Character Classes
Class Alignment Restrictions
No class has any alignment-based requirements. You can play a Chaotic paladin or a Lawful Good druid if you really want to. Some classes have "Roleplaying" requirements which replace the alignment requirements, and other restrictions, like the Paladin's code of conduct, still apply.
Favored Classes
Characters suffer no experience point penalties for multiclassing. Instead, they gain the ability to perform the favored action associated with their racial favored class, if 50% or more of their class levels (not including Prestige Classes) are in their racial favored class. If their race has a favored class of "Any," they can use the Favored Action associated with the core class in which they have the most levels (if there is a tie, it is the class that was most recently higher). If the favored action involves an attack, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw, they do NOT get to add 1d6 to that roll. If they do not have at least 50% of their class levels (not including Prestige Classes) in their racial favored class, they are not able to use any favored action. See Action Points, below, for more information.
Core Classes
Barbarian
The fighting style of the barbarian is considered primitive and savage by most people. Yet, barbarians still exist in remote wilderness areas, and can frequently be found in places like Jarlheim and northern Corsom.
Roleplaying: A barbarian's rage ability stems from his strong emotions. A barbarian character who does not have strong emotions can't use his rage ability.
Favored Action: Unstoppable Rage: A barbarian can spend an action point during a rage to gain a further +4 Constitution for the duration of the rage. This can only be used once per rage.
Bard
The bardic tradition is considered part of the peasantry, and most bards are lower-class individuals with some talent seeking fame and fortune. Bardic magic is basically the same as sorcerous magic; in fact, bardic music was initially developed to help "disguise" sorcerer spellcasting when it was forbidden by the Church. Because of this, bards are still not fully trusted -- they are entertaining, but you wouldn't want your daughter to marry one.
Roleplaying: Bards live by their wits, and must be capable of improvising and accomplishing their goals without a lot of planning. A bard who relies too much on advanced planning or systematic behavior is not able to use bardic music.
Game Rules: Each bard gains the benefit of one minor bloodline, and may take a feat (Improved Arcane Blood) to upgrade this to a moderate bloodline. They do not need to give up levels to gain these benefits, but only gain benefits for progressing in bard levels, not character levels. Levels of sorcerer and bard stack to determine bloodline abilities (a character may only have one bloodline).
Spellcasting: A bard doesn't need to consume any Essence to prepare or cast spells. A spell with a costly material component still requires Essence, though. She must merely be touching the Essence during the spellcasting in order to use it.
Favored Action: Harmonics: The bard can spend an action point to begin a new bardic music effect while maintaining an existing effect, to use two music effects at once. Only two music effects can be used at once.
Cleric
Clerics are one of the driving forces behind the political landscape. They control not only the souls of their parishoners, but also the Magicants.
Game Rules: Clerics can be of any alignment, but can't cast spells or choose a domain that opposes their alignment (so an evil cleric can't cast good spells or choose the Good domain). Good clerics much channel positive energy and evil clerics must channel negative energy. Also, most clerics are pantheistic, worshipping multiple deities -- a cleric's choice of domains is usually based on religion, not a specific god.
Spellcasting: Divine casters ingest Essence during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp worth of Essence per caster level. A divine caster that does not partake in the daily Essence can't cast spells that day.
Favored Action: Communion: A cleric can spend an action point as a full-round action to learn whether a proposed action will further the interests of her god or religion. This functions just like the augury spell, but the result ("weal," "woe," etc.) is from the point of view of the deity -- an action that might be "weal" for the character might produce a "woe" result if it is bad for the deity.
Druid
As the priests of the Old Ways, druids are not common and usually keep their nature a secret, ministering to remote villages or just living in the wilderness. Their religion is considered a heresy for they put no stock in the teachings of Jordana.
Spellcasting: Divine casters ingest Essence during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp worth of Essence per caster level. A divine caster that does not partake in the daily Essence can't cast spells that day.
Roleplaying: Druids must revere nature and the natural order, and reject the notion that humans are in any way different from or better than other animals. A druid who holds strong moral or ethical beliefs is unable to assume wild shape.
Favored Action: Aspect: A druid in
wild shape can spend an action point to gain the Extraordinary Special Qualities (such as scent and blindsense) of her chosen form for 10 minutes.
Elite
Elites are gradually replacing fighters as the main warrior tradition; they are certainly more popular amongst nobles, who don't want to bother wearing cumbersome, unstylish armor.
Game Rules: The elite class is a "light fighter" homebrew class, suitable for fencers, swashbucklers, ninjas, etc. Complete game rules located here: The Elite.
Favored Action: Speed Burst: An elite can spend an action point to take an extra move action during her turn.
Fighter
Many wars have been fought, and fighters have been on the front lines of all of them. The fighter is a more traditional warrior, such as would be found in Garland or Frelund (in urban settings like Renflour, Chirmont and Alluvan, the elite is more common).
Favored Action: Power Strike: A fighter can spend an action point to have his attack deal maximum damage, rather than rolling damage. Extra damage dice that are not multiplied on a critical hit (such as sneak attack damage or damage from a flaming weapon) is not maximized.
Paladin
Paladins are almost all members of a Church sect known as the Lightbearers, although there are some paladins associated with Independant Temples. Never terribly common to begin with, paladins are finding it harder and harder to practice their moral righteousness in an increasingly complicated world. Consequently, they tend to favor frontier or monster-plagued areas.
Game Rules: Paladins can multiclass freely. In place of a Special Mount at 5th level, a paladin can get a bonus feat, selected from the fighter list, at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter.
Spellcasting: Divine casters ingest Essence during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp worth of Essence per caster level. A divine caster that does not partake in the daily Essence can't cast spells that day.
Roleplaying: Paladins can be of any alignment, but must still obey the paladin Code of Conduct.
Favored Action: Death Smite: A paladin who spends an action point to add a bonus to an attack roll while making a smite attack also deals an additional +2d6 points of damage.
Ranger
An ancient and tradition of wilderness warriors and skilled guides, rangers serve as the paladins of the Old Ways, scouts of noble armies, and crafty leaders of Essence-smuggling bands. With the discovery of Heartstones, capable rangers are also in much demand as monster hunters.
