The games use a modified version of 2nd Edition AD&D using the Skills & Powers options. You'll be using point pools to make your characters. No random rolling of dice will be involved. The tier system is a method to create characters across a wide variety of levels. The tier you are in will determine how many XP's you have to buy your classes and how much gold you have for starting gear and magic items. The table below will show the gold and XP's by tier. First level characters starting gold is as per their class from the Players Handbook.

CLASSES:

PC's can be any class or subclass if they meet the Stat-Minimums for that class. The only limitation is those classes where Alignment is an issue. You won't find any Paladin/Druid combination in this game!

Thus unusual classes are available to players. A dwarf could be mage for instance. Demi-humans can be paladins, and gnomes can be invokers.

Humans can freely advance in as many as two classes at the same time. Demi-Humans can advance in as many as three classes. Single classed characters are more specialized in their class and those with multiple classes are more generalists. There is no level advancement limits.

Characters can only have one class from each of the four main class groupings: Warriors, Wizards, Priests, and Rogues. So you won't find any Bard/Thief's or Ranger/Paladins.

Psionics are not used in the tier system.

The amount of XP's you have will depend on the tier level you are making a character for. These points can be spent in any manner or in any ratio that they choose. It is possible to advance to a certain point in one class and then never spend any more XP's on it again. However, you must reach at least 2nd level in all classes before you stop gaining XP's in that class.

All the classes in the Players Handbook (PHB for short) are available. All the various sub-classes presented in the Players Option: Spells & Magic (PO: S&M for short) are available.

For your convenience here are the level tables for the various Classes all the way up to level 15.

* Includes all the mage Sub-Classes: Abjurers, Conjurers, Diviners, Enchanters, Illusionists, Invokers, Necromancers, Transmuters, Elementalists, Dimensionists, Force Mages, Mentalists, Shadow Mage, Alchemist, Artificer, Geometer, Song Mage, and Wild Mages.

** Includes Clerics, Monks, Crusaders, and Shaman.

The number of points to spend to build your character's classes varies from class to class. Let me know what class(es) you are interested in and I'll send you the pertinent data. The majority of the class building tables can be found in Player's Option: Skills & Powers (PO: S&P for short).

CLASS SPECIFIC NOTES:

Bards:

There is no limit to the number of spells a Bard can learn. However they are limited by the number of spells they can hold in memory.

To determine how many spells a Bard can start out with, simply take how many spells they can memeorize by their level without any bonuses and triple it. These spells are automatically learned and require no learning roll. A bard can also make use of the Spells from the Bard's Handbook.

Mages:

There is no limit to the number of spells a mage can learn. They are still limited by how many spells they can memorize at one time. Mage spells are drawn from a very wide number of sources include PHB, PO: S&M, the Tome of Magic (TOM for short), the Wizard's Handbook (WHB for short), and the Wizard's Spell Compendium (WSC for short).

Starting Spells can only be selected from the PHB and they are automatically known to the character. No attempt to learn roll is required. The number of starting spells for a new mage is determined by their level. Take the number of spells they can memorize, without any bonus spells, and triple it.

Paladins:

All Paladins serve a specific god and each god offers some different abilities to the Paladin. Contact me with which god you are interested in and I'll send you the particulars of that deity. The Paladin's deity may have spells unique to them which can be used in addition to the standard spells.

Priests:

Like Paladins, each priest serves a specific god. Every god is different and their clergy will have different skills and limitations. Some priests are better in some areas than others. Refer to the God List to find a deity to your liking and I'll send you more info about them.

All priests can 'burn' an existing spell in memory and convert it into a healing spell. The only spells that can be converted over to are Cure Light Wounds, Cure Moderate Wounds, Cure Serious Wounds, and Cure Critical Wounds. The spell burned must be of a level equal to or greater than the spell gained. So a 3rd level spell can be converted to gain a Cure Moderate Wounds spell (2nd Level), but cannot gain a Cure Serious Wounds spell (4th level).

Good aligned priests can convert spells into the various Cure spells. Evil priests can only gain access to the reversed version of these magicks, the Cause Wound spells. Neutral priests can use either version freely.

Priests can draw upon the PHB, TOM, and PO: S&M for their spell lists.

Rangers:

Like Paladins, Rangers serve a specific god. Depending on the god, special spells might be available to them. Rangers can also draw upon the spells from the Ranger's Handbook (RHB for short).

