Social Structure
Tribe Mechanics
Tribes are the core social unit of Soulmask. Understanding ranks, permissions, and the consequences of leaving is critical before you commit.
🖥 Opening Tribe Management
Three main interfaces — know which one does what
J Key — Tribe Panel
The fastest route to tribe management. Press J to open the Tribe Panel directly. This is your control centre for ranks, member permissions, inviting players, and overall tribe settings. Skips the menu navigation that the I key route requires.
I Key — Clan Menu
Press I to open the inventory/clan menu. From here, select the Tribesmen Work Tab for work assignments, or click the small book icon next to any tribesman's name to view their full stats, proficiencies, and talents.
Bonfire — Hold E
Hold E while looking at a Bonfire to open its management menu. This is where you assign tribesman work, rename the bonfire, show its area, upgrade it, set fuel types, and access the Remodel Initial Character option.
👑 Tribe Ranks & Permissions
Four ranks govern what tribe members can do. By default all permissions belong to whoever created the tribe — the Leader must actively grant access to lower ranks
| Rank | Role | Key Permissions |
|---|---|---|
| Leader | Tribe founder / chieftain | Full control — sets all rank permissions per category, can disband tribe, owns all tribe property. Only the Leader can open the permissions configuration screen |
| Priest | Trusted senior member | Whatever the Leader has granted — typically includes tribesman management, work assignments, and most structure access |
| Noble | Established member | Whatever the Leader has granted — typically shared crafting stations and resource storage access |
| Civilian | New recruit / default rank | Minimal access by default. The Leader must explicitly grant permissions before Civilians can open chests, dismantle structures, or control tribesmen |
🔥 Bonfire — The Hub of Your Settlement
The Bonfire is far more than a light source — it governs your base area, tribesman assignments, farming range, and invasions
Bonfire Hold-E Menu Options
- Open Craft — adds fuel and cooks items directly at the bonfire
- Assign Works to Tribesmen — opens a list of all tribesmen; assign specific actions and behaviours to each individually
- Rename — renames the Bonfire on your HUD and World Map; useful when running multiple outpost bonfires
- Show Area — toggles a green wall showing the exact range the bonfire protects buildings from decay
- Set Acceptable Fuel Types — whitelist or blacklist specific items from being used as fuel, preventing workers from burning your valuable hardwood
- Upgrade — increases the bonfire tier, expanding the Farmland plot limit and protection radius
- Remodel Initial Character — respawns your starting character's body if it was lost while possessing a tribesman
Bonfire Rules & Limits
- Buildings within Bonfire range are protected from decay while the fire is lit — keep it fuelled
- Farmland can only be placed within Bonfire range, up to 12 plots at the base level. Upgrade the Bonfire to increase this limit
- If two Bonfires overlap, both must be upgraded to raise the farmland cap in that area
- Each player has a default limit of 6 active Bonfires — adjustable via server settings
- Bonfires are the invasion target — hostile forces make a beeline toward the nearest Bonfire during raids. Defend accordingly
- Tribesmen within 100m of a Bonfire are protected from Tribute Capturer NPCs
- Activity near Bonfires builds the Fever bar. Some map locations never accumulate Fever — useful for outpost placement
📋 Clan Panel — Managing Tribesmen in Detail
Press I then navigate to the Tribesmen Work Tab, or hold E on the Bonfire and select Assign Works
View Tribesman Stats
In the Clan Menu (I key), click the small book icon next to any tribesman's name to see their full stats: proficiency levels and caps, talents, defects, and attribute breakdown. Always check this before assigning roles — put people in jobs matching their highest proficiency cap.
Assign Work Type, Location & Goal
Click the Work button (or P) to open the work page. Set all three fields: Work Type (gathering, crafting, farming, etc.), Location (the area or station), and Goal (target resource or output quantity). All three must be set for the tribesman to function. A missing field is the most common cause of idle workers.
Set Rest Schedules
At the command table, configure each tribesman's daily schedule. The recommended default is 12 hours work / 8 hours rest. Tribesmen without rest schedules lose productivity steadily and can eventually collapse entirely. This is separate from the mood system but compounds with it.
