Classless Skills & Powers

An AD&D Variant

ernestm@mindspring.com

This is a classless character generation method for use with the AD&D Skills & Powers rules. It also covers the Combat & Tactics, Spells & Magic, and High-Level Campaigns rulebooks. It is a supplement for, not a replacement of, those rules. Many details of individual skills, including descriptions and tables, are not reproduced here.

This system was designed according to the following principles:

1) Maximize compatibility with both Skills & Powers and the AD&D 2^nd edition core rules.

2) Promote in-game character growth.

3) Maintain game balance, internally and vs. normal AD&D.

4) Generate characters of the "standard" AD&D types with the system as well as custom ones.

It is based on the following assumptions:

1) Abilities are generally useful in proportion to their skill cost and the difficulty to learn them.

2) Classes as they exist in standard AD&D are fairly well balanced with respect to each other.

The reason for this system is the following shortcomings with the character creation system in Skills & Powers:

1) Unequal point allocation across classes for skill customization.

2) Unequal point allocation across races for skill customization.

3) In-game skill advancement is very slow. Though many skills improve with level (like spells, THAC0, and thief skills), characters grow in other areas very slowly (1 NWP and 1 WP every 3 to 4 levels). First-level characters have 90% of the skills they are ever going to have.

4) First-level characters have become too powerful. The conception of a first-level fighter used to be a 16-year-old novice right out of their first battle. It quickly grew to the point that a L1 warrior could have multiple weapon specializations and other powerful abilities.

All the race, class, and weapon/nonweapon proficiencies are combined into one set of skills organized by skill trees. Characters buy all these abilities out of their starting pool of points.

All skills formerly known as "class abilities", "race abilities," "nonweapon proficiencies" and "weapon proficiencies", with different rules for each, are all skills or abilities which a character would learn during their lives. This system makes that acquisition of skills uniform.

There are no longer character classes in this system. Characters are free to define themselves as they wish, according to their skills and personality. Multiclassing and dualclassing rules are conveniently removed thereby. Levels are retained, but are more loosely tied to individual skills than in standard AD&D. Many kits are no longer necessary, as all their component parts can be purchased individually. There is room in this system for very specific kits - ones that are not just a different collection of standard abilities (like the swashbuckler), but instead include specific abilities with their own rules and drawbacks (like the Limbant ranger). Races exist as usual but are a little more flexible.

This system also attempts to reconcile the many and varied skills presented in the various Player’s Option and DM’s Option books. It tries to maintain a high level of compatibility with those books except where the approaches of different sourcebooks clearly differ.

Starting characters may find themselves a little weaker at first level using this scheme, but they will grow in skill at a much faster rate. As characters increase in level, they get more CP, which can be used to buy more abilities or improve current ones.

If, as a character improves, they wish to learn more about skills traditionally termed "nonweapon proficiencies" rather than ones traditionally termed "class abilities," or vice versa, that is a valid decision based on where the character is expending effort.

I’d like to thank all those people who contributed to this work. Many people from my gaming group and the rec.games.frp.dnd newsgroup had many helpful ideas on this system’s genesis. I’d like to especially thank the following people:

System Design - David Callander

Mike Miller

Travis Pearce

Playtesting - Jason Cox

Hal Phillips

Tim Dowden

Kevin King

Mike Wallace

This document is Copyright 1997, Ernest Mueller. It is based on a number of works copyrighted by TSR, Inc., and is not meant to challenge any of those copyrights. It is meant as a free supplement to the works already published by TSR, Inc.

Roll up ability scores as usual using any of the methods in the Skills & Powers handbook (pp.12-21). Use subability scores, or not, as you desire. Since there are no classes, any character may have exceptional strength. Only roll percentile for strength if the primary strength score is 18. If a character splits strength into subability scores and moves one of the scores into the 18 range, treat each segment of the strength chart as one "point."

Optionally, you can provide for character ability growth if using methods V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, or X. You have the player hold back some points that are then applied to ability scores as the character goes up in level later in play. The exact mechanic differs by generation method, but the DM should target about 9 "growth points" such that the character reaches their full potential around name level.

Method V (4d6 drop lowest): Roll the first 3d6 and note that score. Then roll the additional d6. If the 4d6 drop lowest score is higher, that number is the character’s eventual potential in that score, but he starts at the 3d6 number. Each time the character levels, the DM allows the player to have one "growth point" to add to any of the character’s ability scores that is below its maximum. If the character has more than 9 points allocated to growth, allow them to add growth points to their 3d6 scores during character generation until they only have 9 growth points left.

Method VI (All scores start at 8 and 7d6 points are divided between them): Hold back one d6 of the 7d6 (before rolling) as "growth points" to be allotted at one per level, assigned to any score the player desires (up to racial maximums).

Method VII (75 points, divide as you want): Hold back 4-9 (1d6+3) points out of the 75 as "growth points," assigned one per level to any score as above.

