Combat System and Strategies

 Combat System: 

Fear & Hunger isn't an easy game; instant death and tricky hazards are commonplace, and caution is a vital trait to have. In order to survive your delve into the Dungeons of Fear & Hunger, it's a good idea to get to know the basics. This section of the wiki will try to explain in detail how encounters work and strategies to minimize the damage your party takes.

 Grinding (or lack thereof): 

First and foremost, is important to realize that there is no EXP. At the start, the only things you gain from killing a generic enemy are loot and the removal of the enemy as a threat in the overworld. Items such as bear traps are recommended to weaken strong enemies, making them easier to avoid on the overworld, or their heads easier to hit.

Later on, there are potential benefits that might outweigh the risks; loot gotten from killing enemies can be used to craft useful items and weapons, and soul stones can harvest souls from enemies (both generic and bosses) for use on the Hexen Table.

 Dismemberment: 

All enemies (including your characters) are composed of body parts (common ones being the head, torso, arms, legs...genitalia...). One can specifically target each part during the fight. Every body part has (only for the enemies) its own health pool, and when it reaches 0, it will either be cut it off, or remain visible but seriously wounded. This is purely an aesthetic difference, because the result is the same: the enemy cannot longer use the body part in battle.

Why is this so important? Well, the main idea is that disabling limbs renders your enemies helpless. If you cut off an arm that was holding a sword, the enemy can NO LONGER attack you in that way. In some cases, you can just lop their head off for a clean death! Aim at its eyes so they can't hit you, or chop a Guard's dick off because that asshole had it coming!

In the same fashion Enemies can usually do unto you as you did unto them...and with the exception of exactly one risky method, there is NO going back. They can break your legs, forcing you to crawl for the rest of the game, cut off your shield-wielding arm, and so on...

There are some enemies that had best be avoided entirely, like the Mumblers or Nightlurches. This is often because they have attack(s) that are particularly devastating. If you encounter them, your best option is often to run away.

It is helpful to keep note that there are a few enemies (such as the Ghoul) that will not die until ALL of their body parts are destroyed, and that can still attack even without head and limbs, however uncommon they may be.

Stay sharp, be careful, avoid combat you think you can't take...and of course, check the Enemies List page to learn more about what are you might face and how avoid the worst.

''' You're gonna miss... '''

Sad but true... despite what was explained above, the game is programmed in such a way that makes it quite hard to hit the vital organs of the enemies. So, even if you know that chopping off a Lizardman's head will instantly kill him...doing so is another story. Instead of aiming at the most obvious weak point, hoping for a lucky strike, make the enemy helpless first! It'll make it easier to deal with! Magic is a valid alternative since it cannot miss! (but it will cost you precious Mind that can easily cause madness (see further below)).

 Coin Flip / Sudden Death: 

A lot of enemies, especially at the beginning of the game, possess certain moves (usually telegraphed by messages during combat) that involve a Coin Flip in which you have to choose Heads or Tails. If you choose poorly, a common result is just a Game Over (whether this is a best or worst case scenario depends on the move); at other times, they'll inflict various kind of status effects, most of which cannot be healed, and are usually hindering enough to end a run.

Either way, the best way to avoid these moves is to preemptively chop off the body part(s) that use them. A good example is chopping off the free hand of a Guard (meat cleaver variant) to stop it from grabbing and pummeling you (although this isn't advised if you haven't chopped off its cleaver hand and stinger yet). There are other strategies still that allow you to avoid these coin flips; some enemies, like the Dark Priests, can be talked to, wasting a turn for both participants. The rest can be found on each enemy's individual page.

 Last Stand (Don't Lower Your Guard!): 

Almost ALL the Enemies in this game can have something called a 'Last Stand'. Basically, upon death, there is a 50% chance for the enemy to do one last action before ending the battle. And there is NOT much you can do about this, if not trying to keep your HP high, or use guard on the more vulnerable member of your party so avoiding the same fate of your foe!

 Fears: 

Though the main hazard in the Dungeon may appear to be the damage the enemy can deal, the fears your character(s) have are equally important to pay attention to. Every character starts the game with a Fear, and the exacting toll the dungeon takes on your mind can net you many more.

Usually, a Fear is linked to a certain type of enemy; for instance, Phasmophobia (the fear of ghosts) will be activated while facing a ghastly foe. Fears often result in reduced damage output and increased damage intake, much like type match ups in other RPGs.

The main problem is that your characters can develop new phobias during the game! One easy way to do that is letting your Mind bar go down too low. Staying too long in dark places and using your skills a lot isn't a good idea, unless you have certain items available to you. Try to keep your Mind high by staying in lighted places, and replenish it by drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco (not advised in real life).

 Status: 

As said above, raw damage is NOT your only problem. A lots of Enemies (especially the small ones) can inflict status debuffs, such as poison and heavy anal bleeding, that remain even after the battle ends. Why is this such a problem? Well, because of the random nature of the game, items in barrels and boxes aren't necessarily going to be what you need; you are not guaranteed to find an antidote while you are poisoned, or a bandage to stop bleeding from a Cave Gnome's gnaw, like above.

Never mind the enemies, the dungeon itself hosts a plethora of status effects! Consuming rotten meat will probably give you parasites, and arrow traps can inflict you with bleeding. Furthermore, some status are impossible to heal, like broken limbs, which caused by certain blunt instruments used by larger enemies or from falling/jumping down holes.

One of the most important debuffs to watch out for is infection, which can kill a player/party member if it is not treated in time. Green herbs (and mixtures containing it) are the only way to cure this debuff without incurring any serious losses. If you don't have green herbs, a bonesaw (found commonly throughout the first few floors of the dungeon) can be used to remove the limb that has the infection. You can also use the item to somehow cut off all your limbs and render yourself a nugget. After this, you can choose to stop breathing, ending your run. Of course, a much less excruciating way to go is to simply return to the title screen through the options menu.

 Kiting:  Put together all what you've read since now and start applying some strategy! Kiting is one of them, and is particularly effective with the first kind of Enemies you'll probably meet: the Guards. They have a beginner-trap move that involves a Coin Flip (see above in this section) that will of course kill you instantly.

Kiting consists of attacking an enemy, inflicting damage or cutting off some of its limbs and immediately running from the battle, only to attack them again.

The damage you have inflicted is still there, but any special move the enemy was preparing for has been reset, giving you more time to deal with them.

 Conclusion: 

Avoiding combat is usually a good idea (you can bypass enemies, flee from the battle etc) also because you wont become stronger after winning battles, not mechanically at least, but you get experience (in real life) and sometimes some quite useful item that's really going to help you in your delve. The moral of the story is : Be sure to choose what to fight and when.