Character Training

Advancing Levels

As experience is earned, player characters will want to advance levels. When this happens, they will require training in the skills they have chosen. The cost of training varies with each character class, but is usually dependent upon what skills are to be learned. In this section, use of the term "level" for calculating costs refers to the level to be gained, unless otherwise specified.

All training normally takes place in organised establishments for the characters class, e.g. in a sect building for wizards, or a warrior guild for fighters. Some classes have the option to train themselves, which is cheaper but takes a while longer.

A general note about feats is required here. Each new feat normally costs 200gp and adds another week onto the training time (there are exceptions for some classes, though. See below). Most organisations provide training in feats, but only in those that relate to their own classes. If a character wanted to learn something outside what his own organisation teaches, he might have to go to an organisation that supports it. For example, if a sorcerer wanted to learn an armour feat, they could not get it from their own sect, and would probably be best going to one of the warrior guilds for that training. Paladins and clerics that wish to train on these lines will have to pay for their own feat training in these instances.

Fighters, Rangers and Barbarians

The cost of training for these is simplest; it is 100gp per level for tuition, and will take 1 week, or the fighter can train himself, for free, but this will take three weeks. If the character needs to learn a new feat, then this will cost an extra 200gp per feat, and will take one extra week. PCs cannot train themselves in feats and they need to hire professional help here. These costs assume that the character is using their own guild facilities, and may be far higher if they use the facilities of other guilds. As a guideline, associated guilds will charge double and training at unaffiliated places will cost up to four times the basic cost.

Rangers, when they reach appropriate level, pay the same as clerics in both time and money for their spells. Some warrior guilds provide ranger spell support, but it is common for rangers to use the facilities of their own church.

Paladins

All training costs for paladins will be met by their church, provided they maintains their tithe level. All training requires one week plus one week for each new feat. The only outlay for training comes when the paladin can learn clerical spells. They must make the same sacrifice as a cleric when it comes to learning a new spell level, although he may retain enough money for this purpose.

Clerics and Druids

The Druid is considered a cleric of the Nature religion. The training costs for clerics and druids are assumed to be paid by their church, provided they are up to date with their tithes. However, before a cleric can learn a new level of spells, he is required to make a sacrifice to their deity of 100gp value per spell level, e.g. if a cleric wanted to learn 3rd level spells from now on (after gaining 5th level), it would cost a sacrifice of 300gp. Training takes one week, or two weeks if the cleric will be learning a new level of spells, and an additional week if there is a new feat to be learned. The cleric must use the facilities of a branch of their own cult, no other cult can train them, and they cannot self-train.

Wizards and Sorcerers

Training for wizardry is an expensive business. Mages should seek training from their own sect, and the cost for this is 200gp per level, and takes one week. If the mage reaches a level where he gains a new level of spells, then training will take an extra week and will cost an extra 50gp per level of this new spell level, as they prepare to handle this new, more powerful magic.

Included in the training costs for wizards is one free spell of his highest level from his own school, if one is available, or from one of the other primary schools of the sect. Additional spells can also be purchased at this time, provided the wizard had capacity in their spell book.

When sorcerers train for a new level their 'known spell' list can be changed. Most sects will allow sorcerers to replace any known spell with any unknown spell of the same level from any of the magic schools they teach. They will not charge for this service. Additionally, the sorcerer will be allowed a new spell at the highest level (or lower if the sorcerer requires) they are able to cast. If the Sorcerer can add more than on new spell with their new level, then the additional spells are also available for purchase.

New feats cost an additional 200gp and add one extra week onto the training time.

These costs assume the mage can use training facilities of their own sect; unfortunately this may not always be possible. If the mage has to hire training facilities from another sect, then training costs are doubled, and spell costs are often much higher. Wizards and sorcerers are not granted free spells when training with another sect. If the sect does not deal with the mages specialist school, then training time is also doubled, to two weeks (but the cost is still the same).

Rogues

Rogue training is usually 100gp per level at an organised guild, with an additional 200gp if they need to learn a new feat. Training this way always take a week, plus an additional week for each feat. These costs assume there is a willing expert to train the thief. Rogues can also train themselves for free, and this will take three weeks. The closed shop nature of thief guilds, however, frowns on this; they do not like 'freelance' rogues, and have been known to kick them out of their organisations, or worse. These costs assume that the PC trains with their own thief guild, costs can be many times higher if he is forced to go elsewhere, and there is often a negotiation to take place why on earth would a thief guild train a rogue for one of their competitors?

Bards

For bards to train, they need to have their musical instrument to hand. They must spend one week working as a rogue at a thief guild, and one week working as a magic user to learn spells (bards never get a free spell, and do not, normally, belong to a mage sect). Thief guilds usually charge full price for this service, but mage sects often have a discount rate for bards; they can normally be trained by quite low-level mages, and so the training fees are one quarter of those for wizards and sorcerers (after allowing for premiums for non-membership of the sect). Spell costs are unchanged. During this time they are also assumed to practice their musical instrument in their own time. New feats can be learned at either the mage sect or the thief guild (or they can even be learned from other sources such as warrior guilds or in the church depending on what feat is being learned); these will take a further week and cost 200gp per feat.

Monks

Monks train like no other class. There are several major organisations for Monks in Arthea - they all have slightly different outlooks, but all are humble organisations. Their training costs, therefore, are low; as the monk is expected to maintain very little in the way of possessions; but despite this, the costs of maintaining the monasteries must be met. Monk training always takes two weeks; the monasteries charge a nominal 50gp per level for such training, but will charge double that when teaching one who is not their own initiate. Feats are trained at a cost of 100gp, but they do not add time onto the training.

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