POV Rio
Over the last 5 years, I have leveled up many times. Some was from kills, but most of it was from all the buildings. I also disarmed a lot of mines, bombs, nukes, and other various things. Not to mention the hacking and pilfering. I also helped a lot of souls move on, which earns xp, which got me to level 200. I didn't have to go that far, but I wanted a nice even number that would also give me more Ascension Perk slots.
The first thing I did with all those levels was max out my skills. That had the nice effect of getting me to 20 Intelligence. I did that at a level 155. Which meant I had 900 skill points leftover at level 200. For getting Intelligence to the new max, I was now able to spend skill points on increasing Mana. The conversion rate was also not terrible: 2 skill points per 1 Mana. I used all 900, making my total Mana 1200. That was quite a large Mana capacity.
(AN: You can think of this like Skyrim, where 1200 Magicka would be quite massive, as that would be equivalent to 110 levels if you never invest in Health or Stamina. This would require a lot of time or, more likely, abusing Ralof at the beginning of the game to get to level 300 before leaving Helgen. It Just Works. )
After skill points, I moved on to choosing perks. Over half of the perks were from the same set. The Harmony Set.
Element of Loyalty
You'd never leave a friend behind, not now, not ever.
Rank 1 (Level 10): While within 10 meters of a companion, you gain +10% spell damage and 10% less damage taken.
Rank 2 (Level 20): If your companion falls in combat, your spell damage increases by 20% until they recover.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Reviving a companion instantly restores your mana to full.
Rank 4 (Level 40): Dodging an attack gives you +15% damage for 5 seconds. After blocking or avoiding a hit, your next attack is guaranteed to crit.
Rank 5 (Level 50): Gain +50% movement speed and +20% critical hit chance while in combat.
Rank 6 (Level 60): Once per day, you may leap to a companion and become invulnerable and do +60% damage for 6 seconds while shielding them. Your companion cannot take damage either, and they can enter last stand, which gives two explosive M1911s with unlimited ammo.
Element of Generosity
Your strength lies in what you give, not what you keep.
Rank 1 (Level 10): Allies within 10 meters gain +10% health regeneration.
Rank 2 (Level 20): Consumables are twice as effective for your allies but not yourself.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Illusion, charm, and charisma-based effects last 30% longer.
Rank 4 (Level 40): Donated gear grants companions +40% effectiveness and becomes weightless.
Rank 5 (Level 50): Any time you buff or heal another character, you gain 50% of that effect yourself.
Rank 6 (Level 60): Once per day, sacrifice 50% of your current health to fully heal all allies and boost their defense by 25% for 1 minute, also creates an illusory field of lotus blossoms that confuse enemies.
Element of Laughter
Your joy is contagious and explosively effective.
Rank 1 (Level 10): Enemies affected by your crowd control effects are 15% more likely to stumble or fumble.
Rank 2 (Level 20): Critical hits cause a burst of laughter, disorienting nearby enemies and reducing their accuracy for 6 seconds.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Your inspirational presence grants companions +30% crit damage.
Rank 4 (Level 40): Allies within 15 meters gain +40% defense when you're at full health.
Rank 5 (Level 50): You have the uncanny ability to improve the moods of those around you.
Rank 6 (Level 60): Once per day, embrace Beacon of Hope: Taking a fatal blow leaves you at 1 HP and rapidly regenerating for 6 seconds.
Element of Magic
The most powerful force of all is the magic of friendship.
Rank 1 (Level 10): Spell cost is reduced by 10%.
Rank 2 (Level 20): All spells are 20% more powerful.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Spell combos used in tandem with allies have a 30% chance to trigger a bonus elemental effect.
Rank 4 (Level 40): When leading companions, gain +40% XP, and you share perk effects with one selected companion.
Rank 5 (Level 50): Magical barriers absorb 50% more damage and recharge twice as fast.
Rank 6 (Level 60): Once per day, cast Timeless Casting: All spells are instant-cast and cost no mana for 10 seconds.
Element of Kindness
You heal, you help, and the world responds in kind.
Rank 1 (Level 10): You passively restore 1 HP/sec to nearby allies and increase their action point regen.
