A1E SRD By Peter J. Schroeder
Designation of Open Game Content: The following is designated Open Game Content pursuant to the OGL v1.0a: all text excluding the OGL license. Designation of Product Identity: Product identity is not Open Game Content. The following is designated as product identity pursuant to OGL v1.0a(1)(e) and (7): Nothing in this document is product identity.
Table of Contents ABILITY SCORES STRENGTH DEXTERITY CONSTITUTION INTELLIGENCE WISDOM CHARISMA
RACES STARTING AGE RACIAL LIMITATIONS DWARF ELF HALF-ELF GNOME HALFLING HUMAN HALF-ORC
CLASSES ALCHEMIST ASSASSIN CLERIC DRUID FIGHTER ILLUSIONIST MAGIC USER PALADIN RANGER THIEF VARIANT CLASSES RANGER PALADIN MULTI-CLASSING AND DUAL-CLASSING
SKILLS
5 5 5 5 6 6 6
7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9
9 9 11 12 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 24 24 25 25
27
CHOOSING SKILLS 27 SKILL SLOTS AND LEVEL ADVANCEMENT 27 OPTIONAL RULE: BONUS SKILL SLOTS BY INTELLIGENCE 27 IMPROVEMENT POINTS 27 SKILL SLOT CHART 27 MULTICLASS ADVANCEMENT 27 TRAINING SKILLS 27 WHO CAN TRAIN 27 ABSTRACT TRAINING OPTION 27 CALCULATING SKILL VALUES 27 MAKING A SKILL CHECK 28 DIFFICULTY CLASS 28 SKILL DIFFICULTY MODIFIER OPTION 28 AUTOMATIC SUCCESS 28 DEGREE OF SUCCESS 28 COOPERATIVE SKILLS 28 CONTESTED SKILLS 28 AD HOC SKILLS AND MONSTERS 28 UNTRAINED SKILLS 29 THE SKILL LIST 29 ENHANCING SKILLS 30 SKILL DESCRIPTIONS 30 AGRICULTURE 30 ALERTNESS 30 ANCIENT HISTORY 30 ANCIENT LANGUAGES 31 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY/HANDLING 31 ANIMAL LORE 31 APPRAISAL 31 ARCANA 31 ASTRONOMY/ASTROLOGY 31 BLACKSMITHING 31
BLIND-FIGHTING BOWYER/FLETCHER BREWING CALLIGRAPHY/SCRIBNER CARPENTRY CHARIOTEERING COBBLING COOKING DANCING DISGUISE DUAL WEAPON FIGHTING ENDURANCE ENGINEERING ETIQUETTE FAST TALK GAMBLING HEALING HERALDIC LORE HERBALISM HISTORY HORSEMANSHIP HUNTING JEWELER JUGGLING JUMPING LANGUAGES LISTENING MINING MOUNTAINEERING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT NAVIGATION OCCULT PAINTING PHILOSOPHY POTTERY RIDING, UNUSUAL RUNNING SCULPTING SEAMANSHIP SEAMSTRESS/TAILOR SEARCH SET TRAPS SHIELD & SWORD SINGING SPELL LORE STONEMASONRY STREETWISE SWIMMING THEOLOGY TIGHTROPE WALKING TRICK SHOT TUMBLING TWO-HANDED COMBAT UNARMED COMBAT WILDERNESS LORE VENTRILOQUISM WEAVING
ALIGNMENT THE NINE ALIGNMENTS LAWFUL GOOD (Crusader) NEUTRAL GOOD (Benefactor) CHAOTIC GOOD (Rebel) LAWFUL NEUTRAL (Judge) NEUTRAL CHAOTIC NEUTRAL (Free Spirit) LAWFUL EVIL (Dominator) NEUTRAL EVIL (Malefactor) CHAOTIC EVIL (Destroyer)
EQUIPMENT
31 31 31 31 31 31 31 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 36
37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37
39
MONEY EQUIPMENT TABLES ARMOR FOOD UNUSUAL NATURAL FOODS COMMON RACIAL FOODS ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AFTER DINNER PIPE
MAGIC
39 39 41 41 41 42 43 43
44
SPELL SCROLLS 44 EXPLANATORY NOTES CONCERNING THE SPELL DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIPTIONS 44 SPELL LISTS 44 CLERIC SPELLS (Clerical) 44 DRUID SPELLS (Druidic) 45 MAGIC USER SPELLS (Arcane) 46 ILLUSIONIST ILLUSIONIST SPELLS (Phantasmal) 47 SPELL DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIPTIONS 48 CLERIC SPELLS (Clerical) 48 DRUID SPELLS (Druidic) 57 MAGIC USER SPELLS (Arcane) 64 ILLUSIONIST ILLUSIONIST SPELLS (Phantasmal) 89 SPELLBOOKS 94 SPELLBOOK COVERS 94 SPELLBOOK STORAGE 95
PLAYING THE GAME
96
TIME MEASUREMENT 96 MOVEMENT 96 ENCUMBRANCE AND BASE MOVEMENT 96 GAINING LEVELS 96 EXPERIENCE 96 LIGHT AND VISION 97 INFRAVISION 97 FALLING 97 ITEM SAVING THROWS 97 COMBAT 98 COMBAT ACTIONS 99 COMBAT MODIFIERS 100 ATTACK AND SAVING THROW MATRICES FOR MONSTERS 100 TURNING THE UNDEAD 100 DAMAGE AND DEATH 101 NATURAL HEALING 101 SUBDUAL DAMAGE 101 LIFE ENERGY LEVELS AND LEVEL DRAIN 101 MORALE 101 POISON, DISEASE AND INSANITY 102 HIRELINGS AND HENCHMEN 103 STANDARD HIRELINGS 103 EXPERT HIRELINGS 103 HENCHMEN 109 ADVENTURE AND EXPLORATION 110 SEARCHING THE DUNGEON 111 EXPLORING THE WILDERNESS 114 AERIAL AGILITY 114 SPECIAL CASES 115 ADVENTURES IN TOWN 115 EXPLORING THE PLANES 115 AN EXAMPLE DUNGEON 116 EXAMPLE DUNGEON KEY 116 SAMPLE PLAY SESSION 116
GAME MASTERING DUNGEON DRESSING THE WIZARD’S LABORATORY RANDOM ENCOUNTERS RANDOM INN GENERATOR THE INN’S NAME
119 119 119 120 121 121
Table of Contents ABILITY SCORES STRENGTH DEXTERITY CONSTITUTION INTELLIGENCE WISDOM CHARISMA
RACES STARTING AGE RACIAL LIMITATIONS DWARF ELF HALF-ELF GNOME HALFLING HUMAN HALF-ORC
CLASSES ALCHEMIST ASSASSIN CLERIC DRUID FIGHTER ILLUSIONIST MAGIC USER PALADIN RANGER THIEF VARIANT CLASSES RANGER PALADIN MULTI-CLASSING AND DUAL-CLASSING
SKILLS
5 5 5 5 6 6 6
7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9
9 9 11 12 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 24 24 25 25
27
CHOOSING SKILLS 27 SKILL SLOTS AND LEVEL ADVANCEMENT 27 OPTIONAL RULE: BONUS SKILL SLOTS BY INTELLIGENCE 27 IMPROVEMENT POINTS 27 SKILL SLOT CHART 27 MULTICLASS ADVANCEMENT 27 TRAINING SKILLS 27 WHO CAN TRAIN 27 ABSTRACT TRAINING OPTION 27 CALCULATING SKILL VALUES 27 MAKING A SKILL CHECK 28 DIFFICULTY CLASS 28 SKILL DIFFICULTY MODIFIER OPTION 28 AUTOMATIC SUCCESS 28 DEGREE OF SUCCESS 28 COOPERATIVE SKILLS 28 CONTESTED SKILLS 28 AD HOC SKILLS AND MONSTERS 28 UNTRAINED SKILLS 29 THE SKILL LIST 29 ENHANCING SKILLS 30 SKILL DESCRIPTIONS 30 AGRICULTURE 30 ALERTNESS 30 ANCIENT HISTORY 30 ANCIENT LANGUAGES 31 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY/HANDLING 31 ANIMAL LORE 31 APPRAISAL 31 ARCANA 31 ASTRONOMY/ASTROLOGY 31 BLACKSMITHING 31
BLIND-FIGHTING BOWYER/FLETCHER BREWING CALLIGRAPHY/SCRIBNER CARPENTRY CHARIOTEERING COBBLING COOKING DANCING DISGUISE DUAL WEAPON FIGHTING ENDURANCE ENGINEERING ETIQUETTE FAST TALK GAMBLING HEALING HERALDIC LORE HERBALISM HISTORY HORSEMANSHIP HUNTING JEWELER JUGGLING JUMPING LANGUAGES LISTENING MINING MOUNTAINEERING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT NAVIGATION OCCULT PAINTING PHILOSOPHY POTTERY RIDING, UNUSUAL RUNNING SCULPTING SEAMANSHIP SEAMSTRESS/TAILOR SEARCH SET TRAPS SHIELD & SWORD SINGING SPELL LORE STONEMASONRY STREETWISE SWIMMING THEOLOGY TIGHTROPE WALKING TRICK SHOT TUMBLING TWO-HANDED COMBAT UNARMED COMBAT WILDERNESS LORE VENTRILOQUISM WEAVING
ALIGNMENT THE NINE ALIGNMENTS LAWFUL GOOD (Crusader) NEUTRAL GOOD (Benefactor) CHAOTIC GOOD (Rebel) LAWFUL NEUTRAL (Judge) NEUTRAL CHAOTIC NEUTRAL (Free Spirit) LAWFUL EVIL (Dominator) NEUTRAL EVIL (Malefactor) CHAOTIC EVIL (Destroyer)
EQUIPMENT
31 31 31 31 31 31 31 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 36
37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37
39
MONEY EQUIPMENT TABLES ARMOR FOOD UNUSUAL NATURAL FOODS COMMON RACIAL FOODS ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AFTER DINNER PIPE
MAGIC
39 39 41 41 41 42 43 43
44
SPELL SCROLLS 44 EXPLANATORY NOTES CONCERNING THE SPELL DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIPTIONS 44 SPELL LISTS 44 CLERIC SPELLS (Clerical) 44 DRUID SPELLS (Druidic) 45 MAGIC USER SPELLS (Arcane) 46 ILLUSIONIST ILLUSIONIST SPELLS (Phantasmal) 47 SPELL DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIPTIONS 48 CLERIC SPELLS (Clerical) 48 DRUID SPELLS (Druidic) 57 MAGIC USER SPELLS (Arcane) 64 ILLUSIONIST ILLUSIONIST SPELLS (Phantasmal) 89 SPELLBOOKS 94 SPELLBOOK COVERS 94 SPELLBOOK STORAGE 95
PLAYING THE GAME
96
TIME MEASUREMENT 96 MOVEMENT 96 ENCUMBRANCE AND BASE MOVEMENT 96 GAINING LEVELS 96 EXPERIENCE 96 LIGHT AND VISION 97 INFRAVISION 97 FALLING 97 ITEM SAVING THROWS 97 COMBAT 98 COMBAT ACTIONS 99 COMBAT MODIFIERS 100 ATTACK AND SAVING THROW MATRICES FOR MONSTERS 100 TURNING THE UNDEAD 100 DAMAGE AND DEATH 101 NATURAL HEALING 101 SUBDUAL DAMAGE 101 LIFE ENERGY LEVELS AND LEVEL DRAIN 101 MORALE 101 POISON, DISEASE AND INSANITY 102 HIRELINGS AND HENCHMEN 103 STANDARD HIRELINGS 103 EXPERT HIRELINGS 103 HENCHMEN 109 ADVENTURE AND EXPLORATION 110 SEARCHING THE DUNGEON 111 EXPLORING THE WILDERNESS 114 AERIAL AGILITY 114 SPECIAL CASES 115 ADVENTURES IN TOWN 115 EXPLORING THE PLANES 115 AN EXAMPLE DUNGEON 116 EXAMPLE DUNGEON KEY 116 SAMPLE PLAY SESSION 116
GAME MASTERING DUNGEON DRESSING THE WIZARD’S LABORATORY RANDOM ENCOUNTERS RANDOM INN GENERATOR THE INN’S NAME
119 119 119 120 121 121
THE INN THE INN STAFF VISITORS
MONSTERS ACANOPYORNIS ACULEAN ADDLEVETCH AGARINID ARCANOPLASM ASTRAL WEB AUTUMNAL MOURNER AVATAR OF FAMINE AVMAR BARATHELAR BLACKWATER SLOUGH BLESSED RING BLIGHT BELCHER BLOOD BOWLER BLOOD WORM BOG BEAST BOGWING BONE HOUND BONE SOVEREIGN BRINE CRUST BULL OF HEAVEN CADAVER CANOPY KRAKEN CAVE HERMIT CAVERN CROW CEILIDH HORROR CLAMOR COBLYNAU DARK VOYEUR DARK WOODSMAN DEADWOOD DELUSION HUMMER DEVILS Baraq (Lightning Devil) Sheth DIOCTOPUS DOPPELGANGERS Wax Doppelganger DRAGONS Amohaji Mithril Dragon DROTH’YAR DRYAD, TREELOST ELEMENTAL PRINCE, WATER ENGRAVED EPICUREAN EROLTH FACELESS ONE FLUTTERING OOZE FOOL’S DRAGON FOUL SPAWNER FROGS Giant frost frog Latch Frog FUNGAL RENDER FUNGHEMOTH FURROWER GAMBOGE HULK GANYADI GARGOYLES Madsome Gargoyle GEHZIN GHOULFRUIT TREE GIANT, NEPHILIM GIANT, RIME GIANT, SEA GIANT, WOOD GOBLINOIDS Goblin Hobgoblin Ogre
122 122 122
127 127 127 127 128 128 129 129 130 130 130 131 131 132 132 132 133 133 133 134 134 135 135 135 136 136 136 137 137 137 138 139 140 140 140 140 141 141 141 141 141 142 142 143 143 143 144 144 145 145 145 146 146 146 146 147 147 148 148 148 149 149 149 149 149 150 150 151 151 151 152 152
Orc GOLEMS Amalgam Golem Barrow Golem Dragonship Golem Furnace Golem Ice golem Ioun Golem Labyrinthine Golem Resin Golem Wax Golem GRAY LADY GREENFEEDER GROUNDLING HAEMOVORID HAG, BLOOD HAG, DOOM HANGING SNAGWORT HARBINGER HARMOAI HAZE HORROR HEARTH HORROR HEARTLESS HELIOKARABOS HELLSCORN HEPHAESTAN HERALD OF ARMAGEDDON HOLD CREEPER HYDRACNID HYDRAMNION ICE KEY GUARDIAN (Dwarf) ICE WARRIOR (Dwarf) ICELORD (Dwarf) INSCRIBER JELLYHIVE MITE KINGMAKER SWAN KLORTHACK SPINE KOBOLD LASSOO LOSTLING MAGPINE MALIGANTI MARLOC MEDUSA MEDUSA, GREATER MENEPTAH (God of War) MUMMY, GREATER MUS MAXIMUS MYRCLOUD NAGA, BLOOD NAGA, MOLT NEVERLASTING NOCTUAR NOJA NOKKER OAKMAN OATHBROKEN OOZES Green Slime Marshlight Ooze OTYUGH, CORRUPTED PALLEMON PHACIORE PHASE STALLION POD-MAN PRISM WARD PUDDLE STALKER QITHYONKI QUICKENER QUICKGRASS QUISLOI RANCID ROPE HORROR RUMBLE LIZARD SABULOUS HUSK
152 153 153 153 154 154 154 155 155 156 156 157 157 158 158 159 159 160 160 160 160 161 161 162 162 163 163 164 164 164 165 165 166 166 167 167 167 168 168 169 169 169 170 170 170 171 171 171 172 172 173 173 174 174 175 175 175 176 176 176 177 177 177 178 178 179 179 179 180 180 181 181 182 182 182 182
SCORPION, GIANT BLACK SCORPION SWARM SEEDER SHADOW LORD SHADOWCAP SHE-MINOTAUR SHRIEKING SAVAGE SHROOM SILENT REAPER SKELETON, BLACK SKRESH SKYSHARK SLAVERING MOUTHER SLITHERVINE SNAIL MAN SNAKE, CROWN COILER SNAKE, ICE GLARE SOULTRAPPER SPIDERS Acidweaver Brainlock Spider Primal Spider Time Spider STINGING WOODFLY STONESTRIDER STRANGLEBARK SUICIDE PLANT TEO-SELERAI TROLLS Shrieking Troll Snow Troll TULGORTH UBEROUS GUARDIAN UMBRA SMOKE BEASTS UNDAL VAMPIRE MOSS VERMIN DOG VOLLEY FLOWER VORPA VULTURE, GRIMDEATH WHITE FOAM WHITEMONK WODEWOSE WYRDWOLF ZOMBIES Feral Zombie (Zombus Delaurentius)
TREASURE POTIONS POTION OF GREATER MANA POTION OF LESSER MANA WEAPONS SWORDS MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONS MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC ABYSSAL GATE BELT OF MANA BOOST CANDLE OF CONTINUATION CLOAK OF UTTER DARKNESS CODEX OF THE ENGRAVED CRYSTAL OF POWER DREAD TOAD OF AER DUST OF DISTORTION FLAME BOOTS FLASK OF DALA FLAVOR-ALL GRIM DUST HAND OF GLORY INSCRIBER TOME KOBOLD’S FINGERBONE MIDNIGHT OPAL MIRROR SHARD OGRE’S TONGUE SHIP’S FIGUREHEAD, MAKO STEW COOKER THIGHBONE FLUTE
183 183 183 184 184 184 185 185 185 186 186 187 187 188 188 189 189 189 190 190 190 190 191 191 192 192 192 193 193 193 194 194 194 195 195 196 196 196 197 197 197 198 198 198 198 198
200 200 200 200 200 200 200 201 201 201 201 201 201 201 201 201 202 202 202 202 202 202 202 202 203 203 203 203 203 3
TRENCHER OF FEASTING THE WITCH HEAD (Relic) RINGS RING OF ROTTING RING OF SPELUNKING RODS BLACKTHORN ROD ROD OF TRANSFIGURATION STAVES STAFF OF SCREAMS CURSED ITEMS RING OF GINKSADIM ARTIFACTS AMULET OF THE DEEP ONES ARMY OF TIRELESS TIN SOLDIERS RED ANTIQUITIES THE RELIQUARY OF MENEPTAH SWORD OF THE MASTERS THE TOME OF WRYNN WAND OF THE WEIRD
203 203 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 204 205 205 205 205 205
HAZARDS
208
ALTAR OF LIFE 208 THE BOOTS OF STONE 208 THE CEILING OF CLOUDS 208 CHANGING LANDMARK 208 THE CHASM PAINTING 208 THE CLOCK-STATUE OF THE RED HALL 208 THE COLD ROOM 209 THE DARK POOL 209 THE ETHEREAL HEMISPHERE 209 FRICTIONLESS FRICTIONLESS CHIMNEY 209 THE GAZELLE 209 INVISIBLE DIRT 210 THE IRON CANNON 210 JACOB’S LADDER 210 THE KEYHOLE FLOOR 211 MUSIC BOX 211 THE PERILOUS BARTENDER 211 ROTATING DOOR SURPRISE 211
RUDE SPITTOON SLIDING FLOOR STAIRWAYS THE SLIDING ROOM THE SPINNING ROOM THE STONE DOG THE STONE THROWER A TANTALIZING TREASURE TROVE THE TEST OF THREE
OPTIONAL RULES HEIGHT AND WEIGHT YOUNG PLAYER OPTIONS HIT POINT REGENERATION LEVEL LIMITS MAGIC-USER HIT DICE MANA FOR CASTING SPELLS NO PERMANENT DEATH STARTING HIT DICE STARTING HIT POINTS
211 211 211 212 212 212 212 212
213 213 213 213 214 214 214 214 214 214
4
COOKING Talent in cooking is often underrated in an adventuring crew, who grow accustomed to trail rations and crude stews in backwater taverns. A Professional cook can impress and win over the hearts and minds of those around him if he is clever enough! Halflings are especially notorious for their culinary talents, and gain a +2 racial bonus to this skill.
