Player

A participant who creates and controls one or more Player Characters, makes their choices in play, and collaborates with the other Players and Game Master.

Character

A person or being represented in play. A Player Character is controlled by a player; a Non-Player Character is controlled by the Game Master or the game.

GM

The Game Master who presents the world, portrays its Hosts, applies the rules, and resolves the outcomes of Character actions.

Host

A living being placed in the game world by the game's development team or the GM. Hosts include characters, adversaries, animals, and other creatures.

Race

A Character's people or lineage, selected during creation and determining qualities such as size, Starting Age, innate Traits and Aptitudes, favored Class Trees, and Companion affinities.

Species

A distinct group of living beings classified by shared biological, cultural, or magical characteristics. A Species may have its own Traits, Abilities, and cultural significance. A Character can belong to multiple Species at once—for example, Draco Blood are both Humanoid and Reptilian. A Race is a playable lineage within one Species or a blend of several. A Fae can be Humanoid or Beast. Species come in forms of various types and sizes, including Higher Power, Humanoid, Mythical, Supernatural, Beast, Pest, Elemental, Non-Organic, Extraterrestrial, Reptilian, Amphibian, Fish, Mammal, Bird, Insect, Flora, Fauna (Animals), and Fae. For more on Species, refer to 'Book of Behemoths, Beasts & Bugs'.

Flora

Plant life in the game world, including trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs, and magical plants. Flora may provide resources, create obstacles, or be discovered, harvested, communicated with, or encountered in play.

Fauna

Animal life in the game world, from common wildlife to fantastical or mythical beasts. Fauna may be allies or threats and can provide resources through hunting, taming, farming, quests, or exploration.

Class

A Character's chosen progression, organized through a Class Tree of Tiers, Paths, Branches, and Ability choices; eligibility to use an Ability also depends on its requirements and the Character's Alignment.

Class Tree

A finite progression structure for a Class's Abilities, organized into Tiers, Paths, Branches, and choice Slots; the Main Class Tree grants choices on its own level and midpoint schedule.

Essentia

The universe in which SORC is set and whose maps are arranged from Planet to Space.

Universe

The largest map scale in SORC; the universe is named Essentia.

Planet

A world within Essentia; Zailister is one example in the setting.

Continent

A sovereign land mass on a Planet that contains Regions and the smaller map scales below them.

Region

A large area that divides a Continent.

Territory

A large area within a Region, such as a settlement or metropolis.

Area

A place within a Character's view.

Space

A structure or small area within a Character's reach.

Zailister

A planet in Essentia and a setting for SORC adventures.

Adoria

One of the two suns named in the saved setting reference.

Tawdry Dwarf

The second sun named in the saved setting reference.

MAC

Monsters, Animals, Creatures, or Critters; the rules use MAC for Encounter Cards representing living entities.

Ruleset

A campaign configuration chosen before play and kept for the campaign: Bare Bones, Modular, or Complex.

Bare Bones

A fixed preset that keeps the rules needed to roll, hit, hurt, and advance, while omitting selected systems. It is not a menu of optional rules. Alignment remains in force in every Rule Set.

Modular

A campaign configuration that starts from Complex and removes selected features by category. The group agrees on the choices before the campaign and keeps them for its duration.

Complex

The Rule Set with every rule in force and nothing omitted. Every Race is available in Complex mode.

Tier

A stage of a Main Class Tree that groups its Ability choices and Slots by progression level.

Path source conflict

A named progression within a Main Class Tree that groups Path Abilities and leads to Branch choices. The saved class rules disagree on when a Path opens, so this glossary does not state a Character Level threshold.

Branch source conflict

A narrower progression within a chosen Path, with its own Abilities. The saved class rules disagree on when Branch selection opens, so this glossary does not state a Character Level threshold.

Ability

A selectable Class Tree option with a defined effect; a selected Ability becomes usable only after training with a matching Class Trainer and paying the required fee.

ATTR

Attribute; the six current Attributes are Artistry (ART), Fortitude (FRT), Intellect (INT), Physique (PHY), Vigilance (VIG), and Wisdom (WIS), while older sources use ATT and different abbreviations.

ATTR SCR

Attribute Score; the numerical value of an Attribute used in checks and prerequisites.

Trait

A Character-development statistic aligned with an Attribute; its score modifies relevant checks and unlocks Trait-specific passive effects, while older sources list a different grouping of survival Traits.

