You just gained a level in real life: 2024 edition!

[Troacctid]

A new year, a new level! (Cheers to the several people who contacted me asking when this year's post would be up—it's heartwarming to see this becoming a beloved annual tradition for so many!)

You can choose any class to gain a level in, and you gain the benefits of that level for yourself in real life. What would you choose?

Rules
Before posting, please consult the spreadsheet to double-check whether you have any other levels already! If you participated in this exercise in previous years, you keep the level(s) you had before, meaning you may now be as high as level 9! Those levels are all locked in as of now. However, if you didn't post in the thread that year, you did not level up.

Use 3.5e or Pathfinder, whichever you're most familiar with. 3.5e includes Dragon Magazine and official web enhancements. By popular demand, 3rd party material (for either edition) is allowed and counts as a separate, third category. If you're familiar with multiple editions, you can do all of them individually if you like, and have two or three different versions of your build, all of which will be the same level.

As part of gaining your first level, you gain your choice of the nonelite array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8) or the standard array (11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10), arranged as you like. These scores control your "game" attributes such as spellcasting and skill points, and the associated modifiers will be layered over your real-life abilities to make you stronger or weaker in that stat, as appropriate.

Similarly, any skills and other abilities that you gain from your class levels will be layered on top of whatever you can already do. If you get a bonus to something, you will become that much better at that thing, and if you get a penalty, you'll become that much worse. For example, whatever languages you already speak would be your automatic languages, and if you gain a bonus language due to your Intelligence score, you can learn a new one. If you take the Murky-Eyed flaw in order to gain Endurance as a bonus feat, you'll be a better athlete, but you'll be wanting a new pair of eyeglasses.

As a human, you gain the normal benefits of being a human. In Pathfinder, that includes the ability score bonus, and you can choose variant traits if it suits you. In 3.5e, you can still get the +2 ability bonus to one score by trading away your bonus feat and skill points via the Complacent Human variant. Aging modifiers apply as normal.

The reason we're doing it one level at a time is because part of the fun of the exercise is seeing the gradual payoff of your choices and maybe even changing your mind about some of them and going in a new direction. It also makes it into a fun annual tradition as well.

Bonus points if you stat out a whole character sheet!

Previous threads
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016

FAQ
Q: Do I model my abilities after my abilities IRL?
A: No. Arrange your ability scores however you like according to one of the arrays given above. You will then become stronger or weaker or smarter or dumber accordingly.

Q: Do magic abilities work? I mean, magic isn't real, right?
A: Yes, magic abilities work. Rumors that Earth is a dead magic zone have apparently been grossly exaggerated.

Q: Are other people in the world leveling up too?
A: Only the people who have posted in this thread.

Q: Will I be leveling up again in the future? If so, when?
A: Maybe you will and maybe you won't. I guess it depends on whether you post in the thread each year!

Q: Is retraining allowed?
A: Yes. Use the normal rules for it under your chosen system.

Q: What about rebuilding?
A: Pathfinder rules allow for rebuilds; 3.5e rules do not.

Q: Am I going to lose any of the skills and abilities I already have and replace them with game statistics?
A: No. The level you gain is layered on top of everything you can already do, and any modifiers apply to your existing skills as a baseline. You can think of it as a gestalt build if that helps, with your "real" stats on one side and your "game" stats on the other.

Q: Can we assume that reality operates under D&D rules? Like, if I put ranks in Diplomacy, can I now roll a DC whatever check to turn someone Helpful?
A: No. This is a case of "The map is not the territory." D&D rules are ultimately an abstraction for how things "actually" work in the game world. Real life still plays by real-life rules. More skill points and higher ability scores means you are better at whatever that number represents, but you aren't actually making skill checks, or taking immediate actions, or consulting a table to determine your carrying capacity based on your Strength score. Humans in the game all have a speed of 30 feet, but your actual speed will exhibit the normal amount of variance. In D&D 3.5e, drinking a vial of arsenic will deal you between 0 and 9 points of Constitution damage over the course of 1 minute, and then you're fine—but if you drink a vial of arsenic in real life, you die. And so on.

Q: How do gp costs work?
A: They use up money or material wealth at a reasonable exchange rate. Specifics aren't important; we're not here to do math. For those of you who do want to do the math, you can instead give yourself standard WBL for your level and use that as a budget for gp costs. And if you want to use something like Craft or Profession to generate income, see the previous answer about reality operating under D&D rules—no, you will not automatically earn half your Profession check in gold pieces for a week's work, because that's just an abstraction to smooth out gameplay, not an accurate reflection of the game world's economy.

Q: How do xp costs work?
A: You accumulate xp over time by literally accumulating experiences. Over the course of one year, you can earn xp equal to your level x 1000 at a fairly constant rate of about 20 xp per level per week, provided you spend time living your life and doing meaningful things. You do not gain xp in any other way. The amount of xp you can hold at a time is limited to your level x 1000. (This is based on the xp a character of your level could have in-game.) This is only used for xp costs, not for leveling up; to level up, xp total doesn't matter, you just post in the yearly thread and that's it.

Q: What counts as a meaningful life experience for earning xp?
A: As long as you're not in a coma, or mindlessly watching TV all day, or whatever, you can expect to get your xp. There is one exception: you cannot earn xp on any day that you spend xp. Activities like crafting will temporarily pause your xp gain until they are completed.

Q: I get that I have to be a human, but can I take a template?
A: Template classes are fair game as long as you have at least one real class level first. Use savage progression rules for them, even if the template class wouldn't normally work that way. Any template that can't be taken as a template class is probably going to be unavailable, unless you can somehow gain it via class features. For 3.5 characters, you can take UA bloodline levels as if they were a template class: taking 1 bloodline level unlocks the benefit of a minor bloodline, and subsequent bloodline levels upgrade it to the next category up.

Q: What about setting-specific material, or regional requirements?
A: Assume they are adapted to another, similar requirement that makes sense in our world. Specifics aren't important.

Q: What about inherited powers? Can I take Draconic Heritage even though I'm not descended from dragons?
A: Much like how you can take sorcerer levels without worrying about your ancestry, any sort of bloodline-related power works fine even if you don't actually have an ancestor who was a dragon, or a fey, or a member of a dragonmarked bloodline, etc. As in the game world, these effects are usually inherited but can also represent spontaneously gaining powers due to magical influences.

