Status: Accepted
Date: 2026-05-25
Context#
The Hunter cell depends on preparation, investigation, alchemy, signs, and knowledge. A pure damage-sponge model would miss the monster-hunter promise.
Decision#
V5 treats bestiary knowledge as a combat multiplier. Identifying a monster, learning vulnerabilities, preparing oils, and selecting signs materially increase damage and survivability.
Consequences#
- Monster contracts must provide discovery paths before combat payoff.
- Combat tuning must account for unprepared and prepared player states.
- Bestiary progression is gameplay-critical, not flavor-only codex text.