Is vanilla Minecraft combat too boring for you? Fear not, Dynamic Sword
Skills will have you parrying, dodging, and attempting to perform
strategic devastating attacks on your enemies!
Many of you may recognize these skills from my other mod, Zelda Sword Skills;
this mod is a standalone version providing ONLY the combat skills, for
those who don't want tons of Zelda-related items, mobs, dungeons and
other things clogging up their games but still want to spice up combat.
By default, each player will begin with a single Basic Sword skill orb;
more orbs can be acquired by looting chests or by defeating mobs and
even other players. Weapons with Looting give a much higher chance of an
orb drop, and various settings can be configured in the configuration
file.
NEW FEATURES
Minecraft 1.8 is now fully released! Everything should be working 100%, but if you do find a bug, please leave a post here with the crash log and details of how to reproduce it.
Full Version Checker support for 1.7.10 and up - see immediately when a new update has arrived!
Now with Commands - use them to grant skills to yourself or players on your server!
Better config options let you disable the use of any skill as well as how each orb may be obtained.
The new Skill GUI, accessible at any time, shows not only your current level but gives detailed explanations of each skill! Now you, too, will know exactly how the skills work, so you never have to guess again.
Items are now able to grant skills temporarily while held, giving rise to randomized Skill Swords that appear in chest loot throughout the world! Each sword may be of any material, with better materials providing a skill at higher level (though the level is still random); most swords also provide basic sword skill as a backup if the player does not have that skill yet, but not all do. Keep a lookout for these rare and awesome blades!
MODDING API
There is now an API for Dynamic Sword Skills, allowing any mod to add Skill-granting Items! The API files are in 7-zip format, including both a deobfuscated jar and a source jar for easy development. All links are direct download.
1.8 API v2.0
1.7.10 API v1.6.5
1.6.4 API v1.5
MOD REVIEWS
SCREENSHOTS
Skill GUI
All currently available skill orbs
BASIC CONTROLS
The default control settings are described below, and may be accessed and changed in the in-game control settings available from the options menu.
While using Basic Sword Technique to lock on to a target, certain keys become available for use in lieu of using the mouse, although the mouse may also be used and is, in fact, recommended.
In the game options menu under control settings for 'Dynamic Sword Skills Keys', you will find all of the key bindings used by DSS; DO NOT assign any of these to WASD or LMB / RMB - those are vanilla controls which may be used as alternates to some of the mod keys, provided that the config setting is set to allow skill activation via vanilla controls (which it is by default).
What this means is if vanilla controls are enabled, you can use either the DSS 'Attack' key [up arrow], OR the vanilla attack key [LMB] to perform an attack while locked on to a target, but assigning the LMB to be the DSS 'Attack' key would likely not give you the desired result.
Gamepad Users: you may want to assign the left and right arrow keys to buttons on your controller, otherwise you may not be able to activate Spin Attack.
Key Effect
x Activate or deactivate Basic Sword Technique's targeting system
Tab Switches targeting to the next available target
. (period) Toggle auto-targeting: when on, next available opponent will automatically be targeted when the current
target is no longer valid; press while sneaking to toggle player-targeting.
v Toggles the Buff Bar on or off; press while sneaking to toggle the combo display
b Swaps current item for a bomb if available; activates Bomb Mask when worn
p Opens or closes the Skill Book (no item required)
Arrow Keys (only usable while locked on to a target)
Up Interchangeable with the 'attack' key (LMB by default)
Down Interchangeable with the 'back' key ('s' by default)
Left Interchangeable with the 'left' key ('a' by default)
Right Interchangeable with the 'right' key ('d' by default)
RCtrl Interchangeable with the 'use item' key (RMB by default)
Note that using the arrow keys is the only way possible to use certain skills with a single keystroke - using WASD always requires a 'double-tap', i.e. tapping the same key twice in quick succession.
Note also that there is no equivalent of 'forward' when using the arrow keys, so the vanilla keybinding ('w' by default) must always be used when called for in a skill's activation requirements.
SWORD SKILLS
Before being able to use any of the following skills, the player must first learn the skill by finding and using a 'Skill Orb' - each skill orb grants one level in the skill named.
Note also that the Basic Sword Technique is a prerequisite for using any of the other skills, regardless of your level.
