Character Creation

Character Creation in SORC begins, at the table, by establishing a character's alignment based on their backstory and moral outlook. Alignment (Lawful, Evil, or Neutral) determines which classes a player can access. Once alignment is set, players select a race and class, then allocate Attributes using a combination of dice rolls and point spending. As characters level up, players repeat the attribute allocation process to unlock Talents, Skills, and Traits (TST), which are tracked through the character's sheets and online records. A character's Level (Ch. Lvl) is a single unified progression shared across all classes they adopt, leveling up at Ch. Lvl 15 unlocks the Ch. Lvl 15 Abilities in every class tree they've invested in. Know before beginning: SORC's levels are earned over months of real play by design, but a character is empowered from their very first session, see The Long Road on Page 4.

The character's inventory tracks items without Penalty up to encumbrance limits, and additional character pages allow for tracking personal history, relationships, and achievements. Each character is assigned a Unique ID for online tracking, trading, and achievements.

The character Sheet serves as a central record, displaying key details like background, mission, reputation, and standing, along with customizable elements such as Portraits, armor, and weapons. Customization of a character is also available online, via SORC Beyond. Open Character Customization

Utilizing SORC Beyond, Players can save and export their characters as images or printouts, and have options for high-resolution Portraits reflecting their character's identity. Character pages can be customized with images, background info, and logs of ongoing progress, quests, discoveries, and personal notes.

Character information is organized on two sheets designed to help players manage and develop their character effectively. The two official sheets that come with are the Character Sheet and the Lore Sheet.

Note: GMs have their own GM Sheet where they keep track of campaign data.

Character Sheet

Displays key details such as name, race, class, level, and vital Statistics.

Character Details

Birth

Player's Name, Nickname, Character Portrait or Photo, Age, Gender and a Character Unique Identification (UID) which is a random 5 unit number combination exclusive to players that choose to delve into SORC Beyond's online features.

Age

Characters do not begin at a single fixed age. At creation, choose a character's starting age from a range centered on their race's Starting Age, two years below it to two years above it, a five-year spread in total (see each race's entry, below, and the Lifespan, Starting Age, and Retirement Age table, pg. 6). A character must always be portrayed as an adult. Whatever age is chosen becomes the character's actual Beginning Age going forward, and every formula that references it, Retirement Age, and the Growth (Beginning Age + Years) requirement under Rank, pg. 4, uses this chosen number, shifting that character's entire age range accordingly.

Character UID

Character ID's are RNG numbers provided by our servers and no two ID's are alike, to avoid conflict between online Characters that have the same name and to keep track of acquisitions.

Race

Upon creation, characters will choose between 40 races and subraces from three size categories; Goliath, Standard and Small. See races below.

Alignment

A character's alignment is determined by their backstory and is chosen during character creation. SORC has three alignment paths: Lawful (bound by tradition, order, and divine authority), Evil (driven by ambition, primal instinct, or forbidden magic), and Neutral (flexible and pragmatic, unconstrained by either pole). Each background carries alignment elements that reflect the character's moral framework, and the GM uses these to assign the character's starting alignment. The chosen alignment filters which classes a character can access. Two classes are exclusively Lawful, Avenger and Overseer. Four classes are exclusively Evil, Doom Knight, Warlock, Witch, and Tyrant. The remaining ten classes accept any alignment. Alignment can shift during play through character actions, mission statements, and the Fallen/Risen mechanics, but at creation, it is their foundational choice. A character's current alignment position is tracked on the Alignment bar of their Character Sheet's Progression Tracker, a spectrum running Lawful, Neutral, Evil. Note: a falling or rising character whose alignment drifts to Neutral loses the ability to learn new Abilities from the class tree they are leaving. See Fallen and Risen Classes on Page 3.

Class

Choose between 16 distinct main class trees, each starting with a shared Tier before splitting into 3 Paths (48 total) and, further in, 3 Branches per Path (144 total)-all filtered by the chosen alignment. Characters can select multiple class trees freely, as long as they meet Trait prerequisites (for instance, the Strength needed to wield a 2H giant's sword in the Barbarian tree) and alignment requirements. A character's Level (Ch. Lvl) is unified across all trees they adopt, so when they reach Ch. Lvl 20, they unlock the Ch. Lvl 20 Abilities in every class they've taken Abilities from. Abilities grow more powerful the deeper into a tree a character climbs, not evenly, each one further in is a meaningful jump over the last. Only one class tree, ever, may reach its Ch. Lvl 30 Ability, the capstone, and the single most powerful one a character will ever wield. Any other tree they've invested in stops at its Ch. Lvl 29 Ability instead, one short of its own capstone. A character can divvy their picks across trees however they like, one tree capped at 30 and a second at 29, or spread thinner across several trees for diversity, but every weapon-specific Ability still requires its class's proper Armament readied to activate, same as Drawn Abilities (see Weapons Carried, pg. 4). Note: Only classes bound to a Higher Power (Lawful and Evil classes) can Fall or Rise at Growth 20, transitioning into unique new class trees with different mechanics and progression. See Fallen and Risen Classes on Page 3 for details. Classes are covered in detail below.

Innate Details

Character Details are solely role playing Elements and the amount of detail provided here, is entirely up to the Player.

Developing Details

Height, weight and frame, cultural style, crest, tattoos/marks/scars, facial features, eye color, hair color and style, skin tone, and voice tone. Not applicable (N/A) and Unknown (UKN) can be used to fill out any details at the players' discretion.

Inventory and Value

This is where Characters list the items they have on their person. They can hold as many items as the Player wishes, without a Penalty, as long as the total weight stays within 50% of their carry capacity. See Encumbrance for thresholds and penalties.

Characters may also keep items in their Home or on their land, if they rent or own it. Banks and vaults and storage are also good for safe keeping; However, each home has its own space threshold, see Home and Family Page below. Players can also bury or stash items, and log them into their journals.

Background

A character's background is their back story which has led them to the exact position of their current status, and the foundation of their alignment. Each background contains moral and ethical elements, whether Lawful, Evil, or Neutral, that define how the character views the world. Modules provide curated backgrounds for players to choose from, each with its alignment listed in that module's appendix (further discussed in the GM Codex), visible to the GM and the players alike, since it's going to be shared with the player anyway. Players select a background knowing its alignment upfront, rather than blind. Players can also create their own custom background with the GM, with alignment considered as part of that creation rather than assigned afterward in secret. Once a background is chosen or created, its alignment locks in at that same moment; it cannot be changed afterward. The GM confirms the character's alignment during character creation, before the player chooses their race and class, since both depend on it.

Backgrounds answer questions like: Were you a stowaway, runaway, escapee, or sent on a pilgrimage? How did the party find one another? What drives each character's worldview? And finally, what is your Alignment and the Mission Statement (see below) of the character? Characters may create a detailed version of their story in their Lore Sheet and Journal Pages.

Mission Statement

The Mission Statement defines a character's goals, values, and purpose. It is both a personal reminder of what the character stands for and a tool that can shift their alignment during play. A character's mission statement must align with their assigned alignment, an Evil-aligned background calls for a mission statement rooted in ambition, vengeance, vindictiveness, or similarly Evil-aligned intent; a Lawful background calls for one rooted in duty, order, or protection; a Neutral background allows a pragmatic or self-interested goal that fits neither pole. A character's starting mission statement is built into their background and initial alignment, but as they progress through modules and face moral choices, their mission statement may evolve. If a mission statement drifts significantly from a character's starting alignment, through accumulated choices, accumulated Boasted and Exposed Titles, or deliberate action, it may trigger Fallen or Risen mechanics beginning at their next Growth, escalating through Growth 20, and culminating in a complete transformation into a new class tree with unique Abilities. These transformations are tracked by the GM on the GM Sheet and by the player on the Alignment and Falling/Rising bars of their Character Sheet's Progression Tracker, and are detailed in the Fallen and Risen Classes section on Page 3. Be warned: once a falling or rising character's alignment reaches Neutral, they can no longer learn new Abilities from the class tree they are leaving. Mission statements do not need to be completed, they define a character's throughline, not a checklist. Every background and mission statement ties a character to other MAC in the world, and whether a player pursues, ignores, or completes their mission statement, that connection carries its own consequences and rewards, playing out before, during, and after any attempt at completion. Mission progress and changes are recorded in a character's Lore Sheet and Journal Pages. See also Growth and Character Level Progression, below, for how leveling interacts with character progression.

Attributes

Attributes govern raw capability, how physically powerful, resilient, perceptive, charming, animated, and the like a Character is. Traits, covered in the next section below, determine how Characters apply that capability under pressure.

Attributes are the innate capacities characters are born with that allow them to perform certain cognitive and physical tasks. Unlike Traits, Attributes begin at 0 by default, regardless of race and class, except where a race's Innate Trait Adjustments would otherwise put a Trait score above its aligned Attribute Score before play even begins. Because a TST score can never exceed its aligned Attribute Score (see Traits, below), a race with a positive innate Trait bonus begins with that Trait's aligned Attribute raised to match it, see Starting Attribute Floor on each race's entry. Attributes serve many purposes, including as prerequisites for gear, including Armaments and equipment, and to acquire talents, skills and Traits as well.

The seven Attributes; artistry, fortitude, intellect, perception, physique, resilience, and wisdom. Through their scores, purchased throughout progression, Attributes determine how strong a character is in a variety of areas, including; Abilities, talents, skills and Traits, referred to as Talents, Skills, and Traits (TST). Attribute Scores also serve as prerequisites and more.

The Seven Attributes

Attribute Development

To develop Attributes, starting at Level 0 (character creation) and again at every new Character Level (Ch. Lvl), players roll 1d6 9 times, discard the two lowest results, and assign the remaining 7 results as points to their respective slots in the Attribute Repository. At Level 0, all results are assigned and locked in, once finalized, the character advances to Ch. Lvl 1.