Method VIII (24d6, assign as desired): Hold back 2 of the d6 (before rolling) as "growth points," assigned one per level to any score as above.

Method IX (2d6 on the chart for number of points): Hold back 4-9 points, just as in Method VII. Assign one point by level as above.

Method X (75 points): Hold back 4-9 points, just as in Method VII. Assign one point by level as above.

Note that in Method V the scores that can grow during play are predetermined, but are not in methods VI-X. If you want these methods to generate predetermined maximum scores, you can have the player pre-assign his growth points to get "maximum values" just as in Method V.

These optional "growth methods" allow characters to begin as young, slightly above average people, and grow into their full power as they advance. Not only are starting characters not ultra-powerful 16 year olds, but players get to customize their character according to their experiences and needs as the campaign progresses.

A character begins life with 200 character points (CP). These points are used to purchase all the character’s skills, whether they stem from race, class, weapon/nonweapon proficiency, or any other source. As characters rise in level they are awarded more character points to spend on additional skills as desired. Characters receive 15 character points for each level advanced. All skills and advances in skills are paid for using CPs. CPs also have all the uses detailed in the Skills & Powers rulebook (pp.6-7).

Optionally, for those very fond of random generation, you can start out characters with 170+3d20 CP, and as they advance in level they should be awarded a base of 12 CP, plus 1-4 CP based either on random roll or DM assignation for character role-playing.

This is the technical term for all the specific abilities at a character’s disposal. In this system, very few skills are obtained "for free." Every aspect of a character’s abilities are explicitly bought using CP. Theoretically, all skills are available to all characters, though the CP cost may be prohibitive. Many skills from Skills & Powers are retained intact, with the same point costs, in this system. Some have been changed to balance the system, those changes are noted as they appear.

Skills are arranged into skill trees. A skill tree is a collection of related skills. Most trees have an initial cost to "buy in" to the tree, and thereafter a character may purchase skills from the tree. Some skills have costs other than CP, such as prerequisite skills or special conditions. Skill trees reflect the benefit of related skills - if you start learning about combat, for example, it is easier to learn more about combat than to learn about flower arrangement.

Racial abilities are skills that can be purchased only at character generation time. These reflect skills that are either inborn or taught from a very early age. Each major PC race has its own racial skill tree.

S&P Traits and Disadvantages all fall into the Racial Abilities category as well, though any race may choose Traits and Disadvantages.

To buy racial skills, you first pay the racial skill tree initial cost for that race. Thereafter you may purchase as many racial abilities from that racial skill tree as you wish.

Mixed races, like half-elves, must buy into both skill trees (human and elf, in this case), and they are only allowed to buy skills from the racial trees costing 5 CPs or less, unless the same ability appears in both races’ skill tree and cost 10 CPs or less. Under any circumstance, such mixed-race characters do not have access to racial skills costing more than 10 CP. DMs are free to allow any combinations they wish using these rules that are appropriate to their campaign - half gnome/half dwarves would buy into both trees and buy skills at the increased cost. The DM may be required to devise the base description for that new race combination, however. The DM may also create new racial skills that hybrid race may buy - there is no additional skill tree initial cost in that event.

Players should target spending about 45 points or less for racial abilities, traits, and disadvantages here - you can spend more, but you will be unable to buy much in the way of other abilities later.

You must qualify for a race according to Table 14 in S&P (p.22) in order to buy into that race tree.

Other racial abilities derived from the Complete Handbook series or other sources may be added to these lists. Note that demihumans by default have limited level advancement as described in the core AD&D rules, but also can advance further if they have a high Prime Requisite (see Skills & Powers p.23, Table 17). Demihumans may also spend character points to further buy out of that restriction, giving the ability to ascend to higher levels (but at an XP penalty). Determining which class to use on the level advancement table (Table 16, S&P p.23) will be covered in the "Reconciling Classes" chapter.

A player can buy a bundled set of abilities for the "generic" demihuman of a specific type as described in S&P. This forgoes any customization of the character’s abilities. The character does not have to pay the race tree initial cost if purchasing a bundle.

DM Note: You are free to require that players take racial bundles rather than a la carte skills if you do not allow this much variety in demihuman races in your campaign world.

A player may purchase some racial abilities as latent abilities. These abilities initially cost half the CP cost (rounded up), and then later in the character’s life the player may pay the full cost to have the ability "awaken." For example, a half-elf character purchases latent 60’ infravision for 5 CP, and later in play pays 10 CP for the latent ability to become active. Which abilities may be purchased latently are at the DM’s discretion.

Elves: Initial cost 7 CP

For the initial cost, elves get their ability score adjustments (Table 15, S&P p.23), long life, pointy ears, and other generic racial distinctives as described in the various rulebooks for their elf subtype (dark elves are black, aquatic elves breathe water, etc.).

