Monster Hunt Contracts - Creature Modifiers and Abilities

MONSTER HUNT CONTRACTS — MODIFIERS AND SPECIAL ABILITIES

V3.5.5 | 48 static modifiers | 37 ability IDs

READING THE VALUES

HP: Maximum creature vitality or essence. Healing amounts are fractions of maximum HP.

Power: Percentage adjustment to attack and spell power; not a promise of the same percentage change to final damage.

Armour: Percentage change to the creature’s existing armour value.

pp: Percentage points of resistance. +8 pp nominally moves 20% resistance to 28%, subject to the resistance safeguards below.

Threshold: A trigger condition, not a random activation chance.

Positive and negative properties belong to the same modifier and apply together. An ability is available only to its supported creatures and legal contract combinations.

STATIC MODIFIERS

Hulking

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It survived wound after wound; its blows struck a little harder.”
  Spectral: “Its form endured wound after wound; its blows struck a little harder.”
  Construct: “It stood through blow after blow; its blows struck a little harder.”

Exact properties:
  HP +25%; Power +5%.

Savage

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Its blows struck with savage force.”

Exact properties:
  Power +18%.

Glass-fanged

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It was exceptionally frail once wounded; its blows struck with devastating force.”
  Spectral: “Its form was exceptionally frail; its blows struck with devastating force.”
  Construct: “Its body was exceptionally brittle; its blows struck with devastating force.”

Exact properties:
  HP −20%; Power +25%.

Tenacious

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Even a long assault barely felled it; its blows struck with little force.”
  Spectral: “Even a long assault barely dispersed it; its blows struck with little force.”
  Construct: “Even a long battering barely felled it; its blows struck with little force.”

Exact properties:
  HP +30%; Power −10%.

Thick-skinned

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Even heavy blade cuts met strong resistance.”

Exact properties:
  Physical resistance +8 pp.

Carapaced

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Heavy blades struggled with its thick outer plates.”

Exact properties:
  Armour +20%.

Emberproof

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Flames did far less harm than expected.”

Exact properties:
  Fire resistance +20 pp.

Venomproof

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Even strong poisons did little harm.”

Exact properties:
  Poison resistance +25 pp.

Clotting

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Even deep cuts lost little blood.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Even deep cuts lost little sap.”

Exact properties:
  Bleeding resistance +25 pp.

Ancient

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It survived wound after wound; its blows struck with unusual force.”
  Spectral: “Its form endured wound after wound; its blows struck with unusual force.”
  Construct: “It stood through blow after blow; its blows struck with unusual force.”

Exact properties:
  HP +25%; Power +8%.

Scarred Carapace

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Once wounded, it weakened quickly; heavy blades struggled with its thick outer plates.”

Exact properties:
  HP −15%; Armour +20%.

Cinder-hardened

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Once wounded, it soon weakened; flames struggled to harm it.”

Exact properties:
  HP −10%; Fire resistance +15 pp.

Iron-sinewed

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Its blows struck with little force; blades struggled to cut through it.”

Exact properties:
  Power −10%; Physical resistance +6 pp.

Blood-starved

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Once wounded, it weakened quickly; its blows struck with crushing force; its cuts bled less freely.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Once wounded, it weakened quickly; its blows struck with crushing force; its wounds lost little sap.”

Exact properties:
  HP −15%; Power +15%; Bleeding resistance +15 pp.

Tinder-hide

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It survived a long, punishing assault; flames harmed it with unusual ease.”

Exact properties:
  HP +20%; Fire resistance −15 pp.

Split-hide

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Its blows struck with great force; blades cut through it with unusual ease.”

Exact properties:
  Power +12%; Physical resistance −6 pp.

Thin-blooded

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Its blows struck with great force; its wounds bled profusely.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Its blows struck with great force; its wounds leaked sap profusely.”

Exact properties:
  Power +12%; Bleeding resistance −20 pp.

Venom-sensitive

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “It survived a long, punishing assault; poison harmed it with unusual ease.”

