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Progression

Over the course of your adventures, your hero will accumulate experience and grow in power through a variety of mechanisms.

By exploring and overcoming challenges, you will collect precious resources that contribute to your character's evolution:

  • Weapon and equipment upgrades: Use Nexus Shards (NX), the game's currency obtained through quests, to strengthen your equipment.
  • Ability development: Invest Ability Points (AP), acquired by completing quests or leveling up, to acquire or improve your Outfit Abilities.
  • Level progression: Increase your level through Experience Points (XP) earned by completing quests and triumphing in battles.
  • Over-Outfits: Starting at level 8, equip Over-Outfits to access additional abilities.

Upgrading your Arsenal

It is possible to upgrade a weapon or equipment (shield, grimoire, etc.) by spending Nexus Shards (NX) with qualified artisans. These upgrades can concern various aspects, such as the attack roll, damage, or reinforcement of certain bonuses.

The calculation of the cost of these additions or modifications as well as the acquisition conditions are detailed in the Game Master's Guide.

Upgrading a Weapon

You can upgrade a weapon, whether by increasing the precision of its attacks or reinforcing its damage.

Test Bonus

You can increase the precision of your weapon's attacks by improving the test bonus, which improves your chances of hitting your target.

The maximum test bonus value for the weapon is limited to +3.

Short Sword STR +0 DM 1d6 can be upgraded to Short Sword STR +1 DM 1d6

Damage Bonus

It is also possible to increase the damage bonus of your weapon, with a maximum value of +5.

Short Sword STR+1 DM 1d6(+0) can be upgraded to Short Sword STR+1 DM 1d6 +1

Number of Damage Dice

Although it is impossible to change the damage die type (a weapon using a d4 can never use a d6), you can however increase the number of dice rolled.

However, each addition reduces the attack roll bonus and the damage bonus by 1. The maximum number of dice for a two-handed weapon (such as a bow or a two-handed sword) is 4, and 3 for all other weapons.

Short Sword STR +1 DM 1d6 +1 can be upgraded to Short Sword STR +0 DM 2d6 +0

It will then be possible to again increase the test and damage bonuses of the weapon up to their maximum value.

Upgrading Equipment

Equipment offering bonuses (defense, attack, etc.) can be upgraded to increase the value of the bonuses they grant. The value of an equipment bonus must be between -3 (penalty) and +3.

Arm Guard +1 Melee Atk can be upgraded to Arm Guard +2 Melee Atk

Adding or Upgrading a Special Effect

Weapons and equipment can be customized with unique special effects, such as adding fire damage to a sword.

Short Sword STR+0 DM 2d6+0 no special effect can be upgraded to Short Sword STR+0 DM 2d6+0 +1d4 Fire

This option is rare as it depends on the skills of generally exceptionally qualified artisans and may also require the collection of specific components.

Ability Mastery

During a long rest in a relaxed setting (for example at an inn), you have the option to acquire new abilities or unlock ability evolutions by spending Ability Points (AP).

You will also have the option to make strategic use of your AP during combat.

Acquiring a New Ability

You must spend 3 AP to acquire a new ability.

For example, you wish to acquire the following ability:

Surprise Action | P: If the character is stealthy or behind the opponent, they can perform a surprise action. The character gains a +2 bonus to their action test.

During your long rest phase in a relaxed setting, you spend 3 AP and can check off this ability on your Outfit sheet as now acquired.

Unlocking an Ability Evolution

To unlock an evolution of an ability, your character must have the level required by the evolution and spend 3 AP.

For example, you wish to unlock the first evolution of the following ability:

Surprise Action | P: If the character is stealthy or behind the opponent, they can perform a surprise action. The character gains a +2 bonus to their action test.

Level 3: The bonus increases to +3.
Level 5: The bonus increases to +4.
Level 7: The bonus increases to +5.

To unlock this evolution, your character must have already reached level 3 (or higher) and spend 3 AP during a long rest phase in a relaxed setting.

Strategic Use of Ability Points (AP)

AP can also be consumed to influence the cooldown of certain abilities:

  • 1 AP: Reduces the cooldown by 1 for an ability. Each additional AP spent will further reduce the cooldown accordingly.
  • 2 AP: Allows reuse of an ability whose per-encounter usage limit has been reached.
  • 3 AP: Allows reuse of an ability whose per-day usage limit has been reached.

