13th Age RPG

chapter 4 c l a s s e s

Strength of the Gods 7th Level Spells

Ranged spell Circle of Protection

Daily Close-quarters spell
Quick action to cast
Effect: You can cast this spell for power or for broad effect. Daily
Quick action to cast
Cast for power: One nearby ally deals +2d8 damage with melee Effect: Choose a defense: AC, PD, or MD. For the rest of the
attacks this battle.
battle while you are conscious, you and each ally near you
Cast for broad effect: Choose up to three nearby creatures gains a +1 bonus to that defense. Each enemy that misses you
(including you); each target deals +1d8 damage with melee or one of your nearby allies with an attack against the defense
attacks this battle. you chose is hampered until the end of its next turn.
5th level spell Power +4d6 Broad +2d6.
7th level spell Power +4d10 Broad +2d10. 9th level spell Attacks against the chosen defense can not
9th level spell Power +6d10 Broad +3d10. score critical hits.

5th Level Spells Epic Feat: The spell is now recharge 16+ after battle instead of daily.

Crisis of Faith Resurrection

Close-quarters spell Ranged spell
Special: You can cast this spell only once per level. You’ll have
Daily
Quick action to cast to keep track of how many times you cast the spell in your
Effect: For the rest of this battle, all enemies near you with 100 life. You must have most of the corpse available to cast the
spell. There’s no time limit on resurrecting a dead PC, so long
hp or fewer take a penalty to their Mental Defense equal to as you have the corpse (unless that becomes a silly exercise
your Charisma modifier. Whenever one of those enemies in resurrecting adventurer-tier characters into an epic-tier
misses with an attack roll, it takes holy damage equal to double game!). NPCs should probably be a lot easier to resurrect if
your level. they haven’t been dead long.
Effect: You can bring a creature back to life in more or less
7th level spell 160 hp or fewer. normal condition. By more or less normal, we mean that you
9th level spell 250 hp or fewer. could cast your first resurrection in the middle of combat
or during an adventure and we would advise something like
Sanctuary the following drawbacks: expending half the resurrected
character’s recoveries, start them dazed (save ends), and flip a
Close-quarters spell coin for each of their daily abilities—tails it’s expended.
Limited Casting: The first time in your life that you use the spell
Daily you can cast it quickly, with a single standard action. Using the
Effect: Choose yourself or a nearby ally. Enemies with 100 hp spell removes one of your spell slots until you gain a level (you
get one less spell per full heal-up).
or fewer cannot attack the chosen target until that creature
attacks or the escalation die reaches 6+. The second time in your life you cast the spell, it takes longer,
at least three or four rounds, and costs you something like half
7th level spell 160 hp or fewer. your hit points and daily powers/spells. The person you are
9th level spell 250 hp or fewer. resurrecting comes back at something like one-quarter strength.

Sphere of Radiance The third time you cast the spell it has to be as a ritual. The
spell chews you up and leaves you with only a few hit points,
Close-quarters spell then gnaws at the person you have resurrected, who takes days
to recover well enough to qualify as an adventurer or combatant.
Daily
Effect: You or one nearby ally can heal using a free recovery. The fourth time you cast the spell it nearly kills you. The
resurrection succeeds but the person you’ve resurrected is
Then make the following attack. going to be a mess for a month or more, regardless of any other
Target: Up to two nearby enemies magic tricks ya’ll got going.
Attack: Wisdom + Level vs. MD
Hit: 7d8 + Charisma holy damage. The fifth time you resurrect someone (thanks to a boon
Miss: Half damage. from an icon, a powerful magic item, or some other method
allowed by the GM that lets you use resurrection beyond your
7th level spell 8d12 damage. normal limit), that’s the end of your story and you die. There’s
9th level spell 2d8 x 10 damage. only a 50% chance that the resurrection spell works on the
target. You’ve used up your quota of resurrection magic. You’re
not coming back via this spell, either.

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Surprise, that was the good news. The bad news is that if the 9th Level Spells
target of your resurrection spell has been resurrected more times
than you have cast the spell, there is a nasty 50% chance that the Overworld Travel
experience will play out using their higher number of resurrections
instead of the number of times you have cast the spell. Close-quarters spell

9th level spell You no longer need to have most of the Daily
corpse to perform this spell. Special: You must cast this spell outdoors. It enables you and a

Resurrection group of nearby allies to travel up to and through the overworld
in the World to most any location in the world that you can name. The
method of travel may depend upon your god, your icon, or
The icons don’t live forever because there is always a your will. Some overworld travel spells summon a flying land,
limit to magic that can bring you back from the dead. while others harness an elder sky being or simply turn all the
What’s true for icons is equally true for heroes. Even travelers into swiftly moving wind.
if you’ve become invaluable to an icon, it’s unlikely
that the icon will be able to resurrect you personally The trip through the overworld is magically warded by
if things go horribly awry. It’s safe to assume that most the spell. Travel takes between an hour and a day, depending
of the icons are well on their way to using up their on distance and the amount of effort the spell must exert to
resurrection quotas, particularly long-lived icons like maintain the warding. Party members who go off-plot and skip
the Archmage. The current Emperor? The Priestess? off into the overworld for a side adventure are on their own.
They might have a resurrection to give, but will your
PC be able to prove that they are the being most The destination can be in the overworld or in the land.
deserving of a second chance in the 13th Age? It can’t be in the underworld—this is the wrong spell for
destinations there.
There may be a few NPCs capable of performing
resurrections. They would be wise not to advertise their In a pinch, the versions of this spell cast by icons have
power. Beings capable of performing resurrections are been known to move invading armies and refugees from
sometimes the victims of hostile takeover attempts, doomed cities. It’s possible that the player characters could
as powerful beings seek to assure themselves of a manage something similar but it’s not guaranteed.
resurrection in reserve.
Prayer for Readiness

Close-quarters spell

Daily
Targets: Up to 5 allies
Effect: You utter a powerful prayer upon your comrades, giving

each a special blessing. At any point later this battle, each
blessed ally can acknowledge the blessing by saying “thank
you” to your god, gods, or pantheon as a free action to reroll a
d20 roll. That ally must take the reroll result.

Note that you are giving the blessing and don’t receive it yourself.
Epic Feat: This spell is now a quick action to cast.

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FIGHTER

The grit and guts it takes to be a true fighter may be as rare and Icons: We’ve seen many fighters devoted to the Dwarf King
magical as the brains and arcane spark it takes to be a wizard. or to the Emperor. We imagine that there will be many fighters
Plenty of poor slobs all across the world get pressed into military associated with the Crusader.
duty, and some fighters start that way, but there’s more to a true
fighter than that: skill, discipline, toughness, and an uncanny Fighter Talent Suggestions
ability to get in harm’s way . . . with a double dose of harm for the
other guy. As a fighter, you choose three fighter class talents. Many of the
talents give you something you can do once per battle.
Overview
If you want to be the tank, the guy who jumps between his
Play Style: A couple of class talents can make your job more friends and the monsters . . .
complicated, but overall, playing a fighter is simple. You decide
who to attack, roll your attack, and then figure out which flexible . . . you’ll definitely want the Skilled Intercept class talent. You
attack you want to use. might also want Heavy Warrior and Tough as Iron. At 5th level, you’ll
also probably want the sword master’s anticipation maneuver.
Ability Scores: You need Strength for your attacks and
Constitution for hit points when the enemy attacks you. Some If you want to be an archer . . .
fighter talents and attacks also reward high Dexterity. . . . take the Deadeye Archer class talent, the 1st level second
shot maneuver, and the 3rd level make ‘em flinch maneuver.
Fighters gain a +2 class bonus to Strength or Constitution, as If you want to be the deadly warrior who gets tougher as the
long as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus. battle gets serious . . .
. . . take deadly assault, then hack & slash at 3rd level, and maybe
Races: Wanna start a tavern brawl? heavy blows if you’re also going to fight with a two-handed weapon.
Ask which race has the best fighters.
Then suggest that it’s not the race of
the fighter you are speaking with.

Outside of tavern brawls, it’s
generally understood that half-orcs
and dwarves make great fighters.
So do humans. So do a few of the
optional races.

Backgrounds: Here
are some backgrounds
to get you started
with your fighters:
swordmaster, mercenary
captain, sea raider,
shieldwall spearman,
explorer, bouncer, thug,
city guardsman, Sea Wall
veteran, former gladiator,
former orc captive,
bankrupt nobleman,
duelist, goblin-hunter,
former Imperial
legionnaire.

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Fighter Maneuvers Weapons

Most of the fighter maneuvers are flexible attacks, meaning The typical fighter has a number of weapons, each demonstrating
that you roll your attack and then choose which maneuver you professional design, expert forging, and perhaps a little
want the attack to use. You only get to use one maneuver with customization on the fighter’s part. The fighter’s relationship with
each attack, so it’s usually best to choose maneuvers with a few their weapons may be obsessive, like a carpenter’s relationship
different triggering rolls. with his tools. A fighter’s go-to weapon may be a sword, but it
may also be a more exotic weapon, such as a flail or a warhammer.
Gear Most fighters carry shields, which are customized to represent
the wielder’s status, personality, or history. Fighters who avoid
At 1st level, fighters start with a melee weapon or two, a ranged shields are usually better with two-handed weapons, but some
weapon if they want it, armor, and standard nonmagical gear that fight with a weapon in each hand. Fighters are familiar with all
is suggested by the character’s backgrounds. manner of ranged weapons, and sturdy longbows are common.

Stolid and reliable fighters start with 25 gp in savings. Fighter Melee Weapons
Fighters who’d rather gamble than save start with 1d6 x 10 gp in
their coin-purse. One-Handed Two-Handed

Armor Small 1d6 club
1d4 dagger
Fighters usually wear heavy armor: flexible chainmail, resilient
scale armor, or sturdy steel plate. For our purposes it all provides Light or Simple
about the same protection. 1d6 shortsword, hand axe 1d8 spear

If you are the odd fighter who prefers to fight only in light Heavy or Martial 1d10 greatsword, greataxe
armor, knock yourself out—you’re better in light armor than 1d8 longsword,
most other heroes. But you’re still more likely to get knocked out warhammer
of the battle than if you were wearing heavier stuff.
Fighter Ranged Weapons

Fighter Armor and AC Thrown Crossbow Bow

Type Base AC Small 1d4 hand crossbow —
None 10 1d4 dagger

Light 13 Light or Simple
1d6 javelin, axe
Heavy 15 1d6 light crossbow 1d6 shortbow

Shield +1 Heavy or Martial
— 1d8 heavy crossbow 1d8 longbow

Basic Attacks Ranged attack

Melee attack At-Will
Target: One enemy
At-Will Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Target: One enemy Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC Miss: —
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

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Fighter Level Progression

Fighter weapon attack maneuvers deal damage based on the fighter’s level. You also don’t have to keep track of upgrading a 1st level
maneuver into a 3rd level maneuver, because all the maneuvers function at your level. You can change which maneuvers you know and have
ready whenever you gain a level . . . maybe even more often if you’ve got an excellent story ready explaining your new training routine.

Fighter Total Hit Points Total Feats Maneuvers Maneuver Class Level-up Damage Bonus
Level (8 + CON mod) x 3 Known Pool Talents Ability From Ability Score
Level 1 (8 + CON mod) x 4 1 adventurer 3 Bonuses
Level 2 (8 + CON mod) x 5 4 Available 3 ability modifier
Level 3 (8 + CON mod) x 6 2 adventurer 4 1st level 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier
Level 4 (8 + CON mod) x 8 5 1st level 3 ability modifier
Level 5 (8 + CON mod) x 10 3 adventurer 5 3rd level 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier
Level 6 (8 + CON mod) x 12 6 3rd level 3 2 x ability modifier
Level 7 4 adventurer 6 5th level 4 +1 to 3 abilities 2 x ability modifier
(8 + CON mod) x 16 4 2 x ability modifier
Level 8 4 adventurer 7 5th level
(8 + CON mod) x 20 1 champion 4 3 x ability modifier
Level 9 7 7th level
(8 + CON mod) x 24 4 adventurer 4 3 x ability modifier
Level 10 2 champion 8 7th level
4 3 x ability modifier
4 adventurer 9th level
3 champion
9th level
4 adventurer
3 champion

1 epic

4 adventurer
3 champion

2 epic

4 adventurer
3 champion

3 epic

Fighter Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus +2 Strength or Constitution (different from racial bonus)

Initiative Dex mod + Level

Armor Class (heavy armor) 15 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Armor Class (shield and heavy armor) 16 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level

Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level

Hit Points (8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)

Recoveries (probably) 9

Recovery Dice (1d10 x Level) + Con mod

Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background

Icon Relationships 3 points

Talents 3 (see level progression chart)

Feats 1 per Level

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Class Features Counter-Attack

Fighters have two class features: Extra Tough and Threatening. Once per round when the escalation die is even and an enemy
misses you with a natural odd melee attack roll, you can make a
Extra Tough basic melee attack dealing half damage against that enemy as a
free action. (The attack can’t use any limited abilities or flexible
You start with nine recoveries instead of the usual eight. attack maneuvers.)
Adventurer Feat: Increase your total recoveries by 1.
Adventurer Feat: Your Counter-Attack attack now deals full damage.
Threatening Champion Feat: You can use Counter-Attack once per turn

Whenever an enemy attempts to disengage from you, it takes instead of once per round (in effect, you’re free to Counter-
a penalty to its check equal to your Dexterity or Constitution Attack once per enemy turn).
modifier, whichever is higher. Epic Feat: You can now use Counter-Attack when the escalation
die is 3+.
The penalty doesn’t apply if you are stunned, grabbed, or
otherwise incapable of making an opportunity attack. Deadeye Archer

Adventurer Feat: Whenever an enemy fails to disengage Your attacks with d8 ranged weapons (heavy crossbow, longbow)
from you, you also deal damage to that enemy equal to your now deal d10 damage per level. Your attacks with d6 ranged
Dexterity or Constitution modifier. At 5th level, damage is weapons (light crossbow, shortbow) now deal d8 damage per
double the modifier. At 8th level, it’s triple. level. In addition, your misses with basic ranged attacks deal
damage equal to your level.
Champion Feat: Whenever a non-mook enemy fails to
disengage from you, it’s vulnerable to your attacks for the Adventurer Feat: If you spend a quick action to aim before
rest of the battle. making a ranged basic attack, add your Dexterity modifier
to the damage if you miss.
Class Talents
Champion Feat: Once per battle, expand your crit range with
Choose three of the following class talents. a fighter ranged attack by 4 (usually to 16+) for that attack.
You get an additional fighter class talent at 6th level. Declare you’re using this feat power before you roll the attack.

Cleave Epic Feat: Your crit range with ranged weapon attacks expands
by 1 (usually to 19+).
Once per battle, make a fighter melee attack as a free action after
one of your melee attacks drops an enemy to 0 hp. Heavy Warrior

Adventurer Feat: If you have your move action available, you Once per battle while wearing heavy armor, when you are hit
can use it before making your Cleave attack to reach an by an attack that targets AC, as a free action, you can take half
enemy you are not already engaged with. damage from that attack instead.

Champion Feat: You can use Cleave twice each battle, but Adventurer Feat: Once per day, you can use Heavy Warrior
only once a round. twice in a battle (against different attacks).

Epic Feat: You gain a +4 attack bonus with your Cleave attacks. Champion Feat: You can also use the power against an attack
that targets PD.
Comeback Strike
Epic Feat: Once per day, you can reroll a recharge roll for a
Once per battle as a free action, make another attack with a –2 magic armor power.
penalty after your first fighter attack during your turn misses.
Power Attack
Adventurer Feat: You no longer take the –2 penalty to your
Comeback Strike attacks. Once per battle before you roll an attack, you can declare you’re
using Power Attack to deal additional damage with that attack
Champion Feat: Once per day, you can use Comeback Strike roll. If the attack hits, you deal the following additional damage:
twice in a battle.
Deal 1d4 additional damage per level if you are using a one-
Epic Feat: You gain a +4 attack bonus with your Comeback handed weapon.
Strike attacks.
Deal 1d6 additional damage per level if you are using a two-
handed weapon.

Adventurer Feat: You deal the additional Power Attack
damage even if the attack misses.

Champion Feat: One battle per day, you can use Power Attack
twice in the battle.