Aquatic Elves: 40 CP (S&P p.27)

Dark Elves: 45 CP (S&P p.28)

Gray Elves: 45 CP (S&P p.28)

High Elves: 40 CP (S&P p.28)

Sylvan Elves: 40 CP (S&P p.29)

Infravision (30’):

Infravision like a normal elf, but only with a 30` range.

Unlimited Advancement at 25% XP Penalty:

The character can advance to unlimited level, but suffers a 25% penalty to all experience gained.

Infravision (120’):

Infravision like a normal elf, but extending out to a 120’ range.

Unlimited Advancement at 10% XP Penalty:

The character can advance to unlimited level, but suffers a 10% penalty to all experience gained.

Dwarves: Initial cost 5 CP

Dwarves, for their initial cost, obtain racial ability adjustments as per Table 15 in S&P, grumpiness, beards, and the 20% chance of magical item malfunction common to all dwarves.

Dwarf Bundle costs:

Deep Dwarves: 45 CP (S&P p.24)

Gray Dwarves: 45 CP (S&P p.25)

Hill Dwarves: 40 CP (S&P p.25)

Mountain Dwarves: 40 CP (S&P p.25)

New Dwarven Abilities:

See the New Elven Abilities section for descriptions of the Infravision and Unlimited Advancement skills.

Gnomes: Initial cost 3 CP

Gnomes automatically get long lives, big noses, bizarre senses of humor, racial ability adjustments, and the 20% chance of magical item malfunction they all share.

Gnome Bundle costs:

Deep Gnomes: 45 CP (S&P p.30)

Forest Gnomes: 45 CP (S&P p.30)

Rock Gnomes: 40 CP (S&P p.31)

New Gnomish Abilities:

See the New Elven Abilities section for descriptions of the Infravision and Unlimited Advancement skills.

Halflings: Initial cost 3 CP

Halflings, by default, are short and slightly more long-lived than humans. They get their racial ability score modifications.

Halfling Abilities

Halfling Bundle costs:

Hairfoot Halflings: 30 CP (S&P p.32)

Stout Halflings: 35 CP (S&P p.32)

Tallfellow Halflings: 35 CP (S&P p.32)

See the New Elven Abilities section for descriptions of the Infravision and Unlimited Advancement skills.

Humans: Initial cost 1 CP

Humans all have unlimited advancement in level. They are also sexier than demihumans.

Human Abilities

Human Bundle costs:

Normal Human: 1 CP

DMs are free to create other human bundles for specific peoples in their campaign world (e.g. the Rhennee in Greyhawk).

See Elven description for the Infravision 30’ skill.

Experience Bonus (10%) - like Experience Bonus (5%), but 10%.

Second Sight - Some humans are attuned to the faerie realm from birth, and are able to see faeries when they are invisible or shapechanged into other forms. If a human with this ability is in a position to see such a faerie, they receive a WIS check to realize that there are faeries around (if invisible) or know that someone or something is a shapechanged faerie. It does not allow the human to see the faerie clearly or determine the type of faerie.

Other 15 point human advantages may be added. Feel free to draw liberally from myth and legend to create a diverse set of human abilities.

Other races may be added as desired. Unless the DM wants to go to the trouble of splitting all the race’s powers up, only bundles are available for purchase. Such bundles should generally be equivalent in cost to other demihuman races. Generally no new demihuman or humanoid race should have a cost of less than 25 CP.

All races may purchase traits or get bonus CP for taking disadvantages. These purchases can only be made at character generation time.

More traits and disadvantages can be added - no disadvantage should be worth more than 15 CP, and traits should be balanced in power level (e.g. no +5 to hit with your favorite weapon).

Traits: No Initial Cost (See Table 47, S&P p.92)

Note on traits from Combat & Tactics: In C&T these traits require checks vs. the relevant ability like old-style proficiencies before the trait effect takes place. I have removed this check and simply made sure the character point cost justifies the trait's power.

Disadvantages: No Initial Cost (See Table 47, S&P p.93)

New Disadvantages:

Addiction:

The character is addicted to some substance, most likely a drug of some sort. If the character does not partake frequently (at least 2 times a day) he or she is ill and suffers -4 to all rolls for the duration. If the character goes without the substance for an entire week, he or she must make a system shock roll or lose 1d4 points permanently off a DM-chosen ability score. For 8 CPs, the substance is common and relatively inexpensive (the cost of a day's lodging). For 15 CPs, the substance is rare, possible exotic or magical, and expensive.

A note on disadvantages: I have retained all the traits and disadvantages straight from the various Player's Option books. Unfortunately, many of the disadvantages (cowardice, greed, fanaticism, etc) might be more properly placed in the realm of character role-playing and disadvantages should be more like reversed traits (Vulnerable to poison: -1 to saves vs. poison gets you some bonus CPs, for example). I leave this to DM discretion.

This is the section where the player purchases all of a character’s other abilities. The skill trees are broken up into major categories reflecting common groupings of skills.

At this point, characters receive bonus CP for their Bonus Proficiencies for Intelligence equal to two times that number in CP.

