Difference between revisions of "D20 Mechanic: Character Advancement"

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(Advancing Your Character)
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=Overview=
 
=Overview=
As player characters overcome challenges, they gain experience points. As these points accumulate, PCs advance in level and power. The rate of this advancement depends on the type of game that your group wants to play. Some prefer a fast-paced game, where characters gain levels every few sessions, while others prefer a game where advancement occurs less frequently. In the end, it is up to your group to decide what rate fits you best. Characters advance in level according to the table below.
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As player characters overcome challenges, they gain experience points. As these points accumulate, PCs advance in level and power.  
 +
 
 +
Characters advance in level according to the table below.
  
 
=Advancing Your Character=
 
=Advancing Your Character=
A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so—typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.
+
A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so - typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.
  
 
The process of advancing a character works in much the same way as generating a character, except that your ability scores, race, and previous choices concerning class, skills, and feats cannot be changed. Adding a level generally gives you new abilities, additional skill points to spend, more hit points, and possibly an ability score increase or additional feat (see the table below). Over time, as your character rises to higher levels, he becomes a truly powerful force in the game world, capable of ruling nations or bringing them to their knees.
 
The process of advancing a character works in much the same way as generating a character, except that your ability scores, race, and previous choices concerning class, skills, and feats cannot be changed. Adding a level generally gives you new abilities, additional skill points to spend, more hit points, and possibly an ability score increase or additional feat (see the table below). Over time, as your character rises to higher levels, he becomes a truly powerful force in the game world, capable of ruling nations or bringing them to their knees.
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'''XP Total:''' You must have this many experience points before you can progress to this character level.
 
'''XP Total:''' You must have this many experience points before you can progress to this character level.
 
'''Max Skill Ranks:''' The most ranks you can have in any one skill is equal to your character level.
 
  
 
'''Feats:''' You gain a feat at 1st level, and an additional feat at each odd level.
 
'''Feats:''' You gain a feat at 1st level, and an additional feat at each odd level.
  
'''Ability Score:''' You gain a +1 bonus to an ability score of your choice at 2nd level, and an additional bonus at each even level.
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'''Ability Score:''' See below.
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 +
: ''"+1 to one:"'' You gain a +1 bonus to an ability score of your choice.
 +
 
 +
: ''"+1 to two:"'' You gain a +1 bonus to two ability scores of your choice; you cannot select the same score twice.
 +
 
 +
: ''"+1 to all:"'' You gain a +1 bonus to all ability scores.
  
 
'''Attunement:''' You gain the ability to attune to force items, with your first slot at 2nd level, and an additional attunement at each even level after, to a max of nine items at 18th level. You cannot attune to more items than this amount, but these can be items of any type (for instance, if you have seven attunement slots, you could attune to seven rings).
 
'''Attunement:''' You gain the ability to attune to force items, with your first slot at 2nd level, and an additional attunement at each even level after, to a max of nine items at 18th level. You cannot attune to more items than this amount, but these can be items of any type (for instance, if you have seven attunement slots, you could attune to seven rings).
  
'''Attunement Bonus:''' A force item that: is a weapon, armor, or shield; provides a bonus to saving throws or an ability score; or otherwise provides a bonus to anything else other than skills or energy resist, provides the listed bonus to the attributes that it would normally provide a bonus for (thus a weapon provides the listed bonus to attack and damage rolls with that weapon, and so forth).
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'''Attunement Bonus:''' If a force item provides a bonus equal to your attunement bonus, this is the bonus you use.
 +
 
 +
If you attune to a force item at a level for which there is no listed attunement bonus, treat your attunement bonus as +0.
  
 
'''Wealth:''' This is your expected wealth per character level. If you are creating a character of higher level than first, use this table to determine how much wealth you start the game with. Note that this category is divided into the currencies of the [[D20_Mechanic:_Wealth_and_Economies|three economies]]. When creating a higher-level character, if your level has "∞" listed for a given economy, you can have any number of items that can be purchased in that economy as you desire without limit; once you have outfitted your character, you have extra currency in the second-highest economy you can access equal to your level times 100.
 
'''Wealth:''' This is your expected wealth per character level. If you are creating a character of higher level than first, use this table to determine how much wealth you start the game with. Note that this category is divided into the currencies of the [[D20_Mechanic:_Wealth_and_Economies|three economies]]. When creating a higher-level character, if your level has "∞" listed for a given economy, you can have any number of items that can be purchased in that economy as you desire without limit; once you have outfitted your character, you have extra currency in the second-highest economy you can access equal to your level times 100.
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=Multiclassing=
 
=Multiclassing=
 
Instead of gaining the abilities granted by the next level in your character's current class, he can instead gain the 1st-level abilities of a new class, adding all of those abilities to his existing ones. This is known as “multiclassing.”
 
Instead of gaining the abilities granted by the next level in your character's current class, he can instead gain the 1st-level abilities of a new class, adding all of those abilities to his existing ones. This is known as “multiclassing.”
 
For example, let's say a 5th-level fighter decides to dabble in the arcane arts, and adds one level of wizard when he advances to 6th level. Such a character would have the powers and abilities of both a 5th-level fighter and a 1st-level wizard, but would still be considered a 6th-level character. (His class levels would be 5th and 1st, but his total character level is 6th.) He keeps all of his bonus feats gained from 5 levels of fighter, but can now also cast 1st-level spells and picks an arcane school. He adds all of the hit points, base attack bonuses, and saving throw bonuses from a 1st-level wizard on top of those gained from being a 5th-level fighter.
 
