Starting Experience Point Allocation

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This section describes how to develop a starting character who has a significant amount of experience in the world instead of being just a clueless greenhorn.

The Player is given a starting amount of experience points for the character which are then used to acquire skills, equipment, special abilities, magical items, or money.

The starting Experience Points will depend on the particular campaign, but it is suggested that characters begin with 20,000 experience points.

The characters will get an additional point to their Perception per 5000 experience points they start with.

For a campaign where the characters start with 20,000 experience points, they would receive an additional 4 points to their Perception. Any extra experience gained for the character starting out older than normal should also be taken into account, but not for any other advantages or disadvantages taken.

The starting experience points may be used to develop Skills, Weapons, or Magic as described in section 91 - HOW EXPERIENCE IS USED.

Experience used in this manner during the character development is unmodified by the Race Modifiers. Any monetary costs incurred for development of non-Magic abilities are ignored. The costs for acquiring new spells and rituals is described below. Costs in time for developing abilities are ignored.

Once play begins, all experience is subject to the Race Modifiers and all monetary and time costs must be paid.

[94.4] The dues for Guild memberships and necessary equipment must be paid for one year.

Many of the skills a character develops have costs associated with them for necessary equipment and guild membership dues. In order for the character to begin play without suffering any ill effects from having poor equipment or being on guild blacklists, these costs must be paid by spending 4 EP for each Crown of cost. Craftsmen are automatically members of the local guild for their craft.

Most skills specify that if the amount is not paid, the character will perform as if 2 less in rank with that skill.

[94.5] Characters may begin with magical items.

A character must give up experience points in order to begin with an invested or enchanted item. The cost of this is ultimately up to the GM, but for guideline purposes use the cost of the item, plus:

The cost in EP for invested items is:

([Total experience for spell] * [Number of charges]) / 5; doubled if bound.

The EP cost for enchanted items is:

[(Shaping Index) * 5] + Shaping Cost

The number of charges for invested items is the maximum number of charges possible (and therefore is the rank of the investment ritual used). Adepts with the Investment Ritual may invest items with their own spells at no cost. (See 97.15).

[94.6] The acquisition of additional spells and rituals requires experience.

To obtain Spells and Rituals for which the character would normally have to pay a fee, the cost is 4 EP per Crown of normal cost. All such Spells and Rituals are available for the character, provided they can cover this cost to achieve rank 0 and has sufficient MA to learn the additional spells (ref. 34.6, 97.13)

[94.7] An Adept may belong to more than one College of Magic (see 97.14).

For each additional Magic College the character belongs to, he must give up 2500 EP due to the 6 months of schooling at the local College site instead of adventuring and getting experience. Prior to joining a second College, the character must satisfy the requirements for entrance (see 34.7, 97.13, 97.14).

[94.8] Characters may have particular advantages or disadvantages which may have a cost associated with them.

A character might have some peculiar attribute or personality quirk that can be beneficial or unfortunate during play. This could be something along the lines of exceptional luck (good or bad), a physical handicap, a phobia or compulsive behavior, or some social contact which could come into play (patron, enemy, etc.). See section 95 for the list of advantages and disadvantages.

[94.9] Normal equipment (including weapons and armor) must be purchased.

Normal equipment may be purchased by spending 4 EP for every Crown of cost for the item. For a character to begin adventuring with a battle axe in his/her possession, it would cost 23 EP (normally 5.6 Cr) from the beginning experience point allotment.

[94.10] Any remaining EPs may be converted to starting money.

The character can start with 1 Crown for every 4 EP spent for this purpose. Such money can actually be in whatever form the player desires: silver, copper, gold, gems, or jewelry of equivalent value.

Players may elect to save the remaining Experience Points for use once game play starts.