Slayers of Rings & Crowns (SORC) - Statistics & Formulas Reference

Trait SCR	Tier	Vitality Chips / Ability Resets
1-4	0	None (not yet active)
5-9	1	1
10-14	2	2
15-19	3	3
20-24	4	4
25-29	5	5
30-34	6	6
35-39	7	7
40	8	8

Playable Classes

Each Class grants a tree of Abilities that unlock at each Character LVL (LVL). When a character uses an Ability from their Class, they are playing as that Ability's specific role-your Character's active class identity shifts based on the Ability and weapon currently being used, not fixed at character creation.

Class Ability structure is managed between three open parts: a linear Main Class Tree Tier (Levels 1-3), three Path choices per Tier (4-20), and three Branch choices per Path (21-30). Paths and Branches are Sub-Classes of their Main Class: each Path is a Sub-Class chosen at LVL 4, and each Branch is a Sub-Class chosen at LVL 21, continuing an extension of its Path's progression, rather than branching into a wholly separate tree.

Overview: A Tier is a Main Class's linear baseline, common to every character in that class. A Path is the first Ability choice, giving Characters distinct identities and tailoring their ideal weapons and armor thresholds. Branch is a second, narrower specialization within that Path, offering an even more distinct style.

Further below are summaries of each Main Classes Tier, Path and Branch Abilities; while the full versions are provided on Ability Cards (sampled below).

Example Nature Card - Onset Strike, Barbarian Path - Destroyer Branch (Temporary layout, pending final card design. Statistical values, for Vitality, Uses etc, are formulated and not hand tuned. Identifying values are notional until each module's release.)

CD, 3 Charges

Ability Card | Martial

Place Holder awaiting Image and/or Statistic Details.

Main Class: Barbarian Path: Destroyer Onset Strike "The Barbarian closes the gap before the enemy can plant their feet, driving the weapon's full weight into muscle and bone with a blow meant to end the fight before it starts. What doesn't drop staggers, one leg buckled half-useless beneath them, easy prey for whatever comes next." Action Cost: 1 Action Cost: 3 Stamina Uses: 3/Round Range: Touch (5 ft) Weapon/Hand Proficiency Bonus: 2h weapon equipped. Avoids Armament Penalty: Medium Grade armor or lighter donned (see readied Armaments pg. 4) Effect: Melee attack roll at normal Hit. On a hit, deal weapon damage +1d6 bonus Damage, and halve the target's movement speed until the end of their next turn. The below reference code points to a directory where detailed information of this Ability's Discipline is logged via; libraries, lore, diaries and other recorded sources. Module: Hypothetical, Branch content not yet published | Ref #Nature*** | pg. 00x

Reading Class Trees

1. All numbers represent the Character's LVL (LVL 1, LVL 2, etc.), at which point an Ability is chosen, then chosen again at the midpoint of the next LVL.

2. Each Main Class is followed by its Tier Abilities, each of which has three Paths, and each Path has three Branches. Paths are listed in roman numeral form, Branches in lowercase letters, like this:
i. Cleric
  a. Holy
  b. Oracle
  c. Warpriest
ii. Monk
  a. Chanter
  b. Shapeflow
  c. Qirateka
iii. Priest
  a. Shadow Weaver
  b. Discipline
  c. Salii

3. Every Main Class shows four Slots: three Role Slots specific to that Class, drawn from a pool of four (🛡️ Tank, 🗡️ DPS, 🩸 Heals, 🤝 Support), plus Hybrid, which every Class always carries as its fourth Slot regardless of which three Roles it draws. The Hybrid moon follows the Class's own leaning: a lawful-leaning Class takes the lighter moon (🌖), an evil-leaning Class the darker (🌒). Within the trees, each is marked by its own icon rather than a letter; these icons are used only within the trees. See each Main Class's own entry for its two Role Slots.

4. Every 4th LVL, one of that Class's 3 Slots is a Gate. Choosing a Gate Ability doesn't require picking that same Slot again, but it unlocks the option to pick that Slot at the next Gate checkpoint 4 Levels later, even if the Levels between were spent investing in a different Class Tree entirely. Not choosing it locks that one specific future Ability out permanently. A Gate Ability itself starts at the same power as its peers at that LVL, a genuine tradeoff, not an automatic pick; the Ability it unlocks runs a bit stronger than its own peers at that later LVL, though still not always the best choice either, choices stay hard both times. See Slots and Prerequisites, below, for the full mechanic.

5. Reminder: Hybrid Abilities always consume a reagent when used (see Reagents, Organic Elements, Basic Rules pg. 4). Which reagent is required is set by the Hybrid Ability itself, not by Class or Path. Hybrid isn't its own fixed archetype, a Hybrid Ability can read as a Tank, DPS, Heals, or Support effect, whichever fits that Ability, what unites them is the reagent cost, not a shared theme. A Hybrid Ability that reads as a Heal always runs weaker than a dedicated Heals Slot's Ability at the same LVL, a Class actually trained in Heals outheals a Hybrid dip into it every time. For Martial Classes this Hybrid Heal is a fairly common pick, most often reading as Stamina spent into Life rather than a true channeled heal, a war cry, a bellow, a stomp, a charge, or a similar maneuver that converts the caster's or an ally's Stamina into Life, still never the only Hybrid option a Martial Class carries, just a frequent one.

6. Character Class Designation: When naming a character's class, use only the deepest point they have reached in their Main Class Tree. If a character has reached LVL 21 or higher and chosen a Branch, name only that Branch (example: Vigilante, Destroyer, Noaidi). If a character has reached LVL 4 or higher but has not yet chosen a Branch (still within LVL 4-20 Path levels), name only the Path (example: Cleric, Ranger, Norwitch). If a character has not yet reached LVL 4 (still in Tier levels 1-3), name only the Main Class (example: Fighter, Witch). When a character has invested in multiple Main Classes simultaneously, apply this rule separately to each class tree to show each one's furthest point.

Nature Drawn and Spell Drawn Abilities (Stub)

A separate track from a character's Martial/Spell Split and its Protection, DPS, Heals, and Hybrid Slots. Not tied to Character LVL, tied instead to Growth. Full mechanics TBA.

Alignment:
Alignment is chosen at creation before selecting your Background, then can shift over time through your actions during play, tracked on your Character Sheet's Alignment bar along a five-point spectrum, Lawful | Moral | Ambivalent | Amoral | Evil (see Alignment, Basic Rules pg. 2). A Main Class Tier (Levels 1-3) is open to your alignment as long as it sits inside that Class's Spectrum, the range its Paths and Branches reach between them. Each Path bases at one alignment and reaches the alignment on either side of it. Every Path and Branch of that Class falls inside the same Spectrum.

Two separate things can go wrong. Drift outside the Main Class's Spectrum entirely and you can no longer learn new Abilities from its Tier, its Paths, or its Branches; every Ability already learned stays fully usable. Drift off a Path's exact alignment while remaining inside the Spectrum and you keep learning its Abilities, but its Higher Power bonuses stop until you return to that alignment, which takes repentance, a long and enduring process. That is how Fallen and Risen work in SORC (see Fallen and Risen Classes, below).