Provide Tools Directly
Place required tools in a tribesman's inventory via the Tab key in the Clan Menu, or leave tools in nearby storage within Bonfire range — the tribesman will access them autonomously. Do not rely solely on storage boxes for farming fertiliser; load fertiliser directly onto your dedicated farmer tribesman for best results.
Place Map Markers for Gatherers
Press R on the World Map to place a resource marker. Assigned gatherers will travel to that location, collect resources, and automatically sort them into chests at your base. If a gatherer is idle, the most common cause is a missing or misplaced map marker, or the marker not being close enough to the actual node.
Deploy Combat Followers
Approach a tribesman and hold E, then select Deploy from the work menu. You can deploy up to 3 tribesmen to fight alongside you. Command them to follow, attack a target, or hold position. Manually point them at the boss target at the start of every fight — freelancing tribesmen are far less effective. Press F7 to ask deployed allies to revive you if you go down.
🔧 Essential Base Management Tools
These structures automate the maintenance tasks that would otherwise consume your playtime
Repair Bench
Unlock via the Medium Craftsmanship node in the second tier of the tech tree. Interact with it to load broken gear into the grid on the right, then hit Repair to process everything in the queue automatically. For full automation: click the plus sign to create an Auto Repair Plan and assign a dedicated tribesman as caretaker. Tribesmen deposit broken tools into a dump chest; the worker at the bench fixes them and returns them to rotation. Set the durability threshold so repairs trigger before tools break completely. Within Bonfire range, repair materials are drawn from nearby storage automatically — you don't need items in your inventory.
Dining Table
Fill the Dining Table with food and tribesmen will feed themselves automatically without your input. This is one of three structures that make the biggest difference to an autonomous base. Pair it with a Cooking Stove (unlocked at Awareness Strength 8) staffed by a tribesman with high crafting output — the food loop then runs entirely without you. Stock each tribesman's preferred food types for a mood bonus on top of basic sustenance.
Tribesman Revival
If a tribesman dies after you reach level 35, they can be revived — but only if your server settings allow them to retain their levels after death, and only after you have cleared the Ancient Ruins Dungeon and defeated three bosses inside it. Once unlocked, data for tribesmen can be recorded at the Mysterious Stone Table; the latest recorded data is used on revival. On private servers, the Tribesmen Cap for recorded data is adjustable via the Info Entry Coefficient setting.
Building Upgrades
Press E on any building and select Upgrade to improve it in place, if you have the higher-tier item in your inventory. Work tables specifically require the Building Workshop to upgrade — this is easy to miss and trips up many players trying to advance production stations. Buildings within Bonfire range draw repair materials from nearby chests automatically when you use a Construction Hammer.
⚡ Tribe Management Quick Reference
Common problems and what actually causes them
| Problem | Most Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tribesman standing idle | Missing map marker, wrong marker selected, or supply missing from storage | Press R on world map to place/check resource markers. Check the assigned work station has input materials available |
| Member can't open chests | Rank permissions not set by Leader | Leader opens tribe permissions via J key panel and grants chest access to the relevant rank |
| Tribesmen not feeding themselves | No Dining Table, or table is empty | Build a Dining Table and stock it. Tribesmen auto-feed from it. Fish Soup is also auto-consumable by tribesmen directly |
| Tools keep breaking, production stops | No Repair Bench automation set up | Build Repair Bench, create Auto Repair Plan, assign a dedicated NPC caretaker. Set durability threshold |
| Followers stopped following after load | Save reload silently removes deployment | Always redeploy via Hold E → Deploy after any game reload before combat |
| Farmland cap won't increase | Bonfire at base tier, or two overlapping bonfires both need upgrading | Upgrade the Bonfire. If two overlap, both must be upgraded |
| Can't join a friend's tribe | Bonfire limit reached on their server, or tribe cap hit | Server admin can raise bonfire and tribe limits in GameXishu.json or via the GM menu |
| Tribesmen drifting to the ship | Ship Bonfire was their first registered home | No fix without removing them from tribe. Prevent it by establishing land Bonfire first before adding a ship Bonfire |
🤝 Joining a Tribe — How It Actually Works
Soulmask has no traditional invite button. The process is application-based and catches most new groups off guard
Getting onto the Same Server First
Before you can join a tribe, you must all be on the same server. Soulmask servers are separate worlds — joining different servers means you cannot interact. There are three ways to get friends into the same game:
Steam Friend Invite (Solo/Friends Server)
One player creates a private server from the main menu — select Solo/Friends, configure difficulty, name, and a password if desired. Once in-game, press Shift+Tab to open the Steam overlay Friends list, right-click your friend's name, and select Join Game. This works for up to 10 players and requires the host to remain online for others to play.