DANCING Proficiency in dance can be useful to a courtier or other nobleman seeking to impress of woo, and adventurers can sometimes find it useful; bards are especially prone to an affinity for this skill, and if such a class is represented in your game then you might consider allowing this skill (as well as Musical Instrument) as freebies.
DISGUISE Disguise is a vital skill to rogues of all sorts. Thieves can use it when begging to appear more unpleasant and leprous in the hopes of gaining more coin, heroes can use it to disguise themselves convincingly as guards in the necromancer’s palace, and heck one can even use it to appear to be a shambling zombie while moving through an infested graveyard of the undead without being noticed. If a character is using a spell to change their appearance, they can also use disguise to enhance the illusion.
DUAL WEAPON FIGHTING Warriors who take on dual weapon fighting may now do so with fewer penalties. Each time a skill slot is spent on this talent, the warrior may reduce his dual-wielding penalties by 1 for each weapon; thus, a character who normally suffers a -2/-4 penalty to strike with two weapons (the default penalty) would have -1/-3 with one skill slot, and 0/-2 with two skill slots for DualWeapon Specialization. A third slot could reduce the penalty to 0/-1, and a fourth and final slot would reduce it to 0/0 (remember, you cannot get a bonus with dual-wielding modifiers).
ENDURANCE With this skill a character can struggle along for longer periods of duress, suffer through hunger or thirst, and even have better odds of surviving disease and poison. Whenever a character with this skill is subject to one of the above conditions, he may make an Endurance test to see if he fares better than others. If he succeeds at the test, then the character can gain one of the following perks: •
•
•
Divide base movement by 4 (instead of 5) for overland movement rate Shift your maximum movement rate by encumbrance “down” one bar on the Encumbrance chart Gain a +2 bonus to a saving throw vs. disease or poison
Other benefits may apply at the GM’s discretion.
ENGINEERING Engineering is the familiarity with building, construction, and mechanical design as set by the technological level of your campaign. Engineers are good at building bridges, buildings, castles, siege equipment and dungeons as well as ascertaining when such structures are weak or dangerous.
FAST TALK Fast talk is the art of bluffing or otherwise convincing another that you are truthful when in fact you’re blowing hot air up their chain skirt. It can be useful when convincing city guards you did not, in fact, just descend from the second story window of the mayor’s house, or when trying to convince your kobold captors that they had better let you go or you’ll incinerate them all with your magic. This is usually a contested skill against a foe’s wisdom.
GAMBLING Gambling is a luck-based talent with a modest amount of skill behind it, and this skill tries to capitalize on that. Gambling is most often a contested skill when dealing with card games or other venues in which the participants compete against one another, but luck is more likely to factor into games of chance (such as dice) unless the gambler has stacked the odds in his favor (such as loaded dice). In such cases the skill is relevant for casting the throw as desired while making it look innocent enough.
HEALING Healing is a useful way of getting your allies up and fighting again, but it tends to involve skills such as chirurgery, bleeding, and careful study of the body’s humors. As such, healing is not always useful, and in matters of disease, sickness, and poison the GM should rule any natural failure (a 20 on the skill check) to require a second healing check; a normal failure on the second check means that the patient has been made worse (usually 1D3 hit points of additional damage, or a progression of the disease, illness or poison by 1D6 hours). If, however, the healer is attempting to set broken bones, sew up a wound or otherwise staunch bleeding then it can heal 1D3 hit points instead. A wounded individual who is below 0 hit points and is dying and unconscious can have his recovery time reduced by one half with a successful healing check. At the GM’s option, healing magic can automatically be maximized with a successful healing check, using the level of the spell as a penalty modifier.
HERALDIC LORE In medieval times this is a valuable skill, allowing you to identify friend from foe and who you are dealing with by the imagery and symbols emblazoned on the tabards, shields and breastplates of enemies and allies. Characters should gain a +2 bonus to chances when in their homeland, and may suffer a -2 or greater penalty when they are far, far from home. They may have no hope of using the skill when in foreign kingdoms unknown to them, until they have had time to study up on the local heraldry, usually a process requiring a library, armory of the land or other location and 1D6 days of effort (or more).
HERBALISM Herbalism is the art of seeking and gathering herbs and plants to grind with mortar and pestle in to salves, powders and potions. Homeopathic medicine is quite useful in a fantasy realm where such plants can have real curative qualities, and it is up to the GM as to how much liberation he wishes to allow his players with this skill. It is suggested that 1D6 hours be spend per day searching for ingredients equivalent to one use of a curative or salve, and that the chance of success at making a specific desired potion be given a penalty equal to the equivalent spell level of the desired potion.
An engineer in a dungeon can use his technique to learn much about how deep beneath the earth he is, how safe (or not) the tunnels and chambers of the dungeon are, and he can sometimes (with proper time to study) pick up oddities such as steady slopes or unusual details that might suggest traps.
Elves are especially in tune with their environment and receive a +2 racial bonus to herbalism.
GMs who prefer a more negotiable approach to such matters should allow a character with engineering the “benefit of the doubt” when manually searching architecture for unusual vagaries rather than rolling, while details that would be unfamiliar to the untrained eye would simply not be noticed by the unskilled.
History is a valued subject among scholars and wizards, and often required by the nobility. Usually the historian is most familiar with his own realm, and its interpretation of history, but some scholars become very talented at distinguishing the fact from fiction in historical texts.
ETIQUETTE
A character can specialize in ancient history, regional history, or modern history. If the character chooses a specialization, he will gain a +2 bonus with that specialization, but a -2 penalty to the others.
Etiquette is the skill of proper manners, and is commonly found with nobility and those who support them. Any character of noble birth should likely have this skill, and will find it useful in situations where one does not want to offend their superiors. In a dungeon delving environment it might help to determine proper manners around, say, such creatures as the goblin king or a medusa.
HISTORY
Each improvement point spent on history can be used to “buy off” one of the penalties, until all three branches of history are equally familiar to the historian (though he still only gets one +2 bonus to his chief specialization). 32
Constitution
Hit Point Bonus per Die
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
-2 -1 -1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +1 +2 +2 (+3 for Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers) +2 (+4 for Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers) +2 (+5 for Fighters, Paladins and Rangers)
18
19
Survive Resurrection/R aise Dead (d%) 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 92 94 96 98
Survive System Shock (minor test) (d%) 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 88 91 95 97
100
99
100
99
I NTELLI GENCE Intelligence (“Int”) is a measure of a character’s raw mental power—his or her ability to calculate, recall facts, and solve abstract problems. It is the most important attribute for magic users and illusionists. Intelligence also determines how many additional languages the character may learn beyond those he or she knows at the start of play. Characters with intelligence higher than 18 are not affected by certain spells of the illusion type (whether cast by a magic user, cleric, illusionist, etc.). A character with intelligence 19 is immune to the effects of first level illusion spells. If a character were somehow to attain the godly intelligence of 20, he or she would also be immune to second level illusion spells, and so on.
Wisdom 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
CHARI SMA Charisma (“Cha”) determines the character’s maximum number of henchmen (see Chapter III), the henchman’s loyalty (which is also applied as a modifier to the henchman’s morale scores, see “Morale” in Chapter III) and a Reaction Bonus. The Reaction Bonus should be added to the d% roll which indicates how an NPC or creature reacts to negotiation approaches; scores under 30% will generally indicate hostility or attacks, while higher scores may indicate a willingness to negotiate or even make friends. Note that a character is not always permitted a Reaction roll, since some creatures will be hostile irrespective of the character’s charisma, and of course any negotiation approaches must be made in a language that the creature understands. Charisma does not determine the outcome of negotiations, although it will affect them. The GM may well wish to roleplay through the encounter and determine the creature or NPC’s reactions based on what the player says rather than the scores on the character sheet. For players who understand the importance of henchmen and use them intelligently, charisma is the most important attribute in A1E . Charisma
Intelligence 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Maximum Additional Languages 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8
Mental Saving Throw Bonus -3 -2 -1 -1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Maximum Henchmen 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 10 15 20
Loyalty Bonus (d%)
-30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 0 0 0 0 +5 +15 +20 +30 +40 +50
Reaction Bonus (d%) -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 0 0 0 0 +5 +10 +15 +25 +30 +35 +40
WI S DOM A character’s wisdom score (“Wis”) indicates how “in tune” the character is with his or her surroundings. This translates not only to general awareness, but also to mystical attunement and the ability to understand peoples’ motives. It is, in many ways, a measure of the “sixth sense.” Wisdom is the most important attribute for clerics and druids.
6
RACES
It is a matter for the GM’s discretion whether to adjust a character’s ability scores based on the character’s age. Some GMs add to constitution, and sometimes strength, and subtract from wisdom for younger characters, and make the converse change for older ones.
A character’s race is a matter for the creating player’s choice, from all the races for which the character qualifies by virtue of his or her ability scores. It is possible for a player voluntarily to lower an ability score in order to qualify for a desired race, but not to raise it for the same reason unless the GM grants special permission.
RA CI A LL I MI T AT I ONS Minimum/Maximum ability scores (after adjustment for race); if the ability scores rolled do not fall within these limits, then the race is not a valid choice for the character: Racial Limitations Race Str Dwarf 8/18 Elf 3/18 Elf, Half 3/18 Gnome 6/18 Halfling 6/17 Human None Orc, Half 6/18
A note on racial languages: Demi-humans usually begin with several “free” languages. None may learn more than two additional languages over and above these, however, irrespective of their intelligence, save elves, who may learn three languages if their intelligence is 18.
STARTI NGAGE Starting Age Race Cleric Fighter Magic User Thief Dwarf 250+2d20 40+5d4 75+3d6 Elf 500+10d10 130+5d6 150+5d6 100+5d6 Elf, Half 40+2d4 22+3d4 30+2d8 22+3d8 Gnome 300 + 3d12 60+5d4 100+2d12 80+5d4 Halfling 40+3d4 (Druid) 20+3d4 40+2d4 Human 20+1d4 15+1d4 24+2d8 20+1d4 Orc, Half 20+1d4 13+1d4 20+2d4 * For the purposes of starting age, for all races, treat assassins as thieves, illusionists as magic users, druids as clerics, and paladins and rangers as fighters. Level Limitations Race Fighter Dwarf 9 (Str 18), 8 (Str 17), 7 (Str 16 or less) Elf 7 (Str 18), 6 (Str 17), 5 (Str 16 and below) Elf, Half 8 (Str 18), 7 (Str 17 and below), 6 (Str 16 and below) Gnome
6 (Str 18), 5 (Str 17 and below)
Halfling Human Orc, Half
4 None 10
Ranger -
Assassin 9
Thief None
Magic User -
-
10
None
8 (Str 18), 7 (Str 17 and below), 6 (Str 16 and below) -
11
None
8
None
None -
15 15
None None 7 (Dex 17), 6 (Dex 16 and below)
8 (Int 18+), 7 (Int 17), 6 (Int 16 and below) -
•
DWARF •
Dwarves are a short and burly race, living in mountain fastnesses underground. They are loyal friends and fierce adversaries, known for their steadfastness in all things. The dwarves are inherently resistant to many spells and spell-like effects. Dwarfish characters gain bonuses against the use of most magic, including all spells, wands, rods, and staves. The amount of the bonus depends upon the dwarf’s constitution: every 3.5 points of constitution (rounding down fractions) grants a bonus of +1 against such magic. Moreover, the hardy dwarfish nature imparts a similar bonus on any saving throws against poison. Dwarves are not a numerous folk, but they are adventurous, loving the luster of gold, the glitter of gems, and the quality of well-wrought metals. Dwarves can live to an age of 350 years or more.
+1 constitution, -1 charisma (with respect to all but dwarves)
Int 3/18 8/18 4/18 7/18 6/18 None 3/17
Wis 3/18 3/18 3/18 3/18 3/17 None 3/14
Cha 3/16 8/18 3/18 3/18 3/18 None 3/12
Illusionist -
Cleric 8
Druid -
Paladin -
-
7
-
-
-
5
-
-
7 (One of Dex or Int 18+ and the other 17+), 6 (Dex and Int 17), 5 (Dex or Int under 17) None -
7
-
-
14 4
6 None -
None -
+1 to hit against goblins, half-orcs, hobgoblins, and orcs • +1 bonus per 3.5 points of Con to saves against magic and poison -4 penalty to any attacks made against the dwarf by giants, ogres, ogre mages, titans and trolls.
INFRAVISION: 60 ft
Within ten ft, a dwarf can detect certain facts concerning engineering, stonework, etc. Although no significant time is required, the character must deliberately observe his or her surroundings (i.e., the player must state that the dwarf is using this particular talent in order to gain information).
• •
•
Con 12/19 8/17 6/18 8/18 10/18 None 13/19
LANGUAGES: Dwarfish, gnomish, goblin, kobold, and orcish, and the common tongue and the appropriate alignment tongue. Regardless of intelligence, a dwarf may only ever learn two languages in addition to those listed.
•
SUMMARY OF DWARFISH RACIAL ABILITIES:
None -
Dex 3/17 7/19 6/18 3/18 8/19 None 3/17
Detect the existence of slopes or grades: 75% Detect the existence of new construction: 75% Detect sliding or shifting rooms or walls: 66% 7
• •
Detect traps involving stonework: 50% Determine depth underground: 50%
MULTI-CLASS RESTRICTIONS: The more restrictive of any two class requirements apply to multi-classed Dwarfish characters for the use of class abilities. PERMITTED CLASS OPTIONS: Assassin, Cleric, Fighter, Thief, Fighter/Thief MOVEMENT RATE: 90 ft
EL F Elves are thinner and generally smaller in stature than humans. The elves have a powerful bond with nature and do not have souls; their thinking and motives are quite alien to those of humankind, and in any dealings with elves, it is perilous to forget this. Some elven clans have built elaborate civilizations, remote and beautiful places of profound learning, master craftsmanship, and long history. Such elves tend to be chaotic good in alignment and friendly, if aloof, from humans. More numerous are the wilder elves, predominantly chaotic neutral in alignment and often not friendly to other races, inclining even toward hostility.
SECRET DOORS: When searching, a half-elf character can detect secret doors on a 2 in 6 and concealed doors on a 3 in 6. When passing within 10ft of a concealed door, a half-elf will notice it on a 1 in 6. LANGUAGES: Common, elven, gnoll, gnome, goblin, halfling, hobgoblin, orcish. multi-class restrictions: The less restrictive of any class requirements apply to multi-classed half-elven characters, except that thieving abilities can only be used while wearing armor permitted to thieves. PERMITTED CLASS OPTIONS: Assassin, Cleric, Fighter, Magic user, Ranger, Thief, Cleric/Fighter, Cleric/Ranger, Cleric/Magic user, Fighter/Magic user, Fighter/Thief, Magic user/Thief, Cleric/ Fighter/ Magic user, or Fighter/Magic user/Thief. INFRAVISION: 60 ft MOVEMENT RATE: 120 ft
GNOME Gnomes are small folk imbued with the wilding power of illusion and misdirection. They are inveterate burrowers, often seeking hilly lands where gems and precious metals may be found. On average, they are shorter and slimmer of build than dwarves, with larger noses and longer beards.
