Customizing Abilities (optional)

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Some players prefer simple, straight-forward character progression. Others prefer to customize, tweak, and alter the abilities their characters have. For those who prefer a unique progression path, the following rules can give guidelines for acquiring new abilities. Before using any of the following, check with your GM to verify that they work well with the game they are trying to run.

Training

Players can acquire new abilities or swap out old ones though regular training. The process of training does not need to be roleplayed but is assumed to take place daily at camp or during downtime. When you train, you use your spare time for learning a new technique, swapping out abilities, or developing a new proficiency. These techniques are in addition to those you normally get through your regular class progression. You can only train to learn one new ability at a time, and you can never learn more than one per character level.

When you decide to start training, the GM will determine a gold cost and a training cost for it. The gold cost represents the general cost of materials, equipment, instruction, religious donations, and other expenses that your character will inevitably be paying for over the course of training. For simplicity's sake, this cost is paid up front. The gold cost can vary widely, and some training may require a large financial investment, but the generic gold cost is usually around 200 gp per class level.

Training cost represents time and effort invested in your training. This cost is represented by a total number of training points that you have to acquire before you learn your new ability (usually between 100 and 500). Once your training begins, you gain one training point each time you gain an experience point. During downtime, you can also gain training points by taking practice days. Finding an instructor, research in a library, training manuals, or other sources may also award training points. The GM will determine the value of these. After you have enough training points, you have fully learned your new ability.

You can only train one ability at a time. If you start a new one, all training points and gold are lost from the old one.

Techniques

Most characters get new technique slots at 1st level, 3rd level, and every three levels after that. When you acquire a new slot, you also automatically learn a new technique to fill it. Some players want the ability to grow a larger pool of techniques that they can swap around once and a while. This is similar to how magic users swap out daily spells, though usually on slower scale.

To grow a technique pool, you can devote your training time (see training above) to learning a new technique. When training is finished, the technique is added to your pool of inactive techniques. To be able to use a technique, you must activate it by putting it in one of your technique slots. Any technique it displaces is deactivated and becomes a part of your inactive pool.

After certain milestones, you can swap out active and inactive techniques. The frequency of such milestones is up to the GM. At the very least, players should have a swap point when they level up. Your GM may also allow you to do so over a downtime day, or even after a long rest.

Proficiencies

Your character gets a base set of proficiencies when they pick their class at level 1. You may work with your GM to tweak your starting proficiencies. With their approval, you can swap out any proficiency for another that better suits your character. You cannot swap out a proficiency if another proficiency you have depends on it for a prerequisite (e.g. you can't swap out shield proficiency if you plan to keep heavy shield proficiency).

At your GM's discretion, you may also be able to learn new proficiencies as you advance by devoting training time (see above) to learning a new proficiency. Alternately, your GM may allow you to simply use a technique slot to learn a new proficiency. This allows you to instantly learn it without having to pay the training cost in any other way.

Common Abilities

Many classes grant a handful of common abilities as part of their progression, in addition to class-specific abilities (spell casting, sneak attack, rage, bardic performance, etc.). Common Abilities can also be acquired by permanently using two of your technique slots for the ability. Once chosen, the slots are permanently allocated and cannot be used for techniques in the future.

If you acquire a common ability through your class, you automatically qualify for it and can ignore any perquisites. If you use technique slots, however, you must meet the prerequisites of the new ability before you can use it. In such a case, you still acquire the ability, but it remains inactive until the prerequisites are met. If a magic item or spell enhances you to the point where you meet the prerequisites, you may use it for the duration of the enhancing effect.

Multiclassing

The most common way to acquire class abilities is to actually take a level in a new class. Advancing in multiple classes at once is called multiclassing. When you gain a new level, instead of leveling up your current class, you can instead gain level abilities from the next level of a new class, adding all of those abilities to your existing ones. The only abilities you don't gain by taking a new class are proficiencies. These must be learned the hard way, though training.

As a general rule, the abilities of a multiclass character (such as Combat Proficiency Bonus) are the sum of the abilities of each of your classes. Consider how multiclassing affects the following stats and abilities.

• Levels: Character level is a character's total number of levels. Some abilities are based on character level, while some are based on class level, the level you have in each particular class.
• Hit Points: You gain hit points from your new class adding the new hit points to the previous total.
• Skill and Knowledge Points: As usual, you gain ranks for skills and knowledge from the new class you added.
• Class Features: You get all the class features from all your classes but must also suffer the consequences of the special restrictions of all your classes. If two classes grant the same ability, work with your GM to find a solution. You might be able to either take an advanced version of the ability (if available) or substitute it for another.
• Techniques: Each class gains techniques at a different pace. You gain techniques if the new class level gains them.
• Ability Score Adjustments: You gain an increase in your ability scores every 4th character level, regardless of what your class levels are.
• Spells: You gain spells from all of your spellcasting classes and keep a list of prepared spells and slots for each class. If you cast a spell, you must use spell slots from the same class that prepared the spell.

Secondary Classes

Instead of multi-classing, players have the option of choosing a secondary class. Once selected, the choice is permanent and cannot be reversed. Secondary classes allow your primary class to advance a main class as usual, but still gain some limited access to the abilities of another class. Players with a secondary class can choose to permanently fill one or more of their technique slots with abilities from another class.

Below is a list of secondary classes and the class abilities that are available to fill technique slots. All secondary classes have a prerequisite that must be met before you can start learning class abilities. Most of these are fairly basic requirements. If a proficiency is a requirement, you can either train it, buy it with a technique, or swap proficiencies around--per your GM's advice and the optional rules above. If you choose a secondary class, you cannot later also choose to take a level in that class when multiclassing.

