How to Add a New Weapon Buff

Purpose and Scope

This guide explains how to add a new buff item that can be equipped on a melee weapon.

Use this workflow when the buff: — is created as an inventory item through Item Assistant — is assigned to a melee weapon through the weapon clarification asset — uses a gameplay tag in the CharacterStates.Buffs.Weapon.* namespace — should appear in the weapon’s Possible Buffs list

This guide is for weapon buffs only.

Core idea

A weapon buff is a regular buff item that is linked to a melee weapon.

The setup flow is: 1. Create the buff item in Item Assistant. 2. Fill its General and Inventory data. 3. In the buff clarification asset, set the type to Other. 4. Create a new gameplay tag for the weapon buff. 5. Assign that tag in the buff clarification asset. 6. Add the buff item row name to the weapon’s Possible Buffs. 7. Make sure the interact actor has its Data parameter filled.

After that, the buff can be equipped on the weapon.

Step 1. Create the buff item in Item Assistant

Open Item Assistant and create a new buff item.

Fill: — General data — Inventory data

This creates the item data needed for the buff to exist as a normal inventory item.

Step 2. Configure the clarification data asset

Open the created clarification data asset for the buff.

In the clarification asset: — set the parameter Type = Other

Then continue filling the remaining fields in this asset as needed for your project.

Step 3. Create the gameplay tag

Open Project Settings and create a new gameplay tag for the weapon buff.

Use this format: — CharacterStates.Buffs.Weapon.<TagName>

Examples: — CharacterStates.Buffs.Weapon.Fire — CharacterStates.Buffs.Weapon.Ice — CharacterStates.Buffs.Weapon.Poison

This tag identifies the weapon buff in the State System.

Step 4. Assign the gameplay tag in the buff clarification asset

Return to the buff clarification data asset.

Set: — Character Tag = the gameplay tag you created in Project Settings

Example: — Character Tag = CharacterStates.Buffs.Weapon.Fire

Then fill any remaining fields that are required for this buff.

Step 5. Add the buff to the weapon

Open the clarification asset of the weapon that should support this buff.

Find: — Possible Buffs

Add a new value there: — the row name from DT_ItemData of the buff item you created

Important: — add the item row name, — not the gameplay tag, — not the asset name.

This is what allows the weapon to accept this buff.

Step 6. Fill the interact actor data

Do not forget to open the interact actor setup for the buff item and fill: — Data

If this parameter is not filled, the item may not work correctly as a world interactable.

Result

After these steps, the buff can be equipped on the weapon.

If the setup is correct: — the buff exists as an item, — the buff has a valid weapon-buff gameplay tag, — the weapon allows this buff through Possible Buffs, — and the interact actor is configured correctly.

Sanity check

Before testing, verify all of the following:

• the buff was created through Item Assistant;
• General data is filled;
• Inventory data is filled;
• in the clarification asset, Type is set to Other;
• a gameplay tag exists in the format CharacterStates.Buffs.Weapon.<TagName>;
• the same tag is assigned to Character Tag;
• the target weapon clarification asset contains the buff item row name in Possible Buffs;
• the interact actor has the Data parameter filled.

If all of these are done, the weapon buff should be available for that weapon.