contents
1
Credits
development and layout
Richard Neale
additional text
Alejandro Melchor
cover art
Scott Clark
cartography
Jesus Barony
interior illustrations
Jesus Barony, Eric Bergeron, Andrew Dobell,
Martin Hanford, Jon Netherland, Tony Parker,
Phil Renne, Ronald Smith & Jason Walton
studio manager
Ian Barstow
production manager
Alexander Fennell
playtesting
Mark Gedak, Kent Little, Murry Perry, Patrick A.
Kossmann, Tammy Gedak, Mark Howe, Mark
Sizer, Daniel Scothorne, Mark Billanie, Micheal
Young, Alan Moore, Daniel Haslam, Jamie
Godfrey, James Sparling, Shannon Sparling,
Shannon Sparling, Jimi Braun, Jason Thornton,
Bill 'Urklore' Schwartz
proof reading
Mark Quennel
OGL Ancients is ©2004 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of non-Open Game Content of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. OGL Ancients is presented under the Open Game License. See page 256 for the text of this licence. With the exception of boxed story text and character names, character creation rules detailing the mechanics of assigning dice roll results to attributes and the character advancement rules
detailing the effects of applying experience, all text within OGL Ancientsis declared as open content. Printed in China.
adrian bott
Contents
Introduction
2
Characters
8
Ancient Skills
47
Ancient Feats
79
Equipment
94
Combat
117
Adventuring
154
Magic and Miracles 160
Timeline of the
190
Ancient World
Religions and
199
Philosophies
Death And Beyond
226
Artifice
232
Bestiary
244
Character Sheet
254
2
introduction
If you’ve never played
a roleplaying game
before…
Then welcome to OGL Ancients and the shortest explanation of roleplaying ever written. One participant – the ‘Games Master’ – describes the scene, and the players decide how their characters will react. ‘You pull back the sheets of your bed and find an angry cobra waiting for you’, says the Games Master, ‘the cobra rears, baring its fangs, ready to strike. What do you do?’ Run? Hide? Call for assistance? Throw it out a window? The Games Master, using the rules as a guideline, decides what results your actions have. Repeat all that over the course of a few hours, mixing in mythic creatures, cryptic texts, intrigues and conspiracies, tragic heroes, madness, death and pain, and you have a session of OGL Ancients.
Introduction
Welcome to the past that never was.OGL Ancients is a roleplaying game set in a world long past, where Greek heroes do battle with horrendous monsters and Egyptian priests pray to weird, animal-headed divinities. This is an environment that many roleplayers will not have ventured into before. Instead of taverns, castles and dungeons, the environment is one of great columned temples, amphitheatres, pyramids and hanging gardens, where wise or corrupt kings rule over their sprawling empires and wars are fought for generations over the hand of one beautiful queen. The world of OGL Ancients is one where true heroes are remembered forever after, where a man favoured by the Gods can rise from the humblest of beginnings to command the world.
OGL Ancients is set before the rise of the Roman Empire and focuses on the two most influential civilisations of the ancient world, the Egyptians and the Greeks, though other cultures also appear. Those who wish to play the game as a ‘straight’ re-enactment of history may do so, drawing upon accurate historical depictions of weapons, armour, equipment and societal structure. Others, who may prefer the more fantastical may include such mythic elements as the wrangling of the Gods, the emergence of heroes with divine blood and the appearance of monsters truly worthy of the name.
The world of OGL Ancients is one of strong fantasy, in keeping with the ‘heroic golden age’ of the history of that time. Although it can be played without the fantastic elements, with such sections as the Gods being used as a cultural reference for added realism rather than a catalogue of beings who actually exist, many players will prefer the larger-than-life feeling of the myths.
To walk in the Ancient world is to live in a time when magic is a fact, when witches weave spells in secret glades under the full moon. The spirits of the dead really do revisit the living and wicked spectres lurk in the pestilent places of the earth. Sometimes, even the dead arise and walk again. In a world without technology, the strange and marvellous are dominant. There is no science yet; instead, artificers work mechanical miracles, while priests petition the Gods for their divine intervention.
In OGL Ancients, the Gods are always close at hand. Choose your deity carefully and be sure to heed them well, for their support can literally be your salvation and their displeasure, your annihilation. Those who the Gods love may prosper, even going so far as to have the use of the Gods’ own weapons and equipment, for use in their own divine cause.
If you have ever wished to sail with Jason on the Argo, to dare the labyrinth in the footsteps of Theseus or to twist men’s bodies into the shapes of swine like Circe; if you would besiege the white walls of Troy or fly amid the clouds on winged sandals. If you would walk in columned halls and practice the magic that ibis-headed Thoth teaches, or learn the secrets buried in the hearts of the pyramids; if you would leave your body and, in spirit form, meet with the witches on lonely mountains. If you long to spread your wings with the artificer Dedalus and hunt with silver Artemis, listen to the Orphic melodies and aspire to the feast that awaits a true hero in Olympus... then read on!
ogl ancients
system and other
ogl games
The basic system used in OGL Ancients is fundamentally similar to those used in the other Core books from Mongoose Publishing. The skills and feats are similar, as are the combat and task resolution systems, though there are some important changes. If you are familiar with other games using this same system, then feel free to skip right over this chapter.
introduction
3
characters in the
ancient world
Players in OGL Ancients take the role of heroes, characters who stand a head and shoulders above ordinary men and women. Each player’s character, even at the lowest level of experience, is an exemplar in his field, capable of performing tasks far out of reach of ordinary folk. They are the warriors, sages and artificers whose deeds will eventually enter the realm of legend or be commemorated in epic poems.There are two styles of play available in OGL Ancients. If you wish to recreate the atmosphere of heroic legends in which the Gods walked the earth and terrible monsters lurked in forsaken places, then you can play in the Mythic Age. This kind of game is essentially a fantasy world built on a Graeco-Egyptian theme. The Gods are real, there is such a thing as witchcraft and magic and the powers of heroes and their ilk are supernatural. When the strength of Heracles is spoken of, people mean that he genuinely can tear a tree up by the roots or hurl a boulder for a mile. Monsters such as the Gorgons or the Minotaur are very real. This is the recommended option for players who want magic, adventure and the broadest range of powers. Films such as ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ or ‘Clash of the Titans’ typify this style of play.
