Some quests are only available to males or females, and character can receive bonuses to some skills depending on their gender (e.g. Players may choose their appearance (e.g. Characters do not gain levels, but they gain skill points by completing quests or defeating enemies.ĪoD supports some customization. The Age of Decadence uses a skill-based system, not a class-based system. They do not restrict or guide a character's future attributes or skills. A thief, for example, starts as a member of the Thieves Guild and gets reputation bonuses with other thieves but reputation penalties with enemies. A background determines a character's initial relationship to various factions. Different backgrounds result in very different gameplay styles.
Players can also choose, alternatively, to start with no background at all. These range from the honor-bound knight to the crafty grifter. Players choose from 8 backgrounds/professions at the start of the game. The game is purported to have seven endings, only two of which involve mortal combat.
Players can choose from among 7 factions, play them off against each other, or even reject them all. The world reacts dynamically to the player's actions. The player's character has an active role in shaping the plot of AoD, which is nonlinear. And it is in this uneasy divided land of myth and fable that the player discovers an ancient map offering a hint to the Empire's true past. Where there was once chivalry and honor, there is only pettiness and betrayal. Where there was once knowledge, there is ignorance of both science and magic. Where there once was unity, there are now factions struggling for dominance in the ruined world.
Centuries later, the world still suffers from the shadow of civilization's collapse. Cities of the once glorious Empire lay in ruin, and bodies of the dead were strewn across the land. Each side called upon powers both arcane and divine, summoning Gods and other beings of immense power, whose contest ultimately destroyed both sides. The story in The Age of Decadence explores several themes: the dangers of a post-apocalyptic world, the thin line between historical fact and fiction, and the competition among political factions.Īccording to the Imperial Scrolls, the wicked kingdom of Q'antaar and the Empire were locked in a bloody magical war that devastated much of the known world.