Characters must select a primary skill tree. All skills in this tree are purchased at the listed CP cost. All skills bought from other (secondary) skill trees are doubled in cost. The initial cost must be paid for all skill trees the character uses, including the primary tree (this initial cost is not doubled).

A character may buy more primary skill trees. The second skill tree has a doubled initial cost. The third costs triple, and so on. The Required and General skill trees are exceptions to this rule - they have no initial costs and skills purchased from them are always at the listed cost.

Many skills and skill trees are labeled with prime requisites. If a character has a 16 or better in that ability score, the skill costs 1 CP less than the listed amount (before any doubling). This does not affect skill tree initial costs. The prime requisite on a skill tree is the default for any skills listed in that tree without a specific prime requisite listed. If there are multiple prime requisites (e.g. STR/STA and WIS/WIL) the 1 CP reduction in cost only applies once per skill.

Some skills are labeled "Intermediate" or "Advanced," and denoted by one (*) or two (**) asterisks following the skill name. Intermediate skills may only be purchased during character generation if they lie in one of the character’s primary skill trees. Advanced skills may not be bought at character generation time, only later in the character’s adventuring career.

All characters must purchase one and only one item from each category in the Required skill tree. Items from the required skill tree may not be purchased later in a character's life.

Characters may buy better saving throws at two CPs per point of improvement for a specific save - for example, vs. Paralyzation or vs. Charm spells, or five CPs for a point of improvement for an overall save category (e.g. Paralyzation, Poison, and Death Magic). Characters can buy additional hit points at the rate of one per every five CP.

Costs for "standard" AD&D class combinations from the Required Skill Tree:

Standard Warrior cost: 130 CP

Standard Wizard cost: 65 CP

Standard Priest cost: 115 CP

Standard Rogue cost: 100 CP

Optional Skill Trees:

Listed under each skill tree are (most of) the class abilities or proficiencies from the Player's Option series which fall under each major category. Each skill tree is labeled with its initial cost and prime requisite. All skills in a tree that do not have specific requisites listed in the S&P book (N/A) have this as a prime requisite.

In the optional skill trees, spending one character point can raise the rating of any skill that has an Initial Rating by one.

Melee Combat Skill Tree - Initial cost 10, Prime Requisite STR/MUS

Free: Buying into the melee combat group gives a character basic knowledge of fighting with melee weapons. Characters do not have to buy this tree in order to be able to fight at all - but their combat options will be much more limited. The melee weapon nonproficiency penalty for characters buying into this tree is -2 (it is -4 for all others), and allows a character to receive the fighter hit point bonus for high CON.

Melee Combat Skills:

Unarmed Combat Skill Tree - Initial cost 5, Prime Requisite STR/MUS

Free: Buying into the Unarmed Combat tree allows a character to be proficient in all forms of brawling combat (pummeling, wrestling, overbearing). Other characters are only familiar (C&T pp.82-94). Buying into this tree also allows a character to benefit from the fighter hit point bonus for high CON.

Unarmed Combat Skills:

Missile Combat Skill Tree - Initial cost 15, Prime Requisite DEX/AIM

Free: Buying into the Missile Combat tree gives a character ability with a wide variety of missile weapons. They have a nonproficiency penalty of -2 with all missile weapons (other characters have -4).

Missile Combat Skills:

Holy Orders Skill Tree - Initial cost 10, Prime Requisite WIS/INT

Free: If a character buys into this tree, it assumes he has a special relationship with one or more deities or powers. The character is familiar with his religion and deity, and has more faith and devotion than the average worshipper. Characters purchasing Holy Orders receive bonus spells for high WIS/INT - but only if able to cast those spells, as below. To obtain Holy Orders for a particular deity, the character must meet any alignment, race, sex, or other restrictions of the faith in question.

The holy orders skill tree is a somewhat special case. Almost any skill could possibly be a granted power. Usually, characters will not be free to purchase any power from this tree at will, but instead purchase special bundles of powers and hindrances specific to their deity and their specific order following that deity. Deities only grant specific powers relevant to their portfolio, and often require specific actions or restrictions of their followers.

Besides the deity's spell selection, DMs are encouraged to come up with a bundle of selected powers and vows that best suit the deity in question. Use Faiths & Avatars and Powers & Pantheons as guides for specialty priesthoods or other holy orders (such as paladins). To show the holy orders tree in action, we will use two examples. The first is the Holy Healing Priesthood of Tungsten, God of Health and Fitness. The second is the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Holy Hospital of Tungsten. Both orders follow the same deity, but the first is a noncombatant priesthood specializing in healing and the second is an order of paladins prizing physical fitness above all.

Cleric Spells:

All clerical spells may be cast in any armor. Characters are free to purchase or not purchase any of the spheres their deity grants. Greater sphere access always carries the prerequisite of lesser sphere access in the same sphere (hence the reversed CP costs).