Rank 2 (Level 20): Healing items and spells are 20% more effective.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Reviving an ally also grants them +30% damage and resistance for 30 seconds.
Rank 4 (Level 40): Your heals cleanse all negative effects, including poison, fire, and curses.
Rank 5 (Level 50): Wild animals are no longer hostile and become neutral unless they were already allies, in which case no changes are made.
Rank 6 (Level 60): Once per day, cast Panacea Surge: Instantly heal all allies to full and grant temporary invulnerability for 6 seconds.
Element of Honesty
The true lesson of Strength is to turn away from Strength that is not your own.
Rank 1 (Level 10): Your melee strikes now break enemy blocks and bypass 10% of their armor.
Rank 2 (Level 20): Gain +20% damage resistance when wielding melee weapons.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Power attacks knock enemies back 30% farther and stagger them more often.
Rank 4 (Level 40): Killing an enemy with a melee weapon restores 40% of your AP.
Rank 5 (Level 50): You cannot be staggered, knocked back, knocked down, or disarmed.
Rank 6 (Level 60): Once per day, activate Unbreakable Oath: You become immune to all damage for 12 seconds.
Harmony Warden
You have now harnessed the power of the 6 pillars and elements.
Rank 1 (Level 10): You can never look disheveled and will always look like you are in perfect condition, and can sense how best to make others' inner beauty shine.
Rank 2 (Level 20): When fighting near companions, your healing spells restore +20% more, and protection spells you cast are 20% stronger.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Healing and shield spells are now 30% stronger on wounded allies. Nearby friendly NPCs are immune to fear effects.
Rank 4 (Level 40): You take 40% less melee damage.
Rank 5 (Level 50): You now absorb 10% of damage dealt to allies and convert it into mana, and your mana recharges 50% faster.
Rank 6 (Level 60): Once per day, auto-revive with double health and mana if killed while casting a healing or protection spell.
I chose the Harmony set as it gave me comprehensive buffs to almost everything I could want. For Loyalty, it buffs my speed, my companions, dodging, and gives me max mana if I revive a companion, and also gives me 6 seconds of invulnerability per day.
Generosity improves my illusions, my companions and allies' effectiveness, and can give me a decent buff when I buff others. The final rank is truly great. It affects all allies with no range limitation. Very nice.
Laughter wasn't that great. It gave some okay buffs, but I had to get the perk in order to unlock Harmony Warden. At least the final rank of Laughter was worth it. More lifesaving skills are always welcome.
Magic was great. I got a reduction in spell cost and an increase in spell power. Elemental effects are nice if used properly. Any perk that boosts Exp gain is always a good investment. A buff to barrier and protection spells is nice. Free casting for 10 seconds can be a massive boon.
Kindness was pretty good for support. The buffs to healing are welcome, and a passive health regen for allies is very valuable. Cleansing is a very powerful effect, and it affects all healing spells. Which is highly versatile. But the last two ranks are where the perk truly shines. Making all wild animals at least neutral means most creatures of the wasteland are no longer a threat as long as we don't attack them first. Of course, it doesn't apply to everything. If something is too far from what can be considered natural, it won't be affected, but that was acceptable. Panacea Surge is like the final rank of the Element of Generosity, as in it has no range limitations and affects all allies.
Honesty was okay. I don't use melee often, but having it be more effective was useful. The bypassing of blocking to inflict full damage was nice, and the armor-piercing was also useful. Increased survivability while using melee weapons was also nice, as melee was my backup weapon, not my primary. But the last two ranks were more than worth it. The 5th rank gave 4 immunities, and while most of them were melee-focused, that still meant I was much harder to kill. The last rank, though, was great. 12 seconds of invulnerability was an excellent trump card.
Lastly, Harmony Warden was partially the reason I chose the others, as I had to max out all 6 of the previous perks to unlock this perk. The perk wasn't broken, but it was quite powerful. The first rank was kind of amusing. Nothing game-changing, just a bit amusing as it meant I would never have to preen my feathers, and I didn't even have to bathe anymore, as I never get soiled or dirty. I know because I rolled in a pit of mud and came out cleaner than Mr Clean. The second rank was fine. The third rank was pretty decent; it meant that my allies would never hesitate in battle or flee in terror. Rank 4 was honestly pretty good. A flat 40% reduction is nothing to scoff at. Rank 5 was also really good as it meant all allies took 10% less damage, and I would gain even more mana regen by proxy of all allies having this effect, regardless of how far they are. The last rank was much better than it may first appear. Casting in this case refers to active spells as well, so if I cast a shield spell on someone else, as long as that spell is active, I can revive with double stats once per day.
