActionOnly

When set to true, the technique can only be used on the first action of a craft (step 0):

firstActionOnly: true; // Can only be used at the start of crafting

This is useful for techniques that provide opening buffs or set up conditions that should not be reapplied mid-craft.

minStability

When set, the technique is only usable while current stability is strictly greater than the specified value:

minStability: 10; // Cannot use if current stability is 10 or less

This allows techniques that depend on having sufficient stability to function properly.

Effect Types

Techniques produce various effects on the crafting process. Effects can also carry an optional condition field (a CraftingTechniqueCondition) to make the effect conditional.

Completion Effect

Advances craft progress:

{
  kind: 'completion',
  amount: { value: 15, stat: 'intensity', upgradeKey: 'completion' },
}

Perfection Effect

Improves item quality:

{
  kind: 'perfection',
  amount: { value: 10, stat: 'control', upgradeKey: 'perfection' },
}

Stability Effect

Restores or reduces current stability (not max):

{
  kind: 'stability',
  amount: { value: 8, stat: undefined } // Positive = restore, negative = reduce
}

Note: This only affects current stability. Your max stability remains unchanged.

Max Stability Effect

Modifies the maximum stability cap:

{
  kind: 'maxStability',
  amount: { value: 2, stat: undefined } // Positive = increase cap, negative = reduce cap
}

Note: This changes your stability ceiling. If max decreases below current, current is reduced to match.

Pool Effect

Restores qi pool:

{
  kind: 'pool',
  amount: { value: 10, stat: undefined, upgradeKey: 'pool' },
}

Create Buff Effect

Grants crafting buffs:

{
  kind: 'createBuff',
  buff: empowerIntensityBuff,
  stacks: { value: 3, stat: undefined }
}

Consume Buff Effect

Removes buff stacks:

{
  kind: 'consumeBuff',
  buff: targetBuff,
  stacks: { value: 2, stat: undefined }
}

Cleanse Toxicity Effect

Reduces accumulated toxicity:

{
  kind: 'cleanseToxicity',
  amount: { value: 5, stat: undefined }
}

The upgradeKey on Scaling

To make an effect upgradeable through the mastery system, set upgradeKey on the effect’s Scaling amount. The key must match the corresponding entry in upgradeMasteries:

const myTechnique: CraftingTechnique = {
  name: 'Focused Fusion',
  // ...
  effects: [
    {
      kind: 'completion',
      amount: { value: 2.0, stat: 'intensity', upgradeKey: 'completion' }, // links to upgradeMasteries['completion']
    },
  ],
  currentCooldown: 0,
  upgradeMasteries: {
    completion: createCompletionUpgradeMap('completion', 'empowered'), // first arg must match upgradeKey
  },
};

Mastery System

Techniques improve through mastery tiers:

Mastery Tiers

Tier value	Display name	Roman numeral
mundane	Mundane	I
qitouched	Qi Touched	II
empowered	Empowered	III
resplendent	Resplendent	IV
incandescent	Incandescent	V
transcendent	Transcendent	VI

Use the tier value (left column) when specifying startRarity arguments in helper functions.

Upgrade Types

The upgradeMasteries field maps upgrade keys to a CraftingTechniqueMasteryRarityMap, defining how the technique improves at each mastery tier. Use the helper functions from the mastery system:

Effect Upgrades

Increase completion/perfection/pool/stability amounts multiplicatively:

upgradeMasteries: {
  completion: createCompletionUpgradeMap('completion', 'empowered'),
  perfection: createPerfectionUpgradeMap('perfection', 'empowered'),
  pool: createPoolUpgradeMap('pool', 'empowered'),
  stability: createStabilityUpgradeMap('stability', 'empowered'),
}

Each function takes (upgradeKey: string, startRarity: Rarity). The upgradeKey must match the upgradeKey on the Scaling object of the effect you want upgraded.

There is also createPowerUpgradeMap(key, rarity, tooltip) for custom effect scaling — it applies the same multiplicative upgrade percentages but accepts a custom tooltip string.

Buff Stack Upgrades

Increase the number of buff stacks granted:

upgradeMasteries: {
  stacks: createStacksUpgradeMap('stacks', 'resplendent', 'Empower Intensity', 2),
}

createStacksUpgradeMap(key, startRarity, buffName, maxChange) — maxChange is the maximum stack change at Transcendent tier.

Cost Reductions

Lower resource consumption (pool cost, stability cost):

upgradeMasteries: {
  poolCost: createCostUpgradeMap('poolCost', 'empowered', 'Qi Pool', -5),
}

createCostUpgradeMap(key, startRarity, costName, maxChange) — costName appears in the mastery tooltip. Use negative maxChange to reduce costs.

Max Amount Increases

Increase the maximum amount of a stepped value:

upgradeMasteries: {
  maxStacks: createMaxIncreaseUpgradeMap('maxStacks', 'resplendent', 3),
}

createMaxIncreaseUpgradeMap(key, startRarity, maxChange) — useful for techniques that cap at a certain amount.

Success Improvements

Success chance is automatically added by the game as a mastery bonus for any technique with successChance < 1. You do not need to define it in upgradeMasteries.

masteryKindPools

By default, the game determines which mastery upgrades are available based on a technique’s effect kinds (completion, perfection, pool, stability, etc.). Setting masteryKindPools overrides this list:

masteryKindPools: ['completion', 'pool'], // Only offer completion and pool mastery upgrades

This is useful when a technique has multiple effect kinds but you only want mastery selection to draw from a subset.