Alternatively, you may play in the Classical Age. This is a recreation of ancient Greece and Egypt as they were, incorporating a measure of poetic licence to allow for easy game play. In this version of the game, miracles do not
occur and the myths are only stories. Those creatures that the legends record as ‘monsters’ are exaggerations of the truth; the Cyclops was only a brutish human with one eye and the Minotaur was the deformed son of King Minos, hidden away in a labyrinth. You may prefer to play in the Classical Age if you like a more realistic campaign or if you want to tie events in world history into the adventures.
Characters and Dice
When an Egyptian archer draws back his bowstring and looses a shot at a charging barbarian, he may hit or he may miss. In a movie, his success or failure would be part of the script. In a roleplaying game, this is determined by random chance based on the skill of the archer in question. Since there is a variable involved, dice become a necessary part of the roleplaying medium. This is part of the excitement of roleplaying; you can never be certain that what you have in mind will come to pass, and you are always taking a chance whenever you do anything dramatic. The story of your character is not written in advance and even the Games Master respects the results of the die rolls. Strange though it may sound, dice make a game more realistic and enrich the challenge of the game. Just as in the real world, you never know quite what is around the corner.When a person fires arrows at a straw target, the variance of their shots is mostly based on their skill but can also be influenced by luck, timing and a thousand other factors. These are summed up by rolling a d20 (that is a 20 sided die) with a high number representing more of these factors aligning in a favourable way and a low number representing the opposite. Dice are used to determine success when using your character’s skills, when deciding how enduring
4
introduction
or intelligent they might be and when determining whether the swing of a sword has severed the hissing head of the Gorgon – or not.
Dice Terminology
Dice in roleplaying games go by a series of shorthand codes that are very easily to learn but look confusing at first glance. A four-sided die (the singular form of dice) is also called a d4. In this book, dice will be referred to by this code preceded by the number of them needed for any given roll required by the rules.
For example, if the ghastly Chimera were to open one of its three mouths and breathe a cone of flame at a band of unfortunate heroes who had woken it from its sleep, they would need to roll Reflex saving throws on 1d20. (Do not despair; terminology like ‘Reflex saving throws’ will be explained soon.) Note that the 1 is simply assumed if no other number is listed or needed, so ‘rolling d20’ is the same as rolling 1d20. If this d20 check is successful, the heroes would only suffer half the amount of damage. The flaming breath of the Chimera inflicts 4d8 damage to any victims within the area of effect. 4d8 means the Games Master would roll one eight sided die, note the number, then roll it again three more times and add the results to the first roll. Alternatively, if he happened to own four eight-sided dice, he could roll them all at once for a quicker calculation. Out of 4d8, a player can get a range of numbers from 4 (all dice roll a 1) to 32 (every die rolls an 8). When multiple dice are indicated by this shorthand code, the values of the rolls are always added together. One last dice note concerns the idea of a d100, also called a d%. This is also called a percentile roll in roleplaying parlance. To do this, roll a d10 twice. The first roll is for the tens; the second roll is for the digits. If you were to roll a 4 and then a 2, that generates the number 42. When rolling a percentile, two 0s count as the number 100. Some dice sets have a special d10 with a two-digit number (10,20,30 and so on) stamped on each of its faces to make this easier, but such dice are certainly not essential.
Multipliers
Certain modifications to dice rolls exist within the rules; these, instead of adding a set number or an additional die or dice to a roll, multiply the result. These are listed as ‘x2’ or some other multiplication value. Multipliers apply to every numeric modifier and the basic dice involved in the roll but not to additional dice added as a modifier to the roll. For example, if the hero Theocles (being especially favoured of Apollo, God of the Sun) has been provided with a searing arrow which inflicts 2d6 additional fire damage and he inflicts a critical hit when he smites a foe with
it, the attack would deal the arrow’s normal 1d8 damage rolled twice (for the critical hit) plus the 2d6 fire damage rolled once, for a grand total of 2d8 piercing damage plus 2d6 fire damage.
Note that multipliers mean you roll a die or dice multiple times, not that you roll a result and then multiply that. A multiplier of x2 applied to a d6 roll does not mean that you would roll, say, a 5, then double that to 10. Instead, you would roll 2d6 and total the results.
Multipliers can stack but regardless of their values, they stack in a specific way. When a check or value has two or more multipliers, the highest value multiplier is kept and every additional multiplier increases the first one’s value by 1. For example, if Ankh-af-na-Menthu successfully scored a critical hit with a spear (for x3 damage) against a Serpent of Set that was trapped in a Temple to Osiris and suffering x2 damage from all attacks, the attack would inflict 4 (x3 modified to x4 by the additional x2 modifier) times the normal damage, not 5 times.
Actions
Once you have a character worked out and some dice, you have all the tools you need to begin playing OGL Ancients. Most play usually consists of the Games Master, the person guiding the story and the action of a game, describing scenes and filling in details, then asking the players what they are doing next or listening to any spontaneous declaration from a player that he wishes to do something. Everything a character wishes to do, from waking up and putting on his socks to filling a band of street thieves full of arrows, is an action. Actions come in different types and have different rules associated with them.
Simple actions are things that do not require rolls except in the most adverse of conditions. Under normal circumstances, a character is allowed to sit down at a table, eat a loaf of bread and hold a rational conversation without needing to make a die roll for success. If that same character were to swim across the Nile, with scorpion venom in his veins, a bleeding wound in his thigh and have had no sleep in three days, it might be a different story. Whenever a character needs to make a simple action, something they can normally do everyday with no special skill or talent required, the Games Master will generally simply declare success or, like in the example just given, require a roll (also called a ‘check’) or simply declare failure. Players have a realistic idea of what their characters can do, so most of the time there will be no absurd statements or challenges to the consensual reality of the game.
Contested actions make up the largest part of the rule mechanics for combat and skills. Everything that a
introduction
5
The Core Mechanic
When in doubt about how to resolve any given action, keep this simple piece of advice in mind. Any attempted action that has some chance of failure can be handled by rolling a twenty-sided die (d20). To determine if a character, be it a player or a character controlled by the Games Master, succeeds at a task, use the following simple steps:
� Roll a d20.
� Add any relevant modifiers.
� Compare the result to a target number.
