ericgrau
2015-01-11, 02:04 PM
Non-levels
Non-levels represent very large amounts of downtime spent on research and practice. They do not provide any of the effects of real levels except where specified. They may provide some variety for PCs who experience a time skip, or for NPCs to represent additional knowledge gained with age without gaining actual class levels.
General
The DM may award non-levels for very large amounts of downtime spent researching and training provided that a suitable environment is available. NPCs may also gain non-levels over their lifetime in spite of not adventuring, provided that they have the resources or teacher available to study. An example amount of downtime to gain a non-level is 2% of a race's lifetime, and none of these non-levels may be taken before the character's starting age. Any non-levels gained as part of a backstory require DM permission, as not everyone may have access to the appropriate resources. The training and lodging may cost gold as well.
Non-levels provide a feat every 3 levels. They do not however count as levels for feat pre-requisites. The list of feats that may be gained this way is severely limited. In core the only options are the +2/+2 skill boosting feats, skill focus, non-exotic weapon proficiency feats, armor proficiency feats and spell mastery. Your DM may allow similar feats outside of core.
You may take a non-level in any class for which you have a real level. For all classes this provides skill points as if you had gained a level in the real class, with the same class skills. However this does not advance your maximum number of ranks.
Benefits of Specific Classes
For classes outside of core, uses per day of an ability may increase or non-levels may provide effects that broaden the character's range of abilities. They should not increase the power of any existing abilities, whether directly or from an ability that may complement another ability. Casters should gain little or nothing because they can already spend downtime crafting or copying spells. Those with more skill points should gain less of other benefits.
Barbarian: 1 extra use of rage per day every 4 non-levels, starting with the 4th non-level.
Bard: Gain an additional use per day of bardic music.
Cleric: -
Druid: Gain an addition use per day of wild shape every 4 non-levels, starting with the 4th non-level. Only non-levels taken after gaining the wild shape ability apply to this benefit.
Fighter: Gain a bonus feat every 2 non-levels, starting with the 2nd non-level. In core the feats are limited to this list: armor proficiency feats, non-exotic weapon proficiency feats, animal affinity, athletic, skill focus (any fighter class skill), and any fighter bonus feat in a tree provided that you have another feat with all of the same pre-requisites. For example a fighter with improved trip may select improved disarm as his bonus feat, but he could not select whirlwind attack even if he meets the pre-requisites for whirlwind attack because he does not have another feat with the same pre-requisites. The DM may allow similar non-core feats.
Monk: Gain a bonus feat every 4 non-levels, starting at the 4th non-levels. It must be a monk bonus feat that you had the opportunity to select at a previous level. If there are no feats left to choose, gain nothing. Note: That's it. This is not a monk fix. Hey, hey, stahp. Don't go there.
Paladin: Gain an extra use per day of smite evil every 4 non-levels starting with the 4th non-level. Gain an extra use per week of remove disease every 3 non-levels starting with the 3rd non-level. You must already have remove disease as a paladin class feature to gain this 2nd benefit. Increase the duration of your special mount class feature as if the non-levels were paladin levels. This benefit does not apply to non-levels gained before gaining a special mount.
Ranger: Select an additional favored enemy every 5 non-levels starting with the 5th non-level. This may not be used to increase the bonus against an existing favored enemy.
Rogue: -
Sorcerer: Advance the sorcerer's familiar's abilities as if the non-levels were levels. This does not advance the familiar's HD, HP, BAB or saves. This may advance the familiar through epic progression but you do not gain the familiar spell feat unless you have at least 21 real sorcerer levels.
Wizard: -
Adept: -
Aristocrat: Gain 1/10th the appropriate elite NPC WBL increase for going up 1 level. i.e., find the difference between NPC WBL for level + initial aristocrat non-levels and NPC WBL for level + initial aristocrat non-levels + 1. Then divide by 10. Gain that much wealth. All your wealth is tied up in property holdings during this time and may not be used for other purposes such as crafting. If you have insufficient currency, at the DM's discretion, even some of your magic items may be held as collateral. At the end of this time you may keep the property or liquidate it, though liquidating it may take additional time or come with a penalty if it is rushed.
Commoner: Gain 2 extra skill points, for a total of 4 + Int modifier. These 2 additional skill points may not be applied to cross-class skills. Note: It is difficult for many poor commoners to gain time to learn and gain non-levels. Such may be funded by meager savings or other struggling commoners to try to give one passable learning in the form of a skill focus feat for a better life. A true education however is likely to be a real expert level.
Expert: -
Warrior: Gain a bonus feat every 4 non-levels, starting with the 4th non-level. See fighter above for options.
