Samsara - Ksana Spell
Unreal Engine 5 Developer / Programmer
Design Intent
Ksana is an air spell designed to offer tactical control while dealing consistent damage over time. When cast, it fires a focused projectile that lifts the target into the air, suspending them mid-air and immobilizing them for the duration of the effect. While levitating, the enemy takes mild but steady air-type damage every second.
The spell's primary purpose is to create a moment of clarity and control amidst chaos. Temporarily removing an enemy from combat gives players space to breathe, whether to reposition, cast another spell or heal.
Unlike similar immobilising spells in Samsara (Immobilise, Confusion) it also deals damage and the wisdom scaling increases the area of effect once the projectile hits the original target. However, to make the spell more balanced, it limits the number of affected targets to maximum 5.
Meaning Behind the Name
In Buddhist philosophy, Ksana refers to a brief moment in time — a fleeting, impermanent instant that constantly gives way to the next. During that small amount of time, and all kinds of things happen within the space of a Ksana that elude our conscious awareness.
The Ksana spell captures this moment of clarity amidst chaos. The player casts the spell and suspends the enemy mid-air, as if freezing them in a single instant of time, while the enemy is taking damage without perceiving its source.
Blueprint walkthrorugh
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Throughout my time on SAMSARA, I worked closely with senior developers, technical artists, producers, and other members of the team to develop the spell to a high standard. I regularly presented progress and gathered feedback from the wider team, using this to guide the feature through its development and refinement.
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I developed the spell from the initial prototype through to a shipping-quality feature in Unreal Engine 5. I used Blueprints to rapidly prototype and test the core mechanics before refining the implementation and optimising the feature. I also worked with art and sound collaborators to integrate the supporting assets and ensure the final spell fit the game's existing visual language and overall design.