If the result equals or exceeds the target number, the character succeeds. If the result is lower than the target number, the character fails.
character does that might have a chance of failing because of someone else’s actions, skills or abilities, is called a contested roll. Shooting an arrow at a thief is an example of a contested action; your attack roll is contested by the thief’s Active Defence, representative of his ability to avoid being hit. Contested checks are never guaranteed and even the most masterful of archers can miss his mark once in a while. Saving throws, which are a special type of check made to see if a character can escape the effects of an adverse condition, are another kind of contested roll. A term used during contested rolls is DC, short for Difficulty Class. The DC of a contested check is the minimum number a d20 check, plus or minus modifiers, must roll to succeed. A roll that is lower than the given DC for an action fails. The d20 is the most common type of die rolled during an average gaming session, making it crucial to the system and the single most important die for any player to own.
Astute players may have realised at this point that if contested checks have to beat a listed DC and they are all made using a single d20, then actions with a DC of 21 are considered impossible. On the surface, this is correct, that is where characters come in. Characters and the skills and abilities they possess come with modifiers that are added to or subtracted from certain kinds of checks. These modifiers can theoretically make any check possible, no matter how high the DC might be.
Though it is often a convention with games usingthe d20 rules to allow all rolls of 20 on a d20 to be an automatic success, this is not always the case. By the same token, a roll of 1 (called a ‘natural’ 1 because it is the actual result on the die roll, just as with a ‘natural’ 20) is not an automatic failure. Instances in the rules where a natural 1 or 20
indicate automatic success or failure will be clearly marked in the text of the rules themselves.
ability scores
Every character in OGL Ancients has six basic abilities. Each one represents different aspects of that character’s mental or physical prowess. Some types of creature may possess a non-ability, such as undead monsters which do not truly possess a Constitution score, this being the ability governing health. In most cases, a character will have a positive value of some kind in each of the six scores, indicating some development – or lack thereof – in that area.
Ability Modifiers
Each ability, after changes brought about by age or other campaign factors, generally has a modifier ranging from –5 to +5. The Ability Modifiers Table shows the modifier for each score. Ability score modifiers can range higher than +5, but they cannot go lower than -5 because the status of a creature or object changes when its ability scores drop to 0. See below for further details.
The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that ability. You also use the modifier with some numbers that are not die rolls. A positive modifier is called a bonus and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
The Abilities
Each ability partially describes your character and affects some of their actions. Abilities are not the sum total of a character’s personality or capabilities; these are up to the player to determine. They do, however, provide the framework around which skills and checks are typically made, making them a very important part of the character’s description.
Strength (STR)
Strength encompasses your character’s muscle or body development and physical power. Strength also measures the amount of equipment your character can carry. Characters with high Strength are often labourers or warriors, as they have built up their bodies over years of hard work.
You apply your character’s Strength modifier to:
Melee attack rolls.
Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon, including a sling. (Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive only one-half the character’s6
introduction
Ability Modifiers Table
Score Modifier 1 –5 2 – 3 –4 4 – 5 –3 6 – 7 –2 8 – 9 –1 10 – 11 +0 12 – 13 +1 14 – 15 +2 16 – 17 +3 18 – 19 +4 20 – 21 +5 22 – 23 +6 24 – 25 +7 26 – 27 +8 28 – 29 +9 30 – 31 +10 32 – 33 +11 34 – 35 +12 36 – 37 +13 38 – 39 +14 40 – 41 +15 42 – 43 +16 44 – 45 +17
Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive one and a half times the Strength bonus. A Strength penalty applies to attacks made with a bow that is not a composite bow.)
Climb, Jump and Swim checks. These are the skills that have Strength as their key ability.
Strength checks (for breaking down doors and the like).Dexterity (DEX)
Dexterity measures hand-eye co-ordination, agility, reflexes and balance. This ability is the most important for characters who typically wear lighter armour or none at all and for anyone who wants to be a skilled shot.
You apply your character’s Dexterity modifier to:
Ranged attack rolls, including those for attacks made with bows, thrown knives, hurled spears and other ranged weapons.
Active Defence, provided that the character can react to the attack.
Reflex saving throws, for avoiding explosions and other attacks that you can escape by moving quickly.
Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Tumble and Use Rope checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key ability.Constitution (CON)
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes. Combat-oriented characters need hit points to survive wounds, whilespellcasting characters use up hit points to fuel their spells. A high Constitution also lessens your chance of suffering a grievous wound.
You apply your character’s Constitution modifier to:
Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1 – that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he or she advances in level).
Fortitude saving throws, for resisting poison and similar degenerative threats.
Concentration checks. Concentration is a skill, highly important for spellcasters, which has Constitution as its key ability.If a character’s Constitution score changes enough to alter their Constitution modifier, the character’s hit points also
increase or decrease accordingly.
Intelligence (INT)
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. It is important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.You apply your character’s Intelligence modifier to:
The number of languages your character knows at the start of the game.
The number of skill points gained with each level. Note that your character always gains at least 1 skill point per level.
Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Debate, Forgery, Hekau, Knowledge, Medicine, Search and Solve Conundrum checks. These are the skills that have Intelligence as their key ability.An animal has an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. A creature of humanlike intelligence has a score of at least 3.
Wisdom (WIS)
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyse information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
You apply your character’s Wisdom modifier to:
Will saving throws, for negating the effect of mind-altering phenomena or spells.introduction
7
Heal, Listen, Prayer, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key ability.Charisma (CHA)
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead and comeliness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Every creature has a Charisma score. You apply your character’s Charisma modifier to:
Bluff, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Presence, Perform, Rhetoric and Witchcraft checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key ability.
Checks that represent attempts to influence others. When an ability score changes, all attributes associatedwith that score change accordingly. Most of these changes are also retroactive; a character receives or loses additional hit points for previous levels if an increase or decrease
in Constitution occurs. One important exception to this retroactive rule regards Intelligence. A character does not retroactively get additional skill points for previous levels if she increases her intelligence, nor are skill points lost if Intelligence is lowered for any reason.
Grievous Wound Threshold
Your Grievous Wound Threshold is the average of your Strength and Constitution ability scores, rounded down. It determines how serious a given wound is for you. If an attack deals damage in one blow that is less than your Grievous Wound Threshold, then it is recorded as a normal wound. If the damage scores equal to or higher than your Grievous Wound Threshold, then it is recorded as a grievous wound. Grievous wounds are more disabling than ordinary wounds and will not heal without medical attention.Ability Score Loss
Various attacks can cause ability score loss, in the form of either ability damage or ability drain. Points lost to ability damage return at the rate of one point per day, or double that if the character is able to take complete bed rest to each damaged ability. Certain chemical or mechanical effects can also offset ability damage. Ability drain, however, is permanent, though some effects can restore even those lost ability score points.