Higher Power: A Character may devote to one Higher Power, and one only, chosen at LVL 4 alongside their first Path and drawn from that Path's own patron (see each Class's Path entries, below). It is a lifetime commitment across every Class Tree the Character invests in, not a per-tree choice: a second Path taken later in another Class does not grant a second patron, and its own Higher Power bonuses go unclaimed.

What devotion grants: a Benefit on Abilities drawn from any Path sworn to that Higher Power, and on checks made in its service or in its places (see Benefit and Drawback, Basic Rules pg. 1).

What devotion costs: a Drawback on every roll made against that Higher Power's opposite or declared foe, and against anything of that foe's making, its faithful, its consecrated ground, and its Armaments included. Each patron's opposite is named in its own Path entry, content TBA.

Forbidden Paths: a Higher Power will not share a Character with the traditions it stands against. While devoted, a Character cannot learn new Abilities from any Path its patron forbids, whatever their alignment. The restriction falls on individual Paths, never on a whole Class Tree: a patron objects to a particular tradition and its practices, not to every Path a Class happens to contain, so the rest of that Class stays open. Abilities already learned are never stripped, the forbidden Path simply closes to further picks while the devotion holds. Each patron's forbidden Paths are listed in its own Path entry, content TBA.

Choosing no Higher Power is a real option and the only way to keep every Path open. An undevoted Character forfeits all Higher Power bonuses and can never Fall or Rise (see Fallen and Risen, GM Codex), but carries no Drawback and no Path is ever closed to them. Trading a patron's power for total freedom of build is the tradeoff.

How this differs from Alignment. Alignment already bars most of what a patron would object to: it governs which Paths sit within reach on the five-point spectrum, and a Path four steps away is out of reach whether a patron objects or not. A Higher Power's forbidden Paths are the narrower case, rival traditions that sit close enough on the spectrum for alignment to allow them, where the patrons themselves are enemies. Two Moral Paths sworn to opposed powers are the clearest example, alignment permits both, the patron permits only its own. Alignment also shifts with play, while a patron's forbidden list never does. A Character must satisfy both.

Characters may learn Abilities from a Path or Branch only while sitting inside that Main Class's Spectrum; devoting to its Higher Power requires standing at that Path's base Alignment exactly (see Choosing a Higher Power, below). Each Path lists its own place on the five-point spectrum next to its Higher Power (see each class's Path entries, above), a single Class Tree's three Paths do not need to share the same category.

Basic ATTKs:
None of this touches a Basic ATTK, the plain swing, thrust, loose, or throw a weapon was built for. Any Character may wield any weapon they can carry and attack with it normally, whatever their class: a Magic User can swing a greatsword, an Avenger can shoot a bow. Only Abilities are restricted, and only to the weapons their own tree lists. A Character can use a Bow, they simply cannot perform Cleric Abilities with one (see Basic ATTKs and Ability ATTKs, Basic Rules pg. 5).

Armaments:
A class's Abilities require one of that tree's listed weapons to be readied, a restriction of Culture rather than of training (see Required Weapons, Appendix); Basic ATTKs carry no such restriction and any weapon performs one. Armor works differently: being outside a tree's Grade threshold only costs an Armament Penalty, never a block. Each Path or Branch states its own Weapon and Armor profile, wielding or wearing it grants that tree's Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus (see Weapon/Hand Proficiency, Appendix).

Armor Threshold: A Main Class Tier's Armor Threshold is the heaviest Grade supported by all of the main class Paths, since no heavier Grade works for all Paths without penalty. Characters using Tier Abilities can wear heavier armor, but will incur Armament Penalties for exceeding that Threshold. Each Path and Branch has its own Threshold that may advance from its precedent Tier. Each class states its own Tier Threshold on its class card.

Weapon Proficiency for Tiers: Weapon Proficiency for Main Class Tiers is determined at the Tier. The determining factors include Variants, Types, Hands, Distances, and Styles. These base Tier Proficiencies vary between Paths and Branches. Each Tier lists its own restrictions on its class card.

You may ready up to three weapon types plus one armor piece per day, swap which readied weapon is in hand at the cost of a turn to change which class's bonus you're earning, and carry any additional gear your Strength allows, though only what's readied that day grants its bonus, not just carried (see Weapons Carried, pg. 4).

Race:
Each Race carries Favored and Averse Main Class Treees, granting bonuses or penalties respectively (see Favored and Averse Class Bonuses, Playable Races, pg. 2).

24-Hour Readied Armament Rule

A readied Armament Set, up to three weapon types plus one donned armor piece, must stay intact for 24 game hours before it can be swapped for a different Set. A readied Armament grants its passive stats whether it is sheathed or drawn. Being in hand decides only which class's Abilities are available to you; every passive bonus on every readied Armament runs continuously for the 24 hours it is readied. A Barbarian who readies a 2h sword carrying an Agility property is earning that Agility across the whole day, in hand or on the back, and it applies wherever Agility applies, movement, Initiative, and Defense among them. Within that window you may freely switch which readied weapon is in hand, at the cost of a turn, to change which class's Abilities are available, but you cannot add a weapon type you didn't ready that day.

Example: an Avenger wearing Light armor and a wood-only 2h blunt weapon readied and drawn can use Monk Path Abilities. Because Light armor falls within the Cleric Path's Half Medium threshold, and the 2h blunt weapon falls into its weapon requirement (Cleric can use ANY blunt), the Character can also use Cleric Path Abilities without changing armor or weapon. Wearing armor heavier than a Path or Branch's threshold doesn't block its Abilities, but it does apply the respective Armament Penalty per Grade of difference (see Armament Penalty, Appendix). Swapping into a lighter piece to avoid that penalty is a choice, never a requirement and requires at least a "Breather" (see Doffing and Donning, Appendix).

Some Paths further restrict weapons based on style, material and even lore: Monks can't use weapons made of material outside of wood, Clerics can't use edged weapons, Warlocks can't use holy weapons. Conversely, some Branches exceed base class restrictions, for instance, the Salii Branch unlocks Magic daggers and Medium Grade armor that the base Priest Path doesn't allow. Prerequisites can further gate specific weapons or armor beyond the class's own requirements, for instance Zealbrand requires a minimum Piety and Charisma score before it can be drawn.

At each Character LVL, you are granted one Ability choice from any Class Tree whose Spectrum your alignment sits inside, plus a second at the midpoint toward the next Character LVL; Abilities are never purchased, only TST are (see Talents, Skills and Traits, Basic Rules pg. 2). Each choice fills one open Slot, taken from the Abilities that Slot offers (see Slots and Prerequisites, below). At LVL 4 a tree's Path opens; staying on one Path from LVL 4 through 20, then its Branch through LVL 30, maxes that tree at its 30-Ability capstone, the only route to reach it, since the total Ability cap across a character is 59 (see The 59 Ability Cap, Four Build Examples, below). Every Ability roll targets the same number a basic weapon attack does, the target's Protection Score (PROTS), d100 + all applicable modifiers vs. PROTS to hit. Defense Trait score always adds directly to PROTS, whether the incoming action is a basic attack or an Ability, there's no separate target number to track for either. Every Ability roll is modified by your race's Favored or Averse standing (Playable Races, pg. 2), your Traits, and any Armament bonuses.