Exact properties:
  HP +20%; Poison resistance −20 pp.

Weathered Hide

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Blades struggled to cut through it; flames harmed it with unusual ease.”

Exact properties:
  Physical resistance +6 pp; Fire resistance −15 pp.

Fevered

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Its blows struck with crushing force; poison harmed it more readily.”

Exact properties:
  Power +15%; Poison resistance −15 pp.

Blood-rich

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “It kept fighting through repeated wounds; its wounds bled profusely.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It kept fighting through repeated wounds; its wounds leaked sap profusely.”

Exact properties:
  HP +15%; Bleeding resistance −20 pp.

Ash-veined

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Flames struggled to harm it; its cuts bled freely.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Flames struggled to harm it; sap flowed freely from its cuts.”

Exact properties:
  Fire resistance +15 pp; Bleeding resistance −15 pp.

Venom-fed

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Poison struggled to harm it; its cuts bled freely.”
  Woodland / bark: “Poison struggled to harm it; sap flowed freely from its cuts.”

Exact properties:
  Poison resistance +20 pp; Bleeding resistance −15 pp.

Stone-skinned

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Blades scraped against its hard outer plates; flames harmed it more readily.”

Exact properties:
  Armour +15%; Fire resistance −10 pp.

Ironbound

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Its blows struck with little force; heavy blades struggled with its thick outer plates.”

Exact properties:
  Power −10%; Armour +20%.

Cold-blooded

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Its blows struck with unusual force; flames harmed it with unusual ease.”

Exact properties:
  Power +8%; Fire resistance −15 pp.

Restless

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Once wounded, it soon weakened; its blows struck with marked force.”
  Spectral: “Once wounded, its form soon dispersed; its blows struck with marked force.”
  Construct: “Once cracked, it soon collapsed; its blows struck with marked force.”

Exact properties:
  HP −10%; Power +10%.

Hardy

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It kept fighting through repeated wounds.”
  Spectral: “Its form held through repeated strikes.”
  Construct: “It endured repeated heavy blows.”

Exact properties:
  HP +15%.

Half-healed

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Once wounded, it weakened quickly.”
  Spectral: “Its torn form unravelled quickly.”
  Construct: “Its cracked body broke quickly.”

Exact properties:
  HP −15%; Unmarked contracts only.

Scab-armoured

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Blades scraped against its hard outer plates; its cuts bled freely.”

Exact properties:
  Armour +15%; Bleeding resistance −15 pp.

Toxic-blooded

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Its blows struck with unusual force; poison did a little less harm.”

Exact properties:
  Power +8%; Poison resistance +15 pp.

Thick-blooded

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “It endured a few extra wounds; its cuts bled less freely.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It endured a few extra wounds; its wounds lost little sap.”

Exact properties:
  HP +10%; Bleeding resistance +15 pp.

Smouldering

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Its blows struck with little force; flames did far less harm than expected.”

Exact properties:
  Power −10%; Fire resistance +20 pp.

Leathery

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Blades struggled to cut through it; its cuts bled freely.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Blades struggled to cut through it; sap flowed freely from its cuts.”

Exact properties:
  Physical resistance +6 pp; Bleeding resistance −15 pp.

Iron-gutted

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “It endured a few extra wounds; poison did a little less harm.”

Exact properties:
  HP +10%; Poison resistance +15 pp.

Frenzied

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Its blows struck with tremendous force; blades cut through it with unusual ease.”

Exact properties:
  Power +20%; Physical resistance −6 pp.

Dense Form

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It endured a few extra wounds; its blows struck a little less hard; it slightly dulled the bite of blades.”
  Spectral: “Its form endured a few extra strikes; its blows struck a little less hard; it slightly dulled the bite of blades.”
  Construct: “It withstood a few extra blows; its blows struck a little less hard; it slightly dulled the bite of blades.”

Exact properties:
  HP +10%; Power −5%; Physical resistance +2 pp.

