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
Charge / Slam	3x	5 ft.	Combat only, triggers check
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.

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 Attack 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.

Charge / Slam: Move up to 2x speed in a straight line toward a target and attack at the end, changing direction cancels the charge. Full rules in Combat.

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 Score and Dexterity Score 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 tactics and spells, 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.

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. Point, 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-level abilities. The form is cosmetic at base, all Wayfarers share the same core abilities as they level, 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.

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 levels.

Generic Abilities, Unlocked Through Progression

All Wayfarers unlock the following abilities as they level, 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 levels, it senses its owner's standing with that settlement's factions in advance, alerting whether they have sufficient stance 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.
• Alert: The Wayfarer senses danger before it arrives, it stirs, pulses, or otherwise signals that something is wrong. At higher levels, 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. Tied to exploration achievements. At a certain level it actively leads rather than hints.
• Deep Down: The Wayfarer can guide its owner deep into dungeons, castles, estates, and prisons, places where it would otherwise lose its bearing.
• 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 levels it nudges. At higher levels it leads confidently.

Form Special Abilities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Reveals hidden celestial landmarks and navigational reference points.
2. Find Secret unlocks earlier than any other form.
3. Reveals more secret locations per session than other forms.
4. Detects ancient, forgotten, or sealed sites specifically.
5. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Functions in magical darkness where other light sources fail.
2. Ports to fire sources at greater distance than other forms.
3. Hearth bond strengthens, the owner regenerates faster while resting at a Hearth.
4. Reveals invisible creatures within its light radius.
5. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Obstacle Navigation by Size

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:

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 Point
Small	50 lbs	+15 lbs
Standard	100 lbs	+15 lbs
Goliath	200 lbs	+15 lbs

Carrying weight beyond capacity encumbers the character. Abilities (Tactics/Spells) may negate encumbrance penalties.

Load	Threshold	Movement	Action Penalty
Normal	0-50%	Full speed	None
Burdened	51-100%	Half speed	Hit and damage halved
Encumbered	101%+	Cannot move	Cannot act

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.

Condition	Range	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.

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.

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.
• Breather (2 hrs): Recovers 8 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each.
• Short Rest (6 hrs): Recovers 24 chips of Life, Mana, and Stamina each. 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.

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, Tredician Caravan Ambush

Setup: A merchant caravan travels the trade roads of Tredici. 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 Tredici

Setup: A divine entity with Blink ability, or a light-speed-capable spacecraft, instantly travels from one location to Tredici 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 30 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 only, it does not recover Endurance. Endurance only resets at the start of the next day. 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, Tredici Mount Journey Long Distance

Setup: A rider on a Unique-tier mount (4x base speed) travels across Tredici'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

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, Attributes, Mana, Stamina, or Endurance. They only have Life, Abilities, Armor, and Attacks. Their Abilities are innate and require no trait or attribute Prerequisites. Only Life can be depleted during combat.

Protection Score (PROTS)

Every entity in SORC has a Base Armor Score (AS), a number between 1 and 100 representing the raw protection of any armored or unarmored entity. AS is the starting point, not the full picture. PROTS (Protection Score) is AS plus every permanent Enhancement or Impairment, temporary buff or debuff, and Trait bonus or penalty applied to it. PROTS = AS + all modifiers, positive and negative. AS 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 AS of 80 (AS 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 AS 80. Flying, the Ice Dragon has a PROTS of 102.

Conversely, a Commoner is wearing cloth and has a base AS of 10, AS 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 AS 10 + 2 - 1 = 11. The Commoner is easy to Hit. In comparison, a Paladin in Plate has a base AS 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 AS of a Shield (AS 10) or the lighter option, Bracers (AS 5). Let's say he's holding the shield and has a score of 5 on the Trait Defense. Base AS is 60, plus 10 for shield, plus 5 because he has Defense (5).

Defense Roll

A character who has learned the Defense Trait and has at least one qualifying item equipped may roll to defend when attacked. Roll d100 + Defense trait score against the attacker's hit roll with all modifiers. Luck stacks with Defense rolls. Meet or exceed the attacker's roll, defense succeeds. Fall short, attack lands. Defense type is determined by equipped gear:

• Parry, 2H Weapon, Bracers of Defense, or Dual Wield (melee only, excludes orbs, tomes, special items, and environmental objects)
• 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 DIFS Check

Setup: Kael (Elf, Thief, Shadowblade, Level 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 DIFS

Setup: Tyx (Goliath, Hacker, DataMind, Level 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 AS only.