Each Class Tree runs Tier (Levels 1-3), Path (4-20), and Branch (21-30), 30 Abilities total, growing sharply in power near the end, the jump from pick 29 to 30 is the largest of any tree.

The Starter Set covers Levels 1-5 for six curated classes (Avenger, Barbarian, Marksman, Sorcerer, Strategist, Witch) and five curated races, fully supported with Martial Abilities, Spell Abilities, and starting equipment; additional classes, Paths, and races open up beyond LVL 5 (see Starter Set Overview, Basic Rules pg. 2). Everything from Path LVL 6 onward, and every Branch, is real structure shown dimmed below until a later release unlocks it.

How far the summaries below go: Path Abilities carry brief noted descriptions through LVL 8 only, enough to read the shape of each pick without standing in for its Ability Card. Everything past LVL 8, the rest of the Path through LVL 20 and every Branch from LVL 21 to 30, still appears in its own row of the tables below, marked TBA. The structure is settled; the Abilities filling it are not yet written.

The 59 Ability Cap, Four Build Examples

A tree's 30th Ability, its capstone, can only be claimed on a full Character LVL, never at a midpoint. A tree pushed hard from Character LVL 1 reaches its 29th pick, one short of its capstone, by Character LVL 15. From there, a Player can choose to grab that capstone right away on any later Character LVL, or hold off and build a second tree instead, spending both later Character Levels and midpoints on it, and only decide which tree gets its true 30th when a Character LVL finally comes due. 30 + 29 = 59.

Primary and Secondary Classes: Your Primary Class is the Main Class Tree where you have learned the most Abilities. Your Secondary Classes are all other Main Class Trees where you have learned at least one Ability. Primary and Secondary Classes are determined by Ability count, not by which class you chose first. A character may have only one Primary Class (by definition, the one with the highest count) but can have many Secondary Classes. At any point during play, if Ability distribution shifts (a rare event; see GM Codex), Primary and Secondary designations are recalculated based on current Ability counts.

Example 1: Theron, Warrior / Barbarian. Nature picks per LVL of progression: 30 Nature Warrior Main Class, and 29 Nature Barbarian Main Class, for a maximum of 59 Nature. Both end up Ambivalent Paths, Warrior's Blade Master and Barbarian's Cimmerian, no alignment conflict. Theron puts every pick into Warrior from the start:

Character LVL 1: Warrior's 1st Nature (Tier)
Halfway to LVL 2 (150† Experience (XP), the midpoint between LVL 1 and LVL 2): Warrior's 2nd Nature (Tier)
Character LVL 2: Warrior's 3rd Nature (Tier) - Warrior's Tier is complete
Halfway to LVL 3: Warrior's 4th Nature (Path begins)

†see pg. 2 for the XP table, covered in full detail in the GM Codex. He continues this same pattern, one pick at every Character LVL and one at every midpoint, sending every pick into Warrior. By Character LVL 15, he chooses Warrior's 29th Nature, from the Duelist branch, one short of the capstone, 30, which requires a full Character LVL, never a midpoint, and only one can be claimed there. Theron will need to wait 15 more LVLs before choosing that 30th Nature.

Capped at 29 in Warrior, through the Blade Master path and into the Duelist branch, Theron reaches Character LVL 16 and begins investing in the Main Class Tree Barbarian, following the same pattern: Tier, Path, then Branch. By Character LVL 29, he reaches Barbarian's 28th Nature, and at the midpoint to LVL 30 he can choose Barbarian's 29th Nature, from the Ghost branch. At LVL 30, Theron must now choose between the Duelist branch's (Warrior) 30th Nature or the Ghost branch's (Barbarian) 30th Nature. Theron chooses his 30th Nature to cap the Warrior branch, Duelist.

Example 2: Lyra, Sorcerer / Marksman / Bard. Ability picks per LVL of progression: 20 Spell Sorcerer Main Class, 20 Nature Marksman Main Class, and 19 Spell Bard Main Class, for a maximum of 59 Abilities. Her three Paths land as Moral (Sorcerer's Wizard), Ambivalent (Marksman's Bowman), and Amoral (Bard's Strumalong), all inside one Spectrum, so an Ambivalent-background character reaches all three with no alignment conflict. Lyra never sends two picks in a row to the same tree, she rotates:

Character LVL 1: Sorcerer's 1st Spell (Tier)
Halfway to LVL 2: Marksman's 1st Nature (Tier)
Character LVL 2: Bard's 1st Spell (Tier)
Halfway to LVL 3: Sorcerer's 2nd Spell (Tier)

She continues rotating this way for the rest of her career, following her adventures rather than a fixed order. By Character LVL 30, her picks land as 20 Spell in Sorcerer (through the Wizard path), 20 Nature in Marksman (through the Bowman path), and 19 Spell in Bard (through the Strumalong path). None of her three trees ever reach a capstone, a tree's 30th Ability requires being that tree's sole focus, and Lyra never sticks with one long enough to get there.

Example 3: Varek, 14 trees. Ability picks per LVL of progression: 3 to 5 Abilities in each of 14 Main Classes, for a maximum of 59 Abilities. A Lawful Path and an Evil Path can never be combined by the same character, so the widest possible spread belongs to an Amoral-background character, reaching Ambivalent, Amoral, and Evil Paths, drawing from 14 trees: Barbarian, Bard, Doom Knight, Druid, Fighter, Magic User, Marksman, Shaman, Sorcerer, Strategist, Tyrant, Warlock, Warrior, and Witch. Varek spreads wide from the start:

Character LVL 1: Barbarian's 1st Nature (Tier)
Halfway to LVL 2: Bard's 1st Spell (Tier)
Character LVL 2: Doom Knight's 1st Ability (Tier)
Halfway to LVL 3: Druid's 1st Ability (Tier)

He continues cycling through all 14 trees this same way. Each tree picks up 3 Abilities (42 total), then each picks up its 4th, the first step into that tree's Path (14 more, 56 total). Three trees, Barbarian, Doom Knight, and Warlock, go one step further, reaching a 5th Ability each, the last 3 needed to hit 59, the cap. No tree comes close to its capstone, and no branch is ever reached.

Example 4: Kestrin, Strategist / Bard / Marksman / Sorcerer / Druid. Ability picks per LVL of progression: 29 Abilities scattered across Bard, Marksman, Sorcerer, and Druid Main Classes, and 30 Abilities Strategist Main Class, for a maximum of 59 Abilities. She keeps every Path she commits to inside a single Ambivalent-side Spectrum, no alignment conflict. Through Character LVL 15, Kestrin's first 29 picks go wherever the story calls for them:

Character LVL 1: Bard's 1st Spell (Tier)
Halfway to LVL 2: Marksman's 1st Nature (Tier)
Character LVL 2: Sorcerer's 1st Spell (Tier)
Halfway to LVL 3: Druid's 1st Ability (Tier)

She continues cycling this way through her first 29 picks: Bard 8, Marksman 8, Sorcerer 7, Druid 6, none of the four past their Tier and early Path. Her 30th pick, arriving at the midpoint of Character LVL 15, goes toward something new instead, the first Ability of Strategist. From there every remaining pick goes into Strategist alone, reaching 28 by Character LVL 29, and 29 at the midpoint toward LVL 30. Character LVL 30 then delivers Strategist's 30th Ability, its capstone, her 59th pick overall, the cap.