Spellcasting: Divine casters ingest Essence during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp worth of Essence per caster level. A divine caster that does not partake in the daily Essence can't cast spells that day.
Favored Action: Smite Enemy: The ranger can spend an action point to make a smite attack against a favored enemy. He adds his Wisdom bonus to the attack roll and his character level to the damage roll for a single attack. If the targetted foe is not actually a favored enemy, these bonuses do not apply, and the action point is wasted.
Rogue
Skilled and stealthy individuals are everywhere -- from the back alleys of Lienne to the courts of Chirmont to the ships of Jarlheim. Rogues excel in urban settings, at exploring ancient ruins, at bringing down dangerous magical beasts, and at smuggling Essence.
Favored Action: Precise Sneak Attack: A rogue can spend an action point to deal sneak attack damage from greater than 30 feet away and despite cover and concealment.
Scion
The second and third sons and daughters of the noble houses stand to inherit little of their parents land, so those who are worthy are given the Essence bath as a consolation prize. With supernatural senses and agility, they are master fencers and acrobats, known as scions.
Game Rules: The scion is almost identical to the monk, with the following changes:
- She has Knowledge (Nobility) and Knowledge (Geography) in place of Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (Religion) as class skills.
- Instead of normal monk weapons, she is proficient in all simple weapons, plus the rapier and the short sword.
- She can use her "Flurry of Blows" ability with any weapon that she could use with Weapon Finesse, plus the normal monk weapons.
- She gains Weapon Finesse and Alertness as bonus feats at 1st level.
- Instead of "Ki Strike (Lawful)," she gains "Ki Strike (Slashing and Piercing)," which allows her to consider her unarmed strikes bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage, whichever is most favorable.
- Scions can multiclass freely.
Favored Action: Heightened Awareness: As a free action, a scion can spend an action point to add her Wisdom modifier to her Reflex saves and to any Strength- or Dexterity-based skill checks for one minute.
Sorcerer
During the Renlinean Empire, elven sorcerers were the magical force of the nobility, working together with the clerics to conquer territory and maintain order. When the followers of Jordana overthrew Renlinea during the Great Revolution, sorcerers became targets of persecution, regardless of race. Because of their non-humanoid heritage (all sorcerers are descended from a magical creature of some kind) and lack of dependance upon Essence, the Church has suppressed sorcery for centuries, driving most sorcerers into hiding. Ironically, the Church now supports sorcerers and considers them allies against the dangerous Heartstone-wielding wizards, but few sorcerers have gone public because of lingering prejudice amongst the general population and a widespread beleif that the
extract Heartstone spell works on sorcerers. Many sorcerers choose to carry a thick book and large crystal with them everywhere, effectively disguising themselves as wizards.
Game Rules: Each sorcerer gains the benefit of one minor bloodline, and may take a feat (Improved Arcane Blood) to upgrade this to a moderate bloodline. They do not need to give up levels to gain these benefits, but only gain benefits for progressing in sorcerer levels, not character levels. Levels of sorcerer and bard stack to determine bloodline abilities (a character may only have one bloodline).
Spellcasting: A sorcerer doesn't need to consume any Essence to prepare or cast spells. A spell with a costly material component still requires Essence, though. She must merely be touching the Essence during the spellcasting in order to use it.
Favored Action: Wellspring: Instead of expending a spell slot to cast a spell, a sorcerer can spend an action point.
Wizard
Long ago, the giants practiced wizardry in secret cabals gathered around a Magicant. With the discovery of Heartstones, this art was revived by the nobility, and practicing wizards can be found in all houses in all lands. Officially, the use of Heartstones is forbidden by the Church, but the nobles are considered to be using the Heartstones as a "necessary evil" and are sometimes even portrayed as noble martyrs, although everyone really knows that this is the Church's way of explaining the compromise. Most wizards are members of the noble houses (those who are not, can be persecuted by the Church), and spend their time engaging in magical research and trading arcane secrets.
Game Rules: Wizard spells of 4th level and above are not available for sale on scrolls, because such magic is recently discovered and not widespread. This scarcity also means that wizards must spend more time researching original spells and have less access to established spells -- when a wizard gains a level, at least one of the two free spells he learns must be one that is found on another class's spell list as well as the Sor/Wiz list (as it is easier to develop a spell based on an existing effect than from scratch). Wizards can't summon familiars. A wizard's spellbook is not magical in any way, but copying spells still requires expensive raw materials which are used in the process of learning to cast the spell. Also, Divination specialist wizards must give up two schools of magic, just like everyone else.
Spellcasting: Wizards sprinkle Essence on their Heartstones during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp per caster level. Unlike divine casters, a wizard only needs to prepare spells when he wants to replenish spell slots or change prepared spells -- so if he prepares spells (supplying Essence to the Heartstone) and then doesn't cast any spells for a few days, those spells will still be available without further Essence application.
Favored Action: Polymath: When a wizard casts a spell, he can spend an action point to spontaneously cast a spell he knows but has not prepared, expending a prepared spell of equal or lesser level. For example, a wizard who has a fireball spell prepared could spend an action point to cast dispel magic, using up the fireball as though it had been cast.
Yeoman
The bulk of the people of the world are, and have always been, yeoman.
Game Rules: The yeoman class is an "expert" homebrew class, designed to replace the expert & commoner classes, but remain roughly balanced with the other core classes (ordinary people simply have fewer levels, rather than a worse class). Complete game rules located here: The Yeoman.
Favored Action: Scramble: A yeoman can spend an action point to gain the benefit of a feat he does not have for one round. He must meet all of the feat's prerequisites normally.
Action Points
Action points provide characters with the means to affect game play in significant ways. A character always has a limited amount of action points, and while the character replenishes this supply with every new level he or she attains, the character must use them wisely.
Gaining Action Points
All characters begin game play with 5 action points. Each time a character gains a level, they recieve 5 more action points. There is no limit to the number of action points a character can accumulate in this fashion -- a 20th-level character could have 100 action points if they never spend any!