RACES:

PC's can be from all the standard races presented in the PHB. Furthermore many of the sub-races are available too. Contact me to make sure first.

In addition there are many hybrid species that are available as PC's beyond the standard Half-Elf. Hybrid in the sense that one parent is human, the other another race. Included in this group are Aasimar, Half-Ogres, Half-Orcs, and Teiflings.

Other more exotic characters may be allowed. I will take these on a case by case basis. So make a proposal and I'll consider it. Some exotic characters may have to spend some of their starting XP's to purchase their race as they have standard abilities beyond those of normal characters.

The number of points available to build your character's race varies from race to race. Let me know what race you are interested in and I'll send you the necessary data. The majority of the race building tables can be found in PO: S&P.

STATS:

You have 85 pts to purchase your characters starting stats. The cost of stats is shown below:

* Only if the race can naturally have a 19 or 20 stat. This does not apply to purchasing your character's strength

Use this table for Exceptional Strength:

In all cases you must meet the Stat Minimums for your race and classes. You also cannot exceed your racial Stat Maximums as well. For your convience the racial requirements are listed for the main PC Races.

Skills and Powers introduced the idea of Sub-Stats. Each stat is split into 2 sub-stats. For strength, the sub-stats are Muscle and Stamina. The standard stat tables are split in half to cover the sub-stats. Each sub-stat will average out to the value of the primary stat. However, the sub-stats can be as far as 4 pts different between them.

For instance, if you have 10 Strength, then your Muscle and Stamina could also be 10. Or you could make your Muscle 12 and your Stamina 8. Or they could be 11 and 9, as long as the total is double the value of the primary stat and within 4 of each other.

High Wisdom and Intelligence are very important for Priest and Mage characters as it determines the maximum level of spells available to them and if they receive any bonus spells. Also the stat minimums and number of points available to build your character varies from priesthood to priesthood.

* Bonus spells are cumulative. Someone with a 19 stat would gain 2 extra 1st level spells, and one extra spell for levels 2-5. Of course you have to be high enough level to cast spells of that level to gain the bonus spell. All spellcasters can gain bonus spells, so the bonus column applies to Rangers, Paladins, and Bards as well.

** Highest level of spells the individual can cast/pray for.

+ Caster must also be at least 20th level to cast True Dweomers.

KITS:

Kits are available to players should they desire to take one. Having a kit is not required. You can either take one of the kits from PO: S&P or you can take a class specific kit from one of the Class Handbooks. One or the other, you cannot have both. Further more you can only have 1 kit.

NON-WEAPON PROFICIENCIES/WEAPON PROFICIENCIES/TRAITS:

Characters gain Character Points based on how many classes they have. A single class character recieves 4 CP's to spend on NWP's and WP's per level gained. Dual classed characters gain 3 CP's for each level gained. Triple classed characters recieve 2 CP's for each level gained for each class. Traits can ONLY purchased when the character is first made. They cannot be added later on.

To figure out the starting CP's available to the character simply add the starting NWP & WP totals together, add any INT bonus and then add 2, 3 or 4 points for each level beyond the first level of the character depending on how many classes you have. Starting point totals are as follows:

For those characters with 2 or more classes, use the highest starting total for NWP/WP's available to their classes.

If a character is a single classed character at 5th level, then they would have 16 more pts to spend on their NWP/WP's. (Ignore the 1st level and add 4 pts for every level left. 4 x 4 = 16pts)

For multi-classed characters ignore the 1st level of one of their classes and total all the remaining levels. Times that number by 3 if they have two classes or 2 if they have three classes. (So a 5th level/4th level character would have 24 pts to spend. A tri-classed 3rd level/4th level/3rd level character would have 18 pts to spend.)

Priests and Mages can make use of the NWP's featured in the PO: S&M book.

Refer to the Languages Page for those languages, both spoken and written, available in the game.

STARTING GEAR:

The amount of gold new characters have to spend in purchasing their starting equipment, including magic items if available, depends on your tier. Tier 1 characters do not have access to magic items. Higher tier characters can buy magic items using their starting gold. The magic item lists are divided up into tiers. If you are building a tier 5 character, then you can buy magic items for tiers 2-5. You cannot buy items from tiers 6 or higher, and most likely could not afford them anyway. There are so many magic items to be listed that I made them a seperate page.

You can access the list of magic items here.

Mundane gear can be purchased from the PHB at a rate of 1 gp equals 1 gp rate.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!