Slots and Prerequisites, at each LVL of progression, Characters are granted one Ability choice, Nature or Spell, from a Tier, Path, or Branch, chosen between four Slots.

Every Main Class carries four Slots: three Role Slots specific to that Class, drawn from a pool of four (🛡️ Tank, 🗡️ DPS, 🩸 Heals, 🤝 Support), plus Hybrid, which every Class always carries as its fourth Slot regardless of which three Roles it draws. The Hybrid moon follows the Class's leaning, lighter (🌖) for lawful-leaning Classes, darker (🌒) for evil-leaning. Hybrid isn't its own fixed archetype, a Hybrid Ability can read as a Tank, DPS, Heals, or Support effect, whichever fits that Ability, what unites them is the reagent cost, not a shared theme. See each Main Class's own entry, below, for its two Role Slots.

A character gets one pick at each Character LVL, and a second at the midpoint toward the next Character LVL (see The 59 Ability Cap, Four Build Examples, above, for the full pacing and capstone rules). The midpoint is reached when a character's cumulative XP hits the midpoint between their current LVL's cumulative XP threshold and the next LVL's threshold (see Character LVL XP Progression, GM Codex Ch. II); for example, LVL 15 sits at 161,300 cumulative XP and LVL 16 at 194,100, so the midpoint toward LVL 16 falls at 177,700 XP. Each pick fills a different Slot choice, whether the second choice is a linear advancement from the first or from a different Main Class Tree's path or branch altogether. Once a pick is made, learned from a Class Trainer at a price, it locks in permanently, and there is no reverting.

Tier Abilities (Levels 1-3) are a Main Class's core Abilities, before any Path or Branch, its Sub-Classes, exist yet. Tier Abilities carry no Higher Power of their own, but they're not open to every alignment either, a character can only learn a Class Tree's Tier Abilities while their current alignment sits inside that Path's Spectrum, which is that Path's base alignment plus the alignment on either side of it (see Alignment, Basic Rules pg. 2). Every Path and Branch of that Class falls inside the same Spectrum. Learning a Path's or Branch's Abilities needs only that Spectrum; drawing its Higher Power bonus needs that Path's exact alignment. At LVL 4, a Path opens, freely chosen among that Main Class's Paths the Character's current alignment can actually reach, no earlier Slot choice restricts which one. At LVL 21, a Branch opens the same way, freely chosen among that Path's Branches.

Separately, each Main Class carries one designated Gate Slot, one of its three Slots (see each Main Class's own entry, below, for which Slot). Every 4th LVL starting at LVL 3 (Levels 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, and 27), the Ability available in that Class's Gate Slot is a Gate. Choosing a Gate Ability doesn't force a character to choose that Slot again at the next checkpoint, they remain free to pick any Slot or Split they wish at every LVL, it only unlocks the option to pick that Class's Gate Slot again 4 Levels later, at the next Gate checkpoint, even if the Levels between were spent investing in an entirely different Class Tree, that Tree doesn't need to remain a character's focus in between for the unlock to hold. Not choosing it locks that one specific future Ability out permanently, once an Ability can no longer be chosen, it's gone for that character for good, though every other Slot and Split at every LVL remains freely available regardless.

A Gate Ability itself begins at the same power as its peers at that LVL, a genuine tradeoff, not an automatic pick. The Ability it unlocks 4 Levels later runs a bit stronger than its own peers at that later LVL, though still not always the best choice either, choices stay hard both times. Path and Branch Gate Abilities carry incrementally more of this bonus power still, as a Class Tree's own favorites.

For example: suppose a Class's Gate Slot is its Heals Slot. If that Slot's Spell is chosen at LVL 3, the Character may then choose that Slot's Spell again at LVL 7, though they're not required to, any other Slot or Split remains just as available in between. If a different Slot was chosen at LVL 3 instead, that Class's Gate Slot Spell at LVL 7 is locked out permanently, while every other Slot and Split at LVL 7 remains open regardless. From there the same Gate Slot checks in again at LVL 11, LVL 15, LVL 19, LVL 23, and LVL 27, each one gating that Class's Gate Slot 4 Levels ahead of it.

The Split, Nature or Spell, never matters for a Gate, either works equally well to unlock the Gate Slot's next checkpoint. Paths and Branches are Sub-Classes, see the definition in the opening paragraph above.

Abilities increase in power in sequential order of advancement, with the 30th Ability bearing exponential power over the 29th. As we have learned, Characters are not restricted to only one Class Tree's Tier, Path or Branch; which allows multiple trees to create versatile or specialized characters, provided they meet armament Prerequisites and sit within Ambivalent through the side of the alignment spectrum permitted, refer to Alignment on pg. 2. To learn new Abilities, characters must visit a Class Trainer, usually found in towns or metropolises across Essentia, and must pay a fee (prices vary per area); however, characters may run into NPC Class Trainers in isolated parts of the world, deep underground, deep in the woods, or in a vast desert as well, depending on the setting. This doesn't mean the Trainer will train the Character, oftentimes Trainers will require Characters to establish Standing with their factions before talking to them, let alone training them, but this usually isn't an issue in towns or large cities.

Class Trainers must be at least the LVL of the Character to teach Abilities. Class Trainers only need to be of the Main Class to teach any Tier, Path or Branch within that Main Class, so as long as the Trainer is of the Character's LVL, they are qualified to teach the Character Abilities.

Learning Abilities at the midpoint of the next LVL still only requires the Trainer to be of that LVL of the Character. For instance, if a character is LVL 11 and wants to learn his or her 12th Ability at the midpoint to LVL 12 (see rules), the Trainer still only needs to be LVL 11 and must be a teacher of that Class Tree.

If a character LVLs up, or reaches a midpoint that grants Ability development, far from a town, for instance deep within a dungeon or remote location, they can potentially use their Wayfarer†, if available, or coordinate with other group members, such as mages (NPC or party), to teleport into the nearest town or city that would have a Trainer.

†See Animated Wayfarer, Basic Rules pg. 5, for the Faction Sense Ability and what a Wayfarer can and can't tell its owner about a town's faction Standing. Class faction alone is USUALLY enough Standing for a character to learn Abilities, but if not, establishing enough Standing within any faction within reason by completing a few quests usually earns the Trainer's trust.

Below are the playable Class Trees, their paths and path branches (Abilities for each class under heavy development). Bonuses and Penalties are restrictions and bonuses to equipment. How equipment affects the Character beyond the class modifications, such as; "lose a movement then if wearing plate" or "bonus to charisma if wearing plate" is entirely up to how the Character plays their role(s), particularly since Players can choose as many Class Trees as they want, as long as they don't exceed the Ability cap.

