The Severed Gods Karma & Hero Sigils
How moral choices during runs reshape combat power and permanent hero loadouts.
The Severed Gods tracks Karma during each run — a moral drift meter shifted by combat choices, event resolutions, and sever decisions on living or surrendering foes. Hero Marks (also called Sigils in UI copy) convert Karma milestones into permanent modifiers slotted on each hero in the Realm of Spirits. This guide explains Karma sources, Taoist synergies, sigil crafting, and how moral systems interact with Break and Sever combat in Early Access.
Karma basics
Karma sits on a spectrum from merciful to ruthless with a neutral band most heroes start in. Actions push the meter:
- Merciful — sparing non-elite foes, healing NPCs, refusing cursed relics
- Ruthless — executing broken enemies, taking curse power, severing surrender limbs
- Neutral — balanced choices that preserve flexibility but fewer spikes
Karma affects event tables in Mid and High zones, shop prices at camp, and some skill upgrades offered by shrines. It typically resets when the run ends unless you use rare conversion items documented in patch notes on Updates Hub.
Combat interactions
Karma is not cosmetic. High ruthless Karma may buff Break damage but weaken Defend values; merciful Karma inverts that tradeoff. Taoist (Daoist) kits explicitly scale off Karma position — damage, shields, and spirit bonuses swing widely based on drift. Read All Heroes for Taoist skill lists.
Some boss sever opportunities grant bonus spirit when Karma aligns with “judgment” limbs — see Sever Boss Limbs for encounter-specific notes. Combat: Break & Defend still applies; Karma modifies numbers rather than replacing Defend fundamentals.
Hero Marks and Sigils
Hero Marks drop from bosses, Karma milestones, and Realm achievements. Marks craft into Sigils — equippable modifiers with one to three effect lines. Examples in Early Access include:
- +starting Break damage at neutral Karma
- Extra relic slot when ruthless
- Reduced injury duration when merciful
- Bonus spirit on first sever each run
Sigils slot on the hero select screen after unlocking infrastructure in Reincarnation & Meta. Slot count grows via Realm upgrades. Detailed slot rules and UI walkthrough sit in Hero Sigils.
Planning a Karma build
- Choose Taoist or a hero with Karma-agnostic kit for first Karma experiment.
- Decide merciful or ruthless path before Mid zone to avoid conflicting event choices.
- Pick relics from Relics & Builds that reward your chosen drift.
- Target Mark drops from bosses aligned with your Karma branch.
- Craft sigils that reinforce the same branch for account-wide consistency.
Switching Karma mid-run without relic support causes stat whiplash — newer players should stay neutral until camp offers Karma-stable skills.
Events and zone effects
Low zones introduce Karma with low stakes — sparing a foe might grant a small heal. Mid zones lock paths behind Karma gates: merciful routes offer safer nodes; ruthless routes offer higher rarity relics at injury risk. High zones spawn Karma judges that test your commitment with binary choices affecting boss modifiers.
Three worlds reuse Karma frameworks with different narrative framing; mechanics remain consistent per Topebox Early Access design.
Sigil priority by hero
| Hero | Sigil focus |
|---|---|
| Swordsman | Defend bonuses at neutral Karma |
| Axeman | Ruthless sever threshold reduction |
| Scholar | Event reroll charges independent of Karma |
| Thief | Crit bonuses when ruthless |
| Taoist | Dual-branch sigils that flip effects at extremes |
Cross-check power impact on Heroes Tier List after attaching sigils.
Demo and Early Access differences
The demo (App ID 4396000) exposes Karma in limited events but not full sigil crafting. Full Hero Marks progression requires Early Access — follow Demo Walkthrough then upgrade via Links Hub store links.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mixing merciful events with ruthless relics on Taoist.
- Crafting sigils for heroes you do not play before main hero slots are filled.
- Ignoring Karma before High zone judges force bad trades.
- Assuming Karma matches real-world morality — game uses mechanical labels only.
Reporting Karma bugs
If Marks fail to apply after sever rewards, capture run seed and post on Discord with hero name. Balance changes land in Early Access Launch and future patch pages.
Use Run Checklist to verify sigil slots before launching runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Does Karma carry over between runs?
Run Karma resets by default. Sigils and Marks persist as account progression in the Realm of Spirits.
Can I play Taoist without managing Karma?
Yes, but you sacrifice most Taoist power spikes. Neutral Taoist is viable with Defend-focused relics.
How many sigils can each hero equip?
Early Access starts with one slot per hero, expanding to two or three via Realm upgrades.
Do merciful players deal less damage?
Merciful drift often trades peak Break damage for survivability and healing events — not a strict damage penalty.
Where do Hero Marks drop most reliably?
Boss sever rewards and Karma milestone events in High zones are the most consistent Mark sources.