After the introductory text, you are taken to the character creation screen. You have several choices when creating your main character:
Class
Although your character's class is not the first thing you will choose in the game, it probably should be the first thing you decide. This will affect which race you will choose. Below, I have listed all of the class information from inside the game, including starting abilities and statistics. If you want to delve deep in to the Role-Playing element of this game, read through each class’ description and then choose whichever one sounds best to you. Of course, if you don’t want to read through any of this information, skip to the very bottom of the character selection information to see my choices in my first run through the game. For your information, I chose a fighter for my first run, as they deal a decent amount of damage but, more importantly, they have high defensive statistics and abilities.
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Barbarian
Brutes. Madmen. Berserkers. Though city-dwelling people often use the term “barbarian” with a dose of disrespect, these rural warriors are respected by their communities for their ferocity and fearsome presence on the battlefield. Barbarians have a special, almost religious role in some cultures, but in many places, the undisciplined, fearless style of the barbarian is simply how warriors conduct themselves.
Starting Ability: Carnage – When barbarians hit with melee attacks, they automatically make reduced-damage attacks at all other enemies within a short distance of the target.
Athletics: +2
Survival: +1
Endurance: 48 +16/Level (Very High)
Health: 6 * Endurance (Very High)
Accuracy: 25 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 15 (Average)
Chanter
In every culture across Eora, there are chanters. Many historians consider chanters to be the most ancient workers of magic, their hallowed phrases stirring the collective memory of wayward souls around them, compelling them to generate magical effects in a kind of “re-enactment.” In some societies, chanters form organised groups of storytellers and researchers, but in most parts of the world they are just a time-honoured part of local folk traditions.
Starting Ability: Phrases/Chants – All chanters can continuously speak chants made up of magical phrases. Phrases produce passive effects and help build a chanter’s power until they can use an invocation.
Starting Ability: Invocations – Powerful magical effects that chanters can create after they have spoken a required number of phrases through their chants.
Lore: +2
Mechanics: +1
Endurance: 36 +12/Level (High)
Health: 4 * Endurance (Low)
Accuracy: 25 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 25 (Very High)
Cipher
A recent discovery in the Eastern Reach, ciphers were once called “Brishalgwin” (“mind hunters”) by the Glanfathans. Ciphers have the ability to directly contact and manipulate another person’s soul and psyche, using an ally’s or enemy’s essence as the focus for their magic. Though most ciphers are still found in the Eastern Reach, practitioners of the techniques have spread throughout the known world. They are gaining acceptance over time, but are generally distrusted, especially by the uneducated.
Starting Ability: Powers – Ciphers can directly target allies and enemies with powerful soul-focused effects. These powers cost Focus, which ciphers build through the use of their Soul Whip.
Stealth: +1
Lore: +1
Mechanics: +1
Endurance: 36 + 12/Level (High)
Health: 4 * Endurance (Low)
Accuracy: 25 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 20 (High)
Druid
Animists at heart, druids tap into the spiritual power that flows through the simple living things of Eora: plants, animals, and sometimes even living stone. While not necessarily religious, druids do have a reverence for the natural world and a keen interest in understanding its mysteries. In most cultures, druids are understood as a sort of primal magician, but among the Glanfathans, Naasitaqi, and many rural cultures, they may have high positions of influence and authority.
Starting Ability: Spiritshift – All druids have mastered one animalistic form. These forms give the druid strong melee abilities and grant an additional power while the druid is shifted.
Starting Ability: Spells – Druids have access to a variety of offensive and some support-oriented spells. Every two levels, druids automatically gain access to an additional set of spells. Initially, their spells can be cast a limited number of times per rest. As druids gain power, their weaker spells eventually shift to per encounter use.
Lore: +1
Survival: +2
Endurance: 36 + 12/Level (High)
Health: 4 * Endurance (Low)
Accuracy: 20 + 3/Level (High)
Deflection: 20 (High)
Fighter
Fighters form the front line of disciplined armies across the Eastern Reach. Though they are most commonly found in cultures with an organised martial structure, fighters can also be encountered as wandering mercenaries, bodyguards, and other types of sell-swords. The common element that unifies fighters is their heavy focus on endurance and melee defense.