Alchemist

Prerequisite: Int 12, and Craft (Alchemy) 1 or the Brew Potion Proficiency

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Bombs (level 1): you gain the ability to create a number of bombs per day equal to your Intelligence modifier + 1/2 your character level. The bombs deal damage as an alchemist of your character level.
• Mutagen (level 1): you gain the mutagen class feature, with a duration equal to 10 minutes per character level. You count as an alchemist for the purposes of drinking a mutagen.
• Body Mutations (level 4): Choose one alchemist body mutation.

Barbarian

Prerequisite: Con 12

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Rage (level 1)
• Rage Techniques (see technique prerequisite): You may use as many technique slots as you want to take additional rage techniques, but you may only ever activate 1 technique.
• Rage Improvements (these must be acquired in the following order)
• Greater Rage (level 9)
• Quick Rage (level 13)
• Persistent Rage (level 15)
• Tireless Rage (level 17)

Bard

Prerequisites: Cha 12, performer proficiency

Abilities:

• Bardic Performances (see performance prerequisites): you may select one new performance per technique slot you permanently allocate. You may use bardic performances a number of rounds per day equal to your character level + your charisma modifier. For level-based effects. Some performance gain extra abilities at higher levels. You do not automatically gain these but must spend a new technique slot to unlock them.

Cleric

Prerequisite: Wis 12, must be a devout follower of a deity.

Free Ability: You gain the cleric's Aura

Abilities:

• Domain Ability: Pick one domain related to your deity. You gain all the domain abilities associated with that domain. If these abilities require an energy pool, you have a pool with 1 point per level. You can take this again after level 5, 10, and 15, adding a new domain each time.

Druid

Prerequisite: Wis 12, Nature 1

Initial Ability: When you select druid as a secondary class, you gain Druidic as a bonus language for free. You must abide by the druidic code of conduct--respecting nature, not teaching the Druidic language to outsiders, not wearing metal armor, and so on.

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Nature's Bond (level 2): Choose either Animal Companion or Charm Animals and Plants
• Nature's Mastery (level 4): Choose either Many Lives or Wild Shape. . At level 6 and above, a druid's wildshape ability improves to function as a higher level polymorph spell. To unlock these improvements, you must allocate a new technique slot for each polymorph level.
• Druid Techniques (see level prerequisites)

Fighter

Prerequisite: Martial Weapon Proficiency

Abilities:

• Fighter Techniques. You gain a stamina pool equal to 1 + your CON Bonus and you can use it in the same way fighters can. You learn 3 inactive, combat techniques that can be activated with your stamina pool. You do not gain any other inactive techniques besides these three.

Inquisitor

Prerequisites: Wis 12, devout follower of a deity and devotion to the precepts of an appropriate inquisition

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Judgment: Once per day, you can use the judgment class feature as an inquisitor of your character level - 3 (min 1).
• Divinations (level 4): You can pick one Inquisitor divination per technique slot you allocate.
• Stalwart (level 11)

Magus

Prerequisites: Int 12, Arcana 1

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Spell Combat
• Spellstrike

Monk

Prerequisites: Wis 12, unarmed combat proficiency

Restrictions: You lose all your secondary monk abilities when wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load.

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Stunning Fist (level 1): though you do not automatically learn the stunning fist techniques as you advance
• Fighting Styles (level 3): pick a fighting style or enhance one you know for every technique you use

Oracle

Prerequisites: Cha 12

Initial Ability: When you select oracle as your secondary class, you must immediately select a curse. You gain both the positive and negative effects of the curse. Treat your effective oracle level as half your character level when determining the curse's effect. You must also select a domain, though you don't gain any of the effects from the domain until you allocate a technique slot to do so.

Abilities

• Domain Abilities: Select a domain ability for every extra technique slot you allocate. Treat your oracle level at your character level - 3 (min 1) for these abilities.

Paladin

Prerequisites: Cha 12

Initial Ability: When you select paladin as your secondary class, you must also select a creed and an oath to live by, per the class restrictions. You also gain an energy pool that can be used with your paladin abilities. This pool has a number of points equal to your character level.

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Detect (level 1)
• Smite (level 1)
• Channel Healing Energy (level 2)
• Auras (level 3+)
• Enhanced Channeling (level 7+) - Choose one way to enhance your channeling

Ranger

Prerequisites: Wis 12, Nature 1

Initial Ability: When you select ranger as your secondary class, select a favored energy as rangers do. You also gain a ranger bonus that can be used for quarry and studied terrain. When calculating this ranger bonus, your effective ranger level is equal to half your character level.

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Quarry (level 1)
• Studied Terrain (level 3)
• Hunter's Bond (level 4)

Rogue

Prerequisites: Dex 14

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Sneak Attack (level 1): You deal 1d6 points of sneak attack damage. At level 8, and 16 you can increase this by 1d6 by allocating another technique slot. Your sneak attack bonus only applies if you are wearing light armor.

Sorcerer

Prerequisites: Cha 12

Initial Ability: When you select sorcerer as a secondary class, also select a sorcerer bloodline. You treat your character level as your effective sorcerer level for all bloodline powers, though you don't acquire these until you've allocated a technique slot to gain one.

Abilities

• Bloodline Power: For each technique slot allocated, gain another bloodline power. You must gain these in the order. You must meet the level prerequisites before these powers are usable. Some powers improve at higher levels. You do not automatically gain these improvements but must spend a new technique slot to unlock them.

Witch

Free Ability: Int 12

Initial Ability: Select a patron.

Abilities: Once you meet the level prerequisites, you may select the following.

• Familiar (level 1): You gain a familiar through which all of your power is channeled.
• Common Hex: You must have a familiar before you are able to select hexes. For each technique slot allocated, you gain a new common hex. If you choose the slumber hex, it can affect only creatures with Hit Dice less than or equal to your character level.
• Major Hex (15th level)