After the Harmony Set came the rest of the perks.
Lunar Veil
You walk the Wasteland's dreams and nightmares. You protect the sleeping and haunt the wicked.
Rank 1 (Level 60): Dreamwalking is much easier. Stopping Nightmares rewards xp.
Rank 2 (Level 70): Night spells and stealth spells are twice as effective in darkness.
Rank 3 (Level 80): While standing still or sneaking in darkness, you are undetectable to enemies.
Rank 4 (Level 90): Summon a Lunar Shade, a shadow double that mirrors your actions for 1 minute.
Rank 5 (Level 100): Activate Nightmare Eclipse: time slows, enemies panic, and you gain invisibility and free casting for 15 seconds.
Sol Invictus
You embody the radiant light that once ruled the sky. You bring hope and fury in equal measure.
Rank 1 (Level 60): All Light-based spells deal +50% damage and ignore resistances.
Rank 2 (Level 70): Allies within your line of sight regenerate all stats 25% faster.
Rank 3 (Level 80): You passively regenerate health and mana 2x faster while in sunlight or bright areas.
Rank 4 (Level 90): You are favored by the sun. Basking in the Sun can lead to long-term benefits.
Rank 5 (Level 100): Once per day, activate Radiant Nova: a massive pulse of healing light and damage to undead, shadows, and corrupted creatures.
Empathic Resonance
Your heart is a magical force, a radiant pulse of love and protection even the Wasteland can't silence.
Rank 1 (Level 60): Buff spells affect all allies within 20 meters, and self-buff spells now affect companions as well.
Rank 2 (Level 70): When a companion is injured, you gain +50% movement speed and spell power for 10 seconds. (Cooldown 60 seconds)
Rank 3 (Level 80): You can now link two companions with Soulbind, sharing buffs and resistances.
Rank 4 (Level 90): Nearby allies regenerate 1% HP per second in your presence (20-meter range).
Rank 5 (Level 100): Once per day, trigger Heartshield: all allies become immune to damage and gain full HP/Mana/AP for 10 seconds.
Ace of Skies
You've got a natural instinct for machines that fly or float. You make them go faster, hit harder, and survive longer.
Rank 1 (Level 30): Gain +50% handling and speed in all pilotable vehicles. Aircraft and boats take 15% less damage.
Rank 2 (Level 36): Your reflexes sharpen. Gain +50% accuracy with mounted vehicle weapons, and vehicles now regenerate minor hull damage over time while idle.
Rank 3 (Level 44): You can pull off impossible maneuvers. Vehicle speed increased by 50%. Mounted weapon damage +35%.
Rank 4 (Level 50): You are death from above (or below). Once per day, activate Tactical Evasion, slowing time for 10 seconds while piloting to avoid fatal hits. All vehicle damage taken reduced by 95% during this window.
Lord Of The Fleet
You don't pilot ships, you command them. From CIC to gun deck, every station runs like a symphony under your leadership.
Rank 1 (Level 50): Gain +20% efficiency across ship systems: weapons, engines, shields. Crew morale provides passive regeneration to hull (0.1%/sec) when not under fire.
Rank 2 (Level 60): You gain access to Battle Meditation: Once per battle, all ships in a fleet operate as one; effectiveness is boosted by 600% for one minute.
Rank 3 (Level 70): System failures from damage are reduced by 75%, Crew react 50% faster to emergencies, +50% Shield recharge rate.
Rank 4 (Level 75): Can now use Emergency Jump: Once per battle, warp your ship a short distance to escape fatal damage.
Rank 5 (Level 80): Once per day, fully restore the functions of your flagship, and all friendly ships within visual range get restored by 50%.
Art of War
Military leadership is a journey, not a destination. It is continually challenged and must continually prove itself anew, against fresh obstacles.
