Gnosis Player Guide (Onboarding)

Documentation Freshness (2026-04-21)

• This page has been reviewed against the current terminal/server build and the latest portal documentation surfaces.
• For exact live catalogs and tuning values, use the source-driven portal compendiums:
  • /bestiary
  • /spell-omnibus
  • /technique-omnibus
  • /item-omnibus
  • /recipe-omnibus
• In-game references are available through the W wiki menu (including generated spell/component compendiums).
• World/floor map reference is in-game via P; the website map page is intentionally hidden.
• Multiplayer host/deployment details live in docs/multiplayer_server_wiki.md and docs/server_portal_setup.md.

Current Build Delta (2026-04-21)

• Deep floors now have a depth-scaled chance to spawn Lizard Kingdom Gates (FeatureLizardKingdomGate).
• Using a Lizard Kingdom Gate enters Lizard Kingdom side sites (SiteLizardKingdom) with lizard society-biased populations.
• Lizard Kingdom floors use dedicated cave themes (Outer Warrens -> Royal Sinkhalls) and integrate with map/examine/senses/clairvoyance text.
• : now opens a zen script planner for movement plus quoted directional combat actions (for example "attack"+d, "lthrow"+a, "parry", or 3d"piercing strike"+3s), fast/charged pacing, Up/Down history recall, F1-F3 saved slots, blue path preview, green impact-area preview, spirit-gated movement, and burst-meter commitment planning.
• Martial catalogs now include broader world traditions (Capoeira/Luta Livre, Chinese boxing + monk weapons, Kalaripayattu/Gatka/Mardani lines) with distinct damage/effect behavior.
• Western martial tracks are now integrated (Savate, Catch Wrestling, Rapier Fencing, HEMA Longsword, Viking Skjoldr, Roman Legionary, Hoplite Phalanx, Systema, Tower Shield Bastion) with style-themed technique attacks.
• Shield users can now run dedicated shield-bash branches, including dual-shield loadouts (such as dual tower shields) for bastion-style play.
• This update is live in terminal mode and server mode; hosted clients inherit the behavior from the game build.

This is the quick-start version of the docs. It focuses on what to do in your first runs and how long-term progression now works.

1. What Kind Of Game This Is

Gnosis is a turn-based terminal roguelike where:

• every action is a turn
• death is expected
• body power resets
• soul knowledge persists

You are building toward afterlife completion and the final 72-seal trial chain.

2. Start Playing

Local

cd /workspace/gnosis
go run ./cmd/gnosis

Server

If a host runs gnosisd, you can connect over SSH (or browser portal if enabled by host setup).

3. First 10 Minutes Checklist

1. Start a run and move with WASD/arrows.
2. Press ? once and skim keybinds.
3. Use g to pick up and i for inventory.
4. Use S or / to search suspicious walls/tiles.
5. Use X to examine targets and floor objects.
6. Fight early enemies carefully using corners.
7. Use e on corpses/features and choose consume vs harvest based on risk.
8. Read every book/scroll/manual you can secure.
9. Claim a room with c and start training with j.
10. Spend level points with n and set styles with L.

4. Core Controls

• WASD / arrows: move, bump for melee
• :: zen script planner (Tab fast/charged, Up/Down recall history/saved, F1/F2/F3 save slots) with live trajectory preview (3d2s, 3delged, "attack"+d, "lthrow"+a, "parry", 3d"piercing strike"+3s)
• .: wait (also advances active reading by one side)
• g: pick up
• G: guard stance (overworld routes on floor-0 hubs)
• H: parry stance
• Z: spell parry ward stance
• i: inventory
• e: use/scavenge/interact (edible targets prompt consume vs harvest)
• S or /: search
• X: examine with cursor
• t: throw targeting
• f: shoot targeting (bows/crossbows enforce minimum range)
• z: cast rites/formulas
• v: spellcraft/enchant workflow
• F: favorite spells quick menu
• x: forget spells from spell/character menus
• w: write known spells to scrolls for later relearning
• A: Aeon menu
• 1 / 2: invoke Aeon slots
• L: martial style menu
• n: progression menu (level/stat/perk/feat)
• j: training/meditation
• k: minion/servitor command menu
• P: map page
• C or @: character sheet
• Tab: cycle gameplay sidebar tabs (core, combat, gear, bag)
• ?: help