Each Attribute can be assigned a number of points between 1 and 6 in its respective Repository slot, and those REM Points are spent to purchase: the score of the Attribute (default 3 REM Points each), and/or talents, skills and Traits TST (default 2 REM Points each) aligned with that Attribute, OR saved as Remnants. The main purpose of Remnants is to hold left over REM Points that players weren't able to spend on Attributes and/or TST.

Before ending the progression process, anything left over is considered a REM Point and can be saved until the next level where the rolling and REM Point spending process is repeated. No REM Points need to be spent on Attribute Score; they can be saved as Remnants to be spent on items later in the game. Remnants allow players to save REM Points they could not spend and use them in future levels. Remnants may also be saved to spend on special items later in the game. Once a REM Point is spent to purchase an Attribute Score or TST, it cannot be refunded, it's locked in. There's no turning back.

Although there isn't a minimum (Attributes can be 0), characters may not apply more than 2 points of their roll results to any given Attribute at every level of progression. No Attribute may exceed a score of 50. For example, at level 2, an Attribute Score may be 0, but can be no higher than 4 before the process ends.

The Attribute cap of 50 is a theoretical maximum, achievable only by dedicating 2 points per level to one Attribute for 25 levels. Because each Attribute is individually capped at 50 and points are spread across all Attributes, most characters will have one high Attribute and the rest significantly lower, encouraging specialization. Players should expect most Attributes to fall between 12-25 unless they deliberately hyper-specialize.

Example, Kaida, Barbarian Mountaineer

Kaida's physique is capped at level 25. With 5 levels remaining, she can gain up to 10 more score in Resilience (2 per level x 5 levels). At level 30, remaining REM Points are spent on talents, skills, or Traits (TST).

It's important to note that TST scores cannot be above the score of their aligned Attribute. So if a character has a score of 1 in physique, the score of one of its aligned Traits Strength may not be greater than 1. This keeps Attribute Scores relatively low because they are often used as modifiers.

Diagram 1 shows the Repository with the roll results and where the player assigned them.

Each score for an Attribute costs 3 REM Points with a score cap of 2 per level. Each TST, aligned to the Attribute, costs 2 REM Points. One example of a Trait alignment to an Attribute is the Trait Agility, which is aligned to the Attribute Physique.

Diagram 2 shows the Repository with the above roll results assigned to Attribute Score, held in the score results to spend on that, and saved as remnants where they can be spent later.

Above lets examine Artistry. The player assigned a roll of 6 to Artistry, purchased a score of 1 in the Attribute Artistry which cost 3 of the 6, kept 2 in the roll result to purchase one TST (whether it's a talent, skill or Trait) at a cost of 2, for a total of five spent and has 1 left over as a REM Point for the next Ch. Lvl. 3 + 2 + 1 = 6, which is the assigned roll value.

Let's examine Fortitude next. Here the max score of 2 was placed into the actual fortitude score, costing all 6 REM Points assigned as the FRT roll result. Although the player may not spend any REM Points on TST, because each score costs 3 REM Points, the character can use the score of 2 as a prerequisite and modifier during their adventures.

Intellect, Resilience and Perception were all results of 1 and were both placed as Remnants. Looking at Wisdom, all 4 REM Points were allocated to the remnant slot of the Repository. These Remnants can be spent on special items later, or with caps and minimums in play, spent on Wisdom and its aligned TST.

Players first need a score of 1 in any Attribute before purchasing any TST aligned to it because 1 is the †default prerequisite for purchasing TST. The default price for any TST is 2 REM Points. Again a TST score cannot exceed its aligned Attribute Score, so with that score of 1, a character can go no higher than 1 for any TST aligned to it. There isn't a maximum of TST types though, so with enough REM Points (Remnants), a character could have any number of TST with a score of, in this case 1.

Players have the freedom to allocate REM Points according to their preferences. These REM Points can enhance athletic or cognitive talents, attack and Protection Abilities such as evasion, Traits like strength and agility, allowing for a customized character build.

Notes to the GM, Using Attribute Scores

GMs are provided with detailed guidelines within campaign modules but may also use Attribute Score at their discretion, for example, when adventures go off-script, or when applying homebrew rules or Unique story elements.

Talents (TST)

Talents are specialized actions that characters acquire from their chosen Talent Trees. These actions come into play when characters encounter interactive challenges in the game world. A Scout may carve a branch into a tool or guide the party along a safer route. An Olympiad might leap across a chasm. A Hacker could manipulate security systems or decipher complex codes. A Thief might pick locks or stealthily pocket items with precision.

To access a talent from a Talent Tree, characters must first align themselves with that tree. Each alignment grants specialized gear that characters must carry to effectively use their talents. Players select talents during Character Creation, and these actions can be enhanced with each Ch. Lvl gained. Talent scores are capped at 45. REM Points spent on talent scores cannot exceed the score of the aligned Attribute.

Additional talent trees are released with each module and its expansions. See pg. 7 for a list of all available talent trees.

Talents are specific learned skills, Sneak, Sprint, Jump, Hack, Disarm Trap, and others. The talent score is the bonus factored into d100 rolls, and Attribute prerequisites must be met for acquisition. For example, a Sprint talent score of 3 requires Physique 3 as its prerequisite, when sprinting, the character adds 3 squares (15 ft.) to their base movement. The Agility Trait score also stacks, adding further to that sprint roll.

Talents are accessed through proficiency tiers, see Proficiency Tiers below.

Skills (TST)

Skills are specialized abilities directly tied to a character's chosen profession and form the backbone of their craftsmanship. Each profession provides access to a unique set of skills, allowing characters to perform intricate tasks, forging weapons, preparing elaborate meals, crafting potent remedies, that define their role and expertise within the game world.

Professions are unlocked by initially investing 2 REM Points, enabling REM Point allocation to skills during creation and progression. Skill scores are capped at 45. Skills progress through tiers (Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, Artisan, Master, Grandmaster), each requiring aptitude points. Success with skills relies on experience, appropriate tools, recipes, materials, and often a workshop.

Additional professions are released with each module and its expansions. See pg. 7 for a list of all available professions.

Skills are accessed through proficiency tiers, see Proficiency Tiers below.

Crafting Resolution

Crafting is resolved through a d100 skill check against a Difficulty Score (DIFS) set by the GM. The DIFS depends on the item's complexity, rarity tier, and required quality. A character rolls d100, adds their relevant skill score plus any aligned Attribute modifiers, and compares the total to the DIFS.

Crafting Check Formula: d100 + Skill Score + Attribute Modifier vs. DIFS

The Attribute modifier used depends on the specific skill, for example, a Blacksmith check might use Strength or Intellect, a Jeweler check uses Artistry or Intellect, and an Herbalist check uses Wisdom or Perception. The skill card or GM determines which Attribute applies.

Difficulty by Rarity: The GM may use the following as a baseline, or adjust based on complexity:

• Common: DIFS 40-50 (straightforward, well-understood designs)
• Uncommon: DIFS 55-65 (moderately complex, requires precision)
• Rare: DIFS 70-80 (intricate, demands mastery)
• Unique and above: DIFS 85+ (exceptional, near-legendary difficulty)

Success Outcomes: On a successful check, the character creates the intended item. The quality matches the rarity tier if the check was within normal success range. A critical success (96-100 roll) may grant a bonus property or improved quality tier. On a failure, the character wastes materials and time, or creates a flawed version (determined by the GM).

Resources Required: Crafting requires appropriate tools, a workspace (workshop, forge, etc.), materials, and time. All three must be available, missing any prevents the craft attempt. The time required varies by item complexity and is noted on each skill card or recipe.

Material Cost: The cost of materials is separate from the character's gold, materials are consumed during crafting. A failed craft consumes the materials but produces nothing of value. A successful craft consumes materials and produces the finished item.

Endurance and Crafting: Crafting is not combat and does not consume Stamina or Mana per turn. However, extended crafting sessions consume Endurance based on duration and physical intensity. Light crafting (jewelry, enchanting) may consume 1 Endurance per hour. Intensive crafting (blacksmithing, armor-making) may consume 2-3 Endurance per hour. The GM determines consumption based on the task. A character cannot engage in crafting if they lack sufficient Endurance for the planned duration.

Hobbies

Hobbies define a character outside of their Class, Reputation, Profession, and other systems. A hobbyist is never paid for their hobby, full stop, they pursue it purely for self-gratification, relaxation, and the chance to work in their own personal style, not for coin or commission. A character can still hold the same subject as an actual paid Profession, a Blacksmith who also hammers out trinkets on the side for no one but themselves is both at once, but the hobby side of that never earns a wage; the moment coin changes hands, it's the Profession doing the work, not the hobby. A hobby can come from a character's own background or culture, or be picked up from someone else's entirely, and it can come up during downtime while the player isn't the one at the table, or get woven directly into play itself. Like an archetype, a hobby says something about who a character is, and many carry a small, thematically appropriate benefit tied to what the hobby actually trains, though never as significant as a Talent, Skill, or dedicated Profession.

For example, a Performer used to holding a crowd's attention may find that same instinct sharpens their Deceit when bluffing. A Collector who has spent years cataloguing curiosities may be quicker to Appraise an item's true worth. A GM is free to grant a small, situational bonus like this when a character's hobby genuinely applies, it's a narrative hook first and a mechanical nudge second.

Many hobbyists travel with a memento or two related to their hobby, even mid-adventure. A pipe collector rarely goes anywhere without at least one pipe in their pack, a card player without a deck, and so on, small, personal items that take up little room but say a lot about who's carrying them.

A hobby's advantage isn't always a quiet one. A Pipe Smoker can blow a lungful of smoke into an opponent's face to catch them off guard mid-fight, no different in spirit than the Deceit a Performer leans on when bluffing. A Knitter who spins their own clothes from raw materials may turn out something genuinely fine, but the rules forbid selling it, the moment a hobby-made piece is sold for coin, it stops being a hobby and starts being a Profession, and that's not what the hobby was for.

