Roguelike Build Doctor

Example inputs

Game, rules and current run: Fictional roguelike Lantern Crawl, stage 4. Next room lasts six turns. I start with 18 HP; one unavoidable hit of 4 damage happens each turn. Only one shop item can be equipped. No other damage or healing effects. No respec.

Current build and available choices: 35 coins. Options: Iron Charm costs 30 and reduces each hit by 1 (minimum 0); Ember Lens costs 30 and adds 5 attack damage but does not prevent the six incoming hits; Vital Seed costs 50 and adds 10 HP. Current weapon deals sufficient damage to finish on turn six.

What is failing and what must stay?: I need to survive through the sixth incoming hit with at least 1 HP. Preserve current weapon. No future rewards before this shop.

Generated example

Decision Card: Lantern Crawl — Stage 4 Shop

Goal and Bottleneck

Success condition: Survive six unavoidable hits of 4 damage each, ending with ≥1 HP. Starting HP: 18. Budget: 35 coins.

Baseline math (no purchase): 18 − (4×6) = 18 − 24 = −6 HP. This fails the ≥1 HP threshold.

Bottleneck: Total incoming damage (24) exceeds starting HP (18) by 6. The gap must be closed either by reducing per-hit damage or adding HP. Ember Lens does not address this bottleneck (it only adds attack damage, not survivability).

Check the Options

| Option | Cost | Affordable? | Effect on Goal | Final HP | Meets ≥1 HP? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skip (no item) | 0 | Yes | No change | 18 − 24 = −6 | **No** |
| Iron Charm | 30 | Yes (35≥30) | −1 dmg/hit → 3 dmg × 6 hits = 18 | 18 − 18 = 0 | **No** (0 fails "at least 1") |
| Ember Lens | 30 | Yes (35≥30) | +5 attack dmg, hits still 4 each | 18 − 24 = −6 | **No** |
| Vital Seed | 50 | **No** (35<50) | +10 HP (would give 28 HP) | Not reachable | Unaffordable — rejected |

Decision

No available option meets the goal.

All affordable options (Skip, Iron Charm, Ember Lens) result in 0 HP or below, both of which fail the stated success condition of at least 1 HP. Vital Seed—the only option whose stated arithmetic would clear the threshold (28 − 24 = 4)—is unaffordable at 35 coins against its 50 cost. Do not enter this encounter as currently specified, and do not substitute Iron Charm or Ember Lens as a "least-bad" fix; neither satisfies the survival requirement per the supplied numbers.

What Would Change This

1. 1.More coins (currently need 15 more to afford Vital Seed at 50).
2. 2.A price reduction or discount on Vital Seed, or confirmation that partial-cost financing/trade-in exists (not currently supplied).

No new items, thresholds, or rules should be assumed beyond these two facts.