Q: Is 3.0 material available?
A: 3.0 psionics is unavailable, as the system for it is defunct. Most other unupdated 3.0 material is probably okay, but may not work as expected due to the changes inherent in the revision. Use it at your own risk.

Q: I have a question about how a particular rules interaction would work under this model.
A: You can ask in the thread, but here are two general rules of thumb. First, most things work the way they'd be expected to work in an actual fantasy world, so if one interpretation of a rule would conflict with established D&D canon if it were true, and another wouldn't, the latter one is probably correct. (This ties into that "The map is not the territory" principle from a previous answer.) Second, if you would normally have to consult with your DM about how it works, you can assume you don't know the answer as you make your decision—you'd have to try the interaction and find out for yourself. For the purpose of this exercise, I'll act as the referee for such things and adjudicate what would happen.

Q: If I take crafting feats, what items can I craft?
A: As long as you have the prerequisites, you can craft any existing, published magic item, or combinations thereof (at the appropriate price modifiers). You cannot invent a custom item unless you are a 3PP build. Items can be combined with one another according to the normal rules for your edition (in 3.5, see MIC p233), and you have some leeway as to their exact appearance (for example, a head slot item could be any headgear of your choice). For 3.5 builds, don't forget that you can give your crafting feats signature traits, per DMG2 p230!

Q: What about custom prestige race alterations?
A: Eh, sure, subject to the same limits on magic items. It has to be based on an existing magic item, and you'll pay 40% of the item's market price in xp. Just arrange them into a focus path of up to four alterations that are thematically cohesive with one another. You can have up to two such custom foci.

Q: If I take Leadership, how does my cohort work?
A: Much like in the game, a cohort has to be an existing character. So, for our purposes, you choose one of your real-life cohorts, and that person gains as many class levels as a cohort would have based on your level and leadership score, and levels up along with you as you post each year. It's up to the cohort to decide what levels to take; you don't decide for them. You can also designate followers according to your leadership score; only NPC class levels are available to followers. If you want to take Dragon Cohort but you don't have any dragon friends in real life (and you can't cast lesser dragon ally to call one), I will allow it to be applied to a reptilian pet, which then gains draconic powers.

Q: I'm an artificer. Can I cherry-pick the lowest-level version of every spell to make items more cheaply?
A: You can only draw from the spell lists of base classes and domains, or, for a psionic artificer, from the power lists of base classes, mantles, and disciplines. (Psionic artificers cannot convert spells to powers; that's an erudite ability only.) You can also draw from any spell list that is called out specifically in the spell's description (e.g. exalted spells, or spells exclusive to Initiate feats). Prestige class spell lists are not available (unless the prestige class is called out in the spell description, as seen with the assassin and blackguard spells in Spell Compendium). This applies to the artificer as well as the chameleon and other, similar abilities.

Q: Can I research spells?
A: Sure. If you're a wizard or erudite, this is probably how you'll be learning a lot of your spells. Use the rules in the DMG (or whatever the PF equivalent is). Tell me what you're trying to research and your rationale for why it should be possible for your class at the level you want it, and I'll adjudicate the result. You still pay the cost regardless of whether your research succeeds or fails. If the spell is on your class spell list at that level already—for example, if you're a wizard and you're researching an existing 1st-level wizard spell—you succeed automatically.

Q: How exactly does this world work? Is the timeline altered by our previous levels? Do we know about other players? Are we making decisions for ourselves, or are these benefits applied to parallel universe version of ourselves? Etc.
A: I think it's fine to envision it however you like, but I bet that parallel timeline idea would make for some cool fanfiction. If you'd like to share your idea of what the last year would have been like for the leveled-up version of you, please do! Heck, I've written some of my own fanfiction based on a similar premise.

[bekeleven]

Going through the steps of leveling up:

1. Choose class: Warlock (4)

2. Base Attack Bonus: Up to +3.

3. Base Save Bonuses: Will Save to +4.

4. Ability Score(s): Int to 14.

5. Hit Points: To 12.

6. Skill Points: +5. 1 Rank in bluff and diplomacy (each), +2 Disguise, +1 UMD.

7/8. Feats, Spells: None.

9: Class features: Deceive Item, +1 Invocation Known (All-Seeing Eyes).


I'll go over my crafting in another post, there's a bunch of math involved.

[Asmotherion]

I've been excited for this thread since New Years Eve XD

I'm taking one more Wizard Level! :D

And now, I can cast fireballs ^_^

[El Dorado]

Wooo! Happy New Year! Adding One transmuter level to my wizard build and one telepath level to my psion build. Details to follow!

I imagine that I'm really leaning into the benefits of the transmutation school at this point. I've crafted a handful of defensive and utility items (some detailed below) and prepare mainly transmutation and abjuration spells. This level sees a boost to intelligence and gaining the spell-like ability to change shape for a few rounds per day.

Spoiler: Transmuter 8

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Human Transmuter 8
Init +2; Senses Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +1 deflection, +1 natural armor)
hp 50
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +7
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee club +3 (1d6)
Ranged none
Arcane School Spell-like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +13)
At will---change shape (beast shape II/elemental body I, 8 rounds/day)
8/day—-telekinetic fist (1d4+5 bludgeoning)
Transmuter Spells Prepared (CL 8th; concentration +13)
4th--beast shape II, dimension door, elemental body I, stoneskin (b)
3rd--dispel magic, gaseous form, fly (b), haste, slow
2nd--alter self, bull's strength (b), make whole, protection from arrows, resist energy
1st--endure elements, enlarge person, jump, expeditious retreat, feather fall (b), mage armor, shield
0 (at will)--detect magic, mage hand, mending, prestidigitation
Opposition Schools: Enchantment, Necromancy

STATISTICS
Str 11, Dex 10, Con 14 (12), Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 9 (age-adjusted with gear)
Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 15
Favored Class: wizard (+8 skill points)
Feats: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wand (w), Craft Wondrous Item, Forge Ring, Scribe Scroll [b], Skill Focus (Spellcraft)
Skills: Diplomacy +7, Fly +11, Knowledge (arcana, *local) +16, Knowledge (geography, history, nature, planes) +10, Linguistics +16, Perception +8, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +20
Traits: Classically Schooled, Reactionary
Languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Hindi, Japanese, Latin, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish
SQ arcane bond (weasel), physical enhancement +2
Gear: amulet of lesser age resistance and natural armor +1, ring of youthful appearance and protection +1, earring of vast intelligence +2* (as headband), pearl of power (1st), vest of resistance +1 (as cloak), potion of bull's strength, potion of mage armor

My telepath picks up a couple of 4th-level powers and at will telepathy up to 400 ft. I'm probably not creating as many items as my wizard (mainly a stat booster and a couple of emergency items).

