--- title: Combatants url: "https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-combatants/ork4-combatants/" updated: "2026-08-03" category: "Section: Combatants" --- # Combatants Combatants are the basis of ORK’s status system and needed to take part in battles. Combatants are found in **Combatants > Combatants**. Combatants can use [content types](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-content/content-types/) to organize them. You’ll mainly use them to filter combatants in the editor, but can also give additional content information to combatants, used for condition checks or to separate combatants in bestiary menus. # General Settings The general settings define some basic and default settings for all combatants. Each combatant can optionally override the default settings (and in some cases add to them). ## Base Settings ### Object Variable Settings Optionally add object variables to a combatant’s object – though you don’t need a spawned object to be able to access the object variables of a combatant. It’s recommended to use *Local Variables* instead of an *Object ID* to have unique object variables per combatant instance instead of shared between all combatants. ### Control Maps Control maps are used to bind actions to input keys. This is only used by the player (and for the combatant the player is currently controlling). Please keep in mind that only control maps that are added to a combatant are available. Learn more about control maps in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-controls/ork4-control-maps/). ### Schematic Settings Combatants can automatically use schematics upon certain states: - **Init** Used when the combatant is first initialized. - **Spawn** Used when the combatant’s prefab (object) is spawned. - **Battle Start** Used when the combatant enters a battle (either at the start of a battle or when joining a running battle). - **Battle End** Used when the combatant leaves a battle (either at the end of a battle or when leaving a running battle). - **Turn Start** Used at the start of a combatant’s turn. - **Turn End** Used at the end of a combatant’s turn. - **Status Reset** Used after a combatant’s status was recalculated. This happens on certain status changes, e.g. when *Normal* type status values are changed, equipment changes, status effects are applied, etc. This can be used in case you need to handle a custom system related to status recalculations, e.g. updating ability variables on all abilities of the combatant. These schematics can be used to e.g. create custom systems, do some special setup (e.g. randomize the name upon initialization) or perform some animation at the start/end of a turn. ### Custom Schematics Additionally, *custom schematics* allow to define schematics for a combatant bound to a *call key*. Schematics can call these custom schematics using a *Custom Combatant Schematic* node, which provides a *call key*. A combatant will use a schematic with a matching call key. E.g. use this to perform different animations for each combatant at the start or end of a battle (battle start/end schematics) or cause different reactions when getting hit by an ability, etc. ## UI Settings ### Reaction Portraits Show different portraits (organizer types) based on things happening to a combatant. E.g. showing a *damage* portrait for a short time after receiving damage or a different portrait while a status effect is applied. Show reaction portraits in your UI via *Reaction Portrait* elements (setup depends on the used game engine and UI system). ### Research Tree UI (Merged) Define the research tree UI setup that’ll be used to display merged research trees in tree view menus. Used in *Research (Tree View)* menu parts to display all research tree setups of a combatant. Learn more about research trees in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/ork4-research-trees/). ## Status Settings You can define *initial class slots* and *classes*, *fixed*and *random status bonuses*, *level up* settings and *body parts* for all combatants. ### Class Settings Combatants can use [classes](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-combatants/ork4-classes/) and [class slots](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-combatants/class-slots/) to add additional status features (e.g. status bonuses, abilities, etc.). ### Status Bonuses Status bonuses can give bonuses to chances, status values, attack/defence modifiers and change status effects. Learn more about status bonuses in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/status-bonuses-and-templates/). ### Level Up Settings A level up can optionally fully recover a combatant (set *Consumable* status values to their maximum), cause status effect changes and use a schematic (e.g. for creating a custom level up system). ### Body Parts Body parts are individual combatants that are part of their parent combatant and can be used active (i.e. also use actions in battle) or passive (i.e. only are additional targets and don’t participate in battles). See the combatant’s status settings below for details. ## Attacks & Abilities Set up the default base attack, counter attack and auto attacks of all combatants. ### Base Attack The base attack is a combatant’s standard action/attack – usually a physical attack, but it can be any