The only way for a character to lose an action point is to spend it (described under "Using Action Points," below). However, once an action point is spent, it is gone forever. The only way to gain more action points is to gain a level.
When creating a character above 1st level, they begin play with a number of action points equal to their level + 5. For example, if you create a 12th-level character, they begin with 17 action points. This represents a character having spent 4 action points at every level and saving 1.
Only important NPCs should have action points. They gain action points in the same fashion as player characters and in the same amounts, and can use them on the same things.
Using Action Points
A character can spend 1 action point to do one of these things:
- Add 1d6 to a single d20 roll used to make an attack, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw. A character can declare the use of 1 action point to alter a d20 roll after the roll is made -- but only before the GM reveals the result of that roll (whether the attack or check or saving throw succeeded or failed). A character can’t use an action point on a skill check or ability check when he or she is taking 10 or taking 20.
- Automatically stabilize when dying. Instead of rolling d% to determine whether the character stabilizes, the character spends an action point.
- Enhance the use of a feat that the character posesses. The character uses the point and gains additional benefits from the feat. If the feat involves an attack, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw, you do NOT get to add 1d6 to that roll.
- Perform the favored action associated with your racial favored class, if 50% or more of your class levels (not including Prestige Classes) are in your racial favored class. If your race has a favored class of "Any," you can use the Favored Action associated with the core class in which you have the most levels (if there is a tie, it is the class that was most recently higher). If the favored action involves an attack, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw, you do NOT get to add 1d6 to that roll. If you do not have at least 50% of your class levels (not including Prestige Classes) in your racial favored class, you are not able to use any favored action.
Important: A character can only spend 1 action point in a round. If a character spends a point to use a class feature, he or she can’t spend another one in the same round to improve a die roll, and vice versa.
Action Point Feat Enhancements
Augment Summoning: A character with this feat can spend an action point and grant any of the normal benefits to one of his summoned creatures instead of himself. For example, he could spend an action point to add 1d6 to the attack roll of one of his summoned creatures. He can still only spend one action point per round.
Blind-Fight: You can spend 1 action point to negate your miss chance for a single attack.
Cleave: You can move 5 feet before making the extra attack granted by the Cleave feat. This movement provokes an AoO as usual; it is not a 5-foot step. You may move even if you have used up all your movement for the round or are making a full attack.
Combat Expertise: You can spend 1 action point to double the bonus to Armor Class granted by the feat for one round. For example, if you take a penalty of -3 on your attack roll, you gain a +6 dodge bonus to AC.
Combat Reflexes: You have no limit to the number of Attacks of Opportunity you can make for one round.
Deflect Arrows: Deflect as many projectiles as you wish for one round.
Diehard: You can act normally (rather than acting disabled) for one round, and don't lose a hit point for doing so.
Dodge: You can spend 1 action point to add a dodge bonus of +1d6 to your AC for one round.
Far Shot: Reduce range penalties to -1 per range increment (instead of -2).
Great Cleave: You can move 5 feet before making each Cleave attack for the entire round, up to a total distance equal to your normal movement speed.
Improved Critical: You can spend 1 action point to double your critical threat range for one round. Since two doublings equals a tripling, this benefit increases your threat range from 19-20 to 18-20, from 17-20 to 15-20, or from 15-20 to 12-20, including the effect of your Improved Critical feat.
Improved Turning: You can turn creatures as if you were 2 levels higher.
Manyshot: You fire one additional arrow without changing the penalty to your attack roll.
Mobility: The AC bonus granted by the feat doubles (to +8).
Mounted Archery: You suffer no attack roll penalties for ranged attacks while your mount is moving.
Mounted Combat: There is no limit to the number of times you can use this feat for one round.
Power Attack: You can spend 1 action point to double the bonus on damage rolls granted by this feat. For example, if you take a penalty of -3 on your attack roll, you add +6 to your damage roll (or +9 with a two-handed weapon, since a double double is a triple).
Rapid Shot: You don't suffer a -2 penalty to attacks this round on account of using Rapid Shot.
Run: You can turn while running. You may make only a single turn, but it may be in any direction (including a 180-degree turn).
Quick Draw: You can sheath a weapon as a free action which does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Spell Focus: You can spend 1 action point to add +1d6 to save DCs of all spells affected by this feat.
Stunning Fist: The target is stunned for 2 rounds. You must spend this action point before making your attack roll.
Toughness: You gain 3 temporary hit points which last for 1 hour. If you have taken the Toughness feat multiple times, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 3 times the number of Toughness feats you have. For example, if you have taken Toughness 4 times, you would gain 12 temporary hit points for each action point spent.
Two-Weapon Defense: The AC bonus granted by this feat doubles for 1 round (from +1 to +2 or from +2 to +4).
Two-Weapon Fighting: Reduce all TWF penalties by 2 for one round.
Weapon Finesse: You strike swiftly and accurately -- apply your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier to damage for one single attack. You may spend this action point after your attack hits but before rolling for damage.
Weapon Specialization: A fighter with this feat can spend an action point to add to increase damage rolls, just as he would increase an attack roll, saving throw, skill check or ability check. He rolls 1d8 (because it is a +2 bonus; see Bonus-Granting Feats, below) and adds it to the damage roll as a bonus.
Feat Categories
Bonus-Granting Feats: Many feats, such as Alertness, Skill Focus, Iron Will, and Endurance simply grant a bonus on certain d20 checks. Enhancing these feats by doubling the bonus usually does not make sense, because it would be better for the character to simply add 1d6 to the roll. Instead, when a character with one of these feats spends an action point to add to the roll, they add a larger die than 1d6. If the feat grants a +1 or +2 bonus, add 1d8 to the d20 roll instead of 1d6; if the feat grants +3 or +4, add 1d10; if the feat grants +5 or more, add 1d12. For example, when a 5th-level character with the Stealthy feat spends an action point to improve a Move Silently check, they add 1d8 to their check result instead of 1d6. When a 10th-level character with the Skill Focus (Tumble) feat spends an action point to improve a Tumble check, they roll 1d10.
