HeXeReTiC Fantasy v3.1.1 (Update 27 Oct 2023)

[Hexereticdoom]

Frames RAXEA3A7 and RAXEB2B8 doesn't exist. I rotate RAXEC3C7 and RAXEC2C8 to 180° in order to make the mod works.

Right, I've confirmed the issue. A bugfix release is on the way... Thanks for reporting!

EDIT: Version 2.7.2.1 is now up! I recommend updating your copies ASAP...

Keep having fun, everyone!

[Hexereticdoom]

Officially announcing Hexeretic Fantasy v3.0 for this weekend...



Don't miss it!

[Valherran]

Has an option for a hotkey to pick up items/weapons been implemented yet? This MOD really REALLY needs one.

Well not for now, sorry. That's one of the things that are still on the to-do list at the moment...

Will this be in 3.0?

[Hexereticdoom]

Has an option for a hotkey to pick up items/weapons been implemented yet? This MOD really REALLY needs one.

Well not for now, sorry. That's one of the things that are still on the to-do list at the moment...

Will this be in 3.0?

I no longer consider it necessary, since this small addon performs the same requested function... And I don't see myself capable of doing it better either.

[Valherran]

Well not for now, sorry. That's one of the things that are still on the to-do list at the moment...

Will this be in 3.0?

I no longer consider it necessary, since this small addon performs the same requested function... And I don't see myself capable of doing it better either.

Why not just incorporate it into both mods?

[Hexereticdoom]

Will this be in 3.0?

I no longer consider it necessary, since this small addon performs the same requested function... And I don't see myself capable of doing it better either.

Why not just incorporate it into both mods?

OK then, I'll include it in next updates of both mods as one more of the optional ADDONS folder of each one.

The truth is that last time I tested the addon worked flawlessly both with one and the other, so why not...

[Hexereticdoom]

Greetings to all of you my dear comrades, finally the waiting is over! After a moderately long hiatus and leaving behind several weeks of quite intense work, version 3.0 of the mod is now a reality. And as I announced previously, this fresh release comes fully loaded with a bunch of new features and unreleased elements that which I hope will delight all those players who are fascinated with Heretic's adventures! Mainly, it is worth highlighting in this new version the significant increase in the player's arsenal of magical weapons, as well as the bestiary that have also been expanded with new and dangerous enemies that will try to make you fail in your mystical missions! But of course, these are not the only ones... So then, please keep reading to find out about each and every one of the new things included in this current release!

- Without further ado, let's start first with all the new magic weapons available to the player from now on, which you will gradually discover and become familiar with... Here you have a brief description of each and every one of them:

• Merman Trident: this one is a typical Class 1 (or Slot 1, whatever you prefer to call it) weapon which is actually more powerful than it might seem at first... Belonging long ago to a well-known underwater creature, this maritime-warfare instrument is able to release large bursts of harmful bubbles which can explode and impact upon contact with any enemy within medium range, and they could even paralyze the foe momentarily if it is fired uninterruptedly. And if a monster gets too close to you, you might use the alternative attack mode, which is none other than the melee impact with the trident spikes. In addition, this weapon does not require any type of magical ammunition, so in situations where it is scarce it may get you out of more than one trouble.

• Sulfur Mace: let's continue with another weapon, this time a Class 2 (or Slot 2) one: the Sulfur Mace! Actually, this magic device is a moderately improved version of the classic Elven Wand, which although it may not reach the high power of other weapons of similar type, it is capable of firing small magic beams at astonishing speed, and also alternatively slightly larger and more powerful beams quite quickly. Its moderate accuracy is also an asset in its favour, although it has the drawback that it could deplete your magic ammo reserves too soon... In any case, it will become a good handy ally in some difficult times, but better don't forget to use it cautiously!

• Guardian Bow: we go up to Class 3 (Slot 3) and we stumble upon an interesting and archaic weapon that has been wielded for generations by various species of creatures, both benevolent and evil... Specifically, the Guardian Bow is a wonderful tool of weaponry craftsmanship, which allows its wearer to shoot arrows with unparalleled precision. Of course, more than once it has been surpassed by somewhat more modern weapons such as crossbows and ballistae, more effective in mass combat, but for those warriors who want a more classic battle experience, this weapon may meet their needs. (Primary firemode shots an arrow quickly, while secondary firemode allows the player to take a more precise shot by holding the button until the moment he deems most appropriate to fire).

