The Archetype system is the heart of Metaphor — a job system where every class grows and can pass skills to any character. Layered on top are the calendar and Follower bonds, which decide how fast your Archetypes reach their strongest forms.
Archetype system
🌱 Lineages & evolution
Each of the 14 lineages evolves into stronger forms as you master it and rank up bonds — usually an Adept and then an Elite tier, though five lineages go straight to Elite.
👑 Royal Archetypes
Unique top-tier classes, unlocked at high Bond Rank (the Prince through the story) — the strongest in the game.
💠 MAG & inheritance
Spend MAG to inherit skills, so a Warrior can carry a healing or magic skill across Archetypes.
🤝 Synthesis skills
Two-character combo attacks unlocked by specific Archetype pairs — huge damage or utility.
Out of battle
🐎 The Gauntlet Runner
Your mobile base and travel vehicle; do activities and grow stats between destinations.
📅 The calendar
Time passes as you act; plan around dungeon deadlines and story events.
❤️ Followers & Virtues
Bond with Followers to unlock Archetypes; raise the five Royal Virtues to open new options.
Mastering Archetypes
Every Archetype earns its own levels, so switching to a new one starts it fresh — but mastered skills can be inherited onto any Archetype for MAG. The winning pattern is to level several lineages on each character, then build a bespoke class that carries the best inherited skills from all of them. Bond ranks with the matching Follower unlock the Adept, Elite and Royal evolutions, so social play directly powers your combat ceiling.
Three progression layers
- Character level: raw stats and HP/MP, kept no matter which Archetype you wear.
- Archetype level: each class levels separately and learns its own skills.
- Bond rank: Follower bonds unlock new lineages and the Royal evolutions.
- All three advance together — combat XP and calendar days both feed your power.
- MAG is spent at the Akademeia to pass a skill onto an Archetype, and the cost varies by skill rather than being a flat fee.
- A Synthesis skill only fires if the specific Archetypes it needs are both active in the party — Healer's Mahama, for example, needs a Healer plus a Seeker, Mage or Healer lineage alongside it.
- Combat is the main MAG source, and some late-game boss fights alone can pay out up to 40,000 MAG; the floating Elemental orbs and the Blue Elmenta (Regalith Cathedral) also drop unusually large amounts.
- Levelling the Merchant Archetype to Rank 20 grants Debt Collection, a skill that siphons MAG from enemies scaled to your Archetype level — a slower but renewable source once unlocked.
Cross-checked
Cross-checked on 6 September 2026 and re-checked on 1 October 2026 against GameFAQs, Samurai Gamers, Game8, ONE Esports and Eurogamer.es. What is still unverified is the only thing reading cannot settle — nobody here has played it.