Attributes
Attributes are innate predispositions characters are born with. All Attributes begin at 0 regardless of race or class. They serve as prerequisites for gear, and their scores (when halved, rounded down) can act as modifiers to relevant dice rolls at the GM's discretion.
At character creation and every new class level, players roll 1d6 nine times, discard the two lowest results, and assign the remaining 7 results to their Attribute repository. Each roll (1–6) is spent on: the Attribute score itself (3 points per score point), or TST aligned to it (2 points each), or saved as remnants. No more than 2 points may be applied to any single Attribute per level. No Attribute may exceed a score of 30.
Artistry (ART)
Creativity, performance, dexterity-based crafts, and deception.
Fortitude (FRT)
Physical resilience, endurance, and resistance to ongoing effects.
Intellect (INT)
Mental acuity, spellcasting power, reasoning, and willpower.
Perception (PRC)
Awareness, detection, intuition, and luck.
Physique (PHY)
Physical strength, speed, agility, and toughness.
Resilience (RES)
Magical resistance and protection from elemental damage.
Wisdom (WIS)
Spiritual recovery, vitality caps, capacity, and knowledge.
Vitality
Vitality encapsulates a character's life force, magical energy, immediate stamina, and long-term endurance. Each is tracked via stackable color-coded Chips (1 chip = 1 unit). Their maximum (called Extent) is set by the Apex Trait. Vitality regenerates at a rate determined by the character's Spirit Trait.
| Vitality | Chips | Effect at Half Depletion | Effect at Zero |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life | Red / Purple | Move at half speed | Incapacitated. At −10 (10 purple chips), character must go through rejuvenation (dying/death rules) |
| Mana | Blue | Spell power halved | Cannot cast |
| Stamina | Yellow | Half results on all physical actions | Cannot move on next turn. 3 full actions or 6 half actions per turn max. |
| Endurance | Green | - | No more actions for the day. Recovers with extended rest. Characters with leftover Endurance may craft between sessions. |
Traits (TST)
Traits are inherent survival characteristics - a variety of special actions including survival, delegation, and mitigation. They differ from Talents (non-combat vocational actions) and Skills (profession-based). Traits can be used defensively to resist damage/effects, or offensively to enhance combat effectiveness. Trait scores are capped at 20.
A TST score cannot exceed its aligned Attribute's score. You must have at least a score of 1 in an Attribute before purchasing aligned TST (default cost: 2 points each).
| Trait | Attribute | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Agility | Physique | Quickness, balance, speed. Resists ranged attacks; bonus to ranged attack rolls and crits. |
| Strength | Physique | Brute force. Bonus to melee attacks (2h/main-hand), grapple checks, and intimidation. |
| Toughness | Physique | Outer physical protection (tough skin, dense muscles). Adds an Armor Score bonus equal to Toughness score. |
| Defense | Physique | Parry/Block/Dodge. Contributes to overall PROTS. Requires bracers, 2h weapon, or shield for Parry/Block. |
| Courage | Fortitude | Mental bravery. Bonus to resist fear, intimidation, and mental domination. |
| Constitution | Fortitude | Physical resilience. Resists poison, disease, venom, bleeding, and ongoing effects. |
| Vigilance | Perception | Awareness and alertness. Bonus to perception, avoiding environmental hazards, traps, and ambushes. |
| Intuition | Perception | Instinctive sense for danger. Bonus to detect deception, hidden threats, and traps before revealed. |
| Luck | Perception | Grants 1d4 bonus per score point. Interval recharges every 50−(Luck−1) rolls. At Luck (10): second chance on all non-Action rolls. |
| Dexterity | Artistry | Quick reactions, agility, and deception. Bonus to dodge, craftsmanship, trap avoidance, and offhand attacks. |
| Deception | Artistry | Trickery and misdirection. Bonus to feints, mimicking death, and manipulation. |
| Charisma | Artistry | Personal magnetism and leadership. Bonus to persuasion, intimidation, social rolls, and inspiring allies. |
| Resistance | Resilience | Protection against spells and magic, including elemental damage. Resistance type is innate by race or player-assigned. |
| Willpower | Intellect | Mental determination. Resists intellectual mind control, temptation, and confusion. |
| Wit | Intellect | Mental resilience and sharp perception. Bonus to trap detection and mental defenses. |
| Focus | Intellect | Concentration on complex tasks. Reduces chance of losing focus from distractions or damage. See Panic Engine. |
| Spirit | Wisdom | Determines how fast Life, Mana, Stamina, and Endurance regenerate. |
| Apex | Wisdom | Sets the maximum cap (Extent) for each Vitality resource. |
| Capacity | Wisdom | Amount of Spells, languages, and lore a character can actively retain and use. |
| Knowledge | Wisdom | Depth of learning. Bonus to lore, history, magical theory, and experience-based tasks. Higher Knowledge = more XP from knowledge tasks. |
Combat
Combat uses the D100 system. Attackers roll D100 and add modifiers (ATTS - Attack Score). If the result meets or exceeds the target's PROTS (Protection Score), it's a hit.