• Electro-Stake: next Class 4 (Slot 4) weapon is one of the smallest in size, but no less powerful than the rest. In fact, it turns out to be very practical and manageable; also it's one of the few weapons that is capable of regenerating its own ammunition by itself. As its name suggests, it is a short stake with electromagnetic properties that can quickly release a burst of harmful electrical discharges, and like the vast majority of your weapons, it has two different attack modes to choose from. Perhaps best of all -as mentioned before- by keeping the stake at rest it will intermittently accumulate static energy and thus gradually refilling your electric ammo reserves... Not bad, huh?

• Unholy Staff: climbing up to Class 5 (Slot 5), we meet what could be called the little sister of the rare Nightmare Sower: the Unholy Staff! Apart from sharing and using the same type of magical ammunition (Soul Stones), this mystical weapon has the main advantage of being able to launch quite powerful attacks (in shockwave form) without consuming excessive amounts of ammunition, as its older sister does. Above all, it might be quite useful for dealing with all those elusive enemies that move quickly (flying ones or ground ones, no matter what) thanks to its fixed spread shots. (Primary firemode shots two seeking shockwave shots, and secondary firemode shots four non-seeking shockwave shots, the latter being more harmful than the previous ones).

• Bonechill Scepter: we reach Class 6 (Slot 6), so the best of all starts right now! This chilling scepter endowed with a grotesque appearance leaves almost on the ground other freezing magic weapons such as the Sleetfall Rod or the Ice Bringer. Being able to shoot a large amount of target-seeking ice crystals, or either releasing three large iceballs which explode with moderate radius effect (depending on the used firemode), this weapon might easily become a great nightmare for certain enemies, especially those that are made from elements such as fire or stone. On the other hand, perhaps the only notable drawback is that it may not be an easy-to-find weapon, although this is usually the case with most powerful toys in the game, isn't it?

• Moonlight Sickle: and finally we arrive to Class 7 (Slot 7) to find ourselves with the opposite weapon to the already known Sunlight Cane: the mighty Moonlight Sickle! In fact, it is said that these two weapons are like Ying and Yang: light and dark, good and evil, life and death, and that precisely for this reason neither of the two could exist without the other (because of the balance of the universe, and so on) highlighting at the same time that while the previous one has the shape of the sun at its tip, this one has the shape of a crescent moon instead. Moreover, even the type of magic ammo used by one is the opposite of the other. Which of the two do you think is the most powerful? Sorry, but I can't answer to that; you'll have to discover that for yourselves!

• [CLASSIFIED]: ouch, too bad, seems we've come across a top-secret weapon that I'm not allowed to divulge information about... However, it seems that there are rumors coming from reliable sources that claim that this currently hidden weapon has completely replaced another secret weapon that was previously available. The reasons for this are unknown, although it is speculated that it could be a much more effective and powerful weapon type than the one that has been replaced... And I venture to say that it may be actively used by some kind of monster... Hey, what was that noise? Geez, I'd better get out of here right now! Bye!!!

- Phew... that was close! Well, now that I'm in a safer place, I think it's a good time to talk about the new group of baddies that have been recruited by the forces of evil, and in addition to not being few, they are for sure among the worst that has been taken from the bowels of hell... And if anyone doubts it, I tell him the following: wait until you meet them and then you can judge for yourself. Who forewarned is forearmed, as the proverb quotes... Anyway, enough of the chatter and let's get to what matters:

• Black Crow (a medium-sized bird that is usually a symbol of bad omen, and due to their evil origin, these specific species have a lot of bad blood. It mercilessly attacks its prey trying to gouge out its eyes first, and then once the victim is dead, it proceeds to rip out its guts for having a big feast. So then, don't let these scavengers corner you and kill them without further ado).

• Blue Crow (very similar in behaviour to the one previously mentioned, only that this specimen in general has been magically transformed with a powerful spell from the disciples of D'Sparil. For this reason, these ones are even more aggressive and they are also capable of attacking from sky with long-range electromagnetic mini-waves. Watch out and hunt them down as soon as you can!)

