As in most fantasy games, your character's abilities grow and develop gradually over time. This is measured in skill points, character levels, and class levels.
Most characters begin play with 20 skill points, with more being awarded for every event in which the character is played. Skill points can be used to purchase various skills to customize your character's abilities.
The number of skill points awarded to your character depends upon his or her level during the event.
| Character Level | Skill Points Awarded |
| 2nd | 8 |
| 3rd | 6 |
| 4th | 5 |
| 5th - 6th | 4 |
| 7th - 10th | 3 |
| 11th - 13th | 2 |
| 14th+ | 1 |
Characters also have levels. A character's level is equal to his or her total (spent and unspent) skill points divided by 10, rounded down. As a character gains skill points, his or her level increases to match. Thus, a character with 27 skill points is 2nd level. If the character is then awarded four skill points (bringing the total to 31), he or she becomes 3rd level.
As with skill points, levels are also used to customize your character's abilities. Every time your character gains a level, you can assign that level to a particular class. Classes are general character types that gain useful and distinctive in-play abilities called actions.
A character can devote all of his or her levels to a single class or divide them between different classes. Thus, a 7th-level character may be a 7th-level wizard, a 6th-level disciple and 1st-level rogue, a 4th-level warrior and 3rd-level savage, or any combination of class levels that adds up to seven.
Boon points, or just "boon," are awarded to players for contributing to the operation of the game and can be redeemed for in-play rewards. Ways to earn boon and the number of boon earned are detailed below.
| Contribution | Boon Awarded |
| Serve as a full-time monster during a weekend event.* | 15 |
| Serve as a full-time plot member during a weekend event.** | 10 |
| As a present for your real-life birthday. | 5 |
| Qualify and serve as a game medic during an event. | 2 |
| Refer a new player to the game using the referral system. | 2 |
| Help clean up after an event. | 1 - 4 |
| Contribute $5 worth of goods for game use (e.g., boffer weapons, props, spell packets, in-game food for everyone, cash, etc.). | 1 |
| Serve an extra hour of monster duty during an event. | 1 |
| * - Full-time monsters do not pay to attend, but may not play a PC or receive skill points. | |
| ** - Plot members do not pay to attend, are allowed to play their PCs for one adventure per event, and receive skill points normally. | |
Note that all players are expected to monster a minimum of two hours per event and to clean up their own cabin at the event's conclusion. Boon are only awarded to players who help out above and beyond these minimum requirements.
Boon may in turn be traded for the following in-play benefits.
| Benefit | Boon Cost |
| One additional skill point for a 2nd- or 3rd-level PC* | 2 |
| One additional skill point for a 4th- to 6th-level PC* | 3 |
| One additional skill point for a 7th- to 9th-level PC* | 4 |
| One additional skill point for a 10th- to 12th-level PC* | 5 |
| One additional skill point for a PC of 13th level or higher* | 6 |
| 10 gold pieces | 1 |
| Instantly advance your PC's downtime queue by one day | 1 |
| Guarantee success when developing a new action | Varies |
| * - Players may purchase any number of skill points for a new PC prior to the first event in which that PC is played. Thereafter, only two skill points may be purchased for a PC between events. Note also that no new PC may be created with more skill points than the highest-level PC already in the game. | |