Always Leveling · Chapter I

Field Guide

The whole manual, open to read before you start — every stat, curve, drop rate and rule the game runs on. Nothing here is hidden from new players.

Mastery System

General

What the Mastery System Is1 / 3

Five tabs on Mastery, all spending the same mastery points: Pathway changes how fights resolve, Combat is a second combat tree that opens later, and Gear, Consumable and Gathering are the profession trees. Every Pathway and Combat node is learned WHOLE: one press buys its full effect at full price. No per-level ranks.

The Pathway tab has FOUR EXCLUSIVE PATHWAYS: Physical, Defense, Magical, Elusive (Select switches the view). Learning any node commits you to that pathway until you reset.

PathwayWhat it plays like
PhysicalBig single hits and multi-strike skills, capped off by Execution
DefenseReflects, shields and out-lasting the fight; Defense starts feeding Physical Attack
MagicalBrains Over Brawn converts ALL your Strength into Intelligence and turns your attacks into Holy Smite — the one place Spell Damage matters
ElusiveDodges, counter-attacks and poison — Haste and Malice start feeding Physical Attack, and a second dodge roll sits behind Evasion
How to Get Mastery Points2 / 3

One mastery point per character level (from gathering or fights). That is the only repeatable source. A few premium packs, including the Kickstarter, add a one-off bundle.

Past level 500 the EXP curve softens and points pay every SECOND level: 500 pays, 501 nothing, 502 pays. Attribute points follow the same schedule.

Each pathway costs 75 points to fill: 60 for the tree and 15 for its APEX node. The APEX+ pair past it is free; the PINNACLE node at the end costs 100. RESET MP is free on the Battle and Combat tabs and wipes only that tree. The Gear, Consumable and Gathering trees are PERMANENT and cannot be reset.

You can unlearn one node: RIGHT-CLICK a learned Battle or Combat node to remove it WHOLE and refund every point. Any node that then loses its prerequisites is removed too. The confirm lists what goes and what comes back.

Battle Pathway and Profession Upgrades3 / 3

Battle nodes come in three kinds: flat primary stat grants, derivations that scale off a base stat, and combat skills (extra hits, reflects, damage-reduction buffs).

The profession trees live on their own tabs — Gear, Consumable and Gathering. Points spent there are PERMANENT (no RESET MP):

TabCostEffect
Gear5 points per nodeUnlocks the upgrade bands — Bronze Lv. 2-5, Silver 6-10, Gold 11-15, Diamond 16-20 — and the Silver, Gold and Diamond Proficiency talents
Consumable1-5 points per nodeUnlocks potion and food recipes, and each food’s combine levels (2 points each)
Gathering3 points per level, max 2+1 per gather on every node of the profession

Gathering Efficiency (faster gathers) was retired and refunded; every node gathers in a flat 10 seconds. One Gear node covers armour and weapons.