Life's a Game, a rwby fanfic

(Story Originally Posted 5/1/16)

Long time no see. Now, if you're reading this, you might be confused as to why I'm starting up a new story while "The Power of the King" is still collecting dust. To be honest, everything that has happened in Volume 3 was kind of jarring, and really stuck a wrench in my plans. No worries, I'm currently in the midst of writing around that and adjusting everything, and you can expect the next chapter by month's end.

Now onto this story. Lately I've been reading many RWBY stories based on "The Gamer" web-comic and thought that I might try my hand at it. I'm not sure exactly what I expect to do with this, but I have had some ideas floating around in my head. That said, expect, at least in this fic's infancy, for sporadic updates at best.

Before we start, I want to state that this story is heavily influenced by ThePlayer1Company (RWBY: Jaune the Gamer), SmilingJester (Gamer Arc) and rgm0005 (The Games We Play). In fact, the UI I've chosen is almost entirely ripped from the mix off all those stories. (That said, please don't sue.) I highly recommend all 3 of these as they all give a great and unique depiction of the gamer semblance.

To make up for my extended absence, this chapter, at roughly 5000 words, is pretty lengthy, at least by my standards anyway.

That said, please enjoy!

Wake up Jaune.

At first, black was all I saw. A sinking feeling (literally) overcame me as I felt myself falling. I would say that I was upside down, but my sense of orientation was all mixed up due to the darkness of my surroundings. After hours it seemed, I was turned to my feet, and landed on a blue circular platform. On it lied a stained glass mural of a woman with platinum blonde hair, pulled into braid. She also wore a blue dress, with armored gauntlets and a battle-skirt. Her eyes were closed, with her head pointed upward. The woman stood with her sword facing down, and was surrounded with various men and women's portraits encased in circles.

There were two things that unnerved me: the familiarity of this woman, and the fact that one of the men in the portraits was my father. I couldn't recognize any of the other figures, but some stood out. There was a man with black slicked back hair, and piercing copper-red eyes. There was also a woman with blonde hair who bore resemblance to the one in the mural, if not a bit more matured. A mother or older sister perhaps.

Where am I? Who are these people? I was shook out of my thoughts when I heard a soft voice.

So much to do,

So little time…

Who the hell was that?! I take a quick look around my surroundings but see no one.

Take your time.

Don't be afraid.

The disembodied voice was calm, reassuring even.

The sun is still down, your path undecided.

Now, step forward.

Can you do it?

I take a few steps forward, following the voice's instructions. I was slightly startled when, following bright flashes of light, three pedestals rose from the ground, one on my left, right, and in front of me.

Power sleeps within you.

If you give it form…

It will give you strength.

Choose well.

One pedestal held an ancient blade, one that I was certainly familiar with. Crocea Mors, the Yellow Death. The blade was an Arc family heirloom, and was held in a display case in my father's office. How it was here was beyond me, but that was hardly strangest thing that was happening at the moment.

The next pedestal held Crocea Mors' shield counterpart. My father had once shown me how the shield mecha-shifted into a sheath that held the blade. Both pieces of the weapon hadn't seen use since my father was my age, as it was tradition for all heirs of the Arc bloodline beginning Huntsmen training to take up the blade. I guess I was a bit of a late bloomer, heh.

The final pedestal held a pistol that appeared to hold dust cartridges. I had seen this pistol before, it's the one my father keeps holstered to his side. The sidearm was an ivory color with a gold trim. I'll be honest, I have little experience with dust. This is probably due to growing up in a relatively backwater town and or attending a huntsman academy. Regardless, all I really knew were the fundamentals. (Aka red dust was "Burn", blue dust was "Freeze", etc.)

I took a moment to mull over which of these items I would choose, as per the ominous voice's instructions. While the dust pistol would appear to the average person to be the most useful, in untrained hands it was just ineffective and dangerous. Just wasn't the right choice for me.

It was a tossup between the sword and shield. While preferably I would have used both, that doesn't seem to be a choice here. I take a closer look at the sword before choosing.

The power of the warrior.

Invincible courage.

A sword of terrible destruction.

Is this the power you seek?

What does that mean, "a sword of terrible destruction?" Weren't swords supposed to be used to protect? I thought about this. While I wished to be powerful and courageous like my father, that wasn't what was most important to me. I wish to protect the things and people I care about.

"No", I whisper, turning around and walk towards the shield.

