To Worlds of the Spyre, a d20 TTRPG system that boasts familiar and new mechanics with deep classes that each have a myriad of ways to define them to your personal tastes. In this document, we will already assume that you know what a table top roleplaying game is in broad terms, but will cover many of the basics, and all of the rules to play this one in particular.
So, first off, what kind of table top is Worlds of the Spyre? This system holds narrative as the driving force behind action, and rewards parties with following through on leads, achieving the impossible, and coming up with clever solutions, either with their own class abilities, or with the scene around them.
Throughout this document you will see the term "RT", usually before a number or a formula to reach a number. This stands for Roll Threshold, meaning that the number after it, or the number that results from the formula, is the target number needed to reach in order to be considered a success. This is not just the raw roll, but will all bonuses added as well.
When asked to make a saving throw or a check for any given stat, such as a Body check, you roll a d20 and add the associated stats score to the roll. In the case of that Body check, let's say you have 2 in your Body, and you roll a 12, the end result is 12 + 2, 14.
Skills, however, are a bit different. When you roll for a skill check, you add half of the associated stat, and then the amount you have in that given skill. For instance, you're aiming to make a Stealth check, have 2 in your Body, and have 2 in Stealth. You roll a 12 again on the d20, add half of your Body, 1, and then 2 for your Stealth skill, resulting in 15.
There is a concept of Expertise in the system as well. This can only exist on tools and skills, not stats, and simply gives you a flat +2 bonus to the check.
There are many kinds of actions within Worlds of the Spyre, but the major difference between them is the amount of Action Points they consume. Each player has access to 6 Action Points on any given turn, with some exceptions given features, spell, and item effects in certain conditions. Below is a brief description of the action types and their costs so you can get an early idea of what is possible in any given turn, but more details around the specifics reside in the Combat section further in the document.
Power Actions cost 4 Action Points and are generally what the most powerful spells or features are locked to.
Full Actions cost 3 Action Points and are comprised of a wide variety of spells, features, and basic actions such as weapon attacks.
Half Actions cost 2 Action Points and are generally helpful actions to either assist in managing a resource or akin to the generic Recovery action.
Simple Actions cost a single Action Point with very few generic uses, like drinking a potion, but a wider variety of this sort is opened up to your class as you level.
Free Actions cost 0 Action Points, but the same Free Action cannot be used more than once on any given turn.
The Fate Coin is a mechanic that players can utilize to raise the stakes of any given situation. With either a die, evens being heads and odds being tails, or a coin, you may ask the GM, or the GM can tell you, to add the Coin to the roll. On heads, you may hold onto the Coin to expend it within the session, never having more than one at a time.
Spend them while you have them as there is no hoarding, and even if you have a Coin already, you can still be asked to flip the Coin again and can only take it on heads if you immediately spend your current one. A few of the ways you can spend a Coin are as follows:
When getting tails however, something goes not quite right. The GM does not get to keep a Coin, but must use it to alter the scene directly. This may be used to restore a resource to an enemy, bring in sudden reinforcements, or to have those guards be certain something is up and beeline toward your location. It should never be something so drastic that it fully traps or ends the players, but should be a balance to the things they could also have received. Forcing them into a situation where they need to flee is fine, but if those reinforcements completely circled them and this wasn’t a combat that was expected to have turned deadly, then that only makes the situation feel a lot worse.
The Fate Coin, when used by the GM, should make for interesting narration rather than specifically harming the party, and ultimately, that is the purpose of the Coin at large. To make smaller situations more narratively interesting overall with a risk reward nature.
At least a couple times a session, but ultimately only when the result of the Coin would be able to affect the scene in an interesting way. If you were trying to break into a mundane shop in an abandoned part of town, there really wouldn’t be much reason for the Coin as not much more could happen here.
Within this system, and the written campaigns and narratives that will get pushed out for it, entire campaigns are broken up into arcs, which are broken up into sessions, which are futher broken up into scenes. Each of these matters, as there may be effects that are available once per session, once per scene, and one of the major mechanics of this system, Momentum, is tracked over entire arcs.
None of this necessarily has to care about the amount of in game time that is spent, and this is where the majority of features are restored with the different Rests in the game, but understanding how the system is built with this in mind will help in building your own campaigns, or supplementing written tales with additional adventures and knowing how to pace them.
The general flow of gameplay follows a fairly simple pattern. The GM sets the scene, giving the general information that characters can gather without rolls, speaking for any characters that might do so at this time, and then release it to the players to make their decisions. Depending on what they do, the GM may ask for rolls, and will ultimately narrate the outcome of those decisions.
Through this pattern, players may ask whatever questions they like, and the GM may give suggestions that the characters, rather than the players, may notice or think of more easily since they are the ones actually existing within this world.
Momentum is a group wide resource that builds up over the course of an arc. When a player role plays exceptionally, when the party reaches a milestone in an investigation, when another piece falls into place, you gain a point of Momentum.
This resource may be used for a wide variety of effects, all of which are represented in the table below. Also shown in another table, are the effects of Fatigue, a mechanic that also builds up for the entire party.
| Cost | Effect |
|---|---|
| Variable | Increase the raw roll of a die by the amount of Momentum you wish to spend |
| 1 | Recover a single SP |
| 2 | Double the main Stat modifier to a roll |
| 3 | Automatically succeed a check |
| 3 | Recover a single Soul Check or Social Overlook |
| 4 | Use either a subclass or optional feature that you do not have access to but have the level requirements for, or use a main class feature that you would gain access to next level |
You gain one Fatigue for each fight you have in a single day. There are many other effects or story elements that may provide your party with additional points, such as failing important objectives, becoming demoralized, or taking significant damage within a combat.
| Fatigue Points | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Movement is reduced by 5 |
| 3 | Movement is reduced by an additional 10, and your Defensive Action rolls are reduced by 2 |
| 4 | You no longer gain Tier bonuses to any rolls |
| 5 | Each time you would make a Defensive Action, you must spend an additional stamina to do so |
| 6+ | For every point beyond 5, your rolls are reduced by 1 |
Players: Including the GM, there should be about 2-5 people involved. Larger groups are most certainly possible, but bigger tables can get quite unwieldy quickly, and if this everyones first time playing the system, best to be on the smaller end, with a GM, and 3-4 players.
Character Sheets: Each player should have their own character created, with a filled out sheet to keep track of them and their progress. A pencil to make any necessary adjustments, such as health during combat or to fill in more features during level ups, is a must as well.
Boundaries: Established before actual play, potentially before character creation even, these boundaries should be founded by discussion amongst the group so as to steer clear of any content that would be unwelcome to any individual involved. Tabletops can often explore themes that not everyone is comfortable with, but most importantly they are meant to be fun, so making certain to provide this level of assurance to everyone is a kindness. A helpful article, and solid explanation can be found here: https://behindthescreendnd.substack.com/p/ttrpg-safety-tools-that-create-more
A Tale to Tell: The party is here for adventure, and the GM is ready to provide. Having a story at the ready, whether it be smaller scale, or a hook into something far more grand, the tale itself is what often brings the spark of interest in the first place. Provided alongside this ruleset is a short adventure that you can use to jump right in and test the system for yourself.
A Load of Dice: A full set of dice needed should consist of the following sizes; d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, and a d4, with potential for multiples of each size depending on your gear, spells, or various features.
When it comes to ambiguous rules, or a clash between a features wording and a general rule, the more specific rule, in this case the feature, wins out. Otherwise, the GM has the final say. If a rule feels particularly bad, whether at all or for the specific situation, the GM can simply excise it, or tone down whatever portion is causing an issue for the table.
When features or rules state half your level, half your Tier, half of a stat or a skill, this rounds up unless explicitly stated otherwise
Damage however, whenever halved or otherwise necessary, rounds down unless stated otherwise
Players looking to get started in Worlds of the Spyre will need to go about crafting their own character, and this section will walk you through the process. It is encouraged that you work with your GM in the creation process, to create a character that will meld well into the story being told.
Your character might often times be a mess of words and numbers, but they are the one living in this world, they are the one experiencing the story at large. Working with your GM to setup their flaws, struggles, goals, history, and what drives them toward caring about seeking the plot, will create a far more solid narrative, and plot points that give you the opportunity to see your character really grow.
There are a number of steps, which are numbered below, that need to be followed when making your character.
Each step is explained in further detail in this section, though the final options may be found in another section of this ruleset.
While choosing your class is the first step, the class descriptions are found at the end of the character creation section. Instead, here, we will discuss the various classes that are available, their playstyles, some loose categories they fit in, and what you can expect from them.
Eldrag: A pure melee class that gains a skill unique to them. This is the Arsenal skill, and it allows them to carry more weapons on them, as well as contributing to several of their features and stances. They utilize different weapons, changing through them during combat, as they swap stances as needed to get out specific effects or be better suited to any given situation. Each stance has a unique effect that occurs when they enter it, a unique effect they can activate or that gives buffs while they are in it, and a third effect when they break out of the stance.
They are extremely versatile, but their stances build off of previous stances before you can take them. There is a level of planning that needs to happen to figure out the best path to get what stance and when. Once this is done though, your Eldrag is likely to be vastly different than many others.
Higher Bound: Titled as they are due to their sheer conviction and willpower that connects them, binds them, to a higher plane. They pull much of their power, a resource called Heightening, from this connection. A Higher Bound must be made with conviction and with a goal in mind. It needn’t be hyper detailed, but they need some form of driving force, something they wish to see changed, or perhaps returned. They often go through a journey of properly defining what this goal needs to be, how it should look when their journey comes to its conclusion, and what the right way to go about it even is.
In combat they are able to move swiftly, take hits, and dish out impressive bursts of damage, with their subclasses really defining whether or not they are a protector, debuffer, or damage dealer.
Spark Blade: Currently the only Third Caster in the system, they gain access to two Signature Cantrips immediately, giving them more flexibility when they begin to access the options they provide, but their playstyle is far more akin to a martial class than a traditional caster. They gather their resource, Sparks, as rounds go by, and tend to use them to improve their weapon attacks, or enact quite unique effects, rather than spending them on spells. One of their early features allows them to use their Signature Cantrip effects on their weapon attacks, and they have quick access to spending sparks to deal more damage, and even provide range to their melee weapons.
The Spark Blade’s relation to magic is deeper than most other casters, and so their journey to fully understanding it provides them with insight to the very nature of magic that is rarely given, their subclasses slowly emphasizing these insights.
Spirit Ward: Bound to the tethers that connect this world and the next, the Spirit Ward is, as one may expect, very spiritually inclined. As a Half Caster, they get access to leveled spells immediately, but showcase a number of features that they may rather use their primary resource, Attunement, on depending on the situation. They have a myriad of subclasses, facilitating a variety of playstyles, and providing connection to the Greater Spirits that grant them power and guidance.
Many of their features are aura focused, providing consistent damage, healing, and an array of debuffs. They are very supportive in nature, but certainly have ways to both deal and take damage, making them an incredibly flexible option.
Wizard: The scholar of all things within the arcane. They, as a Full Caster, gain the ability to cast spells of higher level faster than other categories of caster, and actually gain access to the most powerful spells. Wizards quickly have access to multiple resources, Mana, which is their primary way to cast spells in the first place, and then Aligned Aether. This second resource helps them alter their spells in ways no other caster can. Alongside the Aether Alignments, they learn to create spell scrolls to have access to more spells that they don’t actively have prepared.
There are many ways to play a Wizard, and their toolbox is vast, making them a bit complex at first, but with a level of very enjoyable depth. Their many subclasses link into one another, allowing you to take unique features if your specced into certain ones that combine well together.
Once you have chosen your class, you should choose your first Optional and Subclass features. You may select one of each, and in this system, when you pick a feature from a subclass you are not locked to that subclass. Typically, in order to get later, more powerful, features in that subclass though, you must have taken previous features. In each class description, you will find the Optional features beneath the main class features. There will typically be multiple available per level. Below the Optionals, you will find all of the Subclasses, their features, and the various requirements for further features in each Subclass.
At the top of your class description, you will see what gear you may begin with. The specifics of combat are detailed later, but each weapon has its own crit effect, and armor provides a variety of bonuses. The Item section showcases all of the starter equipment, and a few other pieces to strive for.
Only a handful of magical items are covered in this document, more to give an idea of what to expect, and provide a few ideas.
