Custom Hero Survival — Game Design Document
GDD for a Minecraft-based PvE/PvP hybrid featuring 19 hero classes, a wave-based combat system, probabilistic item combining, and a live betting duel system.
Custom Hero Survival — Game Design Document
Genre: PvE Wave Survival with PvP Duel System
Platform: Minecraft (Java Edition, custom server)
Mode: 1–12 players (solo / team)
Session Length: ~25–45 minutes per run
Overview
Custom Hero Survival is a class-based wave defense game built on Minecraft. Players select a hero from 19 classes across four archetypes — Warriors, Archers, Tanks, and Summoners — then survive escalating monster waves while competing in mid-run PvP duels for gold and ranking.
The design centers on meaningful class differentiation: each hero has a unique stat baseline, growth curve, and two abilities, making team composition and individual item selection feel distinct between runs. A probabilistic item-combining system adds depth without requiring perfect information.
Core Loop
Hero Selection → Wave Combat → Item Selection → Duel
↑ ↓
Gold Spend ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← ← Betting
Players receive 5 item selection opportunities during a run (waves 1×2, 3, 6, 9), each offering 10 options. Items combine probabilistically — players can stack effects but must account for diminishing returns and caps.
Hero Roster
Archetypes & Classes
| Archetype | Classes |
|---|---|
| Warriors | Ninja, Assassin, Troll, Predator, Legionnaire, Faceless |
| Archers | Wanderer, Zeus, Medusa |
| Tanks | Alchemist, Butcher, Spartan, Porcupine, Berserk |
| Summoners | Gargoyle, Zombie, Werewolf, Illusionist, Hunter |
Stat System
Each hero has four base stats and unique per-level growth rates, creating different power curves across a run.
| Stat | Per Point | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | +0.5% | — |
| Speed | +1.0% | — |
| Health | +5.0% | — |
| Critical Damage | +% (item) | 500% (×5) |
| Evasion | +% (item) | 10% |
| Vampirism | +% (item) | 30% |
Design Note: Caps on secondary stats prevent degenerate one-stat builds while keeping those stats meaningful investments. Warriors and Assassins can realistically reach the crit cap; Tanks typically max evasion instead.
Item System
Item Combining Formula
When two items with the same effect are stacked, diminishing returns apply using a combining formula:
Combined% = 1 - (1 - A) × (1 - B) × ... × (1 - N)
Example: 30% crit + 30% crit = 1 - (0.7 × 0.7) = 51% crit, not 60%.
This formula naturally disincentivizes stacking identical effects while keeping multi-item builds viable — players are rewarded for diversifying item selections.
Sword Abilities
| Ability | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Strike | +30% chance for 225% damage hit |
| Cleave | +70% damage to all enemies within 3 blocks |
| Lifesteal | +24% HP recovery on hit |
| Colossus | +5.75% damage based on max health |
| Venom | +25% chance to apply Poison II (5 sec) |
| Thunder | +30% chance for 12-damage AoE lightning (3-block radius) |
Bow & Armor Abilities
| Type | Ability | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Bow | Multishot | Fires additional arrows per shot |
| Bow | Curse | Applies stacking debuff on target |
| Bow | Thunderer | Triggers lightning on hit |
| Armor | Evasion | % chance to dodge incoming hit |
| Armor | Thorns | Returns a portion of damage to attacker |
Wave Design
Enemy Wave Types
Each wave type introduces a thematic enemy set with distinct behaviors, forcing players to adapt positioning and item priorities mid-run.
| Wave | Notable Enemies | Primary Threat |
|---|---|---|
| Summoners | Witches (Shockwave, Dispel), Villagers | Ability disruption |
| Frozen | Liches (frost fields), Skeleton Archers (frost arrows) | Area denial |
| Thunderers | Ranged-only, AoE lightning every 4.5 sec | Spread pressure |
| Trolls | Mage Trolls (web traps), Warrior Trolls | Mobility control |
| Centaurs | Mounted ranged/melee, Stomp AoE | High burst damage |
| Wolves | Alpha (injury debuff), Pack (160% damage proc) | Sustain drain |
| Blazes | Fireball barrage | Ranged poke |
Boss Scaling
Boss health and damage scale linearly with player count:
Boss HP = Base_HP × playerCount
This keeps challenge consistent across solo, duo, and full-lobby runs without requiring separate tuning passes.
Empowerment Mechanic
If a wave persists beyond 60 seconds, surviving enemies begin gaining stacking buffs (attack speed, move speed, damage) every 10 seconds. At the 3-minute mark, all remaining players are eliminated — creating consistent time pressure without hard countdown timers visible to the player.
Duel System
Duels fire between waves based on how many players remain alive:
| Alive % | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 61–100% | Every round |
| ≤60% | Every other round |
Duration: 60 seconds. Tiebreaker resolution order (if no elimination):
- Survivor → 2. Health % → 3. Max health → 4. Damage dealt → 5. Duel win ratio → 6. Item value → 7. Random
Betting System
Players may wager up to 50% of their gold on any duel:
Payout multiplier = max(2.05, totalBets / winnerBets)
The 2.05 floor guarantees a minimum return on correct predictions, while the formula rewards backing underdog picks. This creates a persistent social and economic meta-layer on top of the combat loop.
Curse Mechanic (Endgame)
When only 3 players remain in a team game, each receives a Curse charge:
- –15% outgoing damage per charge
- +15% incoming damage per charge
Curses stack on further eliminations, creating a rubber-band mechanic that keeps trailing teams competitive through the final waves.
Shop & Economy
Wave Completion Reward:
Reward = 300 + ((wave - 1) × (10 + wave / 10))
Shop Rules:
- Weapons upgrade through tiers: Iron → Diamond → Enchanted
- Items sell for 50% value; 100% refund within 30 seconds of purchase
- Consumables (Golden Apples, stat potions) available each round
- Favorites system lets players pin preferred items for fast repurchase
Respawn System
On death: 5-second ghost phase → respawn with a 15-second protection window:
- Incoming damage: –60%
- Outgoing damage: +100%
The asymmetry rewards aggressive respawns while preventing spawn-camping, and incentivizes immediate re-engagement with the wave.
UI & Menus
Hotbar Layout:
| Slot | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Base stats (damage, health, regen growth) |
| 2 | Level + XP bar |
| 3 | Current health + regen rate |
| 4 | Damage / armor / speed |
| 5–7 | Shard ability slots (hero-specific) |
Menus: Profile · Top Players · Achievements · Settings
Design Pillars
- Class Identity — 19 heroes feel distinct through stat curves and ability kits, not just aesthetic differences.
- Informed Risk — The combining formula and betting system reward players who understand the math.
- Escalating Pressure — Empowerment timers and the Curse mechanic ensure tension escalates naturally toward run completion.
- Accessible Depth — Core mechanics are immediately legible; optimization layers reveal themselves over multiple sessions.