mastery -- Discipline ranks from use
Each known Discipline climbs Novice -> Adept -> Expert -> Master ->
Grandmaster when you practice it. Each rank adds about 25% to that Discipline's combat effect (when it has one). Early ranks come faster; past Adept the curve slows so Master sits near mid-ladder Tier play and Grandmaster near the organic Tier ceiling (help tiers) -- soft pacing, not a hard Tier gate.
How you play
Type help mastery more for the full writeup.
Practice is a small lucky chance each time you use a school, plus a
silent floor: misses still count toward that Discipline's next rank, so steady practice eventually ranks even when the dice stay cold. Type disciplines or skills to see a percent (and a fill bar) toward the next rank -- Grandmaster reads maxed.
Two practice faucets
1. Combat / spar -- each fight round rolls one known combat Discipline
(God judgment / Angel smite prefer Sacred Rites / Grace when known).
Open Magic: ``style magic`` + spar feeds foundation Magic; with magic favored, the lowest-rank magic damage school practices first so foundation can catch up while subs are already high.
2. Path / school verbs -- successful use of that line deepens it
specifically (consume for Devouring, gate for Corruption, circle for Hellcraft, shroud for Umbral Arts, minister/miracle/consecrate for God Sacred Rites, and the same pattern for other Path powers).
Utility schools with no combat damage (Warding, Hexcraft, Spirit Magic, Tattooing) climb from their rites -- and each successful open-Magic cast also drips foundation Magic at a slower rate. Adept+ foundation Magic shaves mana costs (see ``mana``).
Attack-power bonus: Martial Arts (+VIT) stacks on every swing whether you fight bare-handed or with steel. Weapon Mastery (+FIN) and Dual Wield only contribute while the matching weapon setup is equipped -- bare fists do not get Weapon Mastery math.
Loadouts: steel setups trade grip geometry (help equip, help dual_wield) -- shield + one-hand, dual wield, or two-handed. Unarmed is the fourth path: no weapon equipped, Martial Arts discipline, combo tempo, and a chain follow-up beat each attack (like dual wield's offhand) instead of weapon mods; you can still raise a shield. Without Martial Arts, bare fists are a disarm fallback, not a build.
Martial Arts tempo: when Martial Arts is your preferred combat Discipline (help style), each attack throws a primary swing and a weaker [FLURRY] chain beat (Martial Arts rank softens the spread). Landed hits bank a short combo (max 3 stacks) that boosts the next swing and Grandmaster disarm odds. Misses, blocks, and leaving the fight clear it.
At Master+, some Disciplines unlock a signature technique (utility, not more damage): Martial Arts can shrug a hit at Master; Grandmaster Martial Arts can occasionally strip a foe's weapon (grip resists with Weapon Mastery rank). Force Projection can refund a little stamina. See help signatures.
Shown on disciplines (alias disc).