S O R CSORCSORC

Playable Classes

After choosing their race, players choose their main class and then their path within that class. Players select their path first - starting armaments are determined by the chosen path, not the main class.

Each path offers two starting armament sets. Players choose one set at the start. Both sets are valid for that path - the choice comes down to playstyle. For example, an Avenger choosing the Cleric path may start with a shield and 1h blunt weapon, or a 2h blunt weapon.

Beyond the starting sets, characters may use any weapon or armor they can physically carry, as long as they have chosen the class and path that allows it at their current point of progression, and they meet the Strength and Capacity requirements to carry it. Armament options expand with each path and branch as characters progress.

Players manage their Abilities with cards. The Starter Set includes classes up to Level 5 only.

For instance, an Avenger, which later has path choices between; Cleric, Monk and Priest, will choose Abilities that can be used only with their weapon choice(s). They can choose more than one weapon, if they're strong enough to carry it.

An example: Garoth chooses the main class avenger, looks at the Ability Cards (see SORC Cards - Action) for this class, its path and later its path's branch and chooses the basic armaments; a heavy canvas ghee armor set and a quarter staff as his weapon. This weapon gets him through the first three given avenger Abilities, and the proficiency of learning Abilities in the Monk path (see below). As an avenger, he could have also chosen a 1h hammer and shield or 2h mace, or several other combinations of weapon combinations.

He also notices that later in the Monk path, he'll be able to use Abilities that allow him to strike with one hand and chooses a holy symbol related to his higher power of choice that he would be able to hold in the other hand later.

Note: certain monk classes can eventually dual wield, using a quarterstaff in their mainhand and a smaller weapon in their offhand.

The heavy ghee will have less of an Armor Score (AS) than Plate, but he'll have more mobility which will add to his overall Protection Score (PROTS). More on combat below.

Each class below offers Unique bonuses and Penalties - referred to as native bonuses and Penalties - and thereafter has its own combat Abilities, both martial and caster, and variations of armor and weapon choices through 30 levels.

Two examples:

A fighter class that prefers to use their hands, that excels in the brawler path, will learn to use environmental objects well, can develop tough skin, and also learn proficiency in a wide variety of weaponry, but they'll have already passed up a lot of that weapon's proficiency during bare knuckle brawling style combat.

An Avenger, restricted to blunt weapons only, that chooses the priest path can eventually use daggers if they choose the Salii branch.

Note: some path restrictions can be unlocked or overridden through specific branches as characters progress - such as the Avenger main class, whose Priest path's Salii branch unlocks the use of magical daggers. Salii daggers must be enchanted before the Salii can use them - they cannot be coated with poisons or carry other applied effects, but may be used to strike and cast. Other class paths carry similar branch-specific rules regarding restrictions and unlocks.

Players are not restricted to what weapon they can use, but they won't be able to use them unless they have chosen Abilities that utilize them. For instance the level 4 monk can buy a sword, but they'd have to wait until level 5 and choose a new main class tree, such as warrior earning its first native Ability that allows the use of the sword. Bear in mind the monk, now a monk/warrior sacrificed learning the second Ability in the monk path.

Moving along, there are other restrictions that don't allow the use of armaments, such as agility prerequisites for certain ranged Abilities, strength or charisma to wear certain armor, and path restrictions to weapon types; eg. † monks and † clerics can't use edged weapons, and warlocks cannot use holy weapons while paladins can't use unholy weapons; however paladins are not restricted to any weapon type, unless they don't meet other requirements, such as the agility prerequisite to use a bow.

† Line paladins, monks and clerics cannot use unholy weapons, unless they fall and upset the higher power of their choice which will restrict the use of all Abilities and powers of the tree; however *fallen classes have their own main class trees that require 10 levels in their former main class as they sustained restrictions until no longer usable.

* Fallen and Risen classes are detailed below and further in the GM Codex.

Each main class tree, from its first native Ability through the third branch, contains a total of 30 Abilities which progressively grows in power. A character can learn 59 Abilities in any order they choose. They can choose 30 through one path, maxing its potential, and 29 in a second, coming close but not quite, or almost 4 in all 16 main classes, which would give them all 3 native Abilities for each class, and 11 extra Abilities distributed throughout any way they choose. This gives players a variety of choices developing between power and diversity.

The diagram below displays the paths and branches of the Avenger main class.

Example Diagram:

Main Class: Avenger
Native Avenger Abilities Lvl 1 - 3

Avenger Paths
Cleric Abilities 4 - 20
Monk Abilities 4 - 20
Priest Abilities 4 - 20

Cleric Branches
Holy Abilities 21 - 30
Oracle Abilities 21 - 30
Warpriest Abilities 21 - 30

Monk Branches
Chanter Abilities 21 - 30
Shapeflow Abilities 21 - 30
Qirateka Abilities 21 - 30

Priest Branches
Shadow Abilities 21 - 30
Discipline Abilities 21 - 30
Salii Abilities 21 - 30

Following the diagram above, at each level of progression, 1-30,

Description examples
a. Cleric - 1h blunt (shield). All armor lighter than chain.
b. Monk - blunt - wood only (wooden shield). Cloth without movement restrictions and/or leather with movement restrictions.
c. Priest - 1h or 2h blunt. Cloth only with the exception of the salii branch, leather or chain (shirt and helmet only).

