Misc
Attribute Damage
Attribute damage reduces an attribute score. If a character with Strength 18 takes 4 Strength damage, their Strength becomes 14 until the damage is healed. This can change the character's attribute modifier.
At the end of each rest period, a character heals attribute damage equal to their Constitution modifier. Treat this as a recovery pool that can be divided among damaged attributes. If a character has a Constitution modifier of 0 or lower, they recover 1 point of attribute damage instead.
Base Speed
Base speed is a creature's natural movement speed. A human usually has only a ground speed, so its base speed is 30 ft. A winged elf with 30 ft. ground speed and 60 ft. fly speed has both as base speeds. If an effect increases base speed, it increases each base speed the creature has. If a creature has no listed climb, swim, burrow, or fly speed, it has no base speed for that movement type and gains no benefit from effects that increase that speed.
Bonus Spells
A high PMA modifier grants bonus spell slots per day. Use the chart below.
| Bonus Spells Slots for high PMA modifier | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMA Modifier | 1st Level | 2nd Level | 3rd Level | 4th Level | 5th Level | 6th Level | 7th Level | 8th Level | 9th Level |
| +1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| +2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| +3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| +4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| +5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| +6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| +7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| +8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| +9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| +10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| +11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Etc. | Etc. | Etc. | Etc. | Etc. | Etc. | Etc. | Etc. | Etc. | Etc. |
Concealment, Partial
Combatants know where a creature with partial concealment is. Partial concealment grants a 20% miss chance against incoming attacks and a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against ranged attacks. Partial concealment does not make opponents flat-footed against melee attacks.
Concealment, Full
Combatants do not know exactly which square a creature with full concealment occupies. Full concealment grants a 50% miss chance against incoming attacks. A creature with full concealment makes opponents flat-footed against its melee attacks. Invisibility is a common form of full concealment.
Damage Reduction
Damage reduction subtracts a listed value from incoming physical damage, except bleed and crush damage. It is written as X/- or X/material. The value before the slash is the amount of damage reduced. The value after the slash is what bypasses the reduction.
For example, 15/silver reduces physical damage by 15 unless the damage comes from a silver source. Damage reduction written as 5/- reduces physical damage by 5 and has no listed bypass.
Definition Master
The Definition Master is the person at the table who builds, writes, and runs the game. They may use prebuilt adventures, run a simple dungeon dive, or create the whole campaign from scratch. The Definition Master is the final judge of unclear rules and strange interactions.
Delusion
Delusions only affect their target creatures. Defenses against mind-affecting spells also apply to delusions. A delusion can fool the senses well enough to make a creature hurt itself while responding to something that is not real.
Dice-Categories
| Dice Category | ||
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Stable | Variable |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1d2 | 1d2 | 1d2 |
| 1d3 | 1d3 | 1d3 |
| 1d4 | 1d4 | 1d4 |
| 1d6 | 1d6 | 1d6 |
| 1d8 | 1d8 | 1d8 or 2d4 |
| 1d10 | 2d6 | 1d12 |
| 2d8 | 3d6 | 2d10 |
| 3d8 | 4d6 | 3d10 |
| 4d8 | 5d6 | 4d10 |
| 5d8 | 6d6 | 5d10 |
Some effects, definitions, abilities, or designs increase or decrease a weapon's dice category. Use the table below for weapons and natural attacks. Most weapons use the Standard line. When designing a monster, choose the category that best fits the creature's design while staying close to these standards.
Spells can also have dice category increases. When this happens, increase the die size. For example, a spell that normally deals 1d6 per CL increases to 1d8 per CL. A spell's damage die cannot increase beyond d12 unless the spell says otherwise.
Difficult Terrain
An area with difficult terrain is hard to cross. A creature moving through difficult terrain moves at half speed.