Direct IP / Server Browser
On a dedicated or rented server, share the server's IP address, port, and password with friends. They enter these details in the direct connection screen and click Confirm to join. Dedicated servers run 24/7 without the host needing to be online.
Invitation Code
From your server, click the Invitation Code button to copy a code. Friends paste this into the "Connect to server directly" field on the server selection screen. A quick alternative to sharing raw IP details.
Once on the Same Server — Joining the Tribe
Leader Creates the Tribe
The player who will lead presses J to open the Tribe Panel and creates a clan. Choose the tribe name carefully — it cannot be changed later and you will regret a joke name after a month of play. Set a description and any joining conditions at this stage.
Other Players Apply to Join
Friends press J (or I → Tribe Tab) to open the tribe interface. They can see a list of World Tribes — your tribe name will appear here. They click it and select Apply to Join. There is no push notification to the Leader — check the tribe panel regularly when expecting applications.
Leader Approves the Application
The Leader opens the Tribe Panel (J) and navigates to the Applications tab. Pending join requests appear here. Click Accept to bring the player in. They join immediately — the tribe name appears above their head in the world.
Leader Assigns a Rank
New players default to Civilian rank with minimal permissions. The Leader should immediately assign appropriate rank (Priest, Noble, or Civilian) and configure what that rank can access — chests, dismantling, tribesman control, crafting stations. Without this step, new members cannot interact with most of the base.
Enable Clan Control on Tribesmen (Optional)
By default, NPC tribesmen can only be controlled by the player who recruited them. To let other tribe members control a tribesman, select the NPC, hold E, go to Clan Permissions, and enable Clan Control. Do this for each NPC you want to be shared across the group.
📋 What Changes When You Join a Tribe
Joining is a permanent commitment with major consequences — read this before applying
What You Gain
- Access to the tribe's shared structures, crafting stations, and storage (subject to your rank permissions)
- A shared Bonfire — tribe members respawn at the same point and can coordinate from a central home
- Combined Fever defence — the whole group defends invasions together
- Shared resource automation — one tribesman gathering feeds the whole tribe's production chain
- Other players can control your NPC tribesmen if you enable Clan Control on them
- Access to the combined tribe progression bonuses in Tribe Mode
What You Give Up
- All your property becomes the Leader's property — buildings, tribesmen, ships, tames, and chests all transfer to tribe ownership on joining
- You cannot act independently on the server without leaving the tribe first
- Your personal Bonfire is absorbed — you share the tribe's respawn point
- If the Leader disbands the tribe or goes inactive, you lose access to the shared base
- A join cooldown prevents immediately jumping to another tribe after leaving
- On PvP servers: if the tribe is raided while you are offline, your property is at risk
🔧 Common Problems When Joining
Issues that catch most new groups in their first session
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Can't see the tribe in World Tribes list | You are on a different server, or the tribe was just created and hasn't propagated yet | Confirm both players are on the same server. Relog if the tribe isn't showing — it sometimes takes a moment to appear |
| Friend can't join the server at all | Bonfire limit reached on the server, wrong IP/port, server is private with a password not shared | Check server bonfire cap in settings. Share the exact IP, port, and password. Try the Invitation Code method instead of direct IP |
| Applied but Leader never saw it | No push notification — Leader must manually check the Applications tab in the tribe panel | Tell the Leader to open J → Applications and check manually. Coordinate via voice chat when joining |
| Joined but can't open any chests or structures | Defaulted to Civilian rank with no permissions granted | Leader opens J → Rank Settings and grants appropriate permissions to Civilian or promotes the player to Noble/Priest |
