Dungeons and
Dragons Points
v. 1.0
Experience Points: Instead of standard experience characters have experience points (XP) which they spend to buy new abilities. Each feat costs 3 experience points. A skill point costs 1 experience point.
Training Points: Training points (TP) are points attained from training and can be spent like experience points. Training points do not affect hit die or effective level. See the “Training” section below for more information.
Level Adjustment: Level adjustments for species or templates work the same, they do not affect hit die, but they affect the effective level of the character. Alternately, the DM my devise a system for taking racial features using point buy upon character creation, and those points could be included in effective level but not hit die. Most racial features can be taken as feats, though some might cost a few more or less points depending on how powerful they are compared to the standard feats. Racial features can be slightly more powerful than the standard feats because they do not count toward hit die.
Races: No favored class. Any species less powerful than the standard races, such as kobolds or goblins, should get a bonus 10 training points to start, for game balancing purposes.
Starting Points: Characters generally start a campaign with 30 training points and one hit die worth of experience points. For a campaign that begins with characters higher than one hit die the characters will begin with sufficient experience points for that hit die as well.
Hit Die: For every hit die a character has they get a bonus of ˝ to base attack, a bonus of 1/3 to each save, a bonus equal to their constitution modifier to vitality, and a bonus equal to their intelligence modifier to their skill points. A character gains a +1 bonus to any ability score at fourth hit die and every four hit dice thereafter. A character gains a hit die each time they have spent 20 experience points. Training points and level adjustment do not count toward hit die. For example: a character that has spent 0 experience points has zero hit die, but may have any amount of training points or level adjustments. A character that has spent 20 experience points has one hit die. A character that has gained 40 experience points but has only spent 38 of them so far still has only one hit die but will have two hit dice after spending the remaining two unspent experience points.
Negative constitution modifier: A character with a negative constitution modifier does loose vitality each time they gain a new hit die. Characters may have a vitality of less than zero. Regardless of a character’s true maximum vitality, they will always be able to heal up to at least 0 actual vitality points.
Negative intelligence modifier: A character with a negative intelligence modifier gains negative skill points each time they gain a new hit die. When a character that has negative skill points spends actual skill points to add a rank to a skill they instead get only half a rank in that skill but they also loose half a negative skill point.
Hit Die Point Buy Restrictions: A character may not spend experience to gain more than 3+ their current hit die in skill points. A character may not spend experience that would result in their caster level for any single caster type being higher than their hit die. A character may not spend experience to gain a base attack greater than their hit die. A character may not spend experience to gain a base save greater than 2 + ˝ their hit die. A character may not spend experience to gain class abilities faster than the rate at which the class from which the abilities are drawn would get them. A character may not spend experience to posses more standard feats than they have hit die (feats according to the normal D&D rules; does not include weapon groups, armor groups, class features, skill ranks, base attack, base saves, hit points, etc.). Training points are not bound by these rules. A character that has exceeded the normal limits through training still cannot spend experience to continue to exceed those limits, even if they are just trying to maintain that heightened level. For example, if a character has one hit die and has trained to have 5 ranks in a skill, then when they gain their second hit die they cannot raise that skill to 6 ranks as that exceeds the limits of what they can do with their experience, however with further training they could raise the skill to 6 ranks.
Negative Levels: When a character suffers from an effect that grants negative levels, they instead loose 20 experience points for each negative level they gain. As long as they have negative experience points they are considered to have at least one negative level. For every 20 experience points they have less than negative one they have an additional negative level. For example: A character with 1-20 negative experience has one negative level, a character with 21-40 negative experience has two negative levels, a character with 41-60 negative experience has three negative levels, and so on. A character with more negative experience than spent experience dies of level loss according to the standard rules. If the effects are not permanent they will regain those experience points once the effect ends. If the effect is permanent just use the standard rules for having negative levels until the character has regained enough experience to offset the negative levels. Characters in this system never experience Level Loss as described in the DMG.
Non-Standard Campaigns: Some
campaigns may be more challenging than others.
As a result characters may be given different advantages for
participating in such campaigns. The
following chart shows different values for different campaign
difficulties. A DM may mix and match
these values depending on the type of campaign they want to run. Note that the Innate Point values for an
Effective Character Level are always 20 points regardless of the number of
points per Hit Die.
|
Campaign Difficulty |
Ability Score Point Buy |
Initial TP |
Hit Die XP |
Session XP |
|
Simple |
15 |
20 |
10 |
2 |
|
Standard |
22 |
30 |
20 |
4 |
|
Challenging |
28 |
40 |
30 |
6 |
|
Elite |
32 |
50 |
40 |
8 |
Ability Scores: No bonus spells for high ability scores. At 4 hit die and every 4 hit die after a character gains a bonus of one to any ability score they choose.