Starting Ability: Constant Recovery – Fighters continually regenerate Endurance at a modest rate during combat.
Athletics: +1
Lore: +1
Survival: +1
Endurance: 42 + 14/Level (Very High)
Health: 5 * Endurance (High)
Accuracy: 30 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 30 (Very High)
Monk
Monks belong to a variety of fighting orders that have sprung up in Ixamitl and the Eastern Reach over the past few centuries. While many monastic orders can trace their teachings to the Enduring Founder, Tletac, individual organisations vary greatly in their focus, morality and ethics. Common folk respect the incredible discipline of monks but see them as an odd, unpredictable bunch who may not be entirely sane. Even mercenaries and other adventurers aren’t sure what to make of them.
Starting Ability: Transcendent Suffering – When monks have no weapons equipped, their unarmed attacks are exceptionally powerful and continue to increase in damage as they gain levels.
Starting Ability: Wounds – As monks are damaged, their pain generates Wounds. Wounds can be used to power many of the monk’s special abilities.
Stealth: +1
Athletics: +1
Survival: +1
Endurance: 42 + 14/Level (Very High)
Health: 6 * Endurance (Very High)
Accuracy: 30 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 25 (Very High)
Paladin
Paladins are martial zealots, devoted to a god, a ruler, or even a way of life. They can be found in any culture where a fanatical group of like-minded individuals have formed a warrior society dedicated to advancing their cause. Among those aligned to their worldview, paladins are viewed with respect and admiration, if a bit of fear. Many paladins hold leadership positions in armies and mercenary companies, but in the heat of battle their fanaticism often overrules the chain of command – and common sense.
Starting Ability: Faith and Conviction – Paladins have an inherent bonus to all of their defenses. Over the course of the game, the value of this bonus may shift based on Reputations the paladin gains relative to the behaviours that are preferred by his or her order.
Athletics: +2
Lore: +1
Endurance: 42 + 14/Level (Very High)
Health: 5 * Endurance (High)
Accuracy: 25 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 20 (High)
Priest
Priests are devotees of Eora’s deities and practitioners of religious magic. While all priests dedicate themselves to specific gods, priests’ power is actually derived from their personal beliefs. In contrast to most paladins, priests tend to focus on philosophy, teaching, and the relationship of religious organisations with common folk. The reception of priests in any given part of the world depends largely on how their god is revered – or reviled – by the people who live there.
Starting Ability: Holy Radiance – Generates a modest amount of Endurance for allies around the priest. Any enemy Vessels caught in the area take Burn damage and may be Frightened. Over the course of the game, the power of this ability may shift based on the Reputations the priest gains relative to the behaviours that are preferred by his or her deity.
Starting Ability: Spells – Priests have access to a variety of support and some offense-oriented spells. Every two levels, priests automatically gain access to an additional set of spells. Initially, their spells can be cast a limited number of times per rest. As priests gain power, their weaker spells eventually shift to per-encounter use.
Athletics: +1
Lore: +2
Endurance: 36 + 12/Level (High)
Health: 4 * Endurance (Low)
Accuracy: 20 + 3/Level (High)
Deflection: 15 (Average)
Ranger
Rangers are warriors of the woodlands and masters of the hunt. Always partnered with soul-bonded animal companions, they can be found in wild spaces all over the world. As their lifestyles often tend toward independence and isolation, it is rare for rangers to become an integral part of a large fighting force, though they are often employed as scouts and guides.
Starting Ability: Animal Companion – All rangers share a strong bond with an animal companion. The companion fights at the ranger’s command and is extremely valuable for its ability to run interference. Animal companions don’t do much damage, but they have high Damage Reduction. The link between the ranger and companion is powerful. If one goes down in battle, the other suffers as well.
Stealth: +1
Survival: +2
Endurance: 36 + 12/Level (High)
Health: 5 * Endurance (High)
Accuracy: 30 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 20 (High)
Rogue
Rogues are vicious killers, feared for the brutality of their attacks. They can be found as often in dark back alleys as the heart of battlefield skirmishes. Though unpredictable and undisciplined, rogues are commonly used as shock troops or as part of a surprise assault, their withering attacks breaking enemy ranks and morale. Rogues tend to congregate in larger numbers in cities where they can be steadily employed as mercenaries or hired muscle.