kind of ability you want. ### Counter Attack The counter attack usually is the same as the base attack and will be used when a combatant counters an attack. ### Auto Attack Settings Auto attacks can optionally perform an attack periodically without using a combatant’s turn or timebar. ### Action Combos Add action combos to all combatants. Action combos are used to replace actions in a sequence of actions, e.g. using 3 attacks can replace the 3rd attack with a special attack. ### Ability Availability The *Ability Availability* settings allow you to limit which abilities are available to the combatant. E.g. while the combatant can learn many abilities, you can optionally only make abilities available for use (or as passive bonuses) if they’re assigned to a shortcut slot or come from equipment. ### Shortcut Settings Combatants can override the default *shortcut assignments*, *auto add slots* and *auto arrange slots* settings of the shortcut settings. Learn more about shortcut slots in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-gameplay/shortcut-slots-and-settings/). ## Inventory & Equipment Define the default start inventory, loot, available equipment and steal settings for all combatants. Each combatant can either add to the default inventory/loot or replace it completely. E.g. you can use the general settings to define a basic set of items and loot that all combatants will have, while individual combatants can add their own items to the mix. Learn more about loot in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-inventory/ork4-loot/). Classes and combatants can also replace the default available equipment with their own settings. Learn more about equipment in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-inventory/equipment-and-available-equipment-templates/). ## Battle Settings The general settings define many of the default battle settings you’ll use for most of your combatants. You’ll usually only have a few special combatants that’ll replace something of these settings. ### Death Settings These settings handle what happens upon a combatant’s death. E.g. a combatant can automatically leave their group or not be revivable. Animating a combatant’s death is done using a schematics, see the [special commands settings](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-battles/special-commands-settings/). ### Auto Start Battles A combatant can automatically start battles with the player upon defined conditions. This is only used when the player and the combatant are enemies (based on their [factions](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-combatants/factions-and-faction-benefits/)) and there is currently no battle running. E.g. a battle can start if an enemy comes within a defined distance to the player. ### Grid Cell Size By default, a combatant will occupy a single cell in a grid battle. Optionally, you can use grid shapes to use multiple cells for a combatant. ## AI Settings ### AI Control Settings All non-player group combatants are AI controlled – player group members can optionally also be AI controlled. The AI settings also define how an AI combatant selects targets (e.g. using the nearest target), how it’ll become aggressive (for *Real Time Area Battles*) or how long it’ll take to make decisions. ### Move AI Defines the default move AI used by all combatants. Move AIs can detect targets and e.g. hunt or flee from them. Individual combatants and scene setup components (*Combatant Spawner* or *Add Combatant*) can override the default move AI. ### Battle AI Defines the battle AIs that are used by all combatants. Each combatant can either add additional battle AIs (used before the default battle AIs) or replace them completely. ### Aggression Settings Define when/how the combatant will get aggressive. An aggressive combatant will hunt enemies in the field and attack them in *Real Time Battle Areas*. ### AI Ruleset Slots AI rulesets are equipable AI and can influence which battle actions a combatant will use. Learn more about AI rulesets in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-inventory/ai-rulesets/). ## Animation & Movement The general settings define many of the default animation/movement settings you’ll use for most of your combatants. ### Animations Defines the animation setup that’ll be used for all combatants. You can define multiple animation settings for overall use and overrides during battle (e.g. to play different movement animations in battle). ### Auto Animation ORK can optionally handle the idel and movement animations of a combatant based on the combatant’s current movement speed. ### Move Speed Define walk, run and sprint movement speeds. These can be used by the move AI or movement nodes to move a combatant. ### Movement Component Defines which component is used to move a combatant (e.g. *Nav Mesh Agent*). This is mainly used by the move AI, but also used to move the player combatant when an interaction uses *Move To Interaction*. You can create custom movement component integrations by deriving from the *BaseMovementComponentSetting* class. ### Find Ground Define how combatants check if their object is on the ground or in the air. This is e.g. used by auto animations and control maps. If no ground check is used, the combatant is always on the ground. ### Sound Settings Define