Epic Feat: One-handed weapon damage using Power Attack
increases to 1d6 per level; two-handed weapon damage
using Power Attack increases to 1d8 per level.

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Skilled Intercept Deadly Assault

Once per round as a free action, roll a normal save (11+) to Flexible melee or ranged attack
intercept an enemy who is moving to attack one of your nearby Triggering Roll: Any natural even hit
allies. You can pop free from one enemy to move and intercept Effect: Reroll any 1s from your damage roll. You’re stuck with
the attack (if you are engaged with more than one enemy, the
others can take opportunity attacks against you). the rerolls.
Adventurer Feat: Now you can reroll both 1s and 2s with
The moving enemy makes its attack with you as a target
instead. If you’re wearing heavy armor and the attack hits, you deadly assault.
only take half damage. Champion Feat: Deadly assault now also triggers on a natural

Adventurer Feat: You can pop free from up to two enemies 17+.
when using Skilled Intercept.
Defensive Fighting
Champion Feat: You gain a bonus to your Skilled Intercept
save equal to the escalation die. Flexible melee attack
Triggering Roll: Natural 16+; if you fight with a shield, also any
Epic Feat: Enemies can’t make opportunity attacks against you
during your Skilled Intercept movement. natural even roll
Effect: Gain a +2 bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.
Tough as Iron
Adventurer Feat: You also gain the bonus to Physical Defense.
Once per battle, you can rally using a quick action instead of a Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +3.
standard action. Epic Feat: You also gain the bonus to Mental Defense.

Adventurer Feat: Once per day, you can rally twice during a Grim Intent
battle as a quick action, without needing to roll a save for
the second rally. Flexible melee attack
Triggering Roll: Any natural even miss
Champion Feat: Increase your total number of recoveries by 2. Effect: The next time you would deal miss damage with a melee
Epic Feat: When you roll a natural 20 with an attack, you gain
attack, add a WEAPON die to that damage. At 5th level, instead
an additional use of Tough As Iron this battle. add 2 total WEAPON dice; at 8th level, instead add 3 total
WEAPON dice.
1st Level Maneuvers
Heavy Blows
Brace for It
Flexible melee attack
Flexible melee attack Triggering Roll: Any natural even miss
Triggering Roll: Any miss Effect: You gain a bonus to your miss damage with that attack
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, the first critical hit you
equal to the escalation die.
take from a melee attack becomes a normal hit instead. Champion Feat: If you attacked with a two-handed weapon,
Adventurer Feat: Brace for it now works against a critical hit
heavy blows can trigger on any miss, odd or even.
from any type of attack. Epic Feat: The bonus instead equals double the escalation die with
Champion Feat: Brace for it works against any number of
a one-handed weapon, or triple it with a two-handed weapon.
critical hits before your next turn.
Precision Attack
Carve an Opening
Flexible melee attack
Flexible melee attack Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 16+
Triggering Roll: Any natural odd roll Effect: You gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to your
Effect: Your crit range with melee attacks expands by a
Dexterity modifier. At 5th level, the damage bonus increases to
cumulative +1 this battle until you score a melee critical hit. double your Dexterity modifier; at 8th level the damage bonus
When you score a melee critical hit, your crit range drops back increases to triple it.
to normal. Adventurer Feat: You can now use precision attack with a
Champion Feat: The crit range bonus from carve an opening
ranged attack.
is +2 instead of +1.
Second Shot

Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Natural 16+
Effect: After this attack, you can make a basic ranged attack

with the same weapon (as long as it’s not a weapon that takes a
quick action to reload or draw) with a –4 attack penalty.

You can’t use any maneuvers with the second attack.
Champion Feat: The second shot attack penalty is –2 instead.

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Shield Bash Steady Now

Flexible melee attack Flexible melee attack
Special: You must be using a shield. Triggering Roll: Any natural even miss
Triggering Roll: Any natural even roll Effect: You gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution
Effect: The target pops free from you after the attack (does not
modifier.
allow opportunity attacks). Champion Feat: The temporary hit points increase to double
Adventurer Feat: If the target is also engaged with any of your
your Constitution modifier.
allies, you can have it pop free from them as well.
Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can also daze the target Strong Guard

(save ends) of your shield bash attack, if that enemy is staggered. Flexible melee attack
Special: You must be using a shield.
Two-Weapon Pressure Triggering Roll: Any miss
Effect: One ally next to you (including an ally engaged with the
Flexible melee attack
Special: You must be using a weapon in each hand. same enemy as you) gains a +2 AC bonus until the start of your
Triggering Roll: Any miss next turn or until you are no longer next to them.
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +2 melee attack Champion Feat: Bonus also applies to PD.
Epic Feat: Bonus increases to +3.
bonus against the target.
Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +4. 5th Level Maneuvers

3rd Level Maneuvers A Dozen Cuts

Hack & Slash Flexible melee attack
Triggering Roll: Any natural even hit
Flexible melee attack Effect: The target also takes ongoing damage equal to double
Special: You can use this maneuver only once per round.
Triggering Roll: Any natural even roll, when the escalation die your Dexterity modifier, or triple it at 8th level.
Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can trigger a dozen cuts
is 2+
Effect: Make another melee weapon attack against a different target. with a natural odd hit.

Make ’em Flinch Hero’s Skill

Flexible ranged attack Flexible melee or ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any natural even miss Triggering Roll: Any natural even miss
Effect: Add the higher modifier from your Strength or Dexterity Effect: Add +2 to the attack roll, then halve any damage dealt by

to the miss damage. At 5th level the damage bonus increases the attack if it hits.
to double your chosen modifier; at 8th level the damage bonus Champion Feat: Add +4 to the attack roll instead of +2.
increases to triple it. Epic Feat: The damage is no longer halved on a hit after using

Punish Them hero’s skill.

Flexible melee attack Sword Master’s Anticipation
Special: You can use this maneuver only when you make an
Flexible melee attack
opportunity attack. Special: You must have the Skilled Intercept talent to use this maneuver.
Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 16+ Triggering Roll: Any natural even roll
Effect: The target is dazed until the end of its turn. Effect: The next time you use Skilled Intercept this battle, your

Adventurer Feat: If the target was moving, it stops moving Skilled Intercept save automatically succeeds.
and loses the rest of its move action.

Champion Feat: The dazed effect is now save ends.
Epic Feat: The target is now weakened (save ends) instead of dazed.

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7th Level Maneuvers 9th Level Maneuvers

Never Surrender Combat Mastery

Flexible melee attack Flexible melee attack
Triggering Roll: Any natural even roll Special: You can use this maneuver only once per battle.
Effect: You can roll a save against a save ends effect. Triggering Roll: Natural 16+
Effect: Increase the escalation die by 1.
Epic Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to the save.
Epic Feat: Combat mastery now also triggers on any natural
Spinning Charge even hit.

Flexible melee attack Set ’em Up
Special: You must have moved before the attack.
Triggering Roll: Any natural even hit Flexible melee attack
Effect: After dealing damage, you can pop free from the target, Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 16+
Effect: The crit range of your attacks against the target expands
move to a different nearby enemy, and make a basic melee
attack against that enemy. by 3 (generally 17+) until the end of the battle (cumulative).
Epic Feat: The crit range bonus from set ’em up now also
You can’t use any maneuvers with the second attack, and it
deals only half damage. applies to any ally who attacks the target while you are
Epic Feat: If the escalation die is 3+, the second spinning engaged with it.

charge attack deals full damage.

Sword of Destiny

Flexible melee attack
Triggering Roll: Natural 20
Effect: You can heal using a free recovery.

Epic Feat: If the escalation die is 3+, you can now trigger sword
of destiny with a natural 18+.

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PALADIN

In every age, extraordinary men and women have stepped forward Icons: Like most d20 games, we assume that most paladins
to carry the battle flag of justice. By the will of the gods, paladins are good, even lawful good. The Great Gold Wyrm is the patron
are both protectors and avengers whose campaigns of awesome of such paladins while the Priestess attracts paladins who value
justice serve as warnings to any who threaten those under their
protection. The people depend on them, lords celebrate them, and the good over the law. Paladins supremely devoted to virtue
monsters hate them. People have never needed paladins more and the cause of good frequently take the Path of Universal
than they do in the 13th Age. Righteous Endeavor talent.

Overview But paladins don’t have to be good. The Crusader
inspires many evil paladins—they share hatred of demons
Play Style: The paladin is a heavily armored and fanatically with the paladins of the Great Gold Wyrm without any of
devoted warrior of the gods—or of causes so pure they don’t the compassion for the demons’ victims. Even worse, from
require gods to make them holy. the Wyrm’s perspective, the Blue’s hold on Drakkenhall has
given it a stable base to inspire and train paladins devoted
Like the barbarian, the paladin is simple to play. Your choices to the Three. Paladins inordinately devoted to evil should
during combat come from your talents since you don’t choose consider the Way of Evil Bastards talent.
new attacks or spells as you rise in level. Most every attack you
make uses your basic melee attack, but you can augment it by
using Smite Evil or one of the other abilities from your talents.

Paladins who want a bit more complexity can choose talents
that let them cast a cleric spell or use a cleric domain.

Ability Scores: Strength is your attack ability. Depending on
your talents and feats, you might want to have a high Charisma. If
you avoid the talents that depend on your magical impact, you’ll
probably opt for a high Constitution for the hit points.

Paladins gain a +2 class bonus to Strength or Charisma, as long
as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus.

Races: Humans and half-elves gravitate to the zeal required
of paladins. Although more rare, some of the most fearsome
paladins are dwarves, proving that stature is overrated, and half-
orcs, proving that they despise evil.

Backgrounds: Paladins are usually highly disciplined warriors
rather than untrained neophytes. They often
have skills related to their previous
assignments or duties.

From the somewhat standard to
the quixotic, here’s a short list of
possible paladin backgrounds to
get you started: city guardsman,
combat medic, bodyguard,
outlaw hunter, Sea Wall
captain, Golden Citadel
archeologist, Elf
Queen’s courtier,
First Triumph
Inquisitor,
veteran of the orc
wars, hellhole
commando,
ex-priest of the
Diabolist.

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GAMEMASTER Weapons

You’re under no obligation to allow truly evil player By tradition and inclination, paladins fight with one-handed
characters. Many tables can’t handle the dysfunction. melee weapons in order to carry shields. A heavy, shining sword
But some players can handle subtle or situational evil is the traditional weapon of great heroes, but some paladins
that allows them to function as a non-destructive part wield unorthodox weapons that speak to their heart.
of a campaign.
While a fighter may have a number of weapons, each with
Gear different mechanical features or storytelling schticks, a paladin usually
has a single, beloved melee weapon, treated as a trusty companion.
At 1st level, paladins start with a melee weapon or perhaps two, a ranged
weapon if they want it, armor, a shield, and standard nonmagical gear Although they relish face-to-face combat with their enemies,
that is suggested by the specific character’s backgrounds. prudent paladins carry utilitarian ranged weapons. They are
trained with all the best ones.
Paladins who budget carefully for themselves and their
temple start with 25 gp to use as they wish. Paladins who live Paladin Melee Weapons
mission-to-mission start with 1d6 x 10 gp.
One-Handed Two-Handed

Small 1d6 club
1d4 dagger

Armor Light or Simple
1d6 scimitar, shortsword 1d8 spear
Paladins usually wear heavy armor, at least chainmail or scale
armor, and most often plate. For our purposes, it all provides Heavy or Martial
about the same protection. If you’re in an odd situation where 1d8 longsword, battleaxe 1d10 greatsword, halberd
your paladin isn’t wearing much armor, your AC will drop.

Paladin Armor and AC Paladin Ranged Weapons

Type Base AC Thrown Crossbow Bow
None 10
Small 1d4 hand crossbow —
1d4 dagger

Light 12 Light or Simple
1d6 javelin, axe
Heavy 16 1d6 light crossbow 1d6 shortbow

Shield +1 Heavy or Martial
— 1d8 heavy crossbow 1d8 longbow

Basic Attacks Ranged attack

Melee attack At-Will
Target: One enemy
At-Will Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Target: One enemy Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC Miss: —
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

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Paladin Level Progression

Paladin Total Hit Points Total Feats Class Talents Level-up Ability Damage Bonus From
3 Bonuses Ability Score
Level 1 (8 + CON mod) x 3 1 adventurer 3 ability modifier
Level 2 (8 + CON mod) x 4 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier
Level 3 (8 + CON mod) x 5 2 adventurer 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier
Level 4 (8 + CON mod) x 6 4 ability modifier
3 adventurer 4 +1 to 3 abilities
Level 5 (8 + CON mod) x 8 4 2 x ability modifier
4 adventurer
Level 6 (8 + CON mod) x 10 5 2 x ability modifier
4 adventurer
Level 7 (8 + CON mod) x 12 1 champion 5 2 x ability modifier

Level 8 (8 + CON mod) x 16 4 adventurer 5 3 x ability modifier
2 champion
Level 9 (8 + CON mod) x 20 3 x ability modifier
4 adventurer
Level 10 (8 + CON mod) x 24 3 champion 3 x ability modifier

4 adventurer
3 champion

1 epic

4 adventurer
3 champion

2 epic

4 adventurer
3 champion

3 epic

Paladin Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus +2 Strength or Charisma (different from racial bonus)

Initiative Dex mod + Level

Armor Class (heavy armor) 16 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Armor Class (shield and heavy armor) 17 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level

Mental Defense 12 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level

Hit Points (8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)

Recoveries (probably) 8

Recovery Dice (1d10 x Level) + Con mod

Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background

Icon Relationships 3 points

Talents 3 (see level progression chart)

Feats 1 per Level

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Class Feature Divine Domain

All paladins have the Smite Evil class feature. Special: You can choose Divine Domain a second time, if you
wish, at 5th level or at 8th level.
Smite Evil
Choose one of the domains listed in the cleric’s class talent
You can use this talent once per battle, plus an additional number list. You gain all the domain’s advantages, including the ability to
of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier. use the domain’s invocation once per day.

As a free action before you make a paladin melee attack roll, If the domain you choose is designed to help cleric spells and
you can declare that you’re using a Smite Evil attack. Add +1d12 to attacks, reinterpret the talent to help your paladin powers. You
the damage roll AND deal half damage with the attack if it misses. can use the domain’s feats if you wish; reinterpret them similarly
if necessary.
Adventurer Feat: Your Smite Evil attacks gain a +4 attack bonus.
Champion Feat: Add 2d12 to the damage roll instead of 1d12. Fearless
Epic Feat: Add 4d12 to the damage roll instead of 2d12.
You are immune to fear abilities and to any non-damage effects of
GAMEMASTER attacks named or described as fear attacks.

We’re not devoted to the idea that the target of a In addition, you gain a +1 melee attack bonus against enemies
Smite Evil attack needs to be seriously evil. You can that are not engaged by any of your allies. The bonus increases
be if you wish. to +2 against enemies with fear abilities (for example, the dretch,
large and huge red dragons, and especially nasty minotaurs).
Class Talents
Adventurer Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to death saves.
Choose three of the following class talents. Champion Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to all saves except death saves.
You get an additional paladin class talent at 5th level, and Epic Feat: Your nearby allies gain a +1 bonus to death saves.

again at 8th level. Implacable

Bastion You can roll saves at the start of your turn instead of at the end
of your turn. A successful save against ongoing damage, for
You gain +1 AC. example, means that you will not take the ongoing damage that
In addition, once per battle when a nearby ally is hit by an turn.

attack, you can choose to lose hit points equal to half of that damage, Adventurer Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to saves.
and have your ally take only half of the damage instead. The damage Champion Feat: Once during your turn as a free action, you can
you lose can come from temporary hit points, but isn’t affected by
damage resistance and other tricks to avoid the damage. choose to lose hit points equal to your level to reroll a save.
Epic Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to Physical Defense and Mental Defense.
Adventurer Feat: Increase your total number of recoveries by 1.
Champion Feat: Once per day, you can use Bastion twice in Lay on Hands

the same battle. Twice per day as a quick action, you can heal yourself or an
Epic Feat: When you use Bastion now, your ally takes no ally next to you with a touch. You spend the recovery while the
recipient heals as if they had spent the recovery.
damage. You still lose hit points equal to half the damage.
Adventurer Feat: Add twice your Charisma modifier to the
Cleric Training healing provided by Lay on Hands.

