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.
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.