Spoiler: Telepath 8

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Human Psion (Telepath) 8
Init +1; Senses Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor)
hp 35 (includes psionic body)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +7
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee club +3 (1d6-1)
Ranged none
Powers Known (CL 8th; concentration +14)
4th--fold space, mind control, psychic reformation, telekinetic maneuver
3rd--dispel psionics, energy bolt, psionic blast, telekinetic force
2nd--compelling voice, concussion blast, defy gravity, read thoughts
1st--empathic connection, inertial armor, mind link, slumber, vigor
0 (at will)--conceal thoughts, detect psionics, far hand, telepathic lash
Power Points per day: 88

STATISTICS
Str 9, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 9 (age-adjusted with gear)
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 13
Feats: Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Psicrystal Affinity, Psionic Body, Psionic Talent, Scribe Scroll, Scribe Tattoo
Skills: Autohypnosis +11, Bluff +20 (with conceal thoughts), Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (*history, local, psionics) +16, Linguistics +6, Perception +11 (with psicrystal), Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +16
Traits: Focused Mind, Reactionary
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
SQ mental intrusion, psicrystal (meticulous), telepathy (400 ft)
Gear: cognizance crystal (5 pp), dorje of energy bolt, earring of vast intelligence +2* (as headband), power stone of fold space, tattoo of vigor (3rd), vest of resistance +1 (as cloak)

[Crichton]

Another year, another level of StP Erudite. Level 4 powers now, so I'll likely be burning up xp for Psychic Reformation, choosing powers known and imprinting stones of them, then learning the powers off of them again after Psychic Reforming the choice away to learn new ones. Offering PsyRef services to Psions in exchange for learning their level 1-3 discipline powers, and to arcane casters for their spells, if I can track any of them down in the world (this series of threads) and make deals with them.



Human
STR 9, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 8 (INT increased by one at level 4)

Erudite 7
ACF: Convert Spell to Power
Level 1 Feat: Extend Power
Human Bonus Feat: Hidden Talent (Dimensional Pocket)
Level 3 Feat: Imprint Stone
Level 5 Bonus Feat: Craft Universal Item
Level 6 Feat: Craft Dorje

PP: 55 (46 base, 7 from Int, 2 from Hidden Talent)
UPPD: 4


Psicrystal:

HD 7
Str 1, Dex 15, Con -, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11 (increased CHA by one at HD4)
HD 1 Feat: Hidden Talent (Dimension Hop)
HD 3 Feat: Draconic Aura: Vigor
HD 6 Feat: Draconic Aura: Toughness

[Wildstag]

Damn lol, I thought Wild Shape was one of the retrainable class features in 3.5, but apparently you can only retrain class features that give you a choice between options internally (like animal companion, domain, or combat style).

I guess another level in Druid, bringing me to Barbarian 1 Druid 5. LEVEL 3 SPELLS! WOOOOO!

Level 6 Neutral Good Human Barbarian1/Shapeshift-Druid5

Ability Scores:

Strength 12
Dexterity 8
Constitution 10
Intelligence 9
Wisdom 14
Charisma 11

BAB and Saves:

Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+5

Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +6

Skills: Climb 5 ranks, Survival 7 ranks, Swim 4 ranks, Listen 4 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 4 ranks, Spot 2 ranks, Profession (Wilderness Guide) 6 ranks

Spells: I would prepare Light, Mending, and Cure Minor Wounds on a regular basis. As a side note, Know Direction is hot garbage. For my 1st level spell, Endure Elements daily, Goodberry before an expedition, and either Produce Flame or Shillelagh (probably the latter) as a combat option.

0th: 1 Light, 2 Mending, 1 Cure Minor Wounds

1st: 1 Endure Elements, 2 Shillelagh, 1 Pass Without Trace

2nd: 1 Tern's Persistence, 1 Primal Hunter, 1 Finns to Feet

3rd: 1 Camel's Tenacity

Feats: Extra Rage, Reckless Rage, Wild Cohort, Mobility (B)(While in Shapeshift), Initiate of Fharlanghn

Flaw: Wild (Dragon 329)

Class Features: Fast Movement, Rage 3/day, Nature Sense (+2 Knowledge (Nature) and Survival), Wild Empathy, Shapeshift (Predator Form: Puma), Woodland Stride, Trackless Step, Resist Nature's Lure

Wild Cohort: Light Horse.

With Predator Form and Rage, I get 22 Strength. Pretty good for level 6 and the non-elite array.

As for my 3PP version, I'd take another level in Brawler.

Level 6 NG Human Feral Striker Turfer Brawler

Str 16, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8

BAB: +6/+1

Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2

Skills: Climb, Perception, Intimidate, Craft (Woodcarving), Knowledge (Local) + 6 each

Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Transformation, Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike), Transformation (Hybrid), Transformation (Improved)

Class Features: Brawler's Cunning, Feral Aspect, Martial Training, Unarmed Strike, Bonus Combat Feat (Weapon Focus), Brawler's Flurry (Two-Weapon Fighting), Favored Turf (Desert), AC Bonus +1, Terrain Mastery (Desert), Bonus Combat Feat (Outslug Style), Brawler's Strike (magic), Close Weapon Mastery

[MinimanMidget]

Int goes up, which is nice. Still retraining my skills to try and get into Unseen Seer. And to that end, time for a Beguiler dip!

Human Psychic Rogue 1/Warlock 2/Beguiler 1
Str 9, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: Autohypnosis 4, Concentration 4, Hide 7, Listen 5, Move Silently 7, Search 7, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 7
Powers known: Compression (no PP to use it with, though)
Invocations: Darkness, Spiderwalk
Feats: Able Learner, Blend Into Shadows, Point Blank Shot

Side note: given some of the things that happened to me this year, suddenly acquiring 4 ranks of Sense Motive is either deeply appropriate or disturbingly ironic.

[aglondier]

Happy New Year everyone...4th level wizard...Between Craft Wondrous Item and the Arcane Discovery of Arcane Builder focused on CWI, I manage to find the time to do quite a bit of magic item crafting. By the end of this year I have enchanted ten (10) Pearls of Power for 1st and 2nd level, so running out of spell slots is not something I really worry about much.