These Abilities increase in potency as players advance within their chosen class paths, with the most powerful Abilities appearing toward the end of the tree. However, players are not restricted to only one class tree; instead, they can select Abilities from multiple trees to create versatile or specialized characters, provided they meet the proficiency requirements for the weapons and gear associated with each tree. To learn new Abilities, characters must visit trainers scattered across the world, which may involve undertaking quests or exploring dangerous areas.

If a character levels up deep within a dungeon or remote location, they can potentially use their Wayfarer skill - if available - or coordinate with other group members, such as mages or nearby trainers, to mark locations for later visits. This mechanic encourages strategic planning and resource management, as players balance their desire for powerful Abilities with the time and risk involved in learning new skills, ensuring that character growth remains a dynamic and engaging aspect of gameplay.

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

Note: Classes are in alphabetical order. Classes in grey text are not available for the beginner set; however their lore and other details can still be viewed.

Main Classes, Paths and Branches

Avenger (Playable in Starter Set)

Faith-driven warriors bound to a higher power and restricted to blunt weapons by default, with exceptions unlockable through certain branches, Avengers channel divine protection, healing, and righteous judgment through their chosen deity or spiritual force - combining martial discipline with sacred ability to outlast and redeem the battlefield rather than simply destroy it.

Cleric - Armed servants of divine order who reinforce front lines with a shield in hand and healing wards at the ready.
- Holy: Pure divine conduit whose blessed strikes heal allies and burn enemies with sacred light.
- Oracle: Receives divine visions and foresight that guide allies and expose hidden threats before they strike.
- Warpriest: Martial holy combatant who invokes sacred battle rites mid-combat to amplify damage and resistance.
Monk - Disciplined ascetics who harness inner spiritual energy through rigorous martial training to achieve supernatural resilience and strike power.
- Chanter: Rhythmic mantras that enhance ally performance and progressively weaken enemy resolve.
- Shapeflow: Fluid movement arts that redirect incoming force and dramatically improve evasion.
- Qirateka: Devastating unarmed combination strikes driven by concentrated spiritual power.
Priest - Devoted channelers who cast blessings, curses, and holy force through sacred weapons and divine orbs.
- Shadow Weaver: Bends holy light into shadow-blessed spells for disruption and concealment of allies.
- Discipline: Rigid spiritual control that converts sustained pain into power and physical resistance.
- Salii: Hybrid path enabling enchanted daggers and medium armor alongside sacred casting for a more armored priest. Salii daggers must be enchanted before use - they cannot carry poisons or other applied effects, but may be used to strike and cast. This overrides the Avenger's default blunt weapon restriction.
Starting Armaments: Cleric - shield + 1h blunt, or 2h blunt. Monk - canvas ghee + quarterstaff, or robe + nunchaku. Priest - robe + 2h staff or orb, or padded fauld + small shield.
Armor: Cloth to chain. Bonus: +1 Protection Score (PROTS) in cloth or padded (spiritual attunement). Penalty: -1 to all Ability Rolls in plate or full heavy metal.
1H Melee: +1 Hit (blunt only)  |  2H Melee: +1 Hit (blunt only)  |  1H Ranged: -2 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -2 Hit  |  Spells: +2 healing and holy damage

Barbarian (Playable in Starter Set)

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

Destroyer - Unstoppable wrecking force that charges into battle with heavy two-handed weapons, trading all finesse for devastating raw power.
- Bloodrager: Enters a bloodlust state that dramatically amplifies damage output at the cost of personal defense.
- Frenzied: Attacks in rapid uncontrolled succession, striking multiple times per round with reckless abandon.
- Mauler: Focuses every strike on a single target with bone-crushing force designed to end the fight fast.
Cimmerian - Nomadic wild warriors who adapt to any terrain, using speed and ferocity to overwhelm opponents with relentless assault.
- Beast: Bonds with a wild animal companion that fights alongside them and shares a primal battle awareness.
- Nomad: Swift and elusive, striking from unexpected angles with high mobility and terrain exploitation.
- Ghost: Near-invisible in wilderness terrain, emerging from concealment for devastating ambush strikes.
Mountaineer - Hardened survivalists from extreme elevations who combine heavy melee with primitive ranged weapons and unmatched physical endurance.
- Amazon: Fierce warrior-hunters equally deadly with melee weapons and hurled projectiles.
- Beast Master: Commands multiple animal companions simultaneously, riding the largest into direct combat.
- Predator: Apex hunter who marks a target and gains escalating bonuses the longer the hunt continues.
Starting Armaments: Destroyer - 2h melee, fur or leather. Cimmerian - versatile melee, fur or leather. Mountaineer - 2h melee or heavy ranged, fur.
Armor: Fur or leather only. Bonus: +2 to Strength checks in fur or leather. Penalty: -2 to all Ability Rolls in plate or chain; -1 Evasion in chain.
1H Melee: +1 Hit  |  2H Melee: +2 Hit, +1 Damage  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: 0 (Mountaineer path)  |  Spells: -2