• Zombie (a former human who has managed to escape from his grave and who now seeks revenge versus anyone who gets in his way. This undead guy may not look too threatening, but better don't get too confident; apart from trying to bite your head at melee range, he has the ability to attack with malicious souls as projectiles. Be careful and don't let it eat your brain, OK?)

• Ghostly Zombie (almost the same as the above one, but this time adopts a spectral form).

• Ghoul (a monstrous humanoid demon that lives in inhospitable or uninhabited places and frequents cemeteries. Classified as an undead monster like the zombies, but this one desecrates graves and he feeds on corpses, and he even dares to kidnap lost children for devouring them... So then, being much nastier than a normal zombie, you better deal with this one mercilessly).

• Ghostly Ghoul (the phantasmal form of the aforementioned one, harder to see and hit).

• Red Magus (an apprentice cultist cleric with quite great skills in black magic, but at the moment he does not have much experience in combat. However, it is said that these guys can learn quickly new skills thanks to their great intellect, so when you meet one of them it is best to be careful to avoid unpleasant surprises. In any case, he shouldn't give you too much trouble...)

• Ghostly Red Magus (yeah right, just the ghost shape of the previous one).

• Elementalist Ettin (that's it, a new variant of these two-headed beasts has made its appearance, and instead of using physical weapons, this one has preferred to use the path of learning elemental magic powers. Apart from being able to attack you with fire, ice, poison and curse projectiles, it is protected by four magical orbs that rotate around it, which repel other types of magical attacks as a defense. Therefore, it may be a good idea to use gunpowder-based weapons against this beast...)

• Parasiteeth (a quite disgusting, greenish and eyeless beast with a big mouth and huge teeth, which long ago was known as a kind of leech with a torso and limbs. However, over time it seems that this nasty thing has evolved in a certain way, since it does not usually jump towards its victims as in the past, but rather it first attacks them with fireballs or iceballs that it throws with its arms, depending on the weaknesses of its prey. Watch out if you come across one, or worse, more than one!)

• Ghostly Parasiteeth (same as before, but in ghostly form. As said before, be careful!)

• Hell Hornet (a maleficent mutation of the old acquaintances known as Sabreclaws and Razorslashers. As if these foes were not already elusive and dangerous enough, this one flies ferociously like a giant wasp, hovering and launching poisonous stingers from a distance. You shall need to have very good aim to kill this big repulsive insect; it might be advisable to use target-seeking projectiles against it).

• Aka-Oni (a large red demon which comes from the farthest lands of the Far East. Perhaps the two adjectives that best describe it would be 'relentless' and 'terrifying', and for sure it's not an exaggeration. Incredibly powerful, it is capable of wiping out an entire high-ranking and high-level army in a short time. It almost always uses fire-based techniques, but also has physical attacks. If you want this huge thing not to become a big problem, ice-based attacks might be your best allies).

• Shakti [Mini-boss] (according to several ancient writings, Shakti is a female monster which comes from Hinduistic origins. Her previous shape known as 'Durga' was a warrior goddess whose mythology centered around combating evils and demonic forces that threatened peace, prosperity, and dharma of the good ones. Shakti is, in short, the fierce aspect of the goddess Durga, darker and more violent than the latter. The swords she wields in each of her four arms can be imposing, but they will prove to be much more threatening when she starts charging her attacks and launching her fearsome piercing projectiles towards you. The wisest thing is that you don't get close to her even for a moment, or she will stab you and cut you into slices... Will you be able to survive against her?)

• Heartless Horseman [Big boss] (a rather strange knight with an unknown past, who currently works as a paid mercenary under the orders of the Serpent Riders. He may seem like just another ordinary enemy, but watch out... Don't trust appearances at all! In fact, both the horse and its rider are extremely resistant against various types of attacks, almost as much -or even more- than D'Sparil when he rides his Chaos Serpent. Galloping at considerable speed, this strong warrior can attack with his sword at both short and long range, launching several wide bursts of Iron Mace Spheres, making them difficult to avoid. If you want some advice, using some of your strongest weapons may be a good idea, but don't forget to protect yourself either, since if you ignore your defenses you shall have a really bad time for sure!)