The power of the guardian.

Kindness to aid all friends.

A shield to repel all.

Is this the power you seek?

Now that sounds more like it, more like me. I utter a barely audible "Yes" and grab the shield, before it vanishes in a bright light. What the hell? I thought I was going to be able to keep this power.

Your path is set.

Now, what will you give up in exchange?

Didn't I just get rid of the shield? Guess it's supposed to be symbolic or something. If I was to be rid of either of the remaining weapons, I'd probably ditch the pistol. I walked up to it.

The power of the marksman.

Inner stability.

A firearm of fatality and cowardice.

You relinquish this power?

I'll probably regret this decision later. Oh well, so much for forethought. I reach out and grab the pistol. "Yes", I say with sureness my voice, causing the weapon to vanish in my hand. The pedestals begin to rumble loudly and sink back into the platform.

You've chosen the power of the guardian.

You've given up the power of the marksman.

Is this the form you choose?

"Yes"

As the words leave my mouth, the platform shatters below my feet. Oh boy, falling again. The descent this time is much shorter. I see another platform as I fall, this time the background is green, with a man with grey hair as the figure on display. He is wearing a black coat, top and bottom unbuttoned exposing his green undershirt and scarf. One of his hands were placed on some sort of stylized cane, while the other was on a coffee mug.

The portraits in circles, once again, were unfamiliar faces. One was a burly man with a thick moustache and eyebrows, whose eyes appeared to be shut. Another one was a man with circular, reflective glasses, wild green hair and a white shirt with popped collar. Surprisingly, the older blonde woman from the last mural appeared again, but seemed to be older, maybe late 30's-40's.

When my feet touched down on the platform, a bright light glowed in my right hand, and the shield from earlier appears.

You have gained the power to fight.

Fight? With just a shield? Guess I should've chosen the sword after all. Oh well, I give the shield a couple of swings, bashing indiscriminately.

All right! You've got it.

Use this power to protect yourself and others.

I would hardly call that "getting it", but whatever you say, disembodied voice.

Suddenly 3 bars: red, green and blue, with the letters HP, SP, and MP next to them respectfully,appear on the bottom right of my vision. What the hell?! I shake my head vigorously, but the bars remain unmoved, as if they were etched into my sight. Something else comes into my vision, a blue box with black text appears in front of me.

Welcome to "The Gamer" Semblance! Jaune Arc, you have been chosen to wield a power of immense capabilities. From here on out, your life as you know will be changed forever. It is your responsibility to use this power to repel the forces of darkness.

As you grow, more features will be available to you. For now, let's learn the basics.

Continue?

What the hell is going on? What is a semblance, and that why am I here? None of this makes any se-

Due to emotional instability, you have unlocked the skill "Gamer's Mind"!

Suddenly, all the fear, panic, and anxiety I had been feeling subsided. I felt much calmer, and I'd wager it was due to the whole "Gamer's Mind" thing. Another icon, this time a joystick plugged into the silhouette of a head, appeared on the top right of my vision. I assume this represents the "Gamer's Mind" being active.

I looked at the box, which seemed to glare the "Continue?" text at me.

"Yes", I say firmly, causing the box to dissipate. From the ground emerge 4 canine creatures, with jet black fur, bones protruding from its body, including a bone-like mask attached to its face, and glowing red eyes.

"What the hell are these?" I say to myself, taking a step back while looking at the creatures. Another box comes into view, distracting me from the things in front of me.

The first skill we'll discuss is "Gamer's Sight". This skill allows you to acquire more information on people, places, or things. While focusing on the desired target, mentally recite the word "observe."

Alright disembodied voice, you haven't led me astray thus far. I point my eyes at one of the creatures, and follow the voice's instructions.

'Observe'

\/-/\-\/-/\-\/

Beowolf

Title: One of the Pack

Level: 4

Class: Minor Grimm

Hit Points: 75/75

Stamina Points: 300/300

Strength: 15

Dexterity: 17

Vitality: 8

Intelligence: 3

Wisdom: 2

Luck: 5

[More info?]

/\-\/-/\-\/-/\

I have heard of Grimm before, from stories told by my father. They're the enemies that hunters, and by association, all of humanity. I've never seen one before, as, thanks to hunters, most towns and cities under protection were vacant of the beasts. Now that I'm seeing one of the creatures in person, I was paralyzed in fear.

'Yes.' I think, in response to [More info?]

