Character Points

In the old world, you were what your training made you. In the Wasteland, you're what you choose to become.

Character Points (CP) are the currency of advancement. Every ability, technique, and discipline in Ashfall is available to any character willing to invest the CP and meet the prerequisites. There are no class-locked features — only choices, costs, and consequences.

Your chassis (see Chassis) determines your physical baseline. CP determines everything else.

What CP Replaces

The Character Points system replaces the following existing systems:

• Advancement Points (AP) — All AP spending on class abilities is replaced by CP spending in shared skill trees. The total budget is 252 (1 CP = 1 AP).
• Cross-Training — The 1.5x AP multiplier and 2-archetype cap are replaced by the escalating surcharge system, which is more nuanced and less punitive for moderate breadth.
• Multiclassing — The 20 AP entry cost for a second class is eliminated. Any character can invest in any tree from Level 1.
• Archetype-Locked Doctrines — Doctrines become universal free picks (1 at Level 1, 1 at Level 6), no longer tied to specific archetypes.

Note on abbreviations: CP = Character Points (this file). BP = Burnout Points (see Magic — Burnout). These are separate systems with distinct abbreviations.

CP Pool

Starting CP

At Level 1, you receive 15 CP to spend. Humans receive 20 CP (per the Bonus Advancement species trait, which grants +5 bonus CP at Level 1).

CP Per Level

You gain 10 CP at each level from 2 through 10, 14 CP at levels 11 through 15, 15 CP at levels 16 through 18, and 16 CP at levels 19 and 20.

Unspent CP carries over between levels.

Spending CP

Ability Costs

Abilities are organized into shared skill trees (see Skill Trees). Each tree has three tiers of abilities, a capstone ability, and a signature capstone (Level 15+) at the top.

Other Purchases

Anti-Convergence Mechanics

The CP system uses three interlocking mechanisms to ensure that specialists outperform generalists in their niche while generalists maintain breadth as a legitimate tradeoff.

1. Escalating Tree Access Cost

The first tree you invest in costs nothing extra. Each additional tree beyond your second imposes a cumulative surcharge on all future tree ability purchases (Tier 1, 2, 3, and Capstone abilities — not Signature capstones). The surcharge does NOT apply to Other Purchases (attribute increases, skill proficiencies, armor/weapon proficiency, doctrines, cantrips, or save proficiency). The surcharge targets tree breadth specifically — it should not penalize a character for raising an attribute.

"Invested in" means you have purchased at least one Tier 1 ability from that tree. Buying a single Tier 1 ability to test a tree counts. The surcharge applies retroactively to all future tree ability purchases once you cross the threshold.

Example: Kara (Striker chassis) has abilities in Ranged Combat and Martial Combat (2 trees, no surcharge). She buys a Tier 1 ability from Stealth & Subterfuge — her 3rd tree. All future tree ability purchases now cost +1 CP each (Tier 1 abilities cost 6 instead of 5, Tier 2 costs 11 instead of 10, etc.).

2. Depth Discounts

Deep investment in a single tree is rewarded. When you reach certain thresholds of total CP spent in one tree, future purchases in that tree cost less.

Depth discounts stack with (offset against) the generalist surcharge. A specialist who puts 40+ CP into their primary tree and then dips a third tree pays -2 (depth) + +1 (surcharge) = net -1 CP per purchase in their primary tree.

Minimum Cost: No ability can cost less than half its base cost after all discounts and surcharges are applied (round up). A Tier 1 ability always costs at least 3 CP. A Tier 2 ability always costs at least 5 CP.

Example: Marcus (Heavy chassis) has spent 45 CP in the Martial Combat tree. He gets -2 CP on all Martial Combat purchases. A Tier 3 ability costs him 13 CP instead of 15. If he also opens a 3rd tree, his Martial Combat purchases cost 13 + 1 = 14 CP (still cheaper than base).

3. Hard Tier Caps

No character can reach the highest tiers in every tree. These caps are absolute.

A character can dabble in many Tier 1 abilities but can only achieve deep mastery (Tier 3+) in two disciplines, and true pinnacle (Capstone) in one.

Specialization Milestones

When you concentrate CP in a single tree, you unlock free passive bonuses that reward focus. These bonuses are automatic and do not cost CP.

These milestones reward depth of investment. At 252 CP a 3-tree build can reach Master in all three trees (3 × 50 CP = 150 CP); a 4-tree build reaches Master in two or three with optimal allocation. What deep specialists gain that generalists cannot replicate is not exclusive Master access but Tier 3 and Capstone content — only concentrated investment clears those hard caps.

Doctrines

Doctrines transition from class-locked passive bonuses to universal flavor picks available to any character.

• Cost: Free (0 CP). Doctrines are flavor picks, not CP investments.
• Limit: Maximum 2 doctrines at any time. You gain 1 doctrine slot at Level 1 and a second at Level 6. You can replace a doctrine during a long rest.
• Prerequisites: None. Any character can take any doctrine. Doctrines no longer reference specific archetypes.
• Effect: Doctrines provide small, flavorful passive bonuses (+1-2 to specific rolls, minor conditional advantages). They are the "seasoning" of a build, not its foundation. Making doctrines cost CP would force them to compete with tree abilities, and tree abilities will always win — resulting in the doctrine system becoming vestigial.

Example doctrines: Brute Force (+2 melee damage with two-handed weapons), Deadeye (+1 ranged damage at 30+ ft), Shadow Walker (advantage on Stealth in dim light), Combat Surgeon (healing abilities usable from 10 ft instead of touch).

Talents

Talents remain a parallel advancement track, separate from CP spending. You gain talent slots at the same levels as the current system:

Tree-Gated Talents: Some talents require minimum CP investment in a specific tree to select. Universal talents remain available to all characters. This replaces the current "class talent" restrictions.