Access Costs:

Spell Level:

In this system, characters do NOT automatically get more spells as they increase in level. Each rank on the priest spell progression table (Table 34, S&P p.56) costs 5 CP. Caster level is equal to the character's rank on the spell table, NOT the character's actual level. Characters' spell rank can not exceed their level by more than 2.

Powers:

This list contains some sample powers that a deity might grant. Some priesthood somewhere might grant almost any conceivable skill or power. It is up to the DM to decide the CP cost of any new powers a deity may grant. As a general rule, powers duplicating at most a first-level spell usable a limited number of times should be lesser granted powers. Powers granting first-level spells continually or second-level spells usable a limited number of times should be greater granted powers, and powers granting heftier magics should be major granted powers (or beyond). Many of the granted powers from Faiths & Avatars will come with such high costs. Spell-like granted powers can also use the formula for CP costs given on p.39 of Spells & Magic. Note that unlike Skills & Powers, you cannot reduce CP costs by deferring powers to a higher level - you can just wait to buy them until then.

Lesser Granted Powers:

Greater Granted Powers:

Major Granted Powers:

Other Holy Order Skills:

Vows/Restrictions:

Holy orders may have various restrictions or vows required of their members to participate in their religion. These restrictions are worth bonus CP. Vows should be chosen by the DM, like powers, and placed into holy order "bundles."

Example 1:

The Holy Healing Priesthood of Tungsten, God of Health and Fitness.

This order of Tungsten worshippers values healing and health above all else. Their followers may not be evil or chaotic in alignment. Tungsten grants lesser access to the spheres of Guardian, Summoning, Combat, and Creation. He grants greater access to the All, Healing, Necromantic, and Protection spheres. Healers of Tungsten are allowed to take the Healing and Herbalism faith-related proficiencies at their usual cost, and in fact are required to as part of their training.

The order's bundle of powers and restrictions is as follows:

The order also has the following granted powers available later in life, obtained by paying the CP cost at a later date:

• Analysis (identify a disease or poison) for 10 CP
• Detect Undead for 10 CP
• Heal spell once per day for 20 CP

Holy Healers tend to spend lots of character points on the Tungsten spell spheres as well.

Example 2:

The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Holy Hospital of Tungsten.

These warrior-knights of Tungsten are required to take the Endurance proficiency, as they value physical fitness above all. They have access to all the spell spheres Tungsten can grant, but will have less character points to spend on them after getting more fighter-oriented abilities as well.

The order's bundles of powers and restrictions is as follows:

The Knights have the option of gaining the Immunity to Poison and Disease their Healer brethren have for 10 CPs apiece at a later date. They can also later take a vow of complete obedience to their order for 5 bonus CPs.

The order's members also usually buy the ability to use holy weapons, and lots of skills from the Melee Combat tree. They usually buy fewer spells, or at least defer purchasing them until later in life.

Wizardry Skill Tree - Initial cost 20, Prime Requisite INT/REA

Free: This skill tree gives a character knowledge of the ways of magical theory (the spell-slot one, other options like shamanism or spell points get their own trees). The character can scribe spells into spell books, and memorize spells as his casting level allows.

Spells: Wizard spells may not be cast in any armor.

Cantrips - 5 CP - The character can cast one cantrip per spell rank per day.

Universal School Access - 5 CP

Lesser School Access (L1-4) - 15 CP per school (Prerequisite: Universal School Access)

Greater School Access (L5-9) - 5 CP per school (Prerequisite: Lesser Access)

Spell Level - In this system, characters do NOT automatically get more spells as they increase in level. Each rank on the wizard spell progression table (Table 37, S&P p.60) costs 5 CP.

Level 1 (1 1^st level spell) costs 5 CP

Level 2* (2 1^st level spells) costs another 5

Level 3** (2 1^st level spells, 1 2^nd level) costs another 5

And so on. Casting level is equal to the rank on the spell table, NOT the character’s actual level. Characters’ spell rank cannot exceed their level by more than 2.

Specialty school - 20 CP

Use of wands, staves, and other wizard-oriented magic items - 10 CP

Weapon Proficiency in Dagger, Staff, Dart, Knife, Sling - 10 CP

Spellcraft (as NWP)

etc.

A note on the spellcasting skill trees: New methods of gaining spells or spell-like abilities should be given their own skill trees unless they are clearly based on one of the existing spheres. Magicians who use ley lines to tap into magical energy for spells, for example, would require an entirely separate skill tree for that area of magic. Casters who get their magical abilities as gifts from spirits also merit separate trees - see below for an example, the "Shamanism" skill tree, based on the Shaman class from Spells & Magic.

Shamanism Skill Tree - Initial cost 10, Prime Requisite WIS/INT

Stealth Skill Tree - Initial cost 15, Prime Requisite DEX/BAL

Free: Purchasing this skill tree gives a character some knowledge of stealth and intrusion - being sneaky, conning folks, paying close attention and noticing that which others miss, and other general skullduggery. All characters have certain base chances to perform some stealth skills in a limited fashion, particularly climbing walls and hearing noises. Normal characters 'climb walls' chance, however, is usable only in natural surroundings or on very rough walls. Purchasing the Stealth skill tree does not raise the chance of success with those skills but does make them usable in all circumstances.