Intruding into the territory of such elves is inadvisable, for their sense of humor with regard to humans is, at best, arbitrary and, at worst, cruel. Different as they are, these varied elven cultures all share the same racial abilities, unless the GM chooses otherwise. Elves can live to an age of 1,000 years or more.
Like dwarves, who are perhaps related to gnomes from some time in the distant and mythical past, gnomes are quite resistant to magic and sensitive to the nuances of construction. Gnomes can live to an age of 650 years or more.
SUMMARY OF ELVEN RACIAL ABILITIES:
SUMMARY OF GNOMISH RACIAL ABILITIES:
• •
+1 dexterity, -1 constitution 90% resistance to sleep and charm spells
• • •
ANY PULLED BOW: +1 to hit LONGSWORD AND SHORT SWORD: +1 to hit LANGUAGES: Common, elven, gnoll, gnomish, goblin, halfling, hobgoblin, orcish. Languages in addition to these are only possible if the character has an intelligence of 16+, with one additional language possible for each point of intelligence over 15. INFRAVISION: 60 ft DETECT SECRET DOORS: 1 in 6 chance to notice secret doors when passing within 10 ft, 2 in 6 chance to discover secret doors when searching, and 3 in 6 chance to discover concealed doors when searching.
LANGUAGES: Common, dwarfish, gnomish, goblin, halfling, kobold. Gnomes may communicate with any normal burrowing animal. They may not learn more than two additional languages to those listed, regardless of intelligence. INFRAVISION: 60 ft
Within ten ft, a gnome can detect certain facts concerning engineering, stonework, etc. Although no significant time is required, the character must deliberately observe his or her surroundings (i.e., the player must state that the gnome is using this particular talent in order to gain information). •
SURPRISE: 4 in 6 chance to surprise when traveling in nonmetal armor and alone, or more than 90 ft in advance of others, or with a party entirely consisting of elves and/or halflings. If a door must be opened (or some similar task), the chance of surprise drops to 2 in 6. MULTI-CLASS RESTRICTIONS: The less restrictive of any two class requirements apply to multi-classed elven characters, except that thieving abilities can only be used while wearing armor permitted to thieves.
+1 bonus per 3.5 points of Con to saves against magic and poison +1 to hit kobolds and goblins -4 to attack rolls by bugbears, giants, gnolls, ogres, ogre mages, titans, and trolls.
• • •
Detect the existence of slopes or grades: 80% Detect the existence of unsafe wall, ceiling, floor: 70% Determine depth underground: 60% Determine direction of north underground: 50%
MULTI-CLASS RESTRICTIONS: Multi-classed gnomish characters may wear only leather armor, no better. PERMITTED CLASS OPTIONS: Assassin, Cleric, Fighter, Illusionist, Thief, Fighter/Illusionist, Fighter/Thief, Illusionist/Thief.
PERMITTED CLASS OPTIONS: Assassin, Cleric, Fighter, Magic user, Thief, Fighter/Magic user, Fighter/Thief, Magic user/Thief, Fighter/ Magic user/Thief.
MOVEMENT RATE: 90 ft
MOVEMENT RATE: 120 ft
Halflings are a small and unprepossessing race, often living near human settlements at an agreeable remove from the bustle and hurriedness characteristic of humans. Halfling society is comfortable and staid, rooted in polite, placid, well-fed life. Halfling adventurers are thought aberrant, even lunatic, but also dashing and heroic figures, a charming and amusing contradiction of logic.
HALF-ELF It is possible for elves and humans to interbreed, although elven fastidiousness makes this a fairly uncommon occurrence. Half-elves do not have a separate culture or civilization of their own, usually assimilating into the elven or human society in which they were raised. SUMMARY OF HALF-ELVEN RACIAL ABILITIES: •
HALFLI NG
Halflings value learning and craftsmanship, as long as nothing is taken to an embarrassing extreme. They are capable of moving very quietly and are excellent marksmen; given the right personality, halflings can become excellent thieves. Halflings live to be 150 or more years old.
30% resistance to sleep and charm spells 8
SUMMARY OF HALFLING RACIAL ABILITIES: • •
•
-1 Str, +1 Dex +1 bonus per 3.5 points of Con to saves against magic (both aimed magic items and spells) and poison. +3 bonus to attacks with a bow or sling
SURPRISE: 4 in 6 chance to surprise when traveling in nonmetal armor and alone, or more than 90 ft in advance of others, or with a party entirely consisting of elves and/or halflings. If a door must be opened (or some similar task), the chance of surprise drops to 2 in 6. LANGUAGES: Common, dwarfish, gnome, goblin, halfling and orcish. For every point of intelligence above 16, a halfling may learn an additional language, but may not more than two additional languages regardless of intelligence. MULTI-CLASS RESTRICTIONS: Use of thieving abilities is only possible when wearing armor permitted to thieves. PERMITTED CLASS OPTIONS: Fighter, Druid, Thief, or Fighter/ Thief. INFRAVISION: 60 ft MOVEMENT RATE: 90 ft
HUMAN Humans are the standard for the game, and as such, humans have no unusual abilities or limitations in game terms. Because of their potential for unlimited progression in all the character classes save assassin and druid, humans are a popular choice for most players. This is an intentional feature of the rules. A common house rule in A1E -compatible games is the adjustment or removal of demi-human level limits. This will unbalance the game in favor of demihumans unless humans are given some corresponding advantage. GMs considering such a house rule for their own A1E -compatible games are advised to ensure that in most campaigns, humans should still represent an attractive choice for their players.
HALF-ORC The progeny of human/orc breeding are normally indistinguishable from orcs. However, a few are sufficiently human to gain levels in a character class, although they are severely limited in classes that do not focus upon violence and death. Orcish blood runs strong in these half-breeds, and most of them are shifty, morally questionable, and unsophisticated. They are typically ugly, carrying the mark of orcish ancestry, but the same ancestry makes them deadly adversaries when the chips are down and the swords are out. Half-orcs can live to be 70 years old or older. SUMMARY OF HALF-ORCISH RACIAL ABILITIES: •
CLASSES
+1 Str and Con, -2 Cha
LANGUAGES: Common, orcish. A half-orc may learn a maximum of two additional languages, regardless of intelligence. MULTI-CLASS RESTRICTIONS: For armor, the more restrictive of any two class requirements apply to multi-classed half-orc characters for the use of class abilities. For weapons, the less restrictive requirements apply. PERMITTED CLASS OPTIONS: Assassin, Cleric, Fighter, Thief, Cleric/Fighter, Cleric/Thief, Cleric/Assassin, Fighter/Thief, Fighter/Assassin. INFRAVISION: 60 ft MOVEMENT RATE: 120 ft
A character’s class is a matter for the creating player’s choice, within the range of classes for which the character qualifies by virtue of his or her ability scores and race. Some classes— particularly those with very high ability score requirements, such as paladin—should be very rare within the campaign, and even if some exceptional player character qualifies for the class, non-player characters of that class will be very uncommon. Non-player characters will, for the most part, lack any kind of class at all. Such individuals are called “0-level” and their abilities are subsumed into fighters, hence the “0-level” entries for fighters; all player character fighters should begin at level 1. In the author’s campaign, perhaps one non-player character in a hundred has a class (rising to as many as one in fifty in borderlands, or even one in thirty in the wilderness).
ALCHEMI ST The alchemist studies the magic inherent in the natural world, especially the elements of air, earth, fire and water. These elements are the building blocks of everything in nature and by learning everything about them the alchemist slowly unlocks the greatest secret of all: the knowledge that the universe is present in the smallest particle of every object, that all things are one. ABILITIES IDENTIFY POTIONS/OILS/POISONS: At 1 st level the alchemist has a 75% chance +5% per level to identify potions, poisons or oils. The alchemist can do this in complete safety, identifying the characteristics of an unknown substance using smell and the way a few drops affects various substances, changing color and so forth. MIXOLOGY: The alchemist is a skilled transmuter and nowhere is this talent better displayed than his ability to mix potions effectively. By mixing two potions, the alchemist has a 50% chance +5% per level to change them into a single new potion of his choice. If this check fails, the alchemist rolls on the potion admixture table.
Note however that the alchemist has not actually drunk the potions, which renders some results on the admixture table moot. Most of the results should be applied whenever possible however. For example, if the roll on the potion admixture table results in both potions working normally, then they might not mix at all, but separate like oil and water in the beaker. This ability is more art than science and because potions can be brewed in a variety of ways for the same effects, the alchemist must roll every time. Combining two potions of healing successfully into a potion heroism does not mean the alchemist will get this result every time. FORMULAE: At 1 st level the alchemist has gained a working familiarity with basic chemistry and can create one of the following types of substances: acids, poisons or medicines. Formulae can only be prepared under proper conditions.
At low levels this means in a laboratory, typically only found in cities, though the characters might come across a usable laboratory anywhere during their adventures. At 7th level and above the alchemist is skilled enough to create formulae anywhere as long as he has access to fire and a pot to brew his creation in. Brewing formulae takes 1 hour plus 10 minutes per dose the character wishes to create. It requires special components that can either be purchased (the costs are detailed below) or scrounged. Scrounging components can be done anywhere, as alchemists are notoriously resourceful and inventive but it requires a good deal of time, typically one hour per sp cost of the formulae’s components. At 3rd level and then at 6th level the alchemist learns a new branch of formulae meaning he will eventually be able to make acids, poisons and medicines. Acids: Acids cost 10 sp per vial to prepare and come in three varieties:
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flesh-eating, metal-eating and stone-eating. Each of these acids is described below. Flesh-eating: A single dose of flesh-eating acid can damage leather armor, worsening its armor class by 1 until the armor is repaired (requiring 30 minutes and costing 20 sp). Alternately, it can damage a living target, inflicting 1d6 damage +1 per level of the alchemist. The alchemist can choose either of these effects on a successful attack roll.
Outside of combat a dose of flesh-eating acid can dissolve 1 inch of organic matter per round for a number of rounds equal to the acid’s maximum damage potential (so 7 rounds at 1 st level and so on). Magical armor is immune to the effects of this acid. Metal-eating: A single dose of metal-eating acid can damage metal armor, worsening its armor class by 1 until the armor is repaired (requiring 30 minutes and costing 20 sp). Against a creature composed primarily of metal this acid can inflict 1d6 damage +1 per level of the alchemist.
Outside of combat a dose of metal-eating acid can dissolve ¼ inch of metallic matter per round for a number of rounds equal to the acid’s maximum damage potential (so 7 rounds at 1 st level and so on).
A character can only have one balm applied at a time, though she can remove a previously applied one (which is ruined) in order to apply a new balm. A balm will only protect from a single attack If applied after the appropriate type of damage is suffered, the victim is healed 1d6 hit points + 1 per level of the alchemist. So if the warrior had suffered damage from fire, she could apply a fire balm and heal some damage. Ipecac: Are a special concoction designed to aid against ingested poisons or to remove the effects of an unwanted potion. If a character has ingested something harmful, he can down an ipecac and trade 1-4 minutes of nausea for whatever effects the ingested substance would normally cause. Note that an ipecac does nothing to heal past damage caused by an ingested substance, so if a companion falls over dead as a result of a poison, it’s too late for an ipecac to do any good. Poultice: A poultice might best be described as a medicated bandage. Applied to an injured comrade, it can help him recover much faster than normal, though not as fast as by clerical magic.
A poultice is applied before a character plans to rest for 8 hours or more. If the character rests undisturbed for a full 8 hours, she is healed 1d6 points+ 1 per level of the alchemist. If the character is only able to rest for an hour she is healed only 1-6 hit points. If a character’s rest is interrupted less than an hour after applying a poultice the character heals only 1 hit point of damage.
Magical armor is immune to the effects of this acid. Stone-eating: A single dose of stone-eating acid can inflict 1d6 damage +1 per level of the alchemist to a creature primarily made of stone.
Outside of combat a dose of stone-eating acid can dissolve ½ inch of stone per round for a number of rounds equal to the acid’s maximum damage potential (so 7 rounds at 1 st level and so on). Poisons: Poisons cost 10 sp per vial to prepare. There are two types of poisons: ingested and injected. Ingested poisons inflict more damage but over time, whereas injected poisons tend to affect the target immediately.
Whether or not poison has any alignment implications will be determined by the dungeon master so discuss the views of poison with him before practicing this branch of alchemy.
POTION CRAFT: At 5th level the alchemist can brew potions as described under the 7th level Magic-User ability Eldritch Craft. ADVANCED FORMULAE: At 7th level the alchemist learns advanced formulae of one of the basic varieties he mastered during his lower levels. Advanced Acids: Inflict an additional 1d6 points of damage (so 2d6 damage +1 per alchemist level). They can also reduce the armor class of +1 magical armor. Advanced Poisons: Can inflict instant death on a target of a lower level (or with fewer hit dice) than the alchemist on a failed Poison saving throw. Advanced Medicines: Heal an additional 1d6 hit points of damage (so 2d6 hit points +1 per alchemist level).
It might also be prudent to discuss implications with other party members. Certainly rangers and druids would not have a problem with use of poisons, but a Paladin or good Cleric might.
COURT ALCHEMIST: At 10th level a wealthy noble will offer the alchemist a position in his castle, complete with a fully stocked laboratory for the alchemist’s use. This position will usually come with a minimum amount of time the alchemist is expected to make himself available to his patron, crafting potions according to his specifications.
Ingested poisons: The victim of an ingested poison must succeed at a Poison saving throw or suffer severe cramps and muscle pain for 1-6 hours. The victim can take no actions during this time and suffers damage equal to the alchemist’s level each hour.
A court alchemist will also attract 1-6 1 st level alchemists who seek to learn from an accomplished master of their craft.
If this saving throw is successful, the victim suffers damage once during a 10minute bout of nausea but is otherwise not affected. Injected poisons: Must be applied to a bladed or piercing weapon (including an arrow). On a successful attack roll the target must make a saving throw vs. poison or suffer an additional 1d6+1 damage per level of the alchemist who made the poison. A poisoned weapon will remain poisoned until either 24 hours has passed or until the wielder makes a successful attack roll, delivering the poison. Medicines: Medicines cost 10 sp per dose to prepare and come in three varieties: balm, ipecac, and poultice. Balms: Are curative oils or butters specifically tailored to help against specific ailments. For example an alchemist might make a soothing balm to aid burns for victims of fire damage.
They require a full round to apply, usually by rubbing onto any exposed skin surfaces. If applied before a type of damage is suffered, a balm will remain effective for 1 hour. If the victim suffers the appropriate type of damage during that hour, she gains a +4 bonus to any saving throw to resist and has damage reduced by onehalf. So continuing the previous example, a warrior entering the lair of a red dragon might apply a balm against fire damage before going inside.
