Level meter and difficulty
The level meter sits below the inventory. It goes up as the adventure progresses and never comes down. The level decides how strong the beasts and items in the world are. At level 1 you fight rats. At level 10 it is tigers.
What raises it
The meter rises for every action taken. Different actions add more or less. Eating food adds very little. Resting or playing an instrument adds a lot.
The meter rises slowly in caves which gives you more time to explore underground. Some heroes love the dark and get even more time. Others dislike going underground and lose the bonus. Quests do not start while you are in a cave so head up soon.
A special bed at the inn pauses the meter entirely.
What it changes
- Beasts and quests get harder as the meter rises.
- New items become more powerful.
- Quests start at regular intervals once the meter passes level 2. Exploring outside triggers them sooner.
Every creature page says the level it appears from and every item page shows its level.
Max level
At max level random groups of enemies arrive to attack. They are hungry for your blood and can track you down. Heed the warnings.
Each difficulty has its own max level and its own starting point. Higher difficulties begin with the meter already higher.
| Difficulty | Starting level | Max level | Quests to pass the gatekeeper | Xp multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy and tutorial | 1 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Normal | 2 | 8 | 3 | ×1 |
| Hard | 3 | 9 | 3 | ×2 |
| Expert | 4 | 10 | 3 | ×3 |
| Elite | 5 | 10 | 3 | ×5 |
Easy and tutorial difficulty are gentler in other ways too. Chests never contain unusable items. The harder quests are left out. Score is lower.
Higher difficulties are unlocked with hero medals. Elite needs a diamond medal. See Progression.