Classes

Return to Home

**Your Story So Far**

Decide what your character’s life has been like up until now. Here are a few questions you can consider.

When did he first realize he wanted to make a difference? What was he doing when he became a hero?

How did he acquire his initial class? A Commoner or an Intellectual, for example, could have a day job on the docks, or be a former amateur or professional athlete, a member of the armed forces, a firefighter, or a police officer.

Where did he get his starting equipment? Did he assemble it piece by piece over time? Is it a parting gift from a mentor or organization? Do any of his personal items have special significance?

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to him?

What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him?

Does he stay in contact with his family members? What do they think of him and his work?

***Level Adjustment Table***

characters with a level adjustment are considered to be that many levels higher so when they start at level one characters they have negative XP equal to 1 + their level adjustment in negative Xp before they can begin to level normally

**Character Classes**

Characters in a contemporary setting seek wealth, glory, justice, fame, influence, and knowledge, among other goals. Some of these goals are honorable, some base. Each character chooses a different way to achieve these goals, from combat prowess to skill mastery to connections and resources. Some characters prevail and grow in experience, wealth, and power. Other die.

A character class is the frame upon which you build your hero. It isn’t meant to be rigid or confining. Instead, a class provides a starting point from which you can develop your hero as you see fit. Don’t think of a class as restrictive; instead, a class is defining. When you choose a class for your character, you’re layering the foundation of a concept that will grow and expand as you play. How you develop your character is entirely up to you. You get to choose skills and feats as you advance- and you can take levels in other classes as you go along to better develop the concept at the core of your hero.

At 1st level, your character is just starting his or her heroic career. Choose the basic class that works best as the core of the character you envision, but be aware that you will want to add other classes to the mix as your character advances to develop the hero in specific ways. For example, a suave, intelligent, international super-spy might start out as a Gunman and add levels of Spy, or even Martial Artist as he advances and gains experience. Eventually, he might move on to an advanced class to gain specific features.

**Class and 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 summarizes the figures for this third factor.

**Base Attack Bonus**

Check the table for your character’s class. On an attack roll, apply the number from the Base Attack Bonus column to the d20 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 a base attack bonus of +12 for the first attack, +7 for the second, and +2 for the third. Ability modifiers apply to all these attacks.

When a character’s base attack bonus reaches +6, he or she is entitled to make an extra attack at a +1 base attack bonus. However, if the character’s attack bonus reaches +6 or higher because of modifiers, the character does not get this extra attack.

**Base Save Bonuses**

Check the table for your character’s class. You’ll see 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. If a character has more than one class, add the base save bonuses for each class to determine the character’s base save bonuses. (See Multiclass Characters, for an example.)

**Level-Dependent Benefits**

In addition to attack bonuses and saving throw bonuses, all characters gain other benefits from advancing in level. Table 1-2 summarizes these additional benefits.

**XP:** This column shows the experience point total needed to achieve a given character level. (See Class and Character Level, page 19.)

**Class Skill Max Rank:** The maximum number of skill ranks a character can have in a class skill is equal to his or her character level +3. A class skill is a skill associated with a particular class. Class skills are listed in each class description in this chapter.

**Cross-Class Skill Max Rank:** For cross-class skills (skills not associated with the character’s class), the maximum number of ranks is one-half the maximum for a class skill. Maxing out a cross-class skill costs the same amount of points as buying the maximum rank in a class skill. (For example, at 1st level, a character can pay 4 points for 4 ranks in a class skill, or spend the same 4 points for 2 ranks in a cross-class skill.) The half ranks (1/2) indicated on the table don’t improve skill checks; they simply represent partial purchase of the next skill rank and indicate that the character is training to improve that skill.

**Feats:** This column indicates the levels at which a character gains feats (two at 1st level, one more at 3rd, and one more at every third level thereafter). See Chapter Three for feat descriptions.

**Ability Increases:** This column indicates the levels at which a character gains ability score increases. Upon attaining 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level, a character increases one of his or her ability scores by 1 point. The player chooses which ability score to improve. The ability improvement is permanent.

For example, a Charismatic hero with a starting Charisma of 16 might improve to Charisma 17 at 4th level. At 8th level, the same character might improve Charisma again (from 17 to 18) or could choose to improve some other ability instead.

For multiclass characters, feats and ability increases are gained according to character level, not class level. Thus, a 3rd-level Fast/1st-level Smart hero is a 4th -level character and eligible for her first ability score boost.

character overall and eligible for her first ability score boost.

**Multiclass Characters**
A character may have more than even four basic classes, however all of them must be within one level of each other. However they may have as many advanced classes as the character qualifies to take. A character may add new classes as he or she progresses in levels, there by becoming a multi-class character. The class abilities from all of a character’s classes combine to determine a multi-class character’s overall abilities.

**Adding a Second Class**
When a character with one class gains a level, he or she may choose to increase the level of his or her current class or pick a new class at 1st level. This could be a basic class, or, if the character qualifies for it, an advanced class.
The character gains the 1st-level base attack bonus, base save bonuses, class skills, other class features of the new class, hit points of the appropriate die type, and the new class’s number of skill points gained at each additional level (not that number x4, as is the case for a 1st-level character).
Picking a new class is not exactly the same as starting a character in that class. Some of the benefits for a 1st-level hero represent the advantage of training while the character was young and fresh, with lots of time to practice. When picking a new class, a hero doesn’t receive maximum hit points but should roll the new Hit Die.