\/-/\-\/-/\-\/

Background: "One of the creatures of Grimm, Beowolves are one of the most common types of these creatures. While not entirely too difficult on their own, the fact that Beowolves travel in packs make them a force to be reckoned with in large numbers."

~The Old Hunter's Journal

/\-\/-/\-\/-/\

I'd question who the Old Hunter was, but it doesn't seem like the time with those Beowolves moving forward. C'mon disembodied voice, you got to give me something here.

Use your power to protect yourself and others.

There will be times when you have to fight.

Keep your light burning strong.

The next ability we'll discuss is "locking on." With lock on, you can direct your focus on multiple enemies and see their health. Try it out by mentally focusing on one of the Grimm before you.

Taking the advice, I honed in on one of the creatures. A red bar appears on the top left of my screen with the name "Beowolf" next to it. As I moved around, my sight was glued to the Grimm. I practiced switching between targets couple times.

Good job! When a Grimm's health is depleted to zero, it will become defeated and dissipate. Defeat the 4 Beowolves to proceed.

With that, the Beowolf I was currently focused on leaped at me, but I pushed it back with my shield. I rolled behind it and smacked it over the head, cutting its health down to just 25/75 HP.

Due to attacking an enemy with a shield, you have gained the skill Shield Mastery (Passive)

Is my life some kind of RPG now? What the hell was this gamer thing? I gave another bash of my shield, putting the beast's HP to zero. Just like the voice had said, the creature fell down, and began evaporating into a black smoke.

You have gained 25 XP!

Due to exerting your physical capabilities, you have increased your Strength by 1!

Next, a pair of them leaped at me together, one aiming for my shield arm and the other for my head. I just narrowly avoided by rolling backwards.

Due to avoiding an enemy's attack, you have gained the skill Dodge (Passive)

The growling of the creatures snapping me out of my thoughts, I get behind the two Beowolves and smash my shield into them multiple times, reducing their HP to zero and causing it to evaporate to dust.

You have gained 50 XP!

Strength increased by 1!

I looked at my SP bar, which I assumed stood for Stamina Points, and saw that the green meter was down about a third. I guess those attacks use up SP.

Due to considering and discovering game mechanics, you have increased you Intelligence by 1!

So I was able to become stronger or smarter instantly with this thing? If that's not busted then I don't know what is. The last of the Grimm had begun approaching me, so I readied my shield and called out to it: "You want some? Come and get it!"

Due to standing tall against opposition, you have increased your Charisma by 1!

This time, I made the first move and ran the beast, locking on and pounding the shield into its neck. Its HP went down by 40. It's growled in pain, but quickly got up and ran it me. I blocked its slash and followed up with a right hook, chopping off another 25 HP.

By attacking without a weapon, you have gained the skill Unarmed Mastery (Passive)

By immediately following up a successful block with an attack, you have gained the skill Parry (Passive)

Just before I was about to deal the final blow, it bolted to the right, and clawed at my chest. While I did feel a bit of pain, that thing sunk its claws moderately deep into me, and probably should have hurt a lot more than it did. Must be the Gamer's Mind thing nullifying it.

Due to taking an attack from an enemy, you have gained the skill Physical Endurance (Passive)

Seeing my HP bar drop slightly, I decided to end the battle here before I got in any more harm. I rose my arm high, before bringing it down on the Grimm's head, chopping it clean off.

You have gained 25 XP, Level Up! As you increase your level, you will be given points to increase your attributes, as well as new abilities and skills.

By performing a focused, brutal finishing attack, you have unlocked the skill Finishing Blow (Active)

I sighed in relief. I had done it, I defeated not one, but four Grimm all on my own. They may have been the weakest variety, but someone as inexperienced as me shouldn't have been able to pull that off. It must be thanks to my busted ability. What was it called again, a semblance? I would compare it to a super power, as it was like something straight out of a RPG.

That's exactly what this is! As you do certain actions or activities, your attributes will increase.

Man, this is a lot of reading. Maybe it's just my imagination, but when I said that, I noticed a speaker icon in the bottom right of the text box. Mentally clicking it, it repeated the previoussection in an ambiguous, unisex, non-accented voice. Ah, that's much better. The box still appeared on my screen, but at least now I had some narration.

To view your current character info, mentally say "Status."

