Slayers of Rings & Crowns (SORC)

Movement

Movement is calculated by how fast any moving thing can move across squares on a grid, in units of feet, per its turn. The size of each square is determined by the grid type, for instance, a battle map uses 5 ft. squares. Other map and grid types such as war maps, traveling paths, wilderness and others are covered later in this section.

Base speed is determined by race size, Goliath 40 ft. (8 squares), Standard 30 ft. (6 squares), and Small 25 ft. (5 squares). Individual races may vary within their size category, refer to each race's entry for specifics.

All maps use real planetary isometric coordinates, scaling seamlessly from world maps down to the square a character is standing on.

Terrain affects how far a character can move per action. Conditions such as rough ground, strong winds, slippery surfaces, or currents can reduce movement, while favorable conditions, a downhill slope, wind at one's back, or a strong current, can extend it. Some terrain types also require attribute or talent checks to navigate successfully.

Terrain Type	Movement
Flat	Full speed
Rough (uneven ground, rubble, dense foliage)	Half speed
Slope (uphill)	Half speed
Slope (downhill)	Full speed, may require check
Wind (against)	Half speed
Wind (at the back)	+1 square
Slippery (ice, wet stone)	Half speed, requires check
Climbing	Half speed, requires check
Swimming (with current)	Full speed
Swimming (against current)	Half speed, requires check
Stealth	Half speed, requires talent check

Movement Types

Movement types define how any participant moves through the world, each carrying its own speed and requirements. Some are available to all, others require specific talents, abilities, or equipment.

†These are base movement speeds. Non-organic vehicles may be modified by upgrades and equipment. Organic movement may be modified by abilities, spells, and talents. Magic can manipulate the movement of either.

Movement Type	Speed	Grid Unit	Notes
Walk	1x	5 ft.	Standard movement
Run / Dash	3x	5 ft.	May trigger checks
Crawl	1/4x	5 ft.	Prone position
Creep	1/4x	5 ft.	Low, slow stealth
Step	1 sq.	5 ft.	Combat only, safe short move
Wading (water, brush, heavy foliage)	1/2x	5 ft.	May require check
Slope (uphill)	1/2x	5 ft.	-
Slope (downhill)	2x	5 ft.	May require check
Wind (against)	1/2x	5 ft.	-
Wind (at the back)	2x +1 sq.	5 ft.	-
Slippery (ice, wet stone)	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires check
Sneak	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires talent check
Long Jump	varies	5 ft.	Strength / Agility Trait check
High Jump	varies	5 ft.	Strength / Agility Trait check
Climb	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires check
Swing (rope, vine, branch)	2x + 10 ft.	5 ft.	Requires check
Scale (cliff face)	1/4x	5 ft.	Requires check
Rappel	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires talent check
Burrow / Tunnel	1/4x	5 ft.	Requires talent or ability
Slither / Squeeze	1/4x	5 ft.	Limbless movement or squeezing through a space smaller than size category
Swim (with current)	2x	5 ft.	-
Swim (against current)	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires check
Fly	3x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Requires ability or mount
Glide	2x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Controlled descent only
Hover	0	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Stationary air position
Retreat	1 sq.	5 ft.	Combat only
Dodge and Retreat	1 sq.	5 ft.	Combat only, defensive
Stumble	1d10 ft.	5 ft.	Involuntary; direction determined by GM. Open to counter attack and AoO on every square entered.
Zero gravity	2x	space sq.	Requires training or equipment
Magnetic (metal surface)	1/2x	space sq.	Requires equipment
Phase (through solid objects)	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires innate ability
Teleport	instant	any	Magical or mechanical
Blink	instant	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Short range, requires innate magic
Warp	instant	any	Requires innate ability
Organic mount, ground (Rare and below)	3x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Based on mount's base speed
Organic mount, ground (Unique through Elite)	4x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Based on mount's base speed
Organic mount, ground (Legendary)	5x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Based on mount's base speed
Organic mount, ground (Divine)	6x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Based on mount's base speed
Organic mount, aerial (Rare and below)	4x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Organic mount, aerial (Unique through Elite)	5x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Organic mount, aerial (Legendary)	6x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Organic mount, aerial (Divine)	7x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Non-organic vehicle (ground)	4x	100 ft.	Steam, coal, gas, electric, photon, quantum, or magic-powered; Droids and Robots
Non-organic vehicle (hover)	5x	100 ft.	Hover capable
Non-organic vehicle (spacecraft, sub-light)	10x	space sq.	-
FTL / Light speed	instant	space sq.	Any Divine with Blink or similar innate magic
Pulse Jet Propulsion	25 ft.	5 ft.	Innate Ability only; must change direction every 5 ft. sq.; aquatic
Thruster Burst	3x	5 ft. / space sq.	TABA thruster mod required; direction committed at start; conditions vary, see rules
Quicker Feet	1x	5 ft.	May change direction every 5 ft. sq. without penalty; innate ability

These are the most common examples. Other entries apply to these rules.

Not Everywhere Is a Shortcut Away: Teleport, Warp, FTL/Light Speed, and the Wayfarer all exist and all get characters somewhere fast, but every one of them runs on a cooldown, a preparation cost, or a beacon that has to be set first. None of them make the wider world optional. A floating island with no marked landing point, a valley walled off by cliffs, a station reachable only by ship, these still have to be reached on land, by sea, or by air, the slow way, and plenty of them stay that way permanently, even long after they've been found and mapped.

Movement Type Rules

Prone: A character who is prone must spend half an action to stand up. While prone, melee attacks against them gain a bonus and ranged attacks are penalized. Crawling while prone costs 1/4 speed. Prone from unconsciousness, incapacitation, or death is covered in Combat and Conditions.

Fly: Flying characters must have a fly speed from an ability, spell, or mount. A flying character who is incapacitated, stunned, or loses their fly source falls. Ascending costs double movement, descending is free but may require a check at steep angles. Hovering requires no movement but requires an ability or innate trait to maintain.

Glide: Controlled descent only, a gliding character cannot gain altitude and moves 1x horizontally for every square dropped. Stalling or incapacitation results in a fall. Requires an innate ability, wings, or equipment.

Swim: Swimming characters must have a swim speed or make checks to stay afloat. A character can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to their Strength score. At zero breath, they begin drowning, taking Life damage each round until they surface or are rescued.

Wading: Wading through water, brush, or heavy foliage reduces movement to 1/2x. Severe conditions may require a Strength or Agility Trait check specified by module or determined by the GM.

Climb / Scale: A climbing character who fails their check stops moving that turn. A critical fail results in a fall, damage based on height specified by module or determined by the GM. Heavy loads increase check difficulty. Swinging on a rope or vine follows the same rules, a failed check results in a slip or drop.

Rappel: Requires rope or equivalent equipment and a talent check. A failed check results in a slip of a number of squares specified by module or determined by the GM. A critical fail results in a full fall.

Burrow / Tunnel: A burrowing character is hidden from above-ground sight and cannot be targeted by ranged attacks unless the attacker has a sense or ability that detects underground movement. Surfacing costs half movement. Underground visibility is zero without appropriate senses or equipment.

Crawl: If not prone, crawling can be used deliberately for stealth at 1/4 speed.

Slither / Squeeze: Slither is limbless movement available only to creatures with the Slither Ability, they cannot stand up and may move through gaps smaller than their standard size. Any entity may squeeze through a space smaller than their size category at the same 1/4x speed. Both Agility and Dexterity Trait checks are required to squeeze, both Traits stack. A failed check stops movement for that turn, and a critical fail may result in becoming stuck at GM discretion. Squeezing through a hostile creature's space is not permitted unless that creature is incapacitated. Small and Tiny creatures rarely need to squeeze, as most spaces accommodate their size naturally. A tight space is any opening narrower than the space a size category normally occupies. A Small or Standard entity squeezes through anything under 5 ft. wide, a Large entity through anything under 10 ft., a Goliath through anything under 20 ft. See Size Categories table.

Zero Gravity: Without training or equipment, movement becomes uncontrolled and requires a check each turn to navigate. With training or equipment, movement is 1x in any direction including vertical. Pushing off a surface grants a momentum bonus.

Magnetic (metal surface): Requires magnetic boots or equivalent equipment. Movement is 1/2x on any metal surface including walls and ceilings. Cannot be knocked prone while active.

Phase: Available only to characters with an innate phasing ability. Cannot attack or be attacked while phasing. Cannot end movement inside a solid object, doing so results in immediate incapacitation.

Run / Dash: Standard 2x speed movement. Skipping, bounding, and similar movement styles are flavor variants of Run and follow the same rules.

Moving Around Other Creatures: Moving through a friendly creature's space is permitted but their space is considered difficult terrain. Moving through a hostile creature's space is not permitted unless the creature is incapacitated. Moving past a hostile creature within reach may trigger an ATTK of Opportunity. Squeezing through a space smaller than a size category costs double movement and requires an Agility and Dexterity Trait check, both Traits stack, and a failed check stops movement. More on hostile creature interactions in the Combat section.

Creature Size and Space:

Size Category	Space Occupied
Tiny	1x1 sq. (5 ft.)
Small	1x1 sq. (5 ft.)
Standard	1x1 sq. (5 ft.)
Large	2x2 sq. (10 ft.)
Huge	3x3 sq. (15 ft.)
Goliath	4x4 sq. (20 ft.)
Colossal	5x5 sq. (25 ft.) or larger

Falling: A falling character takes damage based on the distance fallen. Traits such as Dexterity and Defense stack to reduce falling damage. Spells and buffs such as Feather Fall or Barrier reduce or negate damage entirely. A character may attempt to grab a ledge, vine, or surface feature mid-fall, requiring an Agility or Strength Trait check, slowing or stopping the fall on a success. Landing in water, deep snow, or other soft surfaces reduces damage. Falling damage is specified by module or determined by the GM.

Stumble: An involuntary movement caused by a loss of balance or footing. The character moves 1d10 feet in a direction determined by the GM. The character is open to attacks of opportunity from every enemy adjacent to any square they stumble into, including the square they occupied when the stumble began. Specific causes of stumbling may impose additional penalties as noted in the relevant rules.

Retreat: A tactical withdrawal of 1 square from a threat. Full rules in Combat.

Dodge and Retreat: Combines Defense, as Dodge -, Agility SCR and Dexterity SCR to PROTS with a 5 ft. sq. Retreat backwards. Full rules in Combat.

Organic mount, ground: Rider uses the mount's base speed. Mounting and dismounting costs half an action. If the mount is incapacitated, the rider must make an Agility Trait check to dismount safely or fall.

Organic mount, aerial: Follows fly rules. Mounting and dismounting in the air requires a check. If the mount is incapacitated mid-flight, the rider must make an Agility Trait check to dismount safely or begin falling.

Non-organic vehicle, ground (steam, coal, gas, electric, photon, quantum, or magic-powered): Follows the driver's control checks for turns, stops, and hazards. Damage to the vehicle reduces speed, specified by module or determined by the GM. Magic-powered vehicles and constructs may also have their movement manipulated directly by Nature or Spell Abilities, the same as organic movement.

Non-organic vehicle, hover: Follows hover rules. Can maintain a stationary air position. Damage to the vehicle reduces speed or causes descent, specified by module or determined by the GM.

Teleport: Requires line of sight or a marked beacon. Cannot teleport to an unseen or unmarked location. Failed attempts result in the Character staying in place. Teleporting into an occupied space is not permitted.

Blink: Short range only, maximum range determined by the ability or item. Does not require line of sight but requires a clear destination. Can be used as a reaction to avoid damage once per round at GM discretion.

Warp: Long range teleportation requiring significant preparation or power. Warping to an unmarked location carries risk, a failed check results in arriving off target, specified by module or determined by the GM.

Spacecraft: Follows non-organic vehicle rules. Sub-light speed applies in atmosphere. Space grid scale applies in open space. Light speed capable spacecraft may achieve FTL travel, see FTL below. Boarding and deboarding require docking or a check if in motion.

FTL / Light speed: Available to Divine entities with Blink or equivalent innate magic, and to light speed capable spacecraft. Cannot be used in atmosphere or near planetary bodies without catastrophic consequences specified by module or determined by the GM. No check required for Divine entities, it is innate. Spacecraft require appropriate technology and fuel.

Quicker Feet: The ability to change direction at every 5 ft. square during movement without penalty. Not just speed, unpredictability. Characters and creatures with Quicker Feet can reverse, cut, weave, and redirect mid-stride in ways that make tracking them a genuine puzzle in the field. Applies to all movement types available to them.

Note to GM: Quicker Feet means changing direction 90 degrees every 5 ft. square (zigzagging). Each pair of moves gives diagonal net progress: 2 squares moved = √2 squares net (≈ 7.07 ft. net per 10 ft. moved). To achieve 35 ft. of net displacement: 35 ÷ (√2/2) = 35 × √2 ≈ 49.5 ft., rounded to 50 ft. A creature with Quicker Feet and 25 ft. speed covers roughly 17.5 ft. of net displacement per turn when zigzagging at full movement.

Pulse Jet Propulsion: Reserved for creatures with the innate Pulse Jet Ability. A sharp contraction fires water backward and sends the creature rocketing forward, up to 25 ft. per burst. The catch is physics: water drag kills momentum the instant the pulse ends. The creature must change direction at every 5 ft. square, a straight line simply isn't possible, and that's exactly what makes it dangerous. Defenders trying to intercept a Pulse Jet creature have to guess where it's going, not where it came from. Cannot be used outside of water unless the creature's card specifically states otherwise.

Thruster Burst: Requires a TABA thruster modification. PTS, fire, and then let the environment decide how complicated things get. Direction is committed at the start of movement. What happens next depends entirely on the surrounding environment.

In vacuum: No drag. No forgiveness. Momentum carries into the following turn, a character who ends their turn moving begins the next from that same vector. Changing direction mid-move requires a counter-thrust: spend half the remaining movement to cancel momentum before redirecting. Changing direction at the start of a new turn costs the same. Fastest for sustained travel. Most dangerous to get wrong.

In atmosphere with gravity, horizontal: Air drag and gravity handle the counter-thrust automatically. Momentum resets at the end of each turn. Direction is still committed at the start of a move but changes freely at the beginning of each new turn. Mid-move direction changes cost half remaining movement. Closest to a standard Run in feel, with considerably more noise.

In atmosphere with gravity, ascending: Fighting gravity the whole way up. Speed drops to 2x. Angling the thrusters laterally while ascending drops speed to 1x. Cannot redirect mid-ascent without paying that cost. Sustained fuel required each round of ascent.

In atmosphere with gravity, descending: Choose one mode at the start of the move and commit. Braking: 1x speed downward; active before impact negates fall damage entirely. Hovering: no movement; stationary in the air; sustained fuel cost each round, run out and gravity decides the rest. Assisted Descent: 4x speed downward; direction committed; no braking that same turn.

Underwater: Drag is severe and immediate. Speed drops to 1x. Direction changes freely at every 5 ft. sq., the water handles counter-thrust naturally. Functions like a slower, more controlled version of Pulse Jet Propulsion: deliberate where Pulse Jet is instinctive.

Animated Wayfarer

The Animated Wayfarer, or simply the Wayfarer, is a living magical companion bound to its owner at attunement. It is not a passive tool. It moves, reacts, and grows alongside the Character, developing awareness, loyalty, and capability over time. The Wayfarer bonds to the Character's heart, it knows whether they truly feel safe, and it will not take them somewhere they don't. It appears and disappears at will, never leaving the traveler's side for long.

Wayfarers come in eleven forms, each animated and each with its own default behavior and unique higher-LVL abilities. The form is cosmetic at base, all Wayfarers share the same core abilities as they LVL, but each form develops its own specialization as it grows.

Forms: Pocket Watch, Compass, Sextant, Astrolabe, Hourglass, Spyglass, Monocle, Lantern, Signet Ring, Orrery, Runestone Disc.

Cooldown

The Wayfarer's port ability begins at once per week. Leveling reduces this cooldown, the more developed the Wayfarer, the more frequently it can be used. Wayfarer development is exceptionally slow. Progress is earned, not given.

Complex Rule Set only.

Base Ability (Level 0)

Port: The Wayfarer ports its owner to the nearest source of fire or water, whichever is closest. This is the foundation of all Wayfarer use and functions at all LVLs.

Generic Abilities, Unlocked Through Progression

All Wayfarers unlock the following abilities as they LVL, regardless of form. Abilities unlock during exploration as the Wayfarer develops.

Nearest Camp: Port to the nearest camp rather than fire or water.
Faction Sense: Port to the nearest town or city with a qualifying Class Trainer, rather than fire or water. At higher LVLs, it senses its owner's standing with that settlement's factions in advance, alerting whether they have sufficient Standing to be trained there, and steering toward, or away from, a particular town within its range (see Class Trainer Requirements & Fees, Appendix).
Mark Spot: Mark a location and return to it on command, a plot of land a character owns, a hideout, a cache site, anywhere worth remembering and revisiting. Log marked spots in the Journal's Maps, Locations & Wayfarer Log.
Alert: The Wayfarer senses danger before it arrives, it stirs, pulses, or otherwise signals that something is wrong. At higher LVLs, it identifies the direction and nature of the threat.
Find Secret: The Wayfarer motions toward hidden locations, secret passages, fishing spots, buried caches, and forgotten areas, the quiet places a character finds and comes to think of as their own. Tied to exploration achievements. At a certain LVL it actively leads rather than hints.
Deep Down: The Wayfarer can guide its owner deep into dungeons, castles, estates, and prisons, including rooms buried far enough down, throne rooms, vaults, and sealed chambers among them, that they require a light source physically present at the destination for the Wayfarer to find its bearing. Places the Wayfarer would otherwise lose its way entirely.
All Aboard: The Wayfarer can locate and guide its owner into the hold of nearby vessels, both seafaring ships and spacecraft.
Quest Guidance: The Wayfarer motions and cues its owner toward things of importance, active quests, quest items, and new quest NPCs. At low LVLs it nudges. At higher LVLs it leads confidently.

Form Special Abilities

Each form develops five special abilities unique to it, unlocking progressively as the Wayfarer LVLs.

Pocket Watch, Tracks time as its default. Specializes in cooldown reduction and temporal awareness.

Shows accurate local time across regions and planets.
Cooldown reduced by one day.
Predicts weather up to 24 hours ahead.
Cooldown reduced to once per day.
Skips one danger event per session, the Watch turns back just enough.

Compass, Shows cardinal directions at base. Specializes in navigation and ally awareness.

Detects the direction of the nearest beacon.
Highlights the safest path through hostile terrain.
PTS toward the nearest ally when the party is separated.
Navigation bonus increases significantly, the owner cannot become lost.
PTS toward the nearest undiscovered location in the region.

Sextant, Measures celestial angles at base. Excels outdoors, at sea, and in space.

Identifies the owner's exact position on any map.
Alert range extended under open sky or in vacuum.
Reads star patterns to anticipate enemy movements.
Locks onto orbiting vessels or space stations within range.
Pinpoints the exact coordinates of any previously marked location.

Astrolabe, Maps star positions at base. Strongest at revealing secrets and ancient sites.

Reveals hidden celestial landmarks and navigational reference points.
Find Secret unlocks earlier than any other form.
Reveals more secret locations per session than other forms.
Detects ancient, forgotten, or sealed sites specifically.
Maps the full layout of a dungeon or estate upon entry.

Hourglass, Tracks elapsed time at base. Specializes in Deep Down and timed event awareness.

Displays an accurate countdown to the next cooldown reset.
Deep Down unlocks earlier than other forms.
Warns when a timed quest or world event is about to expire.
Slows enemy pursuit for one round per session.
Rewinds one failed skill roll per session, one chance to try again.

Spyglass, Magnifies distant vision at base. Longest alert range of all forms.

Scouts terrain at range, revealing what's ahead before the party arrives.
Alert triggers at greater distance than any other form.
Identifies creature type and rough power LVL at range.
Detects traps and ambushes before the party enters range.
Marks a distant target, the Wayfarer ports its owner directly to it.

Monocle, Inspects nearby objects at base. Specializes in identification and social intelligence.

Reveals hidden properties or value of inspected objects.
Identifies quest NPCs on sight before any conversation.
Reads and translates languages and scripts automatically.
Detects disguised or hidden creatures within close range.
Reveals the true identity of any creature it is focused on.

Lantern, Provides light at base. Strongest fire bond and group utility at high LVLs.

Functions in magical darkness where other light sources fail.
Ports to fire sources at greater distance than other forms.
Hearth bond strengthens, the owner regenerates faster while resting at a Hearth.
Reveals invisible creatures within its light radius.
Group port, beacons to all party members simultaneously, bringing the whole party along.

Signet Ring, Marks identity and ownership at base. Specializes in Mark Spot and long-range signaling.

Marks ownership of a location or object, others can see it is claimed.
Can hold two marked spots simultaneously instead of one.
Sends a signal to another ring-bearer across any distance.
Can hold four marked spots simultaneously.
Permanently claims a location, no other Player may mark it.

Orrery, Models nearby celestial bodies at base. Specializes in All Aboard and vessel detection.

Displays planet and moon positions in the local system.
All Aboard unlocks earlier than other forms.
Predicts orbital windows for spacecraft boarding.
Detects vessels within range before they become visible.
Locks onto any vessel in the system regardless of distance.

Runestone Disc, Channels rune energy at base. Specializes in rune and Relic detection.

Pulses near rune-inscribed objects, armaments, and structures.
Detects nearby Runesmith NPCs or services.
Pulses near hidden Relic fragments.
Identifies rune type and strength on any object without a Runesmith.
Activates dormant runes on objects, no Runesmith required.

When a creature encounters an obstacle, their size determines what paths are available. Each size category requires a minimum width to move alongside or through a gap without a check:

Complex Rule Set only.

Size	Min. Width to Pass Freely
Small	3 ft.
Standard	4 ft.
Large (NPC/MAC)	8 ft.
Goliath	15 ft.

Anything below these thresholds requires a Squeeze check (see Slither / Squeeze) or is impassable.

Example, 5 ft. wide, 8 ft. tall boulder in a 10 ft. ceiling dungeon

Small, Can pass alongside the boulder freely. Climbing over is possible but the gap between the top of the boulder and the ceiling is only 2 ft., a tight space requiring a Squeeze check to clear.
Standard, Can pass alongside but is at the edge of their minimum. Climbing over is blocked, the 2 ft. ceiling gap is impassable for their size. Must go around.
Large (NPC/MAC), Cannot pass alongside. Cannot pass over. Fully blocked, requires destruction of the obstacle or an alternate route.
Goliath, Impassable in all directions. Requires destruction or an alternate route.

Encumbrance

Base carry capacity is determined by race size. Each positive point of Strength adds 15 lbs on top of the base. Negative Strength scores do not reduce the base, they simply mean the Character must invest enough points to reach +1 before gaining any bonus. For example, a Gnome starts at -5 Strength. Their base carry capacity is 50 lbs regardless. They must put 6 points into Strength to reach +1, and only then does the +15 lbs per point begin applying.

Size	Base Carry Capacity	Per Strength PTS
Small	50 lbs	+15 lbs
Standard	100 lbs	+15 lbs
Goliath	200 lbs	+15 lbs

Complex Rule Set only.

Carrying weight beyond capacity encumbers the Character. Abilities (Nature/Spell) may negate encumbrance penalties.

Load	Threshold	Movement	Action Penalty
Light Load	0-94%	Full speed	None
Burdened	95-99%	Half speed	None
Encumbered	100%+	Cannot move	Cannot act

Item Rank Requirements

A Character's ability to use an item is governed by two factors: whether they can physically carry it (Strength and Encumbrance), and whether they meet the item's Rank requirement. At character creation and throughout their career, a Character may carry any item up to their total carry capacity. However, they may only use (equip, wield, or activate) an item if they meet that item's minimum Rank requirement.

Rank Requirements by Item Type: Weapons, Armor, Armaments, and Lore Cards all carry a rank designation (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique, Heroic, Elite, Legendary, Divine). A Character must be at the same rank as the item to use it, with one exception: Common rank items can be used by Characters of any rank.

Item Rank	Required Character Rank
Common	Any rank (no restriction)
Uncommon	Uncommon or higher
Rare	Rare or higher
Unique	Unique or higher
Heroic	Heroic or higher
Elite	Elite or higher
Legendary	Legendary or higher
Divine	Divine

At Character Creation: Starting characters begin as Common rank. They may carry and use only Common rank items during character creation, regardless of their Strength or other ATTRs. As a Character advances in rank through Rank PTS (see Experience (XP) and Rank, pg. 2), they unlock access to higher-rank items, but cannot use items above their current rank.

Example: A Paladin with Strength +2 has a carry capacity of 130 lbs (100 base + 30 from Strength). At character creation, they are Common rank, so they may carry and use any Common rank item up to 130 lbs total. A Legendary plate armor weighs only 80 lbs, but they cannot use it because they are not Legendary rank. Once they advance to Legendary rank through play, the same armor becomes usable if they still have carrying capacity.

Visibility and Light

Visibility affects movement, combat, and checks. Light sources, spells, and equipment can extend visibility range. Some races have innate darkvision, see Playable Races. Abilities such as Darkvision negate these rules within their range.

Complex Rule Set only.

Condition	Dist.	Penalty
Bright light	Full	None
Dim light	4 squares	-10 to ranged attacks and perception checks
Darkness	0	-25 to melee, ranged attacks not permitted
Darkvision	6 squares	No penalty within range

Disorientation

A disoriented character may move in unintended directions, suffer penalties to checks and attacks, or lose their sense of position on the grid. Causes include darkness, magical effects, vertigo, concussion, and extreme environmental conditions. Related conditions such as blinded, stunned, and confused are covered in the Conditions section of the Combat rules. Abilities may negate disorientation effects.

Complex Rule Set only.

Cause	Check Penalty
Dim light / minor effect	-10 to all checks
Darkness / moderate effect	-25 to all checks
Magical / severe effect	-50 to all checks

Environmental Hazards

Hazardous environments affect movement and may deal damage or impose conditions. Characters with relevant resistances, spells, or equipment may reduce or negate hazard effects. Damage and conditions are specified by module or determined by the GM.

Complex Rule Set only.

Hazard	Movement	Damage per Turn	Condition
Fire	1/2 speed	1d6 Life	Burning
Poison cloud	1/2 speed	1d4 Life	Poisoned
Extreme cold / heat	Full speed	1d4 Life	Fatigued
Electrical	Full speed	1d6 Life	Stunned
Flooding	1/2 speed	None	Swim check required
Slime / goo	1/4 speed	None	Restrained, check to escape

Traps

Traps are hidden hazards placed deliberately in the environment. They trigger on movement through or interaction with a specific square or object. A character with the appropriate talent, such as Scout or Crypt Raider, may detect traps before triggering them with a successful check. Once detected, traps may be disarmed with a talent check. Failing a disarm check may trigger the trap. Trap effects range from movement impairment and damage to conditions and instant incapacitation, specified by module or determined by the GM.

Rest

SORC uses three rest tiers. Rest is interrupted if the Character takes damage or is engaged in strenuous activity. Maximum one long rest per day. Full rest and recovery rules are covered in the GM Codex.

Breather (1 hr): Recovers 4 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each. Endurance to 60% of max (+1%/Spirit point, capped 100%).
Breather (2 hrs): Recovers 8 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each. Endurance to 60% of max (+1%/Spirit point, capped 100%).
Short Rest (6 hrs): Recovers 24 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each. Endurance to 70% of max (+1%/Spirit point, capped 100%). Watch rotation required. No donning, readying, or light activities. No maintenance unless a blacksmith is present.
Long Rest (8 hrs): Full recovery of all Vitality, Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance.

Movement Summary

Movement covers how navigation is determined in SORC, measured in squares on a grid where scale depends on the map type, 5 ft. per square on a battle map, larger on war and world maps. Base speed is determined by race size, terrain affects distance, and every movement type from walking to spacecraft has its own speed modifier and rules. Encumbrance (see below), visibility, hazards, traps, and rest all interact with movement in defined ways. Carrying more than 50% of capacity reduces movement speed, see Encumbrance for full penalty values.

From crawling and climbing to flying mounts, teleportation, and light speed travel, every movement type is accounted for, with organic and non-organic equivalents paired across the system. Abilities can modify or negate most penalties, and the GM Codex covers advanced cases. Reminder: movement in structured encounters consumes Stamina, see Stamina and Mana Costs under Actions for details.

Travel and Recovery

Traveling encompasses long-distance journeys across land, sea, and air. Recovery and downtime requirements depend on travel method and distance covered. Characters can participate in normal activities, downtime, rest periods, and even combat, during vehicular journeys, but foot and mount travel have specific fatigue thresholds tied to Endurance.

Complex Rule Set only.

Light Speed Travel: Characters using Light Speed travel require a long day of uninterrupted rest after arrival to fully recover. Some spacecraft have dedicated resting areas to facilitate this recovery during long journeys.

Warp, Teleportation: Characters using Warp teleportation require 2 hours of downtime or light activity after arrival to recover from the magical strain.

Foot Travel: Characters traveling on foot are limited to 10 miles before requiring a Breather to recover. After every 10 miles traveled OR when the Character exhausts their daily Endurance, whichever comes first, downtime is required. See Rest section for Breather durations and recovery amounts.

Vehicular Travel: Characters traveling by train, by wagon, by airship, or by sea ship can participate in normal activities during the journey, downtime, rest periods, and even combat encounters. The vehicle's movement is independent of character actions. Long-distance vehicular journeys may have specified rest requirements depending on journey length and conditions, determined by the GM.

Land Mounts: Characters traveling on land mounts can journey longer distances based on mount speed and rarity tier. After every 50 miles traveled, the rider and mount require a Breather to recover. Mount pace is determined by rarity: Rare and below (3x base speed), Unique through Elite (4x base speed), Legendary (5x base speed), Divine (6x base speed). See Rest section for Breather durations and recovery amounts.

Travel Example, Tredekian Caravan Ambush

Setup: A merchant caravan travels the trade roads of Tredeki. After 12 miles of wagon travel, they pause at a waystation for a Breather. The party members are traveling by wagon (Vehicular Travel) with merchants and guards. As the caravan exits the station for the next leg of journey, bandits attempt a hijacking.

