Announcement:Elite Ascension Trees: The First Three

Category: Development
Subject: ELITE ASCENSION TREES: THE FIRST THREE
Author: GS4-NYXUS
Date: 2026-11-07

The first three Elite Ascension trees are open.

ARCANE ARCHER

Some archers trust the wind. You command it, and fire, earth, water and lightning besides. Pick a bow and make it yours with Bow Specialization. With Elemental Arrows, your arrows carry the element you've ATTUNEd to and stop punching simple holes. Climb to Arcane Archer and you may choose any element, then every elemental shot flares, and at its peak, for thirty glorious seconds, your whole quiver burns with power.

Name: Bow Specialization [bowspec]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Arcane Archer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 20 ranks of Ranged Weapons (Common Ascension).
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Mechanics: Specialize in a chosen bow type (short, composite, long, light crossbow, heavy crossbow, hand crossbow).  You gain +1 AS per rank when firing the chosen bow type.  Maximum 25 ranks.

Name: Elemental Arrows [elemarrows]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Arcane Archer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 10 ranks of Bow Specialization.
 Points:
  Rank 1: 2
  Rank 2: 4
  Rank 3: 6
  Rank 4: 8
  Rank 5: 10
Mechanics: When using your specialized bow type, imbue your ammo with your ATTUNEd element (air, earth, fire, water, or lightning) instead of puncture criticals.  These arrows/bolts have a standard flare chance of their elemental type and grant -1 quickness when fired.  Costs 1 mana.  30-second cooldown.  Each rank reduces the cooldown by 5 seconds.

You may toggle this behavior on or off via ASCENSION ELEMARROW TOGGLE.


Name: Arcane Archer [arcanearcher]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Arcane Archer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 5 ranks of Elemental Arrows.
 Points:
  Rank 1: 5
  Rank 2: 10
  Rank 3: 15
Mechanics: At rank 1, you may select from any of the Elemental Arrow types, not just your ATTUNEd element.  At rank 2, these arrows/bolts will always flare.  At rank 3, you may activate this ability to cause every arrow/bolt to become imbued and flare for 30 seconds, with a 3-minute cooldown.


CEIL(Rank / 5) refers to the following ATP costs:

  Ranks 1-5: 1
  Ranks 6-10: 2
  Ranks 11-15: 3
  Ranks 16-20: 4
  Ranks 21-25: 5

ARTIFICER

Wands sputter, scrolls crumble, trinkets run dry. Not in your hands. Artificers coax free charges from magical items and scrolls, hit harder when they unleash an attack spell from one, refill spent charges from a daily well of mana all their own, and PEER into an item to learn its secrets. The truly devoted reach deeper into their ascension gemstones, drawing power from facets others can't touch.

Name: Arcane Collector [arcanecollector]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 20 ranks of Magic Item Use (Common Ascension).
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Description: Grants a 1% chance per rank to activate a magical item without consuming a charge or mana.

Name: Arcane Scribe [arcanescribe]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 20 ranks of Arcane Symbols (Common Ascension).
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Description: Grants a 1% chance per rank to invoke a scroll without consuming a charge.

Name: Trinket Surge [trinketsurge]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 25 ranks of Arcane Collector.
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Description: Grants +2 Attack Strength, +1.2 Casting Strength, and +1.2 SMR per rank when activating an offensive spell from a magical item.

Name: Scroll Surge [scrollsurge]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 25 ranks of Arcane Scribe.
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Description: Grants +2 Attack Strength, +1.2 Casting Strength, and +1.2 SMR per rank when activating an offensive spell from a scroll.
 

Name: Arcane Perception [arcanepercept]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 5 ranks of Arcane Collector, 5 ranks of Arcane Scribe, and 20 ranks of Perception (Common Ascension).
 Points:
  Rank 1: 5
Description: PEER at a magical item to sense its properties as if casting Elemental Detection (405).  Scrolls will reveal how many infused charges they can accept before locking up.

Name: Eldritch Charge [eldritchcharge]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 25 ranks of Arcane Collector and 25 ranks of Arcane Scribe.
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Description: Grants 1 mana per rank each day to imbue into the magical item, scroll, or item with daily uses in your right hand, restoring one charge or use.  Each charge or use costs mana equal to its spell's level, or a tenth of that for offensive spells.  Activate with an empty right hand to see your remaining mana.