PROTS = Armor Score (AS) + all defensive modifiers (shields, Defense Trait, Agility when applicable, set bonuses, etc.)
Armor Types
| Armor Type | Base AS | Vulnerable To (AS Penalty) | Resistant To (AS Bonus) | Movement Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloth | 10 | Slashing, Ranged (−4) | Magic (+2) | 0 |
| Light (Leather) | 25 | Piercing (−3) | Ranged (+2) | −1 |
| Medium (Chain) | 35 | Blunt (−3) | Piercing (+2) | −3 |
| Heavy (Plate) | 45 | Blunt, Magic (−5) | Slashing (+3) | −5 |
Hit Results
| Result | Condition | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Miss | Roll below graze threshold | No damage; possible counter opportunity |
| Graze | Roll within ~5 points below PROTS | ½ damage (rounded down) |
| Direct Hit | Roll ≥ PROTS | Full damage (xd6 ± all modifiers) |
| Critical Hit | Natural 100 on D100 | 2× damage dice. May trigger extra Status effects, limb severance, or severe injuries. |
Initiative
Initiative = Base Speed + Agility + Vigilance + Luck (calculated at each level, recorded on character sheet). Turn order is based on character positioning; GMs may use any combination of initiative factors to determine who acts first. Immobilized or restrained characters lose their turn.
Damage
dmg = xd6 ± all modifiers (weapon, enchantments, Traits, environmental factors, situational bonuses). Damage reduces Life Chips. At 0 Life, the target is incapacitated.
Special Combat Techniques
- Limb-Specific Targeting (LST): Call a target body part. Penalty to hit but extra damage on success. No Graze or Crit for LST.
- Combos: Chain attacks after targets lose their balance.
- Unarmed Combat: Punches, grapples, or improvised weapons. Fighters (Brawler path) excel at this.
Actions & Turns
Each turn is 6 seconds. Players have 2 minutes of real time to complete their turn; failure to act forfeits the turn.
| Action Type | Time Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Action (attack, Ability, Talent, Skill) | 4 seconds | Leaves 2 seconds remaining in turn |
| Movement | First move free; each additional move 3 sec | Max 3 movements per turn (free + 3 sec + 3 sec) |
| Trait use | 2 seconds (passive) | - |
| Subtle Action (sigh, snap fingers) | ½ action | - |
| Communication (gestures/speech) | At least a moment | Each INT point can reduce reading time |
If Speed Score exceeds base by 3+ points, gain 1 extra second of action time (costs Stamina). Performing 3+ actions or exceeding available time triggers rolls to avoid attacks of opportunity.