Main Class Ability Summaries: Tiers, Paths and Branches

For full version see each Ability's Card, per module

Before delving into each playable class's stat card, it's important to point out that playable classes are more than just a consolidation of stats. Playable Classes shape Characters at the table, not just in fighting style but culturally and retrospectively (see Background, pg. 2) as well.

The Ogre warrior who trusts dual clubs and fur armor over a battle axe and plate, the human sorcerer who chooses a tribal war dress and stave over his well-off relative's robe and crystal-set stave, or the halfling strategist who wins a fight before it ever starts, while his elven comrade in arms chooses the Spellblade role within Strategist.

There are sixteen Main Class Treees available: Avenger, Barbarian, Bard, Diabolist, Doom Knight, Druid, Fighter, Magic User, Marksman, Overseer, Shaman, Sorcerer, Strategist, Tyrant, Warrior, and Witch. Each runs its own unique Tier, Path, and Branch structure, with some leaning entirely on Nature, some entirely on Spell, and some, such as the Avenger, offering Split choices between both.

Starting with Avenger, the classes below are listed in alphabetical order, with six shown at full opacity, Playable in SORC's Starter Set; while the remaining ten are shown at reduced opacity, their lore still readable, but their full Tier/Path/Branch content still under development for a future release.

‡ IMPORTANT
Below are summarized versions of every Ability. Each Ability comes in the form of SORC Cards released in Modules that reflect the LVL of the Card. For instance, a LVL 4-8 module has every LVL 4-8 Ability available for every playable class in SORC. As expansions and different versions are released, the content of the Modules will adhere to the new rules and content.

Note, Uses Tier Range: Every Ability below already carries a Cost and a Uses value on its Card. Since published content currently only reaches LVL 8, real Costs only run 2-4, which lands every published Ability in one of just two Tiers, Unlimited or 3/Round, on a Standard character. The remaining Tiers, 2/Round, 1/Round, 3/Day, and 2/Day, only start appearing once LVL 9+ content is written for a given Path or Branch. Three illustrative sample cards below (the Monk Path, the Priest Path's Salii Branch, and the Cleric Path's Holy Branch) show what those higher Tiers look like ahead of that content, clearly marked as hypothetical.

Avenger (Playable in Starter Set)

Tebroc, Holy Cleric Dwarf

Faith-driven warriors devoted to a higher power, at first restricted to blunt weapons and a light armor default threshold. As with all Paths and Branches, later Avengers unlock some 1h bladed weapons and Medium or Half Medium Armor.

Avengers practice unwavering judgment showcasing an array of protection, healing, martial combative skills, hand to hand combat and mythical chants guided through their chosen deity or spiritual force, whether that devotion is righteous and public or quieter and more self-interested. Where others seek to end a fight quickly, an Avenger is built to outlast it, wearing down whoever stands against them through unshakable faith and sheer endurance until judgment finally comes due...

Continue to full Avenger Class Tree

Barbarian (Playable in Starter Set)

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Fierce and relentless hunters who draw power from primal instinct and raw physical dominance, Barbarians trade refinement for devastation, excelling in brutal melee combat across every environment from frozen mountain peaks to untamed wild plains, where rage is a resource and restraint is a weakness.

Continue to full Barbarian Class Tree

Bard (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Musical enchanters who blend performance and combat into a single flowing art, Bards weave spells through melody, rhythm, and song, inspiring allies to supernatural performance, confusing enemies into disarray, and reshaping the battlefield's emotional landscape through instruments that are as much weapon as they are art. Centyrs have a natural affinity for this class.

Continue to full Bard Class Tree

Diabolist (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Pact-bound wielders of forbidden power who draw their abilities from entities far beyond mortal comprehension, Diabolists channel dark contracts into magic that warps, drains, and reshapes everything it touches, a bargain that grows more consuming the deeper they pull from it, with their patron's fingerprints increasingly visible in everything they do and say, whether that patron demands cruelty or simply payment.

Continue to full Diabolist Class Tree

Doom Knight (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Corrupted warriors who channel death, decay, and necrotic energy into devastating martial combat, Doom Knights serve dark powers with equal parts blade and curse, treating entropy itself as a weapon and every fallen enemy as fuel for their own continued existence, in service of forces mortals were not meant to understand, some out of genuine malice, others out of cold necessity.

Continue to full Doom Knight Class Tree

Druid (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Ancient nature-bound spellcasters who draw power from the living world itself, Druids channel celestial forces, primal animal transformation, and dream-state consciousness to protect and reshape the natural order, equally capable of becoming the predator they summon, calling down starlight as a weapon, or walking through enemy minds while their body sits motionless in the wild.

Continue to full Druid Class Tree

Fighter (Playable in Starter Set)

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The most adaptable martial class in Essentia, Fighters are defined by mastery of raw combat fundamentals, developing unmatched weapon mastery through sheer repetition and battlefield Experience (XP) that no trained academic can replicate, making them the most reliable class in sustained combat regardless of the situation they find themselves in.

Continue to full Fighter Class Tree

Magic User (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Arcane scholars and innate tricksters who bend reality through illusion, transformation, and raw magical force, Magic Users sacrifice all physical durability for nearly limitless manipulation of both the material and immaterial world, equally comfortable turning an enemy into a toad, stepping sideways through time, or opening a rift to somewhere else entirely.

Continue to full Magic User Class Tree

Marksman (Playable in Starter Set)

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Precision-focused ranged combatants who dominate at distance through superior positioning, weapon mastery, and tactical patience, striking long before enemies can close the gap through either heavy bow work, black powder weaponry, or the swift shortbow mobility of a Ranger who turns natural terrain into cover, an edge on the hunt, and a marked shot the moment prey steps into the open.

Continue to full Marksman Class Tree

Overseer (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Devoted martial commanders who lead from the front in blessed or discipline-forged plate, Overseers combine exceptional armor mastery with auras, command abilities, and unshakable authority, inspiring allies who stand near them, breaking the will of evil through proximity alone, and serving as the unmovable standard around which armies and adventuring parties alike can rally and hold.

Continue to full Overseer Class Tree

Shaman (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Spirit-world intermediaries who bridge the gap between the living and the ancient, Shamans channel elemental forces, ancestor spirits, and deep earth magic through rituals, mantras, and voodoo-adjacent mysticism, as comfortable calling lightning through a tribal drum as they are raising the bones of the fallen to serve their cause or whispering fire through their own breath.

Continue to full Shaman Class Tree

Sorcerer (Playable in Starter Set)

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Born rather than trained, Sorcerers carry raw arcane power in their blood and channel it through stave and cloth into spells of extraordinary breadth, their magic growing more unstable and powerful the deeper they push their natural gift, making them capable of the most dramatic single effects in Essentia at the price of anything resembling physical resilience.

Continue to full Sorcerer Class Tree

Strategist (Playable in Starter Set)

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Calculating predators who win before the first blow lands, Strategists use intelligence, positioning, and layered deception to dismantle opponents from angles they never considered, equally dangerous in the shadows, in plain sight, or threading a spelled blade through a gap in armor that nobody else saw was there.