Disposition
Disposition is a character's opinion of another character and their willingness to listen. Many social skills are affected by disposition. If a skill is being used on an NPC, the Definition Master may add or subtract modifiers based on that NPC's disposition. Use the chart below as guidance. Improving disposition usually requires in-game action or a DC set by the Definition Master.
| Roll Modifier by Target's Disposition | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostile | Hateful | Dislike | Apprehensive | Neutral | Warmly | Liked | Respectful | Adoring |
| -50 | -15 | -10 | -5 | 0 | +5 | +10 | +15 | +50 |
Element Types
Energy types are tied to their associated elements. Most elements have an opposite element. A creature vulnerable to an element takes 50% more damage from that element's associated energy type. This vulnerability applies to spells, creatures, and effects with the associated element as a descriptor.
| Element Type | Opposite |
|---|---|
| Air (Electric) | Ice (Cold) |
| Death (Negative) | Life (Positive) |
| Earth (Desiccation) | Sonic |
| Fire (Heat) | Water (Corrosive) |
| Force | Void (Entropic) |
| Ice (Cold) | Fire (Heat) |
| Life (Positive) | Death (Negative) |
| Void (Entropic) | Force |
| Water (Corrosive) | Earth (Desiccation) |
Death: Death represents the draining of life. Channeled death becomes Negative energy and directly pulls life from the target. The opposite of death is life.
Earth: The solid ground beneath, crystals, and loam. Earth is the element channeled into desiccation damage. Any creature affected by desiccation damage becomes dehydrated. Earth has no opposite, but is uniquely affected by sonic energy.
Fire: Fire is cleansing, destructive, and ever shifting. Heat is the energy type for channeled fire. Dry objects can combust when hit with enough heat energy. The opposite of fire is water.
Force: Force is raw magic and creation. When channeled into spells, it acts like raw mass. Only a force spell can stop a void spell's effect. The opposite of force is void.
Ice: The frozen wastes, winter, and rime of Korrenth are the ice element. Cold is the energy type associated with this energy and often has slowing effects when used. The opposite of ice is fire.
Life: Healing, health, and living creatures are imbued with life energy at birth. Positive energy can heal wounds, injuries, and restore HP. It can also create unwanted life, such as diseases and parasites. Life and Positive energy are not automatically benevolent. The opposite of life is death.
Sonic: Sonic is a unique energy type because it has no attached element, but Earth elementals are vulnerable to it. Sonic damage comes from many sources and always deals extra damage to brittle or crystalline structures.
Void: Void is nothingness, entropy, and disassociation. Entropic damage is used by disintegrating effects and can break force effects when directed at them. The opposite of void is force.
Water: The roaring oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers of Korrenth encompass the water element. When channeled into a spell, water deals corrosive energy damage. Corrosive damage often also deals damage to equipment along with the creature. The opposite of water is earth.
Exertion
An exertion is a standard action that reduces the remaining duration of a spell or ability effect to an instantaneous duration. The spell or ability entry describes the damage or other effect produced by the exertion. Energy charge is a good example of this.
Exposed
An exposed creature is completely helpless and can be instantly reduced to 0 HP if a full-round action is taken to do so (a Blow of Mercy).
Critical Threat: While a creature is exposed, any attack roll that hits its AC is treated as a critical threat, regardless of the d20 result. This does not change the target’s AC and does not make attacks automatically hit. After a hit, roll to confirm the critical as normal (same modifiers as the original attack). If the confirmation hits AC, deal critical damage; if not, deal normal damage.
Blow of Mercy: As a full-round action, a creature can execute a Blow of Mercy against an exposed creature within reach. This requires no attack roll and cannot miss. The exposed creature is instantly reduced to 0 HP and automatically fails its first death save. The creature also gains a wound as normal for being reduced to 0 HP.
Finishing Blow: If a creature is incapacitated (0 HP), a Blow of Mercy causes it to automatically fail its remaining death saves and die.
Figment
A figment is a type of illusion that creates an effect in the world that everyone can see. These types of illusions are not subject to effects that protect against mind-affecting spells. Figments can trick any sense, not only sight.