While any loss is debilitating, losing all points in an ability score can be devastating.
Strength 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He lies helpless on the ground.
Dexterity 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He stands motionless, rigid and helpless.
Constitution 0 means that the character is dead.
Intelligence 0 means that the character cannot think, is unconscious in a coma-like stupor and is helpless.
Wisdom 0 means that the character has withdrawn into a deep sleep filled with nightmares and is helpless.
Charisma 0 means that the character has withdrawn into a catatonic, coma-like stupor and is helpless. Keeping track of negative ability score points is never necessary. A character’s ability score cannot drop below 0. Having a score of 0 in an ability is different from having no ability score whatsoever. Some effects and abilities impose an effective ability score reduction, which is different from ability score loss. Any such reduction disappears at the end of the effect or ability’s duration and the ability score immediately returns to its former value.8
characters
Characters
Your character is your alter ego in a game of OGL Ancients, defined by his ability scores, background, class features and other variables.To generate a set of ability scores for a character, roll 4d6 and discard the die with the lowest face value. This will create a score between 3 (all four dice rolling 1’s) and 18 (three of the four dice coming up as 6’s). Being able to remove the lowest number inclines the average value of each score and tends to create characters with higher than average abilities. Repeat this procedure five times. Once you have generated six values in this way, either assign them in the order rolled or place them in any order desired into the six corresponding ability scores.
backgrounds
All characters must select a background, showing where they came from geographically and socially. Your background limits your choice of character class and modifies your ability scores. It may also apply background modifiers to certain skill checks that can affect a character’s chances of success. For example, all slaves are deemed to be uneducated, so although they are physically robust, they have little in the way of intellectual knowledge.
The first thing to decide is where your character comes from. OGL Ancients is focussed on the Greek and Egyptian cultures, so the options available for characters from those cultures are significantly greater than others. You may be Greek, Egyptian or a foreigner, such as an Assyrian. Having done that, you must select one background for your character. If you are playing in a mythic campaign, then you may choose to select a mythic background. If you are Greek or Egyptian, you may then further customise your character by specifying your city of origin. OGL Ancients is oriented around the Greek and Egyptian cultures and, as a result, these civilisations have more options available, though players need not play characters from these civilisations.
If you are not Greek or Egyptian, then your background is simply your region of origin as a ‘foreigner’, such as Nubian or Assyrian. Foreigners may not take the Greek Priest, Egyptian Priest, Hetaera or Noble Warrior character classes, as these are specific to the Greek and Egyptian cultures.
Gender
You must decide whether your character is male or female. This is not a trivial issue. The ancient world is run
along very clear lines of gender division. Women,
for example, are not allowed to become warriors, much less noble warriors, though they may serve as priestesses. Men are not allowed to enter the secret cult of the witches, nor may they become hetaerae. Your gender does not affect your ability scores at all, though it does restrict the character class you may take.
At the Games Master’s discretion, a female character from a civilisation other than Greece or Egypt could be allowed to become a warrior or noble warrior. There were indeed some examples of warrior queens in ancient times. However, such examples were far from being the rule. The prohibition here is not intended to restrict anyone’s enjoyment of the game, but simply to keep to historically sound conventions. A mythic campaign can always look to the Amazons to balance things out, while a historical campaign can draw inspiration from the likes of Queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus or Queen Samsi the Midianite. There may have been more female warriors than records indicate; men, after all, wrote the records. Ultimately, it is your game and you can decide which restrictions to apply.
Social Class
If you have a Greek or Egyptian nationality, then your next background choice is your social class within that society. Your social class determines how others react to you and how much regard they have for you. In the ancient world, there is no political correctness and there are no equal opportunities. The aristocracy are in control. They look down on the merchants, who in turn look down on the workers and slaves. In OGL Ancients, all social classes have their advantages and disadvantages but those who are born to the nobility are always entitled to respect and deference from those of a lower social class.
If you are a foreigner, then how others regard you depends entirely on the standing your country has at the time. Nobody cares what your social rank was back in your own land. If your country is well regarded, then you will be treated well; if you are an enemy, then you can expect to be treated as such. For example, the Spartans in Greece were either the enemy or the ally of the Persian Empire, depending on what Persia was doing at the time and how it influenced Sparta’s main rival, Athens.
Greek And Egyptian Social
Classes
These backgrounds apply to any character who was raised in the Greek or Egyptian culture or who has rank in that culture, such as by marrying into it. They do not have anything to do with your race. In OGL Ancients, the racial origin of a character is irrelevant. It is cultural background that counts.
characters
9
Slave
As a slave, you are socially the lowest of the low, even if you appear to be groomed and well dressed. Another person, who may or may not treat you fairly, owns you. Much like a household pet, you are property. It is recommended that any slave characters are owned by other players, as this makes integrating them into the game much easier. If a slave character is owned by a Non-Player Character, it sets greater limits on what he can do.
Slaves benefit from a +2 increase to Constitution, as only robust slaves last for any length of time and suffer from a –1 penalty to Intelligence, as they do not benefit from education. For the same reason, all Knowledge skills are automatically cross-class skills to them. Slaves are limited to the Warrior, Bard, Thief and Artificer character classes. One of the most famous storytellers of ancient times, the bard Aesop, was a slave.
Slaves start play with no wealth of their own at all. If one of the other players owns a slave character, he may choose to give the slave some possessions. Slaves are very challenging characters to play but the rewards of starting right at the bottom and working your way to the top are immense.
Worker
Workers are the largest class of society. They are the common people, the ‘hoi polloi’, who do all of the work and are allowed no say in their own government. In times of war, they are drafted into military service if they are male, whether they know how to fight or not. They enjoy more rights than slaves do and are counted as citizens, though this only means that they have certain basic freedoms, such as the freedom to own property and earn a living, that slaves do not. They cannot vote, nor can they take any character class that requires noble birth.
If you wish, you can take the Worker background and start the game as an ex-slave, who has earned his freedom. This nets you no advantages other than having no owner. Socially, you are still looked upon as a slave in essence until you make something more of yourself. Some ex-slaves have gone on to amass fortunes for themselves, so there is no reason to suppose you could not do likewise.
