2.7.0 Character Advancement
Characters accumulate experience points through successful ad venture completion or other activities appropriate to the campaign’s focus. By default, PCs gain three experience points for an average successful mission. When enough experience points have been accumulated, they advance an experience level. New characters begin at first level and can rise to a maximum of tenth under the default rules.
The requirements listed below are for “fast” campaigns, where PCs advance in level relatively rapidly, and “slow” campaigns, where the advancement is more measured. Individual GMs may alter these rates to suit their table’s needs. Experience points do not reset on leveling up; the totals listed are total points accumulated.
Experience Point Requirements
| Level | Fast | Slow |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | 6 | 15 |
| 4 | 12 | 24 |
| 5 | 18 | 36 |
| 6 | 27 | 51 |
| 7 | 39 | 69 |
| 8 | 54 | 87 |
| 9 | 72 | 105 |
| 10 | 93 | 139 |
2.7.1 Advancement Benefits
Whenever a character advances a level, they obtain certain benefits.
2.7.1.1 Additional Hit Points
To determine their new maximum hit points, they roll their hit die for each level they now possess, adding their Constitution modifier to each die, and a further +2 if they have the Die Hard Focus. No individual die can be reduced below 1 point, even with a Constitution penalty. If the total roll is greater than their current maximum hit points, they take the roll. If less or equal, their maximum hit points increase by one.
2.7.1.2 Improved Saving Throw
Their saving throw scores decrease by one, making it easier to succeed on saving throws by rolling equal or over it. As a first level character has saving throw scores of 15, reaching second level would lower them to 14, modified by their appropriate attributes.
2.7.1.3 Improved Attack Bonus
A PC’s base attack bonus improves according to their level and their chosen class.
2.7.1.4 Gaining and Spending Skill Points
A PC who advances a level gains three skill points they can spend on improving their skills or save to spend later. Experts and Partial Experts with the Quick Learner class ability gain an extra bonus skill point to spend, giving them four points each time they advance.
Skills that are gained or improved immediately on gaining a level are assumed to have been perfected over the past level and require no training time or teaching. If they save their skill points to spend them later then they’ll need to find some teacher or other explanation for developing them in the meanwhile.
The cost for improving a skill is listed below. Every skill level must be purchased in order; to gain level-1 in a skill you need to pay one point for level-0 and then two points for level-1. A PC must be the requisite minimum level to increase a skill to certain levels. Less hardened adventurers simply don’t have the focus and real-life experience to attain such a pitch of mastery.
A PC cannot “partially buy” a skill level. If they don’t have enough skill points to buy a new level, they need to save them up until they can. A PC cannot develop skills beyond level-4.
| Skill Level | Point Cost | Min. Character Level |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | 5 | 9 |
2.7.1.5 Improving Attributes
A PC may optionally choose to use their new skill points to improve their attribute scores.
The first time a PC improves an attribute, it costs 1 skill point and adds +1 to an attribute of their choice. The second improvement to their attributes costs 2 skill points, the third 3, and so forth. Each improvement adds +1 to the attribute, potentially improving its modifier. A PC can only ever make five such improvements total; not five per attribute.
PCs must be third level before buying their third boost, sixth level before buying their fourth boost, and ninth level before buying their fifth boost. No more than five attribute boosts can ever be purchased by a PC.
2.7.1.6 Choosing a new Foci
Finally, the PC might be eligible to pick an additional level in a Foci. At levels 2, 5, 7, and 10 a PC can add a level to an existing Foci or pick up the first level in a new Foci.
If this is the first level they’ve taken in the Foci, they might be granted a skill as a free bonus pick, depending on the Focus’ benefits. During character creation, this bonus skill pick is treated like any other skill pick. If the Foci is taken as part of advancement, however, it instead counts as three skill points spent toward increasing the skill. This is enough to raise a nonexistent skill to level-1, or boost a level-1 skill to level-2. They may do this even if they aren’t high-enough level to normally qualify for a skill level that high.
If the skill points aren’t quite enough to raise the skill to a new level, they remain as credit toward future advances. If applied to a skill that is already at level-4, the PC can spend the three skill points on any other skill of their choice.
2.7.1.7 Learning New Spells and Arts
Mage characters capable of spellcasting learn new spells when they advance a level. High Mages and Full Invokers learn two new High Magic spells they are capable of casting. All other spellcasting Mages learn one spell they can cast, either from High Magic or their own specialist spells.
Mages who use arts may also gain a new art pick, depending on their class. Each such class has a table that lists the schedule for gaining new arts.