Echelons of Play

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

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

1st Echelon (1st to 3rd Level)

The 1st echelon of play details the stories of characters of 1st to 3rd level. At this echelon, the characters are local heroes. They save lost caravans, besieged villages, and overlooked neighborhoods within cities. Characters battle bands of mortal humanoids—dwarves, elves, goblins, humans, kobolds, orcs, and more. They can also face off against the occasional larger monstrous threat, such as a bredbeddle, ogre, or chimera. Such creatures can threaten a small community but rarely have plans for world domination or the destruction of the timescape. However, any of these adversaries might work for or be manipulated by stronger threats as a foreshadowing of what awaits the heroes at higher echelons.

2nd Echelon (4th to 6th Level)

The 2nd echelon of play covers 4th to 6th level. At this echelon, the heroes are now known throughout the wider region they serve. In Vasloria, this means the characters might save and be celebrated by an entire country. In Capital, their reputation and work could encompass 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. They face bosses possessed of cunning and ambition as great as their terrible influence, such as medusas and overminds. Heroes at this level also face the humanoid threats of earlier levels, but those foes are villainous counterparts of equal power rather than bands of ruffians or marauding armies.

3rd Echelon (7th to 9th Level)

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

4th Echelon (10th Level)

The 4th echelon of play explores the stories of characters of 10th level (and might even go beyond in future products). At this echelon, heroes are saving the entire timescape from threats such as liches, powerful dragons, and overlords like Ajax the Invincible.