How Leveling Works

Leveling and Experience work quite differently from the majority of other RPGs most people are familiar with.  First of all, Horizons is a class-based game, although not in the traditional D&D sense.  Instead of choosing a class to advance each time you level, you choose which class you are going to advance by talking to a trainer.  After you have joined that particular school, all the experience you earn will go toward advancing your level in that particular school.  Unlike in AC or similar games, you won't be allocating the XP you earn into attributes or skills.  Instead, each time you level in a school, you will earn a set number of points in skills and attributes relevant to that class.  For instance, when you level as a mage, you will gain a good number of points into your Flame skill and your Power and Focus attribute, but less points into your Strength.  This process works for both adventure and craft schools.  Should you want to change your class at anytime, talk to another trainer.  You'll start back at level 1 in your new class, but you'll retain all of your attribute and skill bonuses you gained from leveling in other classes.  All of your skills and attributes are based on the highest value you have earned, regardless of which classes you are currently active in.  If you have 10 levels of warrior and 10 of mage, your attribute stats will be a combination of warrior strength, dexterity, and health and mage power and focus.

As you level, you will have the chance to join one of several prestige classes.  These classes are not available to you until you have achieved a certain prerequisite skill.  For instance, to join the spellcrafter school, you'll need to level 10 times as a scholar to have the 80 skill in spellcraft necessary to become a spellcrafter.  Many of the prestige combat classes require that you achieve several levels in two different classes, such as Reaver or Battlemage.

As you level in your adventure class, your adventure rating will increase. Your adventure rating is determined by how many levels you have in your present class, as well as how many levels you have taken in other classes.  Fortunately, your levels in your present class matter much more than your levels in other classes.  Your rating determines how much experience you gain by killing monsters.  You gain less experience for killing monsters well below your rating, but there is a cap on the experience you gain from killing monsters well higher than your rating.  While taking a couple levels in other classes does not have a dramatic effect on your rating, it is a good idea to try to stay focused on your main class or classes.

So, which class is for you?  Before you decide, you'll have to weigh the advantages that go along with each class.  Each class gets a different amount of attribute and skill points each time you level, so you should evaluate which class gives you the best level bonus for your ultimate goal.  Additionally, each class has a set of special skills that open as you level.  For instance, mages gain enhanced fireball, a fireball with extra damage and range, at level 2, while Spiritists get Siphon, a health-draining attack.  Prestige classes generally get more potent special skills in addition to better leveling bonuses, which makes them more desirable.  Last but not least, some classes have unique skills.  Masons, for example, are the only characters that can produce important stone components in housing.