Classless Skills & Powers
Racial Abilities

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Racial abilities are skills that can be purchased only at character generation time. These reflect skills that are either inborn or taught from a very early age. Each major PC race has its own racial skill tree.

S&P Traits and Disadvantages all fall into the Racial Abilities category as well, though any race may choose Traits and Disadvantages.

To buy racial skills, you first choose a racial skill tree. Thereafter you may purchase as many racial abilities from that skill tree as you wish.

Mixed races, like half-elves, must choose both skill trees (human and elf, in this case), and they are only allowed to buy skills from the racial trees costing 5 CPs or less, unless the same ability appears in both races’ skill tree and cost 10 CPs or less. Under any circumstance, such mixed-race characters do not have access to racial skills costing more than 10 CP. DMs are free to allow any combinations they wish using these rules that are appropriate to their campaign - half gnome/half dwarves, for example, would use both those racial trees and buy skills at the listed cost. The DM may be required to devise the base description for that new race combination, however. The DM may also create new racial skills that the hybrid race only may buy.

Players should target spending no more than 45 points (and usually less) for racial abilities, traits, and disadvantages here - you can spend more, but you will be unable to buy much in the way of other abilities later.

The character's ability scores must qualify for a race according to Table 14, S&P p.22 in order to buy into that race tree.

Other racial abilities derived from the Complete Handbook series or other sources may be added to these lists. Note that demihumans by default have limited level advancement as described in the core AD&D rules, but also can advance further if they have a high Prime Requisite (Table 17, S&P p.23). Demihumans may also spend character points to further buy out of that restriction, giving the ability to ascend to higher levels (but at an XP penalty). Determining which class to use on the level advancement table (Table 16, S&P p.23) will be covered in the "Reconciling Classes" chapter.

Race Bundles

A player can buy a bundled set of abilities for the "generic" demihuman of a specific type as described in S&P. This forgoes any customization of the character’s abilities.

DM Note: You are free to require that players take racial bundles rather than a la carte skills if you do not allow this much variety in demihuman races in your campaign world.

Latent Racial Abilities

A player may purchase some racial abilities as latent abilities. These abilities initially cost half the CP cost (rounded up), and then later in the character’s life the player may pay the full cost to have the ability "awaken." For example, a half-elf character purchases latent 60’ infravision for 5 CP, and later in play pays 10 CP for the latent ability to become active. Which abilities may be purchased latently are at the DM’s discretion.

Racial Skill Trees

Elves

For free, elves get their ability score adjustments (Table 15, S&P p.23), long life, pointy ears, and other generic racial distinctives as described in the various rulebooks for their elf subtype (dark elves are black, aquatic elves breathe water, etc.).

Table 1: Elven Abilities

Elf Bundle Costs:

1. Aquatic Elves: 40 CP (S&P p.27)
2. Dark Elves: 45 CP (S&P p.28)
3. Gray Elves: 45 CP (S&P p.28)
4. High Elves: 40 CP (S&P p.28)
5. Sylvan Elves: 40 CP (S&P p.29)

New Elven Abilities:

Infravision (30’):

Infravision like a normal elf, but only with a 30` range.

Unlimited Advancement at 25% XP Penalty:

The character can advance to unlimited level, but suffers a 25% penalty to all experience gained.

Infravision (120’):

Infravision like a normal elf, but extending out to a 120’ range.

Unlimited Advancement at 10% XP Penalty:

The character can advance to unlimited level, but suffers a 10% penalty to all experience gained.

 

Dwarves

Dwarves, for free, obtain racial ability adjustments as per Table 15 in S&P, grumpiness, beards, and the 20% chance of magical item malfunction common to all dwarves.

Table 2: Dwarven Abilities

Dwarf Bundle Costs:

1. Deep Dwarves: 45 CP (S&P p.24)
2. Gray Dwarves: 45 CP (S&P p.25)
3. Hill Dwarves: 40 CP (S&P p.25)
4. Mountain Dwarves: 40 CP (S&P p.25)

New Dwarven Abilities:

See the New Elven Abilities section for descriptions of the Infravision and Unlimited Advancement skills.

