> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gritlands.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Leveling Up: Milestones From Grit Lake to Grit City

> Follow the level milestones that carry you from Grit Lake to Grit City and beyond, and learn what each stage unlocks for your build.

Your overall level tracks your journey across the Gritlands, from your first campfire at Grit Lake all the way to owning property in Grit City and pushing past the cap. Each milestone doesn't just award a bigger number — it physically opens up new regions, systems, and options that weren't available before. Think of leveling less as a treadmill and more as a key ring: every milestone hands you another key.

## Milestones

These are the major waypoints to aim for. Exact level thresholds may be tuned over time, but the order is fixed — you will always pass through these stages in sequence.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Early Game — Grit Lake">
    Learn the core loop: gather, craft, sell, repeat. Build your first tent, make your first CASH, and work through Roger's cellar to get your footing. Everything you need to understand about Gritlands, you'll learn here before moving on.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Bus to Millside">
    The suburbs open up and the stakes start rising. Pick up your first combat training, lock in a rented apartment you can actually call home, get your tools upgraded, and dip your toes into the Shallow Drains for your first real taste of risk-and-reward gameplay.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a Path">
    Around the mid-early game you choose a **Path** — a specialization that shapes your build and kicks off a themed quest line. Paths aren't rigid classes; they're a lean, not a cage. [See the paths below.](#paths)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Bus to Grit City">
    The big time. Full stat training at the gym, college, and bar, a proper bank account, the complete GritBay marketplace, and every customization service in one place. Most of Gritlands' depth lives here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get Wheels and Go Deep">
    Save up and get a vehicle for fast travel between regions. Unlock firearms and the gear to use them safely. Eventually, earn access to the Deep Drains — the full-risk, highest-reward territory in the game where the best loot waits behind the highest danger.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Own Property">
    Buy your own place with your name on the deed. A real home base: bigger stash, your own locks, a platform for everything that comes next. This is what separates a resident of Grit City from a visitor.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The Cap — and Beyond">
    Once you hit the level cap, growth goes sideways instead of upward. Chase wealth, max out skills, collect rare gear, expand your property, build your reputation, and assemble a crew. The endgame is wide, not tall.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  Gritlands has a **deliberate level cap**. Past it, nobody can out-level you into an unkillable tank — fights stay fair regardless of how long someone has been playing. The real endgame is about what you've built, who you've brought with you, and the wealth and reputation you've stacked up — not a number that climbs forever.
</Info>

## Paths

Around the mid-early game, you choose a **Path** — a specialization that biases your build toward a particular playstyle and opens a themed quest line. Picking a Path doesn't lock you out of other activities; you can still gather, trade, or fight on any Path. It simply gives you a direction, a bonus, and a story thread to follow.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Grafter" icon="hammer">
    The crafter and builder. You master turning raw materials into valuable goods — tools, gear, consumables. Everything goes further in your hands.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scavenger" icon="magnifying-glass">
    The gatherer and explorer. You find the good stuff first, reach nodes others can't, and pull better yields from every run.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hustler" icon="handshake">
    The trader and talker. You work the market and the people — buying low, selling high, and opening doors through charm and leverage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enforcer" icon="fist-raised">
    The fighter. You thrive where it gets dangerous, push deepest into the Drains, and back your crew when trouble finds them.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>