Bard

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

Strumalong - String-instrument specialists (harp, guitar, mandolin, violin) whose plucked and strummed melodies carry enchantments that linger long after the last note fades.
- Stroller: Traveling performers who gather information and apply minor persistent buffs across wide areas while on the move.
- Melodist: Weaves complex layered melodies that apply stacking effects to both allies and enemies simultaneously.
- Plucker: Rapid-fire technique creates dissonant interference that interrupts enemy spellcasting and concentration.
Percussionist - Rhythm-driven warriors who use drums and percussion instruments to disrupt concentration, boost morale, and create sonic confusion.
- Pounder: Heavy rhythmic strikes cause area confusion effects and panic responses in low-courage enemies.
- Distorter: Sonic manipulation that alters enemy perception of distance, direction, and source of sound.
- Rattler: Rapid rattling rhythms that accelerate ally action speed and measurably slow enemy reactions.
Serenade - Vocal and wind-instrument enchanters (flutes, lutes, ocarina) who hypnotize, charm, and lull enemies while elevating allies.
- Sprite: Light airy songs that grant allies brief bursts of supernatural agility and evasion.
- Songbird: Pure resonant voice that carries healing frequencies and blessing effects at significant range.
- Charmer: Deeply personal melodies that create powerful single-target fascination and involuntary compliance.
Armor: Cloth or decorative light leather. Bonus: +1 Charisma in cloth or light armor. Penalty: -1 Charisma in heavy armor; -1 to Bard spell potency in plate or chain.
1H Melee: 0  |  2H Melee: -1 Hit  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -2 Hit (both hands needed for instrument)  |  Spells: +2 musical enchantment

Doom Knight

Corrupted warriors who channel death, decay, and necrotic energy into devastating martial combat, Doom Knights serve dark powers with equal parts blade and curse - treating entropy itself as a weapon and the suffering of enemies as fuel for their own continued existence in service of forces mortals were not meant to understand.

Death Guard - Armored undying soldiers who sustain themselves through necrotic force and drain life from opponents to keep fighting indefinitely.
- Scourge: Chains enemies with necrotic bonds that deal damage each round they attempt to move.
- Umbral Lord: Surrounds themselves with living shadow that absorbs incoming damage and nullifies fear effects.
- Dread Knight: Heavy armor specialist whose necrotic strikes progressively weaken enemy defensive scores.
Death Bringer - Offensive death-channelers who inflict bleeding, decay, and wasting effects that persist and compound long after the initial strike.
- Death Lord: Commands lesser undead as a disposable battle resource, spending them for devastating effects.
- Death Knight: Necrotic blade specialist whose strikes apply stacking decay that chips away at enemy maximum health.
- Decaymancer: Applies spreading rot that jumps between enemies in proximity, expanding the damage field.
Lordsman - Martial lords of dark prestige who blend heavy armored combat with commanding authority over undead and unholy forces.
- Radiant Knight: Paradoxically harnesses reflected divine light as a weapon against those who oppose their dark mandate.
- Paragon Knight: Exemplar of dark martial virtue who inspires undead allies and shatters enemy morale.
- Sentinel: Immovable guardian stance that locks the battlefield and punishes all who attempt to advance or retreat.
Armor: Heavy - plate or full chain preferred. Bonus: +2 Armor Score (AS) in plate or heavy chain; +1 PROTS in heavy armor. Penalty: -1 to all Ability Rolls without heavy armor equipped.
1H Melee: +1 Hit  |  2H Melee: +1 Hit, +1 Damage (necrotic amp)  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -2 Hit  |  Spells: +1 necrotic and death magic; -2 holy or light-aligned