As workers live by their skills, they gain an additional skill point per level. Each worker is a specialist in one of the Craft skills, so he or she may choose one Craft skill and receives a +2 background bonus to all checks made with that skill. Workers are not eligible for the priesthood, nor may they take any character class that requires noble birth. Workers begin play with 1d4x5 silver drachmas or goods to that value in a campaign set before the advent of coinage. They are also allowed a number of bonus items of the kind
that are made by their Craft skill, to a total value of no more than 30 silver drachmas, to represent goods that the character has made for himself. For example, a blacksmith might own a bronze-headed spear, an iron pot or a metal shield.
Middle Class
The educated members of this social class are likely to be merchants, traders and slave-owners. They may take any character class except those that require noble birth. Socially, they are superior to the workers and slaves but still far beneath the nobility. For all their riches, they cannot hope to achieve noble rank unless it is conferred upon them or they marry into it. Nobles have more contempt for middle class characters than for workers; as the middle classes have had to work for their wealth. At least the workers know their place, while the middle classes are determined to rise above theirs through trade.
Trade is not seen as a fit occupation for a hero; nonetheless, many middle class characters become warriors, simply because they can afford to. Armour and weapons made from more robust materials than leather and wood cost a lot of money and not every level of society can afford them.
All members of the middle class gain a bonus feat at first level, resulting from their broad experience of life and their determination to improve their lot.
The starting wealth for a middle class character is 5d4x10 silver drachmas. A middle class character also owns 1d3 slaves, who may be brought along on adventures if the character sees fit; if they are killed, the character will have to buy new ones.
Noble, Female
Of highborn blood yet assigned to a lower station because of her gender, the female noble is widely educated and eloquent and may even be a secret practitioner of magic. Female nobles may take the Greek Priest, Egyptian Priest, Courtesan, Witch or Aristocrat character classes.
The starting wealth for a female noble is 5d4x20 silver drachmas. She also owns 1d3 slaves, who may be brought on adventures or left behind as the player sees fit. The slaves of a female noble are more likely ladies in waiting or handmaidens than burly bearers.
Noble, Male
The top of the social pyramid, male nobles take part in government or lead armies in the field. They are disadvantaged by the expectations their families place upon them (in their way, they are more indentured than some slaves) and by their lack of practical,
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worldly experience. Male nobles may take the Greek Priest, Egyptian Priest, Noble Warrior or Aristocrat character classes. Some nobles enter the priesthood but these are considered an oddity.
Greek and Egyptian Warriors
Warriors from a Greek background, irrespective of social rank, are proficient with all martial weapons. For their Weapon Focus, they may choose between the spear, the javelin, the sarissa, the xiphos and the kopis.Warriors from an Egyptian background, irrespective of social rank, are proficient with all martial weapons except the kopis, the sarissa, the labrys and the Cretan stabbing sword. For their Weapon Focus, they may choose between the composite self bow, the composite recurved bow, the kopesh or the mace.
Foreign Backgrounds
These backgrounds may only be taken by characters who come from lands other than Greece or Egypt. They are included for the Games Master’s use in creating Non-Player Characters. Players may take these backgrounds, though they will be at a distinct disadvantage in Greece or Egypt unless the civilisation from which they hail is an ally or at least neutral. Refer to the Timeline Of The Ancient World on pg. 190 to see the standings of the various ancient civilisations at a given point in time.Some foreign backgrounds are not available at certain points in time, as the civilisation concerned collapsed.
For example, the Hittites were a spent force after around 1200 BC, while the Assyrians were no longer a power to be reckoned with after the destruction of Nineveh by the Medes in 612 BC.
Amazon (Mythic)
The Amazons were said to be a tribe of ferocious warrior women encountered by several of the Greek heroes. One of Heracles’ most notable achievements was to retrieve the girdle of Hippolyta, the Amazon Queen, while Theseus is said to have married her.
If you are from the tribe of the Amazons, you may be female and a warrior or noble warrior. This is the easiest way to have a female warrior character in OGL Ancients. Amazons are unfortunately mythical, so you may only take this option in a mythic campaign.
Amazon warriors are proficient with all martial weapons and have the composite self bow as their Weapon Focus.
Assyrian
Assyrians dominate the Fertile Crescent and occupy Egypt around 700 BC. Initially a people without cavalry, they were pushed into learning the arts of fighting from horseback when horse-mounted invaders kept assaulting their lands. Assyrians were among the best archers of the ancient world, rivalling the Egyptians in their expertise with the bow and using the chariot as a mobile archery platform, much as the Egyptian forces did. Special armour was developed to protect the archers, who could not carry a shield to defend themselves.
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Assyrian characters benefit from the Chariot Combat featfor free, even if they do not meet the usual prerequisites to qualify for this feat. Assyrian warriors are proficient with all axes and spears and have the composite recurved bow as their Weapon Focus.
Barbarian
‘Barbarian’ is a catch-all term for those who come from uncivilised lands. For the purposes of OGL Ancients, barbarians are a brawny, tribal people whose main interest is in fighting and gaining both land and riches for themselves. Barbarians are illiterate and may not take any character class other than warrior or thief, as the culture does not allow for more sophisticated roles. They are looked down upon as scum by civilised societies and are believed to have no regard for learning at all.
As they are accustomed to running for long distances, they have a base Speed of 40 feet, so long as they are wearing only light armour. If they wear heavier than light armour, they lose this ability.
Barbarians treat all Knowledge skills as cross-class skills, except for Knowledge (nature) and Knowledge (local). They receive a +2 background bonus to all Survival skill checks, as they are half-wild and accustomed to living in the natural world.
Barbarian warriors are proficient with all axes and spears and have the hand axe as their Weapon Focus.
Nubian
The Nubians, a people from the region of Africa south of Egypt, are admired among the Egyptian soldiery for their courage and strength. The elite core of many a Pharaoh’s troops was a force of Nubian mercenaries, who could be relied upon to terrify the enemy with their vicious, relentless fighting.
Nubians benefit from a +1 background bonus to Strength and to Will saving throws. They are, however, limited in their choice of equipment. Nubians dislike armour and are uncomfortable fighting in it, as they are accustomed to fighting with bare skin. Any body armour (but not shields) worn by a Nubian has its armour check penalty increased by +1.
Nubian warriors are proficient with all axes and spears and have the hand axe as their Weapon Focus.
