Potential New Damage Type: Psychic Damage

[Jussatoon]

It would be damage that ignores armor completely and directly impacts your health. Primarily shadow creatures (or whatever Elsewhere's equivalent would be) would deal this damage, but select mobs could also deal it. Certain clothing, consumables, or other items, would be used to reduce the amount of psychic damage you take, likely items that would typically raise your sanity.

[Kacpert25]

You just described planar damage.

[Zeklo]

I am very curious to see if Elsewhere will take a page from planar damage. Even just the classic slash/pierce/blunt damage types could shake up combat some.

[Szczuku]

2 hours ago, Zeklo said:

I am very curious to see if Elsewhere will take a page from planar damage. Even just the classic slash/pierce/blunt damage types could shake up combat some.

The trailer does show that the spear's attack animation is different; characters actually stab instead of whacking. Could just be for better visuals but maybe some changes to the combat have been made?

[ZeRoboButler]

On 4/21/2026 at 1:34 AM, Kacpert25 said:

You just described planar damage.

I mean, planar damage was designed to make it so the player would be required to approach it in a way where they didn't just delete it. It was more of a way to slow down the player and make them interact with mechanics and make it so bosses posed more threat. Since dst's system for armor was percentage based right off the bat, rather then a flat damage reduction, they had to come up with something of a decent middle man between armor and late game threat. 

Mechanically speaking for a enemy to require or rather encourage the player to use certain armor or weapons is not a bad design for don't starve, we have had several cases where that is the way to respond to threats and problems. Where ideas like "true/psychic" damage implemented right off the bat specifically for things like nightmares, this would probably be better, both because the player can learn and adapt right away but also because of how it would put more value on certain methods of dealing with it.

It is kind of a "caveat mechanic" in the sense that It could have great potential both positive and negative based on how its implemented, planar was basically "slow down there bud, too much damage" where as this could be "you will either prepare for this threat or play well enough to dodge me".

It could feel more satisfying potentially for people who want to be scared of a threat and potentially frustrating for people who struggle against said threat.

Some Good and some bad there, but that is game design, can't make everyone happy.