Two Level Bars: Combat and Job
NosTale tracks progress on two separate bars — a combat level and a job level — and both matter. As a starting Adventurer you need to reach combat level 15 and job level 20 (written as 15|20) before you can pick one of the three main classes. Understanding this dual system early avoids the common new-player confusion of wondering why hitting a level milestone on one bar didn't unlock something tied to the other.
Farming vs. Questing as an Adventurer
Before reaching 15|20, you can either farm monsters directly or follow the early quest chain, and each has a tradeoff. Farming monsters from around Act 1-2 (roughly level 19) is generally faster to 15|20 and also yields gold, but it dumps your accumulated experience straight into your Adventurer job level rather than saving it for your eventual class. Questing is slower to the class-unlock threshold but lets you carry more of that experience into your chosen class afterward — there's a real argument for either approach depending on whether you value speed or a head start on your class.
Choosing Between Swordsman, Archer and Mage
At 15|20 you choose Swordsman (melee with a secondary crossbow that needs purchased ammo), Archer, or Mage — each with a distinct playstyle and different early performance. Mage in particular is valued for its healing utility, which makes it useful in nearly every group activity (Land of Death, Fernon Castle, raids) and lets it solo some content other classes struggle with, at the tradeoff of halved PvP damage output.
Skills: Passive, Basic and Additional
Passive Skills raise permanent baseline stats like HP, MP, defense and recovery, and don't need to be actively applied — they're worth learning whenever you have the gold. Basic (Active/Combat) Skills cost gold, a job-level requirement, and CP (Combat Points, gained at a rate of 2 per job level) to learn, and have four upgrade tiers from Beginner through Advanced. Additional Skills further modify your combat skills, often adding range or special effects, and share the same gold-and-CP cost structure.
Common Leveling Mistakes
The most common mistake is not deciding in advance whether you want the speed of farming or the class head-start of questing before hitting 15|20 — know the tradeoff before you commit hours to one approach. The second is neglecting Passive Skills because they're not flashy, when they're a permanent stat investment. Third, don't ignore CP management — running out of CP mid-fight because your Basic Skills are poorly allocated is a common early frustration.
Paid Leveling Services
Power-leveling services exist for NosTale as with most MMOs. Weigh the time saved against the account-action risk covered in our safety guide before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 15|20 mean in NosTale?
It refers to combat level 15 and job level 20, the two thresholds an Adventurer needs to hit before choosing one of the three main classes — NosTale tracks combat and job progress on separate bars.
Is it better to farm monsters or follow quests before choosing a class?
Farming from around Act 1-2 is generally faster to 15|20 and yields gold, but questing lets you carry more experience into your chosen class afterward — it's a real speed-versus-head-start tradeoff.
Why is Mage considered a strong early class choice?
Its healing utility makes it valuable in nearly every group activity and lets it solo content other classes struggle with, though PvP damage is halved as a tradeoff.