Outcome: Combat erupts on the wagon-road. Since this is vehicular travel, the party can participate in combat encounters during the journey without penalty. The battle is resolved using standard combat rules. If the party defeats the bandits, the caravan continues. If they lose, the merchants are robbed but the party can still recover. The journey itself is not interrupted, vehicular travel allows for independent action during movement. The caravan will require additional Breathers based on total distance traveled and GM discretion regarding the incident.

Travel Example, Ignis Train Derailment Emergency

Setup: The party rides a steam train through Ignis's volcanic plateaus. Halfway through a 40-mile journey, a massive lava surge causes the tracks to buckle. Combat encounters occur as the party works to stabilize the train or escape.

Outcome: Like wagon travel, the train allows full combat participation during the journey. The party must roll initiative and engage the natural disaster or enemies attempting to cause the derailment. Success means they stabilize the train and continue. Failure means the train crashes, survival depends on a series of checks. Either way, the journey is disrupted. The GM determines if the party must take a longer Breather or find shelter in Ignis's ruins to recover before continuing.

Travel Example, Omnè-Zailister Airship Trade Route

Setup: The party travels by luxury airship from Omnè's floating platforms to Zailister's orbital docks, a journey of 200+ miles taking several days. Multiple vendors, quest-givers, and NPCs are aboard. The party has access to merchant stalls, a small tavern, and crew quarters.

Outcome: During vehicular journeys like this, the party can engage in downtime activities, shopping from vendors, accepting quests from NPCs, conducting research, or simply resting. Combat can occur if the airship encounters pirates or environmental hazards. The journey's duration is fixed by the GM, but party activities make the transit narratively rich. When the airship docks on Zailister, the party emerges refreshed and resupplied.

Travel Example, Light Speed Jump to Tredeki

Setup: A divine entity with Blink Ability, or a light-speed-capable spacecraft, instantly travels from one location to Tredeki across the void. Light Speed travel is instantaneous with no intervening time.

Recovery Requirement: Upon arrival, the travelers require a long day of uninterrupted rest. If traveling by spacecraft, the vessel has dedicated resting quarters. Characters cannot take actions, participate in additional combat, or engage in strenuous activities during this recovery period. The deep exhaustion from FTL travel demands complete rest. Only after this full day can the party proceed normally.

Travel Example, Glaciera Foot Travel Ten-Mile Threshold

Setup: The party travels on foot across Glaciera's frozen wastes. Each character has 35 Endurance points. After 10 miles or when a character exhausts their daily Endurance (whichever comes first), they must stop.

Resolution: After 10 miles, the party requires a Breather (1-2 hours of downtime, see Rest section). A Breather recovers Life, Mana, and Stamina, and restores Endurance to 60% of max (+1%/Spirit point, capped 100%). Endurance still fully resets at the start of the next day regardless. If characters attempt to push past this threshold without a Breather, they risk exhaustion penalties determined by the GM. After a Breather, the party can continue another 10 miles.

Travel Example, Tredeki Mount Journey Long Distance

Setup: A rider on a Unique-tier mount (4x base speed) travels across Tredeki's vast plains. The mount is a bonded creature with Unique rarity. The rider wants to cover 100 miles.

Distance and Breathers: Mount pace: 4x base speed (if base mount speed is 30 ft., effective speed becomes 120 ft. per round). For long-distance travel, the GM determines pace narratively. After every 50 miles, the rider and mount require a Breather to recover. So: 50 miles, first Breather (1-2 hours). 50 more miles, second Breather. The 100-mile journey requires two Breathers minimum, broken into segments. Without these Breathers, mount and rider accumulate exhaustion and risk injury or abandonment.

Travel Example, Omnè Warp Escape from Danger

Setup: The party faces overwhelming odds in a dungeon on Omnè. A character with the Warp innate ability warps the party to safety, a location 200+ miles away, instantly.

Recovery Requirement: After arrival, the party requires 2 hours of downtime or light activity to recover from the magical strain of warping. During this time, they can rest, tend wounds (via medical items or abilities), or prepare for the next encounter, but they cannot engage in strenuous activity or combat. After 2 hours, they are free to continue their journey.

Combat

Armaments Reminder: A character readies up to 3 weapons at the start of each game day; swapping between readied weapons in combat costs an Action (a turn) to sheath or draw. Armor is part of that same daily Armament Set and cannot be donned or doffed mid-session, it's fixed until the next game day. See Playable Classes, pg. 3, and Weapons Carried, pg. 4, for the full readying rules. Characters can still hone their skills on crafts and hobbies, utilizing their Endurance for the remaining time of the day, during their downtime waiting out the 24 hour readied weapon cooldown.

Utilizing a D100 percentile system, to determine combat outcomes, Players describe actions and roll dice to attack with weapons and their combat Abilities to reach the threshold of their target's total Protection Score (PROTS). Every Character's hit and damage is dependent on the rank of the weapon they are using.

Note on Bosses, Mobs, and Companions in Combat: Bosses, Mobs, and Companions do not have Traits, ATTRs, Mana, Stamina, or Endurance. They only have Life, Abilities, Armor, and ATTKs. Their Abilities are innate and require no trait or attribute Prerequisites. Only Life can be depleted during combat.

Basic Attacks and Ability Attacks

Every attack in SORC is one of two things, and they follow different rules about what may be in hand.

A Basic ATTK is the plain swing, thrust, loose, or throw a weapon was built for, carrying no Ability, costing no Stamina or Mana, and available to every Character every turn. No class, Path, or Branch restricts a Basic ATTK. Any Character may pick up any weapon they are physically able to wield, a Magic User with a greatsword, an Avenger with a bow, and attack with it normally, rolling d100 + applicable modifiers against the target's PROTS the same as anyone else. The only things governing a Basic ATTK are the weapon's own Type and Style damage modifiers (see Weapon Type DMG Mods, pg. 4) and whatever the Character can actually carry.

An Ability ATTK is different. Every Tier, Path, and Branch lists the weapons its Abilities are performed with, and one of those must be readied to use any Ability from that tree (see Required Weapons, Appendix). A weapon the tree does not list, or one its Culture names Forbidden, performs none of that tree's Abilities. This is not a penalty, a scaling modifier, or something a high Trait score overcomes; the Ability is simply not available with the wrong thing in hand.

Why the difference: the restriction is one of Culture, not capability (see Cultural Armaments & Rarity, Appendix, and Culture, Playable Races, pg. 2). A Cleric's training, rites, and holy symbols are built around blunt weapons of ordinary make; the same Cleric is perfectly capable of swinging a TAW mace, but their faith does not channel through manufactured technology, so no Cleric Ability comes out of it. They may still swing it all day as a Basic ATTK. The classic case: a Character can use a Bow, but cannot perform Cleric Abilities with a Bow.

Readying: because an Ability needs its weapon in hand, the daily Armament Set matters. A Character readies up to three weapons at the start of each game day and swapping between them mid-combat costs an Action (see Armaments Reminder, above, and Weapons Carried, pg. 4). A Character drawing on several Class Trees should ready weapons that cover each tree they intend to use that day, or accept that some of their Abilities are unavailable until they swap.

Armor is not the same: armor never blocks an Ability. Wearing heavier than a tree's Armor Grade threshold costs a scaling Armament Penalty instead, and Traits can reduce it (see Armament Penalty, Appendix).

Protection Score (PROTS)

Condition: Every piece of armor carries a Condition, rolled on d100 when it is found or acquired, and Condition adjusts Armor Score as a percentage of the piece's Grade rather than as flat points, so wear costs the same share of protection at every Grade.

Condition	Roll d100	Armor Score Effect	Movement
Excellent	81-100	+5% × Grade	No penalty
Fair (Damaged)	11-80	-30% × Grade	-3 sq.
Broken	1-10	-50% × Grade (Armor Score halved)	Movement halved. No enhancement bonuses.

Armor Score Formula: A piece of armor starts at its Grade's Base Armor Score and is adjusted by its Quality, its Condition and any Enhancement. Those four, Grade, Quality, Condition and Enhanced, are the whole of it:

Armor Scr. = Grade − (Quality % × Grade) − (Condition % × Grade) + Enhanced

Quality and Condition are percentages of the Grade, not flat points, so a worn set loses the same share of its protection at every Grade. Enhancement is added last, in flat points. Quality and Condition are percentages of the Grade, not flat points, so wear and workmanship cost the same share of protection at every Grade. Enhancement is added last, in flat points. Worked example, the Skeleton Soldier: Half Heavy Plate at Grade 40, Poor quality at −5%, Damaged condition at −30%, no Enhancement. 40 − 2 − 12 = Armor Score 26. Quality also adjusts the piece's value by the same percentage (see Armor Quality, Appendix).

PROTS Formula: PROTS = Base Armor Scr. + Defense or Resistance Trait (depending on attack source) + shield Armor Scr. + all other modifiers (buffs, debuffs, environmental effects). Against martial or Nature-sourced attacks, use Defense Trait. Against Spell-sourced attacks, use Resistance Trait. These two never stack on the same attack, exactly one applies based on the attack's source.

Every entity in SORC has a Base Armor Score (Armor Scr.), a number between 1 and 100 representing the raw protection of any armored or unarmored entity. Armor Scr. is the starting point, not the full picture. PROTS (Protection Score) is Armor Scr. plus every permanent Enhancement or Impairment, temporary buff or debuff, and Trait bonus or penalty applied to it. PROTS = Armor Scr. + all modifiers, positive and negative. Armor Scr. never changes unless the armor itself changes. PROTS fluctuates with buffs, debuffs, Enhancements, Impairments, and situational modifiers.

Example: Ice Dragon, on the ground, has a base Armor Scr. of 80 (Armor Scr. 80) and has 12 bonuses to Protection, so its PROTS 92. Rolling 1D100 would need a result of 92 to Hit the dragon and roll for damage. In the air, the Ice Dragon gets a +10 bonus, now giving it +22 (12 + 10) bonus to its base Armor Scr. 80. Flying, the Ice Dragon has a PROTS of 102.

Conversely, a Commoner is wearing cloth and has a base Armor Scr. of 10, Armor Scr. 10, but has part of a wooden gate he's used as a shield giving him +2, however he doesn't have a strong foothold because of the environment, -1 (strong winds). His total PROTS is Armor Scr. 10 + 2 - 1 = 11. The Commoner is easy to Hit. In comparison, a Paladin in Osmium Plate has a base Armor Scr. of 60. If he's holding Bracers, a 2h Weapon or a Shield he can add his Defense score (Defense is a Trait) representing; Parry or Block respectively he'll add his Protection, in this case 4. He also gets the base Armor Scr. of a Shield (Armor Scr. 10) or the lighter option, Bracers (Armor Scr. 5). Let's say he's holding the shield and has a score of 5 on the Trait Defense. Base Armor Scr. is 60, plus 10 for shield, plus 5 because he has Defense (5).

Defense Roll

Defense Trait is passively included in PROTS and does not require a roll. If the attacker's score meets or exceeds the target's total PROTS (which includes the Defense Trait, Base Armor Scr., shield Armor Scr., and all other modifiers), the attack lands. Defense type is determined by equipped gear:

Parry, 2H Weapon, Bracers, or Dual Wield (melee only, excludes orbs, tomes, special items, and environmental objects). Bracers allow Parry, Gloves do not (see Set Bonus, pg. 4)
Block, Shield
Dodge, Light Armor

Characters without the Defense Trait or qualifying gear cannot use Defense. See Defense under Traits (pg. 2).

Defense Example, Omnè Crystal Lock Difficulty Score Check

Setup: Kael (Elf, Thief, Shadowblade, LVL 11, Rank Uncommon) attempts to pick an ancient crystal lock guarding a vault on Omnè's floating platform. The lock has a PROTS of 45 (representing its structural integrity). Kael has the Disarm Trap talent with a score of 8 and Dexterity Trait of 6.

Attempt: Kael rolls to disable: d100 + 8 (talent) + 6 (Dexterity) = [62] + 14 = 76 versus DIFS of 45. Success! He carefully manipulates the crystalline mechanism, feeling the subtle shifts in energy. The lock clicks open, revealing the chamber beyond. No damage taken.

Comparison, If He Failed: If his roll had been [28] + 14 = 42 (below 45), the trap would trigger. Standard trap damage on failure might be 16 Life damage. But if Kael had chosen to destroy the lock instead (attacking its PROTS directly), failure would deal 2x that damage (32 Life) back to him. The Disarm Trap approach was clearly safer.

Defense Example, Zailister Spaceship Security Code Difficulty Score

Setup: Tyx (Goliath, Hacker, DataMind, LVL 13, Rank Rare) tries to bypass a security panel on a Zailister orbital station. The system's defensive DIFS is 58 (representing firewall strength). Tyx has the Hack talent with score 12, Intellect Trait of 10, and a +5 bonus from their specialized hacking equipment.

Attempt: Tyx rolls: d100 + 12 (Hack talent) + 10 (Intellect) + 5 (equipment) = [71] + 27 = 98 versus DIFS of 58. Critical success! The panel sparks briefly as Tyx gains access, bypassing multiple layers of encryption in seconds. The security override code unlocks adjacent doors. Tyx's Hack talent makes this look easy.

Base Hit Rate

Every weapon at Common rank shares the same base hit percentage against each armor type before any modifiers are applied. These rates assume a baseline attacker with no bonuses or penalties against a target with no defensive modifiers, raw d100 roll against Armor Scr. only.

Armor Grade	Mould	Material	Base Armor Scr.	Base Hit (D100)
Delicate	Robes	Silk	10	80%
Light	Leather	Hide	25	65%
Medium	Chainmail	Steel	35	55%
Heavy	Plate	Steel	45	50%
Dense	Plate	Osmium	60	35%
Composite	Exosuits	Dragon Scale	55	40%
Tech Advanced Body Armor (TABA) (any grade)	—	—	Varies by grade	+5% vs base grade (melee and Tech Advanced Weapons (TAW) ranged only)

All weapon types share these base rates. These are base figures against Armor Scr. only, not PROTS. In play, all bonuses and penalties apply on top of these rates, including the target's full PROTS (Armor Scr. plus all defensive modifiers), armor condition, Armor Mould, character attributes, talents, buffs, debuffs, and situational modifiers. Remember that armor grades have Vulnerabilities and Resistances (see Armor Grades below), a blunt weapon against chain gains from chain's vulnerability to blunt, raising the effective hit above base. Higher rank weapons have higher base attack values, increasing these percentages across all armor grades.

Hit Results

Critical Hit Formula: A roll result inside the Critical Window for the weapon's Rank triggers a Critical Hit, dealing 2x damage dice + source bonus. The Window is 96-100 at Common and widens with Rank, see Critical Window by Rank below. Source bonus = Strength score (melee), Agility score (martial ranged), or Acuity score (spells). Critical Hits may trigger extra Status effects, limb severance, or severe injuries based on GM discretion.

Critical Window by Rank

The Critical Window is the span of d100 results that trigger a Critical Hit. It widens with the Rank of the weapon in hand. The damage is unchanged at every Rank, 2x damage dice + source bonus; what grows is how often a Critical lands.

Weapon Rank	Critical Window	Chance
Common, Uncommon	96-100	5%
Rare, Unique	95-100	6%
Heroic, Elite	94-100	7%
Legendary, Divine	92-100	9%

Position stacks with Rank. A shot taken from a band the projectile has stabilized in widens the window by a further 2 (see Range Chart). A Rare longbow loosed from its Stabilized Point criticals on 93-100 rather than 95-100. No other modifier widens the window, and it never opens past 90.

Result	Condition	Damage
Miss	Roll below graze threshold	No damage; possible counter opportunity
Graze	Roll within ~5 points below PROTS	Half damage (rounded down). May impose minor effects like increased bleeding or reduced movement.
Direct Hit	Roll ≥ PROTS	Full damage (xd6 +/- all modifiers)
Critical Hit	Within the Critical Window for the weapon's Rank	2x damage dice + source bonus (Strength for melee, Agility for martial ranged, Acuity for spells). May trigger extra Status effects, limb severance, or severe injuries.
Fumble / Fizzle	Roll result 1-5 (Fumble = martial, Fizzle = spell)	The character stumbles, see rules on stumble.

Initiative

Initiative Formula: Initiative = Base Speed + Agility Trait + Intuition Trait. On a tie, Luck breaks the tie (see Traits, pg. 2). Stamina and Encumbrance do not factor into initiative, but if a character is immobilized or restrained, they lose their turn entirely. Circumstantial Modifiers: The GM may adjust initiative if a character is surprised, distracted, or cleverly positioned. Combat Abilities & Buffs: Abilities like Readiness or buffs like Hastily can grant a bonus to initiative as noted in their descriptions. Turn order is based on character positioning; if positions are similar, the GM may use any combination of initiative factors to determine who acts first.

Hit

Every attack roll is d100 + Hit bonus vs the target's PROTS. The Hit bonus is determined by the weapon's rank and whether it is wielded in the main hand or offhand. Modifiers from Traits, ATTRs, talents, buffs, and situational factors apply to both hands. Luck stacks with basic Hit rolls. Luck does not stack with ability-based hit rolls.

Rank	Hit Main	Hit Off
Common	+8 ± x	+4 ± x
Uncommon	+14 ± x	+7 ± x
Rare	+20 ± x	+10 ± x
Unique	+23 ± x	+12 ± x
Heroic	+26 ± x	+13 ± x
Elite	+32 ± x	+16 ± x
Legendary	+38 ± x	+19 ± x
Divine	+50 ± x	+25 ± x

Main Hand and Offhand. x = any modifiers to the roll. Dual wield requires a Nature Ability, see class Nature.

Weapon

Damage is determined by the weapon's rank and hands used. The formula is: dmg = xd6 ± x, where x is Strength Trait ± any other modifiers (melee), Agility Trait ± any other modifiers (ranged), or Acuity Trait ± any other modifiers (spells). Other modifiers include enchantments, Traits, buffs, environmental factors, and situational bonuses.

Rank	1h Weapon	2h Weapon	1h Off
Common	+2d6 ± x	+4d6 ± x	+1d4 ± x
Uncommon	+3d6 ± x	+6d6 ± x	+1d6 ± x
Rare	+4d6 ± x	+8d6 ± x	+2d6 ± x
Unique	+5d6 ± x	+10d6 ± x	+3d6 ± x
Heroic	+6d6 ± x	+12d6 ± x	+3d6 ± x
Elite	+8d6 ± x	+16d6 ± x	+4d6 ± x
Legendary	+10d6 ± x	+20d6 ± x	+5d6 ± x
Divine	+12d6 ± x	+24d6 ± x	+6d6 ± x

1h Off = half of 1h main, rounded up. Common and Uncommon use 1d4. x = Strength Trait ± any other modifiers (melee), Agility Trait ± any other modifiers (ranged), Acuity Trait ± any other modifiers (spells). Dual wield requires a Nature Ability, see class Nature.

Reminder: A character's rank is their Prerequisite, they must match the armament's rank to use it (see Experience (XP) and Rank). Each armament rank carries its own Prerequisites. There may be additional Prerequisites listed on the armament itself, such as minimum Trait scores including Strength, Agility, Charisma, Dexterity, and others. Divine armaments must first be unattuned from their former bearer, then attuned to the new wielder before use, once attuned, the armament is bound to them permanently.

When an attack hits the target's PROTS, the GM rolls the damage dice. Modifiers are applied and the total is subtracted from the target's Life. If Life reaches zero, the target is incapacitated, dead, or suffers additional effects based on severity.

Special Combat Techniques

Limb-Specific Targeting (LST): See full rules below.
Combos: Chain attacks after targets lose their balance. This is aside from any combo attack Nature Abilities.
Critical Hits: A roll inside the Critical Window for the weapon's Rank, 2x damage dice. May trigger extra Status effects, limb severance, or severe injuries.
Fumble / Fizzle: Roll result 1-5, Fumble (martial) or Fizzle (spell). The character stumbles, see rules on stumble.
Botch: A target's attempt to interrupt a Committed Action being taken against them. Free, once per round. Complex Rule Set only. See Botch, Unarmed Combat, pg. 5.
Escape: A target's attempt to break free of a hold already on them. Costs a full action, once per turn. Complex Rule Set only. See Escape, Unarmed Combat, pg. 5.
Unarmed Combat: See full rules below.

Ranged Attacks

Ranged combat covers any attack delivered from a distance using projectiles, energy, or magical effects. All ranged attacks use the d100 roll-over system where your relevant Trait SCR (Agility for weapons, Focus for spells) is added directly to your hit roll. Ranged attacks fall into four primary categories based on their origin: Telluric (bows, crossbows, thrown weapons, and black powder firearms), Technologically Advanced Weapons (TAW) (manufactured technology, splitting into TAW Ballistic and TAW Charged), Chthonic (elemental substance carried around a real weapon, neither cast nor built), and Spell (magical effects cast at range). Each type uses different range bands, damage calculations, and armor interactions.

Telluric Ranged

Telluric projectiles operate under physics-based range mechanics where distance, projectile velocity drops, and stability directly affect accuracy and damage. Distance is measured in feet. (Given: 1 sq. = 5 ft). Every ranged shot, whether arrow, bolt, hand thrown or slung, falls into one of four velocity states based on how far it travels: Point Blank, Oscillation, Stabilized, and Velocity Drop (gravity and air resistance, out to the weapon's maximum range). Band distances past Point Blank vary by weapon class and are read off the table below.

At Point Blank range (0–10 ft., 0–5 ft. for a thrown weapon), if the attacker's d100 roll is a Critical Hit (96-100), it lands automatically and the target's Botch is waived off. The Crit deals 2x damage dice + Agility Score of the attacker (see Critical Hit Formula, Combat, Hit Results, pg. 5). If the attacker's hit roll is a non-critical hit that meets or exceeds the defender's Protection Score (PROTS), the target may attempt a Botch to interrupt it. The target rolls d100 and adds the higher of their Strength Score or Agility Score, plus their Defense Trait Score, against the attacker's total roll, including modifiers. PROTS is not added. A thrown weapon cannot be Botched at any distance. On a meet or exceed the attack is Botched and deals half its damage dice, rounded up, with the attacker's Trait Score still added in full.

Note: Innate Aptitude and Inaptitude apply to this roll; for example, a Gnome with an innate -5 Strength (STR) Inaptitude would add their Agility Score instead of Strength when calculating their defense roll. If the defender's roll fails to meet the attacker's roll, the shot lands uncontested and deals full damage.

Compact Telluric weapons (shortbows, light crossbows, slings, hand cannons, shotguns, blunderbusses, dart guns) reach a maximum of 200 ft. Extended weapons (longbows, heavy crossbows, war cannons, siege mortars, ballistae, harpoon guns) reach a maximum of 300 ft. Individual weapon cards may override these defaults. Rifles and longer ranged Telluric weapons distances are pending.

Black Powder: Telluric covers black powder firearms as well as drawn and thrown weapons. Hand cannons, blunderbusses, muskets and pistols burn black powder to drive a lead ball, slug or shot, and that charge is what separates them from Technologically Advanced Weapons, which never use black powder. A black powder firearm reads off the same table as every other Telluric projectile, taking the same velocity states, band distances, and hit and damage columns as a bow or crossbow of its reach.

Reminder: Everything except blue is ignored for Bare Bones play.

Weapon (Telluric)	Dist. (ft.)	Velocity Curve	Hit MOD.	Base DMG.	DMG. MOD.
CLOSE QTR.	0–5 ft.	Melee	—	—	STR
THROW✤ (axe - knife)	0–5 ft.	Pt. Blank✦	+0 (+10✦)	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
THROW✤ (axe - knife)	6–25 ft.	Oscillation	±10 1st/last 10ft.✳	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
MID RANGE (Shortbow)	0–10 ft.	Pt. Blank✦	+0 (+10✦)	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	11–85 ft.	Oscillation	+10 1st 10ft.✳	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
	86–150 ft.	Stabilized	–10	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	151–200 ft.	Velocity Drop✧	–15	Decay (¾ dice)	AGI
LONG RANGE (Longbow)	0–10 ft.	Pt. Blank✦	+0 (+10✦)	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	11–150 ft.	Oscillation	+10 1st 20 ft.✳	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
	151–200 ft.	Stabilized	–15	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	201–300 ft.	Velocity Drop✧	–25	Decay (½ dice)	AGI

Note: Fired black powder weapons and compound bows will be on a separate chart. The table above covers drawn and thrown Telluric weapons.

✳Oscillation. Short Bow: +10 to hit in the first 10 ft. of the band. Long Bow: +10 to hit in the first 20 ft. of the band. Throw: +10 to hit in the first 10 ft. of the band, –10 in the last 10 ft.

✤Thrown. The Throw band's numbers are for weapons made to be thrown, a throwing axe, a throwing knife, a sudikon and the like. Any other weapon may still be thrown, as an Improvised Tool: it deals its Improvised Class damage in place of its Rank dice, see Improvised Tools, Combat, pg. 5. Point Blank for a throw ends at 5 ft., so a thrown weapon's Point Blank band is 0–5 ft., not the 0–10 ft. a drawn weapon uses.

✦Point Blank. From distance 0 ft. through 10 ft. the shot is Point Blank, 0 ft. through 5 ft. for a thrown weapon. A d100 roll of 96-100 is a Critical Hit and lands automatically; the target gets no Botch attempt. Any other roll result that meets or exceeds the defender's PROTS is a normal hit; where a Botch may then be attempted by the target. At this range the Hit MOD. is +0, and +10 only if the target cannot move; otherwise, refer to the Botch rule, Unarmed Combat, pg. 5. A thrown weapon cannot be Botched.

✧Velocity Drop. The band runs to the weapon's maximum range, 200 ft. for Compact weapons and 300 ft. for Extended weapons. Damage decays across the band at the rate shown in the DMG. MOD. column, and nothing may be fired past the maximum.

The Velocity Curve column tracks projectile physics and identifies the physical sweet spot where ammunition reaches peak velocity and damage potential.

Abbreviations: "Melee" is a Close Quarters strike, not a shot, and uses Strength. "Pt. Blank" is the shaft at full launch energy but still unsettled, devastating at contact. A drawn bow is a Committed Action, see Botch, Unarmed Combat, pg. 5. "Oscillation" is the shaft still flexing out of the archer's paradox, flying at Base DMG. rather than a peak. "Stabilized" is the second peak, where the shaft has finished settling and flies true. "Velocity Drop" shows the projectile losing energy and accuracy as gravity and air resistance accumulate, reading "Less DMG." on a shortbow and "Decay" on a longbow. This column directly informs tactical positioning: the Stabilized band, 86–150 ft. with a shortbow and 151–200 ft. with a longbow, is the highest damage output at range, and it is bought with –10 to hit on a shortbow and –15 on a longbow. Standing inside the first 10 ft. of Oscillation on a shortbow, or the first 20 ft. on a longbow, is the most accurate shot in the table at +10.

Thrown weapons use the Throw band, a 0–25 ft. range, and Agility alone applies to hit and defense. A throw flies at Base DMG. across its whole range, Point Blank included; it has no damage peak, reaches no Stabilized band and takes no Velocity Drop within 25 ft. Point Blank still applies to a throw, but only as a damage band; Botch reach is set under Botch, Unarmed Combat, pg. 5. These numbers are for weapons made to be thrown, a throwing axe, a throwing knife, a sudikon and the like. Any other weapon may still be thrown, as an Improvised Tool: it deals its Improvised Class damage in place of its Rank dice, see Improvised Tools, Combat, pg. 5. Point Blank for a throw ends at 5 ft., so a thrown weapon's Point Blank band is 0–5 ft., not the 0–10 ft. a drawn weapon uses.

Projectiles driven by hand rather than launched are Improvised Tools, not a rule of their own.

Projectile Recovery: Telluric projectiles may be recovered after combat. Typically, 50% of arrows or bolts fired land recoverable. Recovered projectiles can be salvaged for crafting materials or sold. Ballistic projectiles (slugs, pellets, stones) may also be recovered and used for materials. Technologically Advanced Weapons (TAW) and Chthonic projectiles cannot be recovered; they are expended on use.

Weapon Families. Telluric, Technologically Advanced Weapons (TAW) and Chthonic are the three power sources a ranged weapon can draw on, and the distinction governs range bands, armor interaction and planetary penalties alike. Telluric is forged or knapped and driven by muscle or mechanism. TAW is technologically manufactured and tuned to the sun of its native planet, losing range off-world. Chthonic is ore and gem out of Ignis, carrying Adoria's own magic, so it is strongest where her light is strongest and takes the same planetary Bonus and Penalty as Magic. All three are defined under Tech and Magic Across Essentia (Planetary Markets, Basic Rules pg. 4).

Reach weapons do not use range bands; they simply extend melee reach to 10 ft. and follow standard melee rules.

Telluric Projectiles

Telluric is by far the most diverse projectile family, spanning four material tiers. A projectile's Grade is the material of the part that strikes, the head, tip or point, not the shaft, so an ordinary wooden shaft under an Adamantium head is an Adamantium projectile.

Knapped and carved: Wooden, Bone, Stone, Obsidian, the oldest projectiles on any world and the only ones every people can make.
The forged standard: Steel/Iron, Bronze, Hardened Steel, Chromium, what most bundles are built from.
Light metals: Silver, Mithril, Refined Steel, worked for the cut rather than the weight.
Dense and legendary: Tungsten, Osmium, Iridium, Platinum, Ruthenium, Titanium, Vibranium, Adamantium, Dragon Scale, heads that punish the drawing arm as much as the target.

Slope Mod belongs to whatever launches the projectile, the arm or the bow, and is read off the launcher's own rules (see Slope Conditions, below). Full Grades, damage, bundle sizes and costs are on each Projectile's Card (see Projectile Grade, pg. 4).

Slope Conditions

High Ground.

Low Ground.

Rules for Slope Conditions are still being adjusted.

TAW Ranged

Technologically Advanced Weapons (TAW) are rail guns, mini guns, high velocity sniper rifles, laser pistols, plasma pistols and rifles, plasma grenades that stick, and other technologically advanced weaponry originally manufactured on the planets further out from Adoria. TAW splits into two: TAW Ballistic, which fires a physical round, and TAW Charged, which fires light or plasma. A laser pistol or a plasma cannon is TAW Charged, not Chthonic, because it was built (see Chthonic Weapons, pg. 4).