| Can't control tribe's NPC tribesmen | Clan Control not enabled on those NPCs by the recruiter | Original recruiter selects each NPC, holds E → Clan Permissions → enable Clan Control |
| Accidentally created own tribe and can't join friend's | You must disband your own tribe before applying to another | Open J → Tribe Settings → Disband Tribe. Then apply to your friend's tribe. Note: disbanding makes your structures unowned |
| Host goes offline and nobody can play | Private Solo/Friends server requires the host to be running | Switch to a dedicated server (self-hosted via SteamCMD or rented) so the world runs 24/7 without one player being the bottleneck |
🚪 What Happens When You Leave a Tribe
Consequences depend on whether you are the Leader or a member — read this before quitting
Leaving as a Member (Non-Leader)
- You are removed from the tribe immediately with no confirmation delay
- You lose access to all shared tribe structures, storage, and bonfires
- Items in your personal inventory stay with you
- Items stored in tribe chests and crafting stations remain with the tribe
- You cannot take tribe-owned tribesmen with you
- Your character enters a cooldown before being able to join another tribe
Disbanding as Leader
- Disbanding removes all members from the tribe simultaneously
- Tribe structures enter an unowned or decay state depending on server settings
- NPC tribesmen may scatter or become vulnerable without a controlling chieftain
- Transfer Leadership to another member first if you want the base to survive
- On PvP servers, unowned structures become raidable by rivals immediately
Tribe Fever & Invasions — A Key Mechanic
Activity around your Bonfire builds up a Fever bar over time. When Fever reaches maximum, hostile forces invade your base. Raids also begin once your tribe reaches roughly 10 NPC tribesmen, scaling with tribe size. Building defenses early is not optional — it's survival.
Retention & Loyalty
Keeping Your Helpers
Tribesmen leaving — or being lost to a tribe split — is the most painful setback in Soulmask. Here is everything that governs whether your crew stays loyal, stays alive, and stays yours.
Mood — The Retention Stat
The single most important factor in whether a tribesman stays is their mood bar. Keep it out of red at all times. A red mood bar means they are unhappy and at risk of deserting permanently — taking all your recruitment investment with them. Mood is raised by:
- Base amenities: Outhouse, Bathtub, Dining Table, Chairs, Statues
- Quality food & drink matching their personal likes (check their profile)
- Good clothing — gear that fits their role and keeps them comfortable
- Matching perks from talents and tribe bonuses
- Rest schedules — 12 hours work, 8 hours rest set at the command table
Food — The #1 Desertion Cause
Food shortage is the leading cause of tribesman desertion. An empty granary causes NPC mood to tank rapidly and they will walk — no warning, no recovery. Automate food production before expanding your headcount.
- Assign a dedicated tribesman to a Granary to auto-plant, fertilize, and harvest farmland
- Run a Capybara Pen and Turkey Coop for passive meat and eggs via Breeding Farm assignment
- Stock cooking stations with your tribesmen's preferred food types — mood bonus stacks
- Keep a reserve of food in tribe storage to buffer against raids or harvest failures
🚪 How to Protect Your Tribesmen When Leaving a Tribe
There is no clean mechanic for taking tribesmen with you — you have to plan ahead
Move Valuables to Your Personal Inventory First
Before leaving, transfer all gear, resources, and crafting materials from tribe chests to your personal inventory and that of any tribesmen currently following you. You keep everything on your person — nothing in tribe storage.
Set Trusted Tribesmen to Follow You
If tribe permissions allow it, set your key tribesmen to follow you before leaving. Tribesmen bonded to your Mask's Control Node may transfer with you rather than remaining at the tribe's Bonfire — but this depends on server settings and how they were originally registered.
Dismantle Portable Structures to Inventory
If you have tribal permissions to dismantle, retrieve your personal workbenches, storage chests, and building pieces to inventory before departing. Buildings stay behind as tribe property otherwise — the Leader gains full ownership.
