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How to Play Sundered

Sundered is a system of agency, risk, and creativity. Every decision matters, and every resource is in your hands. Here’s how to jump in and play:

Character Basics​

Create Your Character:

  • Assign ability scores: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Knowledge, Wisdom, Influence
  • Pick 2 abilities to be proficient in.
  • Choose an Echelon (optional, but unlocks unique powers).
  • Choose a Class for your core feature and two proficiencies.
  • Pick Disciplines tied to abilities.

Know Your Pools:

  • Source Pool: Fuels everything. Starts at 6d6; increases at higher levels.
  • Hit Points: Based on your Source pool (ex: 8d8 = 64 HP).
  • Movement: 50ft of movement (base for characters 4-6ft height)
  • Proficiency: Sets how many SD you can spend without Strain (Proficiency Cap).

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Use this as your turn‑by‑turn cheat sheet for Sundered 5e.

How to Take a Turn
  • Spend Source / Movement — Take Core Actions, enhance attacks, or boost spells.
  • Roll Check — d20 + Ability Mod (+ Proficiency if proficient) vs target’s relevant ability score.
  • Resolve Outcome — Deal base damage (Ability Mod + Proficiency) plus any SD committed.
  • React / Counter — Spend SD to block, parry, or counterspell.
At a Glance
  • Base Movement: 50 ft (adjust by size & Agility).
  • Core Action: Spend 2SD, 20ft Movement, or 1SD + 10ft Movement to Attack, Cast, or special
  • Spell Cost: Core action + spell level in SD
    • Scaling: +1 SD or 10ft Movement ⇒ + damage/effect
  • Replenishment (Combat): Out of Combat: Automatically regain Source Dice equal to your proficiency every unstressed, unstrained hour
Example Turn

  • On her turn: Vera the Ranger moves 30ft and uses her Core Action to melee attack (Agility vs target’s Agility). She spends 2 SD to make an extra Core Action: attack, and commits +1 SD to boost its damage.

  • Outside her turn: An enemy casts a level 1 spell targeting her Constitution. She spends 20ft of movement and 1 SD to roll a counterspell check, adding her Knowledge + Proficiency vs the caster’s roll. She fails the check but rolls 1 SD to block some of the incoming damage.

3 Ways to Push Your Limits
  • Movement ⇒ Source — Trade movement for power at a critical moment.
  • Movement ⇒ Action — Turn positioning into immediate offense or defense.
  • Extra SD for Scaling — Overpower a hit or extend a spell’s damage/effect.
When You’re Targeted
  • Block: Spend SD; Strength vs incoming damage → absorb damage.
  • Parry: Spend SD; Agility vs melee damage
  • Counterspell: Match SD of the spell; roll your casting ability vs caster’s roll.

Tip: Conversions, check formats, and passives live on your sheet—use this page to drive moment‑to‑moment choices.

Play boldly. Trade, spend, convert, and shape every encounter with the resources you control.