Advancement
Class Features
Multiclassing
Focus Points
Skill Points
ADVANCEMENT
Rather than the many advancement options available in Patfhinder 1e, I'd like to advance with an XP buy system that allows players mix and match their progression. This allows for some wonky power balance, but is mostly just for fun rather than balance. To advance, characters BUY their levels, mythic tier, etc. with XP. They start with 25 or more XP at character creation depending on the power level you want. They start at level 1 with a base class at no cost but have to buy all additional levels.
Table: Encounter Design
Table: Character Design
*In addition to the above, you start as a 1st level character for free.
- Only available during character creation and not advancement thereafter.
- Only gives the bonuses of the Automatic Bonus Progression not the actual levels or gold. You start at automatic bonus progression level 2 for free and each purchase bumps you up by 1 level from there.
- The first level you take in any class costs double the normal amount. Multiclassing is costly due to the fact that dips and certain prestige classes can easily make characters far more potent than classic 1-20 progression.
- To figure out a monster's ability adjustments, subtract 12 from its highest 3 ability scores and 10 from its lowest 3 ability scores and round down to the nearest even number. For example, a troll has Str 21 (-12), Dex 14 (-12), Con 23 (-12), Int 6 (-10), Wis 9 (-10), Cha 6 (-10) for racial adjustments of: Str +8, Dex +2, Con +10, Int -4, Wis -2, Cha -4.
- Requires GM to grant special access to mythic in order to even purchase these
Wealth by Level: You begin with wealth by level as a PC amount based on your total hit dice + mythic tier as your PC level.
Oddballs: When PCs pick unnecessary fights that are unnecessary or nonsensical, a GM may choose to treat a CR as 1 or 2 lower for the purposes of XP and treasure rewards. If encounters are particularly clever, rare, or well-placed in the story, they may also mix and match this. For example, if an evil foe were primarily a mastermind and not a combatant, they may award treasure as if +1 CR higher but XP as if -1 CR lower or if the foe was a wild beast the reverse may be the case.
Wealth by Level: You begin with wealth by level as a PC amount based on your total hit dice + mythic tier as your PC level.
CLASS FEATURES
Base Bonuses: Base attack bonus (BAB), base fortitude bonus (BFB), base reflex bonus (BRB), base will bonus (BWB), and base caster level (BCL) equal your level regardless of class or racial hit dice. Your hit dice remain unchanged and you gain one of the following of your choice as a bonus feat at 1st level: Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will.
Automatic Maximum Hit Points: All hit dice are automatically maximized except for temporarily crafted or summoned creatures such as those conjured via spells or spell-like abilities.
Difficulty Class (DC): Regardless of class level, racial hit dice, or spell level, the DC for all spells, special attacks, and other special effects you create is 10 + level + associated ability modifier. Ability Focus, Spell Focus, and similar feats still apply.
Ability Stacking: Any effect that allows you to add a second ability modifier to something has a cap of 1 + 1/3 your class level in the class that granted the feature. For example, a 2nd-level Paladin only has +1 to all saves from Divine Grace instead of their full Charisma modifier. This bonus goes up at every 3rd Paladin level up to a maximum equal to their Charisma bonus (minimum +1).
Bonus Types: No untyped bonuses are allowed. Anything that grants a bonus must have a type applied to it. For example, the Monk's Wisdom modifier and +1/4 Monk level to AC are now dodge bonuses to Reflex instead of AC. Any effect that emulates this ability, such as a Duelist's Canny Defense, Oracle's Nature's Whispers, or Shifter's Defensive Instinct are adjusted the same way.
Dodge: Your Dexterity modifier + Dodge bonuses cannot exceed your Max Dex.
Monk & Shifter Damage: Monk unarmed strike damage and Shifter natural weapon damage do not increase beyond 1d6. Instead, they gain Arcane Strike even if they do not meet the prerequisites.
MULTICLASSING
You can only have up to two base classes (level 1-20 classes) and one prestige class. Your prestige class counts as as both your base classes for the purposes of calculating class level such as DCs, sneak attack damage, etc. Using prestige classing allows a level 1-30 progression. For example, a 20th level Rogue, 10th level Assassin would have +15d6 Sneak Attack.
