Gaining Experience

Experience Points

Marika gains new skills and abilities by earning and spending experience points (EXP). Experience points are spent by reading books. To learn from a book, Marika will need to both find the book and earn the require EXP. Higher-level books may have other requirement, such as meeting an intelligence level, accomplishing a feat, or having learned a prerequisite skill.

Marika earns experience points by completing the game’s levels (referred to as areas). The total amount of experience points she can spend is the sum of the high scores in each area. Hence, if an area is replayed, the previous high score must be exceeded before more experience points are awarded.

Gaining Experience

Completing the area’s objectives and collecting EXP orbs significantly add to the score. Being victorious in combat also adds to the score—but sometimes Marika may be better off by avoiding a fight.

EXP orbs are often arranged in groups. Quickly collecting the entire group of orbs will add a bonus. Cool!

There are many other ways to gain experience that you’ll learn as the game progresses. Some bonuses that seem minor when you first encounter them may become very significant later.

Style Bonuses and Rogue Rating

Marika can earn style bonuses at the end of the level. Style bonuses are feats, such as quickly collecting every group of EXP orbs, not taking any damage in the area, completing the area within a short time frame, or finding all of the books and gold. Style bonuses can add a hefty bonus—so much so that they may even double the area score!

Marika will also receive a “Rogue Rating” rank at the end of the level. An “A” or “S” rank awards a large bonus. Can you help Marika earn a perfect rank, “P”, of 800 points? Rogue Rating ranks also contribute to other factors in the game, such as Marika’s reputation with key NPCs.

Style bonus points contribute the most to Rogue Rating, while deaths lower it.

Tip! Don’t be discouraged by a low Rogue Rating rank! You have to clear the area to take any permanent collectables (like books) out of it. Taking permanents out of the area is the highest priority. Areas can be replayed at any time. If you want to earn a high rank, it will be easier to make another attempt after Marika gains new skills.

Some collectable items, such as books or gold that award permanent bonuses, can only be taken from an area once. These items are replaced with “dummy variants” when an area is replayed so that their points and style bonuses can still be earned.