In the Ancestry section, after the Item section, you may find the various Ancestries that are available to choose. If you wish to have a mixed Ancestry, then you may select two features, and the skill section from whichever you so choose. The age and size must come from one of the races you selected a feature or skill from.
There are 4 main stats on the character sheet; Body, Mind, Soul, and Presence. Each has 2 substats that do not have a number attached to them, but that you can have proficiency in. Gaining proficiency in a substat gives you the particular bonus attached to it, all of which are explained further down.
Each stat provides a unique bonus when more is allocated to it, even giving a unique effect when maxed. Your modifier for each stat is the total number in that stat. The modifier is what you end up adding to most rolls you make for that stat or that use that stat in some way.
Each stat cannot go higher than 6 at any point of the game (there are rare exceptions).
At level 1, your starting stats are as follows, 2, 1, 0, -1. You are free to choose which stat in specific is assigned which number.
You also begin with 13 skill points, though depending on your level, you will be limited to how many may go into any singular skill. This may be referenced in the Level Up section further below.
Body
By default, Body contributes to most weapon combat damage and damage mitigation through Defensive Actions. It is also the primary stat to contribute to your health pool.
Mind
The primary contributor to the field of magics and knowledge. Each point in this stat provides 1 point of Learning that you may spend for additional benefits. Reference the table below to know what all you may take at the time of character creation and later with unspent points.
Soul
The representation of your determination and raw grit. It grants you bonuses to Will or Resilience checks, of which you have a number equal to 1 + half your Soul, regaining 1 per Long Rest.
Presence
Presence encompasses the command or sway you have in any given situation. It is used in various magics and pretty much any social situation. This stat also contributes to your Social Overlook pool and rolls, which you have a number of equal to 1 + your Presence, regaining 1 per Long Rest.
Athletics - A mark of your physical capacity and endurance. Lifting, sprinting for distances, climbing, and swimming are all examples of this skill in action.
Acrobatics - Your ability to deftly and skillfully maneuver around. Whether it be for flashy reasons, or to skirt the edge of traps and ensure your survival, this skill measures the control over your own motion.
Stealth - To move about unheard and unseen, anytime you wish to make actions or go places without notice, this skill is what will aid you.
Theft - Stealing, pickpocketing, lockpicking, sleight of hand tricks, all of this is encompassed within this skill.
Academics - Histories, religions, math, knowledge in its entirety, at least in a more structured and booklike manner. This skill covers a great deal, but your personal knowledge and usage of it should focus on certain parts more than others, trying to hone in on what your character would have properly studied.
Arcana - Finding the signs of magic's presence in any given situation is a thing this skill can aid in. The ability to understand how magic actually functions, what types of magic exist or may have been used, and the general feeling of a magical influence.
Investigation - Deduction of a situation, seeking clues or understanding their meaning and how things might connect together, or figuring out the intent and meaning behind someone's actions all show how investigation can be used in a wide array of situations.
Medicine - Administering first aid, knowing medicinal plants or tonics by their varying traits, and knowing the best ways to assist those who are sick or wounded are the primary uses of this skill.
Nature - Your knowledge and ability to identify the world around you in all of its natural components. Plants and rocks in their many varieties, but also animals and your ability to read their body language.
Bond - A difficult skill to properly explain, bond is your connection to others, and your ability to innately understand them. Whether it’s understanding that an acquaintance has ulterior motives, or that they’re secretly asking for help, or that a friend is in danger or that they’re simply unable to speak about the things that ail them. Your ties to others can provide you with additional information based purely on how deeply you hold these bonds.
Discipline - Self control and the ability to maintain a rational outlook when emotions begin to rise. Often there are situations where we know the correct thing to do, but we go about something worse anyway. This skill is your character's ability to have more active choice in those moments, to not go overboard, and to maintain control.
Occult - Knowledge and intrinsic understanding of the more mystical, supernatural, and esoteric aspects of the world. Whether it be a kinship you feel, or simply it all being a part of your life, this skill exemplifies your awareness of these topics.
Spiritual - Your chosen religion or spirituality, and capacity to know when something within that sphere of influence is either near or has affected your surroundings.
Persuasion - The strength and conviction of your arguments, and perhaps the ability to find or notice what arguments would be persuasive to the person or group you are speaking to.
Deception - To lie convincingly, or at least to turn others away from the truth and your actual goals. This can be through words and action, and the skill is overall the act of appearing genuine.
Etiquette - The correct way to carry oneself in a social situation. This skill usually comes into play when you would not be terribly familiar with the social rules and boundaries, or if those rules might be a bit different, to what you are used to.
Insight - In many ways the opposition to deception, this skill measures your ability to see through the many veils people wear to mask their intentions.
Leadership - Your ability to take charge in a situation, and have others readily follow you. A high leadership skill implies you have the bearing and air of someone who knows what they’re doing and where they belong. This skill does not just mean you can give orders to others, though that is something that can always be attempted, but when you speak, how willing others are to listen and give merit to your words.
The individual Eldrag is a powerhouse upon the battlefield, having arrived through years of dedication of practice to even begin learning the basic stances. The typhoon of motion they embody as they move between stances can be intimidating to their foes, and inspiring to their allies, while allowing them to always keep a powerful upperhand in combat with the array of possibilities the stances provide to them.
When making an Eldrag, it is important to know where you learned the stances, if you are part of an order of Eldrag, or if this was a method of self discipline that was passed down through your family. The options are limited only by how your GM has decided to implement them into the story. For the short adventure given alongside this ruleset though, both of the above are options, as there is a large organization of Eldrag, but there are plenty that have splintered over the years. Perhaps you were picked up to be an apprentice, or perhaps the first steps of the adventure is your initial mission, given as an opportunity to prove yourself.
| Level | Health | Features | Focus Die Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tier 1) | 10 + Half Body | Stances, Focus, Arsenal | d4 |
| 2 | 9 + Half Body | Know Your Weapon, Reenter | d4 |
| 3 | 8 + Half Body | Stance Shattering | d4 |
| 4 (Tier 2) | 9 + Half Body | --- | d6 |
| 5 | 8 + Half Body | --- | d6 |
| 6 | 7 + Half Body | --- | d6 |
| 7 (Tier 3) | 8 + Half Body | --- | d8 |
| 8 | 6 + Half Body | --- | d8 |
| 9 | 5 + Half Body | --- | d8 |
| 10 (Tier 4) | 6 + Half Body | --- | d10 |
| 11 | 5 + Half Body | --- | d10 |
| 12 | 4 + Half Body | --- | d10 |
Health Per Level: 10 + Half of your Body stat at level 1, reducing by 1 per level, increasing by 1 per Tier. This is shown in the Leveling Table above
Stamina: You begin with 2 stamina
You begin with the following equipment:
Armor: Light, medium, and shields
Weapons: Simple and martial
Tools: Armory Kit
You may choose to make a Will check to gain Focus, with the RT beginning at 15, and increasing by 2 for each additional Focus you would like to generate.
For each point of Fatigue, your maximum Focus is reduced by 1.
Stances:
As an Eldrag, your primary way of fighting utilizes stances, which often have a weapon requirement in order to even enter the stance. When entering one, you swap weapons to the required weapons as long as you have them on your person. When breaking from a stance, you may swap to another weapon after the break effect.
At level 1, you gain access to 2 Primary stances of your choice. From there, each even level you gain 1 additional stance, and every odd level you gain 2 stances. The stance descriptions tell you the effects they have, as well as any pre-requisites.
Focus:
The stances require intense dedication and training to access and utilize properly. Due to this, you have learned to well up intense focus at any moment. This Focus is a resource equal to half your Mind stat, and half your Discipline skill. You may expend a single Focus for any given roll, and an amount of times in a single turn equal to your Tier. Doing so increases the roll by 1d4, and this die increases in size each Tier.
Your Focus is restored upon any Rest.
Arsenal:
As an Eldrag, you gain the Arsenal skill, as well as 2 points automatically invested into it.
This skill provides you with a myriad of bonuses to stances, and the ability to have more equipment on you at any given time, increasing the slots for weapons by 1 for each point applied to it.
Know Your Weapon:
When you deal damage with a weapon attack, you may activate the crit effect regardless of the result. You may use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Tier per Short Rest.
Reenter:
You may expend a Focus to use the Enter ability of your current stance.
Stance Shatter:
At 3rd level you become capable of breaking violently out of a stance. You take your action to aggressively exit your stance and strike out in a flowing manner, aiming to devastate and change weapons if need be. This attack deals a number of additional d8 damage equal to your Tier, and imposes disadvantage on any Defensive Action your target would make against it.
Once you shatter a particular stance, you may not enter it again on either the turn you shattered it, or the turn after.
This feature may only be used a number of times equal to half your Mind stat per Short Rest.
Empowered Footing - (Level 1 or higher)
You gain 1d4 temporary (round) health upon entering a stance.
Smooth Exit - (Level 1 or higher)
After exiting a stance, you gain a bonus to your next Defensive Action, before your next turn, equal to your Tier.
By Example - (Level 1 or higher)
Something to give to allies when using a during effect
Flexibility - (Level 2 or higher)
You may expend 1 Focus to roll 2 of your Focus Dice and gain that much temporary (round) health. This feature may be used once per Short Rest.
Strained Focus - (Level 2 or higher)
You may spend 1 stamina to gain 1 Focus.
Focused Defense - (Level 2 or higher)
You may expend 2 Focus to make a Defensive Action.
Heightened Foundations - (Level 3 or higher)
Upon taking this feature, you may heighten one of your Primary stances, the effects of which are below. This feature is choosable multiple times.
Shifting Momentum:
You gain +1 to each of your damage rolls until the end of your next turn when you enter a stance that uses a different weapon than your previous stance.
The Right Weapon for the Job:
Each time you enter a stance that uses a different weapon than your previous stance, for the turn, your attacks impose -1 to any Defensive Action made against you.
Increased Stamina:
Your maximum stamina increases by 1.
Focused Strike:
When you enter a stance that uses a different weapon than your previous stance, you may increase the damage you deal from the enter effect, if the enter effect deals damage, or the first weapon attack while in this stance, by your Focus Die.
Familiar Weight:
Whenever you enter a stance that uses the same weapon as your previous stance, your next Defensive Action until your next turn is increased by 1.
Roll With the Punches:
When you enter a stance that uses the same weapon as your previous stance, all instances of damage against you until your next turn are reduced by 1.
Practiced Parry:
Once per Short Rest, if you Parry more than once in a Parry chain, you are refunded 1 stamina at the end of it.
Mastery:
Once per Short Rest, whenever you enter a stance that uses the same weapon as your previous stance, your next use of Know Your Weapon for the turn is free.
Grounded Steps:
When you enter a stance that is related to your previous stance, you may make a single weapon attack, without modifiers, to a target within range of your current weapon.
Deepened Understanding:
Your maximum Focus increases by 1.
Shattering Defensive:
When you are dealt damage, you may use the Stance Shatter feature, but instead of dealing damage, you may reduce incoming damage by the result.
Calming Teachings:
Once per Short Rest, when you enter a stance that is related to your previous stance, you may regain 1 Focus.
Sting: (Prerequisites: None) Requires a one handed weapon to enter
Fluid: (Prerequisites: None) - Requires a versatile weapon to enter
Stone: (Prerequisites: None) - Requires a two handed, heavy weapon to Enter
Guard: (Prerequisites: None) - Requires a one handed weapon and a shield to Enter
Calm: (Prerequisites: None) - Requires a ranged weapon to Enter
Vine: (Prerequisites: Sting Stance) - Requires a reach weapon to enter
Flame: (Prerequisites: Sting Stance) - Requires a one handed weapon and a throwable weapon to enter
Gust: (Prerequisites: Fluid Stance) - Requires a versatile weapon to Enter
Smoke: (Prerequisites: Fluid Stance) - Requires a versatile weapon to Enter
Iron: (Prerequisites: Stone Stance) - Requires a greataxe or a warhammer
Sweeping: (Prerequisites: Stone Stance) - Requires a greatsword or a greataxe to Enter
Stalwart: (Prerequisites: Guard Stance) - Requires a one handed weapon and shield to Enter
Defender: (Prerequisites: Guard Stance) - Requires a one handed weapon and shield to Enter
Dart: (Prerequisites: Calm Stance) - Requires a Crossbow to Enter
Guide: (Prerequisites: Calm Stance) - Requires a shortbow or longbow to Enter
Higher Bound have, through their desire and willpower to see something in this world changed, found themselves connected to a font of power that is typically only accessable to beings of a higher nature. They use this power to strengthen themselves, and drive ever forward toward their goals, reinforcing their bond with this bottomless well. The more they use it, the more their physical form can withstand it, creating a loop of ever increasing strength. Though their convictions might have born this connection, if they falter in this, begin to waver or second guess, they may very well find themselves losing their touch with the powers that have brough them this far. This is not showcased mechanically, but is a narrative arc that many Higher Bound will need to face down.