5. Zen Script Planner (:)

• Open with : to stage a chain before execution; enemies do not advance during planning.
• Planned trajectory is shown in blue; planned technique hit/area tiles are shown in green.
• Tab toggles fast (half-turn pacing) and charged (full-turn pacing).
• Actions must be applicable from current loadout/state (movement + quoted techniques/throws/parry/ward/attack) or the script is rejected before movement starts.
• Movement steps spend spirit (1 per successful tile) and the script halts when spirit is depleted.
• Spirit is a burst-limit meter (no passive regen/decay): build it by landing attacks/techniques, then spend it deliberately on movement chains and spirit-cost actions.
• Chi form techniques can reshape burst flow in combat (for example Kaioken-style HP->spirit pressure and Hamon-style in-fight healing cadence).
• After the first movement step resolves, the queued pattern is committed until it finishes (or the run ends).
• Quoted named actions resolve applicable combat actions (equipped techniques, directional throws, "parry", "spell parry ward", "attack"/"atk"), with optional lane hints via +w/+a/+s/+d and optional step hints like +3a.
• Successful parries cancel the incoming hit and grant +1 quick turn; spell attacks require either spell-parry ward stance or Spellbreaker Arms + an enchanted weapon to be parried from normal parry stance.
• Barrage technique attacks resolve as multi-hit chains in one turn with follow-up accuracy falloff, using your current equipped profile.
• Technique attacks enforce a minimum cooldown floor of 3 turns.
• Technique attacks unlock by mastery rank: progressing active techniques/styles unlocks higher-tier specials, and style-study rewards from books/manuals can unlock style-linked specials.
• Piercing Strike is kept as a ranged wind-cut lane technique; Impaling Rush is the move-forward thrust variant.
• Example chains: 3d2s, 3delged, "attack"+d, "atk", "lthrow"+a, "parry", "spell parry ward", 3d"piercing strike"+3s.

6. Survival Priorities

• Stabilize one sanctum early.
• Hunger still kills if ignored.
• Ranged pressure is lethal in open lines.
• Keep fallback routes and doors between you and packs.
• Prioritize study materials over random junk loot.
• Harvest corpse meat and cook mixed meals when possible instead of only panic-eating.

World Structure Snapshot (Current Build)

• Sites are organized as 5-floor groups; floor 5 is the group boss cadence.
• Overworld route nodes include standard roots plus dedicated Goblin Fortress and Vampire Mansion roots.
• Deeper material floors can open side-site gates:
  • Goblin Tunnel at |depth| >= 8
  • Demon Castle Gate at positive depth >= 6
  • Lizard Kingdom Gate at |depth| >= 10
  • Secret Gate bands at |depth| >= 61
• Use P to review visited floor layouts, routes, portals, and depth context while planning dives.

7. Progression Model (What Persists)

Within a life:

• HP/stamina/focus state
• temporary tactical position and local risk
• inventory and immediate run momentum

Across deaths/reincarnation:

• soul stats and spellcraft knowledge
• learned skills (0-99)
• known martial styles
• learned teachings/doctrines from study
• known names/spells/components/tables/forms/elements
• favorite spells and formulas
• progression-level improvements (level allocations/perks/feats)

If you learn Muay Thai, you keep that knowledge and it continues to improve unarmed effectiveness in later lives.