Hide in Shadows - 10

Move Silently - 10

Climb Walls - 5

Open Locks - 10

Pick Pockets - 10

Find/Remove Traps - 10

Detect Noise - 5

All thief skills begin at their base chance (with race/DEX adjustments). Additional points may be bought to add to them at the rate of 5 percentile points per 2 CP. 50 points (20 CP) maximum may be spent at the beginning by any character, 75 points maximum (30 CP) if this is the character’s primary skill tree.

Backstab - 10

Thief weapon proficiency - 10

Bribe - 5

Thieves’ Cant - 5

Escaping Bonds - 10

Disguise - as NWP

Forgery - as NWP

Gaming - as NWP

Reading Lips - as NWP

Ventriloquism - as NWP

etc…

Psionics Skill Tree - Initial cost 20, Prime Requisite INT

[It starts getting much more sketchy after this point]

Sage - 10, INT

Cost Initial Relevant Source

Ancient History - 3 6 WIS/INT, INT/KNO PH p.

Ancient Languages

Astrology - 3

Astronomy - 2

Cryptography

History (Bard version, S&P p.55) - 10

Local History

Reading/Writing - 2

etc…

Human Relations - 5, CHA

Dancing

Etiquette

Heraldry

Leadership (C&T p.80) - 5, CHA/LDR

Musical Instrument

Singing

Human Relations (Bardic) - 10, CHA/LDR

Prerequisite: Human Relations tree

Note: If a character has Human Relations as a primary skill tree, treat Human Relations (Bardic) as a primary skill tree also.

Alter Moods (S&P p.54) - 5

Charm Resistance (S&P p.55) - 5

Counter Effects (S&P p.55) - 10

Rally Friends (S&P p.55) - 5

Sound Resistance (S&P p.55) - 5

Athletics 5, STR, DEX

Endurance - 2

Juggling

Jumping

Running - 2

Swimming - 2

Throwing

Tightrope Walking

Tumbling

Wilderness Craft - 5, WIS

Animal Lore

Climbing (S&P p.50) - 10

Find/Remove Wilderness Traps (S&P p.50) - 10

Fire-building

Fishing

Herbalism

Hide in Natural Surroundings (S&P p.50) - 5

Hunting

Mountaineering

Move Silently (S&P p.50) - 5

Orienteering

Set Snares

Sneak Attack (S&P p.50) - 5

Tracking

Weather Knowledge

Wilderness Craft (Ranger) - 5, WIS

Prerequisite: Wilderness Craft tree

Note: If a character has Wilderness Craft as a primary skill tree, treat Wilderness Craft (Ranger) as a primary skill tree also.

Animal Empathy (S&P p.50) - 10

Pass Without Trace (S&P p.51) - 10

Speak With Animals (S&P p.51) - 10

Species Enemy (S&P p.51) - 10

Sailing - 4, WIS

Deep Diving

Piloting

Navigation

Rope Use

Seamanship

Craftsman - 5, INT

Appraising

Blacksmithing

Brewing

Carpentry

Cobbling

Gem-cutting

Leather working

Mining

Pottery

Stonemasonry

Tailoring

Weaving

Artist - 5, ?

Painting - 2

Sculpting

Warcraft

Artillerist (C&T p.177) - CHA/LDR

Building - as S&P warrior class ability

Supervisor

War Machines

Cryptography

Engineering - as NWP

Bowyer/Fletcher

Armorer

Weaponsmithing

Leadership (S&P p.47) - 5

Laborer - 1, CON

Agriculture

Animal Handling

Endurance

General

Animal Training

Charioteering

Cooking

Modern Languages

Riding, Land

Riding, Airborne

[Note how followers were not part of this system - in my opinion, having a rule for that is foolish. If a character recruits some folks and the character is impressive enough that they’ll follow him, then he can have followers.]

This method can be used to create characters mimicking "standard" classes from the PHB. Of course, you are encouraged to create custom characters, but here you can see how to make basic characters using this system.

1. Generic Warrior

After rolling ability scores, choose race and race abilities. This will cost 1-40+ CP. In this example, we’ll assume a human with no special abilities (1 CP). Then, the player would buy the required tree skills normal for a fighter (130 CP). Buying into the Melee Combat primary tree and getting four weapon proficiencies would cost 50 CP. Then, some normal other skills - say Endurance and Swimming (5 for the tree and 4 for each skill), brings the grand total to 194 CP. The fighter spends the last 6 points the Running and Riding skills.

