Homebrew Rules & Expansions: Training (for Pathfinder's Downtime System)

The Writer

A common issue during character creation comes when a player draws his or her character concept from a movie, videogame, book, or anime which may share several points in common with 1 or 2 of the core classes that are stapple of fantasy TRPGs or any of the extensions of it (such as the new base and alternative classes presented by Pathfinder and similar games). The problem on itself comes when the player says "Character X can do this and, evidently, belongs to this class, but also has this ability that belongs to this other class without any of the other abilities of that other class". As stated by many, this happens because cinematic and literary characters aren't built around the concept of character progressions as they aren't game characters per sé. Nevertheless, that doesn't means a Rogue cannot learn how to do alchemical brews, or that a Fighter may not learn how to Sneak Attack if given the means to train such abilities.

The idea behind the class progressions is to grant characters a sort of "heroical identity" and a "role" on the party, but such a concept ceases to work too well when the party in question is reduced to 3 or less players. With versatility becoming more and more necesary, the downside of cross-classing and loosing such indentity for the sake of filling in the gaps becomes a sort of "sure sentence" eventually. In my humble opinion, this shouldn't be the case ever. A Wizard should be able to brave the world with the same ease as a Fighter and, thus, no player should feel pushed to roleplay a character they do not like simply because said character is rather "useless" on it's own or without a particular team member. Some would argue that a Wizard can learn to swing a sword at 1st. Lvl. by using a Feat, and that's true. Nevertheless, that also means the said Wizard will have to endure, with it's meager HP, until  3rd. Lvl. before being able to catch some other Feat that might grant him or her better battle oriented focus, and it's fine but, we are talking about a character with, probably, an INT score of 18 (at the par with Einstein), and you tell me he can't learn how to swing a sword or even a broad spectrum of weapons like a meat-headed Fighter? It sounds ridiculuous to me but there is a simple reason behind this: game balance. The designers of D&D and Pathfinder have in mind the events that they host, not all the bazillion posibilities of homebrew gaming, in which campaigns may last REALLY long and where battle may not be as common or often. And, is fine: it is our duty to take care of that aspect.

Based on the Retraining option presented on Ultimate Campaign from Pathfinder, I present here an alternative system that will allow characters of all classes to make use of their spare time to not only replace stuff they do not like but to also ADD new stuff that they would not, otherwise, gain through their normal class progressions as a means to satisfy the need for that special class feature or feat you are looking for without compromising too much your entire character concept by taking too many disparate classes only to get the abilities you want. Of course this, by no mean, replaces a normal character progression and imposses high costs and a palpable limitation, thought it might help to tweak greatly a character concept in order to take it one step closer to it's original idea.

Pretty much like in the Retraining rules, Training costs a general amount of GP equal to 30 x (Character Lvl. x3) x the amount of days the training takes. While the amount can be paid on a day by day basis, interruption of the training ruins the entire attempt. A new attempt can be made after a number of days equal to half the training time rounded down. Certain trainings require the assistance of another character and, while it is possible to train a few of such things without assistance, the required time is doubled, but not the GP cost. Additionally, some abilities consume a Class Feature Slot, of which each class level has 7. Most classes start with several class features listed on their 1st. Level chart, thus meaning they have less free slots as each new External Class Feature gained consumes a Class Feature Slot. Once all slots are occupied, no new Class Features can be learned on that level and a character CANNOT trade a Class Feature of it's main class for an External Class Feature. If you gain a level on a class that grants you a Class Feature you have as an External Class Feature, the new version replaces the older and that Class Feature Slot is freed. Something similar happens with Feats, where each character has 4 Feat Slots per level and the same rules for External Class Features apply as required.

Ability Score Increase.- Increasing an Ability Score takes 15 days of Downtime. Success grants an increase of +1 in one Ability Score of your choice, but you can only gain this benefit once for every 4 HD you have. This training does not count towards the Class Feature Slot limit.

External Class Feature.- Gaining a Class Feature that doesn't belongs to your class progression takes an amount of time equal to 15 days x the level in which the Class Feature is originally gained on it's original class. In order to learn the Class Feature, you must train with a character at least 4 class levels above the level in which the Class Feature is gained and you must have the character level in which the Class Feature is gained on it's original class. Class Features gained in this way consume 1 Class Feature Slot and have only 50% of their original power, duration, and usefullness if they belong to a class with which your main class have synergy (as stated on the table Retraining Synergies on Ultimate Combat), otherwise, they only have 25% of their values. Class Features gained in this way DO NOT progress with the gaining of levels as they would normally do and, in order to make them progress, you first require to "Master" them by training them further spending half of the original GP prize but the same time again for those at 50% of their value, and 3 times more for those at 25% (each new finished time gaining a respective 25% boost update). Each of these "Updates" consumes A NEW Class Feature Slot and the process must be repeated entirely the next time you want to "level up" an External Class Feature. This secondary training can be done without assistance. Class features that are "upgraded versions" of older Class Features on a class progression cannot be learned in this way: the entire chain must be respected. Additionally, if by chance, reduction or unsuittable Ability Scores, the output (be it damage, time, area, etc) of a particular External Class Feature is less than 1, you failed to learn the External Class Feature and both the time and GP is wasted.

Additional Feats.- Gaining an Additional Feat takes an amount of time equal to 15 days and an extra amount of days if the Feat requirements would make it only possible at a certain character level, in which case would be 15 x (the required level x 3). In order to learn the Feat, you must train with a character that possess the Feat in question and you must fullfill all the requirements specified for the Feat. In the case the Feat requirements demand a character to belong to a certain class, you can train the Feat as an External Class Feature instead, applying the rules of External Class Feature training and, thus, consuming Class Feature Slots. A character posses 4 Feat slots per level and cannot train more than this, specially if some Class Feature (like the Fighter Bonus Feat) has already taken some of those slots (as in the case of a Human Fighter, for example, which would receive 3 feats and, thus, could only train 1 additional feat).

Additional Skill Ranks.- Gaining Additional Skill Ranks takes 15 days and you gain an amount of ranks equal to your INT Bonus (minimum of 1). You can also turn any Skill into a Class Skill by spending 1 Class Feature Slot per Class Skill converted and you can only do it once per level.

Other Training Options & Notes.- It is possible to replace the GP cost of training through other types of capital by paying the equivalent costs as stated on Ultimate Campaign. Also, it is possible to train any sort of Feat or Class Feature without the assistance of another character by using a written guide or source, making the process only 50% longer instead of double the time. Nevertheless, it is impossible to train any Class Feature or Feat that would require levels BEYOND Lvl. 5 of any class without the assistance of a character of the appropiate class and level.

The Writer.