How It Works

How It Works

The Heart Sacrifice Mechanic

When you activate a buff you are permanently spending hearts for the duration of that buff plus a recovery window. Here is the exact timeline:

Activate buff
     │
     ▼
You take damage equal to the heart cost.
Your maximum health drops by the same amount.
(Natural regen cannot exceed the reduced max.)
     │
     ▼  ◄── Buff is active (effect running)
     │
Buff duration ends
     │
     ▼  ◄── 10-minute cooldown begins
     │       (max health still reduced, buff effect gone)
     │
10 minutes pass
     │
     ▼
Max health restored to normal.
Natural regen fills the missing hearts back.

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Example

• You have 10 hearts (20 hp)
• You activate Bloodlust — cost 2 hearts, duration 8 minutes
• Immediately: you take 4 damage, your max health drops to 8 hearts
• For 8 minutes: +25% melee damage, max health stuck at 8
• After 8 minutes: Bloodlust ends. Cooldown starts. Still at 8-heart max.
• After 10 more minutes: max health returns to 10, regen kicks in

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Stacking Multiple Buffs

You can activate several buffs at once. Costs accumulate:

• Bloodlust (2♥) + Iron Blood (3♥) = 5 hearts lost, both effects active
• Each buff has its own independent timer and 10-min cooldown
• As each one expires and finishes its cooldown, that portion of your max health is restored

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Safety Limit

You cannot activate a buff that would kill you. The button is greyed out if your current health is less than or equal to the heart cost. You always survive with at least 1 hp.