Magic Item Creation Feats: A character can spend an action point to reduce the cost of creating a magic item. When an action point is spent this way, reduce the market price of the item by 50 gp x your caster level (this in turn will reduce the raw materials price, the time to create the item, and the XP required). An item's market price can be reduced to 0, but the time spent to create it can't be reduced to less than 1 day. Once an action point has been spent in this manner, you can't spend another one on magic item creation until you have gained a level.
Metamagic Feats: You can spend 1 action point to add the effect of any one metamagic feat that you have to a spell you are casting. The spell is cast at its normal level (without any level adjustment because of the feat) and takes no extra time to cast. For Heighten Spell, the spell's effective level is heightened to the highest level of spell you are capable of casting.
Skills
Background Skills
To encourage a little roleplaying, characters begin the game with a few free skill ranks in "useless" skills. These are meant to flesh out the character's background knowledge of everyday activities, and shouldn't really help much during an adventure. These skills are based on a character's homeland and thier upbringing.
Homeland
Each character begins with 4 ranks of Knowledge (local) pertaining to their homeland. A character who travelled around a lot during their upbringing can choose Knowledge (Geography) instead.
Upbringing
Each beginning character gets 4 skill points that they can spend on certain skills, representing their upbringing, called their background skills. Only nobles can choose Knowldege (Nobility) and only commoners can choose Profession (Farmer). The background skills available to everyone are: Appraise, Art (Architecture), Art (Body Modification), Art (Design), Art (Fashion), Art (Literature), Art (Painting), Art (Poetry), Art (Sculpture), Craft (Alchemy), Craft (Armorsmithing), Craft (Brewing), Craft (Bowmaking), Craft (Ceramics), Craft (Leatherwork), Craft (Mechanical), Craft (Structural), Craft (Textiles), Craft (Weaponsmithing), Craft (Woodworking), Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Architecture and engineering), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Religion), Language, Perform (Act), Perform (Comedy), Perform (Dance), Perform (Keyboard instruments), Perform (Oratory), Perform (Percussion instruments), Perform (String instruments), Perform (Wind instruments), Perform (Sing), Profession (Chef), Profession (Beurocrat), Profession (Fisherman), Profession (Gambler), Profession (Lumberjack), Profession (Mercenary), Profession (Merchant), Profession (Sailor), Profession (Scribe), Profession (Servant), Profession (Shepherd).
Background skills are restricted by class. Wizards and Sorcerers can't purchase Knowledge (Arcana). Clerics and Paladins can't purchase Knowledge (Religion). Druids and Rangers can't purchase Knowledge (Nature). Bards can't purchase Perform. If a character later multiclasses into a class that restricts their choice of background skills, they can't buy any other skill ranks until they've payed for their ranks of background skill. For example, a fighter with 4 ranks Knowledge (Religion) as his background skill multiclasses, gaining a level of cleric. He gets 3 skill points at this level, and must spend them all on Knowledge (Religion) -- he doesn't gain any new ranks, he's just paying for the ones he already has. If he selects fighter at his next level, he must spend 2 of his skill points to get a cross-class rank of Knowledge (Religion), paying off the 4th rank, before choosing any fighter skills.
A background skill can't be used to fulfill a prerequisite for any prestige class or feat. For example, if you have 4 ranks of Knowledge (Arcana) as a background skill, and a PrC you want has a requirement of "Knowledge (Arcana): 6 ranks," you must obtain 10 ranks of the skill because the first 4 don't count. If you wish, you can give up ranks of background skill before spending skill points, in order to stay within the maximum ranks allowed.
New Skills & New Uses for Old Skills
ART (Cha)
Art is the skill of creating more-or-less useless things which hold aesthetic appeal. Like Craft, Knowledge, and Profession, Art is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Art skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.
The Art skill covers physical objects, such as the visual arts, as well as linguistic works, but only the artistic aspect; to actually build functional things, use an appropriate Craft skill. For example, someone with Craft (ceramics) can make a sturdy pot, and someone with Art (design) can decorate the pot with pretty designs. For the performing arts, use the Perform skill. For example, someone with Art (poetry) could write a sonnet, and then someone with Perform (oral) could read the sonnet.
The categories of the Art skill are described below.
- Architecture (design of buildings; to make sure the buildings stay up, use Knowledge [Engineering])
- Body Modification (tattoos, piercings, ritual scarring, branding)
- Design (paint, textiles, tiles; abstract art, geometric patterns, decoration)
- Fashion (clothing design, jewelry design, accessorizing, telling straight men how to dress)
- Literature (fiction, biographies, historical accounts, scripts)
- Painting (oil, watercolors, pastels, charcoal; portraits, landscapes, representational art)
- Poetry (odes, epic poetry, song lyrics, haiku; for song writing use Perform [Sing])
- Sculpture (clay, stone, bronze; free-standing, relief, mobiles)
Check: You can create a work of art with your talent and skill. This may be an independant piece, such as a painting on canvas, or part of another item, such as a painting on a shield. Because market pressure equalizes the value of an artist's labor over time, the value of the work is tied to how long it takes to produce. A masterwork artisan's tools gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Art checks that involve its use.
| Art Check Result | Value of work |
|---|---|
| 9 or less | Lousy. Worth no money, although it may have sentimental value. |
| 10 | Amateurish. Worth 1 sp per day it took to produce (max 1 gold). |
| 15 | Enjoyable or pleasant work, worth 1d6 sp per day it took to produce (max 10 gold). |
| 20 | Great or noteworthy work, worth 1d20 sp per day it took to produce (max 100 gold). |
| 25 | Memorable or sought-after work, worth around 1d6 gp per day it took to produce (max 1000 gold). |
| 30 | Masterpiece, worth around around 1d20 gp per day it took to produce (no maximum value). |
Action: Varies, but any art check worth money takes at least a day. Simple works, such as most body modifications, designs, or even short poems, often take a day or a few days. Great works, such as lengthy works of literature, massive sculptures, elaborate paintings, and architectural plans for a cathedral, can take months or even years to complete.