Armor Type	Base AS	Base Hit (D100)
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%
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 AS only, not PROTS. In play, all bonuses and penalties apply on top of these rates, including the target's full PROTS (AS plus all defensive modifiers), armor condition, armor structure, character attributes, talents, buffs, debuffs, and situational modifiers. Remember that armor types have Vulnerabilities and Resistances (see Armor Types 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 types.

Hit Results

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	Roll result 96-100	2x damage dice (e.g., 3d6 becomes 6d6). Add Strength score to melee crits, Agility score to martial ranged crits, and Willpower score to spell crits. May trigger extra Status effects, limb severance, or severe injuries.
Botch / Fizzle	Roll result 1-5 (Botch = martial, Fizzle = spell)	The character stumbles, see rules on stumble.

Initiative

Initiative is calculated at each level and recorded on the character sheet: Initiative = Base Speed + Agility + Vigilance. Stamina and Encumbrance do not factor into initiative, but if a character is immobilized or restrained, they lose their turn. On a tie, Luck is used as the tiebreaker. 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, Attributes, 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 Tactic, see class Tactics.

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 Willpower ± 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), Willpower ± any other modifiers (spells). Dual wield requires a Tactic, see class Tactics.

Reminder: A character's rank is their Prerequisite, they must match the armament's rank to use it (see Experience 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 Tactics.
• Critical Hits: Roll result 96-100 - 2x damage dice. May trigger extra Status effects, limb severance, or severe injuries.
• Botch / Fizzle: Roll result 1-5, Botch (martial) or Fizzle (spell). The character stumbles, see rules on stumble.
• Unarmed Combat: See full rules below.

Ranged Attacks

Every weapon has a range type and, where applicable, range bands listed on its card. Melee weapons default to 1 square (5 ft.) reach. Reach weapons such as spears and polearms extend to 2 squares (10 ft.) and follow standard melee rules. Ranged weapons use range bands, Short, Medium, and Long, each with a hit penalty applied to the d100 roll. Base band distances are defined by weapon category below. Individual weapon cards may override these defaults.

Since the penalty is -10 at Medium range, a character with Dexterity Score 10 absorbs it entirely, resulting in no net loss at that band. Since the penalty at Long range is -20, a character with Dexterity Score 10 takes a net -10 to their roll.

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

Weapon Category	Short	Medium	Long
Short ranged (shortbow, light crossbow)	0-60 ft.	61-120 ft.	121-180 ft.
Long ranged (longbow, heavy crossbow)	0-100 ft.	101-200 ft.	201-300 ft.

Thrown weapons do not use range bands, they have a 15 ft. base range (3 squares), and both STR and AGI scores stack to hit. Beyond 15 ft. is an auto miss.

Reach weapons do not use range bands, they simply extend melee reach to 2 squares (10 ft.) and follow standard melee rules.

Range band distances are listed on each weapon card and override the defaults above. See TAW Ranged and Spell Range sections below for their respective rules.

TAW Ranged

TAW is the umbrella term for all technologically manufactured weapons beyond traditional ranged arms. TAW breaks into two subtypes, TAW Ballistic (gunpowder-propelled: shotguns, rifles, machine guns, sidearms) and TAW Energy (plasma, laser, and photon-based: plasma cannons, railguns, laser pistols). Both subtypes use the same range bands and Focus Score penalty absorption, but their armor interactions differ, see Weapon Damage Modifiers in pg. 4.

TAW weapons 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.

Beyond range, TAW and TABA carry a power-source Penalty tied to which sun a planet draws its energy from, see Tech and Magic Across Essentia (Planetary Markets, Basic Rules pg. 4) for the full rule, and the Prologue and Into the Uncharted Worlds of Essentia for Adoria and Tawdry Dwarf's history.