'Status'

\/-/\-\/-/\-\/

Name: Jaune Arc

Title: The Gamer

Level: 2

XP to next level: 150

Health Points: 85/100

Stamina Points: 65/100

Mana Points: 100/100

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 14

Vitality: 10

Intelligence: 16

Wisdom: 19

Charisma: 15

Luck: 9

Stat Points: 10

Skills:

Gamer's Mind (Passive) – MAX – The mental fortitude to overcome emotional obstacles. While active, it will place the user in a calm state of mind. One of the base Gamer skills.

Gamer's Sight (Passive) – MAX – The ability to view information about any given target. Scales to player level. The higher the player's level, the higher the level of information they'll be able to view. One of the base Gamer skills.

Lock On (Passive) – MAX – The ability to focus on any target and see their current status. One of the core Gamer skills.

? – MAX – Information revealed upon discovery. One of the core Gamer skills.

? – Level 1 – Information revealed upon discovery. One of the core Gamer skills.

Shield Mastery (Passive) – Level 1 – The ability to effectively use a shield. – +5% damage and defense with a shield.

Unarmed Mastery (Passive) – Level 1 – The ability to effectively fight without a weapon. – +5% damage and speed with unarmed attacks.

Physical Endurance (Passive) – Level 1 – The ability to withstand physical activity and attacks. – +5% physical damage resistance and -5% stamina cost.

Finishing Blow (Active) 10 MP or 30 SP per strike, 90 second cool down time, can only be done if opponent is 5 levels above player level or lower and is within the last 20% of their HP– A strike powered by ? or willpower, if landed it instantly causes an enemy's defeat.

/\-\/-/\-\/-/\

When you level up, you will be awarded 10 skill points which you can invest in any attributes of your choosing. Give it a try!

Listening to the text box, I navigate the menus and add 3 points to Intelligence and 4 points to Strength. I have no idea what luck does, so I ask the semblance thing. 'Hey, what does this Luck stat do?' The box replied immediately.

Excellent question! The Luck stat increases the chance of enemies dropping items, as well as increasing the chance of critical attacks, which do much more damage than a standard move. Also, along with your Charisma stat, it increases the chance of convincing another human to bend to your will. Finally, like all stats, increasing Luck may unlock a skill, or possibly something else.

'Thanks actually. That really helped…uh…?' I was at a blank. Do you happen to have a name?

I do not possess a designated title, no. I exist for the sole purpose of aiding Jaune Arc as a tutorial and personal assistant. My "name" is whatever you desire.

Hmm, well I can't go around calling you nothing. You said you were a tutorial? Well, I think Tutor sounds like a good name for you. How about it? The assistant remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating the name.

Affirmative, this entity will now address itself as Tutor, and will respond to being called so in the future. Thank you for your input. May we now proceed to the next stage?

Actually, before we continue, could you tell me where I am?

Why of course, you are currently in [Information redacted until tutorial completion]

I should've known, that would've been too easy. No big deal Tutor, let's get on with this.

As I said that, a door appeared before for me. It seemed to be tall and wooden, but it was also translucent. Reaching for the door had no effect, my hand went through it like air.

Before we go on, let's try locking on to objects.

Soon after, a few feet away, a crate rose up from the ground, with a stack of three bottles on top of it. After that, a red rubber ball materialized in my free hand.

First, while standing where you are, try knocking down the bottles without locking on.

I listened to the voice and manually aimed the ball towards the bottles, swung it back, and threw with all my strength…and completely missed the target.

Now try again, this time while locking on.

The ball seemingly teleported back to my hand. I locked on to the bottles, and repeated the same action as before, only this time completely nailing my target.

Did you see that Tutor! I am totally going to kick ass at sports!

Excellent work! Keep in mind that moving targets will be more difficult to hit, but locking-on will make it much easier to make your mark than before.

The door become non-translucent, and in turn, tangible. I walked towards the door, and was startled when it began to open on its own. A bright light began to shine through, causing me to shield my eyes. When I opened my eyes, I…wasn't in the dark place anymore. I was back home, in the Arc family game room! I was back in the basement of my house! Playing at the pool table were my father and a teen with blond hair and a tail: my best friend, Sun Wukong.

Sun was a monkey faunus who had been living with my family and I for the last 3 years, after he had attempted to rob my father. Needless to say, attempting to hold up a veteran hunter didn't go over too well for the then 14 year-old boy.