Flat-footed
A flat-footed opponent is denied their dexterity, dodge, insight, and parry bonuses to AC.
Flight Maneuverability
Flying is complicated, and not all creatures fly equally well. Flight maneuverability determines how a creature moves during combat. There are three categories: Poor, Average, and Perfect.
Poor: A creature with poor maneuverability must use its entire flight speed every round. It can only ascend or descend 10 ft. per turn. Turning requires a large arc.
Average: A creature with average maneuverability must use half of its flight speed every round. It can ascend or descend up to 35 ft. per turn. Turning requires a small arc.
Perfect: A creature with perfect maneuverability does not have to use any of its flight speed in a round. It can move in all three dimensions freely.
Heighten
Heightening is casting a spell with a higher-level spell slot than the spell normally requires, such as casting a 2nd-level spell with a 5th-level slot. This usually increases the spell's DC and makes it harder to counterspell.
Known Spell
A known spell is a spell a character understands inherently and does not need to prepare it at the beginning of the day. It can be used in place of any prepared spell at any time, as long as the character has spell slots remaining for the day. Any magic caster has some known spells. Characters with the Wizardry primary definition gain an entire school of known spells.
Line of Effect
Line of effect determines whether an effect can reach a target. A creature has line of effect to a target if a thrown object could reach that target without being stopped by terrain or a barrier. Creatures do not usually block line of effect, but a wall or large object does.
Main Attributes
There are six main attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These attributes modify most rolls and derived values.
Strength: Strength measures physical power and the ability to lift, move, and carry objects. It can determine accuracy with melee attacks and usually applies to weapon damage. Two-handed weapons add 1.5x the character's Strength modifier to damage.
Dexterity: Dexterity measures fine motor control and overall agility. If Dexterity is higher than Strength, it is used for melee attack rolls. Dexterity is usually used for ranged attack rolls, and it adds to AC and Reflex saves.
Constitution: Constitution measures fitness, endurance, and health. Constitution determines maximum Hit Points and is added to Fortitude saves.
Intelligence: Intelligence measures knowledge, memory, and factual understanding. Intelligence can be a Primary Mental Attribute. It determines maximum skills known and how many skill points a character gains per level.
Wisdom: Wisdom measures judgment, experience, and awareness. Wisdom can be a Primary Mental Attribute. It is added to Will saves and, in some cases, AC.
Charisma: Charisma measures presence and force of personality. It is not a measure of physical beauty. Charisma is used for many social skills, is added to Ego saves, and can be a Primary Mental Attribute.
Natural Attack, Primary
A primary natural attack works much like any weapon a player would be proficient with, except it is part of the creature or character's body. These attacks can be specialized in by specifying Natural, Claw, Bite, Tail, or another appropriate form when taking feats such as Weapon Fixation. Primary natural attacks are treated as one-handed weapons for determining Strength modifier to damage.
Natural Attack, Secondary
Secondary natural attacks are usually listed as abilities and can take many forms. Most humanoid characters do not have a secondary natural attack. A secondary natural attack often works like an attack, but may have special rules and may be used in place of primary attacks.
Phantasm
A phantasm is an illusion that only the targets of the spell or effect can perceive. No one else witnesses what the targets see. The targets believe the illusion is real and act accordingly.
Prepared Spell
A prepared spell is a spell in a spellbook or similar source that has been prepared for use. Spells are prepared during a rest period or by spending 5 minutes to prepare an individual spell. A prepared spell holds a spell slot, which is spent when the spell is cast. Any known spell can be cast using the prepared spell's held spell slot.
Prone
A prone character is on the ground, off-balance, and easier to engage in close quarters than at range. While prone, ranged attackers take a -3 circumstance penalty to hit the character, and melee attackers gain a +3 circumstance bonus to hit the character. Movement is reduced to 5 ft. per round while prone. Dropping prone or standing up from prone is a move action and follows the normal rules for move actions, including attacks of opportunity if applicable.
