{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/roguelike--family-12","type":"mechanic","id":"roguelike--family-12","lang":"en","title":"Defense and damage prevention","summary":"Defense reduces or prevents incoming damage. The player weighs the expected threat against its cost and other available actions.","updatedAt":"2026-10-21","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/roguelike--family-12/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/roguelike--family-12.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/roguelike--family-12.md","aliases":["Block and defense"],"tags":["Roguelikes and roguelites","Mechanics catalog"],"sourceIds":["source-7f09c8a736762f4f"],"sources":[{"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":"The player reduces threat through dodging, blocking, positioning, and temporary defensive states."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-12-variants\"></a>\n\n- Damage Reducing Armor <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-01\"></a>\n- Armor affecting hit probability <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-02\"></a>\n- Blocking attacks <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-03\"></a>\n- Directional Shield <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-04\"></a>\n- Parry with precise timing <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-05\"></a>\n- Probabilistic Evasion <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-06\"></a>\n- Motion invulnerability frames <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-07\"></a>\n- Brief invulnerability after taking damage <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-08\"></a>\n- Barrier or separate shield reserve <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-09\"></a>\n- Absorb one hit <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-10\"></a>\n- Resistances to certain types of damage <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-11\"></a>\n- Immunity to certain effects <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-12\"></a>\n- Redirect damage to an ally or resource <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-13\"></a>\n- Reflect damage to attacker <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-14\"></a>\n- Covers and breaking the attack line <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-15\"></a>\n- Limit the maximum damage from one hit <a id=\"variant-roguelike-12-16\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A wide author's map of classic turn-based roguelikes, modern roguelites and hybrids. Families describe options for organizing a run, and not mandatory features of the genre. Constant metaprogression is not found in all roguelikes. Related systems can be combined; the list is not a closed standard."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"roguelike","id":"family-12","title":"Roguelikes and roguelites","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/roguelike/#family-12","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-21","title":"Block and defense","description":"Defense reduces or prevents incoming damage. The player weighs the expected threat against its cost and other available actions.","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":"The player’s block and an announced attack","alt":"Slay the Spire: the player has five block and an enemy displays an upcoming attack.","markers":[{"x":19.5,"y":71,"label":"Block will reduce incoming damage"},{"x":70,"y":38,"label":"The announced attack helps estimate the threat"}]},"tips":["Explain what is blocked and when the defense expires.","Reveal the threat early enough to allow a defensive decision."],"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/roguelike"}}