Custom Ascension Balance

Description
This mod focuses on ascension and monster balance adjustments instead of card changes. Each adjustment is optional, so you can decide which parts of the current game balance you want to keep and which parts you want to tune.
It is designed to work on its own, but it can also integrate with Custom Card Balance for a shared in-game balance settings panel.

Main features

• Adds configurable ascension and monster balance adjustments.
• Opens its settings panel with F3.
• Can be accessed from the shared Balance Adjustments main-menu panel when used together with Custom Card Balance.
• Supports multiplayer host-based settings behavior.
• Keeps adjustments optional instead of forcing a full balance overhaul.
• Designed for Slay the Spire 2 Ver0.107.1.

Requirements
Custom Card Balance

Current Adjustments
Ascension 6
Changes Ascension 6 from the current card-removal cost pressure back toward the older Dour-style pressure.

Original behavior:

• Card removal cost is increased.
• Rest sites are not reduced.

Adjusted behavior:

• Card removal cost starts at 75 and increases by 25 each time.
• Each act has 1 fewer rest site.

This shifts the pressure from economy back toward route planning, upgrade timing, and rest-site decisions.

Infected Prism
Reduces the number of Vital Sparks gained by Infected Prism.

Original behavior:

• Below Ascension 9: gains 2 Vital Sparks.
• Ascension 9 and above: gains 3 Vital Sparks.

Adjusted behavior:

• Below Ascension 9: gains 1 Vital Spark.
• Ascension 9 and above: gains 2 Vital Sparks.

The enemy still keeps its scaling pressure, but the growth rate is less punishing.

Hunter Slayer
Instead of reducing both Strength and Dexterity from every played card, the adjusted version separates the penalty by card type.

Adjusted behavior:

• Playing an Attack reduces Strength.
• Playing a Skill reduces Dexterity.
• The reduced stats are restored separately at the end of the turn.

This keeps the monster's pressure, but makes the interaction clearer and gives players more room to plan around card type and play order.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the mod uses host-based settings behavior. The goal is to reduce the need for every player to manually match the same toggles before playing together.
For best results, all players should install the same version of the mod.

Optional Integration
If you also install Custom Card Balance 2.5.1 or later, both mods can be managed from the shared Balance Adjustments panel in the main menu.
This also makes the settings easier to access on mobile, since the panel can be opened from the main menu instead of relying only on keyboard shortcuts.

Installation
1. Download the latest release archive.
2. Extract the CustomAscensionBalance folder into the game's mods directory.
3. Launch the game.
4. Open the settings panel with F3, or use the shared Balance Adjustments panel if Custom Card Balance is also installed.
Slay the Spire 2/
└── mods/
    └── CustomAscensionBalance/
        ├── CustomAscensionBalance.dll
        └── CustomAscensionBalance.json