Choose one cleric spell of your level or lower. That spell is now Champion Feat: Lay on Hands healing uses a free recovery
part of your powers. (You can change out the spell normally.) instead of one of your own.

Adventurer Feat: You can use your Charisma as the attack Epic Feat: You can now use Lay on Hands four times per day
ability for cleric spells you can cast. instead of two.

Champion Feat: You can now cast the cleric class feature heal
spell (page 95) twice per day.

Epic Feat: Choose two cleric spells instead of one.

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Paladin’s Challenge Path of Universal Righteous Endeavor

When you hit an enemy with a melee attack, you can choose Special: You can’t take this talent if you take the Way of Evil
to challenge that enemy as a free action. Until the end of the Bastards talent.
battle, provided that both you and the enemy you’ve challenged
are conscious and capable of making an attack, you both take a Your nearby allies gain a +1 bonus to all saves.
–4 attack penalty against all other creatures and a –4 penalty to Adventurer Feat: Once per day, you can reroll your relationship
disengage checks from each other.
dice with a heroic or ambiguous icon.
You can only have one enemy challenged at a time. Both you Champion Feat: All of your melee and ranged attacks deal
and the creature you have challenged can “turn off ” the attack
penalty for the rest of that turn by making an attack roll against holy damage.
the rival. For example, a monster with more than one attack Epic Feat: You gain an additional relationship point with a
or attack roll can attack your allies without penalty on its turn
provided it attacks you first. (Note that this would not help the heroic or ambiguous icon.
monster with an opportunity attack against one of your allies
later in the round.) Way of Evil Bastards

Your Paladin’s Challenge can end a couple of ways. First, Special: You can’t take this talent if you take the Path of Universal
your Paladin’s Challenge ends if either you or the creature you Righteous Endeavor talent.
are challenging falls unconscious or drops to 0 hp. Second, you
can end your current challenge and start another when you hit When one of your Smite Evil attacks drops a non-mook
a different enemy with an attack (assuming you hit with the –4 enemy to 0 hp, that use of Smite Evil is not expended. (Yes, we’re
penalty). Third, you can choose to end the challenge if an enemy aware of the irony of the name, feel free to call it Smite Good or
flees far away from you. Smite Enemy, as you like.)

An enemy can only be the subject of one Paladin’s Challenge Adventurer Feat: Once per day, you can reroll your relationship
at a time; a new challenge overrides the previous one. dice with a villainous or ambiguous icon.

In the unlikely case in which two paladins fight each other, Champion Feat: When one of your Smite Evil attacks drops
any use of Paladin’s Challenge locks them into a challenge that three or more mooks, it is not expended.
only ends when one of them drops.
Epic Feat: You gain an additional relationship point with a
Adventurer Feat: The attack and disengage penalty for villainous or ambiguous icon.
challenged enemies (but not for you) is equal to –4 or to the
escalation die, whichever is higher. PLAYERS

Champion Feat: You can have two challenges active at the You’ll probably want this talent if you are dedicated to
same time against different enemies. the Crusader. But Way of Evil Bastards could also work
if you have a conflicted relationship with a villainous
Epic Feat: Enemies you challenge are vulnerable to your attacks. icon that somehow still enables you to be a functional
member of the adventuring party. The fact that the
GAMEMASTER talent opens doors to ambiguous icons increases its
possible roleplaying range. Perhaps the ambiguous
If the paladin disengages, pops free, or teleports away icon you’re devoted to moderates your evil nature.
from the enemy, feel free to allow the enemy to ignore Or perhaps you’re not actually evil; you just feel more
the challenge. The paladin should seek to confront comfortable looking evil.
the challenged creature rather than avoiding it. A
paladin who uses Paladin’s Challenge feats to have
multiple enemies challenged at the same time can
attack any of the challenged enemies without taking
the attack penalty.

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RANGER

Some rangers get their training in an official ranger corps, serving Backgrounds: Rangers are trackers, bounty hunters,
the Emperor or another legitimate authority. Others are initiates members of secret orders of frontier guardians, agents of druidic
into half-wild gangs, resourceful nomads who know more ancient circles, survivors of distant massacres, beast slayers, tree dwellers,
secrets than their rough manner might suggest. Rangers from initiates of the golden bough, woodsy assassins, dwellers on the
different lands or traditions respect each other, though they can Sea Wall, Koru behemoth tribefolk, orc slayers, wanderers, and
still be ruthless rivals. In the wilderness, rangers are held in awe, occasionally even secret monarchs of vanished kingdoms.
provided the common people even know they’re there. In the city,
rangers are notorious for complaining about the conditions of Icons: The High Druid and the Elf Queen rule the green
urban life, but they are renowned as outlandish party guests. spaces. The Orc Lord and the Three lay claim to the wastes. And
a few hooded rangers who keep their stories straight and their
Overview motives plausible may know something of the Prince of Shadows.

Play Style: Like the barbarian, the ranger is simple to play. Your
choices in play come from your class talents since you don’t
choose new attacks or spells as you gain levels. Most every
attack you make uses your basic melee or ranged attack. Unlike
most other classes, you can choose to use your Strength or your
Dexterity as your attack ability in melee.

Choosing to have an animal companion complicates matters
slightly, since you’ll have two creatures to act with each turn:
your ranger and the animal you choose.

If you want to have an animal by your side that has
less impact on battles and that requires fewer decisions in
play, choose the Ranger’s Pet talent instead of the Animal
Companion talent.

Ability Scores: Dexterity and Strength are your
main ability scores. It’s also likely that many of the
skill checks you’ll make in the wilderness will
play off Wisdom.

Rangers gain a +2 class bonus to
Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom, as long as
it isn’t the same ability you increase with
your +2 racial bonus.

Races: Tradition and natural
inclination makes wood elves the
prototypical rangers. The class’s flexibility
with Strength, Dexterity, and ranged and
melee attacks means that everyone from
humans to half-orcs and halflings can
stride into the role if they choose.

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Gear Weapons

At 1st level, rangers start with light armor, a melee weapon or Rangers often wield two melee weapons at the same time,
two, a ranged weapon or two, and other mundane gear suggested battering opponents with furious swings. They often use swords,
by their backgrounds or a life in the wilds. That “or two” is a but axes are also common. Less frequently, a ranger fights with
lot more important for them than most characters, since two- two different weapons, such as a flail and axe.
weapon fighting is one of the ranger’s signatures. See the basic
rules for two-weapon fighting on page 168. Rangers are skilled with all manner of ranged weapons. With
or without magic, personally crafting your own longbow may be
Rangers who are careful with their gold start with 25 gp. a point of pride. Rangers’ weapons are often tricked out with
Rangers who view wealth as a temporary event, meant to be used, feathers, beast claws, or other natural adornments.
start with 1d6 x 10 gp.
Ranger Melee Weapons

Armor One-Handed Two-Handed

Rangers prefer leather armor, scuffed and camouflaged for the Small 1d6 club
wilderness, scuffed or buffed for civilization. A touch of metal is 1d4 dagger
alright, but nothing too heavy. Rangers fighting without armor
lose a few points of AC. Rangers fighting in heavier armor take Light or Simple
attack penalties. 1d6 shortsword, hand axe 1d8 spear

Ranger Armor and AC Heavy or Martial
1d8 longsword, warhammer 1d10 greatsword, greataxe

Type Base AC Attack Penalty Ranger Ranged Weapons
None 10 —
Thrown Crossbow Bow

Light 14 — Small 1d4 hand crossbow —
1d4 dagger

Heavy 15 –2 Light or Simple
1d6 javelin, axe 1d6 light crossbow 1d6 shortbow
Shield +1 –2

Heavy or Martial
— 1d8 heavy crossbow 1d8 longbow

Basic Attacks Ranged attack

Melee attack At-Will
Target: One enemy
At-Will Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Target: One enemy Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity + Level vs. AC Miss: Damage equal to your level
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

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Ranger Level Progression

Ranger Level Total Hit Points Total Feats Class Level-up Ability Damage Bonus From
Talents Bonuses Ability Score
Level 1 (7 + CON mod) x 3 1 adventurer ability modifier
Level 2 (7 + CON mod) x 4 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier
Level 3 (7 + CON mod) x 5 2 adventurer 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier
Level 4 (7 + CON mod) x 6 3 ability modifier
3 adventurer 3 +1 to 3 abilities
Level 5 (7 + CON mod) x 8 4 2 x ability modifier
4 adventurer
Level 6 (7 + CON mod) x 10 4 2 x ability modifier
4 adventurer
Level 7 (7 + CON mod) x 12 1 champion 4 2 x ability modifier

Level 8 (7 + CON mod) x 16 4 adventurer 5 3 x ability modifier
2 champion
Level 9 (7 + CON mod) x 20 5 3 x ability modifier
4 adventurer
Level 10 (7 + CON mod) x 24 3 champion 5 3 x ability modifier

4 adventurer
3 champion

1 epic

4 adventurer
3 champion

2 epic

4 adventurer
3 champion

3 epic

Ranger Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus +2 Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom (different from racial bonus)

Initiative Dex mod + Level

Armor Class (light armor) 14 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Physical Defense 11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level

Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level

Hit Points (7 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)

Recoveries (probably) 8

Recovery Dice (1d8 x Level) + Con mod

Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background

Icon Relationships 3 points

Talents 3 (see level progression chart)

Feats 1 per Level

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Class Talents Double Ranged Attack

Choose three of the following class talents. When you attack with a ranged weapon that does not need to be
You get an additional ranger class talent at 5th level, and reloaded, your default option is to make a double ranged attack.

again at 8th level. Your weapon damage die drops one notch, usually from d8s
to d6s. If your first attack is a natural even roll (hit or miss), you
Animal Companion can make a second attack as a free action.

Special: Unlike most class talents, this talent takes up two ranger If you decide you don’t want to try for a double ranged attack
class talent slots. when firing your bow or other ranged weapon, declare it before
rolling your attack; the single attack will deal the normal damage
You have a normal-sized animal companion that fights dice instead of using reduced damage dice.
alongside you in battle. See the Animal Companion rules at
the end of this section for information on this talent and its Adventurer Feat: Your second attack gains a +2 attack bonus
associated feats. if it is against a different target.

If you would rather have a smaller beast as a pet, see the Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can use Double Ranged
Ranger’s Pet talent. Attack after an odd attack roll.

Archery Epic Feat: Each turn, you can pop free of one enemy before
one attack roll that is part of a Double Ranged Attack. You
Once per battle, reroll one of your missed ranged attacks. can also use your move action in between your two attacks
Adventurer Feat: Your Archery rerolls gain a +2 attack bonus if you wish.
and the attack’s crit range expands by 1.
Champion Feat: Once per day, you can use Archery twice in Favored Enemy
the same battle.
Epic Feat: Once per day, you can turn a normal hit with a Choose a specific monster type. The crit range of your ranger
ranger ranged attack into a critical hit. attacks against that type of enemy expands by 2. The monster
types are part of each monster’s stat block. Here’s our current list:
Double Melee Attack aberration, beast, construct, demon, dragon, giant, humanoid*,
ooze, plant, and undead.
When fighting with two one-handed melee weapons, your default
option is to make a double melee attack. *Choosing humanoid: Unlike other favored enemies,
choosing humanoid as your favored enemy takes up two ranger
Your weapon damage die drops one notch, usually from d8s class talent slots.
to d6s. If your first attack is a natural even roll (hit or miss), you
can make a second attack as a free action. Adventurer Feat: You can change your favored enemy by
meditating when you take a full heal-up.
If you decide you don’t want to try for a double melee attack
while fighting with two one-handed weapons, declare it before Champion Feat: Your crit range for attacks against favored
rolling your attack; the single attack will deal the normal damage enemies expands by 1 (to +3).
dice instead of using reduced damage dice.
Epic Feat: Choose a second non-humanoid monster type as a
Adventurer Feat: Your second attack gains a +2 attack bonus favored enemy.
if it is against a different target.
Fey Queen’s Enchantments
Champion Feat: Once per battle, use Double Melee Attack
after an odd attack roll. Choose one daily or recharge spell of your level or lower from
the sorcerer class. You can cast this spell as if you were a sorcerer
Epic Feat: Each turn, you can pop free of one enemy before (though you can’t gather power). You can change your chosen
one attack roll that is part of a Double Melee Attack. You spell each time you take a full heal-up. Feel free to rename and
can also use your move action in between your two attacks reflavor the sorcerer spell to suit your wilderness backgrounds.
if you wish.
Adventurer Feat: You can choose which ability score you want
to use as the attack ability for sorcerer spells you can cast.

Champion Feat: You can now choose from sorcerer at-will spells.
Epic Feat: You gain an additional sorcerer spell of your choice

that is your level or lower; a total of two from this talent.

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First Strike Tracker

The first time you attack an enemy during a battle, your crit You have the Tracker background (by any name that feels fun,
range for that attack expands by 2 (usually to 18+). A mob of engaging, and correct for your character’s story) at its full
mooks counts as a single enemy. possible bonus of +5, without having to spend your normal
background points on it. You are an expert wilderness tracker,
Adventurer Feat: The crit range of your First Strike attacks capable of reading clues from the environment that others can’t
expands by 1 (to +3). perceive. Tracking doesn’t work well, however, in heavily traveled
urban environments.
Champion Feat: Once per day, deal triple damage with a First
Strike crit instead of double damage. In addition, you have the terrain stunt power.
Terrain stunt: At the start of each battle in a non-urban
Epic Feat: Whenever you hit with a First Strike attack, you can environment, roll a d6. Any time after the escalation die reaches
reroll your damage once and use the higher roll. that number, you’ll be able to use a quick action to execute a
terrain stunt. Normally you can only use terrain stunt once per
Lethal Hunter battle, but circumstances, geography, or excellent planning may
suggest that you can pull it off more than once.
Once per battle as a free action, choose an enemy. The crit range Terrain stunts are improvisational effects that play off your
of your attacks against that enemy expands by 2 for the rest of the preternatural understanding of the wilderness and all the diverse
battle. A mob of mooks counts as a single enemy. forms of the natural world. Things like knocking a hornets nest no
one had noticed onto your enemy’s head, maneuvering a foe onto
Adventurer Feat: The crit range of your Lethal Hunter attacks a soggy patch of ground that slows them down, shooting the cap
expands by 1 (to +3). off a mushroom spore in a dungeon that erupts on your enemies,
getting your enemy’s sword wedged into a stalactite, finding the
Champion Feat: One battle per day, you can use Lethal Hunter tree branch that lets you vault up to attack the flying demon that
against two different enemies. thought it was out of axe range, and similar types of actions.
Adventurer Feat: Your grasp of the way the world is put
Epic Feat: Your Lethal Hunter crits deal triple damage instead together increases; you now can use terrain stunt in urban
of double damage while the escalation die is 3+. environments. Certainly there’s enough options in urban
environments to play off of. Now you get it.
Ranger ex Cathedral Champion Feat: You can track as well in urban areas as you
do in the wilderness.
Choose one daily or recharge spell of your level or lower from Epic Feat: Odds are that tracking is not entirely physical for
the cleric class. You can cast this spell as if you were a cleric. You you, if it ever was. You can track flying creatures and creatures
can change your chosen spell each time you take a full heal-up. that normally wouldn’t be trackable, and there’s the possibility
If you like, rename and reflavor the spell to suit your wilderness that even teleports give you a sense of direction. It’s your
background. call whether your ability to track comes from nature spirits
or some other aspect of the world that’s suggested by your
Adventurer Feat: You can cast the cleric class feature heal backgrounds and your many levels of adventuring history.
spell (page 95) once per battle.
PLAYERS
Champion Feat: You can now choose from cleric at-will spells.
Epic Feat: You gain an additional cleric spell of your choice As a ranger player, you get to say things about the
terrain that the GM may not have realized. If your
that is your level or lower; a total of two from this talent. suggestion is silly or ludicrous, the GM can veto it and
ask you to work with nature, not with nonsense.
Ranger’s Pet
GAMEMASTER
You have a small animal or beast that accompanies you on your
adventures. Use the rules from the Wizard’s Familiar talent but Ideally the power gets used to accomplish things no
rephrase the creature as your pet or friend instead of as your one expected rather than just being another attack.
familiar. Terrain stunts that deal damage should probably deal
no more than a d4 per level. Effects like one-round
The familiar rules work fine for your pet, with the exception daze and even one-round hamper seem like naturals.
that you might want to phrase your animal as fully natural rather Anything worse than that may not be possible, and
than partially magical. It may be tacky to refer you to the rules in would certainly allow saves if it is.
the wizard class on page 149, but we thought it was tackier to
reprint the same talent multiple times.