Crashing blades of light, summoning their weaponry and armor in radiance or fire, and powering through when nearly all others would be forced to stall, these warriors of will and determination are a beacon of hope when they enter the fray, and a driving force for narrative. When making your Higher Bound, you should have their convictions and goal in mind and at the forefront as it is their very source of power at the end of the day.
| Level | Health | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tier 1) | 10 + Half Body | Heightening, Empowered Aura, Bonded Equipment |
| 2 | 9 + Half Body | Know Your Weapon, One Step Further |
| 3 | 8 + Half Body | Ascendant Strike |
| 4 (Tier 2) | 9 + Half Body | Swift Stance, Strained Heightening |
| 5 | 8 + Half Body | Ascended Aura, Beyond Limits |
| 6 | 7 + Half Body | --- |
| 7 (Tier 3) | 8 + Half Body | --- |
| 8 | 6 + Half Body | --- |
| 9 | 5 + Half Body | --- |
| 10 (Tier 4) | 6 + Half Body | --- |
| 11 | 5 + Half Body | --- |
| 12 | 4 + Half Body | --- |
Health Per Level: 10 + Half of your Body stat at level 1, reducing by 1 per level, increasing by 1 per Tier. This is shown in the Leveling Table above
Stamina: You begin with 2 stamina
You begin with the following equipment:
Armor: Light, medium, and shields
Weapons: Simple and martial
Tools: None
You may choose to make a Will check to gain Heightening, with the RT beginning at 14, and increasing by 2 for each additional Heightening you would like to generate.
For every 2 points of Fatigue, your maximum Heightening is reduced by 1.
Heightening:
As a Higher Bound, you are inexplicably capable of tapping into the realm of gods, higher planes, by sheer force of will alone. You have conviction and drive to see your goals achieved. When you are in combat, you accrue points of Heightening, starting each day with an amount equal to your Tier. You gain these points in a variety of ways, which may be found below, but your body can only stand for you to spend so much in any given round, this amount is equal to your Body. The maximum amount of Heightening points you may have at any given time is equal to your Soul + your Tier.
The initial ways you may use your Heightening are as follows:
When you take a Short Rest, your Heightening count is set to your Tier.
Empowered Aura:
Once each round, when you take damage, you may reduce it by an amount equal to your Soul.
Bonded Equipment:
You have quickly found that you are capable of expanding your power to other things, including your gear. At level 1, you may have your starting weapons and armor automatically bonded, but otherwise must spend three Long Rests to solidify a new bond. With a Free Action, you may summon or dismiss any items bonded this way to be immediately equipped or sent away in a flash of light.
You cannot bond with any objects weighing over 100 lbs, and may only bond with a number of items equal to your Bond skill.
Know Your Weapon:
When you deal damage with a weapon attack, you may activate the crit effect regardless of the result. You may use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Tier per Short Rest.
One Step Further:
At second level, you have found ways to push yourself further, cracking the limits that should bind you. With a Half Action and a Heightening, you may increase your Tier by 1, for the purposes of features that have a limit or a bonus related to Tier, until the end of your turn.
Additionally, once per turn, you may use a Simple Action to increase your next weapon damage by your Soul.
Ascendant Strike:
The line of connection you hold to the well of power you draw upon has strengthened, and with a sudden influx of power, you are able to draw upon it more wholly. With 3 Heightening and a Power Action, you may make a weapon attack that acts as an Amplified Strike, and then places you into a state where the limit around Amplified Strike is per attack rather than per round. Your Heightening generation is increased by 1 per source.
These effects last until the end of your next turn, and this feature may only be used twice per Short Rest.
Skill Strengthening - (Level 1 or higher)
You may expend a Heightening to double your Skill bonus for a single roll.
Brightened Aura - (Level 1 or higher)
When using Empowered Aura, you may Increase the damage reduction by an amount equal to your Tier.
Deepened Resilience - (Level 1 or higher)
When making your first Resilience check in a day, you may spend 1 stamina and a Heightening to guarantee it.
Further Understanding - (Level 2 or higher)
As long as you are using a Bonded Weapon, you gain an additional use to Know Your Weapon.
Reassuring Weight - (Level 2 or higher)
While you have Bonded Armor on, you gain 1 stamina.
Higher Infusion - (Level 2 or higher)
You may spend a Heightening on a Bonded Weapon to have it begin to glow, and the edge extend. Until the end of the turn, your weapon attacks may reach 5 ft. further.
Ascendant Shell - (Level 3 or higher)
Upon using Ascendant Strike, you gain 3d4 temporary (round) health.
Blinding Clash - (Level 3 or higher)
When using Ascendant Strike, you release a bright flash of light, reducing the result of the first Defensive Action of all targets within 10 ft. of you by 2 before your next turn.
Sharpened Reflexes - (Level 3 or higher)
As your Ascendant Strike deals damage, you gain 10 movement speed for the remainder of combat and gain 1 stamina. This point of stamina can only be gained once per Short Rest.
By Wills Decree:
Once per Short Rest, when making an attack, you may choose to reduce your target’s Defensive Action by your Will.
Crashing Light:
When you use Empowered Aura against a melee attack, you may forego the damage reduction to instead deal damage to the attacker equal to 1d8 Radiant damage.
Blinding Clash:
Once per combat, when you would use the Parry Defensive Action, you may spend a Heightening to cause a flash of light as the weapons make contact, imposing disadvantage on your opponents roll.
Press Further:
You may spend 2 stamina to increase every Amplified Strike for the turn to use an additional damage die.
To Defend, to Protect:
At the end of your turn, you may spend a Heightening. Doing so allows you to take an amount of damage, up to your Soul, that would be dealt to an ally within 15 ft. of you until the start of your next turn.
Shared Vitality:
When you use Empowered Aura for damage reduction, you may share that reduction with another ally within 15 ft. of you, allowing them to negate the same amount of damage the next time they are attacked this combat.
You Must Pass Through Me:
The first time that a target that you dealt damage to with your Amplified Strike would deal damage to a creature other than you in the same round, their damage is reduced by a number equal to twice your Tier.
Well Equipped:
You gain proficiency with heavy armor.
Cursed Amplification:
When you deal damage using the Amplified Strikes feature, you reduce their movement speed by 10 on their next turn. Additionally, on each instance of damage they take until your next turn that is not dealt by you, up to your Tier, you may add half your Soul stat to the damage.
Mire Aura:
When you use your Empowered Aura feature, you may reduce the movement speed of your attacker by 10 until the end of their next turn.
Leveraged Attacks:
Targets that actively have their movement speed reduced have their first Defensive Action made against you reduced by half your Soul.
Malidric Glyph:
You pour Heightening, up to your Body, into a faintly glowing glyph on the ground. This glyph encompasses a 5 ft. space, and the effect reaches out a further 5 ft. in all directions. All creatures within the area have their movement reduced by 5 per Heightening you spent, and at the end of your next turn, the glyph ignites with a greyed light, dealing an amount of d10 damage equal to the Heightening you spent.
Blazing Armaments:
When using your Bonded Weapon, your first attack each turn sees white fire dance across the weapon, adding damage equal to your Presence.
Wake Flame Gear:
While you have Bonded Armor on, golden fires burn across you the first time you take damage in a round. These flames have a gentle warmth that heal you by an amount equal to half your Presence.
Flaring Emotion:
Your emotions, both your control and the intensity in which you feel them, burn brighter than they once did. By expending a Heightening, you may double your Presence for a single roll.
Summoned by Fire:
You may spend a Heightening and throw any Bonded Weapon as an attack action, though it does not need to have a specific creature as a target, just a location. If the weapon does not have a throw distance, then it is 15 ft. for the sake of this feature. As it lands, there is a burst of reddened fire, and you may appear through it, quickly grabbing the fallen weapon, and making an attack action against a target within range.
Spark Blades are very unique in the category of spell casters. They barely get access to leveled spells, but their interaction with magic itself is far more intimate than any other class. Their subclasses explore the different ways this relationship deepens, from sounds to colors to raw possibility, so much of the world will slowly become further and further experienced through the lens of magic.
When making a Spark Blade, one thing of importance to know for your character is how they interacted with magic for the first time. How they came to understand their abilities, whether this was something recent, or something they've known about for some time with the need to learn the more combative capacity of their abilities being more recent.
| Level | Health | Features | Cantrips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tier 1) | 8 + Half Body | Sparks, Spellcasting | 2 |
| 2 | 7 + Half Body | Know Your Weapon, Blade Weaving | 2 |
| 3 | 6 + Half Body | Burst | 2 |
| 4 (Tier 2) | 7 + Half Body | --- | 2 |
| 5 | 6 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 6 | 5 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 7 (Tier 3) | 6 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 8 | 5 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 9 | 4 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 10 (Tier 4) | 5 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 11 | 4 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 12 | 3 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
Health Per Level: 8 + Half of your Body stat at level 1, reducing by 1 per level, increasing by 1 per Tier. This is shown in the Leveling Table above
Stamina: You begin with 2 stamina
You begin with the following equipment:
Armor: Light, medium, and shields
Weapons: Simple and 2 martial weapons of your choice
Tools: None
You may choose to make a Will check to gain Sparks, with the RT beginning at 14, and increasing by 1 for each additional Spark you would like to generate.
For every 2 points of Fatigue, the maximum amount of Sparks you may use in a turn reduces by 1.
Sparks:
Sparks of magic are how you both end up casting spells, and how you activate many of your other abilities. You are only so in tune with the ways of magic itself, but the way you use these little motes could put many scholars of the aetherial ways to shame. After each Rest, your Spark count is set to half your Presence.
During combat, you gain Sparks in the following ways:
Each of the above provides you with a single Spark. As you level and choose features, you will gain additional ways to gain this resource, and possibly ways to enhance the amount you gain from them as well.
In any given turn however, you may only use so many Sparks. This is initially equal to your Presence stat.
Spark Effects:
You may select 1 of the following effects to have available to you, alongside Biting Blows, which is given to you automatically.
Spellcasting:
At 1st level, you have uncovered your talents as a Spark Blade and are now beginning to experiment with your newfound abilities.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Spark Blade table shows how many cantrips you may know at any given level. Starting at level 1 you may choose two Signature Cantrips and may alter this decision each time you level. As a Spark Blade your casting is less tied to actual spells, and more using the essence of magic to alter your own physical abilities and interactions, but you are still able to use Sparks to cast lower level spells.
You prepare your own list of Spark Blade spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Spark Blade spell list. When you do so, choose a number of Spark Blade spells equal to twice your Tier. The spells you choose must be of a level that you can cast.
You can change your list of prepared spells upon a Long Rest.
Spellcasting Ability
Presence is your spellcasting ability for your Spark Blade spells, since your power is interlinked with your connection and relation to magic itself. You use your Presence modifier whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.
Spell save RT = 10 + your Tier + your Presence modifier
You gain access only to cantrips at 1st level, and spells of level 1 unlock starting at level 2. At level 7 you acquire the ability to cast level 2 spells.
Blade Weaving:
When you make a weapon attack, you may choose one of your Signature Cantrips, and add its additional effects to the attack. In addition, you may spend a Spark to choose an effect that you did not choose for your Signature Cantrip.
Damage increases do not activate.
Know Your Weapon:
When you deal damage with a weapon attack, you may activate the crit effect regardless of the result. You may use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Tier per Short Rest.
Burst:
Beginning at level 3, you have learned to fortify yourself for a brief moment in order to expend far more Sparks than usual, and manage effects that are otherwise beyond you. Some of which will become possible as you raise your own capacity as a Spark Blade. When you Burst, you double the amount of Sparks you can use in a turn.
You start each day with a single use of Burst, and can consume 10 Sparks to regain that use if it has been expended.
Burst Effects:
You may choose 1 of the following Burst Effects to have access to except for Blitzing Blows, which is given to you automatically. Most of which only have a high Spark cost, but some can only be used while Bursting.
