Classes

On this page: 12 Classes | Experience Points | Leveling Up | Multiclassing | Retraining

12 Primary Classes

There are 12 primary character classes defined in Labyrinths & Liontaurs. They are:

Barbarian: The barbarian directs rage into power, roaming far beyond the edge of civilized society, lands, or both.

Bard: The bard uses music, skill, and spell alike to bolster allies, confound enemies, and court fame and fortune.

Cleric: A devout follower of a deity, the cleric can heal wounds, raise the dead, and call down the wrath of the gods.

Druid: The druid is a worshiper of all things natural — a spellcaster, a friend to animals, and a skilled shapechanger.

Fighter: Brave and stalwart, the fighter is a master of all manner of arms and armor.

Monk: A student of martial arts, a monk uses discipline to forge flesh and bone into supernatural offense and defense.

Paladin: The paladin is the knight in shining armor, a devoted follower of law and good.

Ranger: A tracker and hunter, the ranger is a lover of the wild, tracking down favored foes.

Rogue: The rogue is a thief and a scout, an opportunist capable of delivering precise, powerful strikes against unwary foes.

Sorcerer: The spellcasting sorcerer is born with an innate knack for magic and has strange, eldritch powers.

Summoner: The summoner relies on both the spells granted by divinity and partnerships with outsiders who come willingly from other planes to offer assistance.

Wizard: The wizard masters arcana through constant study to gain incredible magical power.

Experience Points and Character-Based Progression

As player characters overcome challenges, they gain experience points. As these points accumulate, PCs advance in level and power. The rate of this advancement depends on the type of game that your group wants to play. Some prefer a fast-paced game, where characters gain levels every few sessions, while others prefer a game where advancement occurs less frequently. In the end, it is up to your game master, listening to the group, to decide what rate fits you best. The game master sets the advancement rate by controlling the amount of experience points that are awarded. Characters advance in level according to the following table:

Table: Experience Points and Character-Based Powers

Tier	Character Level	Experience Point Total	Trait	Feat	Racial Power	Ability Score Boost	Typical Wealth
Tyro	1st	0	Yes	—	—	—	100 gp
	2nd	1,000	—	Yes	—	—	500 gp
	3rd	4,000	—	—	Yes	—	1,400 gp
	4th	9,000	—	Yes	—	—	3,000 gp
	5th	16,000	—	—	—	Yes	5,250 gp
Adventurer	6th	50,000	Yes	—	—	—	8,000 gp
	7th	72,000	—	Yes	—	—	12,000 gp
	8th	98,000	—	—	Yes	—	16,500 gp
	9th	128,000	—	Yes	—	—	23,000 gp
	10th	162,000	—	—	—	Yes	31,000 gp
Hero	11th	300,000	Yes	—	—	—	41,000 gp
	12th	363,000	—	Yes	—	—	54,000 gp
	13th	432,000	—	—	Yes	—	70,000 gp
	14th	507,000	—	Yes	—	—	92,500 gp
	15th	588,000	—	—	—	Yes	120,000 gp
Legend	16th	900,000	Yes	—	—	—	150,000 gp
	17th	1,024,000	—	Yes	—	—	200,000 gp
	18th	1,156,000	—	—	Yes	—	270,000 gp
	19th	1,296,000	—	Yes	—	—	340,000 gp
	20th	1,444,000	—	—	—	Yes	440,000 gp

See below for details on the columns of this table. Note that the "Typical Wealth" column, also known as "Wealth By Level" (WBL), gives a general idea of what a player character's personal wealth should total when they reach each level. It offers game masters a guide when they are creating loot drops and quest rewards. Magic items and other equipment and gear that you currently own count against WBL when you are calculating your total worth.

Leveling Up: Class-Based Progression

Characters gain experience, typically by defeating enemies, solving problems, acting creatively, and role-playing their characters well. As soon as they earn enough experience points, they may advance in level. Typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your game master (GM) hands out that session's experience point awards.

In game, it is common knowledge that people have classes and levels. When they level, people make deliberate choices regarding class powers, skills, feats, and so on. Characters know that there is a Universal System, created by the gods, that awards classes and levels — in fact, the literal difference between monsters and people is that people gain levels, but monsters don't (a few gain hit dice).

