Character Points (POSP)

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Welcome to Player's Option Skills & Powers, the companion to the Player's Option Combat & Tactics book. This volume unveils new role-playing possibilities without increasing the complexity of the AD&D® game. Just as the Combat & Tactics book widened the scope of encounters, this tome expands character creation. Together, these books heighten players' involvement with their characters, the campaign, and the AD&D game as a whole. Use what you like, change what you don't like, and above all have fun!
The chapters in this book are building blocks for constructing Player's Option characters. AD&D game players will find several familiar terms, such as kits. But these kits are different than those presented in supplements such as The Complete Fighter's Handbook. Instead, Player's Option kits are packages coupled with special skills that add depth and flavor to characters. There are other changes and additions, and these will unfold as you read this book. One such change is selecting character abilities using a character point system. Here's an overview of what character points do:
Character Points Every character begins play with a number of character points determined by his race and class. Further, every time a character advances a level, he gains 3 to 5 character points. The character point system is a new concept for the AD&D game. The points serve numerous purposes, and these are summarized below. Note: This book assumes that a typical campaign will award 3 CPs per level, and that most characters will use one of these during play (see below). Larger character point awards will result in a higher-powered campaign, but if both DM and players agree, that's fine—enjoy yourselves.
* Character points are used to purchase weapon proficiencies. New weapon proficiencies usually cost 2 or 3 character points. This is discussed in chapter seven.
* Similarly, character points are used to purchase nonweapon proficiencies. Purchasing a nonweapon proficiency usually costs from 2 to 5 points. Also, character points are used to purchase traits, and bonus character points are awarded for taking disadvantages. This is discussed in chapter six.
* Points can be used to increase proficiency scores. One character point improves a proficiency score by a +1 permanent bonus. For example, A wizard with an Intelligence of 17 has a spellcraft proficiency score of 11. The character will successfully use this proficiency on a d20 roll of 11 or less. The wizard could improve this score from 11 to 12 by spending 1 character point. This is covered in chapter six.
* Points can be spent to acquire racial abilities for demihumans, such as infravision or the elves' attack bonus with swords or bows. Racial abilities cost 5 to 10 character points. Humans have no racial abilities and can spend their points in other ways. This is discussed in chapter three.
* Player characters can spend points on acquiring class abilities, such as the paladin's capacity to lay on hands. Each class ability usually costs 10 character points. There is more information about this in chapter four.
* Priests and wizards can spend points to gain extra spells. Only one additional enchantment per level can be purchased this way, and the cost is 2 points plus 1 point per level of the spell purchased. Priests and wizards cannot purchase higher level spells than they can cast. Look to chapters four and eight for more information on magic and character points.
* Points can be spent to improve a character's roll for additional hit points when advancing a level. For every 2 character points spent, the player can roll one additional die when determining new hit points, taking the highest number from the dice rolled.
* Character points also can be used in the course of play, not just during character creation or between adventures. During a game session, a player can spend saved points to give his character a second chance to accomplish a feat, or to reroll a failed attack, saving throw, proficiency check, or even a low damage roll.
For example, Leon chooses to save 2 character points after creating his fighter. During a game, Leon's fighter tries to strike an ogre. The attack roll fails. However, the ogre strikes the fighter, wounding him badly. In the next round, fearing for his fighter's life, Leon declares that he will spend a character point if his attack misses. The roll indeed fails, and Leon now can spend a point and reroll his attack. If this attack roll succeeds, the first roll is ignored and Leon's fighter has struck the ogre. If the reroll failed, Leon's character still misses and play continues.
Regardless of any reroll's success, any character points spent are lost. Players can continue to spend points as long as they declare so before rolling any dice—and as long as they have points to spend. This mechanic allows characters a second chance to accomplish important tasks or to achieve feats vital to the story.
More information about character points can be found throughout this volume. The following section discusses establishing character statistics.