Further Use - (Level 1 or higher)
You may choose two more options from the Spark Effects section.
This feature may be chosen any number of times.
Sparks of Knowledge - (Level 1 or higher)
These sparks of the arcane have allowed you to understand more than you once did. You may mark a level up option on your sheet.
This feature may be taken a single time per Tier.
Weightless - (Level 1 or higher)
You may spend a Spark to be under the effects of Disengage for the remainder of your turn.
Strength into Connection - (Level 2 or higher)
When you make a weapon crit, you gain a Spark.
Spell Remnants - (Level 2 or higher)
When you or anyone within 30 ft. of you casts a leveled spell, you gain a Spark.
Bite Deeper - (Level 2 or higher)
When you activate Biting Blows, it deals a d6 instead of a d4.
Flashing Motion - (Level 2 or higher)
When your target makes a Defensive Action, you may still roll damage and on a weapon crit, you deal half damage without modifiers if the attack would have missed, and full damage without modifiers if you would have dealt half damage.
Burstability - (Level 3 or higher)
You may choose 2 additional Burst Effects.
This feature may be taken a single time per Tier.
Increased Capability - (Level 3 or higher)
At the start of the day, you may spend a Spark, and gain a temporary (day) point in any skill. During a Short Rest, you may activate this skill again to change which skill this point is in. This point may break the standard limits.
Improved Form - (Level 3 or higher)
Once per day, as a Free Action, you may gain a temporary (round) point in a stat. This point may break the standard limits.
Booming Blade:
Your weapons, when making contact in the right way, seem to strike harder, releasing a far more audible crack. Each time you make a weapon crit, you deal additional damage equal to your Biting Blows.
Ringing Edge:
The flow of your opponents weapons is something you are starting to hear. As though they ring out, allowing you to, sometimes, know where the strike is going to land. Once per Short Rest, you may reduce the raw roll of a weapon damage roll against you by your Tier.
Arc Strike:
Your weapon, as it flows through the air, hums. You can follow that humming through to create a wider strike than usual. Whenever you make a melee attack, you may expend one Spark to make the attack a simple arc.
Echo Blade:
Once per turn, when you critically hit with a weapon attack, a shimmering fragment of your weapon forms, releasing a low thrumming tone. This floats near you, and can be expended when making a Defensive Action, or when dealing damage to increase either roll by 1. You may only have a number of Echo Blades equal to your Presence stat. Each one may last until the end of combat.
Bolster:
The capacity to endure is something you have seen, and you most certainly have experienced. You are capable of summoning forth this feeling again. Once per day, during combat, you may expend 2 Sparks to gain 1d4 temporary (combat) health each round. Upon the temporary health being fully removed, or when combat ends, this feature is canceled, and you gain 1 Spark.
With Feeling:
When dealing damage with a weapon attack, by spending a Spark, you may learn one of the following pieces of information about your target
Flash of Vision:
You feel as though you can sense an individual's intent now and again, almost as though you can see the colors of their goal. Once per day, by expending a single Spark in a social situation, you may make an Insight check at advantage or see an individual's current emotional state..
False Feeling:
You’ve become particularly adept at masking your true intent. You may double your Deception bonus, or lower a Presence check made against you by your Deception, once per day.
Mounting Precision:
With each attack you see what could have been better. After every weapon attack you make that is not a crit, your crit range is increased by 1. Upon making a critical hit, this crit range resets to normal.
Finding the Moment:
There are points in time you feel you understand what could be, and you are beginning to see how you can grasp at that. You may spend a Spark to flip your Fate Coin at will. If you succeed, you regain your Spark and can do so again immediately. Upon failing during a chain of this, all of the positive effects are cancelled.
Cross Application:
You see how so many other skills could be utilized in different situations. Twice per Long Rest, by explaining your method, you may use a skill to enhance a normally unrelated roll, including damage.
By Virtue of Determination:
Even in the worst outcomes, you know you can press forward, you know you can change something within it. Once per Extended Rest, when you fail a Soul check, you may choose to pass instead.
Spirit Wards are deeply connected to the realm of spirits, and reach personal connections with the Greater Spirits that reside, and have a level of rule, within. Their subclasses are named after those Greater Spirits, and many of their features model elements of these massive presences within the world they connect to. As half casters, they gain quick access to spells and are able to use them in strength. Though their main use of resource, as well as their overall power, is less tied to spells, and more to their unique and variable features. Spirit Wards are wonderful allies, with aura like abilities and an array of ways to support and take hits.
Some things to keep in mind when crafting your Spirit Ward are where you learned to commune with the spirit realm, if you were taught, who taught you and what is your relation, and most importantly, what your current connection to the Greater Spirits, or any other entity within the realm, is as of now and how the plot overall may assist them. This is a point you may wish to discuss with your GM.
| Level | Health | Features | Cantrips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tier 1) | 8 + Half Body | Attunement, Spellcasting, Natures Beckon, Spiritualize | 2 |
| 2 | 7 + Half Body | Depletion, Additional Subclass Feature | 2 |
| 3 | 6 + Half Body | Embodiment | 2 |
| 4 (Tier 2) | 7 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 5 | 6 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 6 | 5 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 7 (Tier 3) | 6 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 8 | 5 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 9 | 4 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 10 (Tier 4) | 5 + Half Body | --- | 5 |
| 11 | 4 + Half Body | --- | 5 |
| 12 | 3 + Half Body | --- | 5 |
Health Per Level: 8 + Half of your Body stat at level 1, reducing by 1 per level, increasing by 1 per Tier. This is shown in the Leveling Table above
Stamina: You begin with 1 stamina
You begin with the following equipment:
Armor: Light, medium, and shields
Weapons: Simple
Tools: Botanist Kit
You may choose to make a Will check to gain Attunement, with the RT beginning at 15, and increasing by 2 for each additional Attunement you would like to generate.
For each point of Fatigue, the maximum amount of Attunement you may hold at a time is reduced by 1.
Attunement:
As a Spirit Ward, the connection you maintain with nature and the otherworldly realm of spirits allows you to connect to these spirits and cast spells. You have a resource called Attunement, that you will gain over the course of combat as you draw closer to nature and the spirits around you.
Expending Attunement is what allows you to cast spells, and many features will also require Attunement to use. Various other features will help you gain Attunement, and you will gain a number at the start of each round equal to your Tier.
In regards to casting spells, your first non damaging spell each round costs no Attunement, but damage focused and subsequent casts costs an amount of Attunement equal to the spells level + 1.
The maximum Attunement you can have at any time is equal to your Mind stat + your level. Upon a Rest, your Attunement count is set to your Tier.
Spellcasting:
At 1st level, you have learned to listen to and touch the realm of spirits, through which you have begun to unveil your own capacity to cast spells.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Spirit Ward table shows how many cantrips you may know at any given level. Starting at level 1 you may choose a Signature Cantrip and may alter this decision each time you level. As a Spirit Ward your casting is tied to your Attunement to this other realm and the Spirits within, this resource is described in the feature above.
You prepare your own list of Spirit Ward spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Spirit Ward spell list. When you do so, choose a number of these spells equal to your Soul modifier + your Spirit Ward level (minimum of one spell). The spells you choose must be of a level that you can cast.
You can change your list of prepared spells upon a Long Rest.
Spellcasting Ability
Soul is your spellcasting ability for your Spirit Ward spells, as your power is linked to your spiritual connection. You use your Soul modifier whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.
Spell save RT = 10 + your Tier + your Soul modifier
You gain access only to cantrips at 1st level, and spells of level 1 unlock starting at level 2. At level 7 you acquire the ability to cast level 2 spells.
Natures Beckon:
The wiles of the wilderness and the spiritual essence you connect to, answer to your call and offer you useful abilities. By expending a single point of Attunement you may activate one of the following effects as a Half Action. Additionally, the first time you activate this effect each round, it costs no Attunement.
Spiritualize:
You ground yourself, taking a breath and connecting to the otherside that much further. Using a Half Action you may gain a single point of Attunement.
Depletion:
Your understanding of the ways of the spiritual world that encompasses your own have afforded you with a way to exhaust others' capacity to react. With a Half Action, and by expending a single Attunement, you may force a target creature you can see within 40 ft. of you to make a Soul saving throw against your Spell Save RT. On a failure they lose one stamina, and if they are out of stamina, you gain 1 stamina.
This feature may only be used once per Rest.
Embodiment:
Starting at 3rd level, you have learned to open yourself to the spirits and allow them to enhance you.
By expending 5 Attunement, and choosing one of the greater spirits, you may Embody them. This provides you with the following effects until the end of your next turn:
You gain additional effects depending on the greater spirit you choose to Embody.
The Winged Defiance
The Horned One
The Claws of Desire
The Breath of Eternities
Revitalizing Roots - (Level 1 or higher)
By expending a point of Attunement, you may connect deeper with the nature around you, accepting the power of rejuvenation it offers you. You heal 1d4 when activating this effect, and on each of your turns that you do not move more than half of your movement.
This feature can only heal you a number of d4 equal to twice your Tier per Long Rest.
Spirits Aid - (Level 1 or higher)
You beckon forth the wisdom and aid of the spirits residing nearby to you and your allies. With a Half Action, you create an aura of 10 ft. that empowers all allies within it by giving all damage and Defensive Action rolls +1 to the result. This aura lasts until the end of your next turn and may be used a number of times per day equal to twice your Tier.
Natures Resolve - (Level 1 or higher)
The strength of nature is a powerful force that empowers your resolve, and you can provide this to a great many. You may spend a single point of Attunement at the start of your turn to create an aura of 15 ft. that increases the defense of all targets within it by 1. This feature is activated as a Free Action and lasts until the start of your next turn.
Thorned Hide - (Level 2 or higher)
When you are dealt damage in melee, you may spend a single Attunement to deal damage back equal to your Tier. This effect lasts for all instances of melee damage you take until the end of your next turn.
Ethereal Beckon - (Level 2 or higher)
When casting a spell that deals no damage, you may activate Nature’s Beckon without using Action Points.
Crackling Roots - (Level 2 or higher)
If you have activated Nature’s Beckon at least once this round, you may activate it again to have twisting, rupturing, roots suddenly wrap around the feet and legs or any that were affected by any previous activation this round. Each target must make a Body saving throw against your spell save RT or take a number of d4 piercing damage equal to twice your Tier.
Adjustment - (Level 3 or higher)
Any rolls that would allow you to gain Attunement have their range to do so expanded by 1.
Emblazoned Power - (Level 3 or higher)
You have learned to envelop only yourself in the auras you give to others, allowing you to be further strengthened by them. Whenever you activate an aura ability, you may spend an additional point of Attunement to have it affect only you, and double its effect.
Spiritual Thrum - (Level 3 or higher)
You feel the rhythm of the auras and souls of those around you, tuning your own to one of them. When you activate an aura ability, and with the cost of an additional point of Attunement, you may target another creature within 30 ft. of you to also gain that same aura for as long as yours is active.
Freedom of the Skies:
To defy the shackles of the world is the first teaching of the Winged Defiance, and you have learned it well. You gain 10 movement speed and once per Rest, when an attack of opportunity is made against you, you may Parry it without consuming your Defensive Action.
What Can Hold the Winds:
Those who would try to hold you down will only find fight and fire. Once per round when you make a Defensive Action, you may add your Tier, and on a success you may gain one Attunement.
Enveloping Winds:
The winds surround you like a protective blanket in times of need, pushing back against restrive effects. If you would be under an effect that would slow you, you may spend a point of Attunement to make it only half as effective until the end of your next turn. Additionally, if you would make a check against an effect that would slow you, you may do so at advantage.
Wreathed in Resistance:
Once per Long Rest and at the cost of your reaction and a point of Attunement, you may choose to automatically pass a saving throw.
Reach of the Earth:
All aura effects of yours may reach 5 ft. further, or if you have consumed the aura through an effect like the Emblazoned Power optional class feature, then you gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to half of your level upon doing so.
The Horns of Vitality:
Through the Horned One, life permeates powerfully, and you have learned to tap into that well of life. Whenever you take damage for the first time in a round, you may recover 1d6 health, and all allies within 30 ft. of you also recover that health.
Earthen Connection:
Your connections with others run deeper through your workings with the spiritual world, and you can use this to protect them. When an ally would take damage, if they are within 30 ft. of you then you may take half of this damage once per Rest.
