Disciplines
Disciplines are the point-based upgrades of Dawn of Embers. Every player has 20 Discipline points to spend across six categories. Each point makes one part of your kingdom stronger for the rest of the match.
Disciplines work alongside your Calling. The two bonuses multiply together.
The rules
- 20 points per match. All 20 are available from the start of the match. Points are not earned over time, and the game has no levelling.
- Six categories. You can put any number of your points into any category. No category has a point limit of its own.
- Spend, then save. In the Disciplines window you add or remove points freely, then press Save to commit them. Revert throws away the points you have not saved yet.
- Saved points are locked. The game says: "Once saved, points cannot be modified". After a save you can still add more points, but you can never take a saved point back. The host enforces this, so it cannot be undone.
- You do not have to spend all 20 points at once. Unspent points stay available for later in the match.
The six Disciplines
Each Discipline has a short name in its in-game description.
| Discipline | Short name | Effect per point | What it affects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gathering Efficiency | Gathering | +10% load, +5% gather speed |
|
| Building Efficiency | Building | +10% build speed |
|
| Combat Offense | Offense | +5% damage dealt |
|
| Combat Defense | Defense | 5% less damage taken by units |
|
| Building Defense | Fortification | 10% less damage taken by buildings |
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| Training Efficiency | Drill | +10% training speed |
|
How the bonus grows
Each point adds the same amount; the bonus does not compound. For example:
- 10 points in Training Efficiency make training 100% faster (×2 speed), so a unit trains in half its normal time.
- 4 points in Building Efficiency make construction 40% faster: a 25-second building takes about 18 seconds with one builder.
- 5 points in Combat Offense make every attack deal 25% more damage.
The damage reduction limit
Damage reduction from Disciplines can never go below 25% of the incoming damage. A unit or building always takes at least a quarter of the damage after armour.
- Combat Defense reaches the limit at 15 points (15 × 5% = 75%). Points 16 to 20 add nothing.
- Building Defense reaches the limit at 8 points. With 7 points a building takes 30% of the damage, and from 8 points on it takes 25%. A Builder Calling reaches the limit at about the same point, because the Builder's own -15% is counted inside the same limit.
- The game does not warn you when you reach the limit.
- Damage reduction from status effects is counted separately, after this limit.
When a change takes effect
- Damage, damage reduction, building and repair use your new points at once.
- Gather speed changes from the villager's next gather order.
- Training speed changes from the next unit in the queue. The unit already training keeps its timer.
Disciplines and Callings
The Calling bonus and the Discipline bonus are multiplied together. Example: a Builder (+25% build speed) with 4 points in Building Efficiency (+40%) builds at 1.25 × 1.4 = 1.75× normal speed.
Combat Defense is the one Discipline with no matching Calling bonus.
Computer opponents
AI opponents spend all 20 points at the start of a match, together with their choice of Calling. See Callings#Computer opponents for how each difficulty chooses.
Story missions
In the campaign, Disciplines are committed at the Muster in Mission 1. They carry over to the following missions, together with your Calling.
Planned
- The developers have said that the hard damage-reduction limit may be replaced by diminishing returns in a future update. This is not in the game yet.