Basic Sword Technique
Activation: Press x while looking at a target
Effect: Locks view on to target and allows chaining attacks into deadly combos
Exhaustion: None
Range: 6 blocks plus one per level
Special: Each successive attack inflicts one extra point of damage, cumulative
Notes:
- Using this skill to lock on to a target is a prerequisite for using ALL other skills
- While locked on, special controls become available: see the Basic Controls section
- Deactivate by pressing X once more, moving out of range, or killing everything in sight
Armor Break
Activation: Charge up by holding the attack key; the skill will trigger when the charge is sufficient
Effect: This powerful blow ignores the target's armor value when inflicting damage
Exhaustion: High (2.0 minus 0.1 per level)
Damage: Same as a normal attack, including enchantment bonuses, but ignoring the target's armor
Charge Time: 20 ticks minus one tick per level
Back Slice
Activation: Hold left or right then tap forward twice; attack at the right time to deal extra damage
Effect: Circle around a foe to strike at its vulnerable backside!
Exhaustion: Moderate (1.0 minus 0.05 per level)
Damage: Adds +10% to the damage per level, possibly more against vulnerable enemies
Effective Angle: 40 degrees plus 20 per level
Special: 5% base chance per level to knock off the opponent's chest armor
Dash Attack
Activation: Attack while blocking with a sword
Effect: Charges towards target, inflicting minor damage and knocking the target back
Exhaustion: Moderate (1.0 minus 0.05 per level)
Damage: 4 + level
Notes: Standing too close to the target will not build up enough momentum to cause any damage
Dodge
Activation: Double-tap left or right to dodge in that direction
Effect: Quickly dodge out of the way of incoming attacks
Exhaustion: Very Low (0.05)
Chance to Dodge: 10% per level plus a time bonus of up to 20%
Notes:
- The amount of time during which the player is considered 'dodging' increases with skill level
- Can be configured to activate with a single tap only when using the arrow keys
Ending Blow
Activation: Forward, forward, and attack during combo
Effect: Build up combo momentum and then finish off your enemy with a decisive strike, gaining bonus xp if successful or becoming flat-footed if not
Damage: +(level * 20) percent
Duration of vulnerability: 45 - (level * 5) ticks
Exhaustion: High (2.0 minus 0.1 per level)
XP Bonus: level + (value between 1 and the opponent's last remaining health)
Special:
- May only be used after two or more consecutive strikes on the same target
- Slaying an opponent with this move grants additional experience
- Failure to slay the target results in not being able to attack for the duration
Leaping Blow
Activation: Jump while blocking
Effect: Upon landing, unleashes a devastating AoE attack that damages all in its path in addition to temporarily causing weakness
Exhaustion: High (2.0 minus 0.1 per level)
Damage: Base sword damage, plus 1.0F per level, plus weakness for (50 + (10 * level)) ticks
Notes:
- Range and area of effect increase with level.
- Damage caused by Leaping Blow contributes only to Combo damage, not size.
Mortal Draw
Activation: While empty-handed and locked on, hold the block key and attack
Effect: The art of drawing the sword, or Battoujutsu, is a risky but deadly move, capable of inflicting mortal wounds on unsuspecting opponents with a lightning-fast blade strike
Exhaustion: Very High (3.0 minus 0.2 per level)
Damage: Inflicts double damage when successful
Duration: Window of attack opportunity is (level + 2) ticks
Notes:
- Only works as a counterattack, so it must be timed according to your opponent's strike
- The first sword found in the action bar will be used for the strike; plan accordingly
- There is a 1.5s cooldown between uses, representing re-sheathing of the sword
Parry
Activation: Double-tap back / down
Effect: Parries an incoming blow when being attacked; cannot parry unarmed attacks.