Continue to full Strategist Class Tree

Tyrant (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Agents of pure destruction who revel in combat for its own sake, Tyrants channel rage, dominance, and shock-and-awe into relentless offensive pressure, whether through twin weapons blurring faster than defense can respond, a two-handed weapon that turns armor into scrap, or a voice alone that breaks enemy formations before a single blade is drawn.

Continue to full Tyrant Class Tree

Warrior (Not Playable in Starter Set)

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Comprehensive martial masters who have developed mastery across every armament type, from heavy armor and shield work through every blade discipline, spear, lance, and even command-LVL battlefield magic, Warriors are the most armor-flexible and weapon-diverse class in Essentia, capable of filling any martial role while outperforming dedicated specialists in their chosen lane at high LVLs.

Continue to full Warrior Class Tree

Witch (Playable in Starter Set)

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Ancient practitioners of earth, moon, and brew magic who draw power from the natural world's oldest cycles, the pull of the moon, the chill of the north wind, and the bubbling of a well-crafted cauldron, Witches apply curses, potions, and elemental forces with an unpredictable mastery that feels less like a learned skill and more like a conversation with something that has always been listening.

Continue to full Witch Class Tree

Science Fiction Classes pending.

Playable Class Details or back to Playable Classes (above).

Fallen and Risen Classes

Only Paths bound to a Higher Power are capable of falling or rising, not Classes as a whole. These are Paths whose Abilities are granted by an external force; the patron's relationship with the character is the foundation of everything they can do. A single Class Tree can hold a mix, some Paths eligible to Fall, others to Rise, others neither, depending on each Path's own Higher Power.

Complex Rule Set only.

Which Paths Can Fall or Rise

Lawful and Moral Paths may Fall. These Paths are bound to divine or virtuous Higher Powers who have strict standards for devotion and conduct. Neglect of devotion or betrayal of the patron's values causes the bond to weaken.

Amoral and Evil Paths may Rise. These Paths are bound to corrupting or self-interested Higher Powers. A character who turns away from the patron's values, pursuing righteousness, mercy, or redemption, causes the bond to weaken.

Ambivalent Paths can neither Fall nor Rise, having no Higher Power to answer to in the first place. Their bonuses and Ability access remain intact regardless of the character's actions.

The Fallen Mechanic

A character bound to a Lawful or Moral Path who neglects their devotion, consistently failing to spend Endurance on prayer and worship, missing weekly ceremonies, or acting in direct opposition to the patron's values, will feel the patron's displeasure. The patron may issue tests, curses, or trials to the character. If the character persists in neglect or defiance, the Higher Power considers the bond broken. When this occurs, the character loses all bonuses from that Higher Power but retains all Abilities already learned from that Path. They can no longer learn new Abilities from that Path unless they return to proper devotion and the patron forgives them.

The Risen Mechanic

A character bound to an Amoral or Evil Path who abandons the patron's values, pursuing redemption, protecting the innocent, or betraying the patron's goals, will incur the patron's wrath. The patron may issue trials or tribulations to test the character's resolve. If the character persists in their betrayal, the Higher Power considers the bond broken. When this occurs, the character loses all bonuses from that Higher Power but retains all Abilities already learned from that Path. They can no longer learn new Abilities from that Path unless they return to serving the patron's will and earn forgiveness.

Choosing a Higher Power, and Holding the Alignment

You must stand AT the exact Alignment of the Path or Branch to choose its Higher Power and its faith. Sitting inside that Main Class's Spectrum is enough to learn its Abilities and its Branches', but it is not enough to take a patron. Only at that exact Alignment may you devote to the Higher Power and receive what the faith grants: Armament blessings, buffs, gifts and the rest.

Falling from the exact Alignment. If your Alignment slips off the Path's or Branch's exact Alignment, your blessings and buffs begin to deplenish. They keep draining until you repent, which is a long process, and they return only once you stand at that Alignment again.

Crossing Ambivalent. If you go under Ambivalent while devoted to a Lawful Higher Power, or over Ambivalent while devoted to an Evil one, you lose your buffs, gifts and blessings outright. Your Higher Power taunts and punishes you periodically for as long as you remain there.

Reaching the Higher Power's opposite Alignment. If you fall or rise all the way to the Alignment opposite your Higher Power's, for instance Lawful to Evil:

Every blessed Armament, piece of equipment and Item you carry gains 5 times its weight.
The blessing is gone forever. It can never be restored, by repentance or any other means.
You can never choose that Higher Power again. Shifting your Alignment back does not reopen that door.
You take bad Standing and Blowback from the Higher Power and from every member of its faith.

Path Abilities are treated separately. Falling below a Path's required Alignment is fine, the Abilities still work. It is only when you go beyond Ambivalent, onto the opposite side of that Path's required Alignment, that those Abilities can no longer be used. They stay unusable until you reach Ambivalent again.

Switching faiths. You may switch to an opposite Higher Power as many times as you want. Each switch earns you enemies among the various churches, and your GM may expose you with the Shamed Title, Faith Turncoat (see Titles, pg. 6). You take the bad reputation and all of the penalties above every time.

Crossing the Spectrum: the Point of No Return

Drifting within your Spectrum is recoverable. Repentance is long and enduring, but the bond holds and the bonuses return once your alignment is back in status.

Crossing all the way to the other side of the spectrum is not. A Lawful character who ends at Evil has Fallen; an Evil character who ends at Lawful has Risen. There is no repenting back into the Higher Power you left. That door is shut permanently.

What follows from it:

You may devote to a new Higher Power of the alignment opposite the one you fell or rose from, and you draw that patron's bonuses normally.
You take Blowback from the members of the religion or cult you abandoned, and it follows you.
You suffer divine punishment from the Higher Power you left, on top of losing everything it granted.
You can no longer use Armaments or Items aligned to the Path or Branch you fell from. A Fallen Cleric cannot wield the holy hammer of might his Lawful patron blessed once he stands at Evil, and a holy symbol is as dead in his hand as a stone.

Armaments and the Spectrum. The moment you sit outside a holy Armament's own alignment Spectrum, its bonuses stop. Carry it past the far side of Ambivalent, into the opposing half of the spectrum, and you cannot bear it at all without being Burdened.

Recovery and Redemption

A character whose bond with a Higher Power is broken may seek to restore it by returning to proper devotion (for Fallen characters) or recommitting to the patron's will (for Risen characters). The path to recovery depends on the patron's nature and the severity of the character's betrayal. The GM determines what atonement, quest, or trial is required, and whether the patron is willing to forgive.

Prestige: The Umbrella System

Prestige is the living record of a character's legacy in the world. It encompasses every way a character shapes their reputation, Standing, relationships, and destiny as they progress. Prestige is not a single score, but an interconnected web of systems that track who a character has become, what factions they belong to, what titles they have earned or been cursed with, and ultimately, what they leave behind when they retire. Prestige systems are tracked in a character's Journal booklet and Space, and ripple outward to affect how the world treats them.

Complex Rule Set only.