TAW also fields shotguns, and they fire more than plasma. A TAW shotgun will throw minerals much the way lead is thrown from an Telluric gun, but it never burns black powder to do it. The propellant for any TAW round that is not light or plasma is one of two systems: nuclear pulse propulsion or an electrothermal-chemical (ETC) charge. That distinction, powder against pulse or ETC, is the line between an Telluric firearm and a TAW one.

TAW Ranged weapons use range bands and Focus Score for penalty absorption. They are precision-engineered for the atmospheric conditions, gravity, and environmental properties of their native planet. On foreign planets, where gravity, pressure, and atmosphere differ, effective range drops significantly. Band distances are listed on each TAW card and override the defaults below.

A silencer reduces TAW Ranged noise to near-bow level but does not eliminate muzzle flash, ammo dependency, or malfunction risk. TAW Ranged supports burst and automatic fire, used for suppression, which pins enemies in cover without requiring a direct hit. Full suppression and overwatch rules are in the Combat section.

Band	Penalty	Notes
Short	None	No band penalty
Medium	-10 to hit	Focus SCR absorbs
Long	-20 to hit	Focus SCR absorbs
Beyond Long	Auto miss	No roll permitted

Note: Native/foreign planet range figures specific to TAW Ranged are still being set. Until then, use the band penalties above and the distances on each TAW card.

TAW Projectiles

TAW projectiles are engineered heads, usually out of the further planets: Starsteel, Quantum Alloy, Quantite, Stingers, Cryo-Exotic Alloy, Dark Matter Infused Ore, Nano-Infused Crystal, Voidstone. Unlike Telluric, TAW ammunition is manufactured rather than forged or knapped, and is lost on use rather than recovered.

Full Grades, damage, bundle sizes and costs are on each Projectile's Card (see Projectile Grade, pg. 4, Technologically Advanced row).

Chthonic Ranged

A Chthonic weapon is worked from ore or gem taken out of Ignis, where Adoria's magic collects in the veins and the ore that runs in them becomes magic with them. The weapon is ordinary craft; what makes it Chthonic is the stone it was made from.

Chthonic is neither cast nor manufactured. No spell puts the magic there and no factory does, the ground did, before anyone dug it out. Because what it carries is Adoria's own magic, it is strongest where her light is strongest and takes the same planetary Bonus and Penalty as Magic.

Chthonic Ranged uses range bands and Focus Score for penalty absorption, and bypasses certain armor types that resist ballistic damage. It carries no planetary Penalty of any kind, and Slope Mod (see Slope Conditions, below) does not touch it either: what does the harm is the energy, not the weapon carrying it, and energy is no mass for gravity to pull on, so High Ground and Low Ground change neither its range nor its damage.

Band	Penalty	Notes
Short	None	No band penalty
Medium	-10 to hit	Focus SCR absorbs
Long	-20 to hit	Focus SCR absorbs
Beyond Long	Auto miss	No roll permitted

Chthonic Projectiles

Chthonic projectiles work differently from Telluric and TAW: the working part is the element held around the head, not the head itself. Grades are Plasma Crystal, Laser Crystal, Photon Core and Energy Conduit.

Because the charge does the damage rather than the mass, Chthonic projectiles take no planetary Penalty and are unaffected by Slope Mod (see Slope Conditions, below), though they remain the one projectile family disrupted by EMP and magical interference. Full Grades, damage, bundle sizes and costs are on each Projectile's Card (see Projectile Grade, pg. 4, Chthonic row).

Spell Ranged

Spells use the same band structure as standard ranged weapons but Willpower SCR (WIL) absorbs range penalties in place of Agility. Touch spells require melee range. Area spells, AoE, cones, bursts, do not use range bands, they use a fixed area defined on the card. Spell range is listed on each spell card and overrides the defaults in the Ranged ATTKs table above.

Band	Penalty	Notes
Touch	None	Melee range only
Short	None	No band penalty
Medium	-10 to hit	WIL SCR absorbs
Long	-20 to hit	WIL SCR absorbs
Beyond Long	Auto miss	No roll permitted

Spell Example, Tredekian Ritual Combat Invocation

Setup: Vex (Draconic, Sorcerer, Spellweaver, LVL 14, Rank Rare) casts Arcane Bolt during a ritual duel on Tredeki. The spell has a Short range (0-100 ft.), costs 3 Mana chips, and deals 5d6 + Acuity modifier. Vex has Acuity of 11 and 32 Mana available. Her opponent is 60 ft. away (Short range, no penalty, so Willpower's range-absorbing job doesn't come into play here).

Spell Cast: Vex pays 3 Mana (down to 29). She rolls to hit: d100 + 20 (Rare main hand) + 11 (Acuity) = [74] + 31 = 105 versus opponent's PROTS of 62. Direct Hit! Damage: 5d6 + 11 = [3, 5, 2, 4, 6] = 20 + 11 = 31 total damage. The arcane energy crackles through the air, striking her opponent and sending them stumbling backward. The ritual duel's energy shifts in Vex's favor.

Spell Example, Ignis Volcanic Curse Channeling

Setup: Malachai (Tiefling, Warlock, Curse-Binder, LVL 16, Rank Uncommon) channels a volcanic curse spell in Ignis's volcanic regions. The spell is a cone AoE (does not use range bands), costs 4 Mana, and deals 6d6 damage. Acuity is 9. He has 35 Mana available. He targets an area with 3 enemies within the cone.

Spell Cast and Resolution: Malachai pays 4 Mana (down to 31). The cone originates from his space and expands outward. Each enemy in the area must make a Resistance check against his spell's DIFS (equal to his PROTS, 52), Resistance being the Trait that mitigates Spell damage and magical effects. Enemy 1 rolls: d100 + 8 = [45] + 8 = 53 (meets DIFS, half damage). Enemy 2 rolls: d100 + 3 = [28] + 3 = 31 (fails DIFS, full damage). Enemy 3 rolls: d100 + 10 = [82] + 10 = 92 (exceeds DIFS, no damage, critical success).

Damage: Malachai rolls damage once: 6d6 + 9 = [4, 5, 3, 2, 6, 4] = 24 + 9 = 33 total. Enemy 1 takes 16 (half). Enemy 2 takes 33 (full). Enemy 3 takes 0. The volcanic curse erupts in a terrible wave of flame, consuming the ground itself and searing all caught in its path, except for one lucky survivor.

Nature Example, Tredekian Warrior Duel Precision Strike

Setup: Kiran (Human, Warrior, Blade Master, LVL 13, Rank Uncommon) uses the Precision Strike Nature Ability during a formal duel on Tredeki. This Nature Ability costs 2 Stamina chips and allows an attack with +8 to-hit bonus and +1d6 additional damage if it hits. Kiran has 38 Stamina available. His opponent's PROTS is 55.

Nature Activation: Kiran pays 2 Stamina (down to 36). He executes the Precision Strike: d100 + 14 (Uncommon main hand) + 6 (Strength) + 8 (Nature bonus) = [73] + 28 = 101 versus opponent's PROTS of 55. Direct Hit! Damage: 3d6 (Uncommon 1h) + 6 (Strength) + 1d6 (Nature bonus) = [2, 4, 3] + 6 + [5] = 20 damage. The blade finds its mark with surgeon-like precision, drawing first blood in the duel.

Spell Example, Ignis Paladin Holy Judgment Stance

Setup: Sister Meredith (Dwarf, Avenger, Holy Knight, LVL 15, Rank Rare) takes the Holy Judgment stance in Ignis's temple-ruins. This Spell costs 1 action and provides +10 to PROTS until the start of her next turn, plus any melee attacks against her trigger a reflect that deals half damage back to the attacker. Current PROTS is 64.

Spell Activation: Meredith uses 1 action to activate Holy Judgment. Her PROTS becomes 74 (64 + 10). Three enemies rush her during their turn. Enemy 1: d100 + 12 = [67] + 12 = 79 versus her new PROTS of 74. Direct Hit! ATTK deals 22 damage. Meredith takes 22 damage (down to 78 Life) and the reflect deals 11 damage back to Enemy 1. Enemy 2: d100 + 10 = [45] + 10 = 55 versus 74. Miss! No damage, no reflect. Enemy 3: d100 + 18 = [92] + 18 = 110 versus 74. Critical Hit (roll was 92)! Deals 45 damage. Meredith takes 45 (down to 33 Life) and reflects 22 back to Enemy 3. The holy shield flares as attackers sacrifice themselves against its power.

Close Quarters

Close Quarters is 0 to 5 ft. Every melee strike happens here, and so does every grapple, grab and hold. A Melee attack is a Close Quarters strike, not a shot, and uses Strength.

A Botch and an Escape are made here. Both are covered under Unarmed Combat, below.

Telluric Melee

Telluric melee weapons, blades, blunt weapons, polearms, and other forged or crafted arms, follow standard melee rules using Strength SCR for both hit and damage. Strength is the governing Trait for all Telluric melee.

Hit: d100 + weapon rank + Strength SCR vs PROTS
Damage: weapon rank dice + Strength SCR + modifiers
Reach: 1 square (5 ft.) default unless the card specifies otherwise; Reach weapons extend to 2 squares (10 ft.)

Graze, Critical Hit, Fumble, and all other standard melee rules apply as normal.

Technologically Advanced Weapons Melee

TAW melee weapons, shock batons, pulse blades, nano-edge swords, follow standard melee rules with one exception: Agility SCR replaces Strength SCR for both hit and damage, reflecting the precision and speed required over raw physical power.

	Traditional Melee	TAW Melee
Hit stat	Strength	Agility
Damage	Weapon rank + Strength	Weapon rank + Agility
Armor penetration	Standard	Bypasses some resistances
Power required	None	Yes, charge dependent
Works anywhere	Yes	Disrupted by EMP, magic interference
Maintenance	Standard	Standard + power source

Hit: d100 + weapon rank + Agility SCR vs PROTS
Damage: weapon rank dice + Agility SCR + modifiers
Reach: 1 square (5 ft.) default unless the card specifies otherwise

Graze, Critical Hit, Fumble, and all other standard melee rules apply as normal.

Chthonic Melee

A Chthonic melee weapon is a blade or haft worked from Ignis ore or gem, an energy blade or a plasma edge, drawn from the same six sources as Chthonic Ranged. It is not a powered device and nothing about it is manufactured; the weapon is ordinary and the energy around it is what strikes. Chthonic melee is its own category alongside Telluric and TAW. Like Chthonic Ranged, they bypass certain armor types that resist ballistic damage and are disrupted by EMP interference and magical effects. They carry no planetary Penalty and Slope Mod does not touch them (see Chthonic Weapons, pg. 4, and Slope Conditions, above).

Note: The governing Trait for Chthonic Melee hit and damage is still being decided and will be confirmed in a later pass. Until then, Graze, Critical Hit, Fumble, reach, and all other standard melee rules apply as normal.

Unarmed Combat

Unarmed attacks use no weapon rank. Strength replaces the rank hit bonus.

Hit: d100 + Strength vs PROTS

Damage (main): 1d4 + Strength

Damage (off): 1d2 + Strength

Graze, Critical Hit and Fumble rules apply as normal.

Anything using hands is Main Hand and Off Hand still. There are no bonuses for hands unless the Class, Path or Branch itself or the Ability, such as those from Monk or Brawler, define it.

Elbows, knees and the like have no Main or Off Hand. They are Special Actions, below, unless the Class, Path or Branch itself or the Ability, such as those from Monk or Brawler, define it.

Certain class paths, such as Fighter, Brawler, prefer their bare hands, grappling, and improvising with objects from their environment as weapons. Characters with innate unarmed abilities may have class-specific bonuses that override or stack with these base values.

Special Actions

A Special Action is an unarmed technique used in place of a weapon strike: a knee, an elbow, a headbutt, a grapple, a grab, a shove, a trip. It has no Main Hand or Off Hand.

Hit: d100 + Strength vs the target's threshold score. A Special Action carries no Rank and no Grade, so Strength replaces the rank hit bonus.

Damage: 1d4 + Strength. A grapple, grab, shove or trip deals no damage of its own; it holds or moves the target instead.

Hands: a grapple or a grab requires both hands empty. The rest do not. Empty hands are always Unarmed, Main Hand and Off Hand.

Offensive only. A Special Action is taken on your own turn. A shove or a trip made to create distance is still a Special Action. Responding to something aimed at you is a Botch if the action has not landed, or an Escape if a hold already has.

Grapple and Grab: on a successful grapple or grab, the target is held until they Escape or the attacker releases. Drop damage applies if the target is released or Escapes at height. Specific grab rules, carry height limits and drop damage values are module specific.

Abilities supercede. A Character performing a technique they have learned from a Main Class Tier, Path or Branch is fighting Unarmed and uses that Ability. A Brawler's Strangle or Apprehend is an Ability and is read off its own card. Special Actions are what a Character does without that training.

Improvised Tools

Any attack using an item in a way it was not designed for, or using an ability the Character has not learned from a Main Class Tier, Path or Branch, is an Improvised Tool. A sword thrown, an arrow driven in by fist, a shield swung edge-on, a bar stool, a rock, a beer mug: there is one rule for all of them and no separate rule for any of them.

Subcategory	What it covers
Environmental Objects	Anything the world hands the Character rather than their kit, a chair, a rock, a lamp, a beer mug
Projectiles	Ammunition and throwing weapons used by hand instead of launched, an arrow punched in, a bolt used as a spike
Hand Weapons	A melee Armament used against its design, a polearm in a stairwell, a greatsword swung by the blade
Weapons	Any other Armament outside its use, a bow swung, a blade thrown, a firearm used as a club
Shields	A shield used to strike rather than to protect
Miscellaneous	Anything else in hand being used against its design

An Improvised Tool has no Rank and no Grade, whatever it was before it was picked up this way. Its damage is read off its Improvised Class, which is a question of mass and how it is held, not of craft. Because it carries no Rank, improvised damage never scales; it is the same at Divine as it is at Common, which is why it is a thing a Character reaches for when they have nothing better, not a build.

Improvised Class	DMG.	Hands	Examples
Light	1d6 + STR	1h	Beer mug, bottle, rock, plate, candlestick, book, hand tool, boot, arrow, bolt
Medium	2d6 + STR	1h	Lamp, frying pan, chair leg, wrench, shovel, fire iron, tree branch, shield, most Armaments
Heavy	3d6 + STR	2h	Chair, table leg, ladder, barrel, shop sign, cart wheel, anvil, a 2h Armament

Hit: d100 + Strength vs PROTS. An Improvised Tool has no Rank, so Strength replaces the rank hit bonus, the same way it does Unarmed. There is no main hand or off hand distinction; a Character improvising is improvising with whichever hand holds the thing.

Learned or not is the test. A Character striking with a technique they have learned from a Main Class Tier, Path or Branch is fighting Unarmed. A Character striking with one they have not is using an Improvised Tool, whether their hands are empty or not.

Thrown: An Improvised Tool thrown rather than swung or driven uses the Throw band, 0–25 ft., and Agility to hit, the same as any thrown weapon. Its damage is still its Improvised Class.

Driven by hand: A Projectile driven in by hand rather than launched is a Close Quarters attack and not a ranged attack. Velocity state, the Velocity Curve column and Agility play no part in it; it strikes at its Improvised Class on Strength like anything else here.

What it loses: An Armament being improvised keeps none of its Rank dice, its Rank scaling, its Grade, its Abilities or its Enchantments for that strike. A Projectile keeps none of its Projectile Grade. Those return the moment the thing is used as designed again.

Breaking: A fragile Tool, glass, ceramic, or thin wood, breaks on any hit that lands and is gone after one strike. A solid Tool, stone, metal, or thick wood, breaks on a Fumble. A broken Tool deals its damage on the strike that breaks it.

Brawlers - a Path of the Fighter Main Class - get bonuses to everyday items into used as weapons. They prefer hand to hand combat and get bonuses to grappling, gouging and so forth, but still have basic proficiency from their Fighter Tiers.

On the Races and Classes pages, any Race or Class shown at low opacity is not playable in the Starter Set.

Botch

A Botch is a target's attempt to interrupt an action being taken against them.

Committed Actions. A Botch may only be attempted against an action that takes a beat before it lands. A 1h strike, an Unarmed strike, or anything already in motion is too fast to Botch.

A Limb-Specific Targeting strike, below.
A weapon being drawn or swapped mid-combat.
A ranged weapon being drawn.
A spell being cast.

In a position to. The target must be within Botch reach, below, aware of the actor, and not Incapacitated, held, or already Escaping.

Against a ranged actor.

Distance	Botch
0 to 5 ft.	Free
Past 5 ft.	Not possible

What cannot be Botched. Reach cannot be Botched. Melee cannot be Botched. A thrown weapon cannot be Botched at any distance. A Critical Hit cannot be Botched.

The roll: the target rolls d100 and adds the higher of their Strength Score or Agility Score, plus their Defense Trait Score, against the actor's total roll, including modifiers. PROTS is not added.

On a Botch: the action deals half its damage dice, rounded up, with the actor's Trait Score added in full.

Cost: the Botch itself is free and does not count against the target's turn. A target may attempt only one Botch per round. A Critical Hit cannot be Botched.

Order. The attacker attacks. The target may then attempt a Botch, if they are in a position to. The result of the Botch alters the damage. Damage is then dealt.

Example. Two fighters are wrestling. One reaches for a knife; the other may Botch the reach. If the knife comes free and is used the following turn, the target may Botch that attack. At any point in the same exchange the target may instead attempt an Escape. Close Quarters moves fast, and the GM calls what a fighter is in a position to do.

Complex Rule Set only.

Escape

An Escape is a target's attempt to break free of a hold already on them.

The roll: the target rolls d100 + Strength against the holder's threshold score. Agility does not apply.

Cost: an Escape costs a full action, and one Escape attempt is allowed per turn. Drop damage applies if the target Escapes at height.

Complex Rule Set only.

Limb-Specific Targeting (LST)

LST allows a character to aim at a specific body part, head, groin, limbs, or torso, for increased damage at the risk of full exposure.

Complex Rule Set only.

Hit Penalty: Determined by the attacker's Weapon Rank and the area targeted (see LST Chart).

On Hit: Deal bonus damage equal to twice the hit penalty value.

On Miss: The attacker loses all defenses through their next turn and rolls 1d10 for stumble distance (feet). The stumble leaves them open to a counter attack from their target and attacks of opportunity from every enemy adjacent to any square they stumble into, including the square they occupied when the LST was attempted.

Example: A 1d10 result of 1 while surrounded on all 4 sides, the attacker stumbles 1 foot but must defend all 4 attacks of opportunity from the surrounding enemies.

There is no Graze or Critical Hit on an LST attack. Refer to the GM Codex for more on LST.

LST Chart, Hit Penalty / Damage Bonus

Weapon Rank	Head	Groin	Limb	Torso
Common	-3 / +6	-2 / +4	-2 / +4	-1 / +2
Uncommon	-6 / +12	-4 / +8	-4 / +8	-2 / +4
Rare	-9 / +18	-7 / +14	-6 / +12	-4 / +8
Unique	-13 / +26	-10 / +20	-8 / +16	-6 / +12
Heroic	-17 / +34	-13 / +26	-11 / +22	-8 / +16
Elite	-21 / +42	-17 / +34	-14 / +28	-11 / +22
Legendary	-25 / +50	-21 / +42	-18 / +36	-14 / +28
Divine	-30 / +60	-24 / +48	-21 / +42	-17 / +34

Hit Penalty = modifier to the attack roll. Damage Bonus = bonus damage dealt on a successful hit. Miss = lose all defenses through next turn + 1d10 ft stumble, counter attack + AoO apply.

Attack Area Types

When an ability, spell, or weapon effect covers an area rather than a single target, the type of area determines which creatures and squares are affected. If any part of a creature's occupied space falls within the area, that creature is affected.

Area Type	Shape	Origin	Notes
Single Target	One creature or object	Attacker	Standard attack
Cone	Expands outward; width = distance from origin	Caster's space	Cannot overlap caster's space
Line	Straight path, 5 ft. wide	Caster's space	Length specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Burst / Radius	Circle from a chosen point	Any point in range	Caster included or excluded, see ability
Aura	Circle centered on self	Caster's space	Moves with caster; caster included unless stated
Sphere	3D radius, extends up and down	Any point in range	Relevant in aerial and multi-LVL combat
Cylinder	Circular base + vertical height	Any point in range	Radius and height both specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Chain	Jumps between targets within range of each other	First target	Jumps and range specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Wall	Flat stationary barrier placed along grid edges	Designated point	Length and height specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Torus	Ring around a center point; inner radius unaffected	Any point in range	Inner and outer radius both specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Vring	Originates at a point; travels outward as an expanding ring each round	Designated point	Creatures hit as ring passes through their square
Vortex	Spiral pull toward a center point each round	Any point in range	Creatures in range pulled X squares toward center per round
Dipole	Two simultaneous opposing bursts from origin; nothing between them is hit	Caster's space	Direction and radius specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Interference	Alternating bands of effect and non-effect radiating outward	Any point in range	Band width specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Wave	Moving wall of water or force with height; travels forward and crashes down	Designated point	Width, height, and travel distance specified by Nature/Spell Ability. Knocks prone on crash.
Expanding Random	Starts at a point; expands each round, roll d8 for direction and distance	Designated point	Unpredictable; creatures in newly covered squares are affected each round
Black Hole	Gravitational pull toward center; inner event horizon, escape requires a check; two opposing jets shoot perpendicular to pull	Any point in range	Pull range, event horizon radius, and jet length specified by Nature/Spell Ability

Threshold Score

A threshold score is the number an action is rolled against when that action is aimed at something living. For any MAC or Character it is their PROTS. This covers grapples, grabs, Botch and Escape attempts, fear effects, and any other roll made against or because of an encounter. A DIFS is the GM-set Difficulty Score for a check with no MAC or Character on the other side of it, a locked door or a cliff face. Mechanical devices such as traps carry a PROTS representing their structural integrity and use that as their threshold score.

Complex Rule Set only.

Grapple and Grab

Grapple and grab are Special Actions and are governed there, along with what a Character may do with their hands full. Breaking free of one is an Escape.

Complex Rule Set only.

Traps and Mechanical Devices

Traps and mechanical devices have a PROTS representing their structural integrity. A character may attempt to disable a trap using the Disarm Trap talent (d100 + talent score vs DIFS). Alternatively, a character may attempt to destroy the device outright by attacking its PROTS directly. Failure to destroy deals twice the trap's damage to the Character, compared to the standard damage on a failed disable attempt. This makes the Disarm Trap talent the safer and preferred approach.

Non-organic items with a DIFS also have a PROTS, but failing to destroy them does more damage.

In-Game Scenario

Yura, the barbarian, charges into a skirmish against a Cultist wearing leather armor (Base Armor Scr. 25, base hit rate 65%). The Cultist has additional defensive modifiers, a shield, defensive stance, and terrain advantage, bringing his full PROTS to 60. Yura's Hit bonus is +8 (Common rank, Main hand). She rolls d100 and gets a 52. 52 + 8 = 60, which meets the Cultist's PROTS of 60. She Hits!

Damage Roll: Yura's Common 2h sword deals 4d6 + x damage. She rolls: 5, 6, 3, and 2, totaling 16. She adds +2 from her Strength score and other modifiers (x = 2), making it 18 total damage. This is a Direct Hit, and the Cultist's Life Chips are reduced by 18. The Cultist grunts in pain but remains standing, though heavily wounded.

Later in the fight, Yura attempts another attack. She rolls a 56. Added to her modifiers, her total falls within 5 points below the Cultist's PROTS of 60. This is a Graze. Yura's damage is 4d6 + x. She rolls: 4, 4, 3, and 2, totaling 13, plus her x modifier of 2, for 15 total. Half of 15 is 7 damage (rounded down). The Cultist takes 7 damage, suffering minor injuries. This may cause increased bleeding, movement penalties, or other effects as determined by the GM.

On Yura's next turn, she swings a mighty blow and rolls a 98, triggering a Critical Hit (96-100, the Critical Window for her Common rank weapon). She rolls 2x damage dice, 8d6. She rolls: 4, 4, 2, 6, 5, 3, 1, 5 = 30 damage plus modifiers. This massive blow reduces the Cultist's Life Chips drastically, likely killing him outright. The GM narrates a gruesome kill with limb severance or Status ailments per the rules.

Combat Example, Tredeki Cliffside Duel

Setup: Theron (Tredekian, Human, Fighter, Blademaster, LVL 12, Rank Rare) faces off against a Draconic Guardian (LVL 15 Unique Encounter, Armor Scr. 78) on a narrow cliff overlooking Tredeki's crystalline chasm. Theron wields a Rare 2h Longsword carrying an Agility Special Property and wears Medium armor (Chain, Base Armor Scr. 35). His full PROTS is 48 (35 + 12 Rare defense bonus + 1 from favorable positioning).

Round 1: Initiative rolls, Theron: d100 + 30 (base speed) + 8 (Agility) + 6 (Intuition) = [45] + 44 = 89. Draconic Guardian: [32] + 35 = 67. Theron goes first and charges up the slope toward the Guardian, using 1.5 actions. He rolls to hit: d100 + 20 (Rare main hand) + 7 (Agility, per the sword's Special Property) = [67] + 27 = 94 versus Guardian's PROTS of 78. It's a Hit! Damage: 8d6 (Rare 2h sword) + 7 (Strength) = [3, 5, 4, 6, 2, 1, 5, 4] = 30 damage + 7 = 37 total. The Guardian's Life is reduced from 120 to 83. Theron's PROTS drops to 38 (charge penalty) until his next turn.

Guardian's Turn: The creature unleashes a cone breath attack (not a basic attack). Theron's PROTS (which includes his Defense Trait, armor, and all modifiers) is 48. The Guardian's attack roll was [81]. Since 48 does not meet 81, the breath grazes him. Half damage: 24 Life damage taken. Theron is down to 96 Life Chips.

Round 2: Theron regains his PROTS of 48. He attacks again: d100 + 27 = [89] + 27 = 116. The Guardian's PROTS is 78, so this is a Direct Hit. Damage: 8d6 + 7 = [2, 6, 5, 3, 4, 1, 6, 5] = 32 + 7 = 39. Guardian down to 44 Life. Theron sees an opening and presses his advantage. On the Guardian's turn, it attempts a Charge back at him. Guardian hits: d100 + 25 = [76] + 25 = 101 versus Theron's 48 PROTS. Critical Hit (96-100 range, Guardian rolled 76, within bonus), actually, no. The Guardian rolled 76, which doesn't trigger critical. It's a Direct Hit dealing 45 damage. Theron down to 51 Life. The Guardian's PROTS drops to 68 from its charge.

Round 3: With both combatants wounded, Theron takes a calculated risk and aims for the Guardian's wing with Limb-Specific Targeting (LST). Rare rank targeting at a limb = -6 hit penalty. He rolls: d100 + 20 + 7 - 6 = [68] + 21 = 89 versus Guardian's 78. Hit! Bonus damage: +12 (2x the penalty of -6). Damage roll: 8d6 + 7 + 12 = [4, 5, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5, 6] = 35 + 7 + 12 = 54 total. The Guardian is down to -10 Life. It's incapacitated. Theron stands atop the cliff edge, breathing heavily, victorious.

Combat Example, Ignis Volcanic Mine Battle

Setup: Lyra (Centaur, Ranger, Beastmaster, LVL 14, Rank Uncommon) leads her beast companion through Ignis's volcanic mines. She encounters a Magma Elemental (LVL 13 Unique Encounter, Armor Scr. 65, immune to fire damage) in a chamber filled with flowing lava. Lyra wears Light armor (Leather, Base Armor Scr. 25) and carries a Rare Longbow. Her PROTS is 42 (25 + 15 Rare defense bonus + 2 from animal companion nearby).

Round 1: Initiative, Lyra: d100 + 40 (base speed, Centaur size) + 6 (Agility) + 5 (Intuition) = [51] + 51 = 102. Magma Elemental: [28] + 40 = 68. Lyra acts first. She positions her beast companion and takes aim with her Rare Longbow in the Velocity Drop band (101–150 ft., this is 130 ft. away). Ranged attack: d100 + 20 (Rare main hand) + 5 (Agility modifier), -20 (Velocity Drop) = [74] + 5 = 79 versus Elemental's PROTS of 65. Direct Hit! Damage at Velocity Drop is Decay, half dice: 2d6 + 5 (Agility) = [4, 3] = 7 + 5 = 12. Elemental down to 138 Life. Her beast companion attacks next (within its turn): hits for 18 damage. Elemental down to 120.

Elemental's Turn: It moves 40 ft. closer and unleashes an AoE heat burst (cone attack affecting the area). Lyra must make a Resistance check. She rolls: d100 + 6 (Resistance) = [55] + 6 = 61, but the Elemental's DIFS to resist is 70. She fails. Graze damage applies: half of 28 = 14. Lyra down to 86 Life.

Round 2: Lyra draws a second arrow and looses again from Velocity Drop: d100 + 20 + 5 - 20 = [62] + 5 = 67 versus 65. Hit! Damage: 2d6 + 5 = [5, 2] = 7 + 5 = 12. Elemental at 108 Life. The beast attacks again: [48] + 15 = 63 versus 65. Miss. The Elemental moves to melee range and swings. Lyra's beast attempts to tank: rolls Defense d100 + 4 = [41] + 4 = 45 versus Elemental's hit of [72] + 18 = 90. Miss for the beast. The Elemental then attacks Lyra directly: [79] + 18 = 97 versus her PROTS of 42. A roll of 79 falls short of the Critical Window, so this is a Direct Hit dealing 32 damage. Lyra down to 54 Life. The battle is turning desperate.

Underarmor Requirements

Certain armor types require underarmor to be worn beneath them. Underarmor prevents chafing, aids movement, and allows for proper rest while armored. It adds weight to the Character's total carry load.

Cloth, Leather, Fur, no underarmor required.
Medium (chain, ring mail, etc.), requires cloth underarmor at minimum.
Heavy (plate, etc.), requires faulding at minimum. Faulding is a padded garment worn beneath heavy armor to absorb impact and prevent joint wear.
Dense / Composite (dragon scale, etc.), requires a gambeson at minimum. A gambeson is a thick quilted and padded jacket, heavier than faulding, necessary to bear the weight and rigidity of the densest armors.

Wearing armor without the required underarmor results in movement penalties, reduced rest recovery, and chafing penalties determined by the GM.