Spoiler: Me

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Alex
Race, Class, and Level: Human (Australian), Wizard (Arcane Crafter) 4
Size, Type, and Alignment: Medium, Humanoid (human), Neutral-ish
Init and Senses: Initiative +1; Perception +3.
AC: 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10.
hp: 18 (4d6 HD)
Saving Throws: Fortitude +1, Reflex +2, Willpower +5.
Speed: 30'.
Melee: dagger (+0 melee, 1d4-1 damage, 19-20/x2).
Ranged: dagger (+2 ranged, 1d4-1 damage, 10' range, 19-20/x2).
Spells Known/Spells Prepared:

Spoiler: 0-level

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Acid Splash; Arcane Mark; Bleed; Breeze; Chameleon Scales; Conjurer's Toolbelt; Dancing Lights; Daze; Detect Fiendish Presence; Detect Magic; Detect Poison; Disrupt Undead; Drench; Flare; Ghost Sound; Grasp; Haunted Fey Aspect; Jolt; Mage Hand; Mending; Message; Oath of Anonymity; Open/Close; Penumbra; Prestidigitation; Ray of Frost; Read Magic; Resistance; Root; Scoop; Scrivener's Chant; Sotto Voce; Spark; Touch of Fatigue; Vacuous Vessel;

Spoiler: 1-level

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Arcane Pocket; Celestial Healing; Crafter's Fortune; Snapdragon Fireworks; Unseen Servant.
Brightest Night; Skill Lore; Ward, Lesser; Abundant Ammunition; Blood Money; Comprehend Languages; Cultural Adaptation; Detect Metal; Endure Elements; Expeditious Retreat; Feather Fall; Hypnotism; Air Bubble; Magic Missile; Anticipate Peril; Heightened Awareness; Implant Urge; Longshot; Mage Armour; Magic Weapon; Secluded Grimoire; Sleep; Speak Local Language; Summon Monster I; True Skill; True Strike; Urban Grace; Magic Aura; Disguise Self.

Spoiler: 2-level

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Bear's Endurance; Bull's Strength; Cat's Grace; Eagle's Splendour; Fox's Cunning; Owl's Wisdom;

Spells Prepared: Conjurer's Toolbelt; Ghost Sound; Mending; Prestidigitation; Crafter's Fortune; Disguise Self; Unseen Servant.
Ability Scores: Strength 9, Dexterity 13, Constitution 11, Intelligence 18, Wisdom 12, Charisma 14.
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (spellcraft), Secret Capital, Craft Wondrous Item, Discovery: Arcane Builder
Traits: Duskwalker Agent; Focused Study; Innovative; Spark of Creation.
Skills: Craft (calligraphy) +11, Craft (gunsmith) +11, Fly +7, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Spellcraft +15.
Languages: Common, Celestial, Draconic, Sign-language.

Haven't replaced our cat yet, so I'm really considering taking Improved Familiar next chance and getting an Imp or something...

Future build notes: max advance in spellcraft and K(arc), splash extra points across knowledges and crafts, with an eye towards gunslinging at some point in the future. Spell picks for utility in real world and for crafting/enchanting.

Still doing the math on the Downtime buildings, but my town is really taking shape...

[Jack_Simth]

Up to Oracle-9 - because spells rock.

[thethird]

A new year, a new level! (Cheers to the several people who contacted me asking when this year's post would be up—it's heartwarming to see this becoming a beloved annual tradition for so many!)

Fun story, for a few days I was thinking that 8th level was going to be my maximum :)

Another year another artificer level, now I am getting access to six level spells. In particular what I want right now is Shalantha's delicate disk. Shalantha's delicate disk (from trap) + item infusion (from actual slots :( so sad the trap didn't work) gives me at this level means to create items that cast any spell up to 4th level, and can be activated by anyone. Adding the intermediary metamagic item (infusion from 3rd lvl slots) allows me to add a metamagic feat coff coff persist to the spell that would be cast into shallanta's disk. So I am going to be decked in a lot of ready to go spells. For more unusual metamagic there is always the psychic reformation tattoo.

The other spell in particular I want is gemjump, it basically replicates greater teleport to a gem. A gem that can be delivered via international shipping. Sounds way cheaper than plane flights. Going to be building some more bases in remote areas after getting them with gemjump and leaving homunculus there for safekeeping. Leaving a gemjump gem too, in case I need to go back to it.

Feat wise I am getting craft rod. Nothing particularly appealing I am doing with it (right now). I am also getting another feat (heroic spirit, getting used to those action points).

Let's do a recap of my character (originally was a psychic artificer, retrained, per PHB2, after getting a tattoo of psychic reformation, and a capacitator (i.e. psychic reformation works once a week))
Flaws: Individualist (penalties for using weapons/armor not self crafted), Honorable Challenge (penalties on attack rolls for attacking someone who didn't attack me)
lvl 1 feats: Mercantile Background (HB), Legendary Artisan (1st), Magical Artisan (Legendary Artisan) (Flaw), Apprentice (Craftsman) (Flaw), Scribe Scroll (AB)
lvl 2 feats: Brew Potion (AB)
lvl 3 feats: Craft Wondrous Item (AB), Extend Spell (3rd)
lvl 4 feats: Extraordinary Artisan (AB)
lvl 5 feats: Craft Magic Arms and Armor (AB)
lvl 6 feats: Craft Wand (AB), Reach Spell (6th)
lvl 8 feats: Persist Spell (AB)
lvl 9 feats: Craft Rod, Heroic Spirit (9th)

Also, note to self, build pf / 3pp version.

[Jopustopin]

Jopustopin vanished without a trace at some point in May. By November he was assumed dead; a clause in his will required a full year before pronouncing him dead. He was last seen somewhere west of the Nile. His fans lamented him for months but soon other news took over and he was forgotten for a while. His critics pointed out that Jopustopin's obsession had taken him far from civilization and it was only a matter of time after all that he would get himself killed.

But then, as the clock struck midnight over Wandoor in the South Andaman district of India, party goers found a man, severely beaten and bloodied with torn clothing unconscious on the beach. He was eventually stabilized and brought back to the states where he shortly made a full recovery. However the media and paparazzi were disappointed as he has made no comment on his whereabouts these last seven months.