Druid

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

Celestial - Draws power from stars, sun, and moon to deal radiant damage and cast restorative light-based healing, sometimes at cost to the caster.
- Starduster: Scatters celestial energy fragments that deal persistent radiant damage over time across an area.
- Lunar: Moon-aligned healer who draws power from lunar cycles and commands tide-like force and pull effects.
- Solar: Harnesses concentrated solar energy for intense burst damage and blinding radiance.
Hyborian - Calls upon primal beast-spirits to enhance physical form, partially transform, and channel the savage power of wild creatures.
- Ursidae: Channels bear-spirit for extreme durability, crushing grapples, and regeneration under sustained damage.
- Metamorpher: Partially or fully transforms into various animal forms appropriate to the terrain and situation.
- Rager: Builds stored energy through sustained combat, releasing it in a single explosive surge when threshold is reached.
Dreamcryer - Enters altered states of consciousness to manifest dream-energy as weapons, chants, and reality-distorting spell combinations.
- Dreamcaster: Projects dream energy directly into enemy minds, causing fear, confusion, and involuntary sleep.
- Nightmare: Turns the enemy's own subconscious fears against them with persistent psychic damage and terror effects.
- Lorekeeper: Vast accumulated natural knowledge unlocks ancient nature magic and grants bonuses to all knowledge checks.
Armor: Robes or hide only - metal disrupts nature connection. Bonus: +1 to nature-based spell rolls in hide or robes. Penalty: -2 to all Ability Rolls in plate or chain.
1H Melee: 0 (staves, clubs, sickles)  |  2H Melee: 0 (staves)  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  Spells: +2 nature and transformation

Fighter

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

Brawler - Bare-knuckle masters who intimidate, dominate, and break opponents through pure physical presence, environmental improvisation, and raw Strength.
- Bruiser: Heavy blunt weapon expert who turns every swing into a potential stagger, break, or knockdown.
- Enforcer: Command and intimidation create a battlefield authority that directs allies and fractures enemy morale.
- Unarmed: Martial arts masters who develop the body as a weapon, augmented by martial arts tools and focused spiritual vitality.
Juggernaut - Shield-bearing immovable forces who use parry, block, and endurance to outlast opponents who overextend against their wall.
- Vanguard: Front-line shield wall specialists who lead charges and absorb punishment for the entire group.
- Reaver: Uses evasion and edged fist weapons combined with cloth armor and capes to dance around opponents.
- Rumbler: Studded leather brawler who uses bracers, toughness, and blunt fist weapons to absorb and immediately return damage.
Hero - Versatile all-purpose warriors who combine broad weapon mastery with exceptional vitality and situational awareness.
- Combatant: Rounded martial specialist proficient across all weapons and situations - the true generalist fighter.
- Merc Zealot: Armorless masters of many weapon types who use mana for healing, the most vitality-rounded fighter in the class.
- Vigilante: Hardened leather-clad gadget fighters who carry tools and tricks that extend far beyond conventional weaponry.
Armor: Versatile - path dependent. Bonus: +1 Hit when fighting in the armor style their path is proficient in. Penalty: -1 Evasion when wearing armor heavier than path proficiency.
1H Melee: +1 Hit  |  2H Melee: +1 Hit  |  1H Ranged: 0  |  2H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  Spells: -2

Magic User

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

Trickster - Masters of deception and controlled chaos who use minor spells, misdirection, and quick magic to confuse enemies and control positioning.
- Jester: Disruptive chaos magic that applies random effects and psychological pressure to permanently destabilize enemy focus.
- Shadow Dancer: Blends illusion magic with shadow to slip between light and dark as if partially incorporeal.
- Arcana: Deep arcane secrets that amplify all Magic User abilities through superior raw mana efficiency.
Mage - Heavy arcane specialists who deal in portals, time manipulation, and raw destructive magic at significant personal cost.
- RuinMaster: Creates portals and dimensional gates as tactical weapons, collapsing space itself against enemies.
- Chronomancer: Manipulates time to rewind damage taken, slow enemies, or accelerate ally actions in real time.
- Blood Mage: Pays HP cost to dramatically amplify spell potency, walking the razor edge of self-destruction.
Illusionist - Reality-benders who alter the form, perception, and physical properties of objects and living beings at will.
- Metamorphiser: Changes living targets into other creatures of similar size, creating chaos or tactically useful new forms.
- Astral Weaver: Projects consciousness and spells across great distances via astral travel while the body remains still.
- Shapeshifter: Alters the size, shape, weight, and appearance of objects - including living beings - with precision.
Armor: Cloth only. Bonus: +1 spell potency in full arcane robes with no armor. Penalty: -2 to all spell rolls in chain or heavier; -1 in leather.
1H Melee: -2 Hit  |  2H Melee: -3 Hit  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -2 Hit  |  Spells: +2 arcane; +1 illusion and transformation

Marksman (Playable in Starter Set)

Precision-focused ranged combatants who dominate at distance through superior positioning, weapon mastery, and tactical patience - striking long before enemies can close the gap through either heavy bow work, black powder weaponry, or the swift shortbow mobility of a forest ranger who treats the terrain itself as a second weapon.