8. Study System: Books, Scrolls, Manuals

Readable items are now high-value progression engines:

• books
• scrolls
• manuals

How study works:

• each side costs turns
• each text has threshold rewards
• full study reveals deeper rewards

Rewards can include:

• names, rites, formula components
• martial styles
• skill rank increases
• doctrine/teaching unlocks (stances, forms, techniques, disciplines, theology, guidance)
• persistent stat/pool bonuses depending on teaching content
• copied spell-scrolls that can be studied again after forgetting a spell

9. Cooking And Harvest Basics

• e on edible corpse/features now prompts consume vs harvest.
• Harvesting corpses yields stackable meat ingredients by enemy type.
• Workshop cookpot (r) lets you combine up to 5 ingredients into derived meals.
• Craft Campfire Kit and deploy it in the dungeon to cook outside sanctums.
• Toxic cookpot meals can be placed as bait for enemies.

10. JoJo-Style Techniques And Body Discipline

Rare esoteric texts can teach:

• Ripple
• Spin
• Hamon
• Kaioken Blood Overdrive
• Hamon Healing Breath
• fasting/vigil disciplines

Broader martial doctrine pools are also in active rotation now, including:

• Japanese and Thai kicking chains (roundhouse/spin/flying variants)
• Brazilian lines (Capoeira flow-kicks, Luta Livre lock/choke pressure)
• Chinese lines (Sanda/Bajiquan plus monk weapon schools like Gunshu/Daoshu/Qiangshu)
• Indian lines (Kalaripayattu leaps, Gatka circular weapon play, Mardani thrusting doctrine)

These are implemented as persistent teachings/styles and can grant:

• stronger unarmed performance
• breathing/ascetic progression
• improved hunger interval
• resistance to forced sleep/unconscious states

At high mastery, specific discipline paths can greatly reduce hunger pressure.

11. Training Loop

At sanctums, j lets you train:

• body stats (vigour/grace/wit/faith)
• conditioning
• meditation (insight/memory)

Training also practices physical/material/soul skills (for example athletics, breathing, asceticism, scholarship, engineering) and scales your long-term build identity.

12. Suggested Early Milestones

1. Claim one safe sanctum.
2. Learn at least one fighting style.
3. Learn at least one doctrine/teaching from a manual.
4. Reach reliable unarmed or ranged competence via skill ranks.
5. Enter afterlife with meaningful known names and combat options.

13. Live References (Portal + In-Game)

For the most current lists, values, and content coverage:

• Portal bestiary: /bestiary
• Portal spell omnibus: /spell-omnibus
• Portal technique/style/form omnibus: /technique-omnibus
• Portal item omnibus: /item-omnibus
• Portal recipe omnibus: /recipe-omnibus
• In-game wiki and generated compendiums: W
• In-game floor/world map interface: P

14. Next Docs

• Full systems index: systems_reference_wiki.md
• Full wiki: player_wiki.md
• Combat systems wiki: combat_systems_wiki.md
• Monster book wiki: monster_book_wiki.md
• Farming deep wiki: farming_wiki.md
• Tracking/hunting/stealth wiki: tracking_hunting_stealth_wiki.md
• Crafting/scrapping/base-building wiki: crafting_scrapping_basebuilding_wiki.md
• Spellcraft deep wiki: spellcraft_wiki.md
• Alchemy wiki: alchemy_wiki.md
• Worlds/planes/overworld wiki: worlds_planes_overworld_wiki.md
• Progression/training/skills wiki: progression_training_skills_wiki.md
• Minions/expeditions/maps wiki: minions_expeditions_maps_wiki.md
• Itemization/merchant/economy wiki: itemization_merchant_economy_wiki.md
• Status/senses/injuries wiki: status_senses_injuries_wiki.md
• Stand system wiki: stand_system_wiki.md
• Aeons and true names wiki: aeons_true_names_wiki.md
• Multiplayer/server wiki: multiplayer_server_wiki.md
• Systems spec: core_systems_spec.md
• Server/browser setup: server_portal_setup.md