Persian
Originally vassals of the Assyrians, the Persians expanded their empire to become one of the most splendid and mighty civilisations in world history. The Persian character is noble, magnanimous, strict and absolutely convinced of its own superiority. Like other empires in later years, they believe that expanding their territory by taking new cities is the best thing for the conquered as well as the conquerors. Persians never forget a slight and they will always go out of their way to avenge insults upon their honour. They are a patient people, capable of nursing a grudge for years, but they will always act upon it eventually.
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Persians benefit from a +1 background bonus to their Charisma ability scores. In addition, their natural expressiveness and concern with appearance means that Presence is always a class skill for a Persian character, even if it is not among the listed class skills.
Persian warriors are proficient with all martial weapons and may choose from the bow (any), the akinakes or the spear as their Weapon Focus.
Hittite
The Hittites were capable warriors, the first to exploit iron weapons to any significant degree. Opponents of the Egyptians for many years, they eventually made an alliance with the marriage of an Egyptian king to a Hittite princess. Hittite characters are not available from around 1200 BC onwards, however, owing to the collapse of their empire in previous years.
Hittite warriors are proficient with all martial weapons and have the spear as their Weapon Focus.
Phoenician
The Phoenicians are a constant presence for almost two millennia in the ancient world. As so many of their cities are coastal, they were one of the first civilisations to develop an extensive naval force. Rather than becoming military aggressors, they became sailors and traders. In the time period around 1000 BC, the cities of Tyre and Sidon were renowned for their wealth and prosperity throughout the ancient world. The Phoenicians were the founders and occupants of Carthage, which would in time come to be a dominant power in the region, so much so that a lengthy war would result between the Phoenicians and the Romans.
All Phoenicians are adept traders and sailors. They receive a +2 background bonus to all Appraise, Bluff and Swim skill checks and receive Profession (sailor) as a class skill, irrespective of their character class.
Phoenician warriors are proficient with all swords and spears and have the javelin as their Weapon Focus.
Scythian
Hailing from the regions of northern Iran, the Scythians were a frequent thorn in the side of the Medes. They perfected the recurved composite bow and became adept at using it from horseback, becoming one of the only early civilisations to use mounted archer units. The Scythians have a reputation for being savage, aggressive and implacable, dominating others ruthlessly and celebrating their victories with drinking binges that last many days. All Scythians receive a +2 background bonus to Ride
skill checks and have the Mounted Archery feat for
free, even if they do not meet the usual prerequisites for this feat. They suffer from a -2 background penalty to Intelligence, owing to their disdain for learning and study applied to anything other than conquest. Scythian warriors are proficient with all axes, spears and bows and have the composite recurved bow as their Weapon Focus.
City and Regional Backgrounds
Characters of the ancient world often have loyalty to their city or region and identify themselves by referring to it, such as by calling themselves ‘Timmaeus of Athens’ or ‘Ankh-f-n-khonsu the Theban’. This is especially important for Greek characters, as ancient Greece was not a unified country but a land in which numerous city-states fought for space and resources. See the Ancient World chapter for more details on how ancient Greece functioned.Your city gives you certain advantages and disadvantages. Athenians, for example, are trained in philosophy and the arts, giving them bonuses to Rhetoric and Debate skill checks, while Spartans are taught to discipline their bodies and become more resistant to pain, giving them the Athletic feat for free and an increased Constitution.
Spartan
The citizens of the city-state of Sparta belong to a strong warrior culture. Education is structured around the body and mind in harmony, developing both to their highest possible peak. Spartans are trained to be tough and unsentimental, disdaining soft or luxurious things in favour of a hard-bitten warrior life. To this day, the word ‘spartan’ is used to mean simple, plain and functional. Spartan methods of education were designed to produce a warrior citizenry. At the time of their greatest glory, their military power dominated most of the Greek lands. Spartan athletes were the finest in the ancient world and Spartan fighting men the most feared.
Spartans are physically tough and disciplined but have a harsh, forbidding manner about them. Any male Spartan character benefits from a +1 bonus to Constitution and suffers from a -2 penalty to Charisma. All Spartans have a base Speed of 40 feet, as they are trained in physical fitness. They also receive the Athletic feat for free.
Female Spartans do not benefit at all from being brought up in the city. Their ability scores are not modified, nor do they receive any free feats. Their Charisma is assuredly not modified at all, as the most beautiful human being of all time was a female Spartan.
Athenian
Citizens of the city-state of Athens, the holy city of the Goddess Athene, are trained to follow the culture of the
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mind. In keeping with the nature of the city’s patronGoddess, wisdom is prized. Every action has to be prefaced with a proper degree of thought. Athens was a great centre of philosophy in the ancient world and provided human civilisation with the earliest known form of democracy. Eventually, Athens would come to dominate the whole of Greece, creating one of the most profound, widespread and lasting cultural influences in the history of the planet. Athenians place great value on justice and fairness, believing that if everyone fulfils their allotted role without trying to break the rules, their society would work. They are, in conventional terms, fundamentally lawful.
Athens and Sparta are often in a state of intense rivalry and mutual apprehension. The Athenian society is dedicated to the cultivation of intellect while the Spartan is dedicated to the cultivation of the physical body; the Spartan is naturally the stronger of the two when their rivalry comes to blows, a perception that worries many Athenians.
Characters from Athens with anything other than a slave background receive a +2 background bonus to all Rhetoric, Debate and Knowledge checks.
Thessalian
Thessaly is a region well known for its witches. The cult of Hecate thrives in Thessaly, images of the triple-faced Goddess stand at every crossroads and it is said that one woman in every ten is secretly a witch. Whether this legend is true or not, the women of Thessaly are well suited to the pathes of the witch or the more persuasive aristocrat.
They are not as well educated as the males, but have learned to succeed via guile and keen perception.
The women of Thessaly receive a +1 background bonus to their Charisma ability score and a +2 background bonus to all Sense Motive checks, but a -2 penalty to all Knowledge checks. The men of Thessaly are not especially remarkable and tend to be under the thrall of their womenfolk.