Trait SCR source conflict

The numerical score of an individual Trait; saved rules disagree about its limit and relationship to the aligned Attribute, so no cap is stated here.

Willpower

Mental determination and the ability to resist intellectual mind control, temptation, and confusion. It is aligned with Fortitude and adds a bonus to resist mental influence; charm, seduction, and persuasion-based effects oppose it with the source's Charisma, while other spells use their DIFS.

Talent

An individual action or technique within a Talent Tree. A Character must open the relevant Expertise before buying and raising individual Talents; the Talent's rules determine its use and checks.

Skill

A profession-linked capability for crafting and other noncombat tasks. A Skill check uses d100 plus the Skill Score and aligned Attribute modifier against DIFS; Skills advance through Expertise. Saved rules conflict on Skill-score limits, so no universal cap is stated here.

TST

Talents, Skills, and Traits: the three character-development categories, developed with REM points aligned to their Attributes.

REM

Rem Points, or Remnant (REM) Points, are progression points tied to individual Attributes. Spend them on that Attribute’s score or its aligned Talents, Skills, and Traits; unspent points become Remnants that carry forward, and may be moved permanently to the REM Item Pool for Companion or Item Cards. See the Companions and Equipment & Items chapters for their respective purchase rules.

Expertise

An ordered progression tier for Talents and Skills. Expertise tiers must be unlocked in order; opening a tier makes its options available, while each Talent or Skill is purchased and improved separately.

LVL

Character Level, the XP-driven progression track that governs REM-point development and Class Tree Ability choices; it is separate from age-based Growth and achievement-driven Rank.

Rank

A Character's standing, advanced with Rank PTS through Pauper, Peasant, Commoner, Adventurer, Hero, Uber, Elite, and Legend. Items and Armaments use a separate Rank ladder from Common through Divine; Character Rank governs access to them.

Rank PTS

Rank Points, the achievement-driven progression points that advance Rank. They are earned through achievements, exceptional actions, and exploration; they do not advance Character Level.

XP

Experience Points, which advance Character Level; they do not advance Rank.

Growth

The time-based maturity track that advances as a Character ages on an escalating schedule, increasing Vitality and advancing Aura and Innate Aptitude; it is separate from XP-driven Character Level and Rank.

Age and Retirement

A Character's Starting Age is about one quarter of the Race's natural lifespan, or an effective 400 years for Immortal Races; the Player chooses an actual age within a five-year range centered on that age. Every Character has a 40-year adventuring window and retires at Starting Age plus 40, ending active play; Immortals remain as NPCs, while Mortals eventually pass into the world's memory.

Combat

A structured encounter in which Players declare actions and resolve attacks and effects against targets using the combat rules.

PROTS

Protection Score, the target number an attack or Ability roll must meet or exceed, calculated from Armor Scr. and applicable defensive modifiers.

DIFS

Difficulty Score, the target number for noncombat Skill checks, Panic Checks, and other tasks whose rules call for a Difficulty Score.

Armor SCR

Armor Score; the armor protection value used in calculating PROTS.

Hit Bonus

The weapon Rank's base hit modifier from the Main-Hand or Off-Hand table row. Add applicable modifiers to the d100 attack roll, then compare the result with the target's PROTS.

Action

A rules-defined activity a Character can perform. Endurance limits actions across the day; combat actions may also spend Stamina and follow per-turn limits.

BASE Combat Strike

A basic weapon attack that costs 1 action. The combat rules list a Dual-Wield BASE Combat Strike with both hands for the same 1 action.

Critical Hit source conflict

A d100 result within the weapon's Critical Window. It deals twice the weapon's damage dice plus the source bonus: Strength for melee, Agility for martial ranged attacks, or Acuity for spells. Saved combat tables disagree on whether the Critical Window widens by Rank, so no Rank-specific window is stated here.

Incapacitated

A Character state reached at 0 Life. An incapacitated Character cannot take actions. At -(10 + Constitution) Life, the Character must undergo rejuvenation.

Condition

A rules-defined state or effect that changes what a Character can do or how a mechanic resolves.

Dual-Wield

Attacking with a Main-Hand and Off-Hand weapon in one Dual-Wield BASE Combat Strike action. Use the applicable hand-specific attack values for each weapon.

LST

Limb-Specific Targeting; targeting a limb changes hit chance and damage.

Target

A being or object selected for an attack or Ability; a single-target effect affects one Target.

AoE

Area of Effect, an attack or Ability that affects an area.

CC

Crowd Control; effects restrict or interrupt an opponent's actions.

