Node-by-node design for the first release's three classes. Written 2026-09-13, built on the canon class fiction in ../plan-version-1/older-plan/book/13-class-entries.md and the systems in ../plan-version-1/older-plan/future-game-project/combat-and-stats.md. Feeds development-plan.md Step 12 (Hoplite tree, Phase 1) and Step 22 (the other two, Phase 3). All skills are authored as data (SkillDefinition / SkillTreeNode ScriptableObjects), never hardcoded.
Decisions & reconciliations (read first)
- "Archer" → the Huntress (canon) — CONFIRMED 2026-09-13. v2's ranged class is canon's Huntress — the Prohibitions: bow + traps + a sworn beast companion. Locked; the Agra (traps) and Thiasos (companion) trees stay.
- 3 of the canon 6. Shipping Hoplite / Huntress / Oracle now; Stormcaller / Nekromantis / Maenad are the expansion path.
- Class chosen at creation, playable from the start. Canon's "where it is learned" (Huntress in Act 3, Oracle at Delphi) becomes optional teacher cameos in later content — not a gate. Myrra can hold any tradition from level 1.
- Single-player tuning. Every "ally" skill benefits you first (self-heal, self-shield); ally effects are a co-op bonus for later. No skill is dead solo.
- Tab-target + limited hotbar. ~6 active slots (per combat-and-stats' leaning), GCD-paced, cooldown + resource costs. Builds are defined by which 6 you pick and where your passive points go.
Shared systems these trees plug into (from combat-and-stats.md)
| System | Value used here |
|---|---|
| Attributes | Might (melee/Footing), Finesse (crit/ranged/dodge), Vitality (health), Spirit (Favor/caster scaling) |
| Resources | Hoplite = Valor (builds in combat); Huntress & Oracle = Favor (regenerating pool) |
| Damage types | Physical, Fire, Lightning, Cold, Poison, Divine (radiant), Umbral (shadow). Underworld enemies resist Umbral, are weak to Divine — relevant to Act 1's risen dead. |
| Synergies | D2-style: a skill scales off points invested in named related skills. Marked ⚙ below. |
| Respec | Via Lethe Water (obtainable, not free). |
| God Boons | A persistent patron modifier line layered over the tree — deferred past the first release (light gods only in Act 1). |
Tree shape (all three classes share this skeleton)
- 3 trees per class, ~16 nodes each. One skill point per level.
- Tiers gate on points spent in that tree (D2 model): T1 from the start, T2 at 5 pts, T3 at 10, Ultimate at 15. Two of the three trees hold an ultimate (canon).
- Node types: ★ Active · ◆ Passive · ⚙ Synergy passive · ✦ Ultimate.
- Act 1 slice: a 1–2 hr act reaches ~level 15 on Mortal (see level cap below), so the first release ships and tests T1–T2 of each tree plus one ultimate path. Full T3/ults are built but balanced for the difficulty replays and later content. Marked [A1] = must work in the first release; [later] = built, tuned post-slice.
Leveling & level cap — first release (decided 2026-09-13)
- Level cap: 30. One skill point per level → 30 points across the three trees.
- Progression by difficulty (an ultimate needs 15 points in one tree):
| Milestone | ~Level | Reachable build |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Act 1 on Mortal | ~15 | One tree to its ultimate — the showcase ult, exactly as designed for the slice |
| Clear Heroic | ~22 | That ult + a second tree ~7 deep |
| Clear Divine (cap) | ~30 | Both ultimates (15+15) or one ult + two trees deep — the "mastered the class" payoff |
- Why 30: Mortal peaks at exactly one ultimate (matches the one-ult-per-slice rule); Heroic/Divine keep real progression (the cap isn't hit on Mortal); 30 pts ≈ 2.5 trees = strong build identity without every build converging.
- Not a contradiction of the ~100 canon cap.
combat-and-stats.md's ~100 is the full six-act ceiling (then Ascension/paragon). 30 is Act 1's content-gated cap, raised ~+15 per act as content ships. Never promise progression the released content can't deliver. - Attributes auto-scale (Might/Finesse/Vitality/Spirit rise per class each level) for the first release — simpler to build, impossible to brick, and keeps all build expression in the trees. Light-manual attribute points deferred (overrides
combat-and-stats.md's lean for the first release only). - XP curve intent: kills + quests; tuned so Mortal ends ~L15 and each higher difficulty adds ~7–8 levels to the cap of 30.
1. Hoplite — the Drill
Spear & shield bulwark. Resource: Valor (builds as you strike and get struck, spent on figures). Patron flavour: Ares/Athena. The class taught in Act 1 — its drill-master is in Eleusis, so it is the natural first-build to author (dev-plan Step 12).