The other difference between the Ranger’s Pet talent and the
Wizard’s Familiar talent appears in the feats. As a ranger, your
pet can end up with more abilities, if you choose.

Adventurer Feat: Your pet gains a third ability.
Champion Feat: Your pet gains a fourth ability.
Epic Feat: Your pet gains a fifth ability.

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Two-Weapon Mastery Stats & Levels

You gain a +1 attack bonus when fighting with a one-handed For simplicity’s sake, we play that each animal companion has
melee weapon in each hand. roughly the same stats as listed below. As you’ll see, there’s a
touch of customization possible in the defenses for each stat
Adventurer Feat: When you fight with two one-handed melee block, but if that’s not enough for you, tinker it up.
weapons, increase the damage you deal with missed attacks
by adding your level to it. Most of your basic melee attacks, Your animal companion is always one level lower than you.
therefore, will deal double your level as miss damage. As a 1st level ranger, you’ll have a level 0 animal companion. Once
you gain a level, your animal companion rises to 1st level. A kind
Champion Feat: If you fight with two one-handed melee GM might allow you to raise your animal companion’s level early
weapons, whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against by using an incremental advance.
you and rolls a natural 1, you can make an opportunity attack
against that foe as a free action. On top of the base stats, each type of animal has a zoologically
appropriate power or advantage. The animals on this list are the
Epic Feat: One battle per day, increase the damage you deal obvious candidates, but some rangers have a taste for the exotic.
with missed attacks to triple your level instead of double
your level (from Two-Weapon Mastery). Companion Bonuses

Animal Each type of animal companion is a little different.
Companion Rules
Bear (also Giant Badger, Wolverine)
First, add two recoveries to your total recoveries. Since you’ll be Acts: After ranger
healing for two, you might need them. Advantage: The bear gains temporary hit points equal to its level

You have a devoted animal companion who fights alongside each time it hits with an attack.
you like a member of your adventuring party . . . and by “member Champion Feat: The temporary hit points increase to double
of your adventuring party” we mean a dedicated ally who will
never run out on you, recklessly catch you in a fireball, or steal its level.
the magic item you wanted from the dragon’s horde.
Boar (also Spiky Lizard)
Actions Acts: Before ranger
Advantage: The boar gains a +1 attack bonus when it moves
Your animal companion acts on your initiative turn. Each type of
animal companion specifies whether it acts before you or after before its attack during the same turn.
you on your turn; we’re cutting down on the amount of time you
spend figuring out your turn by cutting out the choice of when to Eagle (also Falcon, Hawk, Owl, Vulture)
use your companion’s turn. Acts: Before ranger
Advantage: Dude, it flies. So drop its melee damage die by one
Your animal companion moves and attacks like a PC: it gets
a move action and a standard action. For everyone’s sanity, you size (d6 at level 0).
should generally avoid giving the animal a quick action. If you
have powers that care about the first time you attack an enemy, Panther (also Lion, Tiger)
an attack by your animal companion counts as your attack. Acts: Before ranger
Advantage: The panther’s crit range expands by 2 against enemies
Animal Harm
with lower initiative.
Your animal companion can be healed like an ally. If it gets
healed without you being healed, it uses one of your recoveries. Snake (also Giant Spider, Poison Toad)
The better option is to use a recovery to heal yourself: when you Acts: After ranger
use a recovery while next to your animal companion (including Advantage: The snake also deals ongoing poison damage equal to
being engaged with the same enemy), your animal companion
can also heal using a free recovery. twice your level on a natural attack roll of 18+.
Champion Feat: The ongoing damage is three times your level instead.
Instead of dying like a monster or NPC at 0 hp, your animal Epic Feat: The ongoing damage is four times your level instead.
companion follows PC rules for falling unconscious at 0 hp
and dying after four failed death saves or when its negative hit Wolf (also Big Dog, Coyote, Hyena, Jackal)
points equal half its normal hit points. If your animal companion Acts: After ranger
dies, you can summon another one. If you’re still on the same Advantage: The wolf gains a +1 attack bonus against enemies its
adventure, you can call a new animal companion the next day,
but it will be one level lower than an animal companion would master attacked the same turn, or against enemies engaged
normally be. At the start of a new adventure, or when you gain a with its master.
level, bump the companion up to its proper level.

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PLAYERS GAMEMASTER

At high levels, your animal companion can become The stats and feats for high-level animal companions
a large-sized dire creature if you want it to be. If it work fine whether the ranger is accompanied by a dire
suits your ranger to have a giant wolf or snake as a beast or the animal they’ve leveled up with. The choice
companion, go for it. to go dire is for flavor and story.

Baseline Stats than its Mental Defense, but you could flip that if you have a
good explanation.
Use the following stats as the baseline for your animal companion.
Remember that your companion stays a level lower than you.
Generally your companion’s Physical Defense should be higher

Level 0 Animal Companion Level 1 Animal Companion Level 2 Animal Companion Level 3 Animal Companion
Attack +5 vs. AC Attack +6 vs. AC Attack +7 vs. AC Attack +9 vs. AC
Damage d8 Damage d10 Damage 2d6 Damage 3d6
AC 16 AC 17 AC 18 AC 19
PD (or MD) 14 PD (or MD) 15 PD (or MD) 16 PD (or MD) 17
MD (or PD) 10 MD (or PD) 11 MD (or PD) 12 MD (or PD) 13
HP 20 (10) HP 27 (13) HP 36 (18) HP 45 (22)

Level 4 Animal Companion Level 5 Animal Companion Level 6 Animal Companion Level 7 Animal Companion
Attack +10 vs. AC Attack +11 vs. AC Attack +13 vs. AC Attack +14 vs. AC
Damage 4d6 Damage 5d6 Damage 6d6 Damage 7d6
AC 21 AC 22 AC 23 AC 25
PD (or MD) 19 PD (or MD) 20 PD (or MD) 21 PD (or MD) 23
MD (or PD) 15 MD (or PD) 16 MD (or PD) 17 MD (or PD) 19
HP 54 (27) HP 72 (36) HP 90 (45) HP 108 (54)

Level 8 Animal Companion Level 9 Animal Companion Level 10 Animal Companion
Attack +15 vs. AC Attack +17 vs. AC Attack +18 vs. AC
Damage 8d6 Damage 9d6 Damage 10d6
AC 26 AC 27 AC 28
PD (or MD) 24 PD (or MD) 25 PD (or MD) 26
MD (or PD) 20 MD (or PD) 21 MD (or PD) 22
HP 144 (72) HP 180 (90) HP 216 (108)

Animal Companion Feats PLAYERS

Ranger animal companion feats are designed so that they do not For now the level 10 animal companion is probably
build on each other. Unlike other feats, you don’t have to take only available if your GM lets you improve your
animal companion feats progressively, one after the other as long companion with an incremental advance.
as you qualify for the correct tier.
Champion Feat: Your Lethal Hunter talent also applies to
Adventurer Feat: Once per day, your animal companion can your animal companion.
attack twice in a round with a standard action.
Champion Feat: Increase your animal companion’s Physical
Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, your animal companion can turn Defense and Mental Defense by +1.
a disengage success by an enemy it is engaged with into a failure.
Epic Feat: Increase your animal companion’s damage die by
Adventurer Feat: Once per day, reroll one of your animal one size (for example, from d6s to d8s, or d8s to d10s)
companion’s missed attack rolls.
Epic Feat: Increase your animal companion’s AC by +1.
Adventurer Feat: Your animal companion adds the escalation
die to its attacks.

Champion Feat: Once per day, your animal companion can
force an enemy to reroll an attack that hit it.

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ROGUE

Rogues are a mixed bag. Some are thugs who have learned enough Armor
tricks to get a step ahead of the other thugs. A few are mad, driven
by a reckless sense of adventure. Most are quick with a smile, a Rogues prefer leather armor when there is a chance that the
blade, and a getaway. They receive various sorts of training: from
a spymaster’s school, a thieves’ guild, a cult of the Black dragon, pointy weapons will be pointing at them.
an independent operator, or an ambitious ogre mage. Rogues
prefer never to be called assassins. And you know very well what Rogue Armor and AC
will happen to you if do.
Type Base AC Attack Penalty
Overview None 11 —

Play Style: Our rogue is a bit of a challenge to play thanks to Light 12 —
Sneak Attack powers that require the character to team up with
allies and Momentum powers that depend heavily on whether Heavy 13 –2
you last hit an enemy or were hit yourself. If the newbie in the
group plays the rogue, give them props for skilled play. Shield +1 –2

Ability Scores: Dexterity rules. Second place goes to Weapons
Charisma. Some rogues find ways to use Intelligence in place of
Charisma, as in the Cunning talent. Strength can be helpful too. A trained rogue is as deadly with a shortsword or wicked big
knife as a fighter is with a longsword. Although rogues’ weapons
Rogues gain a +2 class bonus to Dexterity or Charisma, as long vary, they are virtually always light, allowing rogues to strike with
as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus. speed and precision rather than raw force. A rogue may have a
superstitious connection to a “lucky knife” or other favored
Races: Halflings love being rogues. So do wood elves and weapon. For ranged weapons, rogues are skilled with shortbows,
drow. Humans? Well, of course. throwing axes, and other light weapons.

Backgrounds: Street thug, cat burglar, diplomat, professional Note that we’re not talking metaphorically in the first
gambler, Imperial customs agent, courtier, jewel thief, acrobat, sentence above: rogues deal as much damage with daggers and
con artist, bartender, hellhole infiltrator, temple spy master, shortswords as fighters deal with longswords.
thieves guild organizer, pirate, dandy, rat catcher.
Rogue Melee Weapons
Icons: The Prince of Shadows puts a touch on so many rogues
that it might be harder to find rogues who don’t have his traces. The One-Handed Two-Handed
Elf Queen, Diabolist, and the Three have their reasons for knowing
rogues, and rogues have reasons for knowing them. Thanks to the Small 1d6 club
Smooth Talk talent, some rogues find themselves working with 1d8 dagger
followers of most all the icons at least once in their career.
Light or Simple
Gear 1d8 shortsword, wicked knife 1d8 spear

At 1st level, rogues start with the clothes on their back and the Heavy or Martial 1d10 (–2 atk) greatsword
dice in their pockets; also, various bladed weapons, a music box 1d8 (–2 atk) longsword,
that certainly didn’t belong to them yesterday, and some armor. scimitar
Plus various oddments suggested by their backgrounds.
Rogue Ranged Weapons
Rogues taking it easy start with 25 gp. Rogues working their
usual tricks start with 1d6 x 10 gp. Thrown Crossbow Bow

Basic Attacks Small 1d4 hand crossbow —
1d4 dagger
Melee attack 1d6 shortbow
Light or Simple
At-Will 1d6 javelin, axe 1d6 light crossbow 1d8 (–2 atk)
Target: One enemy longbow
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC Heavy or Martial
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage — 1d8 (–1 atk) heavy
Miss: Damage equal to your level
crossbow
124
Ranged attack

At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

rogue

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Rogue Level Progression

Note: Although not listed on the table, this class gets three talents. It does not gain more at higher levels.

Rogue Total Hit Points Total Feats Powers Pool Level-up Ability Damage Bonus From
Level Known Available Bonuses Ability Score
Level 1 (6 + CON mod) x 3 1 adventurer ability modifier
Level 2 (6 + CON mod) x 4 2 adventurer 4 1st level +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier
Level 3 (6 + CON mod) x 5 3 adventurer 5 1st level ability modifier
Level 4 (6 + CON mod) x 6 4 adventurer 5 3rd level ability modifier
4 adventurer 6 3rd level
Level 5 (6 + CON mod) x 8 1 champion 2 x ability modifier
6 5th level
2 x ability modifier
Level 6 (6 + CON mod) x 10 4 adventurer 7 5th level
2 champion 2 x ability modifier

Level 7 (6 + CON mod) x 12 4 adventurer 7 7th level +1 to 3 abilities 3 x ability modifier
3 champion
3 x ability modifier
4 adventurer
3 x ability modifier
Level 8 (6 + CON mod) x 16 3 champion 8 7th level

1 epic

4 adventurer

Level 9 (6 + CON mod) x 20 3 champion 8 9th level

2 epic

4 adventurer

Level 10 (6 + CON mod) x 24 3 champion 9 9th level +1 to 3 abilities

3 epic

Rogue Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus +2 Dexterity or Charisma (different from racial bonus)

Initiative Dex mod + Level

Armor Class (light armor) 12 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Physical Defense 12 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level

Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level

Hit Points (6 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)

Recoveries (probably) 8

Recovery Dice (1d8 x Level) + Con mod

Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background

Icon Relationships 3 points

Talents 3

Feats 1 per Level

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Class Features Class Talents

All rogues fight better when they gain momentum, are good at Choose three of the following class talents.
stabbing enemies in the back, and have a knack for avoiding the
traps that their clueless allies would stumble into. Cunning

Momentum You can use your Intelligence in place of your Charisma for any
rogue attacks, talents, or powers that use Charisma (shadow walk
Many of the rogue’s powers function only when the rogue has and slick feint to name two). You also gain two extra points of
momentum. backgrounds to spend on knowledge-related backgrounds, and
gain a +2 bonus to skill checks involving traps.
You gain momentum by hitting an enemy with an attack.
You lose momentum when you are hit by an attack. Adventurer Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to Mental Defense.
The default is that you can use momentum powers without Champion Feat: Once per battle, reroll a save against an effect
losing momentum, but a few powers specify that you must spend
your momentum to use them. You don’t have to use attacks that from an attack that originally hit your Mental Defense.
require momentum against the foe you hit to gain that momentum. Epic Feat: Your once-per-battle save reroll is now once per save.
Momentum powers that do not require you to spend your
momentum are generally classified as interrupt actions. You Improved Sneak Attack
can only use one interrupt action a round, which keeps your
momentum powers from dominating the battle. Your Sneak Attack damage is better than other rogues. Use the
following Sneak Attack bonus damage progression instead.
Sneak Attack
1st level rogue +1d6 damage
Once per round when you make a rogue melee weapon attack 2nd level rogue +1d8 damage.
against an enemy engaged with one or more of your allies, you 4th level rogue +2d8 damage.
can deal +1d4 damage if your attack hits. 6th level rogue +3d8 damage.
8th level rogue +5d8 damage.
2nd level rogue +1d6 damage. 10th level rogue +7d8 damage.
4th level rogue +2d6 damage. Adventurer Feat: Once per day as a free action, you can add
6th level rogue +3d6 damage. your Sneak Attack damage to any hit against one target that
8th level rogue +5d6 damage. would not otherwise have qualified for the damage.
10th level rogue +7d6 damage. Champion Feat: Once per day, roll d20s for your Sneak Attack
Adventurer Feat: Your Sneak Attack feature also works damage instead of d8s.
the first round of combat against enemies with a lower Epic Feat: One battle per day, ignore the limitation that you
initiative than you. can use Sneak Attack damage only once per round.
Champion Feat: Your Sneak Attack feature also works against
enemies who are confused, dazed, vulnerable to your attack, Murderous
or weakened.
Epic Feat: Once per battle when you miss with an attack that Against staggered enemies, your crit range with rogue attacks
would have allowed you to deal Sneak Attack damage, replace expands by 2.
the normal miss damage with your full Sneak Attack damage.
Adventurer Feat: You gain a +2 attack bonus against staggered enemies.
Trap Sense Champion Feat: Your crit range against staggered enemies

Even rogues whose backgrounds don’t have anything to do with expands by 2 (now +4).
noticing, avoiding, or disarming traps have a unique knack for Epic Feat: Whenever a staggered enemy misses you with a
dealing with traps.
melee attack, it’s vulnerable to your attacks for the rest of
If a rogue’s skill check involving a trap is a natural even the battle.
failure, the rogue can reroll the skill check once. If a trap’s attack
roll against a rogue is a natural odd roll, the rogue can force the
trap to reroll the attack once.

