Theme conflicts guide

This guide is designed to assist the player in understanding theme eligibility and conflicts.

Theme Conflicts

If only there was a guide to tell them..

Not all themes are compatible with one another. There are a number of ways themes can be in conflict.

Forbidden theme combinations may be defined in the theme game files. Event targets may impose limitations by targeting the same theme slots.

Some theme requirements may impose even further restrictions. These are discussed in detail in further sections.

This article contains an exhaustive table of theme conflicts. The final sections include more detailed discussion on the different types of conflicts, and a handful of tips.

List of Theme Conflicts

This section displays an exhaustive list of all theme conflicts the player might encounter without using cheats or mods.

Two scenarios have been taken into consideration:

• What themes block a hero from receiving a given theme (Theme is Blocked by).
• What themes are blocked from a hero who has a given theme (Theme Blocks).

List of Theme Conflicts

Theme	Theme is Blocked by	Theme Blocks
Beartouched	Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Botanical	Beartouched, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Celestial	Beartouched, Botanical, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Child of the Hills	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Crowtouched	Child of the Hills, Deepist Spy, Drauven Wings, Elmsoul, Frost, Gorgonoid, Hawksoul, Mark of the Horn, Mothly, Sylvan, Teeny Wings	Child of the Hills, Deepist Spy, Drauven Wings, Elmsoul, Frost, Gorgonoid, Hawksoul, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Mothly, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Teeny Wings
Crowtouched	Child of the Hills, Deepist Spy, Drauven Wings, Elmsoul, Frost, Gorgonoid, Hawksoul, Mark of the Horn, Mothly, Sylvan, Teeny Wings	Child of the Hills, Deepist Spy, Drauven Wings, Elmsoul, Frost, Gorgonoid, Hawksoul, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Mothly, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Teeny Wings
Crystalline	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Deepist Spy	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Drauven Wings	Crowtouched, Hawksoul, Mothly, Teeny Wings	Crowtouched, Hawksoul, Mothly, Teeny Wings
Elmsoul	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Flamesoul, Shadow, Skeletal, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Flamesoul, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Wolftouched
Flamesoul	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Crystalline, Elmsoul, Frost, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Frogtouched, Frost, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Foxish	Scorpioid, Skunkish	Scorpioid, Ratlike, Skunkish
Frogtouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Flamesoul, Frost, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Frost, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Frost	Crowtouched, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Skeletal, Wolftouched	Crowtouched, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Skeletal, Wolftouched
Gorgonoid	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crowtouched,Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crowtouched,Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Frogtouched, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Hawksoul	Crowtouched, Drauven Wings, Mothly, Teeny Wings	Crowtouched, Drauven Wings, Mothly, Teeny Wings
Mark of the Horn	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Frogtouched, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Mortificial Enhancements	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crowtouched,Crystalline, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Shadow, Skeletal, Stormtouched, Sylvan, Wolftouched	None
Mothly	Crowtouched, Drauven Wings, Hawksoul	Crowtouched, Drauven Wings, Hawksoul, Teeny Wings
Petrified	None	None
Ratlike	Foxish, Scorpioid, Skunkish	None
Scorpioid	Foxish, Skunkish	Foxish, Skunkish, Ratlike
Shadow	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Skeletal, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Skeletal	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline,Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Frost, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline,Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Frost, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Spell Touched, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Skunkish	Foxish, Scorpioid	Foxish, Ratlike, Scorpioid
Spell Touched	Beartouched, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal	Skeletal
Stormtouched	None	Mortificial Enhancements
Sylvan	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crowtouched, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Crowtouched, Deepist Spy, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Vulture Acolyte, Wolftouched
Teeny Wings	Crowtouched, Drauven Wings, Hawksoul, Mothly	Crowtouched, Drauven Wings, Hawksoul
Vulture Acolyte	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Frogtouched, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Wolftouched
Wolftouched	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Frost, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte	Beartouched, Botanical, Celestial, Child of the Hills, Crystalline, Deepist Spy, Elmsoul, Flamesoul, Frogtouched, Frost, Gorgonoid, Mark of the Horn, Mortificial Enhancements, Shadow, Skeletal, Sylvan, Vulture Acolyte

Detailed Discussion: Forbid Combine With

Most events that grant themes have an Eligible for Theme: definition in the event targeting.

This target requirement makes sure that:

• No member of the company may have the same theme.
• The hero must not have conflicting themes.
• The hero must have an empty slot for a theme piece.