	Traditional (Bow, Crossbow)	TAW Ballistic	TAW Energy
Range	Short-Medium	Long	Long
Ammo	Recoverable	Lost on use	Lost on use
Noise	Quiet	Loud (silencer optional)	Low hum
Malfunction	None	Jam risk	Overheat / charge loss
Maintenance	Low	Standard	Standard
Environment	Any	Any	Disrupted by EMP, magic interference
Entry cost	Low	Moderate	High

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

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

Weapon Category	Range Type	Native Planet	Foreign Planet
TAW sidearm (laser pistol, plasma thrower)	Short	0-100 ft.	0-60 ft.
TAW rifle (railgun, plasma cannon)	Long	0-900 ft.	0-350 ft.

Spell Range

Spells use the same band structure as standard ranged weapons but Willpower Score (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 Attacks table above.

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

Spell Example, Tredician Ritual Combat Invocation

Setup: Vex (Draconic, Sorcerer, Spellweaver, Level 14, Rank Rare) casts Arcane Bolt during a ritual duel on Tredici. The spell has a Short range (0-100 ft.), costs 3 Mana chips, and deals 5d6 + Willpower modifier. Vex has Willpower of 11 and 32 Mana available. Her opponent is 60 ft. away (Short range, no penalty).

Spell Cast: Vex pays 3 Mana (down to 29). She rolls to hit: d100 + 11 (Willpower, WIL absorbs range penalties) = [74] + 11 = 85 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, Level 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. Willpower 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 save against his spell DIFS (equal to his PROTS, 52). 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.

Tactic Example, Tredician Warrior Duel Precision Strike

Setup: Kiran (Human, Warrior, Blade Master, Level 13, Rank Uncommon) uses the Precision Strike Tactic during a formal duel on Tredici. This Tactic 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.

Tactic Activation: Kiran pays 2 Stamina (down to 36). He executes the Precision Strike: d100 + 14 (Uncommon main hand) + 6 (Strength) + 8 (Tactic bonus) = [73] + 28 = 101 versus opponent's PROTS of 55. Direct Hit! Damage: 3d6 (Uncommon 1h) + 6 (Strength) + 1d6 (Tactic 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, Level 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! Attack 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.

TAW Melee

TAW melee weapons, energy blades, shock batons, pulse blades, nano-edge swords, follow standard melee rules with one exception: Agility Score replaces Strength Score 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 Score vs PROTS
• Damage: weapon rank dice + Agility Score + modifiers
• Reach: 1 square (5 ft.) default unless the card specifies otherwise

Graze, Critical Hit, Botch, 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 and Critical Hit rules apply as normal. Grapple rules apply as normal.

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.

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.

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

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 tactic/spell
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-level combat
Cylinder	Circular base + vertical height	Any point in range	Radius and height both specified by tactic/spell
Chain	Jumps between targets within range of each other	First target	Jumps and range specified by tactic/spell
Wall	Flat stationary barrier placed along grid edges	Designated point	Length and height specified by tactic/spell
Torus	Ring around a center point; inner radius unaffected	Any point in range	Inner and outer radius both specified by tactic/spell
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 tactic/spell
Interference	Alternating bands of effect and non-effect radiating outward	Any point in range	Band width specified by tactic/spell
Wave	Moving wall of water or force with height; travels forward and crashes down	Designated point	Width, height, and travel distance specified by tactic/spell. 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 tactic/spell

Encounter DIFS

The DIFS for any effect, ability, or escape check involving a creature or encounter is equal to that creature's PROTS. This applies to grapples, fear effects, grabs, and any other roll made against or because of an encounter. Mechanical devices such as traps also have a PROTS representing their structural integrity.

Grapple and Grab

On a successful grapple or grab attack, the target is held until they break free or the attacker releases. To escape, the target rolls d100 + Strength vs the attacker's PROTS (Encounter DIFS). One escape attempt is allowed per turn. Drop damage applies if released or escaped at height. Specific grab rules, carry height limits, and drop damage values are module specific.

