Character Paths

Six builds with five tiers each: Blademaster, Guardian, Battle-Mage, Ranger, Shadowblade and Artisan.

The Character chapter (Shadowfall group) is your build guide. It contains a skill primer for every skill and six Paths, each with five tiers and a capstone.

Every tier does three things:

It trains you (kills, gathering, or holding items).
It pays you in skill levels and coin.
It points you at the gear that tier unlocks.

Read Skills and Gear Locks first.

The six Paths

Path	Focus	Signature goal
Blademaster	Attack, Sturdy, Dexterity	Netherite sword, Blood Knight armor
Guardian	Defense, Sturdy	Crucible Knight plate, Ignitium plate
Battle-Mage	Magic, Casting	Netherite spell book, Netherite Mage armor
Ranger	Agility, Quick Draw, Sharp Arrow	Flame and Wind bows, Radiance
Shadowblade	Agility, Dexterity	Shadowwalker armor, Elytra
Artisan	Mining, Gathering, Farming, Building	Master builder

Blademaster

Tier	Title	You do
I	Iron Vow	Hold an iron sword; kill 20 zombies, 20 skeletons
II	Diamond Discipline	Hold a diamond sword; kill 15 vindicators, 15 pillagers
III	Netherite Oath	Hold a netherite sword; kill 25 wither skeletons, 8 piglin brutes
IV	Blood Knight	Hold Blood Knight chestplate and helmet; kill 15 hoglins
V	Arena Legend	Kill the Wither
Cap	Master of Steel	Permanent attack speed bonus

Guardian

Tier	Title	You do
I	Shield-Bearer	Hold a shield and iron chestplate; kill 15 creepers
II	Diamond Ward	Hold a full diamond set
III	Netherite Aegis	Hold netherite helmet and chestplate; kill 30 zombified piglins
IV	Runed Plate	Hold Crucible Knight chestplate and helmet (buy in the Armory); kill 20 vindicators
V	Unbreakable	Hold an Ignitium chestplate (buy in Cataclysm Arms); kill the Elder Guardian
Cap	Master of the Wall	Permanent bonus hearts

Battle-Mage

Tier	Title	You do
I	First Words	Hold an Iron spell book; kill 8 witches
II	Focus	Hold 10 arcane essence and 5 rare ink
III	Diamond Tome	Hold a Diamond spell book; kill 20 blazes
IV	Netherite Mage	Hold Netherite Mage chestplate and helmet (buy in Masterworks)
V	Archmage	Hold a Netherite Spell Book; kill the Wither
Cap	Master of the Arcane	Permanent spell power bonus

Ranger

Tier	Title	You do
I	Quiver Up	Hold a bow and 128 arrows; kill 30 skeletons
II	Marksman	Hold a Hunter Bow; kill 12 phantoms
III	Elemental Shots	Hold a Flame Bow and a Wind Bow; kill 20 blazes
IV	Legendary Bow	Hold Dragon's Breath (buy at the Bowyer); kill 5 ghasts
V	Radiance	Hold Radiance; kill the Elder Guardian
Cap	Master of the Bow	Permanent bow crit chance

Shadowblade

Tier	Title	You do
I	Light Feet	Sneak past a sculk sensor; kill 20 spiders
II	Crossbow and Cloak	Hold a crossbow; kill 15 pillagers
III	Blink	Hold 16 ender pearls; kill 30 endermen
IV	Shadow-Wrapped	Hold Shadowwalker chestplate and boots; kill 20 wither skeletons
V	Ghost of Arcadia	Hold an Elytra; kill 25 phantoms
Cap	Master of Shadows	Permanent movement speed bonus

Artisan

Tier	Title	You do
I	Prospector	Break 300 stone
II	Woodwright	Break 200 oak logs
III	Homesteader	Hold 32 golden carrots and 32 bread
IV	Deep Delver	Break 500 deepslate; hold 32 diamonds
V	Master Builder	Hold 256 stone bricks, 64 glass and 256 planks
Cap	Master of the Craft	Permanent bonus hearts

Gear for your Path

See The Armory for every set and weapon, keyed to skill requirements.

Mixing Paths

You can follow more than one Path, but skill totals are capped, so pick a main and a support:

Main	Good support
Blademaster	Guardian
Battle-Mage	Guardian
Ranger	Shadowblade
Shadowblade	Battle-Mage
Artisan	Any (the perks help everything)

Rewards you can expect

Skill levels in the Path's main skill at every tier
Silver, then gold, as tiers climb
A crystal coin at tier V for five of the six Paths
A permanent perk at tier III and again at the capstone

Character Paths

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