• Eidolon [Big boss] (ohhh my, finally he arrived, too... That's right my dear comrades, I'm sure you already know him... Yes! The oldest and the most powerful of the Serpent Riders trio couldn't miss the appointment in this new release, so it could be said that the circle -or better said, the triangle- is already complete. If D'Sparil and Korax were already a living nightmare -especially the latter- prepare to meet the fiercest of the three. Perhaps the only good news is that this time he will not be able to use the Chaos Sphere to increase its size almost to that of a titan, since according to the current timeline, this device remains in an unknown location, out of his reach... Unfortunately, nothing is known about what infernal new attack tactics he will use against our heretical protagonist... Who knows what awaits him before Eidolon? Will Corvus III be able to get out of this confrontation alive? The answer is in your hands, my friends... Good luck, you're going to need it!)

- Well now, it is timely to announce that from this release there has been a fairly important change on gameplay that you'll have to take into account, so please pay special attention to this! From now on, ALL GHOSTLY ENEMIES WILL BE TOTALLY IMMUNE TO ALL GUNPOWDER-BASED WEAPON ATTACKS!!! Therefore, you will have to forget about massacring all the monsters with pistol, shotgun and machinegun shots, since the ghostly variants of certain enemies will not be affected by any of them. So, to deal with this type of foes, you will have to resort to any of your magic-based weapons. Oh yeah, I almost forgot... Remember that physical attacks are also useless against ghostly enemies, too! (This applies equally to Fast Dagger slashes and Shurikens).

- Here is another important change related somehow to the previous paragraph: although not a new weapon per se, the magical weapon formerly known as Fire Mace has now been updated and renamed into Iron Mace, which, unlike its predecessor, is capable of attacking ghost-type enemies with total effectiveness. So with this, it will no longer be a 'useless weapon' as it was previously known by many players! (Likewise, from now on the ammunition of this one is changed from being called Mace Sphere to Iron Sphere).

- Added some new extra decoration elements -most of them coming from the Hexen world- like the Minotaur torches, black ceiling lamps, twined torches, chained and/or impaled corpses and more! (Heh, who said that map level decorations had to all be the same and so boring?)

- Player's weapon slots 8 and 9 have been swapped for logical reasons, so from now all and each one of the monster's secret weapons are allocated in Slot 8 and the Magical Spellbinds only occupies Slot 9.

- All the text labels that appear above the spawned Allied Mages (and also the Helper Elf ones) have been graphically renovated with simpler but more legible characters, and most of them now use two text lines instead of just one, thus being somewhat a bit more practical for the player than the previous ones. (At least, that was my intention...)

- Friendly Holy Savior (yes, that little angel who saves quickly your current game when you press the One-Key-Savegame action button) has now a totally new look, cuter and sexier than before. [Thanks to CherubCorps for providing his/her nice-looking sprite resources!]

- Help screens have also been up to date with a new appearance and new text characters, including also a small Elemental Attack Chart which might be useful as a guide to know which element types are more effective against certain enemies. (It is exactly the same as my H-Project Doom mod, in case there is any doubt).

- Updated the HUD for compatibility with the most recently introduced weapons.

- Several bugfixes, plus minor tweakings and code optimizations.

That's all for now, mates! Hope you all enjoy this new release and have a lot of fun with it...

Cheerio and have a fabulous time!

[cs89]

It's good to see another update of HeXeReTiC Fantasy with a few new weapons and monsters. I will play one more time with one episode replacement wad.

Although I would like to report an issue that the Iron Mace weapon's pickup sprite isn't visible on the HUD.

[Hexereticdoom]

It's good to see another update of HeXeReTiC Fantasy with a few new weapons and monsters. I will play one more time with one episode replacement wad.

Although I would like to report an issue that the Iron Mace weapon's pickup sprite isn't visible on the HUD.

Thanks for the bug reporting! I have published a hotfix that corrects this small issue.

Seems that somehow I missed it, 'cause the SBARINFO lump was pointing to a non-existent icon, but no error messages were being showed on console at startup...

At least now it works as expected. Enjoy and have fun!

[Hexereticdoom]

Ouch man, there it goes... Two hotfixes in two days in a row! What a drag... Rushing is definitely not good.

