Monster Design

2 Week Limit Personal Project

Youtube Video Link:

Inspiration & Concept

I wanted to design a character centered around smoking and smoke as a core theme.

Naturally, my first inspirations were Morel Mackernasey from Hunter × Hunter and Smoker from One Piece.

However, I did not want this boss to be merely “a monster that casts skills.” Instead, I wanted him to have narrative weight and meaningful gameplay interactions. As a designer, I believe that boss fights quickly become dull if they devolve into a simple exchange of attacks “you hit me, I hit you” a flaw often criticized in many action games.

To avoid this, I drew inspiration from Darker than Black, where every supernatural ability comes with a cost or side effect. I wanted to embed this idea of sacrifice directly into the boss’s mechanics.

In terms of difficulty, this boss is designed as a mid-game encounter. He should not be overwhelming, but the fight should still teach players new mechanics and ideas that will carry forward into later gameplay.

Narrative Background

Story：

When designing the backstory, I did not want him to feel like a generic boss. I wanted the entire fight to evoke emotional resonance after it ends.

Because the boss must continuously smoke in order to use his abilities, he coughs constantly throughout the fight, appearing sickly and exhausted. Ironically, he is not someone who enjoys smoking.

His wife suffers from a severe illness. In this world, only those with supernatural powers, or powerful artifacts, can save her. At the time, the boss was just an ordinary man. Consumed by anxiety and despair, he turned to smoking.

As his addiction worsened, one day he unexpectedly awakened his powers. At first, he believed this awakening meant his wife could finally be saved. But he soon learned that even among awakened individuals, power is divided into strict hierarchies, and his strength was still not enough.

Desperate, he began working for underground organizations, eventually taking on assassination jobs. He is fundamentally kind, but he saw no other choice. As the body count rose, he became a wanted criminal, and the player character accepts the bounty to hunt him down.

When the boss’s HP reaches 5%, he stops using all abilities and allows the player to attack freely. He no longer resists—accepting his fate.

Dialogue Eaxmple:

“Cough… cough… Was any of this really worth it?”

“What do you know?! Do you understand my pain?!”

“You think I don’t know what I’m doing? I’m selling my soul—but I need her to live!”

“Lucy… I’m sorry… I can’t hold on anymore…”

“Will she hate me for this…?”

“Go ahead. Kill me. I only have one request… could you give part of my bounty to her? She still needs money for medicine.”

Core Gameplay Systems

Cigarette Resource System

Every time the boss uses an ability, he must smoke cigarettes as a cost:

Normal skills: 1 cigarette
Advanced skills: 3–5 cigarettes

A full pack contains 20 cigarettes. Once the boss finishes the entire pack, he enters a Weakened State, which serves as the player’s primary damage window. During this phase, players may choose to deal standard damage or perform a finisher-style execution attack.

While the boss is casting abilities, he enters a Smoke Form, during which he gains damage reduction, representing how physical attacks are less effective against smoke.

Final Presentation:

Cigarette count UI

Weakened state triggered after one full pack is consumed

Vent Interaction System

Several air vents are placed throughout the arena. These vents periodically emit strong gusts of wind.

Wind disperses smoke:

If the boss stands on a vent while in Smoke Form, he takes damage.
Smoke-based summoned enemies take increased damage.

This mechanic provides all players with a clear and accessible counterplay to the smoke mechanic, ensuring the fight remains readable and fair.

Unburned Cigarettes

When the boss smokes to cast abilities, there is a chance that unburned cigarette butts drop onto the battlefield.

Players can pick them up and throw them at enemies:

When thrown at smoke minions, the minions are instantly destroyed.
When thrown at the boss during Smoke Form, the item interrupts the boss’s ability, forces additional cigarette consumption, and accelerates his transition into the Weakened State.

However, this mechanic is intended for high-skill players:

The thrown cigarette explodes on impact.
Players caught too close to the explosion will take damage.

This creates a risk–reward loop: players must time their attacks carefully (only effective during Smoke Form) while maintaining proper positioning. The goal is to provide different levels of mastery and expression.

Skill Design

Boss abilities are triggered based on player distance, divided into four ranges:

Point-blank
Close
Mid
Long

Axe Combo

Type: Normal Skill
Range: Close
Cigarette Cost: 1

Description:
After smoking, the boss condenses smoke into an axe and performs 4–5 consecutive slashes toward the player.

Counterplay:
Create distance, or interrupt using an unburned cigarette.

Smoke Clone

Type: Advanced Skill
Range: Mid / Long
Cigarette Cost: 3

Description:
The boss creates a smoke clone with basic attacks only. Only one clone may exist at a time, and its damage equals the boss’s standard attack.

Counterplay:
Lure the clone onto a vent or destroy it with an unburned cigarette.

Smoke Breath

Type: Normal Skill
Range: Mid
Cigarette Cost: 1

Description:
The boss exhales a cloud of smoke forward. A ground indicator shows the affected area, dealing continuous damage to players who remain inside.

Counterplay:
Exit the area or interrupt with an unburned cigarette.

Short-Range Teleport

Type: Normal Skill
Range: Point-blank
Cigarette Cost: 1

Description:
The boss disappears in a puff of smoke and reappears diagonally behind the player to create distance.

Counterplay:
No damage—no evasion required.

Long-Range Smoke Projectiles

Type: Normal Skill
Range: Long
Cigarette Cost: 1
Description:
The boss throws several condensed smoke projectiles toward the player.
Counterplay:
Dodge or interrupt using an unburned cigarette.

Ground Shock

Type: Advanced Skill
Range: Point-blank
Cigarette Cost: 2
Description:
After charging, the boss slams the ground. Players struck near the edge of the impact zone are violently knocked away.
Counterplay:
Evade the area or interrupt with an unburned cigarette.

Smoke Prison (Not implemented due to time constraints)

Type: Advanced Skill
Range: Close
Cigarette Cost: 2
Description:
The boss attempts a forward grab. If successful, the player is trapped inside a smoke sphere and takes continuous damage.
Counterplay:
Dodge the grab, or perform a QTE to shorten the imprisonment duration.

Aerial Dash (Not implemented due to time constraints)

Type: Advanced Skill
Range: Mid
Cigarette Cost: 3
Description:
The boss transforms into smoke, rises into the air, then dashes toward the player. Hit players are launched away.
Counterplay:
Airflow visual effects appear on the ground before the dash—evade accordingly.

Ultimate Skill – Smoke Domain

Type: Advanced Skill
Range: Global
Cigarette Cost: 5
Description:
This skill marks a phase transition, triggered at 20% HP. After a cinematic, the boss vanishes, and the arena becomes engulfed in smoke.
“Smoke Addicts” spawn periodically (max 2 at a time).
The boss intermittently teleports next to the player to attack.
The boss can only be damaged during these teleport moments.
This phase continues until the boss reaches 5% HP, after which he stops resisting entirely.
Counterplay:
Smoke Addicts are handled the same way as Smoke Clones. Environmental vents and unburned cigarettes still deal damage, but abilities can no longer be interrupted, and the boss no longer enters the Weakened State (subject to difficulty testing and tuning).