Favored Class Benefits: You gain +1 HP per level, +1 skill point per level, AND your race's favored class benefit for every level in your favored class. If your race doesn't have such a benefit, you get a bonus racial feat at 1st level instead.
Multiclassing Progression: If you multiclass, can't gain levels in the your highest level class until all your other classes catch up. For example, if a 5th level Monk (Scaled Fist) wanted to take their 6th level in paladin, they could do so but would be unable to take more Monk levels until they got to Paladin 5. If they took a level in Champion of the Enlightened, as their 11th level (Monk 5, Paladin 5, CotE 1), they'd be unable to gain Monk or Paladin levels until they got to CotE 5.
USES PER DAY
All effects that normally have limited uses per day are split into 4 "use pools": at-will, encounter, daily, and surges. All spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, feats, racial traits, and class features that normally have limited uses per hour, per encounter, per day, per week, etc. have tiers will fall into one of these pools instead of the normal uses per day listed.
Tiers: A spell or spell-like ability's tier is equal to its spell level. If a spell has multiple levels based on class, use the lowest (ex. A spell that is Cleric 3 and Witch 2 would be treated as tier 2 since that's the lowest possible). A special ability's effective tier is equal to 1 + 1/3rd the lowest level it can be acquired if it doesn't grow with level. If it does grow with level, its 1 + 1/3rd current level. Same for feats many of which may or may not grow with level or grant you spell-like abilities that now have uses per day based on spell level.
At-Will: Any ability with a tier equal to or lower than 1/4 your highest ability's tier are at-will abilities.
Encounter: Abilities with a tier equal to or lower than 1/2 your highest ability's tier but not an at-will ability is an encounter ability. You can use encounter abilities a number of times per short rest equal to 3 + 1/5 your HD/level.
Daily: Abilities with a tier greater than 1/2 your highest ability's tier are daily abilities. You can use daily abilities a number of times per short rest equal to 3 + 1/5 your HD/level. As an action, you can expend a daily use to refill all your encounter uses without having to rest.
Rounds per Day: Abilities such as Barbarian Rage and Bardic Performance that use limited amounts of rounds per day consume 1 encounter use for 1 round or 1 daily use for 1 minute.
Spontaneous Spellcasters: If you have a bloodline, domain, mystery, or other special class feature that grants you spontaneous spells, you treat all those granted spells as encounter abilities instead of daily abilities, regardless of their tier. In addition, all spontaneous spells benefit from the Eschew Materials feat as if you had the feat and you're treated as having the feat for meeting prerequisites if you have at least one spontaneous spell or spell-like ability.
Extra Uses: Remove Extra Bardic Performance, Extra Ki Points, Extra Rage, and any other effects that normally add additional uses, points, or reduce costs from the game.
Surges: You do not get hero points or mythic power. Instead, you can have up to 3 + (1/5 HD/level + 1/5 mythic tier) surges at a time. Using a surge can function as using a hero point or mythic power. This replaces both hero points and mythic power. Unlike hero points they add 1d12/1d6 to you rolls instead of +8/+4. You gain 1 surge after a challenging (APL+1) or hard (APL+2) encounter or after taking a long rest (full night's sleep). You gain 2 surges after an epic (APL+3) or overwhelming (APL+4 or more) encounter. You can spend a surge as an action to refill half your daily pool (rounded down).
- Example 1 (Barbarian's Rage): As it uses rounds per day, they must consume an encounter use to activate it for 1 round or a daily use to activate it for 1 minute. If they want their rage to last longer, they can consume more uses to extend its duration instead of having to activate it again.
Example 2 (Bardic Performance): As it uses rounds per day, they must consume an encounter use to activate it for 1 round or a daily use to activate it for 1 minute. If they want their performance to last longer, they can consume more uses to extend its duration instead of having to activate it again.
Example 3 (Monk Ki Pool): A single ki point is 1 encounter use.
Example 4 (Paladin's Smite): Grows with level and gained at 1st level making it tier 1 + 1/4th paladin level. This makes it a daily ability, always consuming 1 use from your daily pool each time you activate it.