Bowman - Heavy draw specialists who trade speed for raw ranged power, capable of penetrating armor at extreme range from fortified positions.
- Bandit: Opportunist archers who ambush and exploit enemy positioning using terrain, concealment, and surprise.
- Archer: Pure technique bowmen who maximize accuracy, distance, and penetration through precision form and patience.
- Amazon: Aggressive ranged fighters who close distance when needed and switch to melee without losing combat effectiveness.
Gunner - Black powder weapon masters who combine explosive ranged attacks with mechanical ingenuity, with natural affinity for Gnome engineering.
- Gun Slinger: Rapid-draw dual pistol specialists who lay down suppressive fire and quick-draw techniques under pressure.
- Duelist: Precise single-shot gunslingers who challenge opponents to open confrontation with honor-bound confidence.
- Wrangler: Combines firearms with ropes and traps for crowd control and battlefield domination at multiple distances.
Ranger - Swift wilderness combatants who use mobility, tracking, and shortbow proficiency to outmaneuver opponents in natural environments.
- Keeper: Guardian rangers who specialize in protecting natural areas and those traveling through dangerous wilderness.
- Forest Guardian: Deep wilderness specialists who weaponize the forest itself through traps, ambush, and terrain knowledge.
- Wood Warden: Ancient woodland protectors with expanded nature communication and supernatural tracking abilities.
Starting Armaments: Bowman - longbow, chain or leather. Gunner - black powder weapon, chain or leather. Ranger - shortbow, leather.
Armor: Chain or leather preferred. Bonus: +1 Hit with ranged weapons in leather or lighter. Penalty: -1 Hit with all ranged weapons in plate; -2 Evasion in plate.
1H Melee: -1 Hit  |  2H Melee: -2 Hit  |  1H Ranged: +1 Hit (Gunner path)  |  2H Ranged: +2 Hit  |  Spells: -1 (Ranger exception)

Overseer

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

Crusader - Armored holy warriors who carry divine mandate into combat with weapons and shields in direct service of a sacred cause.
- Devout: Deep personal faith alone amplifies combat effectiveness and provides resistance to corruption and dark influence.
- Blessed Knight: Receives direct divine enhancement to armor and weapons through unwavering, uncompromising commitment.
- Trojan: Heavily armored siege warrior who forces entry into fortifications and enemy front lines as a living battering ram.
Paladin - Sacred oath-bound warriors who channel divine power through their weapons, laying on hands to heal and smiting evil with righteous force.
- Radiant: Channels concentrated divine light as both weapon and healing medium in a single dedicated strike.
- Templar: Disciplined holy soldier who blends military tactics with divine intervention for calculated holy warfare.
- Guardian: Dedicated protector who positions between harm and allies, absorbing and redirecting incoming damage.
Archon - Celestial warrior-commanders who serve as earthly enforcers of divine order with authority over both living and spiritual forces.
- Battleguard: Divine soldier who specializes in holding ground and punishing enemies who dare advance.
- Defender: Aura-based protector who extends divine resistance to nearby allies as long as they hold position.
- Legionnaire: Military formation fighter who gains significant combat bonuses when fighting alongside organized allied groups.
Armor: Heavy - plate and full chain preferred. Bonus: +2 Armor Score (AS) in plate or full chain; +1 Protection Score (PROTS) when shield is equipped. Penalty: -1 to Agility-based rolls when unarmored.
1H Melee: +1 Hit (shield combo)  |  2H Melee: +1 Hit  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -2 Hit  |  Spells: +1 divine healing and smite; -1 dark or arcane

Shaman

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

Medicine Man - Tribal healers and elemental manipulators who use fire, bone, and earth simultaneously to harm enemies and restore allies.
- Fire Breather: Channels intense fire energy through the body as both weapon and shield, breathing flames and resisting extreme heat.
- Bone Collector: Uses bones of the fallen as spell foci and weapons, summoning bone constructs and causing fracture effects.
- Earthbound: Connects to stone and soil to create tremors, stone barriers, and earth-powered physical enhancement.
Primordial - Ancient-word chanters who tap into the pre-creation forces of the cosmos through sustained mantras and astromantic ritual.
- Astromancer: Reads cosmic alignments to predict and preemptively counter enemy actions and environmental events.
- Ancestral: Channels the accumulated wisdom and power of their lineage, with bonuses that scale with in-game lineage progression.
- Stormbringer: Calls lightning, wind, and storm elemental forces with effects that escalate and spread over rounds.
Ritualist - Voodoo practitioners and death-adjacent summoners who use black magic, hexes, and the raised dead to overwhelm and curse opponents.
- Ceremonial: Pre-combat rituals when properly observed grant significant bonuses to self and allies that last the entire encounter.
- Runecrafter: Carves power runes into weapons, armor, and terrain that activate automatically under pre-set conditions.
- Hexbinder: Binds targets with persistent curse-hexes that amplify all damage they receive from any source.
Armor: Hide, leather, or ritual garments. Bonus: +1 spell potency in ritual garments or hide. Penalty: -2 to all Shaman Ability Rolls in plate or heavy chain.
1H Melee: 0 (ritual weapons, clubs)  |  2H Melee: +1 Hit (staves, totems)  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  Spells: +2 elemental and spirit; +1 ritual and curse