Cross-Class Skills: The DM may choice any of the following options for cross-class skills:
Option 1: All Skills are class skills.
Option 2: Certain skills are cross-class, or simply restricted, based on the experiences that a character has had, determined ad hoc.
Option 3: Skills are class skills for ranks up to four times the modifier of the key ability for the given skill, after which point they are considered cross-class.
Hit Points: Spend a feat to gain 4 hit points.
Base Attack: Spend a feat to gain a +1/4 base attack bonus.
Saves: Spend a feat to gain a +1 base save bonus to any one save. Other save boosting feats can be taken as normal.
Since characters do not get automatic starting proficiencies, the rules for weapon proficiency feats need to be modified to balance combat and non-combat classes; otherwise combat oriented characters would need to spend far too many feats gaining each martial weapon individually. Instead, characters must gain feats by weapon group in order to be considered proficient with weapons in that group. Note that armor proficiency groups need not change. The following is a list of weapon groups:
Bows, Crossbows, Sling, Javelins, Throwing weapons (small thrown weapons like hand axes, daggers, light hammers, etc.), Spears, Staffs, Swords, Two-Handed Swords, Axes, Hammers and Maces, Flails, Simple weapons (small axes, hammers, daggers, etc), Boxing, Wrestling, Exotic (by individual weapon)
Most class abilities should be taken as feats, many with stacking effects.
Some class abilities should be treated as skills if they involve a d20 roll with a +1 bonus per character level.
Class Ability Requirements: As mentioned previously, characters are limited to what abilities they can take based on their hit die. A character should not be permitted to take class abilities unless a standard D&D character with the same number of hit die could have that ability. For prestige class abilities the character should also meet the requirements for the prestige class from which they are taking the ability.
The DM may also rule that some class abilities have requirements related to the class from which they come. For example a DM might rule that all non-martial arts monk class abilities (Still Mind, Purity of Body, Wholeness of Body, Diamond Body, Diamond Soul, Timeless Body, Tongues, Empty Body, and Perfect Self) require a number of ranks in Concentration equal to 3 + the level at which that ability would be gained. This ensures that only monk-like characters, that devote themselves to meditation, can take these abilities. Otherwise most fighter type characters might take Wholeness of Body for the healing benefits even if that ability is not appropriate to their character at all.
Class Abilities: I will not include a list of all class abilities and their requirements here. That would be a lot of work for something that should generally be very common sense for any competent DM. However, below is a list of standard class abilities with more complicated rules that do not translate easily to either a single feat or skill:
Bardic Music: Each bardic music effect is its own feat. Bardic music can be used a number of times per day equal to the number of ranks in the bard’s highest perform skill. All requirements to use bardic music abilities are instead requirements for the feat that needs to be taken to gain that ability. The inspire courage bonus increases by 1 at 11 perform ranks and every 6 ranks thereafter.
Alternative Bardic Music: As above except that bardic music can be used twice for each bardic music feat the character has.
Turn/Rebuke Undead [Feat]: A character must have at least one divine caster level to take this feat. A character may turn undead 3 + cha mod times per day. The turning check is based on a new skill: Channel Positive/Negative Energy. Turn/Rebuke undead respectively are required to take the skill. The skill check determines how powerful each turn attempt is.
Animal Companion [Feat]: A character must have at least one divine caster level in a nature oriented faith to take this feat. The character may have one animal companion. The character’s highest nature oriented divine caster level determines the power of the animal companion. Alternatively, a character with wild empathy may take an animal companion where the character’s ranks in wild empathy determine the power of the animal companion.
Lay on Hands [Feat]: Heal up to 2 x cha mod per day. This feat can be taken multiple times, its effects stack.
Wholeness of Body [Feat]: Heal up to 10 hit points per day (self only). This feat can be taken multiple times, its effects stack.
Bardic Lore [Skill]: This represents knowledge a bard has gained through listening to the songs of other great bards throughout the bardic community with which they associate themselves, whether that means a chain of master and apprentice bards over the generations, a formal bardic college which they have attended, or a society of nomads that meets with other tribes allowing for exchange of history in the form of song. A bard that emerges from a culture not rich in songs with historical and current events trivia should not take the bardic lore skill. The bardic lore skill should be associated with the bardic community to which the bard belongs. If the bard encounters a distant culture with an entirely different repertoire of songs and stories they must take that culture’s bardic lore separately.
