Welcome back adventurers!
In our first two devlogs, we explored how Tristan learns to stand up for himself by improving his combat skills, as well as crafting what he needs to stay alive on the island. But battles and blades are only a small part of the story. The true transformation from a cartographer to a hero also lies in how you develop Tristan's skills and attributes, in the choices you make, and ultimately, in how deep you will delve into the powerful, long-forgotten wisdom that the island hides.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at the game’s Character Progression System and the mysterious force known as Ancient Knowledge. Let’s begin!
Becoming the Hero You Want to Be
Character progression in Of Ash and Steel is based on three skill trees: Survival, Crafting, and War. Let's take a closer look:
Survival, as the name suggests, concerns the skills that allow Tristan to obtain what he needs to stay alive. These skills include learning how to set up camp to spend the night safely outdoors, placing traps to catch different animals (or lure enemies in), and pickpocketing what isn't yours (or, well, yours after).
Crafting teaches the skills that allow Tristan to create what he needs, such as new or reinforced armor and swords, provisions to fill his stomach, and potions to heal himself in battle. Read the Crafting devlog here to find out more.
War is the skill tree that allows Tristan to fight better with new weapons, whether melee or ranged, and learn new active abilities. Learn more about this in the dedicated combat devlog, which you can find here.
Unlocking a skill, let alone an entire skill tree, will require preparation and hard work. Each skill not only requires a corresponding point, obtained when you level up, but also that other factors are met. These include having a job equal to or higher than the required attribute(s) (more details below), a sum of money, and finally a teacher who can teach it to you.
Obtaining more and better skills is clearly no easy feat: they each have their own requirements, which can make it challenging to unlock them all (but not impossible). Worry not, though, there is no gating in Of Ash and Steel. If you yearn to create a build focused solely on combat, you can simply pay for food, potions, armor, and weapons without it impacting your journey. If, however, uncovering every secret is your aim, you'll need to invest in a wider variety of skills, and you will be rewarded richly with the most powerful loot.
This can be seen in how certain skills from different trees work in synergy with each other. For example:
A warrior's blade can become even more dangerous if sharpened (Crafting Skill) or coated with poison that reduces the stamina of the enemy (Survival Skill).
Crafting skills allow to produce increasingly better goods that can be sold to earn gold, which can be spent on buying better equipment much earlier. This way, even a less-skilled Tristan can still emerge victorious from the most difficult battles.
Survival is not only about skills such as pickpocketing or cooking better, but is also the basis for those who want to create a combat build based on agility. In fact, this is where mastery of weapons such as the rapier or bow can be found, allowing you to create a fast and deadly warrior both up close and from a distance.
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Hero
Of Ash and Steel features a system of five attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Insight, and Fortitude. These allow you to unlock corresponding abilities and use different equipment, but that's not all.
Strength increases melee damage and allows you to lift heavy objects, which can provide new ways to complete a mission.
Dexterity increases damage with bows, swords, and rapiers.
Stamina enables you to run and swim longer and avoid getting out of breath so quickly during combat.
Insight increases critical damage and allows you to unlock more persuasive dialogue options.
Fortitude increases health, reduces damage, and helps regenerate stamina.
Just like with skills, nothing prevents you from creating builds that are totally focused on a few or even just one attribute: if you want to play as a muscle-bound Tristan the choice is entirely yours. Be aware, however, that if you ignore certain attributes, certain skills and equipment will remain inaccessible.
Attribute points are obtained when you level up, by consuming potions, or by completing secret objectives. Just like with the skills, once assigned, they cannot be taken back. But don't worry: every skill or attribute has its use in the game.
Increasing attributes allows you to deal more damage and decreases the damage received, making encounters with enemies that were previously challenging much easier, especially since the game does not auto-scale their level (no level 100 rats, sorry!). The game has no limits on the level you can reach, but it does have limits on the pool of experience, attribute and skill points that can be obtained on the island. Furthermore, those looking for a challenge will always find challenges to throw themselves into. Examples include the Apocrypha, formidable enemies, or bandit leaders, along with new enemies as you progress through the story.
It’s also worth noting that the most powerful weapons require high attribute thresholds, and you won’t simply find them lying around: the best equipment can only be obtained in battle, and legendary gear in especially bloody ones.
Constantly Improving, Inside and Out
In terms of going through the story, you won’t just progress on a numerical level. Throughout your journey, NPCs will react to Tristan’s fame, armor, and accomplishments (and often loudly comment on it). At the beginning, you may be treated with suspicion, heck, even insulted for your vagrant look! Later, people will look at you as a hero worthy of respect.
Finally, the character sheet also hides two special categories: World Sense and Will to Live. These represent perks unlocked by hidden conditions in the world: it is up to you to find out more about them (and brag, of course, on Discord with your friends for doing so). For example, if you slip on puddles enough times, Tristan will eventually stop falling, earning you a small bonus for your perseverance. The same goes for training with a training dummy: hit it enough times and the game will reward your hard work with 3 attribute points!
We won't reveal any more: we'll leave you the pleasure of discovering more for yourselves!
A Long Lost Knowledge
At a certain point in your journey, Tristan gains access to something beyond skill trees and attributes: Ancient Knowledge. In the narrative, it carries a deeper weight, with consequences that unfold throughout the story.
For those who live in the Kingdom of the Seven, Ancient Knowledge is a not entirely unknown, albeit long forgotten, wisdom from a distant past. The inhabitants of Greyshaft still see examples of it here and there: the Drudas of the Freehunters, for example, or some of the most fearsome creatures. It is something extremely uncommon but not beyond the realm of possibility.
You will be given the chance to obtain this knowledge, but it is not going to be an easy task. Unlike Survival, Crafting, or War, this isn’t a skill tree. To unlock it, you must first learn the forgotten language of the ancients within the story. Only then can you interact with ancient lecterns scattered across the island, each holding secrets waiting to be uncovered. You might have encountered them in your journey, not knowing what they were. We highly recommend that you mark all these places of interest on your map and get back to them later when you can!
The abilities that Ancient Knowledge unlocks are wildly different. Some are subtle, like sensing treasures buried beneath the ground. Others are explosive, like knocking enemies down with a surge of raw energy. Cooldowns prevent them from being abused: use the wrong power at the wrong time, and you’ll find yourself waiting for it when you need it most.
Your Path, Your Build, Your Adventure
Progression in Of Ash and Steel isn’t about chasing a perfect build. It’s about experimenting, combining skills, and shaping Tristan into a hero who feels like your own creation. From hidden perks to social recognition, from attribute choices to the secrets of Ancient Knowledge, every decision leaves its mark.
There is no “wrong” path, just countless ways to build your character. Maybe you’ll craft an agile duelist with poison-tipped blades. Or maybe you’ll forge a human tank that crushes enemies with brute force. The choice is yours!
Thank you for joining us in this third devlog! Until next time!