Fantasy: you are one soldier performing a formation meant for hundreds — and the form supplies the rest. Tanky, controls space, punishes anything that closes. Canon truth (never stated in-game): the drill feeds Ares. Nothing changes mechanically; it never should.
Tree A — Phalanx (defense / control — the identity tree) [A1]
Holding ground and being genuinely hard to move.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Aspis Wall | ★ | Raise shield: block a frontal cone of melee/ranged for you (and nearby allies). Generates Valor while held. |
| T1 | Close Order | ◆ | +Armor and +Footing while an enemy is within melee range. |
| T1 | Drilled Footwork | ◆ | +Footing (resists othismos/knockback). ⚙ scales with points in Bulwark Stance. |
| T2 | Bulwark Stance | ★ | Stance: large damage reduction + big Footing while stationary; ends on move. Its strength and its weakness in one line. |
| T2 | Shield Bash | ★ | Frontal stun + Valor gain. Your CC opener. |
| T2 | Rally | ★ | Buff your damage/armor for a duration (and nearby allies). Solo value: a personal cooldown. |
| T3 | Immovable | ◆ | While in Bulwark Stance, become immune to the first displacement each few seconds (never full immunity — Footing floor rules still apply). |
| T3 | Hold the Line | ◆ | Reflect a % of blocked damage back as Physical. ⚙ scales with Aspis Wall. |
| ✦15 | Spartan Line | ✦ | Summon spectral shieldmates into a formation wall — "they are not summoned; a formation performed alone is still a formation." A wall that blocks, taunts, and holds a chokepoint. [A1] this is the Hoplite's showcase ult for the first release. |
Skill text (canon, ship verbatim): "You are not the only one performing it. You are only the one present."
Tree B — Doru (spear offense — the damage tree) [A1]
The unromantic half. Reach, lines, and single-target finishing.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Piercing Thrust | ★ | Line attack hitting all enemies in a row. Core Valor spender. |
| T1 | Reach | ◆ | +Spear range and +damage to the farthest target hit. |
| T1 | Whetted Edge | ◆ | +Physical damage. ⚙ scales with points in Piercing Thrust. |
| T2 | Sweeping Butt-Spike | ★ | Knockback cone (the drill has a figure for when the spear breaks). Space-maker. |
| T2 | Impale | ★ | High single-target hit; bonus vs bleeding targets. |
| T2 | Bleeding Wounds | ◆ | Thrusts and Impale apply Bleed (Physical DoT). |
| T3 | Phalanx Advance | ◆ | Moving toward a target grants a stacking damage buff — rewards controlled aggression, pairs against Bulwark's stillness. |
| T3 | Executioner's Figure | ◆ | Impale refunds Valor and part of its cooldown on kill. ⚙ scales with Impale. |
(No ultimate in Doru — canon. Doru is the reliable engine; the drama lives in Phalanx and Andreia.)
Tree C — Andreia (bloodied valour — the aggressive tree) [later, ult optional in A1]
Borrowed from Ares directly; the drill-masters are uneasy teaching it.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Second Wind | ◆ | Heal a burst when you drop below 35% HP (cooldown). Survivability floor. |
| T1 | Blood Valor | ◆ | Generate bonus Valor when struck. |
| T2 | War Cry | ★ | Fear/taunt enemies in an area + brief self attack-speed. Panic button + engage. |
| T2 | Battle Frenzy | ◆ | Each recent kill grants stacking attack speed (short duration). |
| T3 | Bloodthirst | ◆ | Lifesteal scaling with missing HP. ⚙ scales with Battle Frenzy. |
| ✦15 | Wrath of Ares | ✦ | Frenzy: huge attack speed + lifesteal for a window. Should read as slightly shameful — the figure that is not in the manual. [later] — a second-difficulty payoff, not needed for the Act 1 slice. |
Act 1 recommended Hoplite build (what the first release tests): Aspis Wall, Shield Bash, Bulwark Stance (Phalanx) + Piercing Thrust, Sweeping Butt-Spike, Impale (Doru), Second Wind (Andreia), working toward Spartan Line. A tanky spear-line that holds the Ploutonion against Polydegmon's adds.
2. Huntress — the Prohibitions
Bow, traps, a sworn beast. Resource: Favor. Patron: Artemis.
Fantasy: power comes from restraint — the rules of the old hunt. Ranged burst + wilderness control + a companion that is sworn to, not owned. Canon truth: the feral hunt in Arcadia is this class with the rules removed.
