The wiki glossary: every term, defined once
A shared vocabulary is the difference between a guide and a rumour. These are the terms Broken Oath uses, what they mean as far as the developer has said, and where the definition stops.
Updated 2026-11-06 8 min read Fact-checked 2026-11-06
A–F
| Term | Definition | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ARPG | Action role-playing game. Used to describe the genre, not a game term. | Community |
| Blessing | The positive half of the Blessings and Curses system. The store names the system but not the individual blessings. | Confirmed as a system |
| Curse | The negative half of the system. Woe is the named example. | Confirmed as a system |
| Danger band | One of eight difficulty tiers on the Rupture Map. | Confirmed |
| Dwarven Realms | The universe Broken Oath is part of. | Confirmed |
| Forge | The crafting system run by Edda Ironhand; uses rune stones and recipes. | Confirmed |
| Early Access | The release model: a playable but unfinished version, expected to last 6–12 months. | Confirmed |
G–M
| Term | Definition | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Guardian | A boss encountered on the Rupture Map. Gains attacks and phases as you climb. | Confirmed |
| Keystone | A passive tree node that changes a rule, usually with a trade-off. | Confirmed as a category |
| Mark | A curse effect used to “mark the strong for death”. Exact effect unknown. | Confirmed as a verb |
| Magic item | A low-tier item with affixes. | Confirmed |
| Mana | The blue resource globe on the right of the HUD. | Observed |
| Mob | A generic enemy. Not a game term. | Community |
N–R
| Term | Definition | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notable | A larger passive tree node with a unique effect. Build-defining but not rule-changing like a keystone. | Confirmed as a category |
| Oath | A HUD button and a title concept. Its mechanical function is unexplained. | Observed |
| Passive tree | The skill point tree with class starting nodes, notables and keystones. | Confirmed |
| Primal item | An ultra-rare chase tier. Most players will never see one. | Confirmed |
| Rare item | A multi-affix item, the workhorse of most builds. | Confirmed |
| Rune stone | A findable stone that teaches a Forge recipe. | Confirmed |
| Rupture | A randomised map and the fictional tear in the lands. Used interchangeably with “Rift” in some UI screenshots. | Confirmed |
S–Z
| Term | Definition | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Skill gem | A skill that can be linked with support gems. | Confirmed |
| Support gem | A gem that changes how a linked skill works. | Confirmed |
| Top-up | Our term for a small patch that adds content. Not a game term. | Community |
| Unique | A red item with a build-defining effect. | Confirmed |
| Vow | A self-buff sworn for power, part of Blessings and Curses. | Confirmed |
| Woe | A curse laid on a pack. | Confirmed |
Playtest terms
| Term | Definition | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | The developer’s label for the current playtest build: feature-complete enough to play, not polished or balanced. | Confirmed |
| Online hero | A playtest character on the ladder, subject to resets. | Confirmed |
| Offline hero | A local playtest character, unaffected by server work. | Confirmed |
| Ladder | The online ranking for the current reset. Top heroes go to a Hall of Fame. | Confirmed |
| Market | A system mentioned in the reset notice. Its exact function is unexplained. | Unknown |
| Build code | A string beginning BO1. that appears to export/import a build. | Creator-reported |
| Rupture level | The difficulty number of a Rupture. Official screenshots show 70; the developer asked for 150+; a creator claims 200 after a renumber. | Mixed |
| Tier / T-number | Community shorthand for Rupture level. The scale has been renumbered. | Community |
Names we have seen but cannot define
- White Hollow — a snow location in an official screenshot; “The Harmoniyan Lands: Blue Hour” appears above it.
- The Ancient Obelisk — an objective marker in a Rupture screenshot.
- The Cursed Hoard — another objective marker.
- Glade Sprite and Crypt Hound — named enemies with health bars; not confirmed as Guardians.
- Siegemaster’s Ancestor Idol of the Tithe — an item label; confirms the prefix/base/suffix naming pattern.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Rupture in Broken Oath?
A randomised map and the fictional tear in the Dwarven Realms. Each entry reshapes the map, with different weather, time of day, enemies and objectives.
What is a Guardian?
A boss found on the Rupture Map. Guardians grow deadlier as you climb and gain new attacks and phases.
What is a Primal item?
An ultra-rare chase tier. The developer says most players will never see one.
Are Rift and Rupture the same thing?
In the official material, yes. The store and most UI use Rupture; one screenshot uses Rift Progress. Treat them as the same system across builds.