Bastion Reaction

Bastion Reaction is a passive reaction effect that grants Ballwark (a temporary shield) when the player loses health from self-inflicted damage. Each time self-damage reduces the player's HP, Bastion Reaction awards Ballwark equal to the lost HP multiplied by a fixed multiplier ({[SELF_DAMAGE_GAIN_BALLWARK_MULTIPLIER]}). The effect triggers only on self-damage events, not on damage from enemies or environmental hazards.

Bastion Reaction interacts with mechanics that modify or consume Ballwark. Orblation (and similar effects that bypass or remove Ballwark) can be used to convert incoming self-damage into shield gains without leaving the player overly exposed, enabling strategies that trade portions of HP for larger temporary defenses. Intentionally taking self-damage in fights becomes a viable tactic when Bastion Reaction is present: if more than half of the Ballwark gained is utilized to absorb enemy hits, the net incoming damage over the encounter can be reduced.

Practical notes and interactions:

• The Ballwark gained scales directly with the HP lost to self-damage, so controlled low-to-moderate self-hits are most efficient for predictable shield amounts.
• Effects that multiply or add to self-damage will increase Ballwark proportionally; conversely, any mitigation that reduces self-damage reduces the Ballwark gained.
• Bastion Reaction does not prevent the self-damage itself; it only provides shield after HP loss, so plan timing to avoid lethal self-hits unless other healing or protection is available.
• Combining Bastion Reaction with on-hit healing, HP restoration, or shields that stack can create loops where self-damage is repeatedly converted into protective Ballwark without significant long-term HP loss.
• Visual design of Bastion Reaction’s iconography is part of a set referencing chess pieces, matching other Reaction effects in the game.