Level Cap

A person's **Level Cap** is the maximum level that person may reach.

## Basics

The only known way to raise this maximal level is by being party to killing an Essence Monster of that same level, or destroying a lair core. Essence monsters are unpredictable in several ways: rarity, accessability, and difficulty to kill; while destroying a Lair Core requires to first clear a lair completely.

There are several so-called *walls* that are hard to break through: The first is awakening at all, and reaching level 5 (which allows choosing a class). While it is conceivable that unawakened might kill an essence monster of up to level 10 without assistance of Awakened, there is a much higher risk of just being killed by that same monster, the higher level it is. Level 10 essence monsters are considered as super-human and not possible to kill on your own, when you are unawakened. This is why most awakenings and cap-raising events are pre-arranged by having assistance in form of high-level awakened who weaken the monster so severely that the initiate (unawakened or low-level participant) just needs to land any small amount of damage to count as participant in defeating the *blue*. This is the method that is basically used on all levels.

Most awakened first have to worry to break the *lesser wall* around Level 10, where essence monsters become extremely dangerous to the hunters: It then depends on the strength of the builds of all party members, as it is possible to be of high level but have a *weak build*, i.e. skills not suitable for defeating higher-level essence monsters. People with subpar (intentionally or otherwise) builds need to be carried by much stronger helpers, which means it is more difficult to assemble an safe initiation.

This issue intensifies with the *hard wall* or *real wall* that comes around level 25: Full parties of eight and/or extremely powerful equipment is needed just to survive in lairs of that rank and above, which makes carrying non-contributing (or just less effective) party members risky. Naturally, this becomes even harder the higher level an initiate requires to achieve.

## Methods to gain or raise a level cap

Outside of a Lucky Blue and depending on individual requirements, there are several approaches to a successfull initiation into a higher level cap:

* An entire party is assembled with 1-2 initiates and several party members well above the rank of the lair, so that the total average of the party is above the lair rank. It may be assumed that this is the most common approach at all:
	+ This is the approach that the Watch took with The Fells, as well in more dangerous lairs within the Badlands: All participants of the expedition would gain more combat experience that way, while the initiates would gain a new (or first) level caps.
	+ This is the approach that the DKE Citizens took just before they raised Citizen Sadanis: Seven high-level Citizens would form a party and let the aspiring Citizen take part in an essence-monster hunt in the depths.
	+ This is the approach that is common in Xiugaaraa, to lift up Illuminators who are not having a combat class, but a position of prestige and wealth.
	+ In mercenary style, this approach also applies to everyone in the Guild, where people are willing to pay ridiculous sums to parties that will help others raise their cap.
* A party is assembled of as many initiates as possible with as little helpers as possible. That requires the one or two helpers to be able to defeat basically any dangers of a lair fully on their own (outranking the lair several times over), and basically babysit the initiates until they manage to raise the level cap.
	+ This approach was taken by Velika when she took Rain and six unawakened prospects for her to-be-built guard into the Fells. High-level awakened parents might get their children started in a similar way, making the status of being awakened heriditary, which is the foundation of nobility.
* In a two-step operation, first a suppression party fully capable of defeating the lair based on their level, invades the lair and removes any opposition, then secure and incapacitate but doesn't kill the essence monster. In a second step, the initiates enter the lair without further assistance of the suppression party, and kill the essence monster. Additionally, the suppression party may next secure the core, and then assist further initiates to destroy it.
	+ This is what Ascension did in the ruins of Essed and in the Sale family lair, awakening 15 initiates in each case
* *It can be supposed that full parties with maximized builds (in all of attribute strength, skill effectiveness, suitable equipment and accolades) would be able to challenge a somewhat higher-level lair on their own, without distinctions between initiates and high-level assistants.*
	+ *Such an attempt has **not** been presented within the story of Delve so far - instead all advice given by any competent adventurer suggests otherwise: Doing this is considered extremely risky.*

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chapter 101
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 82
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chapters 40 and 85
4. ↑ Chapter 76
5. ↑ Chapters 85-88
6. ↑ Chapter 117-123