Level 10 is the highest level attainable in Open Dungeons. At this point, a character has reached the limits of mortal power. There are no more levels to chase. Advancement ends here, your character retires...unless your DN decides the character story does not end here.
Level 10 represents the end of mortal growth. It is the moment where a character becomes the strongest they can ever be in the Material Realm. But in truth, Ascension marks something far more significant. It is the point where mortal resonance presses against the limits of reality itself.
A character who reaches this height is no longer shaped only by the world. The world begins to shape itself around them. Their dreams may drift into the Ethereal World. Their instincts sharpen in ways they cannot explain. Strangers pause as if sensing something familiar within them. None of these signs are loud or dramatic, but they signal a growing pressure that a mortal life cannot hold forever.
For the DN, Ascension is not just a level up. It is the hinge between the mortal story and the mythic one. You decide how that moment reveals itself. It might erupt at once during a decisive victory, carried on a ripple of light or a sudden stillness that only the Ascended can fully perceive. Or it may unfold gradually, with no clear moment of change, only the quiet understanding that the character has stepped beyond what the Material Realm can comfortably contain. Some characters may resist it, trying to anchor themselves to the life they knew, but even resistance cannot stop what Ascension eventually requires.
What an Ascended mortal becomes depends... . Many rise toward the Ethereal, their spirit half unbound from flesh. They remain present in the world, yet their steps carry weight in unseen places. They may encounter Gate Keepers not as distant watchers but as peers, or feel drawn to thresholds where Realms brush against one another. Over time, these figures often fade from the Material Realm, leaving behind only stories, relics, or rare moments where their presence is felt but not seen.
Others remain within the world and become something larger than a hero. A cleric might serve as the living voice of a deity within a single city, not a god themselves but the closest a mortal may come. A warrior might become a figure of fear and respect, a ruler who bends armies not with magic but with the sheer force of their presence. A rogue may disappear entirely from common sight, weaving influence across nations from shadows that only the wise know to fear. These Ascended do not leave the world; instead, the world begins to orbit them.
Ascension gives you several ways to conclude a character, group or campaign. A group may finish soon after reaching Level 10, their final deeds shaped by the gravity that now surrounds them. Others may take on one last great tale - a journey that feels mythic not because the numbers have grown, but because the characters themselves have become rare figures in the world. Or you may allow them a quiet ending, stepping into the unseen spaces between Realms where their stories continue in ways that no one else can follow.
Ascension is not a gateway to new power tiers or supernatural invincibility. The world remains dangerous. Dragons, old magic, and the anger of deities can still end an Ascended life. There are no new levels past ten, no new rules to complicate the system.
Ascension changes the story, not the mechanics. Ascended characters should not return as adventurers. Their time as heroes is complete. But they may appear as patrons, legends, quiet guardians of certain roads or ruins, or rare figures who offer guidance - or warnings - to new parties. Their echoes enrich the world without overshadowing those who now stand where they once stood.
The cause of Ascension is not a single force but a convergence of many. The cosmos does not choose a mortal, nor do the gods grant it as a blessing or curse. Ascension happens when the inner resonance of a character outgrows the boundaries of the Material Realm. Their will, deeds, experiences, and the weight of their story press against the limits of mortality until the world can no longer contain them. Some believe the gods take notice at this threshold, others claim the Ethereal naturally pulls such souls away, and a few insist that reality itself bends rather than break. But the truth is simpler: Ascension occurs when a mortal becomes too great for the shape they wear, and the cosmos - whether it wills it or not - must make room.
Ascension is the fullest expression of a mortal life. It marks the moment where a character's inner resonance becomes too great for the shape they have worn, and the DN decides where that resonance leads. Whether their end is triumphant, tragic, or quiet, Ascension is not about becoming more. It is about becoming final.
Power Surge
When a character reaches Level 10, they undergo a final transformation.
Restrictions Lifted
All armor and weapon restrictions are removed. Any class may wield any weapon or wear any armor. A cleric may march into battle in full plate. A wizard may stride forth in gleaming steel, channeling magic unhindered.
Surge of Vitality
The character's maximum Hit Points increase by 25% (round up).
Ability Elevation
All ability scores below 16 are raised to 16. Any ability score of 16 or 17 increases to 18.
Magical Backlash Immunity
Magical Backlash no longer occurs. Spellcasters wield magic without risk of catastrophic failure.
Masterful Competence
All Chance Rolls now have a Target Number of 5. All Save Rolls now have a Target Number of 5. Anyone who tries to cast magic on you or against you does not gain the level based negative roll against your Save Rolls. Their caster level gives no penalty to you.
Thief Mastery
All Thief skills (Backstab, Pick Locks, Remove Traps, Pick Pockets, Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Climb Wall) succeed on a roll of 19 or less on 1d20 (95% success rate).
Initiative Supremacy
Any type of declared initiative will always favor the Apex Mortal.
Unarmed Combat Mastery
Each class gains a bonus to unarmed combat: DR does not apply.
Apex Abilities
Each class gains a unique capstone ability that activates instantly, usable once per day:
Wish Spell
Wizard - Wish Spell - The wizard may cast a Wish spell, reshaping reality within the bounds of mortal power. The Dungeon Narrator adjudicates if need be.
Divine Summons
Cleric - Divine Summons - The cleric can call upon their god for direct intervention with 100% certainty. Their deity's Aspect will either appear, or sends an Envoy of near-equal power.
Life Surge
Fighter - Life Surge - Even when reduced to 0 Hit Points or unconscious, the fighter may instantly restore themselves to full Hit Points. This ability can bring them back from the brink of death.
Vanish
Thief - Vanish - You disappear from the encounter entirely. Not invisible. Not hidden. Removed. You reappear 1 hour later up to 3 miles away, at half your maximum Hit Points restored.