Just like normal Pathfinder, a character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so either by experience based advancement, or arbitrarily assigned advancement by your game master. Click here to view the basic rules from the D20PFSRD on character advancement. The total character level is still considered for any requirements of feats or other abilities. Spells or abilities that would apply an effect that scale with your character's level only scale up to 6. Effective caster level also scales up to 6, but the effect of feats or abilities can still increase your effective caster level specifically for the effect of spells or abilities.
The most immediate difference is that G6 has a different character advancement table, available below. The process of levelling is the same as it was before, but the calculation of stats and features is backbone of what is different. Normal class-agnostic progression is effectively the same, save for the experience requirement of each level. Feats are awarded every odd level, and ability score is awarded every fourth level, both as per usual. Wealth by level is also modified due to the nature of higher level characters remaining closer to level 6 characters overall power, and has a reduced scaling factor.
Calculating your stats
According to the default rules of the D20PF system, all classes have a different speed at which they gain a base attack bonus, and saves, to go along with their other class features. However, this is not explicitly described on their respective class pages by a speed. They are instead just simplified and given numeric values. Due to the modified nature of how G6 handles measuring a characters hit dice, base attack bonus, and saves, instead of simply adding the numeric values of all your classes, you need to count the best 6 values you have among your classes.
For your characters hit points, you start with your highest hit die among your classes. If you were a Level 4 Fighter, Level 4 Rogue, your best 6 hit dice would be 4d10+2d8. Your first die is treated as if it was maxed; 1d10 would be treated as 10. Then the rest of your dice are treated as their average value; half the maximum value of each die plus 1. 3d10+2d8 would be 6+6+6+5+5 added to the previous 10. Your total would be 38. Then you add constitution bonus up to level 6 (constitution modifier multiplied by your level up to 6), and other modifiers from your character's traits, feats, items, etc. In this example, if you had a constituion of 14 (which is modifier of +2), you would gain an additional 6x2 to your 38. This brings you to a final total of 50.
Base attack bonus is calculated by ratings. Ratings are listed on the class pages as Good, Average, and Bad. You take your best 6 ratings, add them together, then round down. Good is considered 1, Average is considered 3/4, and Bad is considered 1/2. For a character who is a Level 4 Fighter, Level 4 Rogue, you would have 4xGood, and 2xBad. The total would be 5 and 1/2, rounded down is 5.
A character's saves are also calculated by ratings, but there are only 2: Good and Bad. If your character has a Good rating at all for their specific save they get a +2 bonus, then you take your best 6 ratings, add them together, then round down. For the Fortitude saves of a Level 4 Fighter, Level 4 Rogue, it will be 4xGood, and 2xBad. Since there is at least one rating of Good you get a +2 bonus, then for each Good rating you get an additional 1/2, and for every Bad rating you get and additional 1/3. The total would be 4 and 2/3, rounded down is 4. The other two save types are calculated the same way.
Skill points are calculated for every character level, not just up to 6, and is done on a per level basis rather than being calculated based on your total levels. Whenever you level up you add your Intelligence modifier to your skills per level listed on the class you are taking. When you level up into Rogue you get 8 plus your Intelligence modifier. Every class has their skills points listed on their page. The maximum rank you may have in any skill is equal to your total combined character level up to a maximum of 30.
In addition to everything else, an individual classes' base caster level can only scale up to 6 and the maximum bonus you can receive on a Sneak Attack is +5d6.
The most immediate difference is that G6 has a different character advancement table, available below. The process of levelling is the same as it was before, but the calculation of stats and features is backbone of what is different. Normal class-agnostic progression is effectively the same, save for the experience requirement of each level. Feats are awarded every odd level, and ability score is awarded every fourth level, both as per usual. Wealth by level is also modified due to the nature of higher level characters remaining closer to level 6 characters overall power, and has a reduced scaling factor.