Tree A — Toxon (archery — the damage tree) [A1]
Marksmanship — "the least interesting part of the tradition," and the bread and butter.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Piercing Volley | ★ | Arrows pass through enemies in a line. Core Favor spender. |
| T1 | Steady Draw | ◆ | +Ranged damage; +crit at longer range (rewards kiting). |
| T1 | Marked Prey | ★ | Apply a Mark to a target: it takes bonus damage from you. The tree's keystone — many nodes key off Marks. |
| T2 | Moonlit Shot | ★ | Heavy shot; bonus damage vs Marked targets. ⚙ scales with Marked Prey. |
| T2 | Twinned Nock | ◆ | Chance to fire an extra arrow. |
| T2 | Rain of Artemis | ★ | Arrow storm over an area — pack clear. |
| T3 | Hunter's Focus | ◆ | Crits vs Marked targets refund Favor. |
| T3 | The Quarry's Line | ★ | Reel a Marked target toward you (single-target; resisted by mass). Pulls a straggler out of a pack — PvE gather + the phalanx-isolate tool. |
| ✦15 | Silver Arrow | ✦ | A guaranteed crit that ricochets between Marked targets — the correct shot, taken once. [A1] the Huntress's showcase ult. ⚙ scales with Marked Prey. |
Tree B — Agra (traps & snares — the control tree) [A1]
"Patience made mechanical. The hunter does not chase, so the ground does."
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Snare Net | ★ | Root enemies in a small area. |
| T1 | Groundcraft | ◆ | Traps arm faster and last longer. |
| T2 | Spike Pit | ★ | Hidden trap: triggers on contact, applies Bleed. Place at your back edge to punish chasers. |
| T2 | Beast Lure | ★ | Bait that pulls enemies together — sets up Rain of Artemis. |
| T2 | Caltrop Line | ★ | A laid strip that cannot be crossed without slowing — a fence, not a push. Shapes engagements. |
| T3 | Cruel Traps | ◆ | Trapped/snared enemies take increased damage from you. ⚙ scales with Snare Net + Spike Pit. |
| T3 | Prepared Ground | ◆ | Start of combat: arm one free trap near you. |
(No ultimate in Agra — canon.)
Tree C — Thiasos (the companion — the sustain/utility tree) [A1 core, ult later]
The beast is sworn to, not summoned or owned; break the prohibitions and it leaves — because the arrangement was conditional and the other party noticed.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Faithful Hound | ★ | Summon a wolf/hound that fights beside you, taunts, and holds aggro (huge solo value — your off-tank). |
| T1 | Sworn Bond | ◆ | The companion revives over time if slain; you cannot "lose" it permanently in normal play. |
| T2 | Pack Bond | ◆ | The companion shares your Marks/buffs; your Marked Prey also lets the beast crit. ⚙ scales with Marked Prey. |
| T2 | Coordinated Kill | ◆ | You + companion hitting the same target = bonus damage. |
| T3 | Second Beast | ◆ | A second, weaker companion. |
| ✦15 | Call of the Wild Hunt | ✦ | Summon a temporary pack — and dismissing it again is the whole trick. Briefly performs the exact act Artemis stopped performing. [later] — big, late-tree payoff. |
Skill text (canon): "The calling was never the difficult part."
Act 1 recommended Huntress build: Marked Prey, Piercing Volley, Moonlit Shot (Toxon) + Snare Net, Beast Lure (Agra) + Faithful Hound (Thiasos), toward Silver Arrow. Kite the risen dead, pin them with traps, let the hound hold the line.
3. Oracle — the Discipline
Radiance, prophecy, plague. Resource: Favor. Patron: Apollo.
Fantasy: a trained physical discipline (breathing, fasting, sequence) that kept working after the god went quiet. Healer/support and radiant + plague damage. Canon truth: the gods were always the smaller half — the Oracle kept two-thirds of its power because two-thirds was never Apollo's. Radiant (Divine) damage is extra-effective vs Act 1's risen dead — a natural fit for the slice.