a sound template and custom sound assignments for combatants. They’re used when an organizer type is played on a combatant. # Combatants Combatants are entities with a status system that can fight in battles. This includes the player, allies or enemies – but can also be used for things like destroyable objects in the scene or traps damaging a combatant. Settings that have already been covered in the *general settings* will not be listed here. ## Base Settings Define some basic settings of a combatant, e.g. their *price* when they’re available in shops. ### Price Settings Combatants can be sold in shops and define their purchase price in the default currency (i.e. the first currency in the editor list, index 0). Shops can also override prices. Using *Advanced Prices* allows you to set up prices consisting of one or more costs. This supports using status values, items, currencies, equipment and other inventory content as costs. ### Prefab Settings The combatant’s prefab is spawned in a scene to represent the combatant. You can use *Conditional Prefabs*to change the combatant’s prefab upon certain status and variable conditions, e.g. wearing a defined equipment or exceeding a level. ## UI ### Portraits Combatants can define *portrait sets* – a combatant randomly selects a set that’ll be used when it’s created. Portrait sets allow separate combatant instances to have different portraits, even if they use the same combatant settings. Beside just using images as portraits, you can also use *prefab view portraits* to show the combatant’s prefab. **Unity**: This uses render textures and a camera. ### Custom Text Codes Combatants can overrule custom text codes defined in **Texts > Text Codes**. Dialogues will first use text codes of the speaker (e.g. coming from a combatant), before using the default custom text codes. This can e.g. be used to customize dialogue messages for combatants, even when used in the same dialogue. ### Information Overrides Combatants can override some default UI settings, e.g. number formatting or console texts. Additionally, combatants can also block flying texts completely, e.g. if you use a combatant for a destroyable object in the scene but don’t want to display damage numbers on it. ## Status Settings Defines the initial status of a combatant, e.g. start level and class, as well as bestiary related settings. ### Class Settings Optionally define the initial single class of the combatant. You can also override the default [class slots](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-combatants/class-slots/) and [classes](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-combatants/ork4-classes/) available to the combatant. ### Status Values Settings These settings determine the initial values of the combatant’s status values. You can use an (optional) status development and define start values for selected status values. When using both, the status development takes priority over defined status values. Additionally, you can add random status value bonuses. The *experience* and *normal* status value rewards the player receives when defeating the combatant (enemy) are also defined here. Learn more about status values in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/ork4-status-values/). Learn more about status development in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/status-developments/). ### Modifier Settings Define the combatant’s start values for attack/defence modifiers, as well as the combatant’s defence modifier IDs. Learn more about attack modifiers in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/attack-modifiers/). Learn more about defence modifiers in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/defence-modifiers/). ### Status Bonuses A combatant can either add to the default status bonuses (general settings) or replace them completely. You can set up fixed and random status bonuses. Learn more about status bonuses in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/status-bonuses-and-templates/). ### Body Parts A combatant can define body parts. Body parts are each their own combatant and can be set up as active or passive – i.e. they can be used as actual combatants that participate in battle (e.g. use actions) or as additional targets on the combatant that don’t use any actions. A body part is added to their parent combatant’s object, either directly on a defined child object or by spawning and mounting the used combatant’s prefab or an empty object. Killing a body part can inflict status changes on their parent combatant, e.g. add a *weakened state* status effect, do damage to their health, etc. Body parts can also be added and removed via schematics and battle AIs. ## Attacks & Abilities Defines the abilities of the combatant. You can also replace the base/counter/auto attack defined in the general settings. ### Ability Development Set up which ability will be learned at which level, or use ability developments as templates. Learn more about abilities and ability development in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/abilities-and-ability-developments/). ### Research Trees Add the research trees that are available to the combatant. Research trees are used to upgrade status values, learn new abilities or create items, equipment, etc. Learn more about research