Leveling Up
Increased Hit Points
Roll the die associated with your “Hit Dice.” You may re-roll a 1. Add the amount rolled to your base hit points. Any wounds that have not yet been recovered are still present and should remain until they have been healed (through rest or magic).
Saving Throws
Check the Saving Throw chart that aligns with your character class to see if your saving throws have improved (lower = better). Saving throws do not improve every level - they improve in level bands aligned with your class.
See tables at bottom of page.
THAC0 - To Hit Armor Class Zero
Check to see if your THAC0 has decreased (lower = better). Record your new THAC0 and adjust your THAC0 chart as needed.
Weapon Proficiencies
At regular intervals, based on your class, you will receive new Weapon Proficiencies. You may spend it now or save it for later.
A “best practice” is to declare in-game, or have a reason in-game, for how you are spending your proficiency. For example, your character may have found an exotic weapon like a spatha, and you may say something to the effect of “whenever we are at camp I work on learning my new weapon.” This sets the role-playing ground work for your new proficiency.
Non-Weapon Proficiencies
At each level every character receives new NWPs.
At other intervals, each character will gain additional NWPs in addition to the level bonus.
These proficiencies may be saved or spent at this time.
A “best practice” is to declare in-game, or have a reason in-game, for how you are spending your proficiency. Simply stating “My character is tired of being lost in the forest all the time and is working on understanding how to navigate directions” could be enough to lay the role-playing ground work for acquiring the NWP Direction Sense.
Class Based Improvement
Check your class for additional bonuses based on level. Some basics are provided below; however, each class may have additional skills or powers.
- Fighter: You have access to unusual ways to spend your Weapon Proficiencies so look closely at things like Specialization and Mastery.
- Priest: The number of spells cast per day will increase with each level (remember, these are augmented by your Wisdom score as well). Your Spell Level access can also increase. Note: Spell level and character level do not correspond. A Second level Priest does not have access to 2nd level spells - that access is opened up at 3rd level, as noted in the chart. A Priest does not need to learn their new spells - they have access to all (according to class) spells that their Sphere will allow.
- Rogue: Each level a rogue gains +30% discretionary points to spend on their base thieving skills. No more than 15% may be spent on a single skill.
- Mage: The number of spells cast per day will increase with each level (remember, these are augmented by your Intelligence score as well). Your Spell Level access can also increase. Note: Spell level and character level do not correspond. A Second level Mage does not have access to 2nd level spells - that access is opened up at 3rd level, as noted in the chart. A mage must access new spells before learning them (find them or have another mage share them - schools of magic often have spell libraries), record them in their spell book, and roll their “Chance to Learn New Spell.” Mages often record spells beyond their level in their spell book and then attempt to learn them when they have achieved the appropriate level. If the roll to learn the new spell fails, they may try again when they gain a new level. Psion: The number of Disciplines and Sciences will likely increase and new powers may be chosen. Like NWPs and WPs, it is a “best practice” to have declared powers your character is working on long before achieving them.
Training
Characters are not required to seek out specialized trainers to increase in their level or skills; however, finding “trainers” (guild halls, thieving guilds, schools of magic, temples, etc.) could allow access to equipment and information that is not available in general, provide additional bonuses for learning specific things, and provide a point to spend currency for experience points (5 gp = 1 xp. Up to 500 xp can be earned in a day. Trained xp may not account for any more than 50% of the xp needed to achieve the next level.). While these are some of the examples of the benefits of training, all benefits and costs associated with are determined by the DM.
Example: Dustin, a 1st level rogue, has come into some significant cash through a robbery. Dustin needs 1,250 xp to achieve 2nd level. Dusting has 300 xp currently. Dustin may pay for training through his local thieves guild and acquire 625 xp at a cost of 3,125 gp and 2 days of training.
Example 2: Dustin is an accomplished pick pocket but has really been working toward blending in (Hide in Shadows). It so happens that there is a master of stealth in his Thieves’ Guild who is willing to train Dustin. Because of this trainer, Dustin may spend 20 of his improvement points on hide In Shadows rather than be limited to just 15.
Example 3: Jared has long desired to learn Magic Missile but has failed his attempt to learn for the last three levels. Jared seeks out the local School of Magic for Invocation/Evocation spells and agrees to spend time training with one of the experts from the school. Spending this time allows Jared to learn the spell at his next level without the need for rolling his “Chance to Learn.”