Lean Killer

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Once wounded, it weakened quickly; its blows struck with unusual force; blades cut less deeply than expected.”
  Spectral: “Its torn form unravelled quickly; its blows struck with unusual force; blades cut less deeply than expected.”
  Construct: “Its cracked body broke quickly; its blows struck with unusual force; blades cut less deeply than expected.”

Exact properties:
  HP −15%; Power +8%; Physical resistance +3 pp.

Ember Veil

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Blades found gaps and cut more deeply; flames struggled to harm it.”

Exact properties:
  Physical resistance −3 pp; Fire resistance +15 pp.

Sootbound

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Flames struggled to harm it; poison harmed it more readily.”

Exact properties:
  Fire resistance +15 pp; Poison resistance −15 pp.

Sealed Wounds

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Flames harmed it more readily; its cuts bled less freely.”
  Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Flames harmed it more readily; its wounds lost little sap.”

Exact properties:
  Fire resistance −10 pp; Bleeding resistance +15 pp.

Caustic Constitution

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Flames harmed it more readily; poison did a little less harm.”

Exact properties:
  Fire resistance −10 pp; Poison resistance +15 pp.

Exposed Seams

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “It endured a few extra wounds; its blows struck a little harder; blades found gaps and cut more deeply.”

Exact properties:
  HP +10%; Power +5%; Physical resistance −3 pp.

Unstable Form

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Once wounded, it soon weakened; its blows struck with unusual force; flames did a little less harm.”

Exact properties:
  HP −10%; Power +8%; Fire resistance +10 pp.


FIRE & ADAPTATION - ADDITIONAL MODIFIERS

85. Sodden Hide
Reported Signs: "Flames hissed on its soaked hide and would not take hold; blades cut its sodden flesh easily."
Exact properties: Burning ward +30 pp; physical resistance -3 pp.
Available to suitable wet-bodied creatures: drowners, drowned dead, water hags,
foglets, arachnomorphs, sirens and kikimore workers/warriors, subject to profile rules.

86. Tinder-Dry
Description: Better protection against blades, but more readily set alight.
Exact properties: Burning ward -25 pp; physical resistance +4 pp.
Species filter: werewolves, ulfhedinn, fiends, chorts, griffins, archgriffins,
cockatrices, harpies, ekhidnae, sirens, fleders and garkains; legal combinations only.

87. Fire-Scarred
Description: Old burns resist fresh flames, but the creature has less health.
Exact properties: Burning ward +20 pp; fire resistance +10 pp; HP -10%.
Eligible flesh-and-blood bodies that support fire-resistance modifiers.

88. Green Sap
Description: Damp plant tissue resists ignition but strikes with less force.
Exact properties: Burning ward +25 pp; Power -5%.
Species filter: leshens, ancient leshens, spriggans and archespores.


SPECIAL ABILITIES

A qualifying outgoing melee hit must cause actual HP loss. Dodged, parried, damage-over-time, or fully absorbed attacks do not qualify for these melee-triggered bonuses. Wound thresholds use the creature’s maximum HP. Healing reserves and finite attempts belong to the accepted encounter and are not renewed by retreat or authorised body replacement.

Mending Flesh

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “In a lull, its wounds began to close. Fresh wounds stopped the mending, and it could only heal so much.”
  Spectral: “In a lull, its torn form drew together. Fresh strikes stopped that recovery, and it could only reform so much.”
  Construct: “Cracks closed during a lull. Fresh blows stopped the repair, and it could only mend so much.”
  Woodland / bark: “Splintered bark mended during a lull. Fresh wounds stopped it, and it could only mend so much.”
  Archespore: “Its torn stalk mended during a lull. Fresh wounds stopped it, and it could only mend so much.”

Mechanics and limits:
  First 1% recovery pulse after 4 quiet seconds plus a full 2-second interval; subsequent pulses every 2 seconds. New injury resets recovery. Total 8%.

Death Throes

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Near death it struck harder for a short time, then weakened. It could rally only once.”

Mechanics and limits:
  At 30% health: +12% power for 6 seconds, then -6% for 5 seconds; once per contract.

