Stats

Etheric Matrix

The Etheric Matrix is the core character‐stat framework of The System in Eldrahn Online. It unifies a being’s physical, mental, and mystical faculties into four interlocking elements—Mortal Attributes, Etheric Attributes, Skills, and Titles—allowing every action, growth milestone, and destiny-shaping Contract to be quantified and resolved by simple static comparisons.

Overview

Introduced at Level 0, the Etheric Matrix represents both innate potential and emergent power.

• Mortals and Eidons alike draw on these stats to interact with Eldrahn’s sentient Ether and the world it sustains.
• Progression (Levels 1+) grants points to deepen Attributes, expand Skill expertise, and unlock Titles that reshape fate.

Mortal Attributes

Six pools (0–10) capturing physical and social prowess:

• Brawn – Strength & endurance
• Agility – Speed, dexterity, finesse
• Vigor – Stamina & recovery
• Lore – Knowledge, analysis, learning
• Will – Mental fortitude & focus
• Presence – Charisma & leadership

Etheric Attributes

Six pools (0–10) embodying one’s living bond with the sentient Ether:

• Awareness – Perception of Etheric currents, echoes & memories
• Flux – Reshaping matter & living tissue
• Conduction – Safe channeling of Ether; sets Burn threshold
• Resonance – Powering spells, enchantments & engines
• Communion – Telepathy, emotional links & Eidon pacts
• Equilibrium – Reading/repairing cosmic balance; resisting backlash

Attribute Scale

Attributes in the Etheric Matrix are unbounded but follow a true logarithmic curve—every +10 points represents roughly a 10× increase in output, while +5 points equals about a 3× increase. A score of 10 always marks a species’ natural apex; points beyond 10 require magical boons, Titles, or Unique Class capstones.

Logarithmic Principles

• +10 points → ≈10× the “work” of the previous 10-point band
• +5 points → ≈3× the “work” of the previous 5-point band
• Each additional point at higher values is exponentially harder to attain

Species-Peak Calibration

• 10 = Species Apex • Humans/Madrith: 10 Strength ≈ Olympic-gold power or the greatest city-guard • Alfarii: 10 Strength ≈ top elite sky-warrior might
• Any value above 10 enters the Augmented, Legendary, and Mythic tiers

Tiers

Value	Reference	Examples
0-1	Near -Zero	comatose, newborn, untrained
2-4	Below Average	common laborer, casual practitioner
5-7	Average	fit adult, trained skill, trained militia
8-9	Elite	professional athelete, veteran soldier
10	Pinnacle	peak natural performance for each given species
11-14	Augmented	minor magical boon, Eidonic blessing, item-enhanced
15-19	Legendary	demigods, Wyldkin, world-shaking heroes or villains
20	Mythic	transcendent avatars, Eidons

Advancement & Costs

Raising an Attribute from 1 to 10 follows the logarithmic curve: early points cost fewer Matrix Points, higher bands cost more. Pushing past 10 demands rare assets—Titles, Contracts, or capstone features from Unique Classes. Both Mortal and Etheric Attributes use this same scale.

Skills

Each Skill ranks under a single Mortal or Etheric Attribute.

• Buying 1 rank costs 1 point from its parent Attribute’s pool.
• Characters begin with 15 Skill ranks at Level 0; gain more via Level‐up “Matrix Points.”
• Skills reflect practiced expertise (e.g., Rune Forging under Resonance; Stonecarving under Brawn).

Skills run on a 0–100 logarithmic curve. Each Matrix Point you invest grants exactly +1 Skill Point. Every 20 Skill Points boosts the linked Attribute by +1 (up to 10, unless other boons raise it).

Matrix Point Investment

• 1 Matrix Point = +1 Skill Point
• You gain 5 Matrix Points per level (1–10) to spend as you wish

Logarithmic & Attribute Synergy

• Every 20 Skill Points → +1 to linked Attribute
• Tiers: • 0–19 Novice (no Attribute bonus) • 20–39 Practitioner (+1 Attribute) • 40–59 Specialist (+2 Attribute) • 60–79 Expert (+3 Attribute) • 80–99 Master (+4 Attribute) • 100 Grandmaster (+5 Attribute)

Overflow & Augmented Power

• You can push past 100; each additional 20 Skill Points grants another +1 to the Attribute beyond 10, into Augmented, Legendary, or Mythic tiers.

Flexible Application

• Each Skill has a primary Attribute, but you may apply it to related tasks under other Attributes to resolve ties.

Skill Advancement Through Practice

Before you reach the Innovative-Breakthrough tier, you can raise any Skill via several practice methods—each more demanding as you climb.

1. Rote Practice (Skill 0–39) • Method: Solo repetition and basic drills. • Cost: 1 day of focused practice ➔ +1 Skill point. • Notes: Fastest path early on; by Skill 30+ it feels grindy.
2. Mentored Apprenticeship (Skill 20–59) • Method: One-on-one coaching under a true Practitioner or Specialist. • Cost: 2 days of guided instruction ➔ +1 Skill point. • Check (optional): Mentor’s Rating + your Skill vs. DC 10+(tier×2); failure means no gain that cycle.
3. Guided Drills (Skill 40–59) • Method: Structured exercises—formal classes, regimented workshops. • Cost: 2 days of drills ➔ +1 Skill point. • Notes: You must complete sequences of escalating difficulty; skipping steps risks a setback (GM call).
4. Observational Learning (Skill 30–69) • Method: Study demonstrations—live or recorded—by Experts or Grandmasters. • Cost: 3 days of analysis & notes ➔ attempt +1 Skill point. • Check: Awareness (for physical/insight skills) or Lore (for academic/arcane skills) + Skill vs. DC 15; on success gain the point, on failure refine your notes and try again next cycle.
5. Peer Workshops & Review (Skill 50–79) • Method: Collaborative sessions—peer critique, group projects, guild archive research. • Cost: 1 week of iterative group work ➔ +1 Skill point. • Check: Presence (for social skills) or secondary Attribute (GM’s call) + Skill vs. DC 20; failure means rework your contribution before gaining the point.
6. Innovative Breakthroughs (Skill 60+) • Method: Original research, new techniques, or paradigm-shifting applications. • Cost: Time varies by Scope (GM call)—often multiple sessions of labs, field tests or arcane experiments. • Challenge: You must define the innovation’s goal, then succeed on an Attribute + Skill check vs. DC 25+(tier×2). Success yields +1 Skill point and narrative bragging rights; failure may impose a temporary setback or Etheric backlash.