After interrogating him, and finding out he was the last surviving member of the legendary Wukong clan, Dad had all but forced him to come and stay at the Arc household. Ever since then, Sun and I had been thick as thieves (the former quite literally from time to time.) His father and friend just stood at the pool table, seemingly too focused on their shots to acknowledge my presence.

"Oh thank Oum. Guys, you will never believe the crazy dream I just had…" I trailed off as the two looked at me, vacant looks in their eyes. One thing was obvious, these weren't the Sun and Dad I knew.

Hold on.

The sun won't rise just yet.

First, tell me more about yourself.

I sighed. In retrospect this was probably my fault, should have known it was too good to be true. I decide to walk over to Not-Sun first. "Alright, what do you want?"

Pseudo-Sun smiles, "What are you most afraid of?" Odd question, but not as odd as making copies of my friends and family. I'm talking to you ominous voice! I thought the question over. Yeah, I don't want to be weak, or die, but that wasn't what I was most afraid of. What I was of afraid of was…

"Being forgotten." I tell my fake-friend, who beams at me in return. "Being forgotten? Is that really so scary?" And then he was gone. Not even a goodbye? Oh well, I don't like pale imitations of the real thing anyway. On to not-really-Dad. "Hey Pops, what's cracking?" I say in a mock tone, as I would often do with my father. He smiles warmly, just like my actual old man would. "What do you want out of life?"

Man, these question are harder than I thought they would be. Why couldn't they be "what's your favorite color?" or "what's the name of your first pet?" No wait, those are just my e-mail recovery questions. Regardless, I find the answer after long. "To protect those I care about." Not-Dad gave me another warm smile. "Protecting those you care about, huh?" And then he was gone as well.

The ominous voice didn't speak up again. Was I missing someone? I walk to the other end of the room, and see a short black haired girl, playing one of the two arcade machines we had in the game room, X-Ray and Vav: The Dawn of Mogar, which sat next to Achievement Fighters 5, which had been worn from Sun and I respectfully smashing our fists into the machine after losing to one another.

The girl had her dark black hair pulled into pigtails with white ribbons, and wore a black sleeveless blouse with white frills that cutoff, exposing her midriff. This girl was known as Nano Verdell, another one of my closest friends, who I've known longer than I've known Sun.

Nano came to our town one day, along with her older sister as part of a travelling group of vagabonds. Her older sister decided that after years of travelling on the road as a freelancer that she would pick a permanent residence for the two of them. My father invited the two girls over to dinner and Nano and I really hit it off, considering she was just a bit less than a year older than me. Her sister was often out of town "on business" and thus Nano spent a lot of time with Sun and I.

The girl giggled and looked up from her game at me. "Alright Not-Nano, go." I said to the girl. She nodded, as if expecting this from men and asked the question: "What's most important to you?" Let's see, my signed copy of X-Ray and Vav #1? My super-soft bunny onesie? If we're really being serious, my answer would probably be…

"Why, my family and friends of course!" I stated, flicking Non-Nano on the forehead. If that were her real counterpart, she'd probably have immediately afterwards. The copy simply smiled and asked "Are family and friends really that important?" Before fading into nothing.

Your family and friends are what you cherish most.

You're afraid of being forgotten.

You want to protect those you care about.

Your journey begins at dawn.

As long as your light shines bright, your soul will stay strong.

Now that sounds like me. Man, this is like reading your horoscope online.

The time when you will fight the darkness is both far off and very near.

A bright light shines, blinding my vision again. When I open my eyes, I'm on a different platform. This one was red, and contained another person. This time there was a man who wore a long, black cloak, covering his face and any identifying features. There were no portraits surrounding him, instead showing a mural of some kind of desert with dozens of silhouettes of weapons, impaled into the ground. The man held a pen in one hand and some kind of book in the other. There were many symbols around him, none that I understood. I walked to the middle of the platform before seeing over half a dozen shadows emerge from the ground, which all turned out to be Beowolves.

A pair jumps me before I smack them away with my shield, lowering both of their HP half way. Huh, guess those points I put into Strength did some use. I make quick work of the others, before there was just three before me. Unfortunately for me, I guess they grew half a brain and figured out that jumping me all at once was the best way to get at me.

I managed to take out two of them before they were able to do damage, but one of them managed to sink their teeth into my arm. I punched the Grimm off me and finished it off.

Level Up!

Due to acquiring a status effect, you have gained the skill Gamer's Body (Passive), which negates the Beowolve's poison.