Adventurer Feat: The trap attack reroll can also apply to a
nearby ally of the rogue as the rogue shouts a warning or
acts to prevent the trap from hitting.

Champion Feat: You gain a +3 bonus to skill check rerolls you
make against traps.

Epic Feat: You only take half damage from trap attacks.

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Shadow Walk GAMEMASTER

You gain the shadow walk at-will power: Most of the other improvisational abilities live in
As a move action before you have used your standard action the spellcasting classes because magic is great for
handwaving odd effects. Swashbuckle may be a bit
this turn, if you are not engaged, you can make the following more of a challenge. You can adjust the tone and
“attack” against all nearby enemies, targeting the enemy among delivery of swashbuckler for your campaign. You might
them with the highest Mental Defense. want it to be savagely funny rather than slapstick funny.
If you think that a player is trying to get away with too
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD much with a Swashbuckle stunt, have them roll a d20
Hit: Remove yourself from play. At the start of your next and give them a proportion of what they want based
on the quality of their roll (higher is better).
turn, return anywhere nearby that you could have moved
to normally during your turn, and deal double damage with We don’t think Swashbuckle really needs feats. It
your first rogue attack that turn. (No monkeying around is its own menu of feats.
with delaying and such here: return on your initiative and
take your turn.) Thievery
Miss: No effect. You can’t attempt to shadow walk again
until your next turn, but you still have your standard You have the Thief background (by any name that feels fun,
action this turn. engaging, and correct for your character’s background) at its
Adventurer Feat: On a miss, you can still use your move action full possible bonus of +5, without having to spend your normal
normally (but still can’t shadow walk this turn). background points on it.
Champion Feat: Twice per day, you can reroll the rogue attack
that follows your successful use of shadow walk. Adventurer Feat: Regardless of your level, you gain the bonus
Epic Feat: Twice per day, you can reappear from your shadow power thief ’s strike (see page 130) in addition to your
walk in a nearby location you wouldn’t have been able to normal number of powers.
reach unimpeded physically; for instance, on the other side
of a portcullis or door, or high up a wall. Champion Feat: Once per day, you can deal full damage with
thief ’s strike instead of half damage.
Smooth Talk
Epic Feat: Twice per level, you can steal something with a
Once per day, convince your GM with an amazing line of patter while successful thief ’s strike that you would ordinarily not be able
you are using social skills to speak or interact with NPCs associated to steal, but the Prince of Shadows could.
with a particular icon. If the GM is convinced by your patter, roll a A dream. A vision. A spell. Someone’s hope. The
normal save (11+). If you succeed, for the rest of the day you can memory of how to get into the central crypt and bypass all
function as if you have a 2-point positive relationship with the icon the wards. The theft probably isn’t going to be permanent,
who seems to be in play. Thanks to your amazing gift of gab, for a but it’s definitely going to last a day or two.
short time, it’s more or less true. (Note that these points replace any
points you normally have with the icon rather than adding to them.) GAMEMASTER

Failure on the Smooth Talk save generally arouses suspicions. We suggest that if you’re in doubt, give the victim, if
Adventurer Feat: Add your Charisma modifier to your Smooth alive, a hard save every day to recover what was taken.
This effect is a bit magical, not mundane thievery.
Talk save rolls.
Champion Feat: Success with your Smooth Talk talent gives PLAYERS

you a 3-point positive relationship instead. Like the Prince of Shadows, you can never steal the
Epic Feat: Even if you fail your Smooth Talk save, you get a same thing twice. Keep it interesting.

2-point conflicted relationship with the icon because the
people you’re speaking with can’t be sure.

Swashbuckle

Once per battle as a quick action, you can spend your momentum
to pull off a daring stunt the likes of which others could scarcely
conceive. Yes, it’s improv night at the rogue show, and you’re the
star baby, the star. You’ll probably want to make an attack as part
of the stunt, and that’s alright, but you’ll need to roll normally for
the attack. The fun is doing something outrageous like dodging
between the legs of giants, vaulting on a 12-foot pole over the
heads of onrushing orcs, or cutting open bags of flour just in time
to make them go poof and daze several foes for a round.

Of course, 13th Age is a game where everyone might attempt
stunts like this at some point. But you’re the swashbuckler who
is prone to automatically succeeding, often, instead of needing a
difficult skill check to pull the stunt off.

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Tumble Flying Blade

You gain a +5 bonus to disengage checks. In addition, while you Ranged attack
are moving, if an enemy moves to intercept you, you can make
one disengage check per intercepting enemy as a free action to At-Will
avoid that enemy, but you must stop the first time you fail any of Special: You must use a small bladed weapon with this attack.
those disengage checks. Target: One nearby creature
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Adventurer Feat: You ignore the penalty for disengaging from Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and if your natural attack
more than one enemy at a time.
roll is even and one of your allies is engaged with the target,
Champion Feat: One battle per day as a free action, you you can use your Sneak Attack damage for the round.
can declare that you’re a tumbling fool and automatically Miss: Damage equal to your level.
succeed on your first disengage check each turn. Adventurer Feat: If you score a critical hit with flying blade, the

Epic Feat: Whenever you take critical hit damage, roll a hard target is also dazed (–4 attack) until the end of your next turn.
save (16+). If you succeed, you somehow tumbled out of the Champion Feat: As long as one of your allies is engaged with
way of whatever was about to smash or mind-flay you, and
instead only take damage equal to the attacker’s level. the target, your flying blade attack rolls no longer need to be
even to add your Sneak Attack damage.
1st Level Powers Epic Feat: You can use flying blade with any ranged weapon.

Evasive Strike Roll With It

Melee attack Momentum power

At-Will At-Will (once per round)
Target: One enemy Interrupt action; requires momentum
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC Trigger: A melee attack that targets AC hits you.
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and you can pop free from Effect: You take half damage from that attack.

the target. Adventurer Feat: The power also triggers on an attack against PD.
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Champion Feat: The power also triggers on a ranged attack.
Epic Feat: Once per day, you can use roll with it to take damage
Adventurer Feat: If you drop the target with your evasive
strike attack, you can pop free from all enemies instead. equal to the attacker’s level instead of half damage.

Champion Feat: If you hit with evasive strike and the natural Sure Cut
attack roll was even, you gain a +2 bonus to AC and PD
against the next attack that targets you this battle (no joy if Melee attack
it’s an attack vs. MD).
At-Will
Epic Feat: Ok. Thanks to your slippery mind, the champion Special: You must have momentum and be able to deal your
feat benefit also provides a +2 bonus to MD.
Sneak Attack damage to the target if you hit.
Deadly Thrust Target: One enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Melee attack Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage.
Miss: Deal your Sneak Attack damage + damage equal to your level.
At-Will
Target: One staggered non-mook enemy Champion Feat: Missing with sure cut no longer counts as a
Attack: Dexterity + Strength + Level vs. AC use of Sneak Attack for the round.
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage.
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Tumbling Strike

Adventurer Feat: Add your Strength modifier to the miss damage. Melee attack
Champion Feat: You can now target mooks with deadly thrust.
Epic Feat: If you don’t add your Sneak Attack damage to At-Will
Always: You gain a +5 bonus to all disengage checks you attempt
the attack, you also deal damage equal to five times your
Strength modifier to your deadly thrust target when you hit. this turn. You can also move to engage an enemy, make this
attack against it, and then use a quick action to attempt to
disengage from it (the quick action disengage lets you move
again if you succeed).
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.

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3rd Level Powers Thief’s Strike

Bleeding Strike Note: This is a bonus 3rd level power for rogues with the Thievery
talent; other rogues can choose it if they like.
Melee attack
Melee attack
At-Will
Target: One enemy who is not taking ongoing damage At-Will
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC Target: One enemy
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and if your natural attack Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD
Hit: Half of WEAPON + Dexterity damage (including Sneak
roll was even, the target takes ongoing damage equal to 1d4
times your level. Attack damage if any), and roll a normal save. If you succeed,
Miss: Damage equal to your level. you can pickpocket an item from the target that they are
Adventurer Feat: The ongoing damage against large or huge not holding. (If you roll 16+, the target doesn’t realize you
pickpocketed them.)
targets increases to 1d6 times your level. Miss: —
Champion Feat: A natural even miss also deals ongoing
5th Level Powers
damage equal to your level.
Epic Feat: You can now use bleeding strike against enemies Harmless Misdirection

taking ongoing damage. Momentum power

Deflection At-Will (once per round)
Interrupt action; requires momentum
Momentum power Trigger: You miss with a melee attack while an ally is engaged

At-Will (once per round) with the target.
Interrupt action; you must spend your momentum Effect: You can pop free from the target, and the target can’t
Trigger: A melee attack misses you.
Effect: The attack hits a different enemy you are engaged with attack you during its next turn as long as your ally remains
engaged with it.
instead, but deals only half damage.
Adventurer Feat: The power also triggers on a ranged attack Spiky Bastard

against AC. Daily
Champion Feat: The deflected attack now deals full damage Quick action
Effect: You go all-out to hurt anyone who tries to get a piece of
instead of half damage.
Epic Feat: Using deflection no longer spends your momentum. you. For the rest of the battle, while you’re conscious, using at
least one bladed weapon, and are not staggered or stunned,
Slick Feint you deal 10 damage to each enemy that makes a melee attack
against you and rolls a natural odd attack roll. The damage hits
Melee attack the enemy before their attack damages you.
Champion Feat: Spiky bastard damage now applies when
At-Will
First Target: One enemy engaged with you you are staggered, though obviously not while you are
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD unconscious.
Hit: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn, and you Epic Feat: If the escalation die is 3+, the damage increases to
15 instead of 10.
can make an improved attack against a second target.
Miss (First Target): Your attack action is over; the feint was a Swift Dodge

screw-up. Momentum power
Second Target: A different enemy from the first target that is
At-Will (once per round)
engaged with you Interrupt action; requires momentum
Attack: Dexterity + Level +2 vs. AC Trigger: You are hit by an attack against AC.
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage. Effect: The attacker must reroll the attack.
Miss (Second Target): Damage equal to your level.
Champion Feat: The power also triggers on an attack against
PD.

Epic Feat: The attack reroll takes a –2 penalty.

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7th Level Powers 9th Level Powers

Assassin’s Gambit Death’s Twin

Melee attack Momentum power

At-Will At-Will
Target: One enemy Standard action on your turn; you must spend your momentum
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC Effect: You can make two basic attacks at any point during
Hit: Half of WEAPON + Dexterity damage (including Sneak
your turn, each against a different target. You only regain
Attack damage if any), and if you drop a non-mook target to 0 momentum if your second attack hits.
hp, you can take another standard action this turn. Epic Feat: If your attack against your first death’s twin target is
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Epic Feat: Once a turn, you can get the extra standard action a natural 18+, you can make your second basic attack against
that same target.
when this attack drops a mook target.
True Targeting
Swift Riposte
Momentum power
Momentum power
At-Will
At-Will (once per round) Interrupt action OR free action on your turn; you must spend
Interrupt action; you must spend your momentum
Trigger: An enemy targets you with a melee attack. your momentum
Effect: You can make a basic attack against your attacker. If your Trigger: An invisible or otherwise hidden enemy attacks you, or

natural attack roll equals or beats your attacker’s roll, resolve you try to attack an invisible or hidden enemy.
your basic attack against that enemy first. If your attack roll is Effect: The attacker’s invisibility isn’t going to work on you. It
lower, your attack has no effect, regardless of whether it hits
or misses. might work against your allies, but you see through it and can
Special: You can’t gain momentum from hitting with swift riposte. tell where the creature is well enough to target it normally or
Champion Feat: If your swift riposte attack is a critical hit, the be aware of its imminent attack.
Epic Feat: If the enemy’s attack misses, you regain momentum.
enemy’s attack misses.
Epic Feat: You gain a +2 attack bonus with swift riposte attacks.

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SORCERER

When the Empire was young, there were no sorcerers. Today, it Ability Scores: Charisma is your most important asset. You
seems they’re everywhere. In the earliest ages, each icon held get to decide whether your high Charisma represents a forceful
dominion over their own magic power. Only servants of the personality or a winning personality.
Archmage, for example, could use an Archmage’s arcane secrets.
But that time was many ages ago, and things are different now. Your second-choice ability score is less clear. Some sorcerers
Age by age, arcane and divine power has slipped from the icons’ use magic that relies a bit on Constitution, others prefer speed
hands into the spells of mortals who control it as best they can and Dexterity.
. . . or simply let fly. Sorcerers are notoriously reckless with their
spells. Wizards say that a sorcerer doesn’t so much cast a spell as Sorcerers gain a +2 class bonus to Charisma or Constitution, as
uncork it. Elves say you never talk to the same sorcerer twice, and long as it isn’t the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus.
dwarves say not even once.
Races: Given the Elf Queen’s pre-eminence as a source of
Overview sorcerous magic, it’s no surprise that both dark elves and high
elves are quick to dip their souls in sorcery. Half-elves and
Play Style: Sorcerers are self-taught genius freaks with an humans are the other most commonly encountered sorcerers.
intuitive mastery of magic and possibly some brain damage.
They tap into the icons’ power with or without the icons’ Backgrounds: Here are a few sorcerer backgrounds to get
permission. Some are aligned with an icon, such as you started: tribal shaman, former child avatar, pirate captain,
the lickspittle eunuch slaves of the Three, trained spell-arena gladiator, failed wizard, Shadow Port city guard,
since before birth to be dragon sorcerers. Some are sahuagin hunter.
outlaws, such as a secret cult devoted to occult
rituals, including initiation ceremonies that Icons: The sorcerous heritage talents detail the six
grant deathless and infernal power. Some icons who are most likely to have sorcerous devotees.
sorcerers are simply one-off flukes resulting
from astrological mismatches, early
exposure to otherworldly forces, and other
supernatural happenstance.

Since sorcerers are so variable, players
should personalize their sorcerers freely.
Change the names and fiction for your
character’s powers. Adjust the details
of your powers to make them fit
your character fiction better. If your
sorcerer was cursed at birth to wield
the power of the Lich King, maybe
your breath of the white dragon
spell is called breath of the grave.
Now instead of looking like a blast
of ice, the breath weapon effect
looks like creepy fog that freezes
everything, accompanied by the
sound of your own death rattle.
Same effect, unique fiction.

A sorcerer isn’t the simplest
class to play, but choosing whether
you want to gather power or cast
something right now isn’t all that
tough. Players who can handle dice
swinginess may enjoy the sorcerer
more. If you’re not that type, steer
clear of the more chaotic powers.

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Gear Weapons

At 1st level, sorcerers usually have a simple melee weapon, a few Lacking any special training, sorcerers use more casual weapons,
changes of clothing, a wand or staff they might occasionally such as short spears, shortswords, and axes. For ranged attacks
pretend is magical, and other paraphernalia suggested by their they’re better off using spells since ranged weapon skills are
backgrounds. mostly beyond them.

Sorcerers who have recently been ill and unable to risk their As sorcerers come from a variety of backgrounds, they
earnings start with 25 gp. Sorcerers who have been spiritually in- likewise can wield a variety of weapons. The weapons often look
synch start with 1d6 x 10 gp. impressive, tricked out with magical charms and customized
to intimidate foes. Anyone distracted by a sorcerer’s weapon is
Armor missing the truth that it’s not the point or edge of the weapon
that’s going to kill them, but rather the swirling ball of chaos that
Sorcerer Armor and AC hits you when you step outside the weapon’s range.

Type Base AC Attack Penalty Sorcerer Melee Weapons
None 10 —
— One-Handed Two-Handed
–2
Light 10 –2 Small 1d6 staff
1d4 dagger

Heavy 11 Light or Simple
1d6 shortsword
Shield +1 1d8 spear
Heavy or Martial 1d10 (–2 atk) greatsword*
1d8 (–2 atk) longsword

Sorcerer Ranged Weapons

Thrown Crossbow Bow

Small 1d4 hand crossbow —
1d4 dagger

Light or Simple 1d6 (–1 atk) light 1d6 (–2 atk)
1d6 javelin crossbow* shortbow*

Heavy or Martial 1d8 (–4 atk)
— 1d8 (–3 atk) heavy longbow*
crossbow*

* A sorcerer needs one free hand to cast spells. It’s easy to get a
hand free from a weapon you’re good with like a staff or a spear for
the time it takes to cast a spell, but if you take a penalty for using a
two-handed weapon, the penalty applies to your spells also.