When you have enough experience points, you level up. The System alerts you to your new level and reveals your levelling choices. In Labyrinths and Liontaurs, the default is to level when you sleep. Some GMs, preferring a more realistic mode of play, treat the System as bestowing the capability to advance, but that training and study are still required; these game masters only allow leveling up to take place in downtime, between adventures, when characters have time to grow more powerful. At the other extreme, other GMs prefer to reward characters more quickly, with less fuss, allowing leveling to "magically" take place mid-adventure. Note that leveling up consists of advancing in character-level-based ways (based on your total character level) and in class-level-based ways (based on your class).

The importance of tracking individual experience points: Because L&L imposes experience point costs, especially for magic item attunement and uneven multiclassing, it is crucial that GMs award experience points on an individual basis. This personalized experience point total must be given to each player. The game fails if the GM makes an announcement such as "OK, everyone level up to level 7." That is unfair to players who have chosen to carefully save their experience points, expecting to advance a little faster than those who use xp for other purposes.

Also, individualized awards allow the GM to award experience points for exceptional play. A small or token sum nonetheless rewards an incredible joke, quick thinking, great roleplay, or even meta-activities that enhance the game, such as running a PC for a fellow player who can't stay for the entire session.

Gaining Character-Based Powers

Each time you level up, your character level increments by one, and you gain a power that does not depend on your class. The same pattern of gaining powers repeats for each Tier, as seen in the table above.

• At levels 1, 6, 11, and 16, you gain a trait.
• At levels 2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 17, and 19, you gain a feat.
• At levels 3, 8, 13, and 18, you gain a racial power.
• At levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, you gain an ability score boost.

Decide on your character-based power before you move on to your class.

Gaining Class-Based Powers

After picking your character-based power, you select the class you will choose for this level. Every time you level up, the Universal System presents a choice of advancing a class you already have or gaining a level in a new one (see Multiclassing, below). If you have met the prerequisites, at certain levels you may be offered the chance to take a rare prestige class. Many players choose a single class and advance only in it over the course of their career.

When you gain a class level, you add to your base attack bonus, your saving throws, and your caster level. These usually advance as a fraction, and after you add to your current total, round remaining fractions down for the final value. Often, this will mean not advancing. For example, a barbarian 4 has a Fortitude saving throw of 3.00. At level 5, the barbarian adds 0.75, for a total of 3.75. That rounds down to a +3; in effect, the barbarian's Fort save does not advance at level 5. At level 6, add another 0.75, now totaling 4.50, rounding to +4. Note that single-classed characters do not need to track fractions; they can simply consult the table for their class. See below for special notes about advancing base attack bonus and caster level.

Also, when you gain a class level, you gain skill ranks equal to the amount granted by your class, plus your odd (column A) intelligence modifier. You may spend these ranks on any skill in the game, although the standard -4 non-proficiency penalty applies if you are not proficient with a skill. Also note that the maximum total ranks you can have in a skill is equal to your character level, if it is a class skill for you, or your character level -2, if it is not a class skill for you.

Also, when you gain a class level, you roll a hit die and add hit points to your total. Unlike other games, there is no option to take the average roll result. If you roll well below average, you gain lionheart points to balance your poor roll. If you are lucky with regard to hit points, however, you lose lionheart points. Consult the table below to see how many lionheart points you lose or gain (if any) after you roll your hit points.

hit die type	+3 lionheart points	+2 lionheart points	+1 lionheart points	0 lionheart points	-1 lionheart points	-2 lionheart points	-3 lionheart points
d4			1	2-3	4
d6			1-2	3-4	5-6
d8		1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8
d10		1-2	3-4	5-6	7-8	9-10
d12	1	2-3	4-5	6-7	8-9	10-11	12

Note that if your roll would send your lionheart points below zero, you must reroll until you get a result that does send your lionheart points below zero.

Finally, you gain a power based on your class:

• At levels 1, 6, 11, and 16, you gain a signature power.
• At levels 2, 7, 12, and 17, you gain an interaction power.
• At levels 3, 8, 13, and 18, you gain a combat power.
• At levels 4, 9, 14, and 19, you gain an exploration power.
• At levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, you gain a power you did not choose previously from that same class, or a feat.

