Inventory Items: Relics

I have been struggling with how I might add combat effects to the player's weapon.
The undead can already have combat effects applied with body parts, but the player cannot use Flesh Crafting so we need some other game system.

I've also been unhappy with how few types of inventory items you can collect in the game. Currently you can only use body parts and potions.
With only a few different types of items to collect the procedural inventory item generation becomes very boring and repetitive.

There are also some player inventory item types, but I'll talk about that in a another post.

In the past I have toyed with ideas of adding gemstones to the weapon or even adding crafting system, but these would either take too long to develop or would be too shallow to truly be worthwhile.

I finally hit upon the concept of Relics to solve both issues. Relics are magic objects that the player can loot from chests and fallen enemies just like any other inventory item.
These items will look like statues, gemstones or trinkets and will have combat effects just as Body Parts e.g. Fire, Frost, Disease, etc.

Relics can be equipped only on special slots in the inventory screen. The slot determines how the combat effect is applied.

Player
As the player, you will have two slots to apply relics that will augment your offensive/defensive statistics. This works much the same as body parts work for undead minions.

• Weapon Slot: Chance to apply combat effect to target when using normal weapon attacks. For example, you have a chance to set your target on fire or freeze the target and slow their movement.
• Armour Slot: Increase the chance to resist the combat effect. For example, the player will be less likely to be set afire or frozen.

Abomination
When the abomination is on the battlefield I really want his presence to be dramatic and devastating. For that reason I've really been wanting to add some special abilities to the abomination for some time. These special abilities differ from skills and it turns out relics work perfectly here too.
There are now two new relic slots that appear only for the abomination.

• Impact Slot: When the abomination falls from a height an explosive wave will be emitted when they hit the ground.
• Aura Slot: The abomination will emit a constant aura that effects surrounding enemies.

Abomination Abilities
You open the inventory screen and apply a Relic of Shocking to the Impact slot and a Relic of Death to the Aura slot.

You then charge in to battle a mob of Void denizens and summon your abomination.

Your abomination emerges from a portal at great height and strikes the earth hard, falling to one knee and driving a fist into the ground. A wave of crackling lightning explodes from it's fist and sweeps outward shocking all nearby enemies.
The denizens of the Void now stand convulsing with bolts of electricity surging in and around their bodies unable to defend themselves.

Your abomination stands and charges into the fray raining down powerful blows upon your enemies as a purple mist of death emanates from somewhere within. The death aura weakens anyone within a few meters of where you abomination stands. Weakened and closer to death under the effect of the aura your enemies take greater damage and fall at your abomination's feet.

Just as the shocking effect is beginning to wear off and the Void denizens are beginning to fight back, the rest of your horde sweeps in to mop up the survivors. Your undead minions take advantage of your enemies in their weakened state and in a short time all that is left is fresh corpses and piles of loot.

So there you have it. A new item type that compliments existing game systems and adds variety and depth to procedural generation.

I'm pretty happy with this as it stands, but it is bound to change slightly as we develop the concept further.