Orbits, akin to the traditional "levels", are the
measure of a dreamer's overall power. Characters acquire experience
points which can then be used to advance in orbit. When a
player acquires a certain amount of experience points they
are notified that they may advance an orbit. Choosing to advance
in orbit will allow the player to increase their attributes
(elements) with the new element points gained for the new
orbit and/or select a Focus Template (if they meet the particular
requirements).
Each time an orbit is gained, the character gains 2 element
points to distribute amongst these elements as he sees fit.
There are two ways to permanently increase an element.
You may use the two element points you receive for an
Orbit increase. These element points may be applied
to any element. Normally you can only place one element
point in an element at a time, though there is a special
circumstance. The special circumstance allows you to place
2 element points in one element at one time if the following
scenario is met: a) Will, Resilience, Lucidity, or Insight
are within your Orbit +10 or b) Dreamsoul is within your
Orbit +20. Note, the special circumstance restriction only
applies when you wish to place 2 points into one element.
Special Circumstance Example:
Tiarn is Orbit 12, with 20 Will, 30 Dreamsoul, 10 Insight,
10 Resilience, and 10 Lucidity. He has enough experience
to ascend to Orbit 13, and decides this is the best course
of action for him. The ascension provides him with 2 element
points to place in his elements. Will, Insight, Resilience
and Lucidity are all below the Orbit +10 (Orbit 12 +10 =
22) restriction, and so he can place both element points
from the ascension into any of those four elements. If Tiarn
wants to increase Dreamsoul, he may also place both element
points from ascension in it, because the Dreamsoul restriction
is Orbit +20 (Orbit 12 +20 = 32). Once he is done raising
his element points, Tiarn becomes an Orbit 13 dreamer.
You may increase element points via the Personality
Point system. You may "purchase"
a permanent element point increase at any time you have
enough Personality Points (PPs). Note, you can only purchase
one element point at a time, but there is no restriction
on how many times you purchase one element point as long
as the PPs are there.
These gains are usually permanent- though it is possible
to permanently lose points of elemental force.
The Reclamation advancement system has no immediate classes.
Instead, advancing in level (orbit) gives characters higher
elements, and higher elements give the character access to
Foci and to more powerful Arts keyed to those elements. Additionally,
elements are used to power Art evocations, and certain items
require the character to have one or more elements at a certain
value to use them.
By linking access to Arts with elements instead of class
levels, players have supreme flexibility in advancing a character,
without the class constraints of the typical MMORPG class
advancement system! A 70th orbit character might be completely
focused on one element and have a single very high element
and relatively low elements everywhere else; or, he might
advance all his elements evenly and be a sort of jack of all
trades.