- Fixed another issue with new impaled corpses that were being wrongly placed on the ceiling due to some incorrect Decorate flags. (My fault, sorry...)

- Now all ghostly enemies that can be turned into ice statues can be hit with any type of attack, once they are frozen. (Yup, I also overlooked this one because of the rush...)

Hope there are no more friggin' issues left to fix right now...

[Hexereticdoom]

Version 3.0.3 is up and ready to download!

- Added a new and exclusive secret weapon which is ultimately a variation of one of the existing monster weapons, and that can only be obtained by killing a specific poisonous monster that possesses it. (Like other weapons of the same class, it can be difficult to find, but with some luck you might find one and prove its powerful capabilities using it versus your opponents).

- Included a new extra decoration element: the Hanging Wizard Corpse (presumably, a dead blood-dripping Disciple of D'Sparil which may have been executed by his incompetence or rather for being rebellious, who knows... What is clear is that the evil Serpent Riders do not joke at all when it comes to judging anyone, even if they are their followers!)

- Improved dynamic light definitions for the Hades Gargoyle enemy, at the same time that some unnecessary ones have been removed. (Specifically those that belonged to its death sequences, since they did not seem to work properly).

- Tweaked a few code properties of some weapon and enemy projectiles for balance purposes.

- Updated the HUD for compatibility with the new rare monster weapon.

- Some other minor changes, tweaks and bugfixes.

Keep having fun, as usual... See you next time!

[Hexereticdoom]

Hello there dear comrades, how is it going? Only a few days have passed since the release of version 3.0 of the mod and... Yeah, seems that it's time again for a new update! In fact, v3.1 includes several new features and ideas that had been left in the pipeline on previous release; but at last they have been implemented, and always with the main objective of improving what already exists, of course... (Also the corresponding bugfixes and other minor improvements could not be missing either). As usual, just keep reading to find out what's new... Hope the most recent changes are to your liking!

- Available from now a new artifact for your inventory item collection: the Hunting Trap! Although its main purpose may be to hunt wild animals, this fearsome device might be used without problems to do some serious carnage to your enemies. Once you collect one (or more) you can throw it in front of you, and right after make sure the foes approach the trap site. If done correctly, the Hunting Trap will severely bite with its sharp teeth anyone who steps on it, injuring and even sometimes killing the foe instantly. Obviously, this type of trap will only serve you mostly for those enemies that are not capable of flying. (If you want some advice, a good way to use this traps can be by leaving them right in front of doors that lead to rooms full of monsters, or also in narrow corridors). Keep in mind that each activated trap is not indestructible; that is, it can be damaged or worn down by certain enemy attacks. Once its useful life runs out, you won't be able to pick it up for being used again... So then, I wish you good luck and good hunting!

- Another quite special item has also been added: the Surprise Power Bag! Although its origins are not very clear, it is said that this mysterious pouch contains extraordinary magic powers that could be quite useful to anyone who finds one of them. (To be more specific, when you pick up this this item you will immediately be granted a temporary powerup at random, such the ones you acquire by using artifacts like the Ring of Invincibility, Tome of Might, Wings of Wrath, Shadow Sphere, etc. There is no way to know in advance what kind of temporary powerup will grant you each bag you pick up, since this will be chosen randomly. Therefore, perhaps it would be a good idea to think twice before using one of them, although the only thing worse that can happen is that you get an unnecessary powerup in your current situation on the game... Well then, like I said before, good luck!)

- A couple of new hostile decoration elements have been included: the Tentacle and the Eye Tentacle! From now on, you may randomly meet with any of these gruesome spawns in certain areas, whether lodged on firm ground or on liquid surfaces such as water, mud or even burning lava! And unlike other monsters, keep in mind that YOU WON'T BE ABLE to defeat these things since they are completely indestructible, although you can attack them with your weapons to stun them momentarily and get away from them in time... While the Tentacle can only hit you in melee (in case you get too close to it), the Eye Tentacle is able to attack you at long range as well, using its fire rays that it will occasionally shoot from its eye. (Fortunately, not everything are bad news, since you could take advantage of these things in certain circumstances by using them as ascending platforms to reach some high places...)