Cretan
The folk of Crete are said to be cunning and wily. Like the famous labyrinth that is rumoured to lie beneath the palace of old Minos, one-time ruler of the island, their minds are full of twists and turns. It is said that one should never trust a promise made by a Cretan unless it is recorded in writing and that even then, one should bring one’s own scribe. All Cretans receive a +2 background bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive checks made against anyone but another Cretan or a person who has spent more than three years living in Crete. Those who grow up on the island learn to recognise each other’s ways. Cretans also receive a +2 background bonus to all Solve Conundrum checks. They are, however, handicapped by a rather insular approach to life; though they are very persuasive, they are not well liked. They therefore suffer from a -2 penalty to any Charisma based skill check made to influence another’s attitude. Cretan warriors are proficient with all bows, all spears and the kopis. Their Weapon Focus is the composite recurved bow. Cretans are well renowned for their bowmanship.
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Theban
Thebes in Egypt (not to be confused with the city of the same name in Greece) is the sacred city of the God Horus. Those who dwell in Thebes partake of the God’s nature, becoming strong in both mind and body. They are more likely to become warriors for Pharaoh than the denizens of any other city. The Thebans are sometimes called the Spartans of Egypt. Together with the Nubian mercenary forces, they make up the cutting edge of the ancient Egyptian army.
Thebans receive a +1 background bonus to all Will and Fortitude saving throws and a +1 background bonus to all melee attacks and ranged attacks with a thrown weapon made against human infantry. They also gain the Toughness feat for free. The strong military ambience of their city does make them less concerned with learning and spiritual matters; accordingly, they receive a -2 penalty to all Intelligence-based skill checks.
Karnak
Karnak was the centre of Ancient Egyptian society for many generations. Those raised there are exposed to all manner of political discussions, theological debates and demonstrations of Pharaonic power. Nobles of Karnak are well educated, but are spared any manual work or fighting, as a result of which they are less physically developed than they otherwise could be. A character of noble origin who comes from Karnak receives a +2 background bonus to all Presence and Hekau checks, but a -1 penalty to Fortitude and Reflex saving throws. Characters of any other origin than noble do not receive any modifiers.
Mythic Backgrounds
This section allows players to create heroic characters along the lines of the ancient myths. Mythic characters are those whose powers must either be explained away as the exaggerations of myth or who genuinely do have superhuman ability, depending on the kind of campaign being run. Many mythic characters’ fates are directly bound to the Gods. They are either agents of the Gods or are related to them in some way. Mythic character backgrounds may only be used with the agreement of the Games Master.There are three ways to create a mythic character. They may have divine blood, divine patronage or a divine boon.
Divine Blood
Like the Pharaohs of Egypt or the demigod heroes of ancient Greece, the character is directly descended from a deity. The character may, for example, be the son of Zeus like Heracles. Such a character has one divine parent and one mortal parent, they are never the child of two Gods. Having divine blood guarantees the character considerable advantages. You gain an inherent bonus to at least one of your ability scores, as you take after your divine parent, you are beloved by them automatically (see Religions and Philosophies) and you also gain a +2 background bonus to any Prayer skill check that involves your parent.
There are, however, disadvantages to being the progeny of a deity; these come in the shape of other deities. As the son or daughter of one deity, you automatically gain the hatred of another deity, who then despises you. This may never be removed with atonement, as the deity hates you for who
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you are rather than what you have done. A good exampleof this kind of character is Heracles, who was hated by the Goddess Hera for having been fathered by her adulterous husband Zeus.
There are some Gods and Goddesses who you may not choose as parents, simply because they did not interbreed with mortals, or in some cases with anyone. Athene and Artemis are virgin Goddesses, who have no children by any male, divine or mortal. Hephaestus and Asclepius are also not known to have sired any children.
Having a divine parent is, traditionally, an attribute of Greek heroes rather than Egyptian ones. The only notable Egyptian who is said to be of divine parentage is Pharaoh, who is the son of Ra. If the Games Master wishes to allow players to be the children of other Egyptian gods, then suitable benefits can be derived by using the table below as a guideline.
The Divine Parentage table shows the benefits and disadvantages of having a divine parent.
Divine Patronage
The character has the ongoing support of a deity. These favoured individuals receive the ongoing help and advice of a deity, while they in turn benefit from having an agent on the world of mortals. The most readily recognisable
character of this kind is Jason, who received the advice and aid of Hera throughout his Quest for the Golden Fleece. Divine Patronage gives the player the favour of the deity at the start of the game, see the Religions and Philosophies chapter for more details. This deity need not be the same as the one who the player personally follows. The character may communicate with the deity once per level for a period of one minute. The deity reserves the right to give the character instructions, such as ‘travel to this land and slay this monster’. A character with divine patronage is a pawn in the chess games of the Gods, often sent on quests or set tasks as the patron deity requires. If the character has not lived up to the deity’s expectations or has angered the deity in any way, assistance may be refused and the disfavour of the deity may be earned.
Divine Boon
The character received a single boon from the Gods in the early years of his life, with a concomitant vulnerability. The example here is Achilles, who was almost invulnerable with a single fatal flaw, namely that a blow dealt to the one vulnerable part of his body would kill him. Similar boons are available to players, granting an across-the-board, supernaturally heroic benefit with an accompanying flaw. The Games Master has the final say on which divine boons a player may have, as they represent a level of power that only the key figures of the legends ever had, second only to the Gods themselves. A player may choose from the following four divine boons:
Astounding Beauty: The character is possessed of the
kind of beauty that launches ships in their thousands. They have a Charisma score of 25.
Godlike Accuracy:
The character
practically never misses a target. They receive a +10 divine bonus to all melee or ranged attack rolls. You must choose at character generation whether the character will excel at melee attacks or ranged attacks.
Invulnerability: The
character is practically immune to damage from weapons and other physical sources. Magical sources of damage such as drain life still affect him normally, as does drowning. They are treated as having natural armour that ignores 30 points of damage of any kind and successfully wards off a blow with any Coverage check result other than a 1. The character may of course wear ordinary armour in addition to this.
Uncanny Luck: The character is blessed with supernatural
power to avoid misfortune. He benefits from a +5 divine bonus to all saving throws.
Along with a divine boon, the character must choose a tragic flaw from the following list:
Vulnerability: The character suffers triple damage from
any attack that penetrates armour and causes a wound.