Performer

Collecting

A Collector gathers a particular category of object obsessively, cataloguing and comparing pieces for the sheer love of the set. Years spent at it sharpens their eye for a thing's true worth when Appraising. A real collection needs somewhere to live, a home, a wagon, a vault, or a hiding place the collector marks themselves (a Wayfarer's Mark Spot ability works well for this), beyond what a character can carry on their person within their encumbrance limit. The category is the character, a few examples:

• Stein Collector
• Tobacco Pipe Collector
• Watch Collector
• Trophy Collector
• Coin Collector
• Curio Collector
• Bottle Collector
• Map Collector
• Key Collector
• Gemstone Collector
• Feather Collector
• Seashell Collector
• Arrowhead Collector
• Medal Collector
• Mask Collector
• Doll Collector
• Miniature Collector
• Stamp Collector
• Book Collector
• Button Collector
• Weapon Replica Collector

Crafting and Making

• Carver - whittles wood into small trinkets, toys, or figures, purely for the craft of it, no coin involved.
• Knitter
• Whittler
• Basket Weaver
• Quilter
• Origami Folder
• Model Builder
• Candle Maker
• Soap Maker
• Rope Worker
• Embroiderer
• Calligrapher
• Hobby Potter
• Hobby Leatherworker
• Hobby Glassblower
• Gadgeteer
• Weaver
• Bookbinder
• Hobby Jeweler
• Toy Maker

Games and Wagering

• Card Player - always carries a deck, always up for a hand, win or lose.
• Gambler - can't resist a wager, cards, dice, or a bet on which raindrop reaches the sill first.
• Dice Player
• Riddler - collects riddles and puzzles the way others collect coins, and can't resist posing one mid-conversation.
• Board Gamer
• Arm Wrestler
• Knife Thrower
• Darts Player
• Sporting Wrestler

Outdoor and Nature

• Stone Skipper - can't pass still water without testing it, an old habit of finding the flattest stone and counting the skips.
• Wanderer - restless feet, always looking past the next hill just to see what's there.
• Stargazer - can name constellations most people have never noticed, and always knows which way is north.
• Birdwatcher - can identify a bird from a call alone, and has strong, mostly unwelcome opinions about which are the best.
• Gardener
• Hobby Beekeeper
• Hobby Forager
• Mountain Climber
• Cave Explorer
• Tide-Pooler
• Tree Climber
• Camper

Social and Storytelling

• Storyteller - never tells a tale the same way twice, and never lets the truth get in the way of a good one.
• Tavern Regular - knows every barkeep's name in a five-town radius, and every barkeep knows theirs.
• Singer
• Dancer
• Joke Teller
• Poet
• Toastmaster
• Matchmaker

Intellectual and Lore

• Book Worm - reads everything they can get their hands on, whether or not it's useful.
• Cartographer - sketches every place they've been into a personal map, useless to anyone but them, priceless all the same.
• Curio Hunter - hunts oddities, cursed trinkets, strange mechanisms, anything nobody can explain, for the thrill of finding it, not the profit of selling it.
• Amateur Historian
• Hobby Linguist
• Genealogist
• Cipher Enthusiast
• Debater

Habits and Small Vices

• Pipe Smoker - rarely without a pipe, real or unlit, the ritual matters as much as the smoke.
• Snuff Taker
• Tattoo Collector
• Tea Ceremony Keeper

Physical and Competitive

• Racer - can't resist a footrace, a wagon race, a dare to reach the tree line first.
• Juggler
• Tumbler
• Recreational Swimmer
• Sporting Archer
• Stone Lifter
• Tug-of-War Enthusiast

Animals

• Pet Keeper
• Hobby Falconer
• Insect Collector
• Hobby Horse Groomer

Odds and Ends

• Pack Rat - can't walk past something interesting without pocketing it, junk to anyone else, treasure to them.
• Doodler - sketches whatever's in front of them, a face, a building, a battle plan, mostly on scraps no one else will see.
• Graffiti Artist
• Ghost Story Collector
• Superstition Keeper
• Weather Predictor

Proficiency Tiers (Talents and Skills)

Talents and skills are organized into proficiency tiers. To access talents or skills within a tier, players must first spend REM Points to open that tier. Tiers must be unlocked in order, players cannot skip ahead. A talent or skill score cannot exceed its aligned Attribute score.

Proficiency Tier Cap

No tier may exceed a total accumulated score of 79 across all talents and skills within it. The individual cap is 45, this means one talent or skill may be fully maxed, leaving up to 34 points for the rest. This encourages diversity rather than stacking everything into a single entry.

Advancing to the Next Tier

To unlock the next tier, the total accumulated score across all talents and skills in the current tier must meet the advancement threshold.

Example, Advancing Through Novice (Olympiad Talent Tree, PHY Aligned)

Level 1: The player rolls a 6 and assigns it to their PHY slot. They spend 3 REM Points on PHY(1) and 2 REM Points to open the Novice tier in Olympiad, saving 1 Remnant.

Level 2: Another roll of 6 assigned to PHY. Combined with the saved Remnant, they have 7 REM Points. They spend 3 REM Points on PHY(2) and 2 REM Points on a Novice talent (score 1), saving 2 Remnants. Novice total score: 1.

Level 3: Roll of 6 assigned to PHY plus 2 saved Remnants gives 8 REM Points. They spend 3 REM Points on PHY(3) and raise 2 more Novice talent scores at 2 REM Points each, saving 1 Remnant. Novice total score: 3.

Level 4: Roll of 6 assigned to PHY gives 6 REM Points plus saved Remnant (7 total). They spend 3 REM Points on PHY(4) and use the remaining 4 REM Points on 2 more Novice talent scores. Novice total score: 5.

Following this pattern, rolling well and focusing on one Attribute, the player reaches the Apprentice threshold of 10 around level 6-7, at which point they spend 3 REM to open Apprentice. A balanced character investing across multiple Attributes will reach Apprentice closer to level 10-12.

Note: Grandmaster tier is near end-game for proficiency. Refer to GM Codex for expanded proficiency rules, full talent trees, and profession skill lists.

Traits (TST)

Note: Apex raises the Vitality cap (added as a flat bonus alongside Base, Level, and Trait scaling), Spirit governs recovery rate. They are covered under Vitality above and are not Traits.

Introduction to Traits: In the world of Essentia, Traits are essential capabilities that Characters utilize to navigate challenges, resist damage, and assert dominance in combat. Traits are a variety of different special actions that include survival, delegation and mitigation. Different from talents, which are more or less non-combat actions, and different from skills which are profession related, so players have many ways to empower their characters.

Traits are closely aligned with talents and combat Abilities that are associated with the same Attribute. For example, Traits linked to physique will influence talents related to physical strength and agility, while Traits associated with intellect will impact mental skills and resistance. This alignment ensures that a character's proficiency in talents and combat maneuvers is influenced by their Traits and the corresponding Attributes, creating a cohesive system where core qualities directly impact specialized skills.

Each Trait embodies a particular aspect of a character's capabilities, both in resisting harm and in gaining offensive advantages. These Traits reflect core qualities that influence both defensive resilience and offensive potential, often working in tandem with talents and Abilities aligned with the same Attribute.

Each Trait operates on its own mechanics. Example: at default; Rolling D100, Luck's roll is 1d4 + x; where x is Luck's score; Luck (1) is 1d4 + 1, Luck (2) is 1d4 + 2 and so on. Stacking with other Traits (like Defense rolls), Basic Hits, Skills, and Talents adding to d100 when rolling vs. DIFS, and other probability-based outcomes like loot (refer to other Traits in this section for their respective mechanics details). Agility adds to martial ranged hit and crit, PROTS, Initiative and other movement factors. Strength drives melee attack rolls, damage, grapple checks, and carry capacity, and its score is added as a bonus to melee Critical Hits. Dexterity triggers on craftsmanship, intricate and tedious tasks such as mechanical trap avoidance and disassembly, guile checks, and quick strikes with offhand martial weapons, with physical fluidity assisting sneaks, fall damage, and off balance or falling penalty absorption. Willpower resists mind effects and its score is added as a bonus to spell Critical Hits. Charisma rolls against a DIFS in social interactions. Defense requires qualifying gear and rolls d100 + score against the attacker's hit roll with all modifiers. Each functions independently. Some Traits stack with others...

Later we'll learn about the racial statistic, Versatility. Although not a Trait itself, Versatility adjusts each Trait's Score at various periods of gameplay. Refer to Playable Races for more on Versatility.

Mechanics

Traits serve primarily as modifiers to d100 rolls, adding bonuses or penalties to attack rolls, defense rolls, skill checks, and any other d100 action aligned to that Trait. When a character is subjected to damage, effects, or combat actions, the GM calls for a Trait Check. The player rolls d100, adds their Trait score, and compares the total to the Difficulty Score (DIFS).

Trait Checks require no action and no Stamina cost. They apply automatically when the GM calls for them, adding the flat Trait score to, or subtracting it from, a d100 roll against the DIFS. Defensive Traits add directly to a character's Protection Score (PROTS). Trait scores can be negative, particularly from racial starting values, an Ogre begins at -5 Wit, for example. Innate negative Traits can still be improved through development, but the deficit must be overcome first, reaching +1 Wit from -5 requires a Wit score of 6. Some defensive Traits, such as Parry, also require qualifying equipment to activate.

• Success: The character resists the effect or enhances their attack.
• Failure: The effect or damage proceeds normally, or the offensive benefit is not gained.

Note: Trait scores are capped at 25. Traits are used for survival and mitigating harm, additional offense and defense, and other interactions. A TST score cannot exceed its aligned Attribute Score. A character must have at least a score of 1 in an Attribute before purchasing aligned TST (default cost: 2 REM Points each).