- Some other extra decorative elements -but not hostile this time- have also been added: the Stone Eagle Statues, of which you can find up to a total of three variations. (They can be randomly spawned in game instead of the classic small rock pillars).

- Major change to one of the rare monster weapons: from now on -and for game balance reasons- the Weregoat Bombs are no longer infinite. Thus, for being able to use them you must have enough gunpowder ammunition. (Anyway, each bomb you throw will only use one unit of ammo, which is not much considering that it isn't too difficult to find Gunpowder Kegs lying around on map levels).

- Some new wealth items have been incorporated: the Baron Medal (it will grant you 500 gold coins), the Viscount Medal (valued at a whopping 1000 gold coins), two Silver Coins (whose value is equivalent to a single Gold Coin) and finally, one that you will probably hate quite a bit: the Fake Coin (which is worth absolutely nothing, not even half a cent, so don't bother picking it up). Seems that the Serpent Riders followers are becoming more and more diabolical, right?

- Major improvements included in two existing artifacts: from now, the venom cloud that will release the Poison Flechette -and likewise the Toxogargos enemy- will slowly rise upwards, at the same time releasing small poisonous particles that will fall to the ground as if it were some kind of 'green snow'; of course they will be quite harmful -and even deadly- to anyone who touches them, unless it is a poison-based foe. On the other hand, the Disc of Repulsion strength has been significantly increased: it is now up to five times more powerful than before, which will allow you to further repel those enemies that get too close to you (unless they are big bosses or enemies totally immune to blasting knockback, of course).

- Added some new sprites for the classic wooden Staff secondary fire mode, with the purpose of improving its animation (mostly a visual change, since the attack execution remains practically unaltered, although it may seem more powerful than previously).

- Included a new additional attack sound for improving the Merman Trident's primary fire mode (the harmful bubble burst), thus giving it somewhat a greater sense of attack power than before. (Although in fact and just like with the Staff, the real attack power remains exactly the same... No debuffs at all!)

- Replaced the Food Barrel bonus item and Magic Supply Box pickup sounds with more appropriate ones (yup, personally I wasn't too convinced with the previous ones because after some game testings I realized that they sounded a bit shitty, so at the end I have decided to substitute both of them).

- Improved some sound effects for the Blizzard Fiend's attack patterns (specifically for its launched ice projectiles and also its 'frozen thorns multi-shoot' defensive move).

- Fixed a minor issue related to the Coloured Crystal Clusters -the small upper ones, to be precise- which in most cases seemed to be slightly detached from the ceiling. (To fix this, some new smaller alternative sprites have been created to avoid using size scaling, which seems they have solved the problem).

- Some other bugfixes, tweakings and code optimizations.

That's all for now mates! I hope you keep having fun with the mod as usual... See ya!

[Hexereticdoom]

Version 3.1.1 is up!

This one is mainly a hotfix release that polishes some minor flaws present in previous 3.1, so it is recommended to update...

- Included original Heretic's HUD inventory selection arrows, to prevent them from being overwritten with the new Blasphemer 0.1.8 ones, in case of loading this WAD file on GZDoom/LZDoom start. (To be honest, the Blasphemer ones are quite ugly and clash quite a lot with the HeXeReTiC HUD's scheme).

- Added an extra food bonus item obtainable from Food Barrels: the Champignon (an exquisite and aromatic mushroom that can give you about 20 HP).

- Fixed misbehaviour of the new small poisonous particles from the Poison Flechette -and Toxogargos- venom cloud, so that now they no longer splash mistakenly on liquid surfaces.

- Corrected and added some missing info in the Credits List (not properly updated on previous release, my fault...)

- Some other minor changes and bugfixes.

OK, that was all for now...

See you my heretical mates, and keep having fun as usual!

[ApexMX]

I hope in the future, You adds Wizards from Reelism 2 with her funny and cute voice sounds who appears like Renegade Marines from HXRTC and attacks you with dependecy magic projectiles from the staffs in your HeXeReTiC Fantasy mod.

(Also Wizards should attacks secondary you with fast foods as projectiles, In reference to AI Wizards in Fast Food Restaurant pictures )

Even with this mod you would have a better time if you play it with the Heretic Maps generated by an program called Oblige/Obsidian.