Rank 1 (Level 50): Enemies suffer -10% accuracy and -15% damage for the first 10 seconds of any engagement. Your own attacks during that window deal +15% damage. All enemy reinforcements arrive 50% slower.
Rank 2 (Level 60): Bonus damage against previously fought enemies (+25% vs. any enemy type you've killed at least once before). Capital ships or squads you command gain +35% to all stats while under your direct command.
Rank 3 (Level 75): You gain Battlefield Control: Once per encounter, activate Flawless Execution: for 15 seconds, all allied attacks are critical hits, and enemies cannot use defensive abilities or retreat.
Blazing Formation
You command respect in the sky, and your reflexes are legendary.
Rank 1 (Level 20): Flight speed increased by 25%. Dodging attacks grants +10% AP regen for 5 seconds.
Rank 2 (Level 28): Your companions deal +20% damage when fighting near you.
Rank 3 (Level 32): You are harder to detect while flying.
Rank 4 (Level 40): You gain +2 to all SPECIAL when flying over 300ft in the air.
Roguish Charm
You're smooth, you're clever, and you're always ten steps ahead, even when you're stealing.
Rank 1 (Level 10): You can disguise yourself to improve disguise effectiveness by 125%.
Rank 2 (Level 25): You detect traps and hidden objects from 3x farther away.
Rank 3 (Level 35): While sneaking, you deal +30% more sneak attack damage, and silenced weapons never alert nearby enemies.
Rank 4 (Level 50): You learn all the ways of a showman and can perform tricks perfectly.
Rank 5 (Level 60): Gain +25% more loot from containers and a 15% chance for rare item generation.
Rank 6 (Level 70): Once per day, activate Slick Escape: instantly vanish in a puff of smoke, remove all detection, and regenerate full AP.
The final perk choices were quite varied, but I thought every choice was a good decision. For the first perk, I chose Lunar Veil. The first rank made Dreamwalking much more viable and even gave me an additional experience source, which was basically endless. The second rank was useful whenever I wanted to infiltrate anywhere. The third rank was even more useful as being undetectable would give me some time to regen my stats and make more plans if I was in a tight spot. The Lunar Shade was decent, but it couldn't do damage; it was basically a reusable decoy. The final rank was another great short burst of power. It might not be that powerful, but it was worth the investment.
Sol Invictus was chosen partially because of the name and also because it gave some great buffs. Light magic was now a very viable magic choice, especially with the resistance bypassing. Though it should be noted, it is not the same as armor-piercing. When it says resistance, it is referring to a magic resistance. Without this perk, I would do almost no damage against angels when using light magic, but with it, I will do normal damage plus the 50% boost. The boost to all allies in line of sight means it has a 2km range if I use the Hoshigan. As for the double regen while in sunlight or bright light, that is just really good, as at bare minimum I get the buff for 12 hours a day or longer depending on the planet. The 4th rank is... hard to determine what it does. Long-term benefits is vague, and it refuses to elaborate. I haven't noticed anything yet, so I guess I will have to wait and see. Radiant Nova is great and would have been really nice to have when dealing with Manus. But Hindsight and all that.
Empathic Resonance was a great pick. The first rank is pretty decent. I get more bang for my buck with self-buffing spells. The 2nd rank is better than it seems at first, as being injured in this case basically means they take damage. The cooldown wasn't too bad either. The third rank was okay, as if I had someone with strong defences, I could have that effect on 2 people instead of one. The 4th rank was pretty great, as 20 meters could cover a lot of people. If I just stood in the middle of a field hospital, I would improve the chance of survival quite massively. The 5th rank was truly powerful. It had no range, so I could heal everyone and make them invincible for 10 seconds.
Ace of Skies was chosen as I realized I needed something to improve my ability to pilot ships and other types of craft. The first rank was interesting as it allowed me to go faster in a ship than it is technically capable of. The second rank was useful as I was not likely to be controlling a ground vehicle. The third rank added even more speed and made maneuvering in a ship flow smoothly. Rank 4 just increased the chances I could survive on a ship and was nice to have.