Mastery Paths

Mastery Paths (L11-15) remain as-is, but prerequisites are updated to reference chassis and CP investment instead of archetype names.

Old prerequisite format: "Warrior archetype, MIG 15+, END 14+" New prerequisite format: "Heavy or Survivor chassis, 30+ CP in Martial Combat tree, MIG 15+, END 14+"

This opens Mastery Paths to cross-chassis builds. A Striker who invests heavily in Martial Combat can qualify for paths previously restricted to Warriors — they've earned it through CP investment.

Example Builds

Build A: Specialist Melee Fighter (Deep Specialist)

Chassis: Heavy | Fantasy: Warrior equivalent

Total CP in Martial Combat by L10: 84 CP. Trees: 1 (Martial). Capstone unlocked in: 1 tree. This character is devastating in melee. High HP (d12), heavy armor, capstone unlocked by L10. All CP flows into a single tree — maximum specialist depth with no breadth.

Build B: Versatile Operative (Generalist)

Chassis: Specialist | Fantasy: Operative equivalent

Total CP in Stealth by L10: 50 CP. Trees: 3 (Stealth & Subterfuge, Leadership & Social, Technology). Tier 3 in: 1 tree (Stealth). Tier 2 in: 1 tree (Leadership).

Note on CP banking: Ghost Strike (T3, 15 CP base + net surcharge/depth = 15 CP effective) costs more than a single level's earnings (10 CP). This character banks CP at Level 5 — saving the full 10 CP — then draws on those savings at Levels 6–8 to absorb the high-cost T3 purchase. Leadership Inspire and Technology Jury-Rig at Level 10 consume the remaining budget, leaving 2 CP banked (103 of 105 earned CP spent). Attribute +1 PRE is deferred to Level 11+ (the L6–L10 window is fully consumed by Ghost Strike, Silver-Tongued Devil, and breadth purchases).

This character is good at stealth (Tier 3), decent at social manipulation (Tier 2), and has basic hacking (Tier 1). They can't match the melee fighter's raw combat power, but they solve more types of problems.

Comparison

The specialist is clearly superior in melee combat (Capstone + Master milestone + more abilities). The generalist is clearly more versatile (3 trees, social + tech + stealth). Neither build is "wrong" — they represent genuine, meaningful choices.

Edge Cases

"Tier 1 Grazer" — Buying the best T1 from 8 trees

With 8 trees at Tier 1, the surcharge is +3 CP per purchase. Eight T1 abilities cost 5+5+5+6+7+8+8+8 = 52 CP. But these are all basic abilities — no character with only Tier 1 abilities can compete with a specialist who has Tier 3 + Capstone + Master milestone. The hard tier cap (T2 in max 4, T3 in max 2) prevents the grazer from ever reaching meaningful power in most trees.

Verdict: Legal but suboptimal. The system does not need to prevent this — the math punishes it naturally.

"Dual Specialist" — Deep investment in 2 trees

Spending ~50 CP each in 2 trees (100 CP by L10) is viable. Both trees reach Tier 3, both earn Journeyman milestones. The character is strong in two areas but cannot reach any Capstone until late game (L15+ at best). This is the "dual-specialist" build pattern and is intentionally supported.

Verdict: Desirable outcome. The system should support this.

"One-Trick Master" — All CP into one tree

A character who puts 105 CP into one tree by L10 has the Capstone, Master milestone, and maximum depth discounts. They are extremely powerful in their niche and nearly useless outside it. This mirrors the current "pure class with no cross-training" pattern.

Verdict: Viable and intentional. The depth discounts and milestones reward this, and the chassis provides baseline competence (HP, saves, proficiencies) outside the tree's specialty.

Design Notes for Pipeline

Why single pool, not split pools: Split pools (Combat CP + Utility CP + Magic CP) prevent convergence by fiat but add significant cognitive load and create feel-bad moments when you have 8 unspent Magic CP and no interest in magic. A single pool with cost scaling achieves the same anti-convergence effect more elegantly — you can generalize, but the math discourages it progressively. This mirrors Shadowrun's karma system, which is proven at scale.

Why 1 CP = 1 AP: The CP budget (now 252, raised from 205 to accommodate Pinnacle-tier magic ladder purchases) is already balanced across 20 levels. Changing the scale (e.g., 1 CP = 2 AP, total 504 CP) would provide finer granularity but require recosting every ability. The current costs (5/10/15 AP) already work — preserve them and adjust only the cross-training multiplier (which is replaced by the surcharge system). The extra 47 CP (vs. the original 205) is weighted to L11–20 so that dedicated casters can afford each Pinnacle purchase near its level gate.

Why the surcharge replaces the cross-training multiplier: The current 1.5x cross-training cost is a flat tax on any cross-class investment. The escalating surcharge is more nuanced — your first cross-tree investment is free (2 trees, no surcharge), encouraging moderate breadth. Only the 3rd+ tree incurs cost, and the cost escalates. This is less punitive for "dual-class" builds and more punitive for "dip everything" builds — a better incentive structure.

Why Capstone is limited to 1 tree: A character with 2 Capstones is strictly better than a character with 1 Capstone + Tier 3 in another tree. The hard cap ensures that every character has ONE signature ability at the top of their build, creating clear identity. "I'm the Unbreakable Martial Master" vs "I'm the Ghost Stealth Master" — this is the identity-defining choice that replaces archetype selection.

Talent track preserved as separate: Folding talents into CP would make the single pool even more strained. Keeping talents on their own schedule (level-gated slots) gives characters reliable customization points that don't compete with tree progression. Tree-gating some talents by CP investment replaces the current "class talent" restriction more flexibly.