Rune Star has a great deal of combat mechanics that all impact the flow of combat.  These can be a bit confusing to the casual player, but knowing how every little detail works is not necessary to have an enjoyable experience in Rune Star.  Read on only if you are curious, or if you really want to get the most out of your abilities.  



Elements:
Rune Star features 9 selectable elements, listed below. Each jobclass will manifest their selected element during specific attacks, not all attacks will manifest the element. In addition, you must also overcome the target's resistance. When the attack connects, it checks your dexterity against the target's resistance. If .5(dex)+random(dex) is greater than the target's resistance, the element will manifest. Some jobclasses will manifest a specific element during specific attacks. The Pirate's cF attack for instance is always fire elemental.

Fire - If the fire attack overcomes a target's resistance, the target will burst into flames and go flying away from the attack. While enflamed, the target will take damage based on its maxHP and will enflame other targets that it collides with (need not overcome resistance). The higher the dexterity of the attacker, the longer the target will be enflamed.

Ice - If the ice attack overcomes a target's resistance, it has a 1/3 chance to freeze the target in a block of ice. Flinchless attacks are canceled as the target becomes frozen. The target cannot be moved while frozen. The higher the dexterity of the attacker, the longer the target will be frozen.

Venom - If the venom attack overcomes a target's resistance, the target will be poisoned and take damage over time. The target will take damage based on its maxHP. The higher the dexterity of the attacker, the longer the target will be poisoned.

Bolt - If the bolt attack overcomes a target's resistance, the target will glow and then suffer from a delayed lightning bolt attack. The delayed bolt deals 1/4 the damage of the attack which inflicted it and has a very high stun time. The delayed bolt's stun time is enhanced by the attacker's dexterity as with normal attacks. Any nearby allies of the target will also be hit by the delayed bolt attack.

Shadow - If a target is struck by a shadow attack, they will suffer a set amount of additional damage and be stunned and sent flying longer and farther than usual. This attack cancels flinchless attacks. The higher the dexterity of the attacker, the longer the target will be stunned and the farther they will be sent flying.

Quake - The Quake element increases the area of effect of an attack. Targets that are out of range of the attack's normal area of effect will suffer only half damage.

Arcana - If the arcana attack overcomes a target's resistance, the target will be stunned by magic. This magic will stun the target based on the attacker's dexterity, and will sap the target's speed and power. The higher the dexterity of the attacker, the longer the target's speed and power will be sapped.

Cosmic - Fires a projectile while attacking. The damage this causes is based on the attack's normal damage, the speed of the projectile is based on the attacker's dexterity, higher dex results in higher speed.

Metal - If the metal attack overcomes a target's resistance, the target will be 'metaled'. Metaled targets will take twice as much damage from attacks while metaled and will have their resistance halved while metaled. The higher the dexterity of the attacker, the longer the target will be metaled.