Progression & Level Caps
Player Level ≠ vanilla XP
Two completely separate bars:
- Vanilla XP (green bar on the hotbar) — works like normal Minecraft: mining, smelting, enchanting.
- Player Level (shown top-left of your inventory screen) — your real RPG level. Grows only from combat (killing enemies and bosses). Each level gives more max health and lets enemies scale up to your level.
Many bosses have a recommended (or required) level shown in their quest description — under-leveled means you get crushed. See Combat & Stats.
Campaigns & Level Caps
Your maximum possible level is gated by story progress, not by how much you grind — this is the single most common point of confusion:
| Level range | Unlocked by |
|---|---|
| 1–10 | Available from the start |
| 11–50 | Defeating the first boss of the Void’s Invasion campaign (the Night Lich) |
| 51–65 | Starting the Hasturian Era campaign (after finishing all of Void’s Invasion) |
Level 65 is the current hard cap. If you feel stuck at a level with nothing giving XP, you haven’t cleared the next story gate yet — advance the Main Story quest chapter, that’s the fix, not more grinding.
The two campaigns, in order
- Void’s Invasion — the first campaign (Main Story chapters). Its early bosses include the Night Lich (recommended level 10, ranged-friendly; find him on a broken tower in cold biomes using Soul Stars dropped by undead — killing him unlocks 11–50 leveling), the Nether Gauntlet (rec. level 15), and the Blackstone Golem (rec. level 25, summoned by a Blackstone ritual). Void’s Invasion has multiple chapters (Chapter I unlocks the Molten Core for artifact weapons).
- Hasturian Era — unlocked only after finishing every chapter of Void’s Invasion. Story: S’kellak once imprisoned C’thulhu, but his half-brother Hastur, the King in Yellow, broke free and now threatens all realms. You’re summoned by beacon to Vaaz. Its bosses are level 60–65 required and its enemies are undead — enchant weapons with Smite (the questline explicitly tells you this).
The progression stages in order
- Stage 0 — First hour. See Getting Started.
- Stage 1 — Early game (levels 1–10). Explore, fight, start eyeing an archetype, spend early talent points as they come in. You’re capped at 10 regardless, so there’s no rush.
- Stage 2 — Breaking the first cap. Beat the first Void’s Invasion boss (Night Lich). Gear up first via reforging with Limestone Chunks before the fight; bring 4+ Soul Stars and consider a ranged build for this one.
- Stage 3 — Mid game (levels 11–50). Commit to an archetype and its Fate Talent, keep reforging with Pyrite Chunks, start a parallel tech/magic track (see Tech & Automation Mods, Magic & Spells Mods), explore overhauled dimensions, and unlock your first Fate Talent for your build.
- Stage 4 — Unlocking the final bracket (51–65). Finish all of Void’s Invasion, then simply starting the Hasturian Era chapter unlocks this bracket. Harder fights, better rewards; “The Scarred Night” and “Mastering Fate” chapters open up.
- Stage 5 — Endgame. Legendary/artifact weapon skill trees, Mythic-tier gear via Galena Chunks, Ad Astra space travel, Runic/Astral endgame magic, Transmogrification, and the level-60–65 Hasturian bosses culminating against Hastur’s forces.
Common mistakes
- “I’m level 10 and can’t level up — the pack is broken.” It isn’t. You must beat the Night Lich to lift the cap. Read his Main Story quest.
- Skipping recommended levels. A “recommended level 25” boss at level 15 will delete you. Level and reforge first.
- Trying to jump into Hasturian Era early. It stays locked until every Void’s Invasion chapter is done.
- Forgetting Smite in the Hasturian Era. Its bosses/mobs are undead and some have barriers you break faster with Smite/spell power.
Anticipated questions
What’s the max level? 65, and it’s the current hard cap.
How do I raise the level cap? By story progress, not grinding: beat the Night Lich (→50), then start Hasturian Era (→65).
Why won’t I gain levels from mining or farming? Player Level is combat-only. Mining fills the separate vanilla XP bar.
Which boss breaks the first cap and how do I find it? The Night Lich. Kill undead to collect Soul Stars, use 4+ of them to be guided to his broken tower in a cold biome, then defeat him.
What order do the campaigns go? Void’s Invasion first (all chapters), then Hasturian Era.
A boss says “Required Level 60” — is that recommended or mandatory? “Required” gates the fight; “Recommended” is advisory but ignoring it usually means death. Both appear in quest descriptions.
Do levels reset if I respec talents? No. A Knowledge Scroll only refunds talent points; your Player Level and campaign progress are untouched. See Talent Tree & Fate Talents.