To the reader: Think of Attributes as building blocks and Traits as the things the character can do with those blocks.

1. Agility
   Description: Represents quickness, balance, and speed.
   Application: Resistance to martial ranged attacks, balance disruptions, and speed-based effects. Bonus to martial ranged attack rolls and damage. Agility score is added as a bonus to martial ranged Critical Hits.
   ATT: PHY
   Defensive, Lira has PROTS 62. Her Agility score is 5. PROTS 62 + 5 = 67. The attacker rolls 63. Miss. Offensive, Lira rolls D100: 68 + Agility 5 = 73 vs DIFS 70. Hit. Negative, Grommak the Ogre has Agility -3. PROTS 58 + (-3) = 55. The attacker rolls 60. Hit.
2. Strength
   Description: Embodies brute force, physical power, and intimidation.
   Application: Bonus to melee attack rolls with two-handed and main-hand weapons, damage, and grapple checks. Strength score is added as a bonus to melee Critical Hits. Increased damage output and control in melee combat; can be used to intimidate or push opponents. Each positive point of Strength adds 15 lbs to base carry capacity, see Encumbrance (below) for how carry weight affects movement and combat.
   ATT: PHY
   Offensive, Darro rolls D100: 55 + Strength 6 = 61 vs DIFS 60. Grapple success. Negative, Gnomes begin at -5 Strength. Darro's Gnome ally rolls D100: 48 + (-5) = 43 vs DIFS 50. Grapple fails.
3. Courage
   Description: Represents mental bravery and resolve, helping resist fear, intimidation, and mental control.
   Application: Bonus to resist fear effects, intimidation attempts, and mental domination. Reduce effects of fear and intimidation.
   ATT: FRT
   Defensive, Vex rolls D100: 61 + Courage 4 = 65 vs DIFS 60. Holds steady. Negative, A character at -2 Courage rolls D100: 57 + (-2) = 55 vs DIFS 60. Fails, routed by fear.
4. Constitution
   Description: Physical body integrity and cellular resilience, reflecting how well a character's body sustains and builds Life over time.
   Application: Constitution score is added to Life gained each level. Also extends the negative Life threshold before rejuvenation is required, threshold = -(10 + Constitution score).
   ATT: PHY
   Passive, Mira has Constitution 4. Each level, her Life increases by her level gain + 4. Her negative Life threshold is -14.
5. Vigilance
   Description: Reflects awareness, perception, and alertness, allowing characters to detect surprises and environmental hazards.
   Application: Bonus to perception checks, awareness, and avoiding environmental dangers. Better detection of hazards, traps, and ambushes.
   ATT: PER
   Defensive, Kael rolls D100: 58 + Vigilance 6 = 64 vs DIFS 60. Spots the pressure plate trap. Negative, Grommak the Ogre is at -2 Vigilance. D100: 55 + (-2) = 53 vs DIFS 60. Fails, Grommak steps on it.
6. Intuition
   Description: Represents a character's instinctive sense for danger, hidden truths, or upcoming events. Allows characters to make quick judgments, anticipate enemy moves, and sense deception or traps before they are fully revealed.
   Application: Bonus to perception checks for sensing danger, detecting lies, or noticing subtle clues that indicate hidden threats or deception, helping avoid ambushes and traps.
   ATT: PER
   Defensive, Nira rolls D100: 60 + Intuition 5 = 65 vs DIFS 62. Senses the ambush before it springs and warns the party.
7. Dexterity
   Description: Represents hand-eye coordination, guile, and craftsmanship. Precision behind fine motor tasks, physical fluidity, and intricate work.
   Application: Bonus to craftsmanship, intricate and tedious tasks such as; mechanical trap avoidance and disassembly, guile checks, and quick strikes with offhand martial weapons, as well as physical fluidity assisting with sneaks, fall damage, and off balance or falling penalty absorption.
   ATT: ART
   Offensive, Nira rolls D100: 61 + Dexterity 5 = 66 vs DIFS 65. Picks the lock cleanly. Note: Parry requires a qualifying weapon or bracers to activate.
8. Deceit
   Description: Focuses on deception, mimicking death, and trickery to mislead opponents.
   Application: Bonus to deception checks, feints, and mimicking death. Use deception to create openings or manipulate Hostile Creatures.
   ATT: ART
   Offensive, Vex rolls D100: 55 + Deceit 4 = 59 vs DIFS 60. Falls short, the enemy doesn't buy the feint. Defensive, Vex tries again: D100: 58 + 4 = 62 vs DIFS 62. Meets exactly, the guard is distracted long enough.
9. Resistance
   Description: Represents protection against Spells and magic, including elemental damage.
   Application: Bonus to resist Spell damage, magical effects, and their mitigation checks. Resistance type is given to races innately or chosen by the player. For instance, Arctic Dwarves innately have +3 ice resistance but -5 to fire.
   ATT: RES
   Defensive, Tira has PROTS 60. Her Resistance score is 7. PROTS 60 + 7 = 67. The mage's spell roll is 65. Miss. Negative, An Ogre at -1 Resistance: PROTS 62 + (-1) = 61. Mage rolls 65. Hit.
10. Toughness
    Description: Represents the outer physical protection of a character, tough skin, dense muscles, and strong bones. Adds an Armor Score bonus equal to the Toughness score, providing additional protection against physical damage and penetrating attacks.
    Application: Used by unarmored or lightly armored characters. Bonus to absorbing initial damage and resisting penetrating attacks.
    ATT: PHY
    Defensive, Darro rolls D100: 63 + Toughness 5 = 68 vs DIFS 65. Absorbs the blow with no penetrating effect. Offensive, Darro rolls D100: 66 + 5 = 71 vs DIFS 70. Breaks through the barricade.
11. Grit
    Description: Raw physical toughness that anchors a character against disruptive forces and combat conditions.
    Application: Rolls d100 + Grit score against DIFS when subjected to stun, knockback, or knockdown effects.
    ATT: PHY
    Defensive, Darro is hit by a shockwave. D100: 58 + Grit 6 = 64 vs DIFS 60. Holds his ground, no knockback.
12. Vigor
    Description: Physical endurance and bodily resilience against harmful substances and conditions.
    Application: Rolls d100 + Vigor score against DIFS when subjected to poison, disease, venom, or ongoing bleeding effects.
    ATT: FRT
    Defensive, Mira rolls D100: 47 + Vigor 3 = 50 vs DIFS 55. Fails, the poison takes hold and Mira begins taking ongoing damage.
13. Willpower
    Description: Mental determination and the ability to resist intellectual mind control, temptation, and confusion.
    Application: Bonus to resist mental influence, temptation, and confusion. Maintain mental clarity and resistance to mind effects. Willpower score is added as a bonus to spell Critical Hits.
    ATT: INT
    Defensive, Vex rolls D100: 70 + Willpower 6 = 76 vs DIFS 75. Resists the charm spell. Negative, An Ogre at -2 Willpower rolls D100: 65 + (-2) = 63 vs DIFS 75. Charmed.
14. Wit
    Description: Mental resilience, sharp perception, and the ability to avoid deception or complex traps.
    Application: Bonus to perception checks, trap detection, and mental defenses. Use wit to deceive or manipulate opponents.
    ATT: INT
    Defensive, Kael rolls D100: 58 + Wit 5 = 63 vs DIFS 60. Spots the merchant's scam before paying. Negative, Ogres begin at -5 Wit. D100: 62 + (-5) = 57 vs DIFS 60. Fails, pays double.
15. Piety
    Description: Embodies a character's devotion, reverence, and moral integrity toward their deity, sacred principles, or spiritual path. It reflects their commitment to their faith through acts of worship, moral conduct, and spiritual discipline. Characters with high Piety often gain divine favor, protection, and influence, while those with low Piety may lack spiritual resilience or be more susceptible to dark influences.
    Application: Use Piety to resist divine corruption, dark curses, or malevolent holy magic. Roll against effects that threaten spiritual integrity or invoke divine wrath, gaining bonuses when defending against holy or divine effects.
    ATT: WIS
16. Knowledge
    Description: Represents the depth of a character's learning and understanding, such as facts, history, theory, and accumulated experience.
    Application: Bonus to skill checks involving lore, history, magical theory, technical expertise, and experience-based tasks. Characters with higher Knowledge gain increased experience rewards for tasks that grant experience.
    ATT: WIS
17. Luck
    Description: Represents chance and fortune, allowing for various amounts of extra chances in both combat and non-combat situations.
    Application: Luck rolls 1d4 and adds the Luck score to the result, 4% (d4) + Luck score, stacking with basic Hit, Defense rolls, all Trait checks, Skills, Talents, all DIFS, and probability-based outcomes like loot drops and crafting. Luck does not stack with ability-based hit rolls. On tied Initiative, Luck is used as a tiebreaker. See More on Luck below.
    ATT: PER
18. Charisma
    Description: Represents a character's personal magnetism, leadership, and ability to influence others. Charisma affects social interactions, persuasion, intimidation, and the ability to rally allies or manipulate opponents. Contributes to narrative advantages in roleplay scenarios.
    Application: Bonus to social rolls involving persuasion, intimidation, or deception. Both offensive and defensive: use Charisma to sway or demoralize opponents, or to inspire allies in Critical moments.
    ATT: ART
19. Defense
    Description: Defense type is determined by the character's approach to avoiding harm, Parry requires a 2H Weapon, Bracers of Defense, or Dual Wield (melee only, excludes orbs, tomes, special items, and environmental objects), Block requires a Shield, and Dodge requires light armor and speed.
    Application: When attacked, a character who has learned the Defense Trait and has at least one qualifying item equipped may roll Defense, d100 + Defense trait score against the attacker's hit roll including all modifiers. Meet or exceed the attacker's roll and the defense succeeds. Fall short and the attack lands. Characters without the Defense Trait or qualifying gear cannot use Defense.
    ATT: PHY
20. Focus
    Description: The ability to concentrate and maintain ongoing focus through tense situations requiring multiple actions or turns, channeling Spells, disabling traps under pressure, or performing complex tasks.
    Application: Bonus to maintaining concentration on complex tasks, Spellcasting, or disabling traps. Reduces the chance of losing focus due to distractions or damage. Also see Panic Engine.
    ATT: INT

Additional Considerations

• Limitations: Trait Checks have no usage limit. Specific abilities may have per-encounter or per-day restrictions as noted in their descriptions.
• Synergy & Development: Traits can be combined or specialized over time, allowing characters to customize their Abilities and tactical options.
• Inheritance & Acquisition: Traits may be inherited through race or acquired via class, profession, or experience to foster growth and specialization.

