{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/deck-building--family-effects","type":"mechanic","id":"deck-building--family-effects","lang":"en","title":"Effects and combat subsystems","summary":"A played card changes combat through damage, defense or status effects. Combining consequences creates tactical choices.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/deck-building--family-effects/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-effects.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-effects.md","aliases":["Card effects"],"tags":["Deck building","Systems and context"],"sourceIds":["source-620455367d668266","source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"id":"source-620455367d668266","title":"Monster Train · developer description","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1102190/Monster_Train/","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-7f09c8a736762f4f","title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"These mechanics are found in card games in general; in deck builder they create tasks for the build."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-effects-variants\"></a>\n\n- Damage / healing. Rule: Cards change the target's health immediately; Accessible purposes, price and reusability are important. <a id=\"variant-effects-01\"></a>\n- Block / prevention. Rule: Cards create block, barriers, dodge, or cancel events; The duration of the protection affects the required rate of recruitment. <a id=\"variant-effects-02\"></a>\n- Multi-hit / area effect. Rule: One play affects multiple times or multiple targets, otherwise interacting with buffs and defenses. <a id=\"variant-effects-03\"></a>\n- Damage over time. Rule: Poison, burn, bleeding and similar conditions carry over some of the result to future turns; accumulation rules vary. <a id=\"variant-effects-04\"></a>\n- Buff / debuff. Rule: Cards change damage, defense, cost, vulnerability, accuracy, or other parameters for future actions. <a id=\"variant-effects-05\"></a>\n- Combat scaling. Rule: The player accumulates power, defense, charges or multipliers, increasing the effectiveness of subsequent plays. <a id=\"variant-effects-06\"></a>\n- Control / counter. Rule: Stuns, slows, bans and cancel effects change the actions available to the enemy. <a id=\"variant-effects-07\"></a>\n- Movement / targeting. Rule: Cards change position, line of attack, target availability, or redirect impact. <a id=\"variant-effects-08\"></a>\n- Self-damage / sacrifice. Rule: Health and own objects serve as fuel for a stronger effect. <a id=\"variant-effects-09\"></a>\n- Random / push-your-luck. Rule: The player accepts an uncertain result or continues drawing and playing with an increasing risk of losing the benefit. <a id=\"variant-effects-10\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Design taxonomy of basic rules and options, including card operations and external systems. The number of entries is not a generally accepted classification of independent mechanics."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"deck-building","id":"family-effects","title":"Deck building","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/deck-building/#family-effects","categoryIds":["section-3"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Card effects","description":"A played card changes combat through damage, defense or status effects. Combining consequences creates tactical choices.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Slay the Spire","sourceUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/","originalUrl":"https://www.megacrit.com/images/ss8.jpg","credit":"Mega Crit","rights":"© Mega Crit. All rights reserved.","caption":"An action and its targets","alt":"Slay the Spire: effect text on a selected card and several enemies with health and status indicators.","markers":[{"x":51,"y":87,"label":"The consequences of playing the card"},{"x":70,"y":72,"label":"The target state affected by the card"}]},"tips":["Specify targets and the order of multiple effects.","Confirm each meaningful result on the affected target."],"examples":[{"title":"Slay the Spire","url":"https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/deck-building"}}