Be careful however, as this rule does not apply to Innate Abilities (racial).

Spending AP during combat does not consume any action.

You have just used the following ability:

Lightning Strike | C - A - PHY(DEX): The character can perform a quick and precise attack, targeting the enemy's weak points to deal 1d4 additional damage.

Cooldown: 2 Turn(s)

On the following turn, you must spend 2 AP if you wish to use this ability again without waiting for it to recharge.

Recall that magical abilities (consuming MP) can also reduce their cooldown by increasing their MP cost. Refer to the Abilities section in Character Creation for more information.

Leveling Up and XP

With each adventure, your character will gain experience (XP) whether by completing quests or triumphing over your adversaries.

Leveling Up

When you have accumulated enough XP, you can spend them to advance to the next level.

However, you must complete a long rest in a relaxed setting to be able to level up. Additionally, your character can only advance 1 level per long rest phase.

When the character reaches level 8, they have reached their maximum level.

Spending Experience Points (XP)

The cost to advance to the next level is twice the value of the current level in XP.

Next Level XP Cost = 2 x Current Level

To advance from level 3 to level 4, you need 6 XP (2 x Level 3).

HP Increase

When you level up, roll your hit die (or dice) (HD) to determine your new hit point (HP) total.

Next Level HP = Current Level HP + Best Result of HD Rolls

Constitution (CON) directly influences your character's vitality, which is reflected in the number of hit die rolls you can make when increasing HP at each level. The higher your CON, the better your chances of maximizing your HP.

CON Modifier Number of HD Rolls
+1 or less 1 roll
+2 or +3 2 rolls, keep the best result
+4 or +5 3 rolls, keep the best result
+6 4 rolls, keep the best result

Suppose a character levels up and has a constitution (CON) of +3. When they level up, they must roll their hit die, which is a d10.

The player rolls 2d10 thanks to their CON of +3.
The results of the two rolls are 4 and 8.
The best result is 8.
Thus, the HP increase for this level will be 8 points.

Ability Point (AP) Gain

Leveling up also allows you to gain 3 Ability Points (AP).

Level Up => 3 AP gained

Impact on Combat Stats

Here are the combat stats impacted by the level change.

Total MP = 2 x (MAG + Level)
Physical Defense (Phys Def) = 10 + CON + Level
Magical Defense (Mag Def) = 10 + WIS + Level

But also the Physical Attack (Phys Atk) or Magical Attack (Mag Atk) rolls to which your level is systematically added to the result.

Strategic Use of Experience Points (XP)

Experience Points (XP) can also be used to influence destiny. They are usable only in the context of test rolls whether during or outside of combat.

Before or after a dice roll, you can spend 1 XP to add 10 to the value of your roll.

Over-Outfit

Starting at level 8, you will have the option to acquire an Over-Outfit for a fixed cost of 100 NX.

In Worlds Awakening, an Over-Outfit is an additional clothing element that overlays the main Outfit. It allows you to use only the abilities specific to the Outfit from which the Over-Outfit originates, without conferring its defense bonuses, nor its resistances and/or weaknesses.

For example, if your character is a Fighter equipped with a Swordsman Outfit and you choose to wear an Elementalist Over-Outfit from the Mystic class, this Over-Outfit could manifest as a necklace and a pair of bracelets.

You can wear any Outfit as an Over-Outfit, whether it is from your class or not.

Acquiring a new ability or an evolution also requires 3 Experience Points (XP) in addition to the usual 3 AP.

Over-Outfits are not subject to the Durability advanced rule. However, if your main Outfit is broken (durability reduced to 0), you will also lose access to your Over-Outfit's abilities. To restore these functionalities when purchasing a new main Outfit, an additional cost of 100 NX will be required.

Over-Outfit and Magic Stat

If the Over-Outfit belongs to a class that uses magic and the character's class also uses magic, the Magic Stat (MAG) used to determine the character's max MP remains the one from the character's class.

If the Over-Outfit belongs to a class that uses magic but the character's main class does not use it, then the Magic Stat is determined by the class from which the Over-Outfit originates.

Magical abilities requiring a test to be triggered continue to use the stat indicated in their Meta-Information.

Purifying Light | PC - MA - MAG(WIS)
The player using this ability must use their WIS (plus their level and any other bonuses) during the attack roll even if their magic stat is INT.