Your class provides your hit dice, skill points per level, class skill list, Base Attack Bonus, and Base Save Bonuses. Also most of your special abilities will be from your class as well. You have a level in your class, which usually starts at 1 and can go all the way on up to 20. Things get weird at the higher levels though because of all the crazy effects going on, and by level 20 it's hard to really tell any sort of story at all.
Your hit die determines how many hit points you get each level. You add your constitution modifier to each hit die result.
You start at first level with hit points as if you'd rolled maximum, and at future levels you gain more hit points based on your hit die. The exact method by which this happens depends on what youre group is doing, and suggestions are given in the Character Advancement section.
Every class gets a base number of skill points per level, plus your intelligence modifier.
Each class also has a long list of class skills, but it's more like a suggestion than a hard and fast rule.
Full rules on skills and skill points are given in the Skills chapter.
Your base attack bonus is added to all attack rolls, and your base save bonus is added to all saving throws.
In addition to base attack bonus, melee attacks add your strength modifier, and ranged attacks add your dexterity modifier. Every class gains base attack bonus at one of the three rates listed in the chart, Full, Medium, or Half. If you can't tell, Full is 1/1, Medium is 3/4, and Half is 1/2.
In addition to your base save bonus, Fortitude saves add your constitution modifier, Reflex saves add your deterity modifier, and Willpower saves add your wisdom modifier. Every class has either a Good or Poor advancement in each of the three saving throw categories. Good saves are 2 + 1/2 level, and poor saves are 1/3rd level.
| Level | Full BAB | Medium BAB | Half BAB | Good Save | Poor Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 |
| 2nd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | +0 |
| 3rd | +3 | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 |
| 4th | +4 | +3 | +2 | +4 | +1 |
| 5th | +5 | +3 | +2 | +4 | +1 |
| 6th | +6 | +4 | +3 | +5 | +2 |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +3 | +5 | +2 |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +4 | +6 | +2 |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +4 | +6 | +3 |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +5 | +7 | +3 |
| 11th | +11 | +8 | +5 | +7 | +3 |
| 12th | +12 | +9 | +6 | +8 | +4 |
| 13th | +13 | +9 | +6 | +8 | +4 |
| 14th | +14 | +10 | +7 | +9 | +4 |
| 15th | +15 | +11 | +7 | +9 | +5 |
| 16th | +16 | +12 | +8 | +10 | +5 |
| 17th | +17 | +12 | +8 | +10 | +5 |
| 18th | +18 | +13 | +9 | +11 | +6 |
| 19th | +19 | +14 | +9 | +11 | +6 |
| 20th | +20 | +15 | +10 | +12 | +6 |
In addition to the features common to all classes, each class has all sorts of special abilities that it provides. They fit into four general categories. Any given ability can potentially have special rules for it, but this lays out the default rules for each category. Technically speaking, every ability in the game exists in one of these four categories, though not every ability bothers to list out what its type is.
Extraordinary abilities are not strictly "magical", though they often break the laws of physics and/or biology that we have on Earth (like a Troll's rengeration). Sometimes they're something that a creature can do as a result of biology (A black pudding simply is acidic all the time), and sometimes they're things that a creature can do because of special training (such as a Crusader's maneuvers). In addition to extarordinary abilities from race and class, all abilities granted by feats are extarordinary unless specified otherwise.
- They generally either take a Standard Action to activate, or are passive and don't require an action to activate at all.
- They don't provoke an Attack of Opportunity to use.
- They don't require a Concentration check.
- They are not subject to Spell Resistance, counterspelling, or dispelling.
- They are not affected by an Anti-magic Field or similar.
- The save DC (if any) is 10 + half level + ability modifier (use Constitution if unspecified).
Supernatural abilities are "magical", but their use is relatively effortless. Most things that affect spell magic also don't affect their use. Supernatural ablities are generally activated (such as a dragon's Breath Weapon), but some are passive (such as an Ice Devil's fear aura).
- They generally either take a Standard Action to activate, or are passive and don't require an action to activate at all.
- They don't provoke an Attack of Opportunity to use.
- They don't require a Concentration check.
- They are not subject to Spell Resistance, counterspelling, or dispelling.
- They don't function within an Anti-magic Field or similar.
- The save DC (if any) is 10 + half level + ability modifier (use Charisma if unspecified).
Spell-like abilities are magical, and they take extra focus to activate. Many imitate an actual spell, but not all. They generally follow the rules for resolving spells.
- They take as long to activate as the spell they imitate, or as specified if they aren't a spell, or a Standard action if unspecified and they also aren't a spell.
- Using a spell-like ability provokes an attack of opportunity, unless it's cast as a Swift Action. You can use Concentration to Cast Defensively if you like.
- You have to make a Concentration check if disrupted during the casting of a spell-like ability (such as from damage, grappling, or other excessive motion).
- Spell-like abilities are subject to Spell Resistance, counterspelling, and dispelling.
- They don't function within an Anti-magic Field or similar.
- The save DC (if any) is 10 + spell level + ability modifier (use Charisma if unspecified).
- The spell level of a spell-like ability that doesn't imitate a spell is half your level, if unspecified.
- If a spell-like ability imitates a spell that functions differently for Arcane and Divine casters, or for casters of different classes, use the Arcane version as cast by a Sorcerer unless specified otherwise.
- Many spell-like abilities have a limit on the number of uses per day. An "at-will" ability can be used an unlimited number of times per day, though they still take an action each time of course.
Spells are most famously the domain of wizards and clerics, though many other classes get access to spells as well. Spells have all the rules of spell-like abilities listed above, and even more rules on top of that.
- All your spells are either Arcane or Divine, and the kind of spell that you cast is determined by your class.
- Each class has an ability linked to its spellcasting, which determines how many bonus spell slots you get and the saving throw DC of your spells.
- Each spell can have components, which must be performed (Verbal or Somatic) or used (Material, Focus, or Divine Focus) during the casting:
- Verbal components require that you be able to speak confidently and firmly during the casting. If you are gagged or in an area of magical silence you can't cast spells with a Verbal component. Hearing a spell cast with a verbal component is only DC 5, modified by distance.
- Somatic components require that you have at least one hand free and empty to make magical signs with, like a ninja. If you're fully tied up, or paralyzed, then you can't cast spells with a Somatic component. If you're an arcane caster and a spell has a somatic component, there is a 5% chance of your spell automatically failing for each point of Armor Check Penalty that you're affected by (aka "Arcane Spell Failure").
- Material components are special reagents and such. Eye of Newt and Grasshopper Legs, that sort of thing. If a cost isn't listed, you are assumed to have as much as you need as long as you have a spell component pouch. If a cost is listed, you have to have purchased the materials ahead of time. Either way, the materials are consumed during the casting of the spell. Getting out the materials for a spell doesn't take an action of its own. Some spells only require material components when cast as an arcane spell.
- Focus components are items which help channel the spell, like a crystal ball or whatever. A focus is essentially like a Material component, but it its not consumed in the casting of the spell.
- Divine Focus components are like a Focus, but they are only a part of a spell when it's cast as a Divine spell. You have to have a properly consecrated holy symbol available to help channel the spell's power. This generally isn't a problem, because divine casters usually inscribe holy runes all over everything they own, and bless all of it. If all of your stuff is taken away you might be in trouble. A divine caster can't use a holy symbol from a priest of a different religion, but they can use the holy symbol of another priest of the same religion, if they for some reason need to.
The Magic Overview chapter goes into deeper detail about the use of spells.