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

Kaida, the barbarian, charges into a skirmish against a Cultist wearing leather armor (Base AS 25, base hit rate 65%). The Cultist has additional defensive modifiers, a shield, defensive stance, and terrain advantage, bringing his full PROTS to 60. Kaida'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: Kaida'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, Kaida 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. Kaida'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 Kaida's next turn, she swings a mighty blow and rolls a 98, triggering a Critical Hit (96-100). 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, Tredici Cliffside Duel

Setup: Theron (Tredician, Human, Fighter, Blademaster, Level 12, Rank Rare) faces off against a Draconic Guardian (Level 15 Unique Encounter, AS 78) on a narrow cliff overlooking Tredici's crystalline chasm. Theron wields a Rare 2h Longsword with Agility-based special properties and wears Medium armor (Chain, Base AS 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 (Vigilance) = [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 modifier) = [67] + 27 = 94 versus Guardian's PROTS of 78. It's a Hit! Damage: 8d6 (Rare 2h sword) + 7 (Agility) = [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 must roll to resist or dodge, but uses his remaining action to attempt a Defense check (d100 + 6 Defense Trait = [72] + 6 = 78). The Guardian's attack roll was [81]. Since 78 doesn't 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, Level 14, Rank Uncommon) leads her beast companion through Ignis's volcanic mines. She encounters a Magma Elemental (Level 13 Unique Encounter, AS 65, immune to fire damage) in a chamber filled with flowing lava. Lyra wears Light armor (Leather, Base AS 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 (Vigilance) = [51] + 51 = 102. Magma Elemental: [28] + 40 = 68. Lyra acts first. She positions her beast companion and takes aim with her Rare Longbow at long range (0-300 ft., this is 250 ft. away). Ranged attack: d100 + 20 (Rare long ranged) + 5 (Agility modifier), 20 (Long range penalty) = [74] + 5 = 79 versus Elemental's PROTS of 65. Direct Hit! Damage: 4d6 (Rare longbow) + 5 (Agility) = [3, 4, 2, 6] = 15 + 5 = 20. Elemental down to 130 Life. Her beast companion attacks next (within its turn): hits for 18 damage. Elemental down to 112.

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

Round 2: Lyra draws a second arrow and fires from long range again: d100 + 20 + 5 - 20 = [62] + 5 = 67 versus 65. Hit! Damage: 4d6 + 5 = [5, 2, 4, 3] = 14 + 5 = 19. Elemental at 93 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. Critical Hit (roll was 79, above 96 threshold means... actually no, critical is 96-100, so roll of 79 is just a Direct Hit). 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 Types

Armor Type	Base AS	Vulnerable To (AS Penalty)	Resistant To (AS Bonus)	Movement Penalty (sq.)	Weight
Delicate (e.g. Cloth)	10	Slashing, Ranged (-4)	Magic (+2)	0 sq.	5 lbs
Light (e.g. Leather)	25	Piercing (-3)	Ranged (+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)	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

Charge / Slam: Move up to 2x base speed in a straight line and make a melee attack at the end. Changing direction at any point cancels the charge and the movement is lost. Costs 1.5 actions, half action for movement, 1 action for the attack. Roll: d100 + Hit bonus + 10 vs target PROTS. On a hit, add Strength Trait score to damage. On a Slam, the target must roll d100 + Strength Trait vs the attacker's DIFS, a fail knocks the target prone. The attacker's own PROTS is reduced by 10 until the start of their next turn.

Retreat: A tactical withdrawal of 1 square directly away from a threat. Costs half an action. Does not trigger an Attack of Opportunity. No roll required.

Dodge and Retreat: Combines Defense, as Dodge -, Agility Score and Dexterity Score to PROTS with a 5 ft. sq. Retreat backwards. Costs 1 action. Does not trigger an Attack of Opportunity. If the Defense check fails, the character may still attempt a standalone Defense Trait check on the same turn.

Attacks 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. Attacks of Opportunity work both ways. Additionally, performing certain actions while in a hostile creature's melee reach also triggers an Attack 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 Attack of Opportunity per trigger, per turn. Roll: d100 + Hit bonus vs target PROTS. Standard damage on hit.

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 tactic or spell.

Incapacitated: The character is prone or immobile and cannot take actions or reactions. Attacks 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.

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.

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). All Life, Mana, and Stamina pools fully recover. Endurance does not recover, that resets at the next calendar day start.