Affiliation: Joining Factions

Affiliation is formal membership in a faction that a character chooses to join. A character may belong to multiple affiliations simultaneously, and each carries its own Standing, Contributions, obligations, and consequences. To become affiliated with a faction, a character must first achieve Respected Standing (LVL +1) or higher with that faction. Meeting this threshold opens the door to recruitment, and accepting that invitation formally marks the character as a member.

Standing and Affiliation are tracked separately. A character's Affiliation Standing is distinct from their general faction Standing. A member can hold Exalted Affiliation Standing and still fall to Disliked in general Standing if their actions warrant it. Affiliation is commitment; betrayal carries weight.

Contribution within Affiliation. Members contribute to their faction through service, labor, resources, and sacrifice. Contributions accumulate and are tracked separately from Standing, though they move together. A character who contributes heavily but then betrays the faction may hold Affiliation while at Hated Standing. Contributions are recorded in the character's Space under the Standing tab and in the Journal booklet. They cannot be reset or reversed; they remain part of the permanent record.

Retiring from Affiliation. A character may retire honorably from a faction by stepping down from active membership, maintaining their Standing record and Contribution history. This is Honorable Retirement. Alternatively, a character may be cast out or choose to flee, leaving behind Dishonorable Retirement. Dishonorable Retirement marks the character as a traitor to that faction, resulting in Blowback from remaining members and permanent enemies among the faction's allies. The GM tracks which factions view the retired character as honorable or dishonorable.

Faction Types. Three broad types of factions exist in Essentia, each with distinct structure and benefits:

Street Gangs: Loose organizations tied to territory and reputation. They have no formal hierarchy, operate from hideouts, taverns, and clubhouses, control territories and trade routes through intimidation and loyalty. Members wear colors (not tabards) to identify themselves. Benefits include access to black-market goods, territory protection, and shared resources within their turf.
Guilds: Organized bodies associated with Classes, Paths, and Branches. Guilds control craftsmanship, trade, and professional standards. Members gain access to guild halls, exclusive vendors, vaults for shared treasure and equipment, and secret markets. Guild membership is often tied to a character's class training and cultural identity. Guilds grant significant economic power and knowledge access.
Clans: Large, region-spanning organizations often associated with war, politics, and dynastic power. Clans control territories, entire regions, holds, castles, and cities. Clans are apex factions, offering the greatest power and responsibility. Clans frequently wage war against rival clans, and membership means alignment with their enemies and causes. Clans grant access to military might, territorial authority, and dynastic prestige.

Party and Raid Bonuses

Characters who adventure together in coordinated parties gain bonuses that scale with party size and coordination. These bonuses encourage group play and reward fellowship.

Party Bonuses (2-5 member parties):

2-person party: [stub - define bonuses]

3-person party: [stub - define bonuses]

4-person party: [stub - define bonuses]

5-person party: [stub - define bonuses]

Raid Bonuses (10-person groups): [stub - define raid structure, bonuses, and mechanics]

Raids are organized military or expedition-scale operations. Ten-character raids unlock special encounter types and rewards unavailable to smaller parties. Bonuses apply to XP., reward multipliers, and group-based Ability synergies. Raid leaders earn additional Standing bonuses within their affiliated factions.

Legacy: Character Retirement and the Non-Player Character Life

The 40-Year Rule. A character may spend a maximum of 40 years in active play before they must retire. A character who reaches their 40th year becomes an NPC within the world, their active adventuring life concluded. Retirement is not death; it is transformation. A retired character lives on in Essentia, taking a new role befitting their legacy, skills, and final Rank.

Rank as the Gate. Rank is distinct from Character LVL (1-30) and determines what roles a retiring character may assume in the world. Rank also gates equipment and Armament use during active play: a character of Uncommon Rank cannot wield or wear Divine Rank equipment or Armaments. Rank and LVL together determine retirement options.

Rank Tiers: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Heroic, Mythic, Legend. Each Tier represents a character's legendary status and capability. A Common Rank character retires with humble options; a Legend may become a King, a deity figure, or a monument.

Retirement Roles by Rank. Upon retirement, a character's Rank determines available NPC roles:

Common Rank: Hermit, Innkeeper, Farmer, Guard, Clerk, Merchant, Craftsperson. The common folk of Essentia.
Uncommon Rank: Militia Commander, Guildmaster (lesser), Sage, Healer, Captain, Artisan Master. Respected figures in their region.
Rare Rank: Guildmaster (major), Knight, Archmage, High Priest, Regional Governor, War General. Powerful figures shaping regions.
Heroic Rank: Lord, Duke, Patriarch, War Council Member, High Sage, Legendary Champion. Rulers and heroes of legend.
Mythic Rank: King, Queen, Arch-Sorceress, Divine Avatar, Conqueror, World-Shaper. Near-legendary power on world scale.
Legend Rank: Emperor, Demi-God, The Founder, Living Monument, Eternal Protector. The most powerful figures, becoming immortals or world touchstones.

Inheritance and Lasting Legacy. A retiring character transfers their Home, family, titles, and lore to the world. Their Standing and Contributions with factions do not disappear; they become part of the NPC's permanent position. A character who retires at Legend Rank may leave behind monuments, statues, songs, and dynasties. A Common Rank hermit still leaves a mark: travelers speak of their wisdom, the region's lore deepens.

Playing Retired Characters. A character's player may not immediately play their retired NPC. Time must pass in the campaign for the NPC to settle into their new role. However, future new characters may encounter, ally with, or oppose the retired character in their new form. A retired character's lore and legacy become part of the campaign's story.

Politics: Factions, Ideology, and War

Politics shapes the world and offers characters ideological alignment beyond their personal Alignment. A character's Political stance is independent of their moral Alignment and tied to their Background and Mission Statement. A Lawful character may be a Libertarian, and an Evil character may be Centrist. Where Background and Politics disagree, both apply.

Background and Mission Statement Revisited. A character's Background determines their initial political leanings and their Mission Statement's connection to political factions. A character born into a Noble house has political obligations; a Wild-Raised character may have none. A Mission Statement often ties to political faction standing, and pursuing or neglecting that mission generates Praise and Blowback from political rivals and allies.

Political Factions. Three major political groupings exist:

No Interest (Apolitical): Some characters, factions, and regions simply do not participate in formal politics. They pay no attention to the great powers and their machinations. However, the ripples of war and politics affect even the disinterested, and neutrality is a choice with consequences.
Libertarian: Anarchist, Minarchist, or Individualist. These factions champion personal freedom and minimal governance. They may operate in opposition to centralized power.
Centrist: Moderate, Independent, or Pragmatist. These factions seek balance and practical governance. They may ally with either side of major conflicts.
Populist: Isolationist or Technocrat. Populist factions emphasize their people's will and control over resources or technology. Isolationists retreat from the world; Technocrats advance through knowledge and invention.

War: The Noble Forces and The Purge Forces. The primary conflict in Essentia centers on two major military alliances. Characters may join either side, provide aid without formal affiliation, or remain neutral with the Neutral Ferals. To formally join a war faction, a character must exceed their expectations for Standing with any faction representing that side. War affiliation carries faction-wide consequences and allies both sides' members permanently. See War (below, under Combat, pg. 5) for trials of combat, 10-man raids, naval battles, and aerial combat mechanics.

