Alterguardian Laser

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-04

Overview

The alterguardian_laser is a short-lived prefabricated entity that functions as a projectile for the Alterguardian boss's phase-3 laser attack. When spawned and triggered, it performs area-of-effect combat detection, applies damage and status effects (freezing thawing, temperature increase, sanity loss), and triggers knockback. It also spawns associated visual FX (scorch marks, smoke trails, hit sparks) and modifies lighting. It is not persisted and is removed shortly after activation.

This prefab exists in multiple variants:

• alterguardian_laser — full-featured laser with animation, light, and FX.
• alterguardian_laserempty — minimal variant for cases where visual FX are not desired.
• alterguardian_laserscorch — handles ground burn FX with time-based colour fading.
• alterguardian_lasertrail — smoke trail FX with optional fast-forward support.
• alterguardian_laserhit — client-only hit marker FX attached to a target entity.

Usage example

local laser = SpawnPrefab("alterguardian_laser")
laser.Transform:SetPosition(x, y, z)
laser.caster = caster
laser.Trigger(0, nil, nil, false, 1, nil, nil, 1, 1, nil)

Dependencies & tags

Components used: combat, light, animstate, transform, network, colouradder, bloomer, freezable, temperature, sanity, workable, pickable, mine, inventory, inventoryitem, health, childspawner, spawner

Tags added/checked: Adds notarget, hostile, FX, NOCLICK, CLASSIFIED to appropriate variants. Checks tags like heavyarmor, heavybody, _inventoryitem, stump, intense, and workable actions (CHOP, HAMMER, MINE, DIG, NPC_workable).

Properties

Property	Type	Default Value	Description
caster	entity or nil	nil	The entity responsible for firing the laser; used for attack attribution and knockback source.
overridedmg	number or nil	nil	Temporary override damage value applied during laser impact.
overridepdp	number or nil	nil	Temporary override playerdamagepercent used when caster is a player.
persists	boolean	false	Set to false to prevent saving; laser is always ephemeral.
task	task or nil	nil	Internal timer task used for self-destruction.
_fade	net_byte	(client) or (server)	Networked byte used by scorch FX to track fade progress.
flash	number	0	Internal variable used by laser hit FX to manage flash intensity on the target.

Main functions

Trigger(delay, targets, skiptoss, skipscorch, scale, scorchscale, hitscale, heavymult, mult, forcelanded)

• Description: Schedules the laser to activate. If a task is already running, cancels it first. Calls DoDamage after the delay or immediately if delay is 0.
• Parameters:
  • delay (number) — delay in seconds before damage logic executes.
  • targets, skiptoss (table, nil) — tracking tables used internally to avoid duplicate processing.
  • skipscorch (boolean, optional) — if true, no ground scorch is spawned.
  • scale, scorchscale, hitscale (number, nil) — scale multipliers for laser hit FX, scorch FX, and hit radius respectively.
  • heavymult, mult (number, nil) — knockback strength multipliers for heavy-armoured or regular targets.
  • forcelanded (boolean, nil) — passed to knockback event.
• Returns: Nothing.
• Error states: If delay is non-zero, it schedules a delayed task; otherwise, executes immediately.

OverrideDamage(damage, playerdamagepercent)

• Description: Sets temporary override values for damage and player damage percentage applied during this laser's lifetime.
• Parameters:
  • damage (number) — damage value to apply (stored in inst.overridedmg).
  • playerdamagepercent (number) — playerdamagepercent override (stored in inst.overridepdp).
• Returns: Nothing.

SetTarget(target)

• Description: Attaches the hit FX (alterguardian_laserhit) to a target entity. Applies bloom and additive colour flash effects, then schedules periodic updates that fade them out.
• Parameters:
  • target (entity) — entity to visually mark as hit.
• Returns: Nothing.
• Error states: Cancels the initial removal task and exits early if target becomes invalid.

UpdateHit(inst, target)

• Description: Periodic callback used by alterguardian_laserhit to fade flash and bloom effects on the hit target.
• Parameters:
  • inst (entity) — the hit FX instance.
  • target (entity) — the target being marked.
• Returns: Nothing.
• Error states: Removes itself automatically when flash reaches 0.

Scorch_OnUpdateFade(inst) and Scorch_OnFadeDirty(inst)

• Description: Internal functions managing the colour fading of the scorch FX (alterguardian_laserscorch). Scorch_OnUpdateFade decrements the _fade counter periodically; Scorch_OnFadeDirty adjusts the additive and highlight colours based on the current fade stage (blue tint, normal tint, fade-out).
• Parameters:
  • inst (entity) — the scorch FX instance.
• Returns: Nothing.

FastForwardTrail(inst, pct)

• Description: Fast-forwards the smoke trail animation to a specified percentage (used for precise visual timing). Cancels any existing removal task and reschedules it.
• Parameters:
  • inst (entity) — the trail FX instance.
  • pct (number, clamped 0 to 1) — animation progress as a fraction.
• Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners

• Listens to:
  • fadedirty — used by alterguardian_laserscorch on client to update visual state after a _fade change.
  • onremove — registered automatically by bloomer and colouradder components when associated FX sources are removed.
• Pushes:
  • onalterguardianlasered — sent to each entity struck by the laser before applying effects.
  • knockback — sent with { knocker, radius, strengthmult, forcelanded } for knockback-capable targets.
  • fadedirty — server-side only; triggers client-side update for scorch fade.
  • spawnnewboatleak — sent to platforms if the laser hits near a boat.
  • healthdelta, sanitydelta, temperaturedelta — internally via Health:DoDelta, Sanity:DoDelta, Temperature:DoDelta.