| Character Level | Experience Point Total | Feats | Ability Score | Wealth | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Slow | Slow | Medium | Fast | Very Fast | PC | NPC (Basic) |
NPC (Heroic) |
|||
| 1st | — | — | — | — | — | 1st | — | By Class | 25 gp | 75 gp |
| 2nd | 3,000 | 2,500 | 2,000 | 1,500 | 1,000 | — | — | 500 gp | 125 gp | 375 gp |
| 3rd | 7,500 | 6,250 | 5,000 | 3,750 | 2,500 | 2nd | — | 1,500 gp | 375 gp | 1,125 gp |
| 4th | 13,500 | 11,250 | 9,000 | 6,750 | 4,500 | — | 1st | 3,000 gp | 750 gp | 2,250 gp |
| 5th | 21,000 | 17,500 | 14,000 | 10,500 | 7,000 | 3rd | — | 5,000 gp | 1,250 gp | 3,750 gp |
| 6th | 30,000 | 25,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 | 10,000 | — | — | 7,500 gp | 1,875 gp | 5,625 gp |
| 7th | 40,500 | 33,750 | 27,000 | 20,250 | 13,500 | 4th | — | 10,500 gp | 2,625 gp | 7,875 gp |
| 8th | 52,500 | 43,750 | 35,000 | 26,250 | 17,500 | — | 2nd | 14,000 gp | 3,500 gp | 10,500 gp |
| 9th | 66,000 | 55,000 | 44,000 | 33,000 | 22,000 | 5th | — | 18,000 gp | 4,500 gp | 13,500 gp |
| 10th | 81,000 | 67,500 | 54,000 | 40,500 | 27,000 | — | — | 22,500 gp | 5,625 gp | 16,875 gp |
| 11th | 97,500 | 81,250 | 65,000 | 48,750 | 32,500 | 6th | — | 27,500 gp | 6,875 gp | 20,625 gp |
| 12th | 115,500 | 96,250 | 77,000 | 57,750 | 38,500 | — | 3rd | 33,000 gp | 8,250 gp | 24,750 gp |
| 13th | 135,000 | 112,500 | 90,000 | 67,500 | 45,000 | 7th | — | 39,000 gp | 9,750 gp | 29,250 gp |
| 14th | 156,000 | 130,000 | 104,000 | 78,000 | 52,000 | — | — | 45,500 gp | 11,375 gp | 34,125 gp |
| 15th | 178,500 | 148,750 | 119,000 | 89,250 | 59,500 | 8th | — | 52,500 gp | 13,125 gp | 39,375 gp |
| 16th | 202,500 | 168,750 | 135,000 | 101,250 | 67,500 | — | 4th | 60,000 gp | 15,000 gp | 45,000 gp |
| 17th | 228,000 | 190,000 | 152,000 | 114,000 | 76,000 | 9th | — | 68,000 gp | 17,000 gp | 51,000 gp |
| 18th | 255,000 | 212,500 | 170,000 | 127,500 | 85,000 | — | — | 76,500 gp | 19,125 gp | 57,375 gp |
| 19th | 283,500 | 236,250 | 189,000 | 141,750 | 94,500 | 10th | — | 85,500 gp | 21,375 gp | 64,125 gp |
| 20th | 313,500 | 261,250 | 209,000 | 156,750 | 104,500 | — | 5th | 95,000 gp | 23,750 gp | 71,250 gp |
According to the default rules of the D20PF system, all classes have a different speed at which they gain a base attack bonus, and saves, to go along with their other class features. However, this is not explicitly described on their respective class pages by a speed. They are instead just simplified and given numeric values. Due to the modified nature of how G6 handles measuring a characters hit dice, base attack bonus, and saves, instead of simply adding the numeric values of all your classes, you need to count the best 6 values you have among your classes.
For your characters hit points, you start with your highest hit die among your classes. If you were a Level 4 Fighter, Level 4 Rogue, your best 6 hit dice would be 4d10+2d8. Your first die is treated as if it was maxed; 1d10 would be treated as 10. Then the rest of your dice are treated as their average value; half the maximum value of each die plus 1. 3d10+2d8 would be 6+6+6+5+5 added to the previous 10. Your total would be 38. Then you add constitution bonus up to level 6 (constitution modifier multiplied by your level up to 6), and other modifiers from your character's traits, feats, items, etc. In this example, if you had a constituion of 14 (which is modifier of +2), you would gain an additional 6x2 to your 38. This brings you to a final total of 50.
Base attack bonus is calculated by ratings. Ratings are listed on the class pages as Good, Average, and Bad. You take your best 6 ratings, add them together, then round down. Good is considered 1, Average is considered 3/4, and Bad is considered 1/2. For a character who is a Level 4 Fighter, Level 4 Rogue, you would have 4xGood, and 2xBad. The total would be 5 and 1/2, rounded down is 5.
A character's saves are also calculated by ratings, but there are only 2: Good and Bad. If your character has a Good rating at all for their specific save they get a +2 bonus, then you take your best 6 ratings, add them together, then round down. For the Fortitude saves of a Level 4 Fighter, Level 4 Rogue, it will be 4xGood, and 2xBad. Since there is at least one rating of Good you get a +2 bonus, then for each Good rating you get an additional 1/2, and for every Bad rating you get and additional 1/3. The total would be 4 and 2/3, rounded down is 4. The other two save types are calculated the same way.
Skill points are calculated for every character level, not just up to 6, and is done on a per level basis rather than being calculated based on your total levels. Whenever you level up you add your Intelligence modifier to your skills per level listed on the class you are taking. When you level up into Rogue you get 8 plus your Intelligence modifier. Every class has their skills points listed on their page. The maximum rank you may have in any skill is equal to your total combined character level up to a maximum of 30.
In addition to everything else, an individual classes' base caster level can only scale up to 6 and the maximum bonus you can receive on a Sneak Attack is +5d6.