Training Points are used like XP but do not count toward HD
|
Training |
Training Time to Gain 1 Training Point |
|
Innovative |
360 days |
|
Independent |
80 days |
|
Few Resources |
40 days |
|
Fair Resources |
20 days |
|
Quality Resources |
10 days1 |
|
Skilled Tutor |
5 days1 |
1Generally requires paying a trainer, see below.
Innovative: Innovative training is training with something the character has absolutely no resources to train with; the character has to make it up on their own. This includes training ranks in trained-only skills and gaining feats that the character has heard of or invented, but has not seen used extensively. For feats with a subtype, like weapon focus or spells known, the character must have extensive experience with the subtype of the feat in order for the training to be considered independent.
Independent: Independent training is training without assistance or resources but with a subject that the character is familiar enough with that they know how to train.
Few Resources: Few Resources generally implies basic working materials and environments.
Fair Resources: Fair Resources includes training with a peer.
Quality Resources: Quality resources include specialized equipment, well presented instructions on how to train, or group instruction. If a group instructor is training a skill they must have at least 4 more ranks than any student in that skill. Generally a trainer will require payment equal to 10 times their hit die. If a trainer has trained their skills or feats past the normal hit die limits, then consider that trainer to be of hit die equal to that required to take those skill ranks or feats with experience.
Skilled Tutor: A skilled tutor is an individual that is devoting their time to training you. If a skilled tutor is training a skill they must have at least 4 more ranks than you in that skill. A skilled tutor can train a number of individuals equal to their intelligence modifier at a time, otherwise the training is considered only quality training. Generally a tutor will require payment equal to 100 times their hit die. If a tutor has trained their skills or feats past the normal hit die limits, then consider that tutor to be of hit die equal to that required to take those skill ranks or feats with experience.
Variable Training Time: The above training time requirements are assuming training for a full day, leaving no time for the character to travel, engage in other types of training, or attempt some adventuring without becoming fatigued as per the rules of a forced march. However a character can spend less time training each day, but spend more days in training. A character that spends a half day training can travel for 4 hours, train for a half day in another skill, or attempt some light adventuring without becoming fatigued. A character can dabble in their free time and still carry on their normal activities, or be considered resting for the purposes of healing.
|
Training time per day |
Training multiplier for number of days |
|
Full day |
1 |
|
Half day |
3 |
|
Spare time |
20 |
Prolonged Skill Use: A character who spends a day in prolonged use
of a skill may automatically assume full time independent training in that
skill without any additional time costs.
Examples include: survival checks to find food, craft checks to make
items, profession or perform checks to make money, and gather information
checks.
Arcane and divine spells should be tracked separately for all feats and abilities unless some specific ability or feat grants a specific exception to this rule. A character cannot, however, have more than one list of spell slots or spells known of the same type (arcane/divine).
Spell-like ability [Feat]: Gain a spell-like ability usable once per day. If the spell-like ability is arcane it should be considered an arcane spell slot of the appropriate level for all restrictions associated with gaining arcane spell slots. If the spell-like ability is divine it is should be considered a divine spell slot of the appropriate level for all restrictions associated with gaining divine spell slots. This feat can be taken multiple times, each time the character may either learn a new spell-like ability, or gain one additional use of a spell-like ability they already have (having more than one use per day counts as having more than one slot). Some religious or arcane organizations may have means of gaining spell-like abilities that side-step the normal rules of spell slot restrictions. Do not treat these spells as spell slots but use the requirements of the class from which the ability is taken to determine the requirements for taking that spell-like ability as a feat.
Invocation [Feat]: An invocation is a spell-like ability that is usable at will. A character must have access to a spell in order to learn it as an invocation. A character must sacrifice the appropriate number of spell slots or spell-like ability uses, these slots or daily uses must be capable of casting the spell in question. The character can now use the spell as a spell-like ability at will. This invocation is considered a spell slot for the purpose of all restrictions associated with gaining spell slots. The number of daily uses of the spell that must be sacrificed is described in the following table.
|
Spell Duration |
Uses Sacrificed |
|
Casting Time |
Uses Sacrificed |
|
Instantaneous or Simultaneous |
5 |
|
Free |
+1 |
|
Rounds |
4 |
|
Rounds |
-1 |
|
Minutes |
3 |
|
Minutes or More |
-2 |
|
Tens of Minutes |
2 |
|
|
|
|
Hours or more |
1 |
|
Requires
Concentration |
-1 |
Simultaneous spells includes spells where multiple instances of the spell can be active simultaneously. Characters can avoid this by altering the ability such that only one instance can be active at a time. So just a charm person spell would require 6 first level or higher daily uses be sacrificed, but a charm person spell with only one instance permissible at a time (one person charmed) would only require 1 first level or higher daily use to be sacrificed.