Religion

Religion sits outside Politics the same way Politics sits outside Alignment, its own axis, tied to a character's devoted Higher Power rather than to ideology or faction. A Church is the physical seat of a Higher Power, a temple, a shrine, a carved grove, a war-tent altar, standing wherever that Power is worshipped. Every Church holds statues, altars, or like offering places, and what a character leaves there is a Contribution (see Contribution, pg. 6), the same rule term used for Standing everywhere else, tracked apart from the daily and weekly devotion practices Higher Power requires.

Blessings. A Blessing is an Armament Enhancement a Church grants in exchange for Contribution, sanctified rather than crafted (see Enhancing and Modification Armaments, pg. 4). Only a devoted character's own Church can Bless a piece, and only an Armament may carry one. TAW and Chthonic Armaments and Equipment take no Blessing, and neither does anything belonging to an undevoted or Ambivalent character (see Alignment Requirement, pg. 4). Standing with the Church, not Alignment, decides whether a Blessing is granted (see Standing with Church vs. Alignment, pg. 2).

Religion answers to Alignment the same way Class does, see Alignment's Function, pg. 2.

Witness Mechanics and Rumors

Unwitnessed Deeds. Not every action is seen. When a character commits a significant deed in secret (murder in a desolate location at midnight, theft from a guarded vault, betrayal in a private meeting), the GM rolls to determine if witnesses are present. The more remote and private the act, the lower the probability of being seen. However, success is never guaranteed, and persistence raises the odds.

Repeat Offenses and Cumulative Probability. If a character commits the same deed in the same location multiple times, the probability of being seen increases with each offense, regardless of time. A character who murders unwitnessed in a remote forest has low odds of discovery the first time. The second time in the same forest, the odds rise. By the third or fourth time, witnesses become inevitable. The world grows smaller, and secrets grow cheaper.

The GM's Probability Rolls. The GM maintains a private probability tracker for each character's likely discovered acts. When circumstances align (a bard passes through that forest, a ghost appears, rival factions investigate), the GM may reveal previously hidden deeds and impose Shamed Titles, Standing loss, and Blowback as consequences.

Rumors and Exposed Titles. Rumors begin when a character's Shamed or Boasted Title is exposed by the GM or chosen by the Player to Boast. Rumors spread naturally through NPCs and factions, affecting Standing, interactions, and how the world perceives the character. Rumors tied to Shamed Titles are harder to shake; rumors tied to Boasted Titles enhance reputation but only as long as the title remains relevant.

Title Mechanics: Locking and Interchanging

Title Locking Duration. When a character earns a Shamed or Boasted Title, it is locked in place for a minimum of one month of game time. During this period, the title cannot be hidden, replaced, or transferred. It remains visible to the world, and the longer it stays exposed, the more people see it, speak of it, and build their opinions around it.

Visibility Increases Over Time. A character with a fresh Shamed Title "Murderer" might be unknown to distant factions, but after weeks of wear, NPCs and factions across the realm have heard whispers. Standing ripples spread based on title visibility. A hidden deed exposed one week is manageable; the same deed exposed after months is catastrophic.

Interchanging Titles After Locking Period. Once the one-month lock expires, a character who has earned multiple Shamed or Boasted titles may interchange between them. Only one Shamed Title and one Boasted Title may be actively displayed at any given time. Switching titles requires a change of circumstances or deliberate action, and the GM may allow or deny the interchange based on narrative logic. A character cannot simply swap titles daily; each swap should reflect meaningful story change.

GM Tracking of Shamed Titles. The GM maintains a master record of all Shamed Titles in the character's Journal booklet. This record is permanent. Even interchanged or hidden titles remain in the archive, and NPCs with long memories may recall them. Shamed Titles dissipate only through redemption quests, years of good behavior, or specific rituals tied to their nature (see Shamed Titles, Appendix).

Aura: Presence, Growth, and Life Stage

Aura is separate from Prestige. Aura is a character's visible presence and soul-mark, reflected by how they act, look, and carry themselves. It is not tied directly to Alignment, Standing, or Titles, though all of these may influence it. Aura is its own section (see Aura, pending) and advances through Growth and age progression.

Aura and Growth. Growth calculates a character's age progression and life-stage advancement. Aura has seven stages, and Growth determines which stage a character occupies. As Wellness and Prestige improve or decay, they feed into the Growth calculation, which in turn updates the character's Aura stage. A character with excellent Wellness and high Prestige presents a radiant, respected Aura; a broken character with terrible Standing and Shamed Titles radiates despair and infamy.

Aura influences how the world perceives the character, but does not mechanically govern Standing or Title effects. Two characters at the same Standing tier may have vastly different Auras based on their age, Wellness, and life journey. Aura is atmospheric and roleplay-rich, shaping NPC first impressions and encounter tone.

War: Trials of Combat, Raids, and Faction Combat

War mechanics are detailed under Combat (pg. 5). War encompasses the military conflict between the Noble and Purge Forces and the Neutral Feral Alliance. Characters may join a war faction, provide aid without affiliation, or remain neutral. War features unique encounter types unavailable in standard adventuring:

Trials of Combat: One-on-one, one-on-many, or synchronized duels that test martial prowess and grant faction standing.
10-Man Raids: Large-scale coordinated group combat against enemy forces, dungeon raids, and territory captures.
Battle at Sea: Naval combat including ship-to-ship warfare, boarding actions, and naval supply routes.
Aerial Combat: Flying combat against airborne enemies, dragon encounters, and aerial territory control.

See War (Combat, pg. 5) for detailed mechanics and advancement rules.

Statistics & Formulas Reference

Trait Mechanics

Combat Mechanics

Ability Mechanics

Skills & Crafting

Wellness & Vitality

Quick Reference Table: Trait Tier Effects

Playable Classes

Main Class Ability Summaries: Tiers, Paths and Branches

Avenger (Playable in Starter Set)

Barbarian (Playable in Starter Set)

Bard (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Diabolist (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Doom Knight (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Druid (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Fighter (Playable in Starter Set)

Magic User (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Marksman (Playable in Starter Set)

Overseer (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Shaman (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Sorcerer (Playable in Starter Set)

Strategist (Playable in Starter Set)

Tyrant (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Warrior (Not Playable in Starter Set)

Witch (Playable in Starter Set)

Fallen and Risen Classes

Which Paths Can Fall or Rise

The Fallen Mechanic

The Risen Mechanic

Choosing a Higher Power, and Holding the Alignment

Crossing the Spectrum: the Point of No Return

Recovery and Redemption

Prestige: The Umbrella System

Affiliation: Joining Factions

Party and Raid Bonuses

Legacy: Character Retirement and the Non-Player Character Life

Politics: Factions, Ideology, and War

Religion

Witness Mechanics and Rumors

Title Mechanics: Locking and Interchanging

Aura: Presence, Growth, and Life Stage

War: Trials of Combat, Raids, and Faction Combat