Tree A — Helios (radiance — damage + healing) [A1]
The public face: light, healing, the work that made oracles welcome.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Sunbeam | ★ | Piercing beam of Divine light. Core spender; strong vs undead (Act 1). |
| T1 | Kindled Spirit | ◆ | +Divine damage and +Favor regen. |
| T1 | Blessing of Light | ★ | Heal + small shield on you (and allies nearby). Solo value: your self-sustain. |
| T2 | Dawnfire | ★ | AoE burn that blinds (reduces enemy accuracy) — pack control + damage. |
| T2 | Radiant Ward | ◆ | Blessing of Light also grants brief damage reduction. ⚙ scales with Blessing of Light. |
| T2 | Purifying Light | ◆ | Divine damage cleanses one debuff from you on cast (light self-support). |
| T3 | Zenith Momentum | ◆ | Consecutive Divine hits ramp your Divine damage. ⚙ scales with Sunbeam. |
| ✦15 | Solar Zenith | ✦ | A second sun scorches all enemies on screen with Divine damage. [A1] the Oracle's showcase ult — devastating vs the risen dead. |
Tree B — Manteia (prophecy / support — the defensive tree) [A1]
The diminished tree, and it should feel it — prophecy is gone; discipline sharpened perception remains.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Foresight | ◆ | Chance to dodge — "you saw it coming" — what's left when real prophecy stops arriving. |
| T1 | Omen | ★ | Mark enemies to take increased damage (from all sources; solo-friendly). |
| T2 | Delphic Ward | ★ | Party-wide damage reduction bubble. Solo value: a personal defensive cooldown. |
| T2 | Clear Sight | ◆ | +crit and +accuracy; Foresight dodges restore a little Favor. ⚙ scales with Foresight. |
| T3 | Delphic Step | ★ | Blink yourself (or an ally) a short distance out of danger — the roster's anti-displacement / repositioning save. Fits Foresight exactly. |
| T3 | Prophet's Toll | ◆ | Enemies marked by Omen that die grant Favor. ⚙ scales with Omen. |
(No ultimate in Manteia — canon.)
Tree C — Loimos (plague — the DoT/attrition tree) [A1 core, ult later]
The tradition's dirty hands — and it is in the manual, always was. Apollo is a plague god as much as a sun god.
| Tier | Node | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Plague Arrow | ★ | A ranged bolt applying Plague (spreading Poison-type DoT). |
| T1 | Miasma | ★ | A lingering cloud dealing DoT to anything inside. |
| T2 | Contagion | ◆ | When a Plagued enemy dies, the DoT jumps to nearby enemies — pack melt. |
| T2 | Miasma Field | ◆ | Miasma damage stacks the longer an enemy remains — makes held ground untenable. ⚙ scales with Miasma. |
| T3 | Virulence | ◆ | +DoT damage and +spread range. ⚙ scales with Plague Arrow + Contagion. |
| T3 | Wasting | ◆ | Plagued enemies deal reduced damage (a soft defensive layer from offense). |
| ✦15 | Apollo's Reproach | ✦ | A plague-storm that withers a whole area. Called a "reproach" because that is what the temples called it when they did it to a city. [later] — the attrition payoff for difficulty replays. |
Skill text (canon): "Sent to Aegina in a year of poor relations. The instruction survives in the training sequence."
Act 1 recommended Oracle build: Sunbeam, Blessing of Light, Dawnfire (Helios) + Foresight, Omen (Manteia) + Plague Arrow, Miasma (Loimos), toward Solar Zenith. Radiant burst vs the undead, plague for attrition, self-heals to stay alive solo.
Build & balance principles across all three
- Each tree has a clear job: an identity/control tree, a damage tree, and a third (aggro/utility/attrition) — so a player specializing in one still functions, and hybridizing two is the reward for synergy points.
- Synergies (⚙) reward specialization (D2 model) without hard-locking — you can still splash.
- Two ultimates per class, in two trees (canon), gated at 15 points — a real commitment, one showcase ult reachable within the Act 1 slice.
- Everything is solo-viable for the first release; ally effects are upside.
- Tab-target friendly: targeted skills (Sunbeam, Impale, Moonlit Shot) and ground/area skills (Miasma, Rain of Artemis, Caltrop Line) — no reliance on twitch aiming, matching README §3.3.
- ~6-slot hotbar forces the interesting choice of which actives to carry.
Implementation notes (for development-plan.md)
- Data model: each node = a
SkillTreeNodeSO (cost, prerequisites, tier gate, grants: aSkillDefinitionor a passiveStatModifier/behaviour). Trees are assets; authoring a class is filling in data, not writing classes (Principle 2). - Synergies: implement as a passive that reads points-in-named-node and scales a coefficient — one reusable component, data-configured.
- Build order: Hoplite full tree in Phase 1 (Step 12); Huntress + Oracle in Phase 3 (Step 22). Only [A1] nodes must be balanced for the first release; [later] nodes ship functional and are tuned against the difficulty replays.
- Numbers come later: costs, cooldowns, coefficients are deliberately unspecified here — they are set and tuned in-engine against the Gate 0/1 feel, per the plan.
Open questions
- Archer vs Huntress — Huntress confirmed (2026-09-13); traps + companion stay.
- Level cap — 30 for the first release; auto-scaling attributes (2026-09-13). See "Leveling & level cap" above.
- Exact hotbar size (leaning 6) and whether the two ultimates share a slot/charge.
- Whether God Boons appear at all in the first release (currently deferred; light shrine-blessings only per README §3.4).