Combat Mechanics & Virtue System

Combat Mechanics & Virtue System

Virtues

Soulframe uses three core stats called Virtues: Courage, Spirit, and Grace.

You start with 16 Virtue points. Each Envoy Rank gained awards one additional point. Each Loadout saves its Virtue distribution independently.

Courage

• Grants the highest Life bonus per point of the three Virtues
• Increases damage with Courage-attuned weapons (Long Blades, Heavy, Polearms, Shields)
• Empowers the first Arcanic of all Pacts
• Best for frontline Pacts: Tethren, Ode Tempest, Mora's Hand

Spirit

• Grants +3 Life per point
• Increases damage with Spirit-attuned weapons (Magick staves)
• Empowers the second Arcanic of all Pacts
• Reduces all Arcanic cooldowns by 1.5% per point of Spirit over 2
• Best for caster/support Pacts: Garren Rood, Oscelda

Grace

• Grants a moderate Life bonus per point
• Increases damage with Grace-attuned weapons (Bows, Flyblades, Short Blades, Rapiers)
• Empowers the third Arcanic of all Pacts
• Reduces detection chance while sneaking
• Weapons with natural Grace attunement gain an additional +0.3 hidden damage per point of Grace (does not apply to Joinery-added attunement)
• Best for agile Pacts: Sirin, Duelo

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Allocating Virtues

Preludes 15: Virtue Lith was removed. Adjust Courage / Spirit / Grace free per loadout in Arsenal → Virtues — no consumable. See Virtues explained.

Historical: Virtue Prisms (14.5) and Virtue Lith sliders are not used in Preludes 15.

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Weapon Attunement

Every weapon has Virtue Attunement Pips (small dots) that determine which Virtue provides bonus damage.

Damage formula: Attunement Bonus = Courage × (Courage Pips ÷ 2) + Spirit × (Spirit Pips ÷ 2) + Grace × (Grace Pips ÷ 2)

Key rules:

• Maximum 5 Pips per Virtue (gold border = full)
• Each weapon has a cap on total Attunement bonus damage
• Weapons with natural Grace attunement gain +0.3 bonus damage per Grace point (Joinery-added attunement does not grant this bonus, nor does it bypass the 5 Pip limit)
• Virtue Requirement: if your Virtue value is below the weapon's requirement, you receive no Attunement bonus
• Starter weapons (Wulder, Thistle, Gwylen) have no requirement

Reforging with a Joinery: At the Nightfold Reforge menu, use a Joinery to add an extra Attunement Pip to a weapon. This increases scaling from that Virtue. Note: reforging again replaces the previous bonus.

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Combat

Light attack combos

Tap the attack key to chain hits. Each weapon type has a unique combo length and rhythm:

• Long Blades: 4-hit combo
• Heavy: slower 3-hit combo, higher stagger
• Short Blades: fast multi-hit
• Bows: switch between melee and ranged
• Rapiers: fast thrusts, high precision required

Heavy attack and throwing

Hold the attack key to charge. Heavy attacks break guard and deal bonus stagger damage.

Weapon throw: a charged heavy attack throws your weapon. Headshots can one-shot standard enemies. The Combat Art "Perfect Throw" enhances this.

Finishers

When an enemy is below the execution threshold, a Finisher prompt appears — a short cinematic attack that varies by weapon type. Finishers are not just flair: some Pact passives (for example Fellust) grant a brief damage buff immediately after a Finisher.

Stealth

You can sneak behind unaware enemies for bonus damage. Grace investment lowers detection range. Stealth is useful in camps with multiple Sinecure soldiers before you pull the whole group.

Weapon rank and Combat Arts

Weapons level to Rank 30 through use. Every six levels grant one Combat Art point for that weapon's archetype (Bows, Long Blades, etc.). Open the bookshelf in your Nightfold to allocate or reset perks. This is separate from Virtue points — plan both.

Parry and Riposte

Press block the instant an enemy attack lands. On success:

• Fully negates that hit's damage
• Briefly staggers the enemy
• Opens a Riposte window
• Builds Pact energy faster

Parry timing varies by enemy. Practice on Sproutfolk first.

Dodge and Spectre Strike

Tap dodge to roll. Invincibility frames (i-frames) are active throughout the roll.

• Costs stamina
• Roll through attacks, not away — i-frames protect you mid-roll
• A perfect dodge triggers Spectre Strike
• Some Boss attacks must be dodged, not parried (ground slams, AoE attacks)

Spectral Sight

Hold E to activate. Reveals:

• Hidden paths and interactable objects
• Mote locations
• Hidden chests in dungeons
• Enables Smiting enemies

Aerial combat

Jump then attack to perform an aerial strike. Flyblades and Short Blades excel in the air. Aerial attacks can hit weak points on large enemies.

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Pact ability systems

Combat Arts (passive)

Passive effects from your Pact's progression tree:

• Virtue bonuses
• Stagger resistance
• Faster Arcanic charge
• Enhanced Smite effects

Unlocked by levelling a weapon to 30. Allocate and reset points at the bookshelf in your Nightfold.

Arcanics (active)

Active skills with cooldowns. Consume Pact energy built through combat (blocking and kills charge it fastest).

Each Pact has three Arcanics, enhanced by different Virtues:

• First Arcanic → scaled by Courage
• Second Arcanic → scaled by Spirit
• Third Arcanic → scaled by Grace

Spirit also reduces all Arcanic cooldowns.

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Enemy types

| Enemy | Notes | Strategy | |-------|-------|----------| | Sproutfolk | Low-health plant creatures | Best targets for parry practice | | Sinecure melee | Ode'n mercenaries | Parry then riposte | | Sinecure archers | Ranged attackers | Dodge in, aerial attack | | Ode'n Knights | Heavy armour, shield | Heavy attack to break guard | | Agari world bosses | Varied, 30-min respawn | Learn attack patterns, parry or dodge accordingly |

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Boss fights (shared rules)

For Smite / glowing souls, stagger windows, grey armour bars, Mockery updates, Cogah level-50 scaling, and 4-player scaling, see the dedicated Boss mechanics hub — then open a specific boss page or Torment Stag.

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Life Elixirs (Preludes 15)

Life Elixirs heal a percentage of max Life, then apply heal-over-time (HoT) until you are full. Taking damage stops the HoT — reposition before drinking in boss AoE. Drinking another elixir during HoT can speed the remaining heal (official patch).

• Carry cap still limited (often 5); Physic Pact Art can raise it — see Pact Arts P15.
• World drop rate was reduced in P15 (especially in Cogah) — farm chests and Collector Crates instead.

Full guide: Life Elixirs.

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Cogah & party scaling (Preludes 15)

With The Cogah Elixir active, spawned enemies start at level 50 and scale with party size — same philosophy as boss co-op (more players = tougher, not a free carry). Plan pots and Virtue gear before long bell chains; see Elite hunting.

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Key tips

• Parrying is king — the fastest way to build Pact energy
• Match your Virtue to your weapon — check attunement before investing points
• Roll through attacks — i-frames cover the full roll
• Heavy attacks break guards — use them when enemies block
• Use Spectral Sight in every new area — reveals hidden content
• Throw weapons at heads — charged throws can one-shot standard enemies
• Respec freely — adjust Courage / Spirit / Grace per loadout in Arsenal (no Virtue Lith in Preludes 15)