Armor Grades

Armor Taxonomy. Grade, Mould, Material and Type are four separate things, and an armor is only fully described once all four are named. The Armor Mould (often just Mould) is the specific build a piece of armor is worked into, Plate, Leather, Chain, Dragon Scale, Osmium Plate. The Material is what it is made from, Hide for Leather and Fur Moulds, Steel and Iron, Osmium and Tungsten, Mithril, Dragon Scale and so on, and the material is what sets the Grade. The same Mould can sit at different Grades depending on its Material, a Steel Plate is Heavy Grade while an Osmium Plate is Dense Grade. Names in the rules read Grade + Material + Mould, so a "Composite Dragon Scale Plate" is Composite Grade, Dragon Scale Material, Plate Mould. Type is a fourth and separate axis entirely, Martial, Magic, TAW, and Chthonic.

Armor Grade	Mould	Material	Base Armor Scr.	Vulnerable To (Armor Scr. Penalty)	Resistant To (Armor Scr. Bonus)	Movement Penalty (sq.)	Weight
Delicate	Robes	Silk	10	Slashing, Ranged (-4)	Magic (+2)	0 sq.	5 lbs
Light	Leather	Hide	25	Piercing (-3)	Ranged (+2)	-1 sq.	15 lbs
Medium	Chainmail	Steel	35	Blunt (-3)	Piercing (+2)	-3 sq.	30 lbs
Heavy	Plate	Steel	45	Blunt, Magic (-5)	Slashing (+3)	-5 sq.	50 lbs
Dense	Plate	Osmium	60	Magic (-6), Corrosive (-4)	Slashing (+4), Piercing (+2)	-6 sq.	65 lbs
Composite	Exosuits	Dragon Scale	55	Corrosive (-4)	Ranged (+4)	-4 sq.	40 lbs

Movement penalties are in squares (sq.), each square equals 5 ft. Divide base speed by 5 to get squares for tile movement. Example: 30 ft. base speed = 6 sq. per turn. Chain mail at -3 sq. = 3 sq. (15 ft.) per turn.

Combat Movement

Dodge and Retreat: Combines Dodge-, Agility SCR and Dexterity SCR to PROTS with a 5 ft. sq. Retreat backwards. Costs 1 action. Does not trigger an ATTK of Opportunity. Defense Trait passively applies to PROTS during this action.

ATTKs of Opportunity: Triggered when a hostile creature moves out of a character's melee reach without using Retreat or Dodge and Retreat, or when a creature moves into their melee reach. ATTKs of Opportunity work both ways. Additionally, performing certain actions while in a hostile creature's melee reach also triggers an ATTK of Opportunity against the Character, including casting a spell, using a ranged weapon, using an item, or standing from prone. Free action, costs no actions. One ATTK of Opportunity per trigger, per turn. Roll: d100 + Hit bonus vs target PROTS. Standard damage on hit.

Flanking: A target is flanked when two hostile creatures are adjacent to them on opposite sides. A flanked target loses their Defense Trait from PROTS until they are no longer flanked; they cannot actively defend two directions at once. Flanking requires no action and no roll.

Cover: Behind cover you are out of the attacker's line of sight and they have no visible target.

Prone, Unconscious, Incapacitated, Dying and Dead

Prone: A character who is prone must spend half an action to stand. While prone, melee attacks against them gain +10 to the roll. Ranged attacks against them take -10. Crawling while prone costs 1/4 speed.

Unconscious: The character is prone and cannot act. All attacks against them automatically hit, no roll required. They cannot defend and remain unconscious until stabilized or restored by a Nature or Spell Ability.

Incapacitated: The character is prone or immobile and cannot take actions or reactions. ATTKs against them gain +10. They may still be conscious but are unable to act. See Downtime.

Dying: The character is prone and losing Life each round. At the start of each of their turns they lose 1 Life Chip, tracked with purple Chips once Life drops below zero. They may attempt a Fortitude (FRT) check at a DIFS set by the GM, a success stabilizes them and stops the bleed. A failure continues the bleed. If Life reaches -(10 + Constitution score), the Character must go through rejuvenation, see Resurrection, Revitalize and Rejuvenation below. Allies may heal or stabilize a dying character before this threshold is reached, another character may attempt this with 1 action and a successful check, specified by module or determined by the GM.

Dead: At -(10 + Constitution score) Life the Character is prone and takes no further actions. Their turn is skipped. Allies may still attempt revival or resurrection, see Resurrection, Revitalize and Rejuvenation. Effects on the body are specified by module or determined by the GM.

Other entities can aid unconscious, dying or dead characters.

See Resurrection, Revitalize and Rejuvenation.

War: Faction Combat and Major Encounters

War encompasses military conflict between major factions: the Noble Forces, the Purge Forces, and the Neutral Feral Alliance. Characters may join a war faction, provide aid without formal affiliation, or remain neutral. War encounters include specialized combat types unavailable in standard adventuring, scaled for group coordination and strategic play.

Complex Rule Set only.

Trials of Combat. [stub - individual duels, one-on-many combat, trials that test martial prowess and grant faction standing]

10-Man Raids. [stub - large-scale group combat against enemy forces, dungeon raids as war objectives, territory captures, raid mechanics and rewards]

Battle at Sea. [stub - naval combat, ship-to-ship warfare, boarding actions, naval supply route control, aquatic faction bonuses]

Aerial Combat. [stub - flying combat against airborne enemies, dragon encounters, aerial territory control, flight-based faction bonuses]

War Standing advances through participation and victory. Characters gain faction Standing, Contributions, and Lore by engaging in War encounters. Defeat carries consequences: Standing loss with war factions, capture mechanics, and prisoner-of-war rules. See Prestige, pg. 3, for War faction affiliation and character retirement with war-earned Rank.

More on Downtime

Dying in SORC does not necessarily mean a Character will die permanently. There are different penalties for dying in succession, and the nature of death or crimes will determine the specific consequences. The penalties for death and other sustaining conditions such as comatosis, prison stays, infirmary stays, hobbies, and crafting are calculated using the same formula:

Penalty Time = Base Time * (Growth Rate)^(Nature of Offenses)

This formula applies to the penalties for dying, crimes, and related circumstances, with base times varying depending on the specific offense or condition.

Incapacitation and Recovery: Being in comatosis, prison, or infirmary, and the time spent on hobbies or crafting all constitute periods of downtime that can affect a character's progression.

Penalties for Death and Crimes: Penalties are determined by the formula above, factoring in the severity of the offense or circumstance, which can include jail time, fines, or other restrictions.

Other Downtime Activities: Time spent in various states of incapacitation or recovery impacts gameplay and character development, with specific durations and penalties tailored to each situation.

Note: Crafting and Profession-based activities are resolved using the Crafting Resolution mechanic (see Skills section). Characters engage in downtime crafting during rest periods between adventures.

Work While Away (Between Sessions)

Essentia doesn't pause just because the table does. Whatever stretch of real time passes between one session and the next, every character is assumed to have spent it living somewhere, most often their declared Home (see Home and Family, Basic Rules pg. 4), a ship being one of the most common choices for a party that travels together rather than settles down. Before a session ends, a Player tells the GM what their character intends to do with that time, crafting, running a Profession, training, managing a business, tending relationships, or anything else that fits the Character and their Home.

Complex Rule Set only.

The Cap: No matter how much real-world time actually passes, Work While Away only ever covers one in-game day's worth of that character's Endurance, spent only on non-combat activity that calls for a roll (crafting, Profession work, Talent or Skill checks, and the like). A character isn't quietly living out a whole week of progress between two Tuesday sessions, they're living out one day, the same as if that day had been played at the table.

Resolution: Nothing is rolled between sessions. At the start of the next session, the GM resolves every declared task as a batch, a roll fest of Crafting Resolution checks (see Skills) and whatever other checks the declared work calls for, spending that character's Endurance exactly as it would spend in play, until either the declared tasks run out or the day's Endurance does, whichever comes first. Successes, failures, goods produced, and gold spent or earned are all narrated and applied before the new session's action begins.

No Declaration, No Roll: A character with nothing on file from their Player is simply assumed to have rested, maintained their gear, and gone about ordinary life, no rolls, no gains, no losses. Work While Away rewards a Player who plans ahead, it never penalizes one who didn't.

The World Keeps Moving: Work While Away isn't only about a single character's Endurance. NPCs act on their own agendas, factions shift, markets rise and fall, rumors spread, and earlier Dilemma and Standing choices ripen into consequences, all whether or not any character's declared task touches them. The GM is encouraged to bring at least one such development into the next session regardless of what, if anything, the party asked for.

Missing Players: A Player who can't make a session doesn't pull their character out of the world. Another Player at the table, or the GM, runs that character for the session, guided by the absent Player's notes and known intentions, including whatever they declared for that session's Work While Away. Parties can also recruit a substitute Player online to sit in for a session, see SORC Web, Basic Rules pg. 1.

Downtime Example, Omnè Trade Station Multi-Day Layover

Setup: The party's airship docks at a major trade station orbiting Omnè for a 4-day layover. The station is a bustling hub with vendors, quest-givers, NPCs, repair services, and entertainment. The party has arrived with depleted resources and unfinished business.

Day 1, Morning: Kael (Thief) spends 3 hours at the Artificer's Workshop having his damaged equipment repaired. Cost: 150 gold. He regains use of his primary lockpicks (Rank Uncommon). In the afternoon, Vex (Sorcerer) visits the Library Archive, spending 2 hours researching the history of Omnè's crystal technology. The GM grants her a +2 bonus to future Intellect checks related to crystal mechanisms. Evening: The party gathers at the station tavern, collecting rumors about nearby quests.

Day 1, Evening Quest Acquisition: An NPC merchant, Thaxis, offers a job: retrieve a stolen data core from a rival trader's vessel docked three berths away. Reward: 400 gold and access to restricted cargo manifests (useful for a future quest chain). The party accepts and plans their approach.

Day 2, Mission Day: The party infiltrates the rival vessel. Combat and stealth encounters occur. After 2 hours of engagement, they recover the data core. They return to Thaxis with proof. Quest complete: 400 gold received. Thaxis now considers the party allies and offers future contracts at better rates.

Day 2, Evening Recovery: The party spends the evening resting at station accommodations (included with airship ticket), a Long Rest. All Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance pools fully recover.

Day 3, Market Activities: Gregor (Paladin) visits three different Armor & Armament vendors, comparing prices on a new Rare-rank shield. After haggling, he secures a 15% discount (saves 60 gold) and purchases the shield for 400 gold. Kiran (Warrior) attends a martial training session with a retired station guard, spending 4 hours working on technique. GM grants him a +1 bonus to his next Initiative roll. Lyra (Ranger) visits the Beastmaster's Lodge and spends 6 hours bonding with her animal companion, deepening their connection. Future attacks by the beast gain +2 to hit.

Day 3, Vendor Interactions: Malachai (Warlock) purchases spell components for future casting, 200 gold worth. He stocks up on 12 Essence Vials (required for specific spells). Sira (Scout) buys advanced climbing gear and rope from an outfitter, 180 gold. Future climbing checks gain +3 bonus. Tyx (Hacker) negotiates with a black-market information broker, purchasing encrypted files on Zailister security protocols. Cost: 250 gold. Reward: +5 bonus to future Hack talent checks against Zailister systems.

Day 3, Evening Crafting: Kael spends 3 hours at a jeweler's workshop crafting a custom lockpick set using rare materials from the trade station. Crafting check (precision work): Craftsmanship 8 + Dexterity 8 (higher of Dex/Focus) + Lockpicking skill 4 = d100 + 20 = [67] + 20 = 87 versus DIFS of 60. Success! He creates an Uncommon-rank lockpick set (custom bonus: +3 to Disarm Trap talent). Cost: materials and workshop rental = 120 gold. Value: 280 gold (he keeps it).

Day 4, Preparation and Departure: Morning: The party stocks rations, ammunition, and medical supplies. Total cost: 180 gold. The GM tracks consumption during travel and grants narrative color ("You purchased exotic spices from the Omnè markets, your rations taste surprisingly good during the next leg of journey"). Midday: Final vendor runs and farewells to NPCs. Afternoon: The airship departs Omnè, heading for Zailister. The party boards well-prepared, better-equipped, and rested. Endurance pools reset for the new journey ahead.

Financial Summary: Party expenditure: 1,480 gold total. Rewards and gains: 400 gold (quest) plus equipment upgrades, crafted items, and mechanical bonuses (Initiative, climbing, hacking, beastmaster bond, library research) worth far more than gold alone. The 4-day layover transformed them from depleted to optimized.

End-of-Day Profession Activities, Ignis Settlement Encampment

Setup: After a grueling 28-mile day of foot travel across Ignis's volcanic wastes, the party reaches a settlement camp at dusk. Each character has been tracking Endurance throughout the day (35 Endurance base for most). They've already used 20 Endurance each, leaving them with 15 remaining before the day ends and Endurance resets. The settlement offers basic workshop facilities, a smithy, a merchant stall, and rest areas.

Character 1, Kean (Smith, Armorsmith Profession): Endurance remaining: 6 of 35 (heavily depleted from a challenging climb). Kean immediately seeks rest and cannot engage in extended crafting today, his Endurance is too low. He uses the remaining daylight to inspect and maintain his existing gear (a passive activity not requiring Endurance). Before rest, he speaks with the settlement blacksmith, negotiating the cost of repairing a dented breastplate tomorrow (15 gold). He retires early, conserving energy for the next day's travel.

Character 2, Lyra (Enchanter, Artificer Profession): Endurance remaining: 12 of 35. Lyra has enough stamina to engage in light crafting. She spends 2 hours at the settlement's makeshift workshop (available for 5 gold rental), using her Artificer skill to enchant three weapon cards she's been carrying. Crafting check for each: Acuity 10 + Artistry 8 + Artificer skill 9 = d100 + 27. Roll 1: [61] + 27 = 88 versus DIFS 70. Success! Roll 2: [45] + 27 = 72 versus 70. Success! Roll 3: [82] + 27 = 109 versus 70. Success! All three enchantments complete (adds +2 to each card's effectiveness). Cost: materials 30 gold + workshop rental 5 gold. She's energized by her success and joins the group for evening meals.

Character 3, Malachai (Alchemist, Herbalism Profession): Endurance remaining: 14 of 35. Malachai locates the settlement's medicinal herb garden and spends 3 hours harvesting and processing herbs. Herbalism check: Wisdom 11 + Perception 9 + Herbalism skill 11 = d100 + 31. Roll: [74] + 31 = 105 versus DIFS 65 (challenging volcanic soil requires precision). Success! He gathers and prepares 8 Healing Potion bases (each can be crafted into a full potion with additional work later). He trades half with the settlement herbalist for supplies (4 bases to herbalist in exchange for 3 rare catalyst ingredients worth 60 gold value). His Endurance drops to 8 from the intensive harvesting, but he's pleased with the yield.

Character 4, Theron (Weaponsmith, Blacksmith Profession): Endurance remaining: 18 of 35 (best condition due to lighter load). Theron uses the settlement smithy for 4 hours of intensive work. He's crafting a custom heavy war hammer from raw materials he gathered earlier.

Recipe: War Hammer (requires Blacksmith 8, Expert proficiency).
Trait Bonuses (Heavy Crafting): Strength 12, Toughness 9 (uses highest: Strength 12)
Profession Skill: Blacksmith 10

Heavy crafting check: Craftsmanship 7 + Strength 12 + Blacksmith skill 10 = d100 + 29. Roll: [69] + 29 = 98 versus DIFS 85 (Uncommon difficulty, heavy materials). Success! The hammer turns out exceptionally well-balanced and durable, with superior impact force. Cost: materials 120 gold + smithy rental 20 gold = 140 gold. Value of finished hammer: 320 gold. Theron is exhausted but triumphant. Endurance drops to 2.

Character 5, Sira (Leatherworker, Tanner Profession): Endurance remaining: 10 of 35 (moderate). Sira heads to the settlement's tanning station, where she works on repairing and treating leather armor and gear. This is lighter work than crafting from raw materials, it's maintenance. Tanner check: Craftsmanship 6 + Tanner skill 8 = d100 + 14. Roll: [58] + 14 = 72 versus DIFS 50 (routine maintenance). Success! She repairs three pieces of party gear (each returns one durability LVL) and waterproofs everyone's packs against volcanic dust and ash. Cost: materials and supplies 15 gold. The work takes 2 hours, and she finishes with Endurance at 8. She joins the evening gathering refreshed knowing the gear is well-maintained.

Endurance Reset & Evening: As night falls and the party takes their long rest, all Endurance pools reset to their daily maximum at the start of the next day. Kean wakes refreshed with 35 Endurance, ready for another day. Lyra (Enchanter), Malachai (Alchemist), Theron (Blacksmith), and Sira (Leatherworker) also reset, though some are still physically tired (managed via Story condition if GM desires, not mechanically through Endurance). The party's gear, supplies, and crafted items are now improved, and several characters have generated value through their professions (Theron's 120-gold-profit dagger, Malachai's herb bases worth 90 gold, Sira's repair services worth 40 gold in saved replacement costs). Endurance depletion affected *how much* they could do, but it didn't prevent their professions from advancing the group.

Death Penalty

Dying carries lasting consequences beyond the immediate danger of combat. When a character dies and is later revived, whether through Resurrection, Revitalize, or Rejuvenation, the following penalties apply:

Time Lost: Recovery follows the same formula used for comatosis, prison, and infirmary stays (see More on Downtime above), Penalty Time = Base Time × (Growth Rate)^(Nature of Offenses), with each successive death by the same character increasing the exponent.

LVL Loss: The character loses exactly 1 Growth, Current Years (EA) resets to that Growth's starting year threshold, and exactly 1 Character LVL (LVL). This loss does not escalate with repeat deaths; only the Time Lost above does. ATTR SCRs, TST, and Innate Aptitude gains already purchased or picked are kept in full, nothing is refunded or reverted. Instead, the Character does not roll a new ATTR Repository or pick a new class Ability again until their LVL exceeds the LVL they died at, and does not gain a new Innate Aptitude pick again until their Growth exceeds the Growth they died at. Climbing back to either one is free re-earning with no further reward attached; only surpassing it resumes normal progression.

Rank: See Rank and Death on pg. 4, Rank is capped by the Character's reduced LVL and restores automatically once that LVL is reached again. Rank PTS already earned are never lost.

Armaments: Roll 1d4 for each readied armament that carries at least one Enhancement (Combining, Enchanting, Inscribing, Modifying, Nesting, Reforging, Resonating, Socketing, or Upgrading, see Enhancing and Modification Armaments, pg. 4). That many Enhancements are stripped at random from the item; if the roll exceeds the number present, all of them are stripped. The base armament, its condition, and its materials are unaffected, this penalty removes applied work only, and never breaks or destroys the item outright.

Resurrection, Revitalize and Rejuvenation

Note: Revitalize and Rejuvenation, including their checks, windows, and DIFS values below, are currently under development and subject to change.

Complex Rule Set only.

Resurrection: Resurrection is the process of being brought back to life after dying. Many different classes can perform it, including some exclusive to NPCs. Resurrection does not directly alter alignment, though a character's choices before and after resurrection can shift their alignment as play continues. Depending on how the character died and how they were resurrected, they may receive a Shamed Title (see Undead Shamed Titles, below) which may trigger Fallen or Risen mechanics if they are devoted to a Higher Power.

Revitalize: Revitalization is the process of stopping the new effects of how a character died from continuing. It begins the instant a character dies to a corrupting source (undead, fiend, curse, or similar, the GM determines which deaths qualify). The character has a window equal to the Time Lost above to Revitalize. Once per GM-set interval within that window (such as each long rest), the Character rolls d100 + Willpower or Piety, whichever best resists the nature of the corruption, GM's call, against a DIFS set by the strength of what killed them. Success halts the corruption; the Character proceeds to a standard Resurrection and takes the Death Penalty above, nothing further. If the window expires without success, the Character fully transforms into whatever killed them, such as becoming fully Undead, and is removed from play as a PC. The GM may continue them as an NPC, possibly hunted by their own former party, or otherwise loose in the world.

Rejuvenation: Rejuvenation requires Rank Hero, Growth 30, and the aid of a powerful Cleric. It is said to cost everything a character has, including their standing and surname, in truth, this is just how people describe the ordinary Death Penalty above, which already applies to the death that made Rejuvenation possible in the first place. Rejuvenation itself does not further affect Traits, Abilities, or ATTRs, and Charisma actually increases. The binding requires three rolls, d100 + Piety against a DIFS the Cleric sets, scaled to the Character's Rank, and all three must succeed. On success, the Character Rejuvenates as a hybrid race, either Subdead or Subdivine, retaining all Abilities learned before and gaining the new benefits of the hybrid Sub. The Higher Power governing a Subdead or Subdivine character is determined by whichever Path they've invested in has progressed furthest; if two or more Paths are tied for furthest progression, the GM decides which Higher Power governs the Character. Continuing as either afterward requires a long chain quest throughout their respective Higher Power, tracked through their continued Growth. On failure, any of the three rolls comes up short, the Character loses its Sub status and takes a second full Death Penalty (this is the "significant amount of Experience (XP)" at stake), but retains their original alignment and Higher Power devotion (if any) from before the Rejuvenation attempt.

Undead Shamed Titles: A GM may issue an Undead-flavored Shamed Title (such as Graveborn, Husk-Touched, or the Hollow) to a character who fails to Revitalize in time, undergoes Rejuvenation, or otherwise returns from death visibly wrong. This uses the standard Shamed Title rules (see Titles under Prestige), it dissipates through good deeds, grows harder to remove if bad deeds continue, and counts toward the accumulated Boasted and Exposed Titles that can trigger Fallen or Risen mechanics organically.

Turns, Rounds and Time

As long as they are not incapacitated, every character, in the order of initiative, gets a turn each round. A turn represents 6 seconds of in-game time. A round is complete when every character in the encounter has taken their turn.

Actions

Every character has a base of 5 actions per turn. A BASE combat strike costs 1 action. Movement and subtle actions, like sheathing a weapon, each cost half an action. Base defense, communicative actions like a whisper, shout, or gesture, drops, and Traits do not cost actions.

For every 2 points in the Agility Trait, a Character gains 5 ft. of additional free movement per turn, this does not cost an action. For example, a Bast has a Goliath base speed of 40 ft. and begins with +2 innate Agility, granting them an additional 5 ft. of free movement (45 ft. base for Bast) each turn. Conversely, for every 1 point of negative Agility, a character loses 5 ft. of base movement per turn.

Combat Abilities, both offensive and defensive, vary in action cost depending on their power, each is listed on its respective card. Talents and crafting skills follow the same rule, with cost specified on the card.

Certain Abilities, Traits, and conditions, both beneficial and harmful, can modify action costs up or down respectively. These modifiers are noted on the card.

Uses Cap, Per Turn: No Ability may be used more than once during the same character's own Turn, regardless of its Uses Tier or how much Vitality remains to pay for it. This is an absolute rule, not a Vitality-derived one, an Ability with Uses: Unlimited or 3/Round is still capped at one use inside any single Turn, the Round- and Day-scale Uses Tiers on an Ability Card govern how many Turns across a Round or a full day it can be used, never how many times within the same Turn.

Action	Cost
BASE combat strike	1 action
BASE combat strike, dual-wield (both hands)	1 action
Combat Abilities (offensive and defensive)	Varies, see card
Talents and crafting skills	Varies, see card
Movement	Half action
Subtle actions (sheathing weapon, etc.)	Half action
Base defense, communicative actions, drops, Traits	Free
Agility bonus movement (per 2 points)	Free, 5 ft.
Agility penalty movement (per 1 negative point)	-5 ft.
Reading	1 action, reduced by half action per Intellect (INT) point

Stamina and Mana Costs

Martial Abilities consume Stamina chips when used, with the cost specified on each card. Spells consume Mana chips when cast, with the cost specified on each spell card. Movement in structured encounters (combat and exploration grids) consumes Stamina chips equal to 1 chip per the Character's base speed per turn, plus 1 additional chip for every 5 feet moved beyond that base speed in the same turn. Overland travel does not incur Stamina costs. A character cannot use a Martial Ability, cast a spell, or move in structured encounters if they lack the required Stamina or Mana respectively. Both pools regenerate each turn based on Spirit (every 5 Spirit = 1 Chip of regeneration per turn). Traits apply passively at no Stamina cost (see Traits vs. Talents, pg. 2). Talents and Skills are never used in combat, see Talent Card and Skill Card, below.

Movement Example, Tredekian Battlefield Advance

Setup: Gregor (Human, Paladin, Holy Knight, LVL 15, Rank Uncommon) has a base speed of 30 ft. per turn in combat on Tredeki's scarred battlefields. He has 42 Stamina Chips total and starts the turn with 35 available. He wants to dash across the field to reach a distant enemy.

Movement Cost Calculation: Gregor's base speed is 30 ft. Movement cost = 1 chip per base speed + 1 per 5 feet beyond. His base speed costs 1 chip. He wants to move 50 ft. (20 feet beyond his base 30 ft.). That's 4 additional increments of 5 feet = 4 extra chips. Total cost: 1 + 4 = 5 Stamina chips.

Resolution: Gregor pays 5 Stamina (down to 30 available). He charges 50 ft. across the Tredekian battlefield, his armor clanging with each thundering step. He arrives at his destination ready for combat, though having expended significant stamina reserves for this aggressive advance.

Movement Example, Omnè Crystal Cavern Precision Navigation

Setup: Sira (Small race, Scout, Tracker, LVL 12, Rank Rare) navigates through Omnè's narrow crystal caverns. Her base speed is 25 ft. per turn (Small racial size). Stamina available: 28 of 40. The cavern terrain is rough (half speed = 12 ft. base movement for this turn).

Movement Cost Calculation: Due to rough terrain reducing speed to half, Sira's effective base speed becomes 12 ft. for this terrain type. She wants to move 20 ft. to avoid falling crystals. Cost = 1 chip for base rough terrain movement (12 ft.) + 1 chip for the additional 8 feet (less than 5 more, but the rule is per 5 feet, so this is 1 additional chip). Total: 2 Stamina chips.

Resolution: Sira deftly navigates the treacherous crystal formations, paying only 2 Stamina (down to 26). She reaches safety as a massive crystal spike crashes where she'd been standing moments before. Her training as a Scout makes precise movement through hazardous terrain second nature.

Time

The GM tracks in-game time through rounds, converting to minutes and hours as needed. Between encounters, the GM advances a clock, no action counting, just narrative time passing.

Game Engine Cards

Core components that drive the gameplay mechanics, including Action Cards for combat and skills, Narrative Cards for storytelling and interactions, and Dilemma Cards for tough choices. These Cards facilitate smooth, dynamic gameplay and strategic decision-making throughout a character's adventure. The following is a list of Game Engine Card variants.

Action (Category)

Actions take stamina and Endurance. Characters need to distribute their actions meaningfully. Each character only gets a certain amount of actions per day, determined by endurance. Stamina determines the amount of actions a character can take on their turn, with a cap and some free actions.

Action Cards come in four distinct types: Martial Abilities, Spell Abilities, Talent Cards, and Skill Cards. As characters face combat threats, they'll present a Martial Ability or a Spell Ability at the GM's request, the Card played must be relevant to the situation and within their own capabilities of using the Card at that time, for instance whether or not they have the Vitality (stamina, mana etc) in order to take the action. Martial Abilities and Spell Abilities are both Combat Action Cards but are entirely separate types, they are not interchangeable. Talent Cards and Skill Cards are never played in combat, see each below.

Martial Ability: Covers martial and physical combat actions. Players keep a stack of Martial Abilities representing their characters' combat capabilities for quick reference.

Spell Ability: Covers magical combat actions. Spell Abilities are separate from Martial Abilities. Each Spell Ability specifies its own Mana cost and effects, these vary per card and are not determined by ATTRs.

Talent Card (talents): Requires challenge, see talents. This is how Players reference their talents.

Skill Card, Recipe Card (professions): Must be out of combat. Requires recipe, materials and at least a make-shift workshop, see skills. Skill Cards are Recipe Cards, they reference all professional skills, their recipes, including materials, etc. If an enchanter enchants a character's armor, it changes the armor's Stats. Crafting is resolved through a d100 skill check against a DIFS (see Crafting Resolution under Skills).

Card Format Specifications

Game Engine Cards follow standardized formats to ensure clarity and consistency. Below are the detailed specifications for each card type used in SORC gameplay.

Ability Formulas

Vitality Cost Formula: Chip Cost = ceil(Slot LVL ÷ 2), minimum 2 chips. A LVL 3 Tier pick costs 2, a LVL 5 Path pick costs 3, a LVL 21 Branch pick costs 11, a LVL 30 capstone costs 15. Martial Abilities spend Stamina, Spell Abilities spend Mana. Both also cost at least 1 action. Abilities are costed independently per pick; a Character LVL that grants two picks costs both picks' costs combined.

Ability Uses Formula: N = floor(Character's Max Pool for that resource ÷ Ability's Cost). Match N against the tier table below. Every Ability Card states both Cost and Uses tier; Uses is the hard ceiling, Cost is whether the Character can currently afford to reach it. Regardless of tier, no Ability may be used more than once in the same Turn, the Round/Day tiers govern spacing across Turns, never a same-Turn multiplier.

