SORC Cards

Players use a comprehensive Card-based system to track their Abilities, Armaments, Companions and more. Mob Cards are often in groups and the amount of Mobs within any given group is represented by Tokens.

Each Box Set includes the essential SORC Cards for its respective module's LVL or rank, along with information such as stats, lore, and a ref # on each card. The ref # serves two purposes: it references the page in the module book where that card's content appears, and it is used to access the card's digital content online. Every SORC Card ref # follows this format: mod-ref#pg.12347291, the black portion is the page number in the module book where that card appears, and the green portion is the card's unique number. When accessing digital content online, only the green number is entered. Basic printable cut outs of SORC Cards are available at our website, along with a PDF lighter version of the game.

†Recipes are needed to craft items, so any item that can be crafted comes with a recipe and each recipe has instructions, life and a material list. Items that cannot be crafted can be discovered in the world. Every SORC Card NEEDED in a module to perform any talent, skill, or Trait comes with a basic Common punch out style SORC Card to ensure a seamless and enjoyable gaming Experience (XP).

Uncommon Cards are included in box sets as well, but Uncommon Cards are more Rare. For example: a Player creates a Cleric that can begin their adventures proficient in all 1h blunt weapons, so the box set would have basic Common weapons, such as: 1h hammer and 1h mace, but a 1h flail, a bit stronger and maybe more exquisite, is less Common (Uncommon). The flail can still be retrieved, but not from every vendor in the game, it would need to be found.

How to Read a Card

Any Ability Card that isn't Unlimited-Use carries a marker printed just above the card, never inside it, showing which limiter applies and how many Ability Reset/Recharge Chips currently sit on it.

• CD (Cooldown): the Ability recharges on a timer, once every Turn (6 seconds), a chip is added back until the Card's full Charges total is restored.
• RECHRG (Recharge): the Ability recharges on Rest instead of a Turn timer, chips return at the next Short or Long Rest per the Card's own rules.

An Unlimited-Use Card carries neither marker, there's nothing to track.

Why Use SORC Cards?

SORC is a pretty crunchy game with a lot of elements and features, so the Cards make things more manageable. There are also a lot of elements in the game, including abilities, spells, and items available, so instead of flipping through pages, Players and GMs will have their own Cards that work in conjunction and are referenced to books. They are also designed to speed up encounters, ensuring that Players can access essential information at a glance without flipping through rulebooks. Each card includes a ref # for trading digital versions and linking to online resources such as lore, crafting recipes, and supplemental materials. The black portion gives the module book page, and the green portion is entered at the website to access that card's digital content.

Beyond gameplay, cards also enhance the narrative and personalization of the game, and even while not directly in play, they are showcased in the home, including; gardens, trophy rooms, closets and other spaces.

Acquiring SORC Cards

Cards come as default Punch Outs in each adventure module. Each set of Cards in a box set is determined by its module's LVL, for instance; module v. 0.01 is for LVLs 1-5 and includes the basic Common Cards. Each Card is paired to its own Card quest, with some as simple as: "go see town merchant to acquire your equipment..." Lore Cards, which also come in every box set, are paired to special Lore Quests already present in the module, the Card is what guides the party to them (refer to Lore Cards below). GMs can distribute default Cards in any manner they see fit.

Module LVL	Card Rank Included
1-5	Common Cards
5-8	Uncommon Cards
9-14	Rare Cards
14-18	Unique Cards
18-23	Heroic Cards
23-26	Elite Cards
26-29	Legendary Cards
29-30	Divine Cards

The Character must be at the same rank as the Lore Card to use it. See Ranks above. Looking at the table above, each Module only comes with Cards of a rank associated with the module's LVL. This is done with the assumption that Players have already developed a character up to the LVL and rank of their newly purchased module. This will also discourage cheating since there is no other way to acquire default Cards that are packaged onto our box sets.

Each Card rank Rare and above is paired with a quest or other method of obtaining it. Each Card also has its own Code for easy reference to our books and servers, its own lore, and a code.

Armament Cards

Armament Cards cover weapons, ammunition and armor, and work similarly to Armor and Lore Cards in that they are restricted by class. There will be five Punch Out sets for each basic armor and weapon type with beginner sets and Players will evolve their Armaments, even as sets with bonuses, as they enhance their Armaments. This box set heavily prepares 4 Players and a GM for play but up to five or six Players could participate. Each set will come with sheets of punch out SORC Cards. Armaments will each come in sets of 4 in the case that 4 Players choose similar Main Class Treees. This means there will be 4 of the same leather set, 4 of the same plate set, 4 of the same chainmail set and so forth.