More on Luck

Luck (LCK) is advanced just like other Traits. At character creation (Level 0), players assign an initial Luck score. During each Ch. Lvl, players can invest additional points until reaching the cap of 25. Once a Trait reaches 25, no further points can be allocated to it, any REM Points that would have gone to Luck are saved as Remnants instead.

Luck and Outcome Probability: Luck rolls 1d4 and adds the Luck score to the result, expressed as 4% (d4) + Luck score. Luck stacks with basic Hit rolls, Defense rolls, all Trait checks, Skills, Talents, and all DIFS. Luck does not stack with ability-based hit rolls. On tied Initiative, Luck is used as a tiebreaker. For probability-based outcomes, loot drops, crafting success, and similar checks, the d4 result represents up to 4% and the Luck score is added on top. The final probability of any outcome cannot exceed 100%.

Note: The maximum Luck score is capped at 25, consistent with all other Trait scores.

Luck Cap and Application: Luck does not influence outcomes with a base probability of 0%, unless the GM explicitly decides otherwise. When multiple effects modify probabilities, combine all results first, then cap at 100%.

GM Discretion: Some outcomes or story events may be designated as unaffected by Luck, at the GM's discretion. For more details, see the SorC Probability Loot, Crafting, and Discovery System.

Example, To the GM: Creating a Level 30 Divine Wild Chimassu

Utilizing the rules found in SORC's GM Codex, on Species and Rank, this Chimassu's Innate Traits started as a Hawkbear of the same species and size. Hawkbear Innate Traits, the closest playable race to the Chimassu because both are Goliath-sized hybrid creatures combining two distinct animal forms, sharing the same fusion of brute physical power and aerial agility.

The character begins with three negative traits. Before any growth can happen in Wit, Deceit, and Piety, REM Points must first be spent just climbing back to zero. Climbing out of negatives costs the same 2 REM Points per score point. Wit: 2 REM Points x 2 = 4 REM Points just to reach 0. Deceit: 2 REM Points x 2 = 4 REM Points just to reach 0. Piety: 2 REM Points x 1 = 2 REM Points just to reach 0. Total: 10 REM Points spent before any real growth in those traits. Averaging 28 REM Points per level x 30 levels = 840 total REM Points, minus 10 REM Points climbing out of negatives = 830 REM Points to work with.

840 - 608 = 232 Remnant Points (REM Points). Those Remnants reflect the randomness of 30 levels of rolling. A Divine rank Chimassu would have used these to push remaining attributes and traits even higher, or saved them as a GM resource for special abilities befitting its Divine status.

Vitality

The Vitality System in Slayers of Rings & Crowns encapsulates a character's life force, magical energy, immediate stamina, and long-term endurance, all tracked via stackable Chips, representing one unit of Vitality gained or lost. These core resources, Life (life), Mana (magic energy), Stamina (physical energy), and Endurance (daily energy), are color-coded and begin with base amounts determined by the character's size category. Each Vitality resource grows per level and is further boosted by Apex. Recovery rate is set by Spirit, both are explained below.

Apex

Apex adds a flat bonus equal to the Apex score to all four Vitality resources, Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance. Apex is developed through standard REM Point spending (2 REM Points per score point) and is bounded by the character's Wisdom Attribute score, Apex cannot exceed Wisdom. Apex is capped at 25 through standard progression. Vitality can be raised further through Relic quests, players may find Relics as whole pieces or fragments during these quests. Relic fragments can be combined into a whole Relic. Full Relic rules are covered in the GM Codex.

Spirit

Spirit determines Vitality recovery rate, how fast Life, Mana, and Stamina regenerate. Between every turn, each point of Spirit recovers 1 chip of Life, Mana, and Stamina. This applies at all times, in combat, out of combat, and during rest. Spirit stacks with any tactic or spell that recovers Vitality. This regeneration counters the Stamina and Mana costs from TST, Spells, and movement (see Stamina and Mana Costs under Actions). Spirit is developed through standard REM Point spending and is bounded by the Wisdom Attribute score.

Larger races begin with higher Life and Stamina but lower Mana, their mass favors physical endurance over magical capacity. Smaller races begin with higher Mana but lower Life and Stamina, reflecting a natural affinity for magical energy over brute resilience. Standard-sized races begin with balanced amounts across all four. Base values for each size category are listed under Playable Races (pg. 2). Race-specific innate traits, Attributes, and class bonuses modify these base values further.

Resource consumption occurs through actions like attacking, Spellcasting, and moving. Combat abilities cost Stamina, base cost is 2 Stamina chips, with each ability's cost listed on its card. Spells cost Mana, base cost is 2 Mana chips, with each spell's cost listed on its card. Both also cost at least 1 action. Life, Mana, and Stamina regenerate via Spirit between every turn. Endurance is spent by every action taken across the day and resets at the start of each day. Each Vitality resource has its own score, called a Vitality Score (VIT Score), tracked through Chips. Each VIT Score is individually determined by its Extent, which is the number of Chips that Vitality is capped at.

Vitality Progression

Each Vitality resource grows every level. Life increases by 18 per level, plus the character's Constitution score. Mana increases by 12 per level, plus the character's Wit score. Stamina increases by 12 per level, plus the character's Willpower score. Endurance increases by 11 per level. These rates are consistent across all sizes, size differences are reflected in the base values. Total Vitality = Base + (level x per-level rate) + Trait modifier per level + Apex. Relic attunement can further raise Vitality beyond standard progression. Relics can be discovered through special missions or found during Relic quests, often long Elite chain quests delivered to powerful Attuners in hard to reach areas.

Character Progression: Growth, Character Level and Rank

In SORC, a character advances along three separate tracks that move at different speeds, Growth, Character Level, and Rank. This section is a summary of each; see the GM Codex, Ch. II, for the full tables, schedules, and procedures.

Growth

Growth is a character's maturity and aging, measured in Eons of Adoria (EA), or "years" (see Time, above). Growth is purely time-based, there is no experience or XP involved. A character ages every year they're played, but Growth itself doesn't arrive every year: the wait grows each time, with each Growth requiring one more year than the last (Growth 1 at year 1, Growth 2 at year 3, Growth 3 at year 6, and so on). Every Growth increases a character's Vitality (Life, Mana, Stamina, Endurance). Because the wait keeps growing and Retirement is a hard 40-year cap for every race (see Mortality, Immortality, and Retirement, above), Growth 8 is about as far as most characters will ever reach. Drawn Ability picks run on their own separate, flat schedule, see Drawn Abilities, pg. 7. See the GM Codex, Ch. II, for the full Growth table and the year-tracking procedure.

Character Level

Character Level (Ch. Lvl) is where a build actually takes shape, it governs REM Point spending on Attribute Scores and Talents, Skills, and Traits (TST), and grants Ability (Tactics/Spells) picks from a character's class tree(s), one pick at each Ch. Lvl and a second at the halfway point toward the next Ch. Lvl (see Slots and Prerequisites, Basic Rules pg. 3, and Character Level XP Progression, GM Codex Ch. II, for the exact halfway-point XP math). A new character reaches Ch. Lvl 1 almost immediately, and each class tree offers exactly 30 Slots worth of Abilities, ending at Ch. Lvl 30 (see When the Class Tree Runs Out, below). Table talk will often shorten this to just "Level," but it always means Ch. Lvl unless Growth is specified. See the GM Codex, Ch. II, for the full XP table.

Rank

Rank is measured by Rank Points (RP) and reflects a hero's reputation and achievements, advancing through Pauper, Peasant, Commoner, Adventurer, Hero, Uber, Elite, and Legend. NPCs, Companions, and armaments carry matching ranks (Common through Divine), and characters cannot access content or equip items above their own Rank, higher-ranked threats and areas aren't secret, but they block off as obstacles (guards, sealed gates, terrain too dangerous to cross) rather than content a character can engage or loot, and they can still turn dangerous if they challenge the character first. Advancing to each Rank tier requires two prerequisites, met independently of RP and of each other: a minimum Ch. Lvl, and a minimum Growth (Beginning Age + Years), the character's own chosen Beginning Age (see Age, pg. 2) plus a fixed number of years for that tier. Because Beginning Age is itself a 5-year range chosen at creation, every rank's actual age requirement is a range too, not a single number, see the Human and Yawnie examples below. Neither prerequisite shares any progression with Growth's own Vitality/Ability track or with Ch. Lvl's build-out, they are just gates a character's numbers have to clear. A GM may simulate a character's Ch. Lvl and Growth (Age) to start a campaign partway in, but Rank must always be earned, it can never be simulated. Retirement Age doesn't move for a simulated character either, so pushing Growth (Age) forward spends real time out of that character's 40-year window rather than buying any. See the GM Codex, Ch. II, for the full RP tables, Rank prerequisites, worked examples, and the full Character Simulation procedure.

Leveling and Advancement

The Long Road, SORC's Pace by Design

Gaining XP in SORC is grindy by design. Levels are rare and earned over months of real play, the way legends are actually made. The first handful of levels, the fastest, most accessible stretch of the entire climb, still take a dedicated party more than half a year of regular play to reach. A Level 30 character represents years of real time at the table. If the easiest part of the climb takes that long, treat everything after as the long game it's meant to be. A character's climb is meant to be a chapter of a player's life, not a season.