Sorcerer (Playable in Starter Set)

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

Conjurer - Pulls entities, energy, and matter from other planes into the current one, creating allies, barriers, and dimensional hazards.
- Planes Walker: Opens rifts to other planes as escape routes, portals, or sources of additional planar combatants.
- Magus: Combines conjured constructs with personal spell-slinging for layered, multi-front magical assault.
- Psionic: Channels arcane power inward to develop mental abilities including telepathy and psychic damage.
Seer - Perceives the flow of time, fate, and hidden truth, using prophetic insight to redirect events and anticipate outcomes before they occur.
- Mystic: Sees auras, intentions, and magical composition of all things, enabling preemptive counterspells.
- Clairvoyant: Projects perception to distant locations in real time for intelligence gathering and spell delivery at range.
- Prophet: Issues binding declarations that become partially true through divine fate enforcement.
Wizard - Applies structured magical theory to raw arcane power, producing reliably devastating offensive and transmutation effects.
- Magister: Arcane precision expert who strips magical defenses and exploits elemental vulnerabilities in sequence.
- Battlecryer: Enchants battle cries with arcane force that boost ally combat stats and demoralize enemies simultaneously.
- Transmuter: Converts the composition of matter and energy, altering physical properties of nearly anything at will.
Starting Armaments: All paths - staff, cloth robe and cloak.
Armor: Cloth only. Bonus: +1 spell potency in full arcane robes; +2 with no armor at all. Penalty: -3 in plate; -2 in chain; -1 in leather.
1H Melee: -2 Hit  |  2H Melee: -2 Hit (staff)  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -1 Hit (staff)  |  Spells: +3 arcane potency (class primary)

Strategist (Playable in Starter Set)

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

Rogue - Agile close-quarters specialists who use speed, daggers, and opportunistic strikes to eliminate single targets before they can react.
- Assassin: Elimination specialists who study target patterns and deliver instant kills from concealment at the chosen moment.
- Recon: Intelligence gatherers who infiltrate, extract critical information, and withdraw without leaving a trace.
- Shroud: Masters of disguise and identity who can impersonate and manipulate individuals at the highest social levels.
Shadow Stalker - Near-incorporeal hunters who blend into shadow and terrain to strike from impossible positions without detection.
- Wraith: Becomes nearly tangible shadow, phasing partially through physical space to avoid attacks and close distance.
- Abyssal: Channels darkness from deep planes to become a void-entity that drains life and snuffs light sources.
- Specter: Ghostlike operative who can briefly enter an ethereal state to avoid damage or pass through physical barriers.
Spellblade - Hybrid martial-arcane fighters who augment blade work with enchantments, making every strike carry magical consequence.
- Shadowblade: Infuses blade with shadow magic for silent darkness-amplified strikes that bypass magical defenses.
- Phantom Blade: Animates a duplicate weapon that attacks in perfect synchronized timing, creating an unavoidable double-strike.
- Sprightly: Fully animates weapons and commands them telepathically from a distance as independent combatants.
Starting Armaments: Rogue - dagger, leather or studded leather. Shadow Stalker and Spellblade - see Strategist Flowchart Booklet.
Armor: Leather or studded leather. Bonus: +1 Evasion and +1 Stealth in leather or lighter. Penalty: -2 Stealth in chain; -3 Stealth in plate; -1 to all Ability Rolls in heavy armor.
1H Melee: +2 Hit (daggers, short blades)  |  2H Melee: -1 Hit  |  1H Ranged: +1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: 0  |  Spells: +1 shadow and illusion; -1 direct arcane damage

Tyrant

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

Berserker - Dual-weapon maniacs who sacrifice all defense for maximum offensive output, attacking with both hands simultaneously at dizzying speed.
- Blitzer: Explosive opening charges that deal massive initial damage and create immediate advantageous positioning.
- Shredder: Relentless multi-hit combos that ignore a portion of target armor on sustained assault over time.
- Fury: Enters uncontrolled rage with dramatically amplified damage and total disregard for incoming harm.
Demolisher - Two-handed devastators who turn every swing into a potential knockdown, reducing both armor and obstacles with equal efficiency.
- Brute: Pure strength attacks that stagger and knock opponents prone with the full weight of a two-handed weapon.
- Rampager: Charges through enemy formations dealing damage to all in the path, ignoring flanking and positional penalties.
- Bone Crusher: Targets joints and structural points to cripple enemies, applying persistent movement and attack penalties.
War Cryer - Battlefield voice weapons who use voice, presence, and sonic force to demoralize enemies and amplify allied aggression simultaneously.
- Celestial: Combines war cries with celestial invocations for holy-aligned sonic blasts and ally protection auras.
- Paincaster: Inflicts psychological pain through targeted taunts that break enemy formation and force them to focus on the Tyrant.
- Dagger Dancer: Acrobatic speed-based dagger specialist who uses rapid repositioning and light strikes to overwhelm.
Armor: Medium - studded leather to light chain. Bonus: +1 Hit and +1 Damage in leather or no armor. Penalty: -1 Evasion in plate; -1 Hit with all weapons in plate or heavy chain.
1H Melee: +2 Hit (dual wield)  |  2H Melee: +2 Hit, +1 Damage (Demolisher)  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -2 Hit  |  Spells: -2 (War Cryer: +1 sonic voice abilities)