He returns an older man then before... and now with the fabled ''Grimoire Arcanamacha'' that has haunted his dreams for years. The DM must have granted Jopustopin bonus XP for surviving the Bay of Bengal because he comes back from India as a 6th level Warblade!

Spoiler: Character Sheet

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Jopustopin

male middle aged human warblade 6 CN medium humanoid (human) Init -8; Senses spot +1, listen +1 Languages Common, Ancient Suloise AC 7 (-2 Dex, -1 Flaw), Touch 7, Flat-footed 7; Improved Uncanny Dodge HP 39/39 (6d12-6) Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +5 (Battle Clarity) Speed 30 ft. Melee unarmed strike +5 (1d3-1/x2) SQ Battle Ardor (Int to critical confirmation) Base Atk +6; Grp +5 Maneuvers and Stances Known (IL 6th): Stances-Bolstering Voice, Punishing Stance Strikes-Mountain Hammer, Iron Heart Surge, Insightful Strike Boosts-Sudden Leap Counters-Moment of Perfect Mind, Wall of blades Abilities Str 9, Dex 7, Con 8, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 17 Skills Spellcraft +9, Concentration +8, Jump +7, Tumble +7, Swim, +3, Balance +3, Knowledge (History) +2, Knowledge (Local) +2, Knowledge (The Planes) +4, Martial Lore +2, Profession (Actor) +5, Craft (Alchemy) +5 Skill Points Spellcraft 6, Concentration 9, Jump 8, tumble 9, Swim 4, Balance 5, Knowledge (History) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Martial Lore 1, Profession (Actor) 2.0, Craft (Alchemy) 4 Feats Keeper of Forbidden Lore, Otherwordly Countenance (Beauty), Great Fortitude, Combat Casting, Iron Will, Improved Unarmed Strike Flaws Unreactive, Vulnerable Possessions Grimoire Arcanamacha, Net Worth ($6,000,400 USA)

[47948201]

So I was wondering... When exactly do people gain the level? I plan to... "Become a wizard" during the second half of this year, but does that mean I should post my first wizard level now, or in the 2025 thread, or should I take the necromancer route and post during a seemingly random time after several months?

[Troacctid]

Feats marked with * will be reformed away once I get to craft staff at 12th level. Now that I think about it... I don't remember if I tried this before, I think I didn't. @troactid I attempt to use an action point to reduce the imbuement time of an infusion. Mostly want to see if action points exist.

Also, note to self, build pf / 3pp version.

You don't have action points, but the Heroic Spirit feat could grant you some if you want them. Fair warning, though, if you have action points, it means you're a main character, or at least a series regular. Side effects may include plot. Depending on your life goals, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

So I was wondering... When exactly do people gain the level? I plan to... "Become a wizard" during the second half of this year, but does that mean I should post my first wizard level now, or in the 2025 thread, or should I take the necromancer route and post during a seemingly random time after several months?

The level-up happens when the clock ticks over to the new year for your time zone on New Year's Day. I suppose if you normally mark the new year on a day other than January 1st, you could use that day instead, provided that you do so consistently each year.

[thethird]

You don't have action points, but the Heroic Spirit feat could grant you some if you want them. Fair warning, though, if you have action points, it means you're a main character, or at least a series regular. Side effects may include plot. Depending on your life goals, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

Going to be casting unfettered heroism (which gives temporary action points) to see if that works.

[SirNibbles]

Hitting level 8 with another level of Tattooed Monk and picking up the Ocean Tattoo. The Crane Tattoo's effect is now increased to provide immunity to poison in addition to disease, and I no longer need to eat, drink, or sleep thanks to the Ocean Tattoo.

Human
STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 10
INT: 11
WIS: 12
CHA: 8

Mystic Ranger 4/Tattooed Monk 3/Archivist 1

Spoiler: Level-by-level details

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Archivist 1
Level 1 Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike

_

Mystic Ranger 1/Archivist 1
ACF: Voice of the City (replaces Wild Empathy)
Granted Feat: Track
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Mystic Ranger 2/Archivist 1
Favoured Enemy: Human
Level 3 Feat: Improved Grapple

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Mystic Ranger 3/Archivist 1
Combat Style Feat: Two Weapon Fighting
DEX: 13 -> 14

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Mystic Ranger 4/Archivist 1
Granted Feat: Endurance

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Mystic Ranger 4/Tattooed Monk 1/Archivist 1
Crane Tattoo
Level 6 Feat: Nemesis (Favored Enemy: Human)

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Mystic Ranger 4/Tattooed Monk 2/Archivist 1

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Mystic Ranger 4/Tattooed Monk 3/Archivist 1
CON: 9-> 10
Ocean Tattoo

[Troacctid]

Going to be casting unfettered heroism (which gives temporary action points) to see if that works.

You would probably know about the spell's casting restriction before you attempt this. Are you trying to circumvent it somehow, or is this just a test to see if the restriction is fake?

[Telonius]

Level 9! All right, another level in Eldritch Disciple. Now sitting at: Cloistered Cleric 4/Warlock 1/Eldritch Disciple 4. [Sorry for the late update, site has been extra-slow recently...]

Okay! So, weird coincidences seem to have fallen off the radar this year. I'm taking that as a win. Persistent Spell: acquired, looking for Divine Metamagic in 3 years. UMD and Spellcraft continue to creep up. For casting, not too terribly much happening on the Warlock side. Eldritch Blast is up to 3d6, and Gift of the Divine Patron selected for Strength of Will. (Deity alignment is hurting me for options there). On the Cleric end, 4th-level spells! Some utility there for daily life; Discern Lies (just as my kid is entering teenager-hood) is going to be useful, and Divination for important decisions. Control Water might see some use too.

Spoiler: 2023

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The weird coincidences continue. Last year I got access to Remove Blindness/Deafness. As of about three hours ago, my first cochlear implant was turned on. So, I'm halfway there (and still feeling really excited about it!)

This year, no surprise: Eldritch Disciple 3. Reflex save and BAB go up one, and a caster level of Divine and Invoking. I'm casting as a 6th-level Cleric and Invoking as a 4th-level Warlock. New Invocation, and time to get serious about my future. Now that Heal is up to 10 (for Healing Lorecall), and Knowledge (Religion) is about as high as I care for it to get, I'm splitting the precious few skill points between UMD and Spellcraft; and getting the Darkness invocation. (Yep, aiming for the Shadowmaster Epic feat way, way down the road; and hoping that the site still exists in some form in 13 years). Stat increase this level! Going to put it in Wisdom again (have to keep bumping it to get access to the higher-level Cleric spells). Speaking of, still sitting at 3rd-level Cleric spells for now.