trees in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-status/ork4-research-trees/). ### Menu Ability Content Types Menu screens and battle menus showing empty content types for abilities can optionally be limited to content types that will be available to the combatant. You can define content types that will be available in addition to the types that are found based on the combatant/class ability development and research trees. ## Inventory & Equipment Defines the inventory and equipment of the combatant. You can also add to or replace the default start inventory, loot and steal settings defined in the general settings. ### Available Equipment Optionally override the available equipment (equipment slots and available equipment) coming from the combatant’s class or the default setup (general settings) with a different available equipment setup. The combatant can define which equipment slots will be available at the start, as well as which equipment can be equipped. Learn more about equipment slots in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-inventory/equipment-slots-and-slot-set-templates/). Learn more about equipment and available equipment in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-inventory/equipment-and-available-equipment-templates/). ### Start Equipment Define the combatant’s starting equipment in equipment sets based on level range. E.g. level 1-10 can use a different equipment than when the combatant starts at level 11-20, etc. This allows using a combatant for a wide range of levels (in combination with status development). ## Battle Settings Most of the combatant’s battle settings are made in the general settings. A combatant can override them with individual setups. ### Battle Menu Settings A combatant can optionally use a different battle menu. ### Chances & Factors A combatant can optionally override the default chances and factors defined by the battle system. E.g. the counter, block or escape chance. ### Battle Animations Optionally replace battle animations for abilities, items or special actions like defend, death, etc. This allows a combatant to use different schematics to animate actions or add new functionality. ## AI Settings Optionally override AI settings for a combatant. You’ll usually only add or replace the battle AI and move AI. ### Battle AI You can add additional battle AIs to the default battle AI defined in the general settings or replace them completely. The combatant’s battle AI is used before the default battle AI. ### AI Decision Time Settings Replace the decision time of the current battle system with a custom setup. The decision time gives combatants a defined time to select actions when it’s their turn. ## Animations & Movement Most of the combatant’s animations & movement settings are made in the general settings. A combatant can override them with individual setups. ## Custom Settings Optionally add custom settings to the combatant. Learn more about custom settings in [this documentation](https://orkframework.com/guide/ork4/ork4-documentation/section-gameplay/custom-settings-and-global-custom-settings/). # Adding combatants to scenes Combatants can be added to scenes in different ways, e.g. using components or schematics. ## Player The player is usually spawned, either via a *Spawn Player* node in schematics or by changing scenes (e.g. via *Scene Changer* components). The player combatant can be set up/added in the start schematic using a *Join Group* node. Optionally, you can also use a combatant group to define the player’s starting group. Both (start schematic and start group) are set up in **Menus > Start Menu** in the *New Game Settings*. ## Combatant Spawner Component Combatant spawners do what their name suggests – spawn combatants. [![](https://orkframework.com/wp-content/uploads/CombatantSpawner-Icon-1.png)](https://orkframework.com/wp-content/uploads/CombatantSpawner-Icon-1.png) The combatants are spawned using their prefab. They can be spawned at defined positions or at a random position within a defined area. ## Add Combatant Component This component adds a defined combatant to a game object in your scene. [![](https://orkframework.com/wp-content/uploads/AddCombatant-Icon-1.png)](https://orkframework.com/wp-content/uploads/AddCombatant-Icon-1.png) It doesn’t spawn the combatant’s prefab. ## Schematics The *Add Combatant* node will do the same as the component of the same name, add a combatant to a game object (i.e. not spawning the prefab). The *Spawn Combatant* node will spawn a combatant at a defined position using the combatant’s prefab. The *Spawn Battle Combatant*node is used to spawn combatants participating in battle at their battle spots (usually only used in a battle start schematic). # Scripting: Accessing an object’s combatant A combatant is automatically assigned to an object intance via the *Combatant Component* – which also shows the combatant’s status and state information when having the object selected. Getting the combatant of an object can be done in a single line of code: ``` Combatant combatant = ComponentHelper.GetCombatant(objectInstance); ``` Naturally, *objectInstance* is the object (e.g. in Unity a GameObject) you want to get the combatant from. Requires using the *GamingIsLove.ORKFramework* namespace. ``` using GamingIsLove.ORKFramework; ```