Name: Effective Accessorization [accessorize]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 25 ranks of Eldritch Charge.
 Points:
  Rank 1: 5
Description: Raises the functional item limit for one location by 1.  Activate to cycle that location between pin-worn, neck, and finger.
 

Name: Mystic Thread [mysticthread]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 1 rank of Effective Accessorization.
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Description: Spell Sever ignores 1 additional spell up to level 5.  Each rank increases the allowed spell level by 0.5 levels.

Name: Greater Mystic Thread [greaterthread]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 25 ranks of Mystic Thread.
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Description: Spell Sever ignores 1 additional spell up to level 5.  Each rank increases the allowed spell level by 0.5 levels.

Name: Faceted Attunement [facetedattune]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Artificer
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 5 ranks of Greater Mystic Thread.
 Points:
  Rank 1: 15
  Rank 2: 25
  Rank 3: 35
Description: Your bond with ascension gemstones deepens, allowing you to draw power from additional facets beyond the normal limits.  Rank 1: You gain 1 additional Gemstone slot, subject to the normal Rare and Legendary property limits.  Rank 2: You may equip 1 additional Rare property.  Rank 3: You may equip 1 additional Legendary property.
 

CEIL(Rank / 5) refers to the following ATP costs:
  Ranks 1-5: 1
  Ranks 6-10: 2
  Ranks 11-15: 3
  Ranks 16-20: 4
  Ranks 21-25: 5
  ...
  Ranks 46-50: 10
 

VOLN AVENGER

The dead do not rest. Neither do you. Your bare hands carry Kai's blessing. A JAB may brand the undead with Kai's Smite, and as you grow, so can a grapple, punch or kick. Rise far enough and your strikes call down the Symbols of Diminishment, Turning and Retribution, without spending a scrap of favor.

Name: Kai's Touch [kaistouch]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Voln Avenger
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 20 ranks of Brawling (Common Ascension) and Voln Mastery.
 Points:
  Rank 1: 1
  Rank 2: 1
  Rank 3: 2
  Rank 4: 2
  Rank 5: 3
  Rank 6: 3
  Rank 7: 4
  Rank 8: 4
  Rank 9: 5
  Rank 10: 5
Mechanics: JAB has a chance to apply a Kai's Smite pre-flare effect against the undead.  5% chance per rank.


Name: Grizzled Voln Ascendant [volnascendant]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Voln Avenger
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 10 ranks of Kai's Touch.
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Mechanics: Each odd rank increases UAF against the undead by 1.  Each even rank increases DF against the undead by 1%.  At 5 ranks, Kai's Touch may be triggered on GRAPPLE.  At 10 ranks, Kai's Touch may be triggered on PUNCH.  At 15 ranks, Kai's Touch may be triggered on KICK.  At 20 ranks, Kai's Touch may be triggered on all Brawling Weapon Techniques.  Maximum 50 ranks.


Name: Voln Avenger [volnavenger]
Category: Elite
Subcategory: Voln Avenger
Type: Passive
Available to: All
Prerequisites: 20 ranks of Grizzled Voln Ascendant.
 Points:
  CEIL(Rank / 5)
Mechanics: Each rank increases tier up chance against the undead by .25%.  At 10 ranks, targets affected by Kai's Touch are now also affected by Symbol of Diminishment.  At 20 ranks, all unarmed combat attacks against the undead have a standard flare chance of affecting the target with a Symbol of Turning.  At 30 ranks, the Turning flare is also accompanied by a single-target Symbol of Retribution.

The triggered symbols do not incur a favor cost.  Maximum 50 ranks.


CEIL(Rank / 5) refers to the following ATP costs:

  Ranks 1-5: 1
  Ranks 6-10: 2
  Ranks 11-15: 3
  Ranks 16-20: 4
  Ranks 21-25: 5
  ...
  Ranks 46-50: 10

Type ASCENSION LIST ELITE to begin.

Discord Discussion

• Arcane Archer: ⁠Elite Ascension Tree Released:…
• Voln Avenger: ⁠Elite Ascension Tree Released:…
• Artificer: ⁠Elite Ascension Tree Released:…