Nightingale doesn’t have a traditional progression system where you have to earn experience and level up to access additional content. In fact, there are no experience points or levels at all in this game. Instead, Nightingale uses something called Gear Rating to help players figure out when it’s time to progress to new areas filled with more challenging content.
You’ll get a taste of how the Gear Rating system works pretty early on in your playthrough. Once you finish the tutorial and complete a couple of introductory quests, you’ll need to raise your Gear Rating to 20 or more to be allowed to enter the Antiquarian Site of Power. Doing so is mandatory for progressing the main storyline.

Nightingale Gear Rating Explained
Just as its name implies, Gear Rating is the average rating of all your pieces of equipment. This includes botharmorandweapons. Keep in mind that all currently equipped items with a Gear Rating will count toward your total, even torches and other such tools. To check your current Gear Rating, open your inventory and look for the yellow number just above the Hat slot. You can’t miss it.
The Gear Rating of a weapon or piece of clothing is an indication of how good that item is. The higher the number, the better the item. It’s important to note that even empty slots count toward your Gear Rating, so make sure to fill them as soon as possible. An empty slot has a Gear Rating of 0, so even a weak item is still better than no item at all when you’re trying to bump up the average.

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Instructions on how to Heal a Sprained Ankle in Nightingale.
How To Increase Your Gear Rating In Nightingale
By the time you receive the Antiquarian Site of Power quest, your Gear Rating will sit at anywhere between 6 and 10. The goal is to raise that number to 20 and the only way you can do that is by equipping better items. The easiest way to get your hands on some better gear early on is by building a Simple Workbench and a Simple Sewing Bench. The former unlocks new weapons while the latter unlocks new armor. You’ll also need a Simple Tanning Station to make some of the required crafting components, such as Straps andLeather.
All the items you craft at Simple workstations will have a Gear Rating of 20. Fill most of your equipment slots with the new gear, including theBackpackslot, and your average Gear Rating will jump to 20 in no time. As you progress through the game, you’ll gradually unlock recipes for new workstations and even better gear. You’ll be able to acquire some of these recipes by exploring or by completing quests, however, others will need to be purchased from Essence Traders.

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Find an Essence Trader to obtain crafts and blueprints.

