Echelons of Play

The core gameplay experience of Draw Steel takes place over 10 levels of play. At 1st level, player characters are already known as heroes and have the power to save their local village. By 10th level, people all over the world know the names of their saviors … maybe all the worlds!

Since this game encompasses power levels from hometown to demigods, the core experience has been divided into four different echelons, which indicate the types of threats the heroes take on, the stakes of their stories, and the rewards they receive at various levels of play.

• 1st Echelon (Levels 1-3)

  The 1st echelon of play encompasses levels 1 to 3. At this echelon, the player characters are local heroes. They save lost caravans, besieged villages, and overlooked neighborhoods of cities. The heroes battle bands of mortal humanoids, dwarves, elves, goblins, humans, kobolds, orcs. They face the occasional larger monstrous threat, such as a bredbeddle, ogre, or chimera. These are the kinds of creatures that can threaten a small community, but rarely have plans for world domination or the destruction of the timescape. However, the adversaries might work for or be manipulated by a stronger threat as a foreshadowing of what awaits the hero at higher echelons

• 2nd Echelon (Levels 4-6)

  The 2nd echelon of play encompasses levels 4 to 6. At this echelon, heroes are now known throughout wider region they serve. In Vasloria, this means that they’re saving and celebrated by an entire country. In Capital, their reputation and work now encompasses several different neighborhoods of the enormous city. Heroes of the timescape might be known for saving a planet! Heroes in this echelon battle humanoids of great supernatural power, such as draconians, devils, and hobgoblins . The bosses they face possess cunning and ambition as great as their terrible power, such as medusas and overminds. Heroes are this level also face the humanoid threats of earlier levels, but these foes are their villainous counterparts of equal power instead of bands of ruffians or marauding armies.

• 3rd Echelon (Levels 7-9)

  The 3rd echelon of play encompasses levels 7 to 9. At this echelon, heroes are saving and known throughout the setting where they serve. Most folks in Vasloria, Capital, or the timescape itself know of the heroes and are grateful for their efforts saving the continent, massive city, or many worlds, respectively. Foes at this echelon include beings of great power, such as giants, vampires, and valok.

• 4th Echelon (Level 10)

  The 4th echelon of play encompasses level 10 (and possibly beyond in future products). At this echelon, heroes are saving the entire timescape from threats like liches, powerful dragons, and Ajax the Invincible.