Between Adventures

Epic Path \ Abstract Encounters \ Between Adventures

In Epic Path, it is always possible for any character to work on re-training and self-improvement. The wizard can cloister himself in a high tower and study the arcane mysteries. The druid can meditate at length upon the glory and might of the Nascent Seed. The fighter can go to the Fighter's Guild and have a training montage of rapid-fire smash-cuts set to 80's rock-metal. There is always stuff to do, ways to make yourself better, and that's just fun.

These rules offer three different categories of character development that you can perform during downtime: retraining, self-improvement and single-use boons.

• Retraining is the adjusting of one aspect of your character to another, or growing your character into potential it already has.
• Self-improvement is the building of additional abilities, increasing the power of your character beyond what is normal for its level.
• Single-use boons provide one-time bonuses to a single die roll, allowing you to dramatically impact the outcome of that roll in one of several ways.

The first step of retraining is determining what you would like to retrain or improve. Many options exist, but you can only work on one at a time. If you change your mind mid-way through one retraining to start a different one, all progress towards the incomplete goal is lost. (This is the case even if you are merely changing the focus of the retraining, while staying inside a specific category. For example, if you are retraining to convert Sense Motive to a class skill, and then you decide you would rather have Diplomacy as a class skill, not only is the progress towards Sense Motive not applicable to making Diplomacy a class skill, but it will be lost if you begin to focus on Diplomacy, or any other kind of retraining, instead.)

Once selected, you next make a single bailiwick skill check (Divinity, Naturalism, Reason, Spellcraft, Spycraft or Warfare) to see if you can modify the time required to accomplish the retraining. You must make this roll, even if you don't want to.

• If your bailiwick skill check result is less than an Average DC for your current level, the time required to complete the retraining you have selected is increased by 1 interval OR 10%, whichever is worse.
• If your bailiwick skill check result is at least the Average DC for your current level, but less than the Hard DC, the required time to complete the retraining is unchanged from the listed value.
• If your bailiwick skill check result is at least the Hard DC for your current level, but less than the Impossible DC, the required time to complete the retraining is reduced by 1 interval OR 10%, whichever is better.
• If your bailiwick skill check result is at least the Impossible DC for your current level or better, the required time to complete the retraining is reduced by 3 intervals OR 25%, whichever is better.

Note that no selection can ever be reduced to less than 1 interval, regardless of how great your bailwick skill check result was.

Retraining uses up the full day. If you spend more than 1 hour doing anything else during a retraining day (except meals and short rest breaks) besides retraining, that day cannot be counted as an interval towards your progress.

A player may not use the retraining rules to swap out a skill, ability or feat taken at an earlier level for a skill, feat, or ability that they only qualify for now, but wouldn't have qualified for when they originally took the skill, feat, or ability. For example, upon reaching 21st level, a character gains access to Epic feats, but may not use retraining to swap out an earlier non-epic feat for an epic feat. Similarly, a high-level rogue may never retrain to have fewer than 4 basic rogue talents, even after she qualifies for advanced or epic rogue talents.

If you train out of a skill, ability or feat which is a prerequisite for another ability, you lose the use of the other ability until you can once more meet its requirements. Backing down a feat tree can be done via retraining, but takes several re-training actions.

Finally, note that all retraining requires an appropriate place to train, be it a library, a peaceful grove, a quiet meditation temple, a shrine, a gymnasium, a patch of howling wilderness, a deep, dark sewer, courts of intrigue, or whatever is applicable to the aspect of your character being trained. Once the GM adjudicates there is an appropriate location, progress may begin.

Self-Improvement Cost

Retraining selections and single-use boons have no cost (other than time), but self-improvement selections always have a monetary cost in addition to the time required to complete them. This monetary cost represents rare books, unguents, arcane materials, fees to specialists, hiring instructors, etc, to enable the character to re-forge themselves in a newer, better, mold.

This table represents the base cost for self-improvement per interval spent, which is then multiplied by your specific selection's cost multiplier. This adjusted cost must be paid each interval (day) you spend (thus, getting a good skill check when you begin also reduces the cost, since it lowers the required time to completion). The cost is based on the level of your character each time you declare a day to be an interval applied towards self-improvement. This means that the cost increases if you level up before you complete the self-improvement selection.

