Jonric: How will the Ultima Virtues factor into character development? To what extent do they comprise a separate advancement system?

Rick Hall: The Virtues actually represent a secondary advancement system. Much like hunting monsters will earn you experience points, completing quests will earn you Virtue Points. Any given quest will usually have multiple different branches you can take, and each branch usually represents a different Virtue choice. It's an interesting way to be allowed to role-play your character, choosing the options that represent your character's personality, and being rewarded correspondingly.

As you earn Virtue Points, you will be able to spend them on Virtue Abilities. Each Virtue has three different Abilities to choose from. As you earn Virtue Points in a given Virtue, it's possible either to acquire all three of that Virtue's Abilities, or build up the ones you already have, exactly the same as the Special Abilities work in the character advancement question above.