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: Artistry 12 + Dexterity 8 = 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 (30 Endurance base for most). They've already used 20 Endurance each, leaving them with 10 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 30 (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 30. 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: Intellect 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 30. 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 30 (best condition due to lighter load). Theron uses the settlement smithy for 4 hours of intensive work. He's crafting a custom Uncommon-rank dagger from raw materials he gathered earlier. Blacksmith check: Strength 12 + Artistry 7 + Blacksmith skill 12 = d100 + 31. Roll: [69] + 31 = 100 versus DIFS 75 (Uncommon difficulty). Critical success! The dagger turns out exceptional, not just Uncommon, but with a minor bonus property (counts as having +1 to hit vs. scales). Cost: materials 80 gold + smithy rental 20 gold = 100 gold. Value of finished dagger: 220 gold. Theron is exhausted but triumphant. Endurance drops to 2.

Character 5, Sira (Leatherworker, Tanner profession): Endurance remaining: 10 of 30 (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: Dexterity 9 + Artistry 6 + Tanner skill 8 = d100 + 23. Roll: [58] + 23 = 81 versus DIFS 50 (routine maintenance). Success! She repairs three pieces of party gear (each returns one durability level) 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 30 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.

Level Loss: The character loses exactly 1 Growth, Current Years (EA) resets to that Growth's starting year threshold, and exactly 1 Character Level (Ch. Lvl). This loss does not escalate with repeat deaths; only the Time Lost above does. Attribute Scores, TST, and Nature Drawn/Spell Drawn Abilities already purchased or picked are kept in full, nothing is refunded or reverted. Instead, the character does not roll a new Attribute Repository or pick a new class Ability again until their Ch. Lvl exceeds the Ch. Lvl they died at, and does not pick a new Nature Drawn or Spell Drawn Ability 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 Ch. Lvl and restores automatically once that Ch. Lvl is reached again. Rank Points 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

Resurrection: Resurrection is the process of being brought back to life after dying. Many different classes can perform it, including some exclusive to NPCs. Depending on how the character died will determine their alignment upon returning. If they were killed by a vampire's bite, their new alignment will be evil when they awake.

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 Attributes, 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 of their main classes has progressed furthest within its required alignment; if two or more classes are tied for furthest progression within the same alignment, 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" at stake), defaulting to whatever alignment they held when the original Resurrection began.

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. Reminder: each player has 2 minutes to complete their turn, see pg. 4.

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.

Action	Cost
BASE combat strike	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 INT point

Stamina and Mana Costs

Traits, Skills, and Talents (TST) consume Stamina chips when used in combat, 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 TST, 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 (1 chip per Spirit point).

Movement Example, Tredician Battlefield Advance

Setup: Gregor (Human, Paladin, Holy Knight, Level 15, Rank Uncommon) has a base speed of 30 ft. per turn in combat on Tredici'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 Tredician 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, Level 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.

As characters face combat threats or interacting Encounters they'll present one, or sometimes more, of these Cards at the GM's request. The Card they play is 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. Action Cards come in four distinct types: Tactic Cards, Spell Cards, Talent Cards, and Skill Cards. Tactic Cards and Spell Cards are both Combat Action Cards but are entirely separate types, they are not interchangeable.

Tactic Card: Covers martial and innate combat actions. Players keep a stack of Tactic Cards representing their characters' combat capabilities for quick reference.

Spell Card: Covers magical combat actions. Spell Cards are separate from Tactic Cards. Each Spell Card specifies its own Mana cost and effects, these vary per card and are not determined by Attributes.

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).

Threat Engine

A Threat Meter tracks a character's Threat Score, 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 Score.

• 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 Score increases.
• If a character placates, impresses, or deceives them, their Threat Score decreases.

The GM updates a character's Threat Score 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 level 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 Level 1, and must roll a Panic Check again on their next turn with a -1 Penalty. If they fail again, they are now at level 2 Panic and on their next turn with a -2 Penalty to their D100 roll. This continues through 5 levels of Panic.

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

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 NPC 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 Stance 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.

Stance Development

Every choice made on a Dilemma Card adjusts a character's Stance, their relationship and attitude towards factions and important NPCs. Stance 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 Stance 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 Stance 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 Stance 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.

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 levels 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 Beyond 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 Points and rewards such as gear and experience. The Arena involves structured matches from 1v1 up to 5v5, with players earning Valor Points 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 Points 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.