MASTER FORMULAE: At 14th level the alchemist learns the most advanced formulae of one of the advanced varieties he mastered during his mid-levels. Master Acids: Inflict an additional 1d6 points of damage over advanced acids (so 3d6 damage +1 per alchemist level). They can also reduce the armor class of +3 magical armor or less. Master Poisons: Can inflict instant death on a target that fails a Poison saving throw. Master Medicines: Heal an additional 1d6 hit points of damage over advanced medicines (so 3d6 damage +1 per alchemist level). PHILOSOPHER’S STONE: At 20th level the alchemist has mastered the ability to transmute one item into another. This ability is left intentionally vague because the alchemist is capable of amazing things, provided he is willing to invest the time and money into achieving them. Immortality, restoring youth to the old, turning a beautiful girl into an ugly crone, transforming lead to gold and even more amazing feats are possible, though not easy, for an alchemist with this ability. The greater the goal, the more time and money it will take to achieve but all things are possible for the supremely talented alchemist. MINIMUM SCORES: Str 3, Dex 9, Int 9, Wis 3, Con 9, Cha 3 HIT DIE TYPE: d6 (max 10) ALIGNMENT: Any EXPERIENCE BONUS: None ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Leather or Studded Leather
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WEAPONS PERMITTED: Club, dagger, dart, oil, sling WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 2 +1 every 4 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -3 Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: N/A
Base XP Required 0 1,300 2,600 5,400 11,000 22,000 55,000 93,500 250,000 500,000 750,000 1,000,000 1,250,000 1,500,000 1,750,000 2,000,000 2,250,000 2,500,000 2,750,000 3,000,000
Hit Dice (d6) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10+2 10+4 10+6 10+8 10+10 10+12 10+14 10+16 10+18 10+20
Notes Identify Potions, Mixology, Basic Formulae
Formulae Potion Craft Formulae Advanced Formulae Formulae Court Alchemist Formulae Master Formulae Formulae
Formulae Philosopher’s Stone
Alchemist Saving Throw Table Level 1-4 5-8 9-12 13-16 17-20 21+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 14 12 10 8 6 4
Alchemist To Hit Table Level -10 -9 -8 1-4 26 25 24 5-8 24 23 22 9-12 21 20 20 13-16 20 20 20 17-20 20 20 20 21+ 20 19 18
-7 23 21 20 20 19 17
-6 22 20 20 20 18 16
-5 21 20 20 19 17 15
Type of Saving throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 16 13 15 12 14 11 13 10 12 9 11 8
-4 20 20 20 18 16 14
Petrifaction, Polymorph 12 11 10 9 8 7
Roll required to hit Armor Class -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
A S S A S S I N Assassins are stealthy killers, trained by their shadowy guilds in the arts of spying, disguise, poison, and murder. Although assassins of lower level are little more than well-trained thugs, the eminences of this reprehensible profession are so feared as to be spoken of only in whispers. High-level assassins are artists of murder, and their experience with hunting highly placed targets, coupled with extensive education and training, often gives the sinister nobility of this class a silken, refined veneer over their true, murderous natures. This veneer, like many things pertaining to the assassins, is deceptive; survival in the higher echelons of an assassins’ guild requires animal cunning and a complete absence of mercy. Assassin characters must begin with an evil alignment. Virtually all cities (and many towns) will have a guild of assassins operating within the city walls and in the surrounding region, made up of 6-24 assassins of varying level. Player character assassins, if they are identified by the local guild, will be invited to join (such invitations ranging from polite to violent). Joining a guild places the assassin under the command of the local guildmaster, which may be inconvenient (and will require the assassin to pay a share of his take to the guild), but assassins’ guilds take a very dim view of freelancers working in their territory. Freelance assassins—and their companions—do not ordinarily live to enjoy old age. There are, of course, benefits to joining such a guild; training costs may be reduced, and the guild may be a good source of information about potential missions or nearby enemies. Assassins’ guilds are controlled by a guildmaster of 14 th level— an assassin of lower level might take control, but would be unable to inspire the fear necessary
4 17 15 12 10 8 6
5 16 14 11 9 7 5
Spells for unlisted categories 15 13 11 9 7 5
6 15 13 10 8 6 4
7 14 12 9 7 5 3
8 13 11 8 6 4 2
9 12 10 7 5 3 1
10 11 9 6 4 2 0
to keep rival guilds from forming. To gain 14 th level, an assassin character must take control of an assassins’ guild by killing (directly or indirectly) the existing guildmaster. Whenever the control of an assassins’ guild changes hands, most of the assassins will abandon the guild and depart the area, normally leaving the guild reduced to a quarter of its original membership. The grandmaster of assassins (a campaign may have one or more) is a figure of legend and fear. These dark eminences usually live far from the cities, in remote and well-guarded locations—their fame is such that those who need their services will seek them out. To advance to 15 th level, an assassin must find and kill one of the existing grandmasters. ABILITIES ASSASSINATION: If an assassin gains surprise (see “Combat”) he or she may elect to assassinate the victim. The assassin need not roll to hit for an assassination attempt, which is a special attack resulting in a chance to kill the victim instantly and ensure damage even if the victim is not successfully killed. The percentage chance to kill a victim is 50%, with a bonus of 5% per level of the assassin and a penalty of 5% for every two levels of the target (rounding down; in the case of monsters, substitute “hit dice” for “level”). These numbers are approximate, for the GM should modify the assassin’s chances slightly upward or downward according to the circumstances—guarded or wary targets are less likely to be killed, and unwary victims are more likely to die. If the assassination attempt does not succeed, the attack still inflicts normal damage, together with any applicable bonuses. The assassin does not gain backstab multiple damage on a failed assassination attempt, even if the assassination attempt was made from behind.
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BACKSTAB: An assassin may backstab with any of the melee weapons permissible to the thief class. Backstabbing doubles the weapon’s damage at levels 1-4, triple at levels 5-8, quadruple at level 9-12, and so on. Also, an assassin attacks from behind with a bonus to hit of +4 rather than the ordinary +2. DISGUISE: Assassins are masters of disguise. Within reasonable limits, an assassin can make him- or herself appear slightly shorter or considerably taller, fatter or thinner, or of the opposite gender. An assassin can even disguise himor herself as a member of another race (again, within reason). Any person observing the disguised assassin has a base 2% chance to see through the disguise, with one chance per day to do so. The base chance of seeing through a disguise increases another 2% if the assassin is posing as another class, race or gender (max 8% chance). The GM may assign additional penalties and bonuses to this check if the observer is unusually wise or intelligent (or particularly stupid), and common sense, of course, applies at all times. POISON: Assassins are not inherently better at using poison than any other character class capable of using poison, but generally have more opportunities to gain knowledge of poisons and their effects. THIEF ABILITIES: The assassin has thief abilities as a thief two levels below the assassin’s level. At first level, the assassin has the thieving abilities of a first level thief, but does not gain the abilities of a second level thief until reaching fourth level.
LANGUAGES (9 th): Ninth and higher-level assassins with Int 15+ may learn languages that it would be impossible for a non-assassin to learn. An assassin can learn an alignment tongue other than his or her own, druids’ cant, and thieves’ cant as additional languages, but can only learn a maximum of four such special languages, one for each point of intelligence above 14. Only one such language can be learned per level above eighth. Such languages are over and above any limits imposed by the assassin’s race and intelligence. READ SCROLLS (12 th): When an assassin reaches 12 th level, he or she has received sufficient training to cast spells from an arcane scroll (magic user or illusionist). MINIMUM SCORES: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 6, Int 11, Wis 6 HIT DIE TYPE: d6 (max 15) ALIGNMENT: Any evil EXPERIENCE BONUS: None ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Leather or studded leather only (shields allowed) WEAPONS PERMITTED: Any WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 3 + 1 every 4 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -3 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: N/A
Assassin Level Advancement Level Base XP Required Hit Dice (d6) Notes 1 0 1 2 1,600 2 3 3,000 3 4 5,750 4 The assassin may recruit assassins as henchmen 5 12,250 5 6 24,750 6 7 50,000 7 8 99,000 8 The assassin may recruit thieves as henchmen 9 200,500 9 Master Assassin 10 300,000 10 11 400,000 11 12 600,000 12 The assassin may recruit henchmen of any class 13 750,000 13 14 1,000,000 14 Guildmaster 15* 1,500,000 15 Grandmaster Assassin *Level 15 at 1,500,000 experience points is the ceiling for assassins. Any further experience points gained by a character of this level are simply lost. Assassin Saving Throw Table Level Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 1-4 14 5-8 12 9-12 10 13-15 8
Breath Weapons
16 15 14 13
Death, Paralysis, Poison 13 12 11 10
Petrifaction, Polymorph 12 11 10 9
Spells for unlisted categories 15 13 11 9
Assassin To Hit Table Level 1-4 5-8 9-12 13-15
-10 26 24 21 20
-9 25 23 20 20
-8 24 22 20 20
-7 23 21 20 20
-6 22 20 20 20
-5 21 20 20 19
-4 20 20 20 18
-3 20 20 19 17
-2 20 20 18 16
C L E R I C Clerics are moral and spiritual leaders, warriors of faith who preach the will of the gods, interpret omens and portents, and strike down the evil or unfaithful. Most clerics have a patron deity, but some are champions of a particular moral alignment, venerating all deities of that alignment in addition to a patron deity, and yet others are the servants of a particular pantheon of deities. In a world of swords and sorcery, force of arms often speaks louder than moral suasion, and clerics are trained to do battle against the enemies of their gods. Some clerics are fanatics, zealously seeking new converts or hunting heretics. Others seem almost burdened by an inconvenient or even oppressive relationship with the divine forces. Evil clerics—sinister villains who prey upon fear and jealousy— sow discord in the world and gather converts for their demonic masters.
Armor Class -1 0 1 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 15 14 13
2 19 17 14 12
3 18 16 13 11
4 17 15 12 10
5 16 14 11 9
6 15 13 10 8
7 14 12 9 7
8 13 11 8 6
9 12 10 7 5
10 11 9 6 4
Clerics play an important support role for an adventuring party. Most clerical spells are oriented toward healing, strengthening, and defending others. However, when the need arises the cleric is fully capable of taking a place in the line of battle and smiting down infidels and foes. Clerics employ their holy symbols rather than spell books as a focus for their meditation. Cleric spells are automatically acquired as the cleric gains levels and no check is necessary to ensure they are understood; thus clerics may normally memorize any spell appropriate to their level. However, in some circumstances the powers the cleric serves may intervene and grant different spells to those requested; it is suggested that this is only done in extreme cases (such as when the cleric has been guilty of an alignment transgression of some kind, for example; more serious transgressions may result in fewer spells being granted, or even none at all). Some GMs may permit clerics of specific deities to have slightly different abilities from those described here.
12
When a cleric attains ninth level, he or she has accumulated sufficient divine favor and mortal renown to found a temple/ stronghold. Such places are normally carved from the wilderness, in the same manner as a fighter establishes a freehold. For a cleric to assume the leadership of an existing temple, the details are left to the discretion of the GM; a level somewhat higher than ninth might be required. Whether the cleric establishes a stronghold or a temple, followers and acolytes will flock to the cleric’s banner. ABILITIES SPELL CASTING: Clerics may memorize and cast clerical spells in accordance with the tables provided hereafter. TURNING UNDEAD: Clerics can “turn” the undead, making them flee from the cleric’s holiness (or, in the case of an evil cleric, bringing them to heel as servants and minions). Because paladins are also capable of turning undead (though not with the same power as a cleric), rules for turning the undead are found later in this book rather than repeating them in the descriptions of both the paladin and cleric classes. BONUS SPELLS: These are awarded to clerics with high wisdom. They are not cumulative and are awarded by level; hence “2/2/1/1” means the cleric is granted 2—1st level, 2—2nd level, 1—3rd level, and 1—4 th level bonus spells.
Wisdom Score
Bonus Spells
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
0 0 0 0 1 2 2/1 2/2 2/2/1 2/2/1/1 3/2/1/1
Chance of Spell Failure (d%) 15 10 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MINIMUM SCORES: Str 6, Dex 3, Con 6, Int 6, Wis 9, Cha 6 HIT DIE TYPE: d8 (max 9) ALIGNMENT: Any EXPERIENCE BONUS: Wisdom 16+ ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Any WEAPONS PERMITTED: Blunt only—club, fl ail, hammer, mace, oil, staff; clerics may hurl hammers, clubs, or oil, but may not employ other missile weapons WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 2 + 1 every 3 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NONPROFI CIENCY: -3 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: N/A
Cleric Level Advancement Spells by Level Level Base XP Required Hit Dice (d8) Notes 1 2 3 4 5 1 0 1 1 2 1,550 2 2 3 2,900 3 2 1 4 6,000 4 3 2 5 13,250 5 3 3 1 6 27,000 6 3 3 2 7 55,000 7 3 3 2 1 8 110,000 8 3 3 3 2 9 220,000 9 High Priest(ess) 4 4 3 2 1 10 450,000 9+2* 4 4 3 3 2 11 675,000 9+4* 5 4 4 3 2 12 900,000 9+6* 6 5 5 3 2 13 1,125,000 9+8* 6 6 6 4 2 14 1,350,000 9+10* 6 6 6 5 3 15 1,575,000 9+12* 7 7 7 5 4 16 1,800,000 9+14* 7 7 7 6 5 17 2,025,000 9+16* 8 8 8 6 5 18 2,250,000 9+18* 8 8 8 7 6 19 2,475,000 9+20* 9 9 9 7 6 20 2,700,000 9+22* 9 9 9 8 7 21 2,925,000 9+24* 9 9 9 9 8 22 3,150,000 9+26* 9 9 9 9 9 23 3,375,000 9+28* 9 9 9 9 9 24 3,600,000 9+30* 9 9 9 9 9 * Constitution hp adjustments no longer apply Each level gained thereafter requires 225,000 experience points and grants +2 hit points.
6 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8
7 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
8
Cleric Saving Throw Table Level 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15 16-18 19+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 14 13 11 10 9 8 6
Type of Saving Throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 16 10 15 9 13 7 12 6 11 5 10 4 8 2
Petrifaction, Polymorph 13 12 10 9 8 7 5
Spells for unlisted categories 15 14 12 11 10 9 7
13
Cleric To Hit Table Roll required to hit Armor Class Level -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 1-3 25 24 23 22 21 20 4-6 23 22 21 20 20 20 7-9 21 20 20 20 20 20 10-12 20 20 20 20 20 19 13-15 20 20 20 19 18 17 16-18 20 19 18 17 16 15 19+ 19 18 17 16 15 14
-4 20 20 20 18 16 14 13
-3 20 20 19 17 15 13 12
-2 20 20 18 16 14 12 11
-1 20 19 17 15 13 11 10
0 20 18 16 14 12 10 9
1 19 17 15 13 11 9 8
2 18 16 14 12 10 8 7
3 17 15 13 11 9 7 6
4 16 14 12 10 8 6 5
5 15 13 11 9 7 5 4
6 14 12 10 8 6 4 3
7 13 11 9 7 5 3 2
8 12 10 8 6 4 2 1
9 11 9 7 5 3 1 0
10 10 8 6 4 2 0 -1
The loser of the contest goes down to the next lowest level (losing all experience down to the very minimum to qualify for the new level). This may, in turn, result in a further contest if the preceding level is also fully occupied.
DRUI D Druids worship the spiritual power of nature, maintain and protect holy places, perform festivals and ritual observances, and protect balance and harmony between civilization and nature. Their magic is rooted in the mystical oneness of nature, and they have particular power over fire, stone, and weather, as well as over plant- and animal life.
ABILITIES
Some druids pay homage to particular nature gods (some of these quite savage), while others eschew all deities and commune directly with the spiritual power of nature.
SAVING THROW BONUS: All druids gain a saving throw bonus of +2 against fire and lightning attacks of all kinds.
Rather than using a holy symbol as clerics do, druids require mistletoe, holly, or (if neither can be found) oak leaves to cast their spells, and one of these is a required component for all druidic spells unless a druidic spell has no material component specified in the spell description. The druid must harvest these materials by the light of a full moon, or the darkness of a new moon, in order for the component to work with full efficacy. If mistletoe or holly is not gathered by the druid’s hand at the proper time, the druid’s spells will have only half the normal effect. Oak leaves always produce spells of half power, and if they are not harvested properly, oak leaves will permit spells of only one-quarter power. Player character druids must be neutral, although druids of differing alignments may be found as non-player characters in some GMs’ campaigns. Druids receive bonus spells for high wisdom, just as clerics do. See the table provided under “Cleric” for details. There can only be a certain number of high-level druids in the world. The limits are: 12th level druid (High Druid)—no more than 3 in the world at any one time; 13th level druid (Archdruid)—no more than 2 in the world at any given time, 14th level druid (Supreme Druid)—no more than a single Supreme Druid can exist. If a druid receives so many experience points that he or she is eligible to increase to these levels, but all the vacant slots are already filled, then he or she must create a vacancy. This is done by issuing a f ormal challenge to the druid in question, following which the two characters must compete in a contest of some kind—often, but not necessarily, a duel.
DRUID’S CANT: All druids speak a secret language called the druids’ cant. The druidic cant cannot be learned by non-druids (unless otherwise noted, such as in the case of higher-level assassins).
SPELL CASTING: Druids may memorize and cast druidic spells in accordance with the tables provided below. DRUID’S KNOWLEDGE (3 RD): At third level and higher, a druid can identify plant and animal types, and can determine when water is pure and safe to drink. WILDERNESS MOVEMENT (3 RD): At third level and higher, a druid can move through any natural undergrowth leaving no trace of his or her passage, and may do so with no reduction in his or her normal movement speed. IMMUNITY TO FEY CHARM (7TH): At seventh level and higher, the druid becomes immune to charms and other such mental enchantments cast by fey creatures such as dryads, pixies, brownies, etc. SHAPESHIFT (7 TH): Druids of 7 th level or higher may change their forms up to three times per day. The form assumed must be a natural animal, no smaller than a mouse, and no larger than double the druid’s normal weight; in the process of shapeshifting, the druid recovers 1d6 x 10 percent of any hit points he or she might have sustained as damage. MINIMUM SCORES: Str 6, Dex 6, Con 6, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 15 HIT DIE TYPE: d8 (max 14) ALIGNMENT: Neutral only EXPERIENCE BONUS: Wisdom and Charisma 16+ ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Leather only, wooden shields only WEAPONS PERMITTED: Club, dagger, dart, hammer, oil, scimitar, sling, spear, staff WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 2 + 1 every 3 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -4 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: N/A
Druid Level Advancement Spells by Level Notes 1 2 3 4 5 2 2 1 Druid’s Knowledge;Wilderness 3 2 1 Movement 4 8,000 4 4 4 2 2 5 12,000 5 4 3 2 6 20,000 6 4 3 2 1 7 35,000 7 Immunity to Fey Charm; Shapeshift 4 4 3 1 8 60,000 8 4 4 3 2 9 90,000 9 5 4 3 2 1 10 125,000 10 5 4 3 3 2 11 200,000 11 5 5 3 3 2 12 300,000 12 High Druid 5 5 4 4 3 13 750,000 13 Archdruid 6 5 5 5 4 14* 1,500,000 14 Supreme Druid 6 6 6 6 5 * 14th level (at 1,500,000 experience points) is the ceiling for druids. Any further experience points the druid receives will simply be lost. Level 1 2 3
Base XP Required 0 2,000 4,000
Hit Dice (d8) 1 2 3
6 -
7 -
1 2 3 4
1 2 3
14
Druid Saving Throw Table Level 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-14
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 14 13 11 10 9
Druid To Hit Table Roll required to hit Armor Class Level -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 1-3 25 24 23 22 21 20 4-6 23 22 21 20 20 20 7-9 21 20 20 20 20 20 10-12 20 20 20 20 20 19 13-14 20 20 20 19 18 17
Type of Saving Throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 16 10 15 9 13 7 12 6 11 5
-4 20 20 20 18 16
-3 20 20 19 17 15
-2 20 20 18 16 14
-1 20 19 17 15 13
0 20 18 16 14 12
1 19 17 15 13 11
2 18 16 14 12 10
Petrifaction, Polymorph 13 12 10 9 8
3 17 15 13 11 9
4 16 14 12 10 8
5 15 13 11 9 7
Spells for unlisted categories 15 14 12 11 10
6 14 12 10 8 6
7 13 11 9 7 5
8 12 10 8 6 4
9 11 9 7 5 3
10 10 8 6 4 2
FI GHTER
is taken on odd-numbered rounds in the combat sequence, hence two attacks on the first round, one on the second, two on the third and one on the fourth, if applicable.