Try Again: Yes. Retries are allowed, but they don’t negate previous failures.
DIPLOMACY (Cha)
Check: You can change the attitudes of others (nonplayer characters) with a successful Diplomacy check. In negotiations, participants roll opposed Diplomacy checks, and the winner gains the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve situations when two advocates or diplomats plead opposite cases in a hearing before a third party. Diplomacy also allows you to understand etiquitte and formal interactions, such as the proper form of address.
Change Attitudes: The outcome of any interaction with an NPC is based on that NPC's attitude towards you; by making a sucessful Diplomacy check, you can temporarily change someone's attitude towards you. The DC for this check is 10 + the NPC's hit dice or level + the NPC's Wisdom modifier, the same as the DC for an Intimidate check. If you succeed, the NPC's attitude improves by 1 step; for every 10 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, the NPC's attitude improves by 1 additional step. If you fail by 10 or more, the NPC's attitude drops by 1 step. An attitude can't be dropped to Arch-Nemesis or raised to Devoted through Diplomacy checks. This change in attitude lasts for only one interaction with the NPC.
An "interaction" is when your character asks the NPC to do something, such as give you a particular piece of information, allow you free passage, help you obtain an item, or not cook you and eat you. The NPC decides to do what you ask based on whether it has a good cost/reward trade-off, although their attitude towards you may skew their analysis -- for creatures with a negative attitude, hurting you is its own reward and helping you is a cost, while creatures with a positive attitude will help you for no reward at all. For example, if Hostile creatures capture you and are planning to kill you, you could promise them large sums of money to let you go, without the need for a Diplomacy check. If you don't have enough money, you could use Diplomacy to improve their attitude to Unfriendly (the pleasure of killing you is worth less money to an Unfriendly creature) or Indifferent (an Indifferent creature has no interest in killing you, and so will probably let you go), or you could use a Bluff check to convince them that you do have enough money.
The results of the Diplomacy check last just long enough for you to make a proposal to the creatures and, if they accept, for them to carry it out. Permanently changing a creature's attitude towards you requires roleplaying; if your interactions with the creature generally work out in its favor, its attitude towards you will gradually become more positive, at the DM's discretion.
| Attitude | Perception | Common Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Arch-Nemesis | Hurting you is highest priority | Attack, kill, torture, betray |
| Hostile | Will take risks to hurt you | Attack, interfere, berate, flee |
| Unfriendly | Wishes you ill | Mislead, gossip, avoid, watch suspiciously, insult |
| Indifferent | Doesn’t much care | Socially expected interaction |
| Friendly | Wishes you well | Chat, advise, offer limited help, advocate |
| Helpful | Will take risks to help you | Protect, back up, heal, aid |
| Devoted | Helping you is highest priority | Sacrifice self to help you |
Negotiations: If two parties negotiating to find a solution to a common problem or resolve their differences can't quickly find a mutually agreeable course of action, they can use opposed Diplomacy checks to try to persuade the other to follow their proposed course of action. The winner of the check can persuade the loser to accept a compromise. If one of the parties negotiating has more at stake or feels more strongly about their position, they don't get a bonus to their check, but the higher check result must exceed theirs by at least 5 or 10 points in order to succeed.
Pleading a Case: This is similar to negotiations, but the person deciding the course of action is a third party. Each advocate argues their case and may make a Diplomacy check; the person deciding picks the course of action of the highest check result. If one course of action seems more advantageous to the person deciding, that advocate gets a bonus on their Diplomacy check.
Proper Etiquette: Each culture has its own customs for social interaction, including proper forms of address, exchange of pleasantries, taboo subjects, courtesy, simple rites and ceremonies. You can make a Diplomacy check to see if your character knows the proper customs and etiquette; the DC is usually 10 or 15 for ordinary customs and 20 to 25 for obscure points of etiquette.
Action: Changing others’ attitudes with Diplomacy generally takes at least 1 full minute (10 consecutive full-round actions). In some situations, this time requirement may greatly increase. A rushed Diplomacy check can be made as a full-round action, but you take a -10 penalty on the check. Negotiations or pleading a case can often take hours. Understanding proper etiquette is not an action, although actually performing the proper interactions may take anywhere from a few words to a few hours, depending on the situation.
Try Again: Optional, but not recommended because retries usually do not work. Even if the initial Diplomacy check succeeds, the other character can be persuaded only so far, and a retry may do more harm than good. If the initial check fails, the other character has probably become more firmly committed to his position, and a retry is futile.
Special: If you have the Negotiator feat, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff or Sense Motive, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks. If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Knowledge (local), or Knowledge (Geography), you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to understand proper etiquette.
LANGUAGE (Int)
Each character can speak the language of their homeland, plus the language of the country in which the campaign is set (usually Renflour), plus any automatic languages granted by their race and class. In addition, for each rank of Language they gain, they know one additional language.
Check: You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check fails, make a DC 5 Wisdom check to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about the text. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.) Both the Language check and (if necessary) the Wisdom check are made secretly, so that you can’t tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.
You can also understand an unfamiliar spoken language. The base DC is 15 for a regional dialect or thick accent of a langage you speak, 20 for an unfamiliar language from the same language group as one you speak, 25 an unfamiliar language in a different language group, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, very old, or extremely foreign languages. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a few spoken sentences. If the check fails, make a DC 5 Wisdom check to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about message. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.) Both the Language check and (if necessary) the Wisdom check are made secretly, so that you can’t tell whether the conclusion you draw is true or false.
Action: Deciphering the equivalent of a single page of script takes 1 minute (ten consecutive full-round actions). Understanding unfamiliar spoken language is not an action (it takes no time at all; either you understand it or you don't).
Try Again: No.
Special: A character with the Diligent feat gets a +2 bonus on Language checks.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Language, you get a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks involving scrolls.
