diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7408a75..268b517 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ tracy_build:
 	meson compile -j 10 -C builddir
 
 test: build
-	./builddir/runtests "[ai-enemy]"
+	./builddir/runtests "[ai]"
 
 run: build test
 	powershell "cp ./builddir/zedcaster.exe ."
diff --git a/ai.cpp b/ai.cpp
index 5ae08d1..efbecd8 100644
--- a/ai.cpp
+++ b/ai.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ namespace ai {
   Action config_action(AIProfile& profile, nlohmann::json& config) {
     check(config.contains("name"), "config_action: action config missing name");
     check(config.contains("cost"), "config_action: action config missing cost");
-    check(config["cost"] < STATE_MAX, "config_action: action cost is greater than STATE_MAX");
+    // check(config["cost"] < STATE_MAX, "config_action: action cost is greater than STATE_MAX");
 
     Action result(config["name"], config["cost"]);
 
diff --git a/assets/ai.json b/assets/ai.json
index 697365c..6ff51d4 100644
--- a/assets/ai.json
+++ b/assets/ai.json
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@
   ],
   "states": {
     "Walker::initial_state": {
+      "tough_personality": true,
       "enemy_found": false,
       "enemy_dead": false,
       "health_good": true,
diff --git a/assets/rituals.json b/assets/rituals.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b75541
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/rituals.json
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+{
+  "profile": {
+    "does_damage": 0,
+    "has_spikes": 1,
+    "has_magick": 2,
+    "is_complete": 3
+  },
+  "actions": [
+    {
+      "name": "pierce_type",
+      "cost": 1000,
+      "needs": {
+        "is_complete": false,
+        "has_spikes": true
+      },
+      "effects": {
+        "does_damage": true
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "magick_type",
+      "cost": 0,
+      "needs": {
+        "is_complete": false,
+        "has_magick": true
+      },
+      "effects": {
+        "does_damage": true
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "combined",
+      "cost": 0,
+      "needs": {
+        "does_damage": true
+      },
+      "effects": {
+        "is_complete": true
+      }
+    }
+  ],
+  "states": {
+    "initial": {
+      "does_damage": false,
+      "is_complete": false,
+      "has_spikes": false,
+      "has_magick": false
+    },
+    "final": {
+      "does_damage": true,
+      "is_complete": true
+    }
+  },
+  "scripts": {
+    "actions": ["pierce_type", "magick_type", "combined"]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/goap.cpp b/goap.cpp
index 45fdf69..45e2f9b 100644
--- a/goap.cpp
+++ b/goap.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ namespace ai {
 
   inline int h(State start, State goal, Action& action) {
     (void)action; // not sure if cost goes here or on d()
-    return distance_to_goal(start, goal);
+    return distance_to_goal(start, goal) + action.cost;
   }
 
   inline int d(State start, State goal, Action& action) {
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 4a068d1..6a7943f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ sources = [
 executable('runtests', sources + [
   'tests/ansi_parser.cpp',
   'tests/base.cpp',
+  'tests/combat.cpp',
   'tests/components.cpp',
   'tests/config.cpp',
   'tests/dbc.cpp',
diff --git a/tests/ai.cpp b/tests/ai.cpp
index 43f490e..2d86b62 100644
--- a/tests/ai.cpp
+++ b/tests/ai.cpp
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ TEST_CASE("ai autowalker ai test", "[ai]") {
   REQUIRE(ai::test(result, "no_more_enemies"));
 }
 
-TEST_CASE("Confirm EntityAI behaves as expected", "[ai-enemy]") {
+TEST_CASE("Confirm EntityAI behaves as expected", "[ai]") {
   ai::reset();
   ai::init("assets/ai.json");
   auto ai_start = ai::load_state("Enemy::initial_state");
diff --git a/tests/combat.cpp b/tests/combat.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6a3e31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/combat.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+#include <iostream>
+#include "ai.hpp"
+#include "ai_debug.hpp"
+
+struct RitualAI {
+  std::string script;
+  ai::State start;
+  ai::State goal;
+  ai::ActionPlan plan;
+
+  RitualAI(std::string script, ai::State start, ai::State goal) :
+    script(script), start(start), goal(goal)
+  {
+  }
+
+  RitualAI() {};
+
+  bool will_do(std::string name) {
+    ai::check_valid_action(name, "RitualAI::is_able_to");
+    return plan.script[0].name == name;
+  }
+
+  void set_state(std::string name, bool setting) {
+    ai::set(start, name, setting);
+  }
+
+  void update() {
+    plan = ai::plan(script, start, goal);
+  }
+
+  void dump() {
+    dump_script(script, start, plan.script);
+  }
+};
+
+TEST_CASE("prototype combat system ideas", "[combat]") {
+  // as the player picks up items they go in the invetory
+  // and they player has little "bags" they can put items
+  // in that combine the items into rituals.  How the items
+  // combine is controlled by the GOAP algorithm but tailored
+  // to item combinations that produce effects
+
+  // probably need to use the code in ai.cpp in a different
+  // system for the ritual loading stuff
+  //
+  ai::reset();
+  ai::init("assets/rituals.json");
+
+  auto start = ai::load_state("initial");
+  auto goal = ai::load_state("final");
+
+  RitualAI ritual("actions", start, goal);
+
+  ritual.set_state("has_spikes", true);
+  ritual.update();
+
+  ritual.dump();
+  REQUIRE(ritual.will_do("pierce_type"));
+
+  ritual.set_state("has_magick", true);
+  ritual.update();
+
+  fmt::println("------------ TEST WILL DO MAGICK TOO");
+  ritual.dump();
+  REQUIRE(ritual.will_do("magick_type"));
+}