Revision 1

Inner Breath

Inner Breath (息, Xi) is the dodge resource in A Whisper of Fall: Jinyiwei. Unlike stamina systems in most action RPGs, Inner Breath does not have a fixed maximum. Its cap is dynamically tied to the player's current True Qi (功) level, creating a direct link between offensive momentum and defensive capability.

How it works

Inner Breath is consumed only by dodge actions. It regenerates passively over time. The key mechanic is that its maximum capacity mirrors the current True Qi percentage at all times. If True Qi is at 80%, Inner Breath's cap is 80% of its theoretical maximum. If True Qi drops to 30%, the Inner Breath cap drops to 30%.

This means that a player who is landing hits and parrying effectively has a large dodge pool. A player who is taking damage and losing True Qi has a shrinking one. The resource does not just deplete through use — it shrinks as a consequence of poor offensive performance.

The 50% threshold

When True Qi falls below 50%, Inner Breath capacity is halved in a sharp drop. This is the critical danger point in combat. Below this threshold, the player can only dodge half as often, making it much harder to avoid incoming attacks, which further drains True Qi, which further shrinks Inner Breath.

Recovery

Rebuilding Inner Breath capacity requires rebuilding True Qi. Landing attacks and rebounds (parries) pushes True Qi back up, which expands the Inner Breath cap, which allows more dodges. After a perfect parry specifically, Inner Breath maximum temporarily increases before resetting when the player uses Gather Qi to heal.

Design role

Inner Breath is what makes A Whisper of Fall's combat feel different from standard stamina-based action games. In most games, stamina is an independent resource — you can dodge the same number of times whether you're winning or losing. Here, losing momentum directly restricts evasion. The system pushes players toward the game's intended playstyle: aggressive, parry-focused combat rather than cautious spacing and stamina management.