Basic Attacks

Melee attack

At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level

Ranged attack

At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Miss: —

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Sorcerer Level Progression

Note: Although not listed on the table, this class gets three talents. It does not gain more at higher levels.

Sorcerer Total Hit Points Total Feats Spell Level-up Ability Damage Bonus
Level Bonuses From Ability Score
Level 1 (6 + CON mod) x 3 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th
Level 2 (6 + CON mod) x 4 level level level level level ability modifier
Level 3 (6 + CON mod) x 5 ability modifier
Level 4 (6 + CON mod) x 6 1 adventurer 4 — — — — ability modifier
Level 5 (6 + CON mod) x 8 ability modifier
Level 6 (6 + CON mod) x 10 2 adventurer 5 — — — — 2 x ability modifier
Level 7 (6 + CON mod) x 12 2 x ability modifier
3 adventurer 3 3 ——— 2 x ability modifier
Level 8 (6 + CON mod) x 16
4 adventurer — 6 — — — +1 to 3 abilities 3 x ability modifier
Level 9 (6 + CON mod) x 20
4 adventurer — 3 4 —— 3 x ability modifier
Level 10 (6 + CON mod) x 24 1 champion
3 x ability modifier
4 adventurer — — 7 ——
2 champion

4 adventurer — — 3 5 — +1 to 3 abilities
3 champion

4 adventurer
3 champion — — — 8 —

1 epic

4 adventurer 3 6
3 champion — — —

2 epic

4 adventurer
3 champion — — — — 9 +1 to 3 abilities

3 epic

Sorcerer Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus +2 Charisma or Constitution (different from racial bonus)

Initiative Dex mod + Level

Armor Class (light armor) 10 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Physical Defense 11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level

Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level

Hit Points (6 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)

Recoveries (probably) 8

Recovery Dice (1d6 x Level) + Con mod

Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background

Icon Relationships 3 points

Talents 3

Feats 1 per Level

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Class Features Dancing Lights

All sorcerers share three general class features: Access to All sorcerers can cast the dancing lights spell as a standard action.
Wizardry, Dancing Lights, and Gather Power. Breath weapon, Unlike the wizard’s light cantrip, the sorcerer’s dancing lights
chain, and random energy are keywords used in sorcerer spells. spell produces a number of varicolored light globes that bloom
within 5 to 30 feet of the sorcerer every two to five seconds.
Access to Wizardry The sorcerer has very little control over the exact location or
illumination provided by the lights, meaning that they can
Starting at 3rd level, you can take a wizard spell in place of a occasionally be used for dramatic plot purposes.
sorcerer spell that is 2 levels higher than it. For example, you can
take a 1st level wizard spell in place of a 3rd level sorcerer spell. Gather Power

Breath Weapon Once initiative has been rolled and a battle is underway, a sorcerer can
spend a standard action to gather magical power, preparing themselves
When you cast a spell with the breath weapon keyword, there’s for casting a double-strength spell with their next standard action.
a good chance you’ll be able to re-use it later in the battle. Each Gathering power is loud and flashy, involving crackling lightning,
breath weapon spell lists the chance of re-using it during the same rumbling thunder, and the flicker of magical light.
battle (usually 16+). Make the re-use roll at the start of each of
your turns: success indicates that you can use that spell again that Sorcerers who want to gather power before initiative has
round as a standard action, if you wish. You don’t get to stockpile been rolled can go through the motions but won’t get any benefit
uses—whether you use the spell again or not, you must make the for the act; you can fool yourself but you can’t fool magic.
re-use roll during each round of the battle.
Gather power: When a sorcerer gathers power, it does not
After the battle, the breath weapon power is expended. You count as casting a spell; you can gather power without taking
don’t get to keep rolling all day. opportunity attacks, for example.

You can have only one breath weapon spell active at a time. In addition, because you spend your standard action to
If you cast a different breath weapon spell when you have an gather power, you generate a small magical benefit. Like many of
earlier spell active, the new spell cancels the earlier spell. (See your powers, this benefit is chaotic rather than perfectly reliable,
the Chromatic Destroyer Heritage talent for the path to multiple so you must make a random check to see what benefit you get.
breath weapon spells.) Roll a d6 and consult the appropriate table below.

Failing a death save cancels any breath weapon spells you If you get a benefit that deals damage to enemies, you can
have active. choose the type of damage (cold, fire, lightning, or thunder).

Some sorcerers actually breathe like dragons when they use Chaotic Benefit, Adventurer Tier (levels 1–4)
breath weapon spells. Others treat the breath weapon shtick as a 1–2: You gain a +1 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.
metaphor and allow the spell to do the blasting. As always with 3–4: Deal damage equal to your level to all nearby staggered enemies.
magic, the visuals are up to you. 5–6: Deal damage equal to your level to one nearby enemy.

Adventurer Feat: Failing a death save no longer cancels your Chaotic Benefit, Champion Tier (levels 5–7)
breath weapon spells. Keep rolling the entire battle. 1–2: You gain a +1 bonus to AC and Physical Defense until the

The Red Does Not Share start of your next turn.
3–4: Deal damage equal to your level + your Charisma modifier
You’ll see breath weapon spells from the White, Black,
Green, and Blue in the sorcerer spell list, but not to all nearby staggered enemies.
the Red. The Red does not share its breath weapon. 5–6: Deal damage equal to your level + your Charisma modifier
Sorcerers haven’t acquired any of its power; the Red
still has it all. to one nearby enemy.

Chain Chaotic Benefit, Epic Tier (levels 8–10)
1–2: You gain a +1 bonus to all defenses until the start of your
When you attack with a chain spell and get a natural even roll,
you can roll another attack against a different enemy within range. next turn.
Keep on rolling attacks as long as you get even rolls and don’t run 3–4: Deal damage equal to your level + twice your Charisma
out of new targets (each enemy can be targeted only once).
modifier to all nearby staggered enemies.
PLAYERS 5–6: Deal damage equal to your level + twice your Charisma

If you’re the player who has ridiculously bad dice modifier to one nearby enemy.
luck, these powers are not for you unless you’re the
masochist who treasures the moment you forge the GAMEMASTER
chain-of-pain by missing all available targets.
We place sorcerer minis on top of markers to show
that they have gathered power and are waiting to
spend it. But your sorcerer players can come up
with their own props or humming electronics to
show that they have gathered power to prepare for
empowered casting.

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Spending power on empowered casting: After you have Random Energy
gathered power, you can use your next standard action to cast
an empowered sorcerer spell. Empowered sorcerer spells deal Some sorcerer spells deal damage of a random type. If it matters
double the damage of a normal sorcerer spell. Normally this mechanically, use a d4 to determine which type of damage the
means that you simply double the damage the spell deals on a spell deals. If it doesn’t matter, because none of the targets have
hit or a miss; don’t roll double dice, just double the results. Non- resistances or vulnerabilities to any particular energy, feel free
attack spells generally don’t improve when cast empowered; use to state the energy that seems right for the story, or roll it if you
empowered casting for attacks. wish and the game can spare the time.

If you decide not to use your next standard action to cast a Random Energy Type (d4)
spell, or spend your entire turn unconscious, or otherwise miss 1: Cold
the chance to use your next standard action to cast a sorcerer 2: Fire
attack spell, you lose the power you’ve gathered. If you want to 3: Lightning
waste a turn you can use your next standard action to gather 4: Thunder
power again, but the spell you eventually cast will still simply do
double damage, not more than that. Class Talents

You can spend your move actions and quick actions any Choose three of the following class talents.
way you like after you gather power and before casting your
next empowered spell. Yes, once a battle has started it’s possible About Heritage Talents
to perform the magical firefight trick of gathering power while
hiding to the side of the cave entrance, then jumping into the cave Sorcerers possess innate talent for magic that is
opening on your next turn and blasting with the empowered spell. impulsive and chaotic where wizardry is measured
and studied. Sorcerers’ inborn talent may come from
Breath weapon spells add an extra wrinkle. Of course you their ancestors, from exposure to powerful rituals,
can gather power the first time you cast a breath weapon spell in from being raised near powerful magical sites, or
a battle. Later in the fight it’s a question of whether you gathered from unique circumstances of a player’s creation.
power the turn before a breath weapon spell roll goes your way.
You can be all ready with gathered power but roll too low to use After centuries of cross-pollination between
the breath weapon spell, forcing you to cast a different spell with rival magical systems, modern sorcery blends
the gathered power. elements from the traditions and power sources of
six of the icons: the Archmage, Diabolist, Elf Queen,
Ongoing damage: If you’ve gathered power for a spell that Great Gold Wyrm, Lich King, and the Three. All
deals ongoing damage, the ongoing damage is doubled the first sorcerers juggle spells that once belonged solely to
time it is dealt, but not on subsequent rounds, if any. one or the other of the icons. Most sorcerers have
strong magical links to one icon. Many sorcerers
Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, you can choose the chaotic have sorcerous heritage links with multiple icons.
benefit you want instead of rolling for it.
If you want your sorcerer to have an even
Champion Feat: Once per battle when the escalation die is 4+, stronger link to an icon that provides part of your
you can gather power as a quick action. sorcerous heritage, choose the Blood Link talent.

Epic Feat: When you gather power, if the escalation die is 2+, Arcane Heritage (Archmage)
you can roll two chaotic benefits. Unlike most effects, the
benefits stack if you roll the same result twice. Although magic is in the blood of every sorcerer, you have a
greater understanding of magic than most sorcerers and even
PLAYERS some wizards.

Most of your sorcerer spells are daily, but a few are You gain a +2 bonus to a background that involves or suggests
at-will. If you run the math, you can see that casting magical knowledge or talent, up to your normal maximum
all your daily spells as empowered spells essentially background point limit.
doubles their impact. But you don’t have to specify
what spell you are planning to cast while you gather You can also use one of your sorcerer spell choices to choose
power, so you can empower an at-will spell instead of any wizard spell of the same level. You get only one such equal-
a daily one if you judge that the situation no longer level wizard spell at a time; all others have to be purchased
requires heavy thunder. using the 2-level penalty in the Access to Wizardry class feature
described on the previous page.
In general, waiting for the escalation die to
increase by 1 or more before casting a double-damage Adventurer Feat: Use your Charisma as the attack ability for
spell is a good thing. But there will be cases when you the wizard spell you choose with your Arcane Heritage talent.
need speed, not power, and that’s when you’ll want to
cast your spell using one action instead of waiting to Champion Feat: You can cast your wizard spells empowered
empower it. as if they were sorcerer powers. Generally, empowering
wizard spells only helps by doubling the damage.

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Blood Link sorcerer

Choose one of your sorcerous heritage talents. 137
You gain 1 relationship point with the icon
associated with that heritage; you choose whether
the point is positive, conflicted, or negative. This
point can add to your normal relationship points
but you can’t exceed the normal relationship
maximums with it. (Remember that positive
relationships with villainous icons like the Three
and the Lich King are limited to 1 point.)

Champion Feat: Gain another relationship
point with an icon associated with one of
your heritage talents. As above, you must
follow the relationship maximums.

Chromatic Destroyer
Heritage (The Three)

You can have multiple breath weapon spells active
at the same time. You don’t gain extra actions, so
if you succeed with multiple breath weapon spells,
you’ll generally have to choose which one to use.

Adventurer Feat: You gain a +2 attack bonus
with empowered breath weapon spells.

Champion Feat: Once per day, turn a failed
breath weapon re-use roll into a success.

Epic Feat: One battle per day, gain resist dragon
attack 16+ (all attacks made by dragons;
dragon must roll natural 16+ with the attack
or it deals only half damage).

Fey Heritage (Elf Queen)

One battle per day, when you roll initiative, you
can choose to invoke your Fey Heritage and gain
the racial power of one the elven races in addition
to your own racial power. Roll on the table below.
If you roll your own race’s power, you gain the
half-elf ’s surprising racial power instead.

Racial Power (d6)
1–2: cruel (drow)
3–4: highblood teleport (high elf )
5–6: elven grace (wood elf )

Adventurer Feat: You can now invoke your Fey
Heritage talent in two battles each day.

Champion Feat: You gain a +2 attack bonus
against elves and monsters in the Elf Queen’s
sphere of influence. Use the monster tiles in
Chapter 7 as your first guide to the monsters
touched by the Queen.

Epic Feat: Once per battle when the escalation
die reaches 6+, as a free action, you can gain
an elf racial power that you have not already
used in this battle.

chapter 4 c l a s s e s

Infernal Heritage (Diabolist) Spell Fist

Once per day, as a quick action when the escalation die is 1+, you Your style of sorcery emphasizes close-range fighting. There are
can enter a spell frenzy until the end of the battle. two advantages and one possible drawback to your style.

While in a spell frenzy, you roll 2d20 for each of your You gain a +2 bonus to AC. Phrase it as dragon scales, tough
sorcerer spell attacks. Use the highest die as your attack roll, but skin, or fields of shimmering magic, as you choose.
track whether the other die hits.
You can use ranged spells while engaged with enemies
For each die that misses, you take damage equal to double without taking opportunity attacks.
the level of the target of your attack.
You use your Constitution modifier instead of your Charisma
Adventurer Feat: You gain resist energy damage 12+ to fire modifier to determine the damage you add to all your sorcerer spells.
and to one of the following types of energy of your choice:
acid, cold, lightning, psychic, thunder. Adventurer Feat: When you miss with a sorcerer spell
against an enemy you are engaged with, add your Charisma
Champion Feat: Increase one of your resistances to 16+. modifier to the damage you deal. At 5th level, add double
Epic Feat: In addition to your normal use of spell frenzy, your Charisma modifier; at 8th level, triple it.

you can also enter a spell frenzy as a free action while the Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can include one enemy
escalation die is 5+. engaged with you as an additional target of any attack spell
you cast that targets other enemies.
Metallic Protector Heritage
(Great Gold Wyrm) Epic Feat: Once per day when you cast an empowered spell,
each enemy engaged with you becomes an additional target
Your rolls to re-use breath weapon spells during a fight gain a +2 bonus. of that spell if it’s not already targeted by the spell.
Adventurer Feat: As a quick action at the start of each battle,
you can gain resist energy 12+ to one of the following types Undead Remnant Heritage (Lich King)
of energy of your choice: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison.
Champion Feat: When you gather power and your chaotic You have resist negative energy 12+ and gain a +1 attack bonus
benefit increases your defenses, you can choose one nearby against undead. You can also include negative energy damage on
ally to gain the same defense bonus. your personal random energy damage type table, swapping out
Epic Feat: One battle per day, you can choose to gain resist an energy type you don’t want to access randomly.
demon attack 16+ instead of resist energy 12+ from your
Metallic Protector Heritage talent. Adventurer Feat: Decrease your total recoveries by 1; you gain
a +2 bonus to death saves.
Sorcerer’s Familiar
Champion Feat: Your resist negative energy power improves
You have a familiar much like a wizard’s familiar (page 149), to 16+, and the attack bonus against undead increases to +2.
but more changeable. Unlike the wizard, you don’t choose two
abilities for your familiar. Instead you choose one permanent Epic Feat: If you put out one of your eyes and cut off one of
ability that suits your familiar’s nature; the only limitation is that your hands, you gain a +1 bonus to all attacks.
you can’t choose tough as the permanent ability. Each time you
get a full heal-up, randomly determine two other abilities your GAMEMASTER
familiar will possess until your next full heal-up.
Severely punish a character who thinks it’s okay to
Adventurer Feat: Your familiar gains another randomly regrow the eye and restore the hand.
changing ability.
If your campaign doesn’t include a Lich King
Champion Feat: Once per level, if your familiar is close to like ours, figure out another penalty flag your
you, it can cast one of your spells as a free action on your player will evidently be happy to fly.
initiative count, even if you have already expended the spell.
The spell functions as if you had cast it. We put the Undead Remnant Heritage epic feat
into the game to make fun of the people we play
Epic Feat: Your familiar gains another randomly changing ability. with who will do just about anything to get a +1
attack bonus. If your group is less obsessed with math
and more interested in story, you’ll want to load this feat
with all manner of “I see dead people” storylines, Lich
King complications, and obligatory quests into the over-
and underworld realm of the ghost dragons.