Fractured Shell

Reported Signs:
  All eligible creatures: “Its shell resisted blades. Breaking the shell left it easier to cut for the rest of the fight.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Physical resistance +6 pp initially. At 60% HP or below, permanently changes to −6 pp. Healing does not rebuild the shell.

Blood-Drinker

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Wounding a foe mended a few of its own wounds. It needed time between feedings and could only heal so much.”

Mechanics and limits:
  A resolved damaging melee hit permits 1% healing; 8-second cooldown; 6% total. Native leech is not an alternate admission.

Venomous Wounds

Reported Signs:
  All eligible creatures: “A wound from it carried a brief sickness. It needed time before it could poison again.”

Mechanics and limits:
  A qualifying damaging melee hit can apply poison for 3 seconds. Raw poison damage is budgeted to at most 25% of that hit’s actual HP damage; this is not 25% of Geralt’s maximum HP. Cooldown: 12 seconds. Does not stack with or refresh existing poison. Native resistance and immunity still apply.

Overexertion

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “It gathered itself, struck fiercely, then weakened. That rhythm repeated during the fight.”

Mechanics and limits:
  3-second combat preparation; +10% power for 6 seconds, then -6% for 4 seconds; repeats.

Patient Stalker

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Left unhurt, it prepared one heavy blow. Fresh wounds or keeping clear spoiled that opening.”

Mechanics and limits:
  5 combat seconds without incoming injury or a connected outgoing hit arm +8% for one qualifying hit / 4-second expiry. Injury/use/expiry lead to 4 seconds at -6%.

Fading Wrath

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “As it took more wounds, its strikes lost force. Mending its wounds did not restore that strength.”
  Spectral: “As its form was torn apart, its blows lost force. Mending its form did not restore that strength.”
  Construct: “As cracks spread through it, its blows lost force. Repairs did not restore that strength.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Starts at +8% power; irreversibly falls to +3% at 70% health, then -6% at 35%. Healing cannot restore earlier stages.

Pain-Roused

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “A deep wound provoked brief fury, followed by weak blows. It needed time before another such fit.”

Mechanics and limits:
  An observed resolved health loss of at least 1.5% triggers +12% power for 4 seconds, then -6% for 4; 16-second cooldown from trigger. A periodic health sample can also detect otherwise unreported loss.

Hardening Hide

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Repeated wounds briefly hardened its hide against blades. A lull let that extra protection fade.”
  Spectral: “Fresh strikes briefly made its form harder to cut. A lull let that resistance fade.”
  Construct: “Repeated blows briefly hardened its shell against blades. A lull let that extra protection fade.”
  Woodland / bark: “Repeated wounds briefly hardened its bark against blades. A lull let that extra protection fade.”
  Archespore: “Repeated wounds briefly hardened its stalk against blades. A lull let that extra protection fade.”

Mechanics and limits:
  An observed/resolved wound >=0.75% maximum health adds one +2-point physical guard step, up to two (+4). Incoming-step cooldown 0.35s; after 2.5s without another qualifying wound, or leaving combat, the steps clear.

Second Wind

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “When badly hurt, it mended briefly. A fresh wound cut that rally short, and it never returned.”
  Spectral: “When badly torn, its form briefly drew together. A fresh strike stopped that rally, and it never returned.”
  Construct: “When badly cracked, it briefly repaired itself. A fresh blow stopped that rally, and it never returned.”
  Woodland / bark: “When badly splintered, its bark briefly mended. A fresh wound stopped that rally, and it never returned.”
  Archespore: “When badly torn, its stalk briefly mended. A fresh wound stopped that rally, and it never returned.”

Mechanics and limits:
  First crossing 45% health starts one 4-second rally: at most 1% per half-second pulse, 6% total. Any later resolved injury or leaving combat ends it permanently. Native pulse sampling does not infer damage from raw attack declarations.