2. Generic Wizard

Again, we roll up scores and assume a human (1 CP). The normal required tree cost for traditional wizard statistics is 65 CP. Becoming a wizard as a primary tree and buying the universal school and lesser access to 5 schools costs 100 CP. Proficiency with staff is another 10 CP, and two sage proficiencies (Astronomy, and Reading/Writing) cost another 14. Buying the first spell rank for 5 CP totals up to 195 CP. This wizard spends the last 5 on the second spell rank - though he only has 5 schools to choose from at the moment, he gets 2 1^st level spells per day from them.

3. Generic Rogue

This character rolls scores, chooses a human, and buys the required tree abilities for the standard rogue. This totals 101 CP already. He buys the base level of all 7 normal thief skills for 60 CP plus the 15 CP Stealth primary tree initial cost - 176 CP down. Then 20 CP are spent on 50 percentile points to spread around on those skills. The rogue spends the last 4 on learning how to cook and how to speak Orcish. The rogue is proficient in no weapons, and does not know how to backstab.

4. Generic Cleric

Another human (1 CP), this character purchases the usual Priest required items (115 CP) and the Holiness primary tree (10 CP). His deity allows him 8 spheres for lesser access, he chooses 5 (50 CP). He can use blunt weapons - he chooses the mace (10 CP). After buying the first spell rank for 5 CP, he has 9 CP left. He decides his secular calling is to be a painter, which costs 5 for the tree and 4 for the skill.

As you can see, 200 character points doesn’t go a long way in this system. These characters are starting with a little less in the way of abilities than they would otherwise, with some skimping on weapon and nonweapon proficiencies, etc.

To stay on the "generic" track, as the characters progress they each spend 5 CP per level on spell rank advancement, thief skill improvement, or investing in multiple attacks. The other 10 CP is used to grow their skill sets.

At fifth level, each character has grown a lot, having earned another 60 CP to spend on improvement - the fighter is specialized in his weapon, has a style specialization, and a couple more nonweapon proficiencies. The wizard has a specialty school, can use scrolls, and is at 6^th level casting power. The priest is at fifth level of casting, but can now turn undead, has a lesser granted power, and another nonweapon proficiency. The rogue has boosted his skills considerably, and has obtained other skills like Disguise and Escaping Bonds. They’re not supermen yet, but are all specialized in what they do.

At name level, they’ve received another 75 CP and all have many other skills - the mage and cleric had to spend some of those points on getting greater sphere access, but still have plenty more to spend on other abilities. The fighter’s goals of weapon mastery are expensive, but coming into reach, and the rogue is branching out into all sorts of exotic skills.

The last section was an exercise in generating characters similar to the standard AD&D classes. The benefit of this system, of course, is that you can make a character that can do a wide variety of things that cross traditional "class" boundaries.

For example, let us take the example of a character that aspires to be a powerful warrior, and is born of sturdy barbarian stock, yet makes his living more often by stealth and theft than not, much as Conan the Barbarian and Fafhrd, the erstwhile companion to the Grey Mouser in Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar tales.

We will assume that we rolled up high Strength (18/76) and Dexterity (16) befitting such a character, such that STR and DEX based skills will cost 1 CP less because of the character’s high prime requisites.

First, we decide that the character should be human (1 CP) and possess a savage alertness form his wild heritage (Alertness trait, 6 CP). Then, we buy from the required skill tree - we want a super warrior, with warrior THACO (40 CP) and saves (40 CP), and d12 hit dice (50 CP). We take a worse XP table (Wizard, 10 CP) to make up the points - 130 CP total from the required tree.

We are at 137 CP, and have 63 CP remaining to build our character. Since we know we’ll be taking a lot of skills form both Melee Combat and Stealth, we pay 15 CP to get the Stealth tree as a primary, and 20 CP (twice the normal buy-in cost) to get Melee Combat as another primary tree.

That leaves us with 28 CP to buy skills. Not much at this point - we get Move Silently (9 CP, 10 -1 for a high DEX), Climb Walls (4 CP), and proficiency in the broadsword (9 CP). We don’t like how close we’re getting to our limit, so decide to go back and take a couple disadvantages - a mild Phobia: Crowds (4 CP) and a mild Phobia: Magic (8 CP) to reflect his outdoor, primitive upbringing. So we now have 18 CP left to spend around.

We spend 4 CP on Detect Noise and another 6 on 15 discretionary thief skill points to spread around, leaving us 8 CP. Our character needs to be able to ride a horse (2 CP), and we buy into the Wilderness Craft tree for 5. We don’t really have enough points left to buy any specific skills from that tree, but we may want to later, and it fits his background.

Note that we could have taken Wilderness Craft as our other primary rather than Stealth, and have been able to buy the Wilderness versions of the thief skills we have. However, we decide that he probably learned the thieving part of his skills in civilization (and we want him to be able to function well in cities while thieving, now and in the future) so we chose this combination of skills.

The remaining 1 CP can be saved for later - but we spend it on raising his Riding rating, on the grounds that his people were fierce mounted warriors.

So, at first level we have a beefy warrior with only one weapon skill, and three thief skills. Not bad, but not a world-shaking character (yet).