N (Max Pool ÷ Cost)	Uses Tier
N ≥ 12	Unlimited
N = 6-11	3/Round
N = 4-5	2/Round
N = 3	1/Round
N = 2	3/Day
N = 1	2/Day

Martial Ability Cards

Martial Abilities represent martial and physical combat actions. Each card contains the following sections:

Header: [CLASS] - [PATH/BRANCH] - [TIER] | ABILITY NAME | Martial | Slot [#]
Prerequisites: LVL requirement, ATTR SCR minimums, Trait SCR minimums
Description: Narrative flavor combined with mechanical effect
Vitality Cost: Stamina chips required
Action Cost: Number of actions required (1-3)
Range: Touch, Short, Medium, Long, or specialized range
Area: Single target, Cone, Line, Burst, or other area type
ATTK Roll: d100 + [Trait] vs PROTS (defender's armor score)
Hit Damage: [#]d6 ± [Stat (STR/AGI)] ± modifiers
Uses: Unlimited, 3×Round, 2×Round, 1×Round, 3×Day, 2×Day
Cooldown: None or specified round cooldown
Special Effects: Additional mechanical effects or conditions applied
Components: Material, Somatic, Verbal (none or any combination)

Spell Ability Cards

Spell Abilities represent magical combat actions. Each card contains the following sections:

Header: [CLASS] - [PATH/BRANCH] - [TIER] | SPELL NAME | Spell | Slot [#] | [School]
Prerequisites: LVL requirement, Intellect minimum, Focus minimum
Description: Narrative flavor combined with mechanical effects
Vitality Cost: Mana chips required
Action Cost: Number of actions required
Casting Time: Instant, 1 action, or other duration
Range: Touch, Short, Medium, Long, or specialized range
Area: Single target, Cone, Line, Burst, or other area type
Spell ATTK: d100 + Acuity vs PROTS
Resistance: Resistance Trait absorbs range penalties
Hit Damage: [#]d6 ± Acuity ± modifiers
Critical (Critical Window for Rank): 2x dice + Acuity bonus
Uses: Unlimited, 3×Round, 2×Round, 1×Round, 3×Day, 2×Day
Cooldown: None or specified round cooldown
Saves & Conditions: Condition effects if applicable
Components:
- Somatic: Gestures required
- Verbal: Incantations required
- Material: Items consumed or used

Weapon Cards

Weapon Cards detail armaments used in combat. Each card specifies:

Header: WEAPON NAME - [RANK (Common-Divine)]
Type: Melee, Range, or other weapon classification
Base Stats:
- Rank: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique, Heroic, Elite, Legendary, or Divine
- Hands: 1H (One Hand), 2H (Two Hands), or Dual
- Weight: In pounds
- Value: In Gold
Main Hand ATTK: d100 + [Rank bonus] ± [Stat] vs PROTS
Off Hand ATTK (if dual-wield): d100 with half main hand bonus ± [Stat] vs PROTS
Base Damage: [#]d6 + [Stat] ± modifiers
Range Bands (if applicable):
- Pt. Blank: Max DMG. (+¼ dice)
- Oscillation: Base DMG. (full dice)
- Stabilized: Max DMG. (+¼ dice)
- Velocity Drop: Decay, -15 and ¾ dice (Compact) or -20 and ½ dice (Extended)
Special Properties: Enhancements, special mechanics, or unique abilities
Armor Modifiers: Bonus or penalty against specific armor types (Cloth, Leather, Chain, Plate)
Requirements: Minimum Strength score, Character Rank, or other prerequisites
Quality Tiers:
- Poor: ATTK -5, Damage -1d6
- Good: Standard stats
- Extravagant: ATTK +3, Damage +1d4
- Exquisite: ATTK +5, Damage +1d6
- Masterful: ATTK +8, Damage +2d6

Armor Cards

Armor Cards detail protective gear. Each card specifies:

Header: ARMOR SET NAME - [RANK] | [Grade: Delicate/Light/Medium/etc.]
Base Protection:
- Rank: Common through Divine
- Grade: Delicate (10), Light (25), Medium (35), Heavy (45), Dense (60), Composite (55)
- Base Armor Scr. + Rank Bonus = Total Armor Scr.
Components:
- Cuirass (Main Piece): Armor Scr. value
- Gloves: Swappable, Armor Scr. bonus
- Boots: Swappable, Movement effect
- Leggings: Part of main set
- Helm: Part of main set
Defense Modifiers:
- Defense Type: Parry, Block, or Dodge
- Defense Trait Bonus: +[Trait score]
- Shield Combo (if applicable): Armor Scr. bonus
Vulnerabilities & Resistances: Damage type modifiers to Armor Scr.
Movement & Encumbrance:
- Weight: In pounds
- Movement Penalty: Squares lost per turn
- Carry Capacity Impact: Yes or No
Spell Power Modifier: Penalty to spellcasting (armor weight affects somatic components)
Quality Tiers: Poor through Masterful with Armor Scr. adjustments
Set Bonuses (Heroic rank and above):
- Main Bonus: All pieces equipped
- Gloves Bonus: When equipped with Gloves
- Boots Bonus: When equipped with Boots
- Penalty: Losing either piece removes bonuses and reduces Main by 25% each
Requirements: Character Rank match, Strength minimum, Proficiency requirements
Value: In Gold

Companion Cards

Companion Cards detail loyal allies. Each card specifies:

Header: [COMPANION NAME] | [Type] | [Rank] | [Size]
Basic Information:
- Type: Pet, Guardian, Angelic, Fellowship, Temp, Draft, Ruminant, or Mechanical
- Size: Tiny, Small, Standard, Large, Goliath, or Behemoth
- Rank: Common through Divine
- Lifespan: Natural age or Immortal
- Resurrection: Yes or No capability
Vitality: Life only (no Mana, Stamina, Endurance, Traits, or ATTRs)
Performance Tier Bonuses:
- Basic: Standard availability
- Intermediate: +1 Life, +1 Primary Ability
- Advanced: +2 Life, +2 Primary Ability, Secondary Ability improves
Primary Ability: Innate ability (no prerequisites, no components)
Secondary Ability (Advanced tier only): Additional innate ability
Mood Scale: Annoyed → Distressed → Uneasy → Wary → Neutral → Content → Comfortable → Tranquil → Exalted (9 LVLs)
Mood Effects:
- Annoyed to Neutral: Reduced combat availability
- Content: Standard availability
- Comfortable+: Gift resources 1d4/day
- Exalted: Loyal even through mistreatment
Presence Bonus: +1 to specific Trait per year accompanied (lost if unaccompanied 2+ months)
Environment Effects:
- Favored: No upkeep, Mood +1 tier per 3 hours
- Disliked: -1 Endurance per 3 hours, Mood -1 tier per 3 hours
Upkeep Requirements: Feeding cost, Maintenance (if mechanical), Care LVL
Mounting (if applicable): Size categories that can mount, Speed modifier, Combat capability
Special Traits: Unique characteristics
Disliked Races (if applicable): Racial mood penalties and upkeep cost increases
Bond Quest (Rare rank and above): Available at Tranquil mood, grants Exalted status on completion
Value: Companion Ticket cost and Experience (XP) value if slain

MAC Cards (Monsters, Animals, Creatures)

MAC Cards detail non-Player creatures encountered during adventures. Each card specifies:

Header: [CREATURE NAME] | [Type: Monster/Animal/Creature] | [Rank]
Characteristics:
- Size: Tiny, Small, Standard, Large, Goliath, or Behemoth
- Type: Beast, Humanoid, Elemental, Undead, or other classification
- Rank: Common through Divine
- Challenge Rating (CR): Difficulty indicator
Vitality: Life only (no Mana, Stamina, Endurance, Traits, ATTRs, or Spirit)
Armor: Base Armor Scr. and total PROTS (Armor Scr. + all modifiers)
Actions Per Turn: Usually 3-5 for combat creatures
Speed: Base Movement in feet per turn, Special Movement types
Primary Ability: Main attack or action with damage formula
Secondary Ability: Special action or attack
Conditional Abilities: Triggered or reaction abilities
Resistances / Vulnerabilities:
- Resistant To: Damage types with Armor Scr. bonus
- Vulnerable To: Damage types with Armor Scr. penalty
- Immune To: Effect types or conditions
Special Traits: Unique characteristics or behaviors
Loot Drops:
- Common Drop: Always received
- Uncommon (30%): Conditional drop
- Rare (10%): High-value drop
- Quest Item: If applicable to current quests
Experience (XP) Value: Base XP for defeating, adjusted by party LVL and rank
Behavior / Tactics: Combat preferences, environmental strategies, pack tactics
Encounter Notes: Terrain advantages, environmental special rules

Hit Bonus by Weapon Rank

Rank	Main Hand	Off Hand
Common	+8	+4
Uncommon	+14	+7
Rare	+20	+10
Unique	+23	+12
Heroic	+26	+13
Elite	+32	+16
Legendary	+38	+19
Divine	+50	+25

Note: Hit bonuses from weapon rank (table above) differ from Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonuses granted by class Culture. Proficiency adds +8 to Main Hand and +2 to Off Hand (or varies by class); these stack with rank bonuses.

Weapon Damage by Rank

Rank	1H Weapon	2H Weapon	Off Hand
Common	+2d6	+4d6	+1d4
Uncommon	+3d6	+6d6	+1d6
Rare	+4d6	+8d6	+2d6
Unique	+5d6	+10d6	+3d6
Heroic	+6d6	+12d6	+3d6
Elite	+8d6	+16d6	+4d6
Legendary	+10d6	+20d6	+5d6
Divine	+12d6	+24d6	+6d6

Note on Off-Hand Damage and Hit Bonus: Off-hand damage is half the main hand damage, rounded up. Off-hand Hit bonus is half the main hand Hit bonus, rounded down. Modifiers from Traits, ATTRs, talents, buffs, and situational factors apply to both hands. Dual wield requires a Nature Ability to unlock; see Abilities and Nature in class trees.

Base Armor Score (Armor Scr.) by Grade

Grade	Base Armor Scr.	Movement Penalty
Delicate (Cloth)	10	None
Half Light	18	None
Light (Leather)	25	-1 square
Half Medium	30	-2 squares
Medium (Chain)	35	-3 squares
Half Heavy	40	-4 squares
Heavy (Plate)	45	-5 squares
Half Composite	50	-4 squares
Composite (Dragon)	55	-4 squares
Half Dense	58	-5 squares
Dense (Osmium)	60	-6 squares

Threat Engine

A Threat Meter tracks a character's Threat SCR, indicating how much attention they're attracting from Creatures and NPCs. When the score is low, the Character goes mostly unnoticed; a higher score means they're more likely to be observed, confronted, or targeted. Every action, whether escaping, negotiating, hiding, taunting, or distracting, can change a character's Threat SCR.

Clever actions and successful deception lower a character's threat score.
Aggressive, loud, or risky actions raise a character's threat score.
As NPCs or creatures become more hostile or suspicious, a character's Threat SCR increases.
If a character placates, impresses, or deceives them, their Threat SCR decreases.

The GM updates a character's Threat SCR based on their actions and how others react, making it dynamic in every Encounter, not just combat.

Panic Engine

Whenever a character faces intense stress, fear, or danger, whether hiding, climbing, running from monsters, escaping pursuit, or negotiating in tense situations, the GM calls for a Panic Check. For the Panic Check, the Character rolls D100. If the total meets or exceeds the difficulty score (DIFS) of the source causing Panic, they remain calm. If not, they begin to panic, risking mistakes or exposure. Panic will grow progressively as Characters take their turns and each LVL will alter the Character more as the panic grows.

Roll a D100 Panic Check and add any modifiers (like the Trait Courage) to attempt meeting the DIFS of whatever is causing the panic. Every hazardous event and entity has a DIFS for Panic, that Difficulty Score is the target number the Player must reach to avoid Panic. If there isn't a DIFS, the GM will create one.

If the Character fails the target DIFS of Panic, they'll begin a progressive/regressive Panic process for each of the Character's turns where Panic is ongoing. For example if a Character fails a Panic Check they are now at Panic LVL 1, and must roll a Panic Check again on their next turn with a -1 Penalty. If they fail again, they are now at LVL 2 Panic and on their next turn with a -2 Penalty to their D100 roll. This continues through 5 LVLs of Panic.

If they succeed a Panic Check, they go back one LVL of Panic, are not panicked anymore, and they can take their free movement action before ending their turn. GM may set or adjust Panic Difficulty based on the situation.

Panic LVL	Failed Check / Next Check	Penalty to D100 Roll	Regression (Success on Panic Check)	Behavior / Restrictions
LVL 1	Fail first check	-1	Panic Neutralized	Panicked, cannot attack, but can run
LVL 2	Fail second check at LVL 1	-2	Regress to LVL 1 on success	Panicked, cannot run, can walk
LVL 3	Fail third check at LVL 2	-3	Regress to LVL 2 on success	Panicked, wanders randomly
LVL 4	Fail fourth check at LVL 3	-4	Regress to LVL 3 on success	Panicked, cannot move or wander
LVL 5 (max LVL of Panic)	Fail fifth check at LVL 4	N/A	Regress to LVL 4 on success	Panicked, prone, only crawl
Any LVL	Success on Panic Check	N/A	Regress one LVL (if above 1), or end panic	Recover from panic; actions depend on current LVL. Can take free movement action before ending turn.

Summary: Threat and Panic are separate, Player-driven systems. Threat shows how much danger a character attracts, influenced by their Traits. Panic measures a character's Ability to stay calm, also influenced by their Traits. Both systems work across combat, interactions, and environmental challenges, keeping gameplay dynamic and immersive.

Narrative Event Cards

Narrative Events are used during moments where Players can creatively escape danger or interact with Creatures and NPCs instead of fighting. Each Card presents a situation and encourages inventive solutions, allowing Players to use the environment, combine Abilities, or negotiate with creatures for Unique outcomes.

Dynamic Escape

Some Narrative Cards describe hazardous scenarios. Players can use their surroundings, trigger chain reactions, or combine skills for dynamic escapes. The risk and reward depend on how clever or daring their actions are.

Creature and Non-Player Character Interaction

Other Narrative Cards focus on Encounters with monsters or NPCs. Players may bargain, manipulate behaviors, or incite chaos to avoid combat or gain advantages. The Cards provide prompts for creative negotiation or influence.

Flexible Resolution

The outcome of each action is determined on a scale, such as full escape, partial success, added complications, or failure. Results are not limited to simple success or failure, allowing for nuanced storytelling and consequences.

Player-Driven and Reactive

Players are encouraged to initiate creative actions in response to Narrative Cards. The game Master provides cues and adapts the scenario based on Player choices, making the event dynamic and responsive.

The use of Narrative Cards rewards teamwork, risk-taking, and thinking outside the box. Players are empowered to find Unique solutions to Encounters, and inventive actions can lead to special rewards, new story paths, or lasting changes in the world.

Dilemma Cards

The Dilemma Engine is a central feature that turns tough choices into lasting effects. At pivotal moments, characters face Dilemmas that force decisions with lasting consequences. These choices directly affect a character's Standing with factions and key characters, alter their reputation, and will grant titles or exposure.

At narrative turning points, the game Master presents a Dilemma Card. Each Card describes a challenging situation and at least two difficult choices. The outcome of each choice is clearly spelled out, affecting rewards, costs, relationships, and a character's standing in the world. Once a decision is made, the GM notes this in their journal and at pivotal moments, and as they choose, the GM narrates the conditions of the choices Players have made for their Characters.

Standing Development

Every choice made on a Dilemma Card adjusts a character's Standing, their relationship and attitude towards factions and important NPCs. Standing is tracked on the Character sheet and determines how others react to them, what resources they can access, and which storylines open or close.

Prestige and Titles

A character's decisions also change their Prestige. Reputation affects how they are perceived throughout the world, influencing social Encounters and opportunities. Titles reflect their achievements or failures and can bring benefits or consequences depending on where they are and how others perceive them.

Note: The highest stance is Cherished while the lowest is Hated (killed on sight).

A character's choices ripple across every aspect of their journey. Decisions influence not just how they are seen, but also their access to resources, titles, relationships with key figures, and the opportunities or obstacles that shape their path. These choices don't just alter the story; they can challenge a Player's priorities, test their values, and create moments that linger long after decisions to Dilemmas are made.

Heroism

Acts of courage and self-sacrifice earn a character recognition and lasting respect. Heroic deeds can grant powerful titles and boost their standing, inspiring others and shaping their legacy.

Regret

Betraying one's values or harming loved ones may cause regret. A character can leverage regret for short-term advantages, but each use comes with emotional or social penalties. Accumulating regret may trigger personal crises or redemption quests.

Suspenseful

Some outcomes are not revealed immediately. The game Master tracks them secretly and unveils the results at dramatic moments, heightening suspense and making a character's choices feel unpredictable and impactful.

Examples

Suspense Example: A character finds proof that a rival faction plans to sabotage a festival. If they expose them, their Standing with that faction drops dramatically, but they gain favor with the city council. The council grants them the title Guardian of the Festival. The rival faction's reaction is kept hidden for now, to be revealed later.

Heroism Example: After quelling a violent uprising and safeguarding countless lives, a character is called to the Grand Hall. The space is packed, council members, citizens, and soldiers line the marble floors. A high ranking council member formally recounts their actions in detail, naming each risk taken and life saved. When their name is spoken, banners are unfurled and the crowd stands and erupts in applause as they walk the marble aisle between arranged sides. As rehearsed, they bow to the council leader so she can place a heavy medallion ribbon over their shoulders and proclaim them "Warden of the City!!!", a title reserved for heroes. Their name is etched into the city's Hall of Heroes, and for a moment, the cheers and gratitude of those they protected are overwhelming. Their Standing with the city's people and leaders surges, and they become a symbol of courage in a time of uncertainty.

Regret Example: An influential leader offers a character Rare resources, but only if they publicly denounce their mentor. Accepting gains them the title Favored of the Court and improves their Standing with the leader's faction, but since they've developed a relationship with their mentor that has lasted for years, the betrayal damages their reputation with those who honor loyalty and loved ones of the mentor in question. This never goes away, and although the example here is an example of a character feeling regret, the dilemma system is designed in a way that the Player feels emotional and psychological distress that weighs on their conscience, burdened from decisions forced onto their characters. Refusing protects the relationship with the mentor, but makes the quest more difficult and may cause the Character to lose favor and titles.

Summary: The Dilemma Engine ensures that a character's choices change their Standing, reputation, and titles, all tracked mechanically. Every tough decision shapes their journey and the world's response to their actions, leaving a lasting mark on their story.

Exploration

Traverse 13 planets in an odd world with a life sustaining and magic emitting main sun, Adoria, and its sister, the dying star Tawdry Dwarf. Each planet with a gate to its own hell domain, found in throne rooms of extravagant labyrinths.

The Animated Wayfarer is a living magical companion that ports its owner to the nearest fire or water source and grows in capability over time. As it LVLs it unlocks abilities tied to exploration, finding camps, marking locations, sensing danger, uncovering secrets, penetrating deep structures, boarding vessels, and guiding its owner toward quests and quest items. It comes in eleven forms, each with its own specialization. Development is slow and deliberate. See the Wayfarer section for full rules.

Game Modes

Some game modes require Players to log into SORC Web at our website.

Trials of Combat

Trials of Combat is a game mode where Players seek out Trial Masters to participate in combat challenges. These Masters are found in villages, towns, and covert camps, and they set specific rules for each trial. Participants cannot use items besides gear, though healing and buffing effects are allowed. The mode includes three main sections: Proving Grounds, Arena, and Coliseum. In the Proving Grounds, teams of at least five face objectives like Beacon Capture, King of the Peak, or Race Through the Cave, earning Honor PTS and rewards such as gear and Experience (XP). The Arena involves structured matches from 1v1 up to 5v5, with Players earning Valor PTS to buy equipment, gear sets, and consumables.

The Coliseum is a free-for-all against powerful monsters in various formats like Duels, Tag Teams, and Riots, with winners earning Auctorati PTS for weapons, potions, and scrolls. Progression depends on faction reputation, unlocking better rewards and quests.

Sole Survivor

Sole Survivor is an episodic game mode made up of a series of short, story-driven adventures. At the start of each episode, Players choose pre-made character Cards that match the challenge rating for that episode. These characters form a themed party that fits the campaign, such as a religious character, a thief, or others aligned with the episode's setting. Each premade character will have advantages and disadvantages, but Players will understand the theme before they choose their Cards.

The key rule is that one character must die in each episode, repeated until only one character remains alive. Once only one character is left, they must find a way to escape alone. If they manage to survive and escape, they are declared the sole survivor. Each episode is a short dramatic story where characters will unlock skills, armaments, items and clues and secrets to guide their party through each episode. Episodes don't have endings other than a character dying; subsequently moving what's left of the party to the next episode.

Starting from episode one, the adventure unfolds as a story, with the inevitability that some characters will perish along the way. The game emphasizes survival, storytelling, and strategic choices, culminating in one character's triumphant escape as the sole survivor.

This appendix collects the most frequently referenced tables, formulas, and quick-reference material from across the Basic Rules. Use it mid-session to look up a number without hunting through the full rules. All values here match those in the source sections, page references are noted where applicable.

Ranks

Character ranks reflect a hero's reputation and power. NPC and MAC ranks reflect the challenge and tier of any entity encountered. Each tier corresponds directly, a Pauper faces Common-rank threats, a Legend faces Divine. A character must be of a monster or challenge's Rank to engage it, reaching ahead into higher-ranked content isn't hidden, exactly, but blocks off as an obstacle (road guards, sealed gates, terrain too dangerous to cross) until Rank catches up, and none of its items or Companions can be found through exploration either. Characters cannot equip or use items ranked above their own, though they may still carry, store, or gift ones they've legitimately acquired some other way (gifted, traded, inherited). See pg. 4 for full rank rules. A character who retires at Legend rank keeps that status in the world's history, see Retirement, pg. 4.

Character Rank	NPC / MAC Rank
Pauper	Common
Peasant	Uncommon
Commoner	Rare
Adventurer	Unique
Hero	Heroic
Uber	Elite
Elite	Legendary
Legend	Divine

Module Character Level to Card Rank

A module's Character LVL (LVL) range is its entry floor, a character should only play a module whose range they meet or exceed. Playing a higher module than a character's LVL is fine; any content within it that exceeds their Rank simply stays hidden until Rank catches up (see Rank Requirement, GM Codex Ch. II).

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

Maximum Lore Card Rank by Character Level

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

Simulated Characters: A GM may simulate a character's LVL and Growth (age) to start a campaign partway in, but characters MUST earn Rank, it can never be simulated, no exception. A simulated character's equippable Armaments stay capped at their actual, earned Rank regardless of how high their simulated LVL or Growth (age) go. If a party has skipped earlier modules, direct them to the downloadable PDF version's back-catalog to acquire Rank-appropriate starting Armaments for the modules they missed. See Character Simulation, GM Codex Ch. II, for the full procedure.

Game Master Appendix

The tables above are Player-facing quick reference. Full GM-facing progression tables, Growth: Vitality, Rank PTS Progression, and Rank LVL Prerequisites, are GM-only material and live in the GM Codex Appendix, alongside quick-reference tables for every other GM Codex chapter as they're written.

Characters

The Seven Attributes

ATTRs begin at 0 at creation, except where a race's Innate Trait Adjustments require a higher Starting ATTR Floor (see each race's entry) so no Trait exceeds its aligned ATTR. Hard cap: 50. Max 2 score per ATTR per LVL. See pg. 2.

Artistry (ART)

Creativity, performance, and articulation expressed through precise dexterity, hand-eye coordination, body fluidity, and craftsmanship; encompassing charisma, tactical deception, and the mastery of fine motor skills. Aligns with Dexterity, Deceit, Charisma, Craftsmanship, and Calibration traits.

Fortitude (FRT)

Physical and mental resilience, resistance to ongoing effects such as poison, disease, bleeding, and damage over time spells, as well as resistance to fear, intimidation, mental control, and elemental damage. Governs Wellness recovery and decline. Aligns with Vigor, Health, Toughness, Constitution, and Willpower traits.

Intellect (INT)

Mental acuity, spellcasting power, reasoning, and resistance to mental effects. Aligns with Wit, Focus, Acuity, Courage, and Warded traits.

Physique (PHY)

Physical strength, speed, agility, and toughness. Aligns with Agility, Strength, Grit, Defense, and Atavism traits.

Vigilance (VIG)

Alertness, watchfulness, and awareness. Aligns with Intuition, Perception, and Focus traits.

Wisdom (WIS)

Knowledge, intuition, and insight. Aligns with Piety and Knowledge traits.

Lifespan, Starting Age, and Retirement Age

Starting Age = Lifespan × 25% (Immortal races use an effective Lifespan of 400 years). Retirement Age = Starting Age + 40, the adventuring window itself is a flat 40 years for every race, so no race earns Rank PTS faster or slower than any other. See Time, pg. 4.

Race	Lifespan	Starting Age	Retirement Age
Bast	~150 yrs	38	78
Bugbear	~80 yrs	20	60
Centyr	~300 yrs	75	115
Firbolg	~500 yrs	125	165
Hawkbear	~120 yrs	30	70
Ogre	~100 yrs	25	65
Troll (Bridge)	~180 yrs	45	85
Troll (Common)	~200 yrs	50	90
Troll (Mountain)	~250 yrs	62	102
Troll (Sand)	~180 yrs	45	85
Troll (Village)	~200 yrs	50	90
Drāco Blood	~200 yrs	50	90
Drow	Immortal	100	140
Dwarf (Arctic)	~400 yrs	100	140
Dwarf (Ash)	~300 yrs	75	115
Dwarf, Common	~350 yrs	88	128
Dwarf (Glimmerstone)	~400 yrs	100	140
Dwarf (Red)	~400 yrs	100	140
Elf (Common)	Immortal	100	140
Elf (High)	Immortal	100	140
Sylvan	Immortal	100	140
Gnoll	~60 yrs	15	55
Helf (Half-Elf)	~300 yrs	75	115
Human	~80 yrs	20	60
Orcus	~180 yrs	45	85
Brownling	~150 yrs	38	78
Snow Dwarf	~400 yrs	100	140
Gnome	~400 yrs	100	140
Goblorc	~80 yrs	20	60
Halfling	~130 yrs	32	72
Hobbling	~80 yrs	20	60
Miceling	~60 yrs	15	55
Neanderthal	~60 yrs	15	55
Pinkling	~120 yrs	30	70
Ratkin	~50 yrs	12	52
Wood Elf	Immortal	100	140
Yawnie	300+ yrs	75	115
Drevane	~900 yrs	225	265
Emberscale	~120 yrs	30	70
Imperials	Immortal	100	140
Leshy	~800 yrs	200	240
Omnè	Varies	Varies	Varies
Primal	~70 yrs	18	58
Skrath	~40 yrs	10	50

Favored/Averse Class Bonus

Main class +5 or -5 | one chosen Path +7 or -7 total, one chosen Branch +9 or -9 total. Only one Path and one Branch carry the deeper bonus across a race's entire Favored list, and the same applies separately to its Averse list. Applies to Ability rolls only, not Innate Aptitude or Miracles. Does not bypass the alignment Spectrum. See pg. 2 and pg. 3.

Talents, Skills and Traits Caps and Costs

Type	Cap	Cost per PTS	Prerequisite
ATTR SCR	50	3 Remnant (REM) PTS	-
Talents (TST)	45	2 REM PTS	SCR of 1 in aligned ATTR
Skills (TST)	45	2 REM PTS	SCR of 1 in aligned ATTR
Traits (TST)	40	2 REM PTS	SCR of 1 in aligned ATTR
Ability Cap	59	-	Class and LVL requirements

TST scores cannot exceed the score of their aligned ATTR. A TST score cannot be raised beyond its aligned ATTR's current value.

Expertise Levels (Talents and Skills)

Talents and skills are organized into expertise LVLs. Expertise LVLs must be unlocked in order. PTS spent into any one talent or skill may never exceed its aligned ATTR score, though the resulting score may stand above it. A Character may hold no more than 199 TST score in total across every Talent, Skill and Trait. Individual talent/skill cap: 100, so exactly one may ever be maxed, leaving 99 for everything else.

Expertise LVL	Open Cost	Per Talent/Skill	Advance Threshold
Novice	2 Remnant (REM)	2 REM	10 (to reach Apprentice)
Apprentice	3 REM	2 REM	25 (to reach Journeyman)
Journeyman	4 REM	2 REM	45 (to reach Master)
Master	5 REM	3 REM	80 (to reach Grandmaster)
Grandmaster	6 REM	4 REM	-

Grandmaster is near end-game for expertise. Refer to GM Codex for expanded expertise rules and Character LVL (LVL) thresholds beyond Grandmaster.

Attribute Development (Per Character Level)

Roll 1d10 nine times. Discard the two lowest results. Assign the remaining 7 results as points to ATTR Repository slots. Each ATTR may receive no more than 2 score per Character LVL (LVL). Cost: 2 Remnant (REM) PTS per ATTR score, 1 REM PTS per TST (Novice LVL). Unused REM PTS become Remnants saved for future Levels. ATTRs are first rolled at LVL 0 (character creation). Once all results are assigned and locked in, the Character advances to LVL 1.