Relentless

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Each landed blow fed its fury. Denying it another hit soon broke the rush.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Each qualifying damaging melee hit adds +3% power, maximum +9%. Four seconds without another connected hit or leaving combat reset the streak.

Wearying Blows

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Landed blows could leave a foe winded. Such blows were well spaced, and it could only sap so much strength.”

Mechanics and limits:
  A qualifying damaging melee hit may remove the smallest of 6% native maximum stamina, 10% current stamina, the amount above a 20%-of-maximum floor, and the remaining normalized encounter allowance. Ten-second cooldown, five attempts, 30% encounter allowance. No regeneration delay is added.

Last Stand

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “Near death it briefly resisted blades, then became easier to cut. That final brace happened only once.”

Mechanics and limits:
  First observed health <=25% triggers +4 physical points for 5s, then -3 for 6s, then the reserve is permanently spent for that contract. Healing/rebinding cannot rearm it.

Opening Fury

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Its first rush carried fierce blows, then weaker ones. That opening fury never returned.”

Mechanics and limits:
  First active combat starts +10% power for 5 seconds, then -6% for 5 seconds. The spent phase survives retreat, reload and authorized actor replacement.

Counterstroke

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “A solid wound readied one fierce reply. Dodging that reply spoiled it and left its attacks weak for a time.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Observed health loss of at least 1% arms +10% power for one qualifying melee hit / 4-second expiry; then 4 seconds at -6%. Cooldown 12 seconds from arming.

Bracing

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “It briefly resisted blades, then became easier to cut. This guarding rhythm repeated through the fight.”

Mechanics and limits:
  3 active combat seconds prepare +4 physical points for 3s, then -3 for 4s. Repeats. Leaving combat during the brace begins recovery rather than banking protection.

Overreach

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “It readied a heavy blow, then struck weakly and became easier to cut. Keeping clear exposed it too.”

Mechanics and limits:
  4 active combat seconds and an available 12s cooldown arm +12% power for one qualifying connected melee HP-loss hit, or a 4s expiry. Use, expiry or retreat leads to 4s at -6% power and -4 physical points. Cooldown begins on arming.

Harrying Strikes

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “A landed blow briefly hardened its guard, then left it easier to cut. It could muster only a few such rushes.”

Mechanics and limits:
  A qualifying damaging melee hit grants +3 pp Physical resistance for 2 seconds, then −2 pp for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 9 seconds. Lifetime limit: 5 attempts.

Feral Frenzy

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “When badly hurt, landed blows fed its fury. Denying it a follow-up broke the rush; its strength was limited.”

Mechanics and limits:
  While at 60% HP or below, qualifying damaging melee hits build +5%, then +10% Power. Trigger cooldown: 1 second. Lifetime limit: 6 opportunities, including hits maintaining maximum momentum. Three seconds without a follow-up, or retreat, clears momentum.

Reactive Guard

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “A solid wound briefly hardened its guard, then left it easier to cut. The guard needed time to return.”
  Woodland / bark: “A solid wound briefly hardened its bark, then left it easier to cut. The guard needed time to return.”

Mechanics and limits:
  An observed/resolved wound >=1% maximum health triggers +3 physical points for 2s, then -2 for 3s. Cooldown 10s from trigger. Retreat ends the guard and starts recovery. Mist Form is a spectral wording alias, not invisibility or untargetability.

Moulting Carapace

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Breaking its shell exposed it. It could regain a weaker guard once; deep wounds stripped that guard for good.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Physical resistance +4 pp initially. At 72% HP or below: −3 pp for 4 seconds, then weaker regrowth at +2 pp. At 35% HP or below: −4 pp for 5 seconds, then neutral. Large wounds can skip regrowth. Healing does not reverse the injury stages.

Fracturing Core

Reported Signs:
  Construct: “Its shell resisted early blows. As it cracked, that guard weakened and its strikes grew fiercer for good.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Initially +4 pp Physical resistance and −4% Power. At 65% HP or below: +2 pp and +2% Power. At 30% HP or below: 0 pp and +8% Power. Healing cannot reverse the stages. Current offered combinations contain one or two abilities, not a three-ability Core loadout.