Armor Cards

Below are examples of a Common Full Plate Set included in a LVL 1-5 Box Set, followed by a Crimson (Red) Scale Legendary Set included in a LVL 24-28 Box Set as the Rules state.

Weapon Cards

The weapon choices below require class Prerequisites. For instance, a one handed magic dagger can only be used by certain classes, at certain LVLs or their class path, such as; LVL 1 Main Class Tree mage.

Below are the sets of punchout Common Weapon Cards included in this box set.

Lore Cards

Lore Cards come with every box set. The rank of Lore Cards included is dictated by the LVL of the module, for instance, Hold's Keep Valley v. 0.01 is for LVLs between 1 and 5. Lore Cards lead Players to special Lore Quests built into the module, the Card is what guides the party to them, with the highest-rank Cards pointing to the most exclusive and challenging quests in that module.

Reminder: Each module comes with punchout Cards of the rank matched to its LVL (see table above). A LVL 1-5 module includes Common Cards, a LVL 5-10 module includes Uncommon Cards, and so on. Lost Cards can be downloaded for free online using the box set code, or ordered through our catalog for a fee.

As with all SORC Cards, each Lore Card is printed on matte/designed card stock and includes the respective stats and an image of what it represents, along with a ref # that provides access to its digital version. Enter the green portion of the ref # at the website to access digital content. The digital access must be refreshed periodically, Players should keep track of their cards and avoid losing them. Players may trade Cards that are †not useful to them, such as plate when they can only wear leather. This also ensures any new owner of the Card maintains digital access.

†Keep in mind, in SORC characters can choose various classes, so they could acquire the Prerequisite to wear plate armor. Also note characters have a class Ability cap, so there's a fine line between power and diversity.

Lore Cards lead parties to special quests called Lore Quests. Lore Quests are Elite quests already built into the module, the quests and their rewards are there, and the Lore Card is what guides the party to them and triggers the item drop. If a Player gets a Lore Card, they'll be led to the quest and eventually discover the Lore Card that the GM acquired in the box set. Just like the Common punch out Cards that always come as a set in the box, the GM holds onto Lore Cards until the party earns them. The GM will lead the Players to the area of which to achieve the goal.

For example: Rare: Igor's Helm (of STR), Igor the Ogre Chief. The party would need to retrieve the Helm from Igor, an ogre chieftain, buried deep below the snowy forests of Mt. Olympiad. The party is led to a rogue Vanwa camp that blends hidden in nooks between hard to reach tight canyon slots above the mountain's base. The Vanwa are at war with the ogres in the area and the camp is an expedition camp in search of Igor, who is the chieftain of the buried Mountain Ogres.

Lore Quests and Lore Cards are both relevant to the LVL of the module and already built into it, the Card is simply what puts the party on the path to finding them. If the source of the Lore Card's element is gone, e.g. if Igor has already been killed, the party will find the Card in an alternate manner explained in the module or improvised by the GM. The goal is to get the Lore Card to the party but to also make it fun, exciting and challenging.

Example: If Igor is already dead or missing, the GM will begin a new narrative to assist the party in finding the Helm of STR. There is a Lore Quest for every possible Lore Card that may drop. Moving forward, without any spoilers, the Vanwa offer handsome rewards for proof that Igor is dead, and with either thought or combat, the party will have the prize. Lore Cards aren't always dropped, they may be gifted by NPCs, discovered or acquired in other ways.

Upon defeating Igor, the helmet drops. All members that can wear the plate helm would roll for it, and if nobody can, everyone rolls for it. The winner of any members that can wear plate is now empowered by the helm. Players awarded whose characters cannot wear the helm can either trade it online for something they can use, or save it for potential later use.

The maximum rank a character can achieve is limited by their LVL. When designing box sets or awarding Lore Cards, do not include items requiring a rank higher than what the highest LVL in that set allows:

• Levels 1-5: Maximum Lore Card rank is Common.
• Levels 5-8: Maximum Lore Card rank is Uncommon.
• Levels 9-14: Maximum Lore Card rank is Rare.
• Levels 14-18: Maximum Lore Card rank is Unique.
• Levels 18-23: Maximum Lore Card rank is Heroic.
• Levels 23-26: Maximum Lore Card rank is Elite.
• Levels 26-29: Maximum Lore Card rank is Legendary.
• Levels 29-30: Maximum Lore Card rank is Divine.