Spoiler: 2024 build

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Cloistered Cleric 4/Warlock 1/Eldritch Disciple 4

Str: 8
Dex 9
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 13->14 (lvl 4 stat bump)->15 (lvl 8 stat bump)
Cha 11

Human
Feats:
1: Extra Turning (fuel for later), Able Learner (I like skill points)
3: Augment Healing (less worrying about injuries)
6: Extend Spell
9: Persistent Spell

Deity: Olidammara. Domains: Trickery, Luck, Knowledge (from Cloistered)
Alignment: CN

Skills
Level 1: Know (Religion) 4, Know (Planes) 4, Heal 4, Bluff 4, Diplomacy 4, Decipher Script 4, Concentration 4, UMD 2, Balance 2
Level 2: Know (Religion) 5, Heal 5, Bluff 5, Diplomacy 5, Decipher Script 5, Concentration 5, Know (History) 2
Level 3: Know (Religion) 6, Heal 6, Bluff 6, Diplomacy 6, Concentration 6, UMD 3, Balance 3, Know (History) 3
Level 4: Know (Religion) 7, Heal 7, UMD 4, Know (History) 4
Level 5: Know (religion) 8, Heal 8, UMD 5, Know (History) 5, Diplomacy 7, Bluff 7, Sense Motive 2
Level 6: Know (Religion) 9, Heal 9, UMD 6, Balance 4
Level 7: Know (Religion) 10, Heal 10, UMD 7, Balance 5
Level 8: UMD 8, Spellcraft 3
Level 9: UMD 9, Spellcraft 6

Invocation: Beguiling Influence, Call of the Wild, Darkness.
Gift of the Divine Patron: Fearful Glare, Strength of Will.

[Stoic]

Third-party Pathfinder

Another level of Wizard which brings it up to 5th Level.


Two corrections for the spreadsheet:

The link for my 2022 post should be:
https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...2&postcount=13


The link for my 2023 post is currently linking to Kalkra's post instead, the correct link for 2023 should be:
https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...2&postcount=21

[thethird]

You would probably know about the spell's casting restriction before you attempt this. Are you trying to circumvent it somehow, or is this just a test to see if the restriction is fake?

Honestly forgot. Use psychic reformation to get a permanent action point and then cast unfettered heroism.

[Troacctid]

Honestly forgot. Use psychic reformation to get a permanent action point and then cast unfettered heroism.

Didn't you just hit level 9? You shouldn't need to PsyRef; you can take Heroic Spirit as your feat for this level instead of Magical Artisan (which doesn't stack with itself, by the way).

Assuming you do, the spell works fine, although it does take a physical toll on you—you'll be paying for that brief sprint of energy all day.

[thethird]

Didn't you just hit level 9? You shouldn't need to PsyRef; you can take Heroic Spirit as your feat for this level instead of Magical Artisan (which doesn't stack with itself, by the way).

Assuming you do, the spell works fine, although it does take a physical toll on you—you'll be paying for that brief sprint of energy all day.

Okay. Will get heroic spirit permanently and do trials over time trying to get used to the mc vibes.

[Vizzerdrix]

Chameleon 3 please.

[Karmea]

Sacred Exorcist for turn undead and DMM.

Also, lvl 5 spells~

[Kalkra]

At this point there are probably people of a high enough level to do SS rituals on me (I think you need to be level 7?), but I'll just take another level of Wizard for now.

One more level of Wizard, and then I can enter Cerebremancer. Two levels of Cerebremancer and I can go into Mind Mage, assuming that I can somehow either receive training or acquire comprehensive texts. I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. For my 6th-level feat I'll take a psi-spell feat, one of the two I'll need for Mind Mage, maybe I've got a feat somewhere I can retrain but I don't feel like checking at the moment. Dual-Plane Summons would be nice, but it doesn't work if you're using Summon Monster as a power via StP Erudite, and all of the other psi-spell feats improve blasting, and if I'm doing any of that something is very wrong, so I'll just take Harden Energy and consider it a pure feat tax.

[SirNibbles]

Hitting level 8 with another level of Tattooed Monk and picking up the Ocean Tattoo. The Crane Tattoo's effect is now increased to provide immunity to poison in addition to disease, and I no longer need to eat, drink, or sleep thanks to the Ocean Tattoo.

Neither effect is working for some reason. I still got sick last year and I still need to eat, drink, and sleep. Do I need to actually get the tattoos? I don't really want to do that.

(Also, even with the Nemesis feat I can't sense the presence of humans within 60 feet nor pinpoint their locations.)

[MinimanMidget]

(Also, even with the Nemesis feat I can't sense the presence of humans within 60 feet nor pinpoint their locations.)

Nemesis is an Exalted feat, and you have to be Evil to have your own species as a favoured enemy.

[SirNibbles]

Nemesis is an Exalted feat, and you have to be Evil to have your own species as a favoured enemy.

That was removed in 3.5.

[Menzath]

Happy new year! With this year I will be taking another level of StP Erudite.
And just like last years me, I leave setting attributes, feats, and skills to next years me.

[TalonOfAnathrax]

I'm glad to see that this is still going strong !

This year, I'll take a level in Dweomerkeeper. My Feat will be Least Dragonmark of Making (Make Whole 1/day) to open up Summon Marked Homonculus (I have Eschew Materials for the pinch of dragonshard dust). I'll put 2 skill points into Concentration, one into Diplomacy, and one into Spellcraft.

I'll edit this post later on with a full update of my character sheet.