Starting Ability: Sneak Attack – Applies bonus damage to the rogue’s ranged and melee weapon attacks when the target has any of the following afflictions: Blinded, Flanked, Hobbled, Paralysed, Petrified, Prone, Stuck, Stunned, or Weakened. It also applies to any target the rogue strikes with a weapon within the first 2 seconds of combat.
Stealth: +1
Mechanics: +2
Endurance: 36 + 12/Level (High)
Health: 4 * Endurance (Low)
Accuracy: 30 + 3/Level (Very High)
Deflection: 15 (Average)
Wizard
The masters of academic magic, wizards are students of arcane traditions that stretch back beyond the boundaries of recorded history. Wizards are a highly organised group, often forming academies or guilds devoted to research and development in magical studies, and tend to favour environments where inquiry, experimentation, debate, and the dissemination of knowledge are encouraged. Many accomplished wizards eventually become known for their eccentricity, their egos, and their unquenchable interest in all things arcane and occult.
Starting Ability: Arcane Assault – Mid-range attack that hits a small area for Raw damage and can leave targets Dazed.
Starting Ability: Spells – Wizards have access to a variety of offensive and personal defense spells. Unlike priests and druids, wizards learn individual spells that they store in and cast directly from their grimoires. Grimoires can only hold four spells of each spell level, which motivates wizards to keep multiple grimoires for different needs. Every two levels, wizards gain access to an additional set of spells. However, they can automatically learn one spell of any level they can access each time they advance. Wizards also have the option of learning spells from grimoires they find or buy. Initially, their spells can be cast a limited number of times per rest. As wizards gain power, their weaker spells eventually shift to per-encounter use.
Lore: +2
Mechanics: +1
Endurance: 36 + 12/Level (High)
Health: 4 * Endurance (Low)
Accuracy: 20 + 3/Level (High)
Deflection: 10 (Low)
Now that you have chosen your class, begin the character creation process by following the steps outlined below.
Sex
This has no bearing on the difficulty or the skills available, so choose as you like. Some interactions will change based on your sex, but nothing that changes the game.
My first run: Male
Race
As well as changing some interactions with NPCs, different races have certain innate characteristics, making them more suitable for certain class types.
Humans have Resolve +1 and Might +1
Aumauans have Might +2
Dwarves have Might +2 and Constitution +1 but have Dexterity -1
Elves have Dexterity +1 and Perception +1
Orlans have Resolve +1 and Perception +2 but have Might -1
Godlike have Dexterity +1 and Intellect +1
In short, my suggestions for race based on class choices are listed below:
- Choose a Dwarf if you would like to be a Barbarian or Chanter.
- Choose an Elf if you want to play as a Ranger or Rogue.
- Otherwise, choose the Human race if you are playing as any of the other classes: Cipher, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Priest or Wizard.
These are only suggestions based on attribute bonuses for each race. Also, although the Godlike race has good stats and special abilities for the Cipher, Monk, Priest and Wizard, I wouldn’t recommend them for your first playthrough as they have slightly different mechanics to the other races and NPCs can react differently to them.
My first run: Human
Sub-Race
Sub-races each possess different special abilities to each other (with the exception of Human). Although these abilities don’t make much difference to the play through, there are definitely some sub-races that suit certain play styles more than others do, so all sub-races are listed below.
Human
- All human sub-races have the “Fighting Spirit” ability – Once per encounter, temporarily gain bonuses to Accuracy and damage, 5 seconds after being reduced below 50% Endurance.
Aumaua
- Coastal Aumaua: Towering Physique – Bonuses to defend against Prone and Stun effects.
- Island Aumaua: Armed to the Teeth – Additional Weapon Set.
Dwarf
- Mountain Dwarf: Hale and Hardy – Bonus to defend against Poison and Disease attacks.
- Boreal Dwarf: Hunter’s Instincts – +15 accuracy against any creature of the Wilder or Primordial types.
Elf
- Wood Elf: Distant Advantage – Bonuses to Accuracy, Deflection and Reflex against any enemy that is more than 4m away.
- Pale Elf: Elemental Endurance – Increased Burn and Freeze Damage Reductions.
