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Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen
Pathfinder Unchained

Staggered Advancement

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 42
When increasing in level, characters often gain new abilities and powers seemingly overnight. The following advancement variant allows you to add some verisimilitude to the way in which your characters grow in power. Instead of gaining all your new abilities when you advance to the next level, you divide them among four XP tiers: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Each XP tier represents a specific percentage of the XP required to advance to the next level.

Using Staggered Advancement

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 42
First, select the class in which you’ll gain your next level. You must meet all the prerequisites for that class level. Whenever you reach a new XP tier, gain the appropriate universal abilities and skill ranks for that class as detailed in Table 1–8: Staggered Advancement. Your feat, ability score, and spell progressions remain unchanged.

Universal Abilities: Universal abilities include your selected class’s base attack bonus, hit points (hp), and saving throw bonuses. At the 25%, 50%, and 75% XP tiers, you can select one of the following options.

Base Attack Bonus: Increase your selected class’s base attack bonus (if applicable).

Hit Points: Determine the number of hit points you would gain for advancing to the next level in your class and add 50% of those hit points (rounding down) to your hit point maximum. When you advance fully to the next level of your selected class, add the remaining hit points.

Saving Throw Bonuses: Increase your class’s saving throw bonuses (if applicable).

Each of the above options can only be selected once per level. Additionally, the base attack bonuses and saving throw bonuses of some classes don’t increase each time they advance in level. If only one universal ability is applicable, incorporate it at the 75% tier. If two are applicable, incorporate one at the 50% tier and the other at the 75% tier (your choice).

Class Features: Characters gain all class features upon reaching the next level.

Skill Ranks: Determine the total number of skill ranks you would gain for advancing to the next level in your selected class, and allocate 50% of the skill ranks (rounding down) when you reach the 50% XP tier. When you advance fully to the next level, you can spend the remaining skill ranks.

The following table assumes you are using the medium XP advancement track. If you use the fast or slow XP advancement track, you can use this table as a model from which to extrapolate the XP requirements for each XP tier.

Table 1-8: Staggered Advancement

Character LevelXPXP TierUniversal AbilitiesClass AbilitiesSkill Ranks
1st0—As standard rules for a 1st-level character
50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
1,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
1,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
2nd2,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
2,75025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
3,50050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
4,25075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
3rd5,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
6,00025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
7,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
8,00075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
4th9,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
10,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
12,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
13,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
5th15,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
17,00025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
19,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
21,00075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
6th23,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
26,00025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
29,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
32,00075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
7th35,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
39,00025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
43,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
47,00075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
8th51,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
57,00025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
63,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
69,00075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
9th75,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
82,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
90,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
97,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
10th105,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
117,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
130,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
142,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
11th155,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
171,25025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
187,50050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
203,75075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
12th220,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
243,750025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
267,50050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
291,25075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
13th315,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
347,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
380,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
412,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
14th445,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
492,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
540,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
587,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
15th635,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
698,75025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
762,50050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
826,25075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
16th890,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
992,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
1,095,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
1,197,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
17th1,300,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
1,425,00025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
1,550,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
1,675,00075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
18th1,800,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
1,987,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
2,175,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
2,362,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
19th2,550,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%
2,812,50025%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
3,075,00050%BAB, 50% hp, or saves—50%
3,337,50075%BAB, 50% hp, or saves——
20th3,600,000—Remaining 50% of hpAllRemaining 50%