BASIC D20 NATURAL ADVANCEMENT
Basic d20 is a simplified version of the d20 system suitable for use in any d20-based campaign. Thissystem has been designed for quick character generation and ease of play. The focus is to make it
simpler for players. The GM, however, must be well-versed in the d20 system to make use of this set ofrules. The normal Basic d20 system uses the concept of Power Points from Mutants & Masterminds forplayer character advancement. This document details a simple, alternate advancement system forcharacters.

DEVELOPING ABILITIES
After each adventure, the GM should give each player twelve d4’s to distribute among his character’s six
ability scores. The GM may choose how many dice are assigned to each ability or he can allow theplayer to assign dice. The number of dice assigned to each score is rolled and added to theadvancement total for that ability score. When the campaign begins, the starting advancement total forall of the character’s ability scores is zero. When a score reaches or exceeds 100, the ability score israised to the next higher value and 100 is subtracted from the advancement total for that score. The
maximum ability score modifier for a character is equal to his starting ability score modifier plus three.
For example, a character’s ability score modifiers and advancement total are as follows:
Ability
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
WisdomCharisma

Modifier+2+2+3+0-1+2

Advancement Total
87
2345
0510

After an evening of play, the GM awards the player twelve four-sided dice to distribute among his six
ability scores. The player could assign two dice per ability score, but he really wants to raise hisStrength. He assigns six dice to Strength and three dice to both Dexterity and Constitution each. Herolls 6d4 and gets ‘15’ as a result. He adds 15 to 87 for a new total of 102. After notifying the GM, hechanges his Strength to +3 and subtracts 100 from his advancement total, leaving it at 2. For Dexterity,he rolls 3d4 and gets a ‘7’ which he adds to 23 for a new total of 30. For Constitution, he rolls 3d4 and islucky to get a ‘10’ which makes his new total 55. The modifiers above represent the character’s starting
ability score modifiers. Since the player has raised his character’s Strength by one, he can only add two
more before reaching his character’s maximum ability score modifier.
Ability score modifiers can be raised to values higher than Starting Value + 3 through magic or othermeans, but cannot be naturally developed higher with advancement d4’s.

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BROAD SKILL ADVANCEMENT THROUGH ADVENTURING
If the character successfully uses a skill in a significant way during an adventure, the player is entitled tocheck to see if the character’s rank in that skill increases by one rank after the adventure. The DC for
the advancement check is listed below. For reference, the average number of total checks to reach acertain skill rank is shown as well. Note that for an advancement check to be granted, the skill must be
used in a situation where failure would have been detrimental to the character. The character cannot
simply climb a wall every adventure in order to gain a skill check in Athletics. However, if the characteris climbing a wall to escape a pack of hungry wolves, and is successful, then the player is entitled to anadvancement check. There is no limit to the number of broad skill areas that may be checked peradventure, but only one check for each broad skill area is allowed per adventure. Advancement rolls are
simple d20 rolls with absolutely no modifiers to the roll.

Current Skill Ranks
012
34
5678
910
111213
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

DC to Advanceto Next Rank
1356
8
10
11
12
14
15
16
16
1718
19
19
19
20
20
20
20

Average Number ofChecks to Reach Rank
012
3568
10
1215
18
2226313848586888108128

Example: a character successfully uses his Fight skill area during an adventure. He currently has 10 ranksin Fight. The GM allows the player to make an advancement roll for Fight after concluding the night’sadventure. The DC for the roll is 16. The player rolls a ‘13’ on a d20. Since this is lower than the DC, thecharacter’s Fight skill remains at 10 ranks.

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BROAD SKILL ADVANCEMENT THROUGH TRAINING
Advancement through training costs time and money. To figure out the amount of time, simply findyour current number of ranks on the table above. Note the “average total checks” for that rank. Next,
find the desired skill rank and note the “average total checks” for that rank. Subtract the lower from thehigher. This is how many quarters your character will need to train (there are four quarters in a year).
Costs can vary from campaign to campaign, but for a normal “D&D-style” campaign, the cost for training
starts at 50 gp per month, divided by the number of students training under the master. This figure
allows the master to maintain a “common” level of upkeep (c.f. DMG 3.5, page 130). A master can train
a number of students equal to one-fourth his Profession (teacher) rank and can only train up to hiscurrent rank in the skill being taught. Masters wishing to maintain better lifestyles will certainly charge
more than a total of 50 gp per month. About 200 gp per month should be the upper limit. But how
does one teach when enjoying that kind of lifestyle?
As a thought experiment, under this system it would take about 32 years of near-constant training and19,200 to 76,800 gp to go from zero ranks in a skill to 20 ranks in only one broad skill area. It would take
640 years of constant training and up to 1,536,000 gp to go from zero to 20 ranks in all twenty skill
areas. Obviously, it’s much better to advance through adventuring!
When using this system, the GM determines what, if any, masters are available for training charactersand the skill ranks of those masters.

