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Charlie Npc

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

Overview​

charlie_npc is a prefab component that defines the behavior of Charlie, a special NPC appearing during the nightmare phase. It manages visual and audio cues during spawn, casting preparation, and departure — including dynamic shadow toggling, animation sequencing, and sound playback. It integrates with the charliecutscene component on a related entity (inst.atrium) to signal completion of Charlie's presence via the Finish() method.

Usage example​

local charlie = Prefab("charlie_npc")
local inst = CreateEntity()
inst:AddPrefab("charlie_npc")
-- Initial spawn and animations are handled automatically upon prefab instantiation.
-- Subsequent behavior (e.g., StartCasting, Despawn) is triggered externally via inst.StartCasting()

Dependencies & tags​

Components used: None directly instantiated (only references inst.atrium.components.charliecutscene).
Tags: Adds "character" and "charlie_npc".

Properties​

No public properties are defined in the constructor.

Main functions​

StartCasting(cast_time)​

  • Description: Initiates Charlie’s casting animation sequence and starts looping cast sound. Typically called before Charlie opens a rift.
  • Parameters: cast_time (number) — duration (in frames) for the casting animation.
  • Returns: Nothing.

Despawn()​

  • Description: Starts Charlie’s departure sequence: stops cast sound, plays post-animation, disables dynamic shadow, and schedules removal.
  • Parameters: None.
  • Returns: Nothing.

StartCastingWithDelay(delay, cast_time)​

  • Description: Schedules StartCasting and Despawn to run after specified frame delays. Used to coordinate multi-step actions (e.g., waiting before casting begins).
  • Parameters:
    • delay (number) — frames to wait before starting cast.
    • cast_time (number) — frames for casting duration.
  • Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners​

  • Pushes: "charliecutscene" (via charliecutscene:Finish()) — signals completion of Charlie’s interaction with the world.
  • Listens to: None defined directly.

Events & listeners (Entity-wide)​

  • Listens to: OnRemoveEntity — internal handler triggers OnRemove() to clean up sounds and call charliecutscene:Finish() if applicable.

Notes​

  • inst.persists = false ensures the entity is not saved across game sessions.
  • The DisplayNameFn dynamically changes Charlie’s name based on whether the observing player is known (e.g., Winona, Waxwell) or not (fallback to alternate name).
  • Dynamic shadow is initially disabled and re-enabled ~22 frames post-spawn (EnableDynamicShadow).
  • Sound handles use constants AMB_SOUND_NAME = "ambsound" and CAST_SOUND_NAME = "castloopsound" for reliable cleanup.