Managing a Settlement gets you a lot of XP.

There’s no way of knowing how much you’ll get or when, but System seems to award it based on predetermined milestones, like increases in residents and the construction of structures. Over the last three months, adding in the occasional outing and dungeon run, I’ve kept pace with the core group of Justin, Brian, Sarah, Donnie, Curtis, Andy, and Jennifer. I’m level fifteen, with the others between levels thirteen and sixteen.

The six levels I’ve gained have given my character sheet some heft. I now have my tenth and fifteenth level Class Abilities:

10th Level Class Ability

One with Nature (Basic Class Ability)

While inside naturally occurring terrain, the Druid does not leave a trace of their presence. Additionally, animals of all types, both predator and prey, will consider the Druid to be a kindred spirit and, generally, ignore them.

15th Level Class Ability

Animal Form - Small (Basic Class Ability)

The Druid can assume the form of any small animal they have seen any number of times per day. Transformation is near instant, and any worn gear is magically integrated into the animal form. Note: the transformation process requires 10 mana to perform.

One with Nature is useful, since most animals are vicious monstrosities, and allows me to go out on solo missions with little fear of being attacked. This lets me cover great distances with ease.

The animal form ability is…weird. I can turn into cats, chickens, birds, snakes, and a variety of other similarly sized creatures, monster forms included. I need to have actually seen the animal with my own eyes, in person, for me to take their shape, though. All the nature shows I’ve watched don’t count. Damn it. The mana cost isn’t too hateful. While I have a pathetic mana pool, and an equally pathetic regen rate, I don’t bother with spells. At least now I have something to spend it on.

Six levels means six ability points. Ignoring my other two class trees, I focus solely on the Durability branch. Four go into Increased Health and two into Increased Health Regen. This provides me with 100 extra HP and a 10% passive healing rate.

The additional levels also mean I get more Talents. Wonderful, amazing, Talents.

Dual Wield (Basic Talent)

Prerequisites - None

Effect - Reduces the penalty from dual wielding weapons. Note: does not need to be two of the same weapon.

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Magic Resistance (Basic Talent)

Prerequisites - None

Effect - All spells and spell-like effects are less effective when used against you. Note: this applies to all magic, beneficial or not.

Endurance (Basic Talent)

Prerequisites - None

Effect - Your physical endurance increases to the point where you no longer tire from normal activity.

Magic Resistance was a tough pick. I mulled over it for a few weeks before I watched a Wizard electrocute a pack of robertcats with ease. That was enough justification.

Since I’ve already specialized in axes, and I’m swinging around two of them all the time, Dual Wield is a no brainer. Like the weapon focus and specialization Talents, the effect is subtle. However System makes it work, I’m able to block better and strike more efficiently.

Endurance, at first, doesn’t seem to be all that useful. But let me tell you, it is. I can walk for miles without feeling a bit of fatigue, read documents for hours without straining my eyes, and so much more. Sadly, it doesn’t stop me from still needing my eight hours of beauty sleep.

Since level twenty is the cap for the Basic Tier, I’ve been planning what to take for the Advanced Tier. As a Druid, my options revolve around various domains, each corresponding to types of terrain: forest, sky, ocean, mountain, desert, etc. I like the idea of being a tank, so the Mountain Domain is very enticing. It has little in the way of offense, and as the Tiers increase, that issue compounds itself. Going the Forest Domain route, though, is exactly what I’m looking for.

While the Forest Domain gives me an impressive spread of abilities, it’s not until I reach the Elite Tier and take Bear Aspect that things get interesting. By then I’ll have Animal Form - Large, enough Talent slots to make myself hilariously dangerous in melee combat, and enough hit points, health regen, and damage reduction to be, essentially, unkillable. Or so I hope.

The only real drawback is availability. Higher tier classes require access to higher Cores. Right now we have a Settlement. Next comes a Hamlet, then a Village. Until there’s Village Shop access, we’re stuck with Basic Tier classes. That level of Core requires 250 residents. We’re going to need to up our recruitment. A lot.

Beyond my class, I’ve personally leveled up. Before, though I was physically fit through ample time in the gym, I loved my carbs. Now, in the apocalypse, carbs aren’t as easy to come by. Combine that with System metabolisms, and I have little to no fat on me. I believe that’s called skinny-jacked.

Though I look like some kind of cracked out Viking berserker when I’m shirtless, it means I don’t have nearly the heft as before. It’s weird how much raw power you lose when 50lbs disappears off you.

And it’s not that those fifty were all pure fat. Much of my extraneous muscle mass went away, too. The once weirdly disproportionate thighs are much slimmer. Apparently, those kept my body composition out of whack. Got to love that GMI chart.

Myself aside, watching the other residents gain levels and abilities is quite interesting. It’s not too surprising to learn what combat classers receive as they hit milestones: power attacks, defensive shields, temporary DPS increases, pets, etc. The really cool stuff comes from the civilian population.

One of our Farmers took a Talent that allows them to tell if a seed is viable at a glance. Combine that with their tenth level Class Ability, Instant Sprout, and they can put together a viable garden in about an hour (or a farm in a few days).

Bakers, on the other hand, can make dough rise in minutes. Butchers, so long as they’re the one to field dress the carcass, prevent the meat from spoiling for the better part of a week. Tailors hand stitch at almost the speed of a sewing machine, and Blacksmiths never need to relight their forge.

One of the more useful abilities for Settlement management comes from our sole Administrator. Her passive abilities help me deal with the more tedious aspects of my job, like the annoying AF messages about every little thing that someone could possibly complain about because they have nothing better to do in the apocalypse other than be an absolute drain on my psyche every waking moment of my life.

People and their bitching doesn’t bother me. Nope, not at all…