Core Rules: Creating a Character

Ability Scores

Characters have 6 Ability Scores. These scores snapshot every creature's physical and mental characteristics:

• Agility – freedom of movement
• Strength – physical power
• Constitution – stamina
• Wisdom – awareness and insight
• Knowledge – memory and perception
• Influence – impact of presence

These scores affect the three main rolls of the game: ability checks, attack rolls, and counters.

Ability Scores and Modifiers

All characters begin with 8 in every ability score.

At creation, players get 27 points to distribute among the six abilities.

• No score may exceed 20 at character creation.
• Raising a score above 15 costs 2 points per increment.

Point Costs

• 8 → 15 = 1 point per increase
• 16+ = 2 points per increase

Modifiers

• Every 2 points below 10: –1 modifier
• Every 2 points above 10: +1 modifier

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Example Stat Block

Stat	Score	Modifier
Agility	15	+2
Constitution	14	+2
Strength	13	+1
Wisdom	12	+1
Knowledge	11	+0
Influence	10	+0

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Ability Score Increase

• After choosing an Echelon, characters gain 2 more ability points to distribute without penalty over 15.
• Every even-numbered level (including 20), gain +1 ability point.
• Scores may exceed 20 after creation, but:
  • Every point above 20 must be offset by lowering another score by 1.

Example: If Knowledge is 20 and Influence is 13, raising Knowledge to 21 means lowering Influence to 12 (or any other stat by 1).

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Source Dice (SD)

All characters have a Source Pool of dice used to fuel abilities, attacks, and more.

Source Pool by Level

Level	Source Pool
1	6d6
5	8d8
9	10d10
13	12d12
17	20d20

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Replenishment

Out of Combat: Automatically regain Source Dice equal to your proficiency every unstressed, unstrained hour

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Hit Points

• Before level 17:
  HP = Source Dice Size × Number of Source Dice
  Example: 8d8 → 8 × 8 = 64 HP

• Level 17+:
  HP = 20 × Constitution score (not modifier)

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Renewal

Regain HP during downtime:

• Regain HP = Proficiency Bonus + Constitution Modifier per unstressed hour.

Example: +3 Proficiency, –1 Constitution → regain 2 HP/hour

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Conversions

Conversion	Rule
2 SD → 1 Core Action	Spend 2 Source Dice for 1 CA
2 SD → 20ft Movement	Spend 2 Source Dice for 20ft
20ft ⇄ 1 Core Action	Exchange freely

• When you spend a Core Action + Movement, the Movement is converted into Source.

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Echelon System

Players may choose an Echelon, which affects your party dynamics and grants a powerful unique benefit. While not required, selecting an Echelon helps craft your character’s development and acts as a force multiplier to your class. Some players may prefer to avoid combat altogether or embrace a more fluid approach, unbound by archetype.

What it is: Your approach to play. You pick 1 Echelon at character creation. It modifies limits or grants bonuses.

What it does NOT change: Your Source totals or Ability Scores.

When it matters: Key moments in play where your Echelon affects the story’s outcome.

Changing Echelons: This can be story driven, with consideration for how your character has grown.

Aegic

Unique Ability: Adds proficiency twice to blocked damage.
Role Example: An Aegis Paladin may specialize in shielding allies and absorbing incoming attacks.

Aurelic

Unique Ability: Can concentrate on 2 spells before incurring the multiple concentration penalty.
Role Example: An Aurelic Sorcerer might specialize in enhancing allies' combat prowess and defenses.

Ingenic

Unique Ability: Adds proficiency twice when crafting, repairing, or interacting with magical or technological items (non-attack/defense rolls), including computers.
Role Example: An Ingenic Rogue might specialize in deploying devices and managing tools mid-combat, or hacking into magical mainframes.

Malefic

Unique Ability: Adds proficiency twice when dealing damage.
Role Example: A Malefic Cleric might channel destructive divine energy to wipe out enemies.

Myric

Unique Ability: May spend 2 Source Dice to treat an unstressed, non-combat check as a stressed check in order to gain proficiency, even if they are not normally proficient in the relevant discipline.
Role Example: A Myric Warlock might pick a lock or tame a horse, even if they’d never seen either.

Vitalic

Unique Ability: Adds proficiency twice to healing.
Role Example: A Reparative Druid might focus on restoring allies quickly during combat.

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Core Actions (CA)

• Core Actions include attacks, spellcasting, and d20-based checks.
• Some actions cost 1 CA + additional SD.
• To take a Core Action:
  • 1 CA = 2 SD = 20ft movement = 10ft + 1 SD

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Turns

On your turn:

• You may spend all your Source
• You may use all your movement.
• Your turn ends when you've used all resources or you choose to pass.

Note: It is important to manage your Source over the course of an encounter, as expending it all on one turn can leave one vulnerable.

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Hold Action

You may hold an Action or Reaction by specifying a clear trigger (e.g. "If a creature enters my range").

-You may hold an action and take your turn normally.

• You do not pre-commit Source Dice for held actions.
• When triggered, resolve the action immediately, committing necessary resources.
• If resolving it would exceed your SD proficiency cap, it becomes a Strained check.
• If you do not have the resources when the trigger occurs, the Action is not triggered.
• If the trigger never occurs, you lose nothing.

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Stress & Strain

Stress

• All tasks in combat are considered stressed.
• For every missing SD, add +1 DC to stressed actions.
• Stressed DC = +1 per missing SD at the moment of the check.

Missing SD	DC Increase
1	+1
2	+2
3	+3
...	...

Ascended Play (Level 21+): Stress is reduced to +1 DC per 2 missing SD (see Ascended Resilience).

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Strain

If you exceed your SD proficiency cap on a technique or ability, your check becomes a strained check.

• Strained DC = +1 per Source beyond the proficiency cap.

Example:
Your proficiency is +2. You commit 3 SD (exceeding the proficiency cap) to counter a spell.
DC is increased by +1.

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