When the clash of steel rings out in dark forests or dimly lit dungeons beneath the earth, it is the fighter who bears the brunt of the combat. Fighters are trained in the use of weapons and armor, usually beginning their adventuring careers after a stint of training as a town guardsman, soldier, man at arms, bandit, pirate, or mercenary.
FIGHTING THE UNSKILLED: When the fighter is attacking creatures with less than a full hit die (i.e. less than 1d8 hit points), the fighter receives one attack for each of his or her levels of experience, e.g. a 4 th-level fighter attacking goblins would receive 4 attacks per round.
Fighters are the backbone of an adventuring party; without them to hold the line, the other members of the party will be overrun before they can bring their own skills to bear. Fighters are the most powerful characters in melee or missile combat, whether on offense or defense. Together with the ranger and paladin, they have the most hit points, and their ability to survive the most brutal battles is therefore unrivaled. They also have the best chance “to hit” of all the classes, particularly at higher level. They may use any kind of armor, shield, or weapon. Most fighters look forward to the day when their reputations will bring them into the ranks of the lesser nobility, where fighting prowess and armed followers are more important than high-fl own bloodlines. It is no small matter to carve a freehold out of the wilderness, but to do so is to leave behind a legacy in a world where most fortune-seekers die an unsung death. A fighter of 9th level or higher who has built a castle and cleared a wide area around it of monsters (at least a 20 mile radius), will attract a body of mercenaries to his or her service, provided that these are paid a fair wage. He or she will also be able to tax each freeholder, at up to the maximum rate of 1 gp per month per resident. Some players may choose to retire a character at this point, satisfied that the character has entered the historical records and legends of the campaign world. Others may choose to view the stronghold merely as the first step toward the pinnacles of mythic power. Such player-held castles and villages provide a higher-level party with a base for adventures, a stronghold against enemies, and possibly the introduction of feudal politics and war into their already-eventful lives. ABILITIES BONUS ATTACKS: Fighters with melee weapons attack once per round at 1 st to 6th levels (1/1 attacks); at 7 th to 12th levels, they attack thrice every two rounds (3/2 attacks); and at 13 th or higher levels they attack twice per round (2/1 attacks). A partial additional attack (e.g. 3/2 attacks) means that the extra attack
NB: A fighter exercising multiple attacks departs from the normal initiative procedure. The fighter will automatically attack first in the round unless fighting an opponent with multiple attacks of its own (in which case initiative should be rolled as normal). The fighter’s second attack in any given melee round will come last in the sequence. WEAPON SPECIALISATION (Optional): With the permission of the GM, weapon specialization may be selected during character generation. If weapon specialization is not selected during character generation, it remains forever unavailable to the character, barring some magical or divine intervention.
If weapon specialization is in play, fighters may take a second proficiency in the same weapon as the first, granting them one extra attack every 2 rounds with the weapon (hence 3/2 attacks with a melee weapon at 1 st level, 2/1 at 7 th and 5/2 at 13th), +1 to hit and +2 damage owing to their skill. Specialization costs one proficiency “slot” for melee weapons and crossbows, and two “slots” for missile weapons other than crossbows. DOUBLE SPECIALISATION (Optional): For melee weapons that are not polearms or two-handed swords, a third weapon proficiency may be used to specialize further; this increases combat bonuses to +3 to hit and +3 damage with the weapon. MINIMUM SCORES: Str 9, Dex 6, Con 7, Int 3, Wis 6, Cha 6 HIT DIE TYPE: d10 (max 9 hit dice) ALIGNMENT: Any EXPERIENCE BONUS: Strength 16+ ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Any WEAPONS PERMITTED: Any WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 4 + 1 every 2 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -2 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: Optional
15
Fighter Level Advancement Level Base XP Required Hit Dice (d10) Notes 1 0 1 2 1,900 2 3 4,250 3 4 7,750 4 5 16,000 5 6 35,000 6 7 75,000 7 Bonus attacks 8 125,000 8 9 250,000 9 Lord (Lady) 10 500,000 9+3* 11 750,000 9+6 * Constitution-based hp adjustments no longer apply Each level gained thereafter requires 250,000 additional experience points and gains 3hp. Fighter Saving Throw Table Level 0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14 15-16 17-18 19+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 18 16 15 13 12 10 9 7 6 5 4
Type of Saving Throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 20 16 17 14 16 13 13 11 12 10 9 8 8 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2
Petrifaction, Polymorph 17 15 14 12 11 9 8 6 5 4 3
Spells for unlisted categories 19 17 16 14 13 11 10 8 7 6 5
Fighter To Hit Table Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20+
-10 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
-9 25 24 23 22 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
-8 24 23 22 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9
-7 23 22 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8
-6 22 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
-5 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6
-4 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
Roll required to hit Armor Class -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2
I L L US I ONI S T Illusionists are practitioners of phantasmal magic, a type of spell casting that influences the minds and senses of other beings, and at higher levels becomes intertwined with the shadow- realities beyond the Prime Material Plane. They are often classed with magic users, since phantasmal magic operates in the same manner as arcane spells—indeed, some sages state that it represents a different means of tapping into the same source. Illusionists are dependent upon their spell books, and can only normally cast spells they have learned from these books (exception: spells may be cast from illusionist scrolls). Acquisition of new spells is difficult and demanding, and must normally be accomplished through adventuring, although illusionists will automatically receive one new spell of the highest spell level that he or she may cast upon completing training after acquiring a new level of experience. They are limited by their intelligence in what spells they can learn according to the same table as provided under magic users.
4 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3
5 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4
6 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5
7 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6
8 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7
9 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -5 -6 -7 -8
10 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9
At 10th level, an illusionist may establish a stronghold, usually a tower or small keep, as a fighter does. ABILITIES SPELLCASTING: Illusionists may memorize and cast phantasmal spells in accordance with the tables provided below. A beginning illusionist character will know four spells. Two spells should be chosen by the player from the list of first level spells, and the other two should be determined randomly from the list of first level spells. Illusionist spells are written in phantasmal script, which can ordinarily only be deciphered by an illusionist. Illusionists do not employ (or require) the read magic spell. MINIMUM SCORES: Str 6, Dex 16, Int 15, Wis 6, Cha 6 HIT DIE TYPE: d4 (max 10) ALIGNMENT: Any EXPERIENCE BONUS: None ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: None WEAPONS PERMITTED: Dagger, dart, oil, staff
16
WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 1 + 1 per 5 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -5
WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: N/A
Illusionist Level Advancement Level Base XP Required Hit Dice (d4) Notes 1 2 1 0 1 1 2 2,500 2 2 3 4,750 3 2 1 4 9,000 4 3 2 5 18,000 5 4 3 6 35,000 6 4 3 7 60,250 7 May hire followers 4 3 8 95,000 8 4 3 9 144,500 9 5 3 10 220,000 10 Master of Phantasms 5 4 11 440,000 10+1* 5 4 12 660,000 10+2* 5 5 13 880,000 10+3* 5 5 14 1,100,000 10+4* 5 5 15 1,320,000 10+5* 5 5 16 1,540,000 10+6* 5 5 17 1,760,000 10+7* 6 5 18 1,980,000 10+8* 6 6 19 2,200,000 10+9* 6 6 20 2,420,000 10+10* 6 6 21 2,640,000 10+11* 6 6 22 2,860,000 10+12* 6 6 23 3,080,000 10+13* 6 6 24 3,300,000 10+14* 6 6 * Constitution-based hp adjustments no longer apply. Each level gained thereafter requires 220,000 experience points and grants +1 hit point.
3 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6
Spells by Level 4 5 1 2 2 2 1 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 2 4 3 4 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 5 6 5 6 6 6 6
6 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 6
7 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 5
Illusionist Saving Throw Table Level 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 11 9 7 5 3
Illusionist To Hit Table Level Roll required to hit Armor Class -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 1-5 26 25 24 23 22 21 6-10 24 23 22 21 20 20 11-15 22 21 20 20 20 20 16-20 20 20 20 20 20 20 21+ 20 20 20 20 19 18
Type of Saving throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 15 14 13 13 11 11 9 10 7 8
-4 20 20 20 19 17
-3 20 20 20 18 16
-2 20 20 19 17 15
MAGI CUSER Magic users are a rare breed—practitioners of the mysterious art of arcane spell casting. A lengthy apprenticeship of study and practice allows these somewhat eerie individuals to store arcane energy within their minds and to release it in the form of spells. Magic users cast spells by speaking a few magic words, weaving complex gestures in the air, and employing rare and magical materials. While magic users (with illusionists) are the weakest character class in combat, this weakness is balanced by possessing the most powerful and versatile spells in the game. The full underlying principles of magic are beyond mortal comprehension; even wizards of the profoundest intellect struggle from momentary inklings to understand its more complex patterns. Nevertheless, those character who possess formidable intelligence and a certain intuitive gift, who are willing to devote themselves to a lifetime of study, may in time sufficiently master the art to be capable of shifting mountains and shattering entire armies. High-level magic users are the most feared and dangerous characters in the game. Magic users do not gain bonus spells for high intelligence scores; intelligence does determine which spells they can understand and how many spells they may learn for each spell level.
-1 20 20 18 16 14
0 20 19 17 15 13
1 20 18 16 14 12
2 19 17 15 13 11
Petrifaction, Polymorph 13 11 9 7 5
3 18 16 14 12 10
4 17 15 13 11 9
5 16 14 12 10 8
Spells for unlisted categories 12 10 8 6 4
6 15 13 11 9 7
7 14 12 10 8 6
8 13 11 9 7 5
9 12 10 8 6 4
10 11 9 7 5 3
Magic users are dependent upon their spell books, and normally may only cast spell they have learned from these books (exception: magic users may cast spells from arcane magical scrolls). Mages may not cast spells from divine, druidic or phantasmal magic scrolls. The acquisition of a new spell is difficult and demanding and must normally be accomplished through adventuring, although the mage will automatically receive one new spell of the highest spell level that he or she may cast upon acquiring a new level of experience. A1E magic users are superficially similar to the wizards of fantasy literature such as Gandalf and Merlin, but they are more closely similar to mages described in the works of Jack Vance. His “Dying Earth” cycle, and particularly “Rhialto the Marvellous”, are highly recommended. Magic users are the only class capable of fabricating magic items that they cannot themselves employ. Clerics, druids and illusionists can fabricate magic items, but only those they themselves can use; items such as magical swords, that no primary spell casting class may use, are in their creation the sole province of magic users. At 11th level, a magic user may establish a stronghold (usually a tower or small keep) in the same manner as a fighter.
17
ABILITIES SPELLCASTING: Magic users may memorize and cast arcane spells in accordance with the tables provided below. A beginning magic user character will know four spells. One of these will automatically be Read Magic. The second spell should be chosen by the player from the list of first level spells, and the last two should be determined randomly from the list of first level spells. ELDRITCH CRAFT (7TH): Mages of 7th or higher level may create magical potions, scribe arcane scrolls (of spells that he or she already knows) and recharge magical rods, staves and wands. This process should be overseen by the GM, who must take care to ensure that it is not too easy! A long list of ingredients will always be required, some of which should be expensive, and others of which should be a challenge to acquire.
ELDRITCH POWER (12 TH): Magic users of 12 th level or higher may attempt to create other magical items by means of the enchant an item spell. However, this is even more difficult than creating a potion or scroll, and the various components required should be of a rarity and value appropriate to the magic item under consideration. Even then, success will not be guaranteed. MINIMUM SCORES: Str 3, Dex 6, Int 9, Wis 6, Con 6, Cha 6 HIT DIE TYPE: d4 (max 11) ALIGNMENT: Any EXPERIENCE BONUS: Int 16+ ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: None WEAPONS PERMITTED: Dagger, dart, oil, staff WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 1 + 1 per 5 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -5 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: N/A
Magic User Spell Acquisition Table Intelligence Score Chance to Understand Spells (d%) 9 35 10-12 45 13-14 55 15-16 65 17 75 18 85 19 90
Minimum/Maximum Spells Understood Per Level 4/6 5/7 6/9 7/11 8/14 9/18 10/22
Magic User Level Advancement Level Base XP Required Hit Dice (d4) Notes 1 2 3 1 0 1 1 2 2,400 2 2 3 4,800 3 2 1 4 10,250 4 3 2 5 22,000 5 4 2 1 6 40,000 6 4 3 2 7 60,000 7 Eldritch Craft 4 3 2 8 80,000 8 4 3 3 9 140,000 9 4 4 3 10 250,000 10 4 4 3 11 375,000 11 Wizard 4 4 4 12 750,000 11+1* Eldritch Power 5 4 4 13 1,125,000 11+2* 5 5 4 14 1,500,000 11+3* 5 5 5 15 1,875,000 11+4* 5 5 5 16 2,250,000 11+5* Mage 5 5 5 17 2,625,000 11+6* 5 5 5 18 3,000,000 11+7* Archmage 5 5 5 19 3,375,000 11+8* 5 5 5 20 3,750,000 11+9* 5 5 5 21 4,125,000 11+10* 6 6 5 22 4,500,000 11+11* 6 6 6 23 4,875,000 11+12* 6 6 6 24 5,250,000 11+13* 6 6 6 * Constitution-based hp adjustments no longer apply. Each level gained thereafter requires 375,000 experience points and grants +1 hit point.
Spells by Level 4 5 6 1 2 2 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 2 4 4 2 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 5 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6
7 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6
8 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5
9 1 1 2 2 2 3 3
Magic User Saving Throw Table Level 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 11 9 7 5 3
Type of Saving Throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 15 14 13 13 11 11 9 10 7 8
Petrifaction, Polymorph 13 11 9 7 5
Spells for unlisted categories 12 10 8 6 4
18
Magic User To Hit Table Roll required to hit Armor Class Level -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 1-5 26 25 24 23 22 21 6-10 24 23 22 21 20 20 11-15 22 21 20 20 20 20 16-20 20 20 20 20 20 20 21+ 20 20 20 20 19 18
-4 20 20 20 19 17
-3 20 20 20 18 16
-2 20 20 19 17 15
PALADI N
-1 20 20 18 16 14
0 20 19 17 15 13
1 20 18 16 14 12
2 19 17 15 13 11
3 18 16 14 12 10
4 17 15 13 11 9
5 16 14 12 10 8
6 15 13 11 9 7
7 14 12 10 8 6
8 13 11 9 7 5
9 12 10 8 6 4
10 11 9 7 5 3
those higher than 10 th level thrice per week. Paladins themselves are completely immune to disease.
A paladin is a paragon of righteousness sworn to be, and always to remain, Lawful Good. If this vow is ever breached, the paladin must atone and perform penance to be decided by a powerful NPC cleric of the same alignment—unless the breach was intentional, in which case the paladin instantly loses his or her enhanced status as a paladin and may never regain it. Such a “fallen paladin” is in all respects a fighter, with no special powers, for the remainder of his or her career.
DETECT EVIL: A paladin may detect evil at any range up to 60 ft at will, provided he or she concentrates on doing so. protection from evil: A paladin radiates an aura within a 10 ft radius, equivalent to the clerical spell protection from evil.
The Paladin class in A1E superficially resembles such legendary warriors as Sir Galahad or Sir Gawaine of the Arthurian cycle, but is more closely similar to characters described in the works of Poul Anderson. His “Three Hearts and Three Lions” is particularly highly recommended.
TURN UNDEAD (3RD): Paladins of third level and higher gain the ability to turn undead as a good aligned cleric does, but as a cleric of two levels lower than the paladin’s level.