Invigorating Pulse:
You pull forth a mere flash of the Horned One’s presence to rally those around you. All allies within a 30 ft. radius gain a bonus equal to your Tier to either their next instance of damage, their next saving throw, or a skill check made in the next minute. This feature requires a Half Action and may only be used twice per Long Rest.
The Desire to Fight:
You can smell the intent of those around you, the adrenaline and desire to overcome you, but the senses provided to you grants you a powerful edge. All targets within melee range of you have their Defensive Action rolls reduced by 1. Additionally, when your unarmed melee attacks crit, you gain a point of Attunement.
Piercing Claws:
Your nails grow into claws on command, capable of rivaling the mundane weapons of man. By expending a point of Attunement, your melee weapon attacks become d6 damage die for the next minute. This increases to d8 when you reach level 5.
The Desire to Accomplish:
Upon failing a saving throw, check, or contest, you may make a Will check against the same RT to overcome it and succeed anyway. This feature may only be used once per day.
Limbs of Blade and Claw:
Your limbs may become your weapons, closer to that of the Claws of Desire and allowing you to attack more swiftly. By expending a point of Attunement, your unarmed melee attacks may be Half Actions instead of Full Actions.
Endless Reach:
The teachings of the Breath encompass much of the magical world, and how the rules most are bound by can certainly be broken. When casting a spell with the range of touch, it’s range may instead reach out to 15 ft.
Essence of Magic:
The Eternities whispers to you of ways that your magics may be ever more effective, and you listen well. When casting spells, you may add your Soul modifier to the result. You may also roll a d6, and on a 6 you gain a point of Attunement.
To See Beyond:
The Eternities spans many things, and the movements of your allies and foes alike, are sometimes among those. At the cost of your reaction and a point of Attunement, you may impose disadvantage or advantage on a saving throw of a target creature within 30 ft. of you.
This feature may be used a number of times per Long Rest equal to your Tier.
Coursing Wave:
The waves of Eternities expand your way of thinking, and the capacity of your spells. All cone spells you cast, with the additional cost of one more point of Attunement, are now half arcs of the same distance.
Wizards are masters of the arcane, learning to truly understand the rules that govern such a powerful and everpresent resource. As full casters, they are one of the few classes that will see max level spells, and they have the potential to wield them in truly devastating ways. A fully equipped Wizard on the battlefield is a disaster for their opponents, as pinning them down, and dealing with the overwhelming effects they can use to lay waste to those before them, becomes incredibly difficult.
Its important to know where your Wizard came about their knowledge, whether it be from studying under a mentor, schooling, or self teaching, other students of the aetherical ways may very well judge you based on where you garnered your initial knowledge. As a starting Wizard however, you will have a solid understanding, far more than most people, of the ways that magic influences the world, and how to use it to your advantage. There should be a level of discussion with your GM on how you were taught, your characters goals in their studies, and how this can potentially weave into the overall narrative.
| Level | Health | Features | Cantrips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tier 1) | 6 + Half Body | Mana, Spellcasting, Catalyze, Mana Barrier | 2 |
| 2 | 5 + Half Body | Aether Alignment, Empowered Signature, Scrolls and Stones | 2 |
| 3 | 4 + Half Body | Pure Alignment, Imprinting | 3 |
| 4 (Tier 2) | 5 + Half Body | --- | 3 |
| 5 | 4 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 6 | 3 + Half Body | --- | 4 |
| 7 (Tier 3) | 4 + Half Body | --- | 5 |
| 8 | 3 + Half Body | --- | 5 |
| 9 | 2 + Half Body | --- | 6 |
| 10 (Tier 4) | 3 + Half Body | --- | 6 |
| 11 | 2 + Half Body | --- | 6 |
| 12 | 1 + Half Body | --- | 6 |
Health Per Level: 6 + Half of your Body stat at level 1, reducing by 1 per level, increasing by 1 per Tier. This is shown in the Leveling Table above
Stamina: You begin with 1 Stamina
You begin with the following equipment:
Armor: Light
Weapons: Simple and magical instruments
Tools: Caligraphy and Aetheric Tuning Kits
You may choose to make a Will check to gain Mana, with the RT beginning at 14, and increasing by 1 for each additional Mana you would like to generate.
For each point of Fatigue, the maximum amount of Mana you may hold at any given time is reduced by 2. For every 3 points of Fatigue, you must choose one Aether Alignment that you may no longer hold.
For every 3 points of Fatigue, you must choose one Aether Alignment that you may no longer hold.
Mana:
Being a student of the arcane ways, you have learned to be adept with the flowing Mana of the world. This is how you cast, and generally understand, magic as a whole. You gain your class resource, Mana, each turn while in combat, at a rate equal to 1 + your Tier. Whenever you cast a spell, in combat, once per turn for Cantrips, you also gain Mana equal to your Tier. Mana is able to be used in a number of ways beyond casting spells, each of which will be explained in their respective features. When it does come to casting spells, you must use an amount of Mana equal to twice the level of the spell you are casting.
Upon taking a Rest of any sort, your Mana is set to 1 + half your level.
You have a maximum Mana limit, only ever able to hold an amount up to your Mind + your level, at any given time.
Spellcasting:
At 1st level, your learnings as a Wizard, and of the arcane, have allowed you the capacity to cast spells, with the promise of so much more with continued dedication.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Wizard table shows how many cantrips you may know at any given level. Starting at level 1 you may choose a Signature Cantrip and may alter this decision each time you level. As a Wizard, your casting is tied to the ever flowing Aether, and your understanding of it.
You prepare your own list of spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the overall compendium. When you do so, choose a number of spells equal to your Mind modifier + your Tier + your Wizard level (minimum of one spell). The spells you choose must be of a level that you can cast.
You can change your list of prepared spells upon a Long Rest.
Spellcasting Ability
Mind is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since your power is linked to your very understanding and knowledge of these arts. You use your Mind modifier whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.
Spell save RT = 10 + your Tier + your Mind modifier
You gain access to 1st level spells at level 1 and each additional level every 2 levels after that, capping at 6th level at level 11.
Catalyze:
While you gain Mana fairly quickly, you can always exert some effort to draw even more to you. Once per turn, using a Half Action, you may gain an amount of Mana equal to your Tier.
Mana Barrier:
Once per turn, you may use a Simple Action to gain temporary (round) health, equal to your current Mana, up to half your Mind.
Aether Alignment:
Upon reaching level 2, you have begun to put into practice the theory behind how the evershifting Aether around you takes on aspects of the purposes it is used for. There are four primary Alignments that are studied and understood. These are Life, Destruction, Motion, and Enfeeblement. All spells touch at least one of these in some manner based on their effects.
Once per turn, when you cast a spell, you may gain a single point of Alignment based on the effects of the spell. These are spelled out below, and if a spell has effects that involve multiple of the Alignments, then you select one.
Life: Recovering health, providing temporary health, utilizing nature
Destruction: Dealing direct damage, destroying terrain
Motion: Increasing or decreasing movement speed, causing forced movement
Enfeeblement: Debuffing targets, causing conditions or effecting them in a negative manner that is not damage
Each Alignment also encompasses the opposite, or prevention, of its primary purpose. These are as follows; Life into Decay, Destruction into Protection, Motion into Stasis, and Enfeeblement into Fortification. These flip sides do not immediately find use, but through future features, you will see them come further and further into play as you become more adept at utilizing and understanding them.
For now though, your use of these Alignments is fairly simple. Whenever you cast a spell, you may also expend a point of Aligned Aether as a point of Mana, or for the following effects based on the Alignment itself:
Life: Increase the healing of the spell by 1 additional die, or heal a target within 15 ft. of you by 1d4
Destruction: Increase the damage of the spell by 1 additional die, or deal 1d4 damage (kinetic) to a target within 15 ft. of you
Motion: Increase your own movement speed by 5 until your next turn, or increase the next Defensive Action you make by 2 until your next turn
Enfeeblement: Increase the amount of turns your spell's debuff effect lasts by 1, or decrease the movement of a target creature within 15 ft. of you by 5 until the end of their next turn.
You may use multiple points of Alignment on a single spell, and the effects do stack, but you may only have an amount of any particular Alignment on you equal to your Tier. After combat, the Aligned Aether you were holding onto quickly fades.
Empowered Signature:
Starting at 2nd level, and every time you would normally select options for your Signature Cantrip, you may select 1 additional option.
Scrolls and Shards:
You have learned to inscribe, embed, and store both Spells and Aligned Aether. This takes concentrated effort to both craft, as well as maintain, them. Each Long Rest you take, you may create either a Spell Scroll of spell level that is up to your current Tier, or an Alignment Shard that houses a single point of Aligned Aether, the Alignment of which is of your choosing.
You may hold a number of Spell Scrolls equal to your Mind, and an amount of Alignment Shards equal to your Tier.
Spell Scrolls may be used in the same manner as your normal Spells, but they can be of a spell you do not actively have prepared. However, once it has been used, the Scroll is expended and lost.
Alignment Shards may be used as a Free Action to instantly gain a point of that Alignment, and are then considered spent.
Pure Aether:
Stripping Aether of its Alignment is no easy task in concept, but your practice has made it simple in practice. As a Free Action, you may spend 2 Mana and convert one Aligned Aether of yours into Pure Aether. This may be used as any Alignment, and is necessary for the Imprinting process.
Imprinting:
The ways in which you practice your magics has unearthed a very useful ability, that to splice pieces of spells onto one another. With the use of Aligned Aether, Pure Aether, and some ingenuity, you can take effects from one spell, and cast them alongside another.
The table below explains what types of effects you can enhance, or splice onto another spell, given the Alignment you expend. Each time you Imprint, it costs 1 Pure Aether, and the required Aligned Aether, but there is no limit to how many times you can Imprint on any given turn. Spell effects that require Concentration only last until the end of the target's next turn.
Life: You may Imprint entire healing effects, or increase the size of the die on a healing spell a single time (capping at d12)
Destruction: You may alter the damage type of the spell, increase the size of the damage die on a spell a single time (capping at d12), or copy over the damage pattern (line, cone, radius). You cannot alter the damage pattern of a touch spell.
Motion: Forced movement effects, and effects that provide additional movement
Enfeeblement: Any effect that is applying a targeted debuff
Focus of Study - (Level 1 or higher)
Upon taking a Long Rest, you may select one of the main Stats as your Focus of Study, and select one of the Skills attributed to that Stat to gain a bonus equal to your Tier. This lasts until your next Long Rest. You may change the Skill that gains this bonus to another Skill in the same category when taking a Short Rest.
Boon of Knowledge - (Level 1 or higher)
Your studies, be it through disciplined reading and more conventional means, or by taking to the field and learning far more practically, has provided you with quite the noticeable reward. You may mark a level up option on your sheet.
This feature may be taken a single time per Tier.
Quickened Process - (Level 2 or higher)
You may Catalyze as a Simple Action.
Efficiency - (Level 2 or higher)
When taking a Long Rest, you may make a Spell Scroll and an Alignment Shard.
Empowered Barrier - (Level 3 or higher)
Your Mana Barrier provides +1 temporary health.
Enhanced Scrollwork - (Level 3 or higher)
When making a Spell Scroll, you may place an Imprint upon it. To cast it, you still need the required amount of Aligned Aether.
Summoned Weapon:
You manifest a weapon of your choice through your Mana, and attack in a wide arc in front of you. As a Full Action, and with a single Mana, you may slash in a Simple Arc as a melee weapon attack in front of you, dealing 1d10 + your Mind in Kinetic damage.
Woven Strike:
Once each round, when making a Defensive Action, you may cast a cantrip, or make a melee weapon attack.
Embedded (Requires the Summoned Weapon feature):
When using Summoned Weapon, you may Imprint onto the attack.
Blink Dance (Requires at least one 1st level Distorter feature):
When you make a melee attack, you may teleport up to 10 ft. away. This feature may only be used twice per Short Rest.
Optical Distortion:
Once per round, when you may gain advantage on the Dodge Defensive Action, as the attack made against you targets an illusion of you that’s a few inches off. This costs 1 Mana, and may be made an amount of times per Short Rest equal to your Deception skill.
Analysis:
You watch your foe, utilizing the Aether to garner deeper information about them. With a Reaction or a Simple Action, you may spend 1 Mana and gain one of the following pieces of information on a target.
This feature may only be used a number of times per day equal to your Mind.