Do not mistake a slow climb for a weak start. Characters are empowered early in their development, from their very first session they carry their class's innate Abilities, powerful once-per-day effects, Flourishes, and critical bonuses. Characters do not level up to become capable. They level up to become feared.

SORC features a deep well of content to hold a player's interest across that climb, modules spanning every level band, expansions, new classes, races, planets of Essentia to explore, and campaign lines that release over time. There is always another road to walk while a character grows.

How Growth Accrues

Growth is not earned, it accrues, automatically, from years lived. There's no XP threshold to cross and nothing for the GM to announce or negotiate: a character gains 1 year for every Eon of Adoria of in-fiction time they live through while being played (whether that time is spent in combat, downtime, travel, or rest), and Growth itself lands on the escalating schedule established under Growth, above, one more year required each time (see Growth and Age, above).

A Character's Next Growth

There's no hidden threshold and nothing to reveal, years tick forward on their own as in-fiction time passes, at the exact same rate for every character, and Growth lands whenever the current escalating wait is met. See Growth and Age, above, for the formula.

The Road Between Levels

The road between levels is never empty. While a character's Growth climbs slowly, everything else moves every session: Ch. Lvl advancement, Rank Points and Rank, armaments and gear, professions, Companions, Titles, and Prestige all advance through regular play. Growth is the slowest wheel of many turning.

Growth, Character Level, and Rank: Three Separate Systems

Growth, Character Level, and Rank are three separate systems that advance independently, and it is important not to confuse them. Years lived advance a character's Growth, nothing else, and Growth has no experience or XP attached to it at all. Experience Points (XP) advance a character's Ch. Lvl, and only their Ch. Lvl, it governs their REM Point spending and Ability picks, nothing else. Reaching a Ch. Lvl that grants an Ability pick only makes that pick available, it isn't learned automatically, a character must still find the matching Class Trainer and pay the fee before the pick is actually theirs (see Class Trainer Requirements & Fees, Appendix, and Playable Classes, pg. 3). Rank Points (RP) advance a character's Rank, and only their Rank, nothing else. Leveling up never raises a character's Rank, and no amount of XP counts toward RP. Growth's Vitality and Drawn Ability progression has no connection to Rank at all. Rank is instead gated by two separate, non-progression numbers: a minimum Ch. Lvl, and a minimum Growth (Beginning Age + Years), the character's own chosen Beginning Age plus a fixed number of years, with no Vitality or Ability picks attached to it (see Rank Level Prerequisites above). Meeting both gates does nothing on its own, the character still advances only when they have earned the required RP through achievements, exceptional actions, and exploration. Note: Characters bound to a Higher Power (Lawful and Evil classes only) may experience a special transformation at Growth 20 if their alignment has shifted, this process, called Fallen or Risen mechanics, begins earlier and escalates toward a complete class tree change at Growth 20. See Fallen and Risen Classes on Page 3 and the GM Codex for full mechanics and tracking details.

Time-Skip Option

If a campaign prefers a faster climb, the GM may narrate larger stretches of in-fiction time between sessions, months or years passing in a single scene instead of tracking every day, to speed up how quickly characters reach each Growth. This has no effect on Rank Points, which are still earned only through achievements, exceptional actions, and exploration.

When the Class Tree Runs Out

A class's Ability tree is finite. Once a character has chosen everything their class tree offers, Ch. Lvl stops granting new class Abilities, Attribute Scores and TST keep advancing normally through REM Point spending regardless. This has no effect on Growth's Nature Drawn/Spell Drawn picks, which continue on their own schedule every Growth for as long as the character is played. Exact thresholds are in the GM Codex.

Retirement

Every character retires. Starting Age varies by race, roughly a quarter of a race's natural lifespan, or an effective 400 years for Immortal races (see each race's entry, pg. 2, and Time, above), but the adventuring window itself is the same 40 years for every character regardless of race. Retirement Age is simply Starting Age plus 40, and when a character reaches it, their story as a played character ends.

A character retires at whatever Rank they've reached the moment they hit the Retirement Age, nothing is granted retroactively, and there is no rushing it. A character who has climbed all the way to Legend retires a Legend, and the world treats them like one: monuments raised, statues carved, and songs written of the character they became, the journey they took to get there, and the retirement itself. A character who never reached Legend still retires, just without that same recognition. Legend is not handed out for showing up; it is earned exactly the way it always was, through Rank Points, and most characters who retire will not have reached it.

Retirement removes the character from active play for good, there is no unretiring. What happens to them afterward depends on their nature. Immortal characters carry on in the world as living legend NPCs, encounterable, though never again playable, in future campaigns. Mortal characters eventually pass on after retirement and live on only in the world's memory: the monuments, statues, and songs above, or simply the stories other players' characters hear told of them. Either way, a retired character isn't erased. They become part of Essentia's history, and the player's next character starts their own story from there.

Starting Equipment

Starting equipment is dictated by several factors together, not any single one: Race, Background, Alignment, Class, Rank, Trait/Attribute prerequisites, and rarity based on where the campaign is set. A race can choose any of its own cultural equipment or Armaments, provided the character meets the item's prerequisites. Rank caps every starting character at Common-rank gear, with no exceptions. Class and Alignment further filter which Armaments and kits are actually usable, a class-locked or alignment-locked item stays off-limits even if a character's race or background would otherwise grant access to it. Alignment matters here because some class Armaments are alignment-restricted at the source, blessed gear belongs to Lawful-only classes like Avenger and Overseer, profane gear belongs to Evil-only classes like Doom Knight, Warlock, Witch, and Tyrant, and a character locked out of the class by alignment is locked out of its gear too. For instance, an Avenger's blessed blunt weapon is off-limits to a Tyrant, and a Tyrant's rage-fueled twin blades or two-handed weapon are equally off-limits to an Avenger. See the Starter Set Store, below, for what's actually available to buy.

Starting Gold

Every character begins with 100 Gold to spend on starting equipment, Armaments, Adventuring Gear, and Talent Tree/Profession kits are all purchased from this pool, not granted for free. Some races begin with more or less, reflecting their culture's relationship with wealth, Glimmerstone Dwarves, treasure hunters by nature, begin with 150 Gold instead. Any modifier to a race's starting Gold is noted on that race's entry.

Background and Cultural Equipment

A character's race grants default access to their own cultural equipment and their homeworld's item table (see Planetary Markets, pg. 4). Background can grant access to a different culture's equipment on top of that, but only for characters created on Zailister. Zailister is the only world diverse enough to raise a character outside their own race's native culture, so only a Zailister-born (or Zailister-raised) character can, for instance, be a Human raised with Orcus cultural upbringing and start with Orcus cultural gear. Off Zailister, background stays tied to the character's native culture, there is no cross-cultural mixing to draw from.

Rarity

What's actually available to buy depends on more than eligibility. Rarity is dictated first by planet, an item common on one world is rare, expensive, or simply absent on another (see Planetary Markets, pg. 4), and second by geography within a single world. A campaign set in one hemisphere of Zailister is less likely to stock goods native to the opposite hemisphere, the same way a Nordkin recipe is rarer outside Glaceria even on Zailister itself. A character eligible for an item by race, background, alignment, and class may still need to travel, order it specially, or pay an import price to actually obtain it, at the GM's discretion.

Makeshift and Professional Tools

Talent Tree Kits/Backpacks and Profession tool kits can be acquired two ways: bought ready-made from a vendor, or crafted by a character with the matching Profession. Either way, once a character carries the genuine kit, they gain its bonus, a makeshift substitute, improvised in the field without the real thing, lets a character attempt the task but grants no bonus.

Crafted kits follow the same Proficiency Tier structure as Talents and Skills (see Proficiency Tiers, above), a kit's recipe carries its own tier prerequisite, and a character can only craft a kit at or below their current proficiency tier in that Profession. The kit's bonus is determined by the outcome of the Crafting Resolution check (see Crafting Resolution, above), not simply by owning it, a higher tier recipe naturally allows for a better outcome. A Grandmaster recipe lets a character craft a Grandmaster-tier kit and the tools inside it, carrying the best bonuses available through crafting.

Currency System

Essentia uses a structured currency system based on the value and weight of the element used to mint each coin. Not all planets use currency, some use advanced credit systems.

Characters with Vault accounts can write signed currency notes (checks) for very high-value transactions. Zailister is the universe's reserve currency hub. The last 3 planets (Futurem, Omne, Tredici) use laser-secured credit systems only and view universal coins as worthless.

Starter Set Store

The Starter Set includes one flat-rate store, stocking only Common and Uncommon items, found in towns or from traveling merchants. Every module beyond the Starter Set builds its own store or stores, stocked to that module's own level and Rank band. Stock includes goods carrying the culture of any of the four planets with playable races, Zailister, Ignis, Omnè, and Tredici (see Playable Races, below), though items are harder to find, and cost more, away from their native world (see Planetary Markets, pg. 4).

Condition and Quality: All store stock is fixed at Fair (Damaged) condition and Good quality, no d100 roll. Rolling for condition, quality, purity, or yield only applies to items discovered, looted, or crafted (see Refinement and Mining, pg. 4), just as with loot or discovery, a character skilled in the matching Profession who crafts an item rolls for its condition and quality, determining its value, and adds the score of that skill and any proficiency bonuses of the tree to the final results.

1. Armaments

Weapons and armor, Common and Uncommon only. Clothing, Under-Armor, Accessories, and Ammunition are sold here as well.