Divine Parentage
Parent Benefit Hated By
Aphrodite +2 Charisma Ares
Apollo +1 Strength, +1 Charisma Hermes
Ares +1 Strength, +1 Constitution Aphrodite Demeter +1 Constitution, +1 Charisma Poseidon
Dionysus +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma Apollo
Hecate +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma Apollo
Hera +1 Wisdom, +1 Dexterity Zeus
Hermes +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence Apollo Poseidon +1 Strength, +1 Constitution Demeter
Ra +1 Strength, +1 Wisdom Apophis
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Friend-Slayer: Whenever the character rolls a 1 on an
attack roll, irrespective of whether it is a ranged or melee attack, they have struck a friend. This can only happen if there is an ally within range. If there are no allies, then they strike an innocent bystander with the attack. If there are no innocent bystanders, they strike and wound themselves.
Loathed From On High: The character is the subject of the
hatred of more than one of the Gods. The Games Master chooses three deities, all of whom despise the character (see Religions and Philosophies). He may do nothing to atone for this, ever and the condition is irreversible.
Misfortune: The character brings bad luck and misery to
those around him. Any allies within 30 feet of the character suffer a –3 penalty to all saving throws and skill checks. This flaw has no effect on the character themselves.
character classes
Players may select character classes from those listed here. Every class uses certain similar terminology, when reading about the capabilities of each class, keep the following terms in mind.Hit Die
The die type used by characters of the class to determine the number of hit points gained per level. A player rolls one die of the given type each time their character gains a new level. The character’s Constitution modifier is applied to the roll. Add the result to the character’s hit point total. Even if the result is 0 or lower, the character always gains at least one hit point. A 1st level character gets the maximum
hit points rather than rolling and their Constitution modifier is still applied.
Class Skills
This section of a class description provides a list of class skills, the number of skill points the character starts with at 1st level and those gained each level thereafter. A character’s
Intelligence modifier is applied to determine the total number of skill points gained each level. Characters always gain at least one point per level, even for a character with a negative Intelligence modifier.
A 1st level character starts with four times the number of
skill points they receive upon attaining each level thereafter. The maximum ranks a character can have in a class skill is the character’s level +3.
A character can also buy skills from the skill lists of other classes, unless that skill is exclusive to that class, a Greek priest cannot buy skill ranks in Hekau, for example. Each skill point buys a half rank in these cross-class skills and
a character can only buy up to half the maximum ranks of a class skill.
Exclusive Skills
Certain skills are exclusive to one class. These are as follows:
Hekau is exclusive to Egyptian priests.
Witchcraft is exclusive to witches.Nobody but the designated class may ever gain ranks in these skills, with one exception. A sage can purchase ranks in exclusive skills as cross-class skills as they are broadly educated and have travelled extensively. As a result they may have picked up knowledge that others have never had a chance to acquire.
Class Table
This table details how a character improves as they attain higher levels in the class. It includes the following information.
Level: The character’s level in the class.
Base Attack Bonus: The character’s base attack modifier
and number of attacks.
Shield Defence Bonus: The character’s base shield defence
modifier and number of uses per round, if applicable.
Fort Save: The base save modifier for Fortitude saving
throws. The character’s Constitution modifier also applies.
Ref Save: The base save modifier for Reflex saving throws.
The character’s Dexterity modifier also applies.
Will Save: The base save modifier for Will saving throws.
The character’s Wisdom modifier also applies.
Class Features: Level-dependent class features or abilities,
each explained in the section that follows.
Class Level Bonuses
An attack roll or a saving throw is a combination of three numbers, each representing a different factor: a random element (the number you roll on the d20), a number representing the character’s innate abilities (the ability modifier) and a bonus representing the character’s experience and training. This third factor depends on the character’s class and level. Each class table summarises the figures for this third factor.
Base Attack Bonus
Check the table for your character’s class. When making an attack, apply the number from the Base Attack Bonus column to the roll. Use the bonus that corresponds to the Character’s level. Numbers after a slash indicate additional attacks at reduced bonuses: ‘+12/+7/+2’ means that a character of this level makes three attacks per round, with
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a base attack bonus of +12 for the first attack, +7 for thesecond and +2 for the third. Ability modifiers apply to all these attacks.
When a character’s base attack bonus reaches +6, they are entitled to make an extra attack at a +1 base attack bonus. However, if the character’s attack bonus reaches +6 or higher as a result of applying modifiers, no extra attacks are gained.
For example, a 6th level thief has a base attack bonus of +4.
When using a sling or other ranged weapon, she adds her Dexterity modifier. Even if this increases her attack bonus to +6 or higher, she does not gain an additional attack.
Shield Defence Bonus
Warriors and noble warriors receive an increasing bonus to their Shield Defence checks. When making a Shield Defence check, roll 1d20 adding any positive Wisdom modifier as well as the shield’s coverage bonus plus the Shield Defence bonus. If your shield defence bonus contains two figures, such as +6/+1, then you may make two Shield Defence checks per round, the first at the higher bonus and the second at the lower in a similar way to making additional attacks as detailed above.
Base Save Bonuses
Check the table for your character’s class. It lists the base saving throw bonuses for the three types of saves: Fortitude, Reflex and Will. Use the bonuses that correspond to the character’s level to modify these rolls.
Level-Dependent Benefits
In addition to attack bonuses and saving throw bonuses, all characters gain other benefits from advancing in level. The following summarises these additional benefits.Class Features
This entry details special characteristics of the class, including bonus feats and unique talents that are gained as a character attains higher levels in the class.
Experience: This column shows the experience point total
needed to achieve a given character level. As a character accumulates experience points through game play or by Games Master allowance, their level increases to match the one given on this chart. Unless specific campaign rules dictate otherwise, a new level is gained as soon as a character’s experience point total equals or exceeds that level’s threshold.
Experience and Level Dependent Benefits
Character
Level Experience
Class Skill Max Ranks
Cross-Class Skill Max
Ranks Feats Ability Increases 1st 0 4 2 1st , 2nd -2nd 1,000 5 2.5 - -3rd 3,000 6 3 3rd -4th 6,000 7 3.5 - 1st 5th 10,000 8 4 - -6th 15,000 9 4.5 4th -7th 21,000 10 5 - -8th 28,000 11 5.5 - 2nd 9th 36,000 12 6 5th -10th 45,000 13 6.5 - -11th 55,000 14 7 - -12th 66,000 15 7.5 6th 3rd 13th 78,000 16 8 - -14th 91,000 17 8.5 - -15th 105,000 18 9 7th -16th 120,000 19 9.5 - 4th 17th 136,000 20 10 - -18th 153,000 21 10.5 8th -19th 171,000 22 11 - -20th 190,000 23 11.5 - 5th