DoT

Damage over Time, an effect that applies damage over a period rather than all at once.

HoT

Heal over Time, an effect that restores Life over a period rather than all at once.

Equipment

Gear and Items a Character carries that are not Armaments; Gear is functional equipment, while Items are cargo such as consumables, materials, and collectibles.

Armaments

The parent category for combat equipment: Weapons, ammunition, and Armor. Shared Armament rules cover Rank, Grade, Quality, Condition, Materials, and Variant; Weapon and Armor have separate card details.

Artifacts

In SORC, Artifacts are Armament Weapon Cards, not Item Cards.

Armor

A defensive Armament whose Armor Score (Armor SCR) contributes to PROTS. Armor Cards record Grade, Mould, Materials, Rank, Quality, Condition, and Armor Score. The five set parts are Armor Core (pauldrons, cuirass, and greaves), helmet, gloves or bracers, boots, and accessories; Set Bonus explains their effects.

Set Bonus

Additional benefits granted by the required combination of related armor parts. Set Bonuses are a Complex-rule mechanic available to Heroic Rank and higher sets. The set has five parts: Armor Core (pauldrons, cuirass, and greaves, which stay together), helmet, gloves or bracers, boots, and accessories. The Main Bonus requires the complete set. Gloves and Boots Bonuses apply when the matching set piece is equipped. Replacing gloves or boots grants the replacement item's stats, removes that slot's bonus, and reduces the Main Bonus's numerical stats by 25% for each replaced slot. Only the Cuirass can receive a set-level Enhancement.

Variants

Forms of Armaments, Gear, and Items based on where their working power comes from. Armaments use Telluric, TAA, Chthonic, Oxidize, or Malign; Gear and Items use Telluric, TA-Equip, Chthonic, Oxidize, or Malign.

Weapon Rank

The Rank assigned to a weapon. Weapon Rank determines its Rank-based hit bonus and damage dice.

Grade

An Armament construction tier, separate from Rank and Quality. Armor Grade governs protection, weight, and mobility; Weapon Grade is set by the striking material and governs damage modifiers and weapon prerequisites.

Hand

Weapon Proficiency considers one- or two-handed use and Main-Hand or Off-Hand placement; each hand has its own attack values and restrictions.

Mould

An Armament's style and pattern. Armor Moulds include forms such as plate, chainmail, scale, and studded; they affect appearance and function, and determine base price.

Weapon Style

A weapon's combat form, such as Slashing, Blunt, or Piercing; Style affects damage modifiers against Armor Moulds and is distinct from Weapon Type.

Weapon Type

Tactical, Magic, TAW, or Chthonic. Type gates which Class Abilities can be readied: Martial requires Tactical, Spell requires Magic, and TAW or Chthonic satisfy neither.

1H Weapon

One-Handed Weapon; a weapon held in one hand.

2H Weapon

Two-Handed Weapon; a weapon wielded with both hands.

Gear

Practical tools for exploration and survival; Gear Cards have no class restriction and carry Quality, Value, and Weight, but no Rank, Grade, or Condition.

Item

Item Cards represent consumables, materials, collectibles, Relics, quest items, skins, meat, and other cargo, and may stack multiple objects on one card. Rem Points may be used to purchase Items; see the Equipment & Items chapter.

Special Item

Special Item Cards represent unique and often Rare objects such as event tickets, quest items, appearance items, scroll Spells, and buff potions.

Weapon

An offensive Armament, explained separately within the Armaments category. Weapon Cards describe each Weapon and record its Variant, Type, Style, Hand, Distance, Grade, Rank, Quality, Condition, Materials, statistics, prerequisites, and special properties.

Lore

Lore Cards lead Players to special Lore Quests built into a module and guide the party toward the related encounter and item drop.

Encounter

Encounter Cards represent beings, hazards, phenomena, or features a party may face, including NPCs, creatures, traps, and environmental conditions.

Companion

A creature or Cohort that accompanies a Character; Companion Cards record type, Rank, size, statistics, Abilities, and compatibility. Characters have four slots: Tiny, Small, Standard, and a shared larger slot for a Large and Goliath together or a single Behemoth. Rem Points may be used to purchase Companions; see the Companions chapter.

Prize

Prize Cards are not tied to a module or LVL, may represent any SORC Card category, are tradable, and may be used only at or below the Character's Rank.

SORC Cards

The game's physical and digital card system; categories include Ability Cards, Armaments (Armor and Weapon), Gear, Items (including Special Items), Lore, Encounters, Companions, and Prizes. Each card's reference number links it to its module page and digital content.

