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Trace An Artifact Through Treasure And Shrine Systems

This example is read-only. It teaches how to follow an artifact from a resource definition into treasure hunter reward data and nearby shrine-style systems.

Goal

Trace one artifact and understand whether it is:

  • a normal artifact resource
  • a treasure hunter target
  • a combat-boost artifact
  • referenced by objectives, notifications, or shrine-related systems

Step 1: Generate The Local Catalog

Run:

powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\generate_catalog.ps1

Then open:

generated/catalog/systems/artifacts.md
generated/catalog/systems/treasure-hunter-targets.md
generated/catalog/systems/artifact-treasure-shrine-graph.md

These files are local and ignored by Git.

Step 2: Pick An Artifact

A good first target is:

Artifact 1 Witchwood Harp

Find it in:

game-gdb/core/gdb/resources.gd.xml

Record:

Entity name:
GUID:
ResourceCategory:
Name key:
Icon:
Mesh:
CarryType:
Treasure tier:
CombatBoost:

Step 3: Check Whether It Is A Treasure Hunter Target

Search the artifact GUID:

rg --no-ignore "ARTIFACT-GUID-HERE" .\game-gdb\core\gdb\treasurehunterrecipes.gd.xml

Or use the generated target catalog:

generated/catalog/systems/treasure-hunter-targets.md

If the artifact appears there, record the treasure hunter recipe/category name.

Step 4: Check Whether It Has Combat Boost Data

In generated/catalog/systems/artifacts.md, check the CombatBoost and CombatWeight columns.

If they are empty, the artifact is probably a normal artifact resource.

If they are filled, also search for the artifact GUID in objectives and campaign files:

rg --no-ignore "ARTIFACT-GUID-HERE" .\game-gdb

Combat-boost artifacts can be tied to scenario balance or objective thresholds.

Step 5: Check Objectives And Notifications

Search for the artifact name and GUID:

rg --no-ignore "Artifact 1 Witchwood Harp|ARTIFACT-GUID-HERE" .\game-gdb

Useful files to inspect:

game-gdb/core/gdb/objectives.gd.xml
game-gdb/core/gdb/notifications.gd.xml
game-gdb/core/gdb/campaign map *.gd.xml

Record any objective that checks ownership, delivery, production, or combat boost totals.

Step 6: Compare Shrine Systems

Artifacts and shrines are separate systems, but both can be part of scenario rewards, objectives, and high-value map progression.

Open:

generated/catalog/systems/shrine-buildings.md
generated/catalog/systems/shrine-abilities.md
generated/catalog/systems/shrine-recipes.md

Look for the same campaign or DLC file names. If an artifact and a shrine are both defined in the same map file, treat edits as scenario-sensitive.

Step 7: Draw A Trace Note

Use this template:

Artifact:
GUID:
Package:
Source file:
Resource category:
Treasure hunter recipe:
Combat boost:
Objectives:
Notifications:
Scenario/map references:
Potential risk:

What Not To Edit Yet

Avoid changing:

  • artifact GUIDs
  • ResourceCategory
  • combat boost values
  • treasure hunter target lists
  • objective requirements
  • shrine ability references

These fields can connect to several systems at once.

What You Learned

Artifacts are resource entities, but their meaning depends on references from treasure hunting, objectives, notifications, campaign files, and combat boost data. A safe modding change starts by tracing those references before touching values.