Paladins suffer the following restrictions: First, the paladin may never possess more than ten magic items, and no more than a single suit of magic armor with no more than one magic shield may be so owned. Second, the paladin must always give away a tenth of any money which he or she receives to some Lawful Good cause, and if he or she has any money remaining after paying his or her costs (such as maintaining equipment and paying servants’ wages) this surplus must be likewise donated. Third, paladins will not associate with characters who are not Good in alignment save under very exceptional circumstances (i.e., if approved by the GM). ABILITIES IMPROVED SAVING THROWS: The paladin uses a more favorable saving throw table than other classes (see table, below). CURE DISEASE: Paladins can cure disease (as the clerical spell) by touch, once per week. Paladins of higher than 5 th level may do so twice per week, and
LAY ON HANDS: Once per day, the paladin may heal 2 hit points/ level to any creature touched (e.g. a third level paladin would heal 6hp with this ability)
SUMMON WARHORSE (4 TH): At fourth level, the paladin may summon a special Paladin’s Warhorse, a heavy warhorse with enhanced hit points, intelligence and movement speed. Such a destrier may be called only once every ten years. BONUS ATTACKS (8 TH): Paladins gain additional attacks as fighters do, but less swiftly. A paladin has one attack at 1 st to 7th level, 3/2 attacks at 8 th to 14th level, and two attacks at 15 th level and above. If the optional weapon specialization rules are permitted by the GM, paladins may specialize as fighters do, save that they receive fewer proficiencies and gain extra attacks more slowly as described above. CLERICAL SPELLCASTING (9 TH): Paladins gain the ability to cast certain cleric spells at 9 th level (see table, below). MINIMUM SCORES: Str 12, Dex 6, Con 9, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 17 HIT DIE TYPE: d10 (max 9) ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good only EXPERIENCE BONUS: Str and Wis 16+ ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Any WEAPONS PERMITTED: Any WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 3 + 1 every 2 PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -2 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: Optional rule—as fighter
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Paladin Level Advancement Spells by Level Level Base XP Required Hit Dice (d10) Notes Spell Casting Level 1 2 3 4 1 0 1 0 2 2,550 2 0 3 5,500 3 Turn Undead 0 4 12,500 4 Warhorse 0 5 25,000 5 0 6 45,000 6 0 7 95,000 7 0 8 175,000 8 Bonus Attacks 0 9 325,000 9 Knight 1 1 10 600,000 9+3* 2 2 11 1,000,000 9+6* 3 2 1 12 1,350,000 9+9* 4 2 2 13 1,700,000 9+12* 5 2 2 1 14 2,050,000 9+15* 6 3 2 1 15 2,400,000 9+18* 7 3 2 1 1 16 2,750,000 9+21* 8† 3 3 1 1 17 3,100,000 9+24* 8† 3 3 2 1 18 3,450,000 9+27* 8† 3 3 3 1 19 3,800,000 9+30* 8† 3 3 3 2 20 4,150,000 9+33* 8† 3 3 3 3 21 4,500,000 9+36* 8† 4 3 3 3 22 4,850,000 9+39* 8† 4 4 3 3 23 5,200,000 9+42* 8† 4 4 4 3 24 5,550,000 9+45* 8† 4 4 4 4 * Constitution-based hp adjustments no longer apply † 8th is the ceiling spell casting level for paladins; they may never cast spells as a High Priest or Priestess does. Each level gained thereafter requires 350,000 additional experience points and gains 3hp. NB: Paladins do not gain bonus cleric spells for having high wisdom. This ability is limited to “true” priests, i.e. clerics or druids. Paladin Saving Throw Table Level 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14 15-16 17-18 19+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 14 13 11 10 8 7 5 4 3 2
Paladin To Hit Table Roll required to hit Armor Class Level -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 1 25 24 23 22 21 20 2 24 23 22 21 20 20 3 23 22 21 20 20 20 4 22 21 20 20 20 20 5 21 20 20 20 20 20 6 20 20 20 20 20 20 7 20 20 20 20 20 19 8 20 20 20 20 19 18 9 20 20 20 19 18 17 10 20 20 19 18 17 16 11 20 19 18 17 16 15 12 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 18 17 16 15 14 13 14 17 16 15 14 13 12 15 16 15 14 13 12 11 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 17 14 13 12 11 10 9 18 13 12 11 10 9 8 19 12 11 10 9 8 7 20+ 11 10 9 8 7 6
Type of Saving throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 15 12 14 11 11 9 10 8 7 6 6 5 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2
-4 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
-3 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
-2 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
-1 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
0 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
2 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1
Petrifaction, Polymorph 13 12 10 9 7 6 4 3 2 2
3 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2
4 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3
5 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4
Spells for unlisted categories 15 14 12 11 9 8 6 5 4 3
6 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5
7 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6
8 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7
9 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8
10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9
RANGER Rangers are a special variation of the fighter class. They are modeled on such characters of fiction as Aragorn and Robin Hood and are particularly expert in 20
wilderness situations. Rangers are defenders of the poor and serve to protect civilization from the evil forces that lurk beyond civilized lands.
65% chance in urban or dungeon settings (again, modified by the GM to take account of local conditions).
Rangers must abide by certain limitations, in the same fashion as paladins: First, the ranger must always remain of good alignment (lawful, neutral or chaotic). Any deliberate change in the ranger’s alignment away from good will result in the character becoming a mere fighter, with 8-sided hit dice, never able to regain rangerhood. An unintentional change will transform the character into a fighter as above, but in this case, with sufficient questing and atonement, the ranger may be permitted to recover his or her status. The GM will determine the precise details of this process according to the situation.
BONUS ATTACKS (8 TH): Rangers gain additional attacks as fighters do, but less swiftly. A ranger has one attack at 1 st to 7th level, 3/2 attacks at 8 th to 14th level, and two attacks at 15 th and above. If the optional weapon specialization rules are permitted by the GM, rangers may specialize as fighters do, save that they receive fewer proficiencies and gain extra attacks more slowly as described above.
Second, rangers may not employ mercenaries or servants until they reach 8 th level or higher. Even once permitted, a ranger may not employ any mercenary or servant who he or she suspects (or ought to suspect) is not of good alignment.
SPELL CASTING (8 TH): At eighth level, rangers receive limited spell powers, drawn from the Druid and Magic user spell lists according to the table given hereafter.
Third, a maximum of three rangers may travel or operate together at any one time.
BAND OF FOLLOWERS (10 TH): Rangers of 10th level or higher receive a special body of followers. The GM will determine the exact nature of a ranger’s special followers, but the group may include unusual and magical creatures; centaurs and werebears, for example, would be possible followers.
Fourth, rangers travel light and may not keep any more treasure than they can lift (including any amount the ranger can carry on his or her steed, if any).
SCRYING DEVICE USE (10TH): Rangers of 10th level or higher may use crystal balls and other such devices that permit magical scrying.
ABILITIES
MINIMUM SCORES: Str 13, Dex 6, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 6 HIT DIE TYPE: d8 (max 11 at 10 th level) INITIAL HIT DIE: 2* ALIGNMENT: Any good EXPERIENCE BONUS: Str, Int, and Wis 16+ ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Any WEAPONS PERMITTED: Any WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 3 + 1 every 2 PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -2 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: Optional rule—as fighter
ALERT AGAINST SURPRISE: Rangers are less likely to be surprised (only on a 1 on 1d6), and more likely to surprise others (1-3 on 1d6) than other character classes. DAMAGE BONUS VS. HUMANOIDS: Rangers receive a bonus of +1 damage per ranger level against evil humanoid or giantish opponents (including such creatures as orcs, goblins, and giants, for example). Thus, a 3 rd level ranger would receive +3 damage per hit against these creatures. This damage bonus applies only in hand-to-hand “melee” combat. TRACKING: Rangers may track other creatures, with a base 90% chance of success in rural settings (modified by the GM according to such factors as the age of the trail, the prevailing terrain and current weather conditions) and a base
* Rangers are different from fighters and paladins in terms of hit points. Rangers roll 8-sided dice to determine their hp, but they receive two such dice at first level. They gain 1d8 per level thereafter until they achieve a ceiling of 11 hit dice (at tenth level).
Ranger Level Advancement Level
Base XP Required
Hit Dice (d8)
Notes
Spell Casting Level 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6† 6† 6† 6† 6† 6† 6†
Druid Spells 1 2
3
1 0 2 2 2,250 3 3 4,500 4 4 9,500 5 5 20,000 6 6 40,000 7 7 90,000 8 May employ followers 8 150,000 9 Bonus attacks 1 9 225,000 10 1 10 325,000 11 Ranger Lord (Lady) 2 11 650,000 11+2* 2 12 975,000 11+4* 2 1 13 1,300,000 11+6* 2 1 14 1,625,000 11+8* 2 2 15 1,950,000 11+10* Bonus attacks 2 2 16 2,275,000 11+12* 2 2 1 17 2,600,000 11+14* 2 2 2 18 2,925,000 11+16* 3 2 2 19 3,250,000 11+18* 3 2 2 20 3,575,000 11+20* 3 3 2 21 3,900,000 11+22* 3 3 2 22 4,225,000 11+24* 3 3 3 23 4,550,000 11+26* 4 3 3 24 4,875,000 11+28* 4 3 3 * Constitution-based hp adjustments no longer apply † 6th is the ceiling spell casting level for rangers. Each level gained thereafter requires 325,000 additional experience points and gains 2hp. NB: Rangers do not gain bonus druid spells for having high wisdom. This ability is limited to “true” priests, i.e. clerics or druids.
Mage Spells 1 2
1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4
1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3
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Ranger Saving Throw Table Level 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14 15-16 17-18 19+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 16 15 13 12 10 9 7 6 5 4
Ranger To Hit Table Level -10 -9 -8 1 25 24 23 2 24 23 22 3 23 22 21 4 22 21 20 5 21 20 20 6 20 20 20 7 20 20 20 8 20 20 20 9 20 20 20 10 20 20 19 11 20 19 18 12 19 18 17 13 18 17 16 14 17 16 15 15 16 15 14 16 15 14 13 17 14 13 12 18 13 12 11 19 12 11 10 20+ 11 10 9
-7 22 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8
-6 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
-5 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6
Type of Saving Throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 17 14 16 13 13 11 12 10 9 8 8 7 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2
-4 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
Petrifaction, Polymorph 15 14 12 11 9 8 6 5 4 3
Roll required to hit Armor Class -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 20 20 20 20 19 18 17 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2
T HI E F Thieves sneak furtively in the shadowed alleyways of cities, living by their wits. They are often members of the criminal underclass, usually trained by a thieves’ guild in the arts of burglary and stealth. It is not uncommon for a thief to seek out the great rewards that can be gained from the adventuring life, especially when circumstances require lying low for a while. Most thieves come from the teeming masses of a large city, wherein a thieves’ guild is often the only source of justice and exercises as much power as the city’s legitimate government. Of course, not all thieves are members of a guild. Some are freelancers, evading both the authorities and the guild, living on the edge of the knife. Some are even found working on the side of the law; agents or spies who use their skills in more accepted (though equally shadowy) pursuits. A thief character must be of any neutral or evil alignment. Neutral good thieves are permitted because of the neutral component of their alignment. Sensible adventuring parties will almost always include a thief, for the skills of such a character are invaluable in reaching inaccessible places via climb walls, pick locks, and so on. In addition, dungeons frequently contain traps which must be located and disarmed, and the thief’s cunning and stealth conspire to make him or her very useful in a scouting role. Thieves in A1E are modeled on characters of fiction and legend, particularly characters from the works of Fritz Leiber and Jack Vance. Leiber’s “Lankhmar” series is highly recommended, particularly for its description of the operation of a typical thieves’ guild; but the high-level thief’s ability to read (or misread) magic scrolls is a nod to Vance’s Cugel.
4 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3
5 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4
Spells for unlisted categories 17 16 14 13 11 10 8 7 6 5
6 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5
7 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6
8 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7
9 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8
10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9
number shown on the die. Damage modifiers (such as those pertaining to strength or magic) are not multiplied from a backstab. CLIMB: Climbing represents a thief’s ability to scale sheer walls and surfaces, cling to ceilings, and perform other feats of climbing that would normally be impossible. Climbing checks must ordinarily be repeated for every ten ft of climbing. Non-thieves cannot climb walls, cliffs, or any vertical surface without the use of a rope or magic, making the presence of a thief vital to many adventuring parties. FIND TRAPS: This ability represents the thief’s minute visual inspection of a new area for tiny telltale signs that something of interest or danger may be concealed nearby. It requires a full turn (10 minutes) to accomplish. HIDE IN SHADOWS: Some shadow must be present for this ability to be used, but if the check is successful the thief is effectively invisible until he makes an attack or moves from the shadows. The ability can also be used to blend in with a crowd of people rather than disappear into shadows. MOVE QUIETLY: Use of this skill allows the thief to move with preternatural silence even over surfaces such as squeaky floors. OPEN LOCKS/ DISARM T RAPS: Opening locks and disarming traps (without springing them) is a skill unique to thieves, which cannot be successfully attempted by members of other classes. A thief can also set traps (with the same chance as to disarm). PICK POCKETS: If the thief’s pick pockets check fails by 20% or more, then his or her attempt has been discovered and the intended victim will almost always take hostile action.
ABILITIES BACKSTAB: If the thief can approach his or her target unobserved and strike with a melee weapon, the attack is made at +4 to hit. Damage from a backstab is doubled—or trebled if the thief is of 5 th level or higher. Thieves of 9 th level or higher do quadruple damage, while those of 13 th or greater level quintuple the
READ LANGUAGES: The thief may attempt to read languages and ciphers of a non-magical nature only. THIEVES’ CANT: Thieves have their own language.
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READ SCROLLS (10 TH): When a thief reaches 10 th level, he or she has become well-versed enough in training to cast spells from an arcane or phantasmal scroll (magic user or illusionist). However, this casting is not always successful. The thief should roll against his or her intelligence as a magic user or illusionist does, and if the score shown on the die is insufficient for the thief to cast the spell, then the casting will fail, possibly (at the GM’s option) having some entirely unexpected effect.
ALIGNMENT: Any neutral or any evil EXPERIENCE BONUS: Dex 16+ ARMOR/SHIELD PERMITTED: Leather or studded leather only, no shields WEAPONS PERMITTED: Club, dagger, dart, oil, sling, single-handed swords (except bastard swords) WEAPON PROFICIENCIES: 2 + 1 every 4 levels PENALTY TO HIT FOR NON-PROFICIENCY: -3 WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: N/A
MINIMUM SCORES: Str 6, Dex 9, Con 6, Int 6, Cha 6 HIT DIE TYPE: d6 INITIAL HIT DIE: 1
Thief Level Advancement Level Base XP Required Hit Dice (d6) Notes 1 0 1 2 1,250 2 3 2,500 3 4 5,000 4 5 10,000 5 6 20,000 6 7 40,000 7 8 70,000 8 9 110,000 9 10 160,000 10 Master Thief; may read scrolls 11 220,000 10+2* 12 440,000 10+4* *Con-based hp adjustments no longer apply Each level thereafter requires 220,000 experience points and grants +2 hit points. Thief Skills Table—Base chance Level Climb Walls Find Traps 1 80% 25% 2 82% 29% 3 84% 33% 4 86% 37% 5 88% 41% 6 90% 45% 7 91% 49% 8 92% 53% 9 93% 57% 10 94% 61% 11 95% 65% 12 96% 69% 13 97% 73% 14 98% 77% 15 99% 81% 16 99% 85% 17 99% 89% 18 99% 91% 19 99% 93% 20 99% 95% 21 99% 97% 22 99% 99% 23 99% 99% 24 99% 99%
Hear Noise 10% 13% 16% 19% 22% 25% 28% 31% 34% 37% 40% 43% 46% 49% 52% 55% 58% 61% 64% 67% 70% 73% 76% 79%
Thief Skills Table—Dexterity adjustments Dexterity Climb Walls Find Traps 9 -15% 10 -10% 11 -5% 12 13 14 15 16 17 +5% 18 +10% 19 +15%
Hear Noise -
Hide in Shadows 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 91% 92% 93% 94% 95% 96% 97% 98% 99%
Hide in Shadows -10% -5% +5% +10% +15%
Move Quietly 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 91% 92% 93% 94% 95% 96% 97% 98% 99%
Move Quietly -20% -15% -10% -5% +5% +10% +15%
Open Locks 30% 34% 38% 42% 46% 50% 54% 58% 62% 66% 70% 74% 78% 82% 86% 90% 92% 93% 94% 95% 96% 97% 98% 99%
Open Locks -10% -5% +5% +10% +15% +20%
Pick Pockets 35% 39% 43% 47% 51% 55% 59% 63% 67% 71% 75% 79% 83% 87% 90% 91% 92% 93% 94% 95% 96% 97% 98% 99%
Pick Pockets -15% -10% -5% +5% +15%
Read Languages 1% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 92% 94% 96% 98% 99%
Read Languages -
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Thief Skills Table—Racial Adjustments Race Climb Walls Find Traps Hear Noise Hide in Shadows Move Quietly Open Locks Pick Pockets Read Languages Dwarf -10% +15% -5% +15% -5% Elf -5% +5% +5% +10% +5% -5% +5% +10% Gnome -15% +5% +10% Half-elf +5% +10% Halfling -15% +5% +15% +15% +5% -5% Half-orc +5% +5% +5% +5% -5% -10% Human +5% +5% Note: Subject to the GM’s discretion, no combination of adjustments can reduce a thief’s chance of success in a thieving skill below 1% or increase it above 99%. In other words, there is always a small chance of success or risk of failure unless the GM decides the circumstances are exceptional. Thief Saving Throw Table Level 1-4 5-8 9-12 13-16 17-20 21+
Aimed Magic Items (e.g., rod, staff, wand) 14 12 10 8 6 4
Thief To Hit Table Level -10 -9 1-4 26 25 5-8 24 23 9-12 21 20 13-16 20 20 17-20 20 20 21+ 20 19
-8 24 22 20 20 20 18
-7 23 21 20 20 19 17
-6 22 20 20 20 18 16
-5 21 20 20 19 17 15
Type of Saving throw Breath Weapons Death, Paralysis, Poison 16 13 15 12 14 11 13 10 12 9 11 8
-4 20 20 20 18 16 14
Petrifaction, Polymorph 12 11 10 9 8 7
Roll required to hit Armor Class -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 20 20 20 20 20 19 18 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 13 12 11 10 9 8 7
VARI ANTCL AS SE S
4 17 15 12 10 8 6
5 16 14 11 9 7 5
Spells for unlisted categories 15 13 11 9 7 5
6 15 13 10 8 6 4
7 14 12 9 7 5 3
8 13 11 8 6 4 2
9 12 10 7 5 3 1
10 11 9 6 4 2 0
After a month, they will assume the task is beyond the Bounty Hunter and return home.