Languages
Languages are divided into language groups. Each language in a group shares a common ancestral language and uses the same alphabet; the name of the group, ancestral language, and alphabet are the same. There is no "common" language, but most traders and travelers speak the language of the lands they are passing through; Renflourian is often used as a common trade language or neutral language.
| Group | Languages in that group |
|---|---|
| Giant | Frelundish, Zoltaran, Jarlian, Garlish**, Giant |
| Halfling | Erindese, Loshan, Treothan, Hunitanian dialects†, Old Halfling* |
| Orcish | Corsan, Kresmayan, Old Orcish* |
| Dwarven | Parthanian (Mountain Duchies), Leden, Old Dwarven* |
| Elven | Ponderran, Renflourian, Garlish**, Chirmonten, Alluvani, Old Elven* |
| Elemental‡ | Elemental, Draconic |
| Sylvan‡ | Sylvan, Druidic |
| Celestial‡ | Celestial, Demonic dialects†, Aberrant dialects† |
|
*Dead language; no modern speakers. **Part of multiple language groups; the DC to decipher these languages decreases by 2 for each similar language group you already know beyond the first. †Multiple languages. ‡Languages in this group are considered intricate, exotic, very old, or extremely foreign (DC 30 or higher to decipher). | |
Here is the same info, language first (PHB-style):
| Languages | Language Group/Alphabet |
|---|---|
| Aberrant dialects†‡ | Celestial |
| Alluvani | Elven |
| Celestial‡ | Celestial |
| Chirmonten | Elven |
| Corsan | Orcish |
| Demonic dialects†‡ | Celestial |
| Draconic‡ | Elemental |
| Druidic‡ | Sylvan |
| Elemental‡ | Elemental |
| Erindese | Halfling |
| Frelundish | Giant |
| Garlish** | Giant, Elven |
| Giant | Giant |
| Hunitanian dialects† | Halfling |
| Jarlian | Giant |
| Kresmayan | Orcish |
| Leden | Dwarven |
| Loshan | Halfling |
| Old Dwarven | Dwarven |
| Old Elven | Elven |
| Old Halfling | Halfling |
| Old Orcish | Orcish |
| Parthanian | Dwarven |
| Ponderran | Elven |
| Renflourian | Elven |
| Sylvan‡ | Sylvan |
| Treothan | Halfling |
| Zoltaran | Giant |
|
*Dead language; no modern speakers. **Part of multiple language groups; the DC to decipher these languages decreases by 2 for each similar language group you already know beyond the first. †Multiple languages. ‡Language is considered intricate, exotic, very old, or extremely foreign (DC 30 or higher to decipher). | |
Feats
AGILE DEFENSE (General)
You are so adept at dodging blows and evading damage that you don't really need armor.
Prerequisites: Weapon Finesse, Base Attack Bonus +1, Dexterity 15+.
Benefit: When wearing no armor and weilding no shield and carrying no more than a light load, you gain a dodge bonus to AC equal to +3, +1 per 4 levels. Unlike other kinds of bonuses, dodge bonuses stack. You lose a dodge bonus in any situation where you would be denied your Dexterity bonus to AC (whether you have one or not).
Normal: A character's armor class is typically 10 + their Dexterity modifier + their Armor bonus from wearing armor + their Shield bonus from using a shield.
Special: A fighter may select Agile Defenseas one of his fighter bonus feats.
Elites are considered to posess this feat for purposes of feat and prestige class prerequisites.
This feat does not stack with the AC Bonus benefit of the Elite class; use whichever ability would give you the greater dodge bonus to AC.
This feat does not stack with the AC Bonus benefit of the Monk class, including the Monk's Wisdom bonus to AC; use whichever ability (this feat, or your Wisdom bonus +1 per 4 monk levels) would give you the greater bonus to AC.
APPLIED KNOWLEDGE (General)
Your theoretical and academic learning can be applied in practical situations.
Prerequisites: 2+ ranks in any 4 Knowledge skills.
Benefit: You can make a Knowledge check using a relevant Knowledge skill and gain a minor bonus to some activity. You spend a standard action (which does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity) contemplating your situation and then make a Knowledge check using a Knowledge category determined by the DM based on the object of the bonus you are seeking. For example, if you are fighting trolls and want to improve your survival odds, you could try to gain an AC bonus by making a Knowledge (Nature) check (the relevant skill for giants). If you are trying to climb a castle wall, you could make a Knowledge (Architecture) check to gain a bonus to your climb checks.
If your check result exceeds DC 20, you gain a bonus along the lines of the following:
- +1 bonus to attack rolls against a particular type of creature or warriors from a particular area
- +1 bonus to AC against a particular type of creature or warriors from a particular area
- +2 bonus to damage rolls against a particular type of creature or warriors from a particular area
- +2 bonus to saving throws against a specific spell, spell-like ability or monster special ability
- +2 bonus to skill checks opposed by a particular type of creature, people from a particular area, followers of a certain religion, members of a certain noble house, etc. (including Charisma-based skill checks)
- +2 bonus to skill checks regarding a specific object, area, or concept
These are considered competence bonuses. For every 10 points by which you exceed DC 20, your bonus doubles, so at DC 30 you gain a +2 bonus to attack or AC or a +4 bonus to other checks, and at DC 40 you gain a +3 bonus to attack or AC and a +6 bonus to other checks.
If you fail the check, you may not try that particular check again until you gain another rank of the relevant Knowledge skill, or spend time studying and researching the subject (at least a day). You may take 10 on the check, but may not take 20.
You may only benefit from one such bonus at a time. For example, if you have used this feat to gaina +1 bonus to AC against trolls, but decide that you would instead would like a +2 bonus on your saving throw against fireball spells, you can make a Knowledge (Arcana) check to gain the saving throw bonus -- but you lose your AC bonus against trolls. You retain these bonuses until you gain a different Applied Knowledge bonus, or until you are unconscious or mentally incapacitated for any reason (including sleeping).
Normal: Knowledge skills can be used to gain information from the DM. From time to time, this may allow the skill-user to legitimately gain a small bonus to another skill check based on specific actions they take. This feat allows the user to gain a general bonus for abstract reasons.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time, it increases the number of Applied Knowledge bonuses you can benefit from at once. For example, if you take this feat twice, you could use Applied Knowledge to gain both an AC bonus against trolls and a +2 bonus to saving throws against fireball spells. You take only a single standard action to make make the Knowledge checks for all of your Applied Knowledge feats.
