Ascension Quest Dev Update - Version 1.6

Hey everyone,

First off, thank you all for the support through these early stages of Ascension Quest. The amount of feedback, excitement, theorycrafting, questions, and playtesting has honestly been incredible to watch. We’re still early in development, but seeing people already exploring the world, testing builds, and engaging with the systems has been a huge motivator for our team. We’ve been deep in development lately, especially on monsters and encounter design, and honestly… it’s been a blast. Boss fights, creature behaviors, desperation mechanics, and weird enemy interactions are starting to really come alive in ways we’re excited about.

At the same time, we’re aware there are still some rough edges in the current Player Core that need tightening up. Version 1.6 focuses heavily on cleanup, clarification, balance adjustments, and improving overall usability based directly on playtester feedback. As always, if you find issues, unclear wording, weird interactions, typos, balancing concerns, or just have ideas you think would improve the game, please use the playtester Discord channels to report them or ask questions. Those reports help a ton and are directly shaping the game. Good things are coming soon. Thank you again for being here early and helping us build this thing.

Ascension Quest Version 1.6 Fixes

MAJOR CHANGES:

- Combining Might and Endurance into a single attribute. Allows easier melee builds. Makes hybrid classes like Guardian flow more naturally. Easier to have Aura and Might. Then Might, Endurance, and Aura. Reduces overall math/load during play. Helps support tank/caster/melee hybrid more effectively.

- Reworking Level 1 Health scaling: Health based on Might attribute more than random chance. Lower d6 counts with higher multipliers for smoother scaling and readability.

Minor Changes:

- Removed -1 AP from all classes unless unlocked much later in progression paths.

- Arcanist remains the primary exception due to class identity and casting focus.

- Priest changed from “Master Caster” to “Favored Conduit,” now costing an additional 2 mana to reduce spell AP costs.

- Improved Divine School descriptions to better explain Arkhon connections and divine magic sources.

- Added Reliable Magics to Arcanist, granting 2 additional cantrips to rely on when low on mana.

- Added an 8 Mana healing spell to the Divine School.

- Improved Divine healing structure overall.

- Removed Skill Specialties from the game.

- Corrected Waterbending terminology to Aquamancy.

- Fixed lineage and class attribute boosts after Endurance adjustments.

- Arcanists no longer begin with starting gold.

- Added knockback to the Runeshot Ultimate.

- Fixed Spellblade timeline inconsistencies involving Time Stop, Chronomancy, and Temporal Shackle references.

- Added Slowed to conditions.

- Sacred Tooth Necklace improved and repositioned.

- Mixed Heritage page moved and added to the linear overview section.

- Added summary rules, quick reference sheets, and character sheets to the Player Core.

- Fixed Opportunist reaction wording and corrected Bandolier push reaction language.

- Changes to character sheets and GM screen: “Mana is not only a spellcasting resource. It is magic. It is a storytelling opportunity. You can require more of your players in powerful moments.”

- Added short rules section to Player Core in addition to new quick reference sheets. -Made a variety of changes to skill placement. -Aura buffs for Thandros priests.

-Gunner Sparkbinder Buff.

Potential Future Adjustments Under Testing

- Additional Chronomancy attack spell options are still being evaluated. After further testing, a general 6 Mana attack spell may not be necessary. Chronomancy has some great bread and butter spells that mesh well with Spellblade or Knight of Omnis, and isn't intended to be an attack school.

- Revamping skills section.

-Aura Based Classes

In addition... We launched our youtube this past weekend! Hope you are staying up to date.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FbUwppWl7Q

Thanks again everyone. More updates soon. Here is the latest work Hunter is doing on the monsters of Kiinspion.