Technologically Advanced Weapons (TAW), all at +10% over their category's base price (see Weapon Cards, pg. 4):

Cultural Armaments, built from the cultures of playable races on Ignis, Omnè, and Tredici (see Planetary Markets, pg. 4):

No Credit-to-Gold exchange rate exists yet, Omnè and Tredici items marked "Credits only" cannot currently be bought with Gold; they're listed here as available stock for characters who carry Credits. Remember that TAW and TABA carry a -2 Hit and -2 Damage Penalty on Zailister and other Adoria-lit worlds, and a +2 Hit and +2 Damage Bonus on Tawdry Dwarf-lit worlds like Omnè and Tredici themselves, see Tech and Magic Across Essentia, pg. 4.

2. Gear

Backpacks with tool kits that pair with Talent Trees and Professions, plus miscellaneous adventuring gear (see Basic Items, below).

Remaining Talent Tree and Profession Kits are still being itemized (see Planetary Markets, pg. 4), this list will grow as they're published.

3. Basic Items

Cheap, mundane items every character carries alongside their armaments (see Adventuring Gear, pg. 4, for the full priced list), rope, flint and steel, torches, and more.

4. Special Items

Holy symbols and other items that can be used to create trinkets and makeshift tools.

5. Magical Items

Magical items, scrolls, potions, and more, Common and Uncommon only.

Scrolls listed above use each class's own Tier Spell (see Playable Classes, pg. 3), each is a one-time, single-use casting of that Spell at Level 1 potency, usable by any character regardless of class.

Starter Set Overview

The Starter Set contains a curated selection of playable races and classes designed for new players to begin their adventures at levels 1-5. These options are fully supported with Tactic Cards, Spell Cards, and equipment needed to get started. Additional races and classes become available in the full ruleset beyond level 5.

A word to new tables: SORC is a long game by design. The levels covered by this Starter Set represent months of real play, not a weekend, and that is the point. Characters start strong and grow into legends, with new modules, expansions, and content releasing to carry every stage of the journey. See The Long Road on Page 4.

Starter Set Playable Races

• Dwarf, Common, Sturdy and resilient craftspeople known for their endurance in mountain halls and underground cities.
• Elf (Common), Graceful forest dwellers skilled in archery and nature magic who live in harmony with their woodland environment.
• Halfling, Small folk who build their lives around comfort and community while possessing an uncanny knack for lucky outcomes.
• Human, The most versatile of all races, natural communicators and traders whose adaptability allows them to thrive across every corner of Essentia.
• Ogre, Towering and muscular warriors known for their immense strength and a rigid code of respect earned through power.

Refer to the Playable Races section for full details on each race.

Starter Set Playable Classes

• Avenger (Lawful), Faith-driven warriors bound to a higher power who channel divine protection and healing through blunt weapons.
• Barbarian (All Alignments), Fierce and relentless hunters who draw power from primal instinct and excel in brutal melee combat.
• Marksman (All Alignments), Precision-focused ranged combatants who dominate at distance through superior positioning and weapon mastery.
• Sorcerer (All Alignments), Born with raw arcane power in their blood, Sorcerers channel extraordinary spells through staff and cloth.
• Strategist (All Alignments), Calculating predators who use intelligence and deception to dismantle opponents before combat even begins.
• Witch (Evil), Ancient practitioners of earth, moon, and brew magic who draw power from nature's oldest cycles and apply curses with unpredictable mastery.

Refer to the Playable Classes section for full details on each class.

Lore Sheet

Contains a character's background story and mission Statement, home logs, family logs, quest logs, vital information gathered, archives, and personal notes to capture their narrative development. Maps, locations, landmarks and Wayfarer logs (see travel below) are also kept here. It's expected that Lore Sheets will be stacked as players develop their characters.

Standard scratch paper is recommended to provide space for notes, quick references, or ideas during gameplay. This will help with the lore sheet.

NPCs and MAC

Two types of non-player entities populate the world of Zailister. NPCs (Non-Player Characters) are characters in the world with their own story, role, and purpose, like quest givers, faction leaders, vendors, traders, and other story-driven figures that inhabit the world. MAC (Monsters, Animals, Creatures/Critters) refers to any living entity in the game world that is not an NPC or Player Character (PC), including; beasts, monsters, flora and fauna, and everything in between. Both NPCs and MAC interact with and react to a character, and each carries a Rank that reflects their power and the challenge they represent. Given their stats, the GM narrates their behaviors and rolls dice to determine outcomes between Player characters and whatever it is they are interacting with. Unlike a Player Character, a MAC's Level, Age, and Rank are all assigned directly by the GM or module author rather than earned, see MAC Creation, GM Codex Ch. IV, for the full procedure.

Prestige

Prestige measures how a character is seen by the world, shaped by their actions, decisions, achievements, and failures throughout their journey. It influences their identity, reputation, and ultimately their legacy, affecting how NPCs, creatures, and even other players respond to them.

Developing Prestige

Prestige begins with a character's appearance, background, and reputation, and evolves through feats, downfalls, choices, and interactions.

Stance & Alignment

A character's relationship with factions (stance), moral outlook (alignment), religious discipline, and political leanings can affect and be affected by their Prestige. Unless restricted by culture or class, alignments aren't chosen, they're developed. Be careful because broken alignment rules don't go unnoticed. Stance and alignment are also important to various main class trees, for instance Avengers and Overseers should maintain at least a good alignment or they can fall. A character's accumulated Boasted and Exposed Titles are exactly what the GM weighs when judging this drift, see Fallen and Risen Classes, pg. 3. Their alignment position is tracked on the Alignment bar of their Character Sheet's Progression Tracker, and a falling or rising character whose alignment drifts all the way to Neutral can no longer learn new Abilities from the class tree they are leaving, see Fallen and Risen Classes, pg. 3.

Titles

Characters earn titles for notable actions, achievements, or infamous deeds. Heroic and Villainous titles are tracked, each with a value that impacts how the world reacts to them. Only one Hero and one Villain title can be highlighted at a time, affecting their recognition and appearance.

Boasted Titles: Boasted titles are prestigious honors earned through Heroic deeds, like achievements and feats, or distinguished actions, which players may display in their Hero slot to showcase their character's valor and reputation to others.

Shamed Titles: Shamed titles are given to the characters at the GM's will and creation, or by a series of titles the GM may choose from. Shamed titles are always Exposed in the Shamed slot, but they can dissipate over time as the character performs good deeds. On the other hand, these titles become more difficult to remove if the character continues bad deeds. There is no unlocking Shamed titles, and the Shamed Title Exposed, is replaced by other Shamed titles that are of a lower negative integer value. Not all NPCs will forget a character's bad deeds, and depending on the level of these deeds, they'll have to constantly watch their back.

Titles are integrated tools to help campaigns remember their deeds, both good and bad. There are archives, journals and other places where this information is kept.

Reputation

A character's ongoing actions build their reputation, leading to bonuses, penalties, and unique interactions. Both good and bad reputations matter, and unwitnessed deeds may become rumors. Reputation is directly tied to a character's standing with factions and NPCs, boasted titles recognized by a faction can raise standing over time, while shamed or exposed titles can lower it. Depending on the severity of a deed, standing may drop to Disliked or Hated regardless of prior history. Factions talk, and a standing drop with one may ripple into others.

Affiliation

Affiliation is formal membership in a faction that a character joins. This comes with deeper access, obligations, and consequences. Affiliation is a choice and a commitment, benefits come with expectations, and betrayal has weight. Standing with an affiliated faction is still tracked separately, so a member can still fall from Respected to Disliked if their actions warrant it.

NPC Disposition

NPCs interact with characters based on Stance, their standing relative to the character, their race, and their faction. Some Stances are set by default: Orcs and Dwarves are enemies by nature, Dwarves and Elves carry a long-standing dislike, and Blood Draco and Humans share a natural affinity. These defaults can shift through player actions, quests, and story events, but they are the baseline. Disposition is tracked on NPC Encounter Cards and noted by the GM.

Standing Tiers

Exalted: The deepest trust an NPC or faction can have in a character. Reached only through a Bond Quest, available once Cherished standing is achieved. Through the Bond Quest, the NPC's history, loyalties, and secrets unfold as the relationship deepens. At Exalted, the NPC acts in the character's interest even at personal cost, beyond what faction loyalty or standing would normally allow.

Cherished and Adored, Gifting: Characters at Cherished or Adored standing may receive unsolicited gifts from factions and NPCs, items, resources, information, or safe passage, rolled daily with a cap of 1d4 per day depending on standing level. Cherished characters roll at the highest frequency and quality, Adored at a reduced frequency and quality. At Cherished, a Bond Quest becomes available, completing it opens the path to Exalted. Boasted titles recognized by the faction increase gift quality by one tier. Gifting works both ways, characters may gift factions and NPCs, contributing to standing over time. See Gifting Chart.

Respected: Factions and NPCs at this standing are cooperative, offer fair trade, and will provide aid when asked. No automatic gifts but access to faction resources and quests is open.

Neutral: Standard interaction. No bonuses, no penalties. The faction or NPC is indifferent to the character.

Tolerable: The faction or NPC deals with the character but offers no favors. Access to some resources may be restricted. Prices may increase at vendors aligned with this faction.

Disliked, Sabotage: Characters at Disliked standing are actively worked against, and factions and NPCs at Disliked standing with the character may be sabotaged in return. Shamed or exposed titles known to the faction accelerate sabotage frequency and severity. The faction or NPC will feed false information, block access to resources, vendors, or locations they control, tip off enemies to the character's whereabouts, plans, or exposed titles, refuse quests, services, or aid, and spread reputation damage to neutral factions. Characters may respond in kind using the same methods available to them.

Hated, Killed on Sight: No interaction. Any member of that faction or NPC attacks immediately on sight, no negotiation, no exceptions, unless the GM rules otherwise for story purposes. Boasted titles carry no weight at this standing. Exposed titles may be announced publicly upon the character's death. This applies both ways, a character who has reached Hated standing with a faction is also free to treat that faction accordingly.