Quick Gold Value
If unidentified items and detailed loot tracking become too complex or time-consuming, the Definition Master can use a Quick Gold Value (QGV) and divide it among the party members instead. This value is usually the total value of the items divided by 10. The Definition Master may adjust this value based on how the encounter went.
Reach
Reach weapons threaten an additional 5 ft. around a Medium creature. For a Small creature, a reach weapon threatens the additional squares except the far corners.
Regeneration
Regeneration restores HP at the listed amount each round. Regeneration can stabilize a dying creature, but it does not remove wounds, injuries, diseases, curses, or other afflictions unless the effect says otherwise.
Rest Period
A rest period is a significant stretch of downtime in which a character gets at least 6 hours of sleep, meditation, preparation, or similar low-stress activity.
At the end of the rest period, a character who slept or meditated recovers HP equal to Hit Dice × Constitution modifier, and heals attribute damage using their Constitution modifier as a recovery pool. Spells per day, daily-use abilities, and any items with daily uses are also refreshed.
During the rest period, a character may use the Heal skill to increase the amount recovered. Apply the Heal multiplier to the HP recovered and to the attribute damage recovery pool (always round down).
Resting also removes 1 failed death save. A successful Heal check of 25+ during the same rest period removes one additional failed death save.
Sanctity
Sanctity describes a character's relationship to the sacred: any ideal, law, oath, tradition, creed, or higher principle that claims authority over behavior. Sanctity is not a measure of kindness, cruelty, or intent. It answers a different question:
Does the character's belief bind the character, or do they use that belief to bind others?
In this system, Holy and Unholy are not synonyms for Good and Evil. They are opposing ways of relating to value and authority.
Holy characters treat the sacred as guidance. Their beliefs constrain their own actions first. A Holy character accepts limits, pays costs, keeps vows, and submits to judgment when they fail. The sacred is larger than the self, and the self is accountable to it. Holy characters may be gentle or ruthless, merciful or severe—but they are internally bound. Their power is restrained by obligation, duty, or reverence, even when doing so is painful or costly.
Holy characters are immune to detrimental Holy effects and helpful Unholy effects.
Unholy characters treat the sacred as authority they can wield. Their beliefs are used to justify, compel, intimidate, or excuse actions—primarily upon others. They invoke ideals to authorize power rather than limit it, often casting themselves as the exception, the instrument, or the chosen interpreter of the rules. They may pursue good ends or evil ones, but they do not submit to the sacred; they weaponize it.
Unholy characters are immune to detrimental Unholy effects and helpful Holy effects.
Unsanctified characters do not participate in sanctity as a binding structure. They claim no sacred mandate and accept no sacred claim over them—not because they are necessarily nihilists, but because they remain outside the system of sacred authority. This makes them illegible to the Holy and difficult for the Unholy to leverage.
Unsanctified characters are affected normally by both Holy and Unholy effects. If an Unsanctified character would be affected by both the Holy and Unholy versions of the same effect at the same time, the two effects negate each other.
Note: No one thinks of themselves as unholy. These terms are best if they are used at the table but not in any in-character sense.
Saving Throw
Saving throws are made against abilities, spells, and other effects. Roll 1d20, add the relevant save bonus, and compare the result to the DC set by the effect or the Definition Master. There are four saving throws: Ego, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.
Ego: Ego represents sense of self. It is used against direct compulsion, implanted memories, morale, and similar effects.
Fortitude: Fortitude represents bodily resilience. It is used against poisons, diseases, and effects that target health directly.
Reflex: Reflex represents quick physical response. It is used against area effects, falling objects, and similar hazards.
Will: Will represents mental and spiritual resistance. It is used against religious, thaumaturgical, and suggestion-based effects.