Character Level	Cost Per Interval
1	20 gp
2	40 gp
3	60 gp
4	90 gp
5	110 gp
6	150 gp
7	190 gp
8	260 gp
9	320 gp
10	400 gp

Character Level	Cost Per Interval
11	520 gp
12	640 gp
13	900 gp
14	1,100 gp
15	1,500 gp
16	1,900 gp
17	2,400 gp
18	3,100 gp
19	3,900 gp
20	8,800 gp

Character Level	Cost Per Interval
21	13,600 gp
22	20,000 gp
23	30,000 gp
24	45,000 gp
25	65,000 gp
26	100,000 gp
27	150,000 gp
28	226,000 gp
29	344,000 gp
30	500,000 gp

Character Level	Cost Per Interval
31	760,000 gp
32	1,140,000 gp
33	1,720,000 gp
34	2,560,000 gp
35	3,000,000 gp

Retraining

Gain a Hit Point

• Average Intervals to Complete: 2 + 2 per 100 hit points you have (before retraining; round up, minimum 4)
• Cost Multiplier: x0 (Free!)

It is possible to train up your hit points, if they are less than the maximum possible for someone of your class, level and CON modifier. This is applicable to all characters, although the more hit points you have to begin with, the longer this takes.

Reassign Skill Ranks

• Average Intervals to Complete: 4 per point
• Cost Multiplier: x0 (Free!)

It is possible to move a skill rank from one skill to another skill after you have placed the skill rank at level-up. We have all made a choice of a skill point that we've later found questionable, and this allows your character to realistically grow and change as time passes, as you get better at some things and lose some proficiency in other things.

Swap a Feat

• Average Intervals to Complete: 6
• Cost Multiplier: x0 (Free!)

You can swap out a feat you have for a different feat you qualify for. Note that you must meet all prerequisites for the new feat before you can retrain into it. Furthermore, if the feat you trade out is a prerequisite for another ability, you lose the use of the other ability until you can once more meet its requirements. Backing down a feat tree can be done via retraining, but takes several re-training actions.

Reselect a Class Ability

• Average Intervals to Complete: 10
• Cost Multiplier: x0 (Free!)

Sometimes you choose a class ability that you later decide isn't what you wanted at all. This could be a sorcerer or bard spell, a rogue talent, a fighter tactic, etc. This retraining selection allows you to trade out an existing class ability for a different one you could have selected at the same level as the class ability you wish to trade out.

A player may not use the retraining rules to swap out a skill, ability or feat taken at an earlier level for a skill, feat, or ability that they only qualify for now, but wouldn't have qualified for when they originally took the skill, feat, or ability. For example, upon reaching 21st level, a character gains access to Epic feats, but may not use retraining to swap out an earlier non-epic feat for an epic feat. Similarly, a high-level rogue may never retrain to have fewer than 4 basic rogue talents, even after she qualifies for advanced or epic rogue talents.

Self-Improvement

Additional Skill Rank

• Average Intervals to Complete: 8
• Cost Multiplier: x1

It is possible to earn a skill rank without leveling up, by intense training, study, and practice. This self-improvement can be performed a maximum number of times equal to your current level (i.e. a maximum of 1 extra skill point per level).

You must declare which skill you intend to improve at the start of the retraining, which helps to guide the environment appropriate to the retraining.

Even with self-improvement, your total ranks in any skill may never exceed your current level.

Transform a Non-Class Skill Into a Class Skill

• Average Intervals to Complete: 20
• Cost Multiplier: x1

It is possible to convert a non-class skill to a class skill. Obviously, this can only be done once for each skill, as you intensely train, study, and practice that skill to make it second nature.

To make any skill into a class skill, it must be a skill you qualify for: You may not, for example, make a bailiwick skill you do not otherwise qualify for into a class skill.

Re-Map a Skill to a Different Ability Score

• Average Intervals to Complete: 100
• Cost Multiplier: x1

It is possible to change the ability score that a single skill of your choosing is based upon. It is possible to make your Acrobatics skill, for example, be based upon your Intelligence, or your Perception Skill based upon your Constitution.

To re-map any skill from one ability to another ability, it must be a skill you qualify for: You may not, for example, map a bailiwick skill you do not otherwise qualify for to use for Charisma and thus gain use of the skill.

You may re-map more than one skill, but you must complete each change before you begin the next. You may re-map a skill more than once: You may change your Diplomacy to work off your Dexterity, and then later re-map it again to work off your Constitution. You must expend the full amount of time and money each time.

Additional Non-Epic Feat

• Average Intervals to Complete: 200
• Cost Multiplier: x1

It is possible to gain the use of a new non-epic feat, once in a character's career. You choose the feat you wish to gain at the beginning of the self-improvement process. You do not have to have all the prerequisites for a feat to begin earning it. You must satisfy all prerequisites for the feat at the time you complete the self-improvement, or you may not use the feat until you satisfy all said prerequisites. If you have a feat you cannot use (for whatever reason) you may swap it for another feat via the normal process laid out above.