For most classes, you have a choice of powers when you gain an interaction, a combat, or an exploration power; you usually choose one of two available. At levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, you can select one of those that you did not choose previously from that class. If there are none, then you must take a feat. At levels 1, 6, 11, and 16, you gain a signature ability for your class. You may choose a signature ability from a lower tier. Some signature abilities have prerequisites that must be met; if you cannot meet any prerequisite, you would probably be advised to take a level in a different class, or retrain (see below) so that you meet the prerequisite.

Advancing Base Attack Bonus

As your base attack bonus (BAB) increases, in increments of +5, you gain additional attacks when you make a full attack. Each additional attack is at a -5 penalty, cumulative. At BAB +6, you gain an additional attack at +1. At BAB +11, you gain two additional attacks, at +6 and at +1. At BAB +16, you gain three additional attacks, at +11, +6, and +1. These additional attacks are also referred to as "iterative attacks." More information is available on the combat page.

Advancing Caster Level

As your caster level increases, in increments of +1, you gain the ability to cast an additional spell per day at the level equal to your new caster level. Your bonus spells per day, based on your casting ability, apply to this newest spell level. You also gain two new spells known, chosen from those available, as specified for each individual class. And you have the opportunity to forget a known spell, replacing it with another of the same level and kind. More information is available on the magic page.

Multiclassing

When you level up, you may advance in a class you already have, or you may advance in a different class. Taking levels in more than one class is called multiclassing; if you do this, you are running a multiclass character. The class abilities from a character’s different classes combine to determine a multiclass character’s overall abilities. Multiclassing improves a character’s versatility at the expense of focus.

For base attack bonus, caster level, saving throw bonuses, hit points, and skill points, multiclassing is additive. You sum up the numbers of all the classes you possess. Do not round down fractions until after you have added all the values together.

When you add a level in a new class, the class ability you gain depends on your character level. The first time you add a class, you do not gain the level 1 class ability; instead, you gain the class ability that corresponds with your character level. This ensures that all characters gain a signature power at character levels 1, 6, 11, and 16; an interaction power at 2, 7, 12, and 17; and so on.

When you add a class ability that has a prerequisite you do not meet, you must choose the lower-tier ability that is a prerequisite to it. For example, a level 13 Rogue adds a level of Fighter at level 14. She has a choice of the Military Engineer or the Cavalry II ability. Since she does not have the prerequisite for the Cavalry II ability, her choice is actually Military Engineer or Cavalry I. Note that you can always take a lower tier signature ability even if you do not have to.

Multiclass characters follow the rules for learning spells noted for each class, with one addition: when you gain a caster level, you can add one or two first level spells from any class that contributes to your caster level. For example, a Bard 1 / Fighter 1 has a caster level 1 and has the choice of learning two inherent spells, two arcane spells (of those allowed to bards), or one of each. If you know an inherent spell, use constitution to determine your bonus spell slots per day. If you know a natural spell, you can use Wisdom. If you know a divine spell, you can use Charisma. And if you know an arcane spell, you can use Intelligence. If you know more than one kind of spell, use the highest related ability score to determine bonus spells per day. Spell saving throw difficulty check modifiers are based on the spell type and its associated ability score.