Loot

Items, resources, currency, and materials obtained from encounters, discovery, or other rewards.

Consumable

An Item used up to gain an effect, such as a potion or food.

TAW

Technologically Advanced Weapons, an Armament family named in the current rules.

TABA

Technologically Advanced Body Armor, an Armament category named in the current rules.

Life

A Character's damage-bearing Vitality resource. At 0 Life the Character is Incapacitated; the rules define the consequences of further Life loss.

Mana

The Vitality resource spent to cast Spells. At 0 Mana, a Character cannot cast until Mana returns.

Stamina

The Vitality resource spent on combat Abilities and movement in structured encounters. At 0 Stamina, a Character cannot use combat Abilities or move until it returns.

Vitality

A Character's four resources: Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance. Apex determines their capacity, while Spirit determines recovery for Life, Mana, and Stamina.

Endurance

The daily-action Vitality resource, spent at one Chip per action and restored by rests; it resets to full at the start of each day.

VIT SCR

The number of Chips a Vitality resource can hold; its VIT SCR is its capacity.

Apex source conflict

A race-specific Vitality score allocated among Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance to determine their capacity. Saved rules disagree on the points-to-Chip conversion, so no rate is stated here.

Spirit source conflict

A race-specific Vitality score that determines regeneration for Life, Mana, and Stamina. The saved rules disagree on whether Spirit also affects Endurance restored during rests.

Wellness

A 0% to 150% measure of a Character's day-to-day care and conditioning that responds to lifestyle, injury, illness, practice, and rest and directly alters Apex and Spirit.

Cohort

A player organization or guild that characters may join; current rules also use Cohort for a humanoid NPC companion who can assist, provide care, or carry gear.

Achievements

Milestones tracked by the SORC site.

Leaderboard

A site feature that ranks players using the metrics shown on its page.

Trading Post source conflict

A fixed-price buy/sell room in The Exchange; another saved site page labels the feature in development, so current availability remains unconfirmed.

Trials of Combat source conflict

A structured combat-trial feature and tabletop rules term; saved sources disagree on its current SORC Web availability.

Character Sheet

A record of a Character's details, statistics, Abilities, equipment, and progression; SORC Web can save and export Characters as images or printouts.

UID

A Character's unique identification number for online tracking, trading, and Achievements.

AP meaning varies by source

The saved terminology uses AP for Action Points, Attack Power, and Achievement Points; the current rules do not establish one shared meaning.

SP

Spirit Points; older shorthand; current rules define Spirit as a score.

FP

Forth Points; source names points without specifying their use.

Background

A Character's backstory, selected or created during Character creation; it informs their outlook, initial Standing, and cultural equipment access.

Objective

A goal given to Players to earn rewards or advance the story.

Dungeon

An area designed for a group, typically with multiple challenges and adversaries.

Raid

A large encounter designed for multiple players.

Lore Quest

A special quest built into a module and triggered by a Lore Card, which guides the party to it.

Animated Compass

A living magical companion described in the saved reference as finding Safe Havens, transporting its owner and party, and developing additional forms and abilities.

Boneyard

Where fallen Rare-or-higher Companions, broken gear, spent items, and incapacitated Cards are held for recovery. Common and Uncommon Companions that die are permanently lost.

Rare Find

A rare creature or pet discovery that a Hunter may attempt to calm, capture, and tame, as described in the saved reference.

Prestige

A measure of how a Character is seen by the world, shaped by their appearance, Background, actions, choices, achievements, and failures; it informs Reputation and Legacy.

Legacy

The lasting recognition a Character builds through their deeds and Prestige; at retirement, a Legend is remembered in monuments, statues, and songs, while lower Ranks receive quieter recognition.

Aura

A Character's physical presence, sensed before their name or deeds through Sight, Smell, Sound, Touch, and Gut. One Aura evolves with age and life circumstances, stands apart from and is not fed by Prestige, can affect Reputation and first impressions, and has seven named stages—Untested, Marked, Seasoned, Renowned, Ascendant, Fading, and Transcendent/Hollow—whose transitions remain unsettled; it does not mechanically govern Standing or Title effects.

Title

A recognition for a Character's notable actions, achievements, or infamous deeds; Boasted, Shamed, and Exposed Titles can affect how factions perceive the Character and adjust Standing.

SORC Web

SORC's companion online platform with Basic and Pro memberships, community features, Character profiles, and additional digital content and tools.