EDIT:
Current: Sha'ir 3/Durthan 1/Cloistered Cleric 1 (Magic)/Dweomerkeeper 1
HP: 33 (rolled) Initiative: +7 BaB: +1 Melee: +0 Ranged: +2 Saves: Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +17
Stats: Str 8 (12), Dex 9 (13), Con 10 (14), Int 12 (16), Wis 11 (15), Cha 14 (18).
Skills: Bluff 0 ranks (+7), Concentration 9 ranks (+11), Diplomacy 9 ranks (+17), Knowledge (arcana) 8 (+11), Sense Motive 5 ranks (+12), Spellcraft 9 ranks (+12)
Feats: Silent Spell, Eschew Materials, Flaw (noncombatant), Improved Counterspell, Flaw (vulnerable), Iron Will, Craft Wondrous Item (DMG2 Signature Trait: Fashionable), Healing Devotion, Knowledge Devotion, Least Dragonmark of Making (Make Whole 1/day)
Special: Summon Gen Familiar, Recognize Genie Works, Place Magic, Lore (+4), Turn Undead 7/day, Mantle of Spells (Alter Fortune)
Spells known:
- Detect Magic, Daze, Ghost Sound, Launch Item, Light, Mending, Prestidigitation
- Disguise Self, Charm Person, Scholar's Touch, Summon Marked Homonculus, Unseen Servant
- Alter Self, Master's Touch (PBH II), Stay The Hand
Divine Spells prepared:
- Create Water, Guidance, Purify Food and Drink
- Endure Elements, Sanctuary, Magic Aura
Languages: Common, Terran. Familiar: Earth Gen.
Gear: Possum Pouch, Helpful Headband, Amazing Amulet, Glorious Glove, Outstanding Outfit, Belt of Magnificence (+4), Shawl of Bewitching (grants +5 to Bluff and +1 enchantment CL), Slippers of Spider Climbing (Spider Climb up to 10min a day). Fortifying Bedroll (once every 38 hours, get a night's sleep in one hour!).
Familiar's Gear: Spidersilk Pendant (casts Web 1/day at CL 3).

Personal item descriptions:
- Helpful Headband : +5 Sense Motive, +5 Spot against Disguises, CL 4 Hat of Disguise. Current item value is 13 950gp.
- Amazing Amulet : Amulet of Tears that also grants an untyped +2 Diplomacy and -2 Bluff, as well as a terrible 3/day sanctuary effect I won't ever be using. Current item value is 3 950gp.
- Glorious Glove (Bonded Item) : This +1 Morphing (can become a poison ring) Warning (+5 insight to Initiative) gauntlet bestows a +1 initiative bonus. It also senses any creature within 120 feet who intends harm to the possessor, mentally alerting her of the danger from an unfriendly creature. (It does not however give any other clue to the identity of the threat). Twice per day as a swift action, it also adds +2CL to a first-level arcane spell cast in the same turn. Current item market value is 21 750gp.
- Outstanding Outfit: Shiftweave + Lesser Vestments of Power. Can change shape, grants at-will feather fall whenever I fall 10ft, continuous protection from arrows with no total damage limit, fire resistance 15, +3 deflection to AC, +4 resistance bonus to saves. Current item market value is 88 750gp.

Spoiler: Crafting principles

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Below is a list of the items I plan to craft this year. I'm going with the 20 XP per level per week formula from previous years, but I'm only spending a little over half of the max amount I could get in case I fail to have a lively enough life to reach the optimal XP gain rate. This also lets me use all remaining XP to craft Fortifying Bedrolls and Everfull Basins for sale to fund my personal crafting and life. Other posters here seem to be increasingly indiscreet about their magic, so I'll say "**** it" and sell magic items to people willing to pay through the nose for them.
- I set my new Summoned Marked Homonculus to improving my Shiftweave. It'll take 89 days and be about as much XP as I can reasonably expect to obtain in a year.
- That's all my personal crafting for the year! Any remaining XP goes into Fortifying Bedrolls and Everfull Basins for sale, perhaps alongside Magic Bedrolls or Braziers of Aura Revealing (Magic) to governments.

Spoiler: Leveling plan

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- Levels 7, 8 and 9 are also Dweomerkeeper levels. Mantle of Spells choices are Alter Fortune, Celerity. Feat should be Leadership, picking someone I care about as my cohort as Troacctid has confirmed they'll level too when my Leadership cap goes up. At every level, raise Concentration, Diplomacy and Spellcraft by 1. Also spend a cross-class rank in Bluff.
- Levels 10 and 11 should be Incantatrix, to get optimal Mantle of Spells choices. Take Extend Spell as a bonus metamagic feat. I now no longer need Silent Spell and can retrain it into something like Great Diplomat for an extra cohort. Lose access to Evocation because losing Necromancy means losing Extract Gift and Steal Life, Enchantment is required for Mindbender later, and Illusion's versatility sounds useful during downtime. Take Intimidate now that it's a class skill (if only for easier Mindbender entry later). At every level take 1 rank in Concentration and Spellcraft, and 2 ranks in Intimidate.
- Levels 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are Dweomerkeeper levels. The Supernatural Spells will be useful if/when I get 9ths and can replicate Body Outside Body, and in the meantime they allow me to ignore all those difficult XP and M/F components. Mantle of Spells choices are Greater Dispel Magic, Limited Wish, Polymorph any Object. Take the Divine Defiance feat and the Undead Leadership feat (taking a living cohort, requires Knowledge religion 1). At levels 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17, take 1 rank in Concentration, Diplomacy and Spellcraft, as well as a cross-class rank in Bluff. At level 14, take 1 rank in Concentration, Diplomacy, Knowledge (religion) and Spellcraft.
- Level 18 is Mindbender. Take Mindsight at 18. Take 1 rank in Bluff, 2 ranks in Diplomacy, and 1 rank in Spellcraft.
- Levels 19 and 20 are Incantatrix again. Get a bonus metamagic feat at 20 (Persistent Spell). At each level, take one cross-class rank in Diplomacy, and 1 rank in Concentration and Spellcraft.

Spoiler: Crafting stuff

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Crafting Notes I used to determine costs
- According to the MIC, adding a specific magic item's effect to a preexisting specific magic together (except those on MICp234) costs **(full price of the added power) + (half of the price of the added power OR half of the price of the existing item, whichever is cheaper)**. This is the market price, so you'll be halving that number to craft the combined item, as normal. MIC rules for stacking additional properties require me to keep track of the combined item's value, just in case I want to further improve them in the future. To do so, **"use the base price of the most expensive item, and 1.5x the base price of all other items. Sum them all together and that's the final cost"**.
- Furthermore, table 6-11 on MICp234 does not include CL minimums to upgrade items. I'm waiting until I meet the CL of "normal" items providing these benefits.
- The above rules are for combining items. Improving items simply costs the price difference between the old and new version of the item.

