Compare Revisions

11 Catalysts and Progression Catalysts are the core progression currency in Valor Mortis. As William cuts down the corrupted soldiers of the Eternal Guard he gathers these Catalysts and carries them back to a lantern, where they can be spent to make him stronger. The system follows the familiar shape of a Soulslike economy: progress is earned through combat, banked at safe points, and put at risk every time you push deeper into hostile ground.
22  
33 Earning Catalysts
44  
55 Catalysts drop from defeated enemies as you fight your way through each region. The plague-twisted forces of Napoleon's army are the main source, so engaging in Combat is the primary way to build up a balance. Clearing tougher foes and pressing into new areas tends to yield more, which encourages players to keep advancing rather than grinding the same easy encounters. The exact drop values and any bonus sources have not been detailed ahead of release.
66  
77 Spending at Lanterns
88  
99 Upgrades are purchased at lanterns, which double as the game's checkpoints. Resting at a lantern restores William and lets him convert his stockpiled Catalysts into permanent improvements. The upgrades shown so far cover the character's foundational attributes, including health, stamina, and other core stats. Because lanterns are also where you spend, the act of reaching one safely carries weight: it is both your respawn point and your shop. New players should make a habit of pushing toward the next lantern before committing to a difficult fight, since the resting state restores healing flasks at the same time.
1010  
11+ 
1112 Risk on Death
1213  
1314 Catalysts you are carrying when you die are dropped at the spot of your death and must be recovered. Reaching the drop without dying again returns the full stack. Dying a second time before reaching the spot wipes the balance you were carrying entirely. This recovery loop is the source of the game's tension and is what makes pushing toward the next lantern feel meaningful rather than routine.
1415  
1516 Accessories
1617  
1718 Beyond raw stat upgrades, William can equip accessories that boost his effectiveness in specific situations. Hands-on coverage of the PAX East 2026 demo described accessory slots that are filled with pickups found in optional side areas and on harder mini-bosses, with the suggestion that loadout-tuning will be part of how players answer different encounters. Specific accessory effects will be detailed closer to launch.
1819  
1920 Upgrading Weapons and Powers
2021  
2122 Catalysts are not only spent on William directly. Some of the budget covers improvements to the Weapons he carries and the Transmutations he can call on, so that the right-hand-melee plus off-hand-tool framework keeps pace with the difficulty of later regions. Treat Catalysts as a shared budget across all three of William's progression tracks rather than dedicating them to any one side.
2223  
2324 Tips for New Players
2425  
2526 A few rules of thumb help with the loop in the opening hours. Spend small stockpiles before pushing into a new area rather than carrying large balances into unfamiliar territory. Treat each lantern as a goal in its own right, not just a waypoint to the next boss. When you are recovering a stack after death, take the safest route back even if it means avoiding fights you would normally take on. The Getting Started page covers the wider early-game advice these tips slot into.