Orlan
- Hearth Orlan: Minor Threat – Convert some Hits to Critical Hits when attacking any target that is also being targeted by a teammate.
- Wild Orlan: Defiant Resolve – Temporarily gain a bonus to all defenses after being subjected to a Will attack.
Godlike
- Death Godlike: Death’s Usher – Damage increase when attacking an enemy with 25% or less Endurance.
- Fire Godlike: Battle Forged – When below 50% endurance, gain Damage Reduction and additional fire damage to any creature who hits them in melee.
- Moon Godlike: Silver Tide – When reduced below 75%, 50% and 25% Endurance, generate waves of healing moonlight that restore Endurance to allies and themselves.
- Nature Godlike: Wellspring of Life – Bonus to Might, Constitution and Dexterity when Endurance is below 50%.
My first run: Meadow Folk
Class
This is where you will officially select the class you chose at the very beginning.
My first run: Fighter
Sub-Class
The Paladin and Priest have sub-classes (Order and Deity respectively) but these do little to alter the gameplay. Simply choose a sub-class that suits your disposition.
My first run: No subclass for fighter
Abilities
These could be pure abilities (as is the case for the Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger or Rogue) or phrases and invocations (Chanter) or powers (Cipher) or spiritshifts (Druid) or spells (Wizard) but these all mean the same thing. The only exception to this is the Priest, who does not start with any ability choices. The guide would be way too long if I listed and discussed each option here, so simply read through each ability and spend all of the points that you have on whatever sounds right for you. None of this means anything in terms of achievements anyway.
My first run: Knockdown selected (Fighter ability)
Attributes
The game makes it quite simple for you here. If you followed my recommendations earlier, you will notice stars next to attributes that are most important for your class and that these attributes correspond to the attribute benefits gained by your race selection. Your welcome.
My theory here is that you shouldn’t have any attribute giving negative buffs (all buffs should be +0% at the minimum). So for all of the attributes that have no stars, drop these down (or raise them) until the buffs all show +0%.
Now distribute your points balance between the starred attributes and, if you need to make a choice, put leftover points on the gold star attributes.
My first run (fighter):
*Might: 15
**Constitution: 16
Dexterity: 10
Perception: 10
Intellect: 10
**Resolve: 16
Culture
This section asks you to choose the culture of your character. These come with bonuses to attributes. I have made suggestions below as to your best choice for each class.
Barbarian – Rauatai or The Living Lands
Chanter – Old Vailia or Rauatai
Cipher – Old Vailia
Druid – Old Vailia or The Living Lands
Fighter – Aedyr, Ixamitl Plains or Rauatai
Monk – Deadfire Archipelago or Rauatai
Paladin – Aedyr or Ixamitl Plains
Priest – Old Vailia or The Living Lands
Ranger – The Living Lands or The White that Wends
Rogue – The Living Lands or The White that Wends
Wizard – Old Vailia or The Living Lands
My first run: Aedyr
Background
This is an extension to your culture and provides some back story for your character. Again, your choice here affects some statistics of your character, shown below.
Aristocrat: Lore +2
Clergyman: Lore +2
Colonist: Survival +2
Dissident: Stealth +1, Lore +1
Drifter: Stealth +1, Mechanics +1
Explorer: Lore +1, Survival +1
Hunter: Stealth +1, Survival +1
Laborer: Athletics +1, Mechanics +1
Mercenary: Athletics +1, Lore +1
Merchant: Lore +1, Mechanics +1
Raider: Stealth +1, Athletics +1
Slave: Athletics +1, Survival +1
My suggestion is that you choose something with survival, so if “Colonist” is available for your chosen culture, choose that. Otherwise, “Slave”, “Hunter”, or “Explorer” are also fine.
My first run: Colonist
Appearance, Voice and Name
Pretty self-explanatory; make the character look and sound how you like. Then enter a name for your character and finish character creation.
Character Summary
Male
Human (Meadow Folk)
Fighter
Knockdown Ability
Might: 15
Constitution: 16
Dexterity: 10
Perception: 10
Intellect: 10
Resolve: 16
Aedyr Colonist
Now that we’ve created our character, we’re on our way to an adventure!
4. Act I - Encampment, Cilant Lis and Valewood2. Stronghold Adventures
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