Movement & Encumbrance
Movement costs Stamina Chips (1 SP each). Base speed by size: Goliath 40 ft, Standard 30 ft, Small 25 ft.
| Movement Type | Chip Cost per 5 ft |
|---|---|
| Walking | 1 Chip |
| Running / Dashing | 2 Chips |
| Rough Terrain (walk) | 1.5 Chips |
| Rough Terrain (dash) | 3 Chips |
| Climbing | 4 Chips |
| Swimming | 2.5 Chips |
| Stealth | 1.5× base cost |
Max Load = STR × 15 lbs. Light Load (≤50%): no penalty. Moderate (51–75%): −10% speed, +10% Stamina cost. Heavy (>75%): −25% speed, +25% Stamina cost.
The Wayfarer Compass is a magical teleportation device that lets characters instantly travel to known taverns and linked locations. Upgrading it through talents or calibration increases range, reduces cooldowns, and allows location marking.
Panic Engine
When facing intense stress, fear, or danger, the GM calls for a Panic Check: roll D100, add modifiers (e.g., Courage Trait). If the result meets or exceeds the DIFS of the source, the character remains calm. Failure begins a progressive Panic process:
| Panic Level | D100 Penalty | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | −1 | Cannot attack, but can run |
| Level 2 | −2 | Cannot run, can walk |
| Level 3 | −3 | Wanders randomly |
| Level 4 | −4 | Cannot move or wander |
| Level 5 (max) | N/A | Prone, can only crawl |
On a successful Panic Check, the character regresses one level (or ends panic if at Level 1) and may take a free movement action before ending their turn.
Game Modes
Trials of Combat
Players seek out Trial Masters in villages, towns, and covert camps to participate in structured combat challenges. Items besides gear are not allowed (healing and buffs permitted). Three sections:
- Proving Grounds - Team objectives (Beacon Capture, King of the Peak, Race Through the Cave). Earn Honor Points for gear and XP.
- Arena - Structured matches from 1v1 up to 5v5. Earn Valor Points to buy equipment, gear sets, and consumables.
- Coliseum - Free-for-all against powerful monsters (Duels, Tag Teams, Riots). Earn Auctorati Points for weapons, potions, and scrolls.
Sole Survivor
An episodic game mode of short, story-driven adventures. Players choose pre-made character Cards matched to each episode's challenge rating. The core rule: one character must die in each episode, repeating until one character remains. The last survivor must then escape alone. Episodes contain unlockable skills, armaments, items, clues, and secrets. The game ends when one character escapes as the sole survivor.
Key Terms & Glossary
PROTS
Protection Score. AS + all defensive modifiers. The target number attackers must meet or beat.
ATTS
Attack Score. The attacker's roll result plus all hit modifiers.
DIFS
Difficulty Score. The target number for non-combat skill checks and Panic Checks.
TST
Talents, Skills, and Traits - the three types of character development points.
AS
Armor Score. The base protection value of a piece of armor before modifiers.
XP
Experience Points. Earned through combat, exploration, roleplaying, crafting, and achievements.
RP
Rank Points. Measure overall reputation and power, determining character Rank.
MAC
Monsters, Animals, Creatures/Critters - any living entity in the game world.
TAW / TBA
Technologically Advanced Weapons / Body Armor. Invented by races native to advanced planets (Omnè, Angeligla, etc.).
NPC
Non-Player Character. Controlled by the GM; serves as quest givers, vendors, enemies, or story elements.
GM
Game Master. Facilitates the experience, narrates the world, portrays hosts, and resolves outcomes.
Boneyard
Where passing Companions, broken gear, spent items, and incapacitated Cards go until resurrected, repaired, or restocked.
DoT
Damage over Time - effects that inflict damage over a period instead of all at once.
HoT
Heal over Time - effects that heal over a period instead of all at once.
AoE
Area of Effect - spells/Abilities affecting multiple targets within a specified area.
CC
Crowd Control - Abilities or effects that hinder or control opponent actions.
LST
Limb-Specific Targeting. Aim at body parts for bonus damage; penalty to hit applies.
Lore Quest
A special elite quest built into a module, triggered by a Lore Card. The card guides the party to it.
Wayfarer
The Wayfarer Compass - a magical teleportation device linking known taverns and marked locations.
UID
Character Unique Identification - an RNG number from SORC servers, exclusive to each online character.