durability-economy git:20260912.620e743A

Immutable. This exact content never changes and is served at /api/v1/blob/10c594b9a4e9edf3.

---
name: durability-economy
description: Treat weapons as consumable fuel for exploration and simple-button combat, Breath of the Wild style. Use for breakable gear, Fuse durability, Master Sword cooldown, and loot replenishment budgets.
---

# Durability Economy

Fujibayashi: breaking weapons is gravity that pulls the player into the field. Aonuma: it makes "press to swing" a choice of *which* enemy deserves this blade.

Pick one column. Do not mix "breaks" with "go to town and repair the same instance."

| Preset | Breaks? | Repair? | Replenish |
|---|---|---|---|
| BotW | Yes | No (Master Sword = cooldown) | World drops |
| TotK | Yes | Fuse adds hits | World + fuse mats |
| MH | Sharpness drops | Whetstone | Same weapon |
| Souls | Yes if neglected | Bonfire / kit | Same weapon |

## BotW / TotK rules

1. Weapons sit in the same economy layer as food. They are gathered, spent, replaced.
2. Spend 1 durability on a hit against mass (enemy, tree, ore, stasis object). Grass, air, and water jump-slashes spend 0. Ore/stone may cost 2–4×.
3. Starter numbers @ one durability per connecting hit: traveler ~20, soldier ~25, knight ~27, royal ~36. Scale with tier, not with player level.
4. At ≤3 hits left: flash red + line. The breaking blow still connects (optional 2×). Never cancel the swing into empty hands mid-animation.
5. A red bokoblin camp must drop at least as much durability as it costs to clear. Otherwise the system is a tax.
6. Swap weapon in combat in under 1s (wheel / d-pad). The ground always has a stick. Empty-hand mid-boss = failed encounter design; seed a refresh or an environment weapon.
7. Master Sword: depletes, then rests (~10 min). It is not repaired.
8. Shields: spend by incoming attack power. Perfect guard spends 0 or near-0. Surf on rough ground spends continuously.
9. TotK Fuse: most mats +25 hits, weak mats +10. Damage = base + bonus + fuse (additive). Fuse is a function change, not a town upgrade.
10. Inventory slots force discard. Discard is the real cost.

## Accept

New player breaks 2–3 weapons in 30 minutes and finds the next one within ~50m. They save a royal blade for a Lynel. They pick up a torch or throw a bomb because the good sword is finite.

Does not change hitstop or cancel graphs. Stack under nintendo-zelda + equipment-progression column A + world-map drop points.