As time progresses, our character (we’ll name him Aethelred after the Saxon king) spends some time as a mounted guardsman and occasional thief in a port city. He reaches 5^th level in a couple years, and is becoming more battle-seasoned from his combat against humanoid and bandit incursions in the hills.

Over this time, he has gained 60 CP. Although he has progressed a little more slowly than would otherwise be expected due to his XP progression table, those d12 Hit Dice have brought him through his experiences intact. Aethelred has added 50 points to his thieving skills (20 CP) and has both expanded his skill in weapons from the broadsword to the tight group of medium swords (10 CP incremental cost) and has specialized in his trusty broadsword (24 CP). Long weeks spent in those hills have also taught him the art of surviving in that climate (Survival, 6 CP).

Over the next year, he tires of the constant fighting of guard duty and takes a job as a private bodyguard in the city - this also affords him an opportunity to hone his thieving abilities further. He manages to minimize his trouble with crowds by working largely at night. He reaches 8^th level, and spends 29 CP on the next rank of multiple attacks and 6 on another 15 thieving points. He is now pretty good about sneaking around the city, and when he gets caught, his broadsword is a formidable ally, with his Strength and specialization (he’s getting 2 attacks a round at a THACO of 11 and a +6 damage bonus). He has also purchased Backstab for 9 CP - those guards never hear him coming, and double damage drops them like flies. He’s saving that extra 1 CP for a rainy day.

Well, this sort of behavior eventually gets Aethelred in trouble with the law, and he ends up fleeing town on a ship headed to sea. He discovers he’s taken refuge with a group of pirates, and joins up for a life of freebooting and fun on the high seas.

In a couple years Aethelred is 10^th level (another 45 CP, plus the one left over) - a dreaded scourge of the seas, he has learned the arts of seamanship (Sailing tree for 4 CP, Seamanship for 4 CP, and Navigation for 6 CP) and has honed his fighting skills to a razor’s edge - another 29 CP gets him the top rung of the attack chart. He buys Rope Use for 2 CP and develops a keen eye for the value of treasure (Appraisal, 1 CP).

About this time he and his crew make the mistake of overtaking and trying to board a vessel carrying an archmage to a meeting in the East. Paralyzed by his fear of the resulting magical display, Aethelred is left clutching a fragment of his ship, which was burned to the waterline by three or four well-placed 15d6 fireballs.

He makes landfall and swears revenge on the archmage - over the next couple years he quests to find out the identity, location, and powers of the wizard in question, and makes his way across the continent in a series of adventures, making a living as a warlord, a caravan guard, a bandit - then meeting up with a group of adventurers also questing against the wizard in question.

After the group of adventurers defeat a dragon in its lair, hoping to use its hoard as both a lure for the mage (whom they’ve learned is greedy to a fault) and for its powerful magic to use against the mage. Though Aethelred does not like magic much, he sees the reasonableness of this course of action - he leaves the funkier magic to his teammates, only taking a magical shield for himself.

As the party prepares to confront the archmage, Aethelred is 12^th level. He takes shield proficiency (9 CP) and brings his skills of stealth to their fruition with Hide In Shadows (9 CP) and 60 points worth of thief discretionary skills (12 CP).

Should Aethelred survive this encounter, he will move on into the realms of legendary heroes - as he continues he can master his weapon, perfect his thief skills, and begin learning powerful skills from the High-Level Campaigns rulebook. He may well determine that the reins of rulership are his destiny, beginning with the land he will liberate from the archmage’s dictatorship and thence wherever his warband will venture.

Aethelred is not as skilled in warcraft as he would be if he had concentrated solely on combat. He’s not near the thief that a 12^th level dedicated thief would be either. But he is very good at both, and as his situation in life changed he was able to quickly adapt and learn the skills that suited the needs of his harsh life.

So, you’ve decided to use this system for you next Skills & Powers campaign. Then you start thinking about all those spells and magic items and obscure rules that specify characters’ classes in their description somewhere.

Don’t lose heart - here are some conversion rules.

Levels are the same as levels ever were - so if a character is affected by a spell or item or ability, use their overall level to calculate its effects. Some level-related scores, like spell casting level, are handled explicitly differently by these rules.

If a character has a primary tree of Combat (Melee, Missile, or Unarmed), treat them as a warrior. If their primary tree is Holiness, treat them as a priest. Stealth is for rogues and Wizardry is for wizards (Psionics, for psionicists…). For the purpose of maximum classes for demihumans, you may want to collapse relevant classes (Druid into Priest, Bard into Rogue) and take the more generous of the two limits.

If a character has another tree as their primary (e.g. Joe the Sailor) then count them as none, or make a DM fiat to whichever class the character most resembles. You should be asking yourself, however, do these class-specific effects make any sense? What is the spell, effect, or rule trying to get at? If the intent is, for example, that spellcasters are resistant to a specific spell, treat anyone with spellcasting ability as resistant. Use common sense, and be generous but fair in your interpretation.