Non-levels represent very large amounts of downtime spent on research and practice. They do not provide any of the effects of real levels except where specified. They may provide some variety for PCs who experience a time skip, or for NPCs to represent additional knowledge gained with age without gaining actual class levels.
General
The DM may award non-levels for very large amounts of downtime spent researching and training provided that a suitable environment is available. NPCs may also gain non-levels over their lifetime in spite of not adventuring, provided that they have the resources or teacher available to study. An example amount of downtime to gain a non-level is 2% of a race's lifetime, and none of these non-levels may be taken before the character's starting age. Any non-levels gained as part of a backstory require DM permission, as not everyone may have access to the appropriate resources. The training and lodging may cost gold as well.
Non-levels provide a feat every 3 levels. They do not however count as levels for feat pre-requisites. The list of feats that may be gained this way is severely limited. In core the only options are the +2/+2 skill boosting feats, skill focus, non-exotic weapon proficiency feats, armor proficiency feats and spell mastery. Your DM may allow similar feats outside of core.
You may take a non-level in any class for which you have a real level. For all classes this provides skill points as if you had gained a level in the real class, with the same class skills. However this does not advance your maximum number of ranks.
Benefits of Specific Classes
For classes outside of core, uses per day of an ability may increase or non-levels may provide effects that broaden the character's range of abilities. They should not increase the power of any existing abilities, whether directly or from an ability that may complement another ability. Casters should gain little or nothing because they can already spend downtime crafting or copying spells. Those with more skill points should gain less of other benefits.
Barbarian: 1 extra use of rage per day every 4 non-levels, starting with the 4th non-level.
Bard: Gain an additional use per day of bardic music.
Cleric: -
Druid: Gain an addition use per day of wild shape every 4 non-levels, starting with the 4th non-level. Only non-levels taken after gaining the wild shape ability apply to this benefit.
Fighter: Gain a bonus feat every 2 non-levels, starting with the 2nd non-level. In core the feats are limited to this list: armor proficiency feats, non-exotic weapon proficiency feats, animal affinity, athletic, skill focus (any fighter class skill), and any fighter bonus feat in a tree provided that you have another feat with all of the same pre-requisites. For example a fighter with improved trip may select improved disarm as his bonus feat, but he could not select whirlwind attack even if he meets the pre-requisites for whirlwind attack because he does not have another feat with the same pre-requisites. The DM may allow similar non-core feats.
Monk: Gain a bonus feat every 4 non-levels, starting at the 4th non-levels. It must be a monk bonus feat that you had the opportunity to select at a previous level. If there are no feats left to choose, gain nothing. Note: That's it. This is not a monk fix. Hey, hey, stahp. Don't go there.
Paladin: Gain an extra use per day of smite evil every 4 non-levels starting with the 4th non-level. Gain an extra use per week of remove disease every 3 non-levels starting with the 3rd non-level. You must already have remove disease as a paladin class feature to gain this 2nd benefit. Increase the duration of your special mount class feature as if the non-levels were paladin levels. This benefit does not apply to non-levels gained before gaining a special mount.
Ranger: Select an additional favored enemy every 5 non-levels starting with the 5th non-level. This may not be used to increase the bonus against an existing favored enemy.
Rogue: -
Sorcerer: Advance the sorcerer's familiar's abilities as if the non-levels were levels. This does not advance the familiar's HD, HP, BAB or saves. This may advance the familiar through epic progression but you do not gain the familiar spell feat unless you have at least 21 real sorcerer levels.
Wizard: -
Adept: -
Aristocrat: Gain 1/10th the appropriate elite NPC WBL increase for going up 1 level. i.e., find the difference between NPC WBL for level + initial aristocrat non-levels and NPC WBL for level + initial aristocrat non-levels + 1. Then divide by 10. Gain that much wealth. All your wealth is tied up in property holdings during this time and may not be used for other purposes such as crafting. If you have insufficient currency, at the DM's discretion, even some of your magic items may be held as collateral. At the end of this time you may keep the property or liquidate it, though liquidating it may take additional time or come with a penalty if it is rushed.
Commoner: Gain 2 extra skill points, for a total of 4 + Int modifier. These 2 additional skill points may not be applied to cross-class skills. Note: It is difficult for many poor commoners to gain time to learn and gain non-levels. Such may be funded by meager savings or other struggling commoners to try to give one passable learning in the form of a skill focus feat for a better life. A true education however is likely to be a real expert level.
Expert: -
Warrior: Gain a bonus feat every 4 non-levels, starting with the 4th non-level. See fighter above for options.