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1st Level Spells Lightning Fork

Breath of the White Ranged spell
Recharge 16+ after battle
Close-quarters spell Target: One nearby enemy; chain spell
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Daily Hit: 3d6 + Charisma lightning damage.
Target: 1d2 nearby enemies in a group; breath weapon Miss: Half damage.
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 3d6 + Charisma cold damage. 3rd level spell 7d6 damage.
Miss: Half damage. 5th level spell 6d10 damage.
7th level spell 10d10 damage.
3rd level spell 5d6 damage. 9th level spell 2d8 x 10 damage.
5th level spell 4d10 damage. Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, you can reroll one of your
7th level spell 6d12 damage. lightning fork attacks rolls.
9th level spell 10d12 damage. Champion Feat: If you miss all targets with lightning fork, you
don’t expend it.
Breath Weapon: For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start Epic Feat: The recharge roll for lightning fork is now 11+.
of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the white
dragon that turn if you wish. Chain Spell: Each time you make a natural even attack roll, you
can attack a different target with the spell.
Burning Hands
Resist Energy
Close-quarters spell
Ranged spell
At-Will Recharge 16+ after battle
Targets: Up to two nearby enemies in a group Target: You or one nearby ally
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD Effect: Until the end of the battle, the target gains resist damage
Hit: 1d6 + Charisma fire damage.
12+ to the following energy type of your choice: cold, fire,
3rd level spell 1d8 damage. lightning, thunder.
5th level spell 2d8 damage.
7th level spell 3d8 damage. 3rd level spell Choose two types of energy the target gains
9th level spell 5d8 damage. resistance to.
Adventurer Feat: When you miss with burning hands, you
deal fire damage to the target equal to each damage die that 5th level spell Resistance is now 16+.
rolled its maximum possible result. 7th level spell The spell now affects two targets.
Champion Feat: When you roll a natural 18+ with a burning hands 9th level spell Recharge roll is now 11+.
attack roll, you can choose another nearby target for the spell. Adventurer Feat: You can target an additional creature with
The new target doesn’t have to be part of the original group. the spell.
Epic Feat: You can now target each enemy engaged with you
with your burning hands spell in addition to any other targets. Scorching Ray

Chaos Bolt Ranged spell
At-Will
Ranged spell Target: One nearby enemy
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
At-Will Hit: 1d6 + Charisma fire damage, and if the natural attack roll is
Special: The first time you use chaos bolt each battle, determine
a random energy type. The spell deals that type of damage even, the target also takes 1d8 ongoing fire damage.
each time you use it that battle. Miss: Damage equal to your level.

Target: One nearby enemy OR one far away enemy with a –2 attack penalty 3rd level spell 3d6 damage 2d4 ongoing.
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD 5th level spell 4d6 damage 2d6 ongoing.
Hit: 1d8 + Charisma random energy damage, and if the natural attack 7th level spell 6d6 damage 3d6 ongoing.
9th level spell 10d6 damage 5d6 ongoing.
roll was even, you gain a chaotic benefit as if you had gathered power. Adventurer Feat: You can now use the spell against a far away
Miss: Damage equal to your level. target, but with a –2 attack penalty.
Champion Feat: Each time you cast the spell, you can have the
3rd level spell 3d8 damage. attack deal random energy damage instead of fire damage.
5th level spell 5d8 damage. Replace the fire entry on the random energy table with your
7th level spell 7d8 damage. choice of negative energy or acid.
9th level spell 9d8 damage. Epic Feat: You don’t take the –2 penalty for attacking a far
Adventurer Feat: You don’t take the –2 penalty for attacking a away enemy with the spell.
far away enemy with the spell.
Champion Feat: If you are a champion-tier sorcerer, roll any 139
chaotic benefit gained with this spell on the epic chaotic
benefits table. If you are an epic-tier sorcerer, choose the
epic chaotic benefit you want instead of rolling.

chapter 4 c l a s s e s

3rd Level Spells Echoing Thunder

Breath of the Green Ranged spell

Close-quarters spell At-Will
Target: One nearby enemy
Daily Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Target: 1d4 nearby enemies in a group; breath weapon Hit: 3d6 + Charisma thunder damage, and the first enemy that
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 15 + Charisma ongoing poison damage. hits you with a melee attack before the start of your next turn
Miss: 5 ongoing poison damage. takes 2d6 thunder damage. (An empowered spell does not
double this aftershock damage.)
5th level spell 25 + Charisma ongoing poison damage Miss: Damage equal to your level.
10 ongoing on a miss.
5th level spell 5d6 damage 2d6 aftershock damage.
7th level spell 35 + Charisma ongoing poison damage 7th level spell 7d6 damage 3d6 aftershock damage.
15 ongoing on a miss. 9th level spell 9d6 damage 4d6 aftershock damage.
Champion Feat: The spell’s aftershock damage is now also
9th level spell 50 + Charisma ongoing poison damage doubled when echoing thunder is empowered.
25 ongoing on a miss.
5th Level Spells
Breath Weapon: For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start
of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the green Breath of the Black
that turn if you wish.
Close-quarters spell
No Damage Roll
Daily
That’s right, breath of the green doesn’t have a damage Target: One nearby enemy; breath weapon
roll; it just deals ongoing poison damage that the target Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
will have to roll saves against. Hit: 10d6 + Charisma acid damage, and 20 ongoing acid damage.
Miss: 10 ongoing acid damage.
Chaos Pulse
7th level spell 10d10 damage, and 40 ongoing damage
Ranged spell 20 ongoing on a miss.

At-Will 9th level spell 2d6 x 10 damage, and 60 ongoing damage
Target: One random nearby enemy 30 ongoing on a miss.
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 3d10 + Charisma random energy damage. Epic Feat: Double the spell’s ongoing damage on a miss.
Even Miss: Half damage.
Odd Miss: Damage equal to your level. Breath Weapon: For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start
of each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the black
5th level spell 5d10 damage. that turn if you wish.
7th level spell 7d10 damage.
9th level spell 9d10 damage. The Queen’s Shadows

Dragon’s Leap Ranged spell

Ranged spell Daily
Special: Once you cast this spell in a battle, you can cast it at-
Daily will for the rest of that battle.
Quick action to cast
Target: You; breath weapon Target: One nearby enemy
Effect: You can fly at the rate you normally move until the end Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 8d6 + Charisma psychic damage, and if the natural attack
of your turn. (So if you don’t land or find someplace to hang
from, you’ll fall.) roll is even, you can teleport to a nearby location you can see.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
5th level spell You can now fly until the end of your next turn.
7th level spell You can now fly twice as fast as you 7th level spell 9d10 damage.
9th level spell 10d12 damage.
normally move on the ground. You also Epic Feat: Once per battle, the teleport from a hit with the
gain a +5 bonus to disengage checks. queen’s shadows can be to a far away location you can see.
9th level spell The spell is now recharge 16+ after battle
instead of daily.
Breath Weapon: For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of
each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use dragon’s leap this turn
if you wish. (Yeah, we know it’s not actually a breath weapon,
but it works as part of the draconic sorcerer package.)

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Three Dooms Stolen Faces

Ranged spell Ranged spell
Recharge 16+ after battle
Target: One nearby enemy; chain spell Daily
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD Free action to cast, before initiative is rolled
Hit: 2d4 x 10 random energy damage, and you take damage of Targets: 1d4 + 1 nearby allies
Effect: You steal the once-per-battle racial powers of your allies
the same type equal to the unmodified dice roll (2d4, 2d8, or
2d12). (Note that there’s no Charisma bonus to damage.) this battle, but you don’t get the advantage of your allies’ feats
Miss: Half damage, and you still take random energy damage or items that improve those powers.
equal to the unmodified dice roll.
We say you “steal” the power because you aren’t asking
7th level spell 2d8 x 10 damage. permission. Each ally you steal a racial power from can roll an
9th level spell 2d12 x 10 damage. easy save (6+). Success means they get to use their power also
this battle. Failure means they can’t; you took it fully.
Chain Spell: Each time you make a natural even attack roll, you
can attack a different target with the spell. You can’t steal racial powers you already possess. Diversity pays.
9th level spell You get to use your allies’ powers as if you
Unearthly Glamour
also had any of their feats that improve
Ranged spell those powers.

Daily Touch of Evil
Effect: You gain a +5 bonus to all Charisma skill checks for the
Close-quarters spell
next five minutes. If you fail a Charisma skill check during
this time, however, anyone you were attempting to convince Daily
or influence with the check is freaked out or disgusted by Quick action to cast
the supernatural glamour attached to you and has extremely Special: Using this spell when you’re actually fighting demons
negative reactions to you.
could be unwise. If you are fighting one or more demons, roll
7th level spell The effect lasts for 1 hour. an easy save (6+) at the start of each of your turns. Failure
9th level spell The effect lasts for 2 hours. means that you are confused that turn.
Target: You
7th Level Spells Effect: You gain a random demon-style power for the rest of the
battle, similar to the abilities demons possess but not identical.
Breath of the Blue
Roll a d8 to see which power you gain:
Close-quarters spell 1:  Resist energy 16+—When an attack that deals energy damage

Daily targets you, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack
Target: One nearby enemy; breath spell roll or it only deals half damage.
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD 2:  Infernal battery—Until the end of the battle, you can use
Hit: 10d12 + Charisma lightning damage, and at the start of the a quick action once each round to make recharge rolls for
your expended recharge spells. Each time you do so, you take
target’s next turn, 1d6 of its nearby allies take 20 lightning damage equal to half the natural result of your recharge roll.
damage. 3:  Backlash—The first time you are staggered this battle, the
Miss: Half damage, and no damage to target’s allies. enemy who staggered you becomes confused (save ends).
4:  Spell frenzy—You enter a spell frenzy (see Infernal Heritage
9th level spell 2d10 x 10 damage 25 lightning damage to talent). If you were already in a spell frenzy, you now roll 3d20
nearby allies. for each attack and take damage equal to triple the target’s
level for each roll that misses.
Epic Feat: You can now target a far away enemy with the spell 5:  Fear aura—Enemies engaged with you that have fewer hit
(no attack penalty). points than double your current hit points are dazed. In the
unlikely event that they could normally use the escalation die,
Breath Spell: For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of well, they can’t.
each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the blue this 6:  Teleport 1d3 + 1 times this battle—As a move action, you can
turn if you wish. teleport anywhere you can see nearby.
7:  Demonic speed—You can take an extra standard action each
turn that the escalation die is even. You lose 2d10 hit points
each time you use the extra action.
8:  Eye of the Diabolist—Choose any two features you want!
Yeah! Enjoy. For the rest of this day, all your icon relationships
disappear and are replaced by an identical number of
conflicted points with the Diabolist. Consider this a love
letter to the GM.

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9th Level Spells Silver Flame

Breath of the Void Close-quarters spell

Close-quarters spell Daily
Quick action to cast
Daily Effect: Roll your relationship dice with the Archmage; if you
Target: One nearby enemy; breath spell
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD have none, avoid this spell.
Hit: 2d12 x 10 + Charisma negative energy damage, and the target For each 6 you roll, you gain one 7th level or lower spell

moves down 2d6 points in initiative order, to a minimum of 1. from any spellcasting class that you can cast this battle. For
Miss: Half damage. each 5 you roll, you gain one 5th level or lower spell from any
spellcasting class that you can cast this battle.
Breath Spell: For the rest of the battle, roll a d20 at the start of
each of your turns; on a 16+, you can use breath of the void this If the escalation die is 5+, you can swap the escalation die
turn if you wish. for one or your rolls. If you get no successes, you regain the
spell after this battle.
Calling the Blood
You can acquire one of the new spells the same round you
Close-quarters spell cast this spell. Then select and acquire any other gained spells
at the start of your next turn, so if you haven’t already figured
Daily out what you will take, get to work. If you haven’t figured it out
Effect: Roll a d6 to randomly select one of the six sorcerous- by your next turn, the GM should move play on without your
decision and consider letting you trickle in the spells as you
heritage icons: figure it out.
1: Archmage
2: The Three You can use your Charisma as the ability score that provides
3: Diabolist the acquired spells’ attack bonuses and damage bonuses (if
4: Elf Queen any). Other ability score references remain unchanged.
5: Great Gold Wyrm
6: Lich King As you might expect, each 5 you roll also invokes an
Archmage-related complication or obligation in the tradition
You gain some surprising or bizarre magical effect of rolling 5s on relationship checks. The GM should have as
associated with the power of that icon to assist you. The effect much fun with you as possible.
is entirely up to the GM, though the immediate impact of
the spell should always be favorable for you. The long-term
consequences of randomly invoking the power of an icon that
may be an enemy might not be favorable for you, and should
be played for narrative interest by the GM, particularly if
the impact of the spell was huge for you. Since this is a daily
spell, sizeable impact is fine, but don’t award any extra effect
for empowered casting, especially since the spell can be cast
effectively out of combat.
Epic Feat: Roll two d6s for this spell, then choose the d6 result

you prefer.

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WIZARD

Wizards are the masters of arcane energy. They use geometry, Spells
symbology, occult numerology, and a complex grammatical
system to describe magic and thereby control it. They fill their Wizards usually learn arcane spells from books but this isn’t the
heavy, locked spellbooks with crabbed writing, secret codes, and type of game that wants to go into the details of getting ahold
convoluted designs. of spellbooks. Feel free to enhance the flavor of your game by
building plots around the acquisition of spells and spellbooks.
Each wizard belongs to a school or at least a lineage, traced
back from student to master. Today, many wizard schools are No matter how you want your wizard to learn spells, you can
aligned directly with the Archmage, but most are independent. handle a certain number of spells each day. They don’t have to be
Thanks to interlocking treaties among schools, most wizards from the same spells each day. Every time you take a full heal-up, you
rival schools are sworn to respect each other. This restriction, can swap around your spells. Go ahead and assume that all the wizard
however, seems to stoke competition rather than quell it.
spells are part of the basic spellbook
Many “book-wizards” are more-or-less cowards who would package, and swap them in and out
rather study reality than experience it. The wizards that go as you will. But when there are
adventuring are the rare sort who respond to mortal danger with other spells you want to learn,
greater focus rather than panic. the GM can figure out
what adventures are
Overview required to track down
those new spells.
Play style: Our wizard is designed for experienced players who like
a bit of improvisation. Most of the wizard’s spells can only be used
once per day, so timing matters. If you want to play the simplest
possible wizard, choose the Abjuration, Evocation, and Familiar
talents. To play as the flexible spellcaster who finds unique and
amusing answers to problems, choose Cantrip Mastery, High
Arcana, and Vance’s Polysyllabic Verbalizations.

Ability scores: You don’t get to master dangerous
book-learning with your good looks. And you wouldn’t be
risking this dangerous book-learning if being a wizard
required actual Wisdom. It’s all about Intelligence.

Wizards gain a +2 class bonus to Intelligence
or Wisdom, as long as it isn’t the same ability you
increase with your +2 racial bonus.

Races: High elves know that they are the
finest wizards in the world. So they’re a bit piqued
that the Archmage is almost always a human—and
that the last non-human Archmage was a gnome.

Backgrounds: Magical prodigy, spell thief,
hedge wizard, chronomancer’s apprentice,
Horizon City Guard (magic cop!), transformed
familiar, Koru behemoth cleaner, ship’s wizard,
Sea Wall veteran, royal poisoner.

Icons: The Archmage is the archetype.
After the Archmage? Probably the Lich
King (positive, conflicted, or negative), the
Emperor (usually positive or conflicted), and
the Elf Queen. Personally she may favor
sorcery, but she welcomes wizards in her
service, particularly high
elf wizards.

