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Feldspar 09-20-04, 08:11 AM

This is my revised and tweaked approach on apprentice levels for version 3.5. Apprentice levels are, in my humble opinion, way cool. They've disappeared from the 3.5 DMG which is a shame. I see the purpose of apprentice levels as allowing a multiclass character to display the full breadth of traits, skills, class features and quirks that define their character from day one. I've updated the old chart from the 3.0 DMG to add in the new base classes from Complete Warrior and Complete Divine. I've also made tweaks and changes to the original classes 0th level abilities to ensure they do a better job of allowing the characters to operate in their chosen roles and with the history they want for their character. For example, most players would probably rather have an animal companion or familiar as a creature which has been with the character for some amount of time as opposed to on that just shows up on the scene, kinda randomly, once the character hits 1000 XP. Quite a bit of the character's backstory could even be built around their animal companion. Apprentice Rogues in 3.0 didn't have Trapfinding which prevented them from filling one of their traditional roles within a party. Monks couldn't make unarmed attacks without provoking an AoO! The change which might be the most interesting is my decision to push the Fighters bonus feat out of the initial package and make them the only class with a BAB of +1. A fighter already has one feat, two if they are human. Not getting the second or third feat immediately shouldn't be a problem. What could be a problem is having all those feats without being able to spend them on feats requiring a BAB of +1 such as Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Finesse and Weapon Focus. While we keep the idea that the primary class contributes 4x skill points and the secondary class only 1x, we'll tweak when those points become available. The character gets half of each set at each level; if the secondary class contributes an odd number of points, go ahead and give them the extra at 1st level. So an Elven Ranger/Wizard whose primary class was Ranger and who had an Int of 16 would get 18 Ranger and 3 Wizard skill points at first level and 18 Ranger and 2 Wizard skill points at second level. In addition, at first level, you class levels are considered 0 which means your max ranks in class and cross class skills are 3 and 1.5 respectively. This system should accomplish three things: Characters with a level in a skill heavy class (Rogue, Ranger) don't feel 'cheated' out of the first level skill point bonanza if this system is used. You don't have, say, characters with a secondary class of Wizard who don't have any ranks in Spellcraft or Knowledge: Arcana because "I didn't want to buy it cross class - I'll get it next level." Even though they'll probably have few skill points to spend, we should still get their secondary classes skill list 'unlocked'. Single class characters are better skilled at 1st level; they have been focused on only one discipline up to now. Class BAB Fort Ref Will 0 1 Special Barbarian +0 +1 +0 +0 - - Illiteracy, Rage Bard +0 +0 +1 +1 1 - Knowledge, Music, Fascinate Cleric +0 +1 +0 +1 2 -# Domain granted powers, Turn or Rebuke Undead Druid +0 +1 +0 +1 2 0 Animal Companion, Wild Empathy Fighter +1 +1 +0 +0 - - Monk +0 +1 +1 +1 - - Unarmed Strike, Unarmed Damage, Wis bonus to AC Paladin +0 +1 +0 +0 - - Detect Evil, Aura of Good Ranger +0 +1 +1 +0 - - Track, 1st Favored Enemy (+1 bonus) Rogue +0 +0 +1 +0 - - Trapfinding Sorceror +0 +0 +0 +1 4 2 Summon Familiar Wizard +0 +0 +0 +1 2 0% Summon Familiar Hexblade +0 +0 +0 +1 - - Hexblade's Curse 1/day Samurai +0 +1 +0 +0 - - Daisho Proficiency Swashbuckler +0 +1 +0 +0 - - Weapon Finesse Favored Soul +0 +1 +1 +1 3 1 Shugenja +0 +0 +0 +1 4 2 Element Focus Spirit Shaman +0 +1 +0 +1 2 1 Spirit Guide # only spell available is domain spell % plus school spell if specialized Use the following for 0th level familiars: Level NA Int Special 0th +0 6 Share Spells, Empathic Link, Improved Evasion, +1 skill/save bonus from familiar type For comparison's sake, here's what you get at 2nd level: Class BAB Fort Ref Will 0 1 Special Barbarian +1 +1 +0 +0 - - Fast Movement Bard +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 - Inspire Courage, Countersong Cleric +0 +1 +0 +1 +1 +1 Druid +0 +1 +0 +1 +1 +1 Nature Sense Fighter +0 +1 +0 +0 - - Bonus Feat Monk +0 +1 +1 +1 - - Bonus Feat, Flurry of Blows Paladin +1 +1 +0 +0 - - Smite Evil 1/day Ranger +1 +1 +1 +0 - - Wild Empathy, 1st Favored Enemy (+2 bonus) Rogue +0 +0 +1 +0 - - Sneak Attack +1d6 Sorceror +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 Wizard +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 Scribe Scroll Hexblade +1 +0 +0 +1 - - Samurai +1 +1 +0 +0 - - Swashbuckler +1 +1 +0 +0 - - Favored Soul +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 Shugenja +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 Sense Elements Spirit Shaman +0 +1 +0 +1 +1 +1 Wild Empathy