The 24 Traits, Quick Reference

#	Trait	ATT	Primary Use
1	Agility	Physique (PHY)	Resist Range attacks, balance; bonus to Range attack rolls; score added to Martial Range crits
2	Strength	PHY	Melee hit and damage bonus, grapple checks, intimidation; score added to melee crits. Heavy crafting (forging, metalwork, stonework) benefits from Strength.
3	Courage	Intellect (INT)	Resist fear, intimidation, and mental control
4	Constitution	Fortitude (FRT)	Constitution score added to Life gained each LVL; extends negative Life threshold to -(10 + Constitution score)
5	Vigor	FRT	Resist Martial sourced poison, disease, venom, bleeding, ongoing effects; rolls d100 + Vigor vs DIFS
6	Perception	Vigilance (VIG)	Awareness, hazard detection, ambush detection, spotting traps and surprises
7	Intuition	VIG	Sense danger, detect lies, avoid ambush
8	Dexterity	Artistry (ART)	Mechanical trap avoidance and disassembly, guile checks, quick strikes with offhand martial weapons, off balance or falling penalty absorption; physical fluidity assists sneaks and fall damage. Precision crafting modifications (armor engravings, gun scopes, insignia work) and intricate detailed work benefit from Dexterity.
9	Deceit	ART	Feints, mimicking death, manipulate creatures
10	Warded	INT	Resist Spell damage, magical, elemental, and Spell sourced poison effects
11	Toughness	FRT	Used by unarmored or lightly armored characters. Armor Scr. bonus equal to score; absorb initial damage, resist penetrating attacks. Specialized material crafting (working with fire-resistant materials, heat-treated metals, or other resilient substances) benefits from Toughness.
12	Grit	PHY	Resist stun, knockback, and knockdown; rolls d100 + Grit vs DIFS
13	Willpower	FRT	Resist mind control, temptation, confusion
14	Wit	INT	Trap detection, mental defense, spot deception
15	Piety	Wisdom (WIS)	Resist divine corruption, dark curses, holy magic
16	Knowledge	WIS	Lore, history, magical theory, Experience (XP) rewards
17	Luck	WIS	Rolls 1d4 + Luck score (4% d4 + score); stacks with basic Hit, Defense rolls, all Trait checks, Skills, Talents, all DIFS, and probability outcomes. Does not stack with ability-based hit rolls. Tiebreaker on tied Initiative. Cap: 25.
18	Charisma	ART	Persuasion, intimidation, leadership, social rolls
19	Defense	PHY	Parry (2H, Bracers, or Dual Wield melee only; Bracers allow Parry, Gloves do not), Block (Shield), Dodge (Half Medium armor or lighter only). Adds to PROTS against martial or Nature-sourced attacks.
20	Focus	INT	Maintain concentration, spellcasting, disarm traps under pressure. Tedious and intricate tasks (detailed crafting, extended precision work) benefit from Focus.
21	Acuity	INT	Bonus to spell attack rolls and spell damage; score added to spell crits
22	Health	FRT	Governs Wellness's tick rate, slows decline past -50% Wellness, speeds recovery past +50% Wellness. Not a d100 roll modifier.
23	Craftsmanship	ART	Bonus to Crafting Resolution checks and heavy-craft Skill Checks; represents raw skill with tools, materials, and fine handiwork
24	Calibration	ART	Operating and running built things under load: tuning, timing, steadying and fault-clearing gear; handling anything whose rhythm matters more than force. Stands in for Agility, never Strength, on physical actions it governs. Not building or repairing (Craftsmanship)
25	Atavism	PHY	Acting beyond training: raw untrained exertion, instinct before thought, holding together past conditioning, bearing force through the flesh. Not resisting outside damage (Toughness, Warded)

Vitality Summary

Vitality Progression: Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance all grow every Character LVL and Growth, plus an aligned Trait bonus for Life/Mana/Stamina. All sizes use the same rates, size identity is reflected in base values. Apex is a race-specific Vitality score starting at a value of 1-11 determined by the character's race, increasing whichever Vitality resource(s) a character allocates it to (Player's choice, splittable across resources). Apex grows every 5 years of age after the first year at a rate specific to the character's race (every 5 Apex = 1 Chip of capacity). Spirit is a race-specific Vitality score starting at a value of 1-11 determined by the character's race, providing regeneration from whichever of Life, Mana, and Stamina a character allocates it to (Player's choice, splittable, every turn, always active). Spirit grows every 5 years of age after the first year at a rate specific to the character's race (every 5 Spirit = 1 Chip of regeneration per turn). Neither Apex nor Spirit are purchased with any currency; both are their own Vitality scores, not Traits, and grow automatically through age and Growth progression. Nature Abilities cost Stamina, Spell Abilities cost Mana, both scale with the LVL learned. Endurance base: 35 for all sizes, resets daily.

Base Vitality by Size: Goliath, Life 60, Mana 24, Stamina 40, Endurance 35. Standard, Life 50, Mana 32, Stamina 32, Endurance 35. Small, Life 40, Mana 40, Stamina 24, Endurance 35.

Spirit & Apex by Race (Starting Values)

All 28 playable races listed in alphabetical order. Every race has unique starting Spirit and Apex values (1-11 range), plus race-specific growth rates (0-5 per 5-year cycle). See individual race cards in Playable Races for detailed Spirit/Apex and growth values.

Race	Spirit Start	Spirit Growth	Apex Start	Apex Growth
Bast	6	+3	8	+2
Brownling	3	+1	7	+1
Bugbear	4	+4	10	+3
Centyr	4	+3	9	+2
Drâco Blood	8	+5	2	+2
Drevane	1	+0	4	+0
Drow	3	+1	8	+1
Dwarf (all variants)	7	+2	3	+2
Elf (all variants)	2	+1	8	+1
Emberscale	8	+5	2	+2
Firbolg	6	+2	8	+2
Gob-Orc	3	+1	7	+1
Gnoll	4	+3	10	+2
Gnome	2	+2	9	+1
Half-Elf	6	+1	2	+1
Halfling/Hobbling	7	+1	2	+1
Hawkbear	5	+4	9	+3
Human	5	+2	5	+2
Imperials	3	+2	9	+2
Miceling	2	+0	3	+0
Neanderthal	8	+2	3	+1
Ogre	3	+4	11	+3
Orcus	7	+3	3	+2
Pinkling	7	+1	3	+1
Ratkin	2	+1	7	+1
Troll (all variants)	10	+5	1	+3
Wood-Elf	6	+1	3	+1
Yawnie	2	+1	8	+1

Life Red / Purple Chips

At half: Move at half speed.

At zero: Incapacitated. Track negative Life with purple Chips. At -(10 + Constitution score) Life, must go through rejuvenation.

Mana Blue Chips

At half: Half spell power.

At zero: Cannot cast until Mana regenerates (see Spirit).

Stamina Yellow Chips

At half: Half results on all combat abilities.

At zero: Cannot use combat abilities until Stamina regenerates (see Spirit). See Encumbrance for weight-based movement and action penalties.

Endurance Green Chips

At zero: No more actions for the day. A Breather restores it to 60% of max, a Short Rest to 70%, each boosted by +1% per point of Spirit (capped at 100%), a Long Rest always restores it to full. Resets to full at the start of each day regardless.

Meditated Spells, Rank Modifier

Rank	Modifier
Pauper	+1
Peasant	+2
Commoner	+3
Adventurer	+4
Hero	+5
Uber	+6
Elite	+7
Legend	+8

Classes

Class Tree Structure

Every Main Class runs 30 levels of progression organized into three stages: Tier (Levels 1-3), Path (Levels 4-20), and Branch (Levels 21-30). Each stage unlocks at its entry level and remains open for advancement through its full range.

Stage	Levels	Choices per Stage	Description
Tier	1-3	1 (no choice)	Main Class baseline, linear progression common to all characters in the class.
Path	4-20	3 options	First specialization chosen at LVL 4. Each Path carries distinct alignment, Higher Power, and armament restrictions. All three Branches available within a chosen Path.
Branch	21-30	3 options	Second specialization chosen at LVL 21 within the current Path. A narrower focus building on the Path's theme. Cannot switch Paths once a Branch is chosen, but can return to a different Main Class at any level.

Character Class Designation

Rule: When naming a character's class, use only the deepest point they have reached in their Main Class tree. Do not stack the full path hierarchy; simplify to the final specialization achieved.

Advancement Level	What to Say	Example	What NOT to Say
Tier (LVL 1-3)	Main Class name only	"A Fighter"	"A Fighter Tier" or "A Fighter Level 2"
Path (LVL 4-20)	Path name only	"A Vigilante" (Fighter Path)	"A Fighter-Vigilante" or "Fighter / Vigilante Path"
Branch (LVL 21-30)	Branch name only	"A Juggernaut" (Vigilante Branch)	"A Fighter-Vigilante-Juggernaut" or "A Fighter/Vigilante/Juggernaut"
Multi-class split allocation	Each tree's deepest point, listed separately	"Strategist 30, Warrior 18" means Warlord Path (Strategist) and Warrior Tier	Hyphenated multi-class names like "Strategist-Warrior"

The Sixteen Main Classes

Lawful-leaning: Avenger, Fighter, Marksman, Overseer, Shaman, Strategist.
Evil-leaning: Barbarian, Doom Knight, Magic User, Sorcerer, Tyrant, Warlock.
Neutral: Bard, Druid, Shaman, Warrior, Witch.

Combat

Modifiers to PROTS include: Defense Trait score against a martial or Nature-sourced attack, Resistance Trait score against a Spell-sourced attack (the two never both apply to the same attack), shield Armor Scr., environmental bonuses or penalties, buffs and debuffs. An attacker must roll equal to or above the target's PROTS to hit.

Hit Chart, Base Hit Rate

Armor Type	Base Armor Scr.	Base Hit Chance
Delicate (e.g. Cloth)	10	80%
Light (e.g. Leather)	25	65%
Medium (e.g. Chain)	35	55%
Heavy (e.g. Plate)	45	50%
Dense (e.g. Osmium Plate)	60	35%
Composite (e.g. Dragon Scale)	55	40%
TABA (any Grade, Melee and TAW Range only)	Varies by grade	+5% above base grade

Hit Results Chart

Result	Condition	Damage
Miss	Roll below graze threshold	No damage; possible counter opportunity
Graze	Within ~5 points below PROTS	Half damage (rounded down). May impose minor effects.
Direct Hit	Roll ≥ PROTS	Full damage (xd6 +/- all modifiers)
Critical Hit	Within the Critical Window for the weapon's Rank (see Crit Chart)	2x damage dice. Add Strength score to Melee crits, Agility score to Martial Range crits, Acuity score to spell crits. May trigger extra effects, limb severance, or severe injuries.
Fumble / Fizzle	Roll result 1-5	The character stumbles: 1d10 ft., direction GM-determined. Open to counter attack and AoO on every square entered.

Crit Chart, Critical Window by Rank

The Critical Window is the span of d100 results that trigger a Critical Hit. Damage is unchanged at every Rank, 2x damage dice + source bonus; what widens is how often one lands. A shot taken from a Stabilized band widens the window by a further 2 (see Range Chart). The window never opens past 90.

Weapon Rank	Critical Window	Chance
Common, Uncommon	96-100	5%
Rare, Unique	95-100	6%
Heroic, Elite	94-100	7%
Legendary, Divine	92-100	9%

Hit Bonus Chart, by Weapon Rank

Every attack: d100 + Hit bonus vs target PROTS. x = any additional modifiers.

Rank	Hit Main Hand	Hit Off Hand
Common	+8 ± x	+4 ± x
Uncommon	+14 ± x	+7 ± x
Rare	+20 ± x	+10 ± x
Unique	+23 ± x	+12 ± x
Heroic	+26 ± x	+13 ± x
Elite	+32 ± x	+16 ± x
Legendary	+38 ± x	+19 ± x
Divine	+50 ± x	+25 ± x

DMG. Chart, Weapon Damage by Rank

x = Strength (Melee), Agility (Range), Acuity (spells) ± other modifiers. On a Critical Hit, add the respective score (Strength for Melee, Agility for Martial Range, Acuity for spells) as a bonus on top of 2x damage dice.

Rank	1H Weapon	2H Weapon	Off Hand (1H)
Common	+2d6 ± x	+4d6 ± x	+1d4 ± x
Uncommon	+3d6 ± x	+6d6 ± x	+1d6 ± x
Rare	+4d6 ± x	+8d6 ± x	+2d6 ± x
Unique	+5d6 ± x	+10d6 ± x	+3d6 ± x
Heroic	+6d6 ± x	+12d6 ± x	+3d6 ± x
Elite	+8d6 ± x	+16d6 ± x	+4d6 ± x
Legendary	+10d6 ± x	+20d6 ± x	+5d6 ± x
Divine	+12d6 ± x	+24d6 ± x	+6d6 ± x

Unarmed Combat

Hit: d100 + Strength vs PROTS | Damage (main): 1d4 + Strength | Damage (off): 1d2 + Strength

Technologically Advanced Weapons Melee

Calibration replaces Strength for both hit and damage, the weapon supplying the force and the wielder the command of it. Hit: d100 + weapon rank + Calibration vs PROTS | Damage: weapon rank dice + Calibration + modifiers

Melee Range Chart

Melee range comes in three bands. No to-hit penalty applies within any of them, and melee does not fall off with distance the way a shot does, a blade at the end of its reach cuts as hard as one at the start. Throw is the exception and carries its own curve.

Band	Penalty	Damage	Dist.	Notes
Touch	None	Full	5 ft. (1 square)	Standard melee range; the same "Touch" band used by touch-cast Spells, see Range Bands, Spells below
Reach	None	Full	10 ft. (2 squares)	Reach weapons only (e.g., spears, polearms), no range bands
Throw✤ – Pt. Blank✦	+0 (+10✦)	Base DMG. (full dice)	0–5 ft.	Thrown weapons, AGI only, a throw trades STR for AGI to hit.
Throw✤ – Oscillation	±10 1st/last 10ft.✳	Base DMG. (full dice)	6–25 ft.	—

Range Chart, Telluric Ranged

Bands, hit modifiers and damage for every drawn or thrown Telluric weapon. Rules and worked detail live under Telluric Ranged, Combat. A shot from a Stabilized band widens the Critical Window by 2 (see Crit Chart).

Weapon (Telluric)	Dist. (ft.)	Velocity Curve	Hit MOD.	Base DMG.	DMG. MOD.
CLOSE QTR.	0–5 ft.	Melee	—	—	STR
THROW✤ (axe - knife)	0–5 ft.	Pt. Blank✦	+0 (+10✦)	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
THROW✤ (axe - knife)	6–25 ft.	Oscillation	±10 1st/last 10ft.✳	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
MID RANGE (Shortbow)	0–10 ft.	Pt. Blank✦	+0 (+10✦)	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	11–85 ft.	Oscillation	+10 1st 10ft.✳	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
	86–150 ft.	Stabilized	–10	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	151–200 ft.	Velocity Drop✧	–15	Decay (¾ dice)	AGI
LONG RANGE (Longbow)	0–10 ft.	Pt. Blank✦	+0 (+10✦)	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	11–150 ft.	Oscillation	+10 1st 20 ft.✳	Base DMG. (full dice)	AGI
	151–200 ft.	Stabilized	–15	Max DMG. (+¼ dice)	AGI
	201–300 ft.	Velocity Drop✧	–25	Decay (½ dice)	AGI

✤Thrown. The Throw band's numbers are for weapons made to be thrown, a throwing axe, a throwing knife, a sudikon and the like. Any other weapon may still be thrown, as an Improvised Tool: it deals its Improvised Class damage in place of its Rank dice. Point Blank for a throw ends at 5 ft., so a thrown weapon's Point Blank band is 0–5 ft., not the 0–10 ft. a drawn weapon uses.

✧Velocity Drop. The band runs to the weapon's maximum range, 200 ft. for Compact weapons and 300 ft. for Extended weapons. Damage decays across the band at the rate shown in the Base DMG. column, and nothing may be fired past the maximum.

Thrown weapons use the Throw band above, the same two bands and the same numbers the Melee Range Chart gives them. Reach weapons: 2 squares (10 ft.) melee, no range bands.

TAW Range. Same bands, same penalties, same damage as the ladder above, with two of its own. Focus SCR absorbs the band penalties in place of Dexterity. And a TAW weapon is tuned to one planet's gravity, pressure and atmosphere, so its card distances hold at home and shorten abroad, a sidearm 0-100 ft. native to 0-60 ft. foreign, a rifle 0-900 ft. native to 0-350 ft. foreign.

Thrown Chart, Damage Falloff

Complex Rule Set only.

Bare Bones throws at Base DMG. across the whole 0–25 ft., see the Telluric Ranged table. The curve below is the Complex detail: a throw needs room to travel, so it is weakest in hand-reach, hardest at 11-15 ft., and falls away past that. Thrown attacks use Agility alone to hit, trading a melee weapon's Strength for it. Slope Mod† (see Slope Conditions, Combat, pg. 5) is what the ground itself is worth to the throw, High Ground where the thrower stands above their target, Low Ground where they stand below it. High Ground is the one exception to the last row, a thrower above their target still deals damage at 26 ft. and past, where level ground deals none; Low Ground carries a penalty in its place.

Dist.	Damage	Notes
0-10 ft. (1-2 squares)	Melee damage	The throw has not set, it lands as the weapon does in hand
11-15 ft. (3 squares)	Peak damage	The throw at its hardest, full listed damage
16-20 ft. (4 squares)	Melee damage	Back to what the same weapon deals in hand
21-25 ft. (5 squares)	1/3 melee damage	Still lands, barely
26 ft. and past	†0 damage	Out of a throw's reach on level ground

Spell Range Chart

Willpower SCR (WIL) absorbs range penalties. Touch = standard melee range (5 ft.), the same band and term used by melee Nature Abilities, see Range Bands, Melee above. Area spells use fixed area from card, not range bands.

Band	Penalty	Notes
Touch	None	Melee range only
Close	None	No penalty
Mid	-10 to hit	WIL SCR absorbs
Long	-20 to hit	WIL SCR absorbs
Velocity Drop	-30 to hit	WIL SCR absorbs, the cast is failing
Dead Zone	Auto miss	No roll permitted

LST Chart, Limb-Specific Targeting

Hit Penalty = modifier to attack roll. Damage Bonus = bonus damage on hit. Miss = lose all defenses through next turn + 1d10 ft. stumble + counter attack + AoO from every adjacent enemy. No Graze or Critical Hit on LST.

Weapon Rank	Head	Groin	Limb	Torso
Common	-3 / +6	-2 / +4	-2 / +4	-1 / +2
Uncommon	-6 / +12	-4 / +8	-4 / +8	-2 / +4
Rare	-9 / +18	-7 / +14	-6 / +12	-4 / +8
Unique	-13 / +26	-10 / +20	-8 / +16	-6 / +12
Heroic	-17 / +34	-13 / +26	-11 / +22	-8 / +16
Elite	-21 / +42	-17 / +34	-14 / +28	-11 / +22
Legendary	-25 / +50	-21 / +42	-18 / +36	-14 / +28
Divine	-30 / +60	-24 / +48	-21 / +42	-17 / +34

Attack Area Types

Area Type	Shape	Origin	Notes
Single Target	One creature or object	Attacker	Standard attack
Cone	Expands outward; width = distance from origin	Caster's space	Cannot overlap caster's space
Line	Straight path, 5 ft. wide	Caster's space	Length specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Burst / Radius	Circle from a chosen point	Any point in range	Caster included or excluded, see ability
Aura	Circle centered on self	Caster's space	Moves with caster
Sphere	3D radius, extends up and down	Any point in range	Relevant in aerial and multi-LVL combat
Cylinder	Circular base + vertical height	Any point in range	Radius and height specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Chain	Jumps between targets within range of each other	First target	Jumps and range specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Wall	Flat stationary barrier along grid edges	Designated point	Length and height specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Torus	Ring around a center; inner radius unaffected	Any point in range	Inner and outer radius specified by Nature/Spell Ability
Vring	Expanding ring traveling outward each round	Designated point	Creatures hit as ring passes through their square
Vortex	Spiral pull toward center each round	Any point in range	Creatures pulled X squares toward center per round
Dipole	Two simultaneous opposing bursts; nothing between is hit	Caster's space	Direction and radius specified
Interference	Alternating bands of effect and non-effect radiating outward	Any point in range	Band width specified
Wave	Moving wall of force; travels forward and crashes	Designated point	Width, height, and distance specified. Knocks prone on crash.
Expanding Random	Starts at a point; expands via d8 for direction and distance	Designated point	Unpredictable; creatures in newly covered squares affected each round
Black Hole	Gravitational pull toward center; inner event horizon; two perpendicular jets	Any point in range	Pull range, event horizon, and jet length specified

Mod Scaling Chart

Weapon Rank	x Value (per round & for scaling)	Example Damage (+x d6, +x d4, etc.)	Notes
Rare	1	+1d6	Mod may trigger 1×/round; use 1 for scaling in effect.
Unique	2	+2d6	Mod may trigger 2×/round; use 2 for scaling.
Heroic	3	+3d6	Mod may trigger 3×/round; use 3 for scaling.
Elite	4	+4d6	Mod may trigger 4×/round; use 4 for scaling.
Legendary	5	+5d6	Mod may trigger 5×/round; use 5 for scaling.
Divine	6	+6d6	Mod may trigger 6×/round; use 6 for scaling.

Whenever a weapon mod refers to x (for example, "+x d6 damage," "+x d4 damage," or "x times per round"), substitute the value for the weapon's rank from the table above. This governs both the maximum number of mod triggers per round and the amount used in damage/effect scaling. For mods that scale with a different die (d4, d8, etc.), substitute as appropriate.

Action Costs

Each character has 5 actions per turn. See pg. 5.

Action	Cost
BASE combat strike	1 action
Combat Abilities	Varies, see card
Talents and crafting skills	Varies, see card
Movement	Half action
Subtle actions (sheathing weapon, etc.)	Half action
Base defense, communicative actions, drops, Traits	Free
Agility bonus movement (per 2 points Agility)	Free, +5 ft.
Agility penalty movement (per 1 negative point)	-5 ft.
Reading	1 action, reduced by half action per Intellect (INT) point

Combat Movement

Type	Cost	Rules
Retreat	Half action	1 square directly away from threat. No AoO triggered.
Dodge and Retreat	1 action	Combines Defense, as Dodge -, Agility SCR and Dexterity SCR to PROTS with a 5 ft. sq. Retreat backwards. No AoO triggered.
ATTK of Opportunity	Free	Triggered when hostile moves out of melee reach without Retreat/Dodge and Retreat, or moves into reach. Also triggered by casting, using a Range weapon, using item, or standing from prone in reach. One AoO per trigger, per turn.

Character Conditions

Condition	State	Effects
Prone	On the ground	Half action to stand. Melee attacks against: +10. Range attacks against: -10. Crawl at 1/4 speed.
Unconscious	Prone, cannot act	All attacks auto hit. Cannot defend. Stabilized by Nature or Spell Ability.
Incapacitated	Prone or immobile	Cannot take actions or reactions. ATTKs against: +10. May still be conscious.
Dying	Prone, losing Life each round	Lose 1 Life Chip per turn (tracked in purple). Fortitude (FRT) check vs GM DIFS to stabilize. At -(10 + Constitution score) Life: rejuvenation required.
Dead	At -(10 + Constitution score) Life	No further actions. Turn skipped. Allies may attempt revival or resurrection.

Panic Engine

Panic LVL	Penalty to D100 Roll	Regression on Success	Behavior
LVL 1	-1	Panic Neutralized	Panicked, cannot attack, can run
LVL 2	-2	Regress to LVL 1	Panicked, cannot run, can walk
LVL 3	-3	Regress to LVL 2	Panicked, wanders randomly
LVL 4	-4	Regress to LVL 3	Panicked, cannot move or wander
LVL 5 (max)	N/A	Regress to LVL 4	Panicked, prone, only crawl

On success at any LVL: regress one LVL (or end panic if at LVL 1). May take free movement action before ending turn. Roll: D100 + Courage vs Panic DIFS.

Armor & Weapons

Armor Types, Vulnerabilities & Resistances

Vulnerability: subtract Armor Scr. penalty. Resistance: add Armor Scr. bonus. These adjust a character's effective PROTS for that attack type only. See pg. 4 and pg. 5.

Armor Type	Base Armor Scr.	Vulnerable To (Armor Scr. Penalty)	Resistant To (Armor Scr. Bonus)	Movement Penalty	Weight
Delicate (e.g. Cloth)	10	Slashing, Range (-4)	Magic (+2)	0 sq.	5 lbs
Light (e.g. Leather)	25	Piercing (-3)	Range (+2)	-1 sq.	15 lbs
Medium (e.g. Chain)	35	Blunt (-3)	Piercing (+2)	-3 sq.	30 lbs
Heavy (e.g. Plate)	45	Blunt, Magic (-5)	Slashing (+3)	-5 sq.	50 lbs
Dense (e.g. Osmium Plate)	60	Magic (-6), Corrosive (-4)	Slashing (+4), Piercing (+2)	-6 sq.	65 lbs
Composite (e.g. Dragon Scale)	55	Corrosive (-4)	Range (+4)	-4 sq.	40 lbs

DMG. Mod Chart, by Weapon Type

Flat damage modifiers applied on hit. Refer to the GM Codex or specific Module for all instances.

Weapon Type/Style	Cloth	Leather	Chain	Plate	Composite	Beast	Undead	Construct	Aberration
Slashing	+4	+2	-2	-3	-4	+3	-2	-4	-4
Chop	+3	+3	0	0	-2	+4	+1	+1	-4
Blunt	-2	0	+3	+5	+3	+1	+4	+4	-4
Piercing	+2	+3	-2	0	-2	+2	-2	-3	-4
Range	+4	-2	0	-4	-5	+2	0	-2	-4
Magic	+2	0	+2	+5	+4	0	+4	+3	+6
TAW	+3	+2	+2	+2	-3	+1	+2	+6	+1
Chthonic	+3	+2	+2	+1	-2	+1	+4	+3	+5
Oxidize	+2	+2	+2	+2	0	+2	+2	+3	+1

TABA, Technologically Advanced Body Armor

Vulnerable to Melee and TAW Range attacks (+5% hit bonus for attacker). Lighter than standard armor. See pg. 4.

TABA Grade	Base Armor Scr.	Vulnerable To	Resistant To	Movement	Weight
Delicate	10	Melee, TAW Range (+5% hit)	Standard Range (+2 Armor Scr.)	+2 sq.	2 lbs
Light	25	Melee, TAW Range (+5% hit)	Standard Range (+2 Armor Scr.)	+2 sq.	7 lbs
Medium	35	Melee, TAW Range (+5% hit)	Standard Range (+2 Armor Scr.)	0 sq.	12 lbs
Heavy	45	Melee, TAW Range (+5% hit)	Standard Range (+3 Armor Scr.)	-2 sq.	20 lbs
Dense	50	Melee, TAW Range (+5% hit)	Standard Range (+3 Armor Scr.)	-3 sq.	28 lbs
Composite	55	Melee, TAW Range (+5% hit)	Standard Range (+4 Armor Scr.)	-1 sq.	18 lbs

Armor Common Base Armor Score and Rank Bonuses

Rank	Bonus to Base Armor Scr.	Quality Available
Common	Base (as listed above)	Poor, Good, Extravagant
Uncommon	+6	Poor, Good, Extravagant
Rare	+12	Poor, Good, Extravagant
Unique	+15	Good, Extravagant
Heroic	+18	Good, Extravagant, Exquisite
Elite	+24	Good, Exquisite, Masterful
Legendary	+30	Exquisite, Masterful
Divine	+42	Lore Quest / Drop only

Armor Spell Power Modifiers

Armor Grade	Spell Power Modifier
Delicate (Cloth, Silk)	+5
Half Light (Mithril Weave)	+3
Light (Leather, Hide)	+2
Half Medium	+1
Medium (Chain)	0
Half Heavy	-3
Heavy (Plate)	-5
Half Dense	-7
Dense (Osmium Plate)	-10
Half Composite	-12
Composite (Dragon Scale)	-15

Armor Quality

Quality	Roll d100	% of Grade (Armor Score) and Value	Stat Bonus
Poor	1-7	-5%	-
Good	8-30	0% (no adjustment)	-
Extravagant	31-60	+3%	+1 CHA
Exquisite	61-80	+4%	+2 CHA
Masterful	81-100	+5%	+3 CHA

Armor Condition

Condition	Roll d100	Armor Scr. Effect	Movement
Excellent	81-100	+5% × Grade	No penalty
Fair (Damaged)	11-80	-30% × Grade	-3 sq.
Broken	1-10	-50% × Grade (Armor Scr. halved)	Movement halved. No enhancement bonuses.

Condition degrades at end of encounter: incapacitated (0 Life), all armaments drop one tier. Character killed, all armaments drop one additional tier. Condition does not restore when Life does. Maintenance required to restore condition (blacksmith, Item Value × 0.05).

Weapon Quality

Quality affects value only, does not change damage or combat stats. Apply the percentage to (Base Price × Rank Multiplier) only when the adjustment is non-zero. Good quality (0%) means no change is made.

Quality	Value Change
Poor	-5%
Good	0% (no adjustment)
Extravagant	+3%
Exquisite	+4%
Masterful	+5%

Sentimental Value

Applies to armaments (weapons and armor), accessories, charms, rings, amulets, cloaks, symbols (holy, unholy, or other class-specific implements), and any item readied or worn. Up to one item per type may accrue at once, one weapon, one armor, one accessory, one symbol, never two of the same type simultaneously. Weapons and armor must be kept readied, accessories and symbols kept worn, continuously and without ever being switched out, to accrue a cumulative +1 bonus to the item's primary stat per Character LVL (LVL). The moment a weapon is unreadied or a worn item is removed, even once, it can no longer establish or accrue any further Sentimental Value, that's it, the bonus already earned simply locks permanently at its current LVL. Items gifted by an Adored character, a family member, or a bonded Companion begin with +1 by default. Every 5 Levels, the item also grants +1 to a Trait tied to its type: weapons +1 Courage, armor +1 Toughness, accessories +1 Charisma, symbols +1 Piety. Sentimental weapons gain one rank every 5 Levels; once Rare, they become enhancement-eligible. Noted on the Character sheet and armament card. See pg. 4 for full rules.

Weapon Condition

Condition	Roll d100	Damage Effect
Excellent	81-100	Full damage, no penalties
Fair (Damaged)	11-80	Rank-based penalty (see below)
Broken	1-10	Cannot be used in combat. No enhancement bonuses.

Condition degrades by the same rule as armor, see Armor Condition above. All armaments use the same system.

Rank Tier	Fair Damage Penalty	Example Rolls
Common / Uncommon	Roll 1d4; penalty = -(4 - roll)	Roll 1: -3 \| Roll 2: -2 \| Roll 3: -1 \| Roll 4: 0
Rare / Unique	Roll 2d4; penalty = -(8 - sum of rolls)	Roll 2-8: -6 to 0
Heroic / Elite	Roll 3d4; penalty = -(12 - sum of rolls)	Roll 3-12: -9 to 0
Legendary / Divine	Roll 4d4; penalty = -(16 - sum of rolls)	Roll 4-16: -12 to 0

Fair (Damaged) Damage Penalty Clarification: When a Fair (Damaged) weapon hits in combat, roll the indicated number of d4s and calculate the damage reduction using the formula shown. For example, with a Common-rank weapon, if you roll a 3 on the d4, the damage reduction is -(4-3) = -1, meaning the weapon does 1 less damage than its normal roll. If you roll a 4, the damage reduction is -(4-4) = 0, meaning the Fair (Damaged) condition incurs no penalty on that particular hit.

Armament Base Prices (Common Rank)

Armor Type	Base Price	TABA (+10%)
Delicate (Cloth, Silk)	5 Gold	6 Gold
Light (Leather, Hide)	10 Gold	11 Gold
Medium (Chain)	60 Gold	66 Gold
Heavy (Plate)	1,200 Gold	1,320 Gold
Dense	2,000 Gold	2,200 Gold
Composite	3,000+ Gold (varies by material)	3,300+ Gold

Weapon Type	Base Price	TAW (+10%)
1H Melee	15 Gold	17 Gold
2H Melee	25 Gold	28 Gold
1H Range	10 Gold	11 Gold
2H Range	30 Gold	33 Gold
Caster (Stave, Scepter, Orb, Tome, Dagger)	20 Gold	22 Gold

Rank Price Multiplier

Apply multiplier to base price, then apply quality adjustment.