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No ability damage: Unlike nearly all other characters’ Wizard Melee Weapons Two-Handed
attacks, wizards’ attack spells do not add an ability score modifier 1d6 staff
to damage. Wizards’ spells power themselves. You still use your One-Handed 1d8 (–2 atk) spear*
Intelligence as the ability score that determines whether you hit 1d10 (–5 atk) greatsword*
(unless you’re casting an auto-hit spell like magic missile), but the Small
damage comes entirely from the spell. 1d4 dagger

Spell Progression Light or Simple
1d6 (–2 atk) shortsword
As with other spellcasters, your new spells at higher levels can
be upgraded versions of spells you learned at lower levels. Quite Heavy or Martial
often they’ll need to be since we aren’t making you choose all- 1d8 (–5 atk) longsword
new spells as you rise in level.
Wizard Ranged Weapons

Thrown Crossbow Bow

Gear Small 1d4 hand crossbow —
1d4 dagger

At 1st level, wizards usually have a dagger sharp enough for Light or Simple 1d6 (–1 atk) light 1d6 (–2 atk)
butter or brawling, a robe or two, a well-balanced wand, ritual 1d6 (–2) javelin crossbow* shortbow*
components in pouches or being carried by extremely minor
servitors who hide in the wizard’s pockets, and other minor Heavy or Martial 1d8 (–5 atk)
accouterments suggested by their backgrounds. — 1d8 (–4 atk) heavy longbow*
crossbow*
Wizards who have kept their spell components up to date
start with 25 gp. Wizards who don’t budget as seriously start with * A wizard needs at least one free hand, or at least one hand on a
1d6 x 10 gp. spellcasting implement like a wand or staff, to cast spells. It’s easy
to get a hand free from a weapon you’re good with like a staff for
Wizard Armor and AC the time it takes to cast a spell, but if you take a penalty for using
a two-handed weapon, the penalty applies to your spells also.
Type Base AC Attack Penalty
None 10 —

Light 10 —
Heavy 11 –2

Shield +1 –2

Weapons

Wizards might prefer you to think that they never use weapons,
but sometimes they’re cornered and forced into it. In these
tough situations, they resort to daggers, batons, staffs, and other
relatively minor weapons. Often these weapons serve double duty
as magical tools or ritual implements, and such double-use helps
wizards maintain their reputation as too good for physical combat.

Basic Attacks

Melee attack Ranged attack

At-Will At-Will
Target: One enemy Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Miss: — Miss: —

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Wizard Level Progression

Note: Although not listed on the table, this class gets three talents. It does not gain more at higher levels.

Wizard Total Hit Points Total Feats 1st 3rd Spells 7th 9th Level-up Ability
Level level level level level Bonuses
(6 + CON mod) x 3 1 adventurer 5th
Level 1 (6 + CON mod) x 4 2 adventurer 5 — level — — +1 to 3 abilities
Level 2 (6 + CON mod) x 5 3 adventurer 6 — — — +1 to 3 abilities
Level 3 (6 + CON mod) x 6 4 adventurer 3 4 — — —
Level 4 4 adventurer 2 6 — — — +1 to 3 abilities
(6 + CON mod) x 8 1 champion —
Level 5 —

1 4 4 ——

Level 6 (6 + CON mod) x 10 4 adventurer — 2 8 ——
2 champion

Level 7 (6 + CON mod) x 12 4 adventurer — 1 4 5—
3 champion

Level 8 (6 + CON mod) x 16 4 adventurer — — 3 8—
3 champion

1 epic

4 adventurer

Level 9 (6 + CON mod) x 20 3 champion — — 1 5 6

2 epic

4 adventurer

Level 10 (6 + CON mod) x 24 3 champion — — — 3 9

3 epic

Wizard Stats

Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.

Ability Bonus +2 Intelligence or Wisdom (different from racial bonus)

Initiative Dex mod + Level

Armor Class (light armor) 10 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level

Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level

Mental Defense 12 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level

Hit Points (6 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart)

Recoveries (probably) 8

Recovery Dice (1d6 x Level) + Con mod

Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any one background

Icon Relationships 3 points

Talents 3

Feats 1 per Level

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Class Features Knock: Locked door? Sealed treasure chest? You can handle
it. This cantrip summons a magical servitor three to four times
Wizards have four class features: Cantrips, Cyclic Spells, as big as your closed fist that swarms around the door and
Overworld Advantage, and Ritual Magic. punches or pushes it open (depending on whether you want to
be quiet or announce your presence), assuming you can succeed
Cantrips with an Intelligence check against the environment’s DC using
an appropriate magical background. Note that your knock-
Every wizard can cast a handful of cantrips each day. You don’t servitor doesn’t do anything to avoid traps—if you want to open
have to memorize or choose them beforehand, you just cast them something and avoid traps, hire a rogue.
on the fly.
Light (standard duration): This cantrip creates a fairly wide
Most wizards can cast a number of cantrips equal to their and consistent field of light, up to 30 feet in diameter. It could
Intelligence modifier each battle. If you’re out of battle, that’s just be a glow from your staff, or small light elementals flitting
about three to six cantrips every five minutes. (The Cantrip in quick circles around you. The created light isn’t bright enough
Mastery talent frees you up to cast cantrips at-will.) to dazzle anyone or to send underworld dwellers into seizures.

Each cantrip takes a standard action to cast as a ranged spell. Mage Hand: This cantrip creates a small telekinetic effect
(Again, Cantrip Mastery helps, turning cantrip casting into a that lasts a round at most. It’s also sometimes referred to as a
quick action.) “mage-slap” when higher-level wizards deliver rebuffs to their
underlings. At best it’s about half as strong as the wizard’s own
As you’ll see from the short descriptions that follow, we’re strongest hand. At worst it’s half as strong as the wizard when
not concerned with pinning down exactly what wizards are they’re weak from a bad fever.
getting out of these minor spells. Cantrips capture the sense that
wizards are the most skillful practitioners of magic in the world, Mending: This cantrip summons a variety of tiny (hand-sized
capable of offhand effects anyone else would have to accomplish and smaller) magical sprites who swarm over a chosen broken
through hard work (if at all). object attempting to mend it (over the course of 1–6 rounds).
Small-scale repairs like torn wineskins, muddy clothing, a broken
We often phrase magical effects, particularly the effects handgrip on a sword, and similar repairs that anyone could fix
created by wizards, as if they’re being accomplished by tiny with two to four hours of devoted work gets handled in seconds.
supernatural servitors. If your campaign is comfortable with More elaborate repairs to complicated objects might require an
more familiar magical phrasings, by all means use those instead. Intelligence check, or at the GM’s discretion could only be possible
Each wizard should determine how their magic looks and sounds. if the wizard has taken the Cantrip Mastery talent.

At the adventurer tier (levels 1–4), cantrips with a standard Prestidigitation: This cantrip produces magic tricks like
duration last 10–60 minutes, plus ten minutes per wizard level. cheaty-juggling, pulling coins out of ears, small illusions created
The GM rolls and the wizard becomes aware that their cantrip is by dancing sprites, and the basic equipment of stage-casting.
about to end a couple minutes before it’s done. One casting usually gives you a minute of fun. But the magic has
nowhere near as much real world force as mage hand.
At the champion tier, levels 5–7, most cantrips last 1–6 hours.
At the epic tier, levels 8–10, cantrips last between 2–12 hours. Spark: This is a minor fire creation spell, enough to light
Alarm (standard duration): The cantrip creates a minor a pipe, or a campfire, or even a page or two of an unprotected
watch-sprite that can be instructed to scream if someone spellbook. It doesn’t work against living beings or against things
comes through an area or touches an object. Watch-sprites are that couldn’t easily be set on fire with a few seconds of steady
notoriously stupid and sleepy, but with the right talking-to they application of a candle. It’s a show-off spell—wizards don’t have
might stay focused for the duration of the spell. At higher levels, to light fires like ordinary people. The target of the spark has to
the spell might summon little fanged spirits buzzing back and be nearby and in sight.
forth serving as both visual and actual deterrents.
Arcane Mark (standard duration): The cantrip creates Cyclic Spells
a magical sigil on an object or person. Wizards swear that all
their arcane marks are visible to everyone, but people foolish Spells that have a cyclic usage can always be cast at least once per
enough to play cards with wizards should beware. (A deliberately battle, and are only expended in that battle if they are cast when
invisible mark is a hard perception or magic check to notice.) the escalation die is 0 or odd. In other words, if you cast a cyclic
Ghost Sound: This spell creates false noises emanating from spell like color spray or rebuke when the escalation die is even,
somewhere nearby. The effect is like an exceptionally good version the spell is not expended and can still be cast later in the battle.
of throwing your voice, if your voice could create a wide variety
of sounds. Guards and watchmen really should learn that you Overworld Advantage
can’t trust everything you hear with this cantrip readily available,
but really, what choice do they have? Attempted distractions with Wizardly magic taps into the power of the overworld. While a
the cantrip are DC 15 challenges in adventurer environments, wizard is in the overworld, their daily spells become recharge
higher as you move into champion and epic environments .  .  . 16+ after battle.
or the GM could let them succeed automatically if they’re truly
imaginative. (If someone is using ghost sound against the PCs? 147
Use similar secret Wisdom-based skill checks to identify the
sound as a magical fake.)

chapter 4 c l a s s e s

Ritual Magic Adventurer Feat: You can use cantrip-style versions of any
wizard spell you have memorized. When you expend a spell,
Wizards can cast their spells as rituals (see page 192). however, you can’t make cantrip-style use of it any more.
Champion Feat: You can cast full rituals by using all your (Yes, GM, this does require some flexibility on your part, but
actions each round to focus on the ritual for 1d3 + 1 rounds. the key is that none of these uses should be combat relevant
As with standard rituals, your fast rituals are not meant or deal damage.)
to replace combat spells; they’re a means of acquiring and
improvising wondrous magical effects rather than a means GAMEMASTER
of inflicting damage and conditions.
A wizard who invests in the Cantrip Mastery talent is
GAMEMASTER telling you that they want to be able to use magic for all
sorts of minor effects that will probably enhance the
Ritual mastery is likely to come into play more often game, at least in the long run. The key is that cantrips
out of combat than in combat when the wizard aims to shouldn’t have combat usefulness. A fireball-inspired
accomplish ritual magic effects quickly instead of delaying cantrip could be enough to send up a magical flare, but
the party and losing the momentum of the adventure. not enough to damage a monster or set a village on fire.

Class Talents If the Cantrip Master wizard wants to create new
cantrips that suit the spirit of minor magic, try to work
Choose three of the following class talents. with them to create something that works for everyone.

Abjuration

Whenever you cast a daily wizard spell, you
gain a +4 AC bonus until the end of your next
turn. You can phrase the magical effect causing
the protection as you like. Many abjurers create
shimmering shields of magical force; others have
swarming magical servitors blocking attacks.

Adventurer Feat: The bonus also applies to
your Physical Defense.

Champion Feat: You gain 2d12 temporary hit
points each time you cast a daily spell.

Epic Feat: The bonus also applies to Mental
Defense.

Cantrip Mastery

Cantrips are at-will spells for you.
Unlike normal wizards, who use a standard

action to cast a cantrip, you can cast a cantrip as
a quick action.

If you or your GM create new cantrips, you
can probably learn them along with the standard
cantrips mentioned above, assuming you can
track down someone to teach them to you or you
find a written version of the spell.

If you want to do something particularly
cunning or surprising with one of your cantrips
and the GM isn’t sure whether you could pull off
that use of the spell, roll a normal save (11+) to
cast the spell the way you envision it.

Additionally, you can expend a 3rd level spell
slot or higher to choose one cantrip per spell
slot you have given up and create a once-per-day
related effect with it that is much greater, if you
and your GM can agree on a cool effect that suits
the cantrip.

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Evocation fits the way you enunciated its name this time around. Whatever
the GM chooses, it should add to the storytelling power of the
Once per battle, when you cast a spell that targets Physical Defense, situation. In most cases, the bonus effects won’t precisely match
before rolling for the number of targets or making the spell’s attack up with what the spell normally accomplishes.
roll, you can expend your quick action to evoke the spell. Hit or miss,
you’ll max out the spell’s damage dice. (A natural 1 on the attack roll Ideally the extra effect suits the name of the spell, and the
still deals no damage. Actually, a 1 should probably damage you a bit.) GM should never exactly repeat the same bonus effect. Even
better, when you and the GM trust each other, you can suggest
Champion Feat: Whenever you evoke a spell, you can reroll bonus effects and the GM will go along. And finally, on rare
one of the attack rolls if that natural roll was less than or occasions, particularly when your spell misses horribly, the extra
equal to the escalation die. You must take the new result. effect might not be entirely to your advantage.

High Arcana Here are some examples: Charm person, cast as Ruba’s
loquacious salutation, might cause the target to prattle
Your study of the highest orders of magic gives you options that incessantly to you as if you were their friend even if they were
lesser wizards cannot match. not hit by the spell. For the GM, it’s an opportunity to prattle
willy-nilly at the players, possibly imparting valuable information
Memorization: Unlike other spellcasters, who can only hidden within the blather.
choose a specific spell once, when you pick your spells, you can
choose any daily wizard spell twice. (Note that this doesn’t apply Cast as the headmaster’s disciplinary imperative, the same
to the very few wizard spells that start as recharge spells.) For charm person spell might cause the target to confess, albeit more
example, at 7th level when you have five 7th level spells and four reluctantly, to actions they may or may not regret, and that the
5th level spells, you could choose fireball twice as a 7th level spell, PCs may or may not regret hearing.
or once as a 7th level spell and once as a 5th level spell; your 3rd
level spell slot can’t be used for fireball because fireball starts as Hold portal, cast as the Iron Sheik’s barred sanctum, might
a 5th level spell. spontaneously summon simulacrums of armed guards who
harass and further slow down anyone attempting to force the
Counter-magic: As a wizard with the High Arcana talent, door. The next time you cast the spell by the same name, those
you gain a bonus spell, counter-magic. attempting to force the door might instead be taunted by sound
effects of whatever they most want to obtain seeming to come
Counter-magic through the portal.

Close-quarters spell Sleep, cast as gorgon’s rocky slumbers, might put someone
hit by it into an uncomfortable sleep, tossing and turning, and
Once per battle twitching and rolling. Perhaps they’ll roll off a ledge and dash
Free action to cast themselves to the rocks below. Perhaps they’ll wake up damaged
Trigger: A nearby creature you can see casts a spell. or temporarily weakened by their truly awful sleep.
Target: The nearby creature casting a spell.
Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD Getting the most out of this class talent requires collaboration
Hit: The target’s spell is canceled, and the caster loses the action between GM and player, and perhaps some tolerance from the
other players. Let us know how it goes.
they were using for the spell. If the spell had a limited use, that
use is expended if your natural attack roll is even. For further examples of spell names, look up Jack Vance’s
Champion Feat: You can now cast counter-magic twice per battle. Dying Earth books, Robin D. Laws’s RPG The Dying Earth, or the
Epic Feat: You can now cast counter-magic in reaction to a RPG Ars Magica.

creature using any magical ability, not just casting a spell. Wizard’s Familiar

Vance’s Polysyllabic Verbalizations Your familiar is a tiny or small animal or creature that aids your
magic, gives you someone to talk to when you would otherwise
Most wizards use short incantations for their spells so they can be a crazy person talking to yourself, and can add unexpected
mutter them quickly under the worst of circumstances. But touches to the story when you or the GM feel moved to improvise.
some wizards bask in the glory of casting spells with elaborate A familiar might or might not keep watch as you sleep, depending
titles and lofty vocabularies. If casting a mere “fireball” spell isn’t on whether it’s sleepy.
enough, and what you really want to cast is Rodrigo’s Scintillating
Plasms, this is the talent for you. Choosing your familiar: Familiars are smallish creatures
that by definition pose little threat to human-sized combatants
When you take this class talent, you must rename each in a fight. Typical familiars include cats, small dogs, frogs, hawks,
of your daily and recharge spells in the most over-the-top and owls, ravens, serpents, spiders, and toads. Other creatures are
highfalutin’ style you can muster. (You can also rename your at- possible, particularly if your wizard has icon relationships that
will spells if you like, but they generally won’t get any mechanical suggest that a tiny imp, homunculus, ghostling, or raccoon would
advantages from being renamed.) Better yet, write down two or be appropriate. Wolves? Coyotes? Truly giant spiders? Too big to
three full-blown and appropriate names for each spell and use be familiars.
whichever one suits the occasion.
Intelligence and independence: Your familiar is probably
To use this talent, you must use an additional quick action as intelligent as a normal person. It can communicate with you
to cast your spell. Then proclaim the spell’s full name, loud and most of the time, and it will stay close to your body unless you’ve
proud. What do you get for your trouble? Well, you can’t be sure.
Your GM will add some small bonus effect that fits the spell, or 149