Players keep their physical Cards at home at all times. Cards can be traded in two ways: at the table with real-life friends, or online through the Essentia Exchange. The Essentia Exchange has three rooms with different functions: the Trading Post (fixed prices, buy/sell), the Bazaar (player-set prices, buy/sell), and the Black Market (direct hand trades and barter). For instance, if a Paladin receives a leather armor set he cannot use, he can hand the physical Card to another Player at the table, or list it on the Essentia Exchange to sell or swap. Either way, the transfer must be completed through the Exchange to update digital ownership.

When a Card changes hands through the Essentia Exchange, the unique number is regenerated automatically. The previous owner's physical Card now displays the ref # as mod-ref#pg.123*****, the page reference (black) remains valid for finding the card in the module book, but the unique number (green) is masked and expired. The new owner gains full digital access through the Essentia Exchange. The original physical Card becomes a collectible, its digital access is permanently transferred. The new owner does not receive a new physical card; digital ownership is managed entirely through the Essentia Exchange.

Note: SORC is first and foremost a TTRPG played AT the table. Written content, such as Modules, Maps, Cards and other text included in the box set can be obtained digitally using the Box Set Code. A lighter free PDF version of the game is also available, and includes paper versions of cut out Cards, the rules and anything else that allows people to play SORC. Free Players can also join campaign lobbies, but cannot host them as stated in SORC Web. Players that want to avoid online altogether can re-order elements through the catalog included in the box set.

Gear Cards

Gear Cards cover the practical tools of exploration and survival, the Adventuring Gear listed later in this chapter along with tool kits, lanterns, climbing equipment and the like. Unlike Armament Cards they carry no class restriction, any character may hold and use any Gear Card. Unlike Item Cards they are equipment rather than cargo, they do work in the world. Gear carries Quality and Value, both set by what it is made of, and carries no Rank, Grade or Condition. The Cost listed for a piece of Gear is its Value, and Quality adjusts it by the same percentages an Armament's does, Poor through Masterful (see Weapon Quality, below). A tool kit grants its DIFS bonus only while it is the genuine article, a makeshift substitute grants nothing, and Poor Quality is the worst a real kit gets (see Mechanical and TAG Tools, below). Every Gear Card lists a weight that counts toward carry capacity (see Encumbrance, pg. 5). Cheap, mundane Gear stacks the way Items do, a bundle of torches or a coil of rope on a single Card, but a kit does not, each kit is its own Card because each carries its own Quality.

Item Cards

Item Cards can be obtained through different means, such as discovery, purchasing from shop vendors, trading, gifting, and more. Each box set includes a variety of item Cards that are relevant to the module and its designated LVLs. Items like consumables (such as healing pots and materials) and collectables; hobby items, artifacts, Relics, quest items, hunter's skins and meat etc, are represented by individual Cards, and are often stacked. For example, a healing potion Card might contain 10 potions on its description, preventing the need of holding 10 separate Cards. They can be stacked or combined, as long as the Character has the strength or space to manage carrying them. These cards can also be kept in †storage, a character's home, or wherever. The Player holds the Card for their character until it is used, sold, lost or when the campaign, or character, retires.

†Drafts, wagons, hirelings etc. can help here. Items can also be stored in storage, vaults or a character's home.

Item Cards, Special

Special items are Unique and often Rare objects that can influence a character or the game world. These include event tickets, quest items, items that alter a character's appearance or attire, powerful artifacts, scroll Spells, potions that grant buffs, and specialized Armaments. They often carry lore, special effects, or functions that can significantly impact a character's adventures or customization.

Encounter Cards

Encounter Cards cover every being, hazard, phenomenon, or feature the party may face, from monsters and NPCs to traps, environmental conditions, and roaming threats. Each card contains the stats, abilities, and characteristics needed to run that encounter at the table without sending the GM back through the book. Modules are built alongside their Encounter Cards, the module specifies which cards are placed in which areas, and the same card can be reused across multiple locations throughout the campaign. Not every element in a module is card-represented; modules contain full text content, and GMs may also place cards at their own discretion. See the GM's Codex for expanded guidance on card placement and custom encounter design.