RANGER
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
BOUNTY HUNTER
HUNTER
Bounty hunters are a variation on the Ranger class and conform to that class in every way except those detailed here. They concentrate on hunting other men rather than humanoids. Since the Bounty Hunter’s primary focus is in bringing targets alive to face justice, rather than killing them, they are not required to be evil like assassins.
Hunters are a variation on the Ranger class and conform to that class in every way except those detailed here. They concentrate on hunting animals rather than humanoids. Hunters serve not only to provide food for their settlements but also to protect them from dangerous predators. ABILITIES
ABILITIES DAMAGE BONUS VS. WANTED TARGETS: Bounty Hunters do not gain a damage bonus against humanoids. Rather, they gain a damage bonus against anyone with a reward out for his or her life.
This reward must be at least 100 gp times the Bounty Hunter’s level. Bounty Hunters that reduce a target to zero hit points can choose to render him unconscious rather than kill him. Often the reward for bringing a living criminal to justice is double or more what it is for bringing him in dead. Bounty Hunters can inflict bonus damage on wanted targets with ranged weapons. POSSE COMITATUS (10 th): Bounty Hunters do not receive a special band of followers as Rangers do. However, when a Bounty Hunter of 10 th level or higher agrees to hunt down a target he may form a Posse comitatus of able bodied men to assist in his search.
A Bounty Hunter’s posse will contain the following: one follower of one-half the Bounty Hunter’s level (often a member of the Bounty Hunter class herself); 1d6 followers of 2 nd level; 1d6 followers of 1 st level. These followers require no pay, being interested in bringing a criminal that wronged their community to justice but the Bounty Hunter must feed and provision them for the duration of their service. A posse will only stay with the Bounty Hunter until the target they were organized to capture is brought down, or one month.
DAMAGE BONUS VS. ANIMALS: Hunters do not gain a damage bonus against humanoids. Rather, they gain a damage bonus against animals. What constitutes an animal is partially up to the game master. In general, any creature that exists in our world, or has existed in our world, including giant varieties of these creatures, should be considered an animal for the purposes of this ability, rather than just the creatures listed under “animal” in the A1E core rules. Creatures that are fictional or have great intelligence or other magical abilities should not be considered animals.
So, for example, Giant Ants, Giant Spiders and Dinosaurs would qualify for the damage bonus granted by this ability, since all of these creatures either do exist on our world (albeit at a much smaller size) or have existed on our world in the past. However a Lycanthrope or a Sea Serpent would not qualify. Hunters can inflict their bonus damage on animals with ranged weapons (normally bonus damage can only be inflicted with melee weapons). SPELLCASTING (8 th level): Hunters do not receive spells of any kind. Their natural opposition to nature precludes any druidic training while learning magic-user spells is far too scholarly a pursuit for a rugged hunter. HUNTING PARTY (10th): Hunters do not receive a special band of followers as Rangers do. However, when a dangerous animal threatens an area a Hunter can organize a hunting party to help him deal with the animal.
A hunting party will consist of the following: one follower of one-half the Hunter’s level (always a member of the Hunter class); 1d6 followers of 2 nd level; a number of 1 st level followers equal to the hit dice of the creature sought.
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These followers require no pay and since a number of them will be skilled hunters, they can feed themselves so long as the hunting party is in the wilderness. Besides the assistant Hunter, most of the members of a hunting party will not be Hunters (most will be Fighters). However, while in the hunting party, they gain a +2 damage bonus with melee weapons against the target animal due to the expertise and direction of the lead Hunter. If a hunting party spends more than a week outside the normal territory of the animal they were gathered to hunt, they will assume that the Hunter has given up and will disperse. SCRYING DEVICE USE (10th level): Hunters have little aptitude or patience for magical studies and do not learn to use scrying devices. RANGER LEVEL ADVANCEMENT: Since Hunters possess fewer abilities than Rangers (in particular they lose the magical abilities of that class) they use the Fighter experience table for advancement, rather than the Ranger table.
ABILITIES CAUSE DISEASE: Anti-Paladins cannot cure disease, though they can inflict disease on their opponents. DETECT GOOD: Anti-Paladins detect good as Paladins detect evil. PROTECTION FROM GOOD: Anti-Paladins radiate an aura of protection vs. good in a 10 ft. radius. SMITE: Once per day an Anti-Paladin can vent his righteous fury on a Good opponent, increasing the damage of a successful attack by +1 per level. The Anti-Paladin must use this ability before an attack roll and if the attack does not succeed, the ability is wasted for the day. COMMAND UNDEAD (3rd): Anti-Paladins command undead as evil clerics do. ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
MULTI CLASSI NGANDDUALCLASSI NG
POACHER
Multi-classing, which is an option available only to non-human characters, is simultaneous advancement in two or more different classes. Dual-classing, an option available only to human characters, is the ability to switch classes and begin advancing exclusively in a new character class. Specific information about the interaction of the restrictions and abilities of a multi-classed character are described in the racial description of each race. Gnomish multi-classed characters are, for example, limited to leather armor in order to cast spells, while elven multi-classed characters are not. These restrictions reflect the particular nature of the non-human races and thus are detailed in the race descriptions. There is a general rule, however, that a cleric/fighter may use edged weapons. When a non-human character has more than one character class, any experience points gained by the character will be divided evenly between these two classes, even once the character can no longer progress in one of the classes.
Poachers are a variation on the Ranger class and conform to that that class in every way except those detailed here. They are enemies of nature and are committed to hunting down its protectors, especially Druids and Rangers. ABILITIES DAMAGE BONUS VS. DRUIDS AND RANGERS: Poachers do not gain a damage bonus against humanoids. Rather, they gain a damage bonus against Druids, Rangers and good-aligned Sylvan or Faerie creatures. They might also gain this bonus against other creatures at the discretion of the game master.
Poachers can inflict their bonus damage on clerics and druids with ranged weapons. SPELLCASTING (8th): Poachers are antithetical to everything druidic orders stand for and receive no training in Druid spells from such orders, though they gain Magic-User spells normally.
However, Poachers of 8th level and above do receive special training from other Poachers on how to resist Druidic spells and gain a +4 bonus to saving throws against any spell cast by a Druid or Ranger (including Magic-User spells cast by a Ranger). POACHING PARTY (10th): Poachers do not receive a special band of followers as Rangers do. However, they do gather like-minded individuals around themselves starting at 10 th level if such is their desire.
A poaching party will consist of the following: one follower of one-half the Poacher’s level (always a member of the Poacher class); 1d6 followers of 2 nd level (always members of the Hunter class); one 1 st level follower for each level beyond 10 th gained by the Poacher (50% chance to be a member of the Hunter class, otherwise these are Fighters). These followers will stay with the Poacher as long as he is in the wilderness. They will stay outside if he ventures into a city, as they are neither comfortable nor welcome in such environments. Should the Poacher spend more than a month straight in a city, his poaching party will disperse and he will have to gather a new one, requiring at least 30 days (more if the Poacher makes a habit of allowing his poaching parties to disperse). Members of a poaching party that are killed are replaced after 1-2 weeks. ALIGNMENT: Evil
PALADIN ANTI-PALADIN
Anti-Paladins are a variation on the Paladin class and conform to that class in every way except those detailed here. They are warriors as honorable as Paladins in their own way but devoted to the service of evil deities.
When the character advances in one of his or her classes, additional hit points are determined by rolling the appropriate die (d4 for magic users and illusionists, d6 for thieves and assassins, etc.), adding the appropriate constitution modifier, and dividing by the number of classes involved (so two for a cleric/thief, or three for a fighter/cleric/magic user, for example). It is therefore entirely possible for a multi-class character to be at different levels of experience in different classes. As an extreme example, a half-orcish cleric/assassin of level 4/15 is possible. Optional Rule: Some GMs limit elven and half-elven fighter/ magic users and fighter/magic user/clerics in respect of the armor they may wear while casting spells. If this optional rule is in play, such a character may only cast arcane spells if unarmored—unless they are wearing elfin chain. The character may still cast divine spells regardless of the armor he or she is wearing. (This rule assumes that elfin chain is specially designed to allow fighter/magic users to wear it.) Dual-class characters are humans who elect to change irrevocably from one class to another. The character class of a nonhuman represents talents and abilities that are somewhat more innate than those of humankind. Humans are more flexible and can generally become more skilled in any one class than nonhumans, but lacking the innate talents of the other races, they can only focus upon one class at a time.
In order to switch from one class to another, the human character must have an ability score of 15+ in the prime requisite(s) of the original class, and of 17+ in the prime requisite(s) of the new class. The character retains his or her hit points. He or she can use the particular abilities of the original class, but doing so will cause the character to forfeit all experience points from that adventure (as determined by the GM). This restriction applies until the character has advanced in the new class to a level at least one higher than was attained in the original class. When the character begins the process of learning a new class, he or she gains the abilities of the new class as a first level member of that class, and all experience is applied to progressing in the new class. The character gains no additional hit points until reaching a level in the new class one higher than in
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the original class, after which time the character’s hit points advance as per the new class. Unlike multi-class characters, dual-classed characters cannot perform the functions of several different classes simultaneously. So, for example, an elven fighter/magic user could cast arcane spells while wearing armor, but a human dual-classed fighter and magic user would have to remove his or her armor to do the same thing. However, with dual-classed characters, any combination of classes is possible, provided the character qualifies in terms of ability scores and can comply with any relevant alignment restrictions. Theoretically, an individual with very high ability scores could play a cleric/paladin or a magic user/illusionist.
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SKILLS
This chapter provides a simple and straightforward method of handling general skills and talents. This system will allow a degree of character customization while also providing mechanics consistent with A1E design principles. The mechanics behind this system are based on 1 st and 2nd edition concepts previously used for skill mechanics, with some OGL modifications to tighten up the system a bit. This skill system is designed to supplement the class mechanics to allow for additional flavor to characters, but it does not replace skills which are specific to certain classes.
CHOOSI NGSKI LL S Skills use “slots” which are attained in much the same manner as weapon proficiency slots in the standard A1E rules. The number of slots allotted depends on the character’s class, according to the following chart. Skill slots are used to purchase skills that belong to the class category of the character. Each category of skills as defined by class has a corresponding number of skill slots it costs to purchase the skill for the character. In order for a character to purchase a skill that is not in his class group, he must spend one extra slot in addition to the base cost. Finally, there is a special group of General Skills. These can be purchased by any other character no matter what their class is, regardless of cost. Many of these general skills cost ½ a point. A character that spends a skill slot on a ½ skill may either purchase two such skills, or he receives the skill plus one bonus improvement point (see below). Some of the skill options below include weapon maneuvers. These maneuvers allow characters to improve their opportunity to hit or add damage bonuses. Weapon maneuvers are available to any character who purchases them, but can only be used in conjunction with weapons in which the character has (or can have) proficiency. Thus, a fighter could use any of the listed maneuvers (if he learns them) with any of his weapons, while a magic-user would be limited to daggers, staves and darts.
SKILL SLOTS AND LEVEL ADVANCEMENT Characters gain new skill slots as they advance in level, as shown on table 2.4 below. When the character achieves the level indicated, he gains the new slot, but he may be subject to training rules (see Who Can Train). Characters also receive 1 improvement point at each level of advancement (except 1 st level). See Improvement Points for more on improvement points.
OPTIONAL RULE: BONUS SKILL SLOTS BY INTELLIGENCE You may choose to convert your number of bonus allotted languages in to a number of bonus skill slots. Using this method, you may spend skill slots to learn languages, although you should always start with the common tongue and any racial or class languages. The maximum number of languages still indicates how many languages your character is capable of knowing under ordinary circumstances. GMs may optionally declare that bonus skill slots from intelligence may only be used to purchase skills that have intelligence, wisdom or charisma as a modifier. Under this option, if the skill is physical in nature, then only standard skill points can be used to purchase it.
IMPROVEMENT POINTS At each level of advancement a character receives one bonus point that can be added to the skill value of any existing skill he already knows. These improvement points reflect the experience the character gains with skills with which he is already familiar with. It is not the same as achieving a new skill slot, in that it reflects an improvement on his existing knowledge. A character can, if he chooses, switch a new skill slot out for 2 improvement points, rather than gain a new skill.
SKILL SLOT CHART The skill slot chart include the number of skill slots each class starts with at level 1, the number per level gained by each class, and the available skill categories. Characters that purchase skills that do not come from their available categories pay one extra slot on the cost of the “off category” skill.
Skill Slot Chart Class Number of Starting Slots Assassin 3 Cleric 4
New Slots Per Level 1 per 4 levels 1 per 3 levels
Druid
4
1 per 3 levels
Fighter Illusionist Magic-User Paladin
4 4 4 4
1 per 3 levels 1 per 3 levels 1 per 3 levels 1 per 3 levels
Ranger Thief
4 3
1 per 3 levels 1 per 4 levels
Available Skill Categories rogue, general religious, general religious, general warrior, general arcane, general arcane, general religious, warrior, general warrior, general rogue, general
MULTICLASS ADVANCEMENT Multiclass characters get access to both class categories and receive the largest number of starting slots at the fastest advancement of slots per level. A thief/magic-user, for example, would get 4 slots at first level, advance at a rate of 1 per 3 levels, and have access to the general, rogue and arcane groups.
T RA I NI NGS KI L L S Characters begin already trained in the skills they purchase at 1 st level. Thereafter, any new skills must be trained, unless it is agreed upon due to ingame circumstances by both GM and player that sufficient in-game activity was performed to justify the acquisition of a new skill without proper training. Each skill includes a basic training cost and training time (see chart below) determined by the category of skill in question. This cost indicates the suggested gold piece value of training as well as a randomized allotment of time which must be passed before the skill is achieved. This time could be passed during the course of an adventure in the campaign if the character has purchased the services of a tutor, or a fellow player character has the skill, and there is a period of time sufficient to allow for training. Typically a character is assumed to have spent 4-6 hours a day practicing the skill and that training beyond that point can be fatiguing and counterproductive Likewise, less effort than required is wasted effort. Skill Training Cost and Time Category Cost Time General 10 GP/week 1D6 weeks Rogue 50 GP/week 1D10 weeks Warrior 50 GP/week 2D4 weeks Religious 100 GP/week 1D6 months Arcane 100 GP/week 1D6 months
WHO CAN TRAIN Any character with training in a skill can train another character in that skill. Hirelings who have the skill in question can also teach the skill, although accommodations must be made to insure that the player character and hireling tutor are in the same place for the necessary period of time.
ABSTRACT TRAINING OPTION GMs and players who wish to hand-wave training may assume that it is going on between game sessions, during long voyages, or pretty much whenever the characters are “off stage.” In such cases the GM can simply require that the gold piece cost of training be paid and the skill is automatically granted, or he can just declare that the skill has been achieved and disregard the cost.
CALCULATI NGSKI LLVALUES Each skill has a value that is determined by a relevant characteristic (strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom or charisma) plus a listed modifier. To determine the skill value, you take the relevant stat and add the skill modifier listed. For example, horsemanship is a dexterity based skill with a +3 modifier. Example: Hailaesun the fighter is dexterity 15. The skill provides a +3 modifier. Thus, his horsemanship would be a base of 18.
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At each level you gain one improvement point that can be used to enhance any one skill you already have. Example: At level 2 Hailaesun decided he wants to be even better at horsemanship than he already is, so he may add his improvement point and he will now be a master horse warrior with horsemanship 19.
MAKING A SKILL CHECK Characters can perform a number of stunts and attempt a variety of tasks with their skills. As a rule, it is the job of the GM to arbitrate difficulty tasks with the skills in question (see the Difficulty Levels chart below). The basic level of difficulty (easy) requires one roll on a D20, which is compared to the skill level in question. If the roll is equal to or under , then the character succeeds at the intended task with the skill. If the roll is over, then he fails. The length of time that it takes to succeed at a task depends upon the nature of the skill being used. As a rule of thumb, most skills require a turn, or approximately 1 minute to complete. Some skills are persistent (such as riding a horse) and the skill check may not be necessary until a specific event calls for one (such as the horse slipping on a narrow mountain path). Finally, skills involving extensive research (such as using history to read through an ancient tome and determine if it is a correct rending of events) could take hours or even days. GMs should keep an eye on making sure skill lengths are accurately represented.
DIFFICULTY CLASS GMs should consider the difficulty of any skill task before the player makes a skill check. There are two methods to handling skill modifiers. The first is to provide a bonus or penalty to the skill and the second is to provide a bonus or penalty to the die roll. The difficulty chart assumes you are penalizing the skill (by adding bonuses and subtracting penalties from the skill value) so if you apply the difficulty to the die roll then you would add negatives and subtract positives. You might want to try either method and see which suits you better. Example: Hailaesun has stumbled across a mysterious animal carcass he wants to identify. He has Animal lore at 10, and makes a D20 roll. The GM has ruled the skill has a difficulty -2 (difficult). Hailaesun can either modify the skill (-2 being a bad number, he subtracts it for a modified skill of 8) or he can modify his die roll, which would mean he reverses the number, so a -2 actually adds 2 to the die roll.