Start Fresh Immediately After Leaving
Place a new Bonfire as your first action after leaving and establish it as your personal home point. Recruit replacements as soon as possible — you will not get the old tribe's tribesmen back without rejoining.
🎒 Keeping Followers Ready — Pre-Run Kit & Consumable Restock
There is no automatic top-up system for follower consumables. Here is exactly how to prepare your combat followers before every dungeon run or exploration session, and the honest limitations of what can and cannot be automated.
The Pre-Run Checklist — Do This Before Every Dungeon or Boss Fight
Open Each Follower's Inventory (Tab Key in Clan Menu)
Press I to open the Clan Menu, then click the small book icon next to each deployed follower's name to open their full inventory and hotbar. This is where you can see exactly what they're carrying and what needs topping up.
Check and Refill Consumable Slots
Manually drag items from your inventory or nearby storage into their hotbar slots. Don't assume — always check even if you stocked them last run. The recommended minimum kit per combat follower before any dungeon or boss fight:
Check Weapons and Armour Durability
Low-durability weapons do reduced damage. Hover over their equipped gear and check the durability bar. If a weapon is below 30%, replace or repair it before leaving. Their armour degrades under fire — a follower in broken armour takes the same damage as one wearing nothing.
Use the Workaround for Partial Restock
Because followers only auto-restock at zero, the fastest workaround before a run is: call the follower to you → have them drop everything in their consumable slots onto the ground (shift-click to drop) → collect it yourself → reload their slots fresh from your supply chest. Tedious but reliable. Some players maintain a dedicated pre-run chest near the Bonfire stocked with full stacks of every consumable the followers need, specifically for this top-up routine.
Deploy and Command Before Entering
Approach each follower, hold E, and select Deploy. Once deployed, manually point them at the first enemy or objective — freelancing followers without a command are far less effective than directed ones. Remember: after any save reload they stop following automatically. Always redeploy after loading.
Recommended Follower Kit — What to Stock per Slot
| Item | Qty | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandages | 20–30 | Stops bleeding, closes wounds. Used automatically when downed | Non-negotiable — without bandages a downed follower bleeds out in seconds. Double-click in their inventory to apply if needed manually |
| Broth or Fish Soup | 10–20 | Auto-consumable food — tribesmen eat these automatically | Broth and Fish Soup are the two items tribesmen consume on their own without prompting. Other foods must be manually used |
| Antidote | 5–10 | Cures poison — essential in swamp areas, Fogfrog fights, and jungle ruins | Followers do not apply antidotes automatically — you must open their inventory and double-click if they're poisoned |
| Healing Tisane | 5 | Stronger healing — for serious wounds and disease symptoms | Also requires manual application. Prioritise if heading into dungeon content with disease-inflicting enemies |
| Arrows (for archers) | 100–200 | Ranged followers consume arrows rapidly in prolonged fights | Followers discard arrows into chests rather than restocking them from the Weapon/Gear Rack — this is a known limitation. Check arrow count manually and reload from inventory before runs |
| Weapon (spare) | 1 | Backup if primary weapon breaks mid-dungeon | Place a spare weapon one tier below their primary as a fallback in the last inventory slot. They will equip it if the primary breaks |
| Water Bottle or Coconut | 5 | Hydration — followers can dehydrate and lose effectiveness on long runs | Less critical on short dungeon runs, more important for extended exploration sessions in the desert |
What Can Be Semi-Automated vs What Must Be Manual
| Task | Automation Level | How |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon and armour equip | ✅ Automatic (raids) | Weapon/Gear Rack — followers auto-equip during invasions. For dungeon runs you still equip them directly |
| Food (Broth/Fish Soup) | ✅ Auto-consumable | Tribesmen eat Broth and Fish Soup automatically from their inventory. Keep these stocked |
| Bandage restock | ⚠️ Partial only | Followers restock from Weapon/Gear Rack or nearby chest — but only when slot hits zero, not when running low |
| Antidote / Healing Tisane | ❌ Manual only | No auto-use. You must open their inventory and double-click to apply during combat if they're affected |
| Arrow restock | ❌ Manual only | Followers actively discard arrows into chests. Must manually reload before each run |
| Armour repair | ⚠️ Partial | A follower assigned to a Repair Bench with an Auto Repair Plan can repair their own gear — but only while at base, not mid-expedition |
| Weapon durability check | ❌ Manual only | No warning when a follower's weapon is low. Build a habit of checking before every departure |
🛡 Keeping Tribesmen Alive in the Field
Tribesmen can die permanently — losing a high-cap specialist to a raid or boss fight is a major setback
Supply Bandages & Broth
Keep bandages and liquid food in your followers' inventories at all times. An unconscious tribesman bleeds out quickly without treatment — double-click the item in their inventory to apply it while they're down.