Legacy

Over time, a character's Prestige creates their lasting legacy, remembered well beyond their life. Become a †legend or die a †pauper, the choice is theirs. †See rank. More on Prestige (link pending). See Mortality, Immortality, and Retirement under Time, pg. 4, for how reaching Legend before retiring turns this legacy into monuments, statues, and songs in the world itself.

Religion & Politics

Religion

A character's faith, just as culture, is determined by their background by default; however, players can choose their own faith or play as an atheist or ambivalent.

Politics

Players can delve into the world of politics, or they can avoid this altogether. There will be reoccurring elections throughout different regions of Zailister, and even other planets.

The War

Between the Noble and Purge forces, characters can join the war, provide aid to one of the two factions or stay completely ambivalent. To join either side of the war, a character will need to offer support until their stance with any faction representing its respective side exceeds their expectations. Becoming part of the Feral Alliance (†neutral) will require the character to be born of a Feral Race and from its surrounding area, though lore has it there are very strict exceptions. Refer to Into the Uncharted Worlds of Essentia for more on The War.

More on Religion, War and Politics are covered in The Book of Zailister: A Journey's Beginning.

Playable Races

Choosing a Race, Overview

Whether a player wants to embody a mighty Ogre, a graceful Elf, a resilient Dwarf, or a clever Ratkin, SORC provides a rich tapestry of races to explore. Race diversity is just the first array of different ways of playing SORC that makes every journey Unique in developing a character.

The selection of playable races in SORC offer a vast and diverse array of options for adventurers, ranging from towering Goliaths to tiny, yet cunning, Small folk. Each race has its own Traits that they are either strong in, weak in or balanced to, its own cultural backgrounds, often shared with others, and physical characteristics, allowing players to craft characters that fit their preferred playstyle and story. Each race individually has the same Statistics and Traits and cultures do not change this. Culture is determined by the background the Player chooses for their race.

For instance, every human, regardless of whether or not they're †Omnè or Nordkin, begins with the same exact Traits and Stats. The only thing different here is their culture and that doesn't mean a Nordkin cannot develop into an Omnè culture, and that is said for Omnè embracing Nordkin cultures as well. The world of Essentia is not only diverse in culture, but globally communicates amongst its planets. However, that isn't to say items first developed on Omnè aren't more rare on Zail, they are and that rule applies both ways. A secret Nordkin Recipe for "Nord Feast", would be less likely to be found on Omnè than it would Zailister (or even continents on Zailister other than the Nordkin's native Glaceria). At the same time, Omnè Technologically Advanced Weapons (TAW) would be less likely to be found on Zailister than Omnè but the Characters backstory allows them to choose TAW, unless the GM opposes this rule.

†The Omnè are further advanced in technology than any other human culture, not because they are the most inherently intelligent, but because they are the most ancient of all human cultures and their development further away from the main sun Adoria, hadn't allowed them to rely on magic.

‡The Fae predate every other race in Essentia, the oldest people in the world's history, present in the earliest myths of every culture that came after them. Their true homeworld is Tenue, a planet riding a similar orbital path to Zailister, just a bit closer to Adoria, shielded from that closeness by the same dense magical overgrowth that keeps its surface temperate. Fae are also native to Zailister itself, through the Veilwood, a hidden plane within Zailister's own forests that opens directly onto Tenue, grown from that same overgrowth. Veilwood is the heart of all magical and enchanted forest on Zailister, every enchanted grove and Fae-touched wood on the planet traces back to it, however distant, and Veilwood itself holds a direct magical path straight to Tenue. Fae are not yet available as a playable race in these rules. More on Tenue, and every other world, can be found in its own planetary volume and in Into the Uncharted Worlds of Essentia.

§The Primal of Ignis are the only other people whose lineage reaches back nearly as far as the Fae's, though theirs is the oldest continuously practiced way of life rather than the oldest race outright, see Primal, Playable Races from Afar below. Despite their close physical resemblance to humans, Primal are their own distinct race.

Ignis is home to two playable races so far: the Emberscale and the Primal (see Playable Races from Afar below).

Innate Aptitude and Inaptitude

Aptitude and Inaptitude are Race and Subrace Gifts or Burdens innately inherited by characters of that race. A Drow's darkvision is an Aptitude, as is a Gnome's ability to speak with burrowing Flora (like some fungi) and Fauna (like small animals). Each race carries innate passive Aptitudes and Inaptitudes, non-combat traits baked into their biology, heritage, and upbringing. These are always active and require no action to use. They cannot be removed, suppressed, or replaced by class choices, though some may be developed further through Talent Trees. Inaptitudes work the same way in reverse: they are permanent frictions that no amount of training fully eliminates, though their penalties can sometimes be offset by other bonuses. Aptitudes and Inaptitudes are separate from Trait scores and Attribute bonuses, they represent what a race simply is, not what a character has learned to do.

Each starter race lists Favored affinities for Classes, Professions, Talent Trees, and Companions. There are no Averse affinities for Professions, Talent Trees, or Companions. Favored Professions grant bonus experience toward proficiency tiers (Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, Artisan, Master, Grandmaster). Favored Talent Trees grant +1 to talent rolls in those trees. Favored Companion types bond in half the normal time at 25% reduced upkeep. Note: Innate abilities can be developed further through Talent Trees, if a talent supersedes an innate inability, the talent takes precedence.

Favored and Averse Class Bonuses

A race may list any number of Favored main classes, and any number of Averse main classes, but across its entire Favored list, only one Path may carry a deeper bonus, and only one Branch nested under that same Path may carry the deepest bonus. The same rule applies separately to the Averse list: only one Path and one Branch across the whole Averse list carry the deeper penalty. Every other main class, Path, or Branch listed gets the flat bonus or penalty only.

A Favored main class grants +5 to all Ability rolls made in that class tree. The single chosen Favored Path instead grants +7, total, replacing the flat +5 for that Path, and the single chosen Favored Branch instead grants +9, total, replacing the flat +5 for that Branch. Averse main classes, Paths, and Branches work the same way in reverse, at -5, -7, and -9.

This bonus does not apply to Nature Drawn Abilities, Spell Drawn Abilities, or Miracles.

Versatility

Versatility is an innate racial statistic that stands on its own. Versatility adjusts a character's Trait rolls.

Each race has an innate Versatility score between -2 and +2, with Humans the highest, at +2 default. To that score, during character creation, players roll 1d4 to add to their innate racial Versatility score. For instance, a Human has an innate Versatility score of +2, the player rolls 1d4 and gets a 4, their Versatility score is now 6! 2 + 4 = 6.

A character may substitute their Versatility score for any one of the 20 core Traits as if it were that Trait itself, as many times per day as their Versatility score. So a Human with a Versatility of 6 can choose Courage 6 times in a row, if they fail the first 5.

Each race's Versatility default score (†before rolling 1d4) is listed below, alongside its Innate Trait bonuses and penalties.

Goliath Size Races

Goliaths are towering beings, typically standing between 7 to 9 feet tall, known for their impressive strength, endurance, and commanding presence.

Base Life: 60  |  Base Mana: 24  |  Base Stamina: 40  |  Base Endurance: 30  |  Base Speed: 40 ft.  |  Base Carry: 200 lbs  |  Size Bonus: +1 Strength, +1 Toughness  |  Size Penalty: -1 Agility, -1 Defense

Goliaths have the highest Stamina, Strength and Speed of any size tier, built for sustained physical dominance. Their Mana pool is lower than Standard and Small, while their mass favors physical strength and vigor over magical capacity.

Standard Sized Races

Standard-sized races stand between 5 to 7 feet tall, offering a versatile and balanced physique suitable for a wide range of roles and Abilities.

Base Life: 50  |  Base Mana: 32  |  Base Stamina: 32  |  Base Endurance: 30  |  Base Speed: 30 ft.  |  Base Carry: 100 lbs  |  Size Bonus: None  |  Size Penalty: None

Standard races are the most balanced of the three size tiers, equal Mana and Stamina pools with no size-level strengths or weaknesses. What they lack in extremes they make up for in flexibility. Endurance is shared across all sizes at 30 and resets daily. Each race within this tier has its own innate trait bonuses and penalties, Innate Aptitude and Inaptitude, favored and averse class sets, companion affinities, profession bonuses, talent tree preferences, and lifespan. These stack on top of the size base above.

Small Size Races

Small races are typically between 3 to 5 feet tall, characterized by their agility, stealth, and dexterity, making them excellent at sneaking and navigating tight spaces.

Base Life: 40  |  Base Mana: 40  |  Base Stamina: 24  |  Base Endurance: 30  |  Base Speed: 25 ft.  |  Base Carry: 50 lbs  |  Size Bonus: +1 Agility, +1 Defense  |  Size Penalty: -1 Strength, -1 Toughness

Quicker Feet: Small races move at 25 ft. base speed and can change direction at every 5 ft. square without penalty, cutting corners, reversing course mid-stride, and slipping through gaps in ways larger bodies simply can't follow. When a Small race is on the move, predicting where they're going is half the problem.

Small races have the highest Mana pool of any size tier and are the quickest on their feet thanks to Quicker Feet. Their Stamina is lower than Goliath and Standard, and their Life is the lowest, they are not built for prolonged physical punishment. Each race within this tier has its own innate trait bonuses and penalties, Innate Aptitude and Inaptitude, favored and averse class sets, companion affinities, profession bonuses, talent tree preferences, and lifespan. These stack on top of the size base above.

Playable Races from Afar

These races did not originate on Zailister, their home worlds are Tredici, Omnè, and Ignis. Size base stats still apply per their listed size tier above; only their homeworld differs. A character of one of these races may draw their entire starting equipment loadout from their homeworld's market table instead of Zailister's, at the GM's discretion, see Planetary Markets, Basic Rules pg. 4, including Tech and Magic Across Essentia for how TAW, TABA, and Spells perform differently depending on which world a character is standing on.