Lord Of The Fleet was also chosen to expand my abilities, and was also so I could ensure the Venator I made wouldn't be easy to destroy. With the exception of the last two ranks, all the other ranks affect all allies. The first rank made all ships more survivable as as long as they aren't being actively hit, they will slowly regenerate damage. 0.1% isn't much, but it can be the difference between a ship having to be scrapped or being salvageable. The second rank is scary dangerous. Even though it only lasts for one minute, that one minute is enough to annihilate most enemy fleets. Effectiveness is everything: Accuracy, Damage, Defense, Evasion, Speed, Power. It can even allow the fleet to predict where the enemy will appear from or attack. The third rank is yet another increase to survivability for the fleet. The fourth rank is exclusive to my ship, but it can help me escape a battle that I might not have been able to survive or escape from otherwise. The last rank was something that would make any enemy rage quit if they understood it. Imagine you had fought a bloody and exhausting battle and had finally gotten the enemy on the ropes when the flagship was fully repaired, and the ships that were on their last legs became mostly restored. I shudder at the thought.
Next was Art Of War. This perk was all about improving the troops or fleets under my command. The first rank was an excellent addition. Making the first 10 seconds be in our favor can help turn the tide of any battle. And the debuff to all enemy reinforcements was incredible. I wasn't certain how pervasive it was, as if it affected even the mobilization of troops; it would be far more powerful, but even if it only slowed all enemies on route to reinforce, it was very useful. The second rank was good, as it just gave a flat damage boost in basically all situations. The 35% increase in stats to those under me was nice, but I wasn't sure how powerful that really would be. The last rank was an excellent addition. 15 seconds of nonstop critical hits is brutal, and it gives me the ability to act as an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer. If only for 15 seconds.
Blazing Formation added some nice utility. Any increase in flight speed is something I will gladly accept. The second rank was okay, not particularly great. The third rank was great to have. I could now fly without worrying about setting off radars. Rank 4 was basically a constant whenever I am flying, unless I am at sea level. 300 feet isn't that high when you think about it in terms of flying.
As for the last perk, Roguish Charm, I chose it as it improved what I was already good at and gave me some fun and useful abilities. The 1st rank was decent, useful to convince others that my illusions and disguises are the real deal. The trap detection from rank 2 was fine, not that useful, but it did give me an instinctual sense of where someone might be hiding things. Good for investigations or thievin'. The 3rd rank was great, silenced weapons usually create some sound, but now they don't, or if they do, everyone ignores it or automatically filters the sound out. The 4th rank was... very extensive. I could do just about every magic trick, sleight of hand, or escapology trick you can think of and then some. Heck, I could give Batman a headache with how skilled I am in it now. The 5th rank just makes all loot generated/found increase in value and rarity. It's good but passive. The last rank was fun to mess with, as I could do the classic smoke bomb trick. Then everyone would look around and wonder, Where did he go?
After perks came Ascension Perks. Just two, but the choices were interesting as always.
Eclipse Sovereign
"The night shall last forever."
Effect:
Umbral King (Passive):
You are permanently cloaked in a living shadow aura:
+75% movement speed in darkness
+200% sneak attack damage
Immune to detection while crouched at night
You can cast Moonfall Veil: cloak an area in magical darkness, hiding allies and weakening enemy vision; enemies inside cannot see or target you.
Mist Form Movement:
You become intangible, phasing through enemies and immune to projectiles
Once per day, activate Eternal Eclipse:
Instantly turns the entire world to night for 10 minutes.
All enemies behave erratically (vision reduced, insanity, panic, frenzy, or other possible debuffs).
You become a shadowform: invisible while not attacking, immune to critical hits, +500% movement speed.
Aegis Imperium
"As long as I draw breath, no foe shall breach my shield."
Effect:
Crystal Paladin (Passive):
Your mastery of protective magic transcends mortal limits.
Constant Aegis Aura reduces all incoming damage by 40% for you and allies within 30 feet.
Gain immunity to Psychic, Illusion, and Evil Magic.
Once per battle, Radiant Fortress:
Activate to generate a massive crystalline barrier that moves with you for 15 seconds.
Absorbs all ranged and magical attacks.
Allies inside regenerate health and stamina rapidly.