Gear Them Properly
A tribesman with no armour or outdated weapons is a liability in combat. Equip your fighters with your best available gear. Their combat performance scales directly with equipment quality — don't send them into a boss fight in linen.
🗡 Weapon/Gear Rack — Automated Follower Equipment
A 1.0 feature that is easy to miss and makes a significant difference to base defence
What the Weapon/Gear Rack Does
- Tribesmen auto-equip from it during invasions — tribesmen auto-equipping gear from Weapon Racks to defend the village from invaders was added as a core feature in Soulmask 1.0. Non-combat workers who are normally unarmed will pull a weapon from the rack when a raid begins, giving you a broader active defence without manually arming each tribesman
- Configure gear sets per role — it allows you to configure weapon and gear sets so your tribesmen can automatically use them. You set which weapons and armour pieces belong to which role, and tribesmen matching that role pull from the rack as needed
- Tribesmen return gear to the rack when the threat is over — this keeps weapons organised and prevents fighters from wandering off with equipment permanently assigned to the rack
- Useful for ensuring every tribesman can contribute to a raid defence, not just the ones you've manually combat-equipped
How to Set It Up
Build the Weapon/Gear Rack
Unlock it in the tech tree (T key) and craft at the Building Workshop. Place it inside your base, ideally in a central location close to where tribesmen rest or patrol — they need to be able to reach it quickly when a raid triggers.
Open and Configure the Rack
Interact with the rack (E key) to open its configuration menu. You'll see slots for weapons and armour. Add the gear sets you want tribesmen to draw from during raids. You can configure different sets — for example, a sword + shield combination for melee defenders and a bow + arrows set for ranged fighters.
Stock It With Gear You Can Afford to Lose
Tribesmen pulling from the rack in a raid can die, losing whatever they equipped. Stock the rack with good-enough-to-fight gear rather than your best-in-slot equipment. Iron or Steel weapons are ideal — effective in combat but not irreplaceable. Keep your highest-tier gear in your personal inventory or a locked chest.
Still Manually Equip Your Dedicated Fighters
The Weapon/Gear Rack supplements your armed patrol tribesmen — it does not replace manual equipping for your core defenders. Your dedicated combat tribesmen should have their gear equipped directly in their inventory at all times. The rack is the safety net for workers and gatherers who would otherwise be defenceless during an unexpected raid.
Statue of God for Non-Fighters
Place Statues of God in your most defended inner area. Non-combat tribesmen (farmers, crafters, gatherers) automatically flee to the nearest Statue during raids, preventing them from being captured or killed by invaders.
Outpost Workers Are at Risk
Tribesmen working remote Logging Yards, Collection Yards, and Excavation Pits are targeted by Barbarians who specifically try to capture them. Always build walls and defensive traps around outpost perimeters before assigning workers there.
Use Possession for Dangerous Tasks
Take direct control of a tribesman (possess them via Mask) to handle dangerous scouting or boss encounters yourself while your main character sleeps safely at base. This keeps your chieftain off the front line when testing a new area.
Expand the Roster Cap
The initial Control Node allows only 3 tribesmen. Press Y to open the Mask Node Repair screen and invest Green Crystals into Connection Enhancement — upgrading to level 3 raises your personal cap to 53 followers. On multiplayer the shared tribe cap is 50 by default; server settings can raise this further.