Exhaustion: Low (0.3 minus 0.02 per level)
Chance to Disarm: 10% per level plus a timing bonus of up to 20%
Notes:
- Successfully parrying an attack will knock the aggressor back slightly, even if not disarmed
- For players of equal parry skill, chance to disarm is determined solely by timing
- Can be configured to activate with a single tap only when using the arrow keys
Rising Cut
Activation: Jump while sneaking and attack
Effect: Rising slash flings enemy upward, inflicting standard sword damage, providing the opportunity for a second strike, and likely inflicting fall damage as well
Range: 2 + level blocks
Exhaustion: Very High (3.0 minus 0.2 per level)
Special: May only be used while locked on to a target
Spin Attack
Activation: Press left then right or right then left and hold both until spin attack commences
Effect: A devastating spinning attack hits every enemy in a 360 degree arc
Range: Hits enemies within 3 blocks, plus 0.5 blocks per level
Exhaustion: Very High (3.0 minus 0.2 per level)
Notes: If using the arrow keys, only one key (left or right arrow key) needs to be held to activate, and the spin will be in that direction
Super Spin Attack
Activation: Automatic while performing a regular Spin Attack and at full health; quickly tap attack to continue spinning
Effect: Same as the regular spin attack, but you can spin up to one extra time per level
Range: Adds an additional 0.5 blocks per level above and beyond regular Spin Attack range
Exhaustion: Same as the spin attack, applied each spin
Sword Beam
Activation: Attack while sneaking to unleash a beam of energy; must have nearly full health
Effect: Shoots a beam of energy capable of damaging one or possibly more targets
Damage: base sword damage + level
Exhaustion: Very High (3.0 minus 0.2 per level)
Range: Approximately 12 blocks plus one per level
Special: Requires full health to use (can be configured to allow 0.3 hearts missing per level, up to 1.5)
Notes: Hitting a target with the beam counts as a direct strike for combos
Sword Break
Activation: Double-tap back while blocking
Effect: A fierce block that is capable of destroying the opponent's blade
Exhaustion: High (2.0 minus 0.1 per level)
Damage: Up to 90 durability damage to the opponent's held item (15 * (level + 1))
Duration: Time allowed before skill fails is 2 ticks at level 1, up to 8 ticks at max level
Notes:
- Only works when being attacked by an enemy holding an item
- Has no effect other than blocking the attack if the attacker's held item can not be damaged
- Must release the block key in between uses
DOWNLOADS
CHANGE LOG
1.8 v2.0 + 1.7.10 v1.6.5
Added:
+ Version Checker support: http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/mapping-and-modding/minecraft-mods/2091981
Changed:
- Config: Moved client-side settings to their own category; these settings are not synced with the server
Fixed Bugs:
- Leaping Blow becomes stuck in the 'active' state when leaping into a liquid
- Mortal Draw inflicting punch damage instead of damage from sword used (always on 1.8, very rarely on 1.7.10)
- Certain config values which should only be set by the server were allowing the client to set them separately
- [1.7.10 only] Typo prevented translated text of 'key.dss.toggletp' from showing properly
1.7.18 v1.6.3 + 1.8 beta v0.3
Fixed Bugs:
- Crash using sword skills on dummies from Test Dummy mod
- Possible null pointer exception in Spin Attack's onUpdate method
1.8 beta v0.2:
- Fix 'missing models' console spam
- Known bug: Mortal Draw not correctly applying damage
1.8 beta v0.1: Initial release for Minecraft 1.8
1.7.10 v1.6.1 patch
- Fixes skills not syncing to client after death or dimension change
1.7.10 v1.6
Recommended to DELETE your old DSS config file - much has changed.
Added:
+ Skill: Back Slice - maneuver quickly around enemies to strike them in the back
+ Skill: Sword Beam - unleash devastation from afar by channeling the power of the sword
+ Command: grantskill <player> <skill> <level> OR grantskill <player> all
+ Command: removeskill <skill> OR removeskill all
+ Config option to not require full health for Super Spin Attack and Sword Beam (still requires high health)
+ Config options to disable use of an individual skill (see config file for detailed explanation)
Changed:
- Skill orb drops may be disabled individually by setting their drop chance to zero
- Overhauled skills code to conform to changes in ZSS
Fixed Bugs:
- Unable to disengage targeting when hunger bar depleted
- Random mob drop chance was multiplied by zero
1.7.10 v1.5.1
UPDATED to Forge 10.13.2.1230
Added:
+ Combo overlay display may be toggled on or off in-game; default key is 'v'
+ Config option to disable combo overlay display by default (may still be toggled in-game)
Changed:
- Skills GUI no longer pauses game to be more consistent with vanilla GUIs
Fixed Bugs:
- Re-binding DSS keys to mouse buttons not working properly
1.7.10 v1.5
Updated to 1.7.10
Added:
+ Config: Orb drops can be disabled entirely for mobs, separately from and in addition to setting for player drops
+ Config: Anti-spam-left-click: set the base swing (click) speed; must set enableSwingSpeed to true to work
+ Config: Adjust both the timing bonus and the penalty from opponent's skill level for disarm chance (Parry)
Changed:
- [1.7.10] Updated network code
Fixed Bugs:
- [1.7.10] Removed outdated call to Vec3Pool() for 1.7.10 compatibility
1.7.2 v1.4
Added:
+ Skill GUI: View detailed information about your skills at any time by pressing the View Skills key (default: p)
+ Config: Targeting of players is enabled by default (setting is per client, not per server)
- Can also be toggled in-game by pressing the toggle auto-target key while sneaking
+ API: ISkillItem allows use of skills that require some kind of held item, typically a weapon
+ API: ISword flags an item as a sword; skills which specifically require ItemSword can also use ISword items
+ API: IDaem allows item to be used with the Dash skill (great for shields!)
