📊 Levels & XP
Levels are the System's progression track. Kill monsters, complete quests, explore, discover, craft. The System watches, measures, and rewards. When you've earned enough, you level up.
How Leveling Works
Each level grants stat points (see Stats & Attributes for the full breakdown). The number of points per level depends on your class rarity. Higher rarity classes yield more stats per level, and that gap compounds over time.
All characters start at Level 1 upon induction.
XP Formula
XP Required = Current Level x 100
That's it. Level 1 requires 100 XP to reach Level 2. Level 10 requires 1,000 XP. Level 24 requires 2,400 XP.
Linear. Predictable. You can always figure out how far you are from your next level.
Your current XP resets to zero every time you level up. If you need 400 XP to reach the next level and you earn a 500 XP reward, you level up and the remaining 100 XP carries over into the next level's progress. Nothing is wasted, but the counter always starts fresh. The System also tracks your lifetime accumulated XP separately as a running total of all XP ever earned.
XP Progression (Levels 1 - 10)
| Level | XP to Next Level | Lifetime XP |
|---|---|---|
| L1 → L2 | 100 | 100 |
| L2 → L3 | 200 | 300 |
| L3 → L4 | 300 | 600 |
| L4 → L5 | 400 | 1,000 |
| L5 → L6 | 500 | 1,500 |
| L6 → L7 | 600 | 2,100 |
| L7 → L8 | 700 | 2,800 |
| L8 → L9 | 800 | 3,600 |
| L9 → L10 | 900 | 4,500 |
Total XP from Level 1 to Level 25 (Nascent soft cap) = 30,000 XP.
XP Sources
Not all XP is created equal:
Monster Kill - Monster Level x 10 x Tier Multiplier
The primary XP source. See tier multipliers below.
Quest (Minor) - 50 to 200 flat
Simple objectives. Fetch this, deliver that.
Quest (Major) - 500 to 2,000 flat
Significant storyline quests or dungeon completions.
Quest (Epic) - 5,000+ flat
Rare, world-impacting events. You'll know when you're in one.
Crafting (First Creation) - Recipe Level x 20
Discovery bonus for the first successful craft of a recipe.
Crafting (Repeat) - Recipe Level x 2
Diminishing, but not zero. Crafting XP grind is slow but real.
Discovery - 100 to 1,000+ (variable)
First-time mapping, identifying new species, uncovering hidden areas.
Achievement - Variable (one-time)
Major milestones, world firsts, records. Stacks with other XP sources.
Kill XP: Tier Multipliers
Tougher, rarer enemies yield more XP:
| Rarity | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| ⬜ Common (White) | x1 |
| 🟩 Uncommon (Green) | x1.5 |
| 🟦 Rare (Blue) | x2 |
| 🟧 Epic (Purple) | x3 |
| 🟨 Legendary (Yellow) | x5 |
| 🟩 Mythic (Red) | x10 |
| ✨ Divine (Gold) | x25 |
Example: Killing a Level 8 Uncommon monster = 8 x 10 x 1.5 = 120 XP
Kill XP: Level Difference
The System rewards courage and punishes complacency:
- Each level the monster is above yours: +10% XP
- Each level the monster is below yours: -10% XP (floors at 10% of base)
Fighting something five levels above you means +50% bonus XP on the kill. Farming something ten levels beneath you means you're getting almost nothing.
The message is clear: fight things that scare you.
Example: You're Level 3. You kill a Level 8 Common monster. Base = 80 XP. Level difference = +50%. Final = 120 XP.
Group XP
Full XP to every party member. No split.
If your party of four kills a monster worth 200 XP, all four of you get 200 XP. Not 50 each. The System rewards cooperation. There's never a mechanical reason to resent your party members for being in the fight.
The System wants functional teams, and it puts its XP where its mouth is.
Group Formation
At Level 5, characters unlock the ability to formalize a named group. Group Formation is a System-recognized party registration that changes how XP flows.
Group XP already applies to all party members for any shared kill. Group Formation extends this: all registered members receive full kill XP for any group combat event, regardless of whether they personally landed a hit. Registered support members present at the event earn full combat XP even without participating in the kill directly.
Formation rules:
- Minimum 2 members to form a group. Maximum 7 members at Level 5. Cap rises at higher tiers.
- Minimum member level: 5. The System will not register sub-Level 5 characters into a formal group.
- Groups can be disbanded and reformed at any point. No cooldown or penalty.
- Multiple groups can operate simultaneously. The same individual cannot be in two active groups at once.
Sub-Level 5 characters fighting alongside a registered group earn kill XP normally - they just don't benefit from the passive group registration for events they aren't directly in. Getting people to Level 5 becomes a meaningful goal: once there, the full mechanic activates.
Ability Choice Panels
The System delivers an Ability Choice panel at every level starting from Level 3. Three options are presented each time: accept one, pass on the other two.
- Level 1 & 2: Stats assigned. Universal skills granted. No choice panel.
- Level 3+: Ability Choice panel at every level. Three options. Always.
Choices that are cohesive to your core may surface again in future ability offerings. Nothing is permanently gone.
Level Soft Caps
Levels don't go up forever. Not without work. Each cultivation tier sets a soft cap on your level. Past that cap, XP requirements per level double and stat gains per level halve.
| Cultivation Tier | Level Cap |
|---|---|
| Nascent (No Core) | 25 |
| Crude | 50 |
| Tempered | 100 |
| Faceted | 200 |
| Brilliant | 350 |
| Prismatic | 500 |
| Transcendent | 1,000+ |
This creates a natural rhythm: level until you hit the wall, cultivate to the next tier, and the cap rises. The two systems feed each other. Neither one is optional.
Tutorial Pacing Reference
For the number crunchers:
- Tutorial monsters are mostly Level 1 to 10, Common to Uncommon tier, with an occasional Rare
- An active day of fighting (10 to 15 kills plus minor quests) typically yields 400 to 800 XP
- Over a two-week tutorial, an active combatant accumulates roughly 7,000 to 11,000 total XP
- Expected tutorial exit level for active fighters: Level 8 to 13
- The Nascent soft cap of Level 25 is nowhere close to being reached during the tutorial. There's headroom.
- People who avoid combat, hide, or focus on non-combat activities will exit at significantly lower levels.
The System rewards those who engage.
Non-Combat XP Paths
The System watches everything. Combat is the fastest path to early XP, but not the only path. Characters who avoid combat entirely can still level through:
- Crafting: First-creation bonus (Recipe Level x20). Repeat crafting (Recipe Level x2, diminishing but real).
- Discovery: First-time mapping, identifying new species, uncovering hidden areas, cataloging unknown materials. 100 to 1,000+ XP variable.
- Achievement: Major milestones, world firsts, settlement construction benchmarks, records. Variable, one-time.
- Gathering and Harvesting: Identifying and extracting new resource types for the first time. Scales with rarity of the resource.
- Exploration: Charting new terrain, discovering landmarks, opening new zones. Rewards scouts and wanderers who never enter combat.
This means settlement-building generates XP across the board: construction projects, first-crafts, new recipe development, greenhouse establishment, mine opening, and terrain mapping all reward the people doing the work.