Revision 1

Overview

The God Slayer features a multi-layered progression system that expands Cheng's abilities through several interconnected channels. Power growth comes from a combination of leveling, elemental mastery, narrative milestones, and optional exploration, rather than a single experience bar.

Leveling and difficulty interaction

Traditional experience points are earned through combat encounters, quest completion, and exploration discoveries. Leveling provides baseline stat improvements and unlocks new nodes on elemental skill trees.

How leveling interacts with difficulty depends on the mode. In Story Mode, players can overlevel by completing side content, using that extra power to ease boss encounters. In Challenge Mode, players cannot overlevel because enemies scale with the player's level. Side content still provides abilities and resources in Challenge Mode, but raw stat advantage is not an option.

Elemental skill trees

Each of the five elements, Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, and Wood, has its own skill tree with unique abilities. Skill trees unlock progressively as Cheng levels up and advances through the story. Players can prioritize specific elements to create specialized builds or spread points across all five for versatility.

Ability scrolls

Hidden throughout Zhou, ability scrolls teach specific techniques that exist outside the standard skill trees. These discoveries reward thorough exploration and often provide unique combat options unavailable through any other progression path.

Rare cores

Dropped by defeated Celestials and available from rotating vendors after major quests, rare cores provide significant power upgrades. They represent the premium progression currency tied to the game's most challenging content.

Mentor training

The Master provides training sessions that unlock advanced counter techniques, deeper Qi management abilities, and movement tricks. Meeting other elemental masters throughout the story expands this training to cover all five elements, with each master teaching techniques specific to their elemental specialty.

Faction reputation

Building standing with factions unlocks unique element modifiers that alter how specific abilities function. These modifiers provide build diversity, letting players customize their Elemancer style beyond the standard skill tree paths.