Design Pillars

1. Meaningful choice — 4 distinct paths force specialization early. Players can't activate everything — they must choose which stats matter most for their build.
2. Reversible investment — Leaf nodes can be deactivated to reclaim points, allowing respec without gold cost. Only structural nodes (those connecting other nodes to center) are locked in.
3. Visual navigation — The Star Map is a real zone players walk through. Blocked squares form walls that define the branching paths, making the tree structure physically navigable.
4. Level-gated scaling — One node per character level ensures the Star Map grows steadily with the player rather than being a one-time dump.

Zone Layout & Path Themes

The Star Map is a physical zone you walk through. From the center, four paths extend outward, each focusing on different character stats:

Direction	Theme	What It Boosts
North	Defense & Survivability	Armor, Block, Evasion, Resistances
South	Offense & Damage	Critical Chance, Critical Damage, Armor Penetration
East	Elemental Mastery	Fire Damage, Ice Damage, Lightning Damage, Chaos Damage
West	Utility & Resources	Movement Speed, Sight Distance, Gold Find, Magic Item Find, HP

Paths split at branch nodes — you may have 2-3 choices of direction at a fork. Some branches converge at powerful "intersection" nodes that reward players who invest in multiple paths.

The center node at (7,7) is special: it's always activated for free (costs no skill point), and walking back to it exits the Star Map and returns you to your hideout. Implementation: pre-activates the origin node on first contact at (7,7) and falls through to the already-activated branch so no skill point is charged; subtracts the origin entry from the spent count so it does not consume the level-based pool. Locked in by code 2026-05-16 (commit 30500d9942, queue 19216). Regression shielded by scenario_tests 739 / 741-744 (chain navigation) and 745 (level-1 exhaustion — level 1 player = 1 paid activate, exhaustion fires on the 2nd paid activate after origin).

Skill Points

Earning Skill Points

• 1 skill point per character level — level 50 = 50 total points, level 100 = 100 total points
• Bonus points from quest rewards, boss kills, and special achievements
• Each node costs exactly 1 skill point to activate (except the free center node)

Your skill point status is always shown when you're in the Star Map:

Skill Points: {available} available ({spent}/{total} spent)

Node Bonuses

Star Map nodes grant the same type of bonuses as equipment:

Category	Examples
Primary Stats	Strength +5, Agility +5, Intelligence +5
Damage	Physical +10, Fire +8, Ice +8, Lightning +8, Poison +6, Chaos +6
Defense	Armor +15, Block +10, Evasion +10, Magic Block +8
Resistances	Fire Resistance +10, Ice Resistance +10, etc.
Combat	Crit Chance +3%, Crit Damage +10, Accuracy +5, Armor Penetration +5
Utility	Sight Distance +1, Movement Speed +1, HP +50
Find	Magic Item Find +5, Gold Find +10

Nodes near the center have smaller bonuses. Nodes further out — especially convergence nodes — grant larger bonuses.

Activation Rules

Activating Nodes

1. Walk to a node in the Star Map
2. The node must be adjacent (including diagonals) to an already-activated node — you must build outward from center
3. If you have skill points available, say "activate"
4. The node activates and the bonus is immediately applied to your character

You cannot skip nodes — the path must be connected from center outward.

Deactivating Nodes (Respec)

You can deactivate a node to reclaim its skill point — but only "leaf" nodes can be deactivated:

• Leaf node: Removing it doesn't disconnect any other nodes from the center → can deactivate
• Structural node: Other nodes depend on it to stay connected → cannot deactivate

To deactivate: stand on the node and say "deactivate". The skill point is immediately returned.

The center node (7,7) cannot be deactivated — it's permanent.

No gold cost: Respeccing Star Map nodes is free (unlike paragon path resets at 10,000 gold).

Access & Navigation

Entering the Star Map

Method	How
From hideout	Walk to the Star Map entrance square in your hideout
Teleport command	"teleport star map" — teleports directly to the center (7,7) from anywhere

Restrictions

• Cannot enter during combat: If enemies are nearby, you can't enter. Defeat them or retreat first.
• Solo only: Party members cannot follow you into your Star Map. The Star Map is personal.

Navigating Inside

Move with standard direction commands through the zone. When you step onto a node, you see its bonus, whether it's activated, and what actions are available.

What You See on a Node

Available (not yet activated):

[Node Name]: [description]
Bonus: [e.g., "+5 Strength"]
Status: Not activated
Skill Points: {available} available ({spent}/{total} spent)
[Options: "activate", movement directions]

Already activated:

[Node Name]: [description]
Bonus: [bonus] (ACTIVE)
Status: Activated
{if leaf: [Options: "deactivate"]}
{if structural: "This node connects other nodes and cannot be deactivated."}

Out of reach (needs adjacent activation first):

[Node Name]: [description]
Bonus: [bonus]
Status: Locked — activate adjacent nodes first to reach this one.

Exiting the Star Map

Method	Result
Walk to center (7,7)	Returns to hideout at Star Map entrance
"teleport hideout"	Returns to hideout entry point (10,10)
"teleport" (generic)	Returns to your last world position
"leave star map" / "exit star map"	Returns to the hideout. The Star Map has no portal square and the only walkable step from a leaf node is often a diagonal, so players got stranded; possibleLocationsMoveTo surfaces a "leave star map" option and a one-line hint on every Star Map turn, and the option synonyms ("leave", "exit star map", "go back") route to the hideout teleport.

Player Commands

Command	Action
"activate"	Activate the node at your current position
"deactivate"	Deactivate the node at your current position (if it's a leaf)
"status" / "skill points"	Show your skill point total (available / spent / total)
"scan" / "look"	Show current node info and adjacent available nodes
Direction commands	Move through the Star Map zone

Party Behavior

• The Star Map is personal — your party members cannot follow you into your own Star Map
• If you're in a party and enter your Star Map, your party members stay in the hideout
• You cannot teleport to a party member who is inside their own Star Map