Pathways are a way for characters to designate a group of abilities as central to the idea and development of their PCs character concept, providing a natural beneficial pathway for development. Pathways provide some benefits initially, but the full benefits are realized over time. Each Pathway also has a “Primary Aptitude” – any archetype which leverages a natural talent matching that aptitude has the cost reduced. A pathway is tuned to a specific setting, and usually reflects the upbringings, education, backgrounds, and vocations of it. A character may start play with a single pathway, which must logically match the opportunities in their background and locale for the setting. Once taken, Pathways cannot be “dropped” or changed – they are part of the character history.
Pathways exist as a 4 CP (minor; few abilities) or 8 CP (major; many abilities) cost.