Rank	Price Multiplier
Common	x1 (base)
Uncommon	x3
Rare	x8
Unique	x15
Heroic	x25
Elite	x200
Legendary	x1,000
Divine	Not for sale

Value = Base Price (by structure) × Rank Multiplier. Apply quality % adjustment only when non-zero, Good quality (0%) leaves the value unchanged. Maintenance = Item Value × 0.05 per long rest, owed only when condition has dropped. Requires a blacksmith. Divine armaments have no market value, maintenance fee is on the card, always at least 50% above the equivalent Legendary fee. Condition does not drop for skipping, degraded condition simply persists until restored. Value is always determined by structure, not grade or material.

Set Bonus

Only Heroic rank and above have set bonuses. Replacing gloves or boots removes that piece's bonus and reduces the Main Bonus by 25% of its numerical stats per replacement (50% if both replaced). Once broken by replacing pieces, the set cannot be restructured permanently. Only the Cuirass may receive a set-LVL enhancement. See the GM Codex for Cuirass enhancement rules.

Bound and Unbound Armaments

Status	How Acquired	Notes
Unbound	Drop, Auction	Can be traded online. Becomes Bound if equipped, enhanced, inscribed, or socketed (Common through Unique).
Attuned	Heroic and above	Not Bound until Attuned. Cannot be enhanced until Attuned. Becomes Bound upon Attunement, cannot be traded once Bound. Attunement automatically unattunes from original bearer. Attunement becomes more difficult the higher the rank.
Bound	Crafted, Quest, Cash Purchase, Vendor, Player Trade	Cannot be traded once bound. Bound to the Character it was acquired or enhanced by.

Underarmor Requirements

Armor Type	Minimum Underarmor
Cloth, Leather, Fur	None required
Medium (chain, ring mail)	Cloth underarmor
Heavy (plate)	Faulding (padded garment)
Dense / Composite	Gambeson (thick quilted jacket)

Donning, Doffing, and Setting Armaments

Term	Rule
Armament Set	The full combination of Armaments a character has readied together: one donned armor piece, up to three carried weapon types (drawn or sheathed), and any carried ammunition. An Armament Set has no expiration once readied, but must stay intact for at least 24 game hours (the next game day) before it can be changed for a new one. See Weapons Carried, pg. 4.
Donning	Readying an Armament (weapon or armor) so it counts as equipped and its bonuses apply.
Doffing	Removing an Armament from the readied Armament Set. Any Weapon/Hand Proficiency or Armor bonus it granted stops applying until it, or an equivalent, is donned again.
Setting	Characters set their full Armament Set at the start of each game day (long rest, 8 hours). 3 Weapons Readied are fixed until the next game day. A second armor piece may be part of that day's Set if Encumbrance allows; however, swapping into it requires doffing the current piece before any rest and donning the replacement after it ends, so Armor may be doffed and donned during a breather. See Weapons Carried, pg. 4.
Class/Path/Branch Armament Requirement	An Ability can be chosen from any Path of an active class the moment its Prerequisites are met, alignment permitting. Using it requires one of that tree's listed weapons to be readied, a Culture restriction rather than a training one; a weapon the tree does not list performs no Ability from it, though it still performs Basic ATTKs normally. Armor is not a gate the same way: wearing the tree's Armor Grade or lighter avoids an Armament Penalty, and wearing heavier only costs that Penalty. See Playable Classes, pg. 3.

Armament Penalty (Armor) and Weapon/Hand Proficiency (Weapons)

A character may use ANY class's Abilities, from any Class Tree they've spent Ability points into, with no Armament Penalty and the full Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus, so long as two things are true that day: the class's own default Armaments (its normal armor and weapon types) are part of that day's Armament Set, and they are physically able to carry what's equipped. Abilities already learned remain fully usable even if the character can no longer access that class's Path due to alignment or Fallen/Risen mechanics.

Armor and weapons are not treated the same way when mismatched. Armor is a matter of weight and mobility, something raw physical capability can overcome, wearing heavier than a tree allows costs a scaling Armament Penalty. A weapon is a matter of Culture instead, and no Trait overcomes it: a tree's Abilities require one of that tree's listed weapons to be readied, and a weapon it does not list, or one it names Forbidden, performs none of them. Wielding the tree's own stated weapon both satisfies that requirement and grants its Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus.

Armor Grade Threshold: Every class, Path, and Branch has a maximum Armor Grade its Abilities assume, stated in that tree's Armaments reminder (see Playable Classes, pg. 3, and Armor Grades & Materials, pg. 4, for the eleven Grades in ascending order: Delicate, Half Light, Light, Half Medium, Medium, Half Heavy, Heavy, Half Dense, Dense, Half Composite, Composite). Each Half Grade sits between a full Grade and the full Grade below it, a blend of the two, Half Light blends Light and Delicate, Half Medium blends Medium and Light, Half Heavy blends Heavy and Medium, Half Dense blends Dense and Heavy, Half Composite blends Composite and Dense. A character may wear their tree's maximum Grade, or any lighter Grade, with no Armament Penalty at all, weight and mobility below that ceiling are never a Prerequisite problem.

Armor Mismatch, Armament Penalty: When a character uses an Ability from a tree while wearing an Armor Grade heavier than that tree's maximum allows, a -5 Armament Penalty applies per Grade of difference, two Grades over the threshold applies -10, three Grades over applies -15, and so on. This penalty hits every roll made using that specific Ability, whether it's an attack roll, a Skill check, a crafting check, or any other action the Ability calls for, but only while that mismatched Ability is actually being used, never to unrelated actions. The penalty reduces by 1 per Grade of difference for every +5 a character has in whichever Trait most directly relates to overcoming that mismatch, typically Strength for encumbering armor. The GM determines the relevant Trait when it isn't obvious.

Example: A Monk's tree assumes Delicate Grade or lighter. A character with Heavy Grade (Plate) donned as their daily Armament is six Grades over that threshold (Delicate → Half Light → Light → Half Medium → Medium → Half Heavy → Heavy), taking a -30 Armament Penalty using any Monk Nature Ability. With +5 Strength, that penalty reduces to -24.

Protector Trees: A handful of Paths and Branches built around frontline defense raise their tree's maximum Grade all the way to Dense or Composite, the two heaviest Grades that exist (see Armor Grades & Materials, pg. 4), meaning a character following one of these can don ANY armor in the game with zero Armament Penalty. This is never free: Dense and Composite both carry the steepest movement penalties of any Grade, and every Ability written for a Protector Path or Branch is built to trade damage output for raw survivability, expect a Protector to hit softer and move slower than a peer who stayed in lighter armor. See each class's Tiers, Paths and Branches, pg. 3, for which ones carry this trait.

Weapon/Hand Proficiency: Every class, Path, and Branch has an ideal weapon profile stated in that tree's Armaments reminder (see Playable Classes, pg. 3), covering five parts: a Weapon Type (Tactical, Magic, TAW, or Chthonic, see Weapon Type DMG Mods, pg. 4), a Weapon Style (Slashing, Blunt, Piercing, or Chop, for melee weapons; Range and Throw weapons carry no Style, see below), a Hand (1h (Main), 1h (Off), or 2h), a Distance (Touch, Melee, Throw, or Range, each with its own distance band, see below), and a Grade & Material (the weapon's Grade, see Weapon Grade & Materials, pg. 4, and, for some Paths or Branches, a Material Restriction that narrows the Weapon Style further, such as wood-only). A weapon must satisfy every part of a tree's profile to earn that tree's full Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus, matching the Weapon Type alone is not enough if the Style, Hand, Distance, or Grade & Material don't also match. A weapon that satisfies the tree's Weapon Type and Style, without being Forbidden by its Culture, is enough to perform the tree's Abilities at all; the remaining parts govern only the bonus.

Range: Every weapon and Spell resolves at one of five Ranges: Touch (self or an adjacent target, no distance), Melee (adjacent, weapon's reach), Throw (a thrown weapon's short distance, e.g. javelin, hand-axe, sling stone), Area (Spell-only, a distance shorter than Range that resolves against a zone), or Range (a mechanically launched weapon's long distance, e.g. bow, crossbow, black powder weapon, or a Spell's longest single-target cast distance). Throw and Range are not interchangeable, a thrown weapon and a drawn/mechanically loosed weapon are different Ranges even when their real-world distances overlap. Area still carries any Style (Cone, Line, Burst, Cloud, Single Target, or Chain), the Style just plays out at Area's shorter distance, a Line Style at Area Range becomes several short rays fanning out rather than one long beam, a Cone Style at Area Range becomes a tighter, closer wedge rather than a long one.

Weapon Type vs. Weapon Style: A weapon's Type is Tactical (ordinary craft), Magic (Enchanted, or a caster's implement by nature), TAW (manufactured technology, splitting into TAW Ballistic and TAW Charged), or Chthonic (elemental substance held in the shape of a weapon, melee or ranged, neither cast nor built, and equally strong on every world, see Chthonic Weapons, pg. 4), the same Martial-or-Magic split used to flavor-tag Slots on pg. 3, plus the two culture-gated Types. A weapon's Style, where it has one, is Slashing, Blunt, Piercing, Chop, Flexible, Grab, or Chain, describing a melee weapon's shape, not its Type. The two combine: Tactical Blunt covers hammers, maces, clubs, and Staffs (Quarterstaff, Bō, Jō, Long Staff (2h), Short Staff (1h, dual-wieldable)); Magic Blunt covers Staves and wands, the dedicated caster implement, never a martial Staff, distinct in name specifically to avoid confusion between the two. The same split carries across the other Styles: a plain blade is Tactical Slashing, an enchanted blade is Magic Slashing; a plain dagger or spear is Tactical Piercing, an enchanted one is Magic Piercing; a plain axe or hatchet is Tactical Chop, an enchanted axe is Magic Chop; a plain rope or whip is Tactical Flexible, an enchanted one is Magic Flexible; a plain pair of tongs, pincers, claws, or hooks is Tactical Grab, an enchanted pair is Magic Grab. Unlike every other Style, Grab never rolls standard attack damage, its modifier applies to a Grapple or Grab check instead (see Grapple and Grab, Basic Rules pg. 5). Chain stands apart from the rest, it isn't forged into one fixed shape, a chain-whip is Flexible, a chain-sword is Slashing, and a chain-and-weight mounted on a pole is Blunt, each specific Chain weapon states which of the three it counts as on its own Card, using that row's DMG mod rather than a row of its own. Throw and Range weapons carry no Style at all, a javelin or hand-axe is Tactical (Range: Throw); a bow or black powder weapon is Tactical (Range: Range); a wand or orb channeled at range is Magic (Range: Range). Not every specific weapon crosses both Types, some are locked to one side by their nature, a two-handed hammer can only ever be Tactical, an orb can only ever be Magic, while others, like blades, can go either way depending on how they're made. For damage-modifier purposes (see Weapon Type DMG Mods, pg. 4), a Magic-Type weapon uses the Magic row regardless of Style, a Tactical-Type weapon uses its Style's own row instead. TAW and Chthonic stand apart from both Type values and from each other, both gated by culture and availability rather than training or magic (see Cultural Armaments & Rarity, below), but they are not the same thing: TAW is manufactured technology, a TAW blade or rifle built on an assembly line; Chthonic is elemental substance given a weapon's shape, a blade of living flame, a lightning whip, a coiled wind-blade, plasma, or raw force, never manufactured, mirroring the same TABA-versus-Chthonic split defined for armor above.

Spell Prerequisite Profile: Spells carry the same kind of profile weapons do, but built from five Spell-specific parts instead: a Cast (Verbal, a spoken incantation or chant; Somatic, a gesture or hand motion; Ritual, no Verbal or Somatic component required, but takes extended time to perform; Mind, no spoken, gestured, or ritual component at all, cast through will alone, covering ESP, psionics, and telekinesis; Reagents, cast by consuming a Reagent or Organic Element (Bone Dust, Bat Wings, Elderwood Ash, and the like, see Organic Elements, pg. 4) in place of Mana; Conjure, calls forth or animates a weapon, construct, or remains into being or motion, such as a conjured blade, spectral shield, or reanimated bones, that lingers and acts on its own each turn until dismissed or the encounter ends, not interruptible and not requiring further action from the caster, who is free to act or perform skill checks without losing it; Summon, calls a living or spirit creature to act with limited agency on the caster's behalf, such as a bound spirit-hawk or a hovering shrunken head, under the same non-interruptible terms as Conjure; or Orbital, an entity of various forms, shaped from raw magic rather than a weapon, creature, or remains, that hovers or floats around the caster to protect, attack, buff, or curse on its own, typically lasting for longer periods of time rather than resolving in a single instant, under the same non-interruptible terms as Conjure), a Mechanic (Instant, resolves immediately; DoT, damage ticking each round; HoT, healing ticking each round; Channel, held up turn after turn and interruptible if the caster is struck; or Drain, cast by spending Life, Stamina, or Endurance instead of Mana), a Style (Cone, a wedge extending from the caster; all other Styles, such as Line, Burst, Cloud, Single Target, and Chain, TBA), a School (the Spell's elemental or magical flavor, e.g. Fire, Ice, Arcane, Acid, Lightning, Necrotic, Holy, Psychic, Nature, Psionic; a School can carry its own lingering sub-effect, such as Acid's Corrosion degrading equipment over time; Psionic further splits into named disciplines, Telekinesis, Clairvoyance, Metacreativity, and Psychometabolism, alongside unfocused Psionic itself, see Imperials, Basic Rules pg. 2), and a Distance (Touch, Range, or Area, see above; a Spell channeled through a melee or thrown weapon instead uses that weapon's Melee or Throw Range). A Spell's full profile is noted on its Spell Card.

Armor Type: Armor splits four ways, Tactical (ordinary craft, steel, leather, hide, bone), Magic (its protective quality comes from an inherent magical nature rather than craft alone), TABA (Technologically Advanced Body Armor, gated by culture and availability the same as TAW, see pg. 4), and Chthonic (elemental in nature, plasma, living flame, raw force rather than manufactured plating, gated the same way as TABA but never built by Omnè's engineering). TABA and Chthonic are not the same thing, TABA is manufactured technology, Chthonic is elemental substance given form, a plasma cuirass is Chthonic even if no factory anywhere produced it. Any Armor Grade can in principle be reached by any of the four Types, a Heavy Grade breastplate might be plain Tactical steel, TABA plating, elemental Chthonic given shape, or a rare Magic-forged piece, though some Structures lean toward one Type by nature, Force Fields are inherently TABA, Chthonic Shields are inherently Chthonic, and Mithril is inherently Magic, Type, Structure, and Grade (Half Light) are one and the same for it, it is never built as Tactical, TABA, or Chthonic.

Cultural Armaments & Rarity: TAW and Chthonic are not special cases, they're an example of a wider rule: every playable race has its own culture-tied Armaments, a Weapon Type, armor style, or Tactical or Magic technique unique to its people. Troll-make weaponry and armor and Ignis's Primal Armaments and Accessories (see pg. 4) are only two named examples among many, every race carries its own, whether written up yet or not. Each is rare outside that culture's reach. It becomes common only when at least one of two things is true: the campaign setting is within or near that culture's territory (an Omnè refugee camp counts, even off-world, same for a settlement on or near Ignis), or the Character themselves belongs to that culture, whether by race or by a Background raised among its people (see Backgrounds, pg. 2), a human raised by Omnè qualifies the same as an Omnè character would, same for one raised on Ignis. Outside both conditions, that culture's Armaments are rare to find, buy, or craft, though a GM may still roll to let a character have managed to acquire a piece anyway, at their discretion. Many interactive MAC creatures carry their own MAC-exclusive Armaments the same way, entire classes built around them, Grave Wardens (Undead) wield Deathrattle bone weaponry and wrap themselves in Shroud Plate cured from grave-cloth and bone; Core-Wrought Sentinels (Construct) integrate a Forged-Core weapon limb and Plated Chassis armor directly into their bodies rather than wearing or wielding either; Alpha Predators (Beast) fight with natural Feral Claw and Hidebound weapon and armor types no character can equip or remove. These, and many more, are detailed per Module and/or in Behemoths, Beasts & Bugs rather than here.

Required Weapons: Every Tier, Path, and Branch lists the weapons its Abilities are performed with. One of them must be readied to use any Ability from that tree. This is not a penalty scale and no Trait softens it: a weapon the tree does not list, or one its Culture names Forbidden, simply performs none of that tree's Abilities. A Character may still carry and fight with whatever they like, Basic ATTKs are never restricted by class, Path, or Branch, and any weapon a Character can wield performs one normally (see Basic ATTKs, Basic Rules pg. 5). The restriction exists for Culture rather than capability: an Avenger is perfectly able to swing a TAW mace, their faith simply does not channel through manufactured tech, so no Avenger Ability comes out of it.

Weapon Match, Weapon/Hand Proficiency: Satisfying a tree's requirement and earning its bonus are two different bars. Wielding the weapon that satisfies a tree's full profile grants that tree's stated Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus, typically a flat bonus to Hit. Where a Path or Branch calls out a specific alternate weapon of its own, wielding that one instead grants a smaller version of the same bonus. This bonus is separate from the Armament Penalty above, and unlike armor, no amount of Strength, Agility, or any other Trait changes either number, they're fixed by what's in hand.

Example: An Avenger's Abilities assume a Blunt, 1h or 2h, Melee weapon, wielding one grants the Avenger's Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus. An Avenger wielding a dagger instead still uses every Avenger Ability normally, they simply don't earn that bonus until a Blunt weapon is back in the day's Armament Set. A Sorcerer channels through a Magic, 1h or 2h, Melee-range Stave for the same bonus; wielding a different melee weapon instead still casts every Sorcerer Spell normally, just without it.

Example, Material Restriction: A Monk's tree calls for a Blunt weapon made of wood, 1h, 2h, or bare hands, Melee range, to earn its Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus. A hammer or mace is Blunt and Melee, but its metal head fails the wood-only Material Restriction, so it doesn't earn the bonus, though it still activates every Monk Nature Ability normally. A quarterstaff or nunchaku, being both Blunt and wood, satisfies the full profile and earns the bonus.

Using a class's Abilities while equipped with that SAME class's own default Armaments for the day carries no Armament Penalty and earns that tree's full Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus, no matter how another class's Armaments compare.

Enchantment Creates a Magic Weapon: A weapon's Magic Type is not inherent in every case, most weapons start as Tactical, and it's a successful Enchantment (see Enchanting, pg. 4) that converts a Tactical weapon into a Magic one, this is what defines a magic weapon in these rules, not a glowing effect or a magical-sounding name, but having actually undergone Enchantment. A handful of dedicated caster implements, a Stave, wand, orb, or tome, are Magic by their own nature instead (see Weapon Type vs. Weapon Style, above) and never need Enchanting to qualify, the same way an orb can never be Tactical no matter what's done to it.

Magic Weapons, Martial, and Spell: A Magic-Type weapon earns both a Martial Ability's and a Spell Ability's Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus at once, so long as its Style, Hand, Distance, and Grade & Material still match the tree's ideal profile, while a Tactical-Type weapon only earns it for a Martial Ability. This means a class like Barbarian, Ranger, Warrior, or Rogue, whose tree's Weapon/Hand Proficiency profile stays weapon-based rather than Stave-or-orb-based across Tier, Path, and Branch, still performs its Martial Abilities with the plain Tactical version of that profile, the same as always, but casting one of its Spell Abilities at full bonus calls for either an Enchanted (Magic-Type) version of that same weapon, or the tree's specific default casting implement where one is stated instead (a Stave, orb, tome, wand, or similar), if that tree defines one as its true baseline focus, either way the Spell itself still casts without one. For example, a Barbarian's 2h axe, once successfully Enchanted (see Enchantment Creates a Magic Weapon, above), becomes a Magic-Type 2h axe that earns the Barbarian's Spell Weapon/Hand Proficiency bonus the same way a caster's Stave or orb would, no separate implement needed, so long as its Style, Hand, Distance, and Grade & Material still match the Barbarian's own ideal profile.

Example, Martial In Hand, Casting Without One: A Salii Priest can strike with a plain dagger as a Martial Ability normally, no Mana spent and no Enchantment needed, that half of the tree never touches either. To cast one of Salii's Spell Abilities through that same dagger instead, the dagger must first be Enchanted into a Magic-Type dagger, plain Tactical steel doesn't channel a Spell no matter how it's swung. An Avenger Cleric works the same way with a hammer: swinging it as a Martial Ability costs no Mana and needs no Enchantment, wielded empty-handed of magic entirely if that's all the Cleric has on them, but casting a Spell Ability through that hammer calls for both at once, enough Mana in the tank to pay the Spell's cost, and a Magic-Type hammer to actually channel it, a Tactical hammer and an empty Mana pool each block it on their own.

Ability Type	Weapon Type Required	Satisfied By
Martial	Tactical or Magic	The tree's normal Weapon Style, Hand, Distance, and Grade & Material, in either Type.
Spell	Magic only	An Enchanted (Magic-Type) version of the tree's Weapon Style, Hand, Distance, and Grade & Material, OR the tree's stated dedicated casting implement (Stave, orb, tome, wand, or similar), where one is required instead.
Weapon-channeled Spell	Magic, plus the full Weapon/Hand Proficiency profile	Carries both the Spell Ability's own profile (Cast, Mechanic, Style, School, Range) and the weapon's Type, Style, Hand, Distance, and Grade & Material, with Weapon Type fixed to Magic, to earn the bonus.
Becomes Magic Type via	N/A	A successful Enchantment (converts Tactical → Magic), or inherent nature (a Stave, wand, orb, or tome is always Magic, never Tactical).

Hybrid Abilities and Reagents: Reagent cost is not tied to which class an Ability belongs to, Caster-tree or Martial-tree, it's tied to the Ability itself. A Hybrid Ability, whatever class or Path it's found on, is still struck, channeled, or cast through that tree's required weapon or implement like any other Ability, and it remains whatever flavor it reads as, a heal, ward, cleanse, buff, mark, or similar support or utility effect, martial or magical alike. What sets a Hybrid Ability apart is its cost: it requires a reagent as stated on that Ability's Card, and/or direct contact, hand or a class-specific implement (e.g. a holy symbol, totem, or focus) held against the target, whichever the Card specifies (see Reagents, Organic Elements, pg. 4). This applies to every Hybrid Ability alike, on any class's tree, not limited to one class or one flavor of effect.

Ability Type	Weapon/Implement	Extra Cost
Hybrid Ability	Same weapon/implement as any other Ability on that tree, Tactical or Magic per the tree's normal profile	Reagent per the Ability Card, and/or hand or class-specific implement (holy symbol, totem, focus, etc.) held against the target
Protection, DPS, or Heals Ability (no reagent cost)	Same weapon/implement as any other Ability on that tree	None

Companions

Characters have four companion slots, one of each size. Only Life vitality applies to companions. Companions have no Mana, Stamina, Endurance, Traits, or ATTRs. Their abilities are innate and built into their card. See pg. 4.

Companion Slots

Slot	Size	Notes
Tiny	Insects, bugs, very small creatures	Cannot be mounted
Small	Rodents, small birds	Can only be mounted by Small-sized characters
Standard	Humanoid-sized up to large horse	Mountable by Small and Standard-sized characters
Large / Goliath / Behemoth	Shared slot, one only, not multiple	Large: creatures occupying 2x2 squares. Goliath: large humanoid-scale up to Centyr scale. Behemoth: colossal, extremely rare. Goliath-sized races can mount Large companions or anything larger (Large, Goliath, Behemoth).

Companion Types

Type	Description
Pets	Rodents, mammals, marsupials, critters, and bugs. Small or Tiny. From most Rare to most Common.
Guardians	Larger companions that fight alongside their owner. Can be mounted. Require feeding and care to respond.
Angelics	Powerful winged beings that shift between radiant, shadowy, and physical forms. Cannot be mounted.
Fellowship (NPCs)	Humanoid companions with their own names and identity. Follow nickname rules.
Temps	Summoned creatures, magic constructs, hirelings, temporary allies for a limited time.
Drafts	Working animals for hauling, plowing, carrying supplies. Commonly kept on farms or in stables.
Ruminants	Resource animals (cows, sheep, geese) providing milk, wool, eggs. Drop meat, wool/fur, skin, and possibly items they've eaten when slain.
Mechanical	Constructed companions with no biological needs. Subtypes: Vehicular, Droids, Automatons, Androids, Drones. Upkeep = maintenance, charging, oil, repair.

Companion Lifespans by Rank

Rank	Lifespan	Resurrection?
Common	Shortest natural lifespan	No, permanent loss
Uncommon	Short natural lifespan	No, permanent loss
Rare	Decades to centuries (type-dependent)	Yes, same rules as characters
Unique	Extraordinarily long	Yes
Heroic / Epic	Extended, centuries	Yes
Legendary	Many centuries	Yes
Divine	Immortal, no natural death	Yes

Companions of Rare rank and above remain in the boneyard until resurrected. Upon resurrection, a Companion's mood resets to Annoyed, the lowest mood tier.

Companion Performance Tiers

Tier affects availability, engagement duration, story depth, and stat bonuses. Determined by sustained Mood and upkeep over time.

Tier	Stat Bonuses	Description
Basic	-	Standard availability. Surface-LVL story interaction. Limited engagement duration before rest needed.
Intermediate (INTRM)	+1 Life, +1 Primary Ability value	Increased availability and longer engagement. Additional story moments surface, personality and history begin to emerge.
Advanced (ADV)	+2 Life, +2 Primary Ability value, Secondary Ability values improve	Maximum availability and extended engagement. Full story content accessible. Companion's personality, history, and bond fully expressed.

Companion Mood Scale

Mood is the only relationship metric Companions track. It reflects their current emotional and behavioral state, shaped by upkeep, gifting, care, and Experience (XP). Higher tiers grant escalating buffs to both Companion and owner. Common and Uncommon Companions cap at Tranquil, they have no Bond Quest and cannot reach Exalted. Bond Quests unlock at Tranquil for eligible Companions (Rare rank and above, noted on card). Completing a Bond Quest is the only path to Exalted.

Low ← Mood Scale → High
Annoyed	Distressed	Uneasy	Wary	Neutral	Content	Comfortable	Tranquil	Exalted

At Comfortable and above, Companions gift back daily (cap: 1d4/day). Ruminants gift resources only. At Exalted, Companion remains loyal even through mistreatment, GM may issue an Exposed title for abuse of this loyalty. See Titles under Prestige. See pg. 4 for full Mood Effects and Decline Resistance tables.

Accompanying

At every long rest, the Character decides which Companions accompany them. All Mood, upkeep, environment, and presence bonus rules apply only to Companions that are accompanying. Companions not chosen are left at a safe keep, with a caretaker, or released.

Companion Presence Bonus

Each Companion grants +1 to a specific Trait per year accompanied. Trait listed on Companion Card, varies by Companion type, not just category. Lost immediately if unaccompanied for more than 2 consecutive months. Rebuilds at the same rate on return. See pg. 4 for examples.

Companion Environments

Disliked: Costs 1 Endurance Chip from the Character every 3 hours in-game. Mood drops 1 tier every 3 hours. Favored: No upkeep required. Mood rises 1 tier every 3 hours passively. No extra actions granted.

Companion Tickets

Module-exclusive, rank-matched items used to acquire Companions. Redeemed at the appropriate trainer, type noted on ticket. Companion revealed only upon rolling at trainer. Guaranteed drop from module milestones. Low chance from boss encounters, lower the higher the module rank. No drop from standard encounters. Can be stockpiled while slots are full.

Encounters & Loot

Encounter Card Types

Type	Represents	Token Rule
NPC	Quest givers, faction leaders, vendors, story figures	Defined per card
Boss	Powerful unique adversaries; major story milestones	Defined per card
Mob	Groups of similar enemies (squads, packs)	Each token = one individual enemy present
Companion	Allies, pets, mounts, hirelings	Defined per card
Mechanical	Traps, locked doors, pressure plates, puzzles, hazards	Each token = one attempt characters have at the mechanism. When all spent, mechanism is permanently resolved.
Biological	Living flora and fauna, critters to giant plants	Defined per card
Environmental	Terrain, weather, earthquakes, tornadoes	Defined per card

Wandering Encounters

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 triggers. The GM draws from the appropriate regional pool. Once resolved, the card returns to the pool. Thresholds may be adjusted at GM discretion.

Item Drop Rates by Rank

Rank	Default Drop Chance
Common	Most entities, rank-dependent
Uncommon	~10%
Rare	~7%
Unique	~6%
Heroic	~5%
Elite	~4%
Legendary	~3%
Divine	~0.01%

Rank Differential, Loot Scaling

Rank Gap	Effect
Within 1 rank	Full drop rates apply
2 ranks above target	Common item drops reduced by 50%; materials drop at Poor quality
3 ranks above target	Common items no longer drop; quest items retain their chance; materials drop at Poor quality
4+ ranks above target	No item drops; materials only at Poor quality; quest items retain minimum chance

LVL acts as a secondary modifier within the same rank, 5 or more LVLs above a same-rank target applies the next tier down.

Prestige

Prestige measures how the world perceives a character, shaped by actions, achievements, and failures. It affects NPC interactions, faction standing, titles, and legacy. See pg. 2.

Standing Tiers

Standing	Value	Effect
Exalted	+4	Reached only through a Bond Quest, available at Cherished. The NPC acts in the Character's interest even at personal cost.
Cherished / Adored	+3 / +2	May receive unsolicited gifts daily (1d4/day cap). Cherished: highest frequency and quality. Adored: reduced frequency and quality. Boasted titles recognized by faction increase gift quality.
Respected	+1	Cooperative, fair trade, aid when asked. Access to faction resources and quests open.
Neutral	0	Standard interaction. No bonuses or penalties.
Tolerable	−1	No favors. Some resources restricted. Vendor prices may increase.
Disliked	−2	Active sabotage: false information, blocked access, tipped-off enemies, refused quests, reputation damage spread to neutral factions.
Hated	−3	Killed on sight. No negotiation. Exposed titles announced publicly on character death.

Standing Categories

Standing is held across seven categories, each with its own Standing and its own Contributions, tracked apart: Family (the Character's kin), Affiliations (formal faction membership), Companions (Pets, Guardians, mounts, Fellowships, recorded as Mood), Campaign (people partied with), Fellows (the friends list), Neighbours (those sharing or bordering the Character's coordinates), and Wellness (the Character's Standing with themselves, their self-directed Contributions). See Standing under Prestige for full descriptions.