Conflicting themes are defined in the theme .json files with a "forbidCombineWith": definition.

Important! A conflict between two themes occurs when the themes are defined with a forbidCombineWith: in either of the theme .json files.

Example:

gem: "forbidCombineWith": ["bear", "wolf", "tree", "fire", "skeleton"]

tree: "forbidCombineWith": ["bear", "wolf", "crow", "fire", "skeleton"]

This is an example from the crystalline and elmsoul theme files.

Note that only the gem defines tree as a forbidden combination.

Nevertheless, a hero with the elmsoul theme is not eligible for the event that grants the crystalline theme.

Similarly, a hero with the crystalline theme is not eligible for the event that grants the elmsoul theme.

Note for modders! The "forbidCombineWith": definition also affects the ApplyTheme: outcome, which will not take effect when there is a forbidCombineWith conflict.

Detailed Discussion: Eligible for Theme Piece

Many event targets impose practical conflicts with themes by targeting the same theme slot.

Events define an Eligible for Theme Piece: requirement for a role. Following, the event outcomes apply the theme piece to the hero that matched the role. Most theme pieces take up a theme slot.

Examples of Theme Slots and Pieces:

• Head: hair stars, head, tattoo, latent
• Torso: torso, latent
• Arms: left arm, right arm
• Legs: left leg, right leg
• Skin
• Wings
• Tail

Some theme pieces do not take slots. Exceptions include the elmsoul and frost hair streaks, for example.

Events that target the same theme slot for a theme piece are in practical conflict.

For example, without modding or cheats, a hero with the crystalline theme will not be eligible for the sylvan theme even though the theme files do not define a conflict. This is because both events target Eligible for Theme Piece: with the same theme slot (head).

Detailed Discussion: Forbidden Theme Aspects

The third main type of conflict includes events that define forbidden theme aspects for the role that is granted a theme in the event.

Similarly to the Eligible for Theme Piece conflict discussed above, they impose artificial restrictions (and practical conflict) to some theme combinations.

These are present in the Worlds Apart event that gives the Spell Touched theme, and the event that gives the Foxish, Scorpioid, or Skunkish themes.

Example: Forbidden Theme Aspects for Worlds Apart (Spell Touched)

Forbidden Aspects: theme_bear, theme_crow, theme_deepist, theme_gem, theme_fire, theme_foothill, theme_shadow, theme_star

A hero with the beartouched, crowtouched, mark of the horn, crystalline, flamesoul, child of the hills, shadow, or celestial themes is ineligible for the role that will be given the spell touched theme.

Note! Receiving the spell touched theme before receiving any of the themes above imposes no conflict on the themes.

Detailed Discussion: Other Practical Conflicts

Finally, there are some special cases of theme conflicts.

Flamesoul:

The event that grants the Flamesoul theme targets the left arm slot, but grants theme pieces for both the left arm and head (tattoo) slots.

A hero with a head slot theme filled that is not in a Forbid Combine With conflict with the Flamesoul will receive the left arm, but not the head.

Mortificial Enhancements:

The event for the Mortificial Enhancements theme requires a hero to have prosthetic limbs.

However, prosthetic limbs are replaced by theme limbs for a hero who receives any theme with limbs.

Stormtouched:

The stormtouched theme is unique in that it grants the option for a theme piece occupying the head, left arm, or left leg theme slot.

If a head or left arm is chosen, the theme will be in practical conflict with many other themes.

Events that Clear a Theme Slot:

While not a theme conflict, some events clear a theme slot before applying a piece, most notably The Merchant event. A hero with a wolf of crow tail for example, will have the tail removed before receiving another tail.

Rules of Thumb

Summing up, here are a few rules of thumb:

• If you desire a Spell Touched warrior, find the Worlds Apart event before taking other transformations (or inspect the forbidden theme aspects in detail beforehand).
• If you desire Mortificial Enhancements, find the Troygan the Enchanger event before themes that have limbs.
• If you desire a child of the hills, frogtouched, or mark of the horn hero with flamesoul, find the head theme piece for those themes first.
• If you wish to avoid further conflicts, the safest theme piece to start with stormtouched is the leg.

Further Reading: A Table of Theme Conflicts

Finally, below is an external link to a (view only) Google Docs spreadsheet, with different types of theme conflicts numbered in detail.

Reading theme rows will show the themes that the theme is blocked by, and reading theme columns will show themes that the theme blocks.

External link: Theme Conflict Guide