If the barrier is destroyed, it explodes outward in a prismatic burst that blinds enemies and heals allies.
Once per day, Your Finest Hour:
You unleash your ultimate shield.
Summons a dome of spectral crystal over a vast area, halting time for all enemies within.
All allies' health is fully restored.
You become immovable and invulnerable for 30 seconds, reflecting all incoming attacks.
When the shield fades, the energy discharges in a cataclysmic Aegis Nova, vaporizing foes caught inside.
Choosing Ascension Perks is always the hardest. All of them are very strong and usually add some very useful trump cards. To start, I chose Eclipse Sovereign as I had wanted to grab it for a long time. It improved my sneak attack damage even further, which, honestly, was so strong that at this point it was overkill on all but the most powerful of beings. The speed bonus was nice as well, but the real treat from the start was the immunity to detection at night. It is far more broken than anyone might first think. I can literally scream at the top of my lungs, and nobody will notice as long as it is at night. The only situation I was able to find that could alert them was if I broke stuff, but in that case, it's less a fear of me but more a fear of a different intruder or a witch hunt for who broke the things in question.
I also messed with Moonfall Veil, which is pretty decent. It creates a 5-meter bubble where my allies and I can't be detected and is treated as perfect darkness, as anyone other than me or an ally is blind while inside, and you can't see inside from the outside either.
Next came the Mistform. It was very useful. It cost almost no mana and basically made me immune to or heavily resistant to most forms of damage. The only downside is that attacking in that form is very ineffective. If I go fast enough, I might be able to cut some things, but the damage was not worth bothering using it for that. It was better as an escape ability or a stealth tool.
After that was the ultimate power of the perk. Eternal Eclipse. A global skill. I know because I tested it on an uninhabited world and set up cameras all over it. From what I could tell, there was no blocking it or preventing it. There is no size limitation in terms of planet. And it targets all enemies, even if I wasn't in combat with them. The only slight weakness was that a strong enough willpower can resist the debuffs, but honestly, that was not that common. Most people wouldn't be able to stop themselves from panicking when the day suddenly turns to night, and it's not a normal solar eclipse. As for Shadowform? It's fine. The speed increase is nice, as is the invisibility, but honestly, it's nothing that crazy. It works better if used in conjunction with other ultimates.
The next Ascension Perk I chose was something I wasn't fully settled on. Several options gave me more power, or even some that gave me some new forms or powers, but I ended up choosing one that was a bit more grounded. Eclipse Sovereign already gave me some increase to my lethality, so I chose to focus on either defense or support. Honestly, I didn't see a need for even more support, as my last Ascension Perks were decently in that category. So I chose one that was heavily focused on defense. As such, I chose Aegis Imperium.
It starts out really strong with a flat 40% reduction to all incoming damage. That also affects those near me. Then gets even better with three immunities to some very annoying damage types. The Illusion immunity was also interesting as it meant I could see through any illusions, regardless of strength, with no effort. After that came Radiant Fortress, which gave me 15 seconds per battle where I could become nearly unkillable, and if it is destroyed in any way, including the ability ending, it blinds the enemy. The range is a bit small at 5 meters, but that's okay. Lastly, but certainly not least, the ultimate. Your Finest Hour. The dome is very large, with a radius of 200 meters. And that goes in all directions as it's closer to a sphere than a dome, but I digress. The only downside of using the ability was that I couldn't move while using it. But the barrier would absorb all the damage incoming, and from what I could tell, there is no limit. I literally used an orbital bombardment, and the shield took it all with no issues. Another occasional downside is that it vaporizes everyone inside. But strangely, it leaves gear alone, but when it comes to animals or those without equipment, nothing is left behind. But I am more than willing to accept that for what amounts to a portable annihilation dome.
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Author's Note:
Geez, this chapter was really long. Like 2-3 chapters long, all in one, but I didn't feel it was right to split this chapter, as it is all connected. I will keep this brief and say that this chapter is technically meant to be placed at the end of this arc, right before Rio returns home. At the same time, this chapter is also happening concurrently with the arc, as obviously, Rio would be leveling up a bit piece by piece. Until next time, Ciao
TLDR: Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey.