Epic Boss System

Features

Installation

1. Copy EpicBossSystem folder to YourProject/Plugins/
2. Restart Unreal Editor
3. Go to Edit → Plugins
4. Search "Epic Boss" and enable it
5. Restart editor when prompted

🎮 Beginner's Guide — Your First Boss Fight in 5 Minutes

Step 1 — Create Boss Blueprint

1. Content Browser → Right Click → Blueprint Class
2. Search for BossCharacter as parent class
3. Name it BP_MyBoss, open it
4. Add a Skeletal Mesh (any character mesh — even the UE mannequin works for testing)
5. That's it — BossComponent is already attached automatically

Step 2 — Set 5 Essential Properties

Select the Boss Component in your BP. In Details Panel, you only need these:

Everything else uses good defaults. Don't touch the other 200 settings yet.

Step 3 — Place in Level and Test

1. Drag BP_MyBoss into your level
2. Press Play
3. Walk near the boss — the fight starts automatically (boss has trigger by default)
4. Boss HP bar appears on screen

Step 4 — Deal Damage to Boss

The boss needs to receive damage from your weapon. Two options:

If your weapon uses UE's damage system (Apply Damage node), the boss receives it automatically.

If you use a custom system, in your weapon hit logic call:

// Get BossComponent from hit actor
BossComponent->TakeBossDamage(50.0f);

Step 5 — Done! Now Expand

You have a working boss. Now add features one at a time:

🔥 "I want the boss to attack"

1. Create Blueprint → parent: ExplosiveBarrelProjectile → name: BP_BossProjectile
2. Add a mesh to it (sphere, barrel, any projectile shape)
3. Back in Boss Component → Projectile Class = BP_BossProjectile
4. Boss now shoots at you automatically

⚔️ "I want melee attacks"

In Boss Component → Phase Configs → [0] → Attack Type = Melee. Configure Melee Damage (50), Melee Range (200), Melee Cooldown (2s). Boss will punch you when close.

🔄 "I want multiple phases"

Set Number of Phases = 3. Expand Phase Configs → each phase has its own HP, attack type, speed, and damage multiplier. Phase 1 could be ranged (easy), Phase 2 mixed (medium), Phase 3 melee (intense).

🎬 "I want a cinematic intro"

In Boss Component → Boss|Intro category:

• Intro Style = CameraFocus (camera zooms to boss)
• Boss Title = "Lord of Darkness" (shows under boss name)
• Name Plate Duration = 3 seconds
• Disable Player Input = true (player can't move during intro — this is why your character freezes when boss spawns! Set to false if you don't want that)

🛡️ "I want the boss to have shields"

In Boss|Shield: enable shield, set HP, set which attacks break it.

😡 "I want an enrage timer"

In Boss|Enrage: set Enrage Time (e.g., 120 seconds). Boss goes berserk if not killed in time.

👾 "I want minions"

In Boss|Minions: enable minions, set minion class, spawn count, interval.

🏟️ "I want an arena barrier"

In Boss|Arena: set Arena Radius. Players can't leave the fight area. Arena auto-opens when boss dies.

Previous Quick Start (for reference)

// In Details Panel:
Boss Name: "Dragon Lord"
Number Of Phases: 3
Phase Configs:
  [0] HealthPoints: 500, AttackType: Ranged
  [1] HealthPoints: 750, AttackType: Mixed, SpeedMultiplier: 1.5
  [2] HealthPoints: 1000, AttackType: Melee, DamageMultiplier: 2.0
Projectile Class: BP_BossProjectile

Multi-Phase Combat

Bosses support 1–3 phases, each with independent configuration via FBossPhaseConfig array. When HP drops to 0 in a phase, the boss transitions to the next phase with optional cutscene, healing, and invulnerability.

Per-Phase Config

Combat System

The boss supports 5 base attack types configured per-phase:

External Health System

Set HealthMode = External to integrate with your own health system (GAS, custom damage component, etc.).

// In your damage handler:
BossComponent->ReportHealthChanged(CurrentHP, MaxHP);
// When boss dies:
BossComponent->ReportBossDefeated();

Cutscene Transitions

Each phase can have an optional ULevelSequence cutscene that plays during phase transitions. Player/boss invulnerability is automatic during cutscenes. Players can skip via SkipCurrentCutscene().

Minion Spawning

Per-phase minion configuration via FBossMinionConfig:

Movement & AI

5 movement patterns via EBossMovementType:

🏟️ Arena System v3.0

Configurable arena boundaries that lock players in during the boss fight. Arena auto-closes on fight start and auto-opens on defeat.

