The game uses a first-person perspective for exploration, conversation, dungeon crawling, and combat. The player travels across the Iliac Bay, enters towns and wilderness areas, accepts quests, investigates rumors, and explores multilevel dungeons in search of objectives and treasure.

Character creation determines attributes, skills, advantages, and disadvantages. Skills improve through use, while experience grants levels and stronger attribute statistics. The player can join guilds and temples, buy or rent property, use weapons, armor, spells, and items, and make choices that affect faction standing and the eventual resolution of the main story.

Build a focused character rather than distributing every skill evenly. Choose primary and major skills that support the intended approach, and select useful advantages while avoiding disadvantages that undermine survival.

Keep several save files before major faction quests and political decisions. Improve reliable combat skills through regular use, carry healing and cure-disease options, and use fast travel carefully because travel time, weather, and random encounters can create serious risks.

Dungeon objectives are often easier with mapping, levitation, climbing, teleportation, or water-walking abilities. Reputation matters: guild and temple standing affects services, quests, and access to advancement.