The Bleak Forest uses an advancement system called Degrees of the Road. There are nine Degrees. Each Degree represents a meaningful threshold that you have attained. It’s not just about what you can do, but what you have survived and how the world has shaped you.

Degrees are earned through Ordeals – a scenario that as an agent of destiny, you have been called to face. Ordeals are presented through the agents of Fate (in Escape the Bleak Forest and Bleak Forest- Hail Three Wyrd Sisters, the Three Wyrd Sisters act as Fate’s avatars). While not random, Ordeals don’t necessarily occur at fixed points. Certain criteria have to be met, before the agent of Fate appears and an Ordeal arises. Through accumulated Fragments, Omens, and other plot triggers, Ordeals will present themselves once the specified conditions have been met. You advance when the Ordeal has been satisfied and the world confirms that you have changed.

Earning Advancement

You advance to the next Degree when you have met the conditions required. Based upon the particular implementation of the Bleak Forest rules, this can include:

• Completing at least one Ordeal of the appropriate tier since your last Degree advancement
• Accumulated the required number of Fragments about the Abrikoth active in your current Region
• Fulfilled your Drive; or updated it, if it has been completed or has become impossible

Degree advancement happens at the end of a session in which all the conditions were met. When you advance common advantages upon attaining a new degree can include:

• Gain skill points as listed in the Degree table
• Gain the Degree ability (unique to that Degree and dependent upon the version of Bleak Forest being used)
• Doom restores to its current maximum (for BF systems that use Doom)
• Doom maximum increases by 1 (for BF systems that use Doom)

The Nine Degrees

The Number of Ordeals required is a recommendation only and the specific Bleak Forest Implementations have more defined rules for advancement. Adjust these thresholds to suit your requirements of your style and taste.

Skill Point Spending

Skill points earned on advancement may be spent immediately or held. Each rank costs 1 point, regardless of rank. Focuses are purchased separately at 1 point each. Your focus rank can never exceed your base skill rank:

• Apprentice → Skilled: 1 point
• Skilled → Expert: 1 point
• Expert → Master: 1 point
• Master → Grand Master: 1 point
• Focus: Competent; 1 point (requires Apprentice skill rank or higher)
• Focus: Accomplished; 1 point (requires Skilled skill rank or higher)
• Focus: Adept; 1 point (requires Expert base or higher)

You may never advance more than one rank in a single skill per Degree advancement, regardless of points available. This applies equally to Focus ranks. A fully maxed skill path (Grand Master rank + Adept focus) costs 8 points total across multiple Degrees. The road teaches slowly.