NOVEL NEXT The Eidralith’s Note #1
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[SYSTEM NOTE: Attribute Scaling] Stat progression is non-linear and follows a bell-curve distribution. Each attribute has a cap, representing the natural or augmented limits of the species.
After reaching notable proficiency, quest rewards will grant fewer points in that attribute, and random triggers for improvement will occur less often. This reflects the increased mastery contained in each incremental gain. Author's note: Some novel interactions with Fabrisse have been included to illustrate this system more clearly. |
[Excerpt from Chapter 48]
Her RES was 149. 149. That was 74.5 times his last measured value.
She was too high-tier for him to even glimpse her full status.
RES was understandable, but how come Severa was six times as dexterous as him? Severa could cast spells much more quickly than him, and her reaction time was probably faster too, but six times faster? He doubted it.
| [SYSTEM NOTE: Attribute scales are relative. DEX 0 represents the baseline level of movement and coordination for the species; it does not indicate immobility. Each point above zero reflects incremental improvement, not absolute capability. Similarly, EMO 0 does not indicate absence of feeling; baseline responses such as hunger, surprise, or irritation remain, but emotional nuance and intensity register at the system's minimal threshold.] |
Ah. Good to know at least my peers aren't six times my speed. But what level is the baseline level?
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[QUERY RECEIVED: What is the baseline DEX level] Fetching immediate database . . . — access granted; local schema: ATTR_SCALE_v3.2 — Result: DEX = 0 (baseline, simplified response) [SYSTEM RESPONSE: DEX 0 is the lowest trackable coordination. equivalent to a toddler just learning to run—capable of movement, but clumsy, imprecise, and slow to adjust.] |
Then what about my level? I have a DEX of 12.
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: DEX 10 marks the baseline for an average, untrained adult: able to move with normal timing, catch a tossed object, or navigate daily tasks without issue. A DEX of 12 is enough to handle spellwork that demands deliberate coordination, but still prone to faltering under rapid sequencing or high-stress conditions.] |
Ah, okay. So I kind of suck for someone who's spent like five years learning to sequence spells.
Still, another question gnawed at him.
What about someone with a DEX of thirty?
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: A user with DEX 30 is expected to achieve precise coordination under continuous stress: fluid in martial movements, reliable in combat reflexes, able to execute complex hand-sequences or multi-channel spell arrays at full speed without critical error. At this tier, external observers may describe motion as 'effortless' or 'preternaturally smooth.'] |
Fabrisse frowned. That didn't add up. How could the first ten points of DEX drag someone from stumbling toddler to functioning adult, and the next twenty only move the needle from 'fine' to 'graceful'? The curve felt wrong.
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[SYSTEM RESPONSE: Attribute growth does not scale linearly. Progression follows a bell-curve distribution. The earliest increments mark rapid improvement from minimal baseline; the middle range produces slower, less visible returns; the highest tiers compress rarity and refinement into narrow gains, where a single point may signify years of training or exceptional talent.] |
Fabrisse's knowledge of non-linear progression was rusty, but he did get what the Eidralith was trying to say after a while.
Ahhh. So after a certain level, the higher you go, the harder it is to gain points. And at some point you just . . . can't anymore, because you've maximized your potential.
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| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: Correct.] |
"So she's a nerd," Tommaso concluded.
Fabrisse was still staring at the counter where Severa waited. She hadn't turned back around. He realized he had blanked out again, and muttered something just to show he was contributing to the conversation, "She's not a nerd."
"Oh no," Tommaso said under his breath. "He's already infected."
"What?" Fabrisse asked.
"Nothing." Tommaso passed him another slice of pie. "Here. Eat before your heart starts writing poetry."
Fabrisse went back to munching on pie so his mouth would be busy and he wouldn't be expected to contribute to the conversation.
Eidralith, then what's the highest DEX achievable?
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: Upper thresholds vary by species. For humans, unaugmented limits cluster between 90–100. Outliers exceeding this range are anomalous, often requiring external modification or augmented integration.] |
External modification? Augmented integration? What does that mean?
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[SUBSYSTEM INTERRUPT: PRAXIS-NODE Commentary Enabled] [COMMENTARY: Your current lexicon lacks direct equivalence. Closest approximation in thaumaturgy: forced synchronization with attributes foreign to your native pattern. For example, mutated resonance strands adapted for high-dexterity non-human species: arachnoid climbers, or amphibious flexors.] |
So basically, becoming a spider man.
The Eidralith did not respond.
He asked about a few more of his attributes.
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: A baseline INT of 10 represents typical untrained perception and gut sense. Your INT of 22 indicates faster pattern recognition, anticipation of outcomes, and detection of subtle cues.] |
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: A baseline STR of 10 represents typical untrained human strength. Your STR of 5 indicates that lifting, pushing, or sustaining heavy loads is noticeably weaker than an untrained adult. Functional for basic movement and casual labor, but insufficient for strenuous tasks or combat-level exertion.] |
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: Your FOR of 5 grants access to moderate resistance to fatigue, stagger, and minor physical disruptions. Supports basic passive regeneration, tolerates light concussion, and reduces minor spell backlash.] |
The ceiling for all of them was also around 100. He didn't need to ask about RES and SYN to figure out that he was barely any better than a person who had completely no experience with magic, so he didn't bother. At least there was a glimmer of hope: the first few gained points in RES and SYN alone should drastically drag him out of sheer incompetence and into the realm of basic function.
[Excerpt from Chapter 91]
However, it would take 15 RES just to be able to marginally influence the flight path of a Stupenstone, while a SYN of 10 alone had been enough to cast almost all Tier 1 spells without trouble.
He remembered that Severas RES was 149. The ceiling for RES was not 100 like that of DEX; it was definitely different than that of other attributes.
What's the ceiling for RES?
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: Maximum thresholds vary. For the greatest Thaumarches, Resonance capacity is recorded as high as 300.] |
300? So you mean a point I allocate towards RES is only worth a third of what I would put into DEX?
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: Incorrect. Resonance extends far beyond: higher tiers reshape spell arrays, amplify aether efficiency, and unlock manipulations no physical refinement can approach. For a thaumaturge, maximizing magical capacity yields exponentially greater returns than exceeding mortal bounds of speed or strength.] |
Fabrisse let out a sigh. Great. So it's easier to just become the strongest man who ever lived, then. I can crawl to 100 STR just by grinding levels, surely.
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: Physical attributes may grant personal advantage. However, insufficient magical development will confine you to low-value tasks. This results in reduced access to rare quests, slower advancement, and eventual stagnation. In current systems, magical progression is the principal driver of growth.] |
Fine . . . so much for wanting to game the Eidralith into making life easy for me.
If RES is 300, then what's the ceiling for SYN?
| [SYSTEM RESPONSE: Maximum SYN for humans is 150. SYN governs your ability to execute spells. A maximal SYN allows you to cast all spells that exist within the system, though the potency, precision, and efficiency of those spells relative to other spellcasters can still scale higher through RES, mastery, and refinement.] |
Fabrisse leaned back and let out a slow breath. The long-term strategy was simple and almost boring in its clarity.
First, raise RES to a level that let him control spells reliably; then max out SYN to learn every spell he could. Once he had both breadth and basic mastery, he could return to RES, refining execution and outpacing others with precision. Knowledge without control meant nothing, but control without knowledge was just wasted potential.