Additional Epic Feat

• Average Intervals to Complete: 400
• Cost Multiplier: x1

It is possible to gain the use of a new epic feat, once in a character's career if you are at least level 21. You choose the feat you wish to gain at the beginning of the self-improvement process. You do not have to have all the prerequisites for a feat to begin earning it. You must satisfy all prerequisites for the feat at the time you complete the self-improvement, or you may not use the feat until you satisfy all said prerequisites. If you have a feat you cannot use (for whatever reason) you may swap it for another feat via the normal process laid out above.

Additional Minor Racial Trait

• Average Intervals to Complete: 150
• Cost Multiplier: x2

It is possible to gain the use of a new minor racial trait, once in a character's career. The minor racial trait you gain must be legal for your character in all particulars. For example, you must choose a minor racial ability from your current race. If you somehow change races, you must change this additional minor racial trait to match your new race.

You choose the minor trait you wish to gain at the beginning of the self-improvement process. You may not change the minor trait you are working toward in the middle without losing all your progress.

Additional Major Racial Trait

• Average Intervals to Complete: 400
• Cost Multiplier: x4

It is possible to gain the use of a new major racial trait, once in a character's career. The major racial trait you gain must be legal for your character in all particulars. For example, you must choose a major racial trait from your current race. If you somehow change races, you must change this additional major racial trait to match your new race.

You choose the major trait you wish to gain at the beginning of the self-improvement process. You may not change the major trait you are working toward in the middle without losing all your progress.

Permanent +1 to an Ability Score

• Average Intervals to Complete: 400
• Cost Multiplier: x4

It is possible to gain a permanent +1 to a single ability score of your choice. This may be done up to two times per ability score during a character's career.

Single-Use Boons

Action Point

• Average Intervals to Complete: 6
• Cost Multiplier: x0 (Free!)

It is possible to gain the use of an additional action point through intense study, training, and meditation. This action point is exactly like the action point that is usually gained at the beginning of any real-time combat, and can be used for any legal use of action points in your campaign. Note that it is possible to earn action points through the re-training system if your Game Master is not awarding action points in each combat, if the Game Master allows re-training. You may select this retraining as many times as you wish, though you can never keep more than one action point earned from retraining at a time. Note that you can never spend more than one action point in a single combat round.

Combat Bonus

• Average Intervals to Complete: 4
• Cost Multiplier: x0 (Free!)

It is possible to gain the use of a combat bonus through intense study, training, and meditation. A combat bonus is similar to an action point, in that they may only be used during real-time combat (i.e. while an initiative order is underway).

Using a combat bonus adds 2d6 to the roll which is being boosted. A combat bonus may be used to boost a single to-hit roll, combat maneuver check (CMB or CMD), or damage roll.

• If used to boost a to-hit roll, use of a combat bonus may raise a D20 roll to a 20 or even higher, but it is not considered a 'natural' result, and as a consequence, may not threaten a critical strike.
• If used to boost any weapon damage roll, the 2d6 rolled are treated as additional base weapon damage of the same type as the weapon being used, and thus increase upon critical hits and are further multiplied by the level of the wielder.

A combat bonus is NOT an action point, and may be used at any time during combat, even in the same round as an action point and even during an action granted by an action point.

You may buy as many combat bonuses as you wish, with the important caveat that you cannot ever have more than one combat bonus "banked' at one time.

Fortune's Favor

• Average Intervals to Complete: 8
• Cost Multiplier: x0 (Free!)

It is possible to gain fortune's favor through intense prayer, training, and meditation. Every character gains fortune's favor in different ways. A paladin may gain it by intense prayer in a shrine, a brawler may get it by pouring out a ritual libation to Lady Luck with every round he drinks, a barbarian may get it by howling to the wild, open sky, etc. Fortune's favor is different from an action point or a combat bonus, in that it may used at any time.

When you expend fortune's favor, you succeed at a single D20 roll without rolling any dice. This success is absolute, and occurs regardless of the target DC. However, it is only a success, not a maximum result or any other quantifiable number. If fortune's favor is used for an Abstract Encounter skill roll, for example (which has no defined upper limit for success) the fortune's favor will grant the minimum possible successful roll.

However, fortune's favor always makes the roll a success. If you are trying to Sunder a force wall and need a DC of 250, fortune's favor will automatically reach that DC, and not one digit higher, thus inflicting a single Sunder.

You may buy as many fortune's favors as you wish over the lifetime of a character, with the important caveat that you cannot ever have more than one fortune's favor "banked' at one time.