CONTACTS (Social)
You know a great many people from all walks of life; you always seem to have a friend who is just right for the job.
Benefit: You gain a number of contacts (helpful people that you know) equal to 1/2 your level + your Charisma modifier. (This number increases as you gain levels and Charisma, but not from temporary Charisma bonuses.) You don't have to decide who all your contacts are right away; you can define some contacts now and then define others later as you need them. These contacts are not allies that will fight for you, but they have a friendly attitude and will do favors for you if possible.
Normal: Any character can make new friends and connections through roleplaying. This feat simply allows you to have additional contacts defined at your convenience.
Special: See Unearthed Arcana for more information on the types and abilities of contacts.
FAMOUS (Social)
You are a renowned, respected, and beloved individual; word of your total coolness precedes you.
Prerequisites: Character level 3rd+, Charisma 13+.
Benefit: Everywhere you go, people recognize you. You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Gather Information checks, but suffer a -2 penalty on Disguise checks. Most ordinary people are automatically friendly towards you. These bonuses and penalties only apply to people who recognize you, which includes most people of most civilized countries (remote or primitive peoples may not have heard of you). Amongst civilized people, you can take advantage of your fame. You can usually gain an audience with influential people, and get invited to all the best parties (or can at least get into those parties, even if you're not invited). The media follows your speech and actions; things you say may become sound bites, and clothes you wear may become the latest fashion. If you stand up to address a crowd, one will usually gather. You don't usually need to identify yourself to the authorities.
Normal: Characters may achieve renown through their actions. This feat represents someone who adept at "milking it," acting famous and staying famous.
GNOME THROWER (General)
You can hurl your smaller companions.
Prerequisites: Large size or larger.
Benefit: You can scoop up an allied creature at least two size categories smaller than you and within your reach as a move action. You must be capable of carrying the creature's weight, and so long as you hold the creature it is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC. Grabbing, holding and throwing the creature requires two free hands.
As a standard action, if the creature weighs less than your light load, you can hurl them as a thrown weapon with an increment of 10 feet. You suffer a -4 penalty on the attack roll for using an improvised weapon. If the ally chooses to attack the target you throw it towards, it deals damage as though it had charged and made a weapon attack, but it adds your Strength modifier to its own when calculating damage. Because the thrown ally doesn't make an attack roll, they can't use feats like Power Attack or Combat Expertise which rely on taking attack roll penalties. If the thrown ally chooses not to attack, they still deals damage equal to your Strength modifier from the impact. If you miss with the attack, your ally lands in a random adjacent square.
You can also throw an unwilling creature. You must first pin them as part of a grapple. Throwing them is still a standard action, and you must succeed at an opposed grapple check before making the attack roll. If the grapple check succeeds, you can throw them, but if it fails, you only drop them in an adjacent square, where they land prone but take no damage. If you successfully throw them at a target, they may chose to deal damage or not just as if they were your ally.
Anyone you throw takes 2d6 points of damage as though falling 20 feet (unless they end up falling more than 20 feet, in which case they take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet fallen). They can reduce this to 1d6 damage (or 1d6 less damage) by succeeding at a DC 15 Tumble check.
Normal: You can throw objects as improvised weapons, but not creatures.
GREATER ARCANE BLOOD (General)
Your magical ancestry is clear for all to see.
Prerequisites: Sorcerer or bard, Improved Arcane Blood, Charisma 19+
Benefit: You gain the benefit of a greater bloodline, rather than an intermediate bloodline, for advancing in sorcerer or bard levels. You don't need to give up any levels in order to gain your bloodline benefits, but you only gain them for advancing sorcerer or bard levels. You must choose a greater bloodline which corresponds to your current intermediate bloodline.
Normal: Sorcerers and bards gain the benefits of a minor bloodline; those with Improved Arcane Blood gain an intermediate bloodline.
IMPROVED ARCANE BLOOD (General)
Your magical ancestry is expressed strongly.
Prerequisites: Sorcerer or bard, Charisma 17+
Benefit: You gain the benefit of an intermediate bloodline, rather than a minor bloodline, for advancing in sorcerer or bard levels. You don't need to give up any levels in order to gain your bloodline benefits, but you only gain them for advancing sorcerer or bard levels. You must choose an intermediate bloodline which corresponds to your current minor bloodline.
Normal: Sorcerers and bards gain the benefits of a minor bloodline.
IMPROVED NOBLE HOLDINGS (Social)
You are a major noble landowner.
Prerequisites: Noble Holdings (you must take this feat twice), Noble Manor.
Benefit: You are a landed noble, a Lord/Lady. You have three noble underlings. These nobles also have the Noble Holdings feat. You can demand that the nobles raise an army on your behalf, and you can also tax them, demanding some or all of their monthly earnings. However, this should only be done in an emergency, as taxed or peasantless nobles will quickly plot against you or possibly rebel.
Normal: Any character can be a member of the nobility simply as a background element; typically, this character is either a peer (noble without title), knight (often a landless noble), a landed noble (like a baron or lord) who has through circumstance lost control of his land, or the child of a noble (a peer) who has yet to inherit land.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, and its effects stack.
NOBLE HOLDINGS (Social)
You are a noble landowner.
Prerequisites: Noble Manor.
Benefit: You are a landed noble, a Baron/Baroness or Count/Countess (ruling a Barony or a County). You have some stretches of farmland, and are the legal authority over a few villages, although you must still answer to the lord(s) above you (who may demand that you raise an army or pay certain taxes or tribute, although both requests are rare due to their unpopularity). Your farmland produces 3d12x10 gp per month. If necessary, you can raise an army of 6d6+80 1st-level Yeomen, although you must pay to equip them and it costs about 2 sp per day per soldier to maintain the army (since they are no longer farming crops to supply themselves). If the army leaves your territory this increases to 1 gp per day due to supply line issues. Your holdings produce no gold during a month in which you have raised an army, and your subjects strongly dislike being taken away from their land in this manner. In a pinch, you may sell off your holdings, which are worth a total of around 20,000 gp, although you must roleplay this transaction and it is not always possible to find a buyer; nobles usually trade land for other land, so getting someone to pay you in cash may be difficult. If you do so, you lose the benefits of this feat.