  
 
Note that there are a number of effects and prerequisites that rely on a character's level or Hit Dice. Such effects are always based on the total number of levels or Hit Dice a character possesses, not just those from one class. The exception to this is class abilities, most of which are based on the total number of class levels that a character possesses of that particular class.
 
Note that there are a number of effects and prerequisites that rely on a character's level or Hit Dice. Such effects are always based on the total number of levels or Hit Dice a character possesses, not just those from one class. The exception to this is class abilities, most of which are based on the total number of class levels that a character possesses of that particular class.
  
If the level of each of your classes - not counting racial paragon classes or prestige classes - is not within 1 of each other, then you suffer a 20% penalty to all experience points you gain until your class levels are "even" again.
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There is no XP penalty for having "uneven" levels due to multiclassing.
  
 
{{d20_Breadcrumb}}
 
{{d20_Breadcrumb}}
  
 
[[category:Mechanics]]
 
[[category:Mechanics]]

Revision as of 19:04, 1 August 2016

This section outlines how character advancement works in Trinity, since we're using a rough combination of 3.5 and Pathfinder.

Overview

As player characters overcome challenges, they gain experience points. As these points accumulate, PCs advance in level and power.

Characters advance in level according to the table below.

Advancing Your Character

A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so - typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.

The process of advancing a character works in much the same way as generating a character, except that your ability scores, race, and previous choices concerning class, skills, and feats cannot be changed. Adding a level generally gives you new abilities, additional skill points to spend, more hit points, and possibly an ability score increase or additional feat (see the table below). Over time, as your character rises to higher levels, he becomes a truly powerful force in the game world, capable of ruling nations or bringing them to their knees.

When adding new levels of an existing class or adding levels of a new class (see Multiclassing, below), make sure to take the following steps in order. First, select your new class level. You must be able to qualify for this level before any of the following adjustments are made. Second, apply any ability score increases due to gaining a level. Third, integrate all of the level's class abilities. Finally, add new feats. For more information on when you gain new feats and ability score increases, see the table below.

 

Character Advancement and Level-Dependent Bonuses
  Wealth
Level XP Total ??? Feats Ability Score Attunement Attunement Bonus kp gp dp
1 --- 1 1st     --- 100 --- ---
2 100 2   +1 to one 1st +1 4,000 ---
3 200 3 2nd     +1 8,000 ---
4 400 4   +1 to two 2nd +2 12,000 ---
5 700 5 3rd     +2 16,000 ---
6 1,200 6   +1 to all 3rd +2 20,000 ---
7 2,000 7 4th     +3 24,000 ---
8 3,300 8   +1 to one 4th +3 28,000 8
9 5,400 9 5th     +3 32,000 16
10 8,800 10   +1 to two 5th +4 36,000 24
11 14,300 11 6th     +4 32
12 23,200 12   +1 to all 6th +4 40
13 37,600 13 7th     +5 48
14 60,900 14   +1 to one 7th +5 60
15 98,600 15 8th     +5 72
16 159,600 16   +1 to two 8th +6 84
17 258,300 17 9th     +6 96
18 418,000 18   +1 to all 9th +6 108
19 676,400 19 10th     +7 120
20 1,094,500 20   +1 to one   +7 140
21 1,771,000 21 11th     +7 160
22 2,865,600 22   +1 to two   +8 180
23 4,636,700 23 12th     +8 200
24 7,502,400 24   +1 to all   +8 240
25 12,139,200 25 13th     +9 280
26 19,641,700 26   +1 to one   +9 320
27 31,781,100 27 14th     +9 360
28 51,422,800 28   +1 to two   +10 400
29 83,203,900 29 15th     +10 600
30 134,626,800 30   +1 to all   +10 800

 

XP Total: You must have this many experience points before you can progress to this character level.

Feats: You gain a feat at 1st level, and an additional feat at each odd level.

Ability Score: See below.

"+1 to one:" You gain a +1 bonus to an ability score of your choice.
"+1 to two:" You gain a +1 bonus to two ability scores of your choice; you cannot select the same score twice.
"+1 to all:" You gain a +1 bonus to all ability scores.

Attunement: You gain the ability to attune to force items, with your first slot at 2nd level, and an additional attunement at each even level after, to a max of nine items at 18th level. You cannot attune to more items than this amount, but these can be items of any type (for instance, if you have seven attunement slots, you could attune to seven rings).

Attunement Bonus: If a force item provides a bonus equal to your attunement bonus, this is the bonus you use.

If you attune to a force item at a level for which there is no listed attunement bonus, treat your attunement bonus as +0.

Wealth: This is your expected wealth per character level. If you are creating a character of higher level than first, use this table to determine how much wealth you start the game with. Note that this category is divided into the currencies of the three economies. When creating a higher-level character, if your level has "∞" listed for a given economy, you can have any number of items that can be purchased in that economy as you desire without limit; once you have outfitted your character, you have extra currency in the second-highest economy you can access equal to your level times 100.

Multiclassing

Instead of gaining the abilities granted by the next level in your character's current class, he can instead gain the 1st-level abilities of a new class, adding all of those abilities to his existing ones. This is known as “multiclassing.”

Note that there are a number of effects and prerequisites that rely on a character's level or Hit Dice. Such effects are always based on the total number of levels or Hit Dice a character possesses, not just those from one class. The exception to this is class abilities, most of which are based on the total number of class levels that a character possesses of that particular class.

There is no XP penalty for having "uneven" levels due to multiclassing.


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