There are several types of Encounter Cards, each representing a specific category of encounter.

Encounter Card Drops: All Encounter Cards include drop information, loot, resources, currency, or materials that can be obtained from the encounter. Drop chances and quantities are listed on the card. See the module for specific drop percentages.

Encounter Token Threshold: Every Encounter Card has a Token Threshold printed on the card, the maximum number of Encounter Tokens that can be assigned to it, as defined by the module. For Mob Encounter Cards, tokens represent the number of individual enemies present. For Mechanical Encounter Cards, tokens represent the number of attempts characters have at that mechanism. Once the Threshold is reached, no additional tokens may be added without GM direction.

• NPC Encounter Cards: Specifically detail non-Player characters, such as quest givers, faction leaders, vendors, or other story-driven figures. These cards include relevant stats and abilities, helping GMs quickly reference and run interactions or challenges involving NPCs.
• Boss Encounter Cards: Represent powerful, unique adversaries that serve as major challenges or story milestones. They include Life, Abilities, Armor, and ATTKs, no Traits or ATTRs, to make these encounters distinct and memorable.
• Mob Encounter Cards: Represent either one Mob, or groups of similar enemies encountered together, such as squads of guards or packs of creatures. Each card uses Encounter Tokens to track the number of individual enemies present and manage their status during play.
• Companion Encounter Cards: Represent allies, pets, mounts, or hirelings that can accompany and assist Player characters. These cards provide relevant stats and abilities for each companion, making it easy to manage their role in the adventure.
• Mechanical Encounter Cards: Represent non-living interactive elements built into the module, traps, locked doors, pressure plates, combination locks, puzzles, and other hazards. These cards are always module-specific; the module assigns each card to its area and defines its Token Threshold. Each token on a Mechanical Encounter Card represents one attempt characters have at that mechanism, when all tokens are spent, the mechanism is permanently resolved and no further attempts may be made. Mechanical Encounter Cards can be reused across multiple areas of the campaign as directed by the module.
• Biological Encounter Cards: Cover living flora and fauna, from small critters to giant beanstalks. These cards represent natural entities that may be hazardous or beneficial, depending on their unique properties or effects.
• Environmental Encounter Cards: Represent natural features and phenomena such as terrain, weather, earthquakes, or tornadoes. These cards describe environmental effects that influence gameplay based on the setting.

Wandering Encounters: Every module includes a Wandering Encounter pool, a set of Encounter Cards organized by region or zone. The GM rolls D100 once per hour of travel and once per rest watch. If the result meets or exceeds the Wandering Threshold for that zone, as printed in the module, a wandering encounter is triggered. The GM draws from the appropriate regional pool and runs the encounter as directed. Once resolved, the card returns to the pool and may trigger again. Not every zone has a wandering pool, the module specifies which areas are active and which cards belong to each pool. Wandering encounters are at the GM's will; thresholds may be adjusted, triggers skipped, or encounters called outside of the roll as the narrative demands.

Monsters, Animals and Creatures Encounter Card Fields

MAC (Monsters, Animals, Creatures/Critters) Encounter Cards-Mob and Boss cards-contain standardized fields so GMs have all necessary information at the table. Unlike Player Characters, a MAC's Character LVL, Growth (Age), and Rank are all assigned directly by the GM or module author. Character LVL and Growth are separate systems: Character LVL governs Hit and damage calculations, while Growth determines Life. A MAC's Growth may be listed as UKN (Unknown) or Hidden, indicating hand-tuned or undisclosed formula-based stats.

Header Section:

• Card Name (creature type)
• Rank (Common through Divine)
• LVL (1-30, assigned by GM/module)
• Creature Type (Beast, Humanoid, Elemental, Undead, etc.)

Creature Type and world. A Creature Type sorts by form. An Undead carries a body and is native to Hexagonum. An Aberration carries none, and covers wraiths, spirits and ghosts, and is native to Angeligla. A Beast undead carries a living body. Werewolf, vampire and mummy are general terms and appear on the four worlds that have their own Book, Ignis, Zailister, Omnè Malum and Tredeki, see the Tomes of Essentia.