Warlock

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

Grimlock - Bound to fiendish or chaotic entities who grant trickster-level shapeshifting and deception power at the cost of ongoing personal transformation.
- Fiend: Fully embraces the fiendish patron's power, gaining fire and fear abilities as demonic characteristics become visible.
- Changeling: Perfects physical transformation to impersonate any creature of roughly equal size with full ability retention.
- Hexblade: Infuses weapon with patron's power, creating a cursed blade that amplifies dark abilities and self-sustains between fights.
Bloodlock - Vampire-adjacent blood magic users who drain life from enemies to sustain themselves, growing more powerful as they consume.
- Vampire: Gains partial vampiric traits including life drain, enhanced night vision, and limited blood-form travel.
- Blood Knight: Channels drained life into physical enhancement, converting consumed life force into temporary combat bonuses.
- Tormentor: Inflicts agonizing blood magic curses that cause enemies to damage themselves with every movement they make.
Necromancer - Death-adjacent scholars who raise and command the dead as a standing army, growing their force with each enemy slain.
- Summoner: Calls entities from the spirit plane directly into the material world as dedicated combatants.
- Inquisitor: Interrogates the dead for tactical intelligence and can force the recently fallen to perform one final action.
Armor: Robes or leather - pact energy flows cleanest through non-metal. Bonus: +1 spell potency in robes or leather. Penalty: -1 to all Warlock Ability Rolls in plate; spell potency reduced when heavily armored.
1H Melee: +1 Hit (cursed blades)  |  2H Melee: 0  |  1H Ranged: 0  |  2H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  Spells: +2 dark pact and necrotic; +1 life drain

Warrior

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

Armorer - Combined arms specialists equally effective with ranged and melee weapons who use exceptional armor knowledge to fight in any condition.
- Ironclad: Maximum armor specialists who turn equipment weight and mass into a deliberate offensive tool.
- Champion: Arena-tested fighters who leverage reputation and physical presence to gain pre-combat advantages.
- Bulwark: Immovable defensive specialists who transform their own body into a living wall that cannot be bypassed.
Blade Master - Supreme melee combatants who have mastered every bladed weapon, spear, lance, and hand-to-hand style to an unmatched degree.
- Savage Slayer: Removes all refinement in favor of primal efficiency, attacking with maximum power through natural aggression.
- Gladiator: Performance-tested showfighters who use crowd-tested dominance to amplify their own combat effectiveness.
- Duelist: Precise single-combat specialists who read opponents patiently and exploit openings with surgical precision.
Warlord - Battlefield commanders who augment exceptional martial ability with rune-based magic and weather-calling powers to dominate at every scale.
- Stormbringer: Calls lightning and storm elemental forces to enhance weapons and strike at range simultaneously.
- Runeblades: Carves power runes into weapons that activate on hit for persistent magical damage and compound effects.
- Sun Thrower: Harnesses solar energy as a projected weapon, creating radiant javelins and sun-burst area attacks.
Armor: Versatile - plate through leather with no penalty in tree. Bonus: +1 AS per armor tier above leather when properly fitted. Penalty: -1 to non-Warrior Ability Rolls in plate (offset within Warrior tree).
1H Melee: +1 Hit  |  2H Melee: +1 Hit  |  1H Ranged: +1 Hit (Armorer)  |  2H Ranged: +1 Hit (Armorer)  |  Spells: +1 rune and storm (Warlord); -1 arcane outside Warrior tree