Multiclassing Example

Here's an extended example to walk through the process. A 5th-level fighter decides to dabble in the arcane arts, and adds one level of wizard when he advances to 6th level. Such a character would have the powers and abilities gained by taking five levels of fighter and a level of wizard, but would still be considered a 6th-level character. (His class levels would be 5th and 1st, but his total character level is 6th.) He keeps all of his class abilities gained from 5 levels of fighter, but now also gains the benefits of gaining a level of wizard: He adds +0.5 to his base attack bonus (BAB), which rises from 5 to 5.5. That rounds down to +5, so in essence BAB does not improve. If this character continues as a wizard, at Fighter 5 / Wizard 2, his BAB will rise to +6. He adds +1.0 to his will save. Since it is currently +1.25, that raises it to +2.25, rounded down to +2. He raises his fortitude save from +3.75 to +4.25, rounded down to +4. And he raises his reflex save from 1.25 to 1.75, still rounded down to +1. He gains the skill proficiencies and skill points of a wizard. Both wizard skills and fighter skills are now class skills for him. He rolls 1d4 to determine his hit point gain, and depending on his roll, may adjust his lionheart maximum. He also adds his odd (Column A) constitution modifier to his hit points as well. He adds +1 to his caster level, which rises from 1.25 to 2.25, rounding down to 2. His caster level has risen, so he adds two spells to his spells known list. He can choose spells from those allowed to a fifth level fighter and those allowed a first level wizard, choosing two level 1 spells from the the inherent and arcane spell lists. Also note that at higher levels, spell choice may be limited by a low casting ability score. If he chooses arcane spells, he may also have to note the chance of spell failure casting certain arcane spells while wearing armor. Since his caster level increases to 2, he gains a second level spell slot. He now has one first level spell slot and one second level spell slot. He also gains bonus second level spell slots equal to his even (Column B) intelligence or constitution modifiers, whichever is higher. If his ability scores change permanently (most likely, due to an ability score increase gained at certain levels, or by wearing certain magic items), use the new higher modifier. Note, however, that the saving throw DC of a spell is always modified by the ability score associated with the spell type — intelligence for arcane spells, constitution for inherent spells, wisdom for natural spells, and charisma for divine spells. That is true for all characters. Note that he cannot cast a second level spell, since he knows none, but he can use second level slots to cast first level spells. Note that the saving throw modifier to resist a spell is based on the slot used, not the spell level. He gains the weapon and armor proficiencies of a wizard, although for a fighter these are largely redundant or trivial. He gains a wizard's specialization in a school of magic. Some classes require a choice of path when initially taken, such as a wizard's school or a sorcerer's bloodline, which determines some possible powers and, maybe, restrictions. Finally, he chooses a class ability. The ability he chooses is based on his character level. Since he is character level 6, he gains the Adventurer Tier signature wizard ability (arcane bond), but he can instead choose the Tyro Tier signature wizard ability if desired (wizard's book).

Note that there are a number of effects and prerequisites that rely on a character's level or a creature's Hit Dice. Such effects are always based on character level (for characters) or hit dice (for monsters), not just those from one class (class level). For characters, the exception to this is class abilities — while signature abilities always vary with character level, other class abilities generally vary with either class level or caster level.

Uneven Multiclassing A multiclass character incurs a 10% experience point penalty if their levels are not within one of each other. A Bard 4 / Cleric 4 has no penalty, nor does a Bard 3 / Cleric 4 nor a Bard 4 / Cleric 3. But if the classes are more uneven, with a difference of two or more levels, then the character suffers the 10 percent experience point penalty. A Fighter 5 / Wizard 1 incurs the penalty until reaching level 4 Wizard.

However, certain racial powers allow you to ignore the penalty for specific classes, called your "favored class." With the right racial power selection, the Fighter 10 / Wizard 1 is fine if he is a dwarf or human with fighter as his favored class, or an elf or human with wizard as his favored class. A Fighter 10 / Cleric 5 / Wizard 1 incurs the penalty regardless of favored class, if any.

Retraining

Labyrinths & Liontaurs can be a complicated game, offering many choices to players as they evolve their characters. In order to keep the game fun, do not penalize players for making choices they later regret. Rather, game masters should allow players to "retrain" their characters, even when such retraining suspends disbelief, such as making a change of race. If the players would enjoy it, feel free to roleplay the retraining, interacting with tutors, for example, or going through a learning "montage." Or simply make the changes between gaming sessions, and retcon the change so as not to disrupt the game.

That said, the intent of this retraining rule is to help those who make what turn out to be poor choices. It is reasonable to limit the number of these retrainings. For inexperienced players, it is reasonable to allow retrainings even as often as once per level. However, game masters should be wary of experienced power gamers who choose options at an earlier level with the intention of changing their build later to drop those options when they are no longer valuable. That's a violation of the spirit of the rule. For these veteran rules-expert players, at your discretion, allow a single free retraining, if they claim they made a mistake — but for each subsequent retraining, consider a 1% of total xp fee for the change, doubling with each subsequent change. If fees like this inspire complaints, well, honestly, rules-savvy mini-maxers are probably not players you really want in your game.

Note that some classes face restrictions, especially in alignment or conduct. If a player cannot play within the restrictions of a given class, the game master may require retraining, especially if the player violates restrictions repeatedly. Other players may use the rules to create unbalanced, overpowered characters — requiring a player to retrain is fine when their rules-lawyering, power-gaming, and use of broken exploits ruins your game for you and for other players.