Normal: Any character can be a member of the nobility simply as a background element; typically, this character is either a peer (noble without title), knight (often a landless noble), a landed noble (like a baron or lord) who has through circumstance lost control of his land, or the child of a noble (a peer) who has yet to inherit land. Any noble can buy land without needing to take this feat (it's difficult for non-nobles to own land).
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, and its effects stack.
NOBLE MANOR (Social)
You are a noble with your own grand home.
Benefit: You are a landed noble, but have little or no actual land; you may be a peer (noble without title) or have a minor title such as Knight. Basically, you own a castle or mansion and some land around it, but have no subjects, farmland, or resources. Your manor is a spacious and comfortable dwelling with a few servants, some nice furniture, and even a horse and carriage. It has about 10 bedrooms, a large banquet hall, several living and recreation areas, nice gardens, kitchen and laundry areas, and a small stable with a carriage. Maintaining this facility costs 2d20+80 gp per month. In a pinch, you can try to sell the manor, which is worth around 5,000 gp, although you must roleplay this transaction and it is not always possible to find a buyer. If you do so, you lose the benfits of this feat (you can no longer use it as a prerequisite and so may lose access to other feats such as Noble Holdings).
Normal: Any character can be a member of the nobility simply as a background element; typically, this character is either a peer (noble without title), knight (often a landless noble), a landed noble (like a baron or lord) who has through circumstance lost control of his land, or the child of a noble (a peer) who has yet to inherit land. Any character can buy a house without needing to take this feat.
MULTIPLE IDENTITIES (Social)
You have multiple complete identities, with background information, documentation, and contacts to prove it. (Only one of these is the real you -- the rest are fabrications.)
Prerequisites: Disguise 5 ranks, Charisma 13+.
Benefit: For each point of Charisma bonus you have, you can set up an alternate identity. Come up with a background, career, personality, and social circle for the alternate identity; these will stand up to scrutiny from most authorities and investigations -- the only way for someone to realize that both identities are the same person is for you to slip up somehow. For example, an investigator could follow you and realize that you're living multiple lives, but couldn't figure it out from checking property deeds, tax records, or even interviewing your friends and "family." You get a +4 bonus on Disguise checks to appear as your alternate identities. It's probably not a good idea to meet people who know you as one identity to meet you as another identity.
Normal: Setting up an alternate identity is tricky, and usually requires some time spent in disguise, making Bluff and Forgery checks, and possibly even spreading misinformation.
OGRE SHADOW (General)
You can remain underfoot.
Prerequisites: Small size or smaller.
Benefit: You can occupy the same square as an allied creature at least two size categories larger than you without penalty, nor does the allied creature take any penalties. Any attempt to bull rush, overrun, trip, grapple, or disarm either one of you must be made against both creatures; if the attempt succeeds at both, it affects both, but if it fails at either, it affects niether. You can charge through a square occupied by an allied creature two size categories larger than you, but if you're occupying the square of a larger ally, that creature can't charge.
Normal: You can pass through an ally's square but cannot occupy it.
RESOURCE HOLDINGS (Social)
You are a noble landowner with access to some special resources.
Prerequisites: Noble Holdings, Noble Manor.
Benefit: You are a landed noble, and your land has some unique natural resource, such as a mine, a rich forest, abundant marine life, textile mills, or herds of fine horses. One of your holdings produces an extra 3d20x10 gp per month. The gp value of this holding increases to around 50,000.
Normal: Any character can be a member of the nobility simply as a background element; typically, this character is either a peer (noble without title), knight (often a landless noble), a landed noble (like a baron or lord) who has through circumstance lost control of his land, or the child of a noble (a peer) who has yet to inherit land. Anyone can buy a natural resource center without needing to take this feat.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, and its effects stack. You must have the Noble Holdings feat one time for each time you select this feat.
SPREAD INFORMATION (Social)
Know how to get the word out and manipulate public opinion.
Prerequisites: Gather Information 5 ranks, Charisma 13+.
Benefit: You know how to spread rumors, alert the press, post advertisements, subtly guide conversations, and just tell the right people the right things. With 8 hours of talking to people and "making inquiries," you can spread a piece of information (whether true or false) around an area the size of a small city or several rural counties. You must make a Gather Information check to see how well the information spreads. The DC is based on whether the new information supports or contradicts what people already believe: DC 10 for a piece of information that backs up existing beliefs, 15 for information that is orthogonal to existing beliefs, 20 for information that contradicts existing beliefs, and 25 or 30 for information that is contrary to the very core of people's belief systems. If you succeed at the check, the information spreads but is not generally believed unless you beat the DC by 5 or more. If you fail the check, the you have a hard time getting people to care enough to spread the information, and if you fail by 5 or more, the information spreads along with the fact that you were the person spreading it! In a larger area, such as a big city or large rural area, the time for the check extends to 3 days and the DC increases by 5, but you must fail by 10 or more in order for the news of your information campaign to spread.
Normal: Anybody can try to go around telling people things. This feat allows you to broadcast information in such a way that people don't know you're doing it -- the information just seems to creep into the public consciousness from nowhere.
Special: If you have 5 or more ranks of Bluff, you gain a +2 bonus on your Gather Information check to spread information that you know to be false. If you have 5 or more ranks of Diplomacy, you gain a +2 bonus on your Gather Information check to spread information that you think is true or which is a matter of opinion.
WEALTHY (Social)
You are somewhat rich.
Benefit: If you take this feat at 1st level, you gain 300 bonus gold pieces. If you take this feat at any other level, you gain gold pieces equal to 500 times your character level. This gold comes from a business you run, a family inheritance, or a special stipend from a well-off organization (work out the details with your DM).
Each month, your character earns an additional 2d% gold pieces (regardless of your level).
Normal: Characters without this feat roll to determine starting gold, and must earn gold to acquire more.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, and its benefits stack.