Skill Progression
Introduction
In order to progress in one’s skills on Atharen, one must refer to the progression system.
All skills have experience points, ranging from zero as a base-line towards the maximum of a hundred, achievable only by true masters of a skill. In order to acquire experience points one must submit a completed thread - whether a solo or a collaborative thread - and have it be reviewed and rewarded points as a result.
The numerical system is as follows:
Tiers
Total Points Per Skill: 100
0-24, Novice
25-49, Apprentice
50-74, Journeyman
75-99, Expert
100, Master
Explaining Tiers
At each tier of mastery, from Novice to Master, the character can be considered to be fairly more skilled as they progress. With Novice beginning as the base-line, where most individuals can pick up a skill and express mastery of it to this level, Apprentices display a particular invested knowledge in this skill that can be demonstrated by their competent performance. This trend continues incrementally towards Master where the individual can demonstrate near-perfect knowledge and acute performance of this ability far beyond the level of their peers. What these tiers may look like precisely varies skill-by-skill, and can be determined by the skill write-up, or the logical progression of how the skill may exist within the world’s lore if a skill write-up is not complete.
It should be noted that no matter how high a character’s mastery in a skill, they will not be able to ignore the lore constraints of the skill in question; for example, a master doctor may not act as if they are equipped with modern medical technology or are capable of single-handedly curing incurable illnesses. While growth in a skill is encouraged, characters are not allowed to use ‘mastery’ as a ticket to breaking the lore of a skill or performing utterly illogical acts.
Rewards
Having a Solo Reviewed: 5 XP
Having a Collaborative Thread Reviewed: 8 XP
Having a Moderated Collaborative Thread Reviewed: 10 XP
If a solo is Mod-bombed (single reply): 8 XP
These may be distributed among any and all skills freely, though in order to spend XP on magical abilities, one must be specifically awarded magic XP in the grade.
There are also lore requirements in order to progress to any tier beyond Novice. Lores are rewarded via reviewed thread approval, and may be utilized to progress further in a skill’s tiers once given.
Magical XP Rewards
From the Magic article on the Wiki:
"Learning magic, and as such XP rewards applicable to magic, are both based on wading into new things with that magic. This means mastering abilities that a mage is new or inexperienced with, fully grasping a concept in relationship to an ability, or pushing one's self into Overstepping in order to grasp their limitations. Because of this, Strain and verging on Overstepping are virtually required to truly progress in a magic. A PC attempting to master a magic should Overstep at least few times as they over-exert and fail to perform new abilities, suffering from Strain as they do so. Virtually all mages who seek to master a magic will wade into at least Light Mageblight, though more often Moderate depending on the haste with which they master it. If you are not incorporating this into play, you may be abusing the system, and can be considered for disciplinary action including your Magic XP acquired being revoked."
Restrictions on learning magic -- and where magical XP can be placed -- only apply to Raw Magic. While a mage learning Raw Magic must specifically explore that magic in order to acquire XP for it in a thread, World Mages may apply XP to their World Magic from any thread, and may ascend through the tiers so long as they have sufficient, requisite lores.
Lore Requirements
Novice: 0
Apprentice: 10
Journeyman: 20
Expert: 30
Master: 45
Lore Rewards
Solo - 6 Skill Lores
Collaboration - 8 Skill Lores
Note: These limits only apply to skill lores. Someone may select as many non-skill lores as they wish.
Additional Lores
Special circumstances may apply, particularly in modded threads, that may result in the reviewer offering special additional lores. Additionally, in collaborative threads one may apply for ten lores if they reach five posts each within the thread, and one additional lore per post afterwards.
World Magic Requirements
Lore requirements are different for World Magics. Apprentice requires 15 lores, Journeyman 30, Expert 45, and Master 65. This is due to the fact that World Magics are very powerful, and can be leveled without 'magic XP' from a thread.
Specific vs. Nonspecific Lores
Specific Lores are pieces of specific knowledge that you have in a skill that you wish to be able to reference from your character's sheet. These are optional, but apply to the skill tier requirement. Nonspecific Lores are generic lores that also apply to the overall tier requirement, without needing to be precise or uniquely named. As an example of these lores, including intermixed in a CS:
Medicine: Suturing
Medicine: Applying an antiseptic
Medicine: Generic Lore 12
Medicine: Generic Lore 13
Medicine: Using a bone saw surgically
Medicine: Generic Lore 14
In all cases, a player can request generic, freely applicable lores across the board within their review request. All they must do is simply say "8 Nonspecific Lores," for example, within the request, and the reviewer will award them to be banked within their CS for future use. The amount of lores requested must match the correct amount for the thread type and number of posts. Once the thread has been reviewed, the player simply deposits these lores into their current bank of generic lores, and can use them on any non-magical skill as they progress.
All magical lores, for both Raw and World Magic, must be specific. No exceptions. In the case of World Magic lores, one can convert generic/non-specific lores into World Magic lores once awarded them. This does not require approval.
Guest Moderating/Moderating Rewards
Running a moderated thread entitles the moderator or guest moderator to 8 non-magic XP, which they may apply to any one of their characters. Anyone may guest moderate without permission, unless they are playing sensitive material, offering significant rewards or are playing a high-ranking official or rare/powerful entity. The guest moderator may either review the thread themselves, or submit it to the review queue. In any case, in order to receive their rewards for moderating, they must link to the thread in one of their character's skill ledgers, with the name of the thread doubling as the link.
Word Count
A thread is generally considered invalid to be reviewed for any player who has not written at least 1500 words. If there are three players in a thread and only two have written at least 1500 words, then only those two will be reviewed. Occasionally, it is alright to dip below by a few hundred words (no less than a thousand), but this is the exception rather than the rule, and a reviewer may elect to refuse a player a grade without their word count being increased. It is entirely on the onus of the reviewer, though moderators may intervene if a player consistently writes and submits threads below the threshold.