Mirage (requires the Optical Distortion feature):
By expending a use of Optical Distortion, you may send an illusion of yourself out to a space within 30 ft. of you. This illusion copies your motions, but cannot actually move, and if targeted by an attack, immediately dissipates. You can, however, cast your Signature Cantrip through it.
Disruption Burst (requires at least one Destabilizer feature):
When you successfully make a Defensive Action, you may expend an amount of Mana up to your Mind stat, and quickly move back 5 ft., leaving behind a hazy version of yourself that suddenly explodes, dealing 1d6 for each Mana spent.
Mana Blast:
The volatility of Mana is something you have learned to utilize quite well. You may make an unarmed melee attack action, spending Mana, up to your Mind + your Tier, and ignite the power of it on contact, dealing an amount of d6 damage equal to the Mana spent.
Arcane Parry:
When you take the Parry Defensive Action, you may do so using a touch or melee attack spell.
Destruction Amplifier:
The raw power of Aetherized Destruction is something you have come to understand and utilize with great results. When using Mana Blast, you may also expend a single Destruction Aligned Aether to increase the damage die to a d8. When using Arcane Parry, expending a Destruction Aligned Aether, you may do so at advantage.
This feature may be used once per Short Rest.
Interruption (requires at least one Aegis Shifter feature):
You may use a Reaction, 2 Mana, and 1 stamina, upon an enemy casting a spell in order to attempt to disrupt their cast. You make a contest roll, both adding your Mind, and if you succeed, the cast is made at disadvantage.
This feature may be used once per Short Rest.
Ever Ready:
You gain 1 additional Reaction per round.
Shield Intensification:
Twice per Short Rest, when you activate your Mana Barrier, you may gain temporary health up to twice the normal maximum.
Quickened Reactions (requires the Ever Ready feature):
You may use a Reaction to use a Half Action at any time.
Activatable Defense (requires at least one Enchanter feature):
Once per Long Rest, you may imbue a trinket with defensive magics, allowing it to be activated by anyone holding it as a Reaction or Free Action. Doing so creates an aura around the user, which reaches out to 10 ft. around them, and lasts until the end of their next turn. While inside this aura, allied creatures have their Saving Throws and Defensive Actions increased by half your Mind.
Aether Infusion:
You have become adept at infusing objects with Aether to produce small, but helpful, effects. Over the course of a Short or Long Rest, you may create one of the following:
Spell Inlay:
By spending an additional Mana, and one extra Action Point, you may cast a spell on an object with conditions for it to be activated.
Arcane Workings (Requires the Aether Infusion feature):
When using Aether Infusion, you may end the Rest with 2 less Mana than usual to place one of the following effects upon an object or weapon until your next Rest:
Mana Fold Strike (requires at least one Edge Weaver feature):
When making a weapon attack, you may add an additional damage die for 2 Mana.
Currency is broken up simply between silver and gold. 100 silver equals 1 gold, and is what is generally spent for smaller items, with costs in gold being for most items and upgrades your character will find. Your silver and gold count should be marked somewhere in the inventory section of your sheet.
Gear and items are a fundamental part of your characters power, and their journey to become stronger. This section covers the basics, and provides descriptions for starting gear, as well as some to strive toward.
Beneath the level table of each class is a section related to their starting gear, both in what they may first pick, and what types of weapons, armor, and tools they are immediately proficient in, which quickly brings up the question of what proficiency properly means. This is fairly simple, when it comes to using weapons that you do not have proficiency in, you do not get access to their crit effects, nor do you add modifiers to damage.
When it comes to armor, you only gain the health related bonus, and any negative effects, when wearing armor you lack proficiency in.
For tool kits, this allows you to add half your Tier to any rolls with them. If you gain expertise in a tool, the bonus becomes your full Tier.
When attacking with two weapons, you roll both dice for a single weapon attack, and then add modifiers once. Dual wielding also increases the crit range of your main hand weapon by 1, but you cannot crit with your off hand weapon.
In Worlds of the Spyre, there is no "to hit" roll. This is covered more in Combat, where Defensive Actions are also discussed. If you don't roll to hit, how is a crit decided? The base rule for this is when you roll max with the damage die, you activate the weapons crit effect. There are a number of ways increase your crit range, some of which are very simple, others are class specific. Dual wielding increases your main hand weapons crit range by 1, and two-handed weapons increase their crit range by 1 as well.
You may find each crit effect attached to their weapon in the weapon tables below.
Each character may only have a limited amount of gear equipped at any given time. For simplicity, you have 4 slots for weapons, with one handed weapons taking up 1 slot, and two handed weapons taking up 2. Weapons that may be used in either one or two hands take up 2 slots. Shields take up 1 slot from this category though as well.
Armor does not work on the same system. You may only have 1 set of armor on you at a time, though this may be comprised of multiple pieces. This will usually be the case if you have magic items, such as a helm, gauntlets, or boots. These items do not alter your overall set of armor, unless you have a specific magic item that declares itself a set.
Each category of armor provides a flat bonus towards certain Defensive Actions when worn.
Light Armor: +1 to Dodge and Parry rolls
Medium Armor: +1 to Parry rolls
Heavy Armor: +1 Block die
Shields: +1 Block die
| Name | Armor Type | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padded Cloth | Light Armor | +2 health per Tier +1 stamina | 5 gp |
| Leather | Light Armor | +3 health per Tier Once per day, you may take the Defensive Action, Dodge, without spending stamina | 15 gp |
| Studded Leather | Light Armor | +3 health per Tier Once per rest upon a successful Defensive Action, you may move 5 feet without provoking attacks of opportunity | 25 gp |
| Scale Mail | Medium Armor | +3 health per Tier Once per rest when dealt damage, you may retaliate with a weapon attack | 40 gp |
| Half Plate | Medium Armor | +4 health per Tier Provides +1 Block die | 100 gp |
| Chain Mail | Heavy Armor | +4 health per Tier Once per Rest, when Blocking an attack from a target that is in range of your weapon, you may make a single weapon attack in retaliation | 120 gp |
| Plate Armor | Heavy Armor | +5 health per Tier Provides +1 Block die, and once per day, you may take half damage from a weapon attack -1 stamina | 350 gp |
| Basic Shield | Shield | +4 health | 10 gp |
| Tower Shield | Shield | +6 health -5 Movement You may spend an additional stamina to roll Block at advantage | 30 gp |
Traits are simple modifiers to weapons that are generic and shared between many of them, below is a simple list of them
| Name | Traits | Crit Effect(s) | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dagger | 1d4, off-handable, throwable (15/45) | Wound - Forces the target to gain a single bleed stack | 3 gp |
| Handaxe | 1d6, off-handable, throwable (15/45) | Furious Throw - After dealing damage, you may throw the handaxe at another target within range | 5 gp |
| Mace | 1d8 | Daze - The target deals -2 damage on their next attack before your next turn | 8 gp |
| Greatclub | 1d10, two-handed | Crunch - When the target makes their next Defensive Action before your next turn, the result of their roll is reduced by 1d4 | 10 gp |
| Spear | Flexible (1d6/1d8), throwable (20/60) | Wound(d6) - Forces the target to gain a single bleed stack Impair(d8) - Getting into a chink of armor or weak point, you impair the target, their movement is reduced by 5 ft. and their next attack has reduced damage equal to half your Tier until the end of your next turn | 5 gp |
| Shortsword | 1d6, off-handable | Weave - You gain 1 temporary (round) stamina that can only be used to Parry | 8 gp |
| Short Bow | 1d6, two-handed, ranged (60/120) | Overdraw - This attack forces the target to be moved 5 feet away from you, and forces them to make a RT 15 Body check or be knocked prone | 10 gp |
| Hand Crossbow | 1d6, off-handable, ranged (30/60) | Wound - Forces the target to gain a single bleed stack | 10 gp |
| Name | Traits | Crit Effect(s) | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glaive | 1d10, reach, two-handed | Sweep - As part of this attack you may also roll damage at another target within range, this damage cannot crit | 25 gp |
| Halberd | 1d10, reach, two-handed | Crunch - When the target makes their next Defensive Action before your next turn, the result of their roll is reduced by 1d4 | 25 gp |
| Morning Star | 1d8 | Brutality - The crushing swing of this weapon wounds the target, they lose 10 movement on their next turn and take an additional 1d4 damage | 20 gp |
| Longsword | Flexible (1d8/1d10) | Duelist’s Stance(d8) - On your next Defensive Action before your next turn, roll a d6, on a 5 or 6, you do not lose the stamina for it Prepared(d10) - Each parry roll you make until the start of your next turn is increased by your Tier | 30 gp |
| Great Sword | 1d12, two-handed | Sweeping Strikes - This attack turns into a half arc attack | 45 gp |
| Battle Axe | Flexible (1d8/1d10) | Shoulder Ram(d8) - This attack knocks the target off balance, allowing you to make an attack of opportunity against them on any movement or action they make before your next turn Crunch(d10) - When the target makes their next Defensive Action before your next turn, the result of their roll is reduced by 1d4 | 30 gp |
| Great Axe | 1d12, two-handed | Break - Deal an additional 1d4 damage. Every instance of damage the target takes also deals the result of the 1d4 until the start of your next turn (this effect does not stack, a higher result would replace a lower one instead) | 45 gp |
| War Hammer | 1d8, two-handed | Crash - Force a target to move in a direction up to 10 feet that is not directly away from, or toward, you | 25 gp |
| Long Bow | 1d10, two-handed, ranged (120/300) | Pure Shot - This attack deals an additional 1d4, and your next attack cannot roll lower than a 6 | 30 gp |
| Heavy Crossbow | 1d10, two-handed, ranged (100/240) | Impair - Getting into a chink of armor or weak point, you impair the target, their movement is reduced by 5 ft. and their next attack has reduced damage equal to half your Tier until the end of your next turn | 30 gp |
| Name | Traits | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aetherized Staff | Two-handed | Once per Rest, when you cast a spell, you may add an additional die to the result | 40 gp |
| Magical Wand | --- | Once per Rest, you may cast a Reaction spell without consuming a Reaction | 20 gp |
| Aether Focus | Off-handable | When you cast a spell that deals damage or heals, you may add your Tier to the result | 20 gp |
Tool kits are collections of tools and items used for a specific purpose. In the below table, you will find the list of kits available, their descriptions, and their costs. Tool kits are used in conjunction with the appropriate skill(s), which can be seen beside their name in paranthesis, to perform tasks related to that kit.
| Name | Description | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Kit (Academics, Nature) | Contains a variety of vials and tools to boil, extract, mix, and distill reagents into potions. | 30 gp |
| Botanist Kit (Nature) | Simple tools to cleanly and carefully part plants from their more useful pieces with as little damage as possible. | 10 gp |
| Caligraphy Kit (Academics) | Pens, paper, and a variety of inks to always provide you with the ability to write and notate. | 10 gp |
| Cartography Kit (Academics, Nature) | Mostly containing tools for finding ones way and making maps. | 15 gp |
| Harvesting Kit (Nature) | Contains specific knives and tools meant for skinning large and exotic game, as well as containers for the more dangerous and volatile parts. | 25 gp |
| Thieving Kit (Theft) | Boasts a variety of lockpicks, small objects to keep doors propped open, vials, caltrops, weights, and a handful of other items of your choice. | 30 gp |
| Armory Kit (Arsenal, Discipline, Etiquette) | Meant for cleaning, caring for, and repairing metallic and leather equipment. | 20 gp |
| Aetheric Tuning Kit (Arcana, Discipline, Etiquette) | Tools and measurements for fine tuning magical instruments. | 30 gp |
Ingenuity, adaptability, and sheer drive. These are the traits that most other races across Thalrias attribute to Humans. They can be found throughout the lands, and have had a footprint in history for as long as it has been written, often with their hands being the ones to write it.
Age: Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Size: Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Adaptive Nature: Humans adapt to their environment and adapt their environment to them. This includes the skills they grow as individuals. You may gain 1 additional skill point and 1 additional tool proficiency.
Strong Start: You may increase any stat by 1.
Well of Resolve: Upon reaching level 5, you gain access to 1 additional Soul check.
Skills: Humans may have a single additional point in the Mechanic section, and begin with 1 additional Skill Point.
