XP and Advancement
Experience Points (XP) are the currency of character advancement in Wrath & Glory. You spend XP to improve Attributes, buy Skills, purchase Talents, and acquire Psychic Powers. XP is awarded by the GM — typically at the end of a session — and tracks both your character's power and their Rank progression.
Starting XP by Tier
Your Tier at character creation determines how much XP you start with:
| Tier | Starting XP |
|---|---|
| 1 | 100 XP |
| 2 | 200 XP |
| 3 | 300 XP |
| 4 | 400 XP |
Custom Tiers are possible with GM agreement (e.g. 50–75 XP for a pre-Tier 1 campaign, or 500 XP for a Tier 5 game of faction leaders).
What You Can Spend XP On
| Purchase | Notes |
|---|---|
| Attributes | Use the Attribute Costs table |
| Skills | Use the Skill Costs table |
| Talents | See Chapter 6 |
| Psychic Powers | Psykers only; see Chapter 11 |
| Wealth | 1 XP per extra point, max +4 above starting |
| Ascension Package | During Ascension only; cost = 10 × new Tier |
Attribute Costs
Use the Total XP Cost column when raising an Attribute from Rating 1 (typical at character creation). Use the Incremental XP Cost column when improving an existing Rating one step at a time (during advancement).
| Rating | Total XP Cost | Incremental XP Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | — |
| 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | 10 | 6 |
| 4 | 20 | 10 |
| 5 | 35 | 15 |
| 6 | 55 | 20 |
| 7 | 80 | 25 |
| 8 | 110 | 30 |
| 9 | 145 | 35 |
| 10 | 185 | 40 |
| 11 | 230 | 45 |
| 12 | 280 | 50 |
Species Maximums: Base Attribute Ratings cannot exceed the species cap (e.g. Humans cap most Attributes at 8). Cybernetics and powers can push the total higher, but the base rating before bonuses must stay within the limit.
Skill Costs
Skills start at Rating 0. Use the Total XP Cost when buying up from 0; use Incremental XP Cost when improving an existing Rating.
| Rating | Total XP Cost | Incremental XP Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | 12 | 6 |
| 4 | 20 | 8 |
| 5 | 30 | 10 |
| 6 | 42 | 12 |
| 7 | 56 | 14 |
| 8 | 72 | 16 |
Rank and Ascension
Rank measures progression within a Tier and increases automatically based on total XP earned — not XP remaining. You can spend freely without delaying a Rank increase.
| Total XP Earned | Rank | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 0–39 | 1 | Initiate |
| 40–79 | 2 | Veteran |
| 80–99 | 3 | Champion |
| 100+ | — | Ascend to next Tier |
- Maximum Rank within a Tier is 3.
- When your group collectively reaches 100+ total XP, you may Ascend — increasing the Tier of play. Rank does not reset on Ascension.
- Ascension requires purchasing an Ascension Package (cost: 10 × new Tier XP) or undergoing Archetype Ascension, unless the GM waives this.
Spending Priorities
The book offers three sources of guidance on where to spend XP:
- Archetype Suggestions — Each Archetype lists recommended Attributes, Skills, and Talents. Ideal for first-time players or when you want to start quickly.
- Your Framework — Consider what kinds of challenges the campaign will feature (combat, social, exploration) and build toward them.
- Party Balance — Talk to the other players. Cover gaps: if nobody is investing in Fellowship or leadership skills, perhaps you should.
Practical notes:
- Skills are slightly cheaper per point than Attributes at lower ratings. Focusing on 2–3 key skills is efficient for a specialist build.
- The book recommends taking 1–2 Talents at character creation to make your character distinctive.
- Wealth at 1 XP/point (up to +4) is cheap and improves access to equipment early on.
- Don't push Attributes past your Species Maximum base rating — excess XP is wasted.
Optional Rule: Milestone vs. Consistent XP
Some groups track XP point-by-point after each session. Others advance in chunks of 40 XP whenever the GM decides it's appropriate, or skip XP tracking entirely and only use advancement at Ascension. All approaches are equally valid — choose what suits your table.