Mission Statement

A Character's statement tying them to specific factions and NPCs who have a stake in whether it succeeds or fails. How the Character pursues or neglects it directly affects Standing with those factions and NPCs.

Faction

An organized group a Character may have a relationship with. Standing is tracked separately for each faction and NPC.

Standing

A Character's relationship level with a faction, NPC, or Standing category, tracked on eight tiers: Exalted (+4), Cherished (+3), Adored (+2), Respected (+1), Neutral (0), Tolerable (-1), Disliked (-2), and Hated (-3). It is recorded separately across Family, Affiliations, Companions, Campaign, Fellows, Neighbours, and Wellness.

Affiliation

Formal membership in a faction. It brings deeper access, obligations, and consequences; Standing with the faction is still tracked separately.

Reputation

A Character's ongoing actions build their reputation. Reputation is directly tied to Standing with factions and NPCs; recognized Boasted Titles can raise Standing, while Shamed or exposed titles can lower it.

Contribution

What a Character gives to a Standing category, such as time, Coin, labour, and reputation. It is tracked separately from Standing; Contribution and Neglect are opposite directions on one line, and Contribution has no Mark.

Neglect

The downward direction of a category's Contribution line. Neglect can move a Character only toward Neutral; falling below Neutral requires a deliberate act.

Mark

The highest Standing a Character has ever held with a party, recorded alongside current Standing and never decaying. A deliberate act can lower Standing below Neutral by the same number of tiers the Mark stood above Neutral; a Bond Quest can seal a Mark without erasing it.

Praise

Standing movement received from the allies of a party when the Character's Standing with that party changes. Allies move in the same direction by half the tiers changed, rounded down, minimum one.

Blowback

Standing movement received from the enemies of a party when the Character's Standing with that party changes. Enemies move in the opposite direction by the Praise amount.

HP

Hit Points, a general term for a health pool; current SORC rules call this resource Life.

DPS

Damage Per Second; also names a damage-focused role.

HPS

Healing Per Second; measures healing delivered each second.

PvE

Player versus Environment; play against the world's enemies and challenges.

PvP

Player versus Player; players compete or fight against one another.

PK

Player Kill; one player kills another player.

LFM

Looking for More; recruits additional players to join a group.

AFK

Away From Keyboard; signals that a player is temporarily away.

OT

Off Tank; secondary tank handles additional adversaries.

MT

Main Tank; primary tank manages the encounter's main threat.

RNG

Random Number Generator; determines random outcomes, including loot and effects.

OOC

Out of Character; communication outside a Character's role in the story.

OOM unresolved source meanings

The attached terminology PDF uses OOM for “Out of Spirit”; the saved migration glossary uses it for “Out of Mana.” The current rules do not define this abbreviation.

OOS

Out of Spirit; source term current rules do not define.

LOS

Line of Sight; unobstructed view is needed to see or target something.

Link

A term for nearby adversaries joining a fight when one of them is attacked.

BAM

Big Ass Monster; a notable and powerful adversary.

SD

Spell Damage; damage dealt by a spell or spell effect.

CD

Cooldown; wait before a Skill or Ability can be used again.

TBD

To Be Determined; marks a detail that has not yet been decided.

RP meaning varies by source

In saved glossary shorthand, RP means Role Play, acting and speaking as a Character in the story. Current progression rules also use RP for Rank PTS; context determines which meaning applies.

WB

World Boss; a powerful adversary found in the open world.

CAP

No expansion is given; means highest unbuffed Skill or Ability value.

BG

Battleground; an area for structured player-versus-player activity.

Zerg

Overwhelming an opponent with a large number of participants.

Guild

A player community group.

Clan

A smaller player community group, as described in the attached reference.

Gang

A smaller player-community group than a Guild or Clan.

Associate

A term listed in the attached terminology reference without a definition.

Nerf

A reduction in the power or effectiveness of a class, item, or Ability.

Buff

A beneficial effect applied to a Character, oneself, or allies that can enhance statistics, Abilities, or performance.

Debuff

A negative effect applied to an adversary or Character.

Res

Resurrection; brings a defeated Character or Companion back to life.

Kite

Move to keep distance from an adversary and avoid its attacks.

Wipe

The defeat or incapacitation of an entire party during an encounter.

Healer

A role focused on recovery and support.

Tank

A role focused on taking damage and controlling adversary attention.

Support

A role that helps teammates with effects or resources. The attached reference distinguishes it from healing.