Spell Slot (arcane or divine) [Feat]: A character gains a spell slot of a particular level. A character cannot gain a spell slot of a spell level unless they already have 2 spell slots of the next lowest spell level. A character cannot gain spell slots of a spell level if it will result in them having more spell slots than they have in any lower spell level.
Known Spell (arcane or divine) [Feat]: – Know one spell that you have access to in some way. This spell can be cast spontaneously, using an unprepared spell slot of the appropriate level. A character cannot gain a known spell of a spell level unless they already have 2 known spells of the next lowest spell level. A character cannot gain known spells of a spell level if it will result in them having more known spells than they have in any lower spell level.
Release Spell [Feat]: full-round action to make a prepared spell slot unprepared. A prepared spell slot is one that contains a specific designated spell. An unprepared spell slot is an undesignated one with free magical energy that can be used for spontaneous casting.
Based on Spells Known: For a caster class that relies on taking the Known Spell feat the caster level is equal to twice the highest level spell that the character can cast. If the character knows more than one spell of the highest level that they can currently cast, then their caster level is one higher. So a character that knows one second level spell has a caster level of four for that caster class. A character that knows two or more second level spells but does not know any third level spells has a caster level of five for that caster class.
Based on a Spell List: For a
caster class that uses a spell list the caster level must be purchased with
points. This is true for caster classes
that prepare spells, like Wizards and Clerics, as well as classes that cast
spells spontaneously from a set list of spells, like Warmages
and Beguilers. Gaining a caster level in
any of these caster classes, and thus gaining access to the spell lists of
higher levels for these caster classes, costs 6 points.
Divine Bonus: Divine characters gain 6 training points per caster level that can be spent on divine spell slots, divine spells known, or divine abilities associated with their religious order. Divine characters with special taboos, like a druid’s limits to what weapons and armor they can use, gain an additional 6 training points per caster level.
Domain Access [Feat]: Gain access to a single domain power.
Domain Spell Slot [Feat]: This feat can be gained once per spell level, and it grants access to the domain spell of that level and to the bonus domain spell slot per day
Domain Spontaneity [Feat]: The character can spontaneously cast spells that belong to their domains (without the Release Spell feat or a full round spent releasing the spell) for the spell level for which this feat is taken. This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take this feat it can be applied to a different spell level.
Spontaneous Casting: Divine spell casters do not automatically have the ability to spontaneously cast cure spells or summon nature’s ally spells. Instead characters can take the above Domain Spontaneity feat and cast spell spontaneously from their domains. DM’s should give character’s some flexibility in choosing their domains, and allow character to take a modified Healing domain with all cure spells, or a Nature domain with all summon nature’s ally spells if they wish to mimic the abilities of the standard cleric or druid classes.
Bardic Magic [Feat]: Requires 3 ranks in any perform skill. Gain access to level 0 bardic spells and know two bardic spells. These spells can be cast spontaneously, using an unprepared spell slot of the appropriate level. Since the magic is also a performance the spells cannot be cast without verbal components. Each time a new rank is added to the bard’s highest perform skill they gain one additional spell known of up to the highest level bard spell they can cast. A character cannot gain known spells of a spell level if it will result in them having more known spells than they have in any lower spell level. A character cannot gain known spells of a spell level if it will result in them having as many known spells as they have 2 spell levels lower. Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, each time the bard’s perform rank requirements increase by 3. The bard gains access to the next level of bardic spells and knows two spells at that level.
Spellbooks: A wizard can cast spells directly from their spellbook. This takes ten minutes or the casting time, whichever is greater, and uses up one unused spell slot. If the wizard meditates for at least 20 minutes before casting the spell, they can cast it without using an unused spell slot. The wizard should follow the normal rules for casting a spell from a scroll when doing this; however, the page in the spellbook that contained the spell is not lost. This rule is optional and is meant to offset the fact that Sorcerers are absurdly more powerful than Wizards in almost every way.
When a character is required to spend experience either for a spell or for item creation they instead expend spiritual energy. Any spellcaster can have a reserve of spiritual energy. They can convert XP to spiritual energy using the following equation:
Spiritual Energy gained = XP spent * 50 * caster level
Note: This represents the fact that in original dungeons and dragons costs are constant while the amount of experience a character has each level is increasing. In this system experience per level is constant therefore experience cost should reduce as the character’s caster level increases. A spiritual energy pool is kept because most core D&D experience costs would be less than one XP in this system. The above calculation has been verified to mirror the relative costs in the standard dungeons and dragons system.