SKILL DIFFICULTY MODIFIER OPTION Under this method, the GM tells the player if he adds or subtracts a certain number by difficulty from the skill. The player then rolls the dice to see if he succeeds. GMs who want to determine success or failure in secret (such as when the player might not be aware he is being tasked for some reason) can opt to let the player roll and apply penalties in secret, asking for the degree of success by which the player made his roll. Example: Hailaesun is attempting a riding maneuver. Hailaesun rolled a 13 on a D20 against his horsemanship, and the GM knew the difficulty was a -5 penalty, and then Hailaesun’s skill level of 19 was actually reduced to 14. So he would have succeeded on a 13, which was 6 points better than he needed (and therefore 1 more than the -5 penalty). Suggested modifiers by difficulty are provided on the following chart: Difficulty Levels Difficulty Modifier -10 -8 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5
Ease of Task impossible crazy extremely hard hard very difficult difficult mildly difficult average easy very easy simple trivial usually automatic
AUTOMATIC SUCCESS If a skill level after modifiers is over 20, the GM should usually rule that the success is automatic (although he may want a roll to determine degree of success; see 4.5). OPTIONAL: CRITICAL SUCCESS AND FAILURE
As an optional rule, any roll of a natural 20 on the die is an automatic failure, and leads to potentially disastrous consequences at the GM’s discretion. Any roll of a natural 1 on the die roll indicates a critical success, and a special additional event that benefits the character as a result of his skill check should happen.
DEGREE OF SUCCESS Sometimes it can be important to determine just how well a character succeeded at a given task. This can affect contested skills (see below in Contested Skills) and it can also reflect degrees of success for tasks in which it is not as simple as success or failure. To determine degree of success or failure, subtract the skill value (after any modifiers) from the die roll result. The net difference is the degree of success. Suggested ranges are as follows: Degree of Success Chart Difference of Roll from Skill of Success -11 or greater -10 to -8 -7 to -5 -4 to -3 -2 to -1 0 +1 to +2 +3 to +4 +5 to +7 +8 to +10 +11 or greater
Suggested Degree
you’ve made a huge mistake… that probably hurt catastrophic failure total failure close call failure barely succeeded moderate success decent impressive brilliant! GM should check your dice for odd weights
Example: Hailaesun is engaged in a series of contests involving feats of strength. The GM rules he needs to make an Endurance test to see how well he fares in the contests over the course of an hour. His Endurance skill is 12, and he rolls a 7 on a D20. 12 minus 7 is 5 under (+5 on the chart) so he has an impressive success…the GM rules that he won the contests. Had he rolled an 18 instead, then it would have been very bad; 12 minus 18 is -6, a catastrophic failure! The GM could have ruled he fell on his face in the log running contest and was knocked out cold…
COOPERATIVE SKILLS Sometimes characters may wish to assist one another at a task with which they are both proficient. Each character may attempt a skill roll, and the character providing assistance will add a +2 bonus to success to the lead character’s skill value as long as he makes an average success on his own skill.
CONTESTED SKILLS Sometimes characters might find themselves in opposition to one another. When this happens, each character may attempt a skill check. The degree of success becomes important here: the character who succeeds by a greater margin wins the contest of skills. Example: Eudap the dwarf is going to drink Hailaesun under the table, so they each make a skill check against their Endurance skill. Hailaesun has a 12, but the dwarf has an Endurance skill of 18 (being a dwarf and all). Hailaesun rolls a 3 (a 9 point margin of success), and Eudap rolls a 7 (an 11 point margin of success). After a short while, Hailaesun is slumped on the ground, incoherent and drunk, while Eudap is ready for a fifth round of dwarven whiskey.
AD HOC SKILLS AND MONSTERS Oftentimes PCs might find themselves trying to interact with a monstrous opponent. When the opponent does not have a standard ability or skill set, the GM can either assign an appropriate score on the spot, or use the following formula: Physical Skills: Assume 8+Hit Dice for the score. 28
Hailaesun the horse nomad is now ready to go!
Reduce by ½ if the skill is Dexterity-based and the creature has no fine manipulation ability and likewise for Strength-based skills if the creature has high hit dice but is described as otherwise weak, physically. Intelligence/Mental Skills: for monsters of average or lower intelligence, use a base score of 8+1/2 hit dice for the contested skill. For monsters of “very or high” intelligence, use 10+1/2 level. For monsters of “exceptional or genius” intelligence use 12+1/2 level for the score. Default: Unless otherwise noted, or unless there is a reason to think otherwise, the GM can always default to a base score of 10 for any contested skill check with monsters. OPTIONAL: MONSTERS WITH SKILLS BY ROLE
A GM who needs a set of skills for monsters can use the above guidelines as needed, but if you would like a more definitive methodology, the following is suggested: skill sets are provided for monsters by role, including the clever monster, the smart monster, the fast monster and the brutish monster. Clever and smart monsters advance in skills at the same rate as magic-users for purposes of this system, while fast monsters advance like thieves and brutish monsters advance like fighters. It is left to the discretion of the GM to assign such roles to the monsters of A1E as needed.
UNTRAINED SKILLS Most skills can be performed untrained if pressed. To determine an untrained skill value, take the base trained value of the skill (see the Skill Chart table) and subtract 10. This is the untrained value for that character. If the value is 0, then that character cannot attempt the skill untrained. Characters can only attempt untrained skills that belong to their available skill categories ( see Skill Slot Chart table ). UNTRAINED OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS
Optionally, GMs could allow all characters to have untrained observational skills (alertness, listening, and search) at base values equal to the trained value minus 5. These are adventurers, after all, and they should have some reasonable chance of noticing unusual and dangerous events…
THES KI L LL I S T The following skill chart provides a summary of skills available in the game. This skill chart attempts to find a balanced medium between a good diversity of skills and skills which seem all-encompassing. For example, the ability to survive in the wilds should reasonably include the ability to start a fire with a couple sticks and some spare time, but not necessarily the ability to hunt big game or identify wild animals. You can add new skills to the list. Simply determine the key properties of the skill in question (what it lets the character do), its cost in slots, its base characteristic, any base modifiers, untrained value, training cost and time to learn. Skill Build Example: Hailaesun is a fighter, and at level one he takes his weapon proficiency slots and applies them to his preferred weapon skills (as a fighter he gets 4 slots at first level, so he chooses scimitar, long bow, and dagger, then scimitar for his fighter specialty.) Next, Hailaesun receives four starting skill slots at first level. He has an intelligence of 10, so he is eligible for two bonus skill slots (the GM has ruled that bonus skill slots are allowed, but languages must now be purchased with skill slots). Hailaesun is human so gets the common tongue for free. He picks orcish as a second language, using up one slot. He then looks at the fighter skill selection and chooses the following: endurance and bowyer/Fletcher. Khorsus has two remaining slots left, and decides to pick the general skills horsemanship and animal lore. He then grabs wilderness lore to fill out his roster. He calculates his skill values as follows: Endurance 12 (equal to Con) Horsemanship 18 (equal to Dex plus 3) Bowyer/Fletcher 13 (equal to Dex minus 2) Animal Lore 10 (equal to Int) Wilderness Lore 11 (based on Wis) 29
Skill Chart General Skills Professional Skills Agriculture Animal Husbandry/Handling Blacksmithing* Brewing Carpentry Cobbling Cooking Horsemanship Jeweler Mining Pottery Riding, Unusual Seamanship Seamstress/Tailor Stonemasonry Weaving Arts/Performance Skills Calligraphy/Scribner Dancing Musical Instrument * Painting Sculpting Singing Social Skills Etiquette Heraldic Lore Languages* Athletic Skills Juggling Jumping Mountaineering Running Swimming Observational Skills Alertness Listening Search Religious Skills Ancient History Ancient Languages* Astronomy/Astrology Healing Herbalism History Navigation Theology Spell Lore Rogue Skills Appraisal Blind-Fighting Disguise Fast Talk Forgery Gambling Read Lips Set Traps Streetwise Tightrope Walking Tumbling Ventriloquism Warrior Skills Animal Lore Blind-Fighting* Bowyer/Fletcher Charioteering Dual Weapon Fighting* Endurance Hunting Navigation Shield & Sword*
Cost ½ ½
Value Wis+2 Wis
1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ Cost
Str Int-2 Str Dex Int Dex+3 (Dex+Int/2)-1 Wis+Str/2 Dex Dex Dex+1 Dex-1 Str-2 (Int+Dex/2)-1 Value
½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 Cost ½ 1 1 Cost 1 1 1 ½ 1 Cost 1 1 1 Cost 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Cost 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Cost 1 2 1 1 2
Dex-3 Dex Dex-1 Dex-2 Dex-2 Cha Value Cha Int Int Value Dex-2 Str Str+Dex/2 Con Con+Str/2 Value Int+Wis/2 Wis (special) Int Value Int-1 Int-1 Int Wis-2 Int-2 Int Int-2 Wis Int-2 Value Int CM Cha-2 Cha Dex-2 Cha Int-2 Dex-2 Cha Dex-2 Dex Int-2 Value Int CM Dex-1 Dex+2 CM
1 1 1 2
Con Wis-1 Int-2 CM
Trick Shot* 2 CM Two-Handed 2 CM Combat* Unarmed Combat* 2 CM Wilderness Lore* 1 Wis Arcane Skills Cost Value Ancient History 1 Int-1 Ancient Languages 2 Int-1 Arcana* 1 Int Astronomy/Astrology 1 Int-1 Engineering 2 Int-3 Herbalism 1 Int-2 History 1 Int Navigation 1 Int-2 Occult 1 Int Philosophy 1 Int Theology 1 Wis Spell Lore 1 Int-2 CM = combat maneuvers; these do not have skill values, providing modifiers to combat rolls instead. * = These skills grant more benefits when additional skill slots or improvement points are allotted to them ½ = these skills cost half a skill slot; if you have half a point left over and nothing to spend it on, then you may convert ½ of a skill slot in to 1 improvement point.
ENHANCING SKILLS Some skills grant additional benefits when more than one skill slot (not improvement points) is applied to them. For example, the languages skill grants one language per slot spent on the skill. The blacksmithing skill grants a general familiarity with smithing, but a second skill slot adds weapon smithing, and a third slot adds armor smithing. Arcana grants basic knowledge or arcane lore for one skill slot, but additional skill slots allow the character to gain specific information not normally available.
SKI LLDESCRI PTI ONS The following skill descriptions provide a brief summary of the use and purpose of each skill:
AGRICULTURE Agriculture reflects knowledge of horticulture, farming, and seasonal effects on crops, planting, harvesting and other chores normal to farm work.
ALERTNESS Alertness is a useful skill for adventurers. It reflects active and situational awareness. Characters with alertness may notice something unusual or odd out of the corner of their eye seconds before an ambush, or may spot the loose stone slab that triggers a trap as their ally steps on it. Alertness cannot detect a thief hidden in the shadows who has made a successful hide roll without beating an extremely hard success (-5 penalty) unless the lighting is not in the hidden thief’s favor, and the alert character must actively state he is looking for the thief in question. Using the optional rule (4.5.1) all characters have a base alertness score of (Int+Wis/2)-5; adding a slot to the skill removes the -5 penalty.
ANCIENT HISTORY Ancient history reflects knowledge of the distant past; exactly how ancient the lore is depends upon the GM’s chosen setting; a world in which events 500 years ago seem half mythical would consider such knowledge ancient, while another realm in which the last thousand years of recorded history are common knowledge would consider ancient history much more venerable. At the GM’s option characters may have to declare a chief specialization in this skill, being a particular era or region in which the character is well versed; every additional improvement point spent adds one additional area of specialization. Attempts to learn the ancient lore of a region outside of the area of specialization are typically at -2 penalties to success or worse.
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ANCIENT LANGUAGES This skill serves two purposes. When first chosen the character gains one new ancient language, and every additional skill slot spent adds an additional ancient language. Additionally, the character is experienced in interpreting ancient script, and may attempt to do so (in a manner similar to a thief’s read languages) except he is limited to actual, real languages; codes, ciphers, runes, cryptic writing or completely dead and unknown languages remain the in the domain of the thief.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY/HANDLING This skill grants a familiarity with the handling, care, training, driving and veterinary management of animals.
ANIMAL LORE This skill involves the lore and knowledge of animal habits, behavior, tracks, scat, dens, and natural habitats. This skill deals specifically with natural animals, but can help to identify when a creature is mythical or monstrous, as well. Monsters which exist as natural creatures in the local ecology can be identified and studied with this skill.
APPRAISAL This skill allows for the analysis and evaluation of the worth of valuables, be they works of art, coin or magical items. The degree of success or failure should be used by the GM to determine how accurate the appraisal ends up being.
ARCANA Arcana reflects the functional occult lore of the character, his ability to identify a type of spell being cast, the actual nature of the spell, and his ability to discern old enchantments or enchanted items and beings from mundane entities. The effective spell level of any enchantment should serve as a penalty to chance of success when using this skill (for example, a mage trapped in hallucinatory terrain would require a -4 penalty on any arcane check to discern he was in fact trapped in some sort of illusion.) Arcana can be used to determine if an object is magical without casting the detect magic spell at the GM’s permission, although any attempt to sense a magic item’s inherent enchanted nature should be at a -5 penalty to success. Each additional slot allotted to arcana allows the character to add one specialization to his focus (illusions, summoning, necromancy, and so forth). Each specialization grants a +2 bonus when identifying arcane effects related to the indicated type of magic.
ASTRONOMY/ASTROLOGY This skill encompasses the study of the stars and their movements, and the predictive abilities one gains from studying them for purposes of navigation and time keeping. A character with this skill can tell when the solstice or equinox occur, predict lunar stages, eclipses, and other phenomena. The astrological component allows them to make predictions or attempt to divine the fortune or astrological data on other characters, although success may depend either on chance, whim, or degree of success on the die roll at the GM’s decree. A character who is trained in navigation as well as this skill should receive a +2 synergy bonus to both skills when using them in conjunction to navigate by the stars.
BLACKSMITHING Blacksmithing is the working of metals in to useful items. The first slot spent on this skill grants the character proficiency with basic smelting and handling techniques and an ability to forge and hammer out simple useful items such as horseshoes, hammers, nails and so forth. Additional slots grant two specializations (each costing one slot): armor smithing and weapon smithing. A character who gains one or both of these specializations can craft finely made steel weapons and armor. The cost of materials is usually equal to 40+2D10% of the base purchase cost of the item to be forged. The construction of the item in question will take 4D8 hours for single-piece items, but suits of armor will take 1D4 days per point of
armor class bonus granted (1D12 days per point for ring and chain mail!). These are guidelines only, and should be modified according to the circumstances of the game, number of assistants in the task, and any other circumstantial modifiers.
BLIND-FIGHTING This combat maneuver reduces the penalty to fighting in darkness. The character has trained and practiced techniques of fighting in the dark that help his other senses to determine where his foe is to both strike and parry more effectively. As such, a character with this combat maneuver receives only a -2 penalty to hit and armor class when fighting in total darkness or blinded. For a second skill slot, the character reduces the penalties to -1.
BOWYER/FLETCHER This skill allows the character to craft his own bows and arrows from raw materials gathered in the woods. This skill, coupled with blacksmithing, allows the character to also produce crossbows (both skills are required; use the better skill total for the crafting of crossbows). See the advice under the blacksmithing skill for suggestions on calculating material cost and time to produce.
BREWING This skill deals with the art of brewing alcohols of various types and kinds. A character may opt to choose a specialization when picking this skill; he gains a +2 bonus to the skill when brewing his preferred alcoholic beverage. This can be a timeconsuming process, one which is best managed by starting the stills up before leaving for a dungeon delve, and checking back in when returning from a good haul… All dwarves receive a +2 bonus to the brewing skill.
CALLIGRAPHY/SCRIBNER Calligraphy and scribner reflect skills of transcription and penmanship. Vital to a seneschal or nobleman, these skills can dramatically improve the appearance and worth of any written words or notes, and a letter, book or code penned by a professional is both more legible and likely to be taken more seriously. A character trained as a scribner may be able to discern some hidden truths about the nature of another’s handwriting or to learn something or the technique and thusly where the note originates from.
CARPENTRY The skill of carpentry is ages-old and a useful talent, though perhaps one adventurers will most likely call upon when barricading a door from marauding zombies or orcs. Carpenters can build buildings and other structures, as well as determine the stability or worth of existing wooden constructions. An especially cheap high level character who seeks to build a villa or other domicile on the spoils of his delves might enjoy the use of this skill to shave off some construction costs.
CHARIOTEERING Mastery of chariots is a difficult task. Not nearly as simple as simply driving a wagon on, the skill of charioteering encompasses combat maneuvers, directing the horses and other skills necessary to survive this art. It may not be a skill available in the region of the adventurer’s delves, depending upon the time and place which the setting is based on. Charioteering can be used very simply through skill contests to resolve races or other activities, but in combat it should require a skill check every round to insure that the chariot is directed in the manner desired by the driver. A catastrophic failure (rolling a 1) inevitably lead to the device flipping over, a wheel snapping, or a horse collapsing, followed by appropriate saving throws and damage rolls.
COBBLING The art of shoemaking is an oft overlooked skill for adventurers, and for good reason; it is not something an adventurous sole is likely to take up (pun intended). That said, if you have a player who is audacious enough to choose this professional skill for his character, I suggest rewarding him by having the party’s boots stolen by gremlins in the night, allowing him the opportunity to shine by concocting new shoes for everyone, just in time for the passage through the lava chambers of doom. 31