The Lionel people are a proud and kindly group. Named such after the powerful beasts they resemble, though nowhere near as seclusionary. They have often acted as a liaison between the peoples within the Beastlands, doing their utmost to learn and understand the people they share lands with, and many have struck out into the world to learn or to see what aid they can bring to people they do not yet know. Though there are plenty within their ranks and amongst their tribes that are far more eager for combat and the thrill of the challenge, so many that have sought adventure, do so for less strictly kindhearted reasons than others.
Age: Lionel mature and age at about the same rate as humans.
Size: Lionel are typically over 6 feet tall, with some standing over 7 feet. Your size is Medium.
Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Claws: Your claws are natural weapons, you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Body. On a crit with this weapon you inflict a bleed.
Sharpened Instinct: Once per day, when you make an Awareness or Initiative check, you may do so at advantage.
Heart Aflame: When you reach level 5, once per Extended Rest, when you would fail a Will check, you may choose to reroll it.
Skills: Lionel gain a +1 bonus to all Soul related skill checks.
Descended from the mighty wyrms of ancient day, the Geldrako, commonly referred to as Dragonborne by other peoples, take great pride in their community, whether that be more exclusive to their clutchmates, or within the villages or cities they grow up in. While many do what they can to protect and uplift their communities, there are a great several that wish to make the world a smaller place. Traveling across the lands for adventures sake, or to bring tales of their adventures to furthest corners, making them that much closer.
Age: The Geldrako grow swiftly. Reaching the stage of a 10 year old human by 5, and seeing adulthood by 13. Though they age quickly, their lifespan is greatly elongated compared to a Humans, living to see 150 frequently, and as long as 200 on rare occasions.
Size: Overall larger than humans, easily reaching 6 foot and taller, and averaging around 230 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Blood of Dragons: You may choose your own scale color, and in addition, a damage type that your breath weapon will deal, and that when dealt damage by, once per day, you may halve. You may choose from the following damage types: Acid, Fire, Lightning, Ice, and Aetheric.
Breath Weapon: You may use a Full Action to unleash a torrent of power, determined by your damage type choice.
When you use your breath weapon, each creature in a 15 ft. cone must make a Body saving throw. The RT for this saving throw equals 10 + your Body + your Tier. A creature takes an amount of damage equal to 2d6 * your Tier on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one.
This feature may be used once per Short Rest.
Skills: You begin with 1 point in Bond, and gain 1 additional Skill Point.
Often referred to as Elves by many people, the Falrys have mysterious origins, said to have arrived in this land millennia ago through means that wounded them in some way. The majority of their population is relatively secluded, but in the past century or so, there have been a sizable number seen further from their lands.
Age: A Falryn matures at the same pace as a human but can reach nearly 10x the age.
Size: The Falrys are lithe and often tall, but not always so. They average a range between 5 and a half feet, to nearly 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Restful Incantation: The Falrys are incapable of normal, restful sleep. While they can sleep and dream, it does not restore them in any meaningful way. They rest through a sort of ritual. During a Long Rest, they enter a near meditative state where a small, blue, pulsing flame appears before them. Over the course of 4 hours, they slowly bring it to them, melding it with their body. Afterwards, they gain the normal benefits that any other species does from a Long Rest.
Touch of the Arcane: Each of the Falrys has some inherent tie to the arcane natures of the world and may choose a single, non-signature, cantrip to learn.
Skills: The Falrys begin with 1 point in Awareness, this increase is unaffected by the normal skill restrictions.
Hardy, industrious, and often seclusionary within their massive clans, the Dwarven people are respected for their craftsmanship and dedication to their fields. The origins of Dwarves is quite the mystery to the outside world, as they hold their beliefs close, only sharing with those they deeply trust, and being a long life race, this can take quite some time indeed. Their homes are most famously within the earth itself, within mountains and stone, but a small handful of clans have built proper towns, villages, and cities above ground. This has allowed them to more easily connect with the other races they share their world with.
One thing of note, that has happened more and more, is that when a Dwarf befriends an individual from a shorter lived people, they try to hold this connection to their family at large, forging a generational bond.
Age: Dwarves age slowly, and their lifespan itself is incredibly long. They enter adulthood in their early 50s, and are capable of reaching 1000, though this is a rarity, usually meeting their end closer to 800.
Size: Dwarves are on the shorter end, but are quite stocky, between 4 and 5 feet tall, often weighing between 160 and 200 pounds. Their size is Medium.
Practiced Hands: You gain proficiency in one tool of your choice.
Bones of Steel, Blood of Fire: Once per Rest, when you would make a Soul or Body related check, you may do so at advantage.
Skills: You may choose one skill (not mechanic), and one tool that you have at least two points in, to gain expertise in.
The Dothorl people are built large, hardy, and resilient. They build their kingdoms across the spanning summits of mountain ranges, and seldom descend as large groups, but over the many centuries, there have been number enough to create villages at the bases of their ranges instead of just within their peaks. Their histories tell of times when they were molded by the giants of old, that roamed the world and sculpted the lands with arduous labor and intense effort, but they needed a people that would fit in this world properly, as it was too small a place for them, and so, they made and taught the Dothorl. What remains of the giants do consider the Dothorl their smaller kin.
Age: The Dothorl have very similar lifespans to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.
Size: Dothorl are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Mountainous Constitution: You gain additional health equal to your Body, and naturally have a +1 bonus to your Body stat.
Strength of Stone: Once per Extended Rest, when you take damage from a physical attack, you may use your Reaction to halve that damage.
Skills: The Dothorl begin with 1 point in Resilience, this increase is unaffected by the normal skill restrictions.
The Volrathian people have a storied history. A domain that has shared space with Thalrias from time to time, a place of vehemence, anger, and intense rage. The first known instance where this domain showed its influence was in a land that is now long since shattered. The survivors are what is now known as the Volrathian. Skin tones ranging from the expected human range, through a number of more “unnatural” reds, purples, and even closer to golds. There was quite the period in history where these people were feared, but much of that has now passed.
Age: A Felling matures at the same pace as a human but can reach twice the age.
Size: The Fellings come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, though averaging under 6 foot, their horns will tend to place them above that. Your size is Medium.
Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Aether Blooded: Once per Extended Rest, when you are attacked by a spell, you may use your Reaction to only take half damage.
Gifts from Hate: Once per Long Rest you may activate one of the following effects:
Skills: You gain a +1 bonus to all Presence based skill checks.
Aetherclasts are constructs given life, given thought, soul, and desire. Some were built with purpose, but each is capable of deciding whether or not this should dictate their path in life. These complex creations have been around since well before recorded history, but those of the ancient day are exceptionally rare. Notes on their construction are even more rare, but people of the modern age have learned to forge them, albeit with limited success. They are still quite new, in the way of their existence within society at large that is, and only a few of these have begun to understand their own autonomy.
Age: An Aetherclast is constructed and may be like an adult from the moment it begins to move on its own. The length to which they can live is unknown, but they can most certainly live beyond humans. The vast majority of these were created in ages past, and are currently slumbering.
Size: Aetherclasts are generally at least roughly humanoid, but can be wildly different in detail. Some have tails, some have horns, some will like wickerbeasts with skulls for heads and stone and bone for the rest of their form. Your size is Medium.
Sleepless: When you take a Long Rest, you spend half of it in a statue-like state where you appear lifeless, but you are entirely aware.
Constructed Resilience: You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:
Heart of Stone: When you reach level 5, once per Extended Rest, when you would fail a Resilience check by 4 or less, you may choose to pass it instead.
Skills: You were created with purpose, though you may not know what that purpose was, you are still inclined toward it. You may gain 1 point in any skill (not mechanic) of your choice, as well as Arcana.
There are three types of Rests in the game, Short, Long, and Extended. Short Rests are simple 10-30 minute sit downs where the characters simply catch their breath. Long Rests are usually the nightly rests, camping, sleeping, and having a proper meal. Extended Rests are 6-7 days of non-strenuous activity. This can involve non-rigorous travel, staying in a city or town while you gather information and focus on establishing connections, or just longer stretches of not experiencing combat and living a less adventurous life. These Rests in particular are usually times where the party may roll for a few things, but then time is usually skipped as the characters do the more mundane actions.
Below you will find the tables that provide your options when taking a Short or Long Rest. When taking an Extended Rest, you are considered to have taken every Long Rest option, and are under the Well Rested condition for the first proper adventuring day.
A resource of which you have a total of that is equal to your level. The size of the die itself begins as a d6, and increases one size for every 2 in your Body stat. This resource is primarily used in one of two ways, during Short Rests to heal by the amount of dice you wish to spend plus your Body, and using the Recovery feature, which is a generic once per scene feature that allows them to use a Half Action to spend a single Recovery Die and heal for the result, plus their Body.
Social encounters can be much like combat encounters in how a party needs to be careful in their positioning of arguments, and their choice of words in place of features. There are significantly less mechanics that govern the social environments and conversations overall, allowing skill checks, Social Overlooks, and each players own wit, to come into play instead.
Social Overlook is a mechanic to help players say something a bit riskier, more direct, or simply to help them feel as though they can get into the role playing aspect while having an out if they are afraid of making some sort of misstep.
You have a number of Social Overlooks equal to 1 + half your Presence, and recover a single one each day.
You may use them in any given social situation in response to a character responding in a negative way to something you've said. Using this limited resource usage typically results in a check, adding half your Presence, and the amount of points in your Social Overlook skill. The RT is quite variable, and greatly depends on what you are trying to get away with. Your GM should be able to at least give you a ballpark idea of how difficult it might be to say something if you bring it up beforehand.
Additionally, others may spend their Social Overlooks for another check, usually flavored as them stepping into the conversation to provide an out from the situation.
Much like Social Overlooks, this is a resource that is based off of a stat. You have a number of Soul Checks equal to 1 + half your Soul.
You may use your pool of Soul Checks in one of two ways, Will and Resilience Checks.
Will Checks allow you to use gain additional resource in a pinch, use features that you may have already expended, and reach for greater heights, breaking boundaries you would otherwise not be able to. This may be anything from simply rerolling a die, to using a feature of your class that you do not have, or is beyond your current level. The RT heavily depends on how far you are reaching, and is ultimately at the GMs discretion, but when it comes to using features that you have no more uses of, the general outline is as follows:
Round: 12
Short Rest: 14
Long Rest: 18
Extended Rest: 23
Resilience Checks are used to continue standing and persevere regardless the weight you must hold. The most common usage is for either getting up from the Unconscious state, or in response to taking damage that would make you Unconscious. Other uses, to perhaps reroll a Defensive Action or mitigate some damage, is up to your GM in its difficulty, but typically the RT of any Resilience Check begins at 12, and increases by 4 for each success until the next Extended Rest.
Time should be a driving factor in pushing the narrative, ensuring things move forward. Not that every story beat, every arc, should be on some stressed time table, there should absolutely be downtime where the party can actively decide what they want to chase down, but everything still takes time and the conflict at large will not simply wait.
When character actions, conversations, or general movements through the world become highlighted, this is a scene. Conversing with a shopkeep, a combat encounter, investigating a ruin, all of these are likely scenes, as the focus is on how your characters are interacting, and you are making decisions. Long travel, that has no real close focus on what you may be doing, but perhaps has some level of discussion on the downtime, would not be considered a scene.
Some abilities are once per scene, such as the generic feature Recovery, and so knowing what constitutes any particular scene is important.
Conditions are general effects that many different features or spells may cause, all of which are listed below.
Prone: While Prone, any Defensive Action, or Body saving throw, you make is at disadvantage. Moving while Prone takes twice the normal movement, and getting back up requires 10 movement.
Unconscious: You are knocked unconscious when your health total reaches 0 or lower. During this time you cannot make any moves or actions, and automatically fail any saving throws. During your turn, you may make Resilience checks if you have Soul Checks remaining to do so. Upon either an ally making a successful Medicine check (RT 14) on you, or your own success in a Resilience check, you will be set to 1 health, no longer be unconscious, and will be considered Wounded. The same occurs if you are healed up to, or over, 1 health.
Wounded: While wounded, your movement is reduced by 10 and your maximum Action Points are reduced by 1. You are able to be Wounded multiple times, and may only remove the effect in the following ways:
Threatened: In order to be Threatened, another creature must have forced their target, either using the generic Threaten feature, another class specific feature, or spell, to make a Threat check, and their target must have failed that check. At the end of a Threatened creatures turn, they may make the check again to break the condition.
While Threatened, if the creature makes any action against others, that are not the one who holds their Threat, then the resulting rolls are reduced by twice the Presence of the one who holds their Threat.