Across all methods, time and challenge scale with your current Skill tier. You choose the avenue that fits your resources, mentors, and story—ensuring every Matrix Point you invest is backed by a narrative of growth and mastery.

Titles

• Narrative-mechanical badges slot into one of three base Title slots (Level 0) plus Class and milestone slots.

• Bound Titles – Tied to Contracts; occupy their slot until fulfilled (e.g., Slave (Bound)).
• Non-Bound Titles – Grant a passive bonus (+1/+2 to related checks) and one per-downtime Etheric Boon.

• Additional slots unlocked at Level 1 by Class choice, and every four levels thereafter.

Character Progression

Level 0:

• Allocate 25 Mortal and 10 Etheric points
• Spend 15 Skill ranks
• 3 empty Title slots

Level 1+:

• Choose Class → +1 Title slot & class features
• Each level grants 5 Matrix Points to raise Attributes or Skills
• +1 Title slot at Levels 5, 9, 13, etc.

Task Resolution

Every challenge uses two simple formulas: a Static Check (you vs. a fixed difficulty) or a Competitive Check (you vs. another actor). All results hinge on your Total, defined as:

Total = Attribute value + Skill rank

Difficulty Values (DV) run from 1 (trivial) to 11 (legendary feat).

1. Static Checks • When the world sets a DV, you compare your Total to it. • If Total ≥ DV, you succeed; if it’s lower, you fail.
2. Competitive Checks • Both sides form their Total. Higher Total wins. • If Totals tie, you each pick one additional Skill—tied to a different Attribute than your original one—and add (chosen Skill rank – 1) to your Total. Whichever adjusted Total is higher wins.

Example Tie-Breaker

When Totals tie, each contestant names one additional trained Skill whose primary Attribute wasn’t already in use. You add that Skill’s rank minus 1 to your original Total; the higher adjusted Total wins.

Example: Stealth vs. Perception

Base Totals

• You: Agility 6 + Stealth 4 = 10

• NPC: Awareness 7 + Perception 3 = 10

→ Tie!

Tie-Breaker Picks

• You choose Perception (rank 3):

Final Total = 6 + 4 + (3 – 1) = 12

• NPC chooses Tremorsense (rank 5):

Final Total = 7 + 3 + (5 – 1) = 14

Result: NPC edges out the tie and spots you.

That’s all there is to it—static tasks pit you against a DV, competitive tasks pit you against another Total, and ties are decided by a one-off Skill edge.

Flexible Application

Untrained but related tasks may use half a trained Skill’s ranks (round down) at –2 penalty, preserving realism through overlap (e.g., Frying → partial Wok Cooking).

Burn Risk (Safe Conduction Threshold)

Burn Risk is the colloquial term for what the System officially calls your Safe Conduction Threshold—the point at which you can channel Ether without incurring strain. Exceeding this threshold builds up Strain, and if left unchecked, leads to Overstrain events.

1. Safe Conduction Threshold • Defined as your Conduction Score plus the ranks in the pertinent Skill (e.g. Ether-Weaving, Runecraft, Artifice) • You may channel the Ether up to this Threshold without ill effects.
2. Strain Accumulation • Any Ether drawn beyond your Safe Conduction Threshold adds Strain equal to the overflow. – Example: Threshold 8, you channel 11 → overflow 3 → Strain +3. • Strain persists until you recover it through rest or focused discipline.
3. Overstrain Consequences • When your Strain is greater than or equal to your Safe Conduction Threshold, you suffer an Overstrain event. • Choose or roll to determine the setback: – Realmslip: you’re ripped from the current plane and reappear at a random nearby location. – Arcane Backlash: uncontrolled Ether erupts—take 1d6 damage and any device you hold fails. – Mechanical Collapse: constructs or gadgets you operate malfunction catastrophically.
4. Recovery • Short Rest: fully clears all accumulated Strain. • Equilibrium Check (action): – DV = current Strain – Success removes up to half your Strain (rounded down) – Failure leaves Strain unchanged and inflicts one level of minor fatigue

Keep a close eye on your Burn Risk. Drawing more Ether than your Safe Conduction Threshold allows can power incredible feats—but too much at once may cost you dearly.

Example Level 0 Character

Name: Haldra Stonesong | Homeland: Echoing Peaks

Mortal Attributes: Brawn 5, Agility 3, Vigor 5, Lore 2, Will 4, Presence 6

Etheric Attributes: Awareness 2, Flux 1, Conduction 3, Resonance 1, Communion 2, Equilibrium 1

Skills (15): Stonecarving 4, Hammerwork 3, Vein Channeling 2, Lore Analysis 2, Sentient Rapport 2, Market Barter 2

Title Slots: — — — (empty)

See Also

• Classes in Eldrahn Online
• Deities of Eldrahn
• The Conjuring Cycle
• The Eidonshroud
• Codex of Eternal Truth