Witch

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

Norwitch - Northern cold-magic practitioners who wield frost, ice, and wind as weapons, bonded to the eternal winter of the far reaches.
- Frostbane: Creates persistent frost fields that slow and damage any who enter, expanding with each enemy struck.
- Cryomancer: Turns ambient water and moisture into weapons, creating ice constructs and freezing effects at range.
- Arctic Witch: Bonds with arctic spirits to gain cold immunity and channel polar winds as a sustained force weapon.
Lunar - Moon-cycle attuned witches whose power waxes and wanes with the lunar calendar, specializing in dream, star, and silver-light magic.
- Dreamweaver: Enters a waking-dream state to project illusions and alter the minds of sleeping enemies from a distance.
- Moonfire: Channels focused moonlight as a slow-burning radiant damage-over-time that also disrupts dark magic.
- Starborn: Draws on individual star constellations for specific powerful effects tied to real celestial positioning.
BrewMaster - Cauldron and potion specialists who craft consumable magic items both in combat and out, applying alchemical and biological effects.
- Hag: Dark brew specialist who creates curses and poisons with lingering effects that worsen over time without treatment.
- Green Witch: Nature-aligned herbalist whose brews carry healing and enhancement properties with unusually long durations.
- Shrew: Combines poison brewing with sharp-weapon delivery in a quick, stealthy hybrid combat style.
Armor: Robes, light leather, or ritual garments - metal disrupts moon and brew connections. Bonus: +1 to all Witch spell potency in robes or ritual garments. Penalty: -2 to all Witch Ability Rolls in chain or heavier.
1H Melee: 0 (daggers, staves)  |  2H Melee: +1 Hit (staves)  |  1H Ranged: -1 Hit  |  2H Ranged: -2 Hit  |  Spells: +2 nature, moon, brew magic; +1 curse and hex
Science Fiction Classes pending.

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

Fallen and Risen Classes

Only classes bound to a Higher Power are capable of falling or rising. These are classes whose Abilities are granted by an external force - their alignment, oaths, and relationship with that power are the foundation of everything they can do.

Which Classes Can Fall or Rise

Lawful classes (Paladins, Clerics, Monks, Overseers, Avengers, etc.) - bound to divine or lawful Higher Powers - may Fall.

Dark classes (Warlocks, Witches, Tyrants, Doom Knights, etc.) - bound to evil or chaotic Higher Powers - may Rise.

Beginning the Path

A character may begin falling or rising at the very start of their main class creation. This choice does not go unnoticed. Their Higher Power begins applying penalties immediately, stripping buffs, weakening granted Abilities, and sending adversaries or tests to challenge their resolve. Survival on this path to level 20 is genuinely difficult, and that is by design.

The Level 20 Gate

A character can only fall or rise at exactly level 20 - no earlier, no later. Before that point they exist in between, penalized by their old power, not yet claimed by the new one. By chance, the higher power in question will most definitely attempt to stop the transition, but you're also protected by your new higher power. Nevertheless, you may not survive.

What Happens at Level 20

When a character fully falls or rises:

  • They lose 10 Abilities permanently.
  • Their remaining Abilities weaken, shift, and transfer, changing in flavor and effect to reflect their new alignment. Each ability tree they drew from is locked.
  • Of the 20 Abilities held at this point - 3 native and 17 path - 10 are lost, leaving 10 carried into the new tree.
  • The standard 59 Ability cap still applies from this point forward.

The Two Trees

There are only two paths available to fallen and risen characters:

  • The Fallen Tree - for lawful classes who have abandoned their oaths and Higher Power. Paladins, Clerics, Monks and others who fall enter here.
  • The Risen Tree - for dark classes who have turned toward the light. Warlocks, Witches, Tyrants, Doom Knights and others who rise enter here.

Each tree has three branches of 30 Abilities each, consistent with every other class tree. The path a character enters within their new tree corresponds to the position (e.g. 1, 2, or 3) of the path they held before the transition. Since the transition occurs at level 20 and branches do not begin until Ability 21, no character will have chosen a branch at this point - that choice lies ahead in the new tree.

Fallen and Risen are themselves the new main class. The path a character enters within their new tree corresponds directly to the position of the path they held before the transition - first, second, or third. The same applies to branches, if the character had progressed that far before falling or rising (note: branch selection remains available if they reach that point in the new tree). As with all classes, characters may still draw from any other available class trees up to the 59 Ability cap, provided there is no innate alignment conflict between them - a Paladin and a Warlock, for example, cannot share the same Ability set.

What Makes These Abilities Different

Fallen and Risen Abilities are slightly more powerful than standard class Abilities, but the real distinction is in their nature and duration. Fallen Abilities lean toward exclusive harm-causing effects that linger, debuffs, corruptions, and damage that are dramatically exaggerated in how they are applied and persists a bit longer over time than their regular counterparts. Risen Abilities lean toward healing and restorative effects that last longer than their standard counterparts, and tend to do so in a completely different nature than the ordinary. The biggest challenge and reward is surviving the path to get there.

Advantages

  • Access to a unique hybrid ability set blending remnants of their old class with the power of their new tree.
  • Fallen and Risen Abilities carry longer lasting effects than standard class Abilities of the same level.
  • Fallen and Risen characters carry unique titles and are recognized, or feared, across Essentia.
  • Because old ability trees are locked rather than erased, certain redemption paths may exist to reclaim dormant Abilities. See the GM Codex.

A Note on Prestige

Falling or rising dramatically affects a character's Prestige, alignment, reputation, and faction standing. Former allies may become enemies. New and unexpected alliances become possible. These are not just mechanical changes, they reshape the character's story entirely.