// Manual control:
BossComponent->SetArenaClosed(true);
bool bInside = BossComponent->IsInsideArena(PlayerLocation);

💥 AOE / Ground Attacks v3.0

5 AOE shapes with warning indicators, delayed damage, and knockback:

// Trigger AOE at boss location:
BossComponent->PerformAOEAttack();
// Trigger at specific location:
BossComponent->PerformAOEAttackAtLocation(TargetLocation);

💨 Dash / Charge Attack v3.0

Boss wind-up → charge → impact → recovery vulnerability cycle:

BossComponent->PerformDashAttack();  // Dash toward player
BossComponent->PerformDashToLocation(Target); // Dash to specific point

🛡️ Shield / Armor System v3.0

3 shield types configured per-phase via PhaseShieldConfigs array:

BossComponent->ActivateShield();
float overflow = BossComponent->DamageShield(100.0f);
BossComponent->BreakShield();

🎯 Vulnerability Windows v3.0

Boss is invulnerable by default. Players must deal enough hits to stagger the boss, opening a damage window.

// Manual control:
BossComponent->MakeBossVulnerable(5.0f); // 5 second window
BossComponent->MakeBossInvulnerable();

⏱️ Enrage / Berserk Timer v3.0

MMO-style berserk timer. When time runs out, boss enrages with massive stat boost or instant-kill wipe mechanic.

🎬 Boss Intro Sequence v3.0

4 intro styles:

Player input is optionally disabled during intro. Boss is invulnerable until intro finishes. Skippable via SkipBossIntro().

🔄 Attack Patterns / Combos v3.0

Define sequence-based attack patterns with weighted random selection.

// Example: "Heavy Combo" pattern
Pattern: "HeavyCombo"
Sequence:
  [0] Ranged ×3, Delay: 0.5s
  [1] Wait, Delay: 1.0s
  [2] Dash ×1
  [3] AOE ×1
  [4] Melee ×2, Delay: 0.3s
Weight: 10
MinDistance: 300
Cooldown: 8.0s

Each step supports: Ranged, Melee, AOE, Dash, Summon, Shield, Custom, Wait

💎 Loot Table v3.0

Configure drops with rarity system, drop chances, and physics scatter:

👥 Aggro / Threat System v3.0

Multiplayer threat management. Boss targets the player with highest threat.

// Add threat when player deals damage:
BossComponent->AddThreat(PlayerActor, DamageDealt);

// Tank taunts boss for 10 seconds:
BossComponent->Taunt(TankActor, 10.0f);

// Get current target:
AActor* Target = BossComponent->GetCurrentAggroTarget();

Threat decays over time. Boss only switches targets when threat difference exceeds ThreatSwitchThreshold (hysteresis).

📊 Boss HUD Widget v3.0

Auto-creating C++ UUserWidget with full layout built in code. Override with Blueprint subclass for visual customization.

Built-in elements: Boss name, title text, health progress bar (smooth interpolation), shield progress bar, phase indicator pips (diamond shapes), enrage countdown timer, vulnerability flash indicator.

// Auto-create (enabled by default):
bAutoCreateHUD = true;

// Use custom Widget BP subclass:
HUDWidgetClass = BP_MyBossHUD;

// Manual control:
BossComponent->CreateHUD();
BossComponent->DestroyHUD();

API — Enums

Core Enums (BossComponent.h)

V3.0 Enums (BossAbilityTypes.h)

API — Structs

API — Functions

Core Combat

External Health

Cutscenes & Minions

V3.0 — Arena

V3.0 — AOE & Dash

V3.0 — Shield

V3.0 — Vulnerability & Enrage

V3.0 — Intro, Patterns, Loot, Aggro

V3.0 — HUD

Events & Delegates

All delegates are DYNAMIC_MULTICAST — bindable from both C++ and Blueprint.

Core Events (v2.0)

V3.0 Events

Blueprint Implementable Events

Override these in Blueprint to add custom behavior:

BossCharacter AI

ABossCharacter is an optional pre-built Character with BossComponent + AI navigation. It provides:

• 5 AI states: Idle, Attacking, Repositioning, Retreating, Circling
• NavMesh integration: walks to patrol points, avoids walls
• Arena awareness: stays within arena boundaries
• Auto-start fight: optional auto-trigger with configurable delay
• Debug visualization: draw ranges, states, arena bounds

Changelog

FAQ

Can I use this without BossCharacter?

Yes! UBossComponent is an ActorComponent — attach it to any Character or Pawn. BossCharacter is an optional convenience class.

Does External Health mode work with GAS?

Yes. Set HealthMode = External, then call ReportHealthChanged() from your GAS attribute callbacks. Phase transitions fire automatically.

Can I mix v3.0 systems selectively?

Absolutely. Every v3.0 system has an enable flag. Arena: bEnableArena, Enrage: bEnableEnrage, Aggro: bEnableAggro, Loot: bEnableLoot, etc. Disabled systems have zero performance cost.

Is multiplayer supported?

The Aggro/Threat system is designed for multiplayer. Arena boundary enforcement works for all player controllers. However, boss state replication (health sync, phase sync) requires your own networking layer.

How do I customize the HUD?

Create a Blueprint subclass of UBossHUDWidget, set it as HUDWidgetClass on BossComponent, then override any of the 11 BP_On* events for custom visuals.

Support