Shatter Resistance
Most objects resist incoming damage to some degree. This is listed as shatter resistance. The listed number is subtracted from all damage types except entropic. Some materials and spells bypass shatter resistance; if they do, the spell, material, or effect says so.
Size Modifier
Size modifiers are bonuses or penalties that apply when size matters to a roll. Smaller creatures are usually harder to hit and better at slipping away. Larger creatures are usually better at grappling, shoving, tripping, and trampling. Use the chart below when a size modifier is needed.
Being Small Helps
- AC
- Conceal
- Move Silently
- Escape Artist
Being Small Hinders
- Grappling
- Shoving
- Tripping
- Trampling
Being Large Helps
- Grappling
- Shoving
- Tripping
- Trampling
Being Large Hinders
- AC
- Conceal
- Move Silently
- Escape Artist
| Sub Tiny | Tiny | Very Small | Small | Medium | Large | Very Large | Gargantuan | Super Gargantuan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -8 or +8 | -4 or +4 | -2 or +2 | -1 or +1 | 0 | -1 or +1 | -2 or +2 | -4 or +4 | -8 or +8 |
Spell Proficiency
Spell proficiency applies to spells, spell-like abilities (Sp), and supernatural abilities (Su) as follows:
- Spell Save DC: Add Spell Proficiency to spell DCs.
- Spell Attack Rolls: Add Spell Proficiency to spell attack rolls, including touch attacks.
- Damage/Healing/Warding Dice: Add Spell Proficiency as a flat bonus per die rolled.
- Weapon-Modifying Spells: Spell Proficiency does not apply to the attack or damage rolls of a weapon modified by a spell, unless that spell explicitly says otherwise.
Example: A spell dealing 5d6 with Spell Proficiency 2 becomes 5d6+10 (plus PMA modifier if applicable).
Temporary HP
Temporary HP is extra HP added to a living creature's current HP and can exceed its maximum HP. Damage is deducted from temporary HP first. Temporary HP counts as HP for effects that trigger on HP damage (such as draining or siphoning).
Touch Attack
Touch attacks ignore all the physical aspects of armor, since only contact is needed for them to be effective. Touch attacks roll against AC but without any armor bonus, shield bonus, natural armor bonus, and parry bonus.
Melee touch attacks use 1d20 + Base Attack Bonus + Strength or Dexterity, whichever is higher + any other modifiers.
Ranged touch attacks use 1d20 + Base Attack Bonus + Dexterity + any other modifiers.
Unconscious
An unconscious character is unaware of their surroundings and cannot take actions. They take no move, standard, free, swift, or immediate actions, do not threaten squares, and cannot make attacks of opportunity or counterspells. They are considered exposed and prone, and remain unconscious until they regain HP or an effect explicitly ends the unconscious condition. If this condition is cured with a spell or ability that cures conditions, the subject is healed up to 1 HP.
Warding
Warding works like temporary HP, but it can protect objects and undead. It is not treated as HP for effects that trigger on HP damage (e.g., draining or siphoning).
If a ward covers multiple targets, they share one ward pool rather than having separate amounts. When an area effect (such as energy burst) hits multiple warded targets, apply the shared ward pool against each target’s damage in turn, starting with the target closest to the effect's origin, until the ward collapses; any remaining damage then affects HP normally.
Important: Area effects damage each creature separately; a shared ward pool is not a single barrier that reduces the area effect once.
Example: Warding vs Area Effects
A party shares a 120-point ward. A Fire Burst deals 152 damage to each creature in the area (Reflex half).
Each creature makes a Reflex save normally.
Resolve targets from closest to the burst’s origin outward.
The ward reduces damage for the first targets until the 120-point pool is empty.
Once the ward is gone, remaining targets take damage normally.
Warding, Regenerative
Regenerative warding follows all normal warding rules, except it replenishes. When the ward is created, record the initial ward value rolled. At the start of the ward's creator's turn, the ward pool refills to that recorded value (up to its normal maximum). Any damage taken remains lost until the next refresh.