4 min read
Advancement
Pillar XP
When one of the Pillars occurred during the session, gain 250xp. Gain double the xp, if the pillar occurred multiple times.
- Fortune: You acquired a small fortune
- Discovery: You gained new useful, interesting or valuable information
- Influence: You convinced, swayed or influenced an important NPC
- Trouble: You escaped deathly trouble
Deeds
Deeds are for high-level play (6+), when Pillar XP no longer drives meaningful advancement. Complete one and you’ve put skin in the game—factions know your name, your choices closed doors and opened others.
What Counts as a Deed
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| End | Threats, contracts, enemies, unfinished business |
| Take | Assets, territory, prizes, seats of power |
| Shift | Strengthen allies, topple enemies, forge or break alliances |
| Discover | Explore places, uncover truths, follow leads, secure artifacts |
| Build | Factions, havens, alliances, monuments |
If you’re pursuing something that fits these patterns, it’s probably a Deed. Declare it, rate it, put it on the board.
Magnitude
| Mag | Scale | XP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Personal — one NPC, one debt, one asset | 1,000 |
| 2 | Local — a crew, station, neighborhood | 2,000 |
| 3 | Regional — a faction or moon | 3,500 |
| 4 | Planetary — a world or multiple factions | 5,000 |
| 5 | System — reshapes Nusantara | 7,500 |
| 6 | Sector — Great Power involvement | 10,000 |
Rate by the highest of: Scale (who’s affected), Permanence (how lasting), Opposition (who’s against you).
Active Deeds
| Deed | Mag | XP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,000 | |
| Take Ryzal’s Atoll from Captain Throne | 1 | 1,000 |
| End the Ashen Knives contract | 2 | 2,000 |
| Follow a Stygiograph Scroll to its end | 2 | 2,000 |
| Broker peace between Cobalt Syndicate and 12 Finger Guilds | 4 | 5,000 |
| Break GTC’s grip on Suluna | 4 | 5,000 |
| Descend the Ziggurats of Iron to the Lost Holds | 5 | 7,500 |
| Open the Eye of Nusantara permanently | 6 | 10,000 |
Updated as threads emerge and resolve.
Hit Dice Cap
Inflated HP pools take away tension and quick combat. Allowing players to rely on stats instead of skill and planning.
Starting at 6th level players can instead of gaining an extra HD and rerolling your HD, choose from 3 options:
Option 1: Gain a Wise
The character gains a Wise related to their experiences or background. A Wise is treated as a Level 1 Skill, granting +1 to related rolls.
Examples:
- Warrior: 5th Legion-wise, Dueling Customs-wise, Seven Holy Weapons-wise
- Expert: Ridiculous Request-wise, Starport Scuttlebutt-wise, Opulent Excess-wise
- Psychic: Eschatology-wise, Wayline Dynamics-wise, Insanity-wise
Option 2: Gain a Trait
Traits are narrative tools that offer rerolls in specific contexts. A character can invoke their Trait once per session to gain a reroll on a failed Skill Check.
Examples:
- Unheeded: No one notices this character, or even remembers their name properly. Trait for avoiding attention or notice.
- I Know This Ship Like My Own Hands: The spacer is a strange bloke, but they definitely know the ship. Trait for rerolling things related to fixing or finding things on the spacer’s ship.
- Imperious Demeanor: Use this trait to reroll social checks when dealing with anyone of lower station or rank.
- Incomprehensible Diagnosis: Use this trait when trying to hide the true facts of a medical or technical diagnosis.
- Wise Aphorisms: Use this for social skills if the player can come up with some appropriately sagacious dialogue to throw into play at the right moment.
Option 3: Raise an Ability Score
Gain +2 to any Ability Score or +1 to two Ability Scores. Raising an Ability Score from 17 to 18 requires a +2.
Trainer Fee
No Trainer Fee for Level 1 or lower
Hireling and Retainer Advancement
Retainers gain half of the XP gained during the session, if they have been participating in the events.