Glossary

A 10-minute unit of exploration time used for searching, movement, and other cautious actions.

One of the four core traits — Prowess, Toughness, Mind, Charm — that define a character’s natural capability.

The bonus or penalty derived from an Attribute Score and applied to rolls when permitted.

A character’s life before adventuring that grants trained skills, competencies, starting equipment, and contact categories.

Harmful consequences that occur when casting fails under dangerous levels of Strain.

The ongoing fatigue gained each round by an Incapacitated character until stabilized.

Assistance granted by a Contact when successfully invoked.

The number of inventory slots a character can carry.

The GM-set difficulty for unopposed checks.

A brief unit of time (about five seconds) used to resolve combat.

Basic knowledge granted by a Background representing routine training. Characters may attempt a Competency Check without a full skill rank.

A roll made only when a competency is uncertain or under pressure.

A condition in which the target cannot press Momentum.

An NPC relationship tied to a character’s past that may provide aid or complications.

A two-hour unit of daily activity used for travel, work, rest, or sleep during overland and camp-scale play.

The target number used when a creature actively resists a check.

An abstract system tracking carried weight using inventory slots.

Adjacent to a hostile opponent and therefore eligible for melee resolution.

The opposed roll that determines which combatant gains Momentum.

Accumulating physical strain applied after a round that imposes penalties on future rolls.

A campaign style where death or retirement introduces a successor character connected through Contacts.

A condition applied by certain Workings. Whenever the target makes a roll, one die showing its highest value is rerolled and the lower value is kept.

A character’s capacity to withstand injury before reaching 0 Health.

A condition applied by certain Workings. The target suffers −2 to their next roll before the end of their next turn. Initiative rolls are excluded.

A combatant reduced to 0 Health who has survived the Trauma Check but cannot act.

Deep weariness accumulated through extended effort, poor sleep, hunger, or cold. Unlike Fatigue, Lingering Fatigue can only be removed through Sleep Segments — 1 point per segment.

Strain generated through ritual or Set Workings that persists across scenes. Does not clear with Rest Segments — requires a full uninterrupted night’s sleep to clear.

The character’s burden level based on carried slots (Light, Burdened, Laden, Overloaded).

A superior crafted item with enhanced quality beyond normal equipment.

A moment when a meaningful chapter of play closes, awarded by the GM when the party resolves a significant objective. Each milestone grants every character +2 Skill Points.

Positional dominance and control of timing in melee combat. Gained by winning an Engagement Clash. A combatant with Momentum may initiate a Momentum Press against their declared target.

The roll used by the combatant with Momentum to attempt a successful strike.

A character born under a minor omen tied to one of the Nine Gods, allowing access to magical paths.

A divine magical tradition tied to one of the Nine Gods.

A magical item containing supernatural power, typically granting conditional abilities rather than permanent bonuses.

The current standing between a character and a Contact.

The defender’s damage resistance, typically Toughness modifier + armor + situational modifiers.

A condition in which the target cannot take a move action until the end of their next turn.

A trained discipline representing practical ability (combat, wilderness, intrigue, craft, etc.).

A roll of 2d6 + Skill Rank Modifier + Attribute Modifier (if permitted) compared to a difficulty.

Your level of training in a skill: Trained, Skilled, Expert, or Master.

A character who is not Omen-Born. Standard-Born characters cannot invest in Unseen Craft (Casting) and gain +2 starting Health.

Accumulated magical instability generated through casting.

The maximum Strain a caster can carry before failed Workings cause Health loss rather than Fatigue. Calculated as Casting Attribute Modifier + Unseen Craft Skill Modifier.

A measure of a creature’s combat danger used to help estimate encounter difficulty.

The roll made when a character reaches 0 Health to determine immediate death or incapacitation.

The value a Trauma Check roll must not exceed for a character to survive. Calculated as Toughness score − Wound Margin.

The setting’s term for magic as a dangerous and mistrusted practice.

The skill used to perform magical Workings.

Current environmental sight conditions: Clear, Low, Poor, or None.

A discrete magical effect produced through Unseen Craft.

The amount of damage remaining after a character’s Health is reduced to 0. Used to calculate the Trauma Threshold.

A condition representing a character reduced to half Health or less.