Items I want to craft in future years :
- Everful Basin (4500gp on the market, requires create water)
- Sandals of Springing (MIC 131, 10 000gp) + Vanguard Treads (MIC 145, 3100gp) - BEAUTIFUL BOOTS.
- For relatives: craft a Possum Pouch (start with one each of these), then hand out Amulet of Tears + Spidersilk Pendants for safety
- Vestments of Power : I already have the Lesser (88k), but upgrading to Greater is CL9 and 200k
- Add Tunic of Steady Spellcasting to my Outstanding Outfit (2500gp on the market, +5 Concentration) - later with improved resistance bonus to saves and AC bonus, and with +Con and sonic/cold/electricity/acid resistance.
- Third Eye Improvisation (CL 5, 1k gp on the market)
- Amulet of Wordtwisting (MIC p71, requires CL 5 + Tongues, +2 Insight bonus to socials, 6k on the market)
- Quicksilver Boots (CL 5, 3500gp)
- Choker of Eloquence, Greater (CL 6, +10 competence to Diplomacy, Bluff and Perform (vocal), 6k gp on the market, specifically requires being a spellcaster of at least 6th level)
- Wand Bracelet (requires CL 6, shrink item, 12k gp on the market)
- Bracers of Arcane Freedom (CL 7, later with +8 AC)
- Necklace of Adaptation (CL 7)
- Belt of the Reinforced Form (CL 7, 5400gp) - probably too expensive because of Belt of Magnificence
- If I get Mnemonic Enhancer, what about the ravenloft Band of Spell Enhancement (CL 7, requires Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer, 10 080gp)
- Phylactery of Change
- Pearl of Speech (as a money-maker, translator - CL 7, 600gp on the market) / Replenishing Skin (1000gp, requires create water) / Magic Bedroll (500gp on the market, requires cure light wounds)
- Third Eye Sense (24k on the market, needs scrying)
- As soon as I get a cohort, activate a Companion Spirit ritual (Magical Storage, Chain Companion)
- stat boosts, energy resistance, resistance bonus to saves in shiftweave, etc (most come online at level 9)
- Belt of Hidden Pockets (CL 9, requires secret chest)
- Boots of Teleportation (CL 9, 49k on the market)
- War Wizard Cloak for familiar at CL 9 (16k gp on the market, lets familiar cast lesser ironguard + dimension door on me, and protection from arrows + sending for himself. He also gets continuous darkvision 60ft, endure elements (cold) and feather fall).
- Belt of Battle

Less urgent things that would be nice to fit into future levels if possible:
- Crystal Mask of Knowledge (MIC p91, 2500gp on the market, +5 Knowledge (arcana))
- Speaker's Trumpet (D339, p42, 3500gp, CL 3 + whispering wind, untyped +5 to Diplomacy)
- Ventriloquist's Mouthpiece (6k gp on the market)
- Brazier of Aura Revealing (Magic) is 1k on the market, with 3k for Evil.

Spoiler: Place Magic

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I now have the awesome Place Magic feature, which works very well with the Sha'ir's massive spell list (all wizard spells, and no spellbook limitation). As long as I'm in Ireland, I should be able to get around the "must have seen a spell to retrieve it" limitation. This is when this build really begins to shine, with access to every wizard spell in the game without compromising on social skills! Here it is, as clarified on page 47 of Unapproachable East:
"Hathrans and durthans possess a special bond to the land of Rashemen that lets them draw upon the power of the spirits to cast spells without preparing them. When a hathran or durthan uses place magic, she can cast any arcane or divine spell known to her. (Spells on her hathran or durthan spell list can be cast as either arcane or divine spells, as she desires.) In effect, she can use any spell on any of her spell lists when she wishes, as long as she is within the borders of Rashemen. A place magic spell uses an unassigned spell slot of the appropriate type (arcane or divine) and level. If the caster does not have an open spell slot, she may spontaneously lose a prepared spell of the appropriate type and level to cast her place magic spell. Using place magic takes longer than casting a spell normally; any spell that takes 1 standard action to cast requires 1 full round to cast with place magic. Spells with casting times longer than 1 standard action simply add 1 round to the casting time."

[Troacctid]

As for me, I'm now level 9!

It's probably time for me to take a detour out of Shaper of Form so that I can start prepping for Sublime Chord, huh? Let's hit the exit ramp. I'll take another level in Bardic Sage, putting me at Bardic Sage 6/Shaper of Form 3. I get a feat at this level, but unfortunately, my caster level isn't high enough to qualify for Countenance of the Mage, alas (it's a totally kickass feat), nor do I have the required Constitution score for Shape Soulmeld. The feat I had in my notes was Improved Familiar, but at this point I've had my familiar for six years and I like to think I've gotten to know it too well to want it to change! So instead, I'll be taking Eschew Materials, which is feeling increasingly necessary as I pick up more spells. I also get to replace my new Suggestion song with one of the musical feats from ECS (since I already traded away Fascinate for Healing Hymn), so I'll snag Music of Making as a bonus feat for a nice little crafting bonus.

Right now, my spell list is like so:
0. Ghost Sound, Minor Disguise, Prestidigitation, Mending, Songbird, Easy Math, Know Direction
1. Cure Light Wounds, Share Talents, Vigilant Slumber, Scholar's Touch, Unseen Servant
2. Alter Self, Locate Object, Eagle's Splendor, Heroism, Fox's Cunning
3. Enduring Scrutiny, Sculpt Sound, Speak with Animals + one new spell at this level

I'm not entirely sure what I want the new spell to be. I guess I don't have any proper figments yet, so maybe this is a good place to pick up Major Image. Let's go with that, unless someone has a better suggestion.

Skill points for this level are getting sunk into Sublime Chord prerequisites, and since I hit an even-numbered bard level, my bardic knack improves to +3, which certainly doesn't hurt! If I'm doing my math correctly, it's possible I did my math incorrectly last year, and I was supposed to go back to bard last level in order to get all the skill taxes. Oops. Well, that's alright, I guess. Instead of dipping into Ardent Dilettante in 2025 and then Sublime Chord in 2026, I can take two more levels of Bardic Sage and hit Sublime Chord in 2027—only slightly behind schedule, not the end of the world. Or, alternatively, I could go for the unconventional dip into Changeling Rogue...no, actually, you know what, better plan, I can get right back on track if I just take Open Minded as my feat for this level. Forget Eschew Materials. We're burning a feat on +5 skill points! Let's go!

(I might still take Changeling Rogue anyway. Having "an uncanny awareness of the tone of any social situation" sounds pretty handy. I could swap the sneak attack for a fighter bonus feat...hmm...)