Changed:
- Detailed skill orb tooltips only show up when using advanced tooltips (F3 + H)
- Dodging an attack successfully now has a sound notification
- Nerfed Dash damage by one heart
- Ending Blow leaves you vulnerable for twice as long if you miss entirely
- Rising Cut no longer launches the opponent into the air if the opponent is blocking
- Dodge time bonus progresses 4% per level instead of starting at 12%
- Dodge time bonus can become a penalty with poor timing at low level
- API: Renamed old ISkillItem to ISkillProvider for clarity
- Non-sword skill providers, such as those in the creative tab, no longer count as swords, this means:
* Skills which require swords to use can no longer use these non-sword weapons, UNLESS
* the weapon provides the skill being used; e.g. Weapon of Mortal Draw can be used with
* Mortal Draw, even if it otherwise is not considered a real sword.
* Skill swords found as loot ARE real swords, so can be used with any skill, not just those they provide
- Skills that specifically require swords (or an ISkillProvider for that skill specifically) are:
- Leaping Blow, Mortal Draw, Rising Cut
Fixed Bugs:
- Crash in main menu when pressing some mod keys
- Combos not displaying correct damage for opponents with any kind of armor or damage reduction
- Parry and Sword Break: possible to parry a blow even if the player was no longer holding an appropriate item
- Spin and Super Spin Attack tooltip displays showed conflicting information
- Dash, Leaping Blow, and Sword Break could not be used while dual wielding with Battlegear2
- Rising Cut could be used even while blocking when dual wielding with Battlegear2
- Death messages missing localizations: e.g. "death.attack.armorBreak"
- Targeting system could 'see' invisible opponents
- Weapons taking double durability damage while locked on
1.7.2 v1.3
Added:
+ Ending Blow - finish off a vulnerable enemy, gaining bonus xp if successful or becoming flat-footed if not
+ Rising Cut - slash your enemies high into the air; hit them again if you can!
Changed:
- Major restructuring and optimization of skill classes and other parts of the code
- Parry and Sword Break will knock attacker back slightly when successful
- Armor Break's exhaustion increased to 2.0F - (0.1F * level)
Fixed Bugs:
- Player's Mortal Draw skill could not be used with non-Mortal Draw ISkillItems
- Fixed skills only disabling LMB when vanilla controls enabled
- Combo displaying with size zero when using skills such as leaping blow
- Combo counting a hit as a miss in creative mode when at the very edge of reach distance
- Combos were not being interrupted by damage
- Combos were not accounting for armor and potion protection when player hurt, causing erroneous termination
1.7.2 v1.2
Added:
+ API: Now any mod can add items that grant a skill to the player!
+ Full set of skill-giving swords as examples, only available in Creative Mode, can be disabled
+ Completely randomized skill-giving swords that will appear as chest loot; can be disabled
+ New Skill (for Akitori): Sword Break - demolish your enemy's weapon in just a few blows (dependant on material)
Changed:
- Now all 12 combos have a unique label
- Language file has undergone restructuring, so translations will need to be updated
- Improved targeting algorithm
- Spin Attack spin speed slightly reduced - max level was way too fast
Fixed Bugs:
- Left click would act as though held down after attacking with up arrow key (1.6.4 only)
- Leaping Blow could not be activated using the keyboard RCtrl key (1.6.4 only)
- Dash and Mortal Draw could be activated after blocking even if no longer blocking (1.6.4 only)
- Activating Spin Attack with vanilla movement keys could only spin one direction
- Mortal Draw could not be activated using the keybindings for block and attack
- Dodge could be activated while while not on solid ground
- Dodge to the left could be activated by tapping left then right
- Combo displaying with size zero when using skills such as leaping blow
1.7.2 v1.1
- Cleaned mods of leftover ghost files that caused duplicate entries
- Added option to disable skill orb drops from players
- Added option to adjust the chance of skill orbs dropping from players
1.7.2 v1.0 - Initial Release
PERMISSIONS
Dynamic Sword Skills is an open source mod released under the GPL v3, meaning you have the right to include this mod in your modpack (regardless of who you are), use it for custom maps, etc. All I ask is that you credit me as the original author and provide a link to this page so users can find the most up-to-date information. Thanks for your cooperation.
CREDITS
Thanks to CI010 for the translation to Chinese (China)
Thanks to DanNetwalker for the translation to Spanish (Spain)