Gnomes

Gnomes automatically get long lives, big noses, bizarre senses of humor, racial ability adjustments, and the 20% chance of magical item malfunction they all share.

Table 3: Gnomish Abilities

Gnome Bundle Costs:

• Deep Gnomes: 45 CP (S&P p.30)
• Forest Gnomes: 45 CP (S&P p.30)
• Rock Gnomes: 40 CP (S&P p.31)

New Gnomish Abilities:

See the New Elven Abilities section for descriptions of the Infravision and Unlimited Advancement skills.

Halflings

Halflings, by default, are short and slightly more long-lived than humans. They get their racial ability score modifications.

Table 4: Halfling Abilities

Halfling Bundle Costs:

1. Hairfoot Halflings: 30 CP (S&P p.32)
2. Stout Halflings: 35 CP (S&P p.32)
3. Tallfellow Halflings: 35 CP (S&P p.32)

New Halfling Abilities:

See the New Elven Abilities section for descriptions of the Infravision and Unlimited Advancement skills.

Humans

Humans all have unlimited advancement in level. They are also sexier than demihumans.

Table 5: Human Abilities

Human Bundle Costs:

1. Normal Human: 0 CP

DMs are free to create other human bundles for specific people groups in their campaign world (e.g. the Rhennee in Greyhawk).

New Human Abilities:

See Elven description for the Infravision 30’ skill.

Experience Bonus (10%)

Like Experience Bonus (5%), but 10%.

Second Sight

Some humans are attuned to the faerie realm from birth, and are able to see faeries when they are invisible or shapechanged into other forms. If a human with this ability is in a position to see such a faerie, they receive a WIS check to realize that there are faeries around (if invisible) or know that someone or something is a shapechanged faerie. It does not allow the human to see the faerie clearly or determine the type of faerie.

Other 15 point human advantages may be added. Feel free to draw liberally from myth and legend to create a diverse set of human abilities.

Other Races

Other races may be added as desired. Unless the DM wants to go to the trouble of splitting all the race’s powers up, only bundles are available for purchase. Such bundles should generally be equivalent in cost to other demihuman races. Generally no new demihuman or humanoid race should have a bundle cost of less than 25 CP.

Traits and Disadvantages

All races may purchase traits or get bonus CP for taking disadvantages. These purchases can only be made at character generation time.

More traits and disadvantages can be added - no disadvantage should be worth more than 15 CP, and traits should be balanced in power level (e.g. no +5 to hit with your favorite weapon).

Traits

Traits are abilities that are either inborn or learned from birth. They are advantages that a character might find useful on many occasions throughout their life. Traits cost CPs just as race abilities do.

Table 6: Traits

Combat & Tactics Trait Notes: In C&T these traits require checks vs. the relevant ability like old-style proficiencies before the trait effect takes place. I have removed this check and simply made sure the character point cost justifies the trait's power.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages are penalties that a character suffers from. They are permanent hindrances a character must live with, and they gain the character extra character points to spend during character creation.

Table 7: Disadvantages

Disadvantage Notes: I have retained all the traits and disadvantages straight from the various Player's Option books. Unfortunately, many of the disadvantages (cowardice, greed, fanaticism, etc) might be more properly placed in the realm of character role-playing and disadvantages should be more like reversed traits (Vulnerable to poison: -1 to saves vs. poison gets you some bonus CPs, for example). I leave this to DM discretion.

New Disadvantages:

Addiction

The character is addicted to some substance, most likely a drug of some sort. If the character does not partake frequently (at least 2 times a day) he or she is ill and suffers -4 to all rolls for the duration. If the character goes without the substance for an entire week, he or she must make a system shock roll or lose 1d4 points permanently off a DM-chosen ability score. For 8 CPs, the substance is common and relatively inexpensive (the cost of a day's lodging). For 15 CPs, the substance is rare, possible exotic or magical, and expensive.

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