Charmed: While Charmed by a creature, you may not make aggressive actions towards that creature.
Well Rested: While under this condition, you gain a +1 to all rolls.
Determined: While Determined, you may add your Tier to skill checks, saving throws, contests, and Defensive Actions. The bonus to Defensive Actions allows you go beyond the normal boundaries by 2.
Combat will often begin with an Initiative check from the party. Each player rolls a die, and adds either their Body or Mind, whichever is higher, with the RT being the highest Difficulty, with Body or Mind, whichever is higher, added to it, from among all enemies present. If any member of the party is successful, the party may decide who goes first, followed by 1 enemy, then one party member, and so on.
No character, player or foe, may go more than once in a round unless they have features that allow them to do so. This may result in no more players being able to go while a number of enemies have yet to have their turn, or no more enemies being able to while a number of players still have their turns. All characters must have their go, if able, before a new round may begin.
The baseline for time within combat is that a round consists of 6-10 seconds, but there may be situations where it makes sense for certain rounds to last longer or to have been quicker, so they last for as long as they are narratively needed to with that simple baseline.
While a grid is not specifically necessary, with theatre of the mind working quite fine, it can certainly help with quick understanding of placement and position during combat. When using a grid, a square grid is preferred, with each square equalling 5 ft. of space.
There are a total of three types of cover, Half, 3/4s, and Full. Half and 3/4s provide bonuses to Defensive Actions, while full means that you cannot be targeted, unless the spell or attack does not require line of sight. These bonuses go for both allies as well as enemies.
Half cover provides you with a bonus to Defensive Actions equal to half your Tier (without effecting the bonus limit).
3/4s cover provides you with a bonus to Defensive Actions equal to your full Tier (without effecting the bonus limit).
Terrain in combat refers to a variety of things. The specific environment you are in, be that a building, a marsh, an open field, or a rocky cliffside, the multitude of objects and obstacles around you, such as trees, boulders, furniture, or pillars, and the general state of the ground you are on. For the most part, the terrain will be described to you by your GM, and they will let you know if it has any particular properties that would be of interest.
Beyond this, the concept of difficult terrain is one that exists on many spells and features. If difficult terrain is created or present in an area, it simply means that it requires twice the normal amount of movement to traverse.
Health is your characters capacity to remain standing and push forward. When it reaches 0, you go unconscious, and reaching your max health in the negative will kill you outright.
Stamina is a resource available to everyone that is primarily used for Defensive Actions, though some classes may gain additional uses for it, and is restored during Rests.
The vast majority of classes have unique resources built in, and that will change frequently as you gain and expend them each turn. It is important to keep up with these resources, but with how often they change, how often you will need to write and erase them, it is recommended that you note them on a separate piece of paper, an index card, or using dice to track them so as not to wear down your character sheet.
Each player has a base of 6 Action Points and 1 full movement on each of their turns, with 1 Reaction to use each round that is restored at the start of their turn.
The following is a list of the action types available, and what can be done with them:
Power
Full
Half
Simple
Free
Reaction
There are many features and spells that involve moving others around upon a crit or a failed save. There are a number of general rules when this comes into play.
When a feature or effect gives you advantage on an attack it gives both your damage, and any contest rolls for that attack (such as if you were Parried), advantage.
There are several different damage types in Worlds of the Spyre, each listed below with a brief description:
Keen: Bladed weapons, and just about anything that can cause cuts or slices deals Keen damage.
Piercing: Punctures, stabs, arrows, and the like can deal Piercing damage.
Blunt: Heavy impacts, blunt objects, unarmed, or simply unedged attacks are most often Blunt damage.
Elemental: The following are grouped under Elemental damage, with Blunt occasionally being Elemental damage as well, typically from a spell that uses earth or water to crash into a target.
Fire: Raw heat, alongside fire itself. A variety of spells, effects, and items are capable of dealing Fire damage.
Ice: Blistering winds, shards of a summoned glacier, or enchanted arms that freeze those they touch, are all examples of Ice damage.
Lightning: The power of storms, most often found in spells that sling electricity about.
Thunder: Concussive sounds, or crashing amounts of energy, frequently found in spells.
Aetheric: Raw magic, typically restrained to certain spells, though certain items may be capable of dealing this damage type.
Radiant: Relating to holy, ascendant, or from higher planes, this damage type is fairly rare, even among spells.
Void: The depths and darkness of the planes, oceans, and very world around you. There are few spells that deal void damage, and the few items and creatures that do so often have storied histories.
When a creature has a Vulnerability to a given damage type, they have disadvantage on Defensive Actions against the damage type. Conversely, when a creature has a Resistance to a given damage type, they have advantage on Defensive Actions against the damage type.
The most common types of damage over time are also their own damage types.
Bleed: Bleeds are most often caused by certain weapon crits, such as daggers, and work as follows. When you cause an instance of bleed, the next time you deal damage to that target you deal an additional d4 damage, and that instance is consumed.
Poison: There are differing levels of poison, which are as follows; minor, major, greater, and superior. Minor deals 1d4 damage, and each step up, increases the damage die size by 1. When a target is dealt damage while they have poison stacks on them, a single stack is removed, and they are dealt additional damage based on the level of poison. If a target has multiple levels of poison on them, all stacks are considered to be the highest level.
Defensive Actions are the primary way you have to mitigate damage, each one costing a single Stamina to use. Many enemies will have Stamina, and access to Defensive Actions as well, but each time they manage to come out unscathed, they are expending a precious resource.
Block: Blocking provides you with raw mitigation. When you Block an attack made against you, you roll 1d6 and reduce the damage you take by the result. You may add additional dice in many ways, certain armor, such as heavy armor and shields, immediately give you an additional die. A number of spells, features, and items also provide dice. Additionally, whenever you would gain a bonus to your Defensive Action, while Blocking, each +1 provides a flat bonus to the result. Upon hitting +3 however, you gain an additional die and the flat bonus falls off.
Dodge: When attempting to Dodge an attack, you roll a d20, adding your Defensive Action bonus and your Body or Mind, whichever is higher. You are attempting reach a number that is equal to your attackers Difficulty + their Body or Mind, whichever is higher. If you roll at most 3 away from that number, it is considered a partial success, and you take half damage from a glancing blow.
Parry: Parries are contest rolls, and may only be made against melee weapon attacks. Each of you roll a d20, adding your Defensive Action bonus and half of your Body or Mind, whichever is higher. If you win the parry, you may make a single weapon attack in retaliation, and prevent them from dealing any damage. Due to you now making a melee weapon attack however, if your target has the Stamina, they may now Parry your attack, resulting in a Parry Chain. If they succeed, they may choose for either their original attack, or a basic melee weapon attack to be their resulting attack against you.
There are many effects that exist throughout the game that can lower, or raise, any given Defensive Action. There is a cap however, on just how far you can push this to either end, simplt being 2 + your Tier. Meaning that in Tier 1, the lowest you can bring an enemies Defensive Action is -3, though providing it Disadvantage is also possible. The same goes for raising any Defensive Action.
You have an array of responsibilities. Most importantly however, is the tables enjoyment of the time you're spending together, which of course includes you. Combat, NPCs, social situations, the result of any given roll and interaction, all of it is your task. This can most certainly be overwhelming at first, but as you learn your players, learn the system, and get a proper feel for the flow of the game, it becomes significantly easier than it sounds.
When trying to make a decent challenge of a skill or stat check, there are a variety of things to consider, though primarily around the bonuses present vs the reward available.
Below is a helpful chart for general checks given the Tier of play which should help you play around and test what works and fits best for your group. The table itself is with related stats, and the skill at least partially built up, but not with the inclusion of Expertise in mind, so certain builds will have an it easier than the table may imply, and others may have a more difficult time.
| Very Easy | Easy | Moderate | Hard | Very Hard | Brutal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 5-7 | 8-10 | 11-13 | 14-16 | 17-19 | 20-22 |
| Tier 2 | 6-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-17 | 18-20 | 21-23 |
| Tier 3 | 8-10 | 11-13 | 14-16 | 17-19 | 20-22 | 23-25 |
| Tier 4 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-17 | 18-20 | 21-23 | 24-26 |
When first describing a scene, what often comes first is the immediate surroundings. Description of the stone floor, the painting covered walls, and the myriad of candles and torches on embedded sconces that bring a warm light to what would otherwise be a terribly dark and cold hallway within a keep, helps bring your players into the setting and scene far more.
Along with this coloration of setting, pointing out anything obvious that might seem amiss, or that the party might be quickly interested in investigating, such as a muddy footprint or two that clearly mar the stoneworked floor, helps point them in a direction. Often times, especially with newer players, it can be quite overwhelming to have no direction. When told that you can do absolutely anything, it is quite common to just draw a blank, but pointing out things their characters might be interested in, or something obvious, or asking for an Awareness or Investigation check to provide even more information, can help keep the whole table happily moving right along.
When the party is clever in their solution to a problem, when they make a significant step forward in the arc, or when they manage to persevere when they perhaps shouldn't, a point of Momentum is a great way to commemorate the occasion. Momentum is meant to be a way to remind the players, through the points, as well as a powerful mechanic to help allow the players to use these moments to push ever forward. This is an excellent way to have them break their limits and use the narrative they helped establish to do so.
Momentum is not only a resource for the party that builds over an entire arc, but it is designed to meet thresholds and allow moments that might otherwise be exceptionally difficult to manage. These thresholds shouldn't be used to keep cool moments away from players, but to reward them for having pushed hard in their adventures and incetivize them to engage with the plot to a higher degree. It is a system meant to provide that mechanical advantage for actively seeking solutions to problems presented, and to empower those that find interesting ways of interacting and accomplishing something that was maybe intended to be too difficult.
For example, if the party, as a major story beat in this arc, is trying to defend a city from a siege, and have managed to accumulate enough Momentum, then perhaps they are given one extra clue as to who might be the enemies inside man, or notice something wrong about one of the city guards, revealing a planned attack from the inside as well. This can go in any number of directions and as far as the Gamemaster desires, perhaps a call to arms from a neighboring kingdom, thought previously to have fallen on deaf ears, is suddenly seen upon the horizon, allowing the party to now only have to hold out so long for the reinforcements.
Thresholds should also not look at current Momentum, but the total Momentum gained over the course of this arc.
Failure is a powerful narrative element. It should be discussed with the players when you are reaching an arc, or a beat in general, if their chances are slim so as to avoid the actual players feeling as though there wasn't anything they could do, or just feeling hurt that they failed. Their characters feeling that way is an expectation, but it can sap the fun from the actual people piloting them as well if not handled well. When failure on the party's point is ultimately used to push the narrative in an intersting way, it is far easier to swallow, and push forward regardless of the loss.
Success may provide Momentum, but how your party reacts to the failure itself may also provide Momentum.
Levels 1 and 2 are the most dangerous for any class to be at. The low health pools, lack of survivability options, and major payoffs for most classes not yet being in their hands all creates a highly dangerous situation. Many of the weaker Tier 1 monsters have fewer Action Points, and are likely to be killed in a single turn. Placing a few of these around allows players to still take damage, but not enough to outright knock them down, and to clear the field fairly quickly. Elite monsters may be capable of knocking down a player or even two if not quickly focused down, and shouldn't be used to face level 1s at the very least.
The focus of Tier 1 Grunts and Minions are to allow players to have a decent fight, get a taste of combat in general, and to learn the system without too much threat. Too many on the table can still cause a number of issues, from just bogging down rounds, to being able to hard focus one player down at a time, but selecting a couple Grunts, and having a Minion or two against a full party is certainly manageable. Once players reach level 2, they get a lot more survivable already, and you can try out an Elite or two against them, allowing them to figure out how to optimize their turns and allowing you to test their limits.
Combat is generally intended to end within 3-4 rounds. There are most certainly cases where combat will go on for longer, but this is more expected to be during boss encounters rather than facing down waves of enemies.
Many classes in Worlds of the Spyre effectively have rotations, generally encapsulated in 3 rounds to get their most powerful moves off. Those burst tools are usually not handed to a class before level 3 however, and this is where players can usually withstand far more of a beating since casters gain access to level 2 spells, and all classes will have been able to acquire survival focused features.
There is an overall art to crafting encounters, and as more monster statblocks are made, as tales are written, and the example encounters in them can be inspected, then hopefully with the advice here alongside it all, this art won't be an overly difficult one to master.