Crimson Frenzy

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “Drawing blood mended a few wounds and brought brief fury, then weak blows. It could feed this way only a few times.”

Mechanics and limits:
  A qualifying damaging melee hit permits up to 1% maximum-HP healing and +8% Power for 4 seconds, followed by −5% Power for 4 seconds. Cooldown: 12 seconds. Lifetime limits: 4 attempts and 4% total healing. Native background healing is not a feeding trigger.

Beast Within

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “When badly hurt, it mended once, then flew into brief fury and weakened. A fresh wound cut the mending short.”

Mechanics and limits:
  First reaching 40% HP or below starts up to 3 seconds of recovery. Each attempted pulse heals at most 1% maximum HP, at least 0.5 seconds apart, with a 4% total cap. Then +10% Power for 4 seconds, followed by −6% for 5 seconds. Fresh injury or retreat ends recovery early. Once per contract.

Unnerving Strike

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “After gathering itself, a blow could sap a foe's battle fury. Keeping clear spoiled the chance; it could not do this often.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Four active combat seconds prepare a four-second opportunity. The first qualifying damaging melee hit during it may remove the smallest of 5% native maximum focus/adrenaline, 10% current focus, the amount above a 20% maximum floor, and the remaining encounter allowance. Four attempts, 20% encounter allowance; 14-second cooldown starts on arming. Use, expiry or retreat releases the opportunity. Shared next-hit ownership applies.

Rising Pressure

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Spectral, Construct, Woodland / bark, Archespore: “Its blows grew fiercer as the fight dragged on. Fresh wounds checked that growing strength.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Every 3 active combat seconds adds +3% power, capped +9%. A resolved health loss of at least 1% removes one step and resets the build timer. Leaving combat clears buildup.

Shifting Guard

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “It alternated between guarded, weaker blows and harder blows that left it easier to cut.”

Mechanics and limits:
  After first combat engagement, alternates every 4s: +3 physical points / -4% power, then -3 physical points / +8% power. The rhythm continues through ordinary retreat and persists through save/rebind; effects themselves require active combat.

Breakable Resolve

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood, Woodland / bark: “It began well guarded. Steady blows broke that guard, leaving a brief opening before it fought normally.”

Mechanics and limits:
  Starts combat with +4 physical points. Three meaningful wounds >=0.5% maximum health, spaced by at least 0.35s, break it; at most 8 accumulated active combat seconds also force the break. It then gives -4 physical points for 6s before becoming permanently spent. Partial hit count and active time cannot be reset by retreat/reload.

Conserved Vitality

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “It recovered a little when badly hurt, and once more near death. Each rally could happen only once.”
  Spectral: “Its torn form drew together a little when badly hurt, and once more near death. Each rally happened only once.”
  Construct: “It repaired a little when badly cracked, and once more near collapse. Each repair happened only once.”
  Woodland / bark: “Its bark mended a little when badly damaged, and once more near death. Each rally happened only once.”
  Archespore: “Its torn stalk mended a little when badly hurt, and once more near death. Each rally happened only once.”

Mechanics and limits:
  At 65% health unlock a 3% allowance; at 30% unlock the second 3% allowance. Small 1% / half-second combat pulses share a saved 6% lifetime budget. Crossing both at once unlocks the same combined 6%, never more.

Felling Instinct

Reported Signs:
  Flesh-and-blood: “It readied one fierce blow against a badly wounded foe. Keeping clear or recovering health spoiled the chance.”

Mechanics and limits:
  At player health <=25%, arm one +8% qualifying melee opportunity for up to 3 seconds. Cooldown 18 seconds; player recovery to >=40% is required before another arming. Recovery also clears an unspent window. No execute or added fixed-health damage.