**Advancing a Level**
Each time a multi-class character attains a new level, he either increases one of his current class levels by one or picks up a new class at 1st level.
When a multi-class character increases one of his class levels by one, he gets all the standard benefits that character receive for attaining the new level in that class: more hit points, possibly bonuses on attack rolls, Defense, and saving throws (depending on the class and the new level), a new class feature (as defined by the class), and new skill points.

**Beyond Level 20**
Experience Points: To gain a level beyond 20th, a character must double the experience points needed to achieve the previous level. Thus, assuming the medium XP progression, a 20th-level character needs 2,100,000 XP to become 21st level, since he needed 1,050,000 XP to reach 20th level from 19th. He’d then need 4,200,000 XP to reach 22nd level, 8,400,000 XP to reach 23rd, and so on.

**Base Class Descriptions**

The next part of this chapter describes each basic class. These descriptions are general. Individual members of a class may differ in their attitudes, outlooks, and other aspects.

**Game Rule Information**

Rule information follows the general class description and is divided into the following categories:

**Ability**

This entry tells you which ability is typically associated with that class. Players can “play against type”, but a typical character of a class assigns his or her highest ability score to the ability that provides the greatest benefit. (Or, in game-world terms, the character is attracted to the class that most suits his or her talents, or for which he or she is best qualified.)

**Hit Die**

The die 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 his or her 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 1 hit point. A 1st-lvl character gets the maximum hit points rather than rolling (although you still apply your Constitution modifier).

**Action Points**

The number of action points gained per level.

**Class Skills**

This section of a class description provides a list of class skills and also gives the number of skill points the character starts with at 1st level and the number of skill points gained each level thereafter. A character’s Intelligence modifier us applied to determine the total skill points gained each level (but always at least 1 point per level, even for a character with an Intelligence penalty).

A 1st-level character starts with 4 times the number of skill points he or she receives upon attaining each level beyond the first. The maximum ranks a character can have in a class skill is the character’s level +3, so at 1st level you can buy up to 4 ranks in any class skill, at a cost of 1 skill point her rank.

**Starting Feats**

The feats gained at 1st level in the class.

**Class Table**

This table details how a character improves as he or she attains 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 bonus and number of attacks.

**Fort Save**: The base save bonus for Fortitude saving throws. The character’s Constitution modifier also applies.

**Ref Save:** The base save bonus for Reflex saving throws. The character’s Dexterity modifier also applies.

**Will Save**: The base save bonus for Will saving throws. The character’s Wisdom modifier also applies.

**Class Features**: Level-dependent class features, each explained in the section that follows.

**Defense Bonus**: The character’s bonus to Defense. The character’s Dexterity modifier and equipment bonus also applies.

**Reputation Bonus**: The character’s base Reputation bonus. See page 37 for more information.

**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.

**Talents**

Most basic classes offers a selection of talents to choose from. Some talents have prerequisites that must be met before a character can select them.

**Bonus Feats**

Most basic classes offers a selection of bonus feats to choose from. These bonus feats are in addition to the feats that all characters receive as they attain new levels. Some feats have prerequisites that must be met before a character can select them.

**What Does That Mean?**

As you read through this chapter you may come across words and terms that aren’t familiar, especially if this game is your first experience with the d20 System. Don’t be dismayed- all the terminology is explained in later chapters of this book. You’ll find all the information you need as you continue to read- or, if you can’t wait, flip to the index in the back of the book and look up a topic that you want to know more about.

**Class and Character Level**

Class level pertains to a character’s level in a particular class. Character level pertains to a character’s total experience. So, a character who has only one class has a character level and a class level that are the same. (A 4th-level Fighter has a character level of 4th and a class level of 4th.)

For a multiclass character, class level and character level are different. A 2nd-level Spy/3rd-level Investigator has a character level of 5th.

## **Core Classes**

These are the main core classes for D20 Universal.

PlaceholderAthletePlaceholderBerserkerPlaceholderCommonerPlaceholderFighterPlaceholderFringerPlaceholderGunmanPlaceholderIntellectualPlaceholderInvestigatorPlaceholderMartial ArtistPlaceholderNoblePlaceholderScoundrelPlaceholderScoutPlaceholderSoldierPlaceholderSpyPlaceholderTechiePlaceholderWeapon Master
## **Fantasy / Magical Classes**

These are the main fantasy / magical classes for D20 Universal.

PlaceholderArcanistPlaceholderDivine Servant
## **Psionic Classes**

These are the main psionic classes for D20 Universal.

PlaceholderPsion
## **Specialty Classes**

These are the main specialty classes for D20 Universal.

PlaceholderVigilante

**STARTING WEALTH BONUS**

At first level when determining your starting wealth bonus the character adds 2D4 + the characters Occupation bonus to wealth.

**The Price Conversion Table for Purchase TNs**.

No one on the internet has posted it that I've found, so here it is, in case you are using the SRD and need to use it to come up with the Purchase TN for a Mecha or Starship, ect.

Starting with TN 17, you can find the converted price for any TN by subtracting 8, getting that TN's price, and multiplying by 10. You can repeat this process for extremely high TNs. -16 would be x100, -24 would be x1000, ect.