GAINING ADVANTAGESAt the discretion of the GM, a character may gain a particular, desired advantage when they would havegained a Power Point under the old system if the roleplaying narrative allows for it. For example, if atracker is traveling with the characters and one of the characters convinces the tracker to teach him thesecrets of tracking, the GM can award that character the Track feat at the end of the adventure. Orperhaps a player says that he wants his character to develop the Power Attack feat. The GM decides toapply the penalty from Power Attack to that character’s attack rolls (without an increase in damage) forthe entire adventure. Should the character survive, the GM will grant that character Power Attack. Spotawards of advantages are always at the discretion of the GM and under his terms.
Otherwise, gaining an advantage costs time and money, just like skill training. Gaining one advantage
takes one quarter of the year and 50 to 200 gp per month during those three months of training. The
master can teach a number of characters equal to one-fourth his Profession (teach) rank and mustpossess the advantage being taught. A character may work on an advantage the same quarter theywork on a broad skill area as long as he is working under the same master.

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GAINING AND DEVELOPING POWERS THROUGH ADVENTURING
Characters that already have levels in powers can develop those powers through adventuring. Thedifference between developing powers and advancing skills is that you must accumulate a number ofsuccessful checks equal to the Power Point per Level cost of the power in order to advance that power
one rank.
DC for SuccessfulAdvancement Check
3
56
8
10
1112
14
15
1616
1718
19
19
19
20
20
20
20

Current Level
12345678910
1112
13
14
15
16
1718
19
20

For example, a character with 7th level cleric spellcasting successfully uses his spells during theadventure. The GM says that the player is entitled to an advancement check. The DC for this check is
12. The player rolls a ‘17’ which is a successful check. Since cleric spellcasting normally costs 3 PP perlevel, the player will need two more successful checks before 8th level cleric spellcasting is attained.
For exceptional use of powers during an adventure, the GM can authorize up to three checks for eachpower. In the example above, if the character had saved the party’s bacon three times through cleveruse of clerical spellcasting, the GM might allow three checks instead of only one.
As with advantages, the GM always has the option of granting a level in a power outright as anadventuring reward. For example, a character discovers the Disks of Mishakal and spends time studying
them. The GM then awards that character one spellcasting level in cleric (the equivalent of a 3 PPaward).

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GAINING AND DEVELOPING POWERS THROUGH TRAINING
Gaining and developing powers through training works much like skill training as described above. Thedifference is that the times are multiplied by the normal Power Point costs per level. Some common PPcosts per level are shown in the table below.

Current Level
0123456789101112131415
1617181920

PP Cost1 per Level
0123568101215
182226
3138
48
58
6888
108
128

PP Cost
1.5 per Level0235891215182327
33
39
47
57
72
87
102
132
162
192

PP Cost2 per Level
0246101216202430364452
6276
96
116
136
176
216
256

PP Cost3 per Level
03691518243036455466
78
93114
144
174
204264324384

PP Cost5 per Level
05101525304050607590110
130155
190
240
290
340
440
540
640

To use the table, find your character’s current level in the power. Cross-reference to the cost per leveland note the number in the table. Next, find the desired level, cross-reference to the cost per level andnote this number. Subtract the lower number from the higher and this is the number of quarters yourcharacter must train to reach your desired level. The cost is 50 to 200 gp per month. A suitable mastermust be found, one who will train the character and has, at a minimum, the level desired.
For example, a character knows nothing of wizardry, but wishes to learn. He finds a suitable master.
The master says he can train him for three years at a price of 3,000 gp and he will be a wizard spellcasterof 2nd level at the end of training. Even though it should only take 30 months, the character agrees.

5ACCELERATED ADVANCEMENT
If the GM desires accelerated advancement for characters, simply change all training quarters to months(or even weeks for extremely accelerated advancement). Monthly costs should remain the same, unlessthe time interval is changed to weeks. In this case, training costs should always be 50 gp per week.

POWER LEVEL LIMITS
At no time can a character ever raise an ability score modifier, skill rank, or power level above the poweror character level limit set by the GM regardless of the success of advancement checks. For example,
the GM has set the current maximum character level at 3rd. A character with 3rd level druid
spellcasting ability is not eligible to raise his druid spellcasting level until the GM sets the maximum
character level to 4th level. Nor can he “save up” two successful advancement checks to raise hisspellcasting ability to 4th as soon as the GM raises the campaign maximum character level.

DESIGNING ADVENTURES USING NATURAL ADVANCEMENT
Obviously, players are going to want opportunities to use just about every skill and power they have toaccumulate successful advancement checks. This makes adventure design very, very easy. You want toplan your adventures to include a variety of challenges, maybe one for each broad skill area if you’retruly ambitious! You also have to have enough opportunities to give each character a chance to gain anadvancement check in the same broad skill area. For example, you may need to include a half-dozen“thievery” challenges to give every character a chance to gain an advancement check in Thievery if theparty is full of rogues. Combat is easy to stage, so there should always be opportunities for Dodge,
Fight, Parry, and Shoot to get exercised. If magic and traps are involved, then Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
will be challenged. A successful Toughness save or significant hit point loss (more than 50% at least) will
gain the character an advancement check in that area as well.

WHY ALL THE FUSS?
The normal advancement system consists of the GM awarding a small number of Power Points pernight’s adventure depending on character success, player roleplaying, and other factors. These PP arenormally used as currency to buy additional ability score modifiers, skill ranks, advantages, and power
levels with no bearing on what actions the character performed in the adventure. This system allows
advancement only in traits which are used during the adventure or through specific training. This is amore “natural” system where the character develops those traits that he uses the most or those that hechooses to develop further through training and instruction. As always, but it bears repeating, the GM
has total control over the advancement of all player characters in his campaign; the GM is the final
arbiter of when an advancement check has been earned or when training is available under the naturaladvancement system.

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