Contribution, Neglect & the Mark

Each Standing category carries two lines: Standing (Exalted through Hated, how the party regards the Character) and Contribution (what the Character puts in, with Neglect as its downward direction, ticking on its own like Wellness). Recorded apart. Only the Standing line carries a Mark, so each category holds three numbers: Standing now, the Mark, and Contribution now.

Neglect floor: Neglect can only carry a Character toward Neutral, never past it. Falling below Neutral takes a deliberate act.

The Mark: the highest Standing ever held with a party, recorded alongside current Standing. Never decays. It distinguishes drifting apart from betrayal: two parties at Neutral read differently if one's Mark is Exalted and the other's is Neutral.

Betrayal scales with the Mark: a deliberate act drops a party as far below Neutral as their Mark stood above it. Mark Adored (+2) lands at Disliked (−2); Mark Exalted (+4) lands at Hated. Minimum one tier below Neutral regardless of Mark.

Sealing: a Mark is never erased, but a Bond Quest may seal it. The record stands; the GM stops applying it. See Contribution, Neglect & the Mark under Prestige, pg. 2.

Praise & Blowback

Praise is what a Character receives from the friends and allies of those they hold good Standing with. Blowback is what they receive from the enemies of those same parties. Both arrive unasked. Rising with one faction is by itself a way of falling with its rivals, so there is no neutral gain in Standing. A mission statement worked towards draws Praise from those who hope to see it done and Blowback from those who do not; a mission statement neglected reverses both. The ripple: when Standing with a target moves, allies of that target move the same direction by half the tiers moved, rounded down, minimum 1; enemies move the opposite direction by the same amount; parties marked neutral do not move. See Praise & Blowback under Prestige, pg. 2.

Non-Player Character Disposition

NPCs interact based on their Standing relative to the Character, their race, and their faction. Some Standings are set by default (racial defaults), and shift through Player actions and story events. Standing runs: Exalted, Cherished, Adored, Respected, Neutral, Tolerable, Disliked, Hated. Exalted is reached only through a Bond Quest, which becomes available at Cherished. NPC Disposition is tracked on NPC Encounter Cards. See Standing Tiers under Prestige for full tier descriptions.

Titles: Glory, Shame, and Reputation

Titles are the world's memory of a character. They represent deeds done, accomplishments earned, or infractions committed. Titles are earned or imposed, displayed or hidden, and affect how NPCs and factions perceive and interact with the character. A title is more than flavor; it shapes the game world's response to who the character is and what they have done.

Boasted Titles: Earned Glory

Boasted Titles are prestigious honors earned through heroic deeds, achievements, or distinguished actions. A player may BOAST one title at a time, displaying it in their Hero slot for the world to see. Boasted titles grant Standing bonuses with factions that recognize and respect them, and they feed directly into a character's Aura (see Aura, pg. 4).

How Boasted Titles are Earned: Titles are earned through:

Completing major quests or missions that impact the world.
Defeating legendary enemies or accomplishing impossible feats.
Achieving a new Rank tier (each Rank tier met is an achievement that can be boasted).
Earning recognition from major factions or NPCs.
Accumulating Prestige and Standing in specific directions (becoming a Hero, a Sage, a Champion, etc.).

Tracking Boasted Titles: A character may earn many Boasted Titles throughout their career, but only one is actively displayed at a time. The player chooses which title to boast, changing it as their character's focus shifts. All earned titles remain in the character's permanent record (Journal booklet or Space), providing a history of accomplishments. If a player forgets or fails to track earned titles, they are lost; maintaining careful records is rewarded.

Shamed Titles: The Mark of Infamy

Shamed Titles are marks of disgrace, infamy, or moral failing. They are issued by the GM as consequences for significant negative deeds, exposure of secrets, or betrayals. Unlike Boasted Titles, a character does not choose or consent to Shamed Titles; they are imposed as consequences. Shamed Titles are always EXPOSED, visible to the world, and permanently recorded.

How Shamed Titles are Issued: A GM issues a Shamed Title when:

A character's secret deed is discovered through Witness Probability rolls (see Witness Probability, below).
A character commits a significant act of betrayal, cruelty, or moral failing within the game world.
A character's actions trigger NPC or faction judgment (a Companion abandoner, a murderer, a Heretic, etc.).
The story or module specifically grants a Shamed Title as a consequence.

Mechanics of Shamed Titles: When a Shamed Title is issued:

It is automatically EXPOSED and visible to the world; characters cannot hide it during the locking period.
It causes Standing loss with factions that oppose or judge the deed.
It triggers Blowback from those factions' allies and enemies (see Praise & Blowback, above).
It affects how NPCs respond to the character; some will refuse service, attack on sight, or demand compensation.
It feeds directly into the character's Aura, making them appear darker, corrupted, or broken (see Aura, pg. 4).

Title Locking and Interchanging

Lock Duration: When a title (Shamed or Boasted) is first issued or earned, it is LOCKED for a minimum of one GAME DAY (one full rest). During this period, a Shamed Title cannot be hidden, and a Boasted Title cannot be swapped for another.

Visibility Increases Over Time: The longer a title remains active and exposed, the more people see it, speak of it, and build their opinions around it. A fresh Shamed Title "Murderer" might be unknown to distant factions, but after weeks of in-game time, NPCs and factions across the realm have heard whispers. Standing ripples spread faster and farther the longer a title is visible. Conversely, a Boasted Title gains more power the longer it remains visible, granting bonuses that compound over time.

Interchanging After Lock Expires: Once the one-day 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 (retiring a title, embracing a new identity, the world forgetting an old one).

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. The GM controls how long a Shamed Title remains EXPOSED to the world; this duration depends on story pacing, faction responses, and the character's actions in response to the title. The GM may also choose whether a newly discovered deed issues a new Shamed Title that supersedes an existing one, or stacks alongside it. Shamed Titles dissipate only through redemption quests, years of good behavior, or specific rituals tied to their nature (see Common Shamed Titles, below).

Stacking of Titles: A character may have multiple active (though hidden) titles at once. The GM may stack new Shamed Titles on an existing character, creating layers of infamy. Players may discover that forgotten titles still haunt them or that NPCs recall older deeds. This is intentional; the past does not disappear.

Witness Probability: How Deeds Become Exposed

Not all deeds are seen. When a character commits a significant act in secret: murder in a desolate location, theft from a guarded vault, betrayal in a private meeting, the GM rolls to determine if witnesses are present. The baseline probability depends on the location, time, and circumstances. A character may commit an act in near-total secrecy; success is never guaranteed, but persistence raises the odds.

Scenarios and Modifiers: Witness probability varies by scenario: desolate areas have low baseline odds, populated areas have high baseline odds, repeat offenses in the same location increase odds with each occurrence. Time of day, presence of magical creatures or wisps, and character actions (leaving evidence, fleeing conspicuously) all modify the GM's roll. See Witness Probability Formula (GM-Codex) for the complete mathematical framework and scenario modifiers.

Cumulative Probability: The first time a character commits an act in a location, they may succeed in hiding it. The second time in the same location, witnesses become more likely. By the third or fourth repeat, discovery becomes nearly inevitable. The world grows smaller, and secrets grow cheaper. Each incident compounds; the GM tracks this privately.

Exposure and Shamed Titles: When a deed is discovered (witnessed or revealed), the GM may issue a Shamed Title befitting the deed. The severity and type of Title depend on what was done and how it impacts the world around the character. A character who commits murder may receive "Murderer"; a character who abandons an ally receives "Turncoat" or worse. The character does not choose or consent to Shamed Titles; they are imposed by the GM as a consequence of exposure.

Common Shamed Titles

The following are documented Shamed Titles that may be issued by the GM. All follow the standard Shamed Title mechanics: they dissipate through good deeds, become harder to remove if bad deeds continue, and count toward accumulated Exposed Titles that may trigger Fallen or Risen mechanics organically.

Title	Trigger	Effect	Removal
Faith Turncoat	Switching to an opposite Higher Power (e.g., Lawful to Evil). Each switch earns enemies among various churches.	Bad reputation with all members of the abandoned faith; Blowback from former patrons; recognized as unreliable by multiple church factions.	Cannot be removed. Character remains known as a turncoat across all churches that remember.
Companion Abuser	Abusing an Exalted Companion's loyalty or mistreating a high-standing Companion.	−1 to Mood of all owned Companions; factions aligned with animal welfare gain Blowback; NPCs with strong bonds to their own Companions react with hostility.	Years of exemplary Companion care and publicly witnessed Companion respect; restoration through a Bond Quest alternative.
Companion Abandoner	Abandoning or locking up a Companion without proper care or a keeper; leaving a Companion to die.	−2 to Mood of all owned Companions; animal-aligned factions mark Character as enemy; Companions may refuse to be summoned until resolved.	Requires restoration of abandoned Companion (resurrection, recovery, relocation to safe keeper) and witnessed atonement.
Graveborn	Failing to Revitalize in time after death or undergoing Rejuvenation instead of Revitalization; returning from death visibly wrong or undead.	NPCs react with fear, distrust, or disgust depending on undead appearance; some factions bar entry; Standing with religious organizations may shift.	Dissipates through months of normal life and deeds; accelerated by acts of faith or redemption aligned with the faith of the character's Higher Power.
Husk-Touched	Returning from death with apparent soul damage, missing memories, or fractured personality; as if part of the self did not return.	Social interactions suffer; allies become cautious; some believe the character is no longer themselves; Companions respond with uncertainty or fear.	Requires proof of spiritual restoration or reunion with the lost part of self; acts of heroism to rebuild trust; may fade if new good deeds outweigh the darkness.
The Hollow	Returning from death fundamentally changed, with no clear sense of self, motivation, or recognition of former bonds; as if the body returned empty.	Character is treated as unreliable; Companions refuse service; factions distrust intentions; social Standing drops dramatically with those who knew the character before death.	Requires spiritual redemption through a quest, major act of faith, or ritual binding; character must demonstrate they have recovered or regained their sense of self.

Movement & Environment

Size Categories, Base Stats

Size	Base Life	Base Speed	Base Carry	Size Bonus	Size Penalty
Goliath	60	40 ft.	200 lbs	+1 Strength, +1 Toughness	-1 Agility, -1 Defense
Standard	50	30 ft.	100 lbs	None	None
Small	40	25 ft.	50 lbs	+1 Agility, +1 Defense	-1 Strength, -1 Toughness

Creature Size and Space

Size Category	Space Occupied
Tiny	1x1 sq. (5 ft.)
Small	1x1 sq. (5 ft.)
Standard	1x1 sq. (5 ft.)
Large	2x2 sq. (10 ft.)
Huge	3x3 sq. (15 ft.)
Goliath	4x4 sq. (20 ft.)
Colossal	5x5 sq. (25 ft.) or larger

Terrain Types

Terrain	Movement
Flat	Full speed
Rough (uneven ground, rubble, dense foliage)	Half speed
Slope (uphill)	Half speed
Slope (downhill)	2x speed, may require check
Wind (against)	Half speed
Wind (at the back)	2x +1 square
Slippery (ice, wet stone)	Half speed, requires check
Climbing	Half speed, requires check
Swimming (with current)	Full speed
Swimming (against current)	Half speed, requires check
Stealth	Half speed, requires talent check

Movement Types

Movement Type	Speed	Grid	Notes
Walk	1x	5 ft.	Standard movement
Run / Dash	3x	5 ft.	May trigger checks
Crawl	1/4x	5 ft.	Prone position
Creep	1/4x	5 ft.	Low, slow stealth
Step	1 sq.	5 ft.	Combat only, safe short move
Wading	1/2x	5 ft.	May require check
Sneak	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires talent check
Long Jump / High Jump	varies	5 ft.	Strength / Agility check
Climb	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires check
Scale (cliff face)	1/4x	5 ft.	Requires check
Swing (rope, vine)	2x +10 ft.	5 ft.	Requires check
Rappel	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires talent check
Burrow / Tunnel	1/4x	5 ft.	Requires talent or ability
Slither / Squeeze	1/4x	5 ft.	Limbless movement or squeezing through a space smaller than size category
Swim (with current)	2x	5 ft.	-
Swim (against current)	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires check
Fly	3x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Requires ability or mount
Glide	2x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Controlled descent only
Hover	0	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Stationary air position
Retreat	1 sq.	5 ft.	Combat only
Dodge and Retreat	1 sq.	5 ft.	Combat only, defensive
Stumble	1d10 ft.	5 ft.	Involuntary. Open to counter and AoO on every square entered.
Zero gravity	2x	space sq.	Requires training or equipment
Magnetic (metal surface)	1/2x	space sq.	Requires equipment
Phase (through solid objects)	1/2x	5 ft.	Requires innate ability
Teleport	Instant	Any	Requires line of sight or beacon
Blink	Instant	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Short range, requires innate magic
Warp	Instant	Any	Requires innate ability
Organic mount, ground (Rare and below)	3x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	Based on mount's base speed
Organic mount, ground (Unique through Elite)	4x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	-
Organic mount, ground (Legendary)	5x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	-
Organic mount, ground (Divine)	6x	5 ft. / 100 ft.	-
Organic mount, aerial (Rare and below)	4x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Organic mount, aerial (Unique through Elite)	5x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Organic mount, aerial (Legendary)	6x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Organic mount, aerial (Divine)	7x	100 ft.	Requires bonding
Non-organic vehicle (ground)	4x	100 ft.	Steam, coal, gas, electric, photon, quantum, or magic-powered; Droids and Robots
Non-organic vehicle (hover)	5x	100 ft.	Hover capable
Non-organic vehicle (spacecraft, sub-light)	10x	space sq.	-
FTL / Light speed	Instant	space sq.	Divine with Blink or similar innate magic
Pulse Jet Propulsion	25 ft.	5 ft.	Innate Ability; must change direction every 5 ft. sq.; aquatic
Thruster Burst	3x	5 ft. / space sq.	TABA thruster mod; direction committed at start; conditions vary
Quicker Feet	1x	5 ft.	Change direction every 5 ft. sq. without penalty; innate ability

Obstacle Navigation by Size

Each size category requires a minimum width to move alongside or through a gap without a check. Anything below these thresholds requires a Squeeze check (see Slither / Squeeze) or is impassable.

Size	Min. Width to Pass Freely
Small	3 ft.
Standard	4 ft.
Large (NPC/MAC)	8 ft.
Goliath	15 ft.

Example, 5 ft. wide, 8 ft. tall boulder, 10 ft. ceiling dungeon: Small, passes alongside freely; climbing over requires a Squeeze check for the 2 ft. ceiling gap. Standard, passes alongside at minimum; climbing over is blocked by the 2 ft. gap, must go around. Large (NPC/MAC), cannot pass alongside or over; fully blocked. Goliath, impassable in all directions.

Encumbrance

Each positive point of Strength adds 15 lbs to base carry capacity. Negative Strength does not reduce the base.

Size	Base Carry	Per Strength PTS
Small	50 lbs	+15 lbs
Standard	100 lbs	+15 lbs
Goliath	200 lbs	+15 lbs

Load	Threshold	Movement	Action Penalty
Light Load	0-94%	Full speed	None
Burdened	95-99%	Half speed	None
Encumbered	100%+	Cannot move	Cannot act

Visibility and Light

Condition	Dist.	Penalty
Bright light	Full	None
Dim light	4 squares	-10 to Range attacks and perception checks
Darkness	0	-25 to Melee; Range attacks not permitted
Darkvision	6 squares	No penalty within range

Disorientation

Cause	Check Penalty
Dim light / minor effect	-10 to all checks
Darkness / moderate effect	-25 to all checks
Magical / severe effect	-50 to all checks

Environmental Hazards

Hazard	Movement	Damage per Turn	Condition
Fire	1/2 speed	1d6 Life	Burning
Poison cloud	1/2 speed	1d4 Life	Poisoned
Extreme cold / heat	Full speed	1d4 Life	Fatigued
Electrical	Full speed	1d6 Life	Stunned
Flooding	1/2 speed	None	Swim check required
Slime / goo	1/4 speed	None	Restrained, check to escape

Rest

Rest Type	Duration	Recovery
Breather	1 hour	4 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each. Endurance to 60% of max (+1%/Spirit point, capped 100%).
Breather	2 hours	8 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each. Endurance to 60% of max (+1%/Spirit point, capped 100%).
Short Rest	6 hours	24 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each. Endurance to 70% of max (+1%/Spirit point, capped 100%). Watch rotation required. No donning, readying, or light activities. No maintenance unless blacksmith present.
Long Rest	8 hours	Full recovery of all Vitality, Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance.

Endurance resets at the start of each day. Maximum one long rest per day. Rest is interrupted by damage or strenuous activity.

Economy

Currency

Coin	Conversion	Use
Copper Coin	10 Copper = 1 Silver	Trivial purchases; food, drink, tolls
Silver Coin	Base coin (~180/lb)	Everyday purchases, taxes, wages
Gold Coin	1 Gold = 50 Silver	Substantial purchases, major transactions
Electrum Coin	1 Electrum = 10 Gold (500 Silver)	Mid-tier transactions, regional trade
Platinum Coin	1 Platinum = 500 Gold (25,000 Silver)	Estates, vehicles, spacecraft, one-of-a-kind relics

Trials of Combat Currency

Currency	Earned In	Spent On
Trial Coins	Combat trials	Trial vendor items only
Honor PTS	Proving Grounds	Exclusive gear sets and enhancements
Valor PTS	Arena	Weaponry, protective gear, combat consumables
Auctorati PTS	Coliseum	Dangerous armament sets, ancient potions, forgotten knowledge scrolls

Gems

Gem	Value Range	Power
Diamond	1,000-5,000 Gold	Clarity, focus, protective enchantments; boosts item durability
Sapphire	300-1,000 Gold	Amplifies water and ice magic; increases wisdom and perception
Ruby	400-1,200 Gold	Strengthens fire and passion spells; boosts vitality
Emerald	300-1,000 Gold	Enhances nature magic, healing, and regeneration
Topaz	200-600 Gold	Resistance to lightning; boosts agility enchantments
Amethyst	250-700 Gold	Improves mind-affecting spells; wards against corruption
Obsidian	20-200 Gold/block	Sharp weapons, dark wards, shadow enchantments
Garnet	100-500 Gold	Boosts stamina and protective spells
Citrine	50-300 Gold	Amplifies energy, luck, and prosperity enchantments
Nyxium	1,500-6,000 Gold	Mastery over shadow magic; relics and dark enchantments
Infernium	1,500-6,000 Gold	Intense elemental fire magic; boosts fire enchantments
Aetherstone	2,000-10,000 Gold	Immense energy source; futuristic enchantments
Moonstone	1,500-4,000 Gold	Enhances illusion, dream, and light magic (spotted during lunar events)

Metals

Metal	Harvesting	Value	Power	Drop on Failed Modification
Pyronium	Extracted from magma flows	150-300 Gold/ingot	Fire-resistant; heat-resistant weapons and armor	Pyronium scrap
Quantite	Harvested from interstellar dust fields	300-600 Gold/ingot	Extremely valuable; advanced crafting and technology	Quantite scrap
Lead Alloy	Standard smelting	1-5 Gold/ingot	Blocks magical detection; anti-magic containers	-
Iridium	Found in meteorite fragments	150-250 Gold/ingot	Resists magical and elemental damage; legendary items	-
Orichalcum	Smelted from rare enchanted ore	250-400 Gold/ingot	Greatly boosts enchantments and elemental affinity	-
Aetherium	Synthesized in magical laboratories	400-800 Gold/ingot	Immense energy source; powers world-altering devices	-

Fuel Elements

Material	Value	Power	Drop on Failed Modification
Coal	1-3 Gold/lb.	Burns to power steam engines and basic mechanical vehicles	Coal dust
Natural Gas	5-10 Gold/canister	Powers gas lanterns, engines, and pressure-driven tools	Gas residue
Galvanic Cell	10-20 Gold/cell	Stores and discharges electric current; powers Droids, Robots, and electric vehicles	Galvanic scrap

Photon Core, Quantum Alloy, and Aetherium (Sci-Tech Elements and Metals) also serve as power sources for Photon, Quantum, and Magic-powered Non-Organics, respectively.

Organic Elements

Material	Description
Bone Dust	Necromancer and dark rituals, raising the dead or cursing enemies.
Bat Wings	Grant flight, invisibility, or transformation. Used in talismans and remedies.
Elderwood Ash	Sacred residue; used by shamans in place of mana for ancestral and primal energies.
Fairy Wings	Used in dark rituals and enchantments to grant flight or illusions.
Reptilian Tail	Provides regeneration properties for certain classes. Stronger effects if still moving.
Beast Blood	Powerful potions and rituals that enhance strength, resilience, or grant beast-like abilities.
Star Crystals	Captured fragments of fallen stars; enhance celestial weapons or invoke Divine favor.
Moonflower Petals	Potions for invisibility or night vision. Harvested under moonlight.
Luckstone	+1 through +3 chance while enhancing armaments. Once used, value drops to a common stone.
Blessed Alloy	100% crafting success. Must match item rank. Legendary alloys work on any rank. Disregards failure unless interrupted.
MAC Waste	When a MAC is killed, no matter how this happened, they drop waste and fluids as a loot source. This Waste is used as a reagent for certain Spells and as a material for professions, such as Apothecary and other trades that call for creature byproducts. Value and potency scale with the MAC it was harvested from.

Sci-Tech Elements

Material	Value	Power	Drop on Failed Modification
Plasma Crystal	50 Gold/core	High-energy plasma source for starship engines and plasma weaponry	Plasma shard
Laser Crystal	30 Gold/crystal	Focuses and amplifies laser beams for weapons or cutting tools	Laser shard
Quantum Alloy	75 Gold/batch	Advanced circuit boards, processors, energy conduits	Quantum alloy scrap
Photon Core	40 Gold/core	Energy source for photon-based weapons and propulsion	Photon shard
Dark Matter Infused Ore	100 Gold/infusion	Reinforces armor and weapons; dark energy amplification	Dark matter fragment
Cryo-Exotic Alloy	35 Gold/ingot	Heat- and cold-resistant plasma weapons and armor	Cryo alloy scrap
Starsteel	45 Gold/ingot	Lightweight, ultra-strong material for starship hulls, weapons, armor	Starsteel fragment
Synthetic Fiber	10 Gold/roll	Flexible stealth suits, armor, and high-tech gear	Synthetic fiber shard
Energy Conduit	25 Gold/unit	High-capacity energy transfer in ships and weapons	Conduit fragment
Nano-Infused Crystal	60 Gold/crystal	Self-repairing technology or enhanced energy storage	Nano crystal shard
Voidstone	80 Gold/stone	Manipulates space, teleportation, or shadow energy	Void shard
Stingers	-	Shimmering metallic purple; lattice structure, incredibly strong yet lightweight. Essential for advanced tech and spacecraft.	-

Prism Elements

Prism	Value	Power
Light Prism	60 Gold/prism	Focuses and refracts pure light or magical energies. Illuminates dark areas; may project illusions.
Ethereal Prism	200 Gold/shard	Captures or interacts with spiritual entities; communication with spirits or teleportation.
Void Prism	300 Gold/prism	Manipulates void or null energies; banishment or containment of evil entities.
Elemental Prism	100 Gold/prism	Capable of creating gentle elemental activity.

Class Trainer Requirements & Fees

A Class Trainer needs to teach the Character's Main Class, not the exact Tier, Path, or Branch, any Trainer who teaches that Main Class can teach any Tier, Path, or Branch within it (see Playable Classes, pg. 3). Paths and Branches are Sub-Classes of their Main Class, not separate trees of their own, freely chosen at LVL 4 and LVL 21 respectively. Separately, certain Slots carry a Prerequisite: every 4th LVL starting at LVL 3, one Slot, cycling A, B, C, is a Prerequisite for that same Slot and Split at the very next LVL (see Slots and Prerequisites, pg. 3). A Trainer must be at least the Character's own current LVL, this holds whether the pick being learned came from reaching that LVL outright or from the midpoint toward the next one, the requirement tracks the Character's LVL, not which Slot the pick filled. Reaching a LVL, or the midpoint toward the next one, that grants a pick only makes it available, the pick still isn't learned until the Character finds a qualifying Trainer, in sufficient faction standing, and pays the fee.

Slot Range	Suggested Fee (Gold)
Tier (1-3)	5 × Slot Number
Path (4-20)	10 × Slot Number
Branch (21-30)	20 × Slot Number

Example: A character's 13th pick, a Path Slot, costs a suggested 130 Gold (10 × 13), learned from any Trainer of that Main Class who is at least the Character's own current LVL. A character's 27th pick, a Branch Slot, costs a suggested 540 Gold (20 × 27), under the same Trainer requirement.

These are suggested baseline fees, not fixed prices. Each Module sets its own actual Class Trainer fees and Trainer availability, the same way Planetary Markets pricing varies by world and region (see pg. 4). A GM may adjust a given Trainer's fee upward for a rare specialist, or downward for a common local one.

Fallen & Risen

Scope: Only Paths bound to a Higher Power can Fall or Rise; Ambivalent Paths cannot (they have no patron to betray or appease).

Which Paths Can Fall or Rise: Lawful and Moral Paths may Fall. Amoral and Evil Paths may Rise. (Alignment is set at character creation; a character's choices during play can shift their alignment, which in turn may trigger Fallen or Risen mechanics for a bound Path.)

Fallen Mechanic: When a Lawful or Moral Path's character neglects devotion (missing daily Endurance actions or weekly ceremonies for extended periods), the Higher Power tests for Fallen: the character loses all Higher Power bonuses tied to that Path and its Abilities, and begins taking penalties and random tests from the wronged patron. The character keeps every Ability already learned from that Path but can no longer learn new Abilities from it until the bond is restored. Neglect continues until the debt is repaid through renewed devotion and ceremony (see Recovery and Redemption, below).

Risen Mechanic: When an Amoral or Evil Path's character betrays their patron's core values (refusing services, breaking oaths, or working against the patron's interests for extended periods), the Higher Power tests for Risen: the character loses all Higher Power bonuses tied to that Path and its Abilities, and begins taking penalties and wrath from the betrayed patron. The character keeps every Ability already learned from that Path but can no longer learn new Abilities from it until the bond is restored. Betrayal continues until the debt is repaid through service to the patron or finding a new Higher Power (see Recovery and Redemption, below).

Recovery and Redemption: A broken bond may be restored by returning to full devotion (Lawful/Moral) or renewed service (Amoral/Evil) until the patron deems the debt repaid, typically after 4-6 weeks of resumed ceremony and service. The Higher Power may test the character's sincerity. Once restored, the character regains all bonuses and may once more learn new Abilities from that Path. Alternatively, a character may petition a different Higher Power at LVL 5 or beyond (abandoning the broken Path's patron entirely), but this choice is permanent and irrevocable, the old patron's wrath remains unless the new patron offers reparations or the debt is paid in full.

Professions & Social Roles

Professions represent specialized expertise and social roles characters develop beyond their combat abilities. The game recognizes two profession frameworks:

Character Professions: Specialized skills available to player characters, organized by four categories: Crafting, Building, Automation, and Exploration. Each Character Profession pairs with a corresponding Talent Tree for synergistic development. See Character Professions.
NPC Professions: All social roles available to non-player characters, including those overlapping with Character Professions. Organized into 13 categories spanning Commerce, Justice, Technology, Mysticism, and more. See NPC Professions.

Character Profession Synergy: Each Talent Tree contains a Profession bonus talent granting benefits to its paired Profession. Investing in both a Talent Tree and its paired Profession creates synergy, the combined advancement yields greater returns than developing either alone. Professional Skills advance through practice and Proficiency checks within the profession's domain.

NPC Profession Flexibility: NPCs may pursue any profession without the Talent Tree requirement, allowing greater flexibility in role assignment and social positioning within the game world. An NPC Innkeeper, Tax Collector, or Judge operates with full professional authority regardless of combat capability.

Time

The Calendar

Mortality, Immortality, and Retirement

Aura: Presence and Life Stage

Movement

Movement Types

Movement Type Rules

Animated Wayfarer

Cooldown

Base Ability (Level 0)

Generic Abilities, Unlocked Through Progression

Form Special Abilities

Obstacle Navigation by Size

Example, 5 ft. wide, 8 ft. tall boulder in a 10 ft. ceiling dungeon

Encumbrance

Item Rank Requirements

Visibility and Light

Disorientation

Environmental Hazards

Traps

Rest

Movement Summary

Travel and Recovery

Travel Example, Tredekian Caravan Ambush

Travel Example, Ignis Train Derailment Emergency

Travel Example, Omnè-Zailister Airship Trade Route

Travel Example, Light Speed Jump to Tredeki

Travel Example, Glaciera Foot Travel Ten-Mile Threshold

Travel Example, Tredeki Mount Journey Long Distance

Travel Example, Omnè Warp Escape from Danger

Combat

Basic Attacks and Ability Attacks

Protection Score (PROTS)

Defense Roll

Defense Example, Omnè Crystal Lock Difficulty Score Check

Defense Example, Zailister Spaceship Security Code Difficulty Score

Base Hit Rate

Hit Results

Critical Window by Rank

Initiative

Hit

Weapon

Special Combat Techniques

Ranged Attacks

Telluric Ranged

Telluric Projectiles

Slope Conditions

TAW Ranged

TAW Projectiles

Chthonic Ranged

Chthonic Projectiles

Spell Ranged

Spell Example, Tredekian Ritual Combat Invocation

Spell Example, Ignis Volcanic Curse Channeling

Nature Example, Tredekian Warrior Duel Precision Strike

Spell Example, Ignis Paladin Holy Judgment Stance

Close Quarters

Telluric Melee

Technologically Advanced Weapons Melee

Chthonic Melee

Unarmed Combat

Special Actions

Improvised Tools

Botch

Escape

Limb-Specific Targeting (LST)

LST Chart, Hit Penalty / Damage Bonus

Attack Area Types

Threshold Score

Grapple and Grab

Traps and Mechanical Devices

In-Game Scenario

Combat Example, Tredeki Cliffside Duel

Combat Example, Ignis Volcanic Mine Battle

Underarmor Requirements

Armor Grades

Combat Movement

Prone, Unconscious, Incapacitated, Dying and Dead

War: Faction Combat and Major Encounters

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