boss-design git:20260912.3ac5afdA

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---
name: boss-design
description: One arena, one exam. Phases are new combinations of taught verbs, not new HP bars with the same jab. Ask duel vs puzzle-gate vs hunt vs raid-clock vs spectacle. Elective walls may be harder than the story boss.
---

# Boss design

Ask the column:

| Column | The exam |
|---|---|
| duel | space control + punish |
| puzzle-gate | taught verbs in a new pair |
| hunt | prep, weak point, leave |
| raid-clock | roles + enrage |
| spectacle | readable setpiece, low exam |

## Rules

1. Telegraph length scales with damage. A one-shot is slower than a jab, never faster.
2. A phase change is a new combination or a new space, not only more HP.
3. The arena is part of the moveset. Add a pit or a pillar only if the player was taught to use it.
4. Soft-lock is a bug. If a tool broke, seed a refresh or a world tool. See durability-economy.
5. Camera must keep the tell on-screen. A kill from off-camera is a camera bug, not a boss feature.
6. Story bosses sit on the main path. Elective hunters may outrank them. See difficulty-design.

## Accept

- Player can name the exam after one attempt (dodge the sweep, break the part, use the verb)
- A death is readable: which tell they missed
- The same verbs work in the overworld and the arena