Wait, seriously? I love you, broken superpower! Oum knows the last thing I needed was a case of rabies. As the last of the Beowolves dissipated, a bright beam of light came from seemingly nowhere, and formed a spiral staircase leading up to another platform. I couldn't see what the mural this time was from down there, so I decided to run up the staircase. When I got to the time, I was pretty shocked by who I saw.

It was me, standing on a white backdrop with my eyes closed. The circles around me were mostly empty, save for Sun and Dad. I had no idea what I was doing here. But it's not like that was the strangest thing that I've seen all day, so no need to worry right? Right. I call out to the voice for further instructions.

"Hey voice, what now? I beat the Grimm you've thrown at me, is the tutorial over yet?" I see a bright beam of light, the same one that created the stairs, shining in the middle of the platform. I walk towards it until I'm under the rays of light.

The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.

Oh, why do I have a horrible feeling about what the voice just said? I look at my shadow, which seems to have become elongated. It then begins rise from the mural, its features becoming more and more distorted before looking at me with its red, piercing eyes.

But don't be afraid.

And don't forget…

Forget about that! I turn around and bolt away from the creature before getting to the edge of the platform, almost stumbling off. Looks like there's no way around this. Turning around, I look at this horrible amalgamation of a Grimm and Human, and, seeing no other option, ready my shield. The creature raises its hands, forming two balls of dark energy. I quickly attack its arms, trying to delay whatever attack it's planning, but to no avail.

The creature slams its hands onto the platform, causing dark portal to form. The portal starts spitting out Beowolves, which I get to work on. Once they're taken out, I start bashing at his arms again. The creature falls to its knees, a portal forming in its chest. The portal shoots out dark orbs, which I fail to hit back with my shield. After being pelted with three of them, I take a look at my HP and see that I only have about a quarter of the bar remaining.

Dammit, I need to finish this quick. I pelt my shield at the creature a few more times before rolling back. I go to ready my shield for another attack, but see it had vanished. I stumble onto the ground and see a portal form beneath me. Oh god, first day with the supercool superpower and I don't even make it out of the tutorial! The monsters red eyes peer at me as I begin to be sucked through.

–But don't be afraid.

I barely hear the voice as the shadows start crawling up me.

You hold the mightiest weapon of all.

I reach my arm out in vain, the energy pulling the rest of me in, my vision replaced by pure black.

You are the one who will defeat the darkness.

"Wake up Jaune."

Whelp, that's the end of the story everyone. Jaune's dead, thanks for reading.

In all seriousness, I might have been way too heavy handed with the Kingdom Hearts opening here, but I thought it was a good way to introduce Jaune to his powers in an isolated environment. I added Sun to the story because I think him and Jaune will work great together as bros. Also, Nano is not a 100% original character if it isn't already apparent who they are. I hope you enjoyed the story, and if you did, follow, favorite, and review. I pulled an all-nighter to finish this one, so if there are any grammatical mistakes, just point them out and I'll address them when I wake up.

Also, if you want to mark Jaune's progress, I'll leave a stat list at the end of every chapter.

\/-/\-\/-/\-\/

Name: Jaune Arc

Title: The Gamer

Level: 3

XP to next level: 250

Hit Points: 85/100

Stamina Points: 65/100

Mana Points: 100/100

Strength: 16

Dexterity: 14

Vitality: 10

Intelligence: 19

Wisdom: 19

Charisma: 15

Luck: 9

Stat Points: 13

Lien: ?

Skills:

Gamer's Mind (Passive, Toggled On) – MAX – The mental fortitude to overcome emotional obstacles. While active, it will place the user in a calm state of mind. One of the base Gamer skills.

Lock On (Passive) – MAX – The ability to focus on any target and see their current status. One of the core Gamer skills.

Gamer's Body (Passive, Toggled On) – MAX – While active, immune to all conditions and diseases. One of the core Gamer skills.

? – Level 1 – Information revealed upon discovery. One of the core Gamer skills.

Shield Mastery (Passive) – Level 1 – The ability to effectively use a shield. – +5% damage and defense with a shield.

Unarmed Mastery (Passive) – Level 1 – The ability to effectively fight without a weapon. – +5% damage and speed with unarmed attacks.

Physical Endurance (Passive) – Level 1 – The ability to withstand physical activity and attacks. – +5% physical damage resistance and -5% stamina cost.

/\-\/-/\-\/-/\