Stats Section:

• Life (scales from Age/Growth)
• Hit Bonus (scales from Rank)
• PROTS (scales from Rank, see Armor Class equivalent)
• Armor Value (if applicable)

Combat:

• Abilities (Primary and Secondary)
• Primary ATTK (name, damage type, hit penalty)
• Secondary ATTKs (if any)
• Special Abilities (with recharge/cooldown info)

Loot/Drops:

• Drop Table (by rank differential)
• Quest Items (guaranteed minimum chance)
• Materials (quality scales with encounter difficulty)
• Currency/Resources (if any)

Tokens:

• Encounter Token Threshold (max number of these creatures that can be present)

Laws of the Land

Essentia is a world governed by laws. Players who break them face consequences, fines, bounties, imprisonment, faction standing loss, or worse, depending on the severity and the jurisdiction. Ignorance of the law is not a defense.

Fighting in Town: Combat within town or city limits is strictly forbidden. Attacking another character, NPC, or creature inside a settlement will draw the attention of town guards and result in immediate consequences. Vendors, traders, and citizens are protected by law, killing a vendor is a serious crime, even if they drop their wares and inventory upon death.

Banditry and Road Crimes: Attacking or stealing from travelers, especially on roads and trade routes, is forbidden and considered banditry. Roads are protected under common law across most factions. Players caught robbing or assaulting travelers face bounties and hostile faction standing.

Consequences: Law enforcement is handled by guards, faction militias, or bounty hunters depending on the region. Crimes are tracked. See the GM's Codex for jurisdiction rules, crime tiers, and consequence tables.

Companion Cards (Encounter)

Companions are; pets, guardians, angelics, fellowships (NPCs), temps (hirelings, summons etc.), drafts, ruminants, and mechanical. Mechanical companions are constructed companions with no biological needs. Subtypes include: Vehicular (remote-controlled or piloted machines that also serve as transport), Droids (autonomous task-built robots), Automatons (mechanical constructs, often arcane-powered), Androids (humanoid machines capable of social interaction), and Drones (small aerial or surveillance units). Mechanical companions follow the same bonding, upkeep, and mood rules as organic companions, but their upkeep consists of maintenance, charging, oil, and repair rather than food and rest. There are no Averse companion types; races have Favored companion categories that bond faster and cost less to maintain. Each Companion has its own Stats listed on their card. Stats can improve as the Companion advances through Performance Tiers, current stats are tracked in the Companion slot on the Character sheet.

Characters have four Companion slots, one of each size: tiny, small, standard, and large/goliath/behemoth. The fourth slot is shared and holds either a Large and a Goliath together, or a single Behemoth alone. A Behemoth fills the slot by itself. Up to five Companions can accompany a character at one time, or four when the fourth slot holds a Behemoth. Dragons are never Companions. No Dragon of any age, size or lineage may be bonded, hired, summoned or held in any slot. Lesser draconic creatures are open: drakes, wyverns, wyrmlings of non-Dragon stock, and the like all bond normally at their own size. Tiny Companions are the smallest, typically insects, bugs, or very small creatures. Small Companions are roughly the size of a rodent or small bird. Standard Companions are humanoid-sized up to the size of a large horse or similar creature. Large Companions occupy 2x2 squares. Goliath Companions range from large humanoid-scaled creatures to the scale of a Centyr (4 spaces). Behemoths can reach colossal sizes and are extremely rare. Goliath-sized races can mount Large companions or anything larger (Large, Goliath, Behemoth). These allies support in combat, travel, and exploration, with Unique Abilities, adding depth to gameplay and character interactions. Each Companion Card may or may not be restricted to character class and race. If a Common or Uncommon Companion dies, the Character loses them permanently, they cannot be resurrected and do not go to the boneyard.

See Companions for the full companion system, Mood, Upkeep, Bonding, Tickets, and more.

Prize Cards

Prize Cards are physical SORC Cards that are not tied to any specific module or LVL. They are among the prizes that can be won through the SORC Web community program using Community PTS, no cash required. Prize Cards may represent any category within the SORC Card system: Armaments, Companions, Special Items, Lore Cards, and more, and can range from Common to Divine in rank. Characters may only use Prize Cards at or equal to their own rank, a Heroic-rank character cannot use a Divine Prize Card in play. Prize Cards are digital-access versions only, no physical box set binding. Their ref # must be refreshed periodically to maintain digital access, enter the green portion at the website. Prize Cards are fully tradable.

Note: Prize Cards are not bound to a box set code and supplement a character's collection. A free PDF version of the game is available for those without a box set.