FIRE & ADAPTATION - ADDITIONAL ABILITIES

70. Shifting Hide / Shifting Bark
Reported Signs: Its hide or bark shifts between protection from blades and
protection from fire, leaving an opening against the other.
Mechanics: Alternates every 12 active combat seconds.
Guarded: physical resistance +6 pp; fire resistance -10 pp; burning ward -15 pp.
Smouldering: physical resistance -6 pp; fire resistance +15 pp; burning ward +25 pp.
Only species supporting both relevant resistance channels and legal profiles.

71. Adaptive Hide / Answering Bark
Reported Signs: Repeated blade blows toughen its hide; repeated signs, bombs
or bolts instead provoke resistance to fire.
Mechanics: Three qualifying melee hits within 6 seconds grant physical
resistance +6 pp for 6 seconds. Two qualifying sign, bomb or bolt hits within
6 seconds instead grant fire resistance +15 pp and burning ward +30 pp for
6 seconds. Either response is followed by a 6-second lockout.
Damage over time and unclassified hits do not build the response.

93. Ember Brand
Reported Signs: "Its blows left searing brands: anyone it struck caught fire for a moment. It needed time before its touch burned again."
Mechanics: A qualifying landed melee hit attempts 2 seconds of burning on
Geralt. 12-second cooldown when attempted. Does not stack with or refresh an
existing burn; native effect resistance and handling still apply.
Fire elementals only.

94. Smothering Instinct
Reported Signs: "Set alight, it soon snuffed out the flames. It could not do so again straight away."
Mechanics: Roughly 1.5 seconds of sampled sustained-burning preparation,
then an extinguish request. 14-second ability cooldown. The general burning
controller also applies its ignition lockout. Sampling can delay the response.
Eligible grounded flesh-and-blood bodies; excluded from flying species.

95. Ash-Scarred / Charred Bark
Reported Signs: Each burning makes the next fire take less hold; time away
from combat allows that protection to fade.
Mechanics: Each new burning episode during combat adds +20 pp burning ward,
to +60 pp. Resets after 30 seconds outside combat.
Eligible flesh-and-blood and woodland bodies, subject to defence restrictions.

96. Embered Wrath / Kindled Sap
Reported Signs: When its flames die, it briefly lashes out with fresh fury.
Mechanics: Burning ending during combat grants Power +10% for 6 seconds.
15-second cooldown from triggering. Eligible flesh-and-blood and woodland bodies.

GENERAL FIRE BALANCE

Automatic Standard balance is active. There is NO fire setting in the mod menu.
This concerns bound MHC contract creatures, not every ordinary world enemy.

Standard tier burning-ward additions:
Unmarked: +15 pp | Dangerous: +25 pp | Legendary: +35 pp.
These are resistance additions, not guaranteed percentage reductions in the
final chance to ignite. Natural fire weakness halves the general ward;
armour/physical-defended profiles halve it again. Profile fire resistance
also influences the ward. Species immunity is retained.

Fire resistance reduces fire damage. Burning ward concerns catching fire.
The general layer leaves direct fire-hit damage unchanged. Individual fire
resistance modifiers still affect damage normally. Percentage-health burning
is adjusted for MHC health modifiers; the native flat component is unchanged.

Moving 20-second burning-window targets:
Unmarked: 7 seconds | Dangerous: 6 seconds | Legendary: 5 seconds.
Reaching the budget requests extinguishing and a minimum 6-second ignition
lockout. Reopening also requires sufficient recovered burning budget.
These are controller targets: native extinguishing tails and sampled updates
can exceed them, so they are not guaranteed frame-perfect limits.

Trait burning wards combine with the general ward and temporary ability wards.
General ward is clamped to 0..60 pp; static combined ward to -25..60 pp;
live combined ward to -25..85 pp. Temporary ignition lockouts are separate.
A negative trait ward does not necessarily make the final combined ward negative.
Ordinary wards do not grant permanent immunity. Profile filters restrict
stacked defences and preserve suitable weaknesses. Not every creature can
receive every modifier/ability, and